How does the main character find out they are ... (spoilers)?

Haran

I remember finding a note in Gorion's room in Candlekeep, but this time around I did not go to his room. When in the secret passage, Dynahier suddenly tells my main character that she knows they are a child of Bhaal. But how were we supposed to know that?

Gallenger

Sarevok's interest in the PC should raise suspicions once anything at all is learned about him. The dream sequences tell you in a round-about way. Gorion's letter tells you explicitly (but can be missed) - but there are also the interactions you can have with Aluando's prophecies (in text and through the chanters) that can give you a pretty good idea. You can also be told somewhat by Dynaheir if you charm her before recruiting her (she will inform you of her true purpose - which is to figure things out about this prophecy about a child a Bhaal). And if you manage to miss all of that still then Sarevok tells you directly at the end, as does Tamoko (but you can miss her earlier conversations).

I would be willing to suspect your interaction with Dynaheir is the result of a mod - as I don't recall her ever doing such a thing in the base game.

elminster

I can't think of a single case in the original BG1 where an NPC reacts to what is happening in the main questline. Even Kivan says nothing when you are in front of Tazok. So you are definitely using a mod.

Haran

Yes, I am using a mod. But the question still stands. The Dynaheir dialogue is just what prompted me to ask.

Gallenger, what is that about charming Dynaheir? You mean cast charm person on her when you see her in the gnoll stronghold? And then speak to her?

JuliusBorisov

I've added a spoiler mention to the title - not everyone knows that.

@Haran, have a look here - https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/47278/spoilers-heritage-of-the-main-character , it looks like that thread covers every fact about the Big Question.

Haran said:

Gallenger, what is that about charming Dynaheir? You mean cast charm person on her when you see her in the gnoll stronghold? And then speak to her?

Yes.

redline

My very first playthrough, I failed to get the note, and I learned of CHARNAME'S heritage from Tamoko. I don't know of any other place in the game (other than Sarevok referring to it explicitly in the final battle) where it is revealed.

Gallowglass

It's plausible to miss Gorion's note if you're skipping through quickly without trying to be thorough, but it'd surely be very difficult to miss Tamoko by accident. Unless you know in advance where Tamoko will appear (and then deliberately avoid her), the meeting is nigh inevitable.

Thus I reckon every player can reasonably be assumed to know about the protagonist's heritage before confronting Sarevok.

megamike15

the note seems to go into your inventory even if you missed it. not sure if this is supposed to happen or if this is an npc project thing.

elminster

redline said:

My very first playthrough, I failed to get the note, and I learned of CHARNAME'S heritage from Tamoko. I don't know of any other place in the game (other than Sarevok referring to it explicitly in the final battle) where it is revealed.

If you charm Delthyr he will tell you that some of the Harper's believe you to be a spawn of bhaal.

Gallenger

There is a huge list of people you can cast charm person on and get different stuff out of them from - it's entirely worth it to go through the game again as an enchanter (or with Xan) to test it out and find all the neat stuff that's been left for you lol. It can also net you some extra dosh

Abi_Dalzim

I think Tethtoril gives you the note before sending you to the catacombs if you missed it.

Haran

For some reason my reply did not appear...
Anyway, what I asked was whether NPCs would turn hostile if I cast charm person on them?

Gallenger

They'll be hostile after the effects wear off so don't do it to anybody you plan to see again. Or just cast it again if you have to visit them again

JuliusBorisov

Haran said:

For some reason my reply did not appear...
Anyway, what I asked was whether NPCs would turn hostile if I cast charm person on them?

Only if you use Charm spell. But If you use Algernon's cloak or the nymph cloak, neutral NPCs won't turn hostile afterwards.

Haran

Good to know

deltago

Gallowglass said:

It's plausible to miss Gorion's note if you're skipping through quickly without trying to be thorough, but it'd surely be very difficult to miss Tamoko by accident. Unless you know in advance where Tamoko will appear (and then deliberately avoid her), the meeting is nigh inevitable.

Thus I reckon every player can reasonably be assumed to know about the protagonist's heritage before confronting Sarevok.

Not really. You don't have to go through the main gate when traveling back to Candlekeep, so if you don't go into that map, you miss her completely, and she won't appear outside the temple before the final fight either.

Gallowglass

deltago said:

You don't have to go through the main gate when traveling back to Candlekeep ...

Er ... I guess you meant to say "from" rather than "to" Candlekeep, yes?

deltago said:

... if you don't go into that map, you miss her completely, and she won't appear outside the temple before the final fight either.

Well yes, but I reckon it's very unlikely that a player wouldn't visit that map at some point during Chapter 7, unless deliberately avoiding the encounter. You may well have your stash in the Elfsong, you may well want to go shopping in Sorcerous Sundries, you may well want to sell loot to one of the five(!) merchants accessed through that map, you may well just want to see what's going on in that part of the City since your return, etc., etc. - sooner or later in the Chapter, you'll very likely walk through that area for some reason or other ... and Tamoko will accost you as soon as she sees you.

TheArtisan

I'll admit I've missed Tamoko in one of my previous playthrough by accident. Basically I didn't want to bother taking measures to avoid the patrols in the city to I went to High Hedge and did all my necessary shopping done, so there was no need for me to visit Sorcerous Sundries afterwards.

BelgarathMTH

@Gallowglass , I almost never see Tamoko either at the main gate or before the final battle, because I head straight to the sewers to avoid the Flaming Fist, getting arrested, and having to free Neb. (I find that whole forced scenario unpalatable.) That note from Gorion also keeps failing to show up in my games. I'm not even sure where it's supposed to be any more.

I remember not getting the big secret the first time I played in 1998, and didn't catch on until I played BG2 for the first time, and I was like, "Wait a minute, what?"

I think it's very possible and even likely for a new player to miss the reveal. I worry about the people I watch on blind Let's Plays missing it.

Gallowglass

@BelgarathMTH - you're meta-gaming, using foreknowledge to avoid an encounter. Not intentionally the Tamoko encounter, but a different encounter which nevertheless also causes you to be avoiding the Tamoko encounter.

But I admit that I'm surprised that

BelgarathMTH said:

I remember not getting the big secret the first time I played in 1998

Blundering around as a noob without foreknowledge, I say you were very unlucky not to run into Tamoko.

Still, we should never be surprised at the capacity of the universe to surprise us. Unlikely things sometimes happen.

BelgarathMTH

I just watched a blind Let's Player find it. I've never gone past the third floor of the library where Rieltar's group is located. Luckily this particular player is a very thorough explorer. I'm usually getting tired of BG1 and just wanting to end it by the time I get back to Candlekeep.