Your favorite character concept
Grum
Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100
As the title suggests, what is your favorite character concept? I'll go first:
Charname: Grundar
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Barbarian
Why?
Well, people commonly say 'how could charname' be a barbarian? Well, for him, the main thing is his Intelligence of 15. As I see his backstory, he was taken in by Gorion, who was a caring, but awkward father figure. What Grundar truly wanted was to be a mage like his 'father', something which he strived for in his early years. Despite being more than capable of being a mage, his father assumed that because of his heritage he didn't have the mental capacity to be one...or worse yet because of his divine blood might have a natural talent for it without the mental self control required to use the power wisely. The same was true for the other tutors in candlekeep, many of whom expressed shock when it turned out that the half-orc could read. The fact that Grundar was given an orcish name should give a hint as to how he was seen in candlekeep. Without access to the tomes, and seeing his increasingly frustrated and sometimes violent behavior, Grundar was given to the watchers, in the hope that they could instill some discipline in him. By this point in his life, he was angry, resentful, and because he was treated as worthless, began to think it true. The watchers wanted little to do with him, and only accepted Grundar because he was Gorion's ward. Rather than be given any real training, he was instead used for grunt work. He was a half-orc afterall, and what good are they if not for heavy lifting and little thinking? Despite a life of either disdain or well meaning pity, Grundar still managed to give himself some kind of arcane education, as seen by his ability to cast 'minor drain', and 'horror.' Which pretty much makes him a lvl 2 dual classed mage, if you think about it.
After Gorion's death, Grundar found himself alone in the wide world. After meeting up with Khalid and Jaheria, he lied to them, saying that Imoen was infact Gorion's ward and that it was she who should be protected. While nobody was convinced, they could not stop him from leaving, for if there was one thing he dreaded it was to continue to live in Gorion's shadow. The other great fear was any harm coming to one of the few people who had shown him any true kindness and affection in his life, as he did not want those who were after him to hurt Imoen.
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I am currently in the Baldur's Gate portion of the game. The party consists of Kargain, Viconia, Baeloth and Montarion (Xzar got gibbed by an ogre...). The idea here is that these 'evil' characters would be the only ones who would openly accept a half-orc into their ranks, and under their influence his more aggressive tendencies would come out.
Because he started off with Wis 10, I plan to give him all of the Wisdom tome increases. It will represent him slowly starting to grow as a person, and to realize that it is up to him to live his own life, not to allow the actions of others to dictate how he should be. When he hits Wis 13, I plan to completely ditch his current party and to pick up a new one. Probably Alora (as I'll need a thief), Ajantis (another front liner...who should be pretty good with the 18 dex gauntlets and a +3 greatsword), and Quayle (I've never used him before, but a cleric/illusionists should meet my basic clerical and arcane needs).
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So that's my character concept. It's my way of having a character actually grow as a person throughout the adventure, learning how to accept who he is and to let go of his past. Funnily enough, while the party reputation is currently at 5, once the two drow are out of the picture it'll jump up to a 9. Which would also represent a different reaction from people when you go from assuming the worst about everyone to at least trying to be yourself.
If I do take him all the way through the series, the hell rewards should offer him another 2 points of wisdom and charisma. Which would eventually make him a half-orc with Int 16 (from the tome), Wis 15 and Cha 13. Not bad for a front liner also rocking Str20 Dex20 Con20...
btw. For alignment I made him 'true neutral.' Nothing else really represents someone who is morally conflicted, and goes through a process of growth as a person. Chaotic Neutral might have worked, but I'm not sure.
Early game: "You think I'm a monster? You say that I'm worthless? Fine, I'll show you what a monster really is!" <-Insert a few murders here and there. Such as the nobleman in the wilderness who hired him to kill a bear, and then tried to walk away without payment. No random killings or murders...just a major anger problem.
Mid game: "What am I doing with my life? What have I done? Look at these people I'm hanging out with. I don't *like* them. I miss Imoen. Maybe they were right about me. Maybe I am just an evil orc. Maybe I am no better than Kargain or Montarion."
Late game: "No. I am better than this. I don't care what anyone says about me. I don't care what Gorion thought about me, or any of the other monks. I am my own person. And I am going to make this right." <- leaves the party and goes to hunt down Sarevok.
Charname: Grundar
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Barbarian
Why?
Well, people commonly say 'how could charname' be a barbarian? Well, for him, the main thing is his Intelligence of 15. As I see his backstory, he was taken in by Gorion, who was a caring, but awkward father figure. What Grundar truly wanted was to be a mage like his 'father', something which he strived for in his early years. Despite being more than capable of being a mage, his father assumed that because of his heritage he didn't have the mental capacity to be one...or worse yet because of his divine blood might have a natural talent for it without the mental self control required to use the power wisely. The same was true for the other tutors in candlekeep, many of whom expressed shock when it turned out that the half-orc could read. The fact that Grundar was given an orcish name should give a hint as to how he was seen in candlekeep. Without access to the tomes, and seeing his increasingly frustrated and sometimes violent behavior, Grundar was given to the watchers, in the hope that they could instill some discipline in him. By this point in his life, he was angry, resentful, and because he was treated as worthless, began to think it true. The watchers wanted little to do with him, and only accepted Grundar because he was Gorion's ward. Rather than be given any real training, he was instead used for grunt work. He was a half-orc afterall, and what good are they if not for heavy lifting and little thinking? Despite a life of either disdain or well meaning pity, Grundar still managed to give himself some kind of arcane education, as seen by his ability to cast 'minor drain', and 'horror.' Which pretty much makes him a lvl 2 dual classed mage, if you think about it.
After Gorion's death, Grundar found himself alone in the wide world. After meeting up with Khalid and Jaheria, he lied to them, saying that Imoen was infact Gorion's ward and that it was she who should be protected. While nobody was convinced, they could not stop him from leaving, for if there was one thing he dreaded it was to continue to live in Gorion's shadow. The other great fear was any harm coming to one of the few people who had shown him any true kindness and affection in his life, as he did not want those who were after him to hurt Imoen.
----
I am currently in the Baldur's Gate portion of the game. The party consists of Kargain, Viconia, Baeloth and Montarion (Xzar got gibbed by an ogre...). The idea here is that these 'evil' characters would be the only ones who would openly accept a half-orc into their ranks, and under their influence his more aggressive tendencies would come out.
Because he started off with Wis 10, I plan to give him all of the Wisdom tome increases. It will represent him slowly starting to grow as a person, and to realize that it is up to him to live his own life, not to allow the actions of others to dictate how he should be. When he hits Wis 13, I plan to completely ditch his current party and to pick up a new one. Probably Alora (as I'll need a thief), Ajantis (another front liner...who should be pretty good with the 18 dex gauntlets and a +3 greatsword), and Quayle (I've never used him before, but a cleric/illusionists should meet my basic clerical and arcane needs).
----
So that's my character concept. It's my way of having a character actually grow as a person throughout the adventure, learning how to accept who he is and to let go of his past. Funnily enough, while the party reputation is currently at 5, once the two drow are out of the picture it'll jump up to a 9. Which would also represent a different reaction from people when you go from assuming the worst about everyone to at least trying to be yourself.
If I do take him all the way through the series, the hell rewards should offer him another 2 points of wisdom and charisma. Which would eventually make him a half-orc with Int 16 (from the tome), Wis 15 and Cha 13. Not bad for a front liner also rocking Str20 Dex20 Con20...
btw. For alignment I made him 'true neutral.' Nothing else really represents someone who is morally conflicted, and goes through a process of growth as a person. Chaotic Neutral might have worked, but I'm not sure.
Early game: "You think I'm a monster? You say that I'm worthless? Fine, I'll show you what a monster really is!" <-Insert a few murders here and there. Such as the nobleman in the wilderness who hired him to kill a bear, and then tried to walk away without payment. No random killings or murders...just a major anger problem.
Mid game: "What am I doing with my life? What have I done? Look at these people I'm hanging out with. I don't *like* them. I miss Imoen. Maybe they were right about me. Maybe I am just an evil orc. Maybe I am no better than Kargain or Montarion."
Late game: "No. I am better than this. I don't care what anyone says about me. I don't care what Gorion thought about me, or any of the other monks. I am my own person. And I am going to make this right." <- leaves the party and goes to hunt down Sarevok.
13
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Charname: Abdel
Class: Shadow Dancer
Your youth was shaped by two major influences: the secrets your foster father Gorion has kept from you, and a Monk claiming to be in the service of Bahamut who spent several years within Candlekeep.
You have tried for years to learn of your past from Gorion and others, but have been rebuked time and again. You have not been ignorant to the looks of cold dread as your inquiries have become more pointed. So you have taken to skulking in the low places and shadows of Candlekeep, hungry for any stray word or forbidden tome that brings you closer to the secrets you sense buried deep within your dreams and memory.
Then came the Monks. You quickly learned they were not who they claimed to be, but struggled to discern their true motives. They spent months scouring the library, and departed quietly, save for one of their number: Pu-Dagan. He knew of your spying, and though the Monks were not in agreement, he stayed behind to feed into your games. Unknown to you, he began your training.
The Monk allowed you to catch glimpses of his yogas, and you did your best to imitate them not knowing they brought your body closer to the Shadow Weave. The monk would feign to forget his notes where you could steal them. So it was, you first learned of the goddess Shar. Her very name sparked some hidden fervor within you. The Nightsinger approved of this intrigue and it was her desire that pushed Pu-Dagan to follow when Gorion snatched you away to flee Candlekeep.
After Gorion’s death, Pu-Dagan, revealing himself to be a Dark Moon Monk in service to the Lady of Loss, allowed travel only by night. You sensed the impenetrable shadows surrounding to be unnatural, but your self-appointed bodyguard ignored your concerns. You strayed far afield from your intended destination, and came upon a woman in flight. She begged helped, and a moment later her pursuers were slain. She revealed herself as Viconia, priestess of Shar and exile of Menzoberranzan. At this Pu-Dagan laughed and told you, “it was the Nightsinger herself that occluded our path.”
You are not certain of your new companions loyalty to you, but their loyalty and favor with Shar is unquestionable. You too hear the whisper of the Nightsinger, the only solace you have known in your life driven by secrets beyond your grasp.
I'm attempting this as a 3 member party on insane mode.
Like you, I've also come to believe that playing as a barbarian can actually make a lot of sense within the context of the story. I feel that your character should be "different" in some overt way, perhaps even a misfit or outcast among your own people. Your character has been tormented by some sort of inner conflict practically since birth, which he or she only comes to fully understand through the events of the story. According to the default bio for barbarians, you were a "wild spirit" as a youth whose reckless behavior could only be tamed by a northern visitor to Candlekeep, who taught you how to "connect to spirits of nature" and channel your inner (Bhaalspawn) rage into a usable ability.
I prefer to play my barbarian as a good-aligned (neutral or chaotic) character, but with a pragmatic approach to being good. For example, my barbarian would be willing to work alongside a bloodthirsty NPC like Dorn, but only for as long as he or she could redirect the NPC's bloodlust toward achieving good-oriented tasks. Likewise, my barbarian would also feel a certain empathy toward others who are also misfits or outcasts in some way, like Viconia or Neera, and would look to provide them with protection by accepting them into the party.
Here's a few screenshots of a conversation between my most recent barbarian charname and Ajantis, in which my barbarian expresses her disapproval of Helm and his rigid devotion to a particular "duty," irrespective of the consequences.
However, my barbarian and Ajantis would eventually find a sort of common ground in their mutual belief in the basic tenets of honor and justice (albeit their preferred methods for administering justice would probably differ).
What mod is that? It looks good. Even if I can't use it...as I only play on my iphone.
The altered brown GUI is from the "BG2:EE GUI in BG:EE" mod: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/31069/bg-ee-gui-mods-grey-gui-and-gui-from-bg2-ee/p1
Ajantis is one of my favorites, and I'm always disappointed he never says anything to Charname beyond being recruited.
Edit: I don't see how to delete posts, but I see you already answered my question.
The Witcher (IWDEE)
The Witcher is one of my favorite RPGs and my favorite series right now. The games feel like something made by Bioware before they started making crap. CD Projekt (the developers) growed substiantially after the huge acclaim of both games, and despite the success, they still know how to make a quality product and keep a real close relationship with their fans and treat them well.
After finishing TW2, I felt the sudden desire to play the Infinity games again after almost ten years and that's how I came upon the enhanced editions. Most of the characters from the Witcher series could easily pass as taken from Forgotten Realms books, and the uniform storyline from Icewind Dale is perfectly fit to accomodate them.
Geralt is a FMT with limited spellcasting to better represent his Signs:
Innates - Detect Evil, Detect Invisibility, Infravision
Quen - Shield, Blur, Barkskin
Aard - Chromatic Orb, Knock
Igni - Agannazar’s Scorcher, Burning Hands, Fireball
Yrden - Skull Trap
Axii - Charm Person, Domination, Friends
Heliotrope - Haste
I need to check if that BG tweak mod that allows spellcasting in armor works with IWD, if so, Geralt is allowed to wear up to studded leather. Thief points are spent on Detect/Set Traps. Maybe STR 19 and CON 19 to depict the witcher's superhuman strength and resilience? Potions will be throughly used.
Triss is a Sorceress, Dandelion a Bard and Yarpen is a Fighter, nothing fancy. I intend to finish a full BG run before starting and this will be the party I will use then.
Jugo and the Suicide Troupe (BG1/SCS)
I was ready to start my epic full BG trilogy run with SCS installed (check below) but due to constraints I had to satisfy myself with a shorter playthrough in the time being. For this specific game I decided to play more casually by skipping usual behaviors and experimenting NPCs I never tried before. To explore these multiple hysterical dialogue choices I always had a impulse to pick but never did to stay true to my non-nonsensical characters, I came up with the loud and maniacal jester Jugo.
Little did Gorion know that the racking Bhaalspawn essence in Jugo shattered his sanity from an early age. Much to the dismay of his father, Jugo frequented the Candlekeep Inn and his antics were a source of amusement to the costumers of the Inn and visitors of the citadel. He quickly became known for his outlandish outfits and manchild behavior.
His alienation and disregard for human life were evidenced early when he showed apathy to his foster father's death. He ignored Gorion's last wishes to meet up with his Harper friends at the Friendly Arm Inn and decided to follow the strangers Xzar and Montaron to Nashkel instead. He intended to pursue a circus career in the carnival with his friend and clown assistant Imoen, but was straight away rejected.
These shortcomings eventually led him to form the Suicide Troupe, a notorious band of scoundrels who peculiarly disguised themselves as traveling actors. As the story progresses, Jugo's power grows and so does his psycopathy. He gradually reveals his nature as flamboyant, destructive and cruel. The initial petty crimes of his band slowly degenerate into mayhem, and when he learns about his lineage, Jugo revels in causing death and chaos only to compete with Sarevok.
It's curious that from an early stage I decided to play with unusual NPCs, giving priority to outcast and eccentric backgrounds, but it may end up as my most powerful group so far.
My protagonists are usually warrior-inclined with epic rolls (90+, but I don't dump useless stats). I decided to not change Jugo's roll and stick with it as long as he got high DEX to make crossbows viable for him. He ended up with an awesome 75 roll. In the beginning he'll barely contribute, but soon I'll abuse the nice Jester song with Invisibility. In the future I can imagine him casting Fireballs in the middle of the fights, blowing up foes and friends alike with a high-pitched whooping cackle.
Shar-Teel is the only NPC out of these that I've used in the past. She may be my favorite BG1NPC due to her good looks, manifold playstyle (considering BG low level restrictions) and I chosen her not only for the fact that her whack personality fits the party mood, but in my past games she only played inessential roles. In the Suicide Troupe, she would finally get her chance in the spotlight, lol. With Balduran gear, the Gauntlets and that cursed claw, Drizzt's Mithril Vest (which allows Thief abilities), plentiful potions of fortitude for 4 HP per level, and finally the STR tome, a Fighter 7/Thief 8 Shar-Teel dual-wielding Varscona and Flame Tongue with Grandmastery might be the strongest NPC in the game in the long run. Whew! Even Dorn pales in front of that setup. Her only disadvantage is the large amount of XP she needs to regain her Fighter levels.
My groups always lacked backstabbers and with Monty I have acess to these from beginning to end, which is awesome. I will eventually give him the STR Belt and I'm sure he will whack stuff left and right with my girl Shar-Teel in the frontline. I still haven't decided if he will ultimately wield Drizzt's Frostbrand or the Dagger of Venom.
Much like Faldorn, Skie, Quayle and Alora, Tiax is one NPC I never saw myself using. I can tell already his voiceset is amusing. The Gauntlets of Ogre Power will turn him into a good slinger, but I'm most interested in seeing him backstabbing with Aule's Staff and the Staff of Striking. Any Cleric/Thief particularities I should know about?
Xzar was naturally fit for the mage role, but his portrait and voiceset were way too perfect for Jugo, so I decided to kill him off and replace him with Xan. In terms of RP, Xan is obviously at odds with the party immoral and brutal methods, but still serves Jugo out of a sense of liability and honor for saving his life. Enchanters are awesome in BG1 and his lack of Conjuration spells can be fixed up with plentiful wands.
The Candlekeep Agent (BG1, BG2, ToB/SCS)
Coming soon!