Shandalar...
Grum
Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100
I used to feel bad about killing him. I usually kill him, just because he is so damned dishonest. "I need you to find my cloak." Doesn't sound to hard? He sends you to a prison full of powerful mages, where there is no escape save for success or death. Even when the Charname is on the verge of death he doesn't help, instead only stepping in when the cloak is in hand. That's just...wrong. So very wrong. And to then teleport out with a half-arsed thanks? He usually gets a sword to the face.
That said, something hit me. Shandalar says that he is the benefactor of the town. Well...what does that actually mean?
(1) A cult takes root in the town, and is very well entrenched. They've got a small army there, with fighters packing full plate and wizards walking around. They've stockpiled expensive potions, and they are trying to bring a daemon back into Faerun. That's pretty bad stuff right there! Shandalar doesn't give two figs about them. Did he stop them? No. Does he help Charname root out the cult? No. He keeps himself perfectly safe, even though he is more than capable of actually being a benefactor.
(2) If you fight him without paralyzing him, he'll throw a fireball at you. He does that in a town square, uncaring of who the blast hits. He could easily throw his wards up and teleport out, and fight you at a time and place where the villagers under his care won't be hurt. But no...he puts all of their lives at risk right there to kill his foes.
In essence: You have a very powerful mage who claims to be the benefactor of a town. He does jack and shyt for the town. He doesn't protect it. He doesn't take any steps to preserve the lives of the townspeople. All he does is wait for powerful adventurers to come through so he can trick them into walking into a deathtrap, where their lives are completely in his hands, for 0 payment.
He might not be "evil" because he at least has the etiquette to trick Charname by withholding important information...but for his jerkery I feel like it's not a complete playthrough if he leaves alive.
Anyone else feel this way?
That said, something hit me. Shandalar says that he is the benefactor of the town. Well...what does that actually mean?
(1) A cult takes root in the town, and is very well entrenched. They've got a small army there, with fighters packing full plate and wizards walking around. They've stockpiled expensive potions, and they are trying to bring a daemon back into Faerun. That's pretty bad stuff right there! Shandalar doesn't give two figs about them. Did he stop them? No. Does he help Charname root out the cult? No. He keeps himself perfectly safe, even though he is more than capable of actually being a benefactor.
(2) If you fight him without paralyzing him, he'll throw a fireball at you. He does that in a town square, uncaring of who the blast hits. He could easily throw his wards up and teleport out, and fight you at a time and place where the villagers under his care won't be hurt. But no...he puts all of their lives at risk right there to kill his foes.
In essence: You have a very powerful mage who claims to be the benefactor of a town. He does jack and shyt for the town. He doesn't protect it. He doesn't take any steps to preserve the lives of the townspeople. All he does is wait for powerful adventurers to come through so he can trick them into walking into a deathtrap, where their lives are completely in his hands, for 0 payment.
He might not be "evil" because he at least has the etiquette to trick Charname by withholding important information...but for his jerkery I feel like it's not a complete playthrough if he leaves alive.
Anyone else feel this way?
10
Comments
While it may be incorrect to stick an alignment label on someone based solely on or two actions, I feel that his refusal to offer Charname any compensation for their efforts and his complete disregard for the townspeople's wellbeing in spite of being their 'benefactor' (supposing that title actually means something), suggest evilness rather than neutrality.
Oddly enough though, I've only killed his daughters once. I mean, it's not like they did anything wrong.
And as to his daughters, I think the only time I killed them was years ago when I mistakenly thought I had to pickpocket their items from them, failed and got into a fight.
So basically I treat him as if he were chaotic neutral.
SHANDALAR (CN hm W25?). This eccentric mage
dwells in a floating house just east of the hamlet
of Ulgoths Beard. This house is a rebuilt,
moored Halruaan skyship. Most folk believe
Shandalar hails from that southern land of
mages and are also sure that hes insane.
Shandalar is a mage of power whos always
experimenting with new spells and new magical
items. Hes trained his three daughters,
Delorna, Helshara, and Ithmeera, to be wizards
of skill W11, W10, and W9, respectively).
They see to the running of his household and
sell the mushrooms produced in the caverns
beneath the house in the Wide in nearby Baldurs
Gate, daily.
Shandalar harnesses lightning from the
many local storms to energize the strange
magical devices he constructs and has a permanent
magical immunity to lightning. He
often strolls about during lashing storms,
laughing amid crackling lightning strikes.
Locals swear Shandalars mushrooms are
tended by mushroom people. Hes also known
to keep treasure hidden deep in his mushroom
caverns for pirates and outlaws who pay
steep annual guarded storage fees. His past
and his aims in life are a mystery. It seems he
wants to left alone to pursue new achievements
in magic.
(From the Ulgoth's Beard section)
Theres nothing else notable about
the Beard except Shandalar, an eccentric
mage who dwells in a floating house just
east of the hamlet. Its actually a moored
Halruaan skyship, its upper decks rebuilt
into a series of balconies, hanging gardens,
gabled rooms, and lightning rods.
Shandalar harnesses the lightning
strikes from the many storms that sweep
over the Beard to energize strange magical
constructs of his own devising and
is said locally to be immune to all harm
from lightning, as he often strolls about
amid the crackling bolts, garments
lashed by the wind, laughing and singing
in the driving storm.
Beneath the wizards house is a
small stone hut fitted with double
doors. This is the entrance to his own
extensive network of caverns, where
several monsters loyal to Shandalar living
mushrooms, locals swear!
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Shandalar
So he is an insane mushroom farming mage. That really does explain alot. Now, if he was selling turnips I might let him live...especially if he could also tell a good tale. Well, I certainly would then. But he is most aggravating to my demeanor, so he must die.
Hmm... maybe it is