Minsc is (should be) a rashemen ranger in fact. And for what i heard, this kit has the berserker ability on it. As i told before, the faction or unique kits addition would help to explain many characters.
I would like to see the NPCs of BG1 updated to have some of the kits from BG2. While I don't agree with Mungri about Imoen being a swashbucker (especially since her pitiful strength would not allow for much use with the kit) I do agree with his other suggestions. The other single-classed characters should be considered for kits but only if the kit in question is appropriate for the character and their background.
While the pleas fall on deaf ears, since the current contract would forbid old npc's from being changed in this way (unless im mistaken) Dynaheir should have always been a sorcerer, since if you read "Priests and Wizards of the realms" (AD&D2e suppliment) it describes rashemi witches spell-casting very similar to how sorcerers cast spells.
Aside from contractual limitations, the posts in this thread also serve as a good example of why it can't be done; everyone has a different view on what the NPC's are.
Kivan as an archer is a fairly made-up choice, he's got an arrow in his picture. However, he has a spear just for him and high Str and Con, making him a good frontliner. Maybe he was intended as such, why make him an archer then?
Montaron is a fighter/thief who might talk about killing people a lot but assassin? Maybe just pure thief. Or hack him into a Fighter/Assassin. Some will agree, some will disagree.
Minsc is now a ranger, with a berserk ability (curtosy of his Rashemi background) and an animal companion. Making him a Berserker (and thus, Fighter) or Barbarian removes some of his abilities, but might be more appropriate. Some will say keep him a ranger, others say Barbarian, others say Berserker.
The developers have enough discussions on their hands without inviting another 20ish by kitting all the NPC's. They're very functional without their kits. Let them be.
While I don't agree with Mungri about Imoen being a swashbucker (especially since her pitiful strength would not allow for much use with the kit)
Ok, some people arent very clued up on the use of the swashbuckler kit, base strength is not an issue when dual classing to a mage:
- The AC bonus from Swashbuckler leads to a near invincible dualed mage - The attack bonuses from swashbuckler work with ranged weapons - shortbows, melfs meteors, energy blades all base their attack rolls on dex, which Imoen has 18 of, plus swashbuckler bonuses. - When using Polymorph and Shapechange, Imoens stats are all changed including a much higher strength. - Strength of One / Girdle of Strength / Strength Potions can also be used to turn a low Strength swash / mage into a juggernaught of destruction, and add Tensers Transformation for even more fun.
Swash / Mage as a dual class is vastly superior to a plain Thief / Mage.
Theres already a very popular mod available that turns Imoen into a 10 Swashbuckler / 1 Mage at the start of BG2:
You lost trapping skills for Irenicus's dungeon though, I just simply cheat her into a 10 Swash / 11 Mage, its too much better.
Oh, and in BG1, 5 Swashbuckler / Mage dual class is still a lot lot better than 5 Thief / Mage, such a character is never going to be backstabbing anyway, you want a Thief / Mage multiclass like Jan in BG2 if you want a backstabbing mage.
Drugar - no one said that the kits should be forced. It would add flavor and replayability if we could choose our companions kits when we recruit them.
It makes sense to me to make Minsc a berzerker because he took a blow to his head and became stupid, and he has lines about his berzerker wrath and goes into random rages when his witch dies and stuff.
He is more of a berzerker than a ranger, just like how paladins lose their paladin status and become fighters if their reputation falls too low, Minsc seems like a case of an ex ranger who became a berzerker after getting brain damaged.
In PnP it would be illegal for him to be a Ranger or cast any spells with his wisdom score.
@Tanthalas merge with the linked topic shown earlier?
As for kitting companions, we just need Level 1 Npcs updated to make sure it works with BGEE and everyone will be happy, you take the mod, you choose your classes for NPC's, you can tweak their stats if you want and boom, your own custom army.
I agree with Pacek. I absolutely love Baldur's Gate, I started playing when i was 10. However I have never modded anything and I haven't really delved too deep into anything that isn't what comes with the game. But making some of the characters have "kits" sounds great to me. Expecially the one about Kivan being an Archer. He is by far my favorite character and favorite portrait and he would definitely be perfect as an Archer.
Also since im sure most of this is being said too late to change it. Does anyone know a good site or a good way for me to learn about modding? I guess i've never been a huge fan of changing things because it always seems so unstable to me. Its like people who have a million addons for WoW. I prefer to do as little as possible. But modding for BG sounds quite interesting.
I usually gave kits to most of the NPC's in the game with Level 1 NPCs. I really do believe that some of the NPCs deserved kits... Many of the aforementioned character/kits ARE very popular amongst us, and just saying as Kivan being an archer.... i personally believe that that suits him far better than anything else because he DOES put alot of emphasis on his bow... scouting is part of ANY ranger's arsenal, and besides... it's Kivan. He has a spear... well YEA... if there's an orc in my face, I'm not going to keep a in my hands... i gotta switch so that i don't get ded!!
....anyways.... I always made Gharrik a Jester (so you're not alone) and I love Alora too... made her a burglar... from that mod from that one place.... along with all the other additions that were mentioned above (including giving Khalid Fighter/Mage, goodness knows he needs it.)
Comments
Kivan should be an Archer, Montaron an Assassin, and Minsc a Berzerker.
Imoen would also be a lot nicer as a Swashbuckler.
When I want to play a game with NPCs, I always end up changing them to how I would like their kits to be.
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/54/kits-for-npcs/p1
Kivan as an archer is a fairly made-up choice, he's got an arrow in his picture. However, he has a spear just for him and high Str and Con, making him a good frontliner. Maybe he was intended as such, why make him an archer then?
Montaron is a fighter/thief who might talk about killing people a lot but assassin? Maybe just pure thief. Or hack him into a Fighter/Assassin. Some will agree, some will disagree.
Minsc is now a ranger, with a berserk ability (curtosy of his Rashemi background) and an animal companion. Making him a Berserker (and thus, Fighter) or Barbarian removes some of his abilities, but might be more appropriate. Some will say keep him a ranger, others say Barbarian, others say Berserker.
The developers have enough discussions on their hands without inviting another 20ish by kitting all the NPC's. They're very functional without their kits. Let them be.
- The AC bonus from Swashbuckler leads to a near invincible dualed mage
- The attack bonuses from swashbuckler work with ranged weapons - shortbows, melfs meteors, energy blades all base their attack rolls on dex, which Imoen has 18 of, plus swashbuckler bonuses.
- When using Polymorph and Shapechange, Imoens stats are all changed including a much higher strength.
- Strength of One / Girdle of Strength / Strength Potions can also be used to turn a low Strength swash / mage into a juggernaught of destruction, and add Tensers Transformation for even more fun.
Swash / Mage as a dual class is vastly superior to a plain Thief / Mage.
Theres already a very popular mod available that turns Imoen into a 10 Swashbuckler / 1 Mage at the start of BG2:
http://www.spellholdstudios.net/ie/refinements
You lost trapping skills for Irenicus's dungeon though, I just simply cheat her into a 10 Swash / 11 Mage, its too much better.
Oh, and in BG1, 5 Swashbuckler / Mage dual class is still a lot lot better than 5 Thief / Mage, such a character is never going to be backstabbing anyway, you want a Thief / Mage multiclass like Jan in BG2 if you want a backstabbing mage.
He is more of a berzerker than a ranger, just like how paladins lose their paladin status and become fighters if their reputation falls too low, Minsc seems like a case of an ex ranger who became a berzerker after getting brain damaged.
In PnP it would be illegal for him to be a Ranger or cast any spells with his wisdom score.
As for kitting companions, we just need Level 1 Npcs updated to make sure it works with BGEE and everyone will be happy, you take the mod, you choose your classes for NPC's, you can tweak their stats if you want and boom, your own custom army.
Thanks for the heads up.
Merged the similar threads.
....anyways.... I always made Gharrik a Jester (so you're not alone) and I love Alora too... made her a burglar... from that mod from that one place.... along with all the other additions that were mentioned above (including giving Khalid Fighter/Mage, goodness knows he needs it.)