Bhaalspawns of all ages, unite!

Kamigoroshi

It's well known that Baldur's Gate more or less forces us to play an 20 years old character (or someone of equivalent age in the case of non-human characters). While this is a fitting number of years for most would be adventures, it can get a little stale on the XYZth's playthrough. So I thought it might be fun to have a wider age range to choose from... you know, for a change of pace.

This poll here lets you vote for your personal favourite character age. Ever wanted to play as newborn baby or fossil? Now is your chance!


Personally, the thought of playing as an cane wielding, ill tempered grandfather amuses me the most!

SionIV

I would love to play a middle age or older Bhaalspawn (with grey hair!) but the problem is that you're Gorians ward, and that doesn't make sense if you're 30+.

Ravenslight

I’m left wondering what age the possible answers might mean. For instance, some might think of a 18-20 year old as a young adult, while others might consider this age not quite there yet. Middle age might mean 40 to some, 50 to others. I love the idea of this poll, but I just can’t seem to pick one. : )

I am with you in spirit though! I often play my protagonist as an age much different than what might be considered canon.

booinyoureyes

You forgot an option:
Fetus ("Get me out of this hellhole!")

SionIV

booinyoureyes said:

You forgot an option:
Fetus ("Get me out of this hellhole!")

That made me spill my drink on the floor, thank you for making my evening

Kamigoroshi

booinyoureyes said:

You forgot an option:
Fetus ("Get me out of this hellhole!")

Me likes!

I swear, the 10 choice limit is the bane of every poll on Vanilla forums....

wubble

I like the starting age, it just happens to be my age

Anduin

Walking fossil lacks a... certain glamour...

Can we not change it to dried out in the sun and wonderfully preserved like a sweet raisin, darling?

elminster

Gotta go with around 1000 years old.

deltago

I would love to play a middle age or older Bhaalspawn (with grey hair!) but the problem is that you're Gorians ward, and that doesn't make sense if you're 30+.

Gorion: So son, you uh, finished your studies 3 years ago. I am just wondering how the job search is coming.

Ward: Not now dad. I dont have time for this lecture.

G: Yes, I see you are working on your "art" in the Keep's basement again. You know you cant make a living -

W: Don't tell me what I can and cant do. You're not my real father!

G: Sigh. I knew I was being to protective of you but I can not protect you for -

W: I dont need you to protect me. I need you to leave me alone.

G: Well I just came down to tell you I have two friends in the neighbourhood who can help you find a job. Khalid and Jaheria, it may help pay for your art lessons you want to take from Prism.

W: Is Jaheria hot?

G: She's married. But if I say yes will you consider meet in them?

W: Sure. Whatever.

G: Great. We leave tonight to meet them.

W: No promises though.

G: None.

Gorion Leaves and meets the Gate warden.

GO: Locks changed?

GW: Yes sir

GO: Great he agreed. I'll fake my death outside the walls. Do not let him back in. He needs to find his own way in life. Pfft. Artistic studies.

doggy

Old is the option here. Playing as grandpa charname would be fun. "Back in my day the bawlspawns was a lot tougher than today"

The love interests becomes a lot creepier though with all the gold I possess...

justfeelinathome

And Female3: Death will come swiftly for you (or was it me? ), to bring my Charname properly to uhmm... Life. Seriously, I start thinking of an aged Necromancer play through here. Also, she's being Gorions Ward only because of her dementia.
It's her last chance for an adventure...

Tuth

Some of those options would make for a great way to continue the story after ToB. Let's say Charname stayed as mortal, but was so powerful that many dangerous enemies (those hooded guys?) decided they need to do something about it. So, they device a plan to destroy Charname and it works, partially. His/Her body is destroyed with much of his/her power lost. Now we begin the game as a skeleton and our goal is to regain the body back again somehow and our life with it as well, or not. That would make for an interesting gameplay, being seen by many people as a vile undead that needs to be "killed".

rufus_hobart

Me and Portalbendarwinden, shuffling down the coast. Stopping for a spot of tea. Disapproving of those sirens with not enough clothes on. Yelling at some damn fool kids. More tea. Nap. Reminiscing about the old days. Tea. Nap. Ahhh.

Dungeonnoob

Heya,wasnt Aragorn from LOTR nearly hundred or something iirc.

wubble

Dungeonnoob said:

Heya,wasnt Aragorn from LOTR nearly hundred or something iirc.

87 I believe. He was a Dunedain though and lived to around 180 so that doesn't count.

DJKajuru

It would a nice turning point if the child of bhaal had been around for a while (around 27 years old) before losing Gorion.

Buttercheese

When I play the protagonist, I always go with the canonical age, don't really know why.
But I had a multiplayer run with a friend once, where his character was the main, so I basically played as an NPC, an 35-ish gnome lady.

Though an idea for playing older characters could be, that you headcanon Gorion as an half-elf or something along those lines. Also, since he is a powerfull wizard, maybe he managed to extend his life-expectancy and is actually over hundred years old at the beginning of the game. Or maybe he took in Charname as a teenager instead of a baby/ toddler. Or even as a young adult, as an apprentice of sorts (should work well for magicians and clerics of Oghma).

Oooor Charname isn't Gorion's ward after all, but some random dude who lived in Candlekeep and everyone you meet is an idiot

JuliusBorisov

According to the introduction of The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi states that his first successful duel was at the age of thirteen, against a samurai named Arima Kihei.

William Scott Wilson in The Lone Samurai gives a picture of how it happened:
In 1596, Musashi was 13, and Arima Kihei, who was traveling to hone his art, posted a public challenge in Hirafuku-mura. Musashi wrote his name on the challenge. A messenger came to Dorin's temple, where Musashi was staying, to inform Musashi that his duel had been accepted by Kihei. Dorin, Musashi's uncle, was shocked by this, and tried to beg off the duel in Musashi's name, based on his nephew's age. Kihei was adamant that the only way his honor could be cleared was if Musashi apologized to him when the duel was scheduled. So when the time set for the duel arrived, Dorin began apologizing for Musashi, who merely charged at Kihei with a six-foot quarterstaff, shouting a challenge to Kihei. Kihei attacked with a wakizashi, but Musashi threw Kihei on the floor, and while Kihei tried to get up, Musashi struck Arima between the eyes and then beat him to death. Arima was said to have been arrogant, overly eager to battle, and not a terribly talented swordsman.

So, I vote for a juvenile of 13 years. And a Bhaalspawn also starts with a staff.

Yannir

I'm a bit fascinated with the Bhaalspawn being a toddler. He really doesn't know what is going on, doesn't know what a Bhaalspawn is, for that matter.. He would be a sorcerer and just flings spells at anyone he thinks scary enough.

"Ya wanna play wiv my FRUUUMball?" *pops a Fireball-spell at Imoen*

Jenzafar

I'm currently playing an inexplicably elderly character with this awesome portrait (credit Craig J. Spearing):



This is so I can finally, finally use the godawful old crone female voice from the original BG ("Deaaaath will come swiftly for youuuu!") I'm having a blast playing with my husband @dinobirdguy in the room because he keeps saying stuff like, "Does this potion relieve constipation?" and "Are you Matlock?" in that voice.

Ravenslight

@Jenzafar Hehe, I love it!

booinyoureyes

My next play-through: Bhaalspawn named Damian

Kamigoroshi

I'm now three years older since I created this thread.

And I still want playable geezers dammit!

Mirandel

Jenzafar said:

I'm currently playing an inexplicably elderly character with this awesome portrait (credit Craig J. Spearing):

This is so I can finally, finally use the godawful old crone female voice from the original BG ("Deaaaath will come swiftly for youuuu!") I'm having a blast playing with my husband @dinobirdguy in the room because he keeps saying stuff like, "Does this potion relieve constipation?" and "Are you Matlock?" in that voice.

Then take one more thing to you awesome portraits collection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCHKX_zPBx8&index=6&list=FLPGtw5KqSCV-MRiDfej_xlA

Balrog99

Kamigoroshi said:

I'm now three years older since I created this thread.

And I still want playable geezers dammit!

I'm with you @Kamigoroshi.
I love the human wizard sprite but really, a 20 year old with gray hair and a beard? Preposterous! Oh, and get the Hell off of my lawn...

Nimran

Closest thing to ‘zombie’ that I could find. I want to play a zombie.

Zaghoul

Now just add the 1st ed. AD&D age modifiers (from Dungeon Masters Guide) and we're set. I often used them to start older characters because of this alone. The numbers were cumulative as age increases.

• Young Adult: -1 Wis, +1 Con
  
• Adult/Mature: +1 Str, +1 Wis
  
• Middle Aged: -1 Str (or half excp. Str), -1 Con, +1 Int & Wis
  
• Old: -2 Str & Dex, -1 Con, +1 Wis
  
• Venerable: -1 Str, Dex & Con, +1 Int & Wis
  

None could exceed maximums except for Wisdom.

lroumen

Weird that people become that much wiser when they become older.

Contemplative_Hamster

lroumen said:

Weird that people become that much wiser when they become older.

In a remarkably short time, like a decade and a half (in which I have also become a ~high school teacher), I've gone from "don't trust anyone over thirty" to "don't trust the judgement of anyone under thirty."

A complete coincidence, I am sure.

lroumen

lroumen said:

that much wiser

I mostly meant the steep difference of 5 points. That is a whole lot.