Since Baldur's Gate is based around dungeon crawling, it sort of makes sense that it would default to intrinsically hostile "monster" races in a lot of situations. Yet, it's notable to me that it still finds time to stop and make you think (the dragon examples mentioned here, the Xvart village, Sahuagin City, Ust Natha, etc), because a lot of P&P sources that came out later explicitly do not. I've commented on this before in the context of Pathfinder, but it's worth mentioning again that they seem to embrace the concept that anything you do to Always Chaotic Evil humanoids and monsters is nice and ethical. Considering what some of their other positions are, I'm a little surprised no-one within their walls sees that as an inappropriate power/murder fantasy.
@semiticgod, That's probably just an unenlightened game and story-writing mechanic. Besides, by the time you meet the denizens of that xvart village, you are perfectly capable of realizing the moral imperative (Star Trek "Prime Directive" for $1000, anyone?) and running away from that initial encounter in the xvart pass.
They will not chase you, and you can get to the gnoll stronghold without ever invading their northern part of that map.
There is little difference between the gnolls and xvarts. In fact, some gnolls actually warn you when you enter their territory, and they seem less psychotic than the smurfs. There are xvarts pillaging everywhere and I think the journal states they have a base somewhere. The difference is the game says one is a "fortress" and the other a "village", but both go kamikaze on your knees when you appear, and they all contain the same number of civilians and reasonable people (zero). The whole "you murdered, look at what you have done" is clearly a joke. He says it even if you don't kill any of them and you just failed your hide in shadows check. Then the bear mauls him.
The devs were just screwing with our brains. The scene is actually designed so you don't realize you are entering a "village", it just seems like any other normal path with crazy monsters. But it doesn't matter if they are good, evil or just plain idiots (there should be an "idiot" alignment), if they have a red circle and attack you on sight while screaming "IEEEEEEEEEE!", it's self-defense.
PS: You know, xvarts are carrying gold pieces. Do you think they have a mint industry and goldsmith? Nah, they probably plunder them from the cows they brutally murder.
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That would be the most glorious way ever to crush a steriotype.
EDIT: Seriously, I remember seeing that name. But Google shows nothing, and I've long since lost the guide.
Since Baldur's Gate is based around dungeon crawling, it sort of makes sense that it would default to intrinsically hostile "monster" races in a lot of situations. Yet, it's notable to me that it still finds time to stop and make you think (the dragon examples mentioned here, the Xvart village, Sahuagin City, Ust Natha, etc), because a lot of P&P sources that came out later explicitly do not. I've commented on this before in the context of Pathfinder, but it's worth mentioning again that they seem to embrace the concept that anything you do to Always Chaotic Evil humanoids and monsters is nice and ethical. Considering what some of their other positions are, I'm a little surprised no-one within their walls sees that as an inappropriate power/murder fantasy.
The devs were just screwing with our brains. The scene is actually designed so you don't realize you are entering a "village", it just seems like any other normal path with crazy monsters. But it doesn't matter if they are good, evil or just plain idiots (there should be an "idiot" alignment), if they have a red circle and attack you on sight while screaming "IEEEEEEEEEE!", it's self-defense.
PS: You know, xvarts are carrying gold pieces. Do you think they have a mint industry and goldsmith? Nah, they probably plunder them from the cows they brutally murder.
Killing a dragon with a low-level party in MM 7 for 9500 XP that grats several levels and may give a unique item...
Those were the days... The memories...
But indeed, in MM 8, when you can have a dragon in your party (or even 4 dragons!), it's hard to make yourself go dragonhunting.