Kensai seems to be predominantly discussed as some part of a dual class powergame strategy. Who enjoys playing them as is, enjoying their strength and vulnerability (in BG1&2)?
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Kensai. Anybody here play them?
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Chronic Restarting Detox Camp
Hi, my name's demented and I'm a chronic restarter. I wasn't always this way, I use to play games with only one character and saw it through to the end. There would be no roleplaying or multi-classing. Baldur's Gate changed that. Now I can barely get an hour in without restarting the game. There are just too many possibilities.
I might start with a monk who's devoted to justice. She eventually gets kicked out of her order for her actions and becomes a Kensai warrior who metes out her form of justice to those she sees as guilty. Then I'll think of a cleric/wizard who's determined to uncover the deepest secrets of magic, but eventually goes insane from his quest.
I've tried playing other video games but I just get bored. For Bhaal's sake I played Metal Gear Solid 4 for the first time yesterday and all I could think about was my wild mage Anansi. I need help.
I might start with a monk who's devoted to justice. She eventually gets kicked out of her order for her actions and becomes a Kensai warrior who metes out her form of justice to those she sees as guilty. Then I'll think of a cleric/wizard who's determined to uncover the deepest secrets of magic, but eventually goes insane from his quest.
I've tried playing other video games but I just get bored. For Bhaal's sake I played Metal Gear Solid 4 for the first time yesterday and all I could think about was my wild mage Anansi. I need help.
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Come suggest some theme songs for each NPC!
For the music lovers out there!
What songs do you guys think would be fitting for each NPC? Share a tune that fits their character, their story or their attitude.
All suggestions welcome!
I'll begin with some:
Due t his marriage difficulties and his wife's name, I'll give Keldorn "Maria, Maria" by Santana. The pain in his voice when he says "Maria!" after his wife says "What if I don't love you anymore?" is just heartbreaking. Also, Manowar's "Heart of Steel" just describes his attitude toward evil perfectly for me
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Dorn must have some kind of song about being badass and evil. The songs "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood would fit, but I'm a big metal fan, so I'll give him Iced Earth's "Pure Evil"
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Eldoth just has to be an outlaw country song, so I either have to go with "Didn't Your Mama Tell ya 'bout Boys Like Me" by Montgomery Gentry or for a better song, Iron Maiden's "Running Free"
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Skie would definitely be the Upper Middle Class spoiled girl who totally thinks she's cool for listening to rrap, so I'd have to give her some Kanye (the go-to artist for these people). She's also the totally non-metal sorority girl who constantly misuses Dio's horn sign while listening to Blink 182
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For Yoshimo you gotta go with![image]()
Please Share!![:)]( ":)")
What songs do you guys think would be fitting for each NPC? Share a tune that fits their character, their story or their attitude.
All suggestions welcome!
I'll begin with some:
Due t his marriage difficulties and his wife's name, I'll give Keldorn "Maria, Maria" by Santana. The pain in his voice when he says "Maria!" after his wife says "What if I don't love you anymore?" is just heartbreaking. Also, Manowar's "Heart of Steel" just describes his attitude toward evil perfectly for me
Dorn must have some kind of song about being badass and evil. The songs "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood would fit, but I'm a big metal fan, so I'll give him Iced Earth's "Pure Evil"
Eldoth just has to be an outlaw country song, so I either have to go with "Didn't Your Mama Tell ya 'bout Boys Like Me" by Montgomery Gentry or for a better song, Iron Maiden's "Running Free"
Skie would definitely be the Upper Middle Class spoiled girl who totally thinks she's cool for listening to rrap, so I'd have to give her some Kanye (the go-to artist for these people). She's also the totally non-metal sorority girl who constantly misuses Dio's horn sign while listening to Blink 182
For Yoshimo you gotta go with
Please Share!
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Shade template - Info
Hi everyone, I decided to create an Artemis Entreri char to make a solo Legacy of Bhaal run through BG:EE 2.0.
He is a human Fighter/Shadowdancer multiclass, with Assassin's backstab progression and one use of Poison Weapon, x2 Offensive and Defensive rotations.
Now, since he should be partially a shade, I wanted to give him some "only at night time" bonuses like the Nightwalker Boots, Hexxat, etc work.
My question, since I can't seem to find a proper 2d template, is: what would be the advantages and disadvantages of being a shade?
Infravision and...?
Thanks in advance!
He is a human Fighter/Shadowdancer multiclass, with Assassin's backstab progression and one use of Poison Weapon, x2 Offensive and Defensive rotations.
Now, since he should be partially a shade, I wanted to give him some "only at night time" bonuses like the Nightwalker Boots, Hexxat, etc work.
My question, since I can't seem to find a proper 2d template, is: what would be the advantages and disadvantages of being a shade?
Infravision and...?
Thanks in advance!
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GIrdle of Gender change
OKAY so I'm doing another playthrough, just getting ready for the expac to drop, and I totally accidentally put on this silly belt... then I get to the FAI and I meet Mr. Tarnesh who then greets me at the door and says his normal routine about how i match some description and how he has to end my pitiful existence...
Then I start to think...
WAIT A SECOND, How could I POSSIBLY match your description, when the description he has is of a completely different gender than I currently am (Due to my initial mistake of equipping this stupid belt)?
Figured it was just interesting, and I'm SURE someone has mentioned this before, but it feels like I should be able to dodge the first few of assassins by using this belt until they get wise to my petty little schemes![image]()
:)" alt=">:)" height="20" />
Then I start to think...
WAIT A SECOND, How could I POSSIBLY match your description, when the description he has is of a completely different gender than I currently am (Due to my initial mistake of equipping this stupid belt)?
Figured it was just interesting, and I'm SURE someone has mentioned this before, but it feels like I should be able to dodge the first few of assassins by using this belt until they get wise to my petty little schemes
:)" alt=">:)" height="20" />
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↧
(my view) The patch 2.0 will certainly make BG1&2EE look like the games went through a huge re-work
I remember that when the EEs were first announced and when BGEE and even BG2EE were released, some amount of people kept saying that the changes the EEs brought didn't justify their price and/or those changes didn't make BGEE and BG2EE much different from vanilla games with mods.
Then when the patch 1.3 was released, the number of fixes and additions it brought was overwhelming. I thought at that time that if BG2EE in its prior-to-1.3 version had been a vanilla game, we could call the EEs as of the 1.3 version Enhanced Editions alone.
And now, after I tried the 2.0 version of BG2EE that is currently in the open beta process, I can go as far as to say that the changes this version bring certainly make the EEs look and feel different than vanilla games with any mods you can think of.
Whether all players like these changes or not is another question and I would greatly advice to share your views (if you haven't already) in the appropriate subforum - https://forums.beamdog.com/categories/bg:ee-bgii:ee-2-x-public-beta.
But the fact we have a very different UI, a lot of possible tweaks to game options, a shaman class with unprecedented feature of constant summoning and using druid spells in a sorcerer's way, the Legacy of Bhaal mode, plus all the additions from the 1.3 version and other previous changes, including the core elements of the EEs NPCs, items and kits, makes me think that it would be hard to say that BG1&2EE don't bring enough to call them worthy independent projects, and not just "a modded BG but for a price".
Again, whether you prefer the vanilla games or the EEs, whether you prefer 1.3 UI or 2.0 UI, are other questions. I just wanted to share my thought that as of the 2.0 version the EEs definitely look differently from the vanilla games with mods.
And although I don't agree on everything the new UI of the 2.0 version in its current state brings, I can perfectly understand and appriciate Beamdog here in a sense that they've been busy for several years after the initial releases of the EEs tweaking the enhancements to the engine to make the EEs much more characterized than what we could ever experience with the BG games.
Then when the patch 1.3 was released, the number of fixes and additions it brought was overwhelming. I thought at that time that if BG2EE in its prior-to-1.3 version had been a vanilla game, we could call the EEs as of the 1.3 version Enhanced Editions alone.
And now, after I tried the 2.0 version of BG2EE that is currently in the open beta process, I can go as far as to say that the changes this version bring certainly make the EEs look and feel different than vanilla games with any mods you can think of.
Whether all players like these changes or not is another question and I would greatly advice to share your views (if you haven't already) in the appropriate subforum - https://forums.beamdog.com/categories/bg:ee-bgii:ee-2-x-public-beta.
But the fact we have a very different UI, a lot of possible tweaks to game options, a shaman class with unprecedented feature of constant summoning and using druid spells in a sorcerer's way, the Legacy of Bhaal mode, plus all the additions from the 1.3 version and other previous changes, including the core elements of the EEs NPCs, items and kits, makes me think that it would be hard to say that BG1&2EE don't bring enough to call them worthy independent projects, and not just "a modded BG but for a price".
Again, whether you prefer the vanilla games or the EEs, whether you prefer 1.3 UI or 2.0 UI, are other questions. I just wanted to share my thought that as of the 2.0 version the EEs definitely look differently from the vanilla games with mods.
And although I don't agree on everything the new UI of the 2.0 version in its current state brings, I can perfectly understand and appriciate Beamdog here in a sense that they've been busy for several years after the initial releases of the EEs tweaking the enhancements to the engine to make the EEs much more characterized than what we could ever experience with the BG games.
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Soo.. with SoD on the horizon...
Can we get a glimpse of what the next project is? Like tiny hints? More hype? Please do not tell me you have nothing planned
↧
Custom NPC Portraits Masterthread [Spoilers, obviously]
Hello everyone ![:)]( ":)")
First of all, I am aware, that there already exist some threads about custom NPC portraits but I found them all to be rather confusing, so here is my attempt to make a proper masterthread where everyone can easily find whatever portrait(s) they want to use for their game.
This thread is under constant construction!
That's why I highly encourage you to post your own works and finds here (don't forget to source), so that I can add them to the startpost. So check back once in a while, in case there may be the perfect portrait you have always been looking for![;)]( ";)")
Here are a few highly subjective* "quality ensurance" guidelines:
1. The portraits shouldn't clash too much with the in-game art styles (i.e. too cartoony, cell-shading, b/w, etc.)
--- Exception: Complete packs with portraits for most/all NPC companions
2. No simple "facelifts" (meaning that they are only mildly photoshopped versions of the official ones; it would be nice though if someone else could make a different masterthread for these)
3. No obvious "facesteals" (i.e. popular actors, characters from other media, etc.) and joke portraits
4. They should resemble the original designs to at least some degree (i.e. don't just suggest any random drow portrait for Viconia)
*that means that there are almost certainly going to be folks who will disagree with my decisions on wether an image goes into the gallery or not
Depending on how this thread goes, I might sharpen or lighten the guidelines on the go.
First of all, I am aware, that there already exist some threads about custom NPC portraits but I found them all to be rather confusing, so here is my attempt to make a proper masterthread where everyone can easily find whatever portrait(s) they want to use for their game.
This thread is under constant construction!
That's why I highly encourage you to post your own works and finds here (don't forget to source), so that I can add them to the startpost. So check back once in a while, in case there may be the perfect portrait you have always been looking for
Here are a few highly subjective* "quality ensurance" guidelines:
1. The portraits shouldn't clash too much with the in-game art styles (i.e. too cartoony, cell-shading, b/w, etc.)
--- Exception: Complete packs with portraits for most/all NPC companions
2. No simple "facelifts" (meaning that they are only mildly photoshopped versions of the official ones; it would be nice though if someone else could make a different masterthread for these)
3. No obvious "facesteals" (i.e. popular actors, characters from other media, etc.) and joke portraits
4. They should resemble the original designs to at least some degree (i.e. don't just suggest any random drow portrait for Viconia)
*that means that there are almost certainly going to be folks who will disagree with my decisions on wether an image goes into the gallery or not
Depending on how this thread goes, I might sharpen or lighten the guidelines on the go.
[spoiler=Portrait Packs]PaintBG by Artastrophe
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NPC Portraits for Baldur’s Gate 2: Enhanced Edition by @norilm
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Underdark Portraits]These are all from 2013's fanart contest.
By @Isandir; Pack download
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By @genie
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By @Syntia13
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By @artastrophe; Original source
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[/spoiler]
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By Sky-Byte-Haiku
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Ajantis Ilvastarr]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Anomen Delryn]By Artstrophe; 1 2
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Alora]n/a[/spoiler]
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Branwen]n/a[/spoiler]
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Coran]By Ilnere; 1 2
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By nattzvart
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By Zoyah
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[/spoiler]
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By Bloodrawen
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By IcedWingsArt
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By Gellinjer
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Dynaheir]n/a[/spoiler]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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By Rabain
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Beta portrait by Mike Sass
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Eldoth Kron]By Artastrophe
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[/spoiler]
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[/spoiler]
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By Sabalmirss
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Hexxat]By IsandirBG
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[/spoiler]
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By skin-dancer
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By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
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By SQWID
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[/spoiler]
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By @randName; 1 2
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By KiraraDesign
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By Sky-Byte-Haiku
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By SQWID
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Jan Jansen]n/a[/spoiler]
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By Artastrophe
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Khalid]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Kivan]By Smilika; 1 2 3 4
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By Lei-Feiyang
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By DancinFox
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By Artastrophe
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By Sabalmirss; 1 2
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Korgan Bloodaxe]n/a[/spoiler]
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By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
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By Sarah Stone
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By FyrstGrok
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Montaron]n/a[/spoiler]
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By n00body1
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By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
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By skindancer
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[/spoiler]
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Sarevok Anchev]By CG-Zander
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By Artastrophe
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By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
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By Astartte
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Shar Teel]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Schael Corwin]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Skie Silvershield]n/a[/spoiler]
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By CG-Zander
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By Sabalmirss
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By Artastrophe
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Voghiln the Vast]n/a[/spoiler]
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By @AfroShero; 1 (source unavailable) 2
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[/spoiler]
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By Peachplums
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By Zoyah
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By vierrae
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By Artastrophe
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By veusovon
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By Smilika
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By EllirhShaan
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By Elven-Nazi/ MournfulWizard; 1, 2, 3
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[/spoiler][spoiler=Xzar]n/a[/spoiler]
I think it's apparent which characters got the most dedicated fans![;)]( ";)")
NPC Portraits for Baldur’s Gate 2: Enhanced Edition by @norilm
[/spoiler][spoiler=Underdark Portraits]These are all from 2013's fanart contest.
By @Isandir; Pack download
By @genie
By @Syntia13
By @artastrophe; Original source
[/spoiler]- A -
[spoiler=Aerie]By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
By Sky-Byte-Haiku
[/spoiler][spoiler=Ajantis Ilvastarr]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Anomen Delryn]By Artstrophe; 1 2
[/spoiler][spoiler=Alora]n/a[/spoiler]- B -
[spoiler=Baeloth Barrtyl]By @lolien
[/spoiler][spoiler=Branwen]n/a[/spoiler]- C -
[spoiler=Clara]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Cernd]By monsteroverdose
[/spoiler][spoiler=Coran]By Ilnere; 1 2
By nattzvart
By Zoyah
[/spoiler]- D -
[spoiler=Dorn Il'Khan]By Hellstern
By Bloodrawen
By IcedWingsArt
By Gellinjer
[/spoiler][spoiler=Dynaheir]n/a[/spoiler]- E -
[spoiler=Edwin Odesseiron]By Artastrophe (She has so many great ones, so I decided to reduce the picks for this thread to a more reasonable number ^^')1 2 3 4 5 6 7
By Rabain
Beta portrait by Mike Sass
[/spoiler][spoiler=Eldoth Kron]By Artastrophe
[/spoiler]- F -
[spoiler=Faldorn]By friedlish
[/spoiler]- G -
[spoiler=Garrick]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Glint Gardnersonson]n/a[/spoiler]- H -
[spoiler=Haer'Dalis]By Artastrophe; 1 2
By Sabalmirss
[/spoiler][spoiler=Hexxat]By IsandirBG
[/spoiler]- I -
[spoiler=Imoen]By CG-Zander
By skin-dancer
By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
By SQWID
[/spoiler]- J -
[spoiler=Jaheira]By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
By @randName; 1 2
By KiraraDesign
By Sky-Byte-Haiku
By SQWID
[/spoiler][spoiler=Jan Jansen]n/a[/spoiler]- K -
[spoiler=Kagain]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Keldorn Firecam]By Ilnere
By Artastrophe
[/spoiler][spoiler=Khalid]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Kivan]By Smilika; 1 2 3 4
By Lei-Feiyang
By DancinFox
By Artastrophe
By Sabalmirss; 1 2
[/spoiler][spoiler=Korgan Bloodaxe]n/a[/spoiler]- M -
[spoiler=M'Khiin Grubdoubler]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Mazzy Fentan]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Minsc]By maxpaynt
By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
By Sarah Stone
By FyrstGrok
[/spoiler][spoiler=Montaron]n/a[/spoiler]- N -
[spoiler=Nalia de'Arnise]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Neera]By vierrae
By n00body1
By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
By skindancer
[/spoiler]- Q -
[spoiler=Quayle]n/a[/spoiler]- R -
[spoiler=Rasaad yn Bashir]n/a[/spoiler]- S -
[spoiler=Safana]By friedlish
[/spoiler][spoiler=Sarevok Anchev]By CG-Zander
By Artastrophe
By NixxiCal aka @Nixxi
By Astartte
[/spoiler][spoiler=Shar Teel]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Schael Corwin]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Skie Silvershield]n/a[/spoiler]- T -
[spoiler=Tiax]n/a[/spoiler]- V -
[spoiler=Valygar Corthala]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Viconia DeVir]By NixxiCal @Nixxi
By CG-Zander
By Sabalmirss
By Artastrophe
[/spoiler][spoiler=Voghiln the Vast]n/a[/spoiler]- W -
[spoiler=Wilson]n/a[/spoiler]- Y -
[spoiler=Yeslik]n/a[/spoiler][spoiler=Yoshimo]By Amalthea
By @AfroShero; 1 (source unavailable) 2
[/spoiler]- X -
[spoiler=Xan]By DancinFox
By Peachplums
By Zoyah
By vierrae
By Artastrophe
By veusovon
By Smilika
By EllirhShaan
By Elven-Nazi/ MournfulWizard; 1, 2, 3
[/spoiler][spoiler=Xzar]n/a[/spoiler]I think it's apparent which characters got the most dedicated fans
↧
Azuredge bugged?
Hi guys.
Some years ago when I played, I just used to belive blindly what the game says, but this time around I watch the effects and all, and try to understand the game more. Well, one of my favourite weapons used to be Azuredge, but now I'm not so sure it is so great. I'm in an area full of undead, and I have Daystar and Azuredge, equally skilled in both weapons. I noticed every time I hit an undead, Daystar does a hissing sound, like doing electric damage, and the text bar shows two damages. I supposed that was the extra damage to undead mentioned in the description. When I switch to Azuredge, there's no hiss, no extra damage displayed, and certainly none of the undead has died in the first hit, or second. They may have died in the third, I'm not sure, but how can I know if the died of *natural* causes, I mean like die of normal damage, or did they die because of the Slain undead effect? Shouldn't an effect show, like when they die of a vorpal hit? I'm a long way from Mace of disruption, to check if there's such effect, but as I'm writing this, I seem to recall a little text appeared above the enemy when they were killed that said "Undead slain", am I right?
Well, in short, I haven't noticed any difference from Azuredge to a normal +3 axe. Is it bugged, or got nerfed? I wouldn't be surprised if it did, I would even consider it fair. Azuredge is like a mace of disruption +1 just around the corner, plus ranged!
To make it harder, when I try to inspect the weapon with DLTCEP, it says the item is not found. So I have no way to verify it. Can anyone confirn that it actually does extra damage and slains undead?
Speaking of undead, are bone golems undead? Are they affected by slain undead weapons? They say "golem" so I think they must be constructs, but OTOH they do look skeletal, so I thought they could be a little undeadish. Just want to be sure.
Some years ago when I played, I just used to belive blindly what the game says, but this time around I watch the effects and all, and try to understand the game more. Well, one of my favourite weapons used to be Azuredge, but now I'm not so sure it is so great. I'm in an area full of undead, and I have Daystar and Azuredge, equally skilled in both weapons. I noticed every time I hit an undead, Daystar does a hissing sound, like doing electric damage, and the text bar shows two damages. I supposed that was the extra damage to undead mentioned in the description. When I switch to Azuredge, there's no hiss, no extra damage displayed, and certainly none of the undead has died in the first hit, or second. They may have died in the third, I'm not sure, but how can I know if the died of *natural* causes, I mean like die of normal damage, or did they die because of the Slain undead effect? Shouldn't an effect show, like when they die of a vorpal hit? I'm a long way from Mace of disruption, to check if there's such effect, but as I'm writing this, I seem to recall a little text appeared above the enemy when they were killed that said "Undead slain", am I right?
Well, in short, I haven't noticed any difference from Azuredge to a normal +3 axe. Is it bugged, or got nerfed? I wouldn't be surprised if it did, I would even consider it fair. Azuredge is like a mace of disruption +1 just around the corner, plus ranged!
To make it harder, when I try to inspect the weapon with DLTCEP, it says the item is not found. So I have no way to verify it. Can anyone confirn that it actually does extra damage and slains undead?
Speaking of undead, are bone golems undead? Are they affected by slain undead weapons? They say "golem" so I think they must be constructs, but OTOH they do look skeletal, so I thought they could be a little undeadish. Just want to be sure.
↧
↧
The Nightmare Mode Thread
Post your Nightmare Mode experiences here, from challenges to fun moments.
Here's me killing Niz, the Black Dragon in Suldanessellar.
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Party
--------
FMT
Berserker 7/Cleric
Kensai 9/Mage
Inquisitor
Assassin 9/Fighter
Sorcerer
Apparantly Nightmare mode gives monsters 3 * Normal HP +80, so he should have 680 HP. I managed to deal 686, so that's pretty accurate. The reason I used such cautious tactics was to ensure easy tallying of damage.
Here's me killing Niz, the Black Dragon in Suldanessellar.
Party
--------
FMT
Berserker 7/Cleric
Kensai 9/Mage
Inquisitor
Assassin 9/Fighter
Sorcerer
Apparantly Nightmare mode gives monsters 3 * Normal HP +80, so he should have 680 HP. I managed to deal 686, so that's pretty accurate. The reason I used such cautious tactics was to ensure easy tallying of damage.
↧
Memory Loss: Intelligence VS Wisdom
Looking for input on how a character's attributes should be measured if you plan on role-playing someone with severe short-term or long-term memory loss. Does low wisdom or low intelligence better measure this kind of quality?
Baldur's Gate says that Intelligence measures memory. But what if a person is very knowledgeable, but can't remember what they ate for breakfast?
On the other hand, someone could be very perceptive, but be unable to remember facts and dates that were just told to them in order to save their life.
How would you roll up a character with very poor memory?
Low wisdom or low intelligence?
Baldur's Gate says that Intelligence measures memory. But what if a person is very knowledgeable, but can't remember what they ate for breakfast?
On the other hand, someone could be very perceptive, but be unable to remember facts and dates that were just told to them in order to save their life.
How would you roll up a character with very poor memory?
Low wisdom or low intelligence?
↧
Prepare questions for the AMA with Phillip Daigle!
Thanks to some luck, those participating in the open beta surveys during the Road to 2.0 managed to unlock a Milestone "Phil Daigle AMA"
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/721328/#Comment_721328
So now the community will have a chance to ask Phillip Daigle any question![;)]( ";)")
Wooo-hoo!
Prepare yourselves!
Let me start.
1. Do you have any pets? If you have them or planning to get a pet, have you thought about naming them after BG characters?
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/721328/#Comment_721328
So now the community will have a chance to ask Phillip Daigle any question
Wooo-hoo!Prepare yourselves!
Let me start.
1. Do you have any pets? If you have them or planning to get a pet, have you thought about naming them after BG characters?
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Switching from BG and IWD to tabletop.
I have played both those games (finished Baldur's Gate and halfway through IWD). How hard do you think it'd be for me to switch to playing tabletop AD&D (2nd/3rd Editions)? I do realise the games don't cover everything, I still need to read a lot about the rules and get used to it, but just out of curiosity...
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"Giant spiders" as a racial enemy
When I select "giant spiders" as a ranger's racial enemy in BG1, does that mean he or she will get a bonus against all spiders (i.e: sword and phase spiders), or just the ones that are explicitly named "giant spiders"?
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The Most Devastating Druid Class
Halfway through my poll series already! This time it's the druids up for grabs, so who's your favorite? As always, this is for personal preference, and not to say what is the strongest kit. (the title's just for mild alliteration) That said, feel free to debate to your heart's content in the comments! I'm sure some of you will be happy to see that I did NOT repeat my blunder from last week, and the "Just show me the results" option IS here. Hopefully the mistake will not be made again.
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The greatest AI flaw of the EE games (and how to easily fix it)
Noticed this while playing IWDEE (which has currently no AI mod) while doing the Vale of Shadows, but it remains true pretty much everywhere:
You dungeon-crawl your way into a hall of enemies; then, only the handful in the front who have seen your attack you. As long as you don't actually *rush* forward, their friends just behind won't lift a finger to help them.
They will attack. One. At. A Time.
Austin Powers style.
This is a terrible immersion breaker that makes the vanilla EE games just about unplayable for me.
(This doesn't happen in SCS because of the "Better Calls for Help" component.)
EASY FIX:
Line-of-sight alerting of enemies.
Simply put, if an enemy is agroed than it agroes all other enemies in its line-of-sight.
"Hey everyone, adventurers are beating up on Deekin. Let's get'em!"
Done. No more pulling enemies 1 or 2 at a time.
This would work better than merely a distance based alert, because in convoluted dungeons (Firewine!) distance is a misleading measure of proximity.
You can adjust the impact of this alert system by deciding whether it "chains" onward.
Example: at Core difficuluty, the alert applies to those in immediate line-of-sight (agro jumps forward only once), but at Insane, you can let this jump twice or maybe three times along line-of-sight. (Only relevant for a massive hall or a lengthy corridor full of enemies.)
Could @Dee or some other magician from Beamdog please comment on if this would be something they would consider? Vanilla game (without SCS) is unbearable without it.
You dungeon-crawl your way into a hall of enemies; then, only the handful in the front who have seen your attack you. As long as you don't actually *rush* forward, their friends just behind won't lift a finger to help them.
They will attack. One. At. A Time.
Austin Powers style.
This is a terrible immersion breaker that makes the vanilla EE games just about unplayable for me.
(This doesn't happen in SCS because of the "Better Calls for Help" component.)
EASY FIX:
Line-of-sight alerting of enemies.
Simply put, if an enemy is agroed than it agroes all other enemies in its line-of-sight.
"Hey everyone, adventurers are beating up on Deekin. Let's get'em!"
Done. No more pulling enemies 1 or 2 at a time.
This would work better than merely a distance based alert, because in convoluted dungeons (Firewine!) distance is a misleading measure of proximity.
You can adjust the impact of this alert system by deciding whether it "chains" onward.
Example: at Core difficuluty, the alert applies to those in immediate line-of-sight (agro jumps forward only once), but at Insane, you can let this jump twice or maybe three times along line-of-sight. (Only relevant for a massive hall or a lengthy corridor full of enemies.)
Could @Dee or some other magician from Beamdog please comment on if this would be something they would consider? Vanilla game (without SCS) is unbearable without it.
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Can someone help me make a custom portrait?
Last time I did this, I accidentally used a copyrighted portrait. The guy was nice about it, but I had to stop using it.
I need a custom portrait for my Baldur's Gate character for my Youtube LP
Here is his description
Zaram Maldovar CN Human Dragon Disciple
Zaram Maldovar stands a certainly tall, but not necessarily imposing figure at about six foot five inches tall. His chaotic personality can be seen not only in his actions, but also in his appearance. His eyes, purple from a miscast spell in his youth, glow with a certain mischievous charm and youth, his hair has been permanently dyed green from similar magical experience dating back before he left Candlekeep. He wears a robe of various colors in an attempt to stand out with people (as if he couldn't already been seen from miles away). He has a small amount of facial hair culminating in a modest goatee (also green) and carries with him a bronze pendant around his neck which can summon his familiar; a Cat which he has strangely decided to simply name Bob.
Thank you, your help is appreciated
I need a custom portrait for my Baldur's Gate character for my Youtube LP
Here is his description
Zaram Maldovar CN Human Dragon Disciple
Zaram Maldovar stands a certainly tall, but not necessarily imposing figure at about six foot five inches tall. His chaotic personality can be seen not only in his actions, but also in his appearance. His eyes, purple from a miscast spell in his youth, glow with a certain mischievous charm and youth, his hair has been permanently dyed green from similar magical experience dating back before he left Candlekeep. He wears a robe of various colors in an attempt to stand out with people (as if he couldn't already been seen from miles away). He has a small amount of facial hair culminating in a modest goatee (also green) and carries with him a bronze pendant around his neck which can summon his familiar; a Cat which he has strangely decided to simply name Bob.
Thank you, your help is appreciated
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Bard Avatar is hideous.
Or is it just me?
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A History, Thoro'ly Research'd, of the Phenomenon Known to Some Mortals as "Magic"
...by the sage and sometimes wizard, Dunnis Scot, late of Waterdeep, formerly of many and far locales.
Let ye know first, dear reader, the legitimacy of your source in this learning. The holder of this quill is a magic-user of some accomplishment, of the scholarly and independent variety you call "a wizard." Lately my use of the Art has become a bit unreliable - whether due to advanced age or for some external reason, I shudder to contemplate. Previously, however, I was a seasoned and reliable Planewalker, moving as easily from one reality to another as you might travel to the market or to a friend's abode. I have seen much of the world... indeed, I have seen much of many worlds.
Through that time, the skills I had acquired - controlling matter, manipulating explosive energies, altering perception - were simply tools to me. Spells kept me safe on the road, and warm in the night. simple folk held me in the highest regard, and the fiends of the hells feared the slightly twist of my fingers. I had little interest in my spells, save for what they could do for me.
As time went on, I began to wonder more deeply about these feats. Where do this "magic" come from, and why did it obey me so readily?
What you Faerunians call "the Weave" (and for convenience I will use your term) is really a force, or a substrate, that flows with and through all the matter and energy in the universe. Eons ago, when the modern races first began to cultivate intelligence, some individuals perceived this - that the universe consisted of more than just the material cause and effect visible to the eye. Such individuals could see that the Weave flowed everywhere and gave rise to the mystery of matter that we take for granted: Life.
Hear me: the Weave is in the grass, in the tree, in the worm and the bird... wherever matter has coalesced into complex systems - the very systems that have allowed the intelligent races to rise and flourish - there is the Weave. And it is inside us! Early on, those with strong inner focus developed the ability to channel the Weave through their own bodies, manipulating their life energy or "Chi," and thus performing extraordinary feats. We call such practitioners "monks," but before there was a name for them, they were simply this: the first magic-users.
Others saw that there was a direction, a flow, in the systems of the natural world, which could be controlled. Not changed outright, to be sure; but if you join your spirit in the harmony of nature, then with great focus and skill, you can learn to direct that symphony. Understanding this, some individuals learned to control plants, animals, and also other natural forces: the earth beneath our feet, the howling winds, the flows of water... even the crackling, jumping fire. Over time, the ability to exercise such control was handed down, one practitioner to another, in formalized techniques involving gestures, sounds, and symbols. These techniques are what we think of as "spells."
Those early Mystics were viewed with awe by their unsophisticated fellows, and some began to hold themselves out as higher beings. What happened next is unclear, even to me. Some say these mystics were worshipped, and the strength of their followers' belief was enough that they actually ascended to a higher form of existences, becoming deities. Others say the gods are timeless, and that the rise of magic use is simply what caused them to first notice mortals.
These deities are beings of unimaginable power (some say fueled by the belief and faith of their flocks). To them the Weave is not some invisible, mysterious force; they *see* it, and can control it with a mere thought. Through this, they have the ability to manipulate reality on a whim. With the slightest ease, they can send spells to the minds of their worshippers, enabling magical effects far more strange and flashy than those achievable by mystics.
Thus, the rise of religions. Mortals who gave fealty and service to deities learned to perform miracles. As societies became more urban and sophisticated, organized clerics amassed power. Mystics became known as strange men in the wilds, dancing among trees and howling at the moon. They did not disappear, however. Sylvanus and similar deities appreciated mystics' respect for nature, and guided some of them into the organized hierarchies of the Druids.
There are other ways to control the Weave, of course. Some individuals - whether or brave or foolhardy I shall not opine - learn the power in the stranger corners of the natural universe. Setting aside concepts of "harmony," these occultists derive magical powers from raw manipulation of energies from the elemental planes, or the demonic forces of the hells, or strange outer realms of which we know little.
More familiarly, scholars have learned to reproduce many spells without the aid of priestly worship. Indeed, rigorous study has led to the creation of brand new spells, with effects undreamt-of by clerics and mystics. And, not limited by jealous deities, we wizards have managed to use spells at higher levels of power than priests ever could. But, I do not claim superiority. For all our creativity and raw power, we old men in our towers could not hope to challenge the strength of the ordered clerics and their ranks of acolytes. They mix the organization of fighting-men with the miracles of magic, and for that, they hold vast sway over the societies of men and demihumans.
Yea, though some might prefer not to admit it, and some may argue otherwise (to their peril), the most powerful and influential forces in these Realms are surely Faiths and Powers.
Let ye know first, dear reader, the legitimacy of your source in this learning. The holder of this quill is a magic-user of some accomplishment, of the scholarly and independent variety you call "a wizard." Lately my use of the Art has become a bit unreliable - whether due to advanced age or for some external reason, I shudder to contemplate. Previously, however, I was a seasoned and reliable Planewalker, moving as easily from one reality to another as you might travel to the market or to a friend's abode. I have seen much of the world... indeed, I have seen much of many worlds.
Through that time, the skills I had acquired - controlling matter, manipulating explosive energies, altering perception - were simply tools to me. Spells kept me safe on the road, and warm in the night. simple folk held me in the highest regard, and the fiends of the hells feared the slightly twist of my fingers. I had little interest in my spells, save for what they could do for me.
As time went on, I began to wonder more deeply about these feats. Where do this "magic" come from, and why did it obey me so readily?
What you Faerunians call "the Weave" (and for convenience I will use your term) is really a force, or a substrate, that flows with and through all the matter and energy in the universe. Eons ago, when the modern races first began to cultivate intelligence, some individuals perceived this - that the universe consisted of more than just the material cause and effect visible to the eye. Such individuals could see that the Weave flowed everywhere and gave rise to the mystery of matter that we take for granted: Life.
Hear me: the Weave is in the grass, in the tree, in the worm and the bird... wherever matter has coalesced into complex systems - the very systems that have allowed the intelligent races to rise and flourish - there is the Weave. And it is inside us! Early on, those with strong inner focus developed the ability to channel the Weave through their own bodies, manipulating their life energy or "Chi," and thus performing extraordinary feats. We call such practitioners "monks," but before there was a name for them, they were simply this: the first magic-users.
Others saw that there was a direction, a flow, in the systems of the natural world, which could be controlled. Not changed outright, to be sure; but if you join your spirit in the harmony of nature, then with great focus and skill, you can learn to direct that symphony. Understanding this, some individuals learned to control plants, animals, and also other natural forces: the earth beneath our feet, the howling winds, the flows of water... even the crackling, jumping fire. Over time, the ability to exercise such control was handed down, one practitioner to another, in formalized techniques involving gestures, sounds, and symbols. These techniques are what we think of as "spells."
Those early Mystics were viewed with awe by their unsophisticated fellows, and some began to hold themselves out as higher beings. What happened next is unclear, even to me. Some say these mystics were worshipped, and the strength of their followers' belief was enough that they actually ascended to a higher form of existences, becoming deities. Others say the gods are timeless, and that the rise of magic use is simply what caused them to first notice mortals.
These deities are beings of unimaginable power (some say fueled by the belief and faith of their flocks). To them the Weave is not some invisible, mysterious force; they *see* it, and can control it with a mere thought. Through this, they have the ability to manipulate reality on a whim. With the slightest ease, they can send spells to the minds of their worshippers, enabling magical effects far more strange and flashy than those achievable by mystics.
Thus, the rise of religions. Mortals who gave fealty and service to deities learned to perform miracles. As societies became more urban and sophisticated, organized clerics amassed power. Mystics became known as strange men in the wilds, dancing among trees and howling at the moon. They did not disappear, however. Sylvanus and similar deities appreciated mystics' respect for nature, and guided some of them into the organized hierarchies of the Druids.
There are other ways to control the Weave, of course. Some individuals - whether or brave or foolhardy I shall not opine - learn the power in the stranger corners of the natural universe. Setting aside concepts of "harmony," these occultists derive magical powers from raw manipulation of energies from the elemental planes, or the demonic forces of the hells, or strange outer realms of which we know little.
More familiarly, scholars have learned to reproduce many spells without the aid of priestly worship. Indeed, rigorous study has led to the creation of brand new spells, with effects undreamt-of by clerics and mystics. And, not limited by jealous deities, we wizards have managed to use spells at higher levels of power than priests ever could. But, I do not claim superiority. For all our creativity and raw power, we old men in our towers could not hope to challenge the strength of the ordered clerics and their ranks of acolytes. They mix the organization of fighting-men with the miracles of magic, and for that, they hold vast sway over the societies of men and demihumans.
Yea, though some might prefer not to admit it, and some may argue otherwise (to their peril), the most powerful and influential forces in these Realms are surely Faiths and Powers.
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Possible Extra Bit of Challenge?
Something has occurred to me. According to @PhillipDaigle , if you name your Bhaalspawn after him in Dragonspear, said Bhaalspawn will suffer a -1 to all saving throws (in compliance with WotC's recent sanctions against him). Could this end up as like an extra bit of challenge for people who don't think Legacy of Bhaal Mode is quite hard enough? I'm envisioning Phillip Daigle playthrough challenges here.
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