History VideoGame / BaldursGateDarkAlliance

* ItsPersonal: Later in the sequel your character can go on an optional quest that is unique to them. At the end of the quest they fight a boss which is almost always this trope, as they are a boss from the character's past or someone who has a great meaning to them, the process of fighting them enables vengeance for a great wrong, or the quest allows them to fulfill a personal oath (such as Borador repaying his clan's debt). [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Except for Dorn]], who has to slay a Green Dragon for a druid priestess and has nothing personal against the beast.

''Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance'' is the SpinOff of the popular ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' franchise. [[InNameOnly Besides the name]], the only main element it shares with the originals is the setting. Unlike its namesakes, which are classic computer [=RPGs=], ''Dark Alliance'' is an action adventure dungeon crawler game with a heavy focus on combat and co-op gameplay, drawing heavily from the style of the ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' games and can feasibly be credited with paving the way for such games as ''VideoGame/ChampionsOfNorrath'', ''VideoGame/XMenLegends'', ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' and many other console games of the sixth generation.

The first game, by Snowblind Studios, offers the player a choice of three characters:

Despite the genre shift, the game was well received and spawned a sequel by Creator/BlackIsleStudios with new characters. Said characters are:

* BonusBoss: In the sequel, at the end of each character's optional specific quest you fight a bonus boss, unique to that character.

* RecurringBossTemplate: In the first game you fight an ice dragon; in the sequel you fight [[BonusBoss a green dragon]], and later a red dragon. Each fight with a dragon tends to be quite similar.

* BladeOnAStick: Divided in Staves, Spears and Halbeards. They require the Long Weapon Focus feat to be used effectively and will knock back enemies. The former also deal blunt damage in combat.

''Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance'' is the SpinOff of the popular ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' franchise. [[InNameOnly Besides the name,]] the only main element it shares with the originals is the setting. Unlike its namesakes, which were classic computer [=RPGs=], ''Dark Alliance'' was an action adventure dungeon crawler game with a heavy focus on combat and co-op gameplay, drawing heavily from the style of the ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' games and can feasibly be credited with paving the way for such games as ''VideoGame/ChampionsOfNorrath'', ''VideoGame/XMenLegends'', ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' and many other console games of the sixth generation.

The player is offered the choice of three characters:

Despite the genre shift, the game was well received and spawned a sequel with new characters. Said characters are:

The first game is particulary noteworthy in its AllStarCast. Practically every speaking character is voiced by a very recognizable industry veteran. Just in the first five minutes after the titles, you have Creator/JenniferHale, Creator/TonyJay, with Creator/MichaelBell, Creator/CamClarke, Creator/GreyDeLisle and [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298750/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast MANY others joining later]]

* AnAxeToGrind: Kromlech's Axe, which you can obtain later in the sequel when you free them. Also the cleric of Tempus outside Dragonspear Castle.

* AscendedExtra: "Lady" Alyth Elendara, the owner of the Elfsong Tavern, was a minor NPC in the original ''VideoGame/BaldursGate''. She plays a substantially more prominent role in the first ''Dark Alliance'', and her tavern is the main hub for the first third of the game. Alyth, along with the unlockable playable character and ''Forgotten Realms'' staple Drizzt Do'Urden (who made cameo appearances in the first two main installments) are two of the only characters that appeared in the main series to be carried over to the ''Dark Alliance'' sub-series.

* AlwaysNight: Dragonspear Castle is AlwaysNight (and [[GrayRainOfDepression always raining]]), this is most easily seen in the ruined outer courtyard.

* AscendedExtra: "Lady" Alyth Elendara, the owner of the Elfsong Tavern, was a minor NPC in the original ''VideoGame/BaldursGate''. She plays a substantially more prominent role in the first ''Dark Alliance''. Alyth, along with the unlockable playable character and ''Forgotten Realms'' staple Drizzt Do'Urden (who made cameo appearances in the first two main installments) are two of the only characters that appeared in the main series to be carried over to the ''Dark Alliance'' sub-series.

* AscendedExtra: "Lady" Alyth Elendara, the owner of the Elfsong Tavern, was a minor NPC in the original ''VideoGame/BaldursGate''. She plays a substantially more prominent role in the first ''Dark Alliance''. Alyth, along with the unlockable playable character and ''Forgotten Realms'' staple Drizzt Do'Urden (who made cameos in the first two main games) are two of the only characters that appeared in the main series to be carried over to the ''Dark Alliance'' sub-series.

* InfinityMinusOneSword: Twofold in the second game: completing each sidequest for the characters will net them a unique but very powerful piece of equipment (amulets for Ysurana and Vhaidra, an axe for Borador, a scale mail for Dorn and a bastard sword for Allessia). Later, in Mordoc's keep, [[spoiler: depending on which hero you release first and with which character,]] you can get a powerful, enchanted version of a Shortbow, Staff or Great Axe).

* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Vhaidra in the sequel.

* TheBerserker: Kromlech and Dorn.

* BigFootSasquatchAndYeti: In the Elemental Plane of Water (which is basically a flooded ice cave).
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Argesh, the grotesque.... creation from Luvia Bloodmire and leader of the Hands of Glory.
* BladeOnAStick: Divided in Staves, Spears and Halbeards. They require the Long Weapon Focus feat to be used effectively and will knock back enemies.

* BodyOfBodies: Several of Luvia's pets are either this or FleshGolem.

* BoobyTrap: Many in the dungeons, including spikes, blades hidden in the walls and fireball throwers. Xantam's Guild is full of them, as is Lyran's Hold in the sequel.
* BossArenaIdiocy: Lyran chases you through his mansion until you find the room which contains his remains, which when destroyed will destroy him.

* VocalDissonance: In the Italian dub of the game, some voices sound very unfitting for certain characters, especially in contrast with the original voice. Very noticeable with Allessia (who sounds like a teenager rather than an adult woman) and Lyran, who has a ridicoloys high-pitched voice more befitting a comedic portrayal of a eunuch.

* SliceAndDiceSwordsmanship: The animation for swinging the weapons is the shared by all weapon types: it doesn't matter if you're holding a dagger, a scimitar or a spiked mace, the animation is the same.

* InfinityMinusOneSword: Twofold in the second game: completing each sidequest for the characters will net them a unique but very powerful piece of equipment (amulets for Ysurana and Vhaidra, an axe for Borador, a scale mail for Dorn and a bastard sword for Allessia). Later, in Mordoc's keep, [[spoiler: depending on which hero you release first and with which character,]] you can get a powerful, enchanted version of a Shortbow,Staff or Great Axe).

* {{Golem}}: Especially inside the Onyx Tower: in the first game there's a Onyx Golem as a giant miniboss, while the second game features increasingly stronger iron golems on each of the three levels.

* GlassCannon: Adrianna in the first game, Ysuran in the sequel, since both are mage who can't rely too much on armor.

** Karne, to Xantam. [[spoiler: Subverted in that Karne is secretly a Zentharim agent.]]

* DamageSpongeBoss: The first boss in the first and the first two bosses in the sequel.

** Also the second boss is a hobgoblin warrior.

* InfinityMinusOneSword: Twofold in the second game: completing each sidequest for the characters will net them a unique but very powerful piece of equipment (amulets for Ysurana and Vhaidra, an axe for Borador, a scale mail for Dorn and a bastard sword for Allessia). Later, in Mordoc's keep, [[spoiler: depending on which hero you release first and with which character, you can get a powerful, enchanted version of a Shortbow,Staff or Great Axe).

* UnexplainedRecovery: Karne. [[spoiler: And thankfully Randalla when you slay Xanhast.]]

* ZombieApocalypse: Mordoc causes this in Baldur's Gate when he summons the Onyx Tower in the town.

* AnimatedArmour: In the sequel Lyran has his own army of these, which seem to be ghosts.

* CastingAShadow: Mordoc was very pissed when he found out that, as a Vampire, he no longer had a shadow, so he populated his castle with hordes of LivingShadow monsters.

* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:Xantam.]]

* DualBoss: Luvia's lackeys from the sequel.

** Karne, to Xantam.

* FinalBossNewDimension: To fight the final boss in the sequel you must enter the Plane of Shadow.

* GiantMook: Ettins and Hill Giants.

* GlassCannon: Adrianna.

* LifeDrain: Ysuran and Xanhast have this.

* LivingShadow: Zarad and Mordoc both have an army of these.

* {{Multishot}}: An ability of the Arcane Archer. Ysuran does the same with his magic bolts.

* [[OminousPipeOrgan Ominous Harpsichord]]: In Bloodmire Manor in the sequel, a SecretPassage to her laboratory is opened by playing a spooky melody on this out-of-tune instrument ([[GottaCatchEmAll after finding all the pages of the sheet music]]).

* PrestigeClass: Vahn's class, Arcane Archer, is one in the tabletop game.

* HealingFactor: Trolls, especially in the second game, are costantly healing and even if they are "killed", they'll slowly regenerate health until they're able to stand up again to keep fighting. The only way to keep them down is to deal the coup de grace while they are already suffering from fire/acid damge, with said damage or to perform a fire/acid attack on them while they are down.

* InescapableAmbush: Happens twice in the sequel, presumably to suggest verisimilitude, when the player gets randomly attacked on their way to a quest location.

* TheRenfield: Xanhast.

* ThievesGuild: One in the first and one in the sequel.