Is it possible to make use of Slayer Form as a good character?

contown

It's incredibly cool and fun to use, buuuut I'm running a good campaign. Does that mean I simply can't use it? Way back when Sarevok fought me in hell picking to learn how to control the Slayer properly turned me Neutral Evil... Is it just useless for the good guys?

What exactly does it boost exactly, anyways? All I can see is decent damage/more health.

CaloNord

Okay, stats wise.

Strength/Dexterity: 25.
Constitution is increased by +5.
+5 Slashing weapons and inflict bonus Cold damage.
Attack speed and THAC0 is decreased.
maximum hitpoints are set to 100.
immune to Imprisonment, Charm, Confusion, and Illithid Mind Blasts

From a role playing perspective, I don't use it when I'm a goodly character because you have to willingly embrace it. Which seems to be a bit iffy for a goodly aligned character.

If you are interested in just kicking ass with it, you can use it at any time, the rep hit is hardly an issue. Just be aware you can't stay in slayer form forever. It will eventually start hurting you. Stay in it to long and if I recall it can kill you outright.

Khal

Okay very stupid question, but how do I actually take the Slayer form. After getting the ability I wasn't able to find any new control thingies that would allow me to turn into it. Would be interesting to try it out, especially if I would be able to control it.

elminster

Khal said:

Okay very stupid question, but how do I actually take the Slayer form. After getting the ability I wasn't able to find any new control thingies that would allow me to turn into it. Would be interesting to try it out, especially if I would be able to control it.

There is a bug in BG2EE at the moment where once you use it it disappears. Unfortunately once its gone you'll probably have to use something like EEkeeper to get it back permanently.

CaloNord

THAT'S a fairly big bug right there. . . o.O

elminster

CaloNord said:

THAT'S a fairly big bug right there. . . o.O

Indeed. Its been fixed but unfortunately given the patching situation people are still coming across it. I think I saw someone had created a temporary fix for it somewhere on here but I don't remember specifically what thread.

CaloNord

How that one managed to escape notice I don't know. Never the less, at least it's being fixed.
I like the slayer change but I can't say I ever use it, for me it's a role playing thing. It just doesn't fit with my party most of the time.

elminster

CaloNord said:

How that one managed to escape notice I don't know. Never the less, at least it's being fixed.
I like the slayer change but I can't say I ever use it, for me it's a role playing thing. It just doesn't fit with my party most of the time.

Actually it was reported awhile before release (august 21st).

But as you say at least it will be fixed for people when the next patch becomes accessible.

contown

CaloNord said:

How that one managed to escape notice I don't know. Never the less, at least it's being fixed.
I like the slayer change but I can't say I ever use it, for me it's a role playing thing. It just doesn't fit with my party most of the time.

Likewise. But when two party members go down, and Aerie's at half health, in my mind that's the kind of situation my NG kenthief would say "screw it" and shift into Slayer form. Only as a last resort.

Blackraven

I've had even good-aligned charnames use the Slayer Form, albeit very occasionally, i.e. in desperate situations once or maybe twice in an entire playthough.
To me it's a bit like Frodo and the ring: he knows he shouldn't use it as it will corrupt him (and it makes him easier to find for his enemy btw), but sometimes there doesn't seem to be an alternative. Especially in no-reload games, when dying isn't an option, it can come in handy at times. And I think I've used it successfully once in an attempt to open one of the doors in the Illithid lair.
But I agree that it doesn't really fit a good-aligned party and should definitely cause issues with any romanced NPCs, as well as the likes of Keldorn, Jaheira (even if not romanced), Aerie etc.

contown

Anyone else peeved that picking the option to simply learn to control the slayer makes you evil? I didn't pick DIE FOREVER, I picked "I'ma learn how to use this, but not how to abuse it" etc. It's a dangerous ability and I killed my own party members more than once when I first got it. So why is it evil to want to control it? Not controlling it for power, but for the sake of controlling it. Making sure charname never shifts, and if he does for whatever reason, stays in control. Doesn't seem evil to me. Seems smart.

Khal

Hm I was actually wondering about the actual button that one needs to press (when in the game) to turn into a Slayer.
(I know it's a stupid question... but it's my first time playing)

TheArtisan

Special Abilities button. The last one that looks like a star.

The Slayer ability is the white-colored monster's head.

Khal

Thanks!!

OlvynChuru

What really bothers me about Slayer Change is that maybe for some stupid reason you decided to go to a dungeon and use Slayer Change like 20 times. Now when you come back to Athkatla, you are the most infamous person ever and all the merchants hate your guts. Now let's say you are soloing. How does everyone know that you used Slayer Change in the middle of nowhere? It's the same with the whole "watch the slaves explode" thing from Ust Natha. It's really weird.

shawne

OlvynChuru said:

What really bothers me about Slayer Change is that maybe for some stupid reason you decided to go to a dungeon and use Slayer Change like 20 times. Now when you come back to Athkatla, you are the most infamous person ever and all the merchants hate your guts. Now let's say you are soloing. How does everyone know that you used Slayer Change in the middle of nowhere?

I assume that the more you indulge in the Slayer form, the more you're projecting the same kind of evil aura as Bhaal himself - and people will pick up on that whether or not they know who you are.

Glidderdust

OlvynChuru said:

What really bothers me about Slayer Change is that maybe for some stupid reason you decided to go to a dungeon and use Slayer Change like 20 times. Now when you come back to Athkatla, you are the most infamous person ever and all the merchants hate your guts. Now let's say you are soloing. How does everyone know that you used Slayer Change in the middle of nowhere? It's the same with the whole "watch the slaves explode" thing from Ust Natha. It's really weird.

Completely agree. The one thing I never liked about this game is how reputation is implemented. I makes sense in some cases (freeing viccy or taking neb's head to the authorities) but if I fight Illithids in the Underdark as the Slayer with nobody around to see, some random merchant in Athkatla won't give me a discount anymore.

Sabamonster

shawne wrote: »

I assume that the more you indulge in the Slayer form, the more you're projecting the same kind of evil aura as Bhaal himself - and people will pick up on that whether or not they know who you are.

While I can understand that to a point, one thing that doesn't make sense about it is if you already have a majorly positive (Heroic+) reputation. For example, if you are the hero of Tradesmeet and got statues in your honor, it's not very likely people are just going to instantly turn on you because it "feels" like you are exuding some kind of evil. Especially if all your choices up until that point have been objectively good.