Sorry, gotta disagree with you there. Helmets specifically cover just the head, protecting against critical head hits. To reflect protection that is one step up from this, a truly magical helm, like Balderan's, also is considered to raise your overall Ac by one. Since bracers clearly affect the entire body, they must generate an extensive force field capable of deflecting weapons. A force field covering that much surface area can only be made just so resilient, hence the cap on how high they can raise your base AC.
Bracers specifically cover just the forearms, and in the case of a mage, the hands and arms are used for movements when casting (some) spells, meaning you can't really expect to both deflect incoming blows with your arms, as well as, moving your hands and arms around to cast a spell. The helm could, in theory, just as well have an extensive force field like the one you mention bracers have. (edit: not that I am advocating this though)
Robes are cloth; you can only toughen cloth robes up so much before they stiffen and resemble actual armor, thereby hindering arcane spell casting, which requires a certain amount of freedom of movement. (Clerical spells, which occur through petitioning a deity, are clearly exempt from this restriction, by virtue of divine dispensation).
The robes of an archmagi could for all we know be made of angel hair or the pubic hair of ogrillions with such a resiliance that both piercing and slashing weapons have a difficult time penetrating it. Also, it can be padded underneath to endure crushing blows. It's IMHO easier to embrace that idea than the idea that your forearms can defend your entire body and head.
All of this is "IMHO" meaning in my humble opinion. I understand not everyone agrees ofc.
Fine; you force me to use the argument of last resort, with which it is impossible to contend ... "It works because it's magic"! Magic by it's very nature ignores the laws of Physics/Nature/God/Man and follows its own set of rules.
A helmet's influence is localized to the head, a bracer's extends over the entire body. Why? Because that's the way it works. No other reasoning applies, no other reasoning is needed.
"There are things man was not meant to know!" (This line from countless old "B" horror movies is quite applicable here).
Non-magic braces don't do anything...in IWD you can find them in Kesslack's tomb.
In BG you only find magical bracers, which protect the entire body.
Therefore...non-magical helms protect against critical hits. Magical helms protect the entire body via AC bonuses. non-magical bracers don't get any kind of bonuses. Magical bracers protect the entire body via AC bonuses.
The whole point of Bracers of AC is to benefit classes that don't wear helmets or wield shields. I'm sure mages could totally make a Helmet of AC 3 if they desired to, but what use does a mage have for a helmet?
On a similar topic however I did some archery and I can say that 2 or 3 arrows in a round is totally unrealistic. Even when they were used in combat, six per minute was a fast rate. Even 1 arrow/round is pushing the limits of realism. They should reduce the rate of fire but make them more deadly.
2-3 ARP with a bow in six seconds is indeed quite unrealistic But if it's like @atcDave says, and one round is 6 seconds practically but reflects 60 seconds of "actual" time, I'd say 2-3 APR is quite low for a skilled archer.
Here's an example of fast shooting. I guess the accuracy and armor penetration would be very low using this tecnique, but still, getting the arrows in the air is indeed possible at a very high rate. Doing this with a proper longbow though, that is another story And heavy crossbows ofc cannot be reloaded that quick
you don't need armour penetration if you can shoot someone accurately in the face. Asian archers were able to put out 3 arrows in less than 2 seconds (years of training) while retaining accuracy. Puts a whole different take on realism.
I'd say realism is slow draw to armoured/helmed foes and fast draw to leather or unarmoured foes.
Viconia is the most effective 'tank' in the game, followed shortly thereafter by Jaheira.
Nalia, Cernd, and Valygar are all more interesting, enduring NPCs to have around than their popular counterparts (Aerie, Minsc).
Imoen's emotional and psychological development between BG1 and BG2 is not only natural, but is very interested within the linearity of the story (if the writers hadn't shoehorned Imoen's role into the story this might be different, but as the story goes I think she makes a lot of sense).
Playing with mixed alignment parties is a much more interesting, fresh way of playing BG1 and BG2 than restricting yourself to more or less the exact same party each time.
Playing through BG1 and BG2 without rushing straight to the locations of the party members you want to take to the end of the game with you is fun; it allows you to bring in and swap out NPCs in such a way that makes it feel like the story is developing, and your character is making decisions about what kinds of people s/he feels they need at their side to meet the looming threats that each game offers.
I like characters with low charisma not for the fact that they were dumpstatted to make an overpowered protagonist but rather as fuel for party members to start bad mouthing one another.
I geniuely like Anomen as a character. He has his imperfection, and often he comes of as an arrogant peron or/and like a jerk, but I think those traits makes him and his character development all more interesting. I think he is one of the most humane characters in the game.
I was greatly dissapointed when I learned that Baeloth was "something extra" we got as a recompensation for BG:EE delay. Currently, I would have to be paid to even consider bringing him to the party.
I also think EEs are overall improvement over original saga. No clue why it is considered unpopular opinion, but here it is.
I don't see anything wrong with romancing Jaheira. She's neither PCs mother, nor sister, relative not even care-taker, but a traveling companion and a friend. It is also not unheard of that people want to move on with their life after they fiancee's death.
I also think EEs are overall improvement over original saga. No clue why it is considered unpopular opinion, but here it is.
Because to some people, nothing.can be as good or better than the original. I've seen people hate EE for thing that people actually modded into the original game...
Hell I've seen people hate EE for letting stacks of arrows got to 80 instead of stopping at 20, and even hate it for filling the negative space with the calculated numbers instead of forcing the player to do the math themselves. Calling it "completely unnecessary stuff."
Kinda with you here big L. I love a good dragon battle (they're probably my favourite element of fantasy settings), but by the time you hit the throne it feels like you've dropped about a dozen... Familiarity breeding contempt and all...
Kinda with you here big L. I love a good dragon battle (they're probably my favourite element of fantasy settings), but by the time you hit the throne it feels like you've dropped about a dozen... Familiarity breeding contempt and all...
Dragons should just step on people! ^-^ Or roll on them! Dragons fight with a handicap in BG2. >:(
Dragons should leave small enclosed spaces. Then fly up high and breathe fire on people.
"I have a sword! And...I can't reach the dragon..."
Seriously every freaking Dragon has wings, but I haven't seen a single one fly!
Dragons have become far too fat to fly, due to their current exclusively carnivorous diet. Their wings at one time were able to support their weight, but as they evolved and gained greater body mass, they were no longer able to become airborne. In another 50,000 years or so, their wings will have become so vestigial that they can no longer even give wing buffets.
If their body mass continues to increase further, they will no longer be able to even walk; they will have to return to the ocean and relearn how to to swim, so that the water helps support that monstrous bulk. Some scholars of the breed believe that the dragon turtle may have already evolved from such a line of dragons.
Alternatively, some of them, realizing their plight, may go on carrot juice and celery diets, and lose enough weight to once again become the slim, darting, graceful flying arrow shapes that they once were.
Dragons should just step on people! ^-^ Or roll on them! Dragons fight with a handicap in BG2. >:(
Dragons should leave small enclosed spaces. Then fly up high and breathe fire on people.
"I have a sword! And...I can't reach the dragon..."
Seriously every freaking Dragon has wings, but I haven't seen a single one fly!
Dragons have become far too fat to fly, due to their current exclusively carnivorous diet. Their wings at one time were able to support their weight, but as they evolved and gained greater body mass, they were no longer able to become airborne. In another 50,000 years or so, their wings will have become so vestigial that they can no longer even give wing buffets.
If their body mass continues to increase further, they will no longer be able to even walk; they will have to return to the ocean and relearn how to to swim, so that the water helps support that monstrous bulk. Some scholars of the breed believe that the dragon turtle may have already evolved from such a line of dragons.
Alternatively, some of them, realizing their plight, may go on carrot juice and celery diets, and lose enough weight to once again become the slim, darting, graceful flying arrow shapes that they once were.
Omg, imagine someone like Firkraag going on and on about his lost wings, like a five ton deadly beast version of Aerie..
"Boo hoo, I miss my wings.. "
"Ooh, I remember back when I had wings.. "
"I really wish I could serve a nice wing buffet.. if only I'd had my wings.. "
Spell Immunity: Abjuration, Spell Immunity: Divination, Improved Invisibility... then just slap down Protection from Weapons every 4 rounds until your mates have killed them all... Without SCS, the AI just cannot cope with a well used Mage.
I like that Viconia's romanced ending is still rather sad: Viconia's entire story is solemn and fraught with tribulations, and it would feel dishonest to do away with that sentiment in her ending. At least in her romance ending, however, there is a bittersweetness about how her story ends. Very fitting.
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But still, I will try to strenghten my case. Bracers specifically cover just the forearms, and in the case of a mage, the hands and arms are used for movements when casting (some) spells, meaning you can't really expect to both deflect incoming blows with your arms, as well as, moving your hands and arms around to cast a spell. The helm could, in theory, just as well have an extensive force field like the one you mention bracers have. (edit: not that I am advocating this though) The robes of an archmagi could for all we know be made of angel hair or the pubic hair of ogrillions with such a resiliance that both piercing and slashing weapons have a difficult time penetrating it. Also, it can be padded underneath to endure crushing blows. It's IMHO easier to embrace that idea than the idea that your forearms can defend your entire body and head.
All of this is "IMHO" meaning in my humble opinion. I understand not everyone agrees ofc.
A helmet's influence is localized to the head, a bracer's extends over the entire body. Why? Because that's the way it works. No other reasoning applies, no other reasoning is needed.
"There are things man was not meant to know!" (This line from countless old "B" horror movies is quite applicable here).
In BG you only find magical bracers, which protect the entire body.
Therefore...non-magical helms protect against critical hits.
Magical helms protect the entire body via AC bonuses.
non-magical bracers don't get any kind of bonuses.
Magical bracers protect the entire body via AC bonuses.
I'd say realism is slow draw to armoured/helmed foes and fast draw to leather or unarmoured foes.
Nalia, Cernd, and Valygar are all more interesting, enduring NPCs to have around than their popular counterparts (Aerie, Minsc).
Imoen's emotional and psychological development between BG1 and BG2 is not only natural, but is very interested within the linearity of the story (if the writers hadn't shoehorned Imoen's role into the story this might be different, but as the story goes I think she makes a lot of sense).
Playing with mixed alignment parties is a much more interesting, fresh way of playing BG1 and BG2 than restricting yourself to more or less the exact same party each time.
Playing through BG1 and BG2 without rushing straight to the locations of the party members you want to take to the end of the game with you is fun; it allows you to bring in and swap out NPCs in such a way that makes it feel like the story is developing, and your character is making decisions about what kinds of people s/he feels they need at their side to meet the looming threats that each game offers.
I was greatly dissapointed when I learned that Baeloth was "something extra" we got as a recompensation for BG:EE delay. Currently, I would have to be paid to even consider bringing him to the party.
I also think EEs are overall improvement over original saga. No clue why it is considered unpopular opinion, but here it is.
I don't see anything wrong with romancing Jaheira. She's neither PCs mother, nor sister, relative not even care-taker, but a traveling companion and a friend. It is also not unheard of that people want to move on with their life after they fiancee's death.
Hell I've seen people hate EE for letting stacks of arrows got to 80 instead of stopping at 20, and even hate it for filling the negative space with the calculated numbers instead of forcing the player to do the math themselves. Calling it "completely unnecessary stuff."
I love a good dragon battle (they're probably my favourite element of fantasy settings), but by the time you hit the throne it feels like you've dropped about a dozen... Familiarity breeding contempt and all...
"I have a sword! And...I can't reach the dragon..."
Dragons have become far too fat to fly, due to their current exclusively carnivorous diet. Their wings at one time were able to support their weight, but as they evolved and gained greater body mass, they were no longer able to become airborne. In another 50,000 years or so, their wings will have become so vestigial that they can no longer even give wing buffets.
If their body mass continues to increase further, they will no longer be able to even walk; they will have to return to the ocean and relearn how to to swim, so that the water helps support that monstrous bulk. Some scholars of the breed believe that the dragon turtle may have already evolved from such a line of dragons.
Alternatively, some of them, realizing their plight, may go on carrot juice and celery diets, and lose enough weight to once again become the slim, darting, graceful flying arrow shapes that they once were.
"Boo hoo, I miss my wings.. "
"Ooh, I remember back when I had wings.. "
"I really wish I could serve a nice wing buffet.. if only I'd had my wings.. "
Toothless and myself are not amused!