Hmm now you piqued my interest re: your RL identity/profession, but I respect your desire for discretion of course. You've got some pretty good stats, better than your colleagues Quayle, and by the end of BG1, Aerie.
Well those stats are a composite over time in some sense. I am sure my Wis was not 15 when I was 20. But I have grown as they say, and consciously developed it. In terms of physical conditioning, at my peak I exercised 90 minutes a day (mostly free weights) and even as recently as 4 years ago I was doing P90X (not full on but a half hour a day). Because the combination of work and school force a lot of time sitting at a desk, I do tire more easily now. But I still press on undeterred when fatigued. I think its pretty fair to say that at least at my peak I rated 14 Str and 14 Con.
As we have been observing in the what is wisdom? thread, Wis is elusive to define. It's a combination of critical thinking for judgment, so-called "common sense," BS meter, and a kind of intuition about the character of others and what is the best thing to do when acting as a vessel for divinely inspired insight.
that would be the most inconsistent party ever and it wouldn't work without some serious tinkering.
That's the fun part of it! I'd say go ahead and do it, and let us know how you fare
Hm. I might actually try that after the current run (and after I manage to make EEkeeper work properly), pity that I lack both time and patience to do no-reloads Also I'd probably exchange Xan for Rasaad in BGEE after all. I'm unable to listen to his whining his or more than a few minutes
Lack of time? Well the good thing about no-reloads in my experience is that they aren't very time-consuming at all if you know what I mean...
Well, it's definitely not my favourite kind of not-time-consuming. :] But without Xan and his anaemia+asthma combo it starts to look marginally possible.
Hahaha "it starts to look marginally possible", you almost sound like Xan yourself, no wonder you don't want him around...
You, sir, deserve some good wine for noticing this :]
EEKeeper finally started to behave so I guess that I'll try this out after finishing current run.
Also it seems that in BG terms I'm some kind of powerhouse o_. Still, Sorcerer is a bit of surprise, especially that:
I Am A: Chaotic Good Human Ranger/Sorcerer (2nd/2nd Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-14
Dexterity-15
Constitution-15
Intelligence-19
Wisdom-14
Charisma-16
Alignment: Chaotic Good A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society. Chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit. However, chaotic good can be a dangerous alignment when it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves.
Race: Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
Primary Class: Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.
Secondary Class: Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.
Those are some amazing stats, well above average. I wish my physical stats were higher but I haven't exercised of late, I used to be good at sports and have good stamina. Did you use the same test as I did?
@Blackraven I took the same test you did, and I'm pretty sure it was based on second edition D&D, which did not include sorcerers. By the way, I tried to answer the questions honestly and the test told me I was Neutral Evil. Maybe I underestimate myself when it comes to ethical quandaries, but I'm definitely not evil.
@Blackraven yes, the same one. You have no idea how motivating it is, to have irreversibly damaged spine, not being in shape means being permanently in pain; not that I recommend it to anyone
@Blackraven I took the same test you did, and I'm pretty sure it was based on second edition D&D, which did not include sorcerers. By the way, I tried to answer the questions honestly and the test told me I was Neutral Evil. Maybe I underestimate myself when it comes to ethical quandaries, but I'm definitely not evil.
Interesting no? I consider myself good-aligned, or at least I try to be a good person. And I'm very urban, have always lived in cities, though I love nature. I didn't answer all the questions about nature in a pro-nature way. And then it says I'm a TN Druid.
@winters, wow I sympathize, I'm glad you seem to be taking it well.
None of my party has profs in Mace, but I'd still like to have someone get licks in using the Stupefier. Is there any penalty to hit when the wielder has no proficiency in a weapon? Or is it just that there's no bonus to hit, to damage, and to APR? Best I can tell there's no penalty to hit at least.
I might have Garrick or even Neera try to get some shots in with it when an enemy is tied up with Khalid (or summoned monsters eventually). (Aesthetically I'd prefer to have the PC do that, but in no-reload the first rule of thumb is always protect the quarterback.)
No proficiency gives a 2 (Warrior) , -5 (Wizard) , -3 (Priest or Rogue) penalty to thac0, and possibly also a damage penalty... rather severe at lower levels, especially on non-warriors.
Meh, it's not possible to make dual-classed ranger->sorcerer with EEKeeper, bye; test result, it was so nice to get surprised for once. I've always appreciated mages more anyway.
No proficiency gives a 2 (Warrior) , -5 (Wizard) , -3 (Priest or Rogue) penalty to thac0, and possibly also a damage penalty... rather severe at lower levels, especially on non-warriors.
Thanks, I guess if I can keep Garrick alive I'll eventually give him a prof in Mace then. :-)
I fit much more as a Ranger/Mage than as any other class, but Ranger/Mages don't exist... so... I'd go with a CE, E, M/T, and make a solo run because I am presuming of how good I am and refusing to take weaklings to take care of with me. The test gave me CN and most questions to see if you are Evil were money-based, but you can still be a really evil person and dislike money, and offering me to kill someone will end with your death and there are no questions asking if you feel right harming others or not even considering them.
Shameless plug: I have an alignment test That I'm almost done with. I haven't finished intelligence, and it's pen and paper, but if anyone knows how I could get it online that would be amazing. *also, my stat portion is based in actual ability, not self perception, I.e. How many push-up you can do, at least for the most part. This is harder with wis. And cha, so maybe if you feel like holding you hand in a bucket of ice water to test con :P* Here's the alignment part:
1. The ultimate goal of life is to: (1)help those less fortunate (2)be content with what you have (3)Win.
2. Is it better to be: (1)loved (2)known for who you really are (3)feared
3. Is it important to let everyone have a second chance? (1)yes (2)sometimes (3)no
4. Laws: (4)are usually unnecessary (5)are generally helpful, but I don't follow all of them (6)are a necessary and integral part of society
5. You and your friends are chased by a bear, to stay alive you: (1)defend yourself and your friends (2)run faster than the guy behind you (3) throw the other guy to the bear.
6. The best use of wealth is: (1) to help those less fortunate (2) Buying things(3) gain more wealth
7. The suffering of others: (1) should be stopped(2)happens (3)can be used to my advantage
8. I have the most fun: (6)with my friends, doing something organized and/or familiar (5) with people I like (4) doing something new and interesting
9. The country is being invaded by Belgium. You: (6)do what you can to aid the war effort(5)run away as soon as things look grim (4)cut a deal with Belgium an spy.
10. I admire someone who:(6)champions the law (5)works with the law(4)boldly defies the law
11. You are in the position to deal justice to the person who murdered your beloved. You have him at gun point and he has surrendered. He apologizes,You: (7) tell him that he is forgiven, and take him in(8) tell him he is a despicable person, and demand the heaviest possible punishment. (9) torture him for a while until he finally croaks
12. A man that put you In Prison for a crime you didn't do confronts you. He apologizes, and say that the only way he can feel better is for you to take this $5000. You have been quite successful, despite your stay In Prison, and you have no need of $5000. You: (7) take the money, but slip it back to him in the night. (8) take the money (9) refuse the money, though he insists.
13. A hoard of barbarians invade a village you are staying at. You: (1)investigate the cause, try to reason with the leader (2)run away. (3)use the chaos to sack the village
14. Robbers are invading your home for a prize diamond. You: (7) give them the diamond. (8) fight back (9) throw the diamond into the sea
15. Someone has legally obtain possession of your favorite painting. You: (7) let it go, you can still get a print, and he he must really want it if he fought hard in court to get it. (8) try to steal it back without getting caught, despite it being very risky (9) deface the painting. If you can't have it, no one can.
16. Someone takes your cookie out of the office fridge. You: (1) get over it (2)stop using the office fridge for cookies (3) take a yogurt out
17. You see that the person next to you is cheating on their test. You: (6) notify your teacher (5)do nothing (4) try to get the cheat sheet away from him.
18. You're offered a $100 bribe to fix a second grade soccer match. You: (6) notify the coaches (5) refuse, but don't mention it (4) agree. Its just a 2nd grade soccer match....
19. Is it ever ok to lie? (6)only very rarely (5)sometimes (4)of course
20. Which personality trait is the most valuable? (1)compassion (2)patience (3)ruthlessness
21. What is more important? (1)doing the "right" thing (2)doing the "correct" thing (3)doing the "best" thing
22. What is the most valuable thing on this list? (1)moral and ethical success (2)social success (3)financial success
23. Which statement best describes humanity? (1)a imperfect beauty (2)it is what it is (3)a thing to be exploited
You should make a chart that looks like this:
1- 2- 3-
4- 5- 6-
7- 8- 9-
And put an x next each number you answer for each question. Afterwards you ca. Look at the key and the number with the most x's is your alignment.
Key:
1-good 2-neutral 3-evil
4-chaotic 5-neutral 6-lawful
7-forgiving 8-vengeful 9-spiteful
If you don't like my third axis that's alright, just ignore it, it wasn't received too well. I know some questions are pretty obvious but overall I think it's pretty good. Any feedback is still appreciated.
This is an inspiring thread. These are my choices based on the "real life friends" thread:
Me: Half-elf cleric-mage multiclass, avatar changed to human mage Imoen/Yoshimo/Imoen Jaheira/Khalid/Jaheira/Aerie (2 slots) Garrick/Haer D'aelis Xan/Keldorn
I'd agonize over which of Jaheira or Aerie to shut down for a romance, at that moment. I'd likely shut down Aerie, if nothing else because of Jaheira's and my history together. But I'd still be fiercely loyal to Aerie as her self-appointed protector.
Not sure right now who else in BG2 for backup. I normally like Jan, but I'd never lie to the police for someone I just met, so I wouldn't ever be able to "meet" him in the first place.
Questions for clarification of rules:
If one of Imoen, Jaheira, or Minsc dies in BG1, may we assume that Irenicus has somehow captured their bodies and raised them for BG2?
There are issues with order of finding these people, especially since I'd prefer to play with little or no metagaming. May we recruit and then dismiss/re-recruit out of preferred friendship order based on logical order of meeting?
For example, I know I can go straight north of the FAI and recruit Ajantis at the beginning of the game if I want to - but, that doesn't make sense compared to what I would *really* do, given the circumstances. (I'd submit to Jaheira's command and go straight south to Nashkel.)
Or, in BG2, Nalia is close to the bottom of my backup list, but, when she told me I needed to go straight to D'Arnise keep with her or else her family and people would die, I would take that very seriously, and likely go with her immediately with whatever party I already had assembled. And, I wouldn't wink-wink-nudge-nudge with Leihtenan, either, at least not right then. Actually, I'm not sure I'd ever even see the back of the Copper Coronet unless I had some other lead, or Jaheira knew something.
If there's any interest, I am thinking about starting this run and documenting it here, but, if I fall, I'll probably reload and continue to document the run in the Minimal Reload thread in Challenges and Playthroughs.
The no-resurrections rule for your friends is especially interesting to me for this challenge - what if there were no such spells as Raise Dead or Resurrect, and the Rod of Rez was actually "just" a Rod of Heal? That's very, very interesting to think about.
@Belgarath without wanting to intrude on your private life, of which I have no knowledge, but how do you see yourself as a Cleric/Mage.
I could see military men, police officers etc. as fighters or other warrior types. A priest or a physician or nurse could be a cleric. And a treehugging hippie a druid (I'm kind of a treehugging hippie, but I live in the city.) But what does it take to translate a real life identity into a forgotten realms mage? I wouldn't even consider a scientist as a mage with all due respect for science, unless we're speaking of geniuses like Nikola Tesla. And what about thieves? Imo a FR thief doesn't have to be a common burglar in RL. I love thieves as I've stated many times on this forum, but what RL identities could translate into thief?
In sum, I tend to see almost all people as FR bards, including myself (even though I don't play any instrument, except for a neglible bit of harmonica maybe) and I don't sing.
@Belgarath without wanting to intrude on your private life, of which I have no knowledge, but how do you see yourself as a Cleric/Mage.
I could see military men, police officers etc. as fighters or other warrior types. A priest or a physician or nurse could be a cleric. And a treehugging hippie a druid (I'm kind of a treehugging hippie, but I live in the city.) But what does it take to translate a real life identity into a forgotten realms mage? I wouldn't even consider a scientist as a mage with all due respect for science, unless we're speaking of geniuses like Nikola Tesla. And what about thieves? Imo a FR thief doesn't have to be a common burglar in RL. I love thieves as I've stated many times on this forum, but what RL identities could translate into thief?
Well, a mage, or at least the kind of 'battle mage' that all the NPC's in the game are, just has to be really good at remembering lots of stuff and then repeating it exactly over and over again. It's no surprise bards can cast spells, with all the practice they get remembering lines and poems already. Maybe a chemist or engineer would be the best equivalent... things that involves maths and the practical implementation of science, rather than the theoretical and research stuff.
Bard=actor or performer/avid social flirt with music ability
Fighter=athlete/jock
Ranger=hiker/camper
Druid=environmental activist/hippie
Thief=err, mechanic/builder?
Paladin=law enforcement/self righteous dick
Monk=boxer/martial arts instructor
Sorcerer=amazingness (entrepreneur?)
Or more or less long those lines. But when it comes down to it your class is the same as your career, a choice. You don't have to fit into the stereotype to get in.
@winters, that's a good start, but I'd say it's a bit more than that.
Gary Gygax's original 1st edition AD&D said all magic has a verbal, a somantic, and a material component. (V,S,M in the AD&D player's handbook).
So, to do D&D magic, you need a small piece of some material as a channeling device, a very complex set of gestures to be performed with that material in hand, and a very complex verbal incantation from some ancient long-dead language that you don't speak naturally.
To me, it all sounds very scientific. Take this "chemical", say exactly these words, do exactly these gestures, and this effect happens, all established by Mystra, or the Weave (which we might call "the laws of physics").
You can either have the knowledge gifted to you by a god, or you can study and learn it all for yourself. You also need a lot of inner mental willpower and fortitude, because casting even the smallest spell is going to exhaust you so badly you can't think straight. I guess that's because you are willingly making your whole body an energy conduit from somewhere to somewhere else.
Experience in your chosen method to do it enables you to do more of it before you collapse and start babbling incoherently.
Real life equivalency of Thief requires translating the spirit of the class, and I agree with @meagloth it could simply be someone who is simply good with their hands and/or has high mechanical aptitude in general. I'm not sure what captures stealth and exploration (scouting). Anything involving some sort of detective work in the field (rather than research at a desk)? But anyway, Thief is a bit tough to translate into real life.
Similarly, Ranger seems kind of difficult to translate as well. Rangers help people who are lost or otherwise in need of assistance "in the wild," and do their work out in the field, so it could be analogous to social work.
I think for the purposes of this challenge one could also choose the class or kit that best matches one's Ability scores, even if that doesn't reflect the type of work one does. You should probably feel some sort of affinity for the class, though, in order for it to reflect the "real you," or a kind of identity/personality core representing traits, values interests, identifications, etc.
I hadn't taken the Meyers-Briggs inventory in a very long time, and found it interesting to note an evolution from when I took it many years ago. The preference outcome was the same, but I think I weighed quite strongly for those four respective preferences. This time as well I scored INTP but with rather slight preferences for Thinking over Feeling (12%) and Perceiving over Judging (11%). I'm recollecting that in the past I scored more strongly as Thinking and Perceiving. So I'd like to think that I've achieved some growth towards balance on those two respective axes. I "distinctively" weigh towards introversion (67%) and "moderately" toward Intuition (25%). I'm pretty sure that in the past I scored higher on Intuition, so my reliance on sensate capacities has grown too, I think.
Anyway, I think INTP works pretty well for a Cleric/Mage. I was tempted to go the multi route exactly as @BelgarathMTH did, but it's actually working out kind of to be fun and interesting to dual-class, so I'm okay with it.
I remembered this morning that in order to dual-class I need Int 17, but that may not be egregiously far from the mark. Anyway, I used EE Keeper to tick Int up by one point. (Alternatively, I guess I could wait to get the Int tome in Chapter 5, but whatever.)
As to when to dual... Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to settle for no higher than level 2 cleric spells, rather than level 3. I'll dual at Priest of Lathander 4. Then at a combined total of 26000 XP I'll be at Priest of Lathander 4/Mage 5 and have access to both sets of spells. I doubt I'll get that far! But hopefully it'll be a fun departure to go about combining cleric and mage classes in this way (I just about always combine classes by going multi-class, using half-elf with appearance changed to human.)
There's actually some pretty good stuff for BGEE at cleric spell levels 1 and 2. I can be satisfied with that.
Although it is ill-advised tactically for a no-reload challenge, I think I may have this guy melee with Aule's staff after casting his spells. He will eventually be able to have Mace + and Sword and Shield Style +. So he could use the Stupefier and melee at times with a number of buffs. He has base Str 14 and Con 14 so he may actually be fairly effective that way. (And he'll have extra Con by virtue of a familiar.) Not as effective as a Warrior class, certainly. But at least decent as a meleer.
I remembered this morning that in order to dual-class I need Int 17, but that may not be egregiously far from the mark. Anyway, I used EE Keeper to tick Int up by one point. (Alternatively, I guess I could wait to get the Int tome in Chapter 5, but whatever.)
@Lemernis I think IQ-wise (1)<50 (3)75 (6)85 (9)100 (12)110 (15)122 (17)130 (18)145 (19)160+ But I'm sure people will argue.
I think that the real life "thieves" would be both the obvious - larcenous criminals - and, on the legit side, they would be detectives, locksmiths, white hat hackers, and government or military intelligence agents. Spies and scouts, basically.
"Rangers" would include park rangers, and pretty much any outdoors lovers who aren't career environmentalists. They could be trail guides, hunters, archaeologists, or researchers of flora and fauna, like the people who make programs for Discovery and Animal Planet. There's probably a gray area in the division between rangers and "druids". I think of the "druids" as the more proactive and sometimes militant environmental activists, such as Greenpeace or Peta workers.
I hope I'm not getting off-topic a bit. @Lemernis, did you intend for this thread to be for posting game runs that follow the rules set out in your OP, or were we just going to talk about it philosophically, and then have individuals start their own run threads if they want to do the challenge?
Comments
As we have been observing in the what is wisdom? thread, Wis is elusive to define. It's a combination of critical thinking for judgment, so-called "common sense," BS meter, and a kind of intuition about the character of others and what is the best thing to do when acting as a vessel for divinely inspired insight.
EEKeeper finally started to behave so I guess that I'll try this out after finishing current run.
Also it seems that in BG terms I'm some kind of powerhouse o_. Still, Sorcerer is a bit of surprise, especially that:
Class:
Ranger ---- XXXX (4)
Sorcerer -- XXXX (4)
Wizard ---- XXXX (4)
I Am A: Chaotic Good Human Ranger/Sorcerer (2nd/2nd Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-14
Dexterity-15
Constitution-15
Intelligence-19
Wisdom-14
Charisma-16
Alignment:
Chaotic Good A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society. Chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit. However, chaotic good can be a dangerous alignment when it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves.
Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
Primary Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.
Secondary Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.
Did you use the same test as I did?
@winters, wow I sympathize, I'm glad you seem to be taking it well.
I might have Garrick or even Neera try to get some shots in with it when an enemy is tied up with Khalid (or summoned monsters eventually). (Aesthetically I'd prefer to have the PC do that, but in no-reload the first rule of thumb is always protect the quarterback.)
Imoen T-M
Keldorn Paladin
Yoshimo T
Minsc Ranger
Aerie C/M
It was so false even I laughed (probably 17 INT and 14 WIS as max).
I'd go with a CE, E, M/T, and make a solo run because I am presuming of how good I am and refusing to take weaklings to take care of with me.
The test gave me CN and most questions to see if you are Evil were money-based, but you can still be a really evil person and dislike money, and offering me to kill someone will end with your death and there are no questions asking if you feel right harming others or not even considering them.
*also, my stat portion is based in actual ability, not self perception, I.e. How many push-up you can do, at least for the most part. This is harder with wis. And cha, so maybe if you feel like holding you hand in a bucket of ice water to test con :P*
Here's the alignment part:
1. The ultimate goal of life is to: (1)help those less fortunate (2)be content with what you have (3)Win.
2. Is it better to be: (1)loved (2)known for who you really are (3)feared
3. Is it important to let everyone have a second chance? (1)yes (2)sometimes (3)no
4. Laws: (4)are usually unnecessary (5)are generally helpful, but I don't follow all of them (6)are a necessary and integral part of society
5. You and your friends are chased by a bear, to stay alive you: (1)defend yourself and your friends (2)run faster than the guy behind you (3) throw the other guy to the bear.
6. The best use of wealth is: (1) to help those less fortunate (2) Buying things(3) gain more wealth
7. The suffering of others: (1) should be stopped(2)happens (3)can be used to my advantage
8. I have the most fun: (6)with my friends, doing something organized and/or familiar (5) with people I like (4) doing something new and interesting
9. The country is being invaded by Belgium. You: (6)do what you can to aid the war effort(5)run away as soon as things look grim (4)cut a deal with Belgium an spy.
10. I admire someone who:(6)champions the law (5)works with the law(4)boldly defies the law
11. You are in the position to deal justice to the person who murdered your beloved. You have him at gun point and he has surrendered. He apologizes,You: (7) tell him that he is forgiven, and take him in(8) tell him he is a despicable person, and demand the heaviest possible punishment. (9) torture him for a while until he finally croaks
12. A man that put you In Prison for a crime you didn't do confronts you. He apologizes, and say that the only way he can feel better is for you to take this $5000. You have been quite successful, despite your stay In Prison, and you have no need of $5000. You: (7) take the money, but slip it back to him in the night. (8) take the money (9) refuse the money, though he insists.
13. A hoard of barbarians invade a village you are staying at. You: (1)investigate the cause, try to reason with the leader (2)run away. (3)use the chaos to sack the village
14. Robbers are invading your home for a prize diamond. You: (7) give them the diamond. (8) fight back (9) throw the diamond into the sea
15. Someone has legally obtain possession of your favorite painting. You: (7) let it go, you can still get a print, and he he must really want it if he fought hard in court to get it. (8) try to steal it back without getting caught, despite it being very risky (9) deface the painting. If you can't have it, no one can.
16. Someone takes your cookie out of the office fridge. You: (1) get over it (2)stop using the office fridge for cookies (3) take a yogurt out
17. You see that the person next to you is cheating on their test. You: (6) notify your teacher (5)do nothing (4) try to get the cheat sheet away from him.
18. You're offered a $100 bribe to fix a second grade soccer match. You: (6) notify the coaches (5) refuse, but don't mention it (4) agree. Its just a 2nd grade soccer match....
19. Is it ever ok to lie? (6)only very rarely (5)sometimes (4)of course
20. Which personality trait is the most valuable? (1)compassion (2)patience (3)ruthlessness
21. What is more important? (1)doing the "right" thing (2)doing the "correct" thing (3)doing the "best" thing
22. What is the most valuable thing on this list? (1)moral and ethical success (2)social success (3)financial success
23. Which statement best describes humanity? (1)a imperfect beauty (2)it is what it is (3)a thing to be exploited
You should make a chart that looks like this:
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
6-
7-
8-
9-
And put an x next each number you answer for each question. Afterwards you ca. Look at the key and the number with the most x's is your alignment.
Key:
1-good
2-neutral
3-evil
4-chaotic
5-neutral
6-lawful
7-forgiving
8-vengeful
9-spiteful
If you don't like my third axis that's alright, just ignore it, it wasn't received too well. I know some questions are pretty obvious but overall I think it's pretty good. Any feedback is still appreciated.
Me: Half-elf cleric-mage multiclass, avatar changed to human mage
Imoen/Yoshimo/Imoen
Jaheira/Khalid/Jaheira/Aerie (2 slots)
Garrick/Haer D'aelis
Xan/Keldorn
I'd agonize over which of Jaheira or Aerie to shut down for a romance, at that moment. I'd likely shut down Aerie, if nothing else because of Jaheira's and my history together. But I'd still be fiercely loyal to Aerie as her self-appointed protector.
Backups if absolutely necessary:
Kivan
Ajantis
Dynaheir
Minsc
Yeslick
Branwen
Anomen
Nalia
Not sure right now who else in BG2 for backup. I normally like Jan, but I'd never lie to the police for someone I just met, so I wouldn't ever be able to "meet" him in the first place.
Questions for clarification of rules:
If one of Imoen, Jaheira, or Minsc dies in BG1, may we assume that Irenicus has somehow captured their bodies and raised them for BG2?
There are issues with order of finding these people, especially since I'd prefer to play with little or no metagaming. May we recruit and then dismiss/re-recruit out of preferred friendship order based on logical order of meeting?
For example, I know I can go straight north of the FAI and recruit Ajantis at the beginning of the game if I want to - but, that doesn't make sense compared to what I would *really* do, given the circumstances. (I'd submit to Jaheira's command and go straight south to Nashkel.)
Or, in BG2, Nalia is close to the bottom of my backup list, but, when she told me I needed to go straight to D'Arnise keep with her or else her family and people would die, I would take that very seriously, and likely go with her immediately with whatever party I already had assembled. And, I wouldn't wink-wink-nudge-nudge with Leihtenan, either, at least not right then. Actually, I'm not sure I'd ever even see the back of the Copper Coronet unless I had some other lead, or Jaheira knew something.
If there's any interest, I am thinking about starting this run and documenting it here, but, if I fall, I'll probably reload and continue to document the run in the Minimal Reload thread in Challenges and Playthroughs.
The no-resurrections rule for your friends is especially interesting to me for this challenge - what if there were no such spells as Raise Dead or Resurrect, and the Rod of Rez was actually "just" a Rod of Heal? That's very, very interesting to think about.
Any thoughts or responses?
I could see military men, police officers etc. as fighters or other warrior types. A priest or a physician or nurse could be a cleric. And a treehugging hippie a druid (I'm kind of a treehugging hippie, but I live in the city.) But what does it take to translate a real life identity into a forgotten realms mage? I wouldn't even consider a scientist as a mage with all due respect for science, unless we're speaking of geniuses like Nikola Tesla.
And what about thieves? Imo a FR thief doesn't have to be a common burglar in RL. I love thieves as I've stated many times on this forum, but what RL identities could translate into thief?
In sum, I tend to see almost all people as FR bards, including myself (even though I don't play any instrument, except for a neglible bit of harmonica maybe) and I don't sing.
Cleric=preacher man/very devoted believer
Bard=actor or performer/avid social flirt with music ability
Fighter=athlete/jock
Ranger=hiker/camper
Druid=environmental activist/hippie
Thief=err, mechanic/builder?
Paladin=law enforcement/self righteous dick
Monk=boxer/martial arts instructor
Sorcerer=amazingness (entrepreneur?)
Or more or less long those lines. But when it comes down to it your class is the same as your career, a choice. You don't have to fit into the stereotype to get in.
Gary Gygax's original 1st edition AD&D said all magic has a verbal, a somantic, and a material component. (V,S,M in the AD&D player's handbook).
So, to do D&D magic, you need a small piece of some material as a channeling device, a very complex set of gestures to be performed with that material in hand, and a very complex verbal incantation from some ancient long-dead language that you don't speak naturally.
To me, it all sounds very scientific. Take this "chemical", say exactly these words, do exactly these gestures, and this effect happens, all established by Mystra, or the Weave (which we might call "the laws of physics").
You can either have the knowledge gifted to you by a god, or you can study and learn it all for yourself. You also need a lot of inner mental willpower and fortitude, because casting even the smallest spell is going to exhaust you so badly you can't think straight. I guess that's because you are willingly making your whole body an energy conduit from somewhere to somewhere else.
Experience in your chosen method to do it enables you to do more of it before you collapse and start babbling incoherently.
Similarly, Ranger seems kind of difficult to translate as well. Rangers help people who are lost or otherwise in need of assistance "in the wild," and do their work out in the field, so it could be analogous to social work.
Anyway, I think INTP works pretty well for a Cleric/Mage. I was tempted to go the multi route exactly as @BelgarathMTH did, but it's actually working out kind of to be fun and interesting to dual-class, so I'm okay with it.
I remembered this morning that in order to dual-class I need Int 17, but that may not be egregiously far from the mark. Anyway, I used EE Keeper to tick Int up by one point. (Alternatively, I guess I could wait to get the Int tome in Chapter 5, but whatever.)
As to when to dual... Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to settle for no higher than level 2 cleric spells, rather than level 3. I'll dual at Priest of Lathander 4. Then at a combined total of 26000 XP I'll be at Priest of Lathander 4/Mage 5 and have access to both sets of spells. I doubt I'll get that far! But hopefully it'll be a fun departure to go about combining cleric and mage classes in this way (I just about always combine classes by going multi-class, using half-elf with appearance changed to human.)
There's actually some pretty good stuff for BGEE at cleric spell levels 1 and 2. I can be satisfied with that.
Although it is ill-advised tactically for a no-reload challenge, I think I may have this guy melee with Aule's staff after casting his spells. He will eventually be able to have Mace + and Sword and Shield Style +. So he could use the Stupefier and melee at times with a number of buffs. He has base Str 14 and Con 14 so he may actually be fairly effective that way. (And he'll have extra Con by virtue of a familiar.) Not as effective as a Warrior class, certainly. But at least decent as a meleer.
I think IQ-wise (1)<50 (3)75 (6)85 (9)100 (12)110 (15)122 (17)130 (18)145 (19)160+
But I'm sure people will argue.
"Rangers" would include park rangers, and pretty much any outdoors lovers who aren't career environmentalists. They could be trail guides, hunters, archaeologists, or researchers of flora and fauna, like the people who make programs for Discovery and Animal Planet. There's probably a gray area in the division between rangers and "druids". I think of the "druids" as the more proactive and sometimes militant environmental activists, such as Greenpeace or Peta workers.
I hope I'm not getting off-topic a bit. @Lemernis, did you intend for this thread to be for posting game runs that follow the rules set out in your OP, or were we just going to talk about it philosophically, and then have individuals start their own run threads if they want to do the challenge?
Dang.... I just realized I am one of those really useless multi-class builds that takes one or two levels in everything but never excels...