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Does anyone know why Athkatla city and country have not been enslaved by monsters?

lollerslollers Member Posts: 190
There is a lot of monster activity happening in Athkatla country, right? A flying saucer from hell teleported on top of the slums, there are two groups of high powered aliens beneath the city sewers, a very strong faction of vampires on the surface, multiple evil dragons outside, a pack of trolls powerful enough to assail Nalias fortress, and a shade lord near umar town.

How come none of these monster groups are dominant over humans? I feel as if any one of these monster forces could be expanded into a main story.

Comments

  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,366
    Wait, you didn't even mention 'The Hidden'. There's a full Qanon conspiracy going on in Athkatla!
    Isewein
  • lollerslollers Member Posts: 190
    I think the BG2 development just ran out of time or something. Sure would have been nice to know how the cut content was supposed to tie everything together.
    Balrog99
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,366
    lollers wrote: »
    There is a lot of monster activity happening in Athkatla country, right? A flying saucer from hell teleported on top of the slums, there are two groups of high powered aliens beneath the city sewers, a very strong faction of vampires on the surface, multiple evil dragons outside, a pack of trolls powerful enough to assail Nalias fortress, and a shade lord near umar town.

    How come none of these monster groups are dominant over humans? I feel as if any one of these monster forces could be expanded into a main story.

    You forget the main reason, Charname is there to save everybody! (even if he/she's a chaotic evil half-orc assassin)
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Adventurers. Adventurers everywhere.
    bdtgazo
  • MaurvirMaurvir Member Posts: 1,090
    ThacoBell wrote: »
    Adventurers. Adventurers everywhere.

    Interestingly, this actually isn't far off. There are at least FOUR adventuring parties similar to your own in the city. One in the room above the Seven Vales, one in the temple sewer area, a group at Delosar's Inn in the bridge district, and one more in a non-descript house near the Five Flagons.

    Of course, your party usually ends up wiping out most of them...

    It really is a shame there wasn't more of an RP explanation for these groups, especially the group in the sewer.
    Balrog99
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    "It really is a shame there wasn't more of an RP explanation for these groups, especially the group in the sewer."

    Either on quests or hunting for loot. Pretty sure the sewer group are bandits.
    MERLANCE
  • DinoDinDinoDin Member Posts: 1,567
    Per the plot, the Cowled Wizards are set up to be supremely powerful and keeping a lid on things. Unfortunately the main plot does some stuff that undercuts this. And the only real faceoff you get against true Cowleds is in the Planar Sphere quest. And they're a bit underwhelming.

    You can also test the city's security yourself by getting an extremely low reputation, though I don't recommend it.
  • bdtgazobdtgazo Member Posts: 49
    Well, if one group did manage to take over the city (and who says none of them actually has), how would another group react?

    And what about the FR biggies? Would they take notice?

    I think in a setting like the Forgotten Realms, acquiring power has to be very gradual once you get to a certain point, because getting too powerful too quickly could be very dangerous. If you prance onto center stage all 'here I am, and I am a bad arse!' someone is likely to cut you down.
  • cddscdds Member Posts: 46
    edited September 2021
    None of the evil factions would cooperate to take over Athkatla.

    However, if any one group (or powerful creature) would attempt this by themselves, they would face several capable factions at once. At a minimum: cowled wizards, city guard, thieves guild, order of the radiant heart (!), all currently present adventuring groups.

    I think Athkatla is pretty safe from takeover and/or enslavement...
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    I always love being reminded of what the actual level scales mean in-universe. I'm so used to the video games that I forget how insanely powerful you are even in BG1 by normal people standards.
    Permidion_StarkZaghoulAerakarZaxares
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,366
    Zaxares wrote: »
    bdtgazo wrote: »
    I think in a setting like the Forgotten Realms, acquiring power has to be very gradual once you get to a certain point, because getting too powerful too quickly could be very dangerous. If you prance onto center stage all 'here I am, and I am a bad arse!' someone is likely to cut you down.

    This is actually the correct answer. The truth of the matter is that Athkatla (as well as all of SoA and ToB) is unusually overscaled with powerful enemies, more than should be appropriate, in order to provide players with adequate challenges. For instance, most of the bandits you encounter in Athkatla are, what, 7th - 9th level? That is some INSANELY powerful alleybashers. Most NPCs in a D&D world will never, ever reach such levels. For reference, the average town guard is generally only about 1st level. The Captain of the Guard might be a 3rd level Fighter, a seasoned veteran of many years on the beat. A 5th level Fighter is probably a decorated champion, a member of the King's Elite Guard or something similar. A 7th - 9th level Fighter is one of the most skilled warriors in the entire kingdom, a household name.

    Beyond that, a 12th level character is someone who will go down in history as one of the most famous warriors of their century. A 15th level character is someone whose deeds will be sung of for generations. And characters who are 18th level are powerful enough to literally enter the realms of the gods and challenge them. In reality, only a very tiny handful of ultra-powerful (or ultra-lucky) mortals ever make it that far.

    So really, that group of 7th level bandits in Amn? They are doing work that's WAY beneath them. :P They could sign themselves up as a King's private retinue and be set for life! Remember Ulraunt, the head of Candlekeep? One of the most famous and renowned storehouses of knowledge in Faerun? Ulraunt's only 7th level! XD (And I think Tethtoril, the most powerful of all the Readers and the highest level NPC in Candlekeep, is only like 13th.)

    Maybe Athkatlan bandits are just smarter about who they attack than their Sword-Coast counterparts. A group of 1st-3rd level bandits should definitely be smart enough NOT to attack a group of six adventurers armed to the teeth!
  • lollerslollers Member Posts: 190
    Zaxares wrote: »
    bdtgazo wrote: »
    I think in a setting like the Forgotten Realms, acquiring power has to be very gradual once you get to a certain point, because getting too powerful too quickly could be very dangerous. If you prance onto center stage all 'here I am, and I am a bad arse!' someone is likely to cut you down.

    This is actually the correct answer. The truth of the matter is that Athkatla (as well as all of SoA and ToB) is unusually overscaled with powerful enemies, more than should be appropriate, in order to provide players with adequate challenges. For instance, most of the bandits you encounter in Athkatla are, what, 7th - 9th level? That is some INSANELY powerful alleybashers. Most NPCs in a D&D world will never, ever reach such levels. For reference, the average town guard is generally only about 1st level. The Captain of the Guard might be a 3rd level Fighter, a seasoned veteran of many years on the beat. A 5th level Fighter is probably a decorated champion, a member of the King's Elite Guard or something similar. A 7th - 9th level Fighter is one of the most skilled warriors in the entire kingdom, a household name.

    Beyond that, a 12th level character is someone who will go down in history as one of the most famous warriors of their century. A 15th level character is someone whose deeds will be sung of for generations. And characters who are 18th level are powerful enough to literally enter the realms of the gods and challenge them. In reality, only a very tiny handful of ultra-powerful (or ultra-lucky) mortals ever make it that far.

    So really, that group of 7th level bandits in Amn? They are doing work that's WAY beneath them. :P They could sign themselves up as a King's private retinue and be set for life! Remember Ulraunt, the head of Candlekeep? One of the most famous and renowned storehouses of knowledge in Faerun? Ulraunt's only 7th level! XD (And I think Tethtoril, the most powerful of all the Readers and the highest level NPC in Candlekeep, is only like 13th.)

    Cool insights, it definitely looks like the scaling I have read in my current fantasy novels.
  • MaurvirMaurvir Member Posts: 1,090
    It is really kind of a shame that more enemies don't do a level check before attacking. It would be hilarious, and annoying for some, if would-be bad guys took one look at your party and NOPED right out.
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    One of the neat little things in SCS - some of those random waylay groups decide you're just too scary and run away. After the first time, anyway.

    As for the general high levels - the Forgotten Realms are a high-powered setting in general. There are considerably more of those high-powered characters than "default" D&D flavor would say.

    Not as many as what's in BG2, though. The various high-level characters in BG1 that you don't fight, like Kelddath or the dukes, are a closer match in terms of numbers.
    ArviaAerakar
  • lollerslollers Member Posts: 190
    jmerry wrote: »
    One of the neat little things in SCS - some of those random waylay groups decide you're just too scary and run away. After the first time, anyway.

    Maybe they just don't think I'm someone scary enough to run away from :(
  • bdtgazobdtgazo Member Posts: 49
    lollers wrote: »
    jmerry wrote: »
    One of the neat little things in SCS - some of those random waylay groups decide you're just too scary and run away. After the first time, anyway.

    Maybe they just don't think I'm someone scary enough to run away from :(

    This is why I like to path between baragost and fai with an invisible dorn. I like to see their expressions when dorn pops out of nowhere with a big 2hander and takes a head off.

    In a world with wandering adventure parties, polymorphed wizards and dragons, scrying and invisibility... being a bandit has to be stressful. You just never know...
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