Please share your 'roleplaying concepts' for BG:1(EE) (compiling them)
Lemernis
Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
I'm trying to compile what I would call "roleplaying concepts" for playing BG1/BG:EE. By a 'roleplaying concept' I mean an idea or set of ideas that guides the game on the conceptual level. This could involve a vision of what various characters believe and how they behave (i.e., what motivates them). Or it could be a general framework or design for a particular type of party. This is the territory where our imagination and ingenuity as players fills in the gaps, above and beyond what the game gives us. It is also, often, a kind of sweet spot that we seek between our own imaginations and the mechanical framework of the game.
To provide an example of what I'm on about:
Wild Mage and "Chaos" NPC Party
Using the excellent Wild Mage Additions mod, I started a BGT game with a Wild Mage who had a kind of mad scientist (?) 'Chaos Theory' that fully embracing chaos in the Weave should ultimately be rewarded. It a belief that is in the "it's so crazy that... it... just... might.. work!" vein. He assembled a party of oddball NPCs that in some way strongly embodied principles of unpredictability: Minsc (addled as he is by head trauma), Xzar (clearly mad as a hatter), Tiax (also insane), Finch (a gnome librarian is such an unlikely adventurer--who knows what she may do), Safana (a rogue with no ethical compass whatsoever), Coran (who makes regular references to Timora and his love of risk-taking). And of course the PC cast Nahal's Reckless Dweomer and Chaos Shield liberally. It was also great fun to check out all the excellent spells in the Wild Mage Additions mod.
Now, this line of thinking could extend itself as well to no-reload styles, playing evil, custom parties of multiple PCs such as all-specialist mages, etc. The sky's the limit.
I know we have a number of threads on this. But I'm hoping to get them consolidated into one thread if possible. Looking forward to reading your creative approaches to the game's replayability, and thanking you in advance!
To provide an example of what I'm on about:
Wild Mage and "Chaos" NPC Party
Using the excellent Wild Mage Additions mod, I started a BGT game with a Wild Mage who had a kind of mad scientist (?) 'Chaos Theory' that fully embracing chaos in the Weave should ultimately be rewarded. It a belief that is in the "it's so crazy that... it... just... might.. work!" vein. He assembled a party of oddball NPCs that in some way strongly embodied principles of unpredictability: Minsc (addled as he is by head trauma), Xzar (clearly mad as a hatter), Tiax (also insane), Finch (a gnome librarian is such an unlikely adventurer--who knows what she may do), Safana (a rogue with no ethical compass whatsoever), Coran (who makes regular references to Timora and his love of risk-taking). And of course the PC cast Nahal's Reckless Dweomer and Chaos Shield liberally. It was also great fun to check out all the excellent spells in the Wild Mage Additions mod.
Now, this line of thinking could extend itself as well to no-reload styles, playing evil, custom parties of multiple PCs such as all-specialist mages, etc. The sky's the limit.
I know we have a number of threads on this. But I'm hoping to get them consolidated into one thread if possible. Looking forward to reading your creative approaches to the game's replayability, and thanking you in advance!
Post edited by Lemernis on
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Role play the lost son/daughter who's life has just been ruined by a great evil. (this part is obvious) set out on your plan with nothing on your mind but revenge. You seek out like minded companions for your journey of vengeance. You strive not to help people around you, nor to hinder them, your only goal is to find the man who has killed your father.
Kivan: master archer, fuelled by the loss of his love before his eyes. (Brutally murdered, possibly raped, not nice). He wants nothing more than to see his enemies writhe in agony before they are finally put out of their misery. Kindred souls one could say.
Branwen: turned to stone, for Branwen using such an attack is the method of a coward who daren't stand his ground against her. She wants a rematch, and she wants her assailant put in the ground.
Imoen: The cheerful rock in the group, hiding many dark secrets. Her loss has been building, pent up inside and one wonders how long will it be before she breaks.
Shar-teel: All she needed to know is it was a man you were hunting and her hatred flared up. She was almost instantly on board.
Viconia: Cast out from her home, her family obliterated she is left with no where to go but the surface she so loathes. Hated from the start, she is quite happy to join you on your quest for vengeance, as long as she takes on some surfacers along the way.
This was one of the funnest games I ever played. It was a multiplayer game using six PCs.
I was tempted to make all six party members specialist mages. But I feared the complete lack of healing and thief skills would become too tedious. And because there are four robes of the arch-magi in the game, I ultimately decided on four specialist mages instead of six.
Rounding out the party were a cleric and a mage-thief.
human conjurer - TN
elven enchanter - LN
human necromancer - LE
gnome illusionist - LG
elven cleric - NG
half-elven mage-thief - CG
The goal was to rely on magic every bit as much as possible. Magic! not swords! (sorry Minsc)
The specialists all cast their own school's spells first and foremost. So right out of Candlekeep the Conjurer was casting Grease, the Enchanter was casting Sleep, etc. The mages resorted to using a weapon if-and-only-if they were facing immanent death.
I used the same approach for the cleric and the mage-thief. The only exception I made to this rule was to have the mage-thief backstab liberally with a poison dagger. After completing a backstab she'd start spellcasting, though. She'd cast Invisibility on herself after backstabs as needed.
It was hairy in the beginning but that is exactly what made it so much fun. I remember I actually felt scared for them at level 1. I was relieved when they could sideskirt an encounter when most of their spell slots were spent, even though they would only be facing off against gibberlings and such. I marched them down to Nashkel by actually staying off the main road, as it was clear to this high IQ bunch that's where bandits and monsters were hanging out to prey upon vulnerable travelers.
Anyway, by the time they reached Cloakwood this band of wizards was actually very powerful.
It actually make the ToB ending make sense.
Oops, didn't mean to turn this into another of my conspiracy threads.
The PC is a NE elf sorceress named Selene, whose initial motivation is to show up the old wizards at Candlekeep who ridiculed her for wanting to be an adventurer (this isn't canon as far as I know, but I tend to think of Candlekeep as this bastion of conservative patriarchy - Ulraunt seems like the type who would scoff at the thought of female adventurers). Her anger has given way to a hunger for power, though she's smart enough to occasionally play the role of hero (if there's profit in it).
Jaheira: Selene's second-in-command, whose husband was tragically killed when he stumbled onto a nest of gnolls unarmed and unprepared (good thing Jaheira doesn't believe in resurrection, because Khalid might have implicated Selene in his death). As a Neutral character, she finds Selene somewhat distasteful but recognizes that the Furies are ultimately restoring balance to the land by fighting Sarevok's forces.
Shar-Teel: A group of women taking on one of the most powerful organizations in Baldur's Gate? She couldn't sign up fast enough.
Imoen: The token Good character and Selene's childhood friend. Like Jaheira, she doesn't always agree with the things Selene does in pursuit of power, but her loyalty is never in question.
Viconia: Selene has mixed feelings about the drow. On the one hand, a matriarchal society sounds like a dream come true; on the other, their preoccupation with scheming and treachery means they never actually get anything done. Still, she and Viconia get along well.
Edwin: The Red Wizard's dreams of leading a harem of women were dashed when his companions tricked him into wearing a Girdle of Gender before letting him join the group.
Korgan: With original member Shar-Teel missing in action, Selene was forced to accept a male warrior into the ranks of the Furies. Korgan proved himself in the battle against Irenicus, but was eventually ejected from the group in favor of Selene's brother Sarevok.
Yoshimo: A temporary replacement for Imoen - few tears were shed when his betrayal was revealed.
---
As for the EE characters, I'll be using Dorn instead of Shar-Teel (the token male and Selene's eventual love interest) and, depending on her alignment, Neera may replace Edwin.
These are some that come to mind for me:
The PC
The RP concept is organized primarily around how one intends to play the PC. This will almost certainly involve the class or kit, but above and beyond that includes a more imaginative concept. For example, a Fighter-Thief could be conceived as the type of character who has always planned to one day hire him or herself out as a bodyguard along the Coast Way, and trained as as such at Candlekeep. His or her thieving skills were then not acquired for the purpose of criminal activity, per se, but overall for general protection of clients. A bard might be driven by a desire to amass his or her own book personal book collection, and/or to learn as much as he or she can about the region in taverns and by striking up conversation with just about anyone. And so on.
A Particular NPC Party
Here one has in mind some sort of theme that assembles a particular party. We're all familiar with an all-evil party. But sometimes we can develop it a bit further conceptually. In the example I gave above, the PC was looking for companions who were, best he could tell, strongly inclined toward unpredictable behavior (although they needn't have been of Chaotic alignment specifically). Anyway, there's obviously many types of themes that one might dream up. Shawne above created a party of strong women in a feminist vein. Similarly, one might simply want to create a party of shorties--i.e., halflings, dwarves, and gnomes only. Or maybe an elven blood-only party. Perhaps a party consisting exclusively of mages. Etc.
Game Mechanics and/or Competitions
Probably the most popular style in this category is "no-reload" in it's various permutations. There's also the "speed game" which is usually a competition. Quartz had a neat idea of a using your onw IRL stats to create a character accordingly and see how far you can get without reloading. There's probably a lot more ideas that could be generated along these lines.
MP Custom Party
Here one plays a singleplayer game but in MP mode and creates multiple PCs. I gave an example of such a party above using specialist mages.
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/7190/a-good-aligned-half-orc-paladin
My main character is Rash'avel Beluun - a Chaotic/Neutral Wild Mage. He is a firm believer that the deepest secrets magic, and life itself, have to offer are rooted in their chaotic nature. He approaches magic differently from many wild mages who are simply too ambitious or naive to accept what consequences come from magic's reckless use, but rather he seeks out these anomalies, embracing what he might learn from them.
My character disdains those who push the boundaries of their own magical ability simply to achieve some luckily beneficial result. He views them as weak-willed individuals unable to cope with or accept an unpleasant or even disastrous outcome of their experimentation, who praise their own ability in success and excuse their failures as simple misfortune.
While he does not explicitly worship Beshaba - Goddess of Misfortune, he wishes her ruinous 'blessing' on all - himself included. How well one receives her blessing will separate the strong and learned from the weak & simple-minded.
As companions, he has sought out individuals who also revel in chaos & decry laws as a way to limit and restrict an individual's true potential, namely: Tannyn Ten-Tongues - the half-elf jester, Cryek - the blackguard, Arianne - the elven thief, Brutta - the half-orc lady barbarian, and a female dwarven priest of Talos known only as The Crackling Hammer.
Here are the character stats and portraits for each (if you're interested). To strike a balance between hardcore AD&D character generation (a single roll with no reallocation), and rolling for 45 mins, I chose to record the first 50 rolls for each character, choose one, and reallocate a maximum of 5 points.
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Rash'avel Beluun
Race: Human
Class: Wild Mage
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Attributes
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 18
Charisma: 18
(I swear to god I rolled those legit as described above, moving 5 points from my 12 strength to 'max out' constitution, intelligence, and charisma)
Weapon Proficiencies:
Darts +
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Tannyn Ten-Tongues
Gender: Male
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Jester
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Attributes
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 13
Charisma: 15
Proficiencies
Pick Pockets: 60
Weapon Proficiencies:
Crossbow +
Longbow +
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyrek
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Class: Blackguard
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Attributes
Strength: 18/00
Dexterity: 9
Constituion: 17
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 14
Weapon Proficiencies
Two-handed Sword ++
Two-handed Weapon Style ++
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arianne
Gender: Female
Race: Elf
Class: Thief
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Attributes
Strength: 18
Dexterity: 19
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 14
Proficiencies
Move Silently: 30
Find Traps: 30
Pick Pockets: 35
Open Locks: 50
Hide In Shadows: 30
Detect Illusion: 0
Set Traps: 10
Weapon Proficiencies
Short Sword +
Shortbow +
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brutta
Gender: Female
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Barbarian
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Attributes
Strength: 19
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 19
Intelligence: 6
Wisdom: 11
Charisma: 14
Weapon Proficiencies
Long Sword ++
Two-Weapon Style ++
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The Crackling Hammer
Gender: Female
Race: Dwarf
Class: Priest of Talos
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Attributes
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 6
Constitution: 19
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 18
Charisma: 9
Weapon Proficiencies
War Hammer +
Sword and Shield Style +
I've only just started with them, but I can't wait to really dive into the game
I think the main value of this sort of thing is that while players may not use exactly what is described, it inspires folks to create their own, or play around with some new ideas and take them wherever.
Good parents just bad childhood took up thieving skills (Bounty Hunting) then became a cleric for hire later in her life, She looks innocent but is very much likes keeps everything to herself for her own personal advancement (NE - Neutral Evil), she only parties with thieves / bards as they can relate to each others.
I should have been keeping custom journal entries for when I kill off NPCs and rob people, but oh well.
It gets more interesting in BG2 though, because I know how I want to play it. When CHARNAME witnesses the mighty power of Irenicus, he has an epiphany that true, monumental power can only be achieved through magic. Thus, I'll dual him to a mage (he's human, and I planned his stats for this). I'll continue his psychopathic manipulation of others, pretending to care about my sister and all the while stabbing people in the back and seeking out Irenicus for his own personal gain.
Twisted, eh?
Spell-Hater Party: A wizard-slayer seeks vengeance against spellcasters of the realm due to some atrocity from his/her past (I would not presume to tell you how to write your character's backstory, this is a raw outline). The wizard-slayer recruits only those with no spell-casting ability, including those who would theoretically someday learn spells such as bards, paladins and rangers. You could build PCs for this, or just recruit fighters and thieves and/or Rasaad from among the NPCs. For the group members who can use magic items, they focus on potions of invulnerability or magic resistance and gear that increases saving throws or that negates elemental damage or status effects.
Systematic Thieves Party: A group comprised of all thieves (or those with thieving skills) seeks to amass all of the wealth of the Sword Coast. To that end, they systematically invade every room of every house and inn of every zone in the game and steal anything that has a gold-piece value (they might not bother with quarterstaffs and clubs, for example). Your goal is to steal everything that isn't nailed down in the whole game of Baldur's Gate that you are capable of stealing. This is a concept I have used for a thief in Elder Scrolls games (including pickpocketing the armor off of sleeping guards), but it could expand to a party of rogues for BG:EE.
Finally, a ridiculous character idea: The Jerk. Generally it pays to be nice to people, but somehow even with Gorion as your mentor you just turned out to be a complete jerk and bully, and you don't CARE what they think or how they feel. Throughout the course of the game, always pick the nastiest, meanest, most callous dialogue options in all situations, even when it screws you over or kills an optional quest. You can only recruit NPCs if the text to turn them down isn't flippant and rude (or no moreso than the text to recruit them).
I will do a run where I can only pickup one npc per chapter, and associate each npc with a chapter. I will not split pairs, but if I take a pair I cannot take an npc on the following chapter. The list I will use will be something like:
Chapter one -
Imoen
Monty & Xzar
Jaheira & Khalid
Kagain
Garrick
Neera
Kivan
Chapter two -
Rasaad
Minsc & Dynaheir
Edwin
Dorn
Branwen
Chapter three -
Xan
Safana
Shar'teel
Viconia
Ajantis
Chapter four -
Coran
Eldoth & Skie
Faldorn
Yeslick
Chapter five -
Quaylie
Tiax
Alora
Should make for an interesting party setup, and will force my party to gradually grow as I progress through the first part of the game.
Boozer von Gluggenheim(CHARNAME)
Kagain
Montaron
Quayle
Tiax
Alora
Yeslick and Alora don't really get along with the others, but the female thief seemed more appropriate than another cleric(there aren't that many magical slings to go around). I'd usually summon a hoard of undead and have my party throw things at the enemies while they were busy bashing bones.
I also have a tendency to hoard potions and never use them, so I also gave my character a shtick where he drank anything he picked up - cursed potions, potions from the carnival, whatever. Even if it was a buffing potion, he usually got it after the fight was over. His party tried to make sure they picked up the potions after he lost a permanent point of constitution drinking the toxic sludge from the Nashkel Mines.
Human
Blackguard
Lawful Evil
High Strength
Average Dex
High Constitution
Above-Average Intelligence
Average Wisdom
Above-Average Charisma
History
Sword practice with the guards and playing pranks with the assistance of Imoen were about the only things Drake enjoyed in his early life in Candlekeep. He was fascinated by magic and when Gorion's lessons delved into matters where swords, sorcery, and adventure were involved. Drake longed for power but had no real aptitude for the arcane arts, and he longed for adventure but was essentially a prisoner in the library fortress. Reading through texts Gorion had expressly forbidden while Imoen "kept watch" and boredly made paper gliders out of some of the "less-priceless" tomes, Drake's intense ambitions and dark studies drew the attention of a fiendish entity. The being introduced itself as Goldhorn, and offered to fulfill Drake's desires. A young and foolish Drake asked for a portion of the being's power, and to leave Candlekeep forever. Goldhorn granted the first wish immediately, and promised the second when Drake had sufficiently honed his new gifts, in exchange for Drake serving as the demon's champion. Years later, Goldhorn ordered his other agents in the world to leak Drake's location to Sarevok, and the long wished for adventure was inexorably set in motion.
Personality
Dark knight and darker patron share a lot of qualities. Both Goldhorn and Drake fancy themselves beings of their word and gentlemen, preferring to persuade and outwit first, and brutally slaughter later. They are both quite vain, with Goldhorn's name being as much descriptor as identifier, and Drake wearing armor and wielding weapons with filligree and chasings of gold to match. He is generally in good humor, calm, and is never shy with witticisms. This also extends to violence, wearing a pleasant smile as he lodges a crossbow bolt in a victim's throat. Harming or taking his possessions or his friends (which are also his possessions) is one of the few ways to get him angry, and his reprisal to such acts is always swift and bloody. He does not, however, attack the defenseless, and believes this elevates him above other villains.
Blargh, sorry, but I never find good portraits. I just use the new portrait of the guy with the gold armor for Drake.
Also, I forgot to mention that Drake's party is meant to more or less mirror Sarevok's inner circle of goons.
Drake = Sarevok; duh.
Viconia = Tamoko; dangerous exotic beauty and lover.
Edwin = Semaj; evil wizard douche bags, go!
Tazok = Dorn; half-breed murder machines, go!
Kagain = Angelo; business-savvy mercenaries.
Also, Safana, because adventuring parties need thief skills!
The chaotic neutral wussy bi kensai/mage brother and his suspiciously-close over-protective chaotic evil fighter/cleric (or plain cleric) sister.
The party will be:
Dorn - for pairing with the male pc, seducing him from neutral to evil.
Minsc - because I loves me my Boo. And my Minsc.
Imoen - For the thieving skills, dualling into mage.
and either/or
Neera - Because I've never had a wild mage before, and she sounds neat.
Rasaad - For pairing with the female pc (if he accepts evil fem romance) / because I've never had a monk before.
Christina Whiteblade: (LG Human lvl 9 Inquisitor)
Str 18/76, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 18
Bastard Sword **
Axe **
Flail*
Sword and Shield Style **
AC -4, THAC0 7, 98 HP, 10-16 damage
The idealistic leader of this intrepid troop of indentured individuals, Christina leads from the front, protected by heavy armour and shield as well as the unshakable faith of a paladin. Her distrust of magic and her ability to nullify its effects lead to the mangling of many a malignant mage at the edge of her bastard sword!
Gorumal Mordak (NG Half-Orc lvl 10 Berserker)
Str 19, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 8
Two Handed Sword ****
Crossbow *
Two Handed Weapon Style **
AC -4, THAC0 3, 97 HP, 15-24 damage
A brawny and burly bruiser whose barbaric bestial nature is honed with brutal blade brandishing bar-excellence! Never far from the blood pumping brutality of body-on-body battle this Half-Orc combines barbaric rage and brilliant bladesmanship, brandishing a bloody two handed sword and a bulwark of metal as his blade sunders foe from limb in a bloody rain of battered body bits!
The Silverstream Siblings (CG Elf lvl 10 Swashbuckler and lvl 9 Archer)
The scintillating sideshow of the Silverstream siblings surprises and slaughters in a symphony a swordsmanship and shooting!
Str 18(20), Dex 19, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 12
Katana **
Two Weapon Style **
Open Lock 100, Find trap 100, Pickpocket 100, Move Silently 30, Hide in Shadows 30, Detect Illusion 0, Set Trap 50
AC -4, THAC0 6, 62 HP, 15-24 damage
In a dizzying and dashing display of danger and daring-do watch as Elinaria Silverstream dances from foe to foe leaving a trail of death and dismemberment in her wake! Her twin katanas making her among the deadliest of combatants the Black Pits have ever seen!
Str 18/79, Dex 19, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8
Longbow *****
Longsword *
Single Weapon Style *
Two Weapon Style **
AC 1, THAC0 -5, 73 HP, 15-20 damage
Able to draw the mightiest of bows, capable of skewering a galloping gibberling's eye at fifty yards! Moredanel Silverstream makes most marksmen look like rank amateurs, from silencing mages permanently with an arrow to the throat to the humiliation of shooting a giant in the knee there is no feat of marksmanship beyond this elf and his mighty compound bow!
Jamina Fiddlefingers (LG Gnome lvl 8/8 Cleric/Illusionist)
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 8
Wahammer *
Mace *
Sling *
Sword and Shield Style *
AC -7(buffed), THAC0 11, 33 HP
Lore 43
Fascinating, fabulous and fast-thinking this gnome is the fulcrum from which many of this group's battles have been moved. Her combination of illusions, offensive magic and clerical powers have turned many a tough battle into a resounding victory!
Timral Lorsen (NG Half-Elf lvl 10 Sorcerer)
Str 12, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 9
Staff *
Sling *
AC -5(buffed), THAC0 15, 51 HP
This stoic sorcerer has almost impressed me with his deadly array of magical misfortunes for his unfortunate foes. At least his favoring for fire makes cleaning the pits easier as it usually requires only sweeping the ashes away.
Behind the scenes stuff!
For a start, the whole Baeloth inspired introductions was simply spur of the moment on the initial post. Was on a bit of a high from finishing The Black Pits and my creativity took my common sense and ran away with it lol. Probably took me about an hour or so to put the post together once I worked out a way of getting the portrait files up on imageshack to fit the format here.
This group is a perfect example of my 'perfect' party. I have 3 melee characters with a mix of raw damage and tanking. I have two arcane and a dvine spell caster. Used to think always two divine as well, but starting to come over to just the one, with a well built party you really don't need two. A thief for locks, traps, etc. (wow what a waste THAT turned out to be... yeah I just ate the traps on the thief round) and a ranged expert.
For some reason in this I was somewhat RP conscious from the start, I was actually feeling a bit icky about an elven archer and an elven swashbuckler just happening to be in the same group or in the same place at the same time... then I thought of having them siblings and the brother/sister duo sprang instantly to mind, they form a pretty natural partnership and you could easily see them traveling together before hooking up with the others.
Stats, well again here I was somewhat RP conscious, I didn't just want a perfect group of perfect being aside from their dump stats. But there was an ulterior motive... Notice how almost everyone has pretty good Int despite not really needing it? Yeah, that was me anticipating a battle against Illithids. Still, it sounds good on paper for RP as it would take a pretty smart group to adapt to the changing conditions of The Pits and come out alive. OK sure the leader is the dumbest of the lot, she's a frikken paladin, what the hell can you do about it?! Rolling stats for these guys is a nightmare, you'll see that even at 10 Int her Dex and Con are comprised.
Portrait selection, that was fun. Half of them come of the El Gigante portrait pack on the dropbox.. yeah I DLed the entire pack. However there was still a few of them that didn't really fit, Christina, Moredanel and Jamina came from Canou's pack, DLed them separately and had to rename them as I saved them to not overwrite any from El Gigante's pack.
Christina was looking for a strong, female shield user who actually wore armor, not metal lingerie. Chose that one because it fit the bill and as a bonus it also had something of a paladin feel about it.
Gorumal was a bit hard, a good aligned, plate wearing Half-Orc who isn't brain-damaged is not an easy bill to fill for a portrait. Most tend to be either obviously evil, obviously barbarians or obviously had their head used in a soccer game as a baby. This one did fit in the end as I was doing a berserker so that screaming look captures that moment of skill meeting savagery.
The Silverstreams, wow did I make this hard on myself. There are tooons of male elf archer portraits and female elf rogue portraits. But I wanted something that showed they where siblings, a similarity of style, and something of a carefree air to both of them. In the end I really like the two I chose, perhaps not 100% happy with Elinaria's portrait but it fits pretty well and with a ranger for a brother a woodland scene is far from inappropriate. Moredanel really gives the personality to the pair though, his skill at archery is simply absurd, but he's not some deathly serious avenger of nature, he's almost as much of a rogue as his sister.
Jamina, you know how hard it is to find female gnome portraits? Like, at all. But this was far from a compromise, this is I think probably the best fitting portrait of the party, really does give a sense of power and mystery that perfectly suits a Cleric/Illusionist.
Timral, I was actually questioned about his real alignment, and that's exactly the impression I wanted to give lol. Wanted something a little different from the 'Pyromancer in the middle of a fireball' or the 'Wise sage reading a tome' or the obviously good aligned mage. This guy is a sorcerer, I wanted someone who looked... a little questionable, he intuits magic and cares little for the rules and traditions of those who 'study' it instead.
Can't really think of much else to add now so I'll stop before boring everyone to death.
I'm currently doing a "Playthrough Driven by Roleplay" of BG:EE + BG2 + NWN1 + NWN2 (using the same character for the whole saga)
Name : Torgar Shadowsun (Chaotic-Neutral)
Classe : Mage
Attributs : [Strength: 8] [Constitution: 10] [Dexterity: 8] [Intelligence: 18] [Wisdom: 16] [Charisma: 14]
Description : Sort of Random playthrough, mainly with only one companion, as Torgar isn't a very sociable person.
Traits: (some have been changed because of the story)
- selfish
- like to see his companions like pets (not slaves)
- is a man of great ambitions
- respect gods, but has no faith in them
- always searching for new knowledge, and particularly magical ones
- was trained by his father Gorion, the only man he has ever trusted, and he has a very deep respect for him
- always seen Imonen like a little pest, always glued to him for no reason
- possess a very high intelligence and he's very proud of it
- has only respect for people more powerful or more intelligent than him, the rest of people are just decoration, tools or things of no importance
- don't like fighting, but like to see his pet fighting, and don't like to be disapointed by a pet
- normally very calm, but can become angry if jealous, or if disappointed by a pet
- only loyal to himself, lying isn't a problem
You can see me playing (when i can) on twitch:
The archives are on Youtube too:
And i'm currently reviewing the BG:EE playthrough to Highlights the best times (fights and events), to compile them into a playlist:
Mishale LE Half-Elf Bounty Hunter
Str 13, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 12 Wis 9, Cha 18
Crossbow *
Dagger *
Open Locks 40, Find Traps 25, Pickpocket 35, Move Silently 20, Hide in Shadows 20, Detect Illusion 0, Set Trap 30
Note on Alignment:
Mishale is Lawful Evil, the Lawful component of this comes from her logical and meticulous personality as well as a love for the mechanical (locks, traps, crossbows, etc.) rather then anything resembling a respect for the 'Laws' of society. Theft, murder lies and deceit are simply tools to be used at the appropriate times.
Gameplay:
Mishal is going to remain the party leader for reasons I'll describe later in the roleplay. As such using a different formation that places her in the center of the party when adventuring. Moast of the time she'll be using a crossbow at range, looking to gain The Army Scythe, even using that to lure enemies into her snares and ambushes from the rest of the party. Although not trained at stealth until much later, perhaps not even until BGII, Mishale will be using gear to bolster her stealth abilities (Worn Whispers, Shadow Armor) as well as taking advantage of Invisibility when she feels a backstab is appropriate, looking to gain the Dagger of Venom to maximize these for someone not comfortable in full on melee combat with only a backup weapon. And yes, I'm well aware that BGII has stronger shortbows, but crossbows best suit her mechanical fixation.
Roleplay:
The powerful have enemies, enemies that will pay to have the head of their enemy handed to them. That at least is what Mishale thinks about Saravok, the death of Gioron is not a tragic blow for her, She has long felt stifled by Candlekeep and its Watchers.
Several ineffective attempts of bounty hunters to kill her only serve to give her an icy rage at their inefficiency. Those who are powerful surround themselves with the powerful, no one person can take on such a group. And so Mishale sets out to gather a group as ruthless and powerful as herself, to become the most successful band of bounty hunters the Sword Coast as seen.
The Party:
Mishale: The leader of the group, smart, resourceful, logical and ruthless. Tired of the bumbling of those calling themselves Bounty Hunters she's set out to show the entire Sword Coast how to claim the bounties of the most cunning and powerful.
Dorn: The brawn of the group. This unholy warrior on a quest for vengeance is the perfect accompaniment to someone who cares only for results and efficiency.
Kagain: The bulwark of the group. When you need someone to hold the attention of a target and survive it's hard to go past a dwarf, and this one is as tough as the granite halls of his kind.
Viconia: The healer of the group. No plan is ever perfect, nothing goes as planned. That is when you need someone to patch the holes, and the wounds, and bring divine retribution down on the foes. Recognizing the special talents a Drow could bring to a group of bounty hunters likely to face many a spell caster there was little hesitation.
Edwin: Sometimes you just need more warm bodies to distract, bewilder or pummel your targets. And the Red Wizards of Thay are the masters of this tactic. The fact that he seems to be trailing a target of his own shows that he has the right mindset for the group.
*SPOILER*: Another Drow, and a sorcerer to boot. Looking misused and angry, and also a sense of power lost, but even still... spell casters of this magnitude should never be ignored.
Behind the scenes stuff again:
Race - I'd originally thought of going an evil gnome given their penchant for all things mechanical, but I wanted to do a female one... remember what I said about finding female gnome portraits? Having two drow in the party I felt another Elf would be going to far, and a Halfling started to have a faint smell of cheese about it. I also wanted to go through the entire BG saga a pure thief so a non-human would remove temptation to dual-class later. Considered a dwarf for a bit, but couldn't really feel a personality forming and a Half-Orc stank of cheese even more than a Halfling. So in the end wound up with a half-elf, and this suited the character very well.
Portrait and personality - The portrait really took a long time... wanted something different to the 'scantly-clad-female-thief' nor did I want an assassin or archer. The portrait I chose in the end suggested to me a bounty hunter waiting in a tavern for a contact, and from this much of the rest came to mind. A bounty hunter(kit) to me was someone who loves traps, the intricacies of the mechanical and as such a very logical, meticulous and mechanically fixated personality came to mind. Someone who sees the world in terms of puzzles and the tools to solve them in a logical way, a very natural fit to a Lawful Evil alignment. I've always enjoyed taking a more sophisticated view of the alignments, I prefer to see alignments in terms of personality traits rather then just immediate actions.
Level 10 Berserker (Completely modeled after Guts from Berserk, sorry I was just kind of having a bromance with that Manga again for the first time in years.)
Chaotic Neutral
+++++ Two-Handed Sword
++ Two-Handed Weapon Style
18/00 STR
18 DEX
18 CON
17 INT
14 WIS
9 CHA
After surviving Baeloth's Arena in a trial by fire with his mercenary comrades in arms Guts has found himself back home in Candlekeep for the first time in years. Bored out of his mind, but wondering what to to do with himself. He has received no word from anyone else from his unit after the Djinn they liberated teleported them away from that Duegar hellhole.
The man he calls his father though, seems to be a wreck...and secretive at the same time as to why. The guards who trained him as a youth still think of him as being a child, as do the sages and townsfolk who helped raise him, so he doubly frustrated by Gorian's lack of forthrightness concerning what's been troubling him while having to endure being teased for the first time several seasons.
Wearily he agrees to travel with his father for a time, hoping that the inns of the realm will lead to some clue as to what happened to the rest of the Band of the Hawk.
After going to the inn to say his goodbyes to a few family friends, and helping people out with a couple errands as per usual...a few sorry vagrants make an attempt at his life. Of course they were no match for a seasoned veteran with his kind of training...but it angers him to no end that someone really is trying to kill him and his father. Inciting the berserker rage that troubled him as youth to come to light once again in a most violent manner.
Of course, after their departure from Candlekeep...things immediately became worse with the tragic murder of Gorian weighing heavily upon him, even in his nightmares. His foster father refused to stick together while they were pursued by a highly trained force and recklessly sacrificed himself in such a way that haunts him to this day. He knows he could have helped him...but he chose to defer to his father out of respect, and he blames himself because of this.
But he will have his vengeance, and it will be slow. Not swift...and terribly satisfying.