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Trying to find the right alignment

DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
I've always wanted to play a Blade, and I really want to try to break myself out of my comfort shell when it comes to NPCs.

I'm thinking of doing a no-reload run with my blade (or likely multiple times with a blade, cause I'll likely die and I'm stubborn).

I'm curious though, from a roleplay perspective, what alignment makes the most sense in this case for a Blade.

So far I have:

Chaotic Neutral: Kinda taking whatever life throws at her, and just trying to keep up with the flow, in the moment.

Neutral Evil: To a degree, obsessed about power, and not caring about what it takes to get there. I don't know how I feel about this, as I do plan a full NE Assassin run.

I can see starting out Neutral Good, but unlucky dice rolls from her companions, on top of the story, leading her to become jaded over time. (I intend on this character at least getting Blackrazor).

I've never been a fan of True Neutral, as I honestly believe it's a cop out.

And I can't come up with a bard being lawful neutral for RP reasons =/

Comments

  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Whatever alignment sounds fun to you. Any alignment is viable, depending on how you rp it.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    I always like Chaotic Neutral for a bard. For a no-reload there's also the fact that you get a cat familiar. Cats make very good scouts with their high stealth scores...
  • batoorbatoor Member Posts: 676
    edited December 2017
    Seems like you have a good start for Neutral good already IMO. The jaded over time could possibly lead to an alignment change into whatever you prefer, though BG doesn't have a good way of addressing this outside the hell trials as you already know.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    edited December 2017
    I'd played numerous CN bards and blades. To me, if I don't have any RP reason to NOT play CN on, that's my go-to alignment of choice for bards (blades).

    Chaotic for not caring so much about laws and regulations and neutral since you may swipe someone's purse every now and then to get by so neutral fits better than good in that aspect. I don't agree that CN automatically make you kinda "crazy" that the description is. I believe you can be CN and still be consistent in your behaviour, consistently selfish that is. Oftentimes NE is the ultimate selfish alignment but if you're not evilly inclined, I think CN is the second best option to represent that character trait.

    Btw, go get the wand of fire in the ankheg den asap. Run in, take it, run out. It'll make your runs so much easier. Use a stealth potion and a potion of speed or similar to acquire it. Fireball anything from out of sight and kill of anything tanky with the agannar's scorching.

    If you want to be good with the blade in BG1 I'd argue the xbow of speed with bolts of lightning and the offensive spin gives really good damage output. Regular bows are good as well, but there are many NPCs that can use them as well but fewer uses xbws. Your THAC0 sucks so bad you won't hit anything in melee until late game without stuff like helm of balduran and drizzt's scimitars helping you to raise your low THAC0, so sticking to ranged is often the best option unless you have an ultimate build already thought out (ie thinking already about BG2). You get so few pips that if you are going dual wield you have to plan that from the start.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    @Skatan

    I've beaten BGEE once with a Blade before. Although normally I go with throwing daggers, just so that I can DW Vascona and Dagger of Venom.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    @Dragonspear, there's only consumable throwing daggers in BG1 which I am too lazy to use as main weapon. I love the poison throwing daggers A LOT, but since there's no returning one available 'til much later you can wait to put points there until then. The smaller the party in BG1, the better the choice for short bows is as your first pip. If you want to powerplay BG1 only, then short bows or xbows and halbards is the "best" choice since they offer easy and amazing weapons. the chelsey crusher is a cool and rather under-used weapon that can fit a blade pretty well.

    Now that returning daggers set your APR +1 on mainhand, daggers is a great choice for a Blade since you can wield it together with Belm/Kundane and later on Firetooth and Scarlet for 4 APR base and +2 and later +3 enchantment weapons while still being able to, with the click of a button, switch from ranged to melee. But as said, melee requires some basic THAC0 before it becomes worth it IMHO, so in a large party I can play melee from start (or just use wands until the end of BG1) but in smaller parties I put a pip in either xbows or bows. I've used darts as well some times, but I'm not a big fan of consumable throwing weapons.
  • AerakarAerakar Member Posts: 1,024
    Nowadays, I always mod into BG1 a +1 returning throwing dagger from Song & Silence mod. It is available for sale at the Baldur's Gate city thieves' guild. It does 1-4 damage and is only usable as a throwing weapon, so not OP at all, but more a quality of life tweak. I do have to use NI to make sure strength damage is added properly though, as the modder missed this last time it was updated (I recall Sept 2016).

    No poison throwing daggers unfortunately until SoD, but I found that returning dagger alone really helps make throwing daggers as convenient as all other ranged options.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    @Skatan

    I'll likely end up going with the XBow or Throwing dagger route. I do intend on having a full party for the run. It's just, I expect that people will end up dying. I won't even be intentional about it.

    For me, the biggest issue with going Xbow with a blade over dagger, is merely that it doesn't fit the character as well. Although I can imagine my blade trying to find a crossbow between the legs and everything else.

    And ya, keeping up throwing daggers until I hit level 8 was definitely a pain. I think I carried around like 80 throwing daggers at a time.

    But it also doesn't change much if you considering how much extra arrows/bolts/bullets you're keeping around too.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    @Dragonspear, hehe I hear you. Sometimes the choice between RP and feelings vs powergaming and rational choice can be hard! If you feel daggers fit your char, then of course you should go with that! Stock up on all the wands you can find and use them liberally :)

    I wish you the very best in your adventures! Best of luck to you.
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