Minsc, a berserk rather than a ranger?

_Connacht_

I never really looked at Minsc as a ranger and I never used his stealth and dual-wielding abilities, or even the divine spells (it always sounded dumb to me that he can manipulate magic actually). I rarely use also his bow abilities, since I always preferred a mage/thief like Nalia or Imoen for support at a distance (especially in later stages with Gesen's and Tansheron's bows) while he was tanking in the front line.
I always gave him a two-handed sword and heavy armor, sometimes a mace or an axe with undeads, thus ignoring those skills (except for some times using the bow when I didn't have anybody else around). Neither his character was really a ranger to me, more like a big crazy bodyguard with a passion for big swords and an innate fury.

Now I'm starting also to mod him with ShadowKeeper and convert his class to a berserker, it really fits better to his personality IMHO. Anyway, I trade his free dual-wielding proficiencies, the racial enemy and one point in longbow proficiency with the ability to reach five stars in sword skills, the stealth backstabbing and the spells with more fury.
The only thing is that he still refers to himself as a ranger in dialogues, but it's really irrelevant and I can turn an eye blind and even the other to that.

Kamigoroshi

Minsc? A Berserker? Nah, he's a born Necromancer. I mean, that lad even talks to some stuffed vermin in his loincloth!

"Bone Plate and packaged Flesh!"

RandyMcStud

Honestly, I think barbarian would be a better fit, though I can understand from a powergaming perspective why a berserker would be preferred.

Either way, I dont think there would be any balance issues. Even as a berserker, he would still be moderately worse than Korgan, with worse weapon picks and worse racial saves.

_Connacht_

RandyMcStud said:

Honestly, I think barbarian would be a better fit, though I can understand from a powergaming perspective why a berserker would be preferred.

Either way, I dont think there would be any balance issues. Even as a berserker, he would still be moderately worse than Korgan, with worse weapon picks and worse racial saves.

Well, he speaks about the berserker lodge of Rashemen, so I first thought about the berserk class.
Do you think that barbarian would be better fitting to him?

RandyMcStud

_Connacht_ said:

RandyMcStud said:

Honestly, I think barbarian would be a better fit, though I can understand from a powergaming perspective why a berserker would be preferred.

Either way, I dont think there would be any balance issues. Even as a berserker, he would still be moderately worse than Korgan, with worse weapon picks and worse racial saves.

Well, he speaks about the berserker lodge of Rashemen, so I first thought about the berserk class.
Do you think that barbarian would be better fitting to him?

Well they actually did a campaign in Rasheman for NWN2 Mask of the Betrayer, and the Berserkers (which mostly lived in a Berserker lodge) were in fact Barbarians, a class in 3rd edition which doesnt have heavy armour and cant specialise in weapons as heavily as a fighter can. There again, there again, they didnt have any berserker kit (or any of class kit) in that game. The closest analogue would be a fighter/barbarian multiclass or maybe a fighter/frenzied berserker (a prestige class).

Also, I think the more undisciplined style of a Barbarian better suits Minsc lore wise. Rasheman is somewhat more primitive than many other nations, so it would make sense if they didnt have access to full plate, and didnt have the formal training and martial discipline required for grandmastery.

Dee

I always thought Minsc should just swap his free points in Two Weapon Style for two points in Two-Handed Weapon Style.

abacus

Ever since I started using Keeper, I've always played him as a Barbarian.
As such, he's still a man of the wild, and still a combat beast.
Personally, I also think the stat boost of the barbarian rage is closer to how I envision him.
I like that it makes him fast and (relatively) lightly armoured... Focussed on putting his foes down, rather than wearing them down.
I even like that he lacks the discipline to achieve Grand Mastery in his weapons... As I see him, he'd quite capably and happily drop someone with a chair or fallen log if required.

One other thing that puts me off making him a 'Zerker, is that as a traveller in the wilderness, he'd quite often have had to find food for himself (and Dynaheir). This makes me think he really aught to be good with a ranged weapon.

But it's a personal choice... And I've heard cogent arguments for other choices. So go with what feels right.

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AstroBryGuy

Barbarian or Berzerker? Well, if you go the former, Minsc can't be wearing "full plate, and packing steel." ;-)

UnknownQuantity

Wasn't there a dev that said he was a member of a certain Ranger group until he took some damage to his head? Maybe I'm wrong here.

I don't believe it matters what he is so much. Rangers don't have to be stealthy, intelligent, stalker type. They can be anything you want them to be.

the_spyder

Just a question here, but aren't his divine casting abilities suppressed? I don't remember because I generally don't take him into BG2 where it would play out. I had thought that he couldn't cast either due to his low Wisdom or his mental state.

Ah well. Either way. Gotta love the nut if only for Boo's sake.

AstroBryGuy

the_spyder said:

Just a question here, but aren't his divine casting abilities suppressed? I don't remember because I generally don't take him into BG2 where it would play out. I had thought that he couldn't cast either due to his low Wisdom or his mental state.

Ah well. Either way. Gotta love the nut if only for Boo's sake.

No. He can still cast spells. Technically, he should have a 35% chance of spell failure due to his low WIS, but of course, that's not implemented.

elminster

the_spyder said:

Just a question here, but aren't his divine casting abilities suppressed? I don't remember because I generally don't take him into BG2 where it would play out. I had thought that he couldn't cast either due to his low Wisdom or his mental state.

Ah well. Either way. Gotta love the nut if only for Boo's sake.

Its not suppressed from his wisdom no. But he does cast 7 levels behind a druid (so if he is level 16 he is casting as though he were a level 9 druid). The things this most matters for are probably Dispel Magic and Armor of Faith.

SharGuidesMyHand

_Connacht_ said:

Do you think that barbarian would be better fitting to him?

From a purely RP perspective (though not necessarily a PG one), I would say yes. He has all the hallmarks of a barbarian IMO - he hails from remote northern lands, has a certain connection to spirits of nature, has low wisd/int., lacks discipline, etc. While a berserker shares the same kind of "rage" ability as the barbarian (and Minsc), the kit doesn't have the same kind of background/persona associated with it that barbarians have.

Either way though, I think either class suits him better than being a ranger.

Loremaster

Check out this similar thread.

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/32781/minsc-the-barbarian/p1

Ygramul

Dee said:

I always thought Minsc should just swap his free points in Two Weapon Style for two points in Two-Handed Weapon Style.

Actually, yeah!
This should be his "feature" -- like how Coran gets +++ in longbow when he is only permitted ++.

Minsc is the BIG SWORD guy after all!

jackjack

Minsc's special feature is Boo.

Ardul

I personally think of Minsc as a Barbarian. And on the very few occasions I do bring him along, he will be just that..

I mean, he would if I actually did bring him..

One day, I swear...

JuliusBorisov

AstroBryGuy said:

Barbarian or Berzerker? Well, if you go the former, Minsc can't be wearing "full plate, and packing steel." ;-)

The Minsc I know is like Chuck Norris - he can everything:)