If you did the BG novels... how would you do it?

Grimo88

I often think how I'd go about this. Athans failed hideously, obviously, but he still wrote the damned things and I still read them, and it looked like he had a rather strict word limit.

Keeping in mind that it can't be Tolstoy-sized, and it can't fit all, if any, of the quests and subplots, how would you do it?


I often think it would be interesting to have CHARNAME as a meek and mild acolyte of Oghma, since he is from Candlekeep, with a darker side. He and Gorion could have hidden a violent streak all his life, until he brutally kills his assailant (Shank or Carbos) and horrifies the monks, thus spurring Gorion into action.

I would keep the supporting cast to those absolutely essential to the plot: Khalid, Jaheira, Imoen and Yoshimo. Beloved NPCs would have to be cameos or plot-devices, eg Faldorn's vendetta against the Iron Throne miners helping them get into the mines, or Kivan's quest for vengeance leading them to Tazok. Minsc, Dynaheir and Edwin could appear in a gnoll-fortress side-plot, but I really can't think of how I'd justify that fitting into the plot...

Rythgar

I'd write it from the perspective of one of the NPCs, not the Bhaalspawn. I always felt the game couldn't fully convey the feeling that you were playing as a being of supernatural origin and actually beyond the ken of most every other person.

Hearing the story told by someone like Imoen would serve to humanize the perspective, while also enabling the writer to subtly hint at the hidden nature of Bhaalspawn, without having to go quest by quest to appease the fans.

Grimo88

Wow, I never thought of that. That's an awesome idea.

Moomintroll

@Rythgar that's a great idea, I don't know if you've read Bernard Cornwell's trilogy on King Arthur but he used a similar device to great effect! We're already so familiar with the main protagonist, and outside perspective is really refreshing.

Rythgar

If you told the story from the Bhaalspawn's perspective, a lengthy series of short stories would work best, as you could then characterize and flesh out the individual by letting the reader experience the character's journey first hand.

However, in a novel format, all that characterization can happen "off screen" as it were, and using Imoen would allow for an intimate perspective on the Bhaalspawn without the romantic ties. This also leads to a reasonable and meaningful portrayal of a strong female protagonist, as well as supplying twist material down the road as we explore Imoen's dubious origin.

Fake_Sketch

Id write them and then put them on fire so that there is no canon party.

Rythgar

@Fake_Sketch Hear, hear!

Dee

Moomintroll said:

@Rythgar that's a great idea, I don't know if you've read Bernard Cornwell's trilogy on King Arthur but he used a similar device to great effect! We're already so familiar with the main protagonist, and outside perspective is really refreshing.

Derfel!!

BaldursCat

Apologies if this is old news to anyone but, over at The Attic there is a vast wealth of - in many cases brilliant - works based on the Baldur's Gate series. Some are straight novelisations told from Charname's POV, some tell the whole or parts of the tale from the POV of various NPCs including some of those who you can't have join your party and some take the tale completely AU. Just like the modding communities the site has been around in various guises for the best part of twelve years so as you can imagine there's an absolute goldmine of exceptionally well written stuff there. It's hard to suggest where to start because we all like different things but In The Shadows of Ann is part of BGII told with Sime as protagonist and outsider to an adventuring party and is lots of fun.

From a personal POV I like the short story series idea.

shawne

To be honest, I don't know how you could novelize the BG games unless it was in a Choose Your Own Adventure format - the narrative structure of the game is highly variable, even with certain "core" plot events that happen in every playthrough. Once you commit that kind of story to a linear novel, you're basically forcing a specific version of the game onto readers who may have made different choices.

LordsDarkKnight185

CHARNAME would have to still give up his godhood, either way. You cannot write something that contradicts the lore of the past 15 years.

ShapiroKeatsDarkMage

I would have told the story from Charname(i use it as his canon name)'s perspective as a happy-go-lucky chaotic good fighter/thief and a jerk with a heart of gold. And i would include the canon party as the supporting characters and develop Dynaheir's character better in order to give a bigger impact to her death.

moody_mage

@Moomintroll said:

@Rythgar that's a great idea, I don't know if you've read Bernard Cornwell's trilogy on King Arthur but he used a similar device to great effect! We're already so familiar with the main protagonist, and outside perspective is really refreshing.

I love that trilogy, I tend to re-read them every year or so.

shawne

@LordsDarkKnight185: That's a perfect example of why this wouldn't work - why is CHARNAME a "he" and why is giving up godhood mandatory? That's not what happened when I played it...

ShapiroKeatsDarkMage

Shouldn't this be in the General section?

lakrids

BaldursCat said:

Apologies if this is old news to anyone but, over at The Attic there is a vast wealth of - in many cases brilliant - works based on the Baldur's Gate series.

Do you have any recs? especially for npc perspective novel length

Djimmy

I'd rather write my own story. BG universe is awesome enough in the game itself. It is hard to write a novel based on such a wonderful game and you can't compromise with time.

BaldursCat

lakrids said:

BaldursCat said:

Apologies if this is old news to anyone but, over at The Attic there is a vast wealth of - in many cases brilliant - works based on the Baldur's Gate series.

Do you have any recs? especially for npc perspective novel length

Sure I'll start with something I can find all the chapters to as they seem to have had a bit of a meltdown over there and I can only find half the chapters for couple of the things I was going to recommend (& no archives in any of the other usual places). It's possible the story count is weighted more towards BGII but Storm Warning by Blue-Inked_Frost tells the BGI story from Skie's POV and doesn't actually feature a Bhaalspawn protagonist in the traditional form, it's long, but it's lots of fun and complete. Let me know if it floats your boat!?

AurenRavidel

I'm curious, was there ever a canon ending decided upon for the Bhaalspawn? I know that Bioware eventually decided in KotoR that the main character was a male lightsider and I believe the Exile in Kotor 2 was a female lightsider. Sometimes, in order to progress the story past the games, they need to make decisions regarding canon.

I'd expect it to eventually happen to Mass Effect as well. John Shepard will likely end up being the canon name. Not sure what ending they'll go with (especially since no one seems to like any of them).

Arabus13

AurenRavidel said:

I'm curious, was there ever a canon ending decided upon for the Bhaalspawn? I know that Bioware eventually decided in KotoR that the main character was a male lightsider and I believe the Exile in Kotor 2 was a female lightsider. Sometimes, in order to progress the story past the games, they need to make decisions regarding canon.

I'd expect it to eventually happen to Mass Effect as well. John Shepard will likely end up being the canon name. Not sure what ending they'll go with (especially since no one seems to like any of them).

That shouldn't be too difficult, since they were practically the exact same ending with different color filters.

BaldursCat

AurenRavidel said:

I'm curious, was there ever a canon ending decided upon for the Bhaalspawn?

Yes, there was, do you want spoilering?

Awong124

I wouldn't have named him Abdel for one thing.

Lawisendro

I would have the Bhaalspawn be a paladin of Ilmater, as a wide-eyed idealist kind of character, strictly religious and railroaded into this by Gorion, as a counter-measure to the taint of his blood. He would Use the party of Imoen, Khalid, Jaheira (kinda neccessary) and Minsc (can't have BG without Minsc and Dynaheir)
I would give the Bhaalspawn the attitude of "Gorion is my father," but confusing him, as he has grown up with a deep respect for bloodline, thus using the theme of parentage, bloodline and family as a reccurring theme in the books.

He would not romance Jaheira. He wouldn't want to intrude on her grief. Viconia, who would be a character to show up, would be too different for him. He'd fall for Aerie, being able to relate to her being snatched away from her family, then adopted by a kind old man. However, he can also relate to her losing her family in the way he lost Gorion.

He'd also join up with Yoshimo, as Yoshimo has a way for them to get to spellhold. In Athkatla, he'd pick up Jan Jansen, who he believes is a good guy forced to desperate measures to protect his family, a virtue he values, as stated above.

His name would be Lawisendro, for it was the name of the first character I rolled up in Baldur's Gate, at the age of six, with my father... thus my screenname and sugggestion for name.

When he meets Sarevok, he'd be incredibly resentful, and Sarevok to him. They have a resenting attitude that is mutual. However, they defrost, and Lawisendro mourns the fate of Sarevok, the man who is a product of his adoptive father, just as he is a product of his. Then he'd struggle to forgive him, trying, but finding it extremely difficult, even having a hard time digesting the fact that they are brothers.

In the end, I believe he wouldn't be able to part with his friends, his family in all but blood, but i am unsure. I do have a hard time seeing him leave Aerie behind.

Praepoitus

Why not write the story from Sarevoks perspektive ?

Oxford_Guy

Written in the style of Joe Abercrombie ("The Blade Itself" etc.) would be quite entertaining, far too much fantasy is too pompous, bring on some gallows humour and graphic violence :-)

Calantyr

Edwin's perspective. The grumpy, sarcastic, evil narrator.
You would read it, admit it.