SoD Mod Wish List (Major Spoilers Throughout)
Permidion_Stark
Member Posts: 4,861
I came late to the party with SoD but I have (as you some of you may have noticed) become a bit obsessed with it. Parts of the game I think are great, while others I find extremely frustrating. However, I am very glad it exists and I think it is important in that it keeps the Baldur's Gate flag flying.
Now I know nothing about modding but I thought it would be interesting to know what mods for the game people would like to see? Don't worry about what is possible or probable. This is a Wish List so wish away.
Here's my list:
IMOEN JOINS THE PARTY
A mod to make Imoen a joinable NPC. She can either join you right from the start or after she recovers from being poisoned. (Someone please make this one!)
IMOEN TO THE RESCUE
A smaller mod where Imoen rather than a hired thug breaks you out of jail.
ALL MY TRIALS ARE OVER
The game ends when you emerge from Avernus (admittedly you can already do this by exporting your character at that point). However, you are told that you have to leave Baldur's Gate because the masses are against you. They don't regard you as a hero for defeating Caelar Argent - they fear you because you went into Hell and came out unscathed (and no doubt various political factions are finding a way to fan the flames). You leave in the dead of night to avoid being attacked by an angry mob.
HOODED MAN BE GONE!
Much as I like David Warner's voice acting I think we hear far too much of him in SoD and we see far too much of the Hooded Man (who seems to turn up being portentous every five minutes). This mod would remove the Hooded Man completely (or almost completely) from the game. He would have no direct dealings with the CHARNAME (who shouldn't meet Ireniucs until BG2). This Mod would of course mean that there would be no murder of Skie so it would have to be used in conjunction with All My Trials Are Over.
THE HOLLYWOOD ENDING
This is something I outlined here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/66131/sod-what-ending-were-you-hoping-for-spoilers
Basically you get to play out the moment when you are ambushed by Irenicus's minions.
POOR ROHMA
This is really a BG2 mod rather than an SoD one. If you were romancing Schael Corwin and she died to save you then once you have established a stronghold you can come back to Baldur's Gate and adopt her orphaned daughter Rohma.
Anyway, that's my Wish List. Feel free to add or detract.
Now I know nothing about modding but I thought it would be interesting to know what mods for the game people would like to see? Don't worry about what is possible or probable. This is a Wish List so wish away.
Here's my list:
IMOEN JOINS THE PARTY
A mod to make Imoen a joinable NPC. She can either join you right from the start or after she recovers from being poisoned. (Someone please make this one!)
IMOEN TO THE RESCUE
A smaller mod where Imoen rather than a hired thug breaks you out of jail.
ALL MY TRIALS ARE OVER
The game ends when you emerge from Avernus (admittedly you can already do this by exporting your character at that point). However, you are told that you have to leave Baldur's Gate because the masses are against you. They don't regard you as a hero for defeating Caelar Argent - they fear you because you went into Hell and came out unscathed (and no doubt various political factions are finding a way to fan the flames). You leave in the dead of night to avoid being attacked by an angry mob.
HOODED MAN BE GONE!
Much as I like David Warner's voice acting I think we hear far too much of him in SoD and we see far too much of the Hooded Man (who seems to turn up being portentous every five minutes). This mod would remove the Hooded Man completely (or almost completely) from the game. He would have no direct dealings with the CHARNAME (who shouldn't meet Ireniucs until BG2). This Mod would of course mean that there would be no murder of Skie so it would have to be used in conjunction with All My Trials Are Over.
THE HOLLYWOOD ENDING
This is something I outlined here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/66131/sod-what-ending-were-you-hoping-for-spoilers
Basically you get to play out the moment when you are ambushed by Irenicus's minions.
POOR ROHMA
This is really a BG2 mod rather than an SoD one. If you were romancing Schael Corwin and she died to save you then once you have established a stronghold you can come back to Baldur's Gate and adopt her orphaned daughter Rohma.
Anyway, that's my Wish List. Feel free to add or detract.
1
Comments
- Hollywood ending - is already available through EET
- Rohma
Would require EET to make the city part of BG2 world (this is what EET does). Would also require that you can safely return again to that city without being a wanted murderer (provided by Sandrah mod).
The other issues are rather tweak mods. Especially those *be-gone* and *remove* mods are creating large issues of compatibility, both with the vanilla game and with other mods. In subsequent parts of the game it will always be assumed that those *missing* parts would actually have happened.
There has to be some sinister motive, so horrible, it would be possible to paint even a saint Charname pitch black. I do not know what - resurrection of Baal? As if Skie body appeared in the middle of Baal sign with wounds from obviously ritualistic cutting? Some "witnesses" declaring they saw the whole thing? Ancient books of summoning with blood sacrifice? Anything to make this beyond mediocrity event get something meaningful!
With a reputation drop, of course.
I'm not really out to change your mind here, however I'll point out a couple things:
* In the Middle Act of SoD, charname is identified as a child of the GOD OF MURDER when Boarksyr Bridge, the place Bhaal himself died, has his father's symbol burned into it... To me, it's easy to see where the common sheep populous of the lands surrounding Baldur's Gate would be terrified of this and immediately condemn Charname just for his heritage. By most accounts his soul is already tainted Pitch black, at this point, his deeds are irrelevant. There are several crimes in real life where accusation practically predicates guilt...this is not a new phenomena in humanity.
* It is also clearly identified that "everyone" knows this fact. "Word got around" after the soldiers who were at the bridge observed what happened. This is clearly stated in the opening to Chapter 10 (I think? maybe 11?) when you reach the Allied Siege Camp. Think what happens when one of our real life Celebrities is caught committing a crime...even if you don't care it's practically impossible not to hear of it...
* Remember that when CHARNAME leaves Baldur's Gate in the first act, Skie's father EXPLICITLY puts Skie's safety in CHARNAME's hands. Again, evidence be damned, her father is going to blame you for her death simply because he's a distraught father who's lost his only daughter and needs someone to blame. Again, a very common human psychological response in the case of traumatic death. And, as he's one of the "Royalty" of Baldur's Gate, right or wrong his will is law.
* Is it so hard to believe, then, that the most expedient thing for the powers that be in Baldur's Gate would be to condemn/blame CHARNAME for Skie's death? Evidence be damned. The populous hates you for your heritage, the leader of the city hates you for the death of his daughter...and there's just no way you're going to completely clear your name given your heritage...there will always be some shadow of doubt. You don't need evidence, the preponderance of circumstance is all the populous needs...again, not an uncommon reaction in many/most societies in our world today. How many stories (real and fictional) are told of people blamed for crimes they did not commit because it was politically expedient to do so?
Why is Charname blamed? Because he can be. Human / Real LIfe history is RIFE with examples of this in all societies court systems. Look at the Salem Witch Trials and tell me humanity is beyond blaming those they are scared of for crimes they did not and could not have committed regardless of the evidence.
Being an upstanding member of a community does not make you immune to being thrown under the bus...actually the more outstanding a member the more likely that happens to be.
Remember that you are seeing the events of the game through the eyes of the blamed party. Human psychology draws conclusions where a void of fact exists. "We don't like what we don't understand in fact it scares us..." The court system may be innocent until proven guilty, but human nature is to believe guilt unless proof of innocence is suppled...and the most henious the crime the more likely that is to happen. How many times have you heard "I have no idea if he's innocent or guilty but I sure wouldn't want to live next to him!"
All of this said, in my mind, it not only makes sense, it makes ABSOLUTE sense as to why CHARNAME is blamed for Skie's death. There's no mental leap of faith being asked by the story here. As many people have already written, they didn't even respond at the trial because they ASSUMED they were already going to be found guilty.
Also, one additional point that might be missed: Remember that up to the Jail Scene where the Hooded Man comes to you, you ACTUALLY BELIEVE you committed the murder yourself. You have justifiable cause but as far as you know YOU ACTUALLY KILLED SKIE. Even you, yourself (at the time you are caught), cannot deny that it COULD have been you that killed the girl...you struck the blow, and the corpse is there at your feet.
I don't think your request really is for a mod that makes sense of why Charname is blamed. I understand the request for a mod that makes your Good Charname NOT be blamed, but I don't think anyone's confused by why he's being blamed.
Something I've wanted for a LONG time but I know is virtually impossible due to contractual limitations would be the people the leave with you/start with you (in bg2) could be changed depending on who you used and your alignment choices the entire way through. I know it's such a small thing but for continuity it would make more sense if Jaheira and Khalid weren't following you due to your evil alignment.
Lastly, while I think Skie's murder is a great story telling addition, I feel as if her death becomes completely forgotten once you enter BG2. Your memory is shot in the beginning, and that's fine, but once you regain your bearings, it's obvious you remember things (such as Viconia and Edwin) later into the game, so why is it not something you would want to do during your travels against Irenicus is to find the soul taker dagger to at least do SOMETHING with Skie's soul (evil players make a soul stone?)
For me it is all the stuff involving the Hooded Man that isn't working. The rest of it is great. It would be a really good standalone adventure. So that is what I am wishing for now:
STANDALONE SIEGE OF DRAGONSPEAR
A mod that removes every reference to Irenicus and is totally focused on the battle against Caelar Argent (with Imoen as a joinable NPC).
You can play it after the defeat of Sarevok but the story has absolutely no bearing on anything that is to come in BG2.
There is no accusation here, no hatred, no anything to make you worry. As no one comes with a suggestion "pack your things and get out from that ungrateful pigs while you can". First, Charname did not commit any crime yet. All there is is "some sing on the ground". Second - Since when Forgotten Realms got newspapers, radio or television? Otherwise it's far too well known. And again - so, what? The army did not care about it. "Her father" can do anything - aside from horrible VA I have nothing against Eltar (ok, he has not even a hint of logic or common sense but point me one occasion with such things in BG in general).
My grip is with event itself. Why such a fuss about death of Skie at all?
Should CHARNAME be an honored guest of the city during peaceful time - it would make some sense. Discovery of "bad blood" in the hero - unrest in the city - Eltar trusting his daughter as a prove of his personal believe in you - death of Skie - trial. That would be a believable chain of events. BUT IT"S NOT THE CASE!
We have WAR. The very event occurred during the war, where Skie was nothing but a solder. Yes, Caelar is dead, but her followers are everywhere, bandits are everywhere, hungry and desperate men are everywhere. To get to the crime scene one has to literally clime mountains of dead bodies. EVERYONE in the camp is guilty of "murdering" tens/hundreds/thousands of people. Hell, Skie herself just a day before casually "murdered" a couple of other soldiers from our side with a cheering from crowd "good girl! She knows how to defend herself". Why would a death of one more soldier - no matter who her father is! She was not in command - provoke any reaction from anyone but her father?! Who gives a damn?! People are fighting for survival with hunger/bandits/all nastiness of war aftermath. The only reaction to the yet-another-death-during-military-campaign can be nothing - it's an everyday event. THAT is a typical human reaction you are talking about. Yes it is. VERY hard. In the middle of a military camp, someone sees his General (CHARNAME is still in command) on the ground near the body of a soldier. Covered in blood. No weapon to be found. What would be the very first reaction from anyone - with or without brain? "Are you alright, Commander?! Who attacked you and that soldier? Are we under attack again?!" How on Earth would anyone IN THIS SITUATION get the idea at all that it's not an enemy attack but a murder and Commander is a murderer?! This is exactly what is asked by the story here - a blind faith, because game did not provide any logic to the events. And you missed the reason WHY "many people" assumed the trial is a farce - because we lost control over the character and were railroaded without any explanations wtf is happening and how did we get here.
When you stop thinking for me and deciding what I want, read this please: I AM confused and I DO need a mod that turns badly written soap opera ending into something making hint of sense. I never asked NOT to be blamed, but that there was something reasonable to be blamed for - fabricated, but making any sense.
It's not that "someone put a sign here" Charname passes out and the symbol BURNS ITSELF into the bridge. Charname also doesn't have a position to loose, they aren't part of the regular army. They are a high profile mercenary.
"First, Charname did not commit any crime yet. All there is is "some sing on the ground". Second - Since when Forgotten Realms got newspapers, radio or television? Otherwise it's far too well known. And again - so, what? The army did not care about it. "
Magic. There is any number of spells to communicate over long distances, and even to get images. There is no notion that the army doesn't care either. The officer that greets you when you reach the camp outright states that many of the soldiers don't trust you, and believe that you ARE a child of Bhaal precisely because of the bridge incident.
"The only reaction to the yet-another-death-during-military-campaign can be nothing - it's an everyday event. THAT is a typical human reaction you are talking about. "
Its not just another death. Regardless of her rank, Skie is a high profile political figure. Being the daughter of a Grand Duke elevates her importance in the public eye.
"Yes it is. VERY hard. In the middle of a military camp, someone sees his General (CHARNAME is still in command) on the ground near the body of a soldier. Covered in blood. No weapon to be found. What would be the very first reaction from anyone - with or without brain? "Are you alright, Commander?! Who attacked you and that soldier? Are we under attack again?!" How on Earth would anyone IN THIS SITUATION get the idea at all that it's not an enemy attack but a murder and Commander is a murderer?!"
Charname isn't a general, they have no actual authority (note that they get bossed around by every other officer in the militia). Bence Duncan is the officer that lays the initial charges, and he is very critical and untrusting of charname throughout the story.
Take care. Mods are watching.
- A mod that allows CHARNAME to join Caelar in her holy battle into hell
Not to mention inconsistency with BG2, where no one is aware of anything concerning SoD. (And - no - excuse "they were not allowed to touch BG2" does not work, because SoD was created specifically as a bridge between the games. Inability to add anything in BG2 had to be taken into account) So high profile, that has a final word on military planning and decisions. And not free to leave too, as I recall.
Yet, no one reacts, everyone supports you and you still get important tasks. And with no reputation drop to support it - there is no way to tell significance of said "suspicion". Actually, public does not know that Silkie run away from home and joined the army. For public - she is just a soldier. For selected few - someone they are supposed to keep an eye on. And battlefield remains a battlefield - it's the plays where people die. Every day. This is not what we see in the game. Charname decides for him/herself what and how to do and participates every planning and military discussions. With a final word on every plan. It's high rank privileges. Unless he was shown (and he was not) a personal puppet of hooded man - he remains military. And in SAID SITUATION "murder" would be the last idea crossing soldiers mind. We are on a battlefield. Wounded (blood all over) high ranking is an automatic alarm - "enemies are in the perimeter!" THEN things can be investigated.
Again, in suggested scenario situation is simply impossible. What we have is a detective story from a peaceful modern British village, not the military tale. I am all for plot twist, but what we got is high tale of someone battling dragons, daemons and big armies to be executed over crossing the road on a red light.
To me you are trying to force me to think your way the game, while this is a fantasy game that provides rule to make itself coherent. So what am I referring to?
> If you don't lose the paladin status, why would you get imprisoned? For such a thing a delegation of paladins would be sent to cleanse the whole city if needed. What are you telling me, that paladins are like Jesus christ that would actually sacrifice themselves to save people? That's not the reality of being paladins, I'm sorry.
> If magic is used to detect your alignment, they would see that you are not a murderer. Thus, if the duke tries something, the whole population would condemn the duke itself, because they would think he is out of his mind. They would think he turned into a crazy politician and thus would not like to have him as the duke
I love the fact that at least I don't have to play Sod. I will have to wait for mods to sort this mess out, then I will buy it
What I really hated was that my whole party instantly believed I was a murderer. And I didn't have the opportunity to say "Guys, you remember that irritating Hooded Man who has been following us around like a lost dog for the past week? He did it."
I also didn't have the opportunity to say: "You'll never take me alive copper!" when Bence Duncan came to arrest me. I just let myself get arrested. And if my dealings with Angelo Dosan taught me anything it is that it's better to fight the Flaming Fist than let yourself be taken into custody by them. (I was playing a paladin so I probably wouldn't have but I thought I should have had the choice).
But most of all, the whole sequence seemed unnecessary, a plot twist for the sake of a plot twist, and I felt like I was being railroaded. Up to then the game had been pretty good at giving choices. Now I felt like I was in someone else's story.
I think a lot of the writing is excellent and true to the spirit of the series. To me it seemed to keep the original BG1 NPC's in character very well. I loved Skie (until she stopped being Skie): I thought expanded her in a really fun way (plus her voice acting was great). There is great stuff with Minsc and Edwin (again, great to hear more of them).
For most of the game it really feels like you are playing Baldur's Gate and that is no mean feat to pull off. So I would encourage you to give it a try. You can always skip the end.
Didn't save me from having to walk out of the prison passing murdered guards and no exlanation why running away now wouldn't make my PC the most wanted criminal along the Sword Coast and Amn - since the game laid so much emphasis on showing that my PC was now hated by *everyone* out there, except Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Dynaheir, and Minsc. Why they joine the PC upon the escape - I don't know.
That's what saddened me since SoD was really good and fun for most of the time: It happens between BG1 and BGII and it's a nicely done add-on with a little bit too much drama at the end, but it doesn't fulfill its purpose: To explain how the PC ended up in ID with Imoen, Jaheira, and Minsc and almost no-one knowing him/her in Athkatla.
I had Schael Corwin, Jaheira, Safana and Edwin with me (Viconia had walked out just before the assault on Drangonspear because I was being too heroic). The only ones I remember saying anything were Edwin, who I think complained because I had spoilt our chances of getting rich and powerful and possibly Schael. I can't remember whether she spoke up at this point or later. She always seemed to think I had done it, which seemed odd considering just before the murder I had presumably been sharing a bedroll with her. (Did she really think I crept out of bed without waking her, put my armour on and went and murdered Skie for no reason whatsoever?)
Later on when I met up with Dynaheir, Jaheira and Minsc (no Khalid, I think he had died at Boareskyr Bridge but I didn't actually notice it happen) they all thought I was guilty (presumably because I didn't defend myself). Totally agree with that.
Actually, I am beginning to think, the whole idea was to somehow finally utilize evil Charnames as well. As if, in BG1 and BG2 no matter what you do - you are a hero (for no other reason than you being a protagonist). So, what is the point to be evil? And in SoD, no matter what you do - everyone hates you (for no other reason than you being a protagonist), so, what is the point to play good Charname? In BG1 no matter what class and alignment your Charname is, no matter if you merdered every single NOC in Candlekeep - Gorion is proud of you and the ways he raised you. In SoD, no matter how many times (and nights) you shared with your companions, they do not believe you and in you.
You might call it balance
He turns up in the Underground River and asks you why you are wasting your time exploring beneath the surface and though he only addresses the Charname it felt like the whole party would be able to see him. And I'm pretty sure that the people around Caelar can see him when he casts a spell on her.
True, but I don't recall any mention of him in banter with companions, nor any companion reacting to him in any way. It's vague for me if game simply neglected any possible reaction from party, or made Hooded Man visible only to Charname.
I'm thinking of having another run through to try out some of the new NPCs so I will look out for it (planning to skip the end obviously).
Yeah, I know, but she seems to be the only one.
Could it be because she is the only other Bhaalspawn, and Irenicus' b@d@ss magery means he can use that to identify other Bhallspawn?
Just a thought.