Well, I still am. And, in lieu of saying something else in this blog, i thought i would give you all a great big update on this funnest of games.
As we speak, I am playing in Chapter Two of my game, exploring the teeming and mysterious city of Athkakla with my main adventurer, the hero of The Sword Coast (in Baldur's Gate I) and the Hero of Baldur's Gate city, Dick Splinters.
Here is a picture of Dick.
As you can see by this picture here,
my main character is leader of a party of 6 adventurers. Currently, our goals are to explore, liberate the oppressed, treasure-hunt, find and rescue our missing (captured) companion, and discover who the mysterious wizard Irenicus is.
Several of the characters, along with Dick Splinters, started the game by waking up in an underground horror dungeon, where they had been tortured and experimented on for who knows how long. Irenicus is the man who kept them there, and they do not yet know why. The prison they were kept in, and burst out of (fighting for their lives the whole way), was underneath the city of Athkakla.
My main character is a level 10 Ranger, whose natural racial enemies are Giant Spiders of all kinds. Dick is a Chaotic-Good Half-Elf. He is equipped with a Ring Of Fire Protection, a Ring Of Protection +1, Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 6), the Helmet Of Balduran (gives Armour Class and Hit Point bonuses), a Girdle Of Piercing, a Long Bow +2 called The Ripper, a 2-handed sword called Sword Of Chaos +2, the Horn Of Blasting, and Full Plate Mail Armour.
Athkakla is a major bustling city (in the country of Amn), with many differrent areas, and both it and the surrounding countryside are greatly influenced by the warring between powerful factions seeking to control all. The Cowled Wizards are the most visible of the mysterious groups - they regulate all magic, and have outlawed all magic that is not practised by themselves. They have arrested one of my party, Dick's lifelong friend Imoen (more on her later).
The other parties are, in no particular order...
- The Shadow Thieves, a local and powerful Thieves Guild that Dick has begrudgingly temporarily allied his party with, as The Shadow Thieves organization have insinuated that they can help Dick to find and rescue his captured companion (after doing them some favours and passing a few tests, all of which Dick performed with brute force, as all who died at his hands were worthy of death)
- The Vampires, the undead killers who only come out at night, are headquartered in caves and caverns below the city graveyard, and are super-secretive (and, naturally, purely evil)
- and The Harpers, a group that is usually thought of as Good, but the Harpers in this town have twisted hearts and only want to further their own aspirations for their own gain.
And now, as I promised, more about Imoen.
This is Imoen.
She was captured by The Cowled Wizards, along with the evil Irenicus, immediately after the party broke out of the underground torture chambers. The two were arrested for unlawful use of magic, both Dick's best friend and his most hated enemy taken away from him by this mysterious and powerful group. When last seen, Imoen was a Level 8 Mage and a Level 7 Thief. She was my hero's companion all through Baldur's Gate I, and was his foster sister as well. They both hailed from the citadel of Candlekeep (South and West of the city of Baldur's Gate), where they were raised by their foster father Gorion (now deceased), and kept in the dark about their own past. Skilled at both opening locks and shooting a short bow, and more recently having gained many skills as a magic user, Imoen was going to be hard to replace in the short term in the group.
But, the party needed a thief, so, they let Yoshimo into their ranks on a 'permanent' basis.
Yoshimo was found wandering the dungeons beneath Athkakla. Also good with a bow and with opening tricky locks, Yoshimo came with his own special sword that belongs to him only. Yoshimo is a class of Thief known as a Bounty Hunter - strangely enough, he never appears to be hunting anyone as his profession would suggest, and Dick Splinters has become worried that Yoshimo has been planted into his party by Irenicus...but better to have "Yoshi" where he can be watched, than worry about him sneaking up behind at night with a knife in his hand..
Yoshimo has a cloak that renders him undetectable by magical means, Boots Of Stealth, Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 6), Shadow Armour (+5 Studded Leather, with a bonus to Hide In Shadows), Yoshimo's Katana Sword +1, and a Short Bow +1 called the Tuigan Bow (it allows 3 shots per round of fighting).
"Yoshi" is a Level 14 Bounty Hunter, Human, True Neutral in alignment.
The lovable Minsc is also in the party of adventurers. Minsc is...indescribable, really. Let's start it off by saying, flat out, Minsc is crazy. No, I do not mean that he likes to rush into battle, although that is true. I do not refer to him being fearless, although that is nearly true as well. Rather...well, Minsc's constant companion is Boo. Boo is, in Minsc's opinion, a "miniature giant space hamster". Sadly, Boo is just a small furry hamster that Minsc carries with him. And talks to. And Minsc insists that Boo talks to him, too. Minsc says very crazy things, and has many memorable lines. Yes, Minsc is quite clearly not right in the head. Interestingly enough, Dick killed Minsc in Baldur's Gate I (he was too annoying), but apparently somebody revived him at a temple and he is back. Great...
This is Minsc (seen pictured with Boo).
Minsc is a good guy, if you can get past the insanity thing. He charges into battle, and fears nothing. He is as strong as a tank. Minsc, like Dick Splinters, is a Level 10 Ranger. He is a Human, Chaotic-Good in alignment. His Racial Enemy is Vampire.
Minsc has been equipped with a Composite Long Bow +1, a Girdle Of Bluntness, a Ring Of Earth Control (charm Earth Elemental, and +1 to Armour Class Bonus), Full Plate Mail Armour +1, Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 6), and the Dragon Helm helmet (gives fire, cold and electrical resistances). He is also armed with the 2-handed sword Lilarcor, a talking sword that is nearly as crazy as Minsc is (I think Boo is the only sane one of the bunch!) and which gives him some immunity to charm and confusion). Minsc was one of the companions found underground with Dick.
Also underground and enduring torture at the beginning of Baldur's Gate II was the True-Neutral Half-Elf Jaheira. Jaheira is slowly becoming Dick Splinters' love interest, as her former husband Kahleid was killed (tortured to death) by Irenicus. She started off annoying and weepy (in BG I, she was whiny and snobby), but has become a strong and valuable companion. Jaheira was also a companion of Dick's throughout Baldur's Gate I.
This is Jaheira.
She is a Level 9 Fighter, and a Level 12 Druid. She sports Delver's Plate Mail +2, a Dragon Scale medium Shield +2 (which grants fire, cold, and electrical resistance), a Ring Of Human Influence (raises her natural Charisma to a high of 18, and allows her to charm people once per day), Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 6), a Helm of Charm protection, a Scimitar +1, and a Sling +2.
Meanwhile, when the party got topside, one of the first persons they added to themselves was the powerful but inexperienced female Aerie. Aerie is a winged elf, who had her wings cut off of by her captors when she was young. Eventually, she was rescued by her "Uncle", who gave her a job in his circus. The adventurers, led by Dick Splinters, rescued her when investigating the circus, which had been cursed by a powerful illusionist. Her Uncle saw that she wanted to explore the world, so he allowed Aerie to join the group. Aerie has displayed a keen interest in Dick Splinters, and he has been polite but kept her at bay - one love is enough!
This is Aerie...
Aerie is a Level 9 Cleric, and a Level 11 Mage. She is an Elf, Lawful-Good in alignment. She wears a Girdle Of Hill Giant Strength which gives her the Strength score of 19. She has a Cloak Of Protection +1, and a Traveller's Robe (Armour Class +1 versus Missile Weapons, and AC +1 Bonus vs. Breath Weapons). Like all Mages that wish to cast spells, she wears no armour. She has Arla's Dragonbane, which is a +3 Sling. Also she wears a Ring Of Wizardry and a Metaspell Influence Amulet, which together let her memorize 5 extra spells. Aerie is finished off with the Staff Of Rynn +4 as a close range weapon, and Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 3).
Dick had Nalia in his party for a while, who was a Level 9 Mage and a Level 4 Thief. But he found her rather weak in fighting skills,
so he let her go once they had liberated her family home from the Trolls who had taken over it, and replaced her with Anomen.
Anomen, who at the time I met him was a Level 8 Cleric and a Level 7 Fighter, was not what he was expected to be. Although he had great Clerical spells, he was not the close-in fighter that the group was needing at the time. Within a few days, Anomen was cut loose from the party as well.
Eventually, the party of adventurers was rounded out with the addition of Valygar.
Valygar is a Level 9 Ranger, a sub-class called a Stalker. His Racial Enemy are Golems. Valygar is a Human of Neutral-Good alignment. He wears the Corthala Family Armour (which grants Immunity to Charm, as well as Fire and Acid and Magic Damage Resistance), and has the Corthala Family Blade, a +2 Katana with a +2 Armour Class bonus. LOL - I think that, other than Dick Splinters, Valygar is the only adventurer I have seen yet with a last name!
Valygar has Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 4), a Helmet Of Defense (Electric, Fire, and Cold resistance), and the Ring Of The Ram (doles out 5-30 pts of damage once daily). Also, he is further equipped with another sword, a Katana +1, and wields both of his Katanas at once, giving him twice the amount of attacks! He is a great close-in fighter, and stands up well to punishment, making him the perfect addition to this group.
The other potential member choice that had to be made was over the mage Edwin. But Dick remembered Edwin from Baldur's Gate I (indeed, Dick KILLED the evil Edwin in BG I!). One of the first conversations with Edwin in this game centered around Dick mentioning that he thought Edwin was dead..."I seem to remember killing you myself" , or something to that effect.
To make sure, remembering how annoying and self-centered and conniving Edwin was, my party members joined Dick in killing him again, this time for good, hopefully. Rest in pieces, Edwin. Bwah-ha-ha-ha!
As I continue the adventuring, I find that Dick Splinters and his companions are now also the Heros Of Imnesvere (a small village which has twice been rescued by this party, and where Dick now has his own cabin and the mantle of Protector of the Village), and they are the Heros of Trademeet, a larger community in the middle of the forest where much commerce takes place. Trademeet actually erected statues of all 6 party members at their central square, surrounding a cool and serene fountain. Erection of a Dick statue - imagine that!
Happy adventuring, folks! More updates will be coming!
And, as Minsc says,
"Go for the eyes, Boo - go for the eyes!"
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