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The life of a BG CHARNAME

uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
edited October 2012 in Archive (General Discussion)
Hi Everyone,
This is my first ever post (on any forum) so please forgive me if i am in the wrong spot.

Like many of you, i have been playing the BG games ever since BG1 was released way back when. It's amazing how much replay-ablity a game like this has, compared with those developed now.

My intention with this post is to create a CHARNAME and blog their adventure and encounters for the world to see. I am hoping to complete BG1, TOTSC, BG2 & TOB. It will be a completely vanilla installation of the original saga (except i am running it of a 4gb usb drive so i can run it off whatever computer is nearby). I will also be travelling with a full party.

I also want to keep it as far away from power gaming as possible, so any suggestions on this would help greatly, CHARNAME won't be picking up any hidden items if he/she doesn't hear about them somewhere, or cannot find them easily.

To this end, i would like some help with character creation, that being; suggestions on gender, race, class etc.
I am planning on taking the first abilities roll, and maybe min-maxing as best i can ?suggestions please.

The other thing a always struggle with is a great name (i cant run around the sword coast being called charname all the time), so i would love some suggestions on this to. I always like to have a first and last name.

I hope i am not asking to much.
Thanks in advance and looking forward to keeping you posted.

UBERDUBERDAD


Post edited by uberduberdad on
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Comments

  • MoomintrollMoomintroll Member Posts: 1,498
    If you want to go really pious about the whole thing, roll up your stats (outside of the game) as six 3D6 rolls, keep them in that order and then pick a class based on what you've got, then recreate the die rolls on the stat screen. Oldschool!
  • GemHoundGemHound Member Posts: 801
    edited October 2012
    No powergaming? Stay away from Algernon's Cloak and the Silver Sword. Well, don't stay away from the pieces, keep them. :)
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    Suggestion on character class and race: go for a human mage, could be a conjurer for the extra spell slot per level. Ultimately, mages are going to become quite hardcore, moreso than most other single classed characters.

    I'd go for human for different reasons. First, you're going to have an easier time roleplaying a human than, say, an elf or dwarf.
    Second, Imoen is your relative and she is human. It is not neccessary for Bhaalspawn to be of the same race, but it just feels more right calling Imoen sister when you yourself are human.
    Third, the elves of Suldanessalar are going to be relatively hostile to you in any case, which can seem a bit strange if you are an elf yourself.

    Another cool single-class character who will become very powerful in BG2 is the Archer (ranger kit). You'd have to endure a subpar fighter for the last half of BG1, but once in BG2 you can make him an Archer (unfortunately, the BG2 engine will roll up your HP randomly if you do that. That's where I used Shadowkeeper). Archers kick unfunny amounts of various ass, given the very good bows that are accessable early in the game and in Watchers Keep you will be getting the mother of all bows, Taralash.

    If you are going for something not single-classed, I'd be inclined to suggest using an elf still and multi-classing him/her, because from an RP point of view it is going to be difficult to explain the sudden change in CHARNAME when he dual classes.


    Very important: please do all the Pantaloons quests and get the armor. It is going to be hard to come up with some in-game explanation why you are not freeing that noblewoman but instead collecting the price for her delivery, but damn it's going to be funny when you do get the armor!
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    @Moomintroll That's not a bad idea, if i can find some die around here i will. It would be interesting to take the computer roll out of it all together

    @GemHound I will only pick up items that CHARNAME can find out about, i.e. by talking to someone, and the process to get it should fit in with the chosen alignment. I havent decided yet if the party will just be an extension of CHARNAME's will, or if they will occasionally perform tasks in accordance with their own alignment i.e. sneaking out to picket pocket a rich pompous fool.

    @cyberhawk Pantaloons are definitely in as long as CHARNAME remembers to talk to the right people. I've never been able to stick to a mage for the PC before, so maybe. I always end up wanting to get into the thick of things, and promptly die.

  • MoomintrollMoomintroll Member Posts: 1,498
    Here you go!
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    Moomintroll said:

    Here you go!

    Thanks, that is an excellent way to avoid min-maxing and end up with overpowered characters.
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    If you aren't too good with mages, then it's a bad suggestion to use them for the entire series. Clerics can make a lot of sense in-game and are powerful supportive casters, while still being able to fight with a little buff here and there.

    Or just, you know, go for a fighter. You can't go wrong with a fighter, so many different weapons, you can dual-wield, use double-handed or single-handed + shields. Towards the end of the whole thing you'd be even able to max out different styles, for different occasions. Grand mastery in axes and halberds and 3 points in fighting-with-a-shield style as well as two-handed style. This way you'll be able to switch between maximum AC and still dealing a lot of damage and maximum damage while still having a very good AC.

    Please don't roll real dices for stats. Why should you, BG2 and especially ToB almost require god-like stats. It's all good for BG1 to play a realistic person, but when you have to deal with Vampires, Beholders, blood-thirsty overpowered Halflings, Liches, etc. you really need the 18 str and 18 dex as a fighter. As a mage you should not even consider having an intelligence anywhere lower than 18. 17 is maybe possible, but quite a bad decission (not being able to cast 9th level spells).

    You are a Bhaalspawn man, son of the Lord of Murder. It is perfectly OK to have something special about your stats.
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    uberduberdad said:

    Moomintroll said:

    Here you go!

    Thanks, that is an excellent way to avoid min-maxing and end up with overpowered characters.
    No one needs min-maxing, you could roll all the stats to be half-decent or maximum. Your dump stats would end up being 10s and slightly above in many cases. Why is it so important to not use the creation system from the game? You'll really need 18s in important stats during ToB.
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    I see your point @cyberhawk, first roll on a charname was 89
    that ended up being
    18/97
    18
    18
    10
    15
    10

    Naturally i like the idea, i am just not sure if it would be considered powergaming or not
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    For names, if you own the Forgotten Realms 2e Boxed Set, in the back is a census of Shadowdale. Mix and match names until you find one you like, taking the first name from one family and the last name from another. It makes your CHARNAME sound authentically Realms-like. That's how I came up with Traith Selgard, a female mage.
  • Dantos4Dantos4 Member Posts: 58
    Screenshots etc would be brilliant additions, in my opinion :)

    Or maybe even video? "Let's plays" (which is roughly what you are doing) are not an uncommon thing, although recording footage on a 4gb flash drive would be nigh-impossible. As would carrying around a microphone to record one's voice :P

    Providing you roll some half decent stats you should be fine. To be honest, you wouldn't even need *that* many high stats, as there are attribute-enhancing potions for certain... spells required to complete TOB without pulling one's hair out (in my experience, anyway. Who needs a barber when I had TOB's finale battle without Wish :P)

    Looking forward to following this! :)
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    @Dantos4 I definately want to include some screens of the "boss" battles and other major moments in the story. I could record footage to the hard drive, and the thumbdrive is only there for extra portability, but i may do away with it.

    So lets talk character. I am leaning towards a Human fighter, purely because there are so many great NPC's throughout the game who compliment a fighter well, a bit boring though. Thoughts?

  • Dantos4Dantos4 Member Posts: 58
    @uberduberdad sounds like a good plan! Looking forward to reading the blog :)

    In terms of a fighter it depends how you went about it. For me, it would depend how much you roleplayed, too. Personally, more roleplay/characterisation = less care about the class.

    Plus, as a human you can always dual class over to something else (providing you have the stats) if you find it a little boring.
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    @Dantos4. Any suggestions for recording video footage of gameplay if i choose to
  • Dantos4Dantos4 Member Posts: 58
    edited October 2012
    @uberduberdad

    Sure, there are two possibilities from what I am aware:
    FRAPS: you have to purchase it and compress videos afterwards, but allows you to record microphone input "live" as well as game sounds
    CamStudio: Free software (as far as I am aware), can only record microphone *or* game/windows sounds, not both at the same time. But for small boss-battle videos, you could just edit in some narration, if you even wanted any.

    Compressing videos (making them smaller and therefore easier to upload) is also useful. Windows Movie Maker does a good job :)

    I am doing a similar thing on Youtube myself (as are a few others I know of). This website is a good resource, based on a community of players trying to achieve similar things:
    http://voltronarmy.com
    EDIT: Their forum is here: http://voltronarmy.com/forums/forum.php
    This thread in particular may be of help: http://voltronarmy.com/forums/showthread.php?375-Software-Guide-(Resources-For-LPers)
    Apologies for the lengthy reply :)
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    @Dantos4 Thanks, I might keep it to text and images then, and give some shout outs to your video run through as both stories progress.
  • Dantos4Dantos4 Member Posts: 58
    @uberduberdad I, and most people, will be happy with any kind of story, I think :)
    That is very kind of you, thank you. I will do the same for you in my next group of videos :)

    But yeah, a human fighter sounds perfectly good to me! Do you have ideas of how to present it in your blog? E.g. a narrative or descriptive way? Really interested to see this :)
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    @Dantos4 I am thinking it will be somewhere between a narrative type story and a journal
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    uberduberdad said:

    I see your point @cyberhawk, first roll on a charname was 89
    that ended up being
    18/97
    18
    18
    10
    15
    10

    Naturally i like the idea, i am just not sure if it would be considered powergaming or not

    Now that's a very lucky roll. Just lower the constitution to 16 (still good HP bonuses per level up) and maybe put the 15 into charisma, so that you'll get a likeable but not very bright guy who is really strong and thus became a fighter. Charisma is a good thing for roleplaying and gives you a bonus while shopping. A win-win situation if you ask me.
  • styggastygga Member Posts: 467
    edited October 2012
    cyberhawk said:

    uberduberdad said:

    I see your point @cyberhawk, first roll on a charname was 89
    that ended up being
    18/97
    18
    18
    10
    15
    10

    Naturally i like the idea, i am just not sure if it would be considered powergaming or not

    Now that's a very lucky roll. Just lower the constitution to 16 (still good HP bonuses per level up) and maybe put the 15 into charisma, so that you'll get a likeable but not very bright guy who is really strong and thus became a fighter. Charisma is a good thing for roleplaying and gives you a bonus while shopping. A win-win situation if you ask me.
    Yeah. I have a fighter atm, who kinda min/max'd, and has 5 charisma(rolled at 4, just grabbed the tome). Most npc's wouldnt even talk to me to join if I didn't throw imoen in lead or put on the cloak of algernon lol.. Sad day. When I get him to bg2, I'll just roleplay him by never taking off the ring of human influence, he grew up ugly and nobody liked him, and its worth more to him to be attractive, and an inspiring leader, than to have an extra protection ring and/or fire resist ring. Makes sense, no reason not to play with an ugly character, and let imoen do the talking when you can roleplay that he's extremely timid in "human" interaction. Justifications are great.
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    edited October 2012
    @stygga: Shame on you, such gross powergaming be not welcomed in these halls of hardcore roleplay!

    Nah, just kidding. Make sure to give your fighter all the tomes for strength dexterity and constitution, min/max him to the... max, I guess.
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    uberduberdad said:

    @Dantos4 I am thinking it will be somewhere between a narrative type story and a journal

    Have you heard of Elmonsters Journal? Google it, that's an enjoyable read and pretty much just what you intend to do. It's about a solo human mage beating BG2 and ToB.
  • styggastygga Member Posts: 467
    Hah. Totally. Also going to dual him at 7, or 9.. to cleric. He has max'd wisdom and like 9 int for those pesky illithids. ;)
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    Oh, now that's going to be an OP bastard, stygga. After you craft a certain rare warhammer.
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    There are three tomes of wisdom that are discoverable in BG1/TOTSC correct? so i will be able to raise wisdom to 18 and get the +4 magic defence?
  • cyberhawkcyberhawk Member Posts: 350
    That is correct, but one of the tomes of wisdom is part of a quest and in order to solve the quest you have to "buy" it and then give it to another person. So if you see a boy somewhere in the north-western part of BG, asking you to come with him and help, ignore. That's the quest where you help ressurect his friend, who got killed while playing in the temple of Umberlee.
  • moody_magemoody_mage Member Posts: 2,054
    uberduberdad said:

    There are three tomes of wisdom that are discoverable in BG1/TOTSC correct? so i will be able to raise wisdom to 18 and get the +4 magic defence?

    The number of tomes is correct but the saves bonus from having a high wisdom was never implemented. Hopefully it will be in for BGEE.

  • ginger_hammerginger_hammer Member Posts: 160
    The request for adding saving throw bonuses for high WIS is over here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/95/request-pnp-bonuses-for-high-int-and-wis-scores/p1
  • KaxonKaxon Member Posts: 156
    LadyRhian said:

    For names, if you own the Forgotten Realms 2e Boxed Set, in the back is a census of Shadowdale. Mix and match names until you find one you like, taking the first name from one family and the last name from another. It makes your CHARNAME sound authentically Realms-like. That's how I came up with Traith Selgard, a female mage.

    That... is a pretty awesome idea. You're talking about this one, right? http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Forgotten_Realms_Campaign_Setting_2nd_edition_(revised) I'm pretty sure I have that in a closet somewhere... need to dig it out and use your method to name my IWD party. :)
  • uberduberdaduberduberdad Member Posts: 53
    edited October 2012
    Ok, so i think i've finally created a character i'm happy with.

    Name: Markul
    Gender: Male
    Class: Fighter
    Race: Human
    Alignment: Neutral Good

    STR: 18/83
    DEX: 17
    CON: 17
    INT: 7
    WIS: 15
    CHA: 7

    Weapon Proficiencies
    Large Sword x2 (Will be using sword and small shield shield)
    Axe x2 (Markul will be using throwing axes as his ranged weapon, as they can be used with a shield)

    What are your thoughts on this before i continue. The way i see it, he will be somewhat simple and brutish, but a good natured person overall.

    UDB
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