Maven the Craven Manning the Canon (Baldur's Gate Original Trilogy Run)

[JustKneller]

IMO that party is just fine for Durlag’s. If you want two front-liners, you’ve got them: all three warriors mentioned can tank just fine. Imoen and Safana can handle the archery, and you have arcane and (admittedly minimal) divine support.

I don't think Kivan can front line. I'm keeping him in leathers for roleplay purposes (he's plays like an Archer kit in this run). Plus, he is deadly as an archer and just ok in melee. Also, Imoen can't do archery. She about to get dualed to a mage. That's the reason for taking Safana. She will be covering Imoen's role while Imoen catches up on levels. On top of that, Safana can't really even do archery. Her profs are missile, large sword, and small sword. I'll have her on dart (more her style than crossbow), long sword, and dagger. I expect she'll be tossing some daggers and darts, but I can only carry so many. If I can find a good reason to do so ahead of time, I'll buy her Shadow Armor and the Dagger of Venom from Beregost on the way to DT.

Minsc will apparently be holding the front all by himself. But, I'll have him in heavy armor and all the best protection gear I find. It's definitely a new feel for me. I generally have run front-heavy parties with the back line only for support. But, I'm going to have to leverage these mages more in an active role to make up for the weak front line.

I'm hoping that by the end of Ice Island/DT/maybe WW Isle, Imoen will have caught up on levels and I can write up Safana's exit. However, I'm pretty sure I'm going to miss my mark. I recall doing something like this before, and barely getting her thief levels back by the time I needed to pick up Khalid and Jah (having no more room for Safana). But, that run, I only had a party of four.

We'll see what happens. If it works, great. If I brick the run, I'll just try again with a different approach.

 

[OrlonKronsteen]

Riiiiight... I forgot about the dual. Getting her thieving back does sound like a bit of a pickle. Crossing my fingers.

 

[JustKneller]

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Episode Seven: Another Red Herring

Maven was miserable. Sleeping in the wilds night after night reminded her of the first night she left Candlekeep and passing out in the thicket. Now, every night was spent in some thicket or another. She was certainly grateful to Kivan for keeping her and Imoen safe, but this lifestyle was far too crude for her comfort. For every root that jabbed into her back while she slept, every rock that tripped her, and every bramble that needed to be picked off of her cloak, she thought of her enemy. This was all his fault. Were it not for him, she would still be back in Candlekeep with a soft bed and warm fireplace. She still did not have a plan for her revenge, but just knew she wanted it.

They needed to travel lighter. They passed through High Hedge again and Maven sold off her meager library. She only was able to get a handful of gold for it and shed a tear as she pocketed the coins. The only silver lining in this mess was that Maven identified the ring she found at Gorion's memorial site and discovered it was a magical Ring of Wizardry. She chose to believe that this was Gorion looking out for her.

Spoiler: Silent hunter

As they made their way to the fortress, Maven found that they were missing Kagain's hammer much less than expected. With the women in a safe place, Kivan was able to move between shadows and strike unseen. He took out an entire xvart village without taking a scratch, aside from a graze he suffered when trying to charm the clan's pet cave bear. Eventually, they reached the fortress without incident.

Seriously, Kivan is a beast. At this point, he has 5/2 (bow) attacks per round and as long as I catch the attention of only small groups, kite a little, and use a sleep/hold spell when things get hairy, these outdoor areas are a cakewalk. I was a little worried because it's going to be some time before I have someone who can hold the front and give Kivan breathing room for ranged support.

Spoiler: A new friend?

Maven turned Imoen invisible so she could scout the fortress. Unfortunately for Kivan, she found no ogres inside. Instead the place was overrun by gnolls. That would have been their cue to leave, but Imoen also noticed they had a Human woman as a prisoner. Kivan was rather frustrated over having traveled all this way on a bad lead. He told the women to wait in hiding away from the fortress and that he would be right back. He ducked into the shadows and was not seen until about an hour later.

When he returned, he had the Human with him. She introduced herself as Dynaheir of Rashemen, a mage on a quest to prove her worth to her people back home. Before any more pleasantries could be exchanged, Kivan sharply dropped all his gear at their encampment save for all the arrows he could carry. He grumbled something about a path down the cliffs he wanted to investigate and set off again.

While he was gone, Maven and Imoen asked Dynaheir how she was freed and what she saw in there. She said she heard no fighting or anything of the sort. She was just sitting in the pit where she was being held prisoner when the Elf descended and simply said, “Come with me if you want to live”. When she emerged from the pit, all of her captors were dead on the ground, riddled with arrows.

Spoiler: Hasta la vista, baby

An unscathed Kivan returned yet again with barely a quiver of arrows remaining, but his pack filled to the brim with assorted treasures. He was still irate, but it would seem that his solitary cleansing of the fortress softened his edge, if only slightly. They collected their things and prepared to travel, though they had no destination. Kivan then suggested the Wood of Sharp Teeth. He had not investigated this area, but the wood was dense with plenty of places for brigands and beasts (like ogres) to secret themselves away.

They were currently low on supplies and the Wood of Sharp Teeth was a solid week of travel with rest. Kivan knew of a settlement just over the Amnish border that had a general store. Maven was quite nervous about traveling near the main road between Beregost and Amn, but Kivan assured her that he would lead them somewhere safe and enter the town itself stealthily and alone.

Spoiler: Don't want none? Don't start none.

The trip to the settlement was mostly uneventful. There were a few encounters with various creatures and a couple bands of brigands. However, they had a troubling encounter with a group of Amnish adventurers who apparently did not care for northerners. Maven was so wrapped up in her personal vendetta that she had completed forgotten about the current feud between her people and the Amnish. After hurling fighting words at Kivan, these brutes made their move and it was their last (had to get the Studded Leather +2, best leather armor in the game except for shadow armor).

For nearly the entire trip back, Maven spoke with Dynaheir of arcane matters and Imoen tried to join the conversation as much as she could. Imoen was also fascinated with Dynaheir as, aside from Maven, all the wizards she knew were stodgy stuffed robes back in Candlekeep. Based on the stories Dynaheir told, magic was clearly a different experience in Rashemen.

Dynaheir also disclosed to the group the trouble she had with the Red Wizards of Thay and how (at least) one of their number is hunting her. Maven had read plenty about this nefarious cabal during her studies in Candlekeep. Maven presumed that if the Red Wizards hated Dynaheir, then she must be good people. As such, she shared the tale of her own trials and what she knew of the man hunting her. Dynaheir seemed to empathize and remarked that it sounded like it was in each other's best interests to look out for the other.

Spoiler: What about now?

They arrived at the settlement of Nashkel at night. Kivan found a quiet spot over the bridge outside of town where the others would wait while he could slip into town unnoticed. The party was mostly undisturbed except for being approached by one persistent resident. Imoen, always being the people pleaser, humored him out of politeness.

Spoiler: Introducing everyone's favorite space hamster

As he was making his way through the shadows along side the hamlet's only road, Kivan noticed a rather large and peculiar fellow conversing with a hamster. Based on what Dynaheir said about him, this clearly must have been Minsc, her companion. The Elf took his fellow ranger aside and explained the situation, then sent him to meet the others outside of town.

Spoiler: A ranger's secret stash

While Kivan traded at the general store, Minsc reunited with the party and everyone made their introductions. Minsc had also set up a secret stash under a tree at the edge of town when he and Dynaheir last passed through the area. He sought it out and retrieved a set of unusual plate armor made from what looked like the shell of a large insect, as well as a pearl he was stashing for a rainy day. Dynaheir asked that he switch to his heavy armor as this party will certainly need his strength. Additionally, Maven noticed his great sword was quite pitted and weathered. She had previously sold a finer blade to Thalantyr at High Hedge. She suggested they buy it back as a gift to welcome Minsc into the fold. This pleased Minsc immensely and he suggested swords for everyone.

Here we go again. EasyTutu gave Minsc Axe+, Two Handed Sword++, Mace++, and Two Weapon Fighting+++. However, the original game has him with Bows++, Large Swords++, and Blunt Weapons++. Therefore, I gave him Long Bow++, Two Handed Sword++, and Mace++. This is also how he starts in BG2. Additionally, the devs moved his racial enemy from gnoll to vampire between games. I get the rationale. There are few to no gnolls in BG2 and no vampires in BG1. However, for the sake of consistency, I wanted him with the same enemy the whole way. I went with demon/fell because it has some use in both games, and if there's one thing Minsc hates, it's EVIL!!

Upon Kivan's return, the party set out on their course to the Wood of Sharp Teeth. Maven started to perk up a little. She was fond of Dynaheir and Minsc had an infectious personality.

Spoiler: Bonus screenshot

I've never even actually seen Newhart, but this encounter gets me every time.

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[JustKneller]

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Episode Eight: Less Sharp Than Expected

The first stretch of the wood was inhabited by basilisks. These were normally fearsome creatures, but they presented no challenge whatsoever due to Maven's protective spells. They appeared to have a leader, a mad wizard creating a rock garden out of their victims. (forgot screenshot again) After meeting the party, that wizard would be adding no more pieces to their garden. Maven saw one statue that seemed quite new. Unlike many of the others, which had been sitting around for so long they were starting to erode, this one could have been reversed. Maven looked through her scrolls to see if she had the means to revive this person, but sadly, she did not.

Spoiler: Waterdeep, more like Waterdope

The party ran into another band of adventures, presumably looking to find their own fame and fortune. This group happened to be from Waterdeep. Much like the Amnish group they recently encountered, this party also had their prejudices, but this time against southerners. Yet here they were. The basilisks were apparently of no interest to the Waterdhavians and they decided to pick a fight with the Maven and company. Shortly thereafter, their adventure was over.

It was also around this time that Imoen decided she wanted to take up the mantle of a mage. Perhaps she was feeling left out of the conversations between Maven and Dynaheir, perhaps this is how she was coping with the loss of Gorion, or perhaps she was just ready to try something new. Nevertheless, the two other wizards took her under their wing and started to mentor her in the arcane arts. This was perhaps fortuitous, as the party has not had any need for Imoen's roguish talents in quite some time.

Spoiler: Arachnophobia

Further into the forest, the denizens were mainly spiders and ettercaps. Minsc managed to suffer their poison a couple times, but the spellcasters were prepared to treat it.

Spoiler: Fancy meeting you here

The adventurers also ran into a band of Red Wizards. Imoen scouted them out while invisible and Maven suggested they just avoid them. However, Minsc insisted that evil be met face to face, or even better, sword to face. The party approached the Red Wizards who were immediately hostile and had no interest in leaving witnesses to their dark ritual. They did not seem to recognize Dynaheir, however, so perhaps her problems were less severe than she believed. Even still, they hoped they would run into no others from this sect.

Spoiler: Dream a little dream

That's right, I was in Nashkel to get Minsc which technically starts Chapter 2. I almost forgot. This will actually help write what I have in mind for the next episode.

Maven had a strange, vivid dream about Candlekeep while in the Wood of Sharp Teeth. Gorion was in this dream, but he did not look well. Still, he seemed to be warning Maven of something dreadful outside of her periphery. In this dream, there was a path ahead of her, dark but convenient. There was another path she could take, but she knew not where it was at this time. She heard a voice in this dream, definitely not Gorion's, that threatened her. “You will learn,” it said.

When she woke, she had discovered she had a new healing ability, much like Gorion had developed, despite being a mage. Could this be another gift from him? Is he watching over her from the beyond? And what was this new path?

Spoiler: Professionals

The party did discover a new breed of bandit in the forest. They were better equipped and better trained. Something about them reeked of mercenary to Kivan. However, their squads were spread out with no central camp and none would be taken prisoner. This irritated Kivan immensely. It seemed there was more to find in this forest, but Kivan could not do the finding.

Spoiler: Damsel in distress

Near the end of their investigation of the forest, they crossed paths with a Drow that was far from home. By all appearances, she seemed to be falsely accused of murder due to simply being a Drow. Minsc took up the banner of protecting the fair maiden, as was his nature. Unfortunately, a member of the Flaming Fist (the guard from Baldur's Gate) lost his life in the process. After the confrontation, the Drow cleric was invited into the fold. Maven felt sorry for her and could relate to being displaced from one's home. Kivan, on the other hand, was not as empathetic. Maven had read that surface elves and Drow had a very uncongenial relationship. She also figured that Kivan's sour mood was not a social lubricant. Maven felt for Kivan as well, and she was starting wondering if she would ever get her own revenge.

The party left the wood to resupply at High Hedge. The barbs between Kivan and Viconia started almost immediately. It was a long journey made longer with such strife running through the group. By the time they reached High Hedge, Maven had enough. She had to choose. On one hand, Viconia showed real potential as an ally in the Wood of Sharp Teeth with her magics. On the other hand, Kivan single-handedly rescued Dynaheir, found Minsc, and escorted Maven and Imoen across the far ends of the Sword Coast. Furthermore, he and Minsc were the only muscle holding the line for the party. Ultimately, she had to choose Kivan, even though his behavior was no better than Viconia's.

Spoiler: Breaking up is hard to do

They parted ways at High Hedge. Maven thought this was as safe of a place as any to leave the Drow. Viconia was understanding and wished them well. Maven could not help but feel slight pangs of guilt and regret over the matter. If only the two Elves could have got along, this could have been avoided.

I'm pretty sure Kivan eventually tries to kill Viconia if you have them both in the party for long enough.

Once again, the party found themselves ready for a journey, but without a destination. Kivan did not have another lead on his ogre enemy. There were no rumors of adventure to be had. They were leaving High Hedge without anywhere to go. Maven thought back to the dream she had of Gorion and started to feel homesick. She wished she could just visit Candlekeep again, if only to check in on her old friends. However, the doors were closed to the likes of her.

She decided on the next best thing. If they are to wander the Sword Coast, they would journey to the coast itself, just south of Candlekeep, and see the Sea of Swords. It was the only thing familiar to which Maven still had access. She proposed this to the others. After the beasts and banditry of the Wood of Sharp Teeth, her companions did not mind a quiet walkabout. And so, it was decided.

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[BelgarathMTH]

I have a run of original BG1 going right now, and Minsc's original proficiencies were large swords ++, spiked weapons +, and axe +

It was BG2 that changed him to bows and maces.

You can certainly give him any proficiencies you want, but he wasn't originally proficient in bows or blunt weapons.

At what level did you pick him up? Those two pips in two-weapon fighting are free pips added to the ranger class in BG2, so it's technically an illegal build to switch those two pips to anything else. Again, anything you want is fine, because it's your story and your game.

 

[JustKneller]

I have a run of original BG1 going right now, and Minsc's original proficiencies were large swords ++, spiked weapons +, and axe +

TLDR: Oi, I should have passed on EasyTutu.

Interesting, I'm using this as a source. But, looking at the fine print, this is referencing changes from a fixpack to fix build errors and also (I presume) retcon NPCs who made it to BG2. Spiked weapons and axe would be way better than blunts and bows. Spiked can convert to flails in BG2 (I'm planning to have him use FoA and DoE). Axes sets him up for a decent ranged weapon and a good weapon class that I would likely otherwise ignore in BG2. I mean, right out of D'Arnise Keep, he would have FoA and Frostreaver.

Side note, I didn't take all his TWF pips. Just the third one that EasyTutu added.

I definitely want to keep it in line with the original games, regardless. That's my priority. So, I think this means switching Minsc to Two handed Sword++, Axe+, and Spike Weapons. That's definitely more in line with his character than archery. But I picked him up later on. Does he eventually fill out Axes and Spiked Weapons, or do they throw his points somewhere else? I have an install of the original game before EasyTutu, but not Gatekeeper (to max out XP before picking him up), so I can't really do an experiment.

This has me questioning the other characters. The site I referenced eventually puts Jah on Large Swords, but looking at the notes, I see it was originally Small Swords (including daggers, which is actually better, in my opinion).

I suspect Khalid is fine with Large Sword, Axes, and Bows.

I'd be half tempted to start over and just play vanilla BG without EasyTutu. That would solve the whole purist problem. But, I also think I'm a little too far in for that. And, I couldn't be a Cleric/Wild Mage, just a Cleric/Mage, BUT I could SK the kit in BG under the narrative of Irenicus' experiments twisting my magic. Still, it's a lot of game to "redo"...

 

[JustKneller]

Again, anything you want is fine, because it's your story and your game.

Fair enough, but I'm a consummate purist.

So, I did something I've never done in all the years I've owned this game. I enabled the console. I figure I'd create a character, rush FAI and Nashkel, and console in some XP at each. NPCs have up to four incarnations depending on when you pick them up. However, I only tested the lowest and highest level incarnation as one would hope the path between would be obvious.

It wasn't.

Jaheira
Level 1/1 Jaheira gets Blunt++, Missile++, and starts with a staff and sling
Level 5/6 Jaheira gets Blunt++, Missile++, Small Sword+, and starts with a staff and sling
BG2 Jaheira gets Scimitar+, Club++, Quarterstaff+, Sling+, Sword and Shield Style+

Khalid
Level 1 Khalid gets Large Sword++, Bow+, and Axe+ and starts with a Long Sword
Level 6 Khalid gets Large Sword+++, Bow++, and Axe+ and starts with a Two Handed Sword (?) and a Long Bow
BG2 Khalid starts with a few kind words before a male GW goes after his wife. Genuinely feel sorry for the guy.

Minsc
Level 1 Minsc starts with Large Sword++, Spiked Weapons+, Axe+, and a Two Handed Sword
Level 6 Minsc starts with Large Sword++, Small Sword++, Bow++, and a Two Handed Sword
BG2 Minsc starts with Two Handed Sword++, Mace++, Long Bow++, and possibly Axe++

Don't get me wrong, I love these games, but you kinda have to wonder what they were thinking sometimes. Jah is insanely versatile and can be built well in three different ways (2h weapons, twf, and S&S without the pips), but you kinda have to pick one and run with it. They really retconned her for BG2 and spread her out too much. Khalid is fine, but switching his equip to a 2h sword is pretty random. And Minsc is just all over the place. For Jah and Minsc, their BG1 builds (level 1 builds) are actually better for BG2 than their BG2 builds.

It makes it hard for a purist like myself. Like, who is the real Minsc, right? I would be fine with Shadowkeepering in BG2 what I finished with in BG1, though. But I would have to pick up Minsc super early to avoid the wasted pips in Small Sword++. This would be quite easy except a) there are no good narrative break points when you start on the MQ and b) Imoen's dual is a pain.

This whole experiment kinda makes me want to reboot the project and start with BG1 without EasyTutu. But, I've finished all the outdoor areas on my current run. I just have the ToSC content and MQ to go.

Also, I noticed a weird glitch when playing the vanilla BG1:

Spoiler: green borders and fog of war

The green borders are weird/incomplete and the fog of war is really blocky. I don't think that's normal. Any idea what that could be?

 

[JustKneller]

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Episode Nine: You Can't Go Home Again

Spoiler: There's No Place Like Home

Just south of Candlekeep, there is a peninsula. Standing at the end of it, near the edge of the cliff, one can look northwards up the coast and make out the profile of the library fortress on the horizon. Six weeks after her flight from home, Maven was seeing Candlekeep for the first time, albeit at a distance. When she first saw her old home, she had a brief moment where it felt like she never left. But that feeling passed quickly and was replaced with a wistfulness for her old life.

Maven wondered why. What could possibly be so important about her that she could not have just lived out her life quietly in Candlekeep. Sure, Imoen and she always talked about leaving home and going off on great adventures, but these were just the fantasies of children. Imoen was right beside her now, also looking upon their old home. She was not somber like Maven. Maybe their musings of adventure outside the walls were not just a childish game to her. In fact, Imoen seemed to be adjusting to this life far better than Maven.

With no home, no prospects, and no lead on her father's killer, Maven thought for a moment that she might just be defeated. Whatever her enemy had in mind for her. she wondered if it was any worse than living like this. She had no course set, yet her companions seemed to look to her for direction. With the gold that they had, Maven and Imoen could set up a hermitage, perhaps right here on this peninsula. Maven could spend the rest of her days pining away at the home she lost, keeping it in her sights, but forever out of reach.

No. At the very least, Maven knew that Imoen would not stand for that. Also, something inside Maven told her that the journey was not over yet. There was still more for her to do. Imoen was by her side, gazing upon their old home with a slight smile on her face. The rest of her companions were patiently waiting away from the cliff. If her past was to the north, her future was to the south. Where that took them would be up to fate.

Spoiler: If anything, Minsc is predictable

Yet another damsel in distress inspired Minsc to rise to the challenge. Maven was starting to think that he missed his true calling and he should have been a paladin. This time, it cost him dearly as the nereid was playing him for a fool

The nereid's partner arrived. He was an ogre mage that claimed the sea fairy was his mate. Whether she was a willing participant in the ruse, or if she was only following his command because he possessed her shawl, it was no matter. Both Kivan and Minsc were glad to take down the ogre and the spellcasters helped.

Spoiler: Good timing

They also met another odd traveler who only called himself “The Surgeon”. He offered free healing to the party, which Minsc sorely needed after crossing paths with the nereid.

Spoiler: Maybe Minsc does learn

There was a path along the beach to follow that was rife with sirines. Minsc muttered something about fooling him once and fooling him twice and charged off. From a distance, Maven saw the Rashemen berserker rage for the first time. She started to go and help him but Dynaheir held her back. She advised Maven that, in this state, Minsc did not know friend from foe. It was best to give him plenty of space until his state passed.

I screwed up again and should have done screenshots of the flesh golem cave.

The group soon found themselves at the bottom of the cliff staring into the mouth of a cave. Imoen was still invisible so she went first. She came out and described the three men that were not quite men. They were covered in scars as if someone chopped them up and put them back together. Maven immediately knew what these creatures were from her arcane studies. They would be immune to the spellcasters' magics. While the rangers' blades could take them down, these golems were dangerous in melee and the rangers would likely be grievously injured in kind.

From what I hear, this next bit wouldn't work on the EE version of the game. The golems would be immune to the arrows and I believe you need Safana to get through the cave.

Kivan told the group to hide in the brush. He then grabbed the arrows from the sirines and entered the cave. Three times he exited, each time with a lumbering flesh golem chasing him. However, Kivan was always the faster one and fired arrows as he ran. Eventually, the cave was clear and the flesh golems were left to rot on the beach.

In the back of the cave, the party found a grotto where a coffin was tucked away. They hesitated. Treasure was one thing, but grave robbing was another. However, this coffin was not set on a display, nor was it actually buried. Instead, it appeared to have been hidden. Maven suspected that the coffin was a ruse and decided to open it herself.

The first thing she saw was an azure and black cloth covering whatever lay in the coffin. She then realized it was not just a cloth, but a flag, specifically the flag of the legendary Black Alaric. This was a pirate's hidden stash, and long forgotten judging by the condition of the flag and coffin. They found some potions, darts, a wand, a cloak, and a large, old tome in the coffin. Maven was particularly thrilled by the tome. It felt like ages since she had something to read. They collected their find and headed out. It was quite subtle, but if one looked very carefully, one might have noticed there was an ever so slight bounce in Maven's step.

Spoiler: For a game without vampires, this lady is pretty vampy

Maven wanted to just make camp there so she could start reading the tome they retrieved. But, the day was still young and not to be wasted. They ran into Safana, a "treasure hunter", not far from the cave. She told them the tale of the Dread Black Alaric and that she believed he had left a treasure trove nearby. She offered them a cut for their assistance in its retrieval.

EasyTutu gives Safana dart, dagger, and single weapon style. I let the weapon style pip slide, since it fits the character, even though vanilla puts that extra pip into long sword. However, she's a treasure hunter and EasyTutu puts all her points into DI and PP. Meanwhile, vanilla has her points into locks and traps, so I moved them back.

They initially agreed to the partnership as nobody had the heart to tell Safana that the pirate's treasure had already been claimed. However, before any ruse could get out of hand, Maven confessed that their company had just cleared the cave and found the treasure. Safana was initially nonplussed, but recovered quickly. With flattery that seemed to be her trademark, she complimented the party on their prowess. She added that this venture was merely a stepping stone to get the coin to fund a much larger endeavor.

She then spoke of Durlag's Tower. Maven had already read most of what she was said while studying in Candlekeep. The rest she assumed was mere speculation. Durlag's Tower was the cursed fortress built by Durlag Trollkiller. By outward appearances, it looked to be merely a small tower. Most of the dwarf's handiwork, though, was underground. Some rumors say that he dug so deep that he burrowed his way to the Abyss. At the very least he dug far enough to enter the realm of illithids and mind flayers. They responded in kind by using dopplegangers to slowly replace Durlag's family and drive the dwarf mad.

Enough time had passed that the only dwarves in that fortress would be ghosts and the only living creatures would likely be whatever foul beasts ascended from below. But, the creatures are not the worst enemy to face. Instead, after the dwarf went mad, he re-engineered the fortress to be replete with traps. So much so, that the very walls and floors conspire against any intruders. There have been many tales of adventurers attempting to tame the tower, many tales of those having perished, but no tales of anyone having conquered the deadly Dwarven puzzle box.

Minsc was all aboard with Safana's proposal. It sounded like the caliber of feat worthy of his dejemma. Dynaheir and Imoen were also interested, albeit with a degree of reticence. Maven interpreted Kivan's quiet gloom as abstention. She thought again of the clifftop hermitage, a quiet life, and perhaps a small library cobbled together from whatever spare books Thalantyr could acquire for her. If she was being completely honest with herself, the entire prospect sounded quite...dull.

Maven “the Craven” and company would sally forth to Durlag's Tower, and gods willing, conquer it.

<next episode>

 

[BelgarathMTH]

I've never had the green borders problem, but the blocky fog of war in vanilla BG1 is standard and long-forgotten by most players. I think it had to do with the memory limitations of the computers of the day, and they made it like that for optimization of performance.

How interesting, and weird, that Minsc's proficiencies totally change if you get him at level 6. Thanks for doing some testing. I had no idea, because I always get both Minsc and Jaheira into my party early on.

 

[JustKneller]

I always get both Minsc and Jaheira into my party early on.

I wish I could take them right off the bat, and sometimes I do. But, I usually do RP runs and there's such a sense of urgency once you pick up Jah/hit Nashkel/start on the iron crisis that it breaks immersion to do the side content. Plus Imoen's dual complicates things (which I always do). I did figure out a way to time it so that I can do Imoen's dual in the canon party without needing a thief during the gap, but that only solves the former problem.

 

[JustKneller]

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Episode 10: Just A Little Detour

I'm retconning Minsc a little. In a previous post, I experimented with a fresh install of original BG to figure out NPC starting proficiencies depending on when you pick them up. I'm a bit of a purist with games, so I often like to play according to the game's original design. Minsc was built a bit...weird, really. I would describe it as inexplicable and impossible. If you pick him up at level one, he's built for Large Swords, Spiked Weapons, and Axes. If you pick him up at level six, he's built for Large Swords, Bows, and Small Swords. Swapping out proficiencies is not allowed in the rules, and I can't even think of a good reason why the devs did it. As a purist, it's hard to say how he should be built. I picked him up later, where EasyTutu actually builds him for his BG2 build (which is even more different). Who's the real Minsc? In light of the inconsistencies, I would just defer back to the AD&D second edition rules, except 2nd ed. AD&D rules weren't carried over directly here. In fact, if I recall correctly, you could only even specialize in a single weapon so you couldn't put more than one pip in more than one weapon. Nevertheless, the rule I can carry over is that you can't change your proficiencies. As such, the Minsc I picked up at level 6 was changed over to Two-Handed Sword++, Flails++, and Axes++. It's a development of his level 1 build and fits his personality as well, I would say.

Now, back to the story...

Safana suggested that they make their way to the remote village of Ulgoth's Beard. It was a small hamlet that did not even make most maps but was inexplicably linked to the lore of Durlag's Tower. Maven found this to be odd, as this connection was not mentioned in the official history books she had read at Candlekeep. Still, she supposed it was better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.

Spoiler: Tremors

They had to pass by the farmlands overrun by ankhegs along the way. Maven did not have enough invisibility spells to go around, unfortunately, so they traversed the old fashioned way. While in the area, they met a ranger who paid them for culling the population, as well as a farmer who lost his only child to these beasts. For the latter, the party gave him what they earned from the ranger and then a little extra. It was but a trifle from their current coffers, which would likely be overflowing after Durlag's tower.

Maven noticed a similarity between Minsc's armor and the shells of the ankhegs. This gave her an idea. She asked Minsc and Kivan to harvest one of their shells and Minsc to store it in his pack. It looked quite heavy, but Minsc carried it with ease.

Spoiler: Unusual suspects

They also met a few fishermen who seemed to have landed on Umberlee's bad side (though all her sides were bad, to be fair). Still something just did not ring true in their words, and Maven was always found the affairs of the gods to be interesting, so she offered to look into it. It would not be a significant diversion from their current quest, anyway.

They found the Umberlean priestess and learned that the fishermen actually captured her mother, stole her summoning bowl, and tortured her for the secret to making it work. Maven did not care for being played. The party returned to the fishermen who finally told the truth. They entered into a pact with Talos, another evil god, that demanded such a heinous act. For Maven, the “evil” priestess was honest with her and the fishermen were liars. That was all she needed.

Spoiler: A future favor

She returned to the bowl to the evil priestess. Maven had no love for either Umberlee or Talos, but it was the actions of their followers which made this decision for her. Maven was somewhat baffled by people who chose to follow the evil gods. The deities of that realm play a wicked game. She took comfort in her patron, Oghma, who was calm, balanced, and fair. She would never want anything to do with the evil gods and was glad she was wise enough to avoid such a path.

Spoiler: Suit up!

The party backtracked to Beregost before proceeding to Ulgoth's Beard. While living in Beregost, Maven had learned that Taerum Fuiruim had an interest in working with exotic materials. She figured that he might be able to fashion another set of armor like Minsc's with the ankheg shell. Sure enough, she was right. Maven left the shell with the smith and figured she would pick up the armor after they finished the tower.

The trip to Beregost was a risk, with Kagain presumably still around town and bounty hunters looking for Maven. However, Maven felt it was worth the risk. And, to be frank, considering they were about to take on Durlag's Tower, a few bounty hunters seemed a small matter to Maven.

They then made the long journey to Ulgoth's Beard, passing through a zombie infested farm along the way. The hamlet itself was a peculiar place. There was an inn where the proprietor would sell tools and trinkets to adventurers. He was quite well stocked for such a small berg. The party picked up a few scrolls for Maven and a magical cloak for Minsc. They also met a Dwarf who tasked them with retrieving a family heirloom from the tower. The party obliged, especially since they were going there anyway. After they were resupplied, they set about to exploring the town and learning the local lore of the tower.

Spoiler: Sidetracked

The party ran into a local mage, Shandalar, who offered them quick work to retrieve a cloak he had lost. It seemed to be a simple affair and potentially profitable, so they took on the task. He gave them a stone talisman and, with a word, magically whisked them off.

Spoiler: Baby, It's Cold Outside

They found themselves on an awfully small frozen island surrounded by ice floes as far as the eye could see. There was a polar bear on the island as well, but it did not seem interested in the party. Near the center of the island was the mouth of a cave, and so they entered. The natural rock of the cave eventually gave way to carved stone walls and the party soon found themselves in the foyer of what Maven presumed to be an underground labyrinth. She turned Safana invisible and had her scout ahead.

Sure enough, the place was a labyrinth, lit by magical sconces along the wall. Safana found that they were not alone. Aside from a few winter wolves, there were a number of mages spread out across the frozen dungeon. They must have been the ones who set the traps that Safana found and disarmed. When she reported back to the party, she remarked that the mages did not appear to be the friendly sort and that they should tread carefully.

The party slowly advanced through the maze and soon came face to face with a trio of wizards. One of them revealed that this place was actually some kind of magical prison trap that draws in teleporting mages who then cannot leave. The leader of the trio had a theory that if he collected enough magical power, he could break free of the island's pull. As such, he demanded the party turn over all their possessions. When the party did not comply, the mages attacked. The trio gave the party a tough fight, but were ultimately defeated.

There were other mages they found along the way, all seemed to have been driven mad by captivity. One by one they fell to the party until they found the mage that had Shandalar's cloak. He seemed just as mad as the rest and would only release the cloak upon death. The party obliged his request. They then followed a tunnel behind the mage and somehow found themselves on the surface of the island, right back where they started. This certainly was a magical place. The polar bear barely regarded them. They looked at each other, confused. Maven started to utter the words, “What now?" when Shandalar's talisman activated and the party found themselves teleported back to Ulgoth's Beard, right in front of the wizard.

Spoiler: What a long, strange trip

The party returned the cloak, though received no payment. However, the mages on the island did have some valuable items and the winter wolves provided a heap of pelts to sell. Once they sold what they could and sorted out their outfitting, they found themselves with more than five thousand extra gold to their name. Not bad for an afternoon's worth of work.

And now, there would be no more distractions. The only thing in the party's sights was Durlag's Tower.

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[BelgarathMTH]

I enjoyed reading the latest chapter of Maven's story.

I'm a sucker for (admittedly kind of silly but still fun for me) Forgotten Realms theological discussions. Maven's thoughts about Umberlee and Talos got me to thinking. Anyone in the FR who depends upon the sea for their living has little choice but to placate one of those two gods, or they're going to starve or die at sea. It might not be their preference, but more a matter of survival.

The FR gods are like Greek gods in their tendency to pettiness. Since they all depend on worshippers' prayers and devotions to maintain their power and status, they are notoriously jealous of their followers, meaning paying homage to more than one god is dangerous, unless those gods are allied. That is, giving some prayers and money at the temples of Deneir or Milil probably isn't going to bother Oghma. Giving at the temple of Lathander might cost you some spell slots. Giving at the temple of Shar or Talos would put your life and soul in danger.

The story of the fishermen and the child priestess makes me have some sympathy for people who are followers of some evil gods. I always side with the child, but the fishermen are likely acting out of desperation. Hunger and fear of drowning are powerful motivators.

My sympathy runs low for any follower of a goddess like Shar. She is dedicated to the destruction of all life and light. I could have sympathy if the "follower" were somehow forced into it under duress, I guess, but I think most of her followers are doing it for power and/or because they hate life and existence as much as she does.

 

[JustKneller]

I'm a sucker for (admittedly kind of silly but still fun for me) Forgotten Realms theological discussions. Maven's thoughts about Umberlee and Talos got me to thinking. Anyone in the FR who depends upon the sea for their living has little choice but to placate one of those two gods, or they're going to starve or die at sea. It might not be their preference, but more a matter of survival.

I would agree with you here and I'm all for analyzing and deconstructing the metaphysics and societies in a setting. There is no good option for fishermen in Forgotten Realms. I wonder if this is a creative oversight, though. If not, I would think that the culture would emerge in that the seas were something to be feared and fishing would be an unwise vocation. One could wonder how they fell in with either of them, rather than just trying to sail under the radar, but I'm sure it was inevitable that either Umberlee or Talos would notice them.

It's a crap situation to be in for sure, which is partly why I wrote it the way I did. That is, our CN Maven is generally less concerned about the plight of others and would be more concerned with how other's plight affects her and the people she cares about. The fishermen are stuck between a rock and a hard place, but they also lied to Maven and effectively tasked her with killing a child. I figured that supported the character a little better than the alternative.

You raise a really good point and it's a perspective I've always utilized with every RPG I've designed (with an original setting). That is, I start with, "In the beginning, there was darkness," and run with it from there. I do a thought exercise and run through how the world was created and came to be what it was at the start of a game. The metaphysics always end up in line with the people and society, and even informs system design in some cases. It's a fun thing to think about for sure!

 

[JustKneller]

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<previous episode>

Episode 11: We're Going In

Spoiler: Unfortunate Son

One of the villagers asked the party to be on the lookout for her son, who joined up with a band of adventurers to tackle the tower. She did not have much faith in her son's adventuring prowess and thought less of the party he joined. The companions offered to bring the boy back, if they could.

Spoiler: Ten cent tours

There was a huckster shilling tours of the tower. Apparently, the ground floor level was relatively safe and turned into a tourist attraction. Maven found it odd that such a dangerous place had entertainment value for the locals. She had to see this for herself and gave the guide the sixty gold for the tour. He then told them he was arranging the rest of the group and that he would meet them there. Before the companions could say anything, the guide disappeared into the inn. Maven was pretty sure they would never see him again.

Spoiler: The Arrival

The party arrived exhausted and planned to camp outside the tower before making their ingress. The first thing they noticed upon their arrival was a vendor waiting right at the entrance. It seemed the tower truly had been turned into a tourist attraction. Maven found this to be terribly droll. Just the idea of the party confronting beasts and deadly traps in the bowels of the keep, while commoners wandered the surface gawking at statues and paintings, made her chuckle.

Spoiler: Oh, the horror!

Kivan scouted out a pair of battle horrors on the way to the keep. Maven attempted to dispel their flaming swords to no avail. It was up to Minsc and Kivan to take down these enemies. Safana tried to assist with darts, but any that hit merely bounced off their armor. The party was eventually successful, but Minsc to a right beating in the process. Further down the path, the party ran into dopplegangers. Maven knew that Durlag was betrayed by these creatures and they had likely taken up residence, but to wander outside the keep seemed rather brazen. These two fights were enough to give the party pause and send them back to camp to lick their, well mostly Minsc's, wounds.

I'm already regretting having only one real frontliner to take the heat. But, we'll see how it goes.

Spoiler: Step right up!

Surprisingly the tour guide turned out to be authentic.

When the party reached the inner walls, they found that the undead had taken over the battlements. They cleared the western one and needed to make camp again to heal up. The eastern one was more manageable. The mages took a few stray arrows from skeleton archers, but the party was able to press on. The guide gave a tour of the tower's ground floor before taking an intermission. He took the party aside and offered to sell them a wardstone for five hundred gold. Maven was not sure he could be trusted, and five hundred gold was a tidy sum, so they declined the offer.

Spoiler: Exit through the gift shop

The rest of the tour was cut short by the appearance of a demon knight. The tourists scattered, while the guide was frozen in his tracks. The demon knight hurled fireballs around the central room of the tower before teleporting away. Fortunately, most of the party were in various side rooms. Minsc was the only one in the lobby, and the fireballs happened to miss. However, the tour guide was slain, along with most of the tourists. It would seem that the tour was over, and the adventure was to begin. Maven picked up the wardstone that the guide was carrying, on the off chance it was not a fake.

Spoiler: I see dead people

Safana was turned invisible to scout (and de-trap) the upper levels of the tower. She found some ghouls on the interior and basilisks on the exterior. She was perplexed when a ghost was able to sense her presence, and ultimately declared it would attack, but could not actually see her to do so. She steered clear of its floor, just in case it developed a way to see through her invisibility. Finally, on the top floor, she found a fair maiden just lounging in one of the chambers. She reported back to the party, who proceeded to ascend, taking out the opposition along the way. This course was far easier than their entrance into the tower. Even the ghost was no trouble. However, the maiden on the top floor was another story.

Spoiler: Minsc is a ladies man

Maven already had a good sense of how this was going to go down. Minsc plus a fair maiden in a dangerous place usually equaled trouble. She had the party hang back while Minsc approached the woman. Sure enough, she was more than she appeared. The rest of the party retreated downstairs while Minsc's berserker rage took hold and he attacked the succubus. When he returned downstairs, he had a lock of her hair in one hand, and a strange staff in another.

I genuinely hate this fight. Kirinhale teleports like every other round, which totally heals her. She also dire charms (usually your muscle) every other round so you don't have an offense. She has 50% MR, 50-100% damage resistance depending on type. I had to cheat here with some meta. The beserker rage alone usually isn't enough to win this fight. I had to pre-buff Minsc with an oil of speed and potion of storm giant strength. Even then, he could only kill her if he had a critical hit with a decent damage roll along with a second decent hit. Otherwise, he would get a few (weaker) hits in but then she would teleport and heal up.

The staff Minsc procured was unusual. When held, a spear-like blade is conjured on one end of the staff. One might be thinking, well that is just a spear, but it is in fact still a staff and anyone trained in using a staff can use it with proficiency, yet someone trained in using a spear, but not a staff could not use it with proficiency. One should not try wrapping their mind around this concept, as it will only give one a headache. Such is the way of the arcane in Faerun.

Spoiler: Sole survivor?

When the party had finished clearing the above, they made their way below. In the cellar, after battling a few ghasts, they met Bayard. He traveled with a party of adventurers into the bowels of Durlag's Tower. When he realized the venture exceeded his abilities, he turned back while the rest of the party went on. This happened to be the party of Dalton, the villager's son they were tasked to find. Considering what the party has seen so far, Maven wondered if the boy was still alive.

Also in the cellar, they found a secret door which appeared to lead further down. The party took a moment to steel themselves, as they were about to enter the real Durlag's Tower.

 

[JustKneller]

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Episode 12: It's a Dirty Dozen

I think Maven's run has run its course, for a number of reasons.

I'm currently in Durlag's Tower. I have a party that's effectively three mages, a thief, and two rangers (one primarily an archer). I wouldn't say it's challenging, per se, but I do have to reload more often than usual only because Minsc has to draw all the aggro in every fight and sometimes it's a bit too much for one person. Kivan can switch off his bow to a sword, but he's far deadlier with the bow. Conversely, I have all three mages slinging spells and the opposition is either making their saves, having MR, or just being immune to things. Or, I've overcasted to compensate for this and am totally blowing the opposition away (the bridge fight on level 2 is usually a bit of a challenge, but I smoked it in two rounds this time). It's either feast for famine. A happy medium is elusive. On top of that, you either have to be economical with spellcasting and so spellcasters are just hanging around with nothing useful to do, or you can go full throttle, but you're resting every few encounters.

Maven was a very different character for me. I normally keep minimal spellcasting around and just take along characters that blend the spellcasting class with a martial role (Jah being a fighter/druid) or with another role that doesn't need a pure class (Imoen's dual). I'd even take a bard over a mage (too bad all the bards in the game are knobs). A martial heavy party can handle the riff raff easy enough, and then I save my casters for the tougher fights. I'm not resting every other encounter to get spells back and things flow more naturally. Two up front, two ranged attackers who can come up if needed, then non-martial spellcasters and party thief spread across two slots in the back. There's fewer people doing nothing with their turns that way.

Maven's story arc also doesn't have much of a future. I realized the “Maven the Craven” bit really resolves itself once she beats Durlag's Tower. Nobody will call her craven after that. And then I have to think about the big bhaalspawn reveal. The pacifist Maven being a Bhaalspawn is an ironic twist, but not terribly meaningful. In other words, dealing with being a bhaalspawn wouldn't be a struggle for her, it's just preposterous. I'm noticing this as I've been writing up the Durlag's Tower episode(s). I don't really have anything to say about the character anymore, I'm mostly just reporting on the action.

And on that note, the pacifism angle isn't really as interesting as I would have hoped. In a way, it makes the game easier. Maven focuses on being a buffer/controller and the other spellcasters can be blasters. If one is running mage heavy, there's more than enough spells to go around and have everyone focus on something. The wild surges haven't been that interesting, either, and really have been more inconvenient than entertaining. I thought it would be more fun.

I still want to run the whole saga, though. But, it has to be a character with room to grow through the entire story. Therefore, I'm taking Beatrix (a paladin build) off the sidelines. There's just a lot more meat on the bone. More guilt over leaving Gorion to his fate, the desire for revenge vs. duty to protect Imoen, not pandering to her bloodline while also managing being a martial character. Early BG2 gives a LG character two bad choices and that's it. How can she reconcile that? Is choosing one of the bad choices for the sake of saving a friend going to haunt her? And so on...

I kinda feel a little bad abandoning yet another go of this game. I am dead set on completing a full saga run, one way or another. But, I do appreciate all the input I've had on this run and hope to hear more when I tell Beatrix's tale.

 

[m7600]

I liked Maven's adventure, but I'm rooting for Beatrix. I don't know if you've ever played Throne of Bhaal, but I highly recommend it, if anything at least for Watcher's Keep. It's one of the best dungeons in the game.