Let me jump on the bandwagon and clap you on the shoulder and hail you with a, "Job well done, sir! Right bully banters, those!"

That through, let me hop off again. When doing Ed's mutterings, remember that they consist of his inner monologue, just not quite silenced--the thoughts that are usually in the front of a person's mind while they are talking, but most have the poise and politeness to keep them to themselves.

The Haer'Dalis banter really is good. While not as reviled as Anomen, it seems a lot of people don't like the tiefer, and I really don't know why (and the point to that is that HD's dialogues invariably suffer from someone being snarky just to prove they don't really like HD but they're dialoging him in the name of completeness). He sounds as gentle and charming and affectionate with Chrysta as he is with the other PCs.

However (and you knew there was bound to be a "however" somewhere in here, right?), my one small note is that Haer'Dalis would know there are more than celestials, cambions or alu-fiends Out There. She says that she must then be a prime (which canonically isn't capitalized, but is in the game, so you're spot on). I think HD would be gentleman enough to either agree that, yes, she is likely a prime, or gently correct, that no, that isn't necessarily what he meant.

I'm sort of a Planescape purist, so I've got a good eye for anything related to the planes. :^^:

A planewalker's definition of TN could encompass everything talked about so far. The Outlands' native rilmani (as well as the petitioners) are the obnoxious "keep-the-balance" type, to the extent of switching sides in the middle of a fight, if need be. Sigil itself is the epitome of TN as the ultimate mixing-pot (the whole "deva drinking with a fiend" illustration).

However, I have found the simplest motto for most TN folk is, "Look out for Number One". Animals are the perfect example. When they kill, it is for simple survival. When they nurture their young, it is survival. It is not good, it is not evil, it simply is. They don't go out of their way to hurt anyone, but they don't make an effort to help them, either. They live for themselves, not out of selfishness, but as a matter of survival.

I never understood why they made druids fight for "the balance". Druids shouldn't give a fig about moral or ethical balance. They have no stake in it--that's the clerics' turf. Ecosystem balance, yes. The other stuff is for civilized folk.

Accordingly, it should be noted that there are many shades of other alignments, too. The oft-maligned Lawful Good is not just for the Superman boy-scout--it's for Batman, too (doubt it? Then why doesn't he just kill the Joker and be done with it instead of repeatedly tossing him in Arkham?). Chaotic Evil is a tanar'ri, yes, but it's also the Bridge District Skinner (who, in my opinion, is ten times worse than any fiend you face in BG2, in terms of evildoing).

Anyway, just my two coppers.

Holy Big Brother, Batman! Way to stay atop the posts, hlid.

And, thanks for the word.

Ran across this thread last night, but I didn't want to say anything until I knew if I would be able to participate. Well, participate I may, and participate I have. Now, if you will allow, I would like to formally enter.

However, I seem to be having issues with viewing Lightspeed's entry, and attaching my own gif. Any ideas? I've tried both Explorer and Firefox, and neither allows either.

Heh.

I have to say 5 1/2. I always appreciate more content, but really, if a character is fun and compelling just because of who they are, they may become indispensible. Minsc of the original crew is an excellent example, and the reason I have yet to attempt an "evil" game in either Baldur's Gate. Well, he's a tank, too, but I love having him and Boo at CHARNAME's side. Even without tons of banter or side-quests or special whatsits, if the character is cool--really accessible and likeable--then the character is replayable.

You probably like to involve chains, unless I miss my guess.

Since I just stumbled upon this thread in my search for the Ultimate BG2 Build (aka. "modded to Hell and back and then to Hell's Half-Acre for a picnic"), I haven't yet looked at your mod, but if I had more of a sense what Stivan was up to...and just who Stivan is...I could throw together some simple bits for you to peruse. It'll give me a chance to feel like I'm contributing to the community even though I haven't successfully gotten a mod past the 50% mark on my own (coding is my Achilles' heel).

I'm not totally altruistic, however. I see this as in insidious way to potentially recruit your particular talents in the future...

Per usual, I'm five minutes late, but better late than not at all, neh?

By the by, "she takes you to one side" is grammatically correct, Domi.

True PS:T-style dialogue is something I have frequently seen promised, but never have I actually had such hope for it! The screenshots are great, and the dialogue looks like it will finally deliver where all others have failed.

As to the quality of the writing...Quitch, if you write in-game like you do here, my final fear is laid to rest.

The Hidden is the "fellow" you must find in the sewers beneath the Coronet in order to save Jan's .. well, girlfriend isn't the right word, but the gal that he still pines for .. Lissa's daughter. Ack. Anyway, if you press "him" for who "he" is, "he" reveals "himself" to be an illithid, hinting that he has truly phenomenal power.

As to killing a solar aasimon, like any extraplanar being (a native of any plane of the Great Ring, aka the heavens and hells) it can only be ultimately destroyed on its home plane. Its physical shell can be destroyed, but it simply drives the animus of the solar back to its home plane, where it must use the energies of the plane to form a new shell (which takes more time than given in the scope of BG2). So, you're both right!

Solars are also generally in the employ of some Power or another, but that doesn't mean yours has to be. It could be a free agent (there are those). It could also be in the employ of a deity utterly opposed to the continuance of Bhaal's essence, someone who hates the idea of Bhaal getting one up on Ao and sidestepping his fate. Someone like Helm, or even Mystra.

As a quest idea, what about the ruined temple to Amaunator north of the Umar Hills? Why would you want to free it? Why properly take care of the bones of that child-avatar? Why not enslave the shadows, the shade lord and the shadow dragon, and have the temple be your stronghold?

Remember the werewolf (wolfwere? I can't remember) you meet when you first arrive in the shadowed forest, the one bent on revenge for her pack? Perhaps you could turn the good people of Imnesvale over to her as her personal feeding/breeding stock in return for her services in other areas, such as assassination, combat assistance (a moonstone ring of werewolf summons?), tribute or the like.

Hm. Along the stronghold idea...what about taking Watcher's Keep as a stronghold? The first and most obvious benefit is that you can access it from either portion of the game. If you develop a good, intricate stronghold, generating income (from elven lands you helped the drow take) or occupied by recruited talent (blacksmiths like Cromwell or Cespenar, but unique; scribes who research new magic for you in the chromatic demon's level; and the like) or simply a place where you can blow off steam as the Ravager, single-handedly hunting down captured peasants, monsters and good creatures in the NSEW maze for fun, relaxation and the potential of some profit...well, a person would still be able to use it when ToB started up.

Why is it that the Shadow Thieves and Bodhi's bunch are the only organized criminal elements in the game? Develop a third power-player (in the planes, you learn that if you see two things, look for a third), that isn't a damned vampire, but isn't a short-sighted and neutral two-shoes like Linvail. Mae'Var would make a natural choice, but you are looking for new evil quests, not rehashes. What if the emaciated beggars all over the place are black lotus junkies? Whatever happened with that little exchange at the city gates? Where does black lotus come from, what does it do, and who controls the supply? That's a bit of action Aran Linvail and Bodhi seem to miss entirely...

What about joining the Cowled Wizards and oppressing spellcasters all over Athkatla? Taking over or destroying the CW from within? Granted, good characters (well, neutral or chaotic good ones, anyway) could infiltrate under false pretenses...

...but what if making the evil choices in the game edges any character's alignment toward evil...?

What happens in the power vacuum when Firkraag is killed? Do you need to kill him or can you feed him a virgin (or some other pure soul, like Keldorn) you picked up on Athkatla's streets as tribute? Or both?

Okay. I'm gettspellholdstudios.neting way too excited about this. And I'm chaotic good!

Here's the real me.  Pfeh.