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Help! First LG Playthrough

SomnamSomnam Member Posts: 18
Like many people in this Forum, I have played a lot of Baldur's Gate. Weirdly enough, I always play evil. I have often read in the forums about canon playthroughs being not evil alligned. I can only wonder how a good alligned playthrough really feels. I have of course tried to play good before. This usually fails when I have the opportunity to steal. And afterwards it all goes downhill. Well, no more!

These are the rules for my first LG playthrough.

- take no action that deviates from LG behavior. Don't enter houses unless explecitely invited/asked to. Charname will value life above all else. Killing will occur if forced into it by the game. Thats it.
- take along only characters which depict such behavior on their own.
- mods come to mind. (alternatives for example)

Paladins and heroes of the light I need your help!

Question 1: Which npc-companions do you recommend for such an endeavour? npc mods are fine, if the voice acting is not terrible.
Question2: what charname would you recommend for such a playthrough?
Question3: do you have mod recommendations for this playthrough?

Thanks in advance for any and all input you guys might have. In a couple of days I will post goody 2-shoes charname/npcs/mods.

o:)

PS: will go through entire trilogy.


Post edited by Somnam on
JuliusBorisovOrlonKronsteenThacoBelllolien
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited November 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    OrlonKronsteen
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    The "canon" party of Jaheira/Khalid/Imoen/Minsc/Dynaheir works really well for a LG character, and also fits the best into SoD and the beginning of BG2.

    You can also play an "Order of the Radiant Heart" party that is really good by playing a paladin yourself, taking Ajantis in BG1, and then taking Keldorn and Anomen in BG2. Branwen's honorable combat ethics mesh well with paladins, despite her being technically neutral. (She will unfortunately complain when you reach reputation 19-20. Sometimes I Keeper her to neutral good, because I think that's what she really is.)

    Stealing and lying of any kind is absolutely verboten. You can't tolerate your party members doing it, either. That means no Stupifier, no pantaloons, no Crom Faeyr, and no quests that require breaking into someone's house.

    For mod npc's, I highly recommend Gavin and Finch.
    JuliusBorisovOrlonKronsteenThacoBell
  • OrlonKronsteenOrlonKronsteen Member Posts: 905
    @BelgarathMTH how does assembling Crom Faeyr involve stealing or other morally dubious behaviour? I don't remember anything untoward going on in acquiring its components. Have I forgotten something?

    @Somnam Kivan is another character that will work in an LG campaign in BG1. Corwin will work in SOD. In BG2 I highly, highly recommend Mazzy. As for charname, you can play any class you want (other than thieves and blackguards, obiously). However, if you're really honing in on the LG theme, I'd recommend a paladin. I applaud your efforts in role-playing something different. However, as a matter of perspective, and to keep lawful goodie-ness from getting too out of hand, I feel it appropriate to close with a quote from the great Jan Jansen:

    “Being around this group too long is sort of like having the Calimshite itch, isn't it?"
    tbone1
  • tbone1tbone1 Member Posts: 1,985
    edited November 2017
    NPCs:

    First, I don't play with any mods, outside of the bg1npc mod and @kulyok 's excellent Branwen mod for BG2. So I can only give you standard classes/kits and standard NPCs.

    If you rarely play good, try the Cavalier kit. All the Paladin kits are good, but the Cavalier is a particular favorite. You lose missile weapons (though daggers and axes are available), but paladins are supposed to tank, right? While the paladin is a solid class, the Cavalier gets saving throw bonuses, immunity to fear, protection from fear, and attack bonuses that only apply in BG2 and ToB. Still, a darn solid choice.

    As for the NPCs:

    Imoen is there for your thieving needs. She may say you're buffalo-headed, but she is probably as LG as a thief can be.

    Branwen works as a cleric. Yes, she is true neutral, but she is all about honor, justice, and and doing things the right way. (Except for mentioning a diety's strapping buttocks, but I head-canon that as her getting too deep into the mead.)

    Khalid could work, but you would need Jaheira to somehow be unavailable, which is not a LG action.

    Minsc and Dynaheir are a good combo. Dynaheir is LG and I consider her specialization to be underrated (especially with Web). Minsc is all about combatting evil and invoking the boot of justice, he just needs some guidance. Dynaheir's Web spell with Minsc or CHARNAME wielding the sword you find in the Cloakwood is one heck of a combo.

    Kivan works well -- he is arguably the best archer in a game where archery reigns -- but he's vengeful enough that he might not be an ideal fit. Still, I do recommend him, just make sure you have plenty of spare arrows around.

    Yeslick is one you should definitely try. He is LG and a great candidate for a good party. (The dwarf fighter/cleric combo is so good you'll want to try it for your CHARNAME at some point, if you haven't already.) I just really, really wish he was available earlier, but the plot being what it is, ...

    I would like to recommend Rasaad. He is a LG monk, is well-written, has a good personality, and an interesting quest. However, monks are fairly weak at low levels and don't really start to shine until you get into BG2. Still, he's worth a try.

    I can't recommend Ajantis. He can be impetuous and go off the rails in certain situations, and he's not great for a power gaming run, either.

    I do wish I could recommend Alora. She has become my favorite BG1 NPC after Branwen, but she is rather impetuous, perhaps too much so for a LG run.

    Xan isn't a bad choice. At LN he's of an acceptable alignment, his gloominess would balance Alora's incessant perkiness, and the Enchanter can be very effective, if done right.
    ThacoBellOrlonKronsteen
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @OrlonKronsteen , The required component of a Girdle of Frost Giant Strength requires making an animal sacrifice and summoning demons in the Kua-Toa lair. I would never and won't ever do such a hideously evil thing, and thus will never have the belt or Crom Faeyr.

    Source:
    http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/Girdle_of_Frost_Giant_Strength

    When I found out about this recently, I thought "D'oh! So *that's* why I've never found all the parts of Crom Faeyr on any playthroughs. It requires committing an evil act."
    OrlonKronsteenSkatan
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    1. Minsc and Dynaheir are a great combo for LG for all the reasons stated above. Yeslick and Branwen are work too. Sirene is an npc mod that adds a Paladin of Ilmater and is available for BG 1, SoD, and 2. She is a fantastic character and a great representation of the alignment without going Mary Sue, her characters themes are a great match for a good aligned PC as well. In BG2 Mazzy is my biggest recommendation. SHe is easily the best representation on LG I have ever seen. Imoen is a great choice too, she isn't lawful, but is compassionate and always advocates good actions. Rasaad is hard to use in BG1, but I heartily recommend him for BG2/ToB, easily one of the best written and performed companions in the series.
    2. Paladin is the archetypical LG class, but any class that matches the alignment works just as well. I have a soft spot for Rangers and Cavaliers, personally.
    3. SIrene as stated above is great and a must for all my playthroughs. BG1 NPC project breathes new life into all the npcs, giving them much more character. For BG2, I personally enjoy Ascension for the various story and tweaks and small gameplay touches, but it does amp up the difficulty of the final battle to 11. Tweaks Anthology is great to customize the game to your liking.
  • OrlonKronsteenOrlonKronsteen Member Posts: 905

    @OrlonKronsteen , The required component of a Girdle of Frost Giant Strength requires making an animal sacrifice and summoning demons in the Kua-Toa lair. I would never and won't ever do such a hideously evil thing, and thus will never have the belt or Crom Faeyr.

    Source:
    http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/Girdle_of_Frost_Giant_Strength

    When I found out about this recently, I thought "D'oh! So *that's* why I've never found all the parts of Crom Faeyr on any playthroughs. It requires committing an evil act."

    Oh yeah, I forgot about the animal sacrifice part. Thanks for the reminder!
  • tbone1tbone1 Member Posts: 1,985
    edited November 2017

    Oh yeah, I forgot about the animal sacrifice part. Thanks for the reminder!

    What if you sacrifice a squirrel? I have cleared so many squirrel nests out of our attic and shed that I consider them EVIL.

    Or kobolds. Don't kobolds worship demogorgon?
    ThacoBellOrlonKronsteen
  • OrlonKronsteenOrlonKronsteen Member Posts: 905
    edited November 2017
    @tbone1 I suppose if you could find a kobold, charm him and direct him onto the sacrificial altar, you could make claim to having an ethically-sourced Crom Faeyr.
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  • tbone1tbone1 Member Posts: 1,985
    chimaera said:

    Does the summon have to be alive? What happens if you send a mordy's sword or a skeleton on the altar?

    I think it has to be a living, flesh-and-blood being. So no skeletons, no shadows, no reality show contestants.
    SkatanThacoBell
  • ValciValci Member Posts: 35
    i always struggle to play good and LG especially... i find the whole goody too shoes thing irritating. Ofc theres the reverse of it too as playing evil requires you to act like a psychopath more often then not. There isnt really an option to play an intelligent, cunning, mastermind type evil character who is obviously self interested but not a murderous lunatic...
  • tbone1tbone1 Member Posts: 1,985
    Valci said:

    i always struggle to play good and LG especially... i find the whole goody too shoes thing irritating. Ofc theres the reverse of it too as playing evil requires you to act like a psychopath more often then not. There isnt really an option to play an intelligent, cunning, mastermind type evil character who is obviously self interested but not a murderous lunatic...

    We already have that game. It’s called “Life”.
    OrlonKronsteen
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Valci said:

    i always struggle to play good and LG especially... i find the whole goody too shoes thing irritating. Ofc theres the reverse of it too as playing evil requires you to act like a psychopath more often then not. There isnt really an option to play an intelligent, cunning, mastermind type evil character who is obviously self interested but not a murderous lunatic...

    Hilariously you can. However, aside from your starting alignment, it is identical to playing lawful good.
  • LuthfordLuthford Member Posts: 1,301
    Ishlilka the Wizard Slayer mod (thank you again @WarChiefZeke XD) can be a good member for your good party!
    WarChiefZekeThacoBell
  • ArizaelArizael Member Posts: 263
    Interesting roleplay aproach. My few cents:

    - Get tweaks to change Jaheira into neutral good. She fits to LG playtrough rather well and she never realy felt like true neutral.

    - Imoen is going to be vital for the party, because she is one of the few good thieves and you cannot be thief yourselves. In BG1 Alora comes late and in. In BG 2 you might be forced to take Nalia before Spellhold.

    -Other classes give narrow NPC selection as well, especialy in BG2. Anomen and Aerie are the only available clerics. Arcane casters - besides Imoen, there is only Nalia and Aerie. So if you do not like those characters consider covering those bases yourselves. You get plenty of very good warriors, so for example C/M PC might be a good choice.

    -LG has rather narrow flavorfull class selection. If you want something other than ranger or paladin, I reccomend trying out FaP and TaB mods. This will allow you to do non traditional stuff like playing LG Half-Orc zealot(sort of berserking paladin), or Divine soul sorcerer (1 divine spell per spell level, no access to necromancy), Monitor of Azuth C/M and many other interesting choices.
    ThacoBell
  • GallengerGallenger Member Posts: 400
    I would note, that in the city of Baldur's Gate, I would forgo the "no locking picking" standard - there *really* should have been a door knocking dialogue, but that would've been too cumbersome I guess - as 1/2 the time you barge into somebody's home through the locked front door they're happy to see you or give you jobs to do lol.
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
    BelgarathMTHArizaelOrlonKronsteen
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147

    @OrlonKronsteen , The required component of a Girdle of Frost Giant Strength requires making an animal sacrifice and summoning demons in the Kua-Toa lair. I would never and won't ever do such a hideously evil thing, and thus will never have the belt or Crom Faeyr.

    Source:
    http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/Girdle_of_Frost_Giant_Strength

    When I found out about this recently, I thought "D'oh! So *that's* why I've never found all the parts of Crom Faeyr on any playthroughs. It requires committing an evil act."

    It's kind of only a little bit evil if you summon the hapless beasts in the first place to fight for you (otherwise why would you even have the spell handy?).

    And anyway, monster summons work there, not just cuddley wuddly bunny rabbits .

    I just send in an ogre, seems a bit hypocritical worrying about killing that particular ogre at that particular time seeing as you have chopped your way through herds of them by then.
    ThacoBell
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited November 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    BelgarathMTH
  • PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137
    You sacrifice to a demon, you then kill the demons.

    Doing net good.

    Also, pretty sure that you can obliviously send summons to "scout" without intentionally sacrificing anything. :D
    ThacoBellUnderstandMouseMagic
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    It never ceases to amaze me how people rationalize being evil in games while still telling the game they're "good".
    Arizael
  • ArizaelArizael Member Posts: 263

    It never ceases to amaze me how people rationalize being evil in games while still telling the game they're "good".

    Exactly. "It´s totaly cool to sacrifice living sentient being to demons because...", I mean really people ?
    BelgarathMTH
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    BelgarathMTH
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147

    It never ceases to amaze me how people rationalize being evil in games while still telling the game they're "good".

    Good/Evil, such black and white concepts.
    I tend to put it down to upbringing and enviroment and lack of parental role models.
    (at least that's what I told the judge) ;)
    And he bought it!!!
    OrlonKronsteenBelgarathMTH
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    chimaera said:

    It's not as much the sacrifice, as whom you sacrifice it do. It's doubtful the altar was build just so the prince of demons could watch bunnies getting slaughteted in his name; charname engages in a dark ritual they have no understanding of.

    If BG actually had a working alignement system, this should result in shift toward evil; as it is, it's just another action with no consequences.

    No consequences?

    You get a great set of armour and the scroll to make Crom Fraeyr.

    What do want?
    Whipped cream and sprinkles as well?

    PantalionBlackraven
  • PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137

    It never ceases to amaze me how people rationalize being evil in games while still telling the game they're "good".

    Not limited to killing a few hundred paladin kills by the end of the trilogy for no reputation loss and making at least three of them attack innocent people (the party) out of anger to make them fall first, just for funsies. To be fair, paladins are awful people, a racist organisation, and routinely refuse to parley or listen to reason.

    Not that I often claim to be "good", just for my actions to be overall slightly more good than evil. The kidnapped lady still gets freed safely by her heroic rescuer, that heroic rescuer just happens to have gone to the rendezvous point for the ransom and stolen a man's pants beforehand.
    chimaera said:


    You sacrifice to the Demogorgon, but you kill just a few lackeys he sends. At this point you have no idea what the ritual's purpose was, nor if the demon knights were the only consequence.

    To be fair, I've frequently killed demogorgon by that point too, so unless the consequence involves "getting my rematch quicker" he can have the level 1 summoned war dog, it's unlikely to amount to anything more powerful than a Gate or two.

    And no understanding of dark rituals? What am I? A fighter?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited November 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    ThacoBellBelgarathMTH
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    chimaera said:

    Pantalion said:



    To be fair, I've frequently killed demogorgon by that point too, so unless the consequence involves "getting my rematch quicker" he can have the level 1 summoned war dog, it's unlikely to amount to anything more powerful than a Gate or two.

    And no understanding of dark rituals? What am I? A fighter?

    It doesn't matter whether your character considers sacrificing to D. insignificant, it is still an evil deed. Your character gets away with it because the game lacks reactivity towards alignment.

    But lets say your "not fighter" character is right - by funneling power to D., all the prince of demons gets out of it is a gate. Now lets say he opens that gate in a small village, just to enjoy the carnage and destruction. That is "net good" to you? Because this is the issue with completing secret rituals to evil demi-deities; you don't know what they'll get out of it.


    No consequences?

    You get a great set of armour and the scroll to make Crom Fraeyr.

    What do want?
    Whipped cream and sprinkles as well?

    Yeah, sure, because loot is consequences. How about a working alignment system and more reactivity.
    No thanks, I'd rather stick to recieving goodies.

    Because the thing is, your desire to be "judged" always ends up with the imposition of those morals on everybody else.
    Who are you to decide that my alignment should be altered to match your ideals?
    You can have reactivity, by all means, but don't suggest that it should apply to everyone.

  • PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137
    chimaera said:

    But lets say your "not fighter" character is right - by funneling power to D., all the prince of demons gets out of it is a gate. Now lets say he opens that gate in a small village, just to enjoy the carnage and destruction. That is "net good" to you? Because this is the issue with completing secret rituals to evil demi-deities; you don't know what they'll get out of it.

    So, two gates then? Because he totally blew one on bringing forth a group of Demon Knights.

    And while we're on the subject of those demon knights, let's remember that this isn't some forgotton altar in the middle of nowhere, but right next door to an entire Drow army that probably constructed the altar in the first place with the intent to use it.

    So even assuming 1 War Dog = 2 Gates, that village going to get reamed anyway, and the drow were going to get several strong demon knight generals to help them in their war efforts, as well as willingly helping those demon knights perform whatever villainous schemes they had planned.

    Basically, whatever demonic summoning contract you completed would have happened regardless, with a more inhumane sacrifice, and whatever other effects the ritual might have, those effects were directly lessened by you killing the demon knights that emerged.

    Or, in other words, net good. And you are rewarded with shinies appropriate to your noble deed.
    UnderstandMouseMagic
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