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Rasaad enhancement, 1+1=2? No! There is more to it.

KougaKouga Member Posts: 83
Hello everyone!

So I'm sure everyone here knows the monthly "Rasaad is weak and boring!" posts? Yea, well maybe I know a seemingly super logical solution, but not just because it would seem logical on first sight.

Alot of players play BG because they love everything about it, the slashes, flashes, trying to survive, building and improving the party you play, what not!

The thing about Rasaad is, apart from a nice quest, he is almost none of these things, right? He's not flashy, you cannot really improve him with alot of armor and most players just like to walk with their party, without having to worry about Rasaad speeding too hard and getting himself killed. Ofcourse I'm not trying to say Rasaad doesn't have incredible potential! But really? His stuns don't even have a visual effect. Let's say he's not a real eye catcher?

So overhaul added these 5 new roles, including 2 monky kits. One of them is the Sun Soul monk, Rasaad is a Sun Soul monk. This is the seemingly super logical part. Why not turn Rasaad from a regular monk with what can even be seen as a fake story, into a Sun Soul Monk to backup his words? He claims to be a Sun Soul Monk but he really isn't.. Like he's full of crap..

Think about it, I've been around abit with a Sun Soul Monk kit to imagine how it would fit on Rasaad. In my opinion the flaming fists, fire shields and sun explosion on command seem incredibly easy to use and extremely flashy. Just like the addition Rasaad needs! We shouldn't give monks armor ofcourse, that just wouldn't fit. But this contributes to the flashiness and ease of use. Besides, you actually get some flashy spells and can put them in a prefferable order, like a rotation almost! Better than the few dull (to most) spells that Rasaad currently has. Most players even say to give Rasaad a Sling and carry him through the game! I say NO! Give Rasaad the kit that he rightfully deserves.

Ontop of that! Dorn is a Blackguard, paladin kit. Neera is a Wild Mage, mage kit. Rasaad is a Monk. Monk.. Monk. What is unfinished here?

It's not just because it would make perfect sense, but also because it adds incredibly to the joy of playing Rasaad, I'm sure of this after trying a Sun Soul Monk for myself. Right now, Rasaad feels unfinished, like some things were in the original BG1. Wasn't that what Overhaul set out for to improve? And maybe to keep everyone happy, having the option to somehow choose Rasaad to be a Monk or a Sun Soul Monk in your playthrough would add nicely! But I should definetly make Sun Soul Monk the standard choice.

I hope you've faced the wall with joy and agreement, I tried to make it least sufferable. Let me know what you think!

Greets!
Post edited by Kouga on
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Comments

  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    I agree, he should be a Sun Soul monk, it only makes sense. It makes sense in his character story. Also, enemies that we face in his quest use Dark Moon powers, and poor Rashad can't counter them.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    edited April 2013
    There's nothing wrong with Rasaad being a pure-class Monk. I get it that a lot of people would prefer him to be a Sun Soul Monk (and from what I've gathered, his background actually states that he is one), but I also think that the Monk kits play a bit too differently from the pure class.

    So leaving Rasaad kitless ensures that every class (except Barbarian, and I'd very much like to see one in the near future, even if it's DLC) is represented by the available NPCs. Neera is a Wild Mage, but you have Xan, Dynaheir and Xzar as "traditional" Mages. Dorn is a Blackguard, but you have Ajantis as a Paladin.

    I like having the option of experiencing every class without being required to give it to the protagonist. And I don't think this has to be expanded to every kit, either. Kits are supposed to be variations of a class rather than replacements.

    At least that's how I see it.
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    He does ake a very good scout once he's leveled up a bit. Stealth up and ambush some guy with a stunning fist to the temple.
  • KougaKouga Member Posts: 83
    edited April 2013
    @Kilivitz That's why I suggested giving an option to turn Rasaad into a regular monk for your story, rather than a Sun Soul Monk. Solely for people like you that would preffer it in their specific play through.

    As you say, the monk kits play very differently from the actual monk, this is exactly what I strive for with my post. For the regular monk doesn't have the flash and spark that most people seem to be looking for in Rasaad, however the Sun Soul kit does.
  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    Would Neera feel the same if she was a regular mage? No, her backstory, exile, quest, her entire character etc. is based on her kit. Ditto for Dorn, his kit and powers are important if not essential to his plot. I think same goes for Rasaad, based on his story and dialogues, but he has a vanilla monk kit. Is he lying? I don't think so, being lawful good and all..
  • SenashSenash Member Posts: 405
    Samus said:

    Soon...

    Am I sensing a new update? :)
  • Aasimar069Aasimar069 Member Posts: 803
    edited April 2013
    A good improvement of Raasad would be to fix his dex to 18, so he would only need either the gauntlets of strength or the belt of big fists to be reliable since he is squishy by nature.
  • KougaKouga Member Posts: 83
    edited April 2013
    @Aasimar069 If you're looking for reliability the Sun Soul kit is great. You get some spells which do not depend on his dex or str and it's visually clear when they do their job, I think my idea is great for players such as you.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
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  • KougaKouga Member Posts: 83
    edited April 2013
    @typo_tilly In the game he refers to the Sun Soul Order as "my order", you could see it in the way you mentioned but I don't think that was the intention the devs had with him. Neither does he ever mention he still needs to receive his stripes.
  • SamuelVargSamuelVarg Member Posts: 598
    edited April 2013
    I'm certain that Rasaad can become a Sun Soul Monk in BG2EE.
    And maybe a "fallen" Dark Moon monk.

    It will most surely be linked with his quest and fighting Al-o-GOTH (now thats an evil name)!
  • dstoltzfusdstoltzfus Member Posts: 280
    Rasaad is only a regular monk because Overhaul made him before they added the extra monk kits. Maybe they'll change him in the future, maybe not. I hope they do. Also @Kilivitz: "Xan, Dynaheir and Xzar" are Enchanter, Invoker, and Necromancer (respectively). These are mage kits, not "traditional mages". There are no "traditional mages" NPC's in BG.
  • KougaKouga Member Posts: 83
    @SamuelVarg I don't see how Rasaad is more Sun Soulish in BG2EE, than he is now.

    @dstoltzfus Exactly, that's why I was abit surprised when they didn't change Rasaad along with it.
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  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    Kouga said:

    @SamuelVarg I don't see how Rasaad is more Sun Soulish in BG2EE, than he is now.

    That is probably because BG2EE doesn't exist yet. Maybe his story goes in a different direction and he is less Sun Soulish, maybe not. And maybe the writers want to leave it open to have more options in BG2EE.

    Also, I was under the impression that there is a mod making Rasaad a Sun Soul Monk now. That would be optional enough for me. There isn't a need to make an in-game choice "Play with Rasaad with kit? Y/N".

  • MillardkillmooreMillardkillmoore Member Posts: 150
    edited April 2013
    Presumably, he'll be one in BGEE2. Monks really excel at high levels. With that kit and the higher levels of BG2, I have a feeling Rasaad will get a lot more popular.

    Really, if Rasaad had 17 STR, 18 Dex, and 16 CON, he'd be a significantly better character while also being completely balanced for BG1. I guess the devs wanted to give him stats that wouldn't be overpowered in BG2, when Monks become death incarnate.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    One of my concerns about monks and kensei, and therefore Rasaad, though, is that no matter what level they are, they always have a critical hit vulnerability. A melee character class with no armor, especially helmet, just doesn't make a lot sense to me, unless they are given defensive compensation through agility, which they are not in BG.

    I suppose the idea is that they are supposed to do such high dps that they kill enemies before that critical hit lands.

    I played with a modded npc kensei once (Nathaniel), and I found that, in practice, through at least the first half of BG2, he did indeed do very high dps, but he also went to badly wounded, near death, and dead in almost every battle. I had to just start parking him and keeping him out of battle, only bringing him in to help finish off badly wounded melee enemies, or help with battering down mage defenses, and even that was risky. I think that Rasaad will be the same.

    Giving Rasaad the Sun Soul kit would partially remedy the problem with the class design, because you could use him as a backup ranged fighter and spell caster, so at least he'd have *some* strategic role in a party.

    Front line fighter doesn't cut it. He's never going to be as good at that as a fighter - he'll do more damage, and have some save-or-die attacks, but he's also going to die a lot or else be a potion parasite and suck up all your healing spells.

    He doesn't cut it as a second line combatant either - a fighter, cleric, druid, thief, or multi-class is still going to that job better, with less vulnerability.

  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    edited June 2013
    Sun Soul monk is an early kit, designed to make a monk useful in the begin, that's pretty easy to spot on the kit. In this kit, by giving up Stunning blow and Quivering Palm (overpower skills of monk) you got early access to some innate kit powers to compensate the begin of a monk (sun soulray/beam, flaming fists and Greater sun).

    By make Rasaad a monk in BG EE and a Sun Soul Monk in BG2 EE meant the devs are trolling us, cos we're getting the worse of each side! WTF is this so!?

    Rasaad IS a Sun Soul Monk, and this statement is unquestionable.

    - Jon Irenicus - "That is not to be contested; it seems logical enough..."

    The first banter of Rasaad present him as an? Sun Soul Monk. During the banter he lecture you in? Selûne. He was trainded inside an? Selûne Sun Soul Order. He's in Baldur's Gate because? He had a problem in the previous "mission" he was doing for "his order". So, what Rasaad is?

    - Biff the Understood - "A Barbarian!!!"

    ... Casting Desintegrate on Biff...

    So, what Rasaad is?
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    I miss Biff the Understudy.
  • ShadowHunterShadowHunter Member Posts: 143
    I would LOVE to have a weapon style option "without weapons" just for monks , Rasaad would be a LOT better then
  • ambrennanambrennan Member Posts: 173
    "Unarmed weapon style" is covered by the Monk's fists increasing in both damage and enchantment, although it might arguably make more sense to have somewhere to put proficiency points in.
  • JarrakulJarrakul Member Posts: 2,029
    @belgarathmth: Ioun stones protect against critical hits (they don't say they do, but they do), and Rasaad can wear them. Just fork out the few hundred gold for the infravision one at High Hedge and Rasaad (or your choice of kensai) will be good to go. Well, except for the armor bit, but that can be fixed with spells.
  • zur312zur312 Member Posts: 1,366
    edited June 2013
    shadow keeper him

    easy
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    Jarrakul said:

    @belgarathmth: Ioun stones protect against critical hits (they don't say they do, but they do), and Rasaad can wear them. Just fork out the few hundred gold for the infravision one at High Hedge and Rasaad (or your choice of kensai) will be good to go. Well, except for the armor bit, but that can be fixed with spells.

    There is a Ioun stone at High Hedge? Certainly not unmodded, right?
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    Isn't single weapon style covering the unnarmed style?
  • JarrakulJarrakul Member Posts: 2,029
    @KidCarnival: Huh. You appear to be right. I didn't think I had a mod that changed that, but apparently I do. Well, color me embarrassed. I couldn't even tell you which mod is doing it. In any case, doesn't Daevorn drop one, or is that a mod too? O_o
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