What should I play next?

ZaramMaldovar

I just reinstalled/installed a few mods (though I'm having trouble installing SCS for some reason) and I'm debating between a few characters on how to proceed here. I last started the series with my CN/CG (I changed my mind later though the alignment didn't change in game) Gnome Beserker: Fatso The Gargantuan (Thugargantuan) and now I want advice/votes on how to proceed. What character should I play. I have a few ready.

Note: Character Last names are for flavor and due to space constraint will likely not be in the full name

JumboWheat01

Accept your inner beard, play a Dwarven Defender, and be badass.

Xar105

JumboWheat01 said:

Accept your inner beard, play a Dwarven Defender, and be badass.

or made Greta stillvirgin with great beard. You will be sexy badass.

ZaramMaldovar

Interesting, Interesting.

Aerakar

The dwarven clans have responded first and in force, as is their norm. Give the others time...

ZaramMaldovar

@Aerakar
Makes sense. I just want everyone to know also that Marek Redthorn is not in any way shape or form related to the Marek from the quest in Baldur's Gate. I came up with the name on my own (I had completly forgotten a guy named Marek existed in BG1 until I played it again several years later) for a character in another RPG and I eventually redeemed the character.

Artona

Create party with all of them.

tbone1

I thought dwarves defenders were reiuired to be Lawful? Or is that my old version talking?

Try a Shadowdancer, they are fun and the ultimate in stealth. If you take the character into BG2, dual her into a mage. About to get attacked? Hide in Plain Sight, step to the side, and cast Flame Arrow.

ZaramMaldovar

@Artona
But....But NPCS!

Zilber

The LE cleric of himself, of course. In a team with Tiax and Viconia.

10Bazza11

Grax'Lor: NG Half-Orc Priest of Lathander, failing that try a Half-Orc Cleric/Thief there is not a lot they cannot do.

ZaramMaldovar

@Zilber
Cleric of himself? I'm afraid that's not how it works. A Cleric has to worship somebody in order to be granted divine power. Helm is available for Lawful Evil NPCs which is why I asked.

Examples:
Tiax worships Cyric (though he does see himself as 2nd only to Cyric) and Viconia worships Shar. Anomen worships Helm, Glint worships Baravar Cloakshadow, Aerie and Quayle worship Baervan Wildwander, Branwen worships Tempus, etc.

According to game logic: Being Lawful Evil he would have to worship a deity that is Lawful Neutral (Helm for example), Lawful Evil (Bhaal for example, though he's dead so worshipping him wouldn't give you any real power unless you were already a priest before the Time of Troubles which charname wasn't) or Neutral Evil.

JumboWheat01

Actually, in Eberron, by being a follower of the Blood of Vol, essentially you are a cleric of yourself. That's their whole ideology.

In the Realms, however, yeah, you HAVE to worship a god (even if you don't want to wield divine magic, but that's another thing,) in order to get your power. Of course, the amount of deities we have for selection in the BG series is a bit low, so Lawful Evil characters kind of get the shaft, since the only evil god, Talos, is Chaotic Evil, and thus not available as a god (though is available as one if you're Chaotic Neutral. Ah, the one-step rule...)

I don't know what race Arth'nor is, but if Cleric/Mage is available, consider yourself a cleric of Azuth, god of wizards, a fitting thing to worship coming from Candlekeep. Or if Cleric/Thief is available, perhaps you're a cleric of Shar, goddess of darkness and loss, who does hold reign over the trickery domain, perfectly explaining your thieving skills.

ZaramMaldovar

@JumboWheat01
Ok, that sounds awesome
But assuming he WAS a Cleric of Helm (which would be an exceptable practice in Candlekeep most likely) how would I roleplay that?

Edit: I discovered Oghma is an all-alignment god, another fitting choice for someone who hails from Candlekeep

Artona

@ZaramMaldovar - me second choice would be dwarven defender, then. Their tanking is ridiculous. In a good sense.

Chronicler

ZaramMaldovar said:

@Zilber
Cleric of himself? I'm afraid that's not how it works. A Cleric has to worship somebody in order to be granted divine power. Helm is available for Lawful Evil NPCs which is why I asked.

Examples:
Tiax worships Cyric (though he does see himself as 2nd only to Cyric) and Viconia worships Shar. Anomen worships Helm, Glint worships Baravar Cloakshadow, Aerie and Quayle worship Baervan Wildwander, Branwen worships Tempus, etc.

According to game logic: Being Lawful Evil he would have to worship a deity that is Lawful Neutral (Helm for example), Lawful Evil (Bhaal for example, though he's dead so worshipping him wouldn't give you any real power unless you were already a priest before the Time of Troubles which charname wasn't) or Neutral Evil.

I'm not sure the standard rules apply to the Bhaalspawn, who have an abundance of divine power within themselves.

Edit: Sorry, I just noticed you're the person who started this thread. Please disregard my opinions, you're free to apply whatever school of thought you want to your own character creation.

ZaramMaldovar

@Chronicler
I'm not offended at all, feel free to critique me as you wish, though I do disagree with you. Bhaalspawn may have a pretty good amount of power within themselves, but not enough that they could break certain unbreakable rules.

I.e a Bhaalspawn could have a few Cure Light Wounds, Slow Poison, Larloch's Minor Drain and Draw Upon Holy Might spells, but not an entire repitoire of divine spells simply through their own power.

That might very well work with Arcane power (which is case of Sorcerors can be innate) but not Divine Power.

But seriously, I'm not Helm. Free free to argue with what I have to say, you don't have to worry about me smiting you with my holy wrath or anything (as long as you're not rude, that is)

Quartz

Lawful Evil Priest of Helm sounds the most interesting to me.

While there are plenty of good divine casters in BGII, I find a player character does it best as far as BG1 goes.

ZaramMaldovar

@Quartz
Yes it does, but how would I roleplay that is the question?

Lawful Evil I can do, Lawful Evil is fun, but a Priest of Helm is a unique case.

DreadKhan

Helm has LE clerics in 3rd edition, and their hallmark would be twisting agreement to their favour, or even entering bad-faith agreements/exploitive agreements. To them, every law is a step to personal power, and every person they meet a potential rube to trick. Very nasty, but not psycho at all.

JumboWheat01

ZaramMaldovar said:

@Chronicler
That might very well work with Arcane power (which is case of Sorcerors can be innate) but not Divine Power.

The Shaman is an innate Divine Magic caster (remember, nature magic is classified as divine magic.) And though we don't have it in this game, so is the Favored Soul. Though with the later it's definitely more of a divine blessing (and by the Realms rules, they still need to worship a god,) but it's still innate magic. Shaman more or less are in a divine pact, like warlocks are in an arcane one.

ZaramMaldovar

@JumboWheat01
Sure, but you can't be a Cleric of yourself. Clerics have to worship someone, that's how it works.

Edit: Wow, that came off ruder than I thought, I apologize.


In any case, I've decided to play my Dwarven Defender.

By all means, keep discussing though.

JumboWheat01

Good choice on accepting the power of the beard. It will lead you to awesome things.

ZaramMaldovar

@JumboWheat01
Yeah, I used to avoid any characters that weren't romance compatible, but now that Neera isn't picky about race, I can totally rock the beard and still get the girl.

JumboWheat01

Who needs the girl when you can have a fine keg of some strong, dwarven ale.

ZaramMaldovar

@JumboWheat01
Well sure...but if I have the girl AND the ale.....well I think I've said enough

Although my orginal Zork Winters (A Badger in an RPG based on the popular Redwall Series) was asexual so I could do it either way.

Zilber

It was a simple misreading. I read it as x cleric of x (priest of Helm as the class chosen to represent that in game).

What it stated was x vanilla cleric or x priest of Helm.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, though I now have an idea for my next character, if I see the Bhaalspawn as geowing into divinity, cleric would be the right choice.