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End Game Decision - What's your choice? (Massive spoilers)

Wandering_RangerWandering_Ranger Member Posts: 175
This is actually quite a deep conundrum surrounding the concept of freedom, so this question is rather philosophical in nature because it delves into the nature of who we truly are.

Throughout the entire saga you struggle against overwhelming odds, battling through the wilderness, cities, even politics and religion. You love, you lose, you literally die, and you return to life. You have known friends, enemies, and betrayals. What an adventure it has been! Finally, the long road ends and the conclusion arrives in the form of a difficult choice:

1. Godhood. Become the next Lord of Murder. This choice is of the power-seeking evil path, but it is so hard not to want it considering everything you have been through. After all, who wouldn't want to be a God? The temptation is great. Apart from being evil, however, this choice is also the choice of "not-freedom" (you are a slave to destiny and have never made your own path in life - you were just an actor in a script, a creature born to fulfil a prophecy). If you choose to follow the path of Godhood, you have never escaped your sire's shadow and will merely be Bhaal Junior. But it is a satisfying choice to make because the story "ends" there. Your goal is accomplished. There is closure. (Please do not argue that you could "overcome" this dark essence and somehow be a force for good - there is absolutely nothing in the game to suggest this, and much to suggest the opposite. Such an argument is the mere wishful thinking of having your cake and eating it. This is definitely a choice of succumbing to power, evil, and darkness, which is the whole point behind such a difficult decision at the end of a long saga.)

2. Freedom. This is the good or neutral choice. Your own path indicates that although you have given up on Godlike power, you are also choosing a path of independence. The entire saga can be viewed as an overwhelming task you had to do in order to throw off the chains of your birth. After it is over and done with, you are ready to cast away the shadow of the past and be truly free for the first time - no more prophecy, nothing you HAVE to do... Just life as you wish to live it. Whether you want to be a farmer or an adventurer, mercenary, Baron or anything else is entirely up to you. Though you do not get to be all-powerful or immortal via this choice, it is the choice of the person who wishes to be truly free, no matter the cost (ie, giving up Godhood). This can be incredibly satisfying too, if chosen, because the story does not "end" there - you can imagine all sorts of different things the Bhaalspawn gets up to post-TOB. But perhaps some people like definitive closure so this would not appeal to them.

Who knows? The choice is yours.

The point of this poll is what did you choose and why? Obviously for those of us who have played the game more times have experienced both paths, but this question is asking you what would you choose if *you yourself* were making such a decision? No reloads, no do-overs: Just a one-time choice.

It doesn't matter what you picked on your first playthrough, or tenth. All that matters is that you've thought thoroughly about this decision and are able to make up your mind one way or another. What is the right choice for you and why?

It is a very strange decision to make because it seems counter-intuitive in many ways. Surely, as a God you would have attained ultimate freedom, because you have so much power. Yet it isn't. The true path of freedom lies in not being ultimately powerful in this instance. This choice would be one of freedom if you had chosen this path for yourself. For example, what Irenicus was trying to do is a choice born of freedom. He isn't a Bhaalspawn but wanted Godlike power. He *freely* chose that path. Ditto Amelyssan. You didn't (nor did Sarevok). You were born into destiny, and the question remains: Will you shake yourself free of it, or be chained to it - but as a God?

"Weak," mortal, and free? Powerful, immortal, but a slave to both destiny and a taint within?

(I have not presented a third option because the game itself doesn't give us one.)

Godhood, or Freedom?
  1. End Game Decision - What's your choice? (Massive spoilers)103 votes
    1. Godhood
      37.86%
    2. Freedom
      62.14%
ArctodusJuliusBorisovCrevsDaakOrlonKronsteenNightingaleNoobaccaGenderNihilismGirdle
«134

Comments

  • tbone1tbone1 Member Posts: 1,985
    Freedom, because I'm a card-carrying Libertarian. Of course, being a libertarian, I chose the card (seven of diamonds).
    OrlonKronsteen
  • KurumiKurumi Member Posts: 520
    Freedom, because I/my chars never could be THAT evil (even if they are sometimes a "lil" bit evil) *^_~* !!!
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    i can pretty much see 98% of my charnames never becoming a god. even the most jerk chrname would rather stay a mortal then deal with that.

    and if they have a romance that is a big red flag for no godhood.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    edited February 2017
    Godhood

    Just like to point out the game doesn't make it clear that you cannot overcome the evil taint. The Solar even offers to stand by you and help you overcome any evil taint so that you can become a force for good. The epilog even says as much.

    Anyway, so why Godhood?
    Immortality, quite simple.

    I like to play as human or at least half human and throughout the game the short lifespan of humans is mentioned many times.
    You finish TOB and what are you, heading for 25?
    So less than another 20 years and the effects of aging will be felt. The adventuring/fighting life style will have taken it's toll, chances are health problems will start to show up ect.

    Meanwhile, a lot of those you meet will be looking forward to hundreds of years more.
    I think that would affect humans in the FR more than the game deals with (obviously that's not in the games remit).

    So as an extended lifetime is not on offer, I'd go for Godhood, (though I might try and haggle about it, "you can have the "taint" back and lock it up safely but in return, couple of hundred years at least please").


    OrlonKronsteenGoturalRohenDharius
  • Wandering_RangerWandering_Ranger Member Posts: 175



    Just like to point out the game doesn't make it clear that you cannot overcome the evil taint. The Solar even offers to stand by you and help you overcome any evil taint so that you can become a force for good. The epilog even says as much.

    Throughout the entire game, you are dealing with the evil within, from the nightmares, to the transformation into the Slayer (an avatar of Bhaal himself). At the very end, depending on your alignment (and possibly reputation), Solar tells you that AT BEST your future is uncertain. However, one does not take up the mantle of being a deity of murder if they are truly good. The game itself is clear throughout that it is not the good choice of the two.

    The reason the Solar offers to stand by you is because she knows the difficulty of keeping the taint within, and she doesn't want to see you succumb to it (she is also impressed by your resilience). If you were taking up the mantle of a god of love, for instance, there'd be nothing to worry about and she would light-heartedly send you on your way. The heaviness of the dialogue between you and the Solar, as well as your companions before the final choice indicates that choosing to succumb to your destiny is not a path of good. At best, it's a path of extreme optimism.

    In any case, we can nitpick at such things forever. The larger point here is that those who chose freedom are choosing not to be defined by their birth. Even if the choice was to be a god of love the argument would still be the same.

    If you choose Godhood, you are a slave to destiny and prophecy. If you choose Freedom, you are finally your own person outside the parameters of your birth. Nothing defines you any longer except yourself (in many ways, that in itself is godhood!).

    I am personally stunned by how many people chose freedom. An overwhelmingly one-sided response.

    It is very pleasing to see that there are enough individuals here who value their own freedom (both spiritual and material) above even things such as Godhood and immortality.
    ThacoBellMirandelDaevelon
  • KuronaKurona Member Posts: 881
    Spiritual freedom doesn't exist in the FR setting. Even if you remain mortal your soul is owned by the god you worship anyways, and failure to worship anyone will have very dire consequences. Your poll is really biased, it should simply be Godhood/Mortality.

    I pick godhood because I'm a contrarian at heart and both Cyric and the Solar attempt to push you into remaining mortal. Though you could make a case about the Solar employing reverse psychology -- Ao is the only one who could have sent it your way and it's not a stretch to imagine he wants to see ascend a god who does his job correctly.
    OrlonKronsteen
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    Murder the murderers and murder for the good of realmkind... would that work then?
    OrlonKronsteen
  • KurumiKurumi Member Posts: 520
    edited February 2017
    I really could imagine a neutral char becomming the god of murder who (like Kelemvor [later] for his domain) would see the portfolio more or less as some kind of neccessary/natural part of the realms and who strives to keep the balance of things (it would still be very hard - much harder than to deal with the death domain).. BUT.. I really doubt, that a good char could ever claim (or better said "maintain") that portfolio.. murder is an evil act no matter why you did it and you simply couldn't do enough good to balance that out and keep a "good" alignment.
    ArctodusThacoBell
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,211
    Didn't do all this stuff for nothing. Lost too much not to be rewarded for it.

    Also... GODHOOD. Come on.
    CrevsDaak
  • luskanluskan Member Posts: 269
    Can I be the God of Beer? It'll be around long after the Gods are long forgotten. :D
    CrevsDaak
  • Wandering_RangerWandering_Ranger Member Posts: 175



    Either you wanted responses and can accept that others do not agree with you or you shouldn't have started this thread.

    It's a little rude to imply that people who gave the "wrong" response, in your opinion, do not value freedom.

    Maybe by ascending, you truely gain freedom because you would be freed from the constraints of your birth/upbring?

    I am simply presenting a point of view. I accept anyone else's, but will disagree accordingly.

    I did not say they do not value freedom. I simply said that Godhood, as presented to us by the game, is not freedom, so it was interesting for me to see how many people value power over personal freedom.

    As for ascending as a way to attain freedom from the constraints of your birth? No. Ascending is the culmination of your birth and upbringing (because you are fulfilling the prophecy). It is not freedom from it. Freedom from your birth would imply casting aside the prophecy and venturing freely into the world, finally in charge of your own destiny, unfettered by the shadow of your past.

    I am not responsible for people's reactions to my points, by the way, and I sense some sort of agitation from your end. There is no need to be defensive.

    This is why I said it is a philosophical question. It all comes down to what you value more: Power (Godhood), or personal freedom. You seem to be uncomfortable with the fact that you value the former more than the latter.
    ThacoBell
  • profanitywarningprofanitywarning Member Posts: 294
    yes, yes. Godhood=slavery. Freedom=slavery. I thought this was a poll.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    @Wandering_Ranger

    Judging from your response you seem to have a very narrow definition of freedom.

    So you don't ascend, and then what?

    Will you still need money/food/shelter?
    I presume so, and like most, have to compromise freedom to obtain them.

    Will you have to fight and carry on fighting to stay alive when you know full well that there are going to be many who would prefer you dead just in case the "taint" is still a part of you?

    Will you have to justify the choices that you have made?
    Will you be judged?
    Will you have to answer for the slaughter that has followed the Bhaalspawn, as the others are all dead, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Charname became the one to carry the can.

    I'm just wondering what form you imagine this "freedom" will take?

    Being free to make choices doesn't mean freedom to me. It's not having to make choices at all because you have ascended beyond where choices have to be made. All possibilities are open.
    NumptyRohenReal
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    Classic "Crevs votes before reading all the OP and chooses what his PC would instead of what him [Crevs] would".

    Honestly, Godhood isn't even an option for me, I'm almost 18 and I've found myself bored on so many situations, I would never ever consider extending my lifetime to an indefinite amount of time. No way sir, I've already had enough by now.

    Also, this:
    image
    Oh, this thread made me realise that I haven't finished the entire Trilogy since before BG2:EE was launched I think. My original BG2:EE run is stuck in ToB (old bug in Hexxat's Quest + Single Save Slot killed it for me, besides I lost interest in it), and even if I did a bunch of SoA runs I was too lazy to get into ToB.
    OrlonKronsteenJuliusBorisov
  • NumptyNumpty Member Posts: 5
    I'm usually a nice player but I would choose godhood just for for the chance to capture and torture Solar for eternity. She annoyed me so much. In my last game I did good deeds for the entire saga, I was pretty much a paladin in all but title. And then near the end a bug(?) happened... for some reason a fat guy appeared in my pocket plane and wandered around saying he wished all the bhaalspawn were dead. So I turned off AI and tried to avoid him, but later on he wandered too close during a challenge and was killed by Valygar, which caused my rep to plummet. And because of that one bad mistake Solar told me I had evil ambitions that rivalled even Bhaals and that I will surely fail for my folly... oh and that I disgust her.

    And freedom is no choice at all unless you're suicidal. You think you can relax on your turnip farm? You will die the moment you let your guard down because there's so many people, factions, liches, etc that want you dead. And don't forget there's still a 100,000 gold bounty on your head! Godhood is your only hope.
    DJKajuruOrlonKronsteenGoturalgorgonzola
  • Wandering_RangerWandering_Ranger Member Posts: 175
    edited February 2017

    @Wandering_Ranger

    Judging from your response you seem to have a very narrow definition of freedom.

    So you don't ascend, and then what?

    Will you still need money/food/shelter?
    I presume so, and like most, have to compromise freedom to obtain them.

    Will you have to fight and carry on fighting to stay alive when you know full well that there are going to be many who would prefer you dead just in case the "taint" is still a part of you?

    Will you have to justify the choices that you have made?
    Will you be judged?
    Will you have to answer for the slaughter that has followed the Bhaalspawn, as the others are all dead, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Charname became the one to carry the can.

    I'm just wondering what form you imagine this "freedom" will take?

    Being free to make choices doesn't mean freedom to me. It's not having to make choices at all because you have ascended beyond where choices have to be made. All possibilities are open.

    It isn't I who has a narrow definition of freedom, it is you. Mine is extremely broad.

    This actually reminds me of an individual I had an argument with surrounding the concept of free will some years ago. His argument was "we don't have free will. If I jump off a cliff, I don't have the will NOT to fall,or will myself to fall up."

    This individual, like you, simply doesn't understand what freedom is and is making null arguments because of that.

    Of course you will need food, shelter, and surprisingly enough, air to breathe as well. Needing these things does not entail being not free, just as not being able to fall "up" doesn't disprove the existence of free will.

    Being able to make your own choices, your own mistakes, and not being bound by anything (especially a concept like prophecy, which reduces people to mere actors in a script they did not write) is the very essence of freedom.

    Your definition of freedom is... what, exactly? Floating in aether for eternity and somehow enjoying a perfect existence while needing nothing outside of you to sustain yourself?

    "It's not having to make choices at all because you have ascended beyond where choices have to be made. All possibilities are open."

    This is logically absurd. In your scenario, no possibilities are open, for there are no choices to be made. This isn't the definition of freedom. It's a description of death.
    ThacoBellMirandel
  • Woolie_WoolWoolie_Wool Member Posts: 153
    If you play as a Lawful Good type (especially a paladin) and ascend, I could easily imagine Helm feeling rather threatened by your new position.
  • SmilingSwordSmilingSword Member Posts: 827
    edited February 2017
    Being the Lord of Murder ain't so bad, I mean there is no reason you have to stay just the Lord of Murder. Murder two or three gods with better/more fun portfolios and absorb their realms and powers. Cyric did it to Talona, Eilistraee did it to Vhaeraun, and I'm sure it's happened to other gods too. Aoe can't even get too angry with you because murder is your aspect.

    So you could end up being the Lord of Murder, Parties, Booze, Knowledge and Dragons if you felt like it.

    Nine hells you could just keep on going and off all the other gods but I'd just do one or two to avoid a war. Take over a nice realm, something with little floating islands and endless reverie because there is no way am I living in a creepy demon plane filled with slayers.

    If you're okay with living in a demon realm there is zero reason not to expand your influence further into the pits. Murder or subjugate your lesser neighbors, this won't even get any gods upset with you, demons kill demons all the time. I mean it would be a simple thing to wage a war against most of the major demonic gods, Take Lloth for instants. Start a war with Lloth and you instantly have the backing of the entire Elven patheon, plus probably half the drow patheon.
    inethOrlonKronsteen
  • RelSundanRelSundan Member Posts: 918
    Of course good aligned people could be the God of Murder, and also change his portfolio. Make it up to inspire human beings, who actually are evil, to turn good.

    God of opposite alignment.
    OrlonKronsteen
  • O_BruceO_Bruce Member Posts: 2,790
    I think majority of my charnames would never choose godhood over staying a mortal. The freedom argument aside, there is one thing majority of my charnames would like to keep, and that is their pride as a mortals. As a mortals, they have comrades, friends, lovers, free will to pursue whatever the path they choose. Of course, they also have enemies, but that is not possible to avoid. If my charname, after Throne of Baal, wishes to settle somewhere, it is a viable choice. If my charname wishes to keep traveling, it is up to him/her. If she/he chooses life of a hermit, it's a viable choice, and so on and so on.

    I think that choosing godhood would be equal to throwing everythng that made you who you are away. Also, the power you recieve as a deity is not really yours, but your father's. Where is satisfaction with that, coming to power by not your own strength? There are people who would do that without hesistation, but not I and not majority of my charnames.

    Also, if what was stated by someone in this topic is true (the part about deities owning the souls of their worshippers), then majority of my charnames wouldn't dare to LOWER themselves to these assholes' level.

    That being said, some of my charnames would choose being a deity and would have viable reasons for doing so. Like power-obsessed psychopath or paladin wanting to sacriface his mortality to contribute towards sometihng greater.
    OrlonKronsteenArctodus
  • IrennanIrennan Member Posts: 54
    edited February 2017

    Being the Lord of Murder ain't so bad, I mean there is no reason you have to stay just the Lord of Murder. Murder two or three gods with better/more fun portfolios and absorb their realms and powers. Cyric did it to Talona, Eilistraee did it to Vhaeraun, and I'm sure it's happened to other gods too. Aoe can't even get too angry with you because murder is your aspect.

    So you could end up being the Lord of Murder, Parties, Booze, Knowledge and Dragons if you felt like it.

    Nine hells you could just keep on going and off all the other gods but I'd just do one or two to avoid a war. Take over a nice realm, something with little floating islands and endless reverie because there is no way am I living in a creepy demon plane filled with slayers.

    If you're okay with living in a demon realm there is zero reason not to expand your influence further into the pits. Murder or subjugate your lesser neighbors, this won't even get any gods upset with you, demons kill demons all the time. I mean it would be a simple thing to wage a war against most of the major demonic gods, Take Lloth for instants. Start a war with Lloth and you instantly have the backing of the entire Elven patheon, plus probably half the drow patheon.

    Well, technically Ao does get annoyed at some point. That's why he started the Sundering, resurrected a lot of gods (or gave those who had been drastically weakened and playing low profile--like Mystra, Helm, or Eilistraee--the opportunity to rise again), and then redistributed portfolios as he saw fit (Cyric no longer is the lord of murder, for exaple, Bhaal is again). Also, stealing portfolios does change you. When Eilistraee took Vhaeraun's, she did change: even tho (as Ed Greenwood revealed) she spared her brother (whose consciousness Mystra trapped within the Weave) and then merely borrowed his portfolio, just 4 years of holding it were enough to change her modus operandi. Afterwards--after Eilistraee's and Vhaeraun's return with the Sundering--although they were mostly back to their old selves, that experience still granted them enough reciprocal understanding to choose to no longer war with each other.

    But in this case, things are different. You are claiming what already is partly yours, and you aren't stealing any portfolio. Personally, however, I chose the freedom ending, mostly because being a deity of murder didn't sit well with me, because that would have meant leaving friends behind, and because being a deity changes you (just look at what Kelemvor had to do).

    Post edited by Irennan on
    Wandering_RangerThacoBellArctodus
  • Wandering_RangerWandering_Ranger Member Posts: 175

    Being the Lord of Murder ain't so bad, I mean there is no reason you have to stay just the Lord of Murder. Murder two or three gods with better/more fun portfolios and absorb their realms and powers. Cyric did it to Talona, Eilistraee did it to Vhaeraun, and I'm sure it's happened to other gods too. Aoe can't even get too angry with you because murder is your aspect.

    So you could end up being the Lord of Murder, Parties, Booze, Knowledge and Dragons if you felt like it.

    Nine hells you could just keep on going and off all the other gods but I'd just do one or two to avoid a war. Take over a nice realm, something with little floating islands and endless reverie because there is no way am I living in a creepy demon plane filled with slayers.

    If you're okay with living in a demon realm there is zero reason not to expand your influence further into the pits. Murder or subjugate your lesser neighbors, this won't even get any gods upset with you, demons kill demons all the time. I mean it would be a simple thing to wage a war against most of the major demonic gods, Take Lloth for instants. Start a war with Lloth and you instantly have the backing of the entire Elven patheon, plus probably half the drow patheon.

    You make it sound like a simple thing. Firstly, murdering even one or two other gods would have significant impact, and would force other gods to rise against you as a result of your tyranny. Wars between gods are most certainly not solitaire, or a single player video game. The moment you started killing off other gods, there would be action taken against you.

    Regarding Lolth, Bhaal himself was an intermediary power. You would probably start as less than that, since in Faerun, a god is only as powerful as the number of worshippers they have. You would have close to zero to begin with therefore starting out as a lesser deity and working your way up. Since your portfolio is murder, there is no way to take anyone else's portfolio, therefore the only followers you could attract are evildoers and murderers.

    Lolth is an intermediary deity. Starting a war with her would probably get you annihilated, for she is older, more experienced, has more followers, and is therefore more powerful. The Elven pantheon would not support you, for your portfolio of murder would go against everything they stood for. They would view it as two of their enemies hacking each other to pieces, which would mean less work for them.
    OrlonKronsteensemiticgoddessBalrog99
  • OrlonKronsteenOrlonKronsteen Member Posts: 905
    But there's one power Lolth doesn't have: powerword reload.
    Wandering_RangerIrennanNightingaleGenderNihilismGirdle
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