Role playing your class

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While I appreciate the fact that there had to be a back story of some sort, I have a real problem with the back story as it relates to the fact that you can be any character class. What am I saying? Let me explain.

If you were brought up in Candlekeep, what sort of training would you be likely to get? Well, a pure fighter would be logical, as might a Wizard Slayer (Gorion and the Monks trained you to protect wizards from other wizards.) A Kensai would work too, as the Monks might have trained you in such eastern combat techniques. A Berserker? I don't think so -- unless it's something like a disease or innate talent.

A Ranger? Not bloody likely. I get the impression that you never left Candlekeep until the begining of the storyline, and a Ranger needs to spend a great deal of time outdoors. But maybe the soldiers guarding Candlekeep had a few Rangers kicking around and you gravitated to them.

A Paladin? Sure! That makes sense. The Monks are obviously Lawful, and IIRC there's a shrine to Helm, so that one makes sense.

A Barbarian? No chance at all. How could you grow up totally uncivilized in such a civilized area. Makes no roleplaying sense to me. (I know you can't pick this in the original BG, but I'm talking roleplaying a character you create in BG2)

A Monk? No kidding, tons of them around.

A good or neutral Cleric? Sure. There seems to have been shrines to various deities around the keep, though I doubt there was an evil one -- and if Gorion raised you, you'd think he'd have something to say about official training in an evil temple, given your parentage.

A Druid? No chance. Candlekeep is an urban environment (see my argument for the Ranger) except there would definitely be no Druids kicking around the Keep long anough to train you.

A Thief? I can see a regular one or a Swashbuckler. I don't think anyone in Candlekeep would be willing to train you as an Assassin. Maybe, among the soldiers, there might be a Bountry Hunter who you learned from, but I really, really doubt it.

Magic user? This makes the most sense to me. Gorion is one, so any Mage or Specialist Mage makes sense to me. A Sorceror makes even more sense, given your God-Blood.

Lastly, a Bard? Given the influence of clerics, monks, fighters and of course magic users, such a Jack of all trades career choice makes sense to me, though who would teach you to sing is beyond me.

Anyone have any thoughts on this idea?

 

I agree on almost every point. Damn good thread idea - I've never thought of this angle, but it really does factor in, doesn't it?

The only one I don't agree with is the druid one. Sure Candlekeep is a bit civilized. But remember that Gorion was a harper, and so was Jahiera, a druid. I'm not saying Jahiera trained you, because you don't even meet her and wuss-boy till the Friendly Arm Inn. But since other harpers are druids, you could have easily gotten your training from one of Gorion's other associates. The area around candlekeep is pretty much wilderness, so you wouldn't have to stray too far to practice your Druiding.

But I agree that Barbarian and Berserkers are a bit silly. But then again, there could have been a book in Candlekeep's massive collection on the subject. "Me Smash You To Goo: Connecting with Your Animal Side." Or how about "Barbarian: The OTHER White Meat."

Well, you tell me!

 

Well I always figured like this:

You spend your twenty or so years in candlekeep searching yourself for talents you have, but you've never been able to exploit them to the fullest in the fortress that is candlekeep. But deep inside you always knew what you want to be.

So when Gorion tells you that you're leaving candlekeep you are still level 1, you know what you want by then but you haven't got any experience in it, that experience you gain when you adventure and take your true role.

That's why you start at level 1 talking D&D wise, you know what but don't know how.

That's why I think there should have been some really class related quests or moves in Baldur's Gate 1. As they did in BG 2 the experience for opening chests and disabling traps is a very good example, as is the experience for learning a new spell. But there could have been more, experience for using your wilderness ability as a ranger (and get actually usefull information), experience for a bard when he learns new songs at taverns (or creating songs after a legendary quest of your group). There are numerous more examples but I won't go into them to much because BG and BG2 are as good as they will ever get

 

Actually, what you just brought up is a great idea! More specifically, a great idea for a mod. A mod that added what I too thought was greatly lacking in BG1: quests that had something to do with your class, and that called on the skills of your class to solve them.

These quests would be triggered at the games outset, so a druid wouldn't have to loot a building for a map, for example. The Ulcaster School, as another example, was one when I first went through I had hoped would offer a bunch of cool mage items and magic-type situations, given the type of location it was. Or helping the cloudpeak Dryad for a druid or ranger, etc. Stuff like this would have added volumes to the "role-playing" aspect of BG1. You're character would truly develop at his profession, rather than gaining skills and leveling up merely from battle experience alone. A figher can get away with this, for obvious reasons, but not a mage or thief.

 

Yeah that's what I have always thought too, Depaara.

That's why I'm never a Barbarian.

Great thread.

LMAO !!!!

 

Hmmmm, interesting point. I guess I reconciled those facts the same way Apeman did: you start BG1 at level 1, so it's like you're just beginning your career in your chosen profession. Just like you don't need anyone to 'train' you as you level up in BG1 and BG2, you really learn your profession as you fight or complete quests. That admittedly is an oversimplified way of truly earning experience in your class, but at least in BG2 things have gotten better.

That would be a great mod! It would be cool if you could choose to study under a master of your class and gain something extra. Not necessarily experience, but a special ability, proficiency, spell, or player-specific magical item, etc. Throw in some intrigue if you and/or your master is evil and there can be only one . . . . Maybe there can be several masters you can pick from in your class, and the bonuses/quests are different with each. Attending school is another option, but some of us do that enough already!

 

Barbarian - your tainted blood causes chaos wherever you go and you indulge the thought of violence. However hard people try to teach you you won't listen, longing only for a little excitement. In a final act to quench your spirit they let you join the guards only finding that their rules and ways are too strict for you, you begin to get annoyed, confined away and earn the reputation of being 'barbaric' often trying to start fights in the Inn, people often ignore you, but at least the barkeep is friendly enough to let you stay and drink quietly.

Druid - you read books on animals and the world outside and long to experience it. You read stories of good and evil yet wish to renounce it. You gaze out your window wondering what it would be like if the wilds claimed your fortress home, and wonder why it would make difference if it was even there. Gorion sense you felt confined and arranged trips outside, they weren't as often as wished they were but it was still doing what you liked most, being around the animals and plants outside the urban world. You embraced nature and the balance it held and strived for it ever since

Ranger - Being confined in a library all day isa startling thought, so you decided to break away from it, spending time outside in the gardens and wandering outside the keep for walks often caught you late for lessons as you wandered around admiring things. Often have you come close to bears and other creatures meaning you had to sneak quitly away. You began to learn about the way the world worked and the areas around the keep no longer seemed strange and unknown. Wandering around the grounds often led to sitting and talking to some of the guards and you learnt a few tricks.

Thief - the stifling rules often bored you, as you had little regards for them, seekign a lottle excitement you would often take small items of little importance to watch the owner search for hours on end, bringing entertainment, excitment and it must be said - a little profit to spend on a drink at the Inn.

 

Nice touch, 8people.

Your character is molded by your spirit. Your hidden wishes and dreams are free to take form here. IMHO the classes are too few. There should be no restriction.

Candlekeep was also a library, and books contain the knowledge of the world. The second part of your being, Experience, is gathered throughout the BG saga. I don't see any problem here.

 

Apart from my character Dolina who found it hard to let books go after finding them, since she was used to the library she always crried a few dozen with her ever since.

 

I think rangers and druids are a bit more likely choices than I would seem at first glance. First, Candlekeep isn't really big and it's surrounded by wilderness. For a young ranger that's enough - and there's always some ranger at the bar and maybe some scouting one in the guard. Druids could have a settlement in some moderately close vicinity, plus some harpers are druids, travellers arrive now and then seeking wisdom in books (druids aren't analphabets, you know )... But it's true that all those explanations only serve justifying class choice. This way even berserker could be justified (a befriended guard originally from Icewind Dale perhaps...), but barbarian not bloody likely.

Apart from barbarian, I'd rather exclude bounty hunter (at least unless it's thought to be acquired during adventuring), assassin as LKD ( )said (although enough creativity would save the bio), blade, jester (just can't imagine Gorion letting charname play like that), skald, and evil god's cleric (although gods have strange ways and Bhaalspawn is a natural target). Regular bard could perhaps go. He can learn all stuff without any problem and some priest or monk could teach him to sing (they just have a different repertoire).

It's not that easy with paladins, however. Since Gorion was a mighty wizard and important member of harpers, he can be considered noble and it'll work for pure paladin perfectly and even more so for inquisitor where the monks and that ilk would have much to say (as with wizard slayer), but most certainly undead hunter is not a class you're just born with. Also it's not a class you would acquire in one closed and peaceful space. No way. Last but not least, cavallier. This one class really needs a special bio. There aren't obstacles - even opposite considering all those Gorion's friends, be they harpers or not: mighty casters, noble leaders and famous heroes plus the library full of mediaeval Harlequin counterparts. But contrary to what is believed, cavallier is not just a paladin that's the worst snob of them all, can't shot/won't touch a bow, and is a bit better prepared to fight dragons and daemons (that he hasn't seen any doesn't matter since it's not the main class feature). Courtly education, heroic tales etc are sure to have been supplied by Gorion and co and the monks anyway, only one should note the cavallier received quite a lot of that. However, there's not even a single knight to be seen in Candlekeep in BG1 or even known to have come. And I don't mean knighting the lad, which could be done by a clergyman of high rank or a noblewoman (who can't be required to have been knighted herself contrary to a nobleman), but the customary service as a squire. From how Charname the Cavallier Wannabe is treated in Candlekeep it's obvious he's not yet knighted, so he must be someone's squire. Of course he could be squire to some high priest, some monk official, maybe even Gorion himself - things like that happened in history, but were extremely rare. To sum up, there's no way charname could be a standard cavallier, it's not even practically, but *just* impossible. He's bound to be more than moderately non-standard - wizardly in manner (wizardly courtly education), monkish in spirituality and even as a cavallier not really much like the traditional picture of knight (although there already are legends and tales that could be of use developing his personality).

 

I always thought it to be something like this. Same for the berzerker. Their god-of-murder-tainted blood gives them not only a distinct edge in combat but a berzerk rage when aggrevated.

Hehheh. Sweet.

 

Just check your biography on your char sheet(in bg1), and it will give a pretty good explanation for your class