Also, here's a crazy idea : what if travelling long distances took a portion of your gold? I don't think adventurers actually live in wooden huts and eat wild rabbits when they pass through cities and such.
@Kukaracha I think that would depend on the characters. Rangers and Druids would certainly eat rabbits (and nuts and berries and such). But if you charge money while traveling between areas, I don't think it should be much more than staying at the worst room in an inn. You could call it, paying farmers or whatnot, for letting you sleep in their barn, or something. But charging them large amounts of money wouldn't go over well.
Of course, it would be a small amount - but every little bit helps, doesn't it? It also fits the logic that you're more likely to travel here and there and back and forth when you're starting to carry around a big bag of gold (later in the game).
I am 100% for the idea of a stronghold! I always like adding in fluffy fun things like this into games. In my pnp D&D games the players usually always end up with a stronghold. This way I can throw more loot and treasure at them as they like to drop money into the fluffy aspects of the game!
@Moomintroll They'd have to let monsters leave bodies behind for you to stuff, and the only thing I am aware of that does that is the Spider's body in Beregost, and I think that is specifically coded into the game. On the other hand, maybe they could do it so it takes the toughest or most recent thing you've killed and uses that as the stuffable paperdoll object.
Me, I want to be able to take Firkraag's hide and make armor out of it. Red Dragon Scale Mail, anyone? Maybe you could upgrade it in ToB so that you can breathe fire like a Dragon three times a day... Now, that would be awesome. Or Shadow Dragon Scale Mail. If you can take scales from it, why not the whole hide?
@LadyRhian That sounds great, I loved in the description of the Red Dragon Scale how they suggested wearing it around dragons might not be wise. Too bad there were no repercussions or dialogue related to that; like in the mod where Rakshasa turn up after the flail of ages, I thought that was a great touch.
@Moomintroll Yes! There is a module in one of the Dungeon Magazines for the P&P game that has Red Dragon Scale Mail that gives you a -1 (or -5, I honestly can't remember) Armor Class. It includes a helmet made from the same Dragon's parts and has some really nifty other bits of sparkle, so to speak. And since Cespenar can upgrade Magic Items, they could definitely have something like that in the game.
I can't remember what thread it was but someone mentioned how they would love to take a lowly weapon and use it right through to the end of the game. S/he mentioned how many well known weapons are known because they are well used by the character associated with them, tuned up by great smiths and imbued with magic.
I thought it was a great idea to be able to take your favourite weapon, let's say a short sword for now, Use it loads, get some kills under it's belt and then take it to Taerom who works some fancy metals into it and reworks it into a masterwork short sword, at which point you can name it. Go slay an army of gnolls and collect some scrolls or gems etc and go to see Thalantyr and get him to imbue it with +1/2 and abilities of your choice, perhaps renaming it to suit its new abilities if you so wished. This could give you some nice items quests, scouring the area for certain monsters to kill, gems to buy/steal, spells to acquire etc and then a little gold sink in when you upgrade your weapons. I enjoyed upgrading the weapons in the sequel, so i thought this could be a nice touch.
@IchigoRXC That does sound like an interesting idea. My only quibble with it is that "masterwork" items is a 3e concept, not a 2e one, and I'd honestly rather stick with more 2e and less 3e in Baldur's Gate.
I also like @IchigoRXC idea, that reminds me of NWN HoU where going in the underdark, you could upgrade your weapon by a drow master smith. Costly but very powerful. And as you were a high level char, made sense to invest a lot in your specialized weapon.
I agree that they need a central space for us to store our NPCs at. This time around I plan on using some of the NPCs that I never gave much attention to... and i'd be nice to have a place to swap em out as desired.
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It also fits the logic that you're more likely to travel here and there and back and forth when you're starting to carry around a big bag of gold (later in the game).
(ooh, that could be my Aerie solution!)
Me, I want to be able to take Firkraag's hide and make armor out of it. Red Dragon Scale Mail, anyone? Maybe you could upgrade it in ToB so that you can breathe fire like a Dragon three times a day... Now, that would be awesome. Or Shadow Dragon Scale Mail. If you can take scales from it, why not the whole hide?
I thought it was a great idea to be able to take your favourite weapon, let's say a short sword for now, Use it loads, get some kills under it's belt and then take it to Taerom who works some fancy metals into it and reworks it into a masterwork short sword, at which point you can name it.
Go slay an army of gnolls and collect some scrolls or gems etc and go to see Thalantyr and get him to imbue it with +1/2 and abilities of your choice, perhaps renaming it to suit its new abilities if you so wished.
This could give you some nice items quests, scouring the area for certain monsters to kill, gems to buy/steal, spells to acquire etc and then a little gold sink in when you upgrade your weapons.
I enjoyed upgrading the weapons in the sequel, so i thought this could be a nice touch.