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Question: What determines whether you get a good or evil dream in Baldur's Gate?

BCaesarBCaesar Member Posts: 529
edited October 2012 in Archive (General Discussion)
Baldur's Gate 1 had several dreams, and each of them (as far as I know) had two versions- one for good people and one for evil people. My question is, does anyone know what determines whether you get the good version or the evil version for each dream?

Is it your alignment, your reputation, or what?
If it's alignment then what do neutral people get? If it's reputation then what reputation is needed to get the good or evil dreams?

Thanks

Comments

  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    I'm pretty sure it's based on Reputation but I've never tested it myself.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    I can confirm it IS reputation based.
  • ArcalianArcalian Member Posts: 359
    Reputation.

    10 or above=Good Dream.
    9 or below=Evil Dream.

    First time I got an evil dream I just about fell out of my chair from shock.
  • Syntia13Syntia13 Member Posts: 514
    ^ What they said. Reputation is the key.
    I found that out when I died shortly after having the dream (a good version, which granted me 'minor healing' innate power), and I had to go back to much earlier save. I did everything the same way, with the exception of accidentally killing a civilian. When I went to sleep that night, my guilty conscience gave me a nightmare... uh, I mean, my low reputation caused me to have an evil version of the dream, which granted me a 'Laroch's minor drain' innate power. It was one of those 'DAMN this game is AWESOME!' moments. :)
  • ARKdeEREHARKdeEREH Member Posts: 531
    I somehow never actually noticed a difference in the dreams and I've alternated between playing heroically and slaughtering everything. Interesting.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    ARKdeEREH said:

    I somehow never actually noticed a difference in the dreams and I've alternated between playing heroically and slaughtering everything. Interesting.

    I think the images shown may be the same, it is just the speech/text that is different.
  • Syntia13Syntia13 Member Posts: 514
    @ARKdeEREH
    elminster said:

    I think the images shown may be the same, it is just the speech/text that is different.

    What @Elminster said. The text differs drastically right from the first dream. Just take a look at the 'good' first dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6hPHtzrfCQ
    and the 'evil' first dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIonKe9Dywg
    There's a difference even in the small things like how you perceive your old room at the beginning, and then it just get more and more ... uh... different. Honestly, the last two sentences of the evil dream make me shudder.

  • HaHaCharadeHaHaCharade Member Posts: 1,644
    ekster said:

    I had no idea about evil dreams as I always had trouble keeping rep below 10, even when evil. FFS, almost 15 years of playing and I discover something new just now? Damnit. Can't wait to replay.

    Yeah man, and I'm sure you know this but it affects what spell-like abilities you get too. Good you get Cure Lights, and then other things. Evil you start with Larloch Minor Drains and go from there.
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    The evil abilities granted from dreams kinda suck in comparison, from a gameplay stand-point. But from a role-playing stand-point I greatly appreciate its presence.
  • HaHaCharadeHaHaCharade Member Posts: 1,644
    Quartz said:

    The evil abilities granted from dreams kinda suck in comparison, from a gameplay stand-point. But from a role-playing stand-point I greatly appreciate its presence.

    I used to think that too, but then I realized that I usually have no shortage of healing, but having the Larloch Minor Drains rock for spell disruption on enemy casters.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    reputation, 11+ good dream, 10- evil dream i believe.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    edited October 2012
    Larloch minor drain bug with vampiric touch, what means if you cast vampiric touch, you hp temporary raise, if you cast larloch after that you gain temporary HP increase TOO, and it's something 2x the damage done by the larloch if i'm not wrong.

    What i don't know is if this bug is related only to the ability or if any mage can abuse of this trick.

    Ps: sorry for the double post, forgot that i had just posted previous.
  • HerrderGezeitenHerrderGezeiten Member Posts: 139
    "Is it a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare?"

    It is damn hard to keep reputation at low level, without killing civilian,..
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    It's challenging, you can get -1 with silke in Beregost (at the consequence of make garrick unjoinable), -2 in the cloakwood mines if you lied that you freed the slaves and flood the mines with them all there. There are some other places to lose rep. but i don't remember much of them now in BG.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    kamuizin said:

    It's challenging, you can get -1 with silke in Beregost (at the consequence of make garrick unjoinable), -2 in the cloakwood mines if you lied that you freed the slaves and flood the mines with them all there. There are some other places to lose rep. but i don't remember much of them now in BG.

    Hmmm... its not that challenging really :p

    Find someone rich, and kill them. Then find someone richer, and kill them, too! Hack and slash your way to fortune! Woo-hoo!!
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    HaHaCharade said:

    Quartz said:

    The evil abilities granted from dreams kinda suck in comparison, from a gameplay stand-point. But from a role-playing stand-point I greatly appreciate its presence.

    I used to think that too, but then I realized that I usually have no shortage of healing, but having the Larloch Minor Drains rock for spell disruption on enemy casters.
    Larloch's is a nice little perk, I love Vampiric Touch, but Ghoul Touch is kinda fail. I think that the biggest issue is the lack of Draw Upon Holy Might.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    @elminster it's challenging if you want to lose reputation as a reward only, therefore no rep loss by random killing is allowed in this roleplay :)!
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    kamuizin said:

    @elminster it's challenging if you want to lose reputation as a reward only, therefore no rep loss by random killing is allowed in this roleplay :)!

    :) fair enough.
  • styggastygga Member Posts: 467
    You remind me of a sword I once knew...!
  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    I've only ever had the evil dreams. I just kill civilians when my rep gets to high
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,586
    Syntia13 said:

    @ARKdeEREH

    elminster said:

    I think the images shown may be the same, it is just the speech/text that is different.

    What @Elminster said. The text differs drastically right from the first dream. Just take a look at the 'good' first dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6hPHtzrfCQ
    and the 'evil' first dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIonKe9Dywg
    There's a difference even in the small things like how you perceive your old room at the beginning, and then it just get more and more ... uh... different. Honestly, the last two sentences of the evil dream make me shudder.

    One of the best arguments for playing "evil" in BG1 (that, and killing Drizz't).

    Looking forward to playing as a Blackguard. :-)
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    If evil only items where added, we would get even more reasons to play evil. Even in BG 2 the evil only items are secondary (Soul Reaver < Carsomyr), that's freaking ridiculous.
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,586
    kamuizin said:

    If evil only items where added, we would get even more reasons to play evil. Even in BG 2 the evil only items are secondary (Soul Reaver < Carsomyr), that's freaking ridiculous.

    BG2 is absurdly biased toward playing good - you start off with a "good" party, you're constantly praised for your heroic deeds, there are only 3 evil NPCs to choose from, etc.

    While BG1 is slightly slanted toward a good path, it's MUCH more open to an evil path.
  • styggastygga Member Posts: 467
    Yeah, but those evil NPCs in bg2 are the powerhouses... Best single class cleric, best single class mage, Kagain is a monster as well.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    stygga said:

    Yeah, but those evil NPCs in bg2 are the powerhouses... Best single class cleric, best single class mage, Kagain is a monster as well.

    Korgan you mean. while i agree about edwin and korgan, i always felt Anomen more powerful than Viconia, she has 18 wis yes, but Anomem just lose some 1° to 4° lvl spells and are a heavy tank that actually kill things pretty well (better yet with Crom Faeir).
  • ryuken87ryuken87 Member Posts: 563
    Crom Faeyr is a waste on a cleric, but yes Anomen is a more powerful character than Viconia. Late game warriors with casting such as Minsc and Valygar will be better tanks than Korgan.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    Anomen is a fighter/cleric, that can reach 5 proficience points in war hammers and get atks per round, so it's pretty useful with him, he has a shield but nothing in the game force you to be stucked in sword and shield style, i made many runs with a dual wielding Anomen, and he was a freaking killer (all the buffs blade shield spell and lot's of enemies pieces flying around the place).
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    edited October 2012
    SharGuidesMyHand said:

    kamuizin said:

    If evil only items where added, we would get even more reasons to play evil. Even in BG 2 the evil only items are secondary (Soul Reaver < Carsomyr), that's freaking ridiculous.

    BG2 is absurdly biased toward playing good - you start off with a "good" party, you're constantly praised for your heroic deeds, there are only 3 evil NPCs to choose from, etc.

    While BG1 is slightly slanted toward a good path, it's MUCH more open to an evil path.
    Thank you for beating me to the cake here. "Even in BGII ..." man I love it when people act like BGII is better in every single way. It's just fantastic. [/sarcasm]

    Fact is that in BG1 you can run a more convincing Evil party than in BGII. I love BGII, but that's just the truth. The end. Thank you.
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