The adventure began on December 21, 1998. Developed by Bioware and Black Isle Studios, and published by Interplay Entertainment, Baldur's Gate is one of the most important games in its genre. To this day, many roleplaying games owe at least a couple of things to this gem. This is especially true in light of the revival of the cRPG by studios like Obsidian, inXile Entertainment, and Owlcat Games. The game was such a hit that they created the expansion Tales of the Sword Coast, as well as a sequel Baldur's Gate 2: Shadow of Amn. Which itself received an expansion in the form of The Throne of Bhaal.
In spite of its age, there's a certain timeless feeling to the series that keeps me coming back to them again and again. I was only eight when the series was released, but I have vivid memories of watching my older sister play it on an old Gateway Machine, and loving every minute of it. This series is, in my opinion at least, one of the greatest things to ever come out of the video game medium.
That being said, I didn't create this thread 'just' to gush about how much I love this series. I wanted to celebrate every aspect of it, and there's one super important aspect that this game has that it can't go unmentioned. The modding community. The community itself might not be 'as' old as the game, but they're a big reason why I personally got into the games as much as I have.
Because let's face it, Anomen isn't the greatest example of a romanceable companion that Bioware's ever written. He's less creepy than Jaheira(fight me nerds) but not by that much. So to celebrate this game and the fans that made it what it is today, I'm going to be running through the entire series using a Big World Setup.
What that means is relatively simple. Firstly, we're going to be playing with the Enhanced Edition Trilogy. Now back in the day there were two methods of importing Baldur's Gate 1 into the Baldur's Gate 2 engine. You could use an application called TuTu, or the Baldur's Gate Trilogy. TuTu kept the games separate, you would play through BG1 and then import into BG2 once you finished what you were doing. With Baldur's Gate Trilogy, the games were one long continuous adventure.
Since the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate is already running on an upgraded Infinity Engine, the only option to make these games one continuous adventure is the Enhanced Edition Trilogy(EET). But just the EET isn't going to make Baldur's Gate 1 feel as large as its younger sibling. That's why I've chosen to install a lot of mods. How many?
All of them.
With the exception of some kit packs and mods that break the game (in a bad way), I've installed every single mod that can be installed into the EET without setting everything on fire or isn't an obvious unfinished beta. If it adds a new quest, I've put it in. New NPC? No problem! Dialogue? Absolutely! Come one, come all! Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Baldur's Gate with me as we play through the entirety of the Trilogy!
Self-Imposed Challenges
Ironman Mode: No take backs, and no save scumming. Now I'm not going to end the LP because a basilisk got lucky and turned CharName into stone. But if the same happens to Viconia, well that's it. She's stoned until we find a Stone to Flesh scroll. Imoen gets gibbed? Well that's life on Faerun for you. It's tough and unfair at times, but you learn from it and move on.
On Sabbatical: As the game goes on, it's almost certain that some among our party are going to die.
They may not get gibbed or become so badly mangled that we can't resurrect them, but they will die. When that happens, we will resurrect them at the soonest possible moment and then we'll give them the boot so they can relax at an inn as part of the Murderhobo Mental Health Act. Whatever items they have, they'll keep until we come back to collect them again. This way we can keep rolling in new NPC's to see what they have to offer.
More might be added, but that's a problem for future me to deal with. So without further ado, let's play the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition Trilogy.
Before we even begin the game, we have to watch the opening movie. Yes, I am using the classic Baldur's Gate cinematics. As much as I appreciate the work the Beamdog team put into the new ones, I have a greater fondness for the old. They don't look good on my monitor, BGEE stretches them to match your monitor size, but I adore them nonetheless.
"Rosalin" said:
"You have long been enraptured by your foster father's countless tales, though not so much for the content as for the art of the telling. Blessed by a world of books, you have surrounded yourself with the ancient legends and endless lore, and developed quite a skill for showmanship. One of the cooks has become quite fond of you and, between recitations of often bawdy poems and songs, has provided you with somewhat haphazard voice instruction. Gorion, in his kindness and wisdom, has been urging her to find another teacher before you ruin your voice for good.
You know little of how you came to be a ward of Gorion's, but over the years you have gleaned something of your mother's tale from his vague allusions and from the words he sometimes uttered in tea-filled sleep. She was a half-elf from the courts of Ashabenford and a friend of his for many seasons. As you have no memory of her, nor any keepsakes to remind you of her existence, you have come to believe that she died while giving birth to you. Perhaps it was the pain of such a parting that led Gorion to cloister himself within the narrow halls of Candlekeep and raise you as his own. Of your father, you have learned nothing."
Father told me that we need to leave immediately, but why? Candlekeep is a fortress to start, and protected by the likes of Gorion, Thethoril, and Ulraunt! Nothing could possibly harm us here. I shall ask him as soon as we are ready to depart.
Yes. I am using the Cleric Paperdoll. I changed it via the Enhanced Edition version of Shadowkeeper. Still, welcome to good old Candlekeep, the finest tutorial zone in the land. Ok, maybe not so much, but it does teach you several things. Things like how to fight, always remember to explore for hidden goodies, don't randomly attack people or you'll get your butt pushed in by Gorion. That kind of thing.
I'll be skipping over the tutorial stuff. The guys in green will give you a barebones rundown on how the game works, but that's it. I've got a couple of mods that change how this area plays out, but it's nothing like the "everyone is suddenly beholders" mod that came up for April Fools a couple of years ago.
Huh, it seems as if there are more and more visitors with each passing week. Ah! But there's old Firebead! I can talk with him later, first I need to prepare for my journey!
"My hotel's as clean as an elven arse!"
This is Winthrop, owner of the inn. He's a jolly fellow, but runs a tight ship. One of his cooks taught me all about tavern songs, and how to work the crowd. Of course, Winthrop would never let me actually 'stand' on one of his tables, like one of the bards in the stories I was told. But he would let me practice my routine from time to time! Even said that they were some of the best nights his inn had ever seen.
Rosalin: You always were the big kidder, Winthrop. That gets funier very nearly every time I hear it. Well, perhaps not quite so often.
Winthrop: Haw! Just having a bit o' fun with ye, my friend. Them monks may be walking about with poles in their nethers, but you know you are always welcome here in my sight. Gorion did well by you, he did. So, is there anything I can do for ya? Some drinks, a room to sleep, or anything to buy?
Per father's instructions, I purchase supplies for the road. I wasn't sure where we were going, so I made sure to purchase extra. As I haggle with Winthrop, the glint of metal flashes as the sun's rays peer through the window.
Well… father did say that we needed to be prepared for the road. And even if Gorion is a powerful wizard, it's not like he's going to waste his time blowing up a horde of gibberlings, right? And I can handle myself in a fight!
We play the game of commerce for a while, before settling on a good price. I tell Winthrop that I am to be leaving soon. The old bufflehead wants to share a drink with me before I leave. We share some mead, and reminisce about all the fun we've had over the years. Honestly, you'd think I was never going to see him again.
So I make him a promise. Once whatever has Father worked up has blown over, we'll come back to Candlekeep and I'll share a drink with him, and the whole bar to boot! I'll tell him all about the adventure too.
Through our drinking, I do him talking about a rumor. Something about the on-going iron crisis…
Still, time is wasting and I need to find father before he gets too upset with me. Still there's a couple of people I want to speak with before I go. I can't possibly leave without saying goodbye to my friend. She'd be just as upset as myself! As I step into the foyer, I'm accosted by a couple of strangers!
Noblewoman: Oh yes, darling, they are MOST standoffish.
How dare they! These people come into MY home and start badmouthing the people who helped raise me, and have the gall to be upset about how they're being looked at! I ought to… no. No, we need to keep calm. Yes, yes I see. They're dressed nicely, but in horridly garish colors. They must be nobles or something. Used to getting their way, used to getting fawned over just because of their appearance.
It doesn't work like that here. In Candlekeep, books are more valuable than gold, and people for that matter. How did it go again? "Those who destroy knowledge, with ink, fire, or sword, are themselves destroyed."
Rosalin: They lead a somewhat cloistered life here, so they are unaccustomed to many visitors. You are perhaps a bit… colorful compared to what they are used to.
Noblewoman: Colorful? Dear, perhaps we should dress a little more plainly to fit in?
Thurston: It's worth a try my dear, although our clothes may only be the half of it. They certainly couldn't react any worse than they have. I thank you for the suggestion, Rosalin, and for putting it tactfully. Good eve to you.
It was an interesting distraction at least. Not a welcome one, but an interesting one. I hope those two will temper their expectations from here on, and maybe learn a thing or two from their stay. Still, it seems as though my friend isn't here. But I should at least say hello to Firebead before I go.
Rosalin: Welcome back Firebead. How was your journey?
A fetch quest huh? I don't see the harm in it, and it gives me an opportunity to meet with Tethtoril! Not exactly an everyday occurrence.
As I head towards the door however, I spot a woman moping in the corner of the inn. Her face looks tired and morose…
Blast my weak heart.
Rosalin: You look very pale indeed. Aren't you feeling well?
Linda: I… had a terrible adventure. For me, as well as for the man I love. *sigh*
Ugggh, this is going to be one of those. Isn't it?
Rosalin: That sounds horrible. Do you want to talk about it?
Linda: You are Gorion's foster child, aren't you? Yes, I think I want to talk with you about it.
Linda: Have you been to the infirmary? My fiancé is recovering there from the injuries he got in his last fight.
Rosalin: No, I haven't spoken to him yet.
Linda: He has an obvious injury: he lost an arm. But the wounds that are still troubling him are his memories of what happened during this fight, and the conditions under which he lost that arm. I… I am troubled by it too.
Linda: You see… I cut off his arm. It… it was the only thing to do.
Rosalin: I beg your pardon? That, I don't understand.
Linda: We were on our way to Candlekeep, when suddenly a portal started opening near us. Monsters came out and started attacking. It was horrible. Sir Trun defended us, and it looked as if he would win easily. Then one of the creatures bit into his arm, dragging him toward the portal. He lost his sword…
Rosalin: It is a great pity he lost his arm, but you saved him nonetheless. Doesn't he feel thankful for that?
Linda: No, it is not that easy. Sir Trun proposed to me, what seems a long, long time ago, and we went on this educational journey to Candlekeep. You have to understand, I am the daughter of a noble family, and never touched any kind of weapon. His… his gaze upon me when he realized what happened…
Linda: Forgive me, but I do not want to talk more about it. I need to be patient, and hope that he will overcome his feelings. Poor Sir Trun… he is so brave. He grimly tries not to attribute any importance to the matter, but doesn't succeed in overcoming his feelings of horror. He is bound to his proposal to a woman he now fears, and is trying to convince himself it is nothing to worry about. I still see that look in his eyes…
Linda: I decided not to go to the infirmary until someone brings the news of his recovery, or until he approaches me himself.
Well… crap. I get the feeling that she's going to be waiting a long, long time for either of those things to happen. And she's going to be miserable all the while. Both of them will be. I hope that someone will talk to him… them…
…
Blast my weak heart, again. Sorry father, it seems you'll be waiting just a little bit longer. Hopefully no one else will need my help before I leave.
But first thing is first. Firebead asked me to get his scroll, and I promised that I would. He mentioned that Tethortil is wandering the grounds. Onwards, brave, gallant Rosalin! Your destiny awaits!
It doesn't take too long to find him, at least. Everyone seems to congregate towards a certain spot in the garden. Already I can see the chanters warming up their voices. And there! That red cloak must surely be him!
I run back to the inn, quick as my feet take me. We need to get these errands done before long, else father will be greatly cross.
Firebead: Ah, I am glad to see that age has not hardened your heart towards an old man such as myself. I'll take all of youridentify scrolls—I have a great use for those types of scrolls. Here, allow me to cast a little spell on you. It will protect you from any evil you might meet tonight.
Woah… I feel… I feel good somehow. What was that spell? Protection from Evil? Is it supposed to feel like this?
I wander across the grounds for a bit, soaking in the feeling as I continue on my merry way. With the likes of Firebead, Tethtoril, and Father here, why should we be in any hurry?
Oh hey! It's Phlydia!
Lost her book again did she? Heh, that's just like her. No problem, I've got a solid idea of where they're at. And if not, Drepin would know. He's always been a bit sweet on her.
I cross the Priests Quarters on my way to the stables, and I break into a grin. A certain someone might just be taking advantage of the priests being on duty. Knowing her, she'd probably put it all back away before anyone noticed to. Not Rosalin, no. Rosalin's going to catch her in the act, and extract a few bribes from her friend. You never know when you might want a couple of extra snacks after all that adventuring.
"Surprise!"
I look around, trying to spot my friend. It doesn't seem like she's here either. Disappointing. Fare thee well, my snacks.
But… there is someone here. Something… rank. As if they hadn't bathed in a long time. There! Hiding in the shadows, a man is crouched behind the fireplace. What is he doing?
Rosalin: I am, what can I do for you?
Shank: Oh, our encounter shall be quite simple for you. Plainly put, I have made it my mission to end your life. Success will mean a little respect among my peers. So you see, you can do very little except die!
The man lunges at me, dagger in hand. I shriek as I get out of the way, his thrust missing by a long ways. Out of blind panic, I swing my walking stick at his head! I hear the sickly crunch as it crashes into his skull.
Why? Why, whywhywhywhywhywhy!
I ran out the door, and encounter one of my former tutors, Parda.
I ran a hand across my brow, wincing as my sweaty palm meets the wound.
Rosalin: Oh, Parda! There was a man in there, he smelled like the stables, and he—and he tried to kill me, it was horrible…
Parda: Hurry then, child. Equip yourself at the Inn and go join Gorion on the steps of the library… I had a sense something like this might happen.
I have already, of course. But… it's not supposed to be used against 'people'. At least not yet! How did this man get into the keep? Surely the guards, or one of the many powerful mages here should have seen his evil intentions? Something should have been…
No… no.. of course. This is just a joke right? That's… that's not very funny Parda. Not funny at all. Ehaha…
The stables aren't too far… shaken up as I am. I promised I'd help Phlydia get her book back before she gets into trouble. I should… I should keep doing that. Yes.
Hee, right where I thought it would be. Oh Phlydia… you shouldn't be so obvious!
I returned to Phlydia, book in hand.
Phlydia: My book! Oh, you remind me of Gorion when you grin like that. Raising you has been hard on him, I know, but he says it's a toil of love, a toil of destiny, even. You must be a very special child, indeed, to draw such praise from a man of his silent nature… Here, take this little gem of mine. Maybe Winthrop will give you a little something for it.
Great! I didn't expect to get anything out of my good deed, but it's nice to be appreciated every once in a while. The gem will be a nice keepsake for the road. Now… Dreppin wanted something as well. Might as well go see him, he's on the way after all!
Nessa's sick again huh? I hope it's not a sign. The Iron Shortage is bad enough! If cattle start dying off too…
On my way to the infirmary, I come across Jondalar. He's… not the captain per-say, closer to a second-in-command, but I respect him for his knowledge. It seems that father wants him to help me brush up on some fighting… It can't hurt to be ready for a 'real' fight.
I was all set and ready to square off with him, when suddenly Erik bust out from behind the trees, bow in hand. Of course, he wouldn't fire real arrows at me, but they still stung when they hit! Of course, not as much as when I hit 'him' back!
Of course, Reevor called me over after I demonstrated my skill. Seems everyone needs my help today, father. And I vaguely recall promising to clear out the rats the other day. I suppose I'd better hop to it!
Oh boy, there are…. There are definitely rats here. And.. another man skulking in the shadows. He isn't even bothering to conceal the weapon, like the other man. I can see it in his eyes, a terrible glint. A thirst for bloodshed.
Rosalin: Why are you doing this? I've done nothing to you!
Mendas: You've done nothing to anyone, far as I know. Don't matter one whit to me. A price is a price and a head is a head, and whenever the two meet, there's myself making my living. Like I said, it's nothing personal.
Like before, the man attacked. This time, however, I wasn't fast enough. I screamed as his sword slipped through my flesh, tearing muscle and fat apart as the man's crude technique left behind a jagged wound.
I'm not sure what happened after that. It's all… kind of a haze. I remember having just enough presence of mind to drink the potion of healing that I had been given earlier that morning.
And I remember the look on the man's face. His manic grin widened, as he took my magical healing as a challenge to be overcome. I felt the biting pain again as his weapon pierced my body.
And then… I remember swinging my sword wildly. As he stepped on one of the rats that dotted the floor, I think… it caught him off balance. And then I… I pounced upon him cutting his throat with a wild slash of my scimitar.
I'm not sure what happened but… when I had a clear mind again the rats were dead as well.
I look over the man's body… he was in much better condition than the other one. He wore studded armor, and a short sword. Little more than a thug for hire… but how did either of them gain entry to Candlekeep? Wait… there's something tucked in this pouch here…
A bounty, on me?! Who would even know that I'm here, let alone that I exist! Who would even want me dead? One of the visitors? But I haven't offended anyone!
Oh… gods… that's a lot of blood. I feel… not so good anymore mister Firebead. Infirmary, I need to get to the infirmary.
I limped my way out of the storehouse.
"Reevor, I-I need some hel-"
Somethings, somethings not right with Reevor. I should bring it up with Gori- with father once I reach him. I need to get to the infirmary first! There should be a stock of healing potions there, and there's no way the priest will turn me down in my state.
Rosalin: Yes, Gatewarden. I would appreciate that.
Gatewarden: Good then child. 'Tis one thing to maintain control o' yerself in the heat of battle but 'tis quite another to maintain one's authority o'er a group. I've arsked Obe the illusionist to run through a few simulations fer ye down in the storage cellars. Just follow me this way an' I'll unlock the door fer ye…
Just… ignore the fact that I'm bleeding through my clothes. Don't mind me, I'm just over here Fucking Dying!
The Gatewarden leaves, and I finally, finally, get inside the infirmary.
W-what kind of game is he playing at? There's something seriously wrong here. Two attempted assassinations and now people ignoring the trail of blood I'm leaving behind? Rosalin: Yes, that would be nice of you.
I said to the priest as sarcastically as possible. He handed me the potion without a fuss, and without the usual grimace and complaint from the foul tasting liquid, I downed it all in one gulp.
Resting on one of the free beds, I let the potion do its work. How many times have I been in this infirmary again? Many of them were my own fault. Once, I tried doing a pirouette on one of the bar stools at Winthrops Inn, fell off and smashed my head against the countertop. Heh, Gorion was mad that day.
…
Crap I almost forgot about Father. I need to get up and get to him… but…
There, over in the opposite room. I saw a one armed man. Sir Trun, the fiancé of Linda, with his face sunken as he mumbled something to himself. Well, it's now or never.
Standing up from my bed, I head over to speak with the brave warrior.
Rosalin: Are you Sir Trun? I talked with your fiancée. The poor woman doesn't feel well at all.
Sir Trun: *sigh* I know, and it tortures me that I am incapable of helping her. It… it is like I am paralyzed…
Sir Trun: My injury is no reason for my behavior toward her. I… I fell in love with a beautiful young maiden and proposed to her, and now…
Rosalin: Does it seem as if the whole world's gone crazy?
Sir Trun: I…In a way, yes.
Sir Trun: *sigh* Since she already talked to you, it won't hurt if I do so, too. Actually I feel a great urge to talk about this with someone who cares to listen.
Sir Trun: She saved my life the only way it was possible in that moment, by chopping off my arm.
Ok so as you guys can probably tell. Sir Trun and Linda are part of a mod. Specifically it's the 'Baldur's Gate Mini Quests & Encounters mod by jastey. Supposedly it adds 30 to 60 minutes of play time, but honestly I doubt we're going to hit all of the mini quests before we end the game.
For this specific encounter, well, I don't really like any of the options offered. None of them really 'fit' the Rosalin I see in my head. And the 'correct' option is so mouthy and so out of nowhere that I can't really explain where she could possibly get that from. Did Rosalin somehow develop Sherlock Holms levels of deduction? Did she connect with Tattletale? Don't get me wrong, I'm going with that option, but only because the correct one for this mini-quest and none of the others really fit her character. She wouldn't try to break them up, and she wouldn't say that someone should have been left to die. Nor would she say nothing and just let them suffer. Just… just assume she scored a nat 20 on her wisdom check or something.
Rosalin: What bothers you is her sudden foresight and prowess. Not only did she understand the only way to save you, she also *did* it in what must have been a timeframe of mere seconds. And all that despite the fact that she is "only" the daughter of a noble house.
Sir Trun: That… yes… yes, that's it! That is what keeps troubling me. She is completely inexperienced, if it comes to fighting, yet she… acts like a long-established knight! I couldn't have done it better, had I been in her position.
Sir Trun: The… the sensible detachment she showed by cutting off another's arm, if it was the only way to save him… How much experience must one gain, how many friends must one lose in battle before developing this insight? She… she just did it, when it was necessary. My poor Linda! Surely she is terribly frightened. But… how should I confront her, after being so distant toward her... all she did was save me!
I've gotta hand it to Linda. Little miss badass here definitely did something impressive. After all, as a level 0 NPC, her THAC0 must be horrendous, and then she had to overcome the -4 penalty from performing a Called Shot to Sir Trun's arm. I guess Rosalin isn't the only one rolling twenties.
Rosalin: First thing you should do is go and talk to her. You should seek communication with Linda. It would help you both if you could talk about it.
Sir Trun: We tried talking, but it didn't work. No, I have to bring something with me when I go to her. If only I could think of something appropriate…
Rosalin: There is only one possibility. Linda has to learn how to fight, so you will have to teach her. Take her as your squire.
Sir Trun: I beg your pardon? That is absurd. She is a young maiden, innocent and frail…
Rosalin: And she shows the fighting prowess of an experience knight. There is more to your fiancée than you thought, Sir Trun.
Sir Trun: Wait… I… I see what you mean. It's hidden inside her, isn't it? The gift shows differently in differnet people. Some know from early childhood where their path will lead. For others, the revelation comes all of a sudden, as a great surprise.
In what world does this make any sense? I can see how in the twisted logic of this man's broken mind, this might be the right solution. But… Rosalin. Rosalin girl, you rolled a 20 on your wisdom check, now you're rolling ones. And this poor sap is believing it. T.T
Sir Trun: Yes, it seems the only way to go forward, and leave this horrible memory behind us. She made the first step onto this path. To expect her to return to her former life would be cruel… and unrealistic. I will go to her now. I'll be approaching her with an unusual present for a woman of her origin: my sword.
Ohhh myyyyy
Sir Trun: My body recovered a long time ago. It was my mind that felt injured and wouldn't come to rest. You dragged me out of my thoughts of despair, and I thank you deeply! We are in your debt.
Holy crap, he bought all of that? I… did I make a mistake? I was just trying to make him feel better, and forget my own problems… am... am I a bad person?
It doesn't take long for Linda to come back to us. Sir Trun must have quite the spring in his step. Shaken as I am, I can't help but notice the glimmering metal that now hangs at her waist.
Linda: Maybe… maybe he will fall in love with his fighting squire just as he fell in love with the maiden once… Maybe. For now he has a task as a knight, as do I as squire.
Linda: May Lathander bless you with all his power. Farewell.
Well, I guess all is well that ends well, right? Oh, look! Hull looks like he needs something!
The barracks, the barracks… I haven't been to the barracks in quite some time. Not since I stopped wanting to be a guard. A guard is a good profession, but… well I wasn't hoping for boring old guard duty. I wanted to be the kind of guard that people write about, the kind that stumbles across murders and miscreants, bringing them to justice.
I enter the barracks and-
Oh no. No no no. Not again.
I couldn't help myself this time.
Rosalin: And what business is that of yours?
I snapped at my would-be killer, for that's what he obviously must be. I readied myself for battle. The third one this day…
Carbos: I'll make it my business if'n I please. Just thought I'd have me a look at you for myself, before I puts a blade down your gullet! Someone seems to think you're trouble, so I'm gonna use your head for a ticket out o' the gutter! I'm just a little street trash hood they say, but I'll show 'em!
He coats his blade with… something. I don't want to find out. I swing my weapon at him, but he moves out of the way. I feel his blade nick the side of my arm as I try to dodge out of the way. A biting, burning, stinging ickiness spreads into the immediate area where he struck. Some kind of poison?! I swing again, and he steps out of the way. I see his dagger gleaming as he thrusts it, and move to do the same.
Too late… I feel something pierce into my neck. My world is one red blister of pain and agony, vision fades. I hear someone calling for their father. And realize too late that it's myself.
'Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey, one is always aware that it lies in wait. Though life is merely a journey to the grave, it must not be undertaken without hope. Only then will a traveler's story live on, treasured by those who bid him farewell. But alas, now my guest's life has ended, her tale left unwritten'
Well crap. That was way earlier than I expected. Alright, let me break it down, because it was all text and no screenshot. I did not move fast enough to get screenshots of the 'fight'. This is because Carbos swung twice and then murdered Rosalin faster than I expected. So we have the dubious honor of getting killed in the tutorial. To an enemy that SCS barely touched.
Oh yeah, I felt that it should have been obvious, since I said I was installing all of the mods. But for the sake of clarity, I'm using the Sword Coast Stratagems mod, with some settings tweaked to my liking. Now the cool thing about this mod is that it helps give enemies a bit more of a fighting chance. Enemies will use spells and abilities smarter, and won't be fooled by some of the usual tricks that crop up from time to time. In this case, Carbos and Shank both gain access to a single cast of 'poison weapon', which they both use at the start of their fights. So Carbos stabbed Rosalin, poisoned her for max damage, and then swing his dagger which took out our 6 Hitpoint Bard quick as you like.
Who was the guy in the storehouse? Well that was Mendas, and he's also from a mod. Not the SCS, but from the Dark Horizon mod I believe. Don't worry, we'll get into that a bit later.
For now though, let's just say that this is an 'excellent' start to the series, and that if we're having luck this bad at this time, we're bound to have a lot of rotating party members.
Now let's continue.
…Linda walks up to me. Shaken as I am, I can't help but notice the shining sword which now hangs at her waist. She says… something, but it's… kind of a blur.
The same happens with Hull. My mind is all fogged up, I can't think… I don't 'want' to think. Just go through the motions, forget everything… It would be so easy to just fall into routine. What was I doing…? That's right, Hull forgot his sword again. I should go to the barracks and get it.
Ugh.. I feel sick, and can't focus. Let's… just try singing. That usually makes me feel better, or at least focus a bit more.
"-is words, carried. Upon the ocean breeze…"
That's right, this is the barracks right? Let's get that sword and-
A man stepped up, and said something. He smelled like the streets, and his eyes were bloodshot. I readied my scimitar, my head still numb and mind still foggy. This felt… familiar. Is that terror that's building in my chest… I..
Cut him down without a second thought, and step out of what is clearly 'not' the barracks. I feel a little better now. I'm not sure I like that. But Karan is here now and… oh gods.
Rosalin: He's… he's dead, whoever he was. He lunged at me with a knife. Oh, Karan, what is happening to this place?
Karan: it's not this place, child. It's you who they're after. Gorion is waiting on the steps to the central library and wants you to go to him as soon as you have bought what you need at the Inn. Oh, Rosalin, I have been your tutor for so many years and only in this moment have I come to doubt that my teachings have been enough. Go to Gorion, child. It is safe for you here no longer.
He's right. I didn't want to admit it, but I have no choice. That last encounter makes three assassination attempts in one day, three. I don't know how they're getting in, but it's not important right now. What's important is getting to safety.
But… I promised Hull that I would get him his sword, and Dreppin his antidote! I'm sure that, if I hurry, I can get these tasks done before another assassination attempt. Move Rosalin, move!
Judging by the look of this place, it seems clear that they had quite a lot of fun last night.
Crap… I can't tell them that Hull forgot his sword. I don't want hull to get in trouble. …I've got it!
Rosalin: I was just wondering if you had any errands I could run.
Fuller: Errands? Yeah, actually. I need a quarrel of crossbow bolts. If you could get some off Winthrop at the inn, I'll reimburse you… Oh, very well, there'll be a few coins in it for you too, so you can stop gving me that look.
I agree to do the task and, very carefully, wait for him to turn around in order to sneak by. Poor Fuller, still working off his hangover, never even noticed me getting into the chest.
Excellent! Now to return this to Hull, and the antidote to Dreppin.
But before I help Dreppin, I should get Fuller his crossbow bolts.
And finally, all of my tasks are completed. I take a stroll through the garden, it'll be the last time I see them for a while after all! I stumble across a most peculiar Gnome… or was it a Halfling? She looks familia-Ahh! It's Finch!
Finch: Ohh! I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going!
Rosalin: It's okay, Finch, old pal! What's new in the world of literature?
Finch: I have been scribing the monk' singing, Rosalin. I'm fairly certain their words come from the volume of Alaundo's writings inside the citadel.
Finch: How I wish I had found the opportunity to study them first-hand this past tenday! Alas, such a rare edition proves popular among the curious. I never had a chance!
Rosalin: Those are the breaks! Still, you have managed to add a number of works to your copy book over your visit, correct? I have hardly seen you with your head out of a cloister.
Rosalin: Ah, you are a cleric of Deneir. No wonder you love this place
Finch: Truly, my brief time here in your home town has been a great joy. I can imagine no finer occupation than living with my nose in a book! Alas, I have dallied in Candlekeep longer than I should have in service of my temple, though I am certain Deneir would understand.
Finch: Anyhoo, I leave with all haste. I have a list of works needed to establish a new library on the Amish border. I have located a likely seller of one volume in Beregost, so off I go! Perhaps we shall meet again, I bid you fair journey!
I bid her farewell, perhaps I'll run into her again. But knowing Father, he doesn't intend for me to be out and about, where more competent assassins could reach me. Still, it's a nice thought. Finch is a good friend, and indulged my curiosity with great joy.
Still… there was one person that I was hoping to see before I left. But I couldn't find her anywhere. It was probably just bad timing. I'm sure she wouldn't have run afowl of any of those would be killers. I know that she'd-
Imoen: Hi'ya! It's me, Imoen!
Imoen stepped up, a grin on her face. I'm not sur what mischief she's planning, but it doesn't matter. It's good to see her. I swept a bit of hair from my face, and played along with her.
Rosalin: I'm afraid I cannot chat today, little one. My foster father wishes me to prepare for a journey, but will not say to where.
Imoen: Little one? I'm not much younger than you, though you sure got tall fast. Relatively, anyway. A journey, eh? I never get to travel. Wish I could go with ya. Yep, I really wish I could. Yes, ma'am. Really do.
So that's your game, huh? Raise my arms in surrender.
Rosalin: All right, all right. I get the message. I'll ask if you can go with us.
Finally, finally, after all that trouble. I finally get to the steps of the citadel. Father looks sick with worry, his pack ready to go. His normally composed demeanor holds, but it looks a bit thin. Whatever was in that letter has got him riled up. Probably relating to the assassination attempts.
Gorion: Ah! My child, I am glad I have found you.
Rosalin: I am ready to go right now.
Gorion leaves no room for hesitation, the moment I confirmed that I was ready, we departed for the gates together. It's time for me to leave home. Not just sneak outside to play with Imoen, but truly leave home. It feels… kind of good. Ignoring the circumstances of my leaving.
Gorion: There you will meet Khalid and Jaheira. They have long been my friends, and you can trust them.
We departed from the keep, leaving the winding trails behind. Gorion, for his age, didn't miss a beat. In fact, I'd say he's holding up better than I am! The sun crested down as we traveled towards the Lion Way, headed towards the Friendly Arm Inn to meet his friends.
Where was that again… ah, if I remember right. It was the northern route from the Coast Way. Even avoiding the roads as we are, we should have plenty of supplies, provided we don't slip into Cloakwood Forest.
…
Father, please tell me we aren't going to go through Cloakwood. You know how scared of spiders I am.
… I have a bad feeling about this. Father, what's…
Gorion sneered at them.
Gorion: You're a fool if you believe I would trust your benevolence. Step aside and you and your lackeys will be unhurt.
Armored Figure: I'm sorry that you feel that way, old man.
Arrows begin firing from the back, shooting over my head but very clearly aiming for me. Thankfully, these archers don't seem to have the ability to see in the dark, else I'd quickly become a pincushion. Gorion yells at me, telling me to run.
I turn and run, it's not cowardice. He just doesn't want me to be in the way. Gorion… Father is a great mage. The best in the Realm, and you can tell Elminster to stuff it! There's… there's no way he could lose, right?
…Right?
…
And so the great sage Gorion falls to the hand of an unnamed but very clearly evil guy in big black armor. The Hero's journey doesn't usually start out with the mentor dying, usually theres some.. guidance or that takes place before hand. But, as a bard, Rosalin knows a great deal about the world even without having explored it herself. Where will her adventures take her? Who will she meet?Only time will tell, for now. I'll see you guys later. I need to find some ice for my wrists. Let me know what ya'll think about the format, what i need to change or improve upon and so forth. I love criticism of that kind.
We rejoin our heroine as she awakens with the morning sun, and the realization that her hurried flight had not been a nightmare. Owing perhaps to the fact that she dallied in Candlekeep doing a number of fetch quests and providing snake oil therapy to a couple, the flight from their library home was cut short by an ambush. Gorion pushed her to flee, and flee she had.
We find Rosalin amidst the cobble and grass that marks the southern road of the Lion Way. Her pursuers vanish into the night, perhaps taking her for dead. The wolves of the Sword Coast are known to make a meal out of the occasional traveler.
Regardless, Rosalin knows that she can not make it on her own. With only a meager magical education, and a 'good enough' approach to swordsmanship, she is well aware that she will be easy pickings for the many evils that plague Faerun. The plan then is simple. Join, or assemble, her own band of adventurers, and avenge the death of her beloved Father.
As luck would have it, she won't have to wait long before the first member of her warband made herself known.
Rosalin: How could you have known? Gorion did not even tell me.
Imoen: I… accidentally… read a letter on his desk the other day. Can't remember exactly what it said, but he might still have… It might be on his… his body. Anyway, I'm not gonna let you wander around out here all alone. Never let a friend down, no ma'am. Stick with you until you say otherwise, I will!
Thus, Imoen joins us as the first member of our Party. We can get rid of her, if we so desire, but at the moment she's essential. Being the only trueclass thief we'll be getting for quite a while, and that's even 'with' all of the mods that we have at our disposal.
Besides, she's Rosalins Childhood friend, her port in the storm. We couldn't possibly get rid of her so fast. Not after what happened the night before.
Of course if she bites it she bites it, and we'll just have to wait but… well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Imoen joins our party with 'three' potions of healing(the blue potions), an oil of speed(the white potion) and a Wand of Magic Missile. Something we'll be making great use of in the future. Like most thieves, she comes equipped with a short bow and 40 arrows.
Imoen's stats are… pretty darn good. Her strength score leaves something to be desired, but is 'average' among the rest of Faerun. But her Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence make her a force to be reckoned with. Her intelligence is especially good, so much so that she officially dual classes to mage in the sequel.
I aim to do the same, though the level she dual classes at might be a little bit different than canon.
The pair follow the road east for a little bit, and come across a large fellow.
Imoen: Heya, I'm Imoen, and that's my friend Rosalin. WE just got out of Candlekeep, and are startin' out on a grand adventure, avenging that great mage and all… ummm, Rosalin, why are ya standing with your mouth shut as a clam when the tide is out? Ya know more than I 'bout that fightin' thing, anyway. So go tell 'bout it! That's what adventurers do! Famous ones, anyway. Or how would they ever get into bards' songs?
Rosalin: You saw two people in the wood? I was told to meet some friends at the Friendly Arm Inn. Perhaps they and the one ones you met are one and the same.
Kolssed: I doubt these are the ones you seek. They do not seem the friendly type, and are far afield of the inn. If you wish to meet them, I left them not a moment ago just up the road. You will have to pass them anyway if you wish to go to the Friendly Arm. There is a crossroads a ways to the east and the Inn is to the north of that.
Rosalin: Thanks for your time. I shall be on my way.
Kolssed: Fare thee well, as they say.
The pair part ways, and there's a couple of things that we could be doing now that we're free of interruption. First, let's look at our map.
As you can see, the ambush sight is up to the north. Imoen mentioned that Gorion might have a letter on his body, and that might shed some light about what happened last night. Of course, there's always the risk that our enemies have anticipated that, so it might be wiser to go find some friends. Either by going to the Friendly Arm Inn and meeting Khalid and Jaheira, or talking to that pair of fellows that Kolssed mentioned.
Rosalin decided to risk it and travel north with Imoen in tow. On the way the pair ran into a diseased gibberling, but…
Let's just say it didn't last very long. That's generally how fights against these trash mobs go anyhow. Not even Sword Coast Stratagems can save them.
We travel north from the road, and slay a roaming gibbering along the way. Imoen had mentioned that Gorion had a letter, that he might still have on his… his body. Unless it was taken from his body by his murderer.
Another interesting addition to the Enhanced Edition is this quick loot thing. It definitely beats moving to the corpse for its items. Even though it's a little immersion breaking.
It doesn't take long to find the right path, and find what we're looking for. Gorion's body sprawls out along the ground, surrounded by the corpses and equipment of fallen enemies. I take a deep breath to steel myself for what I must do.
On Gorion's body were his dagger, and some kind of magical belt. And hidden inside the folds of his robe is the letter Imoen mentioned.
Rosalin: Yes. He died saving me from some… thing.
Imoen: Don'tcha even know what attacked you? Whatever it was, looks like it was vicious.
Rosalin: It was too dark to see much, but it was humanoid, although I couldn't see a face. His eyes glowed, though… like hells' fire! And he would have gone straight for me if Gorion, gods rest his soul, had not barred his way!
Imoen: I see. Hmm… so he wasn't after Gorion, but you.I don't' like this, Rosalin, don't like it at all.
Rosalin: I don't either, but I have to find out what's going on, and why I was attacked. I don't want to drag you into this, though, Imoen.
Imoen: Leave? And if I did, who would keep ya entertained? Who would keep your spirits lifted in the darkest hour? And who would keep up the practical jokes? Leave! Hah! You'll have ta force me ta leave ya now!
Well, that's not entirely true. If I'm remembering correctly, Imoen will leave us if we decide to act like a Chaotic Evil jerk. I'm not sure if the NPC Project changes anything about that or not though. I don't usually do evil playthroughs.
Hmm… who do we know whose name starts with an E? Whoever he was, he must be a good friend of Gorion's, if this letter is what caused our foster father to decide to leave Candlekeep. And what matter does he want to be neutral in? Who are 'the other side'?
We head south back towards the road, leaving Gorion's body behind us. I would have wanted to give him a proper burial, but there's simply no time. We have no way of knowing whether or not our assailants will return to the scene of their crime.
Imoen speaks out as we near the road.
Rosalin: I still can't believe that Gorion is dead.
Imoen: *sadly* Me too.
Imoen: I'd hate to see this eat away at ya. We'll get him, ya know. That guy, whoever he was, who killed your dad. We'll find out who he is, and pay him back good!
Imoen: And don't even think of ditching me, either. I know what I'm doing, and I'm in this as much as you. I liked Gorion, and you're my best friend.
Imoen: I'm your best friend too, whether you know it or not. You can count on me, and don't you forget it!
Rosalin: What brings this on, Imoen? I don't think I've ever seen you act this way!
Imoen: I'm just mad, that's all... mad, sad and a little worried, I guess. I'll get over it. Heh. I was trying to make you feel better, and now I'm all worked up.
Imoen: Come on, let's go find an evil dragon's lair or something to loot. Um, on second thought, a hobgoblin save is more your speed. Or maybe a xvart village? Hmmm. I'll have to think about this one…
We follow the road east, then northeast at the bend. Sure enough, just as Kolssed said, we find two fine looking fellows.
Montaron: Aye Xzar, looks to have been roughed up quite well.
Xzar: Indeed. I can offer you healing potions, if you wish, as a token of goodwill.
Imoen looks at the two with suspicion evident in her eyes. She whispers into my ear…
Imoen: Psst, Rosalin, the mage speaks like he's layin' honey on bread, but I dunno… I don't' like his eyes a single bit!
She's right. Something about the mage seems a little.. off. But at the same time, we 'do' need friends. If only for so long as it takes us to reach the Friendly Arm Inn. And they haven't done anything offensive, yet.
Rosalin: I'd be grateful for any assistance.
Xzar: Nothing to fear from these simple potions, and I'll not even hold you in debt, though your conscience knows otherwise
Montaron: Just like all good people.
Montaron: Your conscience be your guide.
Rosalin: I would join with you, but I must meet someone first. Perhaps you will go with me?
Xzar: We've precious little time, but it's best to travel accompanied.
Imoen: I don't like the looks of these two jokers, Rosalin. Nope. I don't. Not at all.
Imoen: Let's get to the Friendly Arm Inn soon, huh? I'd like to have some people I can trust travelling with us.
Montaron: Aye, we'll go wit' ye. Ye owe us fer our time though.
And just like that Xzar and Montaron have joined the party.
Montaron is a Halfling Fighter / Thief. He's multiclass, which means that his experience gains are split in two. He'll level up slower but he'll be more versatile to make up for it. He's an OK companion, if a bit dull. He lives up to his reputation as a generic thug that you'd probably kill if this were a tabletop game.
Xzar, on the other hand, is a Human Necromancer. As a specialist mage, he gains 1 additional spell slot every level, but loses access to the school of magic that's opposite to his specialty. As a Necromancer, Xzar loses access to the Illusion school of magic. That's not a bad trade in my opinion, as he's really only missing out on Mirror Image and Invisibility. Both of which can be made up for with potions that we'll find.
He's also bat shit insane and has some of the best dialogue in the game. It's easily in the top five for the original Baldur's Gate, and the NPC Project does a great job expanding that side of him. The man quotes Oppenheimer for goodness sake.
Xzar also comes with a couple of spell scrolls in his inventory. Chill Touch and Larloch's Minor Drain.
They're… not great. Especially not for a Wizard who's squishier than Rosalin is. Seriously, he's got 4 HP. Guy got screwed at character creation. Like dang.
His spellbook on the other hand, is actually pretty decent for a level 1 Wizard. Blindness 'is' going to save our butts more than I'd like to admit. Especially against a certain enemy that's coming up. Meanwhile, Magic Missile is a staple of the mage that scales harder than a DOTA Carry. Come level 5 or so, and Magic Missile will be a thing of pure death and destruction. Provided that nobody is able to copy a scroll of Fireball into their book of course.
We continue north for a ways. It's not too far until I find a neat little easter egg.
This tree has something hidden inside of it. Maybe a magpie hid it there, or maybe it was placed there by a crow. Regardless, inside this tree we find a diamond! Even Imoen has something to say about that!
A bit further north, and the group finds yet 'another' guy wandering the Lion Way.
Imoen: Another caravan raided?! Wow, that's no good! Remember those Flamin' Fists pssin' by Candlekeep last week? They said there was at least two missing! I think we should keep our eyes peeled, or we'll be killed yb bandits fer nothin'!
As a matter of fact, I do. They didn't cause much of a fuss, and certainly didn't have the book needed to enter Candlekeep proper, but that didn't stop them from speaking with the Gate Warden.
Imoen: Excitin' though… Caravans, bandits, road… like an adventure from a book!
Binkos: Just keep your heads down and your weapons handy.
And then finally… finally we make it to the screen transition.
This is our world map. As some of you may notice, it's quite different from the usual one that we get. This map is the colored map of the Big Picture – Baldur's Gate Trilogy (BP-BGT). It's a relatively simple mod, and just installs a huge map of Faerun into Baldur's Gate. However many mods depend on this one being installed, as they add area markers that are only accessible thanks to this maps increased size.
The group travels east for eight hours to reach the Coast Way. Just the thought of it makes my feet hurt. Once there, we continue the accosting of Rosalin. This time with a strange Old Man.
Imoen: Heh, I… or do I need ta say "ti"? I mean if "you" is "thou"… or was it "thee"? Uhm… in any case I'm not desperate and not deranged. I'm excited! I am going to be a famous adventurer, like Elminster!
Old Man: *smiles from behind his moustache* Thou art a spirited girl, Imoen. Now what of thy companion?
Imoen: Wait, wait! How'd ya know my name?
Old Man: One can acquire such knowledge in more ways than one, child. But let the quiet one speak.
Rosalin: A fair bit of desperate, actually. Might you know the way to the Friendly Arm Inn? I was told I might find some friends there.
Old Man: That I would. The inn is but a short distance to the north, and its doors are open to all. I have no doubt that thy friends shall be there, waiting with open arms. My sympathies for any hardships the road may have inflicted upon thee, though I am certain everything shall turn out for the best. My, but I have wasted too much of thy time and said too much already. I shall take my leave and wish thee all the best.
Xzar and Montaron are strangely quiet as we talk to the strange old man, but the moment is passed and we continue on our journey north.
Traveling to the center of the map, we get a good marker as to where we are in the form of a giant pillar.
There, we see a potential future party member, Eldoth! And also we get our first look at group combat!
Oh, did I say "first look at group combat". I'm sorry. I meant "first look at a one sided slaughter". Diseased gibberlings are just the worst. Ugh.
We ignore Eldoth for now, no doubt he's wondering what those gibberlings were thinking attacking us like that. Best to let him decompress while we head east, then north, towards the Friendly Arm Inn. We spot another bloke on our way up!
Imoen: Hey ya grouch… we weren't shoutin' at all. We are adventurers and understand such things, ya know. Tell him, Rosalin.
Rosalin: What should I be wary of in this area?
Nice job just completely ignoring Imoen.
Aoln: 'Round here? I wouldn't worry yourself too much, unless you're brainless and charge everything you see. Mostly gibberlings, but they aren't too much of a hassle. A fair bow and good sword arm could handle one, maybe two. More with mage or cleric backup. Wolves have become a bit more predatory lately. I think it's because more people are hunting for their food, seein' as how the iron shortage took away their normal livelihoods. A hungry wolf is a nasty thing, and I wouldn't travel without a group if I were you.
A bit further north, and we find a landmark pointing us in the direction of the inn.
Not much further north, and we make it to the edge of the map, and here we transition into the Friendly Arm Inn.
And this is where I'll leave you for today. I'm still trying to get formatting this LP down, so let me know what you think! Should the pictures be bigger? Smaller? Should I let the audience participate in choosing companions for our journey? Regardless. Next time, we'll be exploring the Friendly Arm Inn! See you then!
Finally, after sixteen hours of walking, from Lions Way to Coast Way and then from the Coast Way we make it to the Friendly Arm Inn. Luckily for Rosalin and company, they weren't ambushed on their way or else they might be drop dead tired for what's in store for them.
Imoen: Nope! But from the look of ya they must be on the dreadfully borin' side!
Rosalin: Certainly. Common sense rules the day within the Friendly Arm.
Guard: Good then. Enjoy your stay.
Once inside the keep proper, we can talk to a couple of the commoners. They don't generally have much to say, but they can give a little bit of information as to the goings on in the world.
This guy seems to have some idea of what's going on. Nothing we didn't already know, but it's something to go on. To the southeast of him we'll find some merchants that we can talk to to get Gorion's Belt identified. As our bard doesn't have the Lore value needed to Identify it herself.
Surprisingly, the Belt of Antipode isn't something that was added by a mod, but by the Enhanced Edition itself. We're going to be holding onto this for a while. There aren't 'that' many enemies that use frost attacks, but when they do show up, they'll hit like trucks if we aren't prepared.
There's not much more to be done here just yet. We can talk to some of the guards, but they'll mostly say things like…
Guard: There is to be no fighting or stealing within sight of the walls of the Friendly Arm Inn! Aggressors will be punished to the full extent of frontier law!
Which is… well… you'll see.
We travel north a bit, moving to the stairs of the inn. Our companions haven't gotten weary yet, which is good. Rosalin plays a bard song, while Montaron hides in the shadows. Since it's night, we don't have to try too many times to get it to succeed.
We take a couple of steps forward, and…
I try peering at the man's face, which was half hidden by a hood. He had the air of malice about him, in spite of his friendly demeanor. Rosalin: Nothing much, really. Just road-worn travelers, looking for a place to rest.
Tarnesh: I see, I see. Pardon my being too forward, but you've the bearing of someone I've been looking for. About your height, they were. Same style of dress, or thereabouts. I daresay, you seem to be the spitting image of them. Might you have traveled from Candlekeep, by any chance.
I can't imagine father having someone quite as talkative as this man as a friend. And why would Gorion write all of that about me? Down to how I dress? Even though I know he would want us in disguise if he were still alive. Father was insistent on us being as safe and prepared as possible. He wanted to introduce me to his friends in person.
Rosalin: I may have visited there on occasion. What of it?
Tarnesh: Oh, nothing really. 'm just looking for someone from that region. Would your name be Rosalin, by any chance?
Rosalin: Never heard that name before in my life. Sorry.
Tarnesh: Really? I would beg to differ. You fit the description, so I think it would be safe to assume you are the one I seek. Don't move. I have something for you.
And like that, we begin our first, quote unquote, real fight. Say hello to Tarnesh, the ruthless ender of No-Reload runs. As you can see, our journal entry updates to reflect the fact that this is the… fourth assassination attempt that we've faced.
This guy is a bit more competent than the other three. He's a Wizard and he isn't going to just run up and shank us now that we have four party members. Since I'm running with Sword Coast Stratagems, Tarnesh is allowed to instantly cast his defensive spell, Mirror Image. This is so that we can't just murder him before he has a chance to fight back. Generally his first spell after this will be Sleep, which can and will mess our shit up if we give it the chance.
Thankfully, Imoen comes with a Wand of Magic Missile.
So long as we survive three rounds. We can blow through all of his images(not counting the ones Montaron cuts through) and take him out lickity-split!
Immediately after we unpause, Imoen fires her Magic Missile and takes out one of the mirror images that Tarnesh instantly summons at the start of combat. Likewise, I have Xzar use his own Magic Missile at him.
Unfortunately, we don't interrupt the sleep spell, and Montaron misses his backstab. Xzar runs into melee, having cast his one useful spell for this fight already. I try to get Xzar to use his scroll of Minor Drain on Tarnesh but…
The bastard decides to use Color Spray on the clumped together idiots, and drops both of them. Xzar I can understand, but I was counting on Montaron to stay up.
With that, the fight is pretty much over. He hits Imoen with some Magic Missiles which, since he's level 5, hits her for all of her hit points and kills Imoen. Incidentally, this is how we know (outside of looking at his creature file) Tarnesh is level 5. Wizards shoot an extra missile every two levels.
From there he uses his last charge of Magic Missile on Rosalin and, since she only has 6 HP and Magic Missile hits for 2 damage per missile at minimum, immediately kills her.
Presumably the Tarnesh in this timeline goes on to bash Montaron and Xzar's skulls in and continues on his merry way, the guards not even once suspecting that he was the cause of the corpses on the ground.
Unfortunately for him, we have the power of GamSav. One reload later and we're back into the fight.
This time I go for a different tactic. I keep Rosalin as far away from the action as possible, singing her song for those bonuses. Imoen, of course, shoots her Wand at Tarnesh and goes on to plink away at him with arrows. Montaron drinks his oil of speed and goes to town on the Wizard.
We get a bit lucky this time. Xzar and Montaron both make their saves when Tarnesh uses his sleep spell. Now unfortunately I moved Rosalin a bit too far away from Montaron, so he doesn't get the rest of his bonuses. But that doesn't really matter now.
Because there's no save against death when your Hit Points drop to zero.
The man dies with a curse on his lips and a blade in his back. A fitting end for an assassin such as him. None should mourn his passing.
As leader of the group, I am given first pick of whatever the man had on his body. He carried four scrolls and some money. We divided the money between the three of us, Montaron, Xzar, and myself. Imoen, on the other hand, was more interested in the magic scrolls that he carried on his person. Along with the money, I took the non-magical scroll, with a sneaking suspicion of what might be detailed inside.
Another bounty notice…
Imoen tears me away from my thoughts as she goes over the mage's, Tarnesh apparently, spellbook.
Imoen: Look! Here's somethin'… Hey? Think I can turn ya into a frog?
Imoen: Hold on, lemee try…
Imoen: Manos! Potentis! PAH…!
Rosalin: Woah! Hold on, Imoen! You're no wizard. You shouldn't be fooling around with that. I don't want you to hurt yourself.
Imoen: Aw, don't worry about me. I was only kidden'.
Imoen: Those 'spells' or whatever, the things in the back? They look kinda important. I won't mess with those.
Imoen: But these lil' old things in the front… Betcha even I could learn some of them. I'm gonna try, anyway.
Rosalin: Well, I suppose it will be all right. Just becareful, okay?
Imoen: Hey! I told ya! Dontcha worry 'bout me. I'm no dummy. I know what I'm doin'.
Imoen: I'll be slingin' spells' in no time. Haha!
We enter the inn proper. Imoen still flits through Tarnesh' spell book with childlike wonder. As we walk in, a man approaches us on his way out.
Rosalin: What does your uncle do?
Jopi: 'E's a mage and a crotchety ol' one at that. Goes by the name of Ragefast, though as kids we always called him Grumpleskin! Har, if he ever caught us at it, he'd cast barkskin on us so we'd wander around all brown-skinned and green-haired and funny-lookin' for a few hours.
The man ventures back into the inn and sits at an available table. Perhaps remembering his uncle's antics calmed his temper. It's kind of refreshing. A nice way to help people without fetching crossbow bolts or potions for sick cows.
I look around the room, filled with colorful characters of all sort. Father never told me what his friends looked like… I'll have to bother so many people to find them. If they're even still here.
Rosalin: Is there any way I can help you?
Whelp: Yes, ram your eyeball onto this blade to see if it be cursed with this metal weakness, too. Aarrr, ne'ermind., they'll just kick me out of this place and send me amongst the very brigands who might covet me rotten tankard!
Not him…
Rosalin: Yes, the roads were crazy. Who are you, anyway?
Nessie: My name is Nessie. The Mirrorshades hired me to work at the inn almost five years ago and now I wouldn't leave it for the life of me. It's wonderful here, with new faces passing through every day.
Rosalin: Who are the Mirrorshades?
Nessie: Oh, Bently and Gellana. They run the place. Bentley's behind the bar, there, and you can usually find Gellana in the Temple. I'm usually here, waiting tables and making sure everything stays nice and clean.
She's nice, but definitely not who I'm looking for. What about the dwarf in the corner?
Rosalin: My name is Rosalin what's yours?
Thorengrim: Me name is Thorengrim Hammerfist one of thee best forgers that Clan Hammerfist had. Me clan died out when Durlag fell. Me clan and Durlag's were very close. Now what kin I do fer ye?
Rosalin: No thanks not right now.
Thorengrim: Well come back when ye change yer mind.
It's a long shot, but what about that… half orc in the corner?
Rosalin: I think you've mistaken me for someone else.
Dorn: Then why do you bother me? Begone.
Rosalin: Nothing would please me more.
This man is… most pleasant.
Rosalin: What brings you here, traveler?
Surrey: I was an apprentice blacksmith under Taerom Fuiruim in Beregost. With the iron situation being what it is, however, I thought I'd better head somewhere else. Waterdeep, maybe. Taerom's having enough trouble making a go of it as it is…
Seems like this Iron Crisis is the cause of a lot of people's problems. I've already promised to help Xzar and Montaron with their investigation. But even so… I'd like to think that I would try to find the cause of it regardless.
Imoen finally drags me to the counter. I don't blame her. After such a long march and an even tougher fight, we're all getting tired. Everyone arranges themselves at the counter, and I order us all some drinks. Paid for thanks to Tarnesh.
As I settle in with my mug, I hear something. Just barely audible over the sound of roudy patrons.
Voice: How long must we wait here? Things stir to the south as we sit!
This… this must be Khalid and Jaheira. I didn't see them before, tucked away in the corner like this. But,for some reason, I just feel know that this is who I am looking for!
That's all for now folks. Next time, we get to doing what Adventurer's do best.
Ahh...Tarnesh. That fight is just plain mean. He's a level 5 wizard, while your party is likely to be level 1. A (semi) reliable way of beating him, I found, is to set the game to auto-pause when enemies are spotted, so it pauses the instant he turns hostile. Then, while the game is paused, have Imoen use her Wand of Magic Missiles on him, which should interrupt his Mirror Image spell. If he gets that off, you're probably screwed, since you won't be able to hit him before he casts Horror (which you will almost certainly fail your save against at level 1).
Ahh...Tarnesh. That fight is just plain mean. He's a level 5 wizard, while your party is likely to be level 1. A (semi) reliable way of beating him, I found, is to set the game to auto-pause when enemies are spotted, so it pauses the instant he turns hostile. Then, while the game is paused, have Imoen use her Wand of Magic Missiles on him, which should interrupt his Mirror Image spell. If he gets that off, you're probably screwed, since you won't be able to hit him before he casts Horror (which you will almost certainly fail your save against at level 1).
Mhm, works more often than not. Even in older versions of the SCS Mod. Seems like they've fixed that in this current release though. I've gone through this fight a couple of times and he just doesn't want to cooperate with me.
I mean, I could turn the difficulty down. The team behind SCS added difficulty sliders into the main game so players don't have to reinstall the mod if they think it's too difficult. But I enjoy the challenge. That, and a lot of these player added mods assume you're playing on the SCS' tactical difficulty. Or at least, most of the big ones do. I know for a fact that Turnabout, Ascension, and Dark Horizon especially expect it.
Khalid: Jaheira! M-mind your m-m-manners! This must be the child that Gorion wrote of so often.
Jaheira: We are old friends of your adopted father. He is not with you? I must assume the worst. He would not permit his only child to wander without his accompaniment.
Khalid: If… if he has passed, we share your loss.
Jaheira: Gorion often said he worried for your safety, even at the expense of his own. He also wished that Khalid and I would become your guardians, if he should ever meet an untimely end. However, you are much older now, and the choice of your companions should be your own.
Khalid: We could t-travel with you until you get settled, help you find your l-lot in life.
Jaheira: It would be a fitting last service to Gorion, though we should first go to Nashke. Khalid and I look into local concerns, and there are rumors of strange things happening at the mines. No doubt you have heard of the iron shortage? You would do well to help us. It affects everyone, including you. We are to meet the mayor of the town, Berrun Ghastkill.
Imoen: Hey, Auntie Jaheira, I am Imoen! A friend of Rosalin's… Actually, more like a guardian than a friend, ya know? Lookin' after her, and all that.
Jaheira: Adventurers generally do not call each other 'auntie', Imoen. But enough distractions. Gorion had mentioned you in his correspondence, praising your fast friendship with his ward. You are welcome to come along.
Rosalin: Your company would be welcome.
Jaheira: Well, good! We'll leave as soon as you're ready, though it should be soon.
Imoen: Yeah! Uncle Khalid and Auntie Jaheira are coming with us! This is going to be a great adventure after all!
Jaheira and I share a sigh, though for different reasons I suspect. Jaheira's seemed more like exasperation, whereas mine was from the sheer relief of finding Gorions friends. Experienced adventurers both.
And just like that, Khalid and Jaheira join the party. This rounds our roster up to a healthy six. This also means that if we want to invite more people, we'll need to drop someone. This can be a bit of a problem in an OG run of the game, as both Xzar and Khalid are paired with their respective partners. The only way to get them to split up(besides locking the person you're kicking from the party in an out of the way corner of the map) is to have one of them die permanently.
Thankfully the mods that I'm running with allow me to remove them from the party without losing both of them, so if it comes down to that, we're all covered.
Khalid is a Fighter with decent enough stats. His strength leaves something to be desired, but his CON and DEX make him good at dodging and taking hits. He comes packing with a whooping twelve hit points. Tarnesh would still one shot him if he got lucky with his damage roll, but the odds are distinctly in Khalid's favor in that regard.
Supposedly, he has a higher chance for morale failure than other NPCs that we can recruit. But I personally haven't noticed it. The party leaders Charisma stat affects the chance for morale failure on the entire party, and I usually run Imoen even when I'm playing an evil character. Making her the face tends to offset most of the downsides of being an evil party as well.
"…little in common with Khalid, but even though her manner is often confrontational, she apparently cares deeply for him. Her admiration of Gorion is obvious, and she plainly stats that whomever was responsible for his death will suffer an equal fate."
Best Waifu 1998 here is also packing a lot of HP. As a Multiclass Fighter / Druid, she's not going to level up anywhere near as fast as the rest of our party. But she's going to be a powerhouse once she reaches an equivalent level. Druid spells like entangle, web, Call Lighting, and Call Woodland Beings are going to pay dividends in the future. Barkskin even lets her tank better than Khalid!
I leave Khalid and Jaheira, whom have their own preparations to make before we head out. With everyone distracted, Imoen deep into a mug and Xzar doing… whatever Xzar does. It's my job to ensure that we have rooms until morning.
As I book our rooms, Xzar and Imoen have a… strange conversation.
Imoen: Eh… no, just lint and crumbs. Why? You're holding something back?
Xzar: I am not. Just the poor tools of my trade, as you have those of yours.
Imoen: Mm-hmm. A surgical knife and gloves, parchment, quills, ink, a ball of gut string, four empty ceramic vials, and two steel vials that feel empty.
Imoen: What are those stoppered with, anyway? It isn't cork. Seems more like some kind of tar.
Xzar: You *have* been curious. They are non-reactive plugs made by specialists back at… of my acquaintance. One neer knows when one might wish to preserve a… specimen.
Imoen: Specimen? Of what?
Xzar: One never knows. Why just the other day, I espied what I took for a specimen of true happiness. Alas! It fled before I could make certain of it.
Imoen: Bet that happens to you a lot.
Xzar: All things come to those who aspire… and wait. Wait for someone to finish the drudge-work, damn their idle bones! Why *can't* they do their work, and let me get on with mine?
Imoen: Maybe you haven't waited long enough yet.
Xzar: *sigh* Probably not. Would you like a jelly drop, Imoen?
Imoen: Uh… do you have any?
Xzar: I had some once-upon-a-time, and I should like another. Please keep that in mind, should you run across any, hmmm?
Uh… Imoen? I don't think it's a good idea for you to take anything from Xzar anymore. Especially not candy. You might wake up three weeks later with your kidneys in the wrong place.
With our first interparty dialogue out of the way, it's time we get about doing what adventurers do best. Ransack every room for their valuables and bug people until they send us on tedious quest to get us out of their hair! Well, I mean, Montaron and Xzar will be doing the ransacking. Rosalin will be doing the bugging.
On the second floor we find someone named Unshey, and they need us to get their belts back from a rogue ogre. I didn't know ogres could be rogues. They seem more like a warrior race to me. I'm tempted to ignore her, since she's kind-shaming that poor ogres belt fetish, but we do kind of need the reward.
We go one floor up, and stop because Imoen has something to say.
Rosalin: I don't know. I would've been happy in Candlekeep, I think. I'd rather have some peace and security right now, rather than all this hardship.
Imoen: I guess so. You worry too much, you old fiddle-faddle. As for me, I plan to have some fun!
Imoen: Wonder if they'll make a tale of our adventures? Just think, one day folks will be in the common room of some inn, maybe even the Candlekeep Inn, and ask a bard to tell 'em a tale of 'Imoen the Quick and her trusty side-kick, Rosalin!'
Are we sure Rosalin is the bard of this group? Imoen seems to be pretty good at spinning a tale herself!
Rosalin: 'Side-kick'…!?
Imoen: Oh, okay. We'll be partners I s'pose. What ya think? 'Imoen the Quick' sounds good to you? Quick with the blad and wit! All he best heroes and heroines have handles. Hmmm, maybe 'Imoen the Terrible'? Nah, too dark. 'Imoen the Bold'? 'Imoen the Sly'? 'Imoen the Magnificent'? Hey that sounds pretty good!
Rosalin: Um, how about 'Imoen the..'?
Imoen: Shush you! I'm thinking! Where was I? I still kinda like 'Imoen the Quick'. Wonder if it's taken already…?
We continue looking for some odd jobs. In the first room to the left of the third floor stairs, we find a nobleman. Maybe he'll have something for us to do.
Cleaning pants? Sure we can do that. How does one clean pants in this game again?
Rosalin: Sir, yes, sir! Pantaloons pressed and ready by tonight or breakfast is free, sir!
Nobleman: Done and done! Be on your way. Nobleman: Wait a moment! Don't you dare go anywhere!
The nobleman looks around for prying eyes, and tucks some coins into my hand.
Nobleman: Here's an extra couple of coins… put in a pleat that would make Daddy proud, if you know what I mean. Now get!
Feeling a bit inadequate are we? I'm sure we can find someone who can get that pleat done for him! We'll get these back to him soon as possible! I promise.
There's one more person on the third floor that we have to talk too. Well actually, with all the mods I have installed there's another one, but he'd probably mulch our team without too much effort at this point. Don't worry, we'll come back and deal with him later.
First off, let's look at these pantaloons this noble just gave us.
Pretty neat. Nothing to write home about, but then they're just some pants that a noble gave us to wash for him. I'm sure they won't be with us for too long. Funily enough, despite their lengthy description, these items are actually 'un'identified. Meaning there's more to them than meets the eye.
"…keeps down there. If you bring back one of their bodies and my ol' bottle of wine as well, I might toss in a little something extra too."
A gnome, or… a dwarf, named Landrin asked us to deal with an infestation of spiders at her home in Beregost. We'll have to cross the city on our way to Nashkell anyhow, so I told her that we would handle it. I'm not sure when we'll be back to report our success though.
We head out of the inn and go to the temple next door. The temple offers several services. Resurrection, Identification, Donation if you're really low on reputation. That kind of thing. While here, there's a couple of things I want to do. Namely, I want to buy a scroll of Stone to Flesh for… reasons.
And get that nobles pantaloons identified. That counts as washing them, right?
Oh Bioware, you used to be so funny. I miss when you could put things like this into your games and it woudn't come off as a pandering reference to older titles.
Anyhow, now that we're back outside. There's a particular house that I want to visit. The door's unlocked, so it's not like whoever's in here isn't accepting visitors.
Rosalin: Certainly, m'lady. Speak your mind.
Joia: Such manners! Well, I need a gruff hand for this task, so keep your "please and thank you" garbage for the nobles. I was robbed blind by some hobgoblins within sight of this very inn's walls and I need you to return the favor. They took my ring, and that's all I want back. Will you do it?
Imoen: *pushes you in the ribs* Our finesse is unappreciated here, my good Lady.
I roll my eyes at her. It never hurts to be polite.
Rosalin: I will help you.
Joia: I thank you. The creatures were just north of the inn. I swear I could almost see them from the upper rooms. Bring my ring back here when you get it. You'll know it when you see it. It's a flamedance ring, and very striking.
First things first, because I don't hate myself enough to play the game without this, we're going to head down to the bottom right of the map.
Some of you may already know where I'm going with this, but just like with the diamond, we've got a nice goodie waiting for us. I'm not entirely certain what this is supposed to be referencing, if anything. But we'll get a neat ring down here.
The highlight function of the EE series makes picking this item up much easier.
With the ring in her bag, Rosalin and her party follow the road north. Before long, they run into their first Hobgoblin.
The battle doesn't last long. These guys are just a step above gibberlings and xvarts. They 'can' be dangerous if you don't bother attacking their archers, but generally speaking they won't put up much of a fight.
A bit further north and we run into the rest of the hobgoblins. These guys are the ones who stole that ring, so we're quick to dispatch them and return to Joia. They don't have much in the way of loot besides Joia's ring. Just a couple of bit and bobs. And some more arrows so Imoen doesn't try punching things to death.
We return to Joia right away, and bring her ring back to her.
We get some EXP from doing this, but nothing else. Seems like she was being honest about being robbed blind. In an unmodded game, we'd get a point added to our reputation. However because I'm playing the Enhanced Edition Trilogy, I've decided to use a mod that halves our reputation gains so that we aren't rolling around with twenty plus reputation by the time we get through with Baldur's Gate 1.
With that quest out of the way, I we march back down to the Coast Way. Along the way, we get ambushed by two Half Ogres.
Continuing with the growing escalation of conflict in this update; Half Ogres are comparatively more dangerous than gibberlings, xvarts, and hobgoblins. They're still not as tough as Tarnesh, but it will definitely hurt if they manage to hit you.
'If' being the keyword in that sentence. Even with SCS, they aren't likely to touch you so long as you have someone with a decent armor class standing against them. I split the party up, Montaron and Imoen taking out one while Khalid and Jaheira take down the other one. Xzar casts blind to help speed up the process.
And the half ogres fall without landing a single blow. As usual. Anyhow, after we kill the half ogres, we leave the ambush site and head back to the coast way. The party marches through the forest, keen eyes keeping watch for belt-snatching ogre.
We run into a pack of Xvarts, but they're no match for six adventurers.
Our party wanders through the fog of war, and through the woods. We come upon some kind of clearing, and then…
We spot the ogre in question. This guy I don't take any chances with. He's killed more of my runs than I care to admit and I'm not keen on giving him another. Xzar prepares to cast his Magic Missile, and I have Rosalin use the scroll of Magic Missile to double up the damage.
Bearing in mind that one volley of these would kill just about any of our party members, and this guy just ate two without flinching. Granted, he's near death but the fact that he's up after so much damage is indicative of how sturdy this guy is.
Montaron comes in and cuts him down to size. He's really putting that fighter THAC0 to good use.
We killed the Ogre. It was actually easier than I expected. Maybe Imoen's right. Maybe I do worry too much. Heh, I wonder if the bards will sing songs of me… or maybe I'll write some of my own! I've got a couple of ideas. Where's my qui-
Hm… this might be a good chance to learn some more about Gorion's friends.
Rosalin: Forest lore, hmmm… How did you and Khalid first meet?
Jaheira: How is *that* related to forest lore?
Rosalin: Well, you are a lady of the forest, and Khalid is a man of the woods… Erm… it is a bit of a stretch, but I couldn't think of a more opportune time to ask, without seeming to pry.
Jaheira: I'll indulge your curiosity, Rosalin. The first time I saw Khalid was at a ball. We both were… we both had to attend on business, but neither of us knew the other. I had done what I had to and was about to leave, when I saw him standing all by himself. He looked so awkward and shy that I felt sorry for him and came over to talk. I found him surprisingly charming, and we got to know each other better…
Wait. Is that right? I remember asking Khalid this earlier. Once he had been separated from his wife. What did he say? Ah!
Rosalin: Khalid told me the same story, only he said it was *you* who was standing all by yourself.
Jaheira: Oh? That's an interesting… piece of lore.
Khalid: Ahem! Actually, we were *both* standing by ourselves… but getting back to wood lore – did you know that grubs can be quite tasty?... No one can cook them like Jaheira!
I'm not entirely sold on this particular dialogue. I don't think what the author was going for was what was conveyed. I might be over thinking it, but it seems like he was trying to have Charname tell a joke, and then Jaheira takes it too seriously. But then Khalid pops in and acts as if what Charname said was true. But then if it's supposed to be true, then why isn't there a conversation where you talk with Khalid about it? I dunno, it just doesn't mesh well in my opinion.
Anyways, that's about all the space I have for this update. Next time we'll continue our quest as we pass through the town of Beregost, and do even more pointless sidequests before we leave! We'll meet a potential party member, fell deeds will awaken, and we'll take a quick peak at the reaction some of our NPC's have to a certain belt.
And also we'll kill quite a few more gibberlings in the process. Until tomorrow folks!
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