NPC Analysis
Jimstrom
Member Posts: 99
Heavily inspired by Dustbubsys very interesting threads about Attributes, i thougt i should try a similar topic, by making an analytic profile of each npc in the games, by using Dustbubsys notes, the character biography and proficiencies, dialogue and personal items.
Also a great thanks to Dustbubsy for his amazing threads about the stats of the npcs
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31384/lets-talk-about-strength#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31495/lets-talk-about-dexterity#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31656/lets-talk-about-constitution#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31765/lets-talk-about-intelligence#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31911/lets-talk-about-wisdom#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/32024/lets-talk-about-charisma#latest
1. Ajantis Ilvastarr
When asked about his past:
Ajantis announces that he is a squire paladin of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart, and that he enforces the power and discipline of Helm.
He belongs to the noble family of Ilvastarr in Waterdeep and has studied swordplay under such luminaries as Myrmith Splendon. His skill and devotion apparently brought him to the attention of the paladin Keldorn, one of the most respected of the Order, who decided to take Ajantis under his wing as a squire.
Recently Ajantis has asked for the honor of becoming a full-fledged member of the Order. To accomplish this, he has traveled to the Sword Coast in order to help curtail the increased humanoid activity in the region. If he succeeds in his quest, the Order will vote on his eligibility for membership. He seems utterly devoted to his mission.
Alignment:
Lawful Good
As a Squire paladin he has to be Lawful Good, espcially when being a squire to Keldorn Firecam himself. Ajantis take his mission to become a full member of the order of the Radiant Heart very seriously. He is also devoted to the god Helm the vigilant one. As a paladin he is seeing the world in black and white, and sense evil everywhere. He respects honor more than anything, and despises evil so much that he is prepared to draw steel against evil party members.
Ajantis will get along with any good party member and even some neutral ones like Garrick and Branwen, however he will not get along very well with Xan.
AJANTIS: There is noting but good and evil, I suspect you are of the latter.
XAN:It seems our resident suicide monger, Ajantis, lives in a black and white world.
AJANTIS: Evil must be purged wherever it is found, even among companions.
XAN: Have you ever wondered how hollow your convictions sound Ajantis.
Class:
Paladin
Paladins are warriors devoted to law, justice, piety and chivalry and are an example to others in society. For this reason paladins can only have an alignment of Lawful Good. They can use all kinds of weapons and armor and have special abilities to fight and protect others from evil,
"Lay on Hands" to heal people in need, "Detect Evil" to easier find evil in his enviorment, and "Protection" from Evil" to protect himself or others against said evil.
Strength:
Class Minimal 12
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for Fighters, barbarians, paladins, rangers, and monks because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.
According to Dustbubsy: It's the benchmark to equip plate mail armour and medium shields, and wield heavy crossbows. For these reasons, I would guess it's the minimum you have to reach if you want to be a professional soldier in the Realms.
Ajantis Strength 17
18 strength is the optimal stat for humans, so Ajantis is in quite good shape, and as Dustbubsy says: Ajantis would reach 18 as he gets more experience. This also shows that Ajantis take his task seriously and workout regulary to be as strong as possible in his devotion to Helm.
"We must always strive to be role models to the meek."
Dexterity:
Class Minimal 3
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This ability is the most important one for rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light or medium armor (rangers and barbarians) or no armor at all (monks, wizards, and sorcerers), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.
9 Dexterity is what is concidered average, so a paladin don't have to be dexterous at all, if he is strong enough to wear armor and wield sword and shield he is fit to be a paladin. (Though a very clumsy and slow one)
Ajantis Dexterity 13
According to Dustbubsy: Reaching the higher end of average, Ajantis being reasonable dextrous for a plate mail fighter. I must stress though that there is no mechanical difference between Dexterity of 7 and 14 unless you're a thief, bard or ranger. Weird, but there you go.
Ajantis is a bit over average on the dexterity scale, and can wield his sword quite well in heavy armor, he is no
grandmaster though, and need his armor and shield to protect himself.
Constitution:
Class Minimal 9
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.
According to Dustbubsy: From a RP perspective Con should generally be a very important stat for adventurers given all the travel involved.
Ajantis Constitution 16
2HP bonus per level up. Once again it shows how devoted to the cause Ajantis is by showing up a quite good constitution just 2 below human prime.
Intelligence:
Class Minimal 3
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.
It shows you just need to be devoted to a god to be a paladin but education and knowledge is not a neccisity.
Ajantis Intelligence 12
According to Dustbubsy: So here we have very intelligent NPCs. Some, like Ajantis and Keldorn, probably did some studying as part of their Paladin training.
As a nobleman and a squire paladin, Ajantis probably had some education as a child and som religous and martial tutoring.
Wisdom:
Class Minimal 13
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important ability for clerics and druids, and it is also important for paladins and rangers. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
To be a paladin you need over average willpower and some common sense and manners, and a keen eye for judging character.
Ajantis Wisdom 13
Here we have Ajantis first weakness as a paladin. As a young squire he has the minimal wisdom of his class, and it shows in his black and white philosophy on life. He is quite naive in that sense, and he judges people just because they happen to be evil instead of investigate in why he is evil. He is devoted to Helm though which is probably why he has over average in wisdom, and i think with experience and tutoring his wisdom would probably increase. His honor is all to him though, and if repeatedly insulted he will draw steel to defend his honor.
"Evil must be purged wherever it is found, even among companions."
Charisma:
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. Every creature has a Charisma score.
Class Minimal 17
Ajantis Charisma 17
According to Dustbubsy: Despite his youth Ajantis commands a very respectable score, which I believe shows how respected paladins are in civilised lands. Their training in courtly behaviour, commanding knights and reputation of moral uprightness...and that shiny shiny armour, make them heroic figures.
He is also well spoken, and quite a gentleman always complimenting women for their beauty, and is also quite defensive of the women in his party if someone is badmouthing them.
"You will watch your mouth around the fairer sex."
Weapon Proficencies:
At level 6 in Enhanced editon Ajantis will have these weapon proficencies:
** B-astard Sword - His signature weapon and also a weapon proficency he shares with his mentor.
In my head canon Sword and Shield is the chosen style of a squire paladin, with the
shield to protect and the sword to deal justice. The bastard sword can also be used
by wielding it with two-hands, which make it a suitable weapon for paladins in
training.
** Two-Handed Sword - He has the strength to wield these swords capably and in Baldur's Gate two-handed
sword seem to be the favorable weapon of paladins, probably because of legends of
holy swords. I also think as they get more experienced paladins drop the shield as
they feel their god is whith them at all times and offer them protection.
* Longbow - As a nobleman he probably have som hunting experience and is capable of using the
longbow.
* Two-Handed Weapon Style - as according to the statement of two-handed sword it seems to be the chosen style
of paladins
Equipment:
When we first meet Ajantis he is seen wearing a Chainmail a medium shield a helmet and a bastard sword. Sadly missing in the Enhanced edition is a unique Purple closed helmet.
Conclussion:
Ajantis Ilvastarr is a young hot-headed paladin in training. He is from waterdeep and is a noble. He was probably tutored in early years and became a squire in his early teens. He is devoted to Helm and respect courage, honor and justice. He is young and quite naive in his philosphy though, and sense evil everywhere. He is however very devoted to the cause and is a well-trained athletic young man, trying to be a role model and a example too all.
Feel free to come with feedback and input to keep the discussion flowing, and also to name which npc i should focus on next.
Also a great thanks to Dustbubsy for his amazing threads about the stats of the npcs
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31384/lets-talk-about-strength#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31495/lets-talk-about-dexterity#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31656/lets-talk-about-constitution#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31765/lets-talk-about-intelligence#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/31911/lets-talk-about-wisdom#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/32024/lets-talk-about-charisma#latest
1. Ajantis Ilvastarr
When asked about his past:
Ajantis announces that he is a squire paladin of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart, and that he enforces the power and discipline of Helm.
He belongs to the noble family of Ilvastarr in Waterdeep and has studied swordplay under such luminaries as Myrmith Splendon. His skill and devotion apparently brought him to the attention of the paladin Keldorn, one of the most respected of the Order, who decided to take Ajantis under his wing as a squire.
Recently Ajantis has asked for the honor of becoming a full-fledged member of the Order. To accomplish this, he has traveled to the Sword Coast in order to help curtail the increased humanoid activity in the region. If he succeeds in his quest, the Order will vote on his eligibility for membership. He seems utterly devoted to his mission.
Alignment:
Lawful Good
As a Squire paladin he has to be Lawful Good, espcially when being a squire to Keldorn Firecam himself. Ajantis take his mission to become a full member of the order of the Radiant Heart very seriously. He is also devoted to the god Helm the vigilant one. As a paladin he is seeing the world in black and white, and sense evil everywhere. He respects honor more than anything, and despises evil so much that he is prepared to draw steel against evil party members.
Ajantis will get along with any good party member and even some neutral ones like Garrick and Branwen, however he will not get along very well with Xan.
AJANTIS: There is noting but good and evil, I suspect you are of the latter.
XAN:It seems our resident suicide monger, Ajantis, lives in a black and white world.
AJANTIS: Evil must be purged wherever it is found, even among companions.
XAN: Have you ever wondered how hollow your convictions sound Ajantis.
Class:
Paladin
Paladins are warriors devoted to law, justice, piety and chivalry and are an example to others in society. For this reason paladins can only have an alignment of Lawful Good. They can use all kinds of weapons and armor and have special abilities to fight and protect others from evil,
"Lay on Hands" to heal people in need, "Detect Evil" to easier find evil in his enviorment, and "Protection" from Evil" to protect himself or others against said evil.
Strength:
Class Minimal 12
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for Fighters, barbarians, paladins, rangers, and monks because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.
According to Dustbubsy: It's the benchmark to equip plate mail armour and medium shields, and wield heavy crossbows. For these reasons, I would guess it's the minimum you have to reach if you want to be a professional soldier in the Realms.
Ajantis Strength 17
18 strength is the optimal stat for humans, so Ajantis is in quite good shape, and as Dustbubsy says: Ajantis would reach 18 as he gets more experience. This also shows that Ajantis take his task seriously and workout regulary to be as strong as possible in his devotion to Helm.
"We must always strive to be role models to the meek."
Dexterity:
Class Minimal 3
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This ability is the most important one for rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light or medium armor (rangers and barbarians) or no armor at all (monks, wizards, and sorcerers), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.
9 Dexterity is what is concidered average, so a paladin don't have to be dexterous at all, if he is strong enough to wear armor and wield sword and shield he is fit to be a paladin. (Though a very clumsy and slow one)
Ajantis Dexterity 13
According to Dustbubsy: Reaching the higher end of average, Ajantis being reasonable dextrous for a plate mail fighter. I must stress though that there is no mechanical difference between Dexterity of 7 and 14 unless you're a thief, bard or ranger. Weird, but there you go.
Ajantis is a bit over average on the dexterity scale, and can wield his sword quite well in heavy armor, he is no
grandmaster though, and need his armor and shield to protect himself.
Constitution:
Class Minimal 9
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.
According to Dustbubsy: From a RP perspective Con should generally be a very important stat for adventurers given all the travel involved.
Ajantis Constitution 16
2HP bonus per level up. Once again it shows how devoted to the cause Ajantis is by showing up a quite good constitution just 2 below human prime.
Intelligence:
Class Minimal 3
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.
It shows you just need to be devoted to a god to be a paladin but education and knowledge is not a neccisity.
Ajantis Intelligence 12
According to Dustbubsy: So here we have very intelligent NPCs. Some, like Ajantis and Keldorn, probably did some studying as part of their Paladin training.
As a nobleman and a squire paladin, Ajantis probably had some education as a child and som religous and martial tutoring.
Wisdom:
Class Minimal 13
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important ability for clerics and druids, and it is also important for paladins and rangers. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
To be a paladin you need over average willpower and some common sense and manners, and a keen eye for judging character.
Ajantis Wisdom 13
Here we have Ajantis first weakness as a paladin. As a young squire he has the minimal wisdom of his class, and it shows in his black and white philosophy on life. He is quite naive in that sense, and he judges people just because they happen to be evil instead of investigate in why he is evil. He is devoted to Helm though which is probably why he has over average in wisdom, and i think with experience and tutoring his wisdom would probably increase. His honor is all to him though, and if repeatedly insulted he will draw steel to defend his honor.
"Evil must be purged wherever it is found, even among companions."
Charisma:
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. Every creature has a Charisma score.
Class Minimal 17
Ajantis Charisma 17
According to Dustbubsy: Despite his youth Ajantis commands a very respectable score, which I believe shows how respected paladins are in civilised lands. Their training in courtly behaviour, commanding knights and reputation of moral uprightness...and that shiny shiny armour, make them heroic figures.
He is also well spoken, and quite a gentleman always complimenting women for their beauty, and is also quite defensive of the women in his party if someone is badmouthing them.
"You will watch your mouth around the fairer sex."
Weapon Proficencies:
At level 6 in Enhanced editon Ajantis will have these weapon proficencies:
** B-astard Sword - His signature weapon and also a weapon proficency he shares with his mentor.
In my head canon Sword and Shield is the chosen style of a squire paladin, with the
shield to protect and the sword to deal justice. The bastard sword can also be used
by wielding it with two-hands, which make it a suitable weapon for paladins in
training.
** Two-Handed Sword - He has the strength to wield these swords capably and in Baldur's Gate two-handed
sword seem to be the favorable weapon of paladins, probably because of legends of
holy swords. I also think as they get more experienced paladins drop the shield as
they feel their god is whith them at all times and offer them protection.
* Longbow - As a nobleman he probably have som hunting experience and is capable of using the
longbow.
* Two-Handed Weapon Style - as according to the statement of two-handed sword it seems to be the chosen style
of paladins
Equipment:
When we first meet Ajantis he is seen wearing a Chainmail a medium shield a helmet and a bastard sword. Sadly missing in the Enhanced edition is a unique Purple closed helmet.
Conclussion:
Ajantis Ilvastarr is a young hot-headed paladin in training. He is from waterdeep and is a noble. He was probably tutored in early years and became a squire in his early teens. He is devoted to Helm and respect courage, honor and justice. He is young and quite naive in his philosphy though, and sense evil everywhere. He is however very devoted to the cause and is a well-trained athletic young man, trying to be a role model and a example too all.
Feel free to come with feedback and input to keep the discussion flowing, and also to name which npc i should focus on next.
Post edited by Jimstrom on
10
Comments
For reference, here are the stats of his fellow knights:
Keldorn
STR: 17
DEX: 9
CON: 17
INT: 12
WIS: 16
CHA: 18
Anomen
STR: 18/52
DEX: 10
CON: 16
INT: 10
WIS: 12 (16 if knighted)
CHA: 13
Compared to his benefactor Keldorn, Ajantis has a big lead in dexterity, slightly less constitution and charisma, and 3 less wisdom. When you consider there's only one point difference in charisma, despite Ajantis only being a squire to Keldorn's minor celebrity status, I would say he must be pretty charming, and has a lot of potential as a leader (far more than Anomen) which makes it sad that he dies in BG2.
Compared to Anomen, he has less strength, more dexterity, intelligence, wisdom (at base) and charisma, showing him a lot more suited to the Order than Anomen. However even though he is more stable than Ano, he still suffers what Xan calls "[living in] a black-and-white world" which I imagine would be a problem for idealistic young paladins without a lot of experience of travelling with non-Order companions, who may not share the same beliefs as them.
i do suggest leaving bg1 tutorial npc out of it.
When asked about her past:
Alora reveals that she was originally from Iriaebor.
As a child she was cute, outgoing, and dangerously curious, causing no end of trouble for her parents.
They tried to curb her lunatic behavior, and encouraged her to be content with home and hearth like other halflings. Alora found this unbearably stifling, and left to explore the world.
She quickly found herself falling into all sorts of trouble, going to the wrong places and angering the wrong sorts of people. Eventually she found herself in the city of Baldur's Gate, and it was there that she discovered her future profession: thievery. Wealth was never her chief concern; it's just that too many interesting things are behind locked doors.
Her unassuming temperament makes it easy for her to hoodwink the authorities, and her sweet nature has saved her from a jail cell numerous times.
Alignment:
Chaotic Good
Alora is goodhearted in nature, but as stated above dangerously curious. she has no trouble in breaking in locked places just to still her curiosity. She has a childlike mind and play on her cuteness and charm to get out of tight spots, she is also quite adventureous and would never settle down in peace. When we first meet Alora she is in the hall of wonders trying to break inside one of the monters in the hall. The Hall of wonders is a museum with inventions and she seem to take a liking to small interesting things. She also have a lucky rabbits foot, which also points at her chaotic nature in relying on luck.
"I like the bustle of the city! So many interesting people!"
"What a great day for adventuring! In fact, every day is a great day for adventuring!"
Alora seem to take a liking to grumpy Edwin and try every way she can to make him a crack a smile, and it seem to be working.
ALORA: So you're a mage? I knew a mage once but he was pretty stuffy. You're not like that.
EDWIN: 'Tis welcome you find no fault with one such as I.
ALORA: Everyone is basically decent, once you get them to unwrinkle their faces.
ALORA: Smile more often ,Edwin. It looks good on you.
EDWIN: Her company is refreshing but I am surprised I find it so.
ALORA: Everyone is basically decent, once you get them to unwrinkle their faces.
she is also fond of Garrick and like his music.
"Play your song again, Garrick. That one I like. Please?"
and lastly she think Boo is adorable.
"Awww! It's just the cutest little hamsty-wamsty! Who's a fuzzy Boo?"
Race:
Halfling
Halflings are short, generally plump people, very much like small humans. Their faces are round and broad, and often quite florid. Their hair is typically curly, and the tops of their feet are covered with coarse hair. Overall they prefer the comforts of home to dangerous adventuring. They enjoy good living, rough humor, and homespun tales. There are three racial divisions of halflings within the Realms: the hairfoot, tallfellow, and stout.
Halflings have the following traits:
+2 bonus to Saving Throws vs:
-Paralysis/Poison/Death,
-Rod/Staff/Wand
-Spell,
with additional bonuses based on Constitution.
+1 THAC0 bonus with slings.
+5% Open Locks,
+5% Find Traps,
+5% Pick Pockets,
+10% Move Silently,
+15% Hide in Shadows.
+1 Dexterity,
-1 Strength
-1 Wisdom.
Class:
Thief
Thieves are rogues who can open locks, steal items, hide in shadow, find and disarm traps, they can't be lawful good for this obvious reason.
Thieves can't wear any metal helmets, they wear leather or studded leather armor and can only use bucklers as shields to protect themselves.
Their array of weapon consists of lightweight weapons such as long swords, short swords, katanas, scimitar/wakizashi/ninjato, daggers, throwing daggers, clubs, quarterstaffs, light crossbows, short bows, darts and slings.
All of the above restrictions can be later overcome by the Use Any Item high level ability, which grant rogues access to almost all items.
All races can become a thief as a profession.
Alora found her calling in thievery and it seem like a good call though her dextreous nature and her halfling heritage make her a natural in thievery. Her small stature make it easy to hide and to climb into small windows and openings. her small hands make her also very good with locks which keep her from the interesting things.
a level 6 Alora will have the following stats as a thief:
Open Locks: 100
Find Traps: 50
Pick Pockets: 110
Move Silently: 45
Hide in Shadows: 45
Detect Illusion: 10
Set Traps: 35
Her best talents is in open locks for breaking and entering in places where she should not be, and pickpocketing which is not mentioned in her biography but fit with her curious and chaotic nature. Since she is usually in large cities where there is more interesting things, she has limited experience in traps hence her low stat in it. her combined stats in stealth make it 90 which make her a quite good at keeping her hidden in the shadows.
Strength:
Class Minimal 3
Race Minimal 6
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for Fighters, barbarians, paladins, rangers, and monks because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.
Strength is important for a thief who is trying to backstab a target, since they need the strength to penetrate the flesh and armor of the target.
Total Backstabbing damage is [(weapon physical damage + proficiency bonus + style bonus + kit bonus + spell bonus + item bonus) x backstab multiplier + strength bonus] x critical hit multiplier.
Alora Strength 8
According to Dustbubsy:
The lowest score, but still not low enough for roll penalties, are represented by the two smallest races, perhaps reflecting that gnomes and halflings tend to be weaker on average. at 8 strength NPCs can just barely wear splint and chainmail, and wield light crossbows.
Due to her small nature Alora is weaker than an average human, but above her weakest kind. As she is goodhearted she has never thought of stabbing someone in the back, hence no need to be strong enough to backstab, she also don't need to carry a lot since she is just looking for interesting small things that can fit in her purse.
Dexterity:
Class Minimal 9
Race Minimal 8
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This ability is the most important one for rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light or medium armor (rangers and barbarians) or no armor at all (monks, wizards, and sorcerers), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.
Thiefs need to be dexterous to lockpick advanced locks, to hide in the shadows without beeing seen, to silently move so no one can hear them creeping closer, and then silently cut the purse of their target or to place a deadly backstab. It also help to be a good archer since thiefs are not warriors, they need to stay away in safety.
Alora Dexterity 19
According to Dustbubsy: Alora go beyond the human limits of dexterity - this is a girl who always land on her feet. I actually imagine Alora as being very feline, squeezing through the narrowest gaps in gates to rob places.
Alora is in the prime of her race when it comes to being dexterous which really fit with her profession.
Constitution:
Class Minimal 3
Race Minimal 10
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.
Thiefs don't need to be healty desperate people turn to thievery though the best thiefs tend to take their profession seriously and need to be healthy to have the stamina to flee if something goes wrong and to manage to climb over walls and fences.
Halflings is a bit more healthy than the average human it seems.
Alora Constitution 12
Alora is a bit over the average score for a human and a bit over the minimal score for a halfling, as a halfling she is a bit more resistant to poison and magic and her constituiton lowers it even more, though far from the constituition of the burly dwarves the halflings can stand quite a lot.
Intelligence:
Class Minimal 3
Race Minimal 6
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.
A lot of halfings live isolated lives with little knowledge outside their own world, probably why they have the low intelligence.
Thieves just need to be dexterous, booksmarts and streetwise helps a lot but is not required however i can't think that a thief would have a very long carrer without having some knowledge and planing before the heist.
Alora Intelligence: 14
According to Dustbubsy: She can think fast but are somewhat immature and folish in her decisions.
Alora is streetwise she is no fool when she breaks in a place, she is careful and has a plan most of the time.
Unlike a lot of her halfling kind she has seen quite a lot and have a higer intelligence, but she is still inexperienced when it comes to adventuring.
"What a great forest, huh? I never seen trees like these before."
"Ooh, this is pretty scary, isn't it? I-I-I mean, I'd be scared with-without the rest of you."
Wisdom:
Class Minimal 3
Race Minimal 3 (2 in Enhanced Edition)
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important ability for clerics and druids, and it is also important for paladins and rangers. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
Thievery is never a wise decision it is wrongfully in the eyes of the law hence thieves are not very wise in the first place, however som intuition and sense of danger has to count in somehow, or the thief could end up in jail or worse.
Seem halflings is quite naive and and foolhardy at their very lowest score.
Alora Wisdom 7
According to Dustbubsy: In relation to Wisdom being in part to do with age, characters with less than average Wis act immature. Alora have a respectable Intelligence (14) but don’t show it, burgling places for no real reason, Note the Chaotic part of her alignment, and her youth.
Here we have Aloras biggest flaw, her curisoty has put her into a lot of danger, and she don't seem to learn from her misstakes. She does have a sense of when something is wrong and will point it out, however she don't seem to think her own actions is bad.
"Please be nicer. You don't want me to pick up any bad habits, do you?"
Charisma:
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. Every creature has a Charisma score.
Class Minimal 3
Race Minimal 3
Alora Charisma 10
According to Dustbubsy: Alora is small and annoying. She avoid a negative modifier through diplomacy, in my opinion – keeping her civil. Alora is cute and can outsmart people, which involves charisma as well as intelligence.
I personally think her charisma is a bit to low, since her biography mention her getting out of trouble lots of time by her sweetness and cute factor.
All people don't find her as charming however, and will point it out to her, also her chosen profession may make people think ill of her.
I think her charisma should be at least 13 to get the positive reaction point-
Weapon Proficencies:
At level 6 in Enhanced editon Alora will have these weapon proficencies:
* Dagger - A light easy to conceil weapon obvisouly not for backstabbing, but for cutting purses and
ropes, and for som manner of self defense just in case something goes wrong.
* Short Bow - Due to her short stature she wold not have the arm length for a longbow so a shortbow make
sense, also her dexterity make her a crackshot with it.
* Two-weapon Style - Her dexterous nature has probably made her ambidexter and she can wield two
daggers with ease, and is probable an ace at juggling and throwing knives as well.
Equipment:
When we first meet Alora she has her lucky rabbits foot which help both her thieving skills and her combat skills. a dagger for defense and cutpursing and a studded leather armor for defense.
Conclussion:
Alora is a young sweet and charming goodnatured halfling who is cursed with curiosity and a need for adventure. She feel most at home in the bustling cities with the interesting people and things behind locks.
She is a very capable and dexterous thief and is quite streetwise. However she is immature and foolhardy and her charm can't help her out of trouble all the time.
Most of all she want to make people happy even when they don't want too. She is not capable to see that her actions is wrong and don't seem to learn from her experiences.
She does have a sense that it is not good to do bad things like murdering and pillaging, or make people unhappy and will take her leave if the reputation is too low.
She does seem to have some kleptomania which fit with her chaotic nature. In my head canon i think Alora is just borrowing the things for a while and will probably return them later (whenever later is).
So that concludes Alora.
Feel free to comment and discuss.
i have also slightly updated the Analysis of Ajantis.
well next NPC should be Branwen
BG
Imoen - Int 17 wis 11
Montaron - Int 12 Wis 13
Safana - Int 16 wis 9
Coran - Int 14 Wis 9
Skie - Int 15 Wis 8
Alora - Int 14 Wis 7
Tiax - Int 10 Wis 13
SOD
Glint - Int 14 Wis 16
BG 2
Yoshimo - Int 10 Wis 13
Jan - Int 16 Wis 14
Nalia - Int 17 Wis 9
Hexxat - Int 14 Wis 12
Nearly all of them has quite low or average wisdom, the one exeption is Glint which i have not played with yet to see if the score fits him or not.
A lot of the men seem to have average intelligence as well with the one exeption of Jan.
Anyway i will come up with my Branwen profile in a couple of days.
When asked about her past: Branwen reveals that she left her home of Seawolf in the Norheim Isles at an early age. She was apparently reviled by her own people for wanting to become a priest, a station reserved exclusively for the men of the village. She harbors no resentment, realizing that her faith must face such tests or be worthless.
She traveled the coast, offering her services to local militias, and eventually came into the employ of an adventuring troup in the Nashkel area. Branwen had no idea that the group was participating in banditry, however, and on their first raid, she balked at attacking a caravan of unarmed merchants.
She rebelled, and a mage named Tranzig turned her to stone in the ensuing fight.
Despite the unfavorable outcome, Branwen feels that Tempus views her actions approvingly. To attack those that are unarmed is the basest of villainy.
Alignment:
True Neutral
Branwen is unfortunaltly quite underdeveloped and it shows in her alignment. A True neutral values balance most of all and don't favor a side, while Branwen clearly is quite honorable and just in her behavior. She respect strong warriors like Ajantis and Kivan, and dispises the heretic Tiax. She also seem to have a moral code refusing to attack unarmed merchants and had no trouble rebelling against her own party. A Templeguard of Tempus need to be an alignment that is not Lawful, and by going by her diaglogue and backstory i think she should be chaotic good, and was probably made Neutral to have a suitable alternative to Jaheira and Viconia.
"I am proud to stand among such strong warriors.
"Our actions are not those of warrior born."
"What sort of craven cowards are we?"
"I can no longer honorably work with such as you."
"'Tis better to die on your feet than live on your knees."
Branwen respect strong warriors, and will give them compliments, she also seem to respect Shar-Teel, but does not like her personality.
Branwen: Shar-Teel seems to have more spine than a lot of the men in this party.
Branwen: You are valiant of action, Shar-Teel. A pity your spirit is mismatched.
However Branwen dispises Tiax
Branwen: Stay well clear of me, you foul speakin' heretic!
TIAX: Tiax and his greatness shall squash you as a bug, you...you...insolent BUG!
Race:
Human:
Class:
Cleric
Clerics are healers, they are the divine priesthood who cast priest spells. Clerics can wear most types of armor, with the exception of mage robes, just like warriors. Their ethos prohibits them from using weapons and missiles with sharp points and edges. In some ways, clerics are similar to paladins. While paladins may use—and become more skilled with—a wider variety of weapons, they have only one alignment and one race to choose from. The cleric class may be used as a dual-class or multi-class option with fighter, ranger, mage, or thief.
Branwen is a Battleguard of Tempus a god of battles, she is a woman which in her culture is not prohibited to become priests of Tempus. She also mentions Auril and Valkur, Auril a godess of cold and ice is probably regulary worshiped in the northern isles she was born in, however Auril is a servant of Talos and is of Neutral Evil alignment. Valkur on the otherhand is a god of sailors, favorable winds and sea battles, and is of the chaotic good alignment. which leaves Tempus the lord of a battles, who is of Chaotic neutral alignment, and is worshiped by barbarians, half-orcs, warrirors and rangers. Maybe this is why Branwen is True Neutral in that she both worship the cruel godess of winter and ice and the patronising god of seafare and finaly the Lord of battles in the middle.
Strength:
Class Minimal 3
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for Fighters, barbarians, paladins, rangers, and monks because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.
Strength is important for a Cleric espcially a Battleguard who finds himself in battle frequently, and need the strength to be able to wear protective armor and defending with heavy clergical weapons.
Branwen Strength 13
According to Dustbubsy:
Around here we find non-combat characters who might like to get their hands dirty (though we won't be getting bonuses to rolls until we hit 16). Flails and halberds are available at 13.
Branwen as a Battleguard of Tempus, have quite average strengtht compared to professional warriors, however she cand wear the platemail and wield the warhammer, and if she have the need she can draw upon holy might and in a jiffy become as strong as a professional warrior.
Dexterity:
Class Minimal 3
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This ability is the most important one for rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light or medium armor (rangers and barbarians) or no armor at all (monks, wizards, and sorcerers), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.
Clerics don't need to be very dexterous thats why they have the heavy armor to protect themselves, however it helps since the only ranged weaponry the cleric may use is the sling, which is used by one hand and probably need som training and dexterity to make it efficent.
Branwen Dexterity 16
According to Dustbubsy: 16 gives you -2AC and +1 when attacking with missile weapons, and didn't the game makers want plenty of people to have this.
Branwen is quite limber and athletic being from a northern harsh culture, probably dominated by men.
Constitution:
Class Minimal 3
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.
A cleric probably need high stamina to be able to wear the heavy armor and weaponry without being exhausted. The probably also need it to recover from the usage of healing and clergical spells.
Branwen Constitution 15
Branwen once again shows that she is quite athletic, whith her stats she coul actually be a quite good dexterous warrior.
Intelligence:
Class Minimal 3
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.
Faith is more important to a cleric than intelligence, they probably need to read some lore and religous texts and probably some know how in healing-
Branwen Intelligence: 9
According to Dustbubsy: Apparently 9 Int is the minimum for using wands and scrolls. Anyway, stereotypical warrior chick from the North, so average Intelligence.
Branwen is from far up in the north and has probably been isolated a big part of her life, which probably has no made her very booksmart, she seem to know her way in battle though.
Wisdom:
Class Minimal 9
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important ability for clerics and druids, and it is also important for paladins and rangers. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
A cleric without wisdom is without faith, it is the faith to their god that give them their power.
Branwen Wisdom 16
According to Dustbubsy: Most of these are priest classes. Obviously they need high Wisdom mechanically so they can be good NPCs, with their extra spell slots. To justify this in RP terms, maybe worshipping the gods as a Cleric makes them impart Wisdom to their priesthood? Having a rock-hard faith in a god, especially a powerful and stalwart one like Tempus, Clangeddin, or Helm, could conceivably do this in my opinion. Otherwise you will run into contradictions – does Sir Anomen, even after knighthood, have the life-experience of a Keldorn? Obviously not, but he does have the blessing of his priesthood.
Branwen clearly has the blessing of Tempus, she values honor and justice, and even respect the wicked Shar-Teel and think she is misguided. She clearly made a mistake though when she had no idea that the party she met in Nashkel was bandits, she want justice on the mage Tranzig who turned her to stone to probably redeem her misstake.
Charisma:
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. Every creature has a Charisma score.
Class Minimal 3
A Cleric probably should be charismatic to gather followers to strengthen the faith of their god, or to intimidate others into joining their god.
Branwen Charisma 13
According to Dustbubsy: OK, here begin the truly charismatic NPCs, who are not leaders but is still charismatic enough.
Branwen is a athletic woman warrior priest from the north, a valkyre, as fierce as she is naturally beautiful. Some might be intimidated by her while others find her attractive and pleasant.
Weapon Proficencies:
At level 5 in Enhanced editon Branwen will have these weapon proficencies:
*Warhammer - Tempus favored weapon is a battleaxe, however as it is a bladed weapon, in 2'nd edition
clerics could not use it. So the next best thing is a heavy weapon made to break stuff.
Branwens special ability is to use spirutal hammer to always have a weapon even when she
is unarmed.
* Sling - As the only ranged weapon avalable to the cleric, and since Branwen is quite dexterous it is natural
for Branwen to have proficiency in it.
* Flail/Morningstar - a lighter weapon made to be used by her strength and able to be swinged with one
arm whle defending behind a shield, in fact all of Branwens weapons is one handed
and since she often mentions Tempus shield it is probably her favored style.
Equipment:
When we first meet Branwen she has been turned to stone wearing nothing except her clothes.
Conclussion:
Branwen is a honorable cleric which suffers from being underdeveloped. I feel she is misaligned and should probably be Chaotic good. She respects honor and strenght but dispises cowardice and heretics. She respect strong warriors, even the wicked Shar-Teel, but dispises heretics like Tiax. She has a moral code and would never attack unarmed people. She had no problem to rebel against her former party when she found out their real nature, and was punished for it. She is maybe a bit stereotypical and could probably use some development like the BG1NPC project.
So that concludes Branwen.
Feel free to comment and discuss.
next NPC would be Coran
Also, a cleric of a battle god should be strong. 13 is above average, but maybe 15 would be better for RP purposes.
Her alignment seems okay to me. I don't know the FR gods, but a war cleric wants to fight. War requires disciple because it's chaotic, but that means you need to,improvise as well. Branwen seems to be more about honor than alignment. She's probably more good than evil, but more anti-evil than good.
That's my take, anyway.
4. Coran
When asked about his past, Coran reveals that he hails from the Forest of Tethir, and while he has great memories of his time there, the serene lifestyle he felt it offered was ultimately not for him. Instead he traveled to the city of Baldur's Gate, dreaming of wealth, power, and respect.
With nary a coin to his name, he resorted to thievery, stealing only from those that he felt could spare it, and swearing that he would quit once he had enough gold to start his own business. Unfortunately, he soon grew to love his new lifestyle, looking forward to each hair-raising escape, dangerous break-in, or beautiful woman.
Occasionally, he would need to leave town for a while, disappearing into the wilderness until things had cooled down and his name was less known. His most recent retreat is apparently the result of a relationship with the female sorceress Brielbara. He sheepishly admits to being caught in the act of seducing a female member of the Knights of the Unicorn and being forced to flee from the violently jealous mage.
Alignment:
Chaotic Good
A lot of people seem to not agree with Coran's Alignment.
ZaramMaldovar Says:
"Original Alignment: Chaotic Good
Suggested Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
This is perhaps the biggest case of mistaken alignment in the entire series. Coran shows very few redeeming qualities. Now of course, Coran is NOT an evil man. We don't see him stealing from the poor or killing innocent people, but Coran is too much of a selfish jerk to be Chaotic GOOD.
When we first meet Coran he seems to be motivated entirely by greed and will threaten to leave the party if the quest for Wyvern heads is not given top priority.
Any sensible Chaotic Good character if they discovered evil was afoot would change their priorities at least until the matter was properly settled before returning to their own pursuits, whereas Coran does not.
Now other people have pointed out Coran treating women like objects and abandoning his children but while these are terrible things to do they alone aren't enough evidence in my opinion to warrant him not being good as every alignment is more complicated than it appears. However when you combine these two you get a man who is motivated completely by the self, which does not align with the typically selfless principles of Chaotic Good."
SharGuidesMyHand says :
"He's a career thief, thrill-seeker, philanderer, and worst of all, a deadbeat dad - IMO, he's the epitome of CN."
DreadKhan says:
"Coran clearly cannot be good, as he has an afair with a married woman. Also, he takes 0 responsibility for his kid/mother of his child. 1st one is EVIL (prudery!), the 2nd issue though seels the deal as a Jerkass CN."
Jarrakul says:
"I find Coran a somewhat complicated case, in that his motivations for adventuring are hugely important in assessing his alignment. The womanizing and lack of parental responsibility are clear black marks against him, but he is constantly out risking his life to kill dangerous monsters.
If he's doing that for the good of other people, that may well outweigh his non-trivial faults. If he's doing that because it's fun and gets him laid, it doesn't redeem him at all. I'd argue that his dialog strongly implies the latter, so I'd be happiest with him as CN."
"I don't really see Coran as heavily motivated by material greed. He's on a job when you recruit him, sure, but taking money for your work doesn't imply greed. From what little dialog we have of his, I'd say he's more of a thrill-seeker and a hedonist, and if he's getting paid for it then that's great. Neither of those are black marks against him, but nor do they do him credit. And, as we both agree, there are other things that *do* earn him black marks.
And yeah, there are definitely cases where cheating might be sufficient for an "evil" label by itself, but I'd argue those are pretty extreme cases. I don't think we really disagree on the whole, though."
My thoughts_
Now Coran, i can see why some people would like to change his alignment to Chaotic Neutral, his actions is not good in the sense of abandoning his newborn child, and clear out wyverns for money, however, when we first meet him in the Cloakwood forest, he is in the middle of a quest to hunt down wyverns which the townfolks are mistaking for dragons. He is under a contract by the governor of Beregost Keldath Ormlyr so he has a reason to be out there looking for wyverns other than greed.
he is discribed as a charming rouge character only stealing from the people who can afford it, and mostly for the thrill.
When he meet Brielbara in Baldur's Gate, he at first seems hesitant and overwhelmed of him having a daughter, but he agree to help Brielbara either with his friends or alone which seem like a gesture of some responsibility. However when Yago's been dealt with Coran once again dodge responsibility and is once again gone on another adventure.
The dialogue goes like this:
Brielbara: Coran! So you've come back to the city coward. What brought you back? Are you looking for another girl to seduce with your deceitful promises? Perhaps you'd care to know that you have a daughter,
Coran: I have a daughter? That's......that's ahhhhh wonderful.
Brielbara: Surprised, that your fling had it's consequences. My husband was none to pleased when my daughter turned out to be a half-elf. Yago went into a fury, nearly killed me in fact. If you care to remember Yago was a mage of some power, power enough to curse our child to an early death. Little Namara won't live to see her first birthday. He's gloated to me that he possesses the reverse to the spell, but he won't give it to me. Since you're her father Coran you're going to find Yago and YOU ARE going to get the reverse to the spell from him.
Coran: Her name's Namara....curse, what curse? Slow down and let me....
Brielbara: Yago has been spending his night at the Low Lantern, it's just another despicabel whorehouse disguised as something classier, Yago has spent all of his time there since he left me. He's rented out a room somewhere on the ship, just find me his spellbook and bring it back to me. I shoul be able to reverse the curse if i had the right formula
Coran: Allright i'll do this for my ummmmmmmm...daughter. So friend's are you with me or not? Cause if you're not i'll have to do this alone.
After dealing with Yago the dialogue goes:
Brielbara: What about you Coran? Are you planning on leaving again? Not even trying to be a father....
Coran: I'm Sorry Briel, but i just don't have the time or inclimination to care for your..... i mean our child.
Brielbara: Maybe some day you'll grow a spine elf!
His chaotic part is far easier to explain, he is a free spirit adventurer, he is a thief, and a constant womanizer even going as far as having affairs with married women. Some of his quotes perfectly match his chaotic nature
"Luck be a Lady"
"I think my new responsibility will be a great deal of fun."
"Life is adventure or nothing."
"Great peril yields great beauty."
"Wherever fate takes me."
"The storm is always preferable to the calm."
"The essence of pleasure is spontaneity."
And he is always complimenting beautiful women in the group especially Safana
"Sometimes, Safana, I find myself attracted to you... despite your shallow, spiteful demeanor."
"If you weren't such a self-serving wench, I... don't think I'd find you half as attractive."!
This is a Quote from TV trope about the Chaotic Good Alignment
"Freedom Before Goodness are those who are more Chaotic than Good. They value freedom, and feel that they and others should be free to pursue their own desires — it just so happens that what they desire is to do good. They do not see doing good as a "duty" and may actively resent any attempts to compel them to do good even if the stakes are high, but will probably end up doing them anyway, justifying their actions by saying that this is what they want to do. They are also the type most likely to get annoyed by being called "The Hero" or something similar. This is also the type most likely to be a Loveable Rogue who commits crimes for their own gain, but balance it out with Never Hurt an Innocent and doing lots of good elsewhere in their lives."
I think it suits Coran quite well, Chaotic Good means little regard for rules, exampel so what if the hot babe is married, i'm gonna hit that anyway!
So what if the rich bastard has locked his doors and windows i'm breakin in and take some loot anyway.
So what if the Flaming fist is after me? i just chill in the woods till the heat has calmed down.
Okay i saved your... i mean our child, but you know me settling down and take responsibility is not my style, so goodluck with our offspring honey.
To sum it all up, Coran is more chaotic than good, he live for adventure and spontanity, always relying on luck and fate. He is a thief but only steal from those who can afford it. He is brave and dashing and have little regard for the law, both of society and of morality. He is quite hedonistic and selfish but he is not cruel, he save his daughters life either with your help or alone.
Coran also has a Cameo in both Siege of Dragonspear and in Shadows of Amn.
Safana: Out! Get out you vile, poxy snake! I rue the day i heard your wretched name, you weasel!
Coran: I'm a weasel AND a snake? That doesn't make sense.
Safana: I've got a dagger, you know. Do you think I won't use it? GO! Get out of here! GET OUT OF HERE!"
Charname: Hey, Coran!
Coran: Do I know you?
Charname: You don't recognize me, Coran?
Coran: What is this now? Do my eyes deceive me? Could this truly be charname standing before me?
Charname: It is. I'm so glad I found you. I need your help.
Coran: I'd like nothing better than to help you, Ralis... well actually, that's a lie.
Charname: Aw, come on, Coran, where's your love for adventure?
Coran: Sorry, friend. There are many things I'd rather do- I believe I'll go do some of them right now. No, no, don't start, my mind is made up. I'll not be swayed by tears. Hey, it's all right. I'm sure you'll do fine without me.
Here, have this gem, I, ah-hah, acquired it form a lovely elven girl- lovely and so, so quiet. Safana was furious, of course. I should never have taken the damnable thing, but it would've been impolite to refuse, wouldn't it? All right, take care. Hopefully we'll meet again soon, under brighter circumstances.
A bit out of character maybe, but maybe he has some feelings for Safana after all.
In Shadows of Amn the couple seem to have kissed and maked up, or atleast Coran seem to think they have.
Coran: Hail good friend Tamarth! I am most pleased to see you here, you of all people! Your timing could not be better, as I am in most dire need!
Charname: Coran? What are "you" doin' here?
Coran: It has been a while. I got bored and tried to find you but i lost you after your victory in Baldur's Gate....you seemed to drop of the face of Faerun.
But what is important is that I was traveling my forests of Tethyr with my beloved Safana…if you remember her…and now she is kidnapped! It is dreadful!
Two days ago we were beset by giantwolves…wolfweres, I fear. They tried to take us both, but I was able to escape. Safana,however, was not so fortunate.
I tracked them to an encampment near here, but even a great warrior such as myself cannot beat them alone. I hoped *someone* to comealong…and here you are!
We must save her and strike a blow against the foul were- beasts, charname! Together we shall be unstoppable! What do you say, my Lord?
Charname: Very well, I will help you. Where is thisencampment?
Coran: Excellent! The wolfweres are east of here. I will go there and wait for you, my lord. Do not take long, I do not know their plans for my beloved!
Later the party encounters the wolfwere Lanfear:
Lanfear: You! You intrude on my domain, race!
Safana: No, no! This is the one I told you about, Lanfear! This is charname! Kill him and the wizard will reward you and your pack with riches beyond your dreams!
Lanfear: This? This is the creature you spoke of?
Bah! You said that Coran would accompany him! You said Coran would bring him to me!
Coran: What…? My darling Safana…what have you done?
Safana: Don’t be a fool, Coran,” said Safana. Why do you think I insisted we come downhere? It was to find charname! Do you have any idea of the bounty that is on his head?!
Coran: Safana, no! I won’t let you do this!
Safana: Just get out of the way, moron! Lanfear…kill charname, as per our agreement!
Lanfear: I do not follow your orders, human witch! I care nothing for this bounty! All I wished for was that Coran would come to me at last!
Safana: “No! Kill him now! I demand it!
Lanfear: You demand nothing from me!! I curse you with oblivion,human!!
Coran: No! Safana, my love!!
Lanfear; Do not wail for the human, my Coran, she betrayed you and never loved you. Not as I do.
Coran: You…you *love* me? How is it thata…a beast *loves* me?
Lanfear: You do not recognize me, my love? No…not in this form. We have lain together once before, you and I, my love…and I have sought you out ever since. You avoided capture by my hounds…but I caught your woman, and her wicked plan served my needs far more than hers! Come to me, my Coran…let us be together at long last!
Coran: I will not! I would never take part in such foulness,creature! Safana was my beloved!! charname, destroy this murderess and all of her vile pack!
Lanfear: Very well, Coran, if I cannot have you, then *no one* shall!!
According to this encounter we learn that Coran definitley has feelings for Safana, which she probably don't share, we also learn that he would not betray a former traveling companion. Also might be because he is enraged but he is ready to kill Lanfear and her entire pack because they killed Safana, or because he was decieved that she was not of humanoid species or both.
So to conclude this long analysis of Coran's alignment i say that he probably start out more chaotic than good and if his hedonistic ways had continued he would probably shift into chaotic neutral because of his selfishness and lust for adventure and thrills. He urge for freedom and have little concideration for rules of legal or moral kind.
He does have some good qualities about him though. He seeks adventure and thrills it's his sole lifestyle, he is brave and has some responsibility. My headcanon say that when Brielbara told him of Namara he probably for a short while atleast concidered to be a father, but thought of it to scary or bothersome and quickly resumed his old persona once again. He does try to save her life though either by himself or with his friends. He also seem to have some feelings for Safana especially in Shadows of Amn while in siege of dragonspear his escapades made her so furious she actually threw him out. I will say though that i think he still fit the alignment if you look at all his appearances but if you only concider Baldur's Gate then i would say he better fit Chaotic Neutral instead of Chaotic Good.
Race:
Elf
Elves tend to be shorter and slimmer than humans. Their features are finely chiseled and delicate, and they speak in melodic tones. Elves are looked upon as being frivolous and aloof. They concern themselves with natural beauty, dancing, frolicking, and other similar pursuits. Their humor is clever, as are their songs and poetry. There are six racial divisions of elves within the Realms: gold elves, moon elves, wild elves, sea elves, dark elves (drow), and winged elves (avariel).
Elf's have the following racial traits:
90% resistance to Charm and Sleep (Enhanced Editions).
+1 to hit with Long Swords, Longbows and Shortbows
+5% Open Locks
+5% Find Traps
+20% Pick Pockets
+15% Move Silently
+15% Hide in Shadows
Infravision.
+1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution.
Stat Modifiers: +1 Dex, -1 Con
Class:
Fighter/Thief
Fighters, like rangers and paladins, they have wide array of weapons and armor they can use, whereas They're allowed to spend over two on weapon proficiency points, which no other class except Archer can do, though multi-class fighters can't exceed Specialization
Thieves are rogues who can open locks, steal items, hide in shadow, find and disarm traps, they can't be lawful good for this obvious reason.
All races can become a thief as a profession.
Coran probably started out as an elven swordsman and archer in Tethir, but when he moved out to the city he probably had trouble finding work due to his womanizing nature, so he started stealing from people who could afford it, discovered he had talent for it, and later decided he liked it too much to quit it.
At level 5/5 the highest possible starting level you Coran has when you first meet him in Cloakwood, has following abilities:
Thieving Skills (5/5):
Open Locks: 100
Find Traps: 24
Pick Pockets: 40
Move Silently: 95
Hide in Shadows: 33
Detect Illusion: 0
Set Traps: 19
As a master burgular his high open locks stat is no surprise att all there is very few locks in the games this elf can't pick. He got quite a low find trap ability though, which probably is because he is mostly at work as a thief in the city's where there is less chance of a noble to set traps in his home. His pickpocket skills is quite low too, probably not worth to pick pockets when you can pick locks to chests and doors instead.
As a nimble elf his step is very light and it has helped him immensly while robbing a noble in the middle of the night or when escaping an enraged husband after a one night stand with his wife.
His hide in shadows is also quite low which probably was beacuse of his very bright and colorful clothing with some equipment to enhance his stealth though he could probably be quite good at hiding in the shadows too.
Also he is a master archer soo why does he need to be good at setting traps?
Strength:
Class Minimal 9
Racial Minimal 3
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for Fighters, barbarians, paladins, rangers, and monks because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.
According to Dustbubsy: It's the benchmark to equip plate mail armour and medium shields, and wield heavy crossbows. For these reasons, I would guess it's the minimum you have to reach if you want to be a professional soldier in the Realms.
Strength is important for a thief who is trying to backstab a target, since they need the strength to penetrate the flesh and armor of the target.
Total Backstabbing damage is [(weapon physical damage + proficiency bonus + style bonus + kit bonus + spell bonus + item bonus) x backstab multiplier + strength bonus] x critical hit multiplier.
Coran Strength 14
According to Dustbubsy:
Coran is the stereotypical finesse fighter, but his 14 strength is just enough for him to take up mighty two-handed swords.
If 12 was the minimum to be a professional soldier and 15 was a professional warrior, then Coran is just below the professional benchmark. He is a capabale and probably very quick fencer and can wear platemail with ease, he does not get the +1 thaco tough and does not have the strength to use the composite bow.
Dexterity:
Class Minimal 9
Racial Minimal 7
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This ability is the most important one for rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light or medium armor (rangers and barbarians) or no armor at all (monks, wizards, and sorcerers), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.
Thiefs need to be dexterous to lockpick advanced locks, to hide in the shadows without beeing seen, to silently move so no one can hear them creeping closer, and then silently cut the purse of their target or to place a deadly backstab. It also help to be a good archer since thiefs are not warriors, they need to stay away in safety.
Coran Dexterity 20
According to Dustbubsy: Wow. Yes, Coran is illegal, but I personally like these flavoursome stat scores. Coran is a guy I can see performing multiple backflips in the heat of battle, scaling walls barehanded to reach his paramours, and being banned from every archery competition on the Sword Coast. What makes it even funnier is that generally it's the female NPCs with the higher average Dex scores. You've got to love flexible Coran... right?
Coran defines dexterous with his amazing dexterity score and Dustbubsy has already told us why.
Constitution:
Class Minimal 3
Racial Minimal 6
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.
A fighter need to be healthy to withstand wounds in battle and stand up to magic and polsion.
Thiefs don't need to be healty desperate people turn to thievery though the best thiefs tend to take their profession seriously and need to be healthy to have the stamina to flee if something goes wrong and to manage to climb over walls and fences.
Elf's is a bit more fragile than humans at their prime but the weakest elf is still more sturdy than the weakest human.
Coran Constitution 12
From a RP perspective Con should generally be a very important stat for adventurers given all the travel involved.
it's the double the score from the racial minimal requirement but still just a bit over average when comparing with his fellow elven kind though he is the third highest in Constitution.
Intelligence:
Class Minimal 3
Racial Minimal 8
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.
Elves seem to have a high intelligence even at their lowest just below the average human probably because of their long lives rich culture and lore.
Thieves just need to be dexterous, booksmarts and streetwise helps a lot but is not required however i can't think that a thief would have a very long carrer without having some knowledge and planing before the heist.
Coran Intelligence: 14
According to Dustbubsy: 12 Intelligence is the benchmark of very intelligent people.
He is an exceptional thief, and has probably spent a lot of hours practicing on picking advanced locks and reading about monsters and creatures.
My favorite quote from Coran using his intelligence is when the townspeople are talking about dragons with barbed tails he quickly come to terms they must mean wyverns.
He is witty and fast thinking, but either don't learn from experience or does not care.
High intelligence with low Wisdom balances things out a bit though. Womanising Coran can think fast but are immature and selfish and don't seem to see the consequences of his errors until it's too late.
Wisdom:
Class Minimal 9
Racial Minimal 3
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important ability for clerics and druids, and it is also important for paladins and rangers. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
Thievery is never a wise decision it is wrongfully in the eyes of the law hence thieves are not very wise in the first place, however som intuition and sense of danger has to count in somehow, or the thief could end up in jail or worse.
Coran Wisdom 9
According to Dustbubsy: Coran are a stereotypical adventurer, in it for adventure, riches and nookie, not especially wise.
People of the chaotic alignment rarely seem to be very wise people. Coran lives on luck and fate and is constantly breaking in places he should not, seducing women he should not, and is a bit gullible and easly manipulated especially by beautiful women (Safana can play him like a harp.)
Charisma:
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. Every creature has a Charisma score.
Class Minimal 3
Racial Minimal 8
Elves seem to be quite charismatic even at their lowest, probably casue of their beautiful appearances.
Coran Charisma 16
According to Dustbubsy: A motely crew here, who can all get a 5% discount at stores by using thier impressive charm. Not surprising to see silver-tongued Coran here.
This is probably why Coran has lived as long as he has, because he is a charming fast talking and witty rogue, a lot of women has fallen for Corans charm and his words and promises, and probably his looks too.
Weapon Proficencies:
At level 5/5 in Enhanced editon Coran will have these weapon proficencies:
**Longsword - The favored weapon of the elves may be used in one hand so he can draw it to defend himself if somehow they should surivive the barrage of arrows he fires.
***Longbow - Illegal i know, but i've allways thought of it as he really is the master archer, he don't have the natural strength to properly weild the powerful compositebow but he don't have too when he is so accurate he can tear off the head of a daisy at end of his line of sight.
Equipment:
When we first meet Coran he has a leather armor, a longsword, a longbow and 20 arrows, the bare minimum of a adventurer.
Conclussion:
Now this was a lengthy analysis wasn't it?
Coran is a stereotypical charming rogue relying on luck and fate searching for the next big thrill. He is a very accomplished archer and thief and there is no lock he can't pick.
He is charming, witty and fast thinking which make people trust him especially women. However he is a non curable womanizer which have lend him at trouble many of times. He is also quite selfish, irresponsible and gullible.
I feel he is quite underdeveloped as a lot of the Baldur's Gate characters are. With some more development of his good side he would probably fit the good part of his alignment better, and i think if you take all his game appearances in he probably would be chaotic good, but if you only count Baldur's Gate i would suggest a alignment change to Chaotic Neutral as it better fit his alignment.
His illegal stats has never botherd me as a i think of it as extraordinary talent and ability and therefore need no adjustment. All in all he is a quite colorful character and i really like his and Safana's constant off again on again relationship and it's a shame it ended like it did.
Onward to Dynaheir.