| 1 | [[center:[-''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' | '''[[Characters/BaldursGate Main Character Index]]'''\ |
| 2 | '''Charname & Party members of both games'''\ |
| 3 | '''Party members:''' [[Characters/BaldursGateOtherPartyMembers Baldur's Gate]] | [[Characters/BaldursGateIIOtherPartyMembers Baldur's Gate II]] | [[Characters/BaldursGateEnhancedEditionsPartyMembers Enhanced Editions]] | [[Characters/BaldursGateSiegeOfDragonspearPartyMembers Siege of Dragonspear]]\ |
| 4 | '''[=NPCs=]:''' [[Characters/BaldursGateFriends Friends and allies]] | [[Characters/BaldursGateFoes Main villains]] | [[Characters/BaldursGateOtherVillains Other villains]]\ |
| 5 | [[Characters/BaldursGateDarkAlliance Dark Alliance]]-]]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | The Player Character and recruitable party members that appear in '''both''' Infinity Engine-based ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' games. '''Warning: Here there be {{spoiler}}s!''' |
| 8 | |
| 9 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 10 | |
| 11 | [[folder:The Player]] |
| 12 | !!Charname/Gorion's Ward/The Bhaalspawn/Abdel Adrian |
| 13 | ->''"Is it true dragon meat tastes like chicken? Never mind, I'll find out for myself."'' |
| 14 | |
| 15 | -> '''Race:''' ''Any'' |
| 16 | -> '''Class:''' ''Any'' |
| 17 | -> '''Alignment:''' ''Any'' |
| 18 | -> '''Place of origin:''' Candlekeep |
| 19 | |
| 20 | The Player Character, also known throughout the game as "the Bhaalspawn", "Gorion's Ward", and among the fans as Charname due to the name variable in the game's files. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | ---- |
| 23 | * AbusiveParents: Your biological father conceived you specifically so you could later be killed for his benefit, and your biological mother was the one holding the knife when it was time to do this. Doesn't get much more abusive than that. |
| 24 | * AdventureDuo: Can be part of one with various party members. Especially [[PsychoForHire Edwin]] and [[BunnyEarsLawyer Minsc]]. |
| 25 | * AntiHero: They can play the first game as a straight hero, but the second one slowly shifts them into this. No matter what, they will always side with some sort of villainous group to get where they need to go. And this isn't including the numerous opportunities to backstab, steal, murder, or express a desire for revenge. |
| 26 | * BabiesEverAfter: Certain romance paths feature this. Aerie falls pregnant with Charname's child in ''Throne of Bhaal'' -- a boy named Quayle, after her "uncle". [[spoiler:In her epilogue, Aerie also gives him a daughter. And Viconia has Charname's child as well, [[DeliverUsFromEvil which causes her to start turning her life around]], only for her to be killed some time after giving birth. In Rasaad's epilogue, a female Charname falls pregnant seven times, allowing Rasaad to feel joy and happiness once again -- for a while, sadly, as they are both killed and their children forced into vengeance.]] |
| 27 | * BadassBookworm: If you play a Mage or otherwise have high Intelligence/Lore, then you definitely put your smarts to use in and off the battlefield. High Intelligence, for example, is the only way to refer to a mind flayer as an "illithid", which impresses Solaufein. |
| 28 | * BadassFamily: You can become this with your half-siblings Imoen and Sarevok. For reference, no matter what class you are, Charname still canonically rolls over any and all threats in their path to see their goals through to their conclusions; Imoen is a skilled mage with some pretty neat thief skills and Sarevok is quite simply the best raw melee combatant in the game, with the Intelligence to be a super-skilled mage on top of it. In the words of your big brother, "[[BadassBoast We children of Bhaal cannot be stopped!]]" |
| 29 | * BigBrotherMentor: You can play this role to party members during the series by befriending them and helping with their CharacterDevelopment during their personal quests, or just by being there for them when they're in a bad situation. |
| 30 | * BlackmailBackfire: If you choose to infiltrate Ust Natha, you will eventually be called upon by an abeloth, who says that he knows you're a surfacer and will inform the whole city if you don't murder a priestess for him. You can refuse and then turn the threat back around on him by [[TakingYouWithMe vowing to reveal his treachery if he reveals your secret]]. [[OutGambitted He stands down at that point]]. |
| 31 | * BloodKnight: |
| 32 | ** There are dialogues, such as with Anomen and Sarevok, that suggests Charname enjoys a good fight and struggles with the urge to kill often. Or they can wholeheartedly embrace this aspect of themselves: |
| 33 | --->'''Charname:''' You haven't answered my question. Why does this creature need to die?\ |
| 34 | '''Demon:''' Because… because it exists! It stands in your way!\ |
| 35 | '''Charname:''' Good enough for me. |
| 36 | ** Fights with dragons are almost always completely optional, and in fact ''Minsc'' will nervously suggest retreating from an ancient red one. Of course, this doesn't stop Charname from being able to attack anyway, despite having other ways around the problem. |
| 37 | * BookDumb: According to Imoen, they were always sleeping through classes, and they don't seem particularly well-versed in even local lore, which fits in with low or average INT. You can still play them with high INT, however, in which case they're instead BrilliantButLazy. |
| 38 | * BrokenBird: The naive, sheltered "child" at the start of the first game goes through some seriously traumatizing stuff. During the second game they can be played as being sufficiently jaded and/or scarred from the various experiences they've gone through. |
| 39 | * ButNowIMustGo: If you [[spoiler:accept godhood]] and are good, most of your party will wish you luck where they cannot follow. Some (like Minsc and Imoen) are distraught; others (like Dorn and Sarevok) are delighted for you. |
| 40 | * CainAndAbel: You and Sarevok. And almost every other Bhaalspawn except Imoen. |
| 41 | * TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: Charname sums it up best in a conversation with Yoshimo: |
| 42 | -->'''Charname:''' I didn't choose a life of adventuring. Rather it was forced upon me. |
| 43 | * CanonName: There is no in-game source of canon to confirm the main character's name (leading to them mostly being referred to as either Charname or 'The Bhaalspawn'), but ''out'' of game is another matter. The pre-made Save File for the ''Tales of the Sword Coast'' expansion pack uses the name Abdel. The novels and the ''Murder in Baldur's Gate'' adventure for the 5th Edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' uses the full name Abdel Adrian. ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'', however, [[ZigZaggedTrope refers to them solely as "Gorion's Ward"]], and further more use gender-neutral pronouns. |
| 44 | * CartwrightCurse: Quite possible, given that all love interests are party members and all party members can be KilledOffForReal with one failed spell save. On a less terminal note several of the unique romances from ''Siege of Dragonspear'' are doomed regardless, as three of the characters do not appear in the sequel and the one that does isn't a party member [[spoiler: and is in fact killed trying to murder you for a bounty.]] |
| 45 | * CharacterAlignment: You can [[{{Invoked}} choose]] from the whole spectrum for Charname, from LawfulGood to ChaoticEvil. |
| 46 | * TheCharmer: They get some dialogue options in this vein. According to some of the stories told by the [=NPCs=] at Candlekeep, Charname was able to wrap people around their finger even as a child. |
| 47 | * ChickMagnet: With the Enhanced Edition, four women and [[EvenTheGuysWantHim one man]] can all fall for male Charname, and three men and [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer one woman]] for female Charname. There are also additional opportunities for them to flirt with others or be flirted with in turn. And ''Siege of Dragonspear'' just adds even more. |
| 48 | * ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: An evil Charname can backstab quest-givers at the first convenient opportunity with disturbing frequency. |
| 49 | * ChronicHeroSyndrome: A good Charname will likely have this. A lot of sidequests, particularly in the second game, can only be found by wandering around ''looking'' for jobs to do or people to help. Taking it a step further, some sidequests allow Charname to refuse monetary rewards (often getting more experience in the process) or even ''losing'' money, such as buying a gem off farmers for more than it's worth. |
| 50 | * CloudCuckooLander: If not read as sarcastically, then some dialogue choices come across as really spacey, like wondering whether dragon meat tastes like chicken. |
| 51 | * ColdBloodedTorture: Courtesy of Irenicus, who wanted to torture Charname into a TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening so that he could steal their divine essence. |
| 52 | * ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Gorion's death in the first half-hour of the game leaves Charname free to roam the countryside. Since Gorion's raising Charname was not a universally popular decision with the Candlekeep monks, nobody sends anyone to look for you after Gorion's body is discovered and you're not allowed back in the keep. |
| 53 | * DeadpanSnarker: Moreso in ''[=BG1=]'' than ''[=BG2=]'', but some of your dialogue options are this. |
| 54 | ** Inside the Iron Throne building: |
| 55 | -->'''Iron Throne Guard:''' You wouldn't kill a man with a wife and ten children, would you?\ |
| 56 | '''Charname:''' No, you've got a fate worse than death already. |
| 57 | ** Then there's this gem from ''Throne of Bhaal'': |
| 58 | -->'''Charname:''' Why do you [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness use so many big words?]] Are you trying to make me feel stupid?\ |
| 59 | '''Kiser Jhaeri:''' My utilization of complex locution is more a reflection of my own superincumbent mental acuity than an aspersion on your circumscribed lexicon.\ |
| 60 | '''Charname:''' [[SophisticatedAsHell Maybe your grandiose vocabulary is a pathetic compensation for an insufficiency in the nether regions of your anatomy.]][[note]]Alternatively: "Well, it makes you sound like a pompous ass." Ether response knocks Kiser down a few pegs.[[/note]] |
| 61 | * DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Gorion can potentially be this, depending on dialogue choices. According to Arkushule, a palm reader in the first game, Charname was "a hellion" when a baby, so any Good-aligned Charname might be that way due to his influence. Gorion will guide you in one of your dreams in the first game, and your going to Nashkel is because "Gorion would not have you sit idle" despite Charname's doubts the problems in the mine have anything to do with their predicament. |
| 62 | * {{Determinator}}: ''Nothing'' will stop Charname from accomplishing their goals. Not assassins, not undead, not dragons, not vampires, not even [[spoiler:''having their soul ripped out'']], which is stated to be fatal. Sarevok even admits one of his mistakes was underestimating just how tenacious s/he is. |
| 63 | * DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Charname has acquired the ability to kick the ass of the baddest beings on Faerun, from Demogorgon to [[spoiler: Amelissan.]] By Throne of Bhaal, even ''Elminster'' doesn't want to fight you. Yeah, you're that badass. |
| 64 | * DoomMagnet: Justified by the prophecy. "Chaos will be sown in [the Bhaalspawns'] passage." Plus, y'know, you're the son/daughter of MURDER. |
| 65 | * DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: If you're male, then during the Underdark portion of the game Phaere will [[MateOrDie forcefully proposition you with the implication that refusal will cost you your life]]. If you have an Intelligence score of at least 15, you can talk your way out of it; if not, you have no choice but to go along. The reaction of your love interest, if you have one, will vary, but almost none of them will be concern for how you're doing after basically being raped: Dorn and Jaheira have to be ''persuaded'' to hear you out, Neera says she doesn't want to know about what happened, and Aerie ''dumps you''. Only Viconia, [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero ironically]], understands the situation- presumably because, as a drow herself, she she understands how drow culture treats men and that female drow are quite willing to coerce men into sex. |
| 66 | * TheDragonslayer: There are roughly a dozen powerful dragons you have the opportunity to fight across the two games and their expansions, two of whom ([[spoiler:Draconis and Abzigal]]) you are required by the plot to defeat. The others can all be avoided in some capacity; the only reason you have to fight dragons like [[spoiler:Firkraag and Thaxll'ssillyia]] is because you ''want'' to. |
| 67 | * DudeWheresMyRespect: Too many people fail to realize that ''the son/daughter of Bhaal'' is not someone you should cross. Also, despite saving both Baldur's Gate and Suldanessalar, [[UngratefulBastard the inhabitants of both cities are perfectly willing to turn on them at the first ill wind.]] |
| 68 | * EmpoweredBadassNormal: Being a Bhaalspawn renders you more powerful than most people. You're a Bhaalspawn all along, but your powers are unknown most of the first game. There are also many ways to increase attributes permanently in both games. Most notably the tomes in the first game. There’s one book for each attribute, except for Wisdom (there are three including ''Tales of the Sword Coast''), which means if you're a cleric, druid or another divine class who initially started BG with 18 Wisdom, you can potentially start Shadows of Amn as level nine with ''21 Wisdom!'' |
| 69 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Being evil in no way prevents Charname from genuinely loving their friends and family. |
| 70 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: A possiblility, depending on how your roleplay and what quests you accept. You can be evil and still fight against slavers or express outrage at a man beating a child, for example. |
| 71 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: An evil Charname can go from a lonely unwanted child of Bhaal to a terror-inspiring villain who takes on [[EldritchAbomination god-like monsters]] and holy dragons alike and wins. [[spoiler:And that's not even getting into the implications of becoming a full-fledged evil god.]] |
| 72 | * TheGadfly: A lot of their dialogue paints them as enjoying needling others, particularly Jaheira, Rasaad, and Edwin. |
| 73 | * GodhoodSeeker: You can choose to be interested in pursuing power and your destiny, with the ultimate goal being ascension to godhood. [[spoiler:In [=ToB=], you can make those wishes come true.]] |
| 74 | * GreenEyedMonster: One of the challenges the Solar presents in [=ToB=] is to fight a version of yourself if Sarevok had been adopted by Gorion instead of you. Similar to how Sarevok reacts, this version of yourself despises you for the things he/she could never have had. |
| 75 | * HadToBeSharp: The only way for Charname to survive was to become strong and intelligent enough to survive in a CrapsackWorld. |
| 76 | * HalfHumanHybrid: But because Bhaal was a god, you're still entirely human (or elven, or dwarven, or whatever). A straighter example can occur by choosing to be a half-elf or half-orc. |
| 77 | * HappilyAdopted: One possibility. Although Charname is implied to be this, the player can occasionally choose to suggest they feel apathetic towards Gorion or even actively resent him. |
| 78 | * HappilyMarried: Certain love interests have their romance path end with this. [[spoiler:Anomen, Aerie and Jaheira, specifically. Viconia and Rasaad will also marry Charname.]] |
| 79 | * HappyEndingOverride: In the 5th Edition tabletop module ''Murder in Baldur's Gate'', [[spoiler:[[CanonName "Abdel Adrian"]] is attacked by Viekang, the only other remaining Bhaalspawn. Their resulting fight ultimately leads to the death of one and the other transforming into the Slayer, which the player characters must then put down. Bhaal is resurrected as a result.]] Although this only really applies to the version used in that module and doesn't really line up with any of the game's endings. |
| 80 | * HeadsTailsEdge: Fortune tellers and hermits tell Charname that they're a coin which landed on edge; incidentally making them ImmuneToFate. |
| 81 | * HelloInsertNameHere: Their name is fully customisable. As such, it is never spoken allowed and they are given the InSeriesNickname of "Gorion's Ward" during ''Throne of Bhaal''. |
| 82 | * HeroWithBadPublicity: Frequently, thanks to the stigma surrounding Bhaalspawn. Sarevok has them branded as a criminal in the first game to get assassins on their tail, and [[spoiler:Irenicus]] manipulates events during ''Siege of Dragonspear'' in a way that the public turns against them despite their innocence. In ''Throne of Bhaal'' the actions of [[BigBadEnsemble the Five]] means most people hate and fear the Bhaalspawn in general and are not inclined to hear even a good aligned PC out. |
| 83 | * HeroicNeutral: Neutral-aligned Charnames often end up like this, not being interested in saving the world but also shunning their dark heritage. They're only involved in all this craziness because [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive it upturned their life]]. |
| 84 | * IJustWantToBeNormal: They can express their desire to have nothing to do with their Bhaalspawn heritage. [[spoiler:At the end of ''Throne of Bhaal'', they get the option to lose the taint permanently and become a regular mortal.]] |
| 85 | * InterspeciesAdoption: If played as a non-human, they will still be raised by the human Gorion. Jaheira and Khalid, a pair of half-elves, also take on a semi-parental role (though Jaheira drops that in the sequel if Charname is male, for [[LoveInterest obvious reasons]]), causing this again if Charname is human or anything but a half-elf. |
| 86 | * ItsPersonal: Their feuds with Sarevok and Irenicus are fueled by this--Sarevok murdered their father and sends assassins after them frequently, and Irenicus tortured them and their companions for several months, then kidnapped their little sister. One way or another, Charname's not letting them get away with that, though whether for revenge, justice, or self-preservation is up to you. |
| 87 | * {{Jerkass}}: Can certainly be played as one, if you choose the right dialogue choices. Many quests and/or interactions give you the chance to be rude, standoffish, unreasonable and casually cruel to the person you're speaking to. |
| 88 | * KarmaMeter: Reputation, which determines shop prices, which Bhaalspawn powers they receive as the plot progresses in the first game, whether or not party members will be happy to travel with them based on their respective [[invoked]]CharacterAlignment, the ways certain people react to them, the chance of them being chased by local authorities and whether or not they get to keep their powers if they're a ranger or paladin. |
| 89 | * KleptomaniacHero: Nothing other than your conscience is stopping you from walking into buildings and ransacking them. In fact, quite a few gag items, like the Golden Pantaloons, and several powerful ones, like the Ring of Gaxx, cannot be obtained without breaking and entering. |
| 90 | * LukeIAmYourFather: The fact that you're a child of Bhaal is revealed to you in a letter (from your foster father, go figure) and is intended to be a shocking reveal. |
| 91 | * MysteriousWaif: A rare example of the player being this, and potentially male at that. You're hunted by tons of enemies for reasons you don't know, you know very little about your real mother and father, your foster father was recently murdered, and you keep having strange dreams that give you stranger powers. [[DivineParentage At the end of the first game you discover the exact reasons why]], but your heritage still remains the driving force of the sequels' plots. |
| 92 | * NeverGotToSayGoodbye: Fortunately, there is absolutely no angsting about this, though Gorion's death still pops up in nightmares. |
| 93 | * OddFriendship: Several dialogue options have Charname have friendly interactions with a Spectator Beholder, a recurring monster that appears in [=BG2=] and ''Throne of Bhaal''. |
| 94 | * TheProtagonist: Of the entire original ''Baldur's Gate'' saga, including the original game, ''Tales of the Sword Coast'', ''Siege of Dragonspear'', ''Shadows of Amn'' and ''Throne of Bhaal''. While they [[WildCard may or may not be a particularly good person]] -- in fact, [[VillainProtagonist they can be downright horrible]] -- they are always at the centre of the story and the games are all told from their perspective. ''Baldur's Gate III'', however, is a totally separate affair that takes place long after they either die or ascend to godhood. |
| 95 | * TheReveal: You're a Bhaalspawn, your mother died sometime time after you were born and Gorion adopted you because he wanted to raise her child, being that she was dear to him. Then ''Siege of Dragonspear'' and ''Throne of Bhaal'' reveal she was one of Bhaal's priestessess, who [[HoneyTrap Gorion was having an affair with]] and was perfectly willing to sacrifice you to your father. |
| 96 | * RoaringRampageOfRevenge: One of Charname's possible motivations for chasing Sarevok and Irenicus in the first and second games is wanting to make them '''pay''' [[YouKilledMyFather for what]] [[ColdBloodedTorture they did]] to him/her. |
| 97 | * SadClown: They can be quite flippant about several traumatic events, from Gorion's murder to Irenicus's torture, while still being broken up inside about it. It's particularly noticeable in Rasaad's romance, where the female Charname cracks joke after joke about her torture until he quietly tells her she can let the mask drop. |
| 98 | * ScrewDestiny: Portalbendarwinden can tell you that he can't see your future because "your coin is on edge". If you read ''The History of the Fateful Coin'' (a book required for a quest), it states that individuals whose coins landed on edge when they were born are free of the influences of both of the goddesses of luck and misfortune and can forge their own fates. |
| 99 | * SeparatedAtBirth: From [[spoiler:Sarevok]]. And it extends this by having a WhatIf moment as one of the trials in Throne Of Bhaal [[spoiler:by showing what would have happened if Sarevok had been saved by Gorion and Charname was put into Sarevok's shoes. Character alignment being what it is, of course, the answer could very well be "you would have ended up ''just as evil as you are anyway''".]] |
| 100 | * SexSlave: A RareMaleExample, potentially. If you're male and can't talk your way past Phaere's [[MateOrDie proposition]], she forces you to have sex with her. |
| 101 | * StarCrossedLovers: With their LoveInterest, as Bhaalspawn have incredibly high casualty rates and will inevitably end up dragged into a war for Bhaal's throne. And if [[spoiler:Charname romances Viconia or Rasaad, their lover ends up killed by assassins in the epilogue.]] |
| 102 | * TheStarscream: Several quests involve Charname serving under a villain to reach one goal or another, almost invariably ending in you becoming his or her [[DragonWithAnAgenda right-hand-man with an agenda.]] Mae'Var and Phaere in the second game are two employers who meet poor ends thanks to Charname turning on them. |
| 103 | * StereotypeFlip: A half-orc Charname had an orcish mother and was conceived consensually; as it is, half-orcs are stereotypically conceived by human women being [[ChildByRape raped]] by male orcs. Of course, said orcish mother was a member of Bhaal's priesthood chosen for the honour of baring his child, so naturally she would have allowed him to knock her up. |
| 104 | * SuperpoweredEvilSide: The Slayer is meant to be this. How useful it ''actually'' is...varies, depending on what class Charname is and whether you have mods to improve it installed. |
| 105 | * TaughtByExperience: Obviously, given that it's an {{RPG}}, but Charname deserves special note. At no point in your life have you received formal training in a combat-capable profession prior to being dumped on your ass in the wilderness, left to fend for yourself in world where seemingly [[EverythingTryingToKillYou 80% of the people you encounter want to kill you]] and another 15% only want you alive so that they can corrupt you or manipulate you for their own purposes. Surviving in this environment for two and a half games slowly sees you rise from a callow youth to one of the most powerful mortals in the world, [[spoiler: and possibly a god thereafter.]] |
| 106 | * TheTease: They can flirt with multiple companions at once, but due to the way the romance system works, will only follow up on one. |
| 107 | * TooDumbToLive: There are certainly some dialogue options in this vein. For example, if you decide to go to Ust Natha, Adalon casts a spell on you that makes you look like drow and instructs you to introoduce yourself as "Veldrin from Ched Nassa". When you enter the city and are challenged by the guard, you can have the brilliant idea to introduce yourself as "Charname from Adalon's lair". Cue the whole city turning hostile. |
| 108 | * TookALevelInBadass: In the start of the Baldur's Gate Saga, you're just a level one newbie; however, your continued survival against EverythingTryingToKillYou eventually transforms you to a Badass of ([[PhysicalGod literally]]) god-like proportions. And the last installment of the series, VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal, where even liches and elder vampires are very reluctant to cross your path, takes place mere two years later. |
| 109 | * TraumaInducedAmnesia: Dialogue options at the start of the second game allow you to express unfamiliarity with your companions and even your childhood friend Imoen. If taken, it's treated as a consequence of Irenicus's torture. |
| 110 | * {{Troll}}: A VillainProtagonist can often incline to this through the "evil" dialogue options. |
| 111 | -->'''Guard:''' I... I give up. Please don't hurt me; I promise I won't scream! I don't want to die! Oh please let me live... just don't kill me. Are ya gonna let me live? Area ya? Huh? Huh!?\ |
| 112 | '''Charname:''' Sure, I'll let you live, just tell me everything I want to know.\ |
| 113 | '''Guard:''' I'll tell ya everything, everything! [...] Now are ya gonna let me live?\ |
| 114 | '''Charname:''' [[ILied Nope.]]\ |
| 115 | '''Guard:''' [[YouMonster You're gonna kill me!? You bastard!]] |
| 116 | * TurnOutLikeHisFather: This is unfortunately the stigma surrounding the Bhaalspawn in general, the fear that they will follow their father's footsteps and become a chaotic murder machine on the prowl. You can choose either to follow this straight or avert it entirely. |
| 117 | * TheUnchosenOne: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]] In the first game, Charname can say they want [[ScrewDestiny nothing]] to do with Bhaal's plans for them. But in ''Throne of Bhaal'', when it's time to finally put an end to the events foretold by the prophecy that's been haunting their lives, it's revealed that it actually comes with a clause saying that [[ProphecyTwist they're the one who can prevent the destruction]] and save the world a lot of strife (again, even if they choose the evil option). |
| 118 | * UnevenHybrid: A mortal woman and a ''god!'' |
| 119 | * UnstoppableRage: The first Slayer transformation is triggered by ''blind fury'', caused by the taint rushing in to fill the void left by your soul's absence, and doesn't expire until all the rage has been spent by attacking anyone in the vicinity. |
| 120 | * VanHelsingHateCrimes: Depending on Charname's alignment, played straight or subverted. They mostly look like a normal human/elf/gnome/whatever, but a disconcerting number of people want them dead simply because they're a Bhaalspawn. |
| 121 | * VillainProtagonist: No matter how evil Charname gets, this is still their story. Appropriately, failure to act like a good guy will draw {{Hero Antagonist}}s to oppose you. |
| 122 | * WarriorTherapist: A great many of their banters with their companions play them as this ([[VideoGameCrueltyPotential unless you go the other way]]), listening to them talk about their problems and offering support. |
| 123 | * YouCantGoHomeAgain: Between the steep entry requirements to Candlekeep and the fact that not all the monks there were happy with Gorion's decision to bring Charname there, once they leave, they aren't able to return for quite some time. |
| 124 | [[/folder]] |
| 125 | |
| 126 | [[folder:Imoen]] |
| 127 | !!Imoen |
| 128 | [[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/s_Gate_2_2043.jpg]] |
| 129 | [[quoteright:190:[[labelnote:Click here to see her in ''Heroes of Baldur's Gate''/''Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arcanum_worlds_heroes_of_baldurs_gate_v1_134_5.png]][[/labelnote]] |
| 130 | ->''"Just like old times. Well, except for the torture and all."'' |
| 131 | --> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/MelissaDisney |
| 132 | ---- |
| 133 | |
| 134 | -> '''Race:''' Human |
| 135 | -> '''Class:''' Thief (''[=BG1=]''), Thief/Mage [dual-class] (''[=BG2=]'') |
| 136 | -> '''Alignment:''' NeutralGood |
| 137 | -> '''Place of origin:''' Candlekeep |
| 138 | |
| 139 | Imoen is your childhood friend from Candlekeep who has known you longer than anybody else (beyond Gorion). Having accidentally stumbled upon a letter Gorion received shortly before you left, she decides to help and sticks with you through thick and thin. A perpetual child, Imoen is naturally at home in an adventurer's party and always there to cheer you and the other party members up with a joke. |
| 140 | |
| 141 | ---- |
| 142 | * ActionGirl: Not at first, but she becomes a capable thief over the course of the first game and a powerful mage during the rest of the saga. If taken all the way, she becomes effectively an archmage. |
| 143 | * AscendedExtra: |
| 144 | ** Originally she wasn't part of the plot at all, and her voiceover lines were recorded for a female extra. She 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 [=NPC=]s, 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]]. |
| 145 | ** Imoen is technically this in the sequel as well, as [[spoiler: she was originally supposed to die in Spellhold]]. The developers changed their minds upon seeing fan poll results, leading to the aforementioned {{RetCon}}. |
| 146 | * BigSisterWorship: Towards the player, remaining a friendly presence and gladly staying by your side whatever your alignment or Reputation as long as you let her. |
| 147 | * BlackMagicianGirl: It didn't take long for many [=BG1=] players to notice her absurdly high Intelligence score, and it became a common strategy to dual-class her as a Mage after a few levels. [=BG2=] [[AscendedFanon canonized this by starting her off as one]]. |
| 148 | ** Justified in game by Imoen stating that she was the one that paid attention to the monks' lessons in Candlekeep, while Charname was always skipping them. It explains both her high intelligence and her interest in magic. |
| 149 | * BrattyHalfPint: Even back in Candlekeep she had a tendency to sneak her duty in Winthrop's tavern or to pickpocket the monks (at the very least the ones who had something). Then she left to join you on a journey with no clear purpose or destination... |
| 150 | * BreakoutCharacter: Started out in the first game as a last-minute addition, because play-testing complained about the lack of good-aligned (or simply non-evil) thieves during EarlyGameHell, which is still visible from the fact that she lacks any inter-party dialogue with other companions. However, she became immensely popular extremely quickly with {{Munchkin}}s in particular because of her fantastic stats, while Roleplayers loved her role as a nice and innocent TagAlongKid who would remind the player that GoodFeelsGood. As a result the developers, who originally planned to off her during the time skip between the games to provide a PlayerPunch, completely changed their opinion, and she instead became the character most integral to the story after Charname him/herself. |
| 151 | * BreakTheCutie: Irenicus did this to her on purpose in his attempts to feel emotion again. It's the primary impetus for Imoen's CharacterDevelopment, in addition to serving as a PlayerPunch and initial KickTheDog moment for BigBad Irenicus at the beginning of the second game. |
| 152 | * BuffySpeak: Has a tendency to make up rather funny-sounding words whose exact meaning is left somewhat open to the player. |
| 153 | * CantCatchUp: In [=BG2=], she'll fall way behind other characters in experience if you don't set out to rescue her right away. Fixed in the Enhanced Edition, where she will have a pile of XP (how much depends on the PC' level) dropped on her once rescued. It won't necessarily match the party but it will close the gap quite a bit. |
| 154 | * CrimeOfSelfDefense: Her use of magic in the Promenade was born of panic and to protect herself from the man who had kidnapped and tortured her. The Cowled Wizards don't care and arrest her anyway. |
| 155 | %%* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: More like Crouching GenkiGirl Hidden Badass, but the principle holds. |
| 156 | * DamselInDistress: Spends most of ''[=SoA=]'' in Irenicus's clutches, and the bulk of the first few chapters centers on finding a means to catch up with them. |
| 157 | * DeadpanSnarker: Not so deadpan -- she loses her sense of humor in some of her darker moments in the sequel and its expansion -- but she snarks constantly and her reason for being is practically to prevent you, her big brother/sister figure, from getting too much of a big head about yourself. She's certainly capable of giving as good as she gets, just in case anyone gets the idea that she's some blushing rose. |
| 158 | * DidNotThinkThisThrough: Her "plan" to rescue the Bhaalspawn at the beginning of the second game. After she gets saved from the dire, ''dire'' consequences, she leaves most of the thinking to her older sibling. |
| 159 | * DivergentCharacterEvolution: In the first game, fellow thief Alora is ramped up to cartoonish levels of chipperness. In the second, Nalia gradually goes from being another naive little sister character to being an aloof, cynical archmage in ''Throne of Bhaal''. |
| 160 | * EmptyShell: She's like this initially when you rescue her from Spellhold. [[spoiler:Being tortured by Irenicus and having her soul ripped out]] will do that to a girl. |
| 161 | * ForcedToWatch: Part of the way Irenicus [[BreakTheCutie broke]] her in-between ''[=SoD=]'' and ''[=SoA=]''. Imoen specifically mentions that Irenicus made her watch as he desecrated Khalid's body, as well as hurt others. |
| 162 | * GameplayAndStorySegregation: |
| 163 | ** The games go to great lengths to make it clear that Bhaalspawn lose their divine essence if they're resurrected: if you die, the game ends, as otherwise the plot would no longer make sense, and when [[spoiler:Sarevok]] joins your party, he explicitly talks about no longer being a candidate for ascension because of his death. [[spoiler:But Imoen, despite (retroactively) being a Bhaalspawn since [=BG1=], will still possess her taint if she is killed and resurrected. Presumably, this is so the player isn't saddled with the frustration of having [[WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou two characters who induce a game over.]]]] |
| 164 | ** There's also the fact that she ''will'' cast the spell that gets her arrested when the party exits Irenicus' dungeon, even if she's magically incapacitated or has no spells left memorized when you leave the dungeon--or, taking it further, if you're playing the mega-mod Baldur's Gate Trilogy, which merges both games into one, and you never dual-classed her to mage at all. |
| 165 | ** One of her battle cries is "My blade will cut you down to size!", which becomes amusing if you equip her with a staff or bow. She has proficiences in short sword ([=BG1=]) or daggers ([=BG2=]), but she can't hold her own in a melee fight, so it's almost guaranteed that she'll be in the back shooting arrows or slinging darts. |
| 166 | * GenkiGirl: As Valygar puts it, "a chipmunk with a sugar high and a death wish." |
| 167 | * GoMadFromTheRevelation: Originally, it was planned that she'd exit the story after this happened. [[spoiler:Even in the revised version, she comes close.]] |
| 168 | * HairColorDissonance: Auburn in the first game, ''pink'' in the second. |
| 169 | * ImColdSoCold: In the first game, when brought to critical HP. |
| 170 | * IHaveYouNowMyPretty: One of the Cowled Wizards in Spellhold creepily mentions that she's cute and that he's looking forward to testing Enchantment spells on her. In a mix of good and terrible luck, that happens to be the moment Irenicus decides to bust free and wreck the place. |
| 171 | * IncorruptiblePurePureness: According to Irenicus, she held [[spoiler:the taint of Bhaal inside her]] at bay for her entire life, wholly by virtue of being innocent, sweet, and loving. |
| 172 | ** It is however pretty clearly implied that she's not ''in''corruptible, just ''less'' corruptible. Though still good, she becomes [[CharacterDevelopment less nice]] as the series rolls on, and in [=ToB=] in particular can even be a bit of a badass at times (though she never actually stops being generally sweet natured). |
| 173 | ** Also note that, with the Ascension mod to fix some banter placement, she starts to develop powers like the main character does in the first game as her taint grows and she also experiences nightmares similar to the main character. |
| 174 | * KidAppealCharacter: She's the single character most like your stereotypical "less mature" RPG protagonist: young, idealistic, child-like, and generically heroic. |
| 175 | * LikeBrotherAndSister: She's a childhood friend of the protagonist, and she immediately joins him/her at the start of the game to travel around. [[spoiler:More than just "like", as it turns out -- it's revealed in ''[=BG2=]'' that Charname isn't the only Bhaalspawn Gorion took under his wing]]. |
| 176 | * LittleMissSnarker: Actually the same age as Charname, but she comes across as your little sister and gets some of the funnier lines in both games. With the HiddenDepths revealed in the second game, she becomes more than just a zany sidekick, revealing a perceptive side underneath the blithe innocence. |
| 177 | * LovableRogue: And she [[{{Lampshade}} knows it]]. |
| 178 | * MindRape: [[spoiler:Part of what Irenicus does to her.]] |
| 179 | * MoralityPet: She can be one to Charname if the latter played as a VillainProtagonist. |
| 180 | * NeutralGood: More clearly so in the first game than the second.[[invoked]] |
| 181 | * NiceGirl: Probably the nicest one of them all. |
| 182 | * TheNotLoveInterest: In the first game, all the way. Many fans prior to the release of the second one hoped that it would be averted when they heard that there would be more than one RomanceSidequest. Instead it provided [[LongLostRelative a proper justification]] for this trope. |
| 183 | * ObfuscatingStupidity: Perhaps more like "Obfuscating Innocence". [[StatisticallySpeaking By the game's statistical measure]] she's actually a genius, and it turns out she's got quite a vicious streak as her dialog in [=BG2=] reveals, but neither is readily apparent when you first meet her (or indeed for most of the game). |
| 184 | ** That said, while she is certainly very intelligent, she isn't particularly level-headed when you look at her Wisdom stat, so some of that innocence may actually be genuine after all. |
| 185 | * ThePollyanna: Her natural personality is this. She gets [[BreakTheCutie kicked around]] more than just about any other character in the series, and a large part of her CharacterDevelopment is driven by her struggle to hold on to her natural innocence in light of the things she learns about herself. |
| 186 | * TheQuietOne: She's the only NPC that doesn't interact at all with other characters in [=BG1=], though this was due to her late addition rather than a choice on the part of the writers. She's not all that talkative in the sequel, either, however. |
| 187 | ** Partially unintentional; a ''spelling error'' in her codings prevented around ''15 of her dialogues'' from functioning properly. Fortunately, there are mods which fix the coding. |
| 188 | * RetCon: And a rather messy one at that (see GameplayAndStorySegregation above). |
| 189 | * TheReveal: [[spoiler:She's also a Bhaalspawn, revealed by Irenicus in the second game.]] |
| 190 | * RoseHairedSweetie: In the second game after you rescue her, though she definitely has a darker side as well. |
| 191 | * SadClown: In ''Throne of Bhaal'' she's back to regularly joking around with other members of the party, but conversations with Aerie, Charname, and [[spoiler: Sarevok (if you let her give a piece of her soul to him)]] reveal that she's hurting from her torture at Irenicus's hands and from dealing with Bhaal's taint. |
| 192 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: If she comes close to dying in the first dungeon of ''Baldur's Gate II'', she will run off and escape on her own. This is necessary as she needs to be alive in order to be abducted by Irenicus when the party gets out. |
| 193 | * ShipSinking: Of all the characters introduced during the first game, she's the one with the closest relationship to the PC, so when it became known that romance subplots would be included in the sequel many fans were surprised and disappointed that she wasn't one of the options. The writers had [[TheReveal other]] [[LukeIAmYourFather ideas]], and Imoen herself [[NoJustNoReaction recoils from the notion of dating Charname]] when Viconia asks about it in a banter. |
| 194 | * SiblingTeam: Of course. |
| 195 | * SnarkToSnarkCombat: Don't make the mistake of thinking she resorts to BuffySpeak because she's at a loss for words. There might be better thieves, there might be stronger mages, there might be would-be gods and mad scientist torturers, but Imoen tends to get the better of most people in dialogue. |
| 196 | * SoulFragment: She can part with a portion of her soul at one point in order to [[spoiler:resurrect Sarevok. He still has mostly his own personality, but it does give him and Imoen a strange bond.]] |
| 197 | -->'''Imoen:''' So... [[spoiler:Sarevok. You've had an itty-bitty piece of my soul in there for quite a while now. What's it been like?]]\ |
| 198 | '''[[spoiler:Sarevok Anchev]]:''' [[spoiler:Well, other than a slight obsession with my weight and the resurgence of a few pimples, it's been simply grand.]] |
| 199 | * TheSoulless: [[spoiler:For awhile.]] |
| 200 | * StuckItems: Her belt in [=BG2=]. |
| 201 | * TagalongKid: In the first game she sounds fairly immature. This is abandoned in the sequel. |
| 202 | * ThickerThanWater: Probably one of the reasons why almost everybody took a shine to her. Imoen is the only companion in the game who doesn't join your party to do good, TakeOverTheWorld or out of any other ambition, but simply because of ''you'' and ''you alone''. |
| 203 | * TookALevelInBadass: After she finds out what she is, she toughens up immensely. |
| 204 | * UndyingLoyalty: Towards you, no matter your reputation, but she'd really rather you at least ''try'' to be a good person. |
| 205 | -->'''Imoen:''' I'll stick with you no matter what, but we should still try and be decent to people. |
| 206 | * VideoGameCaringPotential: She is your eponymous little sister figure [[spoiler:(not just figuratively, as it turns out)]] and will stick with you no matter how terrible you are or what you do. She's basically meant to invoke this. |
| 207 | * WideEyedIdealist: At first, a bit. She's a little more worldly than she lets on, however. |
| 208 | * WomanChild: So much so that Jaheira even refers to her as "child", much to her chagrin, as Imoen is almost the same age as Charname. |
| 209 | * YouCantThwartStageOne: No matter what you do, Irenicus ''will'' succeed in whisking Imoen away to Spellhold. |
| 210 | [[/folder]] |
| 211 | |
| 212 | [[folder:Minsc & Boo]] |
| 213 | !!Minsc |
| 214 | [[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/minsc_706.jpg]] |
| 215 | [[quoteright:190:[[labelnote:Click here to see him in ''Heroes of Baldur's Gate''/''Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arcanum_worlds_heroes_of_baldurs_gate_v1_140.png]][[/labelnote]] |
| 216 | ->''"Buttkicking! '''FOR GOODNESS!'''" (Squeak!)'' |
| 217 | --> '''Voiced by:''' [[Creator/JimCummingsVoiceActor Jim Cummings]] (''[=BG1=]'' & ''[=BG2=]''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[=BG3=]'') |
| 218 | |
| 219 | -> '''Race:''' Human |
| 220 | -> '''Class:''' Ranger |
| 221 | -> '''Alignment:''' NeutralGood (''[=BG1=]''), ChaoticGood (''[=BG2=]'') |
| 222 | -> '''Place of origin:''' Rashemen |
| 223 | |
| 224 | Minsc is a good-hearted ranger and berserker from the far east country of Rashemen who was hit on the head and later sold a miniature giant space hamster named Boo, who, as he claims, gives him advice. Minsc came to the Sword Coast as the bodyguard of a witch named Dynaheir for reasons he doesn't really understand, but he is determined to fulfill his duty. |
| 225 | |
| 226 | ---- |
| 227 | * AbortedArc: Originally Minsc was going to have a unique quest in ''[=BG2=]'' like nearly every other character, but because it involved Boo being stolen it would necessitate all of his dialogue, battle quotes, and portrait to be redone, and time constraints forced him to have no unique quest. |
| 228 | ** A mod called "Unfinished Business" brings this quest to fruition. It also shows the effects of exactly what happens when Minsc is separated from his Boo. It also has MANY moments of absolute hilarity. |
| 229 | * AdventureDuo: With Dynaheir in ''[=BG1=]'', as the witch (or ''wychalarn'' in Rashemi) he has been assigned to protect during his ''[[RiteOfPassage dajemma]]''. He can potentially take up a similar role with Aerie in ''[=BG2=]''. And then of course there's always [[LoyalAnimalCompanion Boo]]. |
| 230 | * AndTheAdventureContinues: His ending. He's later revealed to have traveled through time to show up in the comics. |
| 231 | * ArbitrarySkepticism: In a world of magic, monsters, and, oh, say, giant {{Dire Beast}}s, is the idea of a giant hamster really ''that'' much of a stretch? Furthermore, animal companions do exist, and Animal Empathy is a spell Charname themselves can cast, so is it really so far-fetched that Minsc can communicate on some level with Boo? RuleOfFunny is, of course, heavily in play. |
| 232 | * AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: He disappears in his epilogue, and the theory is that this happened to them. ''ComicBook/LegendsOfBaldursGate'' reveals he actually got TakenForGranite. |
| 233 | * AssShove: |
| 234 | -->'''Minsc:''' Boo is small and evasive, and there is ever so much of Minsc to search... |
| 235 | * AttentionDeficitOohShiny: |
| 236 | -->'''Minsc:''' Your words are as sharp as my blade, though not half as shiny. Oooo, shiny. |
| 237 | * BarbarianHero: Not in technical gameplay terms, but he fits the archetype. |
| 238 | * BattleCry: Every other line. |
| 239 | * BerserkButton: Beyond the obvious literal pun of having a 'berserk' ability that's activated by pushing a button, Minsc has a gameplay version as well: Getting certain party members killed in battle (Dynaheir in the original, and Aerie/Nalia, Keldorn or Mazzy in the sequel) will cause Minsc to automatically use his 'Berserk' ability if he has it. |
| 240 | * BreakoutCharacter: A big lovable lug and one of the game's most quotable characters, to the point of appearing in Creator/IDWPublishing comics as recently as 2017, and is the first member of the original cast confirmed to return for ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII''. |
| 241 | * TheBerserker: Though he embraces rather than broods over it, since in his homeland it's the most honorable profession available to men. |
| 242 | * {{BFS}}: Minsc's weapon of choice, to a point where you wonder why he's a ranger instead of a fighter. The answer, of course, being that Fighters don't get animal companions, and what is Minsc without his Boo? |
| 243 | * TheBigGuy: Heavily muscled and none-too-bright, but loyal to a fault with a heart as big as all outdoors. |
| 244 | * BoisterousBruiser: One of the game's biggest hams and most enthusiastic warriors. |
| 245 | * BreakingTheBonds: Whereas Jaheira needs a key to free her from her cage, Minsc will simply fly into a berserker rage and smash his cage open. Justified, as his cage is ''welded shut''. |
| 246 | * BreakoutCharacter: He started as just one of a pair of mid-game characters, not being accessible until you reach the southernmost point on the map. He went on to become a default party member in the sequel game. And then he went on to become a main character in the comics! |
| 247 | * BruiserWithASoftCenter: For all his boisterousness and single-minded dedication to fighting evil in all its forms, Minsc cares deeply about the people around him and is very open about that sentiment. |
| 248 | * ChaoticGood: In ''[=BG1=]'', Minsc is listed as NeutralGood, but he acts chaotic good. In ''[=BG2=]'', this is corrected. [[invoked]] |
| 249 | * {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Is convinced Boo is a "miniature giant space hamster" and is obsessed with fighting evil. This supposedly started after he received a particularly nasty blow to the head, and he only gets worse in-between ''[=BG1=]'' and ''[=BG2=]'' due to Dynaheir's death. |
| 250 | * TheComicallySerious: When it comes to certain subjects, in particular Boo or protecting his witch. |
| 251 | * ConsultingMisterPuppet: As mentioned above, he often takes advice from his hamster. |
| 252 | * CrutchCharacter: In the second game (not at all in the first one): in ''Baldur's Gate II'' the player gets Minsc as a party member right at the start of the story and he comes with very decent stats (he doesn't require any Strength or Dexterity boosts and his Constitution is fine), a good weapon proficiency selection ([[{{BFS}} Two-handed swords]] as a primary weapon, [[CarryABigStick Maces]] for fighting TheUndead, and Longbows, if you need him to take the rear) and [[OurVampiresAreDifferent a racial enemy of whom you will be encountering plenty early on]]. As time goes on and you learn to master Vampire hunting even without him, strength boosting spells and items become aplenty and his inability to specialize in weapons beyond 2-star-proficiency starts to become noticeable, he compares in many circumstances increasingly unfavorably to the more specialized [[StoneWall Jaheira]], [[HolyHandGrenade Anomen]], [[LightningBruiser Korgan]], [[MageKiller Keldorn]], [[BlackKnight Dorn]], [[StealthExpert Valygar]], Mazzy and [[spoiler:Sarevok]]. While he can still wield two-handed swords like Keldorn, Maces like Anomen, Bows like Mazzy, hide in shadows like Valygar, go berserk like Korgan and use druidic buffing spells like Jaheira he isn't quite as good as any of them in their respective fields, lacking many of their better abilities (notably, Keldorn's immunity to magic debuffs and Dorn's Negative Plane Protection). |
| 253 | * DentedIron: His personality is the result of a few too many blows to the head. His Wisdom and Intelligence stats are probably a result of this, too. |
| 254 | * DumbIsGood: It's not clear whether his goodwill is in any way related to his brains (or rather, lack thereof), but generally it fits. |
| 255 | * DumbMuscle: He's literally the strongest party member in [=BG2=] except for Dorn, who comes out on top with 19 Strength. He's also, by far, the one with the least intelligence points. |
| 256 | * {{Expy}}: Of WesternAnimation/TheTick. Minsc's dialog and motivations are very much like The Tick's complete with a lot of humorous {{Metaphorgotten}} about justice. They're both not too bright and they both aren't exactly right in the head. |
| 257 | * EyeScream: |
| 258 | -->'''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8lLruVR2zQ Minsc]]:''' Go for the EYES, Boo! ''GO FOR THE EYES!'' |
| 259 | * FacialMarkings: They're standard for warriors from his culture, although Viconia thinks they're the work of finger-painting children. |
| 260 | * FailureKnight: In ''[=BG2=]''. He can redeem himself by adopting Aerie as his witch. With some mods, he can adopt Nalia (Nalia's romance mod) or a caster Charname (Minsc's friendship mod) instead. |
| 261 | * FearlessFool: In ''Shadows Of Amn'' every recruitable NPC, even supposedly valiant and gutsy ones like Keldorn and Korgan, has a Morale Break of 5 (out of 10), which means that unless you regularly cast ''Remove/Resist Fear'' spells or use Party leader with high Charisma, your party will suffer a lot of Morale failures. The only exception to this is Minsc, who has only a Morale Break of 2, meaning he is ''much'' less likely to run away as soon as you encounter enemies, making him especially useful at the start of the game, where you fight a lot of trivial battles which you wouldn't want to spend buffing spells on. |
| 262 | * FishOutOfTemporalWater: Downplayed in the ''ComicBook/LegendsOfBaldursGate''; Minsc is now ''generations'' after his days adventuring with Charname, but being [[CloudCuckoolander Minsc]], he hasn't really noticed the difference. |
| 263 | * {{Flanderization}}: A mild case, but it's there: his habit of talking to Boo became a much larger part of his characterization in the sequel. Justified in-story, as it's mentioned in his ''[=BG2=]'' profile that his inability to prevent Dynaheir's death has left him more unhinged than he already was. |
| 264 | * AFriendInNeed: If you pick a certain dialogue choice while Minsc is still locked in Irenicus' dungeon, he reveals that he and Dynaheir had left your adventuring party at the end of [=BG1=], but when they heard you had been kidnapped, tracked you to Athkatla with the intention of rescuing you when they were caught. |
| 265 | * FriendToAllLivingThings: Well, all animals, at least. Minsc has no qualms about butt-kicking (as long as it's for goodness). That said, Minsc loves animals. He's a ranger. One banter between him and Jaheira has Minsc trying to look after some squirrels, explaining that if he does not help protect their acorns then who will? Jaheira realizes that it's alright that Minsc is a [[DumbMuscle few sandwiches short of a picnic]], since his heart is definitely in the right place. |
| 266 | * ForGreatJustice: In the most over-the-top manner possible ''[=BG2=]''. Still present but less prominent in ''[=BG1=]''. |
| 267 | * GentleGiant: With animals, children, and the like. Not so much with evildoers. |
| 268 | * GlassCannon: In [=BG1=]. With low DEX and CON, stiff XP requirements for levelling up and favouring big swords, Minsc will hit like a mack truck but is alarmingly fragile for a frontliner. [=BG2=] fixes this by improving both his defensive stats by 1 and making healing faster and more efficient. |
| 269 | ** His DEX can be corrected by a pair of gauntlets that is found on the quest to rescue Dynaheir, interestingly enough. The anhkeg armor located [[PixelHunt in Nashkel]], which is where you find him, was made for this guy--it reduces his AC past 0 without him needing a shield, so he can still swing a two-handed sword. |
| 270 | * GoForTheEye: He tells Boo to do this as one of his attacking lines. |
| 271 | * HuskyRusskie: Or at least the FantasyCounterpartCulture version thereof. |
| 272 | * IncomingHam: He starts off pretty much every conversation this way, even the mundane ones. |
| 273 | * InformedFlaw: Zigzagged with his 9 charisma. In-universe, he does tend to irritate people with his antics and have trouble expressing himself. Players, however, find his boisterous nature and bizarrely clever wit extremely appealing. |
| 274 | * InnocentlyInsensitive: Many, many people mistake his comments for insults without him even noticing. If they spend enough time with him, they will usually realize that this is just Minsc's way of expressing himself. |
| 275 | * IWantToBeARealMan: The whole reason why he's on the journey. |
| 276 | * JusticeWillPrevail: And in his ending, he forms a group of warriors named The Justice Fist. But first: |
| 277 | -->'''Minsc:''' Jump on my sword while you can, evil. '''I''' won't be as gentle!\ |
| 278 | '''Minsc:''' Feel the backhand of JUSTICE!\ |
| 279 | '''Minsc:''' Aaah, we're all heroes... you and Boo and I... HAMSTERS AND RANGERS EVERYWHERE! '''REJOICE!!!''' |
| 280 | * KindheartedSimpleton: Thirsts for justice but lacks basic situational awareness. For the latter he has Boo. Oh, and Dynaheir, too. |
| 281 | * LargeHam: Top tier. Constantly enthusiastically overacting. |
| 282 | * LeeroyJenkins: |
| 283 | -->'''Minsc:''' Minsc shall inspire you by CHARGING BLINDLY ON! |
| 284 | * LoonWithAHeartOfGold: Minsc's sanity is highly suspect (and several of your companions will openly muse about it) but his devotion to Good is not. Even amongst the Good party members in the series Minsc is one of the most firmly outspoken devotees of goodness, to the point that even Keldorn and Mazzy, one of whom is a paladin and the second one in all but name, finds him inspiring. |
| 285 | * LudicrousGibs: Often on the distributing end, especially in the first game, where he can OneHitKill most enemies with little hit points. |
| 286 | * {{Lzherusskie}}: A native of the TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms FantasyCounterpartCulture to Dark Ages Russia and/or Ukraine. His name even sounds like the capital of Belarus (Minsk). Considering the racial background of Creator/BioWare's founders, this is presumably intentional. |
| 287 | * MistakenForRacist: By Mazzy, the halfling warrior. Minsc is genuinely impressed that someone of Mazzy's size could be such a dedicated "buttkicker for goodness". It takes a while for her to realise he's not [[YouAreACreditToYourRace making veiled jokes about her height]]. |
| 288 | * MyRulesAreNotYourRules: To become a Ranger the game engine requires you to have at the very least 14 Wisdom. Minsc's Wisdom is thus a staggering 8 points too low to technically become a member of that class. Maybe he had them *before* the head injury, or maybe Boo makes up the difference? |
| 289 | * NeverLearnedToRead: His intelligence is so low that he is the only party member in ''Shadows of Amn'' who counts as illiterate, meaning he cannot use any wands or scrolls. Since, unlike all other companions, he has only two free Quick Item slots anyway, this shouldn't pose too much of a problem, unless you're fighting Mind Flayers. |
| 290 | * NoIndoorVoice: It's hard to say whether he's louder while shouting at enemies or afterwards while extolling the goodness of smiting evil. Mostly, he's just loud. |
| 291 | * OddFriendship: Minsc and Keldorn. Despite being opposed on the Law/Chaos scale, Minsc will gladly fight beside anyone who ''kicks butt for goodness!'' |
| 292 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When your resident BoisterousBruiser advises you to "come back later, with a bigger sword", even the newest player should get the hint that Dragons are optional encounters to be fought when you're quite sure of your levels and equipment. And in BGII, if he's present when Charname first turns into the Slayer, he ''isn't'' hammy: |
| 293 | -->'''Minsc:''' Charname, Boo just soiled my backpack. |
| 294 | * PreAssKickingOneLiner: Every character delivers them from time to time, but Minsc moreso than most. |
| 295 | * ProudWarriorRaceGuy: In his homeland of Rashemen, a Berserker is considered to be a very noble profession and Minsc certainly takes as much pride in his status as possible. |
| 296 | * PunctuatedForEmphasis: |
| 297 | -->'''Minsc:''' I grow tired of shouting battle cries when fighting this mage! Boo will finish his eyeballs so HE DOES NOT RISE AGAIN! Evil, MEET MY SWORD! [[BringIt SWORD. MEET. EVILLLLLLLLLLLLLL!]] |
| 298 | * ReplacementGoldfish: Can bond with either Aerie as a replacement witch in ''[=BG2=]''. |
| 299 | * RiteOfPassage: He's on his ''dajemma'', a Rashemi custom in which a Berserker is assigned to protect a witch (in Minsc's case Dynaheir) on her journeys outside of the homeland. Thanks to Irenicus, Minsc [[FailureKnight ultimately fails]], though he can eventually take to Aerie as a ReplacementGoldfish. |
| 300 | * SmitingEvilFeelsGood: Well, just look at his quotes. If there's a chance to get into a brawl against something evil, Minsc has the sword out and ready to party. |
| 301 | * SoMuchForStealth: Granted, everyone has an "entering stealth mode" quote, but Minsc's deserves a special mention. Mechanically, he's [[GameplayAndStorySegregation actually still quite good at it]], being a ranger. |
| 302 | -->'''Minsc:''' ''[stage whisper]'' None shall see me! ''[regular voice]'' Though, my BattleCry may [[WithCatlikeTread give me away]]. |
| 303 | * SpeaksFluentAnimal: Using his class abilities. Notably, his animal companion, Boo, is much more intelligent than he is and frequently offers him sound advice to keep him on the straight and narrow. |
| 304 | * StuckItems: One of Minsc's few drawbacks as a frontline warrior is that one of his quick item slots is permanently occupied by Boo. |
| 305 | * SuperStrength: His defining attribute, gameplay-wise. His Dexterity and Constitution are fairly mediocre (especially in the first game), and his other stats are atrocious even by Warrior standards, but his Strength is the highest in the game (at least before [[spoiler:Sarevok]] in ''Throne of Bhaal'' and, as of the ''Enhanced Edition'', Dorn rolls around) by a long shot. As if that wasn't enough, he can boost it even further with his personal Berserking ability. |
| 306 | * SwordAndSorcerer: With Dynaheir, being her bodyguard being the point of his ''[[RiteOfPassage dajemma]]''. In the second game Minsc will also attempt to get a replacement witch. |
| 307 | * TakenForGranite: In the ''ComicBook/LegendsOfBaldursGate'', it's revealed that he got himself petrified by some evil wizard or monster at some point after the adventuring. Luckily for him, Delina the [[WildMagic Wild Mage]] accidentally restores him. Luckily for her, he mistakes her for Neera. He returns in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'' despite being a century later because of being saved by a Stone to Flesh spell. |
| 308 | * TeamPet: Pretty much declares his hamster Boo to be this. Most of the other companions eventually come to agree. |
| 309 | * ThirdPersonPerson: Quite a bit. |
| 310 | -->'''Minsc:''' Minsc will lead with blade and boot! Boo will take care of the details. |
| 311 | * TookALevelInBadass: Took A Level In Hamminess. Voicing between the first and second game. While the original was fairly hammy in its own right, the one in the second game took it to new heights. |
| 312 | * UndyingLoyalty: To Dynaheir. Can also become later this to Aerie. And, of course, to Boo. |
| 313 | * UnskilledButStrong: As a ranger Minsc cannot specialize in weapon proficiency beyond two-star proficiency, but with that Strength he'll still put a mighty dent into the enemy. |
| 314 | * UnstoppableRage: If Minsc gets angry, WATCH OUT! |
| 315 | * VampireHunter: In ''Shadows of Amn'' his racial enemy has been changed from Gnolls to Vampires. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation No explanation is given]], but it is without a doubt ''very'' useful. |
| 316 | * VideogameCaringPotential: He's one of the game's most endearing characters, and many players found his epilogue quite touching. |
| 317 | * WeHelpTheHelpless: |
| 318 | -->'''Minsc:''' As heroes we must befriend the friendless. We must help the helpless. We must [[DelusionsOfEloquence deaccuse]] the accused. |
| 319 | * WhatTheHellHero: Minsc will only abandon you if you attack Valygar, a NeutralGood ranger who's being hunted for his blood, or Drizzt, a ChaoticGood ranger famous for his exploits. |
| 320 | * WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: When All You Have Is A Big Freakin' Sword... Minsc prefers to respond to complex dilemmas with simple solutions. To wit: |
| 321 | -->'''Minsc:''' ''[in response to a genie who poses a version of the PrisonersDilemma to the PC]'' 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!\ |
| 322 | '''Minsc:''' ''[on selection]'' You point, I punch!\ |
| 323 | '''Minsc:''' ''[when promoted to party leader]'' Magic is impressive, but now MINSC leads! SWORDS FOR EVERYONE!\ |
| 324 | '''Minsc:''' ''[enemy is immune to his weapon]'' No effect!? [[GonnaNeedMoreX I need bigger sword]]... |
| 325 | * YouAreACreditToYourRace: In one banter with Mazzy Fentan in the second game, Minsc will state that he is impressed with how impressively she fights despite being so short. When Mazzy (who has a long history of being looked down on thanks to being a halfling) gets suspicious, Minsc replies that Boo has just told him that he's being insensitive and apologizes, and Mazzy realises that Minsc is way too earnest to say ''anything'' in bad faith and lets the matter drop. |
| 326 | |
| 327 | !!Boo |
| 328 | ->''(Squeak!)'' |
| 329 | |
| 330 | Minsc's miniature giant space hamster, bought from a merchant after he'd taken a blow to the head. Boo forms the brains of the Minsc-Boo duo, directing Minsc's wrath... or so Minsc says. While it's technically possible that Minsc is correct about Boo being from space, all evidence points to Boo being a normal, if brave, hamster. |
| 331 | |
| 332 | ---- |
| 333 | * AdaptationalBadass: The comics give this to the little guy, with one issue giving the hamster [[ADayInTheLimelight a night in the limelight]] where he manages to subdue an entire group of attackers. Alone. While Minsc and the party are sleeping in their hideout. |
| 334 | * AlienAnimals: Or at least that's what Minsc claims -- Boo is supposedly a miniature giant space hamster. Giant space hamsters actually exist in the ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'' setting, but of course none of the other companions know that, and they're the size of bears (and used as [[HorseOfADifferentColor mounts]] by gnomes) whereas Boo appears for all the world like an ordinary hamster. |
| 335 | * AmbiguousSituation: Is Boo actually what Minsc says he is, or is he just an ordinary hamster? Left as a RiddleForTheAges in the Bhaalspawn games, later ''D&D'' supplements and stories featuring the pair have embraced the former, with Boo demonstrating advanced AmplifiedAnimalAptitude in the comics and lending his name to ''Boo's Astral Menagerie'' for 5th edition's ''Spelljammer'', which comes right out and says Boo is a miniature giant space hamster in the introduction, and details their heightened intelligence (compared to their giant brethren) and telepathic ability in the Space Hamster entry. |
| 336 | * AmbiguousSyntax: "Miniature Giant Space Hamster" sounds like gibberish -- how can something be both miniature and giant at the same time? --and a space hamster sounds like it should be some kind of [[CallASmeerpARabbit smeerp]]. Giant space hamsters are real, at least out in [[TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}} Wildspace]], and are simply giant, bear-sized hamsters that live on other planets. |
| 337 | * AmplifiedAnimalAptitude: Boo regularly displays this, at least compared to normal hamsters (Which Minsc claims he isn't, and various stories agree). This include a natural instinct to protect Minsc as seen in various official art, and a lifespan that well extends past the usual 2 years average of a mundane hamster. |
| 338 | * LoyalAnimalCompanion: Oddly, despite being the least ranger-y of all ranger [=NPCs=] (Minsc wears heavy armor, uses a two-handed sword, and never seems to use stealth), Minsc is the only one with an animal companion. Sort of. |
| 339 | * MythologyGag: The ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'' setting actually does have giant space hamsters ([[OurGnomesAreWeirder space gnomes]] use them to [[HamsterWheelPower power their starships]]), and these come in many bizarre variants, which include "miniature giant space hamsters". ''Spelljammer'' and ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' do have canonical crossovers, so a miniature giant space hamster making its way to Faerun is, while unlikely, technically possible. |
| 340 | * NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Miniature Giant Space Hamster Animal Companion. |
| 341 | * ShoutOut: In addition to the MythologyGag of referencing ''Spelljammer'' in the ''Forgotten Realms'' setting, Boo later receives several future shout-outs of his own: |
| 342 | ** In a slightly hidden sidequest in ''NeverwinterNights2/MysteriesOfWestgate'', [[spoiler:a giant space hamster refers to the exploits of Minsc and Boo]]. |
| 343 | ** In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', you can purchase a hamster... for your spaceship, making it a ''space'' hamster, referred to in-game as such, and even reusing one of the classic audio clips for Boo. |
| 344 | ** ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'' has various cosmetic pets -- including the Miniature Giant Space Piglet (known simply as astral piglet in the game files) that comes with the preorder for both games, affectionately dubbed "Cosmo" by fans. |
| 345 | * TalkingAnimal: If you take Minsc's word for it. |
| 346 | * TeamPet: Tends to become this in good parties, though not everyone is quite as enthusiastic. |
| 347 | * TrueNeutral: Invoked. As a natural, ordinary (apparently) animal in ''D&D'', he's True Neutral in the sense that he has no other alignment. |
| 348 | [[/folder]] |
| 349 | |
| 350 | [[folder:Jaheira]] |
| 351 | !!Jaheira |
| 352 | [[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jaheira_5926.jpg]] |
| 353 | [[quoteright:190:[[labelnote:Click here to see her in ''Heroes of Baldur's Gate''/''Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arcanum_worlds_heroes_of_baldurs_gate_v1_136.png]][[/labelnote]] |
| 354 | ->''"You are amusing, in a "what the hell is wrong with you" kind of way."'' |
| 355 | --> '''Voiced by:''' Heidi Shannon ([=BG1=]) & ([=BG2=])], ''unknown'' ([=SoD=]), Tracy Wiles ([=BG3=]) |
| 356 | |
| 357 | -> '''Race:''' Half-Elf |
| 358 | -> '''Class:''' Fighter/Druid [multi-class] |
| 359 | -> '''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral |
| 360 | -> '''Place of origin:''' Tethyr |
| 361 | |
| 362 | Jaheira is a half-elven druid of Silvanus, but also a member of the Harpers and one of your late foster father Gorion's good friends. Having been named your godmother in your absence, she offers to join your party along with her husband Khalid, so as to help you in your travels along the Sword Coast. |
| 363 | |
| 364 | ---- |
| 365 | * ActionGirl: More so than any of the other female characters, which is saying something. |
| 366 | * AdventureDuo: In [=BG1=], with Khalid, and if the player character is male, potentially with him in [=BG2=]. |
| 367 | * AngerBornOfWorry: She reacts this way after [[spoiler:the PC takes an arrow for her when she's taken hostage by bandits]] during her romance. |
| 368 | * AntiHero: Despite being assigned a true neutral Jaheira is very much a good person, and actively fights for the cause of good. Don't let this fool you into thinking she's in any way an IdealHero. Jaheira will often reprimand other companions (usually [[QuitYourWhining Aerie]]) for showing signs of weakness. She will also often let by, even propose, less than ideal methods to achieve your goals for the greater good. |
| 369 | -->'''Jaheira''' [[LawfulGood Keld]][[ThePaladin orn]], I am discreet when I wish. I just find other methods to be... more effective. |
| 370 | * AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: See AngerBornOfWorry for the lion's share of these moments. |
| 371 | * BattleCouple: As above. As the only potential female love interest who's also a [[LadyOfWar front-line fighter]], this applies much moreso to her than to Aerie or Viconia. |
| 372 | * BearsAreBadNews: A [[TeamMom Team Ma]][[MamaBear ma Bear]] who (like most druids) can also [[VoluntaryShapeshifting wild shape]] into an actual bear. (Or a wolf.) |
| 373 | * BittersweetEnding: Her default epilogue. [[spoiler:It's implied her relationship with the Harpers is repaired to an extent, as she sometimes work alongside them, and she becomes known as a champion of balance. However, she's also become aware of how fleeting life can be, wrestles with her own thoughts frequently, and never returns to the Sword Coast or Tethyr again.]] |
| 374 | * BodyguardCrush: She potentially falls in love with a male Charname while traveling with him out of a promise made to Gorion. |
| 375 | * BattleCry: Say it with me: |
| 376 | -->'''Jaheira:''' NATURE, TAKE THE LIFE SHE GAVE! |
| 377 | * BelligerentSexualTension: Belligerent everything, really, but she ''is'' one of the romance options. |
| 378 | * BlueBlood: According to her biography (and a line during her romance in the second game), she was born into nobility in Tethyr. Her family lost their lands and position during the civil war and they fled to Calimshan, which is where she met Khalid. |
| 379 | * BrokenBird: In [=BG2=]. Her default epilogue sums it up well: [[spoiler:for all the championing she does, she is always distant, guarded, and never stays long in one place.]] |
| 380 | * BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:With her mentor in her personal quest.]] |
| 381 | * BrutalHonesty: Never hesitates to give her opinion, and let's just say tact and subterfuge aren't really her strong suits. |
| 382 | * ButForMeItWasTuesday: When she first meets Baron Ployer in [=BG2=], Jaheira spends most of the conversation not remembering who he is. It's only after Ployer has a minor breakdown and reveals that she accused him of being a slaver and ruined her life that Jaheira reveals she knew who he was all along; she just wanted him to out himself publically. |
| 383 | * CannotSpitItOut: Her romance probably features more [[FalseStart unfinished sentences that trail off with ellipses]] than any of the others. |
| 384 | * CantArgueWithElves: Or half-elves, or druids, and especially not Harpers. |
| 385 | * CharacterDevelopment: She gets more of it than perhaps any other character. |
| 386 | * {{Chickification}}: In the novels, she comes off as a terrible FauxActionGirl who has practically no self-preservation skills and constantly screams for help. |
| 387 | * ClingyJealousGirl: Try to talk to [[TheOldestProfession Madam Nin]] with Jaheira in your party, and Jaheira will decline Madam Nin's offer for you before you even have a chance to respond. |
| 388 | * ControlFreak: She has very specific ideas about how your quest ought to proceed, and if she doesn't like your decision-making, you can bet you'll hear about it. |
| 389 | * CrusadingWidow: Even though she expresses concern for Imoen's plight, one of her main motivations for seeking out Irenicus is to make him pay for Khalid's death. |
| 390 | * CrutchCharacter: Jaheira gains early levels relatively fast in both games due to the low XP requirements of her fighter/druid multitype (and starts with a significant pool of XP to help this along in [=BG1=]). She's invaluable for her high HP, combat skills and healing early on, but in both games she'll suffer in the mid- to late game (in [=BG1=] because Yeslick and Branwen bypass her with better spell lists, stats and equipment options, and in [=BG2=] and ''Throne of Bhaal'' the absurd XP requirements for Druid levels 14 and 15 effectively stalls her spellcasting for the entire late-game). |
| 391 | * DeadpanSnarker: Like everyone else, more so in the sequel than the first game, but the tendency was always there. She's fond of delivering rather cutting lectures, and can be ''incredibly'' sarcastic. |
| 392 | -->'''Jaheira:''' ''Yes'', O omnipresent authority figure? |
| 393 | * DefrostingIceQueen: She's never as cold or as haughty as Viconia, but she does warm up considerably over the course of the series. |
| 394 | * DistressBall: If you're in a romance with her, she picks it up on a few occasions, such as when [[spoiler:she's surprised and taken by the throat by a group of bandits]], and when [[spoiler:she's abducted by Bodhi]]. |
| 395 | * DontYouDarePityMe: Her reaction to the attempts of the other characters to console her after she finds Khalid's body in Irenicus's lab. |
| 396 | * {{Druid}}: One half of her dual class. She's more warlike and matter-of-fact and less mystical than Cernd. |
| 397 | * EnragedByIdiocy: And, as she sees it, SurroundedByIdiots. Jaheira does not suffer fools gladly. |
| 398 | * FirstGirlWins: If you romance her; it's a bit of a subversion however in that she was HappilyMarried and not available when the protagonist first met her. |
| 399 | * {{Foil}}: To Faldorn in [=BG1=] and Cernd in [=BG2=]. She's a fighter type with druid spells, while they're both primarily spellcasters. She's brash and snarky, while Faldorn is peaceable and non-confrontational and Cernd is mature and easygoing. Jaheira is a regular druid while Faldorn is a Shadow Druid. |
| 400 | * FridgeLogic: When Jaheira and Khalid are first met, they say that Gorion had appointed them to become Charname's guardian should anything happen to him before Charname grew up. Come the sequel, Jaheira is a romance option, which means a male PC is being crushed on by a woman who's not only much older than him, but was designated to become his stepmother. {{Squick}}? |
| 401 | * GoodIsNotNice: Good is even kind of mean, sometimes. "True Neutral" is just a formality of being a druid -- the only thing Jaheira is concerned about is what's right, preventing harm, helping those who cannot help themselves, tilting the balance which she, as a druid, believes to be unfairly weighted toward evil. If she has to shout in your ear, break down your gilded door, or club you over the head to make her point, she has no qualms about doing so. |
| 402 | * GoodIsNotSoft: Hard as solid oak, and committed to thwarting evil and tyranny. |
| 403 | * GreenThumb: Able to control plants through magic, like all druids. |
| 404 | * HairColorDissonance: Her hair is brown in [=BG1=], then inexplicably changes to blonde in [=BG2=], and not even a remotely dark shade either. |
| 405 | * HairTriggerTemper: Spends most of her time being annoyed, and it doesn't take much for her to launch into a lecture or rant. |
| 406 | * HalfHumanHybrid: She's a half-elf. |
| 407 | * HappilyMarried: To Khalid in [=BG1=]. [[spoiler:And to the PC in her epilogue, if her romance is completed.]] |
| 408 | * HeroWorshipper: She becomes this on some level Cernd in [=BG2=]. After all, he ''is'' a more senior druid than her. She doesn't exactly gush over him, but Cernd does have to ask her to dial back the reverence. |
| 409 | * HeroicBSOD: She does ''not'' take [[spoiler:Khalid's death]] well. [[spoiler:Galvarey and Dermin's treachery]] even more so. |
| 410 | * HostageSituation: Happens to her a few times; see DistressBall above. |
| 411 | * HowDareYouDieOnMe: She has this reaction if Khalid dies in the first game. She responds somewhat differently when he's KilledOffForReal. |
| 412 | * InHarmonyWithNature: Like most druids, one supposes. She does talk about "balance" a lot more than any of the others you meet however. Except Cernd. |
| 413 | * InsigniaRipOffRitual: If your actions meet her moral standards, she will eventually [[TakeThisJobAndShoveIt resign from the Harpers in disgust]] because of their persecution of the protagonist. [[spoiler:Her default epilogue suggests that her relationship with them eventually improved enough for her to sometimes work alongside them again.]] |
| 414 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She's RightlySelfRighteous, but she can come across as something of a bully along with it by virtue of how certain she is of being right. Good is not nice or soft, after all. |
| 415 | * KnightInSourArmor: She starts out pretty cynical, and only grows more so over the course of the saga, but she still believes in fighting for justice and balance. |
| 416 | * LadyOfWar: The most clear-cut example in the series, from her appearance to her personality to her choice of weaponry. Since she's a Fighter/Druid, she gets a bigger range of weapons and armor to wear than if she were just a Druid. |
| 417 | * TheLancer: In [=BG2=]; in [=BG1=] she's more of a mentor. |
| 418 | * LargeHam: Not as large as some of the others, but she still uncorks some choice lines. |
| 419 | * LevelUpAtIntimacy5: Completing her romance sidequest successfully nets her a very nifty item, as well as buckets of XP for both her and the PC. |
| 420 | * LostOrphanedRoyalty: Jaheira's biography states she's the daughter of nobles who was taken by a servant to be raised by Druids during the Thethyrian civil war. Since her family was on the losing side and all nobility in Tethyr were either slaughtered or exiled as a result, however, Jaheira could never re-establish her noble lineage there even if she wanted to. |
| 421 | * {{Lzherusskie}}: Despite the fact that she and Minsc are from different countries in the game world, she too sounds kinda Eastern European. |
| 422 | * MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: |
| 423 | ** Downplayed but still there, Jaheira being gruff, cynical and having a take-charge attitude compared to her shy, stuttering HenpeckedHusband Khalid. |
| 424 | ** Also a downplayed form of this between her and the serene, gentle and easygoing Cernd. |
| 425 | * MirrorCharacter: Jaheira's conviction and absolute certainty of her own rightness rub Nalia the wrong way at first. A little CharacterDevelopment on the latter's part and it's almost scary how alike they are, right down to Jaheira being a Tethyran noblewoman, albeit one from a defunct lineage who was raised by druids. |
| 426 | * MoodWhiplash: Constantly in [=BG2=]. Give her an order to walk somewhere, and she will speak in a calm, sometimes even caring tone ("As ''I'' would have done"). But order her to attack someone, and suddenly she screams at the top of her lungs: "FOR THE FALLEN!!!" "NATURE, TAKE THE LIFE SHE GAVE!!!" "FALL CREATURE, AND FEED THE EARTH!!!" |
| 427 | ** She used to scream "For the fallen!" in the first game as well, but for some reason it was not as jarring. |
| 428 | * NatureHero: Not a fantasy-world GranolaGirl like your stereotypical female druid, however. |
| 429 | * NoGuyWantsAnAmazon: Averted, possibly more than once depending on the PC's actions. Jaheira has a [[TheLancer very]] [[SugarAndIcePersonality strong]] [[DeadpanSnarker personality]], but is nevertheless HappilyMarried to Khalid in ''[=BG1=]'', and is one of the romance options for a male PC in ''[=BG2=]''. |
| 430 | * OnlySaneWoman: She certainly thinks so, at least, to the point that her quote upon being promoted to party leader is that you could not have made a better choice. |
| 431 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Jaheira's constant fault-finding is a fairly major character trait, and she takes special delight in calling out the various villains you face... To say nothing of her willingness to take you and your allies to task when she disagrees with ''anyone's'' decisions. |
| 432 | * RedHerringMole: You can accuse her of being a spy sent to watch the protagonist for the Harpers, but she's not. |
| 433 | * TheReliableOne: Both gameplay-wise and roleplay-wise. She's used to needing to be the responsible, take-charge person, and can be a little controlling because of that. |
| 434 | * RightlySelfRighteous: Never misses a chance to rub someone's face in the moral high ground which she's always, always on. |
| 435 | * RomancingTheWidow: If you choose her, this is what her romance subplot boils down to. |
| 436 | * ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: The key to her whole character -- ''uncompromising'' is the word. It's why she's so certain she's right, why she became a Harper, why [[spoiler:she later ''leaves'' the Harpers]], why she wouldn't let Khalid be resurrected knowing what he'd suffered, why she's a druid, and why she's there at your side. Either you're going to be the one to put a stop to the madness of the Bhaalspawn Crisis, or you're going to feed it and she's going to be the one to stop you, regardless of her promise to Gorion. Whatever happens, Jaheira is the kind of person who needs to see things through. |
| 437 | * SecretTestOfCharacter: Elminster shows up at the end of her main subplot to subject her to one. |
| 438 | * SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: If she's being romanced, she'll react this way when a merchant in the Docks District offers to sell the PC a lovers' locket inscribed to the two of them; it's fairly apparent however that [[EveryoneCanSeeIt he's on to something]]. |
| 439 | * SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Khalid, while shy and hesitant, never fails to step up when his blade is needed to defend the defenseless, and Jaheira loves him for it. |
| 440 | * SilkHidingSteel: Worldly and beautiful and more than willing to beat evildoers over the head with a length of wood or curved steel. |
| 441 | * SuddenlyShouting: [[MoodWhiplash All the time.]] Not so much in banter, but based on the difference in volume between her dialogue when resting/moving and attacking. It actually fits her [[SugarAndIcePersonality personality]] rather well. [[JokingMode Real in-game dialogue:]] |
| 442 | -->'''Jaheira:''' Nature's servant awai[[BattleCry FOR THE FALLEN!]] |
| 443 | * SugarAndIcePersonality: A classic example. She's a compassionate, caring person at heart, but she's a hard, uncompromising woman as well. If she's harsh, it's ''because'' she cares. If you romance her, you do see something of that softer side. |
| 444 | * SurroundedByIdiots: |
| 445 | ** How she feels in ''[=BG2=]''. Somewhat understandable, if you force the wrong lot of people on her. That absolutely nobody listens to her doesn't help either (Hell, the reason why she fell in love with [[UglyGuyHotWife Khalid]] in the first place may have been that he was the only one who listened to her). |
| 446 | ** She's like this in [=BG1=] as well, especially if she doesn't like your reputation. She'll say that the group needs "better leadership", implying that it's HER leadership that will make it better. |
| 447 | * TeamMom: In an overbearing, [[MyBelovedSmother "Jaheira knows best"]] sort of way. |
| 448 | * TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Tomboy to Aerie's girly girl. |
| 449 | * TurnInYourBadge: The Harpers may threaten to expel her from the organization in the second game for refusing to follow orders, depending on the player's actions. [[spoiler:If she approves of their actions, [[TakeThisJobAndShoveIt she'll just]] ''[[TakeThisJobAndShoveIt quit]]'' instead. Her default epilogue states she sometimes works with the Harpers in pursuit of balance, implying that their eventually relationship improved.]] |
| 450 | * TrueNeutral: [[strike:in-universe]]She's True Neutral of the balance variety, being a druid. |
| 451 | * VigilanteMan: Her default epilogue has her become this; [[spoiler:she becomes known as a tireless champion of balance, one who sometimes works with the Harpers and who sometimes doesn't.]] |
| 452 | * VitriolicBestBuds: With Aerie, whose naivete she seems determined to "fix". Even more the case if they're rivals for Charname's affections. |
| 453 | * VoluntaryShapeshifting: Has the ability to wild shape into various animal (and later elemental) forms, like most druids. |
| 454 | * WalkingTheEarth: Her default epilogue. She apparently crosses Faerun thrice over during it, [[spoiler:although she never returns to the Sword Coast again.]] |
| 455 | * WellExcuseMePrincess: One of the possible ways for her romance to play out, if you opt to play up the BelligerentSexualTension and snark from your end. |
| 456 | * WhatWereYouThinking: Whether she's henpecking Khalid or worrying about Gorion's ward, she tends to ask this one a lot. |
| 457 | [[/folder]] |
| 458 | |
| 459 | [[folder:Edwin Odesseiron]] |
| 460 | !!Edwin Odesseiron |
| 461 | [[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/edwin_8542.jpg]] |
| 462 | [[quoteright:190:[[labelnote:Click here to see him in ''Heroes of Baldur's Gate''/''Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arcanum_worlds_heroes_of_baldurs_gate_v1_144.png]][[/labelnote]] |
| 463 | ->''"(Sigh. It's aggravation like this that will eventually cause me to fireball the entire party as they sleep. Yes indeed, everyone peaceful and quiet and then FOOM!)"'' |
| 464 | --> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/JimMeskimen & Creator/TressMacNeille. |
| 465 | |
| 466 | -> '''Race:''' Human |
| 467 | -> '''Class:''' Mage (Conjurer) |
| 468 | -> '''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil |
| 469 | -> '''Place of Origin:''' [[TheMagocracy Thay]] |
| 470 | |
| 471 | Edwin is one of the Red Wizards, a sinister organization of mages that rule the nation of Thay to the east. Originally, he was sent to the Sword Coast to dispatch a Rashemi witch named Dynaheir for reasons unknown to the player. His skill in the arcane arts is enormous, matched only by his own ambition and apparent lack of common sense. Arrogant almost beyond belief but not without natural charm, Edwin can offer the protagonist his service for one year in exchange for helping him track down his target. |
| 472 | |
| 473 | ---- |
| 474 | * AbhorrentAdmirer: Subverted. He can be this to Viconia -- who's dismissive of him -- though he really doesn't care for her. |
| 475 | -->'''Edwin:''' ''[after Viconia covers up for a beggar in the Government District]'' What is this? Charity? From a dark elf? Are you going soft on me, my lascivious onyx priestess, hmmm?\ |
| 476 | '''Viconia:''' Do not concern yourself. If I dislike the law in this city, it is because I know how some can be disregarded by it completely. The pathetic rivvil can rot in the Abyss for all I care.\ |
| 477 | '''Edwin:''' So you say, drow. I suggest you drink more of the poison that makes up your black heart and forget such nonsense in the future. |
| 478 | * AerithAndBob: Edwin is a not-exactly-rare English name -- which stands out a lot in the high-fantasy setting of ''Forgotten Realms''. |
| 479 | * AlwaysABiggerFish: One of Edwin's idle chatter comments is how he's stronger than Elminster -- who, for the uninitiated, is basically the most powerful wizard in all of the ''Forgotten Realms''. If he survives until the end of ''Throne of Bhaal'', [[spoiler:it's revealed he was actually foolish enough to try and live up to this boast. Elminster transformed Edwin back into "Edwina" and is implied to strip him of his magical powers for good measure. Edwin spends the rest of his life as a "bitter, bitter" woman working in a Waterdeep tavern.]] |
| 480 | * AmbitionIsEvil: An archetypal Red Wizard, Edwin is power-hungry and opportunistic to a fault; he is always ready to exploit others for his own gain. |
| 481 | * AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: Gameplay-wise, this is what makes him so skilled as a wizard. His irremovable birthright amulet bestows upon him extra spells to cast per level: one in the first game, and two in the second one. Then, add yet another spell slot per level due to his specialization as a conjurer, and Edwin can cast more spells than even a player-built generalist wizard. |
| 482 | * ArchEnemy: To Minsc and Dynaheir. In [=BG1=] it's nigh impossible to recruit them into the same party without them coming to blows. [[labelnote:]]To recruit all three in ''[=BG1=]'', you have to save Dynaheir before you talk to Edwin. Talk to Edwin afterward and he'll offer to join your party "to keep an eye on the witch".[[/labelnote]] In ''[=BG2=]'', you can freely have Edwin and Minsc in the same party, but a fight to the death will break out sooner or later. |
| 483 | * AttractiveBentGender: Is magically transformed into a woman in ''[=BG2=]'', and, of course, Minsc makes a pass at him. A male Charname can also potentially draw attention to his chest area. |
| 484 | * BeardOfEvil: Of the diabolic goatee variety -- though, DependingOnTheArtist, he may be depicted with a full one instead. |
| 485 | * BlueBlood: He's a Red Wizard which, back in Thay, automatically bestows ennoblement. But even without that he'd still be one seeing as the “long and proud” Odesseiron family is alive and well in the ''Forgotten Realms''' canon. |
| 486 | * TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed: Tries to ridicule Minsc by comparing Boo to “a rat in [his] trousers” only to unerringly collide with Minsc's EntendreFailure. |
| 487 | * BuffySpeak: Amusingly, degenerates into this when he's enraged: |
| 488 | -->'''Edwin:''' (I will kill ALL of them. Slowly. With... with HOT... pokey things and... and coals and... and prods. Yessssss, prods. Many, many prods.) |
| 489 | * BunnyEarsLawyer: Downplayed. Edwin isn't quite as eccentric as Minsc and is capable of functioning like a normal person while being a competent mage on top of it, but he has a habit of talking to himself in parentheses and is taken by surprise when people call him out of it. |
| 490 | * ButtMonkey: Of the second game. Edwin's schemes tend to blow up in his face and his general inability to catch a break is downplayed by his sheer refusal to go down, as well as his affiliation with Charname. |
| 491 | * BuxomBeautyStandard: When he is gender-bent, Edwin gets an enormous rack, and gets plenty of attention due to it, with a male Charname drawing attention to it in some dialogue. Even Yoshimo comments on it, suggesting he let him expand his robes so they aren't so constrained. |
| 492 | * CasualDangerDialogue: |
| 493 | ** His response when he finds himself in [[spoiler:the hellish dimension]] at the end of ''Shadows of Amn'' is by far the most blasé of all the companions. |
| 494 | --->'''Edwin:''' Eh? Oh, [[spoiler:the Nine Hells]], is it? Hmph. Yes, I felt your infernal power tugging at me, but I was coming here anyway. |
| 495 | ** He's also outstandingly unruffled if you try to sell his soul to Thrix the Profane in ''[=SoD=]'', citing he knew that Charname wouldn't let the devil take him. |
| 496 | * CharacterTic: His under-his-breath mutterings, which are presented in-game as extra lines of dialogue in parenthesis. |
| 497 | * ClaspYourHandsIfYouDeceive: His in-game character portraits. |
| 498 | * DeadpanSnarker: Oh, ''in spades''. |
| 499 | -->'''Edwin:''' ''(if Mae'Var has been exposed, but he's still alive)'' The time to slay the betrayer is upon us! We must be swift, else the Shadow Thieves mark us for death in Mae'Var's stead. ''(softly and insinuatingly)'' This would be bad, understand? |
| 500 | * DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: His idle pontifications about others' low intelligence as well as the temptation of raining fireballs upon them as they sleep aren't as subtle as they ought to be. He is startled if he's called out. |
| 501 | * DifficultButAwesome: Of all the original companions of the second game, he is the only one who cannot wear any armor,[[note]] but neither can other mages as it blocks their spellcasting entirely; Aerie's cleric multi-class means she can at least equip both heavy shields and helmets, and Imoen, Nalia, and Jan could technically equip bucklers if you wanted to put them in melee for some reason[[/note]] also lacks the high Dexterity and AC bonus all the other mages have, and consequently, has what is likely to be the worst Armor Class in the game. He also has the worst weapon selection (only staves, daggers, darts, and slings) and the worst ''[=THAC0=]'', thanks to having negligible Strength. This means a player using him must completely make up for all of this with wizard spells alone, to compensate for what other companions have as passive bonuses. Once you manage to get that to work (which usually translates into meticulously studying every single spell description), Edwin is an [[LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards absolute powerhouse]] (he can cast 3 spells more per level per day than the standard wizard, e.g., at level cap a regular mage has 47 spells per day to cast; Edwin has ''74''). On top of all that, unlike other canon characters, Edwin levels up far faster than any other dual- or multi-class. |
| 502 | * DitzyGenius: A rare villainous version. Nobody doubts that Edwin is a brilliant spellcaster, but he doesn't seem to be capable of doing much else. Reflected by his stats: top-notch Intelligence, but low-to-average Wisdom. His Strength and Dexterity are also low enough that it barely matters whether he actually carries a weapon or not. However, in ''Siege of Dragonspear'' he's smart enough to play (and win) at a game of chess (or the equivalent in ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms''), while in ''Shadows of Amn'' he sees right through the player's ruse during their stint undercover for the Shadow Thieves in Mae'Var's guildhall. Also in ''Shadows of Amn'', he figures out Yoshimo has a dark secret. |
| 503 | * EmbarrassingNickname: When he's turned to a woman, the game and many others still list him as 'Edwin'. However, Anomen and Yoshimo decide to call him 'Edwina' to make fun of him. |
| 504 | * EvilGenius: Technically this, but his behavior and [[GenderBender the result of his sidequest]] in ''Shadows Of Amn'' actually push him closer to the role of the ButtMonkey. |
| 505 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: Not surprising, considering he's Lawful Evil. He dislikes working with [[spoiler:Sarevok]], as working with allies is bad enough without consorting with the enemy and he utterly hates letting debts go unpaid. |
| 506 | * EvilSorcerer: Except that he is on your side. |
| 507 | * FirstLawOfGenderBending: Subverted with his transformation by the Nether Scroll, which is eventually undone by another Red Wizard, much to Edwin's relief. [[spoiler:Played straight when Elminster transforms him into a woman and strips his magic away, which “Edwina” is said to be very bitter about.]] |
| 508 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: Edwin is the only companion who is more or less incapable of befriending a single party member, with most of them just barely willing to tolerate him -- though making friends does not seem like a priority for him. In the pre-EE ''[=BG2=]'', he also has the most intra-party conflicts, pushing other characters sufficiently far that they'll drop the gloves and try to murder him. |
| 509 | * TheGadfly: Almost all of his in-game banter consists of him unceremoniously launching into a conversation starting with an insult, leading into some incisive dig on some cornerstone of the other person's whole character. And you can tell he relishes seeing others uncomfortable. |
| 510 | * GainaxEnding: His ''Throne of Bhaal'' epilogue leaves plenty to be desired, for sure. [[spoiler:His accomplishments such as managing to “subjugate the Red Wizards themselves” and “becoming the greatest leader they’d known in recent memory” (the ‘how’ of that is not clear[[note]]the Red Wizards are led by the Council of Zulkirs -- the most distinguished of the specialist mages with the necromancer Szass Tam being the most powerful of them; Szass’s power nigh-rivaled that of the Sorcerer-King Larloch’s[[/note]]) are thoroughly overshadowed by his ridiculous decision to fight Elminster. And Elminster to boot somehow manages to strip Edwin of his wizardry (the ‘how’ of that is not clear, again[[note]]a feat that only Mystra/Midnight can perform -- but she wouldn’t since she’s all about spreading the use of magic; the only exception to this rule are the spellcasters that threaten the fundamental workings of the Weave itself[[/note]]) and then make him, a scion of a noble family, tend the bar in a Waterdhavian tavern.]] To summarize, there are too many ambiguities and contradictions with the ''Forgotten Realms'' canon to make this ending anything but a Gainax one. |
| 511 | * GenderBender: Edwin has a sidequest about this, and his [[spoiler:ultimate unmodded ending is this]]. |
| 512 | * GenderBenderAngst: Suffice to say, he does not take pleasure in being turned into a woman. |
| 513 | -->'''Edwin:''' If I must live like this, your life shall be as much a hell as mine. |
| 514 | * HandsomeLech: He's conventionally attractive, but his attempts to flirt with Viconia and Mazzy go as well as one might expect. Even so, he does mention visiting various brothels on more than one occasion. |
| 515 | * ImmortalitySeeker: One of his greatest goals and the reason why he asks you to retrieve the Nether Scroll for him. |
| 516 | * IneffectualDeathThreats: See above and below. |
| 517 | * InTheHood: A big red and gold hood, as seen in both of his official portraits. |
| 518 | * JerkassHasAPoint: Sometimes, yes. He correctly deduces that Valygar has mage training despite his misgivings for magic, tells Nalia off for not understanding what it means to be poor and gets a mighty dig in at [[spoiler:Sarevok]]. |
| 519 | -->'''[[spoiler:Sarevok]]:''' I rose to power by choosing whom I followed carefully and surrounding myself with beings of power. My tactic has not changed and will be fruitful in the end.\ |
| 520 | '''Edwin:''' Well, I suppose I should be grateful to be included. I look forward to being a part of your next defeat. |
| 521 | * LameComeback: He can be witty, but he's not very quick on his feet. One imagines he spends a lot of time brooding on exactly the right thing to say, and crumbles when things don't go according to plan. This allows some characters to easily shut him down. |
| 522 | * LargeHam: He hams it up with a vengeance once he returns in the sequel. |
| 523 | * LawfulEvil: Apart from his desire to be a conventional Red Wizard, you'll notice that all his attempts to get into your party involve making a deal of some kind. In ''[=BG1=]'' it involves him exchanging “one year of his services as a wizard” so you'd kill Dynaheir for him, and in ''[=BG2=]'' him trading a plot-related key for a place in your party. [[invoked]] |
| 524 | * ManIFeelLikeAWoman: He can't help but check himself out when he's turned into a woman. |
| 525 | * MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers: It's kind of his thing, and in an in-game balance sense, prevents his pure mechanical superiority as a wizard from making him too obvious of a choice. In a pure role-playing sense, too few people like him. The feeling is oftentimes mutual. His conflicts include: |
| 526 | ** Minsc and Dynaheir, both natives of Rashemen, long-time enemies of Edwin's home nation of Thay -- and that's without Edwin setting you up with a quest to kill Dynaheir out of nowhere the first time you talk to him. |
| 527 | ** Ajantis, a paladin who'll quickly come to blows with any evil party member. |
| 528 | ** Keldorn, Ajantis's mentor, who's a bit more level-headed about such things, but Edwin [[SubvertedTrope attacks Keldorn rather than the other way around]], out of fear that Keldorn is inevitably going to come after him. [[labelnote:]]However, this conflict is easy to prevent as Edwin will only lash-out if he stands really close to Keldorn.[[/labelnote]] |
| 529 | ** From the ''Enhanced Edition'', Neera, a wild mage, is on the run from the Red Wizards of Thay. Edwin, on the other hand, is a Red Wizard of Thay (albeit on shaky terms with his order for one reason or another). The two ''will'' work together, but Edwin will draw a line if you try to advance Neera's personal questline of assaulting the Thayan Enclave in Athkatla. |
| 530 | * NobleFugitive: Becomes this in ''[=BG2=]'' after a fellow Red Wizard exposes and tries to kill him. |
| 531 | * NominalHero: He's willing to tag-along into increasingly-dangerous situations and help you save the world, but it's entirely out of self-interest. |
| 532 | * OddFriendship: Perhaps the oddest in the game: with Alora, the incredibly chipper halfling thief from the first game, whose sheer niceness seems to disarm him, making her possibly the one person he's nice to without any ulterior motive. Her presence alone will defuse the conflict that'll eventually erupt between Edwin and Dynaheir. |
| 533 | * PaintingTheMedium: He acknowledges how the player delivers orders in the first game. |
| 534 | -->'''Edwin:''' I do not understand this "mouse" magic that makes me do your bidding. |
| 535 | * PetTheDog: Quite a few. |
| 536 | ** His kindness towards Alora. She brings it out in him in some manner. |
| 537 | ** In ''[=SoD=]'', if you help him kill his ally-turned-enemy Vichand, he thanks you for it and rewards you with the Robe of Red Flames, a magic robe that enhances the wearer's power with and resistance to fire-based magic. |
| 538 | ** He's almost uncharacteristically concerned over Charname becoming the Slayer, saying that he'll keep an eye on them for their own sake. |
| 539 | * PlatoIsAMoron: His envy of the wizard Elminster Aumar is legendary. |
| 540 | -->'''Edwin:''' Elminster this, Elminster that! Give ''me'' two thousand years and a pointy hat and I'll ''[[SophisticatedAsHell kick his arse!]]'' |
| 541 | * PlayingWithFire: Downplayed. Edwin is a Conjurer, whereas spells relating to fire fall into the Evocation school. However, the spell Fireball seems to be his favorite since he often mutters about chucking fireballs at people that annoy him (or sometimes even the whole party, though he never gets around to it unless you tell him to). Appropriately, in ''Siege of Dragonspear'', he can give you an old robe of his that enhances the damage of fire spells cast by the wearer. |
| 542 | * TheProudElite: Outwardly, Edwin's cold, snobbish and unapproachable, but deep inside he hides, to quote a certain serving girl, a “softer, sweeter side.” And he's resolute not to display that side of him to ''anyone'' as his knee-jerk reaction reveals. |
| 543 | * {{Retcon}}: Zigzagged. In [=BG1=] Edwin has a beard, which was fine, but in the time between ''[=BG1=]'' and its sequel, the Red Wizards were declared by ''Forgotten Realms''' canon to view facial and body hair as barbaric, making Edwin a bizarre and unique case of CharacterizationMarchesOn -- but only for his homeland, not for him -- and artistic license, because Creator/BioWare could easily have just removed the beard for the sequel. Nonetheless, this got eventually Subverted for the 4th and 5th editions of D&D where the Red Wizards -- particularly those outside of Thay -- were once again allowed to grow out their hair. |
| 544 | * SarcasticDevotee: He might snark at you and talk about fireballing his allies, but he's as loyal as the other evil-aligned characters who tend to leave only when your reputation climbs too high. |
| 545 | * SavagePiercings: In his second-game portrait, his nose and eyebrow piercings were presumably meant to make him look exotic by Sword Coast/traditional medieval-fantasy standards. The ''Realms'' canon later specified that the Red Wizards found piercings tasteless as well as facial hair. See {{Retcon}} above. |
| 546 | * SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Once in a while drops big words as a way to show that he's smarter than everyone else. |
| 547 | * ShutUpKirk: To Nalia when she tries to faux-empathize with Edwin's gender-bending dilemma by saying she would've loved an 'opportunity walk a mile in another's shoes': |
| 548 | -->'''Edwin:''' Would you now? I would wish it on you if I could, but you do not mean what you say. You could do as such now, but you do not. Shed your wealth and harvest the fields. You no more walk in the shoes of those you pity than I would, and I pity everyone. The only shoes I wish are mine own!\ |
| 549 | '''Nalia:''' But I just thought...\ |
| 550 | '''Edwin:''' You thought I would desire to know the thoughts of others, but you were wrong. I have no such desire. Whatever the rest of you think is irrelevant. My own thoughts, my own shoes, my own BODY! These are all that matter! |
| 551 | * SmallNameBigEgo: Downplayed. Edwin likes to brag about being a powerful and well-connected Red Wizard who's traveling the Sword Coast for his own reasons, but when you encounter other members of his organization it becomes clear that he's a low-ranking wizard of little importance. In the sequel, he's a bit less proud of his association and it's suggested that he's been exiled. Regardless, he's still hands-down the best arcane caster companion you can recruit in both games. |
| 552 | * SmugSnake: He styles himself as a cold and calculating EvilGenius, but his chronic less-than-commendable behavior and recklessness with magical artifacts hamper his progress towards world domination frequently. |
| 553 | * TheStarscream: During Mae'Var's Guildhall questline, Edwin serves as Mae'Var's trusted second-in-command but is all too willing to turn against him in the end. He uses information incriminating Mae'Var to bribe his way into the party, correctly deducing that Charname came for such information in the first place. |
| 554 | * StuckItems: Edwin's birthright amulet gives him an additional spell slot per spell level in ''[=BG1=]'' and two additional slots per spell level in ''[=BG2=]''. If the player tries to remove it, he'll angrily knock their hand aside, saying it's a memento of Thay. |
| 555 | * SuperIntelligence: Noteworthy in that Edwin's Intelligence of 18 is considered peak human cleverness by 2nd edition standards, and mechanically it allows him to scribe spells of any level, up to fifteen per level. Give him a boost of 1 or more and he can learn them ''all.'' |
| 556 | * SummonMagic: He specializes in Conjuration, the act of conjuring items and summoning creatures. This starts with simple Monster Summoning spells at spell levels 3, 4, and 5 but increases to {{Elemental Embodiment}}s, djinni, djinn-adjacent creatures, and even demons and devils. Once [=HLAs=] are unlocked, he can learn to summon a Fallen Planetar. |
| 557 | * SupermodelStrut: According to Nalia, Edwin, when he gender-bends himself, starts 'walking like a prostitute'. |
| 558 | * TokenEvilTeammate: It's common for him to end up this way in good-aligned parties given his status as the only pre-EE single-class mage that appears throughout ''[=BG2=]''. |
| 559 | * TooCleverByHalf: A few people can stand him and he himself can barely stand to be around anyone else. While more often than not successful, some of his schemes can backfire on him, which undercuts his achievements somewhat. |
| 560 | * VillainousFriendship: The only other evil-aligned character Edwin actually seems to like is Korgan from the second game. It's not surprising when you take a step back: both are verbose, both are vulgar, and both take delight in provoking and insulting others. They also want essentially the same things out of life: material wealth and power over others. |
| 561 | [[/folder]] |
| 562 | |
| 563 | [[folder:Viconia [=DeVir=]]] |
| 564 | !!Viconia [=DeVir=] |
| 565 | [[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Viconia2_4239.jpg]] |
| 566 | [[quoteright:190:[[labelnote:Click here to see her in ''Heroes of Baldur's Gate''/''Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arcanum_worlds_heroes_of_baldurs_gate_v1_154.png]] [[/labelnote]] |
| 567 | ->''"Trust is for the foolish. And the dead."'' |
| 568 | --> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/GreyDelisle ([=BG1=]) & ([=BG2=]), Jess Nesling ([=BG3=]) |
| 569 | |
| 570 | -> '''Race:''' Drow |
| 571 | -> '''Class:''' Cleric of Shar |
| 572 | -> '''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil, potentially TrueNeutral as of ''Throne of Bhaal'' |
| 573 | -> '''Place of origin:''' [[BeneathTheEarth The Underdark]] |
| 574 | |
| 575 | Viconia is a drow, a race of AlwaysChaoticEvil elves who live beneath the earth. Having fled her homeland due to a string of conflicts with rival families and her GodOfEvil, she is now wandering the surface by herself with no purpose beyond surviving in a land foreign to her both in appearance and in customs. Unlike most of her kin who have fled to the surface though (such as [[Literature/TheDarkElfTrilogy the famous Ranger Drizzt Do'Urden]]), Viconia is by no means intending to leave her nature behind her and become a good person. Rather, she has become a loyal follower of the dark goddess Shar, the Mistress of the Night, worshipping who has become one of the few distractions in her otherwise lonely existence. |
| 576 | |
| 577 | ---- |
| 578 | * AbortedArc: According to [[WordOfGod David Gaider]], Viconia was originally going to have a far bigger role in the Underdark sequence. She would [[spoiler:betray your group and attempt to regain her status in drow society by becoming the woman who captured Bhaal's child, though she'd have a change of heart after realizing [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Matron Mother Ardulace would sacrifice her too]], and break you out of captivity instead. This even had a resolution of sorts; when the party confronts Ardulace, the matron mother was to express surprise that Viconia would betray her, and offer to let her join House Despana, an offer Viconia declines.]] She still has a lot of unique flavour dialogue there, and essentially serves as the best possible Underdark guide of the playable characters. |
| 579 | * AffablyEvil: Compared to most evil companions. Sure, she's a jerk, but she can show genuine politeness and gratitude to those on her "approval list". She's also sane and stable, whereas the majority of the other Evil party members are at least mildly nuts -- in fact, until the [[UpdatedRerelease Enhanced Edition]] added Dorn, she was the only Evil party member who appears in both games who isn't crazy in some flavor. (Kagain had some shades of this as well, but only appeared in the first game.) |
| 580 | * AllGirlsWantBadBoys: In order to successfully romance Viconia, you must not appear to be weak or submissive to her during the early stages of the romance. Unless you choose options that make you seem self-confident and somewhat cocky she'll quickly lose interest in you. |
| 581 | * AlphaBitch: She lacks a GirlPosse, but otherwise she is essentially this to a T, especially in the second game. Justified, since Drow society actively encourages females to vie for that position. |
| 582 | * AwesomeButImpractical: Gets this a lot gameplay-wise, especially in the first game; 50% natural Magic resistance? Awesome. There are only a very limited number of hostile spellcasters in the game? Oh dear. Not to mention that in the base game, this meant she'd only be half-affected by healing spells due to a programming error. Also, unlike the second game there is only one item in the game (the Gauntlets of Ogre Power) to permanently fix her abysmal strength, and you'll probably want to use it on one of your warriors instead. And this is not even mentioning her alignment (In the case of most classes, your alignment is a non-issue, but in the case of clerics, it determines what spells you get and what effect your Turn Undead ability has). |
| 583 | * BettyAndVeronica: She'll always be the Veronica regardless of who her rival is. |
| 584 | * BirthDeathJuxtaposition: [[spoiler:Her romance epilogue slide has her become a mother, but also reveals she died sometime after the birth.]] |
| 585 | * BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:If the protagonist falls in love with her, this is her ending: she gives birth to his son and they're happy together...until she's assassinated by drow. The Ascension mod tries to justify it by stating outright that the poison used was a super-special epic poison brewed by Lolth herself.]] |
| 586 | * BlackWidow: During her romance, she admits to having had four husbands before. The first three she apparently "killed for sport", while the last one, whom she actually feels a little guilty about, she caught in bed with her sister and so she set them both on fire. Given Viconia's issues, it's hard to say how much of this is truth and how much of this is her either testing the protagonist, trying to drive him away, or both. Justified with drow society being both evil and matriarchal. [[DeliberateValuesDissonance Black Widows are pretty common amongst them.]] |
| 587 | * BlessedWithSuck: She has natural magic resistance, which comes in handy: except when she's critically injured in the middle of a battle and a healing spell fails on her. Healing potions seem to work fine though and the problem is fixed in the sequel. |
| 588 | * BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: It's implied that part of her motivations for trying to drive the player's character away during their romance is that, really, she believes that he's going to get hurt either by her or because of her and she doesn't want that to happen. |
| 589 | * BrokenBird: Viconia has had a ''lot'' of nasty stuff happen to her, and it's left serious scars on her. |
| 590 | * BurnTheWitch: In the first game, you have to save her from a Flaming Fist mercenary hunting her down. In the second game, some fanatical Beshaba cultists are planning on literally doing this to her in the Government district. If you don't save her in either case, she dies. |
| 591 | * CanNotSpitItOut: Viconia has [[MyGirlIsASlut no problem sleeping with a male protagonist]] if you romance her, but admitting that she loves him proves to be very difficult for her. |
| 592 | * CharacterDevelopment: She undergoes quite a bit, particularly if the PC romances her. Notably, [[spoiler:even her unromanced epilogue details incidents of her going partaking in altruistic heroism.]] |
| 593 | * ClingyJealousGirl: She reacts with incredulity and frustration if you flirt with her fellow drow Phaere in the Underdark. She's more understanding if you choose to ''sleep'' with Phaere (at least compared to Aerie and Jaheira), but she still notes that she'd love to kill Phaere herself would it not risk your disguise. |
| 594 | * CrazyInTheHeadCrazyInTheBed: Of the possible {{Love Interest}}s, she's by far the most unhinged, due to her evil upbringing as a Undercity drow, her antagonizing attitude and her constant mood changes. She's also the most sexualized of them, with the relationship starting as purely carnal and her being a satisfying lover being frequently pointed out. Your companions (and even herself) seem to assume you're only romancing her because she's a crazy hot drow. |
| 595 | %%* DarkActionGirl: A heroic example. |
| 596 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: |
| 597 | ** [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Her beloved brother Valas]] helped her flee to the surface, but was caught and punished with the [[AFateWorseThanDeath Drider]] [[ForcedTransformation transformation]]. Then, once she got to the surface, she had to trade sexual favors to a Calishite merchant for shelter. He had a heart attack mid-coitus, causing guards to accuse her of murder and sending her on the run. |
| 598 | ** For a bit more recent history, in-between the first game and the second, she tried to buy a small farm outside of Beregost and just live a peaceful life. No matter how benevolent the protagonist was there, she was tricked, knocked over the head, "tortured and abused" (which some consider euphemism for "raped") and BuriedAlive. |
| 599 | * DeadpanSnarker: She'll snark at just about everything and everyone, deadpan or otherwise. Naturally, this doesn't do much for her popularity with the rest of the party. |
| 600 | -->'''Viconia:''' That bleeding heart of yours must cost you a small fortune in laundering. |
| 601 | * DefrostingIceQueen: At times. She tends to freeze back up again however (see Tsundere below). |
| 602 | * DeliverUsFromEvil: Regardless of whether her alignment change is triggered, her romance ending shows that having Charname's child makes her nicer. |
| 603 | * DiabolusExMachina: [[spoiler:What happens to her in her ending if she's the main character's love interest]]. |
| 604 | * DistressBall: In both games, she manages to independently get herself captured by xenophobes, requiring you to save her from death. Or, if you prefer, [[WhatTheHellHero you can just leave her]]. The second game contains a particularly bizarre example, as the cultists attempting to burn her at the stake A: want to kill her because she's evil (technically true, she hasn't actually committed any crimes... Unless you count the [[VillainyDiscretionShot serial murders she committed in her backstory]], but, really, the player's probably hardly able to take the moral high ground on the [[RPGsEqualCombat "killed a lot of people in self-defense" front]]. However, she killed at least one innocent surfacedweller as a priestess of Lolth) and B: are worshippers of ''Beshaba''. Who is herself one of the setting's many, ''many'' [[GodOfEvil malevolent deities]], being the Goddess of Ill Fortune, Calamity and Disaster. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black... |
| 605 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: She will chastise several villains for various reasons, like running away (Irenicus) or manipulating Charname (Jarlaxle). |
| 606 | * FantasticRacism: Both ways, actually. She is treated pretty badly by other party members, sometimes just for being a drow. That said, she clearly despises regular elves (Aerie is the target of relentless, unprovoked mockery from her, and she won't romance full elves), calls Jaheira a "half-breed mongrel" (although that was probably just to screw with her) and has no nice words for Korgan or Jan, calling them both slaves due to dwarves and gnomes being slaves to the drow. It doesn't get much better after that either; pretty much every race other than Drow is a target of her dislike (and even then, she may dislike you on general principle, as shown with Baeloth.). |
| 607 | * FemmeFatale: Sorta, though you don't have to go along with her machinations if you don't want to. |
| 608 | * FishOutOfWater: Though she's said to have been on the surface for many years, Viconia still has trouble adjusting to the ways of its people. |
| 609 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: She and Dorn bond over the fact that, apart from a few scant friends, they are both essentially this, in part due to their respective races (drow/half-orc) and in part due to their evilness. |
| 610 | * GayBravado: When [[LipstickLesbian Hexxat]] starts hitting on her, Viconia has a few banters where she gives as good as she gets, but eventually clarifies that she isn't interested. |
| 611 | * GetARoom: Edwin and Jan will react this way to your [[NowOrNeverKiss last love-talk]] with Evil Viconia. |
| 612 | --> '''Edwin:''' [[MakeOutKids Must we constantly be treated to such examples of your exhibitionism?!]] Bah! (Hurrrm... not that I wouldn't take his place if I could...) |
| 613 | * HeelFaceTurn: |
| 614 | ** If the protagonist [[spoiler: romances her, he can turn her from NeutralEvil to TrueNeutral.]] |
| 615 | ** [[spoiler: Her non-romance ending also implies one, as she becomes disgraced by Shar and later teams up with Drizzt and saves first Calimshan, then Suldanessalar.]] |
| 616 | * InLoveWithYourCarnage: The other three potential love interests are disturbed by the PC's sinister heritage and ability to wreak destruction, but Viconia is quite attracted to it. Similarly, she expresses interest in switching her allegiance as a cleric from Shar to the PC if the PC deigns to become a deity. |
| 617 | * ItBurns: In the first game, during day time hours she'll randomly exclaim: "The light! It burns!" There's no in-game effect though, though some [[GameMod mods]], add it. |
| 618 | * ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: Ultimately why she breaks off the relationship during Baldur's Gate 2. It can be rekindled in Throne of Bhaal. [[spoiler: And then in her romance ending, her enemies come back and kill her, which frustrates players to no end.]] |
| 619 | * {{Jerkass}}: Viconia will insult other party members for no apparent reason beyond spite, mocking, for example, Jaheira for being half-elven, Valygar for being dirty, Minsc for being as thick as a brick sandwich, and Aerie for her religion, her race, and her {{wangst}}. |
| 620 | * JerkassHasAPoint: Frequently. She is quick to call good-aligned characters out when they start picking on her for being evil, even if she haven't done anything in-game. Also, she isn't exactly ''wrong'' when she points out that Minsc is an idiot or that Aerie does tend to wangst on too much. |
| 621 | * LadyOfBlackMagic: She's an elegant and evil caster. Ironically, she technically classifies as a WhiteMage, given the Cleric's spell-set focuses on healing and augmentation over direct magical destruction. |
| 622 | * LadyMacbeth: If an evil male protagonist romances her, she actively supports and encourages his ambitions. |
| 623 | * LasciviousBeautyMark: She sports a subtle beauty mark in her official NPC portrait from ''Shadows of Amn'' on, befitting her nature as an alluring ProudBeauty and FemmeFatale who uses her sensuality to manipulate others and enjoys boasting about her [[ReallyGetsAround promiscuity]] and [[SexGoddess sexual prowess]]. |
| 624 | * ALighterShadeOfBlack: She may be evil, but she's a ''saint'' compared to most drow. |
| 625 | * LightningBruiser: If you pump up her Strength, she counts as a hard-hitting GlassCannon type, since although her high Dexterity makes her likely to hit and lets her go first (whilst her Strength means she hits like a truck), her improved armor doesn't do much to counter the abysmal hitpoints she gets due to her poor Constitution. |
| 626 | * LoveHurts: She really, ''really'' doesn't know anything about loving someone emotionally, and because she keeps fluctuating between fear for herself and fear of what'll happen to you if you dare to love her, well, she tends to lash out. |
| 627 | * LoveIsAWeakness: Subscribes to this to begin with, but grows out of it if you push through to the end of her romance questline. |
| 628 | * LoveRedeems: Her romance arc also serves as her redemption arc, with her alignment changing from NeutralEvil to TrueNeutral thanks to the protagonist's influence on her. |
| 629 | * MoralityPet: Back when she still lived in the Underdark, she had one in the form of her brother Valas, of whom she was fond. As punishment for saving her after she refused to sacrifice an infant to Lloth, he was turned into a Drider, which haunts her to this day. |
| 630 | * MyGirlIsASlut: Viconia has a lot of sexual experience, and actively boasts about both her carnal talents and her previous conquests, considering such obvious proof of her skills to make her more desirable. |
| 631 | * MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Downplayed. Most drow in these types of stories are ChaoticGood types rebelling against their horrible world, while Viconia simply doesn't enjoy it. Still, she's ''nowhere'' as evil as the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil typical drow]]. |
| 632 | * NeutralEvil: Though she swings between this and TrueNeutral. [[invoked]] She's coldly pragmatic, indifferent to suffering that doesn't affect her, and willing to maim and murder if it suits her goals, but on the other hand, she generally just wants to be left alone and is happy to return the favor. |
| 633 | * NominalHero: She's here simply because she has nowhere else to go, and often makes snide remarks towards virtues, heroism, goodness, etc. [[spoiler:[[CharacterDevelopment Her epilogues indicate she becomes genuinely heroic, however.]]]] |
| 634 | * NotSoAboveItAll: She has a lengthy exchange with Jan where she actually manages to prank the prankster, convincing him even as he rambles on that a deadly spider is crawling down his collar and causing Jan to tear off his own shirt in a panic. Of course, immediately after that... |
| 635 | -->'''Jan:''' ...Wait a minute, that's a fly. A dead fly. You mean I ripped off my own shirt for nothing?\ |
| 636 | '''Viconia:''' Ha ha! Sometimes life has its little rewards. Even for the drow.\ |
| 637 | '''Jan:''' You're a cruel, cruel woman, Viconia. Garl help me, but I am [[TooKinkyToTorture so turned on]] [[GeekyTurnOn right now]].\ |
| 638 | '''Viconia:''' Alright, [[ShuttingUpNow now I'm leaving.]] |
| 639 | * OlderAndWiser: Her Wisdom stat is higher in the sequel. |
| 640 | * OnlySaneWoman: |
| 641 | ** Of the evil companions besides her in ''Shadows of Amn'', we have a [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Red Wizard]] who rambles about [[TakeOverTheWorld conquering the world (or at least part of it)]], a [[AxCrazy homicidal]] mercenary, and, as of ''Throne of Bhaal'' [[spoiler: another [[AxCrazy homicidal]] guy who climbed out of hell because he was bored and who formerly wanted to TakeOverTheWorld and become a PhysicalGod.]] Suffice to say, none of them has a Wisdom score above 10. Of course this also counts as a literal case of WomenAreWiser. |
| 642 | ** Meanwhile, back in the original Baldur's Gate, we have: the aforementioned Red Wizard, a psychotically demented necromancer, a halfling assassin with a murderous temper and a love of torture, a deranged cleric of the equally deranged God of Murder, a violent misandrist, an arrogant womanizing sleaze who thinks that mouthing off to said misandrist is a good idea, and a greedy dwarf. Except for the dwarf, she's still the most stable. |
| 643 | * OpportunisticBastard: In direct contrast to most other party members, Viconia doesn't have a clear goal in mind. Instead, she essentially just picks up and goes along with whatever opportunities arise. Hence why she will support your grab for power if you decide to embrace your dark side. |
| 644 | * PayEvilUntoEvil: Viconia's evil tends to come out mostly when people try and abuse her first. Most notably, the farmers who attacked her, as described above? She murdered them for it. Few players shed many tears over them. |
| 645 | * PetTheDog: She gets a few moments, such as when she shames a guard who chases off a beggar near the location that she herself was almost burned at the stake some time earlier. The guard relents that if a ''drow woman'' is willing to come to the defense of a ''human beggar'', he must surely not have been illegally begging after all. If a character points this out, she says [[IWasJustPassingThrough it was not done out of any particular compassion for the beggar]], but born from her contempt for the hypocritical system of "justice" she sees on the surface world. |
| 646 | * PleaseDumpMe: She invokes this several times during her RomanceSidequest, since she's really unnerved by the feelings you're giving her and she doesn't want to be hurt by you -- or even, in her own way, to hurt you. |
| 647 | * PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Rare female-to-male version. Viconia hasn't quite given up much of her drow tendencies yet. |
| 648 | * PragmaticVillainy: When left to her own devices, Viconia would rather just settle down, live peacefully, and avoid rocking the boat. Not because she's made a change of heart, but because she knows she has no other choice if she wants to actually survive on the surface. |
| 649 | * RapeAsBackstory: Although not explicitly stated, Viconia mentions that she was "abused and tortured" by a farmer and his sons before they buried her alive. Many players believe this to mean that she was raped. |
| 650 | * ReformedButNotTamed: [[spoiler:She can be convinced to leave behind the drow ways once and for all by a Charname who's romancing her, but still remains her snarky, haughty self. Tellingly, while Sarevok potentially goes to ChaoticGood, Viconia potentially goes to TrueNeutral, indicating that while she's changed for the better she's not quite to the point of valiant altruism (yet). Her default epilogue also has her becoming this, noting that she remained "formidable" but still helped save Calimport and Suldanessalar on two separate occasions.]] |
| 651 | * ReligionOfEvil: She's a priestess of Shar, one of the setting's many [[GodOfEvil evil deities]], though it doesn't play much part in the plot. It only really comes up if you try to do Rasaad's questline; since the enemies in that quest are also Shar worshippers, certain actions taken during the quest can cause Viconia to complain, rebel, or leave. |
| 652 | * ReligiousBruiser: She is a Cleric in a D&D setting, what do you expect? However, it's implied that sheer pragmatism, in the desire to acquire the potent protection of [[ReligionIsMagic divine spellcasting]], may be a significant part of her reason for worshipping Shar. |
| 653 | * TheSacredDarkness: Her actual interpretation of Shar's doctrine, as mentioned above, due to [[CrossCulturalKerfuffle coming from a race that is physically hurt by light]]. |
| 654 | * SexGoddess: If romanced, Viconia will boast more than once about her skills in the arts of pleasure. For example, she admits to trading sexual favors to a Calimshan merchant for safety after escaping to the surface; unfortunately for her, she was so skilled [[OutWithABang he had a heart attack from... er, "excitement"]], and she had to run away because the guards assumed she'd murdered him deliberately. [[spoiler: Takes a dark turn during one of her "cold spells" over the course of the romance, when she tries to convince the protagonist to dump her by claiming to have [[SexForSolace slept her way through her problems]].]] |
| 655 | * ShamingTheMob: She tries this in the second game when she's about to be burnt. It fails. Revisiting the town later can lead to an amusing exchange between Viconia and a city guardsman, where she harangues him about not stepping in to save an innocent woman just the other day... |
| 656 | * SquishyWizard: Though a cleric, Viconia is unsuited for the front lines. She has great dexterity and (in the second game) wisdom but lacks the strength to wear heavy armour and the constitution to take many hits. |
| 657 | * TokenEvilTeammate: Due to her usefulness, she'll often find herself in good-aligned parties. Just don't get your reputation to 18+ or she'll leave. And don't even think of placing her and Keldorn in the same group. Fighting ensues. |
| 658 | * TokenHeroicOrc: Zigzagged; while she's officially an Evil aligned drow cleric, she's Evil in that she's completely ruthless about protecting her own skin and totally unrepentant about whatever she has done in the name of survival-outside of that, she has no particularly malign inclinations or schemes. Played straight if you manage to turn her TrueNeutral. |
| 659 | * TrueNeutral: As mentioned above, she's NeutralEvil with a tendency towards True Neutral. [[spoiler:After her optional HeelFaceTurn, those tendencies become permanent]]. [[invoked]] |
| 660 | * {{Tsundere}} To quote: |
| 661 | -->'''Viconia:''' Bastard! Stubborn bastard! Why must I trust you?! WHY?! I will not be dominated! Stay away!\ |
| 662 | '''Viconia:''' You are not so terrible, Charname... for a male. |
| 663 | * VanHelsingHateCrimes: A frequent and popular target. Quite a few other party members dislike her enormously (and some will attempt to kill her) for being a Drow, but Viconia is quick to point out that she hasn't actually done anything to earn their enmity and attacking her simply for being a Drow would be pure FantasticRacism. In their defense though, Viconia herself isn't exactly helping things with [[{{Jerkass}} her behavior]] or her [[ReligionOfEvil choice of religion]]. |
| 664 | * VillainousFriendship: She apparently forms genuine friendships with Dorn Il-Khan and Hexxat, who are both NeutralEvil like her. |
| 665 | * WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: An ongoing theme in her romance. Viconia came from a cruel society that considers love, trust, and compassion to be signs of weakness, so naturally, she struggles to understand these feelings within herself and in context to her relationship with Charname. |
| 666 | * WhiteMagicianGirl: A complete inversion. She's a female healer (and probably the best one in the game), but she's [[{{Jerkass}} mean]], [[{{Tsundere}} tempermental]], [[LadyMacbeth ruthlessly ambitious]] and [[InLoveWithYourCarnage turned on by violence]]. |
| 667 | * WouldNotHurtAChild: Subverted. She refused to sacrifice an elven child to Lolth, not out of moral qualms, but because she didn't think it was a worthy sacrifice. |
| 668 | [[/folder]] |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Characters / BaldursGateMainPartyMembers
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
