Hey guys and gals, I've been thinking about this NPC for a while, and finally decided to post something about him. I couldn't find a thread for this sort of thing, so I've made my own. Feel free to post your own ideas and thoughts on other's creations, but keep it civil please. We all know it's hard to write a good NPC mod and there are a lot of bad ones, but if you're going to insult someone's ideas, do it in a constructive way. I personally have neither the skills nor the resources to mod, but I can't resist talking about this guy on the forums. My thoughts and decisions on a character's background may be subject to change, but anything I post\edit won't be done without considerable thought put into it first. Without further ado, here's Gur-Thoz! (Spoilered for size convenience)
Name: Gur-Thoz
[spoiler] Race: Half-Orc
Romanceable? No.
Class: "Mercenary" (Fighter\Thief)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portrait: (Props to whoever made this. I found it via google and traced it back to "Sea Of Dragons". Seems like some D&D knockoff site designed for those who long for a variation of old D&D. I just found the image to be ideal for the character.)
![image]()
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Age: 37
STR: 19
DEX: 17
CON: 18
INT: 13
WIS: 16
CHA: 8
Total Roll: 91 (It's exceptional, I know, but it's for characterization. His important stats could be kept with a much worse roll. Also, he's middle aged and nearing old age for a half-orc. In 3rd(.5?) edition and onward, the older you get, the more intelligent and wise you become. Charismatic too, but that doesn't apply to the character.)
Starting Level: BG1: 4\5 BG2: 10\12 ToB: 16\19
Starting Proficiencies: BG1 Long Sword ** Single Weapon Style ** Long Bow *
BG2 Long Sword ** Single Weapon Style ** Long Bow ** Mace*
ToB Long Sword ** Single Weapon Style ** Long Bow ** Mace** Bastard Sword*
Favored Thieving Skills: Trap Finding, Detect Illusion, Hide In Shadows, Move Silently. (He's no thief, but these skills are handy for a mercenary.)
Biography (In game): Gur-Thoz looks surprised when you ask about him. He's not used to his clients caring about who he is. He tells you he was born into a small village many years ago. The village was a city of outcasts, made up of all sorts of races, from all walks of life. From his youth he and his friends (a mix of different races, he adds) had dreamed of being famous adventurers. Once they were all old enough, the friends set out to make their dream a reality. For a couple of years things went well, but one tomb filled with creatures they were unprepared for sent their dream six feet under. Gur-Thoz narrowly escaped, and he took up guarding caravans and eliminating small groups of creatures threatening towns as a new career. He's spent the last twenty years doing little more than that, and while it's kept him from becoming as skilled as he might, it's kept him alive and fed, and he says that's what life is about; Survival. He then says that traveling with you has been exciting, but he'll be happy to finish the job and go home to his favorite seedy bar. You try to ask for more, but he ignores you, and you assume it would be best to wait for later to talk more.
Personality, Abilities, and Alignment: As it says in his biography, he lost his friends, and with them, his dream. This has made him gruff and bitter, and while he's willing to travel with you for money (and in BG1 you have to pay him to access him) he has no interest in being an adventurer. He treats others with respect, but even his respect can come off as rude due to his general gruffness. He's fairly intelligent, partly due to his age, and partly due to his experiences in the world. Under that same vein, he's also quite wise, and has seen much of the world and the people within. He is quite strong, agile, and hardy, and although his age is starting to catch up to him, his rigorous personal training has kept him nearly as fit as when he was young. He is perhaps not quite so fast or sturdy as he once was, but he has kept the majority of his physical attributes. He is not religious, but he respects others who are. He is not atheist, but he does not revere the gods. His alignment is not entirely accurate, as alignment never is. He is both lawful, and fairly neutral, believing that to survive in society you must follow it's rules. However he prefers being in a good party. He is not truly a "good" being, because he does not consider evil acts as necessarily wrong, but he dislikes being party to them, as they damage one's reputation. He believes that evil acts are a good way to ruin oneself, and prefers being in a good party, as opposed to an evil one. He will not leave the party due to reputation unless a reputation of 3 or less is achieved, however.
Reason for Traveling With You: In BG1 you pay him 1000 gold for a month's worth of service. The game would (ideally) measure the amount of time you have him in the party, and if three reputation is gained, or a main story quest (chapter changing quest) is completed, he will realize that traveling with you is beneficial to him, as you are making a name for yourself. He can use this positive notoriety to increase his business in future. In BG2, you meet him at the bar and when you first speak to him he doesn't recognize you. After a dialogue option saying who you are is clicked, he'll realize who you are and ask if you wish to travel together again. He gained much from traveling with you in the past, and believes that he can gain from traveling with you again. When he hears Imoen has been kidnapped, though, he immediately says he'll help regardless of what's going on.
Recruitability and Locations: Gur-Thoz can be recruited in BG1 at the Red Sheaf in Beregost for 1000 gold, providing that your party does not have a reputation of 3 or less. In BG2, he can be recruited for free after dialogue in the Copper Coronet. (location subject to change)
Reason for Appearance in Amn: In your opening dialogue with him in BG2, he explains that he was framed for a murder in Beregost, and despite his journeys with you, things looked to be turning out badly for him, so he cut ties and ran for the border. He further explains that he believes a certain dwarven mercenary dealer set him up, since he had been stealing much of the dwarf's business.
Dialogue: Gur-Thoz has no dialogues initiated by him. Instead, he can be spoken to using the talk command. (I don't know if this would be mechanically possible with the game's system, but it'd make for quite a few less poorly timed conversations.) His dialogue mostly involves talking further with him about his background and his time spent as an adventurer and then as a mercenary. He has no dialogue with the PC in BG1, but his dialogue becomes available in BG2. It would open up over time, so the PC would want to occasionally check and see if he was feeling talkative. He will talk to other NPC's, but it would be mostly statements to which the NPC's would give a one sentence reply to. I wouldn't want to try and create dialogue for characters I haven't made. I'd be too worried I wouldn't nail the character's personality correctly.
Opinions of other NPC's:
BG1:
Ajantis: Respectful, but finds the paladin a bit over-enthusiastic.
Alora: Finds the halfling to be far too energetic. Reminds him too much of his old self and adventuring friends.
Baeloth: Dislikes immensely. Finds him to be too manipulative and loud.
Branwen: Respects immensely. Finds her immense faith admirable, though he does not share her beliefs.
Coran: Thinks of him as a bit of a loose cannon and too carefree. Sees a bit of his youthful self in Coran.
Dorn: Dislikes immensely. Will come to blows with him. He sees his fellow half-orc as causing problems for lawful half-orcs, what with his brutal and senseless murdering.
Dynaheir: Respectful. Finds her to be intelligent and skilled, with a good head on her shoulders.
Edwin: Dislikes. Finds him to be too manipulative and power-hungry. Feels that he is likely to bring death to the party with his constant attempts to gain more power.
Eldoth: Dislikes. Too lackadaisical and manipulative.
Faldorn: Respectful, but sees her as a little bit overzealous. Warns the PC about working with over-emotional people.
Garrick: Respectful, but dislikes. Thinks of him as too carefree.
Imoen: Thinks she's naive and not cut out for adventuring, but she reminds him of one of his closest friends from his youth, and is protective of her.
Jaheira: Dislikes. Feels that she should not boss around those who are far more experienced. Pities Khalid.
Kagain: Respectful. As a purveyor of mercenaries who lives in Beregost, he is surprised he has not met the dwarf before.
Khalid: He actually likes the skittish half-elf, and will several times quietly mention that he should retire from adventuring life and find a nice girl, intentionally ignoring the fact that Khalid is married.
Kivan: Respects the elf a great deal, understanding the pain he's gone through, as well as his quiet nature.
Minsc: Respectfully avoids. Warns the PC about working with those who are a bit touched in the head, regardless of their useful skills.
Montaron: Has no problems with, but says to him that he should be careful with the assassinations he speaks of, since they can ruin one's image easily.
Neera: Thinks of her as an immense liability and tells the PC so. She's undisciplined and can't control her power.
Quayle: Thinks he's arrogant and foolhardy, but has dealt with many merchants with a similar attitude, and so knows how to ignore him.
Rasaad: Respects him for his faith and his discipline, but has little opinion of him beyond that.
Safana: Too manipulative, but her persuasiveness could be useful.
Shar-Teel: Too loud, but a good fighter and a useful ally.
Skie: Thinks she should go back home to momma and daddy where she's not going to die a horrible death.
Tiax: A liability, due to his insanity. Warns the PC about working with those who are a bit touched in the head, regardless of their useful skills.
Viconia: Initially likes her, due to a sense of camaraderie from both of them being generally disliked races, though he sees her as possibly threatening to their reputation. Once he tries to get to know her, however, he is put off by her attitude and decides to ignore her.
Xan: Thinks that if he'd keep his mouth shut he'd be a valuable asset to the team.
Xzar: Respectfully avoids. Warns the PC about working with those who are a bit touched in the head, regardless of their useful skills.
Yeslick: Respects the dwarf for his faith and skills, but accepts that he is not appreciated due to the dwarven dislike of orcs.
BG2:
Aerie: Considers her unfit for adventure. Doesn't dislike her otherwise, though he believes she's immature.
Anomen: Respectfully avoids. He respects Anomen for his faith, but finds him a little too boastful.
Cernd: Finds both his personality and his skills to be sub-par.
Dorn: Dislikes immensely. Will come to blows with him. He sees his fellow half-orc as causing problems for lawful half-orcs, what with his brutal and senseless murdering.
Edwin: Dislikes. Finds him to be too manipulative and power-hungry. Feels that he is likely to bring death to the party with his constant attempts to gain more power.
Haer'Dalis: Too flimsy for a life of adventure. Grows to respect him more over time.
Hexxat: Mistrusts immensely.
Imoen: Thinks she's naive and not cut out for adventuring, but she reminds him of one of his closest friends from his youth, and is protective of her. When he hears she's been kidnapped, he immediately offers his aid in rescuing her. Is even more protective of her once she is saved.
Jaheira: Respects and sympathizes with her far more after hearing of Khalid's fate, though he makes a crack about Khalid finally leaving her before he is told what happened. He apologizes multiple times for this.
Jan: Finds the gnome to be both useful and amusing. Will say to him that there is hidden intelligence in the gnome's babblings, to which Jan will respond with yet another anecdote.
Keldorn: Respects the paladin, finding him more cool-headed and wise than other paladins.
Korgan: Finds the dwarf to be disgustingly unlawful, and will caution the PC about keeping company with him.
Mazzy: Is amused by the halfling and says that to have a goal is a thing to be admired. Feels a sense of camaraderie with her when he discovers her adventuring party and lover died.
Minsc: Pities him when he learns that Dynaheir has died, but still believes him to be a bit too uncontrolled.
Nalia: Finds her idealism a bit grating, but as long as she isn't blathering to him, he doesn't mind her.
Neera: Thinks of her as an immense liability and tells the PC so. She's undisciplined and can't control her power.
Rasaad: Respects him for his faith and his discipline, but has little opinion of him beyond that.
Sarevok: Thinks he's dangerous, but by this point he trusts the PC's judgement.
Valygar: No real opinion of him one way or the other.
Viconia: Initially dislikes her, due to previous encounters, but will soften to her depending on whether her alignment changes.
Yoshimo: Sees him as amusing and useful, and is surprised at the events that transpire at Spellhold.
[/spoiler]
The personal quest is not fully spoilered, simply because I have no clue if you can put a spoiler within a spoiler, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone who believes the mod will one day come out. It's unlikely, however, so read it if you wish.
Personal Quest: Gur-Thoz receives a note signed from one of his old friends from his youth and begs to check it out. It is from the elf girl, Nateera, the one that Imoen reminds him of. She was his only love, and though he knows it's vain to hope she still lives, especially after all this time, he never saw her definitively killed and wishes to check it out. [spoiler] To his surprise, he finds that it is her, though she is but a ghost bound to a necromancer. She was unable to rest after her death, but was unable to leave the place where she died. She was eventually found by the necromancer and he bound her to his service. Through this, however, she was able to leave the cave and was able to influence the man who brought Gur-Thoz the note. You slay the necromancer, and Nateera tells Gur-Thoz what it was that made her unable to leave the material plane. She said that she loved him, and that he was not to blame for her death. She then told him she wanted him to live the rest of his life doing good for the world, and enjoying life. She said that he seemed to have met some incredible people, and she requests of you that you will stay by Gur-Thoz's side. With that, she "embraces" Gur-Thoz as best she can before fading away. Gur-Thoz thanks you for your help, and says that he has satisfied his own selfish desires and is fully ready to aid you in your quest. You can then ask if he's alright, to which he responds by looking at you and grinning, the first grin he's ever shown to you. When you express surprise at that he says that a lifelong weight has been lifted from him, and while he has his regrets, he feels that through this endeavor and all of his journeys with you, he has been shown that life is not merely about survival. It is about the friends you keep and the memories you make. [/spoiler]
