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Minsc Musing's

unfortunate_oneunfortunate_one Member Posts: 44
edited July 2012 in Archive (General Discussion)
I have always had problems with Minsc being a Ranger. In fact, he doesn't even have the stats for one.
In BG, I always saw him as a Paladin who had fallen. I think I even ShadowKeeper'ed him into one. Bash to the head cost him his charisma, some wisdom and a few marbles. All this made him the tank that he is.

When BG II came around and I saw him all duel-wield'ed out, I almost freaked. Minsc with two long swords? Hell no, he is two handed sword , hack first ask questions later, kind of guy.

All things considered, I believe he should be a Fighter with the berserker class.
Pretty sure the devs can't mess with the NPCs, just thought I'd share.

Comments

  • CadrosCadros Member Posts: 253
    I thought that most npc were based on campaigns that the bioware employees had been playing. Also Boo provides the necessary wisdom for spell casting ;) that aside the minor quirks of each npc that are no legal for the pc at creation add flavour without harming balance to any great degree.
  • ZeckulZeckul Member Posts: 1,036
    I'm pretty sure some of his voice-acted lines mention that he's a ranger (in ToB?). Therefore however this might make sense, it'll likely be impossible to change this.
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    He has that line that is something like:

    "We are all heroes, you, Boo and I! Hamsters and Rangers everywhere, rejoice!! Squueeeaak! Squuueeeaaak!"
  • lansounetlansounet Member Posts: 1,182
    Yeh that's his reputation increase line IIRC
  • ElectricMonkElectricMonk Member Posts: 599
    Yeah he definitely says that, and yes he does have an empathy of sorts with an animal (of sorts), boo - who may or may not be a miniature giant space hamster. I wasn't suggesting/hoping that they should change his class, just agreeing that he could have originally been a fighter, which might have made more sense. It wouldn't necessarily make sense for them to implement it now, as everyone knows of Minsc as a ranger.

    And as far as his blow to the head explaining his wisdom score, I suppose that same blow to the head could explain why a fighter (in an alternative scenario) had befriended a small rodent with the belief that it was a wise miniature giant space hamster, we can't be entirely sure how much say Boo had in the matter, and you don't have to be a ranger to convince a hamster to stick around when you feed it every day...
  • WinthalWinthal Member Posts: 366
    Rangers are still warriors, just like fighters or paladins, you have to remember that characters are first and foremost themselves as people, and a "class" is really more like a summary of what they've been up to, their career, what they excel at etc. - mostly for gaming purposes - rather than something they *are*. Minsc has had ranger training from back in Rashemen, he learned to traverse the deserts and protect others from wildlife and other dangers, thus making him an excellent body guard for Dynaheir. Classes are quite arbitrary, if BG used a classless system, Minsc would just be Minsc, a big strong guy wielding two handed swords with protective instincts, a good heart, and a love for small furry rodents - and he'd probably know his way round a desert.
  • unfortunate_oneunfortunate_one Member Posts: 44
    I am all for the NPCs not having to stick to stat restrictions. I would rather Minsc be a berserker with the charm animal than have to stick to Ranger restrictions just because of Boo.

    I do believe Shadow Keeper can fix this.
    I do believe this is my only nit pick I have about the game. Might be why we are all so pumped up about playing the game again.
  • e3r4t5yne3r4t5yn Member Posts: 42
    edited August 2012
    Dex. 15 with leather armor is too few for close combat fighter.
    Post edited by e3r4t5yn on
  • SynergeticSynergetic Member Posts: 69
    edited August 2012
    This sums it all up

    http://www.minscandboo.com/quotes2/This_behaviour_must_not_continue.WAV
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    unfortunate_one said:

    I am all for the NPCs not having to stick to stat restrictions. I would rather Minsc be a berserker with the charm animal than have to stick to Ranger restrictions just because of Boo.

    I do believe Shadow Keeper can fix this.
    I do believe this is my only nit pick I have about the game. Might be why we are all so pumped up about playing the game again.

    There's nothing to "fix." Minsc is a Ranger because he's a bloody Ranger. The only reason he has a berserk ability is because he's a member of a Rashemi berserker lodge. He was originally one of the dev's pnp D&D characters, where he was a Ranger. The end.

  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    There's a whole backstory to Minsc and Dynaheir:

    "Minsc proudly announces that he is a berserker warrior from the nation of Rasheman in the utter east. He is currently undertaking his dejemma, a ritual journey to manhood, and is seeking adventure and glory in battle. It is also his honor to be the bodyguard of a young Wychalarn of Rasheman named Dynaheir, and if anyone tries to harm her, he will beat sense into their heads until they reconsider. He is unsure as to why she has led them to the Sword Coast, but his loyalty is unquestioning. If he serves her well and distinguishes himself in battle, he hopes to be accepted into the Ice Dragon berserker lodge upon return to their homeland. So far, Minsc considers his most notable experience in the world abroad to be the acquisition of his animal companion 'Boo,' a creature that he claims is a miniature giant space hamster. Apparently such things do exist in the Realms, but Minsc has surely taken too many blows to the head. He seems a good-natured fellow, but is all too willing to indulge his berserker nature.

    Minsc is able to go Berserk as a special ability."

    "Dynaheir has very little to say. She is apparently from the far-eastern nation of Rasheman, and has come to the west with a bodyguard known as Minsc. Minsc is on his "dejemma", a right of passage, and it appears that she may be involved in something similar. Of this, she will only state that great things are foretold for the Sword Coast. She seems very sure of herself, is possessed with an old-world sensibility, and is very demanding of her companions. She has expressed concerns about the sanity of her bodyguard, though she has an obvious respect for him and will not go far from his side.

    Dynaheir has the special ability Slow Poison."

    Rasheman: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Rashemen

    Runescarred Berserker: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Runescarred_Berserker

    Dynaheir: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Dynaheir

    Minsc: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Minsc
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    Runescarred Berserker: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Runescarred_Berserker

    This is a prestige class from 3.0 that matches what Minsc is about, and it is a Barbarian.

    Barbarian and Berserker do seem more fitting classes for Minsc, honestly. I have no problem with him being a ranger, though.
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    I must admit that I keep forgetting that Minsc is a ranger and the last time I started SoA I couldn't understand why he had two points in dual-wielding but specialised in two-handed sword. I managed to convince myself that the blow to his head had made him choose the wrong proficiencies.
  • Kitteh_On_A_CloudKitteh_On_A_Cloud Member Posts: 1,629
    Schneidend said:

    unfortunate_one said:

    I am all for the NPCs not having to stick to stat restrictions. I would rather Minsc be a berserker with the charm animal than have to stick to Ranger restrictions just because of Boo.

    I do believe Shadow Keeper can fix this.
    I do believe this is my only nit pick I have about the game. Might be why we are all so pumped up about playing the game again.

    There's nothing to "fix." Minsc is a Ranger because he's a bloody Ranger. The only reason he has a berserk ability is because he's a member of a Rashemi berserker lodge. He was originally one of the dev's pnp D&D characters, where he was a Ranger. The end.

    I agree with @Schneidend. Minsc is Minsc. He's good as he is right now. Also, who is to say he doesn't have a broader empathy for animals in general? I always imagined him as a guy who'd have no problems into gaining the trust of animals. I always imagined him as the guy being covered in birds during lunch time, happily sharing his food with them. :p
  • DjimmyDjimmy Member Posts: 749
    edited August 2012
    Minsc looks too solid to be insane or something like that. In my opinion, he is a genius of some sort, combat or whatever. :)
    Post edited by Djimmy on
  • BjjorickBjjorick Member Posts: 1,208
    lol, rangers befriend animals, and minsc has a very close animal friend. You have to realize that minsc was a ranger til he hit his head, now he just tries to act like one, so he's the best of both worlds. It's a little odd, but don't think of it from a game play mechanics point of view, but a story/plot/humor point of view and it makes perfect sense.

    Minsc is also a public service annoucement. Always always always wear a helmet or minature giant space hamsters will start to talk to you. You also won't be able to cast good spells anymore. :((
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