Author Topic: Let's get it started... with some questions!  (Read 4565 times)

Offline SimDing0™

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Let's get it started... with some questions!
« on: September 07, 2004, 11:32:59 AM »
I'm sure you've told me before, but why do only bards get lore? Is that really how it is in PnP?

Will we see higher-level spells now that druids can reach level 12?

The weapon restrictions on the small races are fairly severe. Is there anything to offset this effect?

Offline Echon

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Re: Let's get it started... with some questions!
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2004, 11:51:37 AM »
I'm sure you've told me before, but why do only bards get lore? Is that really how it is in PnP?

Nearly. "Finally, bards learn a little bit of everything. [...] Furthermore, bards have a 5% chance per experience level to identify the general purpose and function of any magical item." There is no statistic or ability called lore but BioWare obviously translated this part into lore and added it to the other classes as well, though bards remained the most skillful.

I still believe high intelligence and/or wisdom should not add a bonus to lore. Lore is knowledge, knowledge is not innate, it must be learned.

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Will we see higher-level spells now that druids can reach level 12?

Yes. As detailed in the Features section under Spells, a few 6th-level priest spells are now available to druids.

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The weapon restrictions on the small races are fairly severe. Is there anything to offset this effect?

Quarterstaff and spear compares to other weapons, so the only real loss is two-handed sword and halberd, which are the most powerful weapons in the game after all. As for new advantages, the dwarves' bonus to hit hobgoblins, the gnomes' bonus to hit kobolds and both races' AC bonus when fighting certain humanoid enemies are the only ones. Insignificant to some, maybe.

-Echon

Offline SimDing0™

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Re: Let's get it started... with some questions!
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2004, 11:58:24 AM »
Nearly. "Finally, bards learn a little bit of everything. [...] Furthermore, bards have a 5% chance per experience level to identify the general purpose and function of any magical item." There is no statistic or ability called lore but BioWare obviously translated this part into lore and added it to the other classes as well, though bards remained the most skillful.
I can't help feeling Bioware had the right idea here. I'd expect a mage to be able to identify magical items, and even a fighter's going to know what a long sword +1 looks like by the time he's level 10, surely?

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I still believe high intelligence and/or wisdom should not add a bonus to lore. Lore is knowledge, knowledge is not innate, it must be learned.
Doesn't wisdom represent knowledge, among other things? And intelligence certainly aids learning.

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Yes. As detailed in the Features section under Spells, a few 6th-level priest spells are now available to druids.
Ah, oops.

And I believe the correct response is "READ THE SITE SIMDING) YOU NEWBIE". :)

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Quarterstaff and spear compares to other weapons, so the only real loss is two-handed sword and halberd, which are the most powerful weapons in the game after all. As for new advantages, the dwarves' bonus to hit hobgoblins, the gnomes' bonus to hit kobolds and both races' AC bonus when fighting certain humanoid enemies are the only ones. Insignificant to some, maybe.
Well, kobolds and hobgoblins are among the most prominent enemy races in BG.

Offline Echon

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Re: Let's get it started... with some questions!
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2004, 01:26:08 PM »
I can't help feeling Bioware had the right idea here. I'd expect a mage to be able to identify magical items, and even a fighter's going to know what a long sword +1 looks like by the time he's level 10, surely?

Well, there is a reason why the wizards have a spell called Identify. I agree it is logical that a fighter should be able to recognise a long sword +1 *within Baldur's Gate*. This is because all non-unique long swords +1 share the same icon. In P&P it is highly unlike to find even two long swords +1 that look the same. I know it is difficult to apply this to the game due to the way it works, and things are not exactly made better by the fact that you do not even need a spell to see whether an item is enchanted.

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Doesn't wisdom represent knowledge, among other things? And intelligence certainly aids learning.

You are right. My problem with the lore bonus is that the character earns it all at 1st level which does not make much sense. On the other hand, I guess I could replace it with a bonus per level.

One of my reasons for limiting lore to bards is that this is one of the more difficult classes to implement due to its many losely defined skills and roleplaying oriented abilities. By removing lore from the other classes bards naturaly gain an advantage.

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Well, kobolds and hobgoblins are among the most prominent enemy races in BG.

Yeah. Using the gnomes as an example, a +4 AC bonus against attacks from gnolls, ogres, ogre mages and half-ogres is also fairly neat. Actually, dwarves are supposed to gain the to hit bonus against orcs, half-orcs, goblins and hobgoblins and gnomes should gain a bonus against kobolds and goblins. Unfortunately most of these creatures are not in the game, so maybe it would be fair to substitute it for a bonus vs. ogrillions, half-ogres and ogres instead.

-Echon

Jepsolon

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Re: Let's get it started... with some questions!
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2004, 02:06:53 PM »
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Doesn't wisdom represent knowledge, among other things? And intelligence certainly aids learning.

You are right. My problem with the lore bonus is that the character earns it all at 1st level which does not make much sense. On the other hand, I guess I could replace it with a bonus per level.

I think that the characters should get the lore bonus at first level. It represents a general education when the character starts the game, much like bonus non-weapon proficiencies or extra languages, which are given to high-intelligence characters. So giving the bonus to 1st level characters would very much be in spirit of PnP.

-Jepsolon

Offline rreinier

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Re: Let's get it started... with some questions!
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2004, 09:42:27 AM »
I agree. After all, the beginning of the game isn't the beginning of the character's life. (S)he has spent all of their youth in Candlekeep being educated in a lot of things (or that's the impression I get). Surely a PC of moderate intelligence would pick up useful knowledge which can then be used in recognizing magic, perhaps even specific magical items?

Offline Echon

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Re: Let's get it started... with some questions!
« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2004, 08:30:37 AM »
I was thinking about making wisdom give the character a bonus at 1st level and then have intelligence give a bonus per level but I might also just change it back to the way it was.

I should probably point out somewhere that until the mod is released, all changes are (at least theoretically) subject to change.

-Echon

 

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