Oh, come on you guys, if you really need a mechanical incentive to beat the mastermind villain in a story-driven game then you might as well just play hack-and-slash...
I dont need a mechanical incentive in order to beat sarevok, but I still want his head though... ;-)
If the story is enough for you, how do you feel about letting Sarevok do his thing while you go about side questing? Really at any point during the main story arc, doing anything but addressing the Sarevok issue seems like a serious waste of time. It's not really the "mechanical" reward that's important to me, though it would be nice, but the ability to do the main story at our own pace without fear of ending the game prematurely. Personally, I get swept up by the main story and really hate side tracking, but I also don't like that I can't explore after killing Sarevok. If they make it so the game doesn't end at any specific point, a reward for killing Sarevok would be fitting -- you get something for completing virtually every other quest in the game, why not this one? Is the satisfaction of clearing out the Nashkel Mines reward enough for you? Loot is an integral part of this RPG. There's not nearly as much emphasis on it as others, but it's there, and adding a little bit more this way won't make BG a hack-n-slash.
Oh, come on you guys, if you really need a mechanical incentive to beat the mastermind villain in a story-driven game then you might as well just play hack-and-slash...
I dont need a mechanical incentive in order to beat sarevok, but I still want his head though... ;-)
Oh, come on you guys, if you really need a mechanical incentive to beat the mastermind villain in a story-driven game then you might as well just play hack-and-slash...
No... I must whole-heartedly disagree here. I love the story yet after playing through it a zillion times, I need other motivations. Game mechanics are a good way to keep players like me interested... because no matter how good the story is, it can only draw a player back in so often. Unless you haven't played the game before or in a very long time, these sorts of incentives are necessary (or at least beneficial) to have.
The Sword of Chaos should be unable to obtained in Irenicus' Dungeon if the game hasn't checked off a SarevokDefeated variable. Also, Beamdog should add a new item, Sarevok's armor, to one of the hidden boss fights' (like that one Order of Rune group in the Bridge District) loot for those who have checked off this variable.
There really doesn't need to be a reward for beating Sarevok. Reasons being you are stripped of all loot by Irenicus, you have taken Sarevok's sword, presumably his armor turns to dust with him. So the only real benefits you could possibly add after killing him would be that his corpse drops the sword and your strongest kill would be Sarevok. Anything else would simply be ridiculous or have no point.
There really doesn't need to be a reward for beating Sarevok. Reasons being you are stripped of all loot by Irenicus, you have taken Sarevok's sword, presumably his armor turns to dust with him. So the only real benefits you could possibly add after killing him would be that his corpse drops the sword and your strongest kill would be Sarevok. Anything else would simply be ridiculous or have no point.
Although the story is well worth completing the campaign for, I think something a bit more tangible isn't too much to beg for in a game many of us have played to death already.
As far as fitting it in the with the narrative etc... I think the devs are creative people, more than capable of coming up with their own explanations.
A lot of good ones have already been suggested here!
Since you lose all of your items anyway it doesn't make sense to have a physical reward. But you just killed the most powerful of the Bhallspawn, so a divine reward could make sense. You could unlock another special ability like the ones you get after the dream sequences. Maybe make it class specific - mages get an extra 4th level spell or fighters get +1 con or bards get some extra-secret singing-dancing thing that isn't embarrassing for the whole party.
Problem is that in bg2 you are striped from all your possessions at the beginning ,so Item reward doesn't make any sense.
It does if they put an item in the chest you grab you initial gear from. They could make it so that if you import from the Final Save or a save that occurs after Sarevok's death that the chest is filled with your gear that you had plus a few bonus items and maybe a scroll that starts a quest line that would allow you to unlock the full power of Sarevok's Sword of Chaos +2 turning it into perhaps a +5 while also increasing the effectiveness of it's lifesteal to each hit drains 10HP (instead of 1HP) from the enemy and transfers it to the wielder, increase max HP by 25, decrease AC by 2 (If you had -2 it would got to -4) and finally add a 10% damage resistance effect. This might be a bit OP but considering who it belonged to and how easily he facerolled people like Gorion who was allegedly just about the most powerful mage in Faerun I think it's appropriate.
No, you should not get the gear you had in BG 1 at the start of BG 2. Why? It would make the beginning of BG 2 way too easy. And a lot of that gear already exists, you just have to find it. SOME reward would be nice, I guess. Definitely no to stat upgrades or extra XP though, imo.
@TehCerealKiller I liked the idea of the sword questline but the stats you came up with are just ridiculous.
And I don't think Gorion was anywhere near the "most powerful mage in Faerun". I don't think he used a single spell above lvl 3, didn't have stoneskin on or used any other protection spells, ran out of offensive spells pretty fast and then tried to melee Sarevok with a plain dagger. Come to think of it, Gorion was a noob!
Problem is that in bg2 you are striped from all your possessions at the beginning ,so Item reward doesn't make any sense.
It does if they put an item in the chest you grab you initial gear from. They could make it so that if you import from the Final Save or a save that occurs after Sarevok's death that the chest is filled with your gear that you had plus a few bonus items and maybe a scroll that starts a quest line that would allow you to unlock the full power of Sarevok's Sword of Chaos +2 turning it into perhaps a +5 while also increasing the effectiveness of it's lifesteal to each hit drains 10HP (instead of 1HP) from the enemy and transfers it to the wielder, increase max HP by 25, decrease AC by 2 (If you had -2 it would got to -4) and finally add a 10% damage resistance effect. This might be a bit OP but considering who it belonged to and how easily he facerolled people like Gorion who was allegedly just about the most powerful mage in Faerun I think it's appropriate.
I hold on Sarevok's Sword of Chaos for a very long time hoping that if he unite with his sword hoping his sword will upgrade. That was my only dissapointment in ToB
@TehCerealKiller Gorion the most powerful mage in Faerun? There's a long list of mages who want to speak with you about that comment, starting with Khelben Arunsen, Manshoon of Thay, Szass Tam, and... well, you'll have to find out the others for yourself. I wish you luck surviving their "proofs of concept"! (No, Elminster isn't among them- he gave up dealing with fools this way hundreds of years ago.)
They could make it so that if you import from the Final Save or a save that occurs after Sarevok's death that the chest is filled with your gear that you had plus a few bonus items and maybe a scroll that starts a quest line that would allow you to unlock the full power of Sarevok's Sword of Chaos +2 turning it into perhaps a +5 while also increasing the effectiveness of it's lifesteal to each hit drains 10HP (instead of 1HP) from the enemy and transfers it to the wielder, increase max HP by 25, decrease AC by 2 (If you had -2 it would got to -4) and finally add a 10% damage resistance effect. This might be a bit OP but considering who it belonged to and how easily he facerolled people like Gorion who was allegedly just about the most powerful mage in Faerun I think it's appropriate.
^This should be done when you get Sarevok back in Throne of Bhall, not when you defeat him. Personally the extra special skill or stat increase would be the best option.
Agreed. If the game does continue after killing Sarevok (and I've heard rumors saying there might be a "between BG1/2" adventure) then you should get a reward. In normal BG1/2 this was pointless, as you lost everything Irenicus took, the proof-of-demise being the Sword of Chaos, but if there's going to be an epilogue, there should be some kind of ceremony and giant sack of money/items and/or a Bhaalspawn power.
If only because it makes sense. Saving a cow from Xvarts - 10g Delivering Prism's Gems to Nashkel - 250g Killing the Ogre Mage in the sewer - 2000g Killing Bassilus the murderer/necromancer cleric - 5000g Killing Sarevok, stopping a war that would devastate two countries and saving thousands of lives - A pat on the shoulder and hearty 'Thanks mate!' before they kick you out.
It would be pretty weird. I mean, the Elves even give you something for saving their one city (even though it's a crappy amulet). Surely the city of Baldur's Gate can scrounge something together. Another Bhaalspawn power would also make sense. If clearing a mine from kobolds grants you insight into your heritage, surely killing your brother, a powerful bhaalspawn and object of your personal hatred should do the same?
Never said Gorion was THE most powerful mage in Faerun, just of one the most powerful mages. The stats I listed for the sword are pretty OP, but I still think it should end up somewhere along those lines. I also feel ashamed for not knowing who any of those mages LadyRhian listed are except Khelben and even he I don't remember anything about off of the top of my head I just recognize the name though I know not where from exactly.
@TehCerealKiller- Szass Tam is the Zulkir of Necromancy in Thay, he's also a lich and 30th level. Manshoon is the 23rd level wizard who founded the Zhentarim, Khelben Arunsen is also known as "The Blackstaff", and a 27th level wizard who was also one of Mystra's Chosen. His lover was Laeral Silverhand, one of the Seven Sisters (sister to Storm and Qilué Veladorn, The Symbul, Dove Falconhand, Alustriel and Syluné, who was better known as "The Witch of Shadowdale" and died in an attack of Dragons, surviving as a Spectral Harpist (a good-aligned undead spirit).
@TehCerealKiller That's okay. It's all lore stuff from the P&P game. That's why Gorion (who may be 9th or 10th level, tops, isn't even anywhere in the running for "one of the most powerful mages in the realms". He's certainly up there for mid-range mages, but Faerun has a lot of extremely old, extremely powerful mages. Some are undead. Some are Chosen and thousands of years old. Most mages, even elven mages, simply can't compete in 2e AD&D.
They also mention Khelben several times in the BG series, like how he had visited candle keep when you were little, and you made off with his cape while running around naked. And then he was also in the Imp puzzle in the Sahuagin city.
Comments
I for one find it rewarding enough to see "Sarevok has fallen, the battle is won" message after he falls to the ground. Makes me feel powerful!
As far as fitting it in the with the narrative etc... I think the devs are creative people, more than capable of coming up with their own explanations.
A lot of good ones have already been suggested here!
@TehCerealKiller I liked the idea of the sword questline but the stats you came up with are just ridiculous.
And I don't think Gorion was anywhere near the "most powerful mage in Faerun". I don't think he used a single spell above lvl 3, didn't have stoneskin on or used any other protection spells, ran out of offensive spells pretty fast and then tried to melee Sarevok with a plain dagger. Come to think of it, Gorion was a noob!
I hold on Sarevok's Sword of Chaos for a very long time hoping that if he unite with his sword hoping his sword will upgrade.
That was my only dissapointment in ToB
^This should be done when you get Sarevok back in Throne of Bhall, not when you defeat him. Personally the extra special skill or stat increase would be the best option.
If the game does continue after killing Sarevok (and I've heard rumors saying there might be a "between BG1/2" adventure) then you should get a reward. In normal BG1/2 this was pointless, as you lost everything Irenicus took, the proof-of-demise being the Sword of Chaos, but if there's going to be an epilogue, there should be some kind of ceremony and giant sack of money/items and/or a Bhaalspawn power.
If only because it makes sense.
Saving a cow from Xvarts - 10g
Delivering Prism's Gems to Nashkel - 250g
Killing the Ogre Mage in the sewer - 2000g
Killing Bassilus the murderer/necromancer cleric - 5000g
Killing Sarevok, stopping a war that would devastate two countries and saving thousands of lives - A pat on the shoulder and hearty 'Thanks mate!' before they kick you out.
It would be pretty weird. I mean, the Elves even give you something for saving their one city (even though it's a crappy amulet). Surely the city of Baldur's Gate can scrounge something together. Another Bhaalspawn power would also make sense. If clearing a mine from kobolds grants you insight into your heritage, surely killing your brother, a powerful bhaalspawn and object of your personal hatred should do the same?
I also feel ashamed for not knowing who any of those mages LadyRhian listed are except Khelben and even he I don't remember anything about off of the top of my head I just recognize the name though I know not where from exactly.