How long does your protagonist’s journey from Candlekeep to the end of the saga take?

Ravenslight

I always tend to think of my own protagonist’s journey as taking at least a few years to complete. However, I’ve seen others thinking of it in terms of only a few months.

Maybe mine just got too much blood from her mother’s side of the family

How long does your journey take?

mf2112

My average is 3-4 months, although it should be much longer in DnD time to get to those levels. I guess if played a bit more realistically, like only having a couple major fights then resting instead of heal'n'go it could take a year in game time but the travel times are all skewed in the game so I just headcanon a multiyear game, closer to a decade maybe.

megamike15

i'd say a year there are a couple time skips between adventures [ the few weeks between the tutorial dungeon and the actual start of sod, the time your stuck in the dungeon in 2, and the short time before tob starts.] bg1 feels like it takes a couple months. sod feels afew weeks, 2 the same as 1. tob it's hard to pinpoint in lore time.

sarevok57

have to grind to that 8 000 000 XP in ToB

JumboWheat01

Well if the Races of the Wild supplement for the 3rd Edition Era is anything to go by, considering how Aerie can have your kid in the Throne of Bhaal, at least a year needs to go by from the moment you stand in front of the Candlekeep Inn to the start of the events of Throne of Bhaal. So one to two years is definitely the minimum in my mind.

semiticgoddess

I often use a custom rest spell, which is slightly faster than resting. And since I also use CTRL-J and the console to jump from area to area, my runs take very little in-game time.

In terms of realism, though, the distance traveled in BG1, SOD, BG2, and TOB could cover a few months each. You're not circumnavigating Faerun; you seldom travel outside a single region. Something like:
BG1: 2-4 months (not counting Tales of the Sword Coast)
SOD: 1-2 months
BG2: 6-9 months (assuming you don't leave Athkatla in Chapter 2)
Suldannessellar after Irenicus: 1-2 months
TOB: 1-2 months

mf2112

I had looked into travel distance earlier and it looks to be 160-170 miles between Baldur's Gate and Candlekeep which I would estimate a few days, maybe almost a week to do. I just checked in the game and it shows 32 hours, which does make sense at 4 days times 8 hours for a normal party traveling.

Kamigoroshi

My Ghaunadaurspawn is demanding. What with 16 hours of rest per day, 2 days off per week and 4 weeks vacation per year. Adding to that comes the official Ghaunadan holy days and Faerûnian festive periods.

dunbar

In my head BG1 takes place in a huge landscape with vastly different areas that simply must be miles and miles apart otherwise it doesn't make sense for me.

Equally, even though game time passes quicker than real life time it still doesn't take into account what I call 'thinking time' - the amount of time I spend with the game paused while I wonder what to do next, can I afford that sword (and do I really need it anyway) and why is my character so bloody useless?

Then take all the discussions/arguments and the "can we please just take a break" times that anyone who's played PnP will be all too familiar with and translate them into a game time scenario and suddenly just 'getting things done' takes a lot longer than the game would have us believe.

SoA and ToB are a bit more problematic for me because of all the teleporting nonsense (why did they even bother with a world map?) which makes it seem like quests literally happen back-to-back despite the fact that Charname's head is exploding with Bhaalspawn trauma, so I (again in my head) factor in "getting my act together" time.

gorgonzola

I mainly play only BG2, so I don't vote.
And usually I am quite a completionist, and have often like 3-6 mod quests installed.
I also use sometimes leveling strategies that involve fighting multiple spawning enemies (only when a real battle is done, never that trick in Saradush), or enemies that myself cause to spawn (the vampires from the limited wish are much more funny and challenging that gating demons and can be obtained earlier).
Sometimes I also spend some weeks in dragon dungeons crafting again and again beautiful lizard stone statues, usually without a preemptive feeblemind, that make it trivial.
And I use often the rest wish option, that at least in not EE is not implemented correctly as states "as if I have rested" but adds a rest time to the game clock, that imo should not add.
And I don't abuse rest, but usually rest as the party members begin to be fatigued, more for RP issues than for fatigue penalties. Most of the times that I rest I have still spells and HLAs, very seldom I rest just to reconfigure the spellbooks for a certain battle.
Even with all those delays my runs are averaging 180 days or so from the Irenicus prison to the end.
I suppose that without all those factors the time would have been a couple of months, less if optimizing travels, waiting for spellbooks almost empty and HLAs exausted and skipping some vanilla quest.
So probably from Candlekeep it would be like 2-3 months more, as many of the reasons that make me delay in BG2 before are not possible.
Bu I am guessing on a game that I did play very little, BG1, and one that I don't own and did never try, SoD.

Rodrian

Canonically , I would begin from checking the starting dates in journals, throughout the BG/SoD/BGII.

BG is "1 Mirtul 1368" if I remember it correctly. . Someone knows the rest?

gorgonzola

Correct. by the way are in FR lore, in the prime plane, the years of 365,5 days and split in 12 months like in this RL planet?

Rodrian

There are 12 months with 30 days each,

[EDIT]: + 5 holidays: Midwinter , Greengrass , Midsummer , Highharvestide  and Feast of the Moon

. . so exactly 360 365 days/year, yes.

JumboWheat01

Rodrian said:

There are 12 months with 30 days each, so exactly 360d/year, yes.

Plus five days that are not part of the months and are instead holidays.

Rodrian

@JumboWheat01, ahh yes right, I totally missed them somehow ^^
Thanks for the correction!

Rodrian

FR Wiki said:

Shieldmeet was the equivalent of a leap year day in the Calendar of Harptos, occurring once every four years, adding a day after the festival of Midsummer and before Eleasis 1.

Shieldmeet Years:

There were Shieldmeets  every four years. Since 1372 DR contained a Shieldmeet, this meant that 0 DR and every fourth year prior or afterward also contained a Shieldmeet.

MAN! Things are getting tricky xD
This would mean that our 1368 DR had 366 days straight too. .

dunbar

Can anyone remember from Viconia's storyline how long she spent hanging around the Beregost area, then living with the farmer before the 'incident' and then travelling to Athkatla - because I got the impression that all that accounted for at least a few months.

mf2112

dunbar said:

Can anyone remember from Viconia's storyline how long she spent hanging around the Beregost area, then living with the farmer before the 'incident' and then travelling to Athkatla - because I got the impression that all that accounted for at least a few months.

I am not sure that story is necessarily accurate. Or her other stories.

Ravenslight

Interesting, I believed her.

mf2112

Ravenslight said:

Interesting, I believed her.

Well, I guess I meant that I am not sure which one of her stories to believe exactly. Each seemed plausible and equally likely.

Kamigoroshi

Man, just look at that poll....So many players are slave drivers to CHARNAME.
You know what the temple priests say behind the adventures' back?

“All heroes die from overwork!“

Which is why Ghaunadaur preaches laziness and supports the slow movement. Down with the haste spell !

dunbar

mf2112 said:

dunbar said:

Can anyone remember from Viconia's storyline how long she spent hanging around the Beregost area, then living with the farmer before the 'incident' and then travelling to Athkatla - because I got the impression that all that accounted for at least a few months.

I am not sure that story is necessarily accurate. Or her other stories.

Ah, good point, but even if it was all a lie enough time must have elapsed for the lie to be believable,

gorgonzola

Maybe I will try an adventure with drunken charname, that each time he has some money goes to an inn and buy drinks until he is not even able to walk, and he goes to sleep. the next day the same, until he runs out of money and gets adventuring, until the next inn I mean.
Giving him a really good CON I guess that in 20 or 30 years he can complete the saga, ascending as Bacchus. Without that CON I suppose that he will be not killed by Sarewok or Irenicus, he will be killed by Alcohol, that imo is a fantastic FR name.

OrlonKronsteen

@gorgonzola I wonder how long it would take in game time to drink through 100,000 gp? In any case, you'd better check the "Over 5 years" box in the poll.

sluckers

Not that I've beaten the game right from start to Throne of Bhaal more than once, but the most time I took in BG1 + Soa and ToB was about six or seven months. About 80-90 days for BG1, and 100-120 for Soa/ToB.

I remember seeing a playthrough on the forum that took something like 350 days for SoA alone and I just couldn't believe it. Where did all that time go?

deltago

Minimal RP play through:
Baldur's Gate

A day in Candlekeep (1 day)
A day to get to the Friendly Arm Inn, resting there. (2 days)
A day to get to Beregost + exploring the area and obtaining equipment /w rest (3 days)
2 days to get to Nashkel + one day to rest (3 days)
1 day to do the mine (1 day)
1 day to rest (1 day)
2 days back to Beregost + 1 to rest (3 days)
1 day to reach the FAI + 1 day to rest (2 days)
1 day to find the bandit camp and return to FAI + rest (2 day)
1 day to do cloakwood + mines (1 day)
1 day to travel back to FAI + rest (2 days)
1 day to travel to Baldur's Gate + rest (2 days)
1 day to explore the city + rest (2 days)
1 day to do Scar's quests + rest (2 day)
3 days to travel back to Candlekeep (3 days)
1 day inside candlekeep (including catacombs) (1 day)
3 days travel back to Baldur's Gate + rest (4 days)
1 day to thwart your brother's plans (1 day)

Total: 36 days
two weeks of down time between BG and Sod(14 days)
marching an army to war 3-4 weeks (25 days)
being kidnapped by Jonny and dungeon time 3-4 weeks(25 days)
Total Interlude: 64 days (100 days total)

SoA

1 day to escape jonny's + rest (2 days)
1 day in the slums freeing slaves + rest (2 days)
2 day "helping" the harpers and the shadow thieves + rest (3 days)
1 day to help the church + rest (2 days)
7 days working for the shadow thieves (7 days)
7 days traveling to Brynlaww (7 days)
1 day in Spellhold (1 day)
3 days at sea (3 days)
1 day in Fish City (1 day)
1 day in underdark + rest (2 days)
1 day to find deep gnomes + dragon (1 day)
5 days in drow city (5 days)
1 day in elven city + hell trails (1 day)

Total: 37 days (more of course, if you venture outside the city) (137 days total)

truthfully, I haven't did throne of bhaal for awhile, so I'll stop there. But that is 4 and half months.

I always estimated the time line to be about a year though.

gorgonzola

@OrlonKronsteen I am only planning that drunken run, for when I will very bored after trying almost everything else possible, but is not my average run.
As is not average the present run, vanilla insane with no DMG increase for enemies, where I did beat all the liches in town, Rune (with 2 uses of a wand) and demilich included, and completed the fallen Paladins quest, in less than 24 in game hours, previous rest included, with no spell recovery tricks, in chap 3, and still have enough spells for a big quest. And with at least 1 party member constantly in sight, so without tricks like having their buffs expire while they can not hit me. As I am used to play with difficulty enhancers vanilla for me is really easy, not an average run.
Probably my choice should be less than one year but, as I have limited experience with BG1 and no experience with SoD, I still chose to not vote.

PK2748

Honestly to hit level 40? Thirty years?

God

deltago said:

Minimal RP play through:
Baldur's Gate

A day in Candlekeep (1 day)
A day to get to the Friendly Arm Inn, resting there. (2 days)
A day to get to Beregost + exploring the area and obtaining equipment /w rest (3 days)
2 days to get to Nashkel + one day to rest (3 days)
1 day to do the mine (1 day)
1 day to rest (1 day)
2 days back to Beregost + 1 to rest (3 days)
1 day to reach the FAI + 1 day to rest (2 days)
1 day to find the bandit camp and return to FAI + rest (2 day)
1 day to do cloakwood + mines (1 day)
1 day to travel back to FAI + rest (2 days)
1 day to travel to Baldur's Gate + rest (2 days)
1 day to explore the city + rest (2 days)
1 day to do Scar's quests + rest (2 day)
3 days to travel back to Candlekeep (3 days)
1 day inside candlekeep (including catacombs) (1 day)
3 days travel back to Baldur's Gate + rest (4 days)
1 day to thwart your brother's plans (1 day)

Total: 36 days
two weeks of down time between BG and Sod(14 days)
marching an army to war 3-4 weeks (25 days)
being kidnapped by Jonny and dungeon time 3-4 weeks(25 days)
Total Interlude: 64 days (100 days total)

SoA

1 day to escape jonny's + rest (2 days)
1 day in the slums freeing slaves + rest (2 days)
2 day "helping" the harpers and the shadow thieves + rest (3 days)
1 day to help the church + rest (2 days)
7 days working for the shadow thieves (7 days)
7 days traveling to Brynlaww (7 days)
1 day in Spellhold (1 day)
3 days at sea (3 days)
1 day in Fish City (1 day)
1 day in underdark + rest (2 days)
1 day to find deep gnomes + dragon (1 day)
5 days in drow city (5 days)
1 day in elven city + hell trails (1 day)

Total: 37 days (more of course, if you venture outside the city) (137 days total)

truthfully, I haven't did throne of bhaal for awhile, so I'll stop there. But that is 4 and half months.

I always estimated the time line to be about a year though.

Pretty much.
Often skipping SoD and/or Fish City, with some extra camping time in the wilderness and assorted astral travel shenanigans, my runs normally total to no more than 7-9 months. I did do a couple of semi-completionist no-reload sleep-16-hours-a-day runs that netted more but that's not really my usual playstyle.

Alexisisinneed

Is it like cannonly like a year or two for the whole series?

But in my personal opinion I think bg1/totsc takes a year. Sod takes about four months. In my rp mind I always thought that jon had me in his dungeon for a year or two.

mashedtaters

I like to take my time, see the sights. The whole rush to save the world thing is so stressful, yknow? After I leave candle keep, I usually just lallygag around and camp out, sleeping in and hsving weird dreams...must be something i ate. What was i saying? oh yeah, foster father just died, so I don't have any more commitments. Eventually I get to meet my brother and, after a nasty spat, we agree to go our separate ways, although he didnt look to good. Then I hang out for a year until some jerk jumps me and I end up being tortured in his dungeon. Well, whatever, you can't stay mad forever, just go drink it off. Eventually I meet some hoochie-mama who wants to get hitched. Sure, that's cool...but it's going to have to wait until after we get out of the underdark, k babe? Whatever...then I meet that same guy that tortured me last year, waddya know? Apparently he had my soul or something? If he says so, I can't feel a difference, except sometimes I get really pissed for no reason. So he ends up kicking the bucket, then hoochie-mama and I get married by some elvish chick...under a tree? I don't remember. After that, another year, and then I can't remember. Where am I? Its all a blur. i got to lay off the spiked mashedtaters...