93 replies to this topic

[Tempest]

This is getting off-topic but no, he doesn't tell you what he's thinking-he doesn't know of any way he could tell Charname his feelings without risking hurting Charname, especially if you're in a romance with him. His inner motivations are precisely that-inner. Don't expect to always know why he does what he does-Darian is a private person, and he won't say a word about you turning into the Slayer unless you ask him what he thinks about it.

[Sir_Carnifex]

Back to the topic, here's the next installment of Series of Queries: Unsolved Mysteries of BGII.

1. How can vampires bite through solid steel armor? I can understand their being able to lay waste to unarmored party members such as mages, but they must have either extra strong teeth, a good set of dentures, or they have an awfully rich dentist.

2. Proficiency slots are needed to wield a club? Swordsmanship requires intensive training, but a club is, essentially, a baseball bat. I believe that these were also the preferred weapons before training halls were established which means that they should require no proficiency slots.

3. How can dragons hide themselves in human form? Sure, they can magically shape-change and fool everyone from a distance. But that breath! Anyone who ventured close would be floored instantly. Then again, perhaps this explains why Bel Dalemark's supply of breath mints was stolen...

4. How much illithium does it take to coat one mace of disruption? The answer is, of course, two-hundred pounds! Now I find this hard to believe, so my view is that, after modifying the weapon, Cromwell keeps the remaining 199 pounds to himself for workdwarf's compensation.

5. Why do shadows chunk? And why do they disappear as soon as there is light? Isn't light required for a shadow to exist? Lo! I sense these are no ordinary shadows!

[berelinde]

1. Adamantium caps. Hell of an investment, but worthwhile.

2. Have you any idea how many people are completely incapable of swinging a baseball bat?

3. Breathmints.

4. Yeah, I figured Cromwell's got a kickback going on with Jerlia.

5. Existential shade?

[Zyraen]

How does someone know that you are trying to sell him Stolen Goods?

Why can't I steal some things from people?

Where does all my gold go after I hand it over to someone? How come he doesn't drop it when he dies?

How does my party (especially when I'm soloing) manages to carry around 2 Million Gold Pieces while adventuring, typically one man against armies.

Why does no one in my party seems to ever feel concerned about wading into an army (or two) ?

How can killing some civilian in some dilapidated corner of the city where there is NO ONE around to see the deed (not even my party members, and in fact sometimes I am simply alone) lead to a Reputation drop?

How do the Knights outside know when I've instantly chunked Prelate Wessalen? Again, no witnesses and I'm pretty sure he had no time to scream. To quote one of the soundsets "He'll never see it coming..."

I wonder when Mental Attacks like Psionic Blasts became Area of Effect?

I wonder why Vampiric Mind Flayers can't seem to use Psionic Blasts?

I wonder why I am the only one who seems to take frickin forever to cast Healing Spells? (this is so bad that I usually never use them in battle, only after a battle)

Why do Beholders cheat so ridiculously when it comes to Spellcasting their attacks? Heck, why do they fly?

Heck, why can't I fly!? as a level 30 Sorcerer...? Wait.. I can't even Dimension Door... and... even a low level Cowlie can Dimension Door? What, a PIRATE with a fancy name can Dimension Door!? This is an outrage! I demand a refund on my class!

Why is there generally speaking, a weapon or equipment of some sort, that will make me invulnerable to a certain form of damage?

Why did Helm put so many beasties into the Watcher's Keep? Was he trying to keep the Vigil Knights from renewing the Wards? "All right, Demogorgon, your time is up, you may go home now.... Damn it! Overzealous Helmites!" Then again, given the Wizard's level he might simply have been leasing out floor-by-floor. First floor Church, second floor Wizards, third floor Bodhi-Gauntlet-enthusiast, fourth floor is for psycho-testing.

Why does Drizz't always show up somehow somewhere? Is he trying to tease me with the weapons that I'm not supposed to get by killing him and not allowed to keep thanks to his idiot friend? And why doesn't his friend try to avenge him? "Oh well done, incredible, you must be like one of the few people capable of killing Drizz't! Well I admire you, and no I'm not going to try to incur your wrath, no sir, I'm not strong enough for that. Now just let me (somehow) take these swords (out of your metal-steel-locked fingers), and there, thank you, good-bye!"

Off the side note, what happened to Dili who didn't participate in the fight? I hope she didn't die... mod, anyone? (pokes Berelinde)

Edited by Zyraen, 19 May 2008 - 08:17 PM.

[Sir_Carnifex]

Why did Helm put so many beasties into the Watcher's Keep? Was he trying to keep the Vigil Knights from renewing the Wards?

Speaking of the seal...

Next time Helm should use something that'll hold together better. You think he's heard of Gorilla Glue?

Off the side note, what happened to Dili who didn't participate in the fight? I hope she didn't die... mod, anyone? (pokes Berelinde)

The way Dili can shapechange, maybe she was in the fight and someone else was missing... like Yoshimo...perhaps the Yoshimo you kill is actually a shape-changed Dili meaning the REAL Yoshimo is still alive somewhere. Yet another mod idea.

Edited by Sir_Carnifex, 19 May 2008 - 08:48 PM.

[Choo Choo]

Eh, I doubt the Dili-Yoshimo thing. Dili shapechanged into Yoshimo wouldn't say those things, wouldn't be under a geas, wouldn't kill the PC, wouldn't beg the PC to save him by cutting out his heart and offering it to Ilmater...

[Cal Jones]

Nice to think there are some more caring NPCs out there (just not the Bioware crew!)

I always thought Dili died. Sorry.

[Sir_Carnifex]

Eh, I doubt the Dili-Yoshimo thing. Dili shapechanged into Yoshimo wouldn't say those things, wouldn't be under a geas, wouldn't kill the PC, wouldn't beg the PC to save him by cutting out his heart and offering it to Ilmater...

Eh...Thanks for spoiling my mod idea!!!

[Choo Choo]

Eh, I doubt the Dili-Yoshimo thing. Dili shapechanged into Yoshimo wouldn't say those things, wouldn't be under a geas, wouldn't kill the PC, wouldn't beg the PC to save him by cutting out his heart and offering it to Ilmater...

Eh...Thanks for spoiling my mod idea!!!

Ohh, sorry, I didn't mean it like that! I mean, if you want to do it, go ahead, and good on you if you manage to make sense of it, sorry. D:

Edited by Choo Choo, 19 May 2008 - 10:38 PM.

[Cal Jones]

Just be warned that if you have Yoshimo can be summoned in Turnabout if you redeem his heart so you may want to think of a way around that.

[berelinde]

Hey, that doesn't spoil the mod idea... it just complicates it a bit. Suddenly, not only do you have to get out of Spellhold yourself, you have to find a way to get a shapechanging little girl out as well. Given the possibility of taking the portal straight to the Underdark, that's an interresting challenge.

[Menelanna]

Why does everyone assume you want to either save your annoying sister or go kill some insane mage? Maybe you just want to forget them and go spend that 20,000 gold on something nice and shinny!

Why do you lose a magic scroll if you fail to memorize it? And why would you destroy it once you memorize it anyways?

How is it that you could fought tooth and nail out of some hole Irenicus stuck you in and you stand there and just watch like an idiot as some stuck up wizard come out of no where and steal your sis away? What is up with that? Some caring older sibling you are.

Why do you always need to help the poor woman/child/man/magical creature? Can't they handle this one their own? (especially the silver dragon who manages to turn you and your entire party into drow. can't she just to that to herself?)

[Sir_Carnifex]

Ohh, sorry, I didn't mean it like that! I mean, if you want to do it, go ahead, and good on you if you manage to make sense of it, sorry. D:

No problem. I was just kidding anyway.

If Berelinde wants to try it though, that's fine with me.

[Sir_Carnifex]

Well, I don't have a set of five questions this time, but I had to post this before I forgot it.

~ Why does it take twenty hours to travel from the city gates to the De'Arnise Keep, but it only takes eight hours to travel back?

[berelinde]

It's because they have heard of time zones on Faerun, but they haven't figured out how it works.

It's like this, you see. Everyone knows that if you fly from New York to London, you will have crossed five time zones, and the flight takes about seven hours. Therefore, if your flight is scheduled to take off at 6pm from Newark Airport, it will actually take off at 7pm (if you're lucky), and will arrive at Heathrow Airport at 7am, local time. On the return, the flight takes about 9 hours (two hours longer, on account of the prevailing winds), but there is still that five-hour time difference, but going the other way. So, if your flight is scheduled to take off at 4 pm, it will actually take off at 4pm (I found British airlines more reliable in terms of scheduling), and will land at 8 pm, local time.

But in the Forgotten Realms, they have it backward. They just go ahead and run the meter. Therefore, it takes 20 hours to get to Nalia's Keep, but only 8 hours to get back. It's all about time zones.

[Sir_Carnifex]

It's because they have heard of time zones on Faerun, but they haven't figured out how it works.

Well, if they have that many time zones between Athkatla and the Keep, then I hate to think how many they have in the whole world of Toril. (The days must take 360 hours each...)

[Scipio]

Well, I don't have a set of five questions this time, but I had to post this before I forgot it.

~ Why does it take twenty hours to travel from the city gates to the De'Arnise Keep, but it only takes eight hours to travel back?

If you look at a topographical map you'll see it's uphill all the way from the city to the keep. Going back they glide all the way on rollerblades.

[theacefes]

Eh, I doubt the Dili-Yoshimo thing. Dili shapechanged into Yoshimo wouldn't say those things, wouldn't be under a geas, wouldn't kill the PC, wouldn't beg the PC to save him by cutting out his heart and offering it to Ilmater...

This is because secretly, she is cutting her heart out and offering it to Ilmatar, who I'm guessing would be flattered by the offering but refuse politely. Or maybe she'd put it in a jar and take it home.

1) Who decided the PC dialogue options were to be red? Why not blue or green? I think blue would be more calming on the eyes than red, especially since there are some mods out there with 7 line responses. It does get rough on the eyes.

2) Why is it that when you and your party walk into the city wearing one of a kind enchanted armor and wielding weapons that could bring down the mothership of aliens from Independence Day, that nobles have the guts to look at you and say things like "Don't come near me with your filthiness" etc.

3) How is it that you can pay someone 100 gold to identify something for you when they've been sitting in the same place in the same city for the entire game time and there is no way judging by their level that they could have survived traveling Faerun to discover what the item is. Not to mention that the idea of an Identify spell is ridiculous in itself.

4) Why is there only one breed of dog in Faerun?

5) Did anyone else get annoyed at the semi combat music of Irenicus' dungeon that made you think you were being attacked every 10 seconds when you really werent? (duhhhhhhh.........DUHHHHHHHHH!! = "Walking, walking...OMGBBQWTF WHERE IS THE ENEMY?!!!11")

[Nix]

2) Why is it that when you and your party walk into the city wearing one of a kind enchanted armor and wielding weapons that could bring down the mothership of aliens from Independence Day, that nobles have the guts to look at you and say things like "Don't come near me with your filthiness" etc.

Not to mention that with about 3 million gp in your party's coffers you could afford to buy out an entire district in Athkatla as well as all of their family estates, still they look down their noses at you like you just came off the street. Such is nobility for you.

More mysteries to contemplate:

How is it that the plate mail armour pilfered off the body of a dead giant fits just as perfectly on your halfling fighter?

You know those critical hits... Suddenly the body of a 10-foot 500-pound ogre is reduced to a few exploding bite-size chunks? And curiously all their armour, weapons, and accessories remain intact.

And how about those bodies that don't explode? 10 seconds later you return to the same spot and the bodies have all vanished. Either things here have an extremely fast decomposition rate or Athkatla has the most efficient City Council in all the Prime Material.

[Cal Jones]

I often pondered the De'Arnise Keep thing myself. Scipio's uphill-downhill explanation is the most logical! Thankyou.

And how about those bodies that don't explode? 10 seconds later you return to the same spot and the bodies have all vanished. Either things here have an extremely fast decomposition rate or Athkatla has the most efficient City Council in all the Prime Material.

Really large, voracious rats.