Cure for Restartitis - play the charname you 'birthed' all the way to bitter end
Ygramul
Member Posts: 1,060
Idea is that you do not control what you are born as; fates decide it for you.
Here is how:
- roll for STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA as 5 x d6 (drop lowest two dice) -- NO rearragement of stats; NO re-rolls.
(e.g. use http://www.random.org/dice/ )
- Then based on the rolls decide on which class you wish to play.
(Got low Int? But high Dex? Perhaps a thief then. You were hoping for a Conjurer? Do you have enough Con? etc. How about multi-class? Do you meet the requirements? What if you pick Elf or Dwarf for bonuses; does that help?)
- No-reloads. (that's the only way I play.) There is no point to the whole thing without it.
- add to taste: randomization of race & gender & alignment.
Example:
I just rolled: 11 10 10 8 18 17 -- though a fairly lousy roll, it is perhaps possible to proceed as a Priest of Helm or a Druid...
Here is how:
- roll for STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA as 5 x d6 (drop lowest two dice) -- NO rearragement of stats; NO re-rolls.
(e.g. use http://www.random.org/dice/ )
- Then based on the rolls decide on which class you wish to play.
(Got low Int? But high Dex? Perhaps a thief then. You were hoping for a Conjurer? Do you have enough Con? etc. How about multi-class? Do you meet the requirements? What if you pick Elf or Dwarf for bonuses; does that help?)
- No-reloads. (that's the only way I play.) There is no point to the whole thing without it.
- add to taste: randomization of race & gender & alignment.
Example:
I just rolled: 11 10 10 8 18 17 -- though a fairly lousy roll, it is perhaps possible to proceed as a Priest of Helm or a Druid...
9
Comments
15-14-13-10-13-5
Really something i don't want to play. I pretend i shanked him...
Actually your roll with a 18 and a 17 is a really great roll
It's a nice challenge, and I'm sure I'll do it again sometime.
The only thing I disliked is that it can provoke powergaming: going directly after the gauntlets of dex because you "need" them. If I've got a character with good stats, I feel less dependent on gear, I can leave good gear for NPCs rather than dismissing those NPCs because I can't give them the gear they need since I already need it myself etc.
Most classes rely on ability scores a lot. But some don't as much. A cleric with 9 wisdom is perfectly playable, you just miss a couple low level extra spells, which don't matter a lot in bg2. A mage with 9 int is annoying but with eye opening potions (genius, mind focusing) and hording scrolls to write later, it is managable. A sorcerer does not even need ANY ability score to be powerful, so long you choose spells right. You can roll the dice to choose a sorcerer's spell picks too, now that would be fun. Have fun with a sorcerer that can cast identify/infravision/detect evil/know alignment/remove curse etc. over and over. For fighters/thieves that are items that set your strength/dexterity to 18 or higher, once you get them your original ability scores don't matter much anyway.
13 STR
13 DEX
14 CON
11 INT
17 WIS
15 CHA
83 Total Roll
Not a bad Cleric. With that decent CHA it makes me think of a realistic Cleric of Lothander.
".. shanked..."
@Anduin
"Uh... But... half the fun is re-rolling till your eyes bleed?"
Fair is far. I did over the years spent countless hours re-rolling, I admit. I certainly don't say that this is how everyone should play.
BUT I think it is an interesting challenge:
I only completed BG twice on no-reload (out of, perhaps, 50 attempts & restarts over the years.)
If you know the game well and if you are OCD about which class to play with what stats, this challenge could give you a fresh flavor.
I rolled: 14 11 14 12 12 14 meh. Not bad, not great, a very mediocre character through and through. And thus, a trifle boring. I think mediocre characters are the worst to roleplay and enjoy. Just what am I going to do with this guy? He can become anything except bard/paladin/cleric maybe ranger (minimum req)
BG roller discards weak rolls (below 75). e.g. my sample of 11 10 10 8 18 17 would have been discarded (74 total). The game is balanced for that. But going too far is overboard as well; then you may as well take 18s.
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 13
Total: 82
Since I've managed decent Intelligence and Wisdom scores, the choice is up to me as to whether I pick mage or perhaps cleric. I enjoy playing the default mage class, so I'm going with that. I'll create my character around that; healthy, intelligent, and knowledgeable, but not likely to become nimble ballet dancer, public speaker, or Olympic weightlifting medalist. Of course, the biography is most certainly not going to read like that.
In game, the total for the rolls I am given is 78.
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 15
Total: 78
I am four short of the goal. There are three choices: start over, re-roll, or make do. In my particular case, what I would do is make the best of it and try to get the stats as close to that as possible.
If I am short the number of points I wanted, then I'll think about my class and what skills are vital to it and what are not. If I'm playing as a mage and I need a few points to bring up the Intelligence, then those will probably come out of strength or possibly charisma. So my stats end up looking something like:
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 13
Total: 78
On the flip-side, if I get more points than desired—as an example, let's say 85—I am going to distribute those points to the worst stats, with 35% (not rounded, truncated* to the whole number (in that example, there is 85-82=3, so 35% of 3 is 1.05; truncated is 1)) of the difference added to the skill most beneficial to the class. In the case above, the worst stats are Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma. So, take 1 from the (85-82=) 3 and that's added to Intelligence. That makes Intelligence 16. 2 points remain and will be added to the worst stats evenly. 1 point to Dexterity and 1 point to Strength. Charisma is the least important to my mage, so as long as it meets the goal set out I'll be content.
* By truncating, if you have 5 points in the difference, 35% will be 1.75. Rounding would make that 2, but truncating past the decimal point still leaves it as 1. 35% of 6 is 2.1, truncating that will give you 2. et cetera.
The comparison of my rolls versus the roll created by the site linked:
Strength: 13 10 14
Dexterity: 12 12 13
Constitution: 14 14 14
Intelligence: 15 15 16
Wisdom: 15 14 15
Charisma: 13 13 13
Total: 82 78 85
With restartitis, the cure is to think about what you want. Your method requires that thinking process before even starting the game.
STR 13
DEX 15
CON 14
INT 16
WIS 14
CHA 15
Somehow this is telling me "Bard", but I think it is sufficient for pretty much all classes and kits (save some specialist mages).
I really had a blast with the random character generation and party no-reload games I played. It's great fun.
i urge people to try it. it was really fun when the thread had activity, and I made quite a few characters with it and one even made it through the no reload challenge. i am now using that same character with a newly rolled BG2 party to no reload BG2, and see if my randomly rolled character is destined for godhood (or mortality) or not.
although @Ygramul has a pretty nice system there taking the stats a step further in randomization. i am almost tempted to fit that into the random game thread as a secondary way of doing it, as it lends to less min-max like my inquisitor ended up being for the sake of competition. however as @anduin said mediocre character still tend to be boring, so maybe I would just have people roll a class, go in game and not reroll once, and be allowed to set their primary stat to 18 by EEKEEPER if it isn't already.
@ChildofBhaal599
Thanks for the insight. I remember that random character generation thread and it is very interesting. (Though the method introduced above is perhaps a simpler premise.)
I find that one cause for my Restartitis is too much freedom:
Will I permit EEKeepering my stats?
Could I EEkeeper, say, immunities? Proficiencies?
How about in NPCs?
What if I made Viconia a Cleric/Thief for party balance?
etc. etc.
Once you dip your toe in this kind of game-editing it is hard to end it. And I inevitably discard my game soon after loosing my faith in "fairness". (Did I mention OCD?)
Point for me is:
- start the game fairly
- finish it -warts and all- even with imperfections and mistakes
It may take me years, but what's the hurry.
P.S. I always play SCS with no-reloads. I always envied the people on the old Bioware forums that finished such runs. No such luck for me yet on the BG2.
Careful @ChildofBhaal599 , I didn't say that... However I did suggest, mediocre characters can be boring... But they can also be, if roleplayed correctly the most interesting. A weak warrior, an ugly paladin, an exceptionally strong thief... all just have a story waiting to be written on the back of their weakness. Mediocre, means neither great or weak. It is what I presume the majority of the planets inhabitants are... However as most of the planet are unhinged and mad, this allows us to go down and explore mental states and manipulate them. The warrior jealous of others strength and dexterity. A thief with a complex because he just can't open all the doors... etc.
I suppose, I'm past stats. I now see past the numbers. Roleplay is my thing (if you have not noticed my penchant for destroying the blight and pain caused by Broccoli in all its forms... May they wither and rot!)
As @Lunar insightfully posted, whatever your stats, you can complete the game.
Also @Ygramul stated. It is a challenge to be tested and tried. And if you have a bad case of restartisitis, what better cure : )
Str 14
Dex 9
Con 14
Int 16
Wis 18
Cha 15
That's a good deal better than anything I've ever rolled for a PnP character, truthfully.
With a tome, I'm guessing this guy would make a good Berzerker/Cleric if I were the dual-classing type.
You'll have to hold a gun to my head to get me to play no-reload though
Nothing compares to no-reload. Nothing.
You take every encounter seriously.
You strategize to not get into a risky situation in the first place.
You use every tool and item that can be used.
When, at the of a 100 hour run, and after 30 other tries, I finished BG for the first time, it was one of the more memorable achievements of a lifetime of gaming. (Yet to succeed for BG2.)
DEX 17
CON 12
INT 18
WIS 17
CHA 12
88 roll. Pretty pumped about this idea. Thinking Cleric/Mage is the obvious choice. Not really psyched about ending up with all those 13s after tomes as I could be considered mild to moderately atricteadictaphobic.
Dex 18
Con 11
Int 17
Wis 14
Cha 15
Looks like a Swashbuckler/Mage dual to me.
16 15 14 14 11 11, for an 81-Pointer!
Since I genuinely love to press on cuts I receive with things that aren't hot enough to cauterise a wound...
Half-Elven Cleric/Fighter/Magic-User (hardly painful). Jes' lemme finish my current playthrough. I draw the line at chemical burns, sooo...there will be back-up healers. Also those tomes are MINE. Except for the ones that aren't.
Plus, you could always roleplay that each tome comes autographed by your cousin, his signature written on every single page.
The Charisma tome is just autographs and self-promotion from Larry, Darryl, and Darryl.