I think there is a golden opportunity with a Wild Mage--just the class itself--to generate party banter about the unexpected results of the character's wild surge spellcastings. So I'm really hoping that the devs capitalized on this, and we'll at least see some good one-liners from other NPCs as such.
As far as the concept for her character goes, it seems okay to me. I think an emphasis on her feelings about miscast spells should work toward making CHRANAME want to keep her around, at least when the PC is a prosocial type. Because as some here have noted, as dangerous as combat is in this world, from a strictly pragmatic standpoint a Wild Mage is probably not someone you would actually want to have along, For this reason I think the devs almost have to make her as vulnerable, endearing, and emotionally relatable as possible. I.e., to make us care about her personally.
But yeah, @tillly the convention there does seem to be 'zany madcap with heart of gold' (Minsc is this also). It'll all boil down to whether it's a fresh a realization of it, or a stale one.
And I'm hoping that in general there will be more banters in EE, as that is one of the original game's deficits in comparison with BG2. The new NPCs should provide the opportunity for new banters from old NPCs.
Hey guys... Just wanted to ask some questions. First: I'm pretty sure there is a typo in the text 'Pollae eyed Moth. "Howcre you feeling?" '. I think it's supposed to be 'how're you feeling'. Hope somebody fixes it (or informs me if it's legitimate word ).
Second: I'm not familiar with D'n'D creatures but aren't atomies, fairies and centaurs all creatures from 3ed rules? I think they are not supposed to be present in story set in 2ed.
Exactly what @tilly said...except...Shar-Teel is not a feminist. *shudder* She's a plain old misandrist, a female chauvinist pig if you will. Please don't take her as an accurate representation of people who support political and social equality between the sexes.
Anyway, as that list shows, even characters who seem cliche when summarized can be very entertaining in action. Can't wait for November.
Yay, you said my favorite NPC's name! !
What about Kagain? He's grumpy and likes gold, like dwarves, but he's more amoral about the latter than most other dwarves would ever get.
I still wonder how she could fit into the party of the Bhaalspawn, though. I mean, the adventures of the Bhaalspawn (main PC) require reliable and trustworthy party members, knowing all of the dangers ahead. Will Neera be capable enough, not only magically, but also mentally? I also fundamentally disagree with Neera's opinion that magic doesn't require study. To me, she appears as someone who's too lazy to actually study and develop her potential fully, which is a pity. Anyone can wield a sword, but magic...That's a different story.
Well considering in second edition Wild Magic was considered an extremely complex form of magic that required MORE study than normal magic (wild mages had a higher intelligence requirement), her opinion would fit a sorcerer not a wild mage.
Yeah ok, maybe you guys got a point. It's just that Neera reminds me of a typical female American teenager who seeks to be accepted among people. After Hannah Montana and all of those other shows it's getting a bit tiresome.
@mlnevese: I never really got into the D&D rules books and such, so that's probably my ignorance being at fault. Yet I'd see an unpredictable spell as a waste of a spell slot. I like to know what I'm firing off afterall. It's a pity since it makes Wild Mages so special I guess.
@Kitteh_On_A_Cloud Let me give you a Magic in the Realm 101 so that I can help you understand
Magic was once much more powerful and flexible in the Realms until a Netherese Mage developed a powerful spell to steal Mystra's (the goddess of magic) power.
The spell backfired killing Mystra, destroying the Weave, the magical energy network that exists around the world, almost killing the entire Netherese civilization.
The new Mystra limited the way mortals could access magic, making it a very formalized proccess... If you want to use a fireball you have to move like this, speak that and use bat guano as focus material.
That was true until the Time of Troubles. The Wild Magic zones intrigued some mages as efects could happen inside one, without meeting the formal pre-requisites of casting a spell.
Some extremely intelligent mages, studying this effects discovered a way of accessing raw magcal energies, bypassing the formalism of the Weave.
It was hard and took years of study.
What Nahal's Reckless Dweomer does is that, it bypasses the formal requirements of the Weave to draw raw magical energy to the caster that uses his knowledge to shape it dynamically into the effect he desires. But keep in mind, it's just a level 1 spell. there were many better spells available to a wild mage that never were implemented in BG2.
What we see of Wild Mages in BG2 is a subset of what they could do. A Wild Mage powerful enough could cast spells normally in a Wild Magic Zone without being affected by it, could force all casters around him to misfire their spells, eventually had enough control over more refined Dweomers to call forth most spell effects they desired.
And finally to answer your question, a wild mage had to know and dominate everything a normal mage knew plus the magical equivalent of advanced quantum theory. Just in his case the theory could kill him if he misunderstood or lost his concentration.
Let me give you some nice examples of spells that were never implemented:
Wildstrike - the target must save vs spell or every spell or spell-like ability automatically becomes a surge. The Wild Mage's level is subtracted from the surge roll.
Wildshield - the caster is surrounded by a color shield that automatically absorbs 2d6 spell levels cast against him. Wild surges are absorbed as well and count as 1d6 levels of spells.
Hornung's Surge Selector - If a Wild Surge happens, the wild mage rolls twice in the wild surge table and chooses which effect will actually happen. Lasts for 1 surge/ 5 levels or 12 hours.
Spellshape - If a spell is targeted at the wild mage, he gets a save, if successful, he disassembles the magic energy of the spell and uses it to empower one of his own, being able to immediately cast one of his own spells without forgetting it.
@mlnevese: Thank you for the explanation! Wild magic sure sounds more interesting now. A pity we never really got to see the spells you mentioned...It would have been interesting to try them out. Mind you, it's not like I'm throwing Neera aside as a character. I am interested in seeing her back story and dialogues in-game. It's just that my initial impression wasn't all too positive, I guess.
So... can someone enlighten me about the 3ed creatures? Where they like some sort of add-on? (coveringg areas not covered in 2ed rule books) I'm pretty sure some creatures where simply rewritten in 3ed... Does that mean that BG:EE will combine some things from later rules' editions or was it just Dave's goof since he is too used to writing books set in a more modern timeline? (I'm not a D'n'D know-it-all so don't bash me too hard ))
@mlnevese Your post was very interesting and it shows perfectly the discrepancy between what a Wild Mage should be and what Neera appears to be.
Exhibit 1: Wild Mages - "Some extremely intelligent mages, studying this effects discovered a way of accessing raw magcal energies, bypassing the formalism of the Weave. It was hard and took years of study." "And finally to answer your question, a wild mage had to know and dominate everything a normal mage knew plus the magical equivalent of advanced quantum theory. Just in his case the theory could kill him if he misunderstood or lost his concentration." Exhibit 2: Sorcerers - who are known to have access to the Weave without magical study (through means of their own, descendency from dragons, etc) and often use their magical power in flashy displays. Also, (and this might not be agreed upon since it's a more recent interpretation) it can be believed that some sorcerers draw their power from wild magic. Exhibit 3: Neera - "When Neera had first applied, she impressed the centaur by demonstrating great natural potential, but none of his discipline." "The way Neera saw it, either you could dance or you couldn't. Likewise, either you were a mage or you weren't, and no amount of studying would change that." "Focus, visualize the runes you studied." That would be much more help if she had actually studied, Neera thought." "She hastened through the gestures to call up an image of a fiery gnome above her palms. She felt the arcane energies respond to her will as much as to her gestures. This was more like it-the natural evocation of magic from its very source, not the careful teasing out of its threads for a spell practiced by thousands of other casters over the centuries."
Comparing your examples to the story, Neera sounds more like an un-disciplined sorceress than a mage.
I really like the idea of a wild mage NPC. But if that's how she acts in game, I'll mod her into a sorcerer after the first playthrough.
Also I'd really like to see more wild magic spells implemented. spells like there/not there and spellfire, for instance, would be really great to use. The more advanced wild surge control they had in P&P as well.
@Grayvie Two things to keep in mind: Many creatures that don't appear in Baldur's Gate already existed in the Realms at the time of the game's release, and when new creatures appear in later editions of D&D, the lore typically indicates that they've been there all along--they didn't suddenly appear.
So while I was aware that these particular fey didn't appear in Baldur's Gate, I didn't hesitate to mention them in the story, and Wizards' didn't bat an eye while approving it.
I really like the idea of a wild mage NPC. But if that's how she acts in game, I'll mod her into a sorcerer after the first playthrough.
This is interesting. This is very interesting.
Because one of the things about sorcerers is supposedly that they spend their early development trying to learn to control their magic.
It would be an interesting development if Neera could somehow break with tradition (even more than usual) and come into BG2 as a multiclass wild mage/sorcerer. What do you think, @Dave?
@Dave: Ok, thank you for clearing that up for me and thank you for your great writing. Can't wait to read Dorn's story (more so if it involves the betrayal and him setting off for revenge).
Comments
As far as the concept for her character goes, it seems okay to me. I think an emphasis on her feelings about miscast spells should work toward making CHRANAME want to keep her around, at least when the PC is a prosocial type. Because as some here have noted, as dangerous as combat is in this world, from a strictly pragmatic standpoint a Wild Mage is probably not someone you would actually want to have along, For this reason I think the devs almost have to make her as vulnerable, endearing, and emotionally relatable as possible. I.e., to make us care about her personally.
But yeah, @tillly the convention there does seem to be 'zany madcap with heart of gold' (Minsc is this also). It'll all boil down to whether it's a fresh a realization of it, or a stale one.
And I'm hoping that in general there will be more banters in EE, as that is one of the original game's deficits in comparison with BG2. The new NPCs should provide the opportunity for new banters from old NPCs.
First: I'm pretty sure there is a typo in the text 'Pollae eyed Moth. "Howcre you feeling?" '. I think it's supposed to be 'how're you feeling'. Hope somebody fixes it (or informs me if it's legitimate word
Second: I'm not familiar with D'n'D creatures but aren't atomies, fairies and centaurs all creatures from 3ed rules? I think they are not supposed to be present in story set in 2ed.
What about Kagain? He's grumpy and likes gold, like dwarves, but he's more amoral about the latter than most other dwarves would ever get.
cause a mentally handicapped man who talks to his hamster would be the most reliable party member ever...................
Magic was once much more powerful and flexible in the Realms until a Netherese Mage developed a powerful spell to steal Mystra's (the goddess of magic) power.
The spell backfired killing Mystra, destroying the Weave, the magical energy network that exists around the world, almost killing the entire Netherese civilization.
The new Mystra limited the way mortals could access magic, making it a very formalized proccess... If you want to use a fireball you have to move like this, speak that and use bat guano as focus material.
That was true until the Time of Troubles. The Wild Magic zones intrigued some mages as efects could happen inside one, without meeting the formal pre-requisites of casting a spell.
Some extremely intelligent mages, studying this effects discovered a way of accessing raw magcal energies, bypassing the formalism of the Weave.
It was hard and took years of study.
What Nahal's Reckless Dweomer does is that, it bypasses the formal requirements of the Weave to draw raw magical energy to the caster that uses his knowledge to shape it dynamically into the effect he desires. But keep in mind, it's just a level 1 spell. there were many better spells available to a wild mage that never were implemented in BG2.
What we see of Wild Mages in BG2 is a subset of what they could do. A Wild Mage powerful enough could cast spells normally in a Wild Magic Zone without being affected by it, could force all casters around him to misfire their spells, eventually had enough control over more refined Dweomers to call forth most spell effects they desired.
And finally to answer your question, a wild mage had to know and dominate everything a normal mage knew plus the magical equivalent of advanced quantum theory. Just in his case the theory could kill him if he misunderstood or lost his concentration.
Let me give you some nice examples of spells that were never implemented:
Wildstrike - the target must save vs spell or every spell or spell-like ability automatically becomes a surge. The Wild Mage's level is subtracted from the surge roll.
Wildshield - the caster is surrounded by a color shield that automatically absorbs 2d6 spell levels cast against him. Wild surges are absorbed as well and count as 1d6 levels of spells.
Hornung's Surge Selector - If a Wild Surge happens, the wild mage rolls twice in the wild surge table and chooses which effect will actually happen. Lasts for 1 surge/ 5 levels or 12 hours.
Spellshape - If a spell is targeted at the wild mage, he gets a save, if successful, he disassembles the magic energy of the spell and uses it to empower one of his own, being able to immediately cast one of his own spells without forgetting it.
So... can someone enlighten me about the 3ed creatures? Where they like some sort of add-on? (coveringg areas not covered in 2ed rule books) I'm pretty sure some creatures where simply rewritten in 3ed... Does that mean that BG:EE will combine some things from later rules' editions or was it just Dave's goof since he is too used to writing books set in a more modern timeline?
Exhibit 1: Wild Mages - "Some extremely intelligent mages, studying this effects discovered a way of accessing raw magcal energies, bypassing the formalism of the Weave. It was hard and took years of study." "And finally to answer your question, a wild mage had to know and dominate everything a normal mage knew plus the magical equivalent of advanced quantum theory. Just in his case the theory could kill him if he misunderstood or lost his concentration."
Exhibit 2: Sorcerers - who are known to have access to the Weave without magical study (through means of their own, descendency from dragons, etc) and often use their magical power in flashy displays. Also, (and this might not be agreed upon since it's a more recent interpretation) it can be believed that some sorcerers draw their power from wild magic.
Exhibit 3: Neera -
"When Neera had first applied, she impressed the centaur by demonstrating great natural potential, but none of his discipline."
"The way Neera saw it, either you could dance or you couldn't. Likewise, either you were a mage or you weren't, and no amount of studying would change that."
"Focus, visualize the runes you studied."
That would be much more help if she had actually studied, Neera thought."
"She hastened through the gestures to call up an image of a fiery gnome above her palms. She felt the arcane energies respond to her will as much as to her gestures. This was more like it-the natural evocation of magic from its very source, not the careful teasing out of its threads for a spell practiced by thousands of other casters over the centuries."
Comparing your examples to the story, Neera sounds more like an un-disciplined sorceress than a mage.
Also I'd really like to see more wild magic spells implemented. spells like there/not there and spellfire, for instance, would be really great to use. The more advanced wild surge control they had in P&P as well.
So while I was aware that these particular fey didn't appear in Baldur's Gate, I didn't hesitate to mention them in the story, and Wizards' didn't bat an eye while approving it.
Because one of the things about sorcerers is supposedly that they spend their early development trying to learn to control their magic.
It would be an interesting development if Neera could somehow break with tradition (even more than usual) and come into BG2 as a multiclass wild mage/sorcerer. What do you think, @Dave?
...Yes, I know..."Go sit in the corner"....
Neera and some others are simply two-legged wild magic zones.
THAT would be interesting.
The wild mages would love to study her... if Nahal hadn't been destroyed in a wild vortex or was it Hornung? Never remember that
Ok, thank you for clearing that up for me and thank you for your great writing.
Can't wait to read Dorn's story (more so if it involves the betrayal and him setting off for revenge).