My first suggestion is a barbarian who feels like she stepped straight out of myth.
Selethryth (the name is Anglo-Saxon in origin) Race: Human Class: Barbarian Alignment: Chaotic Good
STR: 18/98 DEX: 16 CON: 18 INT: 11 WIS: 8 CHA: 16
(Quick aside: these are very good physical stats for an NPC, but since barbarian is a much-maligned class I feel it is OK to raise the stakes here.)
I'd like to see someone that reminds us of Beowulf, of mead halls and epic sagas. Selethryth could have some good banter with Minsc and Branwen since they already favor this lifestyle, and could also befriend Garrick in BG1 or Haer'Dalis in BG2 to ask for her deeds immortalized in song and verse.
I would love to see Selethryth in both BG:EE and BG2:EE. For the first game, Selethryth is able to join you very early in a wilderness zone, perhaps even standing at the crossroads between Candlekeep, FAI and Beregost. Her starting proficiencies are Spear** and Longbow** and she begins the game with studded leather armor, a longbow, 40 arrows, a helmet (for cryin' out loud, a freaking helmet) and a magic spear +1 that was her mother's weapon and her father before her, named Keenbite.
If you progress through Selethryth's side quests (which have the feel of an epic saga... think of the Gnoll Stronghold and up the ante with more content) you eventually discover that the spear originally wasn't magical, and that when her grandfather's cairn was desecrated by graverobbers and her mother tracked down and killed the offending thieves, Selethryth's mother discovered that something of her father's spirit had enchanted the spear. The now revered spear Keenbite will continue to grow in power at key points in the plot of her sidequests, first gaining +1 cold damage, later becoming a +2 weapon, and ultimately becoming a +3 spear with +1 cold damage if you finish out her BG:EE saga.
The quests and extra zones associated with this NPC would be gloriously badass. Selethryth isn't full of angst, she's just fun and genuinely loves adventure for its own sake. She could be romanceable.
EDIT: I keep having this mental vision of Selethryth and your party cutting a swath through a horde of poorly-equipped human fighters in hide armor, helmets and some combination of clubs, slings and bucklers. Wouldn't it be funny if you came into conflict with a rough group of nomadic bandits that Caldo and Krum had originally been a part of? Kind of like taking the bikers from "Every Which Way But Loose" and combining it with Hackdirt from Oblivion.
I'd like to see someone plucky and witty, perhaps not unlike Coran but even more diverse. Varen'thel would be the ultimate utility adventurer and dungeon explorer (arrives in your party already having Identify prepared, thief skills geared toward trapfinding/lockpicking, and proficiencies of Longbow** and Two-Handed Sword**). I see the character as being just plain useful though not overpowered. I anticipate fun banters with Alora, Xan, Viconia, Safana and many others.
He comes with the special power of Cure Light Wounds 1/day, making his wide array of utility run the full gauntlet of classes.
Since Varen'thel prides himself on his ability to delve in dungeons, he may have an optional sidequest to explore a multilevel dungeon of the classic D&D variety (I see it as being less demanding and extensive than Durlag's Tower, but not by much).
I won't lie, Varen'thel isn't as thought-out as my first suggestion Selethryth, but he is also someone I would enjoy having along on an adventure in either BG:EE or BG2:EE.
My third suggestion is for a necromancer who isn't interested in undead minions.
Noramis Greylock Race: Human Class: Necromancer Alignment: Lawful Neutral
STR: 16 DEX: 9 CON: 16 INT: 18 WIS: 16 CHA: 10
(Aside: due to having no illusion magic and low Dex, Noramis is probably going to need the extra HP from a high Con score. I think his stats are fair because of this.)
Noramis is a spell researcher who you can meet just outside of the Ulcaster School ruins (close to where the ghost appears at night). When you first meet him, he is already at least level 3 and has researched a new 2nd level spell called False Life that grants the spellcaster 1d10 + caster level temporary hit points for 1 turn / level (this spell is part of the open gaming license SRD from 3.5 edition D&D and therefore shouldn't pose a problem to include in the game).
The player discovers that while Noramis does study undead creatures, he does not prefer to summon them himself and is more interested in how the college of Necromancy can affect the living. His reason for adventuring at such dangerous locations as the Ulcaster ruins is to find old spell tomes and also to investigate the ties that bind undead creatures to such locations. Noramis is a serious man with a deep, mellow and scholarly voice. He would have some interesting banter with Xzar (differences of opinion on the use of Necromancy), Ajantis (arguing that Necromancy is as much a force of life as death), Edwin (Noramis is one of the few people Edwin considers intelligent, and therefore a threat), Quayle (who Noramis gets irritated with and ends up outwitting over the course of their banters), and probably others as well.
If you follow Noramis' quest line, he continues to research more spells. At 3rd level spells, he researches a spell that duplicates Cure Light Wounds but fatigues the caster, not unlike the Restoration line of cleric spells. At 4th level spells, he researches a spell that can purify disease and toxins from the body (Slow Poison plus disease curing) but also causes 1d4 damage to the subject as you expel some useful things from them as well. Finally, Noramis researches a 5th level spell that grants each ally within 30 ft. 1d6 temporary HP per 2 caster levels that stacks with any other temporary HP they may have.
Quests and extra zones associated with Noramis will be arcane in nature and will also delve into moral questions regarding Necromancy and the sanctity of life and death. Noramis could be romanced, perhaps only by an arcane spellcaster who would get special dialogue trees to debate with him and assist in his research.
@stinky I sort of like the idea for Jaro. The existing comic relief characters tend toward the "crazy" or wacky. Smart, bleak and with a skewed view on morality can work very well. Your description reminds me a little of the character of Alan Shore in Boston legal.
My fourth suggestion is for a cleric who is unapologetic in her quest for power.
Thakala Riverstone Race: Human Class: Priest of Talos Alignment: Chaotic Evil
STR: 17 DEX: 9 CON: 16 INT: 11 WIS: 15 CHA: 13
Thakala is unapologetically enthusiastic about her worship of the God of Storms, and will only join you if you impress her with your strength and fearlessness in dialogue. She could be in both games, in BG:EE you would find Thakala in one of the coastal maps, reveling in the storms that roll off of the sea. Thakala has a mad infatuation with storms and power and speaks exultantly of "crushing those that cannot stand before the storm!" She has the special power of Shocking Grasp 1/day, which increases by another 1/day with each level of Priest of Talos (this is in addition to the normal features of Priest of Talos).
Thakala starts the game with Morningstar* and Sling* proficiency, and her starting equipment includes splint mail, a helmet (seriously, give the NPCs helmets), a medium shield, a morningstar, a sling and 20 bullets. When you first meet her she has no more than a single cast of Cure Light Wounds prepared, instead she favors spells like Command and Magic Stone. If you encounter her at higher levels, she still only has *one* Cure Light Wounds prepared and has a host of offensive spells with perhaps a few self-only buffs.
Thakala reveals that she is seeking a lost relic of Talos called Thunderstrike, a magical morningstar once gifted to a cleric long ago. The quest pulls you into conflict with followers of Helm who have the relic hidden away to halt its destructive influence, and Ajantis will come to blows with Thakala as the quest progresses. If you acquire Thunderstrike (probably after some reputation loss), it is a morningstar +2 that deals 1d4 electricity damage to both the target and the wielder with each strike.
Thakala is not easy to get along with, and the only NPCs she seems to like (or finds amusing) are Dorn, Tiax and Shar-Teel. She may have a rivalry with Viconia and Edwin, and has nothing but contempt for Yeslick, Branwen and Jaheira (servants of lesser powers). Thakala might have some amusing dialogue with Eldoth, where she feigns interest as he prattles on trying to woo her, until she comes in for a kiss... and uses Shocking Grasp on him. Assuming Eldoth survives, he makes a comment like "Yes, there's definitely a spark there." This could potentially be Coran instead.
Another offering on the altar of "underrepresented/missing groups" - female dwarf, female bard, frontline capable female, shorty romance, f/f romance.
Hedi Wyvernsong Female Dwarf Bard - Skald Special: Songshield - Hedi can sing while attacking. This ability temporarily reduces her THAC0 and damage, but improves her AC (depending on her level). The skald song boost for her allies is also reduced, but still present. Songshield is an ability, not a replacement of the usual song. Ability starts with 1 use per day/3 rounds duration at level 1 (+1 THAC0/ -2 damage, -2 AC; ally boost reduced to 50 % of regular song, this does not change by level)
Neutral Good 17/15/19/16/12/15 Preferred Weapon: Throwing Daggers, Mace, Morning Star Found: Beregost, Jovial Juggler / Umar Hills Tavern
Backstory: Hedi is a rather unconventional skald by human measures. Unlike the more passive human storytellers, she loves to jump right into the action and favors a mace over a lute. "Music lives from passion, not perfection" is her motto. Who cares if she doesn't always hit the right note as long as she hits the head of her foe anyway? Hedi is a bit of a celebrity among dwarves and due to her unconventional approach to experiencing and writing epics, some of the fame has swapped over to other populations of Faerun, too. She travels the lands in search of adventure since she can walk - as a young girl, she learned the tricks of the trade from her father, an adventuring shield dwarf, and her artistically inclined mother.
Quests: BG1: Hedi is always in search of new tales and unlike Rinnie, she won't research by reading books. To keep her in the party after she originally joins, charname must gather at least 5 rumors in different taverns within 10 days or Hedi will leave for good to find a lead on an adventure on her own.
BG2: Hedi was invited by a local fan who plans to turn one of her latest tales into a stage performance. She was supposed to pick out the best actress to play her, but all three of the possible Hedi casts have vanished. The quest leads to three locations to rescue the dwarven actresses; the circumstances why they never arrived in the Umar Hills tavern revealing a bit about their personalities, and ends with Hedi and charname picking out one to play Hedi in the theatre production. Hedi does not come with a special/personal weapon, and will recieve a personal item (usable only by her) from her fan. (upgradable Singing Mace +2, 1 use/day Remove Fear)
NPC Relationships:
Romance option for female shorties of any alignment. If charname does not persue Hedi and Mazzy is in the party, Hedi will try to impress her with songs and tales, but be respectful if Mazzy is not interested. They will get along regardless of the romance outcome.
Gets along perfectly with Jan and Haer'Dalis, due to their shared love of stories.
Korgan turns into a total fanboy, which at first flatters Hedi, but ultimately doesn't result in a friendship.
Strongly approved and my compliments on finding that portrait!
Thanks, wasn't an easy task to find a drawn female dwarf with beard, yet without a hammer or axe. I don't think it's very "bardy", but that wasn't the point; I see her more like a warrior who likes to sing "at work" than a dedicated artist.
@KidCarnival You had me up until the beard I took a second look at the portrait and saw her sideburn-beard. *slides computer chair really close to KidCarnival* How 'bout "NO," you crazy beholder bastard?
@KidCarnival You had me up until the beard I took a second look at the portrait and saw her sideburn-beard. *slides computer chair really close to KidCarnival* How 'bout "NO," you crazy beholder bastard?
I do not see the problem with her beard. It looks well trimmed and kind of fluffy near the chin.
Comments
Selethryth (the name is Anglo-Saxon in origin)
Race: Human
Class: Barbarian
Alignment: Chaotic Good
STR: 18/98
DEX: 16
CON: 18
INT: 11
WIS: 8
CHA: 16
(Quick aside: these are very good physical stats for an NPC, but since barbarian is a much-maligned class I feel it is OK to raise the stakes here.)
I'd like to see someone that reminds us of Beowulf, of mead halls and epic sagas. Selethryth could have some good banter with Minsc and Branwen since they already favor this lifestyle, and could also befriend Garrick in BG1 or Haer'Dalis in BG2 to ask for her deeds immortalized in song and verse.
I would love to see Selethryth in both BG:EE and BG2:EE. For the first game, Selethryth is able to join you very early in a wilderness zone, perhaps even standing at the crossroads between Candlekeep, FAI and Beregost. Her starting proficiencies are Spear** and Longbow** and she begins the game with studded leather armor, a longbow, 40 arrows, a helmet (for cryin' out loud, a freaking helmet) and a magic spear +1 that was her mother's weapon and her father before her, named Keenbite.
If you progress through Selethryth's side quests (which have the feel of an epic saga... think of the Gnoll Stronghold and up the ante with more content) you eventually discover that the spear originally wasn't magical, and that when her grandfather's cairn was desecrated by graverobbers and her mother tracked down and killed the offending thieves, Selethryth's mother discovered that something of her father's spirit had enchanted the spear. The now revered spear Keenbite will continue to grow in power at key points in the plot of her sidequests, first gaining +1 cold damage, later becoming a +2 weapon, and ultimately becoming a +3 spear with +1 cold damage if you finish out her BG:EE saga.
The quests and extra zones associated with this NPC would be gloriously badass. Selethryth isn't full of angst, she's just fun and genuinely loves adventure for its own sake. She could be romanceable.
EDIT: I keep having this mental vision of Selethryth and your party cutting a swath through a horde of poorly-equipped human fighters in hide armor, helmets and some combination of clubs, slings and bucklers. Wouldn't it be funny if you came into conflict with a rough group of nomadic bandits that Caldo and Krum had originally been a part of? Kind of like taking the bikers from "Every Which Way But Loose" and combining it with Hackdirt from Oblivion.
Varen'thel
Race: Elf
Class: Fighter/Mage/Thief
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
STR: 14
DEX: 17
CON: 17
INT: 15
WIS: 8
CHA: 12
I'd like to see someone plucky and witty, perhaps not unlike Coran but even more diverse. Varen'thel would be the ultimate utility adventurer and dungeon explorer (arrives in your party already having Identify prepared, thief skills geared toward trapfinding/lockpicking, and proficiencies of Longbow** and Two-Handed Sword**). I see the character as being just plain useful though not overpowered. I anticipate fun banters with Alora, Xan, Viconia, Safana and many others.
He comes with the special power of Cure Light Wounds 1/day, making his wide array of utility run the full gauntlet of classes.
Since Varen'thel prides himself on his ability to delve in dungeons, he may have an optional sidequest to explore a multilevel dungeon of the classic D&D variety (I see it as being less demanding and extensive than Durlag's Tower, but not by much).
I won't lie, Varen'thel isn't as thought-out as my first suggestion Selethryth, but he is also someone I would enjoy having along on an adventure in either BG:EE or BG2:EE.
Noramis Greylock
Race: Human
Class: Necromancer
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
STR: 16
DEX: 9
CON: 16
INT: 18
WIS: 16
CHA: 10
(Aside: due to having no illusion magic and low Dex, Noramis is probably going to need the extra HP from a high Con score. I think his stats are fair because of this.)
Noramis is a spell researcher who you can meet just outside of the Ulcaster School ruins (close to where the ghost appears at night). When you first meet him, he is already at least level 3 and has researched a new 2nd level spell called False Life that grants the spellcaster 1d10 + caster level temporary hit points for 1 turn / level (this spell is part of the open gaming license SRD from 3.5 edition D&D and therefore shouldn't pose a problem to include in the game).
The player discovers that while Noramis does study undead creatures, he does not prefer to summon them himself and is more interested in how the college of Necromancy can affect the living. His reason for adventuring at such dangerous locations as the Ulcaster ruins is to find old spell tomes and also to investigate the ties that bind undead creatures to such locations. Noramis is a serious man with a deep, mellow and scholarly voice. He would have some interesting banter with Xzar (differences of opinion on the use of Necromancy), Ajantis (arguing that Necromancy is as much a force of life as death), Edwin (Noramis is one of the few people Edwin considers intelligent, and therefore a threat), Quayle (who Noramis gets irritated with and ends up outwitting over the course of their banters), and probably others as well.
If you follow Noramis' quest line, he continues to research more spells. At 3rd level spells, he researches a spell that duplicates Cure Light Wounds but fatigues the caster, not unlike the Restoration line of cleric spells. At 4th level spells, he researches a spell that can purify disease and toxins from the body (Slow Poison plus disease curing) but also causes 1d4 damage to the subject as you expel some useful things from them as well. Finally, Noramis researches a 5th level spell that grants each ally within 30 ft. 1d6 temporary HP per 2 caster levels that stacks with any other temporary HP they may have.
Quests and extra zones associated with Noramis will be arcane in nature and will also delve into moral questions regarding Necromancy and the sanctity of life and death. Noramis could be romanced, perhaps only by an arcane spellcaster who would get special dialogue trees to debate with him and assist in his research.
Thakala Riverstone
Race: Human
Class: Priest of Talos
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
STR: 17
DEX: 9
CON: 16
INT: 11
WIS: 15
CHA: 13
Thakala is unapologetically enthusiastic about her worship of the God of Storms, and will only join you if you impress her with your strength and fearlessness in dialogue. She could be in both games, in BG:EE you would find Thakala in one of the coastal maps, reveling in the storms that roll off of the sea. Thakala has a mad infatuation with storms and power and speaks exultantly of "crushing those that cannot stand before the storm!" She has the special power of Shocking Grasp 1/day, which increases by another 1/day with each level of Priest of Talos (this is in addition to the normal features of Priest of Talos).
Thakala starts the game with Morningstar* and Sling* proficiency, and her starting equipment includes splint mail, a helmet (seriously, give the NPCs helmets), a medium shield, a morningstar, a sling and 20 bullets. When you first meet her she has no more than a single cast of Cure Light Wounds prepared, instead she favors spells like Command and Magic Stone. If you encounter her at higher levels, she still only has *one* Cure Light Wounds prepared and has a host of offensive spells with perhaps a few self-only buffs.
Thakala reveals that she is seeking a lost relic of Talos called Thunderstrike, a magical morningstar once gifted to a cleric long ago. The quest pulls you into conflict with followers of Helm who have the relic hidden away to halt its destructive influence, and Ajantis will come to blows with Thakala as the quest progresses. If you acquire Thunderstrike (probably after some reputation loss), it is a morningstar +2 that deals 1d4 electricity damage to both the target and the wielder with each strike.
Thakala is not easy to get along with, and the only NPCs she seems to like (or finds amusing) are Dorn, Tiax and Shar-Teel. She may have a rivalry with Viconia and Edwin, and has nothing but contempt for Yeslick, Branwen and Jaheira (servants of lesser powers). Thakala might have some amusing dialogue with Eldoth, where she feigns interest as he prattles on trying to woo her, until she comes in for a kiss... and uses Shocking Grasp on him. Assuming Eldoth survives, he makes a comment like "Yes, there's definitely a spark there." This could potentially be Coran instead.
Hedi Wyvernsong
Female Dwarf
Bard - Skald
Special: Songshield - Hedi can sing while attacking. This ability temporarily reduces her THAC0 and damage, but improves her AC (depending on her level). The skald song boost for her allies is also reduced, but still present. Songshield is an ability, not a replacement of the usual song.
Ability starts with 1 use per day/3 rounds duration at level 1 (+1 THAC0/ -2 damage, -2 AC; ally boost reduced to 50 % of regular song, this does not change by level)
Neutral Good
17/15/19/16/12/15
Preferred Weapon: Throwing Daggers, Mace, Morning Star
Found: Beregost, Jovial Juggler / Umar Hills Tavern
Backstory: Hedi is a rather unconventional skald by human measures. Unlike the more passive human storytellers, she loves to jump right into the action and favors a mace over a lute. "Music lives from passion, not perfection" is her motto. Who cares if she doesn't always hit the right note as long as she hits the head of her foe anyway? Hedi is a bit of a celebrity among dwarves and due to her unconventional approach to experiencing and writing epics, some of the fame has swapped over to other populations of Faerun, too. She travels the lands in search of adventure since she can walk - as a young girl, she learned the tricks of the trade from her father, an adventuring shield dwarf, and her artistically inclined mother.
Quests:
BG1: Hedi is always in search of new tales and unlike Rinnie, she won't research by reading books. To keep her in the party after she originally joins, charname must gather at least 5 rumors in different taverns within 10 days or Hedi will leave for good to find a lead on an adventure on her own.
BG2: Hedi was invited by a local fan who plans to turn one of her latest tales into a stage performance. She was supposed to pick out the best actress to play her, but all three of the possible Hedi casts have vanished. The quest leads to three locations to rescue the dwarven actresses; the circumstances why they never arrived in the Umar Hills tavern revealing a bit about their personalities, and ends with Hedi and charname picking out one to play Hedi in the theatre production.
Hedi does not come with a special/personal weapon, and will recieve a personal item (usable only by her) from her fan. (upgradable Singing Mace +2, 1 use/day Remove Fear)
NPC Relationships:
Romance option for female shorties of any alignment. If charname does not persue Hedi and Mazzy is in the party, Hedi will try to impress her with songs and tales, but be respectful if Mazzy is not interested. They will get along regardless of the romance outcome.
Gets along perfectly with Jan and Haer'Dalis, due to their shared love of stories.
Korgan turns into a total fanboy, which at first flatters Hedi, but ultimately doesn't result in a friendship.
You had me up until the beard I took a second look at the portrait and saw her sideburn-beard. *slides computer chair really close to KidCarnival* How 'bout "NO," you crazy beholder bastard?
"How to wear your beard this winter" full-color supplement from Vogue forming as a mental image.