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"Inspire or challenge others" aka Broadening Horizons and learning new things

The idea is simple, if someone comments in this topic, then another person in the topic may challenge them to complete a game of BG or BG2 with certain things that fit their personality, etc, or that they haven't done on the forums.

This could be anything: challenging them to play a certain class or kit; challenging them to play with a certain NPC(s); maybe a mod; alignment etc.

The overall game is still in the hands of the player, this forum is mainly as a nudge to try and help people explore places they've never gone before.

Example: (you don't have to do this) but in another thread @booinyoureyes mentioned that he'd never really used wands, preferring to keep them in his bag of holding rather than using them. My challenge to him would be as follows:

@Booinyoureyes

I'd like to see you play some type of arcane caster (Sorcerer, Bard or Mage), single-classed and:

A. Have all your quick item slots devoted to wands (except when you need to pop a potion if you don't right click/drink potion)
B. If you have a want in your inventory, you may not memorize or use spells of that type (if you're a sorcerer) until the wand is depleted
C. The idea is to see you regularly using wands and understand the impact/different playstyle they can be.

Alignment and NPCs wouldn't matter in this case.

Please note that is just an example. My goal here isn't so much to call people out (maybe they can note things they have problems with when they comment), but rather to help broaden their horizons in the world of Faerun and Baldur's Gate.

Whether or not you decide to do any challenge offered to you is up to you, as is whether or not you decide whether or not you wanna post about playing through it here. Please keep things civil and nice. The idea is still to have fun. Herm..........this might actually work for some of the chronic forum restarters too.

Finally, in no way does this mean that you cannot be playing other BG play throughs on the side.
booinyoureyesCrevsDaak

Comments

  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited December 2013
    LOL. I literally just started a Black Pits game with this in mind after that conversation! I'm doing a "theme party" based off my favorite book series (along with Harry Potter of course) The Dresden Files, where the main character is a wizard who uses a staff to shoot fire and a rod to "blast" people with force.

    Some off topic questions about spells:
    Since I will have a sorcerer, a fighter/mage, a blade and a cleric/illusionist I'm going to just try and use as many different types of spells as I can. So I'm trying to learn new stuff. But my main character will mostly use wands, and will only learn spells other than the wand spells.

    I seem to never use the "debuff" spells, but spells like Horror, Spook and Hold Person seem to fit many of my characters really well, so I will definitely try them. I was wondering if there are any really good spells of this type? I use Chaos sometimes, but I feel like a lot people love the Emotion spells and the Power Word/Symbol spells. Any recommendations welcome!


    For my challenge, I challenge magic-lover @CrevsDaak to do a playthrough with NO pure arcane caster and self-described melee enthusiast @Dragonspear to do a play-through with only ONE pure "fighter-type" (paladin, fighter, ranger, monk, barbarian) character

    Lets kill those comfort zones!
    CrevsDaakLemernis
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    Herm.......might give me a reason to play my cleric mage. Honestly though using that will make BG2.......interesting.

    Multi-class casters ok?

    Also the idea @booinyoureyes is that they comment here, then we challenge them. Although there are some people I'd like to call out beyond that. You came to mind simply because you gave me the idea.

    PS. I just started the Dresdin files on Christmas eve, I'm already on book 3. I disagree (at least so far) at those who claim he's an invoker though.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited December 2013
    What do you think Harry is then? I mean, he's clearly skilled in multiple schools, so a plain mage would be most likely (but NOT a sorcerer... he explains the difference)

    Without spoiling anything, he mentions later how weak he is in illusions compared to another major character that shows up much later in the series and in that world Enchantment is seen as EVIL, particularly by Harry. I'm going to have him learn NO enchantment spells, though I'd like my bard to know a lot of them. Harry also seems to dislike Necromancy VERY much (its also against the laws of magic... not that Harry gives a damn)

    I put Harry as an Invoker because he describes himself as a "magic thug" who's main talent is to blow stuff up and burn shit down. He is also obviously good at Abjuration (bullet proof duster!!!!) and divination too.

    What I like about Harry is that he is by FAR the most chaotic good character I've ever seen while still being a. not an idiot and b. someone I'd support/get behind


    Also the BEST part of the series is when he plays D&D with his friends and is a Barbarian with 5 intelligence. Its just perfect. Then in a short story he complains about how unrealistic the fireball spell is. Good stuff!


    Sorry for possibly derailing your thread, but not really, cuz Dresden is the best ;p
    CrevsDaak
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    No worries none at all. Given that knowledge, and the fact that when he does blow stuff up, its rather spectacular, I guess Invoker would fit.

    By the way, if you enjoy Chaotic Good casters, you should read some books by some strange guy named Ed Greenwood. He has this character named Elminster that you may enjoy.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    Btw @booinyoureyes

    Is multi-class fighter legal?

    If so I'm actually running a party though BGEE atm which is PC Fighter/Cleric and then the Canon party.....d'oh I have Minsc and Khalid >< nvm. Herm, I will have to think on this.
  • Midget_GemsMidget_Gems Member Posts: 8
    Just to follow up the example with wands, I don't usually bother to use them either. Any decent spell-caster would be ashamed to resort to 'cheap' magic such as a wand. But I recently finished a game with no mage, just the 2 Bards Garrick & Eldoth. They blasted everything with wands - helps to get it out of your system
    booinyoureyesDragonspearCrevsDaakLemernis
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited December 2013

    Btw @booinyoureyes

    Is multi-class fighter legal?

    NO!!!! only one, lol. Gotta go with Blades/Swashbucklers/modded-shapeshifters for the challenge!

    okay... how about you can also have a monk if you haven't played one! I think they are awesome, but I kinda hate the lack of weapons because a lot of awesome treasure seems to have gone to waste.

    Or how about a party with no *pure-class* fighter-types, but two duals/multis

    Ranger/Clerics are kinda awesome though, so maybe not that if you are looking for a challenge/breaking new ground for yourself. My ranger/cleric is really enjoyable. I'm playing her and my blade right now, and loving both games
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    @Booinyoureyes

    Nah, only 1 pure fighter is ok. At this point I just need to decide who I'll run in both games. I love backstabbing, so I'm not sure if I'd like having a swashy. On the other hand it is a tank. I might do my avenger with this challenge if I don't try to use every new NPC in the same party.

    Avenger, Edwin, Aerie, Korgan..........already looks like a nice setup and I have 2 more slots.
    booinyoureyes
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164


    By the way, if you enjoy Chaotic Good casters, you should read some books by some strange guy named Ed Greenwood. He has this character named Elminster that you may enjoy.

    I read the first book The Making of a Mage and the first couple chapters of the Myth Drannor book when I was in middle school I believe... I hate to say it but I was unimpressed. I love the world Ed Greenwood created, but found the Elminster story boring and lacking in... characters other than Elminster. I hear the later books get by far better.

    He's also very different than Harry in personality. Harry is the least guarded person ever, and would NOT be very good at disguising his intentions as Elminster does. In fact, he sucks at that, lol. Also he is more brash, easily riled and has a deeper disrespect for authority.

    Honestly, I always thought Elminster should be more Neutral Good like his deity.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    I haven't met anyone who has read elminster enraged (I think the last book) who found him neutral good. I haven't read the early elminster books though.
    booinyoureyes
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    Hi guys! I had a travel of almost 10 hours.. I'm not home so, I will play, anyways.
    I've started a new solo run four days ago, with a half elf female fighter, Valhalla (who is a Valkyrie, but I miswrote her name to Valhala, going to change with EEkeeper I think), now I am in Cloakwood mines, at lvl7, also, @booinyoureyes I think I have to run a pure arcane caster one day, 2/3 of my PCs are multi-class with mage and/or thief.
    Also, I don't think I won't have access to the Internet for a long time, like one day maybe.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @booinyoureyes finished the fighter-solo run!
    Pretty epic, Sarevok was easy, I only did the Ice Dungeons from the TotSC stuff.
    image
    image
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    Now I am going for BG2:EE, with Neera, Dorn, Hexxat, Rasaad and Anomen.
    booinyoureyes
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited January 2014
    @crevsdaak Crevs my buddy! My new challenge for you is to do a NON-CHAOTIC and NON-EVIL play-through!

    I know it is cruel to ask you to go so against your true nature but I believe in your abilities!

    "Your thoughts betray you, Crevs. I feel the good in you, the conflict"
    CrevsDaak
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @booinyoureyes I've done a Lawful Neutral run once, with a wizard slayer/thief, horrible run. But I will hear your idea and I will make a Neutral Good elven fighter/mage/thief, BG:EE and BG2:EE, no XP cap, total cheese and powergaming.
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