[[EnsembleDarkhorse http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Minsc_and_Boo.jpg]]
[[caption-width:200:Minsc and Boo, series mascot(s)]]

->''"Ok, I've just about had my '''FILL''' of [[OnlySmartPeopleMayPass riddle asking]], [[WithThisHerring quest assigning]], [[DeadpanSnarker insult throwing]], [[HurricaneOfPuns pun hurling]], [[HostageForMcGuffin hostage taking]], iron mongering, smart arsed fools, freaks, and felons that continually test my will, mettle, strength, intelligence, and most of all, patience! If you've got a straight answer '''ANYWHERE''' in that bent little head of yours, I want to hear it pretty damn quick or I'm going to take a large blunt object roughly the size of Elminster '''AND''' his hat, and stuff it lengthwise into a crevice of your being so seldom seen that even the denizens of the nine hells themselves wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot rusty halberd! Have I '''MADE''' myself perfectly '''CLEAR'''?!"''
->--'''[[HelloInsertNameHere The Player Character]]'''

->''This is silly! Buttons are not how one escapes dungeons! I would smash the button and rain beatings liberally down on the wizard for playing such a trick!''
->--'''Minsc'''

Baldur's Gate is a RolePlayingGame series in a HighFantasy setting, using the second-edition ruleset of Advanced ''DungeonsAndDragons''. It was developed by BioWare with Black Isle Studios, published by Interplay Entertainment, and includes:

* ''Baldur's Gate'' (1998)
* ''Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast'' (1999)
* ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' (2000)
* ''Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal'' (2001)

The original game and its ExpansionPack, ''[=TotSC=]'', are set along the Sword Coast of Faerûn between the titular city and the borderlands of the nation of Amn. The sequel, ''Shadows of Amn'' takes place largely in Amn itself, in and around the capital of Athkatla, and its ExpansionPack ''Throne of Bhaal'' moved the plot further south to the northern border of Tethyr.

The plot centers around the hero (named and designed by the player), who is regularly pursued due to power granted by a MysteriousParent: Some want those abilities for themselves, others are simply fearful of what the hero may become because they know WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity. The first game centers around the hero learning about the powers and their source; the second deals with the consequences and choices that come with that power and knowledge.

The series is best known for its memorable selection of sidekicks, which your hero can have up to five of at any time. All have distinct, if sometimes simple, personalities and backstories, and most will drag you into at least one sidequest unique to them if they stay on your team long enough. Especially in the sequel, they also have a tendency to make comments or suggestions about the current situation, or interact with each other positively or negatively.

Its engine and successors were also used for the ''Icewind Dale'' series and ''[[PlanescapeTorment Planescape: Torment]]''. Since Interplay's license from [=WotC=] for ''[[DungeonsAndDragons AD&D]]'' ran out except for the Baldur's Gate franchise, Interplay [[ArtifactTitle made two unrelated AD&D-based games]] with the “Baldur's Gate” moniker: The console exclusive ''{{Gauntlet}}''-alike ''Dark Alliance'' series, and ''The Black Hound'' (codenamed “Project Jefferson,”) a cancelled game that was actually going to be sold as ''Baldur's Gate III'' (one of the original creators [[http://theblackhound.googlepages.com/ apparently intends to complete it in the form of a module]] for ''[[NeverwinterNights2 NWN2]]'', which he also worked on.)

[[Characters/BaldursGate The character sheet is under construction]].
----
'''Tropes:'''

* AbortedArc (Several, from additional [[RelationshipValues romance]] [[OptionalSexualEncounter options]] for female PC's, to extra sidequests, to fairly major changes in the overall story. Some were cut due to time constraints, others because of fan response.)
* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer (In both games, as well as the expansion packs - they seem to be an architectural staple of major cities in this game world.)
* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts (Nicely averted. Acquiring a reputation as a hero gets you hefty discounts, and if you sell a powerful or plot-important item to a merchant, they'll still have it if you re-visit their shop later on.)
* AdventureCouple (Khalid and Jaheira, Dynaheir and Minsc)
** The {{Player Character}} can have this relationship with several of his/her party members. Including the love interests.
* {{A God Am I}} ([[spoiler:Amelissan]]) is quite arguably the living definition of this trope. Also [[spoiler:the {{Player Character}}]] can engage in this behavior. Oh, and Sarevok...[[spoiler:''and'' Irenicus.]]
* AlasPoorScrappy ([[spoiler: Khalid. In the first game, many players would "frag" him by deliberately getting him petrified or sending him into battle with single digit HP so that he might suffer a [[LudicrousGibs Ludicrously Gibby]] death. This would allow you to be rid of him while retaining the services of his (far more competent) partner Jaheira. Even so, on playing the second game many players found the cruel nature of the [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Bridge Dropping]] he suffers between games a bit of a TearJerker.]])
* AllThereInTheManual (As far as game mechanics go, that is; most of the ''Baldur's Gate II'' manual is essentially a reprint of the AD&D 2nd. Ed. Player's Handbook.)
* AlwaysChaoticEvil (Subverted repeatedly. Many of the games' antagonists feel that this is InTheBlood for the Bhaalspawn, but [[spoiler: the main character]] can act any way the player likes, to the point of becoming one of the world's most renowned heroes. Lots of other canonically AlwaysChaoticEvil beings (vampires, demons, ogres, dark elves, etc.) show up in the games, and for almost every one there's at least one individual for whom MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch.)
* AngryBlackMan (Valygar Corthala doesn't take your shit. Neither does Sarevok.)
* AnythingThatMoves (Bhaal takes this trope to its logical extreme and for all the implications that follow. Let it be known that the Lord of Murder does not discriminate in this regard. See ShapeshiftingSquick.)
** Well, at least they were all alive and capable of sexual reproduction, but that's about all the discretion he showed. He must have slept with every living creature this side of mustard jellies.
* ApologeticAttacker (Aerie)
* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit (Despite the fact that there are more than 30 playable characters among the various games, you can only have five in your party at any one time in addition to the PC. Particularly egregious since the game doesn't even make an attempt to HandWave it when you try to add a seventh member to the party, and it's perfectly possible to control more than six characters with charm spells, summonings, and the like.)
* ArtifactTitle (Baldur's Gate isn't visited at all in the second game.)
* AscendedExtra (Imoen originally wasn't included in the first game at all, and was only added when playtesters complained that the early chapters of the game were too difficult to complete if the PC didn't recruit [[PsychoForHire unstable nutjob]] Montaron into the party (this is the reason she never interacts with other NPCs, incidentally - there was no time to record additional dialog). She became [[EnsembleDarkhorse one of the most popular characters in the game]] and in the sequel was made a central part of the plot, in addition to being [[RetCon retconned]] as [[spoiler:a Child of Bhaal and the PC's half-sister]].)
* AwesomeButImpractical (High-level backstabbing, especially the Assassin's x7 backstab. Dealing the damage cap (1048 damage) with a single hit? ''Awesome''. Knowing that everything in the game at the point you get it is either immune to backstab or can be killed twice as fast by your mage or fighter without placing your rogue in the middle of a [[UnusualEuphemism Charlie Foxtrot]]? Makes it considerably less so.)
* AwesomeButPractical (...Fortunately, high-level rogues get their revenge with the traps. The blatantly imbalanced spike trap deals 20d10 damage and its damage cannot be dodged, saved against or blocked in any way. Six of them will kill the game's toughest BonusBoss in one shot, and a high-level rogue can get another use per day for every level he or she gains.)
* AxCrazy (Quite a few characters encountered throughout the series. Some can even join your party.)
* BadassGrandpa (Keldorn isn't technically a grandpa yet, but as a gray-haired fiftysomething with a late teenage daughter he's not far off. He's also one of the highest-ranking paladins in Amn, swings a [[{{BFS}} mean greatsword]], smites evil left and right with extreme prejudice, and, in his character epilogue, [[spoiler:dies heroically after single-handedly fighting off an army of giants]]. So he's definitely BadAss.)
* BagOfSharing (Averted, which can be quite annoying when a critically injured character doesn't have a HealingPotion on their person in the heat of battle.)
* BagOfSpilling (Baldur's Gate 2; justified by getting captured between games. You get to keep all your skills, though.)
** Averted between ''Shadows of Amn'' and ''Throne of Bhaal''. If you start from ''Throne of Bhaal'' instead of importing, you start with a lot of good stuff (though not all of the best stuff).
* BalefulPolymorph (It happens to a few characters throughout the series, and if you've got a mage in your party you can do it to enemies.)
* BattleCouple (Khalid and Jaheira; potentially you and your chosen partner.)
* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil ([[spoiler:Imoen]], though "evil" might be going a bit far. More like still generally good, but with a surprisingly sadistic dark side.)
* BeneathTheEarth (A good portion of ''Baldur's Gate II'' takes place here.)
* BerserkButton (Minsc does not take kindly to anyone insulting Dynaheir.)
* TheBerserker (Minsc and Korgan, although neither of them brood much over it.)
** Minsc ''embraces'' it, since it is the most honorable profession for men from Rasheman.
* BlackAndGrayMorality (Particularly in the second game, in which the PC is forced to [[spoiler: take sides in a gang war between a ruthless criminal organization which tortures and executes its own members and a coterie of bloodthirsty vampires who have slaughtered hundreds of people]]. It's difficult to role-play realistically if your character is a Paladin, Ranger, or other do-gooder.)
* BlackMagicianGirl (Dynaheir in ''Baldur's Gate'', Imoen and Nalia in ''Baldur's Gate II'')
* BloodKnight (Korgan qualifies, but Shar-Teel, motivated solely by a desire to prove her strength as she is, is probably the clearest example in the series.)
* BodyHorror (many examples, from the "Tortured Ones" in Irenicus' dungeon, to the Skin Dancers, to [[spoiler: the main character's transformation into the Slayer]])
* BoisterousBruiser (Minsc and Korgan)
* BondVillainStupidity ([[spoiler:Bodhi's plan to hunt the party through the maze beneath Spellhold, rather than killing them outright as Irenicus wishes.]])
* BonusBoss (Aec'Letec in ''Tales of the Sword Coast'', Kangaxx in ''Baldur's Gate II'', and Demogorgon in ''Throne of Bhaal''. To a lesser extent, all the Dragons in ''Baldur's Gate II''--but not ''Throne of Bhaal''.)
* BonusDungeon (Durlag's Tower in ''Tales of the Sword Coast'' and Watcher's Keep in ''Throne of Bhaal''.)
* BonusLevelOfHell
* BreakTheCutie (Imoen gets more serious between games due to this trope. Also, that wraith who impersonates Gorion ''will'' break down your lover.)
* BrokenBird (Viconia)
* BrokenBridge (The city of Baldur's Gate is closed off until you solve the ore problem--it's even an actual bridge, the Serpent's Causeway.)
* BunnyEarsLawyer (Many of the characters in these games are, shall we say... eccentric. Nevertheless, they're almost all quite good at their jobs.)
* BurnTheWitch (And more than once.)
* ButYourWingsAreBeautiful (Inverted with Aerie, who fears she's no longer beautiful because she's ''lost'' her wings.)
* {{Cain And Abel}} (played straight in [=BG1=], then played with for all it's worth in ''Throne of Bhaal'', which is more like 'Cain and Cain and Cain and Cain and Cain and Abel.)
** ...Only with Abel murdering all the Cains. And going on to [[spoiler: become God.]] ... ''[[{{MultipleEndings}} Maybe.]]''
* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive
* TheCameo (A few canonical ForgottenRealms characters show up, some just to say 'Hi' and others to play slightly larger roles in the plot.)
* CantArgueWithElves (Subverted; you can. And if you don't, Valygar will. And if ''he'' doesn't...well, let's just say the elves deserve to be argued with this time around.)
* CantCatchUp (Particularly in the first game, several characters can't be recruited until well into the game. Although they'll be leveled approximately equally to the PC if they're added to the party, their skills, weapon proficiencies, spellbooks, and/or HP will have been determined by the computer in a sub-optimal fashion. As a result, they're likely to be underpowered compared to characters who have been in the party for the entire game, and since due to the experience cap you can't level them further, there's no way for them to catch up.)
** In ''Baldur's Gate II'', [[spoiler:Imoen]] will fall way behind other characters in experience when she's kidnapped unless you set out to rescue her right away.
* CapitalCity (Athkatla is the capital of Amn, though in ''Baldur's Gate II'' it seems curiously lacking in governmental facilities for a national capital.)
* CardCarryingVillain (Irenicus, who's clearly both evil and a serious threat from his first appearance. Sarevok, despite a more stereotypically villainous appearance, manages to keep his role as the first game's BigBad unclear for a bit longer.)
* {{Casanova}} (Eldoth)
* CharacterAlignment (It's a ''DungeonsAndDragons''-based game. Derp?)
* CharacterDevelopment (Particularly in ''Shadows of Amn'', in which the developers incorporated lots of [[EasternRPG eastern RPG]]-style character-based {{sidequest}}s to develop the personalities and backstories of the various {{sidekick}}s.)
* ChekhovsLecture (More like Chekhov's mantra: one of the monks in Candlekeep will say "The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his wake he shall spawn a series of mortal prodigy. Chaos shall be sawn in their passage." This shows up in the title movie of ''Throne of Bhaal''.)
* ChickMagnet (The protagonist, if male, and human, half-elf, or elf. Female PC's aren't so lucky, being more JerkAss magnets.)
* CityOfAdventure ([[strike:Baldur's Gate, Athkatla, Saradush]] Every city you visit.)
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}} (Minsc relies very heavily on Boo, his "Miniature Giant Space Hamster", for advice. The hamster's advice, as related to the PC by Minsc, actually works at least once. Of course, using his insanity to get committed to an asylum is handy too.)
** It's worth pointing out that Giant Space Hamsters do actually exist in the game's cosmology. ''{{Spelljammer}}'' is part of the same [[TheMultiverse multiverse]] as ''Baldur's Gate'' and contains such hamsters, and shrinking spells ''do'' exist. In fact, Miniature Giant Space Hamsters are a genuinely known to exist variant (one of dozens) of your basic Giant Space Hamster. Of course there's no way to ''tell'' the difference between a Miniature Giant Space Hamster and a plain old hamster.
** It's also worth noting that using Minsc to get into the asylum shows that Minsc is {{GenreSavvy}}...or {{WrongGenreSavvy}}, as the case might be.
** Hard as it is to believe, Minsc isn't even a clear-cut choice for "most insane potential party member" - Tiax, Xzar, and Edwin all give him a run for his money.
* ClownCarGrave (Due to game mechanics, zombies, mummies, and others can endlessly spawn at times. Of course, sometimes it actually makes sense--a city old enough to have catacombs might well build a graveyard ''over the old graveyard''.)
* CompleteMonster (Neb, the child killer, who even sends the ghosts of his victims to attack you while he tries to run away.)
** Given all the things you learn Irenicus to have done by the end of the second game, he also qualifies.
* ConvectionSchmonvection (The Temple Ruins dungeon in ''Baldur's Gate II'' features pits of red-hot magma. Characters can walk within six inches of them without being affected; they'll only take damage if they actually step on the lava.)
* CoolOldGuy (Keldorn, sorta)
* CorruptCorporateExecutive (Sarevok is a pseudo-medieval version in the first game.)
** As well as Reiltar/Rieltar Anchev and the other Iron Throne bosses.
* CrazyAwesome (Minsc, all the way!)
* CuteBruiser (Mazzy)
* CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon (Just see the quote at the top of the page.)
* DangerouslyGenreSavvy (Irenicus. "No, you'll warrant no villain's exposition from me.")
* DeadManWriting (Gorion writes such a letter.)
* DeadpanSnarker (Most evil party members; the protagonist can be pretty sarcastic in the first game as well. Jaheira also.)
* DefrostingIceQueen (Viconia and Jaheira both display a bit of this in their romance subplots.)
* DemonicSpider (Beholders and Mind Flayers)
* DemotedToExtra (Happens to a number of playable characters from ''Baldur's Gate'' who don't have [[DroppedABridgeOnHim bridges dropped on them]] between games.)
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu (The BonusBoss battle against [[spoiler: Demogorgon]], the D&D multiverse's most powerful Demon Lord in a straight fight. [[spoiler: Amellissan]] also counts, seeing as how she was almost 99.99% the Goddess of Murder by the time you fought her.
** Considering [[spoiler:that the remaining .01% of Murder God is the ''{{Player Character}}'']], any 'normal' monster that manages to kill ''you'' might also qualify.
** To be fair, punching out Cthulhu is not all that uncommon in the setting. ForgottenRealms deities are not invulnerable or immortal, and in fact there's a fair amount of turnover in the pantheon.
* DoesNotLikeMen (Shar-Teel. [[spoiler:Given the nature of her father, it's not a big surprise.]])
* DoomMagnet (The protagonist, and it's a major and recurring plot point. Xan seems to think everyone and everything is a DoomMagnet.)
* DracoInLeatherPants (Edwin is the poster child for this in the modding community.)
* TheDragon (Bodhi for Irenicus in ''Shadows of Amn''. Draconis for Abazigal in ''Throne of Bhaal''. Unmodded, Draconis can often be ''more difficult'' than Abazigal.)
* DroppedABridgeOnHim (Several party members from the first game turn up dead in rather anti-climactic fashion. Inverted when, due to the open nature of the games, several characters who ''should'' (If you got them killed) be dead after the first game can still show up for a cameo in the second. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when the PC can actually ask them 'Didn't you die?' This is in fact perfectly reasonable in a D&D world.)
* EasterEgg (more than a few)
* TheEeyore (Xan)
* EmptyRoomPsych (Averted)
* EnemyChatter (Several scripted encounters which may or may not end in a fight.)
* EnsembleDarkhorse (Among the most popular characters from ''Baldur's Gate'' with fans were Minsc, Imoen, Viconia, and Edwin. Bioware responded by including them as playable characters in the sequel, and gave them greater characterization and larger roles in the plot.)
* EvilIsPetty (Ye gods, has this series got a lot of this.)
* EvilPaysBetter (Not by a long shot. Good characters get more XP, more rare artifacts, lower shop prices, no bounty hunter chases, and a larger selection of party members. About the only advantage evil gets is that the evil NPCs you can add to your party are better specialists--Korgan (later [[spoiler:Sarevok]] is the best fighter), Viconia is the best cleric, and Edwin is the best mage.)
** Even that's a mixed bag, however, as unlike, say, Minsc, Anomen, and Nalia, all three are one trick ponies.
* EvilSorcerer (Jon Irenicus)
* EvilSoundsDeep (Played straight with Sarevok, who was voiced by deep-voiced villain specialist KevinMichaelRichardson. Averted with Irenicus, who speaks in a normal register, as well as major female villains Bodhi and [[spoiler:Amelissan]].)
* EvilWeapon (You can acquire several weapons that are described this way, though none actually has any influence on the user's actions.)
* ExpansionPack (Along with the two official packs, this series has a large community of amateur modders.)
* EyeScream (The Cult of the Unseeing Eye, membership in which requires ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.)
* FantasticRacism (Having the dark elf Viconia on your team will lower your reputation. Keldorn, who's usually quite fair and level-headed, hates her just because of her race, and will eventually try to kill her if they both remain in the team for too long.)
* FateWorseThanDeath (Happens to lots of characters, major and minor)
* FeedMe (Those {{Big Bad}}s loves their scenery-chewing evil speeches, indeed they do.)
* FemmeFatale (Safana. Viconia also has her moments, though she receives far deeper characterization in general.)
* FetchQuest (most of them optional, thankfully)
* FinalBossPreview
* FishPeople (The party can become quite well acquainted with them in the second game.)
* FiveManBand (It's not immediately obvious, but the people with whom you end up escaping from Irenicus' dungeon count. Your player character is TheHero, Jaheira TheLancer, Minsc is TheBigGuy, Yoshimo TheSmartGuy, Imoen is TheChick, and don't forget Boo as the TeamPet.)
* ForGreatJustice (The primary motivation of Minsc, Keldorn, and a number of other characters.)
* ForTheEvulz (Irenicus is motivated by [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]] and a desire for {{revenge}}. His sister Bodhi, on the other hand, just revels in killing people and destroying things. He {{lampshade}}s her psychological simplicity at one point by describing her hunger for blood as having overwhelmed even her desire for revenge.)
* FridgeLogic (Several instances, mostly as a result of awkward [[RetCon RetCons]] between games.)
** If Sarevok and [[spoiler: the PC]] can't be resurrected because Bhaalspawn cease to exist when they're killed, how come [[spoiler: Imoen]] has no such problem?
** How did Quayle find time to run a circus and be a foster father to Aerie between adventuring near Baldur's Gate in the first game and showing up in the second?
* GadgeteerGenius (Jan Jansen. Sadly, his genius is almost entirely [[InformedAbility off-screen]] and aside from providing him with some interesting starting equipment, doesn't benefit the player at all.)
* GameBreaker (Quite a few, if you know what you're doing)
* GameMod (Many, many mods, ranging from adding characters with banters to whole quests to making certain bosses harder and smarter. A notable one is the Ascension mod, which adds ''many'' things to Throne of Bhaal.)
* GameplayAndStorySegregation (Imoen always manages to get herself arrested by casting spells illegally upon exiting Irenicus' dungeon, even if she's got none left memorized when you escape. Similarly [[spoiler: Yoshimo]] can't be resurrected despite the fact that in D&D it is possible to bring a dead character back from almost ANYTHING, up to and including the total destruction of their physical body.)
* GenderBender (Anybody - there's a certain enchanted girdle to be found in the game - but Edwin in particular, as he actually has a subplot that uses a method unique to his story.)
* GeniusBruiser (Sarevok. He's a seven foot tall [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Deathbringer]] with a {{BFS}} who nearly [[ChessMaster pulls]] [[ManipulativeBastard off]] a dastardly XanatosGambit as the BigBad of the first game. When he finally joins your party in ''Throne of Bhaal'', you discover that he has an Intelligence score of 17 - genius level in 2nd edition D&D - and a Strength score of 18/00 - as strong as a typical ogre, and as physically powerful as a human can be without supernatural enhancement of some kind.)
* GenkiGirl (Imoen, Alora)
* GenreSavvy (Cyric, the God of Madness, bizarrely enough. He has a private chat with the main character in a relatively human form for an avatar. In a ButThouMust moment, you call him out on this, where he responds with something along the lines of "what, I ''have'' to have some grisly form like the Slayer (Bhaal's avatar [[spoiler: which the protagonist can turn into]]), some booming voice from the clouds or a puff of smoke?")
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere (The BonusBoss battle against the Enclave of the Twisted Rune, which was part of a subquest that was only partially implemented in the game's initial release, leaving players wondering what a group of ultra-powerful [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] was doing hanging out in the basement of a shipping warehouse in the Bridge District. Fan-made mods filled in the blanks, making this battle a bit less of a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.)
* GiveMeYourInventoryItem (Branwen in ''Baldur's Gate'')
* GladiatorRevolt
* GlassCannon (The "Kensai" fighter kit. Also, Haer'Dalis.)
* GoddamnedBats (Bow-toting Bandits in the first game if you embark on that quest early enough. Vampires in the second one. We ''hates'' the level drainers, yes we does.)
* GoMadFromTheRevelation (What put a few of the inmates in Spellhold. [[spoiler:Imoen]] flirts with it as well.)
* GoodBadBug (The 'talk-fight' bug. Keep trying to initiate dialogue with a non-hostile character without ever actually talking to them and they won't go hostile... Even as the remaining five members of the party are tearing them a new one. Only works on some very specific characters, however.)
** This bug can also be used on certain quest characters, allowing for multiple quest reward returns (mainly EXP).
** Another bug can have you have an absurd amount of gems. You can use this bug to sell the gems as early as Chapter 2, making you filthy rich.
* GondorCallsForAid (Attacking Bodhi's guild in ''Baldur's Gate II''.)
* GrandFinale (Throne of Bhaal)
* GridInventory (Inverted; the sizes of the objects do not matter, but their weights do.)
* GuideDangIt (If you want to achieve OneHundredPercentCompletion, you'd better believe it. Entire areas of the game world can be LostForever if you don't go about things the right way.)
* HandInTheHole
* HandsomeLech (Coran. It gets him in trouble eventually.)
* HannibalLecture (You get LOTS of these. Mostly from your EnemyWithin.)
* HeelFaceTurn ([[spoiler:Sarevok]] in ''Throne Of Bhaal'' and potentially [[spoiler: Viconia if she's the main character's love interest.]])
* HelloInsertNameHere
* HeroicSociopath (Korgan)
* HiddenElfVillage (Suldanesselar, which is an entire [[HiddenElfVillage Hidden Elf Capital City]].)
* HitchhikerHeroes (Several potential party members are met this way, particularly in the first game.)
* {{Hobbits}} (As with all D&D based role-playing games. Montaron and Mazzy manage to subvert the typical stereotype of a race of cheery, mischievous, good-hearted burglars by being a grumpy, thuggish PsychoForHire and an honorable, butt-kicking [[LadyOfWar female knight]] respectively.)
* HoYay (A clear subtext in the relationship of Xzar and Montaron, despite the fact that they claim to despise each other.)
* HPToOne (The 'Harm' spell, which enemies rarely use but which can be extremely powerful when employed by a CombatMedic in the party.)
* IBrokeANail (Spoiled RichBitch Skie finds the life of an adventurer less fun than she'd imagined it would be if you "rescue" her from her existence as a nobleman's daughter in ''Baldur's Gate''. She even has this as one of her lines.)
* ICanRuleAlone ([[spoiler:Amelissan]])
* IHaveAFamily
* IHaveYourWife ([[spoiler:Bodhi]] pulls this by [[spoiler:abducting your lover and turning him/her into a vampire]] when [[spoiler:you enter the graveyard district to assault her guild]] in ''Baldur's Gate II''.)
* ImAHumanitarian: ([[spoiler: Yaga-Shura]] in ''Throne of Bhaal'')
* ImprobablePowerDiscrepancy (The Amnish guards in ''Baldur's Gate 2'' are incredibly more powerful than the Baldur's Gate guards in ''Baldur's Gate'', so much so that if the power discrepancy were "real" instead of merely game mechanics (to compensate for higher-level player characters), the Amnish could simply march their supermen up to Baldur's Gate and conquer the country within days. And then there's the Tethyrian and Calishite legions and mercenaries in ''Throne of Bhaal'', whose ''rank-and-file footmen'' carry +3 magical weapons.)
* InfinityPlusOneSword (Carsomyr, to the point where, when wielded by the already magic-resistant Inquisitor subclass, it's almost a GameBreaker. Unlike most such weapons, it doesn't require a lengthy sidequest and can be obtained fairly early in the game, though not without defeating a powerful BonusBoss. Crom Faeyr is an [[InfinityPlusOneSword InfinityPlusOneWarhammer]], and unlike Carsomyr is suitably difficult to acquire. In ''Throne of Bhaal'' almost every weapon class gets its own InfinityPlusOne variant.)
* InsufferableGenius (Quayle in ''Baldur's Gate'' (though [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap not in the sequel]]); Nalia in ''Throne of Bhaal''.)
* InsurmountableWaistHighFence (A few instances, though usually not literal fences)
* InTheBlood (Played with at length (it's one of the major themes of the series), but ultimately subverted. Evil Bhaalspawn are happy to believe it about themselves, but as [[spoiler:Imoen]] and [[spoiler:potentially, the protagonist]] prove, in this universe people ultimately choose their own moral nature. [[spoiler:Sarevok]] is an even stronger subversion - at first he himself believes it, but his backstory and potential later HeelFaceTurn prove him wrong; if he and [[spoiler:the PC]] are at different ends of the ethical spectrum, it's not because of their shared parentage, but because of [[FreudianExcuse different experiences growing up]].)
* ItemCrafting
* ItWasHisSled [[spoiler: The {{Player Character}} is a child of Bhaal. The series is even informally referred to by many, including some of its creators, as "The Bhaalspawn Saga", for crying out loud.]]
* IWantToBeARealMan (Anomen)
* {{Jerkass}} (Anomen, and many evil party members.)
** Anomen's arguably more a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, particularly if he [[spoiler: completes his Knighthood Quest]].
** There's also the {{Player Character}} if you play evil. In fact, most non-evil characters ''will'' leave you if you become too much of a jerk... At least in ways the KarmaMeter can detect.
* JokeCharacter (A few borderline examples, particularly in the first game. Tiax and Quayle in particular are severely underpowered and seem to be around primarily for comic relief.)
* JokeItem (Several. Some, such as the Golden Pantaloons, turn out to be [[EasterEgg much]] [[OldSaveBonus more]] if you hold on to them long enough.)
* JustAStupidAccent (Major characters in these games come from all over the Forgotten Realms and are of different races. All speak grammatically perfect English, but to give them each their own personal flair they do so with a wide variety of accents. There are [[FakeBrit Fake Brits]], {{Lzherusskie}}s, [[ViolentGlaswegian Violent Glaswegians]], [[FakeAmerican Fake Americans]], and others. It keeps things entertaining, but definitely contributes to the games' [[LargeHam distinctive]] [[HamToHamCombat flavor]] of [[WorldOfHam ham]].)
* KarmaHoudini (The player runs across a few wrongdoers who may or may not escape justice, depending on his or her actions.)
** In order to have Anomen pass his Knighthood test if you're romancing him, you have to convince him that [[spoiler:he should let his sister's death go unavenged even though that means letting the killer get away with it]]. SoYeah...
* KarmaMeter (The reputation level. Unfortunately, you receive a significant bonus for a high reputation and serious penalties for a very low one, so it ends up being in the best interests of even the most psychotically evil of player characters to end up being a VillainWithGoodPublicity.)
* KleptomaniacHero (Although unlike in most RPGs, there ARE consequences if you're seen rifling through somebody's underwear drawer.)
* KnightInShiningArmor (Mazzy Fentan. The more literal example, Keldorn, is borderline, as his armor's got a bit of [[KnightInSourArmor sour]] to go with the shine.)
* KnightTemplar (Lord Galvarey in the second game)
* LadyOfWar (Jaheira. Mazzy also arguably qualifies.)
* {{Large Ham}} (Minsc, and probably also [[strike: Korgan]] ''almost everyone else''.)
--> '''Minsc:''' ''Make way, villainy! '''HERO''' coming through!''
* LawfulStupidChaoticStupid (Anomen and Keldorn in Baldur's Gate 2. Anomen plays the trope straight, being ''so'' smug and inflexible that his knightly status is at risk. In contrast, Keldorn subverts the trope awesomely, managing to be righteous in almost every sense of the word. But even he has his flaws; just ask Viconia.)
* LeastCommonSkinTone (Averted. There are lots of non-white humans in addition to all the dwarves, elves, and gnomes.)
* LeisureSuitLarry (Salvanas the elf)
* LeeroyJenkins (Minsc. See the page quote, or his battle cry "Minsc shall inspire you by CHARGING BLINDLY ON!". Luckily with few exceptions (see "Berserk Button" above) he generally follows any orders the player gives him.)
* LevelGrinding (Delightfully averted. Characters do gain experience points and level up (it's an RPG, after all), but this is largely a result of completing quests and/or defeating significant enemies, not spending hours upon hours beating up randomly spawning [[TheGoomba Goombas]] and {{Mook}}s.)
* LikeBrotherAndSister (The main character (if male) and Imoen.) It's revealed[[spoiler:They are actually half-siblings]]
* LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards (And how. At the beginning of the first game, it's ''much'' easier to survive if your main character is a warrior of some sort. Melee class characters are still quite effective in ''Baldur's Gate II'' and ''Throne of Bhaal'', but by the end of the latter in particular magic-oriented characters can acquire truly godlike offensive abilities.)
* LiteralGenie (in Baldur's Gate 2; ''Limited Wish'' spell, and indeed the ''Wish'' spell)
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters (... and plenty of them can join your party. Each one has a different, interesting personality - the number of possible banters which can take place between your various buddies in Baldur's Gate 2 is astounding)
* LordBritishPostulate
* LostForever (The heads of the Flail of Ages from BG2 could be fairly easily missed, and some of the romance plots could also be lost pretty easily.)
** The same goes for every unique item in every other area which you can't reenter past a certain point, as well as some other items. This is especially annoying in case of the pieces of certain artifacts. Didn't pay quite full attention in the very first dungeon, and missed a specific jewel? No Equalizer for you. Missed an item in a hidden area in the spellhold dungeon? Forget about ever completing the Gesen Bow. Made the mistake of actually giving a snobby artist the alloy he asked for, instead of taking it to the smith to upgrade that Mace of Disruption? You'll never get the upgrade. Avoiding all of these is well inside GuideDangIt territory.
* LovableTraitor (Saemon Havarian)
** YourMileageMayVary on that one. This troper for one finds him just about [[TheScrappy the most annoying character in the game]], and makes a point of re-loading the game if he's not able to [[spoiler: kill him before he teleports away during the Githyanki attack. Yes, you can do it, thought it creates a break from the pre-written storyline when the narrator then describes him "saving his own skin, as always".]]
** Arguably ([[spoiler:Yoshimo]]) might also fit into that trope.
* LoveRedeems (The player character can convince [[spoiler: Viconia to go from Neutral Evil to True Neutral if she's being romanced.]])
* LoveTriangle (If you've got a male PC of the right race and two or more of Aerie, Jaheira, and Viconia in the party. With all three, plus Haer'Dalis, it turns into a full-fledged LoveDodecahedron.)
* LukeIAmYourFather
* MadOracle ([[spoiler:Gromnir]] in ''Throne of Bhaal''. If only you were [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption given the opportunity]] to listen to him...)
* MalevolentArchitecture
* ManipulativeBastard (oh so many)
* MarathonBoss ([[spoiler:Amelissan]] in ''Throne of Bhaal'')
* MarriedToTheJob (Keldorn, as the subplot involving his family reveals. It's also part of Cernd's backstory.)
* MemeticMutation (Go for the eyes, Boo!")
* MilesGloriosus (Semi-subverted with Anomen Delryn--he's really quite capable in a fight--he just brags that he's even better than he is.)
* TheMole ([[spoiler:Yoshimo]] in ''Baldur's Gate II'')
* MostAnnoyingSound ("You must gather your party before venturing forth. You must gather your party before venturing forth. You must...")
* MostGamersAreMale (This series largely avoids outright [[FanService Fan Service]], for example depicting female characters wearing armor that appears to have been designed with protective ability rather than [[BreastPlate sex appeal]] as the primary consideration, and including plenty of female sidekicks who aren't particularly attractive or romantically interested in the hero. Nevertheless, the fact that there were three potential romances included for male PC's in ''Shadows of Amn'' and only one for female PC's (and that with a partner who many players found [[TheScrappy less than endearing]]) indicates that the developers felt they knew which gender their players were more likely to be.)
** The series actually does have a relatively large female fanbase, and several independently created mods have expanded the romance subplot options for female characters.
* MuggingTheMonster (Random bandits will gleefully attack you in the wilderness or sometimes even in the middle of a city. At the beginning of the first game, when you're a staff-wielding weakling in leather, this is understandable. By the second game, when you're carrying a sword that glows like the sun, wearing the skin of a dragon that you killed yourself, and are surrounded by five other, similarly outfitted people...)
* MultipleEndings
* TheMunchausen (Jan Jansen)
* MurderTheHypotenuse (Haer'Dalis will do try and do this to ''you'' if you romance Aerie with him in your party and your relationship with Aerie isn't yet solid when you get him. If you have solidified your romance with Aerie, he [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy gracefully backs down]].)
* MysteriousParent
* {{Nakama}} (canonically, the PC, Minsc, Jaheira, and Imoen)
* {{The Napoleon}} (played straight with Korgan, subverted with Mazzy.)
* {{Necromantic}} (Bassilus)
* {{Never Got To Say Goodbye}} (the protagonist)
* NewAgeRetroHippie (Cernd's as close as a Dungeons and Dragons character can get, with his tree hugging, far out elocution, and loose attitude toward family values.)
* NiceJobBreakingItHero ([[spoiler: Kangaxx]] congratulates you for yours after you release him. There's also the BonusBoss battle against [[spoiler:Demogorgon]], in which defeating him results in sending him back to his home plane of existence rather than re-sealing him in his prison. Whoops.)
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot (Definitely possible with some of the more {{Munchkin}}esque character builds, such as a samurai archmage [[DualWielding Dual Wielding]] war hammers and katanas, and a night-stalking, back-stabbing nature-controlling warrior-priest. The developers felt some of these possibilities were so implausible that they were {{Nerf}}ed or removed outright in the ExpansionPack.)
* NowWhereWasIGoingAgain (check your journal and find out, duh)
* ObfuscatingStupidity (Jan comes across most of the time as a turnip-obsessed, [[ChaoticStupid Chaotic Stupid]] {{Cloudcuckoolander}} with a penchant for telling meandering, pointless stories, but if the player undertakes the sidequest to save his former lover, he's revealed to be quite lucid and clever.)
** The player character can also engage in this behavior at times.
* TheObiWan (Gorion)
* OldSaveBonus (A ''Tales of the Sword Coast'' player can import a higher-level hero than normal into ''Baldur's Gate II''. Also, pantaloons.)
* OmnicidalManiac (Kangaxx)
* OptionalPartyMember (All of them, with the exception of the main character. It's possible to play the game with a player-created party, or even solo with the right character build, though you miss out on many of the best {{Sidequest}}s if you do.)
* OurVampiresAreDifferent (As in, ''really'' bloodthirsty, without a bit of [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampires fondness for the living]] or [[EvilIsSexy brooding sex appeal]] about them.)
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent (You can recruit one into the party, and he's not AlwaysChaoticEvil, nor do his transformations depend on the cycle of the moon or drive him to kill mindlessly.)
* OverlyLongGag: "Are you gonna throw rocks at me?" "What about now?" "What about now?" "What about now?" Repeat about 20 times. Appropriately enough, the person saying this is named Noober....
** Slightly shorter example with Neeber in the sequel.
* PausableRealtime (probably the TropeCodifier for many games)
* PerkyGoth (Haer'Dalis is a doomguard -- basically a NietzscheWannabe who is ''happy'' about knowing that the universe is pointless and everything will inevitably rot and die.)
* PintsizedPowerhouse (Mazzy)
* {{Pirate}}s (They've even got their own island.)
* PixelHunt (Baldur's Gate I plays this straight: some of the best equipment or a ton of money could be had early on if you knew what pixel to click on. Totally averted in Baldur's Gate II: tap the "tab" key, and every item and hiding place on the screen will be highlighted. Then came the mod that allowed the first game to use the second game's engine...)
* PlayerPunch (In ''Baldur's Gate II'', Irenicus lands a barrage of [[PlayerPunch Player Punches]] before you even escape the first dungeon - [[spoiler: torturing both the PC and Imoen, killing former playable characters Khalid and Dynaheir off-screen, and abducting Imoen when you escape.]] Several more follow at intervals throughout the game, from both Irenicus himself and his [[TheDragon lieutenant]] Bodhi. By the time the player finally has an opportunity to kill them, it's very satisfying to do so.)
* PlotlineDeath (Gorion in ''Baldur's Gate'', [[spoiler:Yoshimo]] in ''Baldur's Gate II'')
* PreAssKickingOneLiner (loads of them)
* PsychoForHire (quite a few [[PunchClockVillain punch clock villains]], as well as recruitable allies Korgan and Montaron)
* PurelyAestheticGender (save for the romances, dialogue and certain people hitting on you harmlessly)
* RandomEncounters (Played straight in terms of game mechanics, but pleasantly subverted in terms of enjoyability factor. Some random encounters provide you with very respectable quantities of gold and valuable VendorTrash, and others occur randomly but tie directly into plotline events or subquests and as such aren't pointless.)
* RantInducingSlight (see quote on top of the page)
* RebelliousPrincess (Nalia. Nobility instead of royalty, but the principle is the same.)
** In the first game, Skie has a similar background to Nalia, though she's rebelling to be with [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys bad boy]] Eldoth rather than to [[WeHelpTheHelpless help the needy]].
* RelationshipValues (the romances in ''Baldur's Gate II'')
* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap (Some people view one of the resolutions of Anomen's quest as doing this for him. Most feel Aerie is rescued when ''Throne of Bhaal'' rolls around.)
** Many players also found Quayle much less irritating in his second go-round (as Aerie's foster father) than he was in his first (as a playable character).
* RetCon (Quite a few, mostly between the first game and ''Shadows of Amn''. Some of them worked [[FridgeBrilliance better]] than [[FridgeLogic others]].)
* RetiredBadass (Gorion, [[InformedAbility allegedly]]. Also, you'll find that Ribald isn't lying about being one if he catches you stealing at the Adventure Mart.)
* TheReveal (several)
* ReviveKillsZombie ([[spoiler:The Empathic Manifestation in the temple of Amaunator. As an embodiment of pure hatred, it can only be killed by showing it love - i.e., healing it.]])
* RoadCone (Done to a depressing extreme in the sequel. The game dialogue and set-up tells you exactly who you travelled with - Khalid, Jaheira, Minsc, Dynaheir and Imoen - and tells you exactly how you behaved - heroically. Needless to say, rationalizing what you are shown and told in the intro level was very difficult if you were playing a Chaotic Evil Priest of Talos. Unless, of course, you're DangerouslyGenreSavvy, and your character wants to be a VillainWithGoodPublicity.)
* RodentsOfUnusualSize (Miniature Giant Space Hamster, anyone?)
* RomancingTheWidow (The essence of [[spoiler: Jaheira]]'s romance subplot. If you pursue the relationship, [[spoiler: Khalid]] will show up in dreams and fantasy sequences to torment her about it.)
* ScaryBlackMan (Sarevok, though his race isn't made clear until ''Throne Of Bhaal'' gives him a badass new portrait)
**ButNotTooBlack
* TheScrappy ([[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Anomen]] and [[{{Wangst}} Aerie]] are two very "popular" candidates for this position, but most of the characters will have at least a few people who hate their guts. It all comes down to individual preference.)
* SdrawkcabName (Koveras? Never heard of him.)
** You also encounter Nanoc the Barbarian in ''Throne of Bhaal''.
* SealedEvilInACan (Kangaxx)
* SelectiveCondemnation (Even if you play these games in the most pacifistic manner possible, you will still end up killing, at minimum, hundreds of people. Despite that, you only succumb to TheDarkSide if you behave evilly towards a few, arbitrarily important characters.)
* SerialKiller (Rejiek Hidesman, complete with CreepyBasement)
** Also Neb the child-killing dwarf.
* SheatheYourSword (Needed in order to defeat [[spoiler:The Beast under Athkathla ]])
* {{Sidekick}}s (lots to choose from, most of them very memorable)
* {{Sidequest}}s (you can spend more time on these than the actual plot, easily)
* ShapeshiftingSquick (The sheer range of creatures which show up claiming to be Bhaalspawn in [''Throne of Bhaal''] is... is... well, it [[FridgeLogic raises some interesting questions]] about what the God of murder was ''doing'' while "walking the earth". Everything from humans to dragons to ''werechinchillas''.)
** Considering that he foresaw his death while walking the earth and decided the best thing to do is sire as many kids as possible, to use their essence as a springboard back to life, it makes perfect sense.
*** ''Werechinchillas'', dude. It makes sense--the Chinchilla has some very strong points. The one near Yaga-Shura's Base may not have a particularly powerful offense, but it has a positively insane movement speed and is also (almost?) impossible to kill--but "perfect" sense is giving Bhaal too much credit.
* ShoutOut (lots, to "Cyrano de Bergerac", "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", and "The Blair Witch Project", among others)
* SlapOnTheWristNuke (There are spells which do things like crash a comet into the battlefield and blast everything in sight with flaming dragon breath, damaging enemies heavily but not so much as flattening a blade of grass otherwise.)
* SmugSnake (Edwin)
** Nalia's fiance Isaea Roenall is an even clearer example.
* SomebodyElsesProblem (Christ almighty the civilians of this world are lazy gits.)
* TheSoulless ([[spoiler: Irenicus and Bodhi, and later the PlayerCharacter and Imoen.]])
* SpoonyBard (Player-created bards can actually be quite powerful, if built correctly. Many players find the recruitable NPC bards, on the other hand, somewhat lacking - Garrick from ''Baldur's Gate'' in particular might be the spooniest bard since the [[FinalFantasyIV original himself]]. Several "kits" available to the player character in the second game gave up useful abilities in exchange for fairly useless ones, and thus qualify as Spoony Bard classes.)
* SquishyWizard (Edwin. He's got the lowest HP of any character, and unlike other magic-users (Aerie, Imoen, Nalia, etc.) he doesn't have a high DEX or the ability to equip a shield to make up for it.)
* SssssnakeTalk (assorted demons and reptilian monsters)
* StaffChick (Aerie and Jaheira)
** Moreso Aerie. In addition to [[DeadpanSnarker not being nice enough in terms of personality]], Jaheira is equally proficient with spears and scimitars and generally racks up [[LadyOfWar too high a kill count]] to qualify.
* StopPokingMe
* StupidGood (Ellesime, for [[spoiler:letting a mass-murdering megalomaniac free without stripping him of his powers, so that he might "learn from his mistakes".]] Also, Aerie, in her backstory.)
* SuperpoweredEvilSide (The "Slayer" form. Although it's a little lacking on the 'superpowered' thing, especially if you're not a melee class.)
* TheSwordThatSpeaks (Lilarcor)
* TakeYourTime
* [[TalkingIsAFreeAction Talking About Important Plot Points Is A Free Action ]] (Sometimes TimeStandsStill when dialogues happen. Sometimes it doesn't)
* TearJerker (The fates of [[spoiler: Khalid, Yoshimo and Dynaheir. And Viconia, if the player is involved with her and chooses the "happy" ending.]])
* ThatOneBoss (Kangaxx, if you don't have weapons that can hit him/the ability to immunize yourself against his Imprisonment spell)
* ThatOneLevel (Most players who've played the second game through more than once feel this way about Irenicus' dungeon)
** To the degree that a mod was created purely to let people skip it.
* ThereCanBeOnlyOne (Sarevok's plan, and, essentially, the climactic scene of ''Throne of Bhaal'')
* TheThreeFacesOfEve
* ThisIsSparta
--> '''Minsc''': "Evil, meet my sword! Sword! MEET! EVIL!!"
* ThoseTwoBadGuys (Xzar and Montaron)
* TimeKeepsOnSlipping (not that it matters much)
* TimeStandsStill (the 'Time Stop' spell)
* TomeOfEldritchLore (This is what Edwin ''thinks'' the Nether Scrolls are. Much to his chagrin, [[GenderBender he's]] [[GagBoobs wrong]].)
* TookALevelInBadass (several characters throughout the series)
* TragicMonster ([[spoiler:Your love interest, if you have one, will be turned into a vampire by Bodhi]]. Fortunately [[IGotBetter they get better]].)
* {{Tsundere}} (Viconia. In the words of the player character: "I am sick of you running hot and cold all the time, Viconia. Just leave me alone and I'll be happy!")
* UselessUsefulSpell (A good chunk of those kill-everything-instantly spells at higher levels usually aren't going to kill much of anything worth wasting the spell slot for by the time you get them.)
** Thrown into the right combination, even the relatively weak instant death spells can be useful. Doom + Greater Malison + Chromatic Orb = dead dragon.
* VendorTrash (TONS of it)
* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon
* VillainWithGoodPublicity (Sarevok and his minions in ''Baldur's Gate''.)
* TheWarSequence
* WhatTheHellHero (Good or Neutral-aligned party members will call you out on it if you do something truly dastardly, and eventually leave the party if you become too evil.)
* WhyDontYaJustShootHim (Inverted in the second game -- [[spoiler:when Irenicus captures you in Spellhold, he wants the party disposed of instantly, but [[TheDragon Bodhi]] overrules him (without his knowledge and consent) and tries to have you executed in a way that will amuse her. Needless to say, it backfires and Irenicus is none too pleased.]])
* WideEyedIdealist (Aerie and Nalia in ''Baldur's Gate II'')
* WithFriendsLikeThese (Xzar and Montaron--to you and each other)
* TheWoobie (Aerie is an attempt at this; most of the fanbase would argue it's a failed one.)
* WorldOfHam (Minsc and Korgan mentioned earlier are just the very tip of the iceberg.)
* XanatosGambit (The [[BigBad Big Bads]] of this series all try to pull off at least one apiece. Occasionally the PC can execute a mini-XanatosGambit of their own.)
* YouCantGoHomeAgain (Candlekeep)
* YouRemindMeOfX ('''Sarevok:''' You remind me of myself...before I was slaughtered and cast into the Abyss.)
----

The ''BaldursGate'' novels include the following trope examples:

* AdaptationDecay
* CassandraTruth (Xzar tells the others AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame pretty much at the start. No-one believes him because he's insane. Of course, he also doesn't care, because he's insane.)
* CharacterDerailment (To the point where you wonder if the author of these novels has ever been in the same ''room'' as a copy of the game, much less played it.)
** One potential example would be making the [[LargeHam Biggest Ham Of Them All]] turn into a ''dishwasher''.
** Looking at the author's writing as a whole, he probably did look at the originals. He has simply failed in just about everything he tried in his writing (there are other examples mentioned below), including adapting the characters.
* DesignatedHero (Abdel, the 'hero' (and I use the term loosely) of the novels, is not exactly a shining beacon of goodness. More specifically, he murders at least one person I can think of for no reason, steals another man's wife and then cheats on her with a vampire, and completely and utterly fails to actually save or help ''anyone'', largely due to his own stupidity and lack of self-control. ...Actually, since the game allows you to create and play as a bastard of this magnitude, this is probably the closest the novelization ever got to being like the game. Or should I say 'the closest it ''would'' have gotten'?)
** Said character has a save file with a similar character included in ''Tales of the Sword Coast'': While supposedly neutral good, he has a party of entirely evil characters.
* DieForOurShip (Khalid. The hero first almost stabs him to death accidentally (Put that thing away before you put someone's eye out!), but the author chickens out from making it his fault, so he has Khalid infected with TheVirus so he has to be put down. And, of course, he's made a complete and pointless jerk while he's alive.)
* DisContinuity (What many fans consider the novels to be.)
* EverybodysDeadDave (No one except for Gorion's ward makes it to the end of the trilogy alive.)
** Causing readers to wail, "No! Why did he not die?!"
* FanNickname ("Abduh", for the protagonist Abdel Adrian. Emphasis on the "duh".)
* FauxActionGirl (Jaheira. A particularly egregious case in that she doesn't even ''try'' to fight anyone almost ever.)
* {{Gorn}}
* InformedAbility (Jaheira is a tough warrior. And a druid. And Abdel Adrian is ''smart''. *snrk*)
* InternetBackdraft (Try to defend, or in some case even mention, these novels on an Infinity Engine fansite and see how far that gets you. This can reach levels of TheScottishTrope for some of the most reactive communities.)
* JerkSue (Guess.)
* {{Narm}}
-->"Abdel became a paralyzed mass of white hot indignation, and he screamed loud enough to scare birds from trees miles away. A child in Candlekeep began to cry, and his parents didn't know why. A whale swimming past the rocky edges of the Sword Coast took note of the sound and formed a rumbling that gave the Sahuagin communities pause. A god, then another glanced down, but it was by sheer force of will Abdel made himself stand."
* {{Novelization}} ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Well, obviously]])
* SoBadItsHorrible - The novelization
* SuddenlySexuality - It turns out Imoen is actually into chicks...at least in the [[AdaptationDecay novelizations]]. In the games, it's never really brought up one way or the other (unless you count some of the fan-mods)
----
<<|WesternRPG|>>
<<|TropeOverdosed|>>