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Who's the Easter Egg NPC this time?

Maybe there has been speculation about this before, but if so, then I missed it.

Beamdog have a habit of including one more NPC than they announce - Baeloth in BG1ee and Wilson in BG2ee were both unannounced surprises for the players to discover.

So do we think they'll include an unannounced fifth new NPC in SoD? And if so, what do we guess about this possible Easter Egg?

From their post-release comments on the previous occasions, the devs seem to have really enjoyed these surprises, so I reckon they might well do it again. However, rather than another completely new character, I suspect it might be that another of the original BG1 NPCs might after all turn out to be available in SoD, in spite of not yet having been mentioned at all.

Considering that the known list of SoD characters is quite short, I reckon it'd be very welcome to have another option or two, particularly if one or two old favourites could be brought back.
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Comments

  • batoorbatoor Member Posts: 676
    Heh.. walking around with a Gibberling npc in the party would amuse as much as noober.
  • TwentyTwenty Member Posts: 52
    It will be Drizzt ;)
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356

    They've announced that all the BG1NPCs will be available at the start of SoD, but they won't all be available through the entire module (i.e., some NPCs will leave for plot-related reasons, even if they are in your party).

    Of course, I'm taking it for granted that everyone here already knows that by now.

    What may not yet have been so widely noted is how few might be continuing. The current list of original BG1 NPCs available for SoD (except momentarily at the start until scripted departures kick in) consists of only Jaheira + Khalid, Minsc + Dynaheir, Safana, Edwin, and Viconia, just those 7, plus (of course) Beamdog's own-brand NPCs. There's nothing in any of the pre-release clips, interviews, VO list, wherever, to confirm any beyond those 7 who are prominently visible in the clips. Either those 7 really are all there is (and the other 16 are all leaving us), or Beamdog has actually been pretty careful to avoid any accidental revelation of whatever other(s) are available. If the latter, then that'd now qualify as an Easter Egg because they've gone to all the trouble of keeping it secret.

    Even with the addition of the 8 own-brand NPCs, that's still a pretty short list. I've been considering how to construct a balanced party in SoD for various protagonist classes and alignments, and in some cases the current list of known-available characters (coupled with the assumption that those who are paired will remain paired) doesn't leave a lot of sensible choices about who to include. That's what set me wondering about whether there might actually be hidden extras not yet revealed.
  • NhullNhull Member Posts: 37
    I wonder if we will see any further race inclusions as a late feature?
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356

    As for an easter egg NPC, I predict they will make Noober a joinable NPC... or Darryl (no, the other one :wink: ).

    That nightmare possibility has (thankfully!) been ruled out :relieved:, since Trent Oster stated (in the announcement live-stream) that Noober (or his cousins) won't be in SoD.
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356

    What secret?

    The secret of any other joinable NPCs being included, apart from the ones already known. Maybe you've never been responsible for managing commercial secrecy, but I assure you that it's quite difficult to prevent things leaking out when you're being closely watched by people who are eager for news. Everything released has to be scrutinised carefully, and all staff (and other insiders) need strict and specific direction about what they can and can't say, else something will go public before you intend.

    Since there are quite a lot of clips and announcements and interviews and tweets and so on out there, it's now a fairly good bet that either there are no other joinable NPCs except the ones we all know about already, or Beamdog have been deliberately concealing the other(s). The latter is certainly possible, since Baeloth and Wilson were hidden surprises in BG1ee and BG2ee.

    They've stated that all the BG1NPCs (and new 1EE NPCs) are available at the start, but that not all can be used until the end. They haven't said, "well, you can import your party, but most of them will immediately leave upon starting SoD." Some may leave early in the story; others may stick around a while until they are called on some other mission in Amn (or elsewhere); some will stay with you until the end.

    They haven't said when the non-continuing NPCs will leave, true. But their entire absence from any glimpse or mention falls within what I said above - either their absence is because they're indeed absent, or it's because they're being deliberately secretive about them - else by now we'd have seen something.

    Note also that they haven't actually said that all of them are available in the same run, they've instead been careful to say only that all can be imported. Thus the "other" characters which aren't part of your imported party will probably not be found elsewhere in SoD. If any of the "others" (except perhaps Skie, since we know she has some sort of role in SoD) turn out to be available other than by being imported, then I'll be surprised (and therefore regard it as an Easter Egg).

    We do know (from Chris Avellone's interview) that the story structure includes a prologue chapter (revealing which was itself probably an unauthorised slip) in which we tidy up some loose ends from the campaign against Sarevok, before the main SoD plot starts. It's a good bet, both for story convenience and for resource economy, that all of the characters who are going to leave will be doing so before the end of the prologue. The writers may have been able to get away with insisting for verisimilitude that these departures occur at various points during the prologue, rather than all happening together immediately after importing, but if any of them (again except perhaps Skie) are still around when the main plot gets underway, then again that'll be a surprise.

    I don't see how Garrick sticking around until 2/3rds of the way through SoD instead of bolting at the start would make him an "Easter Egg NPC".

    I reckon it'd be an Easter Egg for any hitherto-unrevealed character to have such a large potential role.

    However, what you suggest is unlikely, because if you're going to invest the resources into writing a character into 2/3 of the game, then it's a waste not to let him see it through to the end unless there's some major plot reason (as with Yoshimo), and such a late loss would upset players whose party was settled and relying on that character.

    Also, just because the NPCs are in the demo clips doesn't mean that those NPCs will be around until the end either.

    Well, yes, they might conceivably force-fit the canon party for the start of BG2 by creating some story reason why everyone else compulsorily leaves ... but if so, then that'll have to happen close to the end, because otherwise they'd infuriate all the players for whom the canon party isn't suitable. But apart from the possibility of some such plot device near the end, then of course we can rely on most of the characters in the clips being available throughout.

    They could be including Safana in the demo clips even though she will get whisked away to Tethyr with Coran mid-way through SoD.

    I've pointed out elsewhere that it could be a good explanation for Safana's cameo in BG2 if she is angry at being replaced (perhaps compulsorily) by Imoen eventually returning to the party. But probably quite late in the game (because some of the clips appear to be fairly well advanced in the story), and Coran will probably have left for Tethyr much sooner.

    Maybe you will be joined by a strange mage named On-jay Enicus-Iray. :wink:

    EDIT: Sorry, forgot the standard BG convention for disguised names...

    His name will be: Noj Sucireni

    I think you mean Sucineri Noj, but I doubt we'll meet him. Since David Warner has done a voice-over, there must be some appearance for him, but I suspect it'll be only a cutscene with his henchmen (with the party absent or unconscious) because he's a stranger when we first see him in BG2.
  • FaydarkFaydark Member Posts: 279
    Amazing how so much can be read into so little.

    I'm eagerly awaiting the release to find out what's what =D
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    Faydark said:

    Amazing how so much can be read into so little.

    I'm eagerly awaiting the release to find out what's what =D

    Me too. But while we're waiting, deducing what we can from the meagre data is fun.
  • NhullNhull Member Posts: 37
    I am hoping, without reason, the main antagonist is an Aasimar, and beamdog uses that to bring in the subracial traits from IWD2, just because then I can restarting not only on class, but also racial basis, and NEVER finish the game from 1 to 40. :]
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    edited January 2016

    My memory is notoriously unreliable ...

    Ah, that warms the Cardiidae of my heart, there's nothing quite like a good helping of the old "plausible deniability"! Have you ever thought of going into politics? :smile:
  • shawneshawne Member Posts: 3,239
    Wasn't there talk of a dwarf character @elminster created? Highhammer something-or-other?
  • AstroBryGuyAstroBryGuy Member Posts: 3,437
    shawne said:

    Wasn't there talk of a dwarf character @elminster created? Highhammer something-or-other?

    IIRC, his character is not a joinable NPC in SoD, but @elminster is writing a mod to make him one.
  • RodrianRodrian Member Posts: 426

    I'm going to call a female easter egg NPC this time (Baeloth is Male, is Wilson ever gender identified? Time for a clear female.)

    Shining Lady will be an unexpected NPC obviously..
  • brusbrus Member Posts: 944
    edited January 2016
    Rodrian said:

    I'm going to call a female easter egg NPC this time (Baeloth is Male, is Wilson ever gender identified? Time for a clear female.)

    Shining Lady will be an unexpected NPC obviously..
    Well, it's merely a sweet speculation. :yum:
    I was thinking if some NPC will be avaiable as treacherous Joshimo. Perhaps Bodhi... She's one of the interesting characters which could appear manipulating the SoD plot within the party as puppet master.
    Post edited by brus on
  • GallowglassGallowglass Member Posts: 3,356
    brus said:

    Perhaps Bodhi... She's one of the interesting characters which could appear manipulatimg the SoD plot within the party as puppet master.

    No way. Not only too over-powered, but also we meet her as a stranger in BG2.

    People keep suggesting, in various threads, that we'll somehow meet various BG2 characters in SoD, but I'd have thought it should be obvious that we can't be meeting anyone who is clearly a stranger when first met in BG2.
  • brusbrus Member Posts: 944
    edited January 2016

    brus said:

    Perhaps Bodhi... She's one of the interesting characters which could appear manipulatimg the SoD plot within the party as puppet master.

    No way. Not only too over-powered, but also we meet her as a stranger in BG2.

    People keep suggesting, in various threads, that we'll somehow meet various BG2 characters in SoD, but I'd have thought it should be obvious that we can't be meeting anyone who is clearly a stranger when first met in BG2.
    I forgot that. But, Irenicus somehow erased character memories in the beginning of BG2.
    Post edited by brus on
  • FaydarkFaydark Member Posts: 279
    Well ok, if we're designing easter egg characters, I'm going to stick with the theme of the expansion, and also use @GreenWarlock guidelines:

    Female, Dragonborn (heritage of Gnome or Halfling), Dragon Disciple, Neutral Good.

    I think that covers all the bases: Gender, New Race, Class unused by existing NPC and can fit into the suggested power curve =D

    (I've always been a fan of Chromie in that game that shall not be named, even though I really enjoy playing it every now and then).
  • TwentyTwenty Member Posts: 52
    A talking, floating skull will be good!
  • FaydarkFaydark Member Posts: 279
    @Twenty been done already ;)
  • Bhaal_JuniorBhaal_Junior Member Posts: 6
    Balduran's ghost equipped with the butter knife of Balduran would be epic
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    Twenty said:

    A talking, floating skull will be good!

    I believe we will be able to have a ferret NPC...
    deltago said:

    It will be an unlockable Boo.

    Once you do Minsc's personal quest, Boo will be a spawnable critter that attacks for 1 hp of damage and causes blindness.

    You can summon boo in his giant hamster form with the CLUA console. I'm half sure I'm not making it up...
  • ForgottenMythForgottenMyth Member Posts: 60
    If this was 3rd Edition, a high level Minsc would be able to literally turn Boo into a giant killing machine.. Would be spectacular.
  • kcwisekcwise Member Posts: 2,287
    image

    Vala of the Silver Blades!
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