What do you do for RP?
Grum
Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100
As the title suggests. Here are some of my examples...
Fortifying my Castle
Whenever I have the fighter fortress, I fortify the castle. Every NPC I don't want to take ends up being parked there. You'll see Wilson taking over what were the dog kennels, with Cernd standing beside him. Valygar will be the keep's ranger, operating out of the wooden fortress. Korgan and Anomen will be at the gates with weapon and shields, while Minsc stands behind them with a greatsword. On the walls will be Mazzy with her bow in hand, with Aerie next to her to rain down magical firepower.
Because money really isn't much of a concern, the NPCs can expect to be properly equipped with decent weapons and armor. I mean, this is *my* castle, right? I don't want someone casting protection from normal weapons and just walzting in, killing everyone.
Arming the Order
Paladins shouldn't be money hungry. They should be defenders of justice and protectors of the innocent. So what do you do with all of the artifacts you come across that your party has no use for? Easy. Bring them back to the order. There are containers in there. Stash those items away, so some young paladin can use them.
Found a Helm of Glory, which just isn't good enough for you? Some lvl1 paladin would weep tears of joy to wear that.
Crafted for yourself a suit of red dragon scale, complete with dragon scale shield, dragon scale helmet, and sword of dragon slaying? But the problem is that you found better armor, don't use longsword, don't use a shield, and found a better helmet? Give it to the order. The next time that a dragon attacks, there is going to be a traditional cavalier who could *really* use that equipment.
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Anyways, none of this helps you in any way. In fact, it means having alot less gold. But it *feels* right. Anyone else have things like this that they do?
Fortifying my Castle
Whenever I have the fighter fortress, I fortify the castle. Every NPC I don't want to take ends up being parked there. You'll see Wilson taking over what were the dog kennels, with Cernd standing beside him. Valygar will be the keep's ranger, operating out of the wooden fortress. Korgan and Anomen will be at the gates with weapon and shields, while Minsc stands behind them with a greatsword. On the walls will be Mazzy with her bow in hand, with Aerie next to her to rain down magical firepower.
Because money really isn't much of a concern, the NPCs can expect to be properly equipped with decent weapons and armor. I mean, this is *my* castle, right? I don't want someone casting protection from normal weapons and just walzting in, killing everyone.
Arming the Order
Paladins shouldn't be money hungry. They should be defenders of justice and protectors of the innocent. So what do you do with all of the artifacts you come across that your party has no use for? Easy. Bring them back to the order. There are containers in there. Stash those items away, so some young paladin can use them.
Found a Helm of Glory, which just isn't good enough for you? Some lvl1 paladin would weep tears of joy to wear that.
Crafted for yourself a suit of red dragon scale, complete with dragon scale shield, dragon scale helmet, and sword of dragon slaying? But the problem is that you found better armor, don't use longsword, don't use a shield, and found a better helmet? Give it to the order. The next time that a dragon attacks, there is going to be a traditional cavalier who could *really* use that equipment.
----------
Anyways, none of this helps you in any way. In fact, it means having alot less gold. But it *feels* right. Anyone else have things like this that they do?
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Comments
Most of my good characters make some enormous donations, like when they return to Candlekeep, so that money actually sometimes becomes tight for them.
I think that in my next BG2 run, when we come across Sir Ajantis and the knights, I'm going to donate exactly enough gold to have them all resurrected. It'll ease Charname's conscience, and bring back an NPC that I like.
Example of consequences : in Beregost, I forbid Imoen to steal anything. So, no Stupifier or Algernon's Cloak for us. Then, I get the quest to kill Bassilus. We do so, but without lying to him. So, we have to kill him and his skeletons. Let say my paladin gets dominated and attacks his allies : he'll have to repent by fighting without his armor for two weeks. When we get back to the Temple in Beregost, I give a lot of money as donation. Etc... In this type of playthrough, you'll be missing some quests and items which makes the game more interesting (but not too much, because the BG saga is geared toward good charnames). In BG2 for instance, you'll never have the Crom Faeyr, because there's just no way you can sacrifice animals to Demogorgon.
I'm usually not much of a RPer, but I tend to make an exception for paladins; these restrictions make for a good RP game.
Hoping to return to Candlekeep one day, my protagonist often collects the books and scrolls that she finds in her travels. If not saving them to be contributed to the Candlekeep library, she may donate them to one of the Temples for use in the libraries there. Knowledge, parchment and the work of bookbinders are among the true treasures that she finds.
If looking for a bit more challenge, I may have her only prepare the type of spells that she thinks she may need for the next days adventures based on what knowledge she has been able to glean from the locals, or something that she has read. Talk of bandits might prompt her to prepare one type, dragons another. This sometimes leaves her less prepared than she might have been if she knew before hand what her party would actually be facing.
This also lets me imagine what she might be thinking in such situations as when a miner in the Nashkel mine speaks of a dragon below. I can imagine the trepidation that my low level party might feel about going forward. How can she possibly prepare for that?
Unless pressed by circumstance, my party sleeps daily. The opportunity to take advantage of a warm inn room is welcomed. Especially if a bit of extra coin will buy a hot bath. (Some item can be bought and then tossed on the ground to simulate paying for such luxuries.)
In the depths of a dungeon, her badly wounded party can have some very rough nights. While trying to find an out of the way corner to huddle for the night, repeated attacks may even cause the death of a party member.
I find that making choices based on what my character might do, rather than what my own knowledge might tell me is the best course, can lead to some very challenging situations.
Btw, I've never gotten all the heads of the Flail of Ages, either. Do you have to do something evil for that?
I'll also never have a golem suit made out of pantaloons. Same reason.
I'll never even see all the quests that start with breaking and entering people's houses.
I think there's more for evil players to do in this game than they let on.
Only a very low wisdom (Is that even possible?), foolish paladin follows the lawful stupid stereotype. Or maybe a very young one who is inexperienced with life.
As a thief, I avoid combat where possible. This can mean less combat XP, but it feels right.
I also have tried playing in character in an evil playthrough. By this, I mean I won't take any guff from non-joinable NPCs. So, while I don't play stupid evil, there's only so far you can push me. So when Hull insults me in Candlekeep after I return his sword, I rumble him (and delightfully, the game doesn't turn any of the other NPCs hostile if you attack him). When Lord Binky mocks you at the carnival, he's had it, etc.. It makes the game much more realistic and immersive, but the drop in reputation can be debilitating.
I love @Grum's perspective on this game.
I don't use much arcane magic, but when I do, I don't metagame it. I focus on a specialists school, plus generalist spells that would be good for several situations.
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AND YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITY!!!
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Pretty easy to do really. People will seek me to solve their petty problems because, moi, is the bestest adventurer and worthy of all plaudits.
Those that do not bow before me will feel my wrath.
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In real life, I'm an undead gnome with a napoleon complex.
As you can see, if anyone forces their way into the keep they will run into a group of defenders who range from lvl 11-13.
First thing first, they'll hit Captain Cernick, with a front line of Minsc and Anomen. Behind the two stand a pair of mages (Nalia and Neera). And when the lines hit, the enemy will be flanked by Korgan on the right, and Wilson/Greater Werewolf Cernd.
I plan to add to this fort:
(1) Mazzy to stand on the walls by the gatehouse, so she can fire her bow down on the enemy.
(2) Valygar to sit in the fort outside
(3) Keldorn to join Korgan on the right flank
(4) Imoen, who will go on the walls with Mazzy. Once she is rescued from Spellhold, Charname will not want her to be in harm's way anymore. So she'll be placed in the fortress where she can both be kept safe, and can defend their home.
(5) Jaheira. She is still at the harper hold right now. I will swing by and grab her the next time I'm in town. Having two druids around will really help the farmers with their crops. Though she is a harper, and I'm not sure how much I trust them.
This should complete the fortress. I refuse though, to have...
(1) Dorn. He is an evil blackguard. Why would you want someone like him defending your fortress?
(2) Edwin. Mostly because I didn't trust him, so Charname beat him to death during the thief guild questline.
(3) Hexxat. She is a vampire. You don't allow vampires into your home. It's just not smart.
I'm not quite sure yet if Viconia will be joining the defenses. Charname is adventuring with Rasaad, so she has seen how evil Shar can be. Why allow the cleric of an evil deity into your home? That said, Viconia comes across being pretty darn reasonable.
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The funny thing about doing this, is that it makes the final 'siege' kind of funny. I mean, so what if the Roenails fight their way through your forces and get into your keep? The soldiers outside aren't the best, sure. But when Roenail runs into a trio of mages, while being fired upon by a lvl13 fighter, and of course hits the wall of high level steel...well, let's just say that he should really think about sending more trolls.
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I also highly recommend this for a lawful evil playthrough:
Lawful Evil doesn't mean stupid evil. Having land of your own, with a fortress and steady tax revenue is a good thing to have. Having happy peasants means good PR. If nothing else, it's good cover for your less than upright adventuring ways.
And filling your fortress with duped good guys? I mean, think of this...
Charname is a Blackguard. He is in a party with Dorn, Viconia, Hexaat, Edwin and Korgan. A solid 3 front line fighters, with a healer, a mage and a ranged thief. Great party.
Fill your fortress with a paladin of Torm, a cleric of Helm, a cleric of Baervan Wildwanderer (and her tiefling bard boyfriend), a halfling fighter/paladin, a monk of Selune, two good rangers, a pair of druids with their bear, a good natured gnomish trap setter, and a trio of mages.
The above people will never betray you, so long as they don't realize how evil you are really are. And so long as you treat the people under your charge with kindness, they'll never think twice about who you are. Even better, with Nalia running the keep in your absence, when people come to look at the lands they'll think to himself 'anyone who keeps this kind of company can't be *that* bad. I guess the stories were exaggerated.'
And whenever you do something horrible, donate some money. Only rather than to a temple, have it donated to your land. Building infrastructure, making a hospital, blessing the crops. So word spreads of your good deeds, and nobody believes that you were the one who slaughtered a wedding in the Radiant Heart Headquarters, or that it was you who looted all of the family tombs in the city.
The above is great for RPIng an intelligent Lawful Evil character.
So you beat somebody to death because you don't trust them?
Is this a paladin thing?
Or can anybody play?
How about canvessers for the various political parties?
"Well your Honour, you have to understand, I don't trust politicians so of course they had it coming"
And this is why I have never ever played as a Paladin and never will.
A monk who remembered him from BG1 advocating for the murder of a friend of his? A death still fresh in her mind?
I am really getting into the whole 'sword saint' thing. On my first run I realised that I had reached 5th level and hardly used any potions (just a few potions of Healing and one Antidote) so I have decided to start again and play as a character who doesn't use potions at all and relies solely on her own abilities. She will also only ever carry one set of equipment - I'll just try to gradually build up the optimum set of gear to cover all eventualities. Basically, I am going to see if my character can beat the game without using any buffs at all.
I imagine her as an ascetic, lone warrior, focused on her weapons and on doing good in the world - even though she herself remains on the fringes of society. I am, however, going to give her one vice: she is going to collect gemstones. This is partly because I want to see just how many you end up with and partly because when you are a Kensai you don't really need the money because there isn't that much to spend it on. This will of course mean that I may have to let Neera join me for as long as it takes to relieve her of her gem bag.
I understand some may justify leaving the house requires layers of buffs, but for a core-rules player, it murders any challenge for me when I somehow magically know what buffs are needed for a specific foe unseen. BG does a great job of having us stumble upon assassins or throwing us into ambushes. I like to view buffing as a natural reaction vs. anticipating every conceivable scenario before it takes place.
It was very interesting and impressive to read the RP choices, certainly more RP than I can manage.
And then that action stood out.
You can't justify beating somebody to death for such a spurious reason.
So how does it fit with the rest?
But then look at how Keldorn behaves.
So forgive me, but when a person says "Paladin" my immediate translation is "hypocrite".
And yes I would be a terrible Paladin. I'd never bother to come up with an excuse to beat somebody to death, just get on and do it and instead say it was my evil twin called Imoen.
Flying so fast, quite soon there was nowhere more to go. I wanted... an infinity. Then, afterwards, I enjoyed reasonably playing a thief, and in BG a female berserker (I'm a man), with the portrait and voice of one TV character I adored. Then there were some other types. And all of the times early on I did things like store letters, try to find new gems, and I read every book in the History of the North. I actually wanted to know the history of the North, although the Forgotten Realms setting has never impressed me. Too much magic too cheap, and silly gods. Early days, perhaps, with the Zhentil Keep and beholders... But later they messed it up completely. I wish there was a new Dragonlance game in Krynn. Now that would be the ticket. I wonder why they don't make one?
I still role-play, you might say, but as a modder I have to make the material for that myself. Some new approaches or different mechanics. Without, it's explored territory, pretend as we might otherwise.
I always play a good charname because I identify to much with my characters actions, killing innocents is something I just could not do. I have ended games just because I caught some poor innocent in a fireball radius, my thought being that my character would be so distraught it would drive him into depression and make him a pacifist to atone for his reckless action.