I think here is a case where you have to decide which you want more; the meta game outcome, or to follow a role play. If roleplay is important, how about you keep her? You and charname obviously think it's the right thing to do. Xzar and Monty have eachother, they'll be fine. How can you say no to such a charmingly off-putting, bossy half-elf?
It isn't safe for her to travel with you at the moment.
Yes she is being hunted by Red Wizards, but at this point of the game, you know that you are also being hunted by bounty hunters and have narrowly escaped two (even three) encounters.
Having another set of bounty hunters after your party maybe just too much, and you recommend to her to travel to the friendly arm inn, where protection, and a chance of finding a noble paladin to help her defeat her threat are waiting.
I think the fact that as a wild Mage she is inevitably going to set you on fire or drop a cow on you is a perfectly valid reason to kick her ass to the curb.
It isn't safe for her to travel with you at the moment.
Yes she is being hunted by Red Wizards, but at this point of the game, you know that you are also being hunted by bounty hunters and have narrowly escaped two (even three) encounters.
Having another set of bounty hunters after your party maybe just too much, and you recommend to her to travel to the friendly arm inn, where protection, and a chance of finding a noble paladin to help her defeat her threat are waiting.
Noble paladin, domineering blackguard, what's the difference?
Think about it, Dorn's at the FAI. Chaotic neutral, chaotic evil, not much difference there. Neera could use a little (ahem) discipline in her life and Dorn could stand to lighten up a bit. He could be her meat shield when the RW's show up, she can back him up on his mission of vengeance. It's the perfect ship solution.
For my always goody-goody characters, who are basically me, I deplore wild magic as dangerous and irresponsible. I save her from the Red Wizards, (unless she Color Sprays us all to death), preach to her about how she is a danger to herself and others, ask for her gem bag as a reward for saving her life, (which she gladly hands over in relief at not being captured and dissected), and then convince her to stay at the FAI and contemplate the error of her ways.
It goes something like this in my imagination:
Neera: Thank you so much for saving me from the Red Wizards! Here's a nice velvet gem bag as a reward. Say, I'm a powerful wild mage. I'd like to join your company and use my wild magic to help you on your quest! I only make mistakes and fireball the commoners and summon demons into towns and stuff every once in a while.
Belgarath: (waving hand in air) You don't want to sell me wild magic. You want to go to the Friendly Arms Inn and contemplate your life.
Neera: (in dull monotone voice) I don't want to sell you wild magic. I want to go to the Friendly Arms Inn and contemplate my life.
I think the fact that as a wild Mage she is inevitably going to set you on fire or drop a cow on you is a perfectly valid reason to kick her ass to the curb.
I'm more worried about my character's skin and hair color getting changed (it is to my understanding that such can happen). The hair color is simple enough to change back, but changing the skin color is like randomly changing the settings on a television - you have to start over or get a new television. I'd forever wonder if I chose the right flesh tone, or if it was the other flesh tone. Not worth the trouble.
Start new game , come to bergeost to kill spiders/silke and do all the little things solo to get a light level advantage , get screamed at by new NPC "uhh i don't want to help you" no matter she forces me into the fight , knocks me over with spraying colors i die... getting brutalized by the 2 Thugs , same happened THRICE ! since this moment i have a In deep HATE for that NPC ... the only reason i grabbed her was after i read she has the only gembag in the sword coast.
But you want a Role play reason , mmm lets see , you just Lost your Foster daddy and are Hunted yourself , ofc you will take someone in and take the ill will of another Power at you for...ohh yeah the chance of getting blown up by a Mage who cant light a Candle without freezing your toes off...
I tend to run 5 man parties much of the time. The sixth gets cycled in and out, doing personal quests and then leaving. Works perfectly in BG2 as you need a slot for imoen. It lets you help Raasad, Neera, Cernd and Vaylgar. All without messing up your party.
It's tough to turn down a lot of NPCs for role-playing reasons throughout the series (want to RP? Guess you're stuck with Khalid, Jaheira, and Imoen throughout the series, barring some creative headcanon), so I agree that a five-person core party can help ease the pain a little bit. Be nice, help people out, then part ways amicably to pursue your own dangerous quest.
For Neera in particular, her selfish nature comes out pretty early, though, and a perceptive character might see that she's only out for herself. She's fairly dishonest right from the get go, asking for help against "bandits" as if she doesn't know who they are and what they're after. That puts your party in pretty direct danger and even a good-hearted PC might understandably choose to put the lives of his or her companions over that of a demanding and dishonest stranger.
I may love Neera's concept and looks, and I have tried having her in the party, but at the moment she starts saying "they must have gone through advanced bandit school " or "possibly frosty death" she turns me off on the spot.
I may love Neera's concept and looks, and I have tried having her in the party, but at the moment she starts saying "they must have gone through advanced bandit school " or "possibly frosty death" she turns me off on the spot.
Even worse. You wander into the FAI some time later, days/weeks possibly, tired and feeling in need of a rest having been busy sorting out many local problems. And Neera arrogantly assumes you are there to take her back into your party.
I do sometimes wonder if the writers of the new NPC's ever played the game at all.
I believe there's a difference between badly written characters and characters whose personality is aggravating.
Anomen is a good example (and an original NPC while we're at it): he's in no way badly written, but his personality has granted him the nickname "Annoymen" among a lot of players.
I don't think there's anything wrong with the way the new NPCs were written. Sure I've got plenty of problems with the way they were implemented and sometimes with the concept (Dorn is BG's Poochie IMHO), but I wouldn't question the talent of the writers.
But yeah, Neera's an annoying self-centered brat as far as I'm concerned.
The mistake with the writing is that the new NPC's "use" the Charname, the original NPC either "need" the Charname or are simply along for the ride.
It's a subtle difference but for a RPG, it is immersion breaking. So when doing the new quests, you find yourself wondering "who the hell are these self important nobodies dragging me all over the place". And worse, making you do quests that make no sense in the overall concept.
Dorn, evil or not, why on earth would you attack a wedding at the Radient Heart? You're a bhaalspawn not a moron.
Hexaat, why on earth would you allow Clara to be killed? If evil, you would never have agreed to help her in the first place or if you did, you would be killing her for any treasure not some randomer in a coffin.
Rasaad, all that nonsense about the moon Goddess, exactly how much interest would a bhaalspawn take in the petty religious arguments of a few cults? Hey Rasaad, ever thought about worshipping the soon to be God of Murder?
Neera, sorry love, Red Wizards happen to provide the best mage in the game and one who also has entertaining dialog, unlike yourself. There's already a backstory for Edwin, why introduce a character in conflict with a major original NPC?
Good aligned characters could roleplay that they are anti magic to deny her or merely anti wild magic. A good character should find it more difficult to roleplay why Xzar deserves a party slot as he is a necromancer last I checked.
Last time I had a good party roleplay game with Neera my character chaotic good archer became a fallen one. Neera cost the lives of Jaheira and Khalid by summoning a demon. A later fight a fireball centered on the party because of a wild surge killed Imoen and also argo'd baldurs gate npcs. The loss of alignment here was severe. My charname snapped and murdered Neera. Added Edwin which stayed in party through series while charname took on more and more of the nature of Bhal.
I think Neera's is more annoying than Anomen's, but I still think that they are both well written. I have always liked wild magic, too. Neera is a selfish, self-important brat, but at least it's in keeping with her alignment.
@UnderstandMouseMagic , I'm not a Hexxat fan (never used her, probably never will), but to be fair, Hexxat kills Clara because she's hungry. That's kind of what vampires do. They dominate people to do their bidding, and when those people have expended their usefulness, they become food.
@UnderstandMouseMagic , I'm not a Hexxat fan (never used her, probably never will), but to be fair, Hexxat kills Clara because she's hungry. That's kind of what vampires do. They dominate people to do their bidding, and when those people have expended their usefulness, they become food.
Also the main character didn't 'let' Hexxat kill Clara. It happened too quickly to stop.
I mean look at this. She says my main char is heartless and I agree. And he himself would agree.
It's out of character for him to refuse her... It does feel like I let her die.
Was different though, for my playthrough. She said something about being mistaken about 'our friendship' and made it seem like my PC was so much "in the wrong" for disbanding her. So I just oneshotted her with a Magic Missile spell and she fell instantly. Well Level 1 =4 HP? Even my PC has more HP as a Dragon Disciple Got a Traveler's robe. And her staff sells.
PS: I also punched (with bare fists) a very rude kid who "called us" bandits and left her lying unconscious in a heap before leaving the area. Annoying NPCs.... -_-
Comments
Yes she is being hunted by Red Wizards, but at this point of the game, you know that you are also being hunted by bounty hunters and have narrowly escaped two (even three) encounters.
Having another set of bounty hunters after your party maybe just too much, and you recommend to her to travel to the friendly arm inn, where protection, and a chance of finding a noble paladin to help her defeat her threat are waiting.
Why do you always play with the canon group?
Doesn't that get a bit restricting and reduce the game a hell of a lot?
Think about it, Dorn's at the FAI. Chaotic neutral, chaotic evil, not much difference there. Neera could use a little (ahem) discipline in her life and Dorn could stand to lighten up a bit. He could be her meat shield when the RW's show up, she can back him up on his mission of vengeance. It's the perfect ship solution.
It goes something like this in my imagination:
Neera: Thank you so much for saving me from the Red Wizards! Here's a nice velvet gem bag as a reward. Say, I'm a powerful wild mage. I'd like to join your company and use my wild magic to help you on your quest! I only make mistakes and fireball the commoners and summon demons into towns and stuff every once in a while.
Belgarath: (waving hand in air) You don't want to sell me wild magic. You want to go to the Friendly Arms Inn and contemplate your life.
Neera: (in dull monotone voice) I don't want to sell you wild magic. I want to go to the Friendly Arms Inn and contemplate my life.
Neera wanders off dazedly to the north
But you want a Role play reason , mmm lets see , you just Lost your Foster daddy and are Hunted yourself , ofc you will take someone in and take the ill will of another Power at you for...ohh yeah the chance of getting blown up by a Mage who cant light a Candle without freezing your toes off...
For Neera in particular, her selfish nature comes out pretty early, though, and a perceptive character might see that she's only out for herself. She's fairly dishonest right from the get go, asking for help against "bandits" as if she doesn't know who they are and what they're after. That puts your party in pretty direct danger and even a good-hearted PC might understandably choose to put the lives of his or her companions over that of a demanding and dishonest stranger.
You wander into the FAI some time later, days/weeks possibly, tired and feeling in need of a rest having been busy sorting out many local problems. And Neera arrogantly assumes you are there to take her back into your party.
I do sometimes wonder if the writers of the new NPC's ever played the game at all.
Anomen is a good example (and an original NPC while we're at it): he's in no way badly written, but his personality has granted him the nickname "Annoymen" among a lot of players.
I don't think there's anything wrong with the way the new NPCs were written. Sure I've got plenty of problems with the way they were implemented and sometimes with the concept (Dorn is BG's Poochie IMHO), but I wouldn't question the talent of the writers.
But yeah, Neera's an annoying self-centered brat as far as I'm concerned.
The mistake with the writing is that the new NPC's "use" the Charname, the original NPC either "need" the Charname or are simply along for the ride.
It's a subtle difference but for a RPG, it is immersion breaking.
So when doing the new quests, you find yourself wondering "who the hell are these self important nobodies
dragging me all over the place".
And worse, making you do quests that make no sense in the overall concept.
Dorn, evil or not, why on earth would you attack a wedding at the Radient Heart?
You're a bhaalspawn not a moron.
Hexaat, why on earth would you allow Clara to be killed?
If evil, you would never have agreed to help her in the first place or if you did, you would be killing her for any treasure not some randomer in a coffin.
Rasaad, all that nonsense about the moon Goddess, exactly how much interest would a bhaalspawn take in the petty religious arguments of a few cults?
Hey Rasaad, ever thought about worshipping the soon to be God of Murder?
Neera, sorry love, Red Wizards happen to provide the best mage in the game and one who also has entertaining dialog, unlike yourself.
There's already a backstory for Edwin, why introduce a character in conflict with a major original NPC?
Last time I had a good party roleplay game with Neera my character chaotic good archer became a fallen one. Neera cost the lives of Jaheira and Khalid by summoning a demon. A later fight a fireball centered on the party because of a wild surge killed Imoen and also argo'd baldurs gate npcs. The loss of alignment here was severe. My charname snapped and murdered Neera. Added Edwin which stayed in party through series while charname took on more and more of the nature of Bhal.
Was different though, for my playthrough. She said something about being mistaken about 'our friendship' and made it seem like my PC was so much "in the wrong" for disbanding her. So I just oneshotted her with a Magic Missile spell and she fell instantly. Well Level 1 =4 HP? Even my PC has more HP as a Dragon Disciple
PS: I also punched (with bare fists) a very rude kid who "called us" bandits and left her lying unconscious in a heap before leaving the area. Annoying NPCs.... -_-