The Most Pathetic NPCs in BG (spoilers)

Curry · Post by **Curry** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:09 pm

It kinda just popped into my mind how pathetic Carbos and Shank are, and now that I think of it, Baldur's Gate is full of incredibly pathetic characters such as the miner who always gets shot by those kobold archers in Nashkel Mines. Then there's of course the halfling who's been letting kobolds sneak into Gullykin and Tranzig - both of them die in about 3 seconds after the battle has begun. Not to mention Officer Vai! Does she really think the player would bother to bring her bandit scalps when you got a pile of gold at that point of the game? The most pathetic character has to be Tazok though, he gets killed three times, that's twice in BG and once in BG2.

If you can think of any other really sad characters please share

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:53 am

The miner doesn't get shot if you play it right.
Yes, he is a weakling and is supposed to be. I just took it as a personal challenge to keep him alive and what's more succeeded!

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 7:29 am

It kinda just popped into my mind how pathetic Carbos and Shank are,

They're not pathetic. They're perfectly competent in their role as cheap cutthroats. It's clear they've done this before, numerous times, and successfully. If you're going to blame anybody, blame Sarevok for underestimating this particular Bhaalspawn and putting out a cheap price tag on its head.

...and now that I think of it, Baldur's Gate is full of incredibly pathetic characters such as the miner who always gets shot by those kobold archers in Nashkel Mines.

Yeah, how stupid of Beldin to have no weapons and skills, because he's a miner, and gets killed.

Not to mention Officer Vai! Does she really think the player would bother to bring her bandit scalps when you got a pile of gold at that point of the game?

Um, I've made excellent use repeatedly of her generous offer, then sold my depleted wands and bought them back, full, from merchants. And she has none of the posturing we keep getting from the likes of Ajantis.

Pathetic types:

Nimbul ("I am Death, come for you!") the assassin. Now, that's pathetic. A good assassin doesn't do histrionics. They just do their job, and leave.

The unnamed merchant selling a petrification removal potion to free Branwen. Really, taking advantage of somebody else's extreme misfortune like that is more than enough reason to find out how well he would like to spend in an igneous suit.

Bassileus. Kills his family, then goes mad and turns others into zombies to recreate it.

Silke. It's not pathetic to hire out mercenaries, but it certainly is to try and fool them. Worse to try and kill them when you fail.

Zhurlong. You'll remember he's the halfling in the Burning Wizard Inn who gives you a quest for his boots, and nonetheless pickpockets you every time you enter. The only surprising thing about him is that he's managed to stay alive to his current time in life.

CFM · Post by **CFM** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:09 pm

Plus, Carbos and Shank are in Candlekeep, where "the readers pay for their serenity with rather draconian entry rules, and without Gorion's influence their doors will remain closed." It's not like Sarevok had a whole lot of options on who could even get at you in Candlekeep.

Maybe C and/or S are masters of infiltration! (And while you're at it, Carbos/Shank, even though you can't stab straight, take out the lone kid running around in robes with as little as 4 hit points.)

Of course, C and S are placed for game mechanics. The game designers aren't gonna sic a whole lot on you in the prologue/tutorial.

Nice idea for a thread, though. It really depends on how you define pathetic.

I'd vote for Korax the Ghoul.

Lopov · Post by **Lopov** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:58 pm

I don't find Carbos and Shank pathetic at all, they are just common bandits, I find it more pathetic to return them into BG II although they were supposed to be killed.

I find Tazok one of more interesting characters in the game, but he isn't developed with enough details.Firstly, designers should make sure that he can't get killed in the 1st encounter.Secondly, if they wanted to return him in the BH II, then inn the final encounter with Sarevok, he should flee the battle when he gets too wounded, that would be completely logical, why would he fight till the death when is obvious that everything is lost anyway.

But it depends what does it mean pathetic for someone, for me pathetic are:

Quayle from recruitable NPC's,
Nimbul as someone already said,
one Gnoll that escaped the Stronghold, can't remember the name,
Sewer King (pathetic and stupid character),
that priestes of Umberlee that had problems with the fishermen
...perhaps some more, can't remember all of them...

Jimwth · Post by **Jimwth** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:10 am

CFM wrote:I'd vote for Korax the Ghoul.

Korax is not pathetic! Korax thinks you look very tasty today!

CFM · Post by **CFM** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:15 am

Jimwth wrote:Korax is not pathetic! Korax thinks you look very tasty today!

I find Korax the Ghoul funnier than what should be found.

If not Korax the Ghoul, then how about the Great Gazib, proprietor of the Amazing Oopah?

Pellinore · Post by **Pellinore** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:20 pm

Nice idea for a thread, though. It really depends on how you define pathetic.

I'd vote for Korax the Ghoul.

Hey! ;o)

I find the citizenry of Candlekeep pathetic. Great, wise sages and wizards supposedly there and they can't sniff out the

Spoiler

dopplegangers.....

. I despise Lord Binky. He gets my top vote...

Silvanerian · Post by **Silvanerian** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:39 pm

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Noober..??

Or that guard that surrenders in the Mine exclaiming: "My life is in shambles".

And of course Ulranth. I really hated that guy going only with the testimony of "Korevas"...Tethtoril saw through that disguise in a heatbeat, but not the great leader of the Keep..pathetic.

Jimwth · Post by **Jimwth** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:22 am

CFM wrote:I find Korax the Ghoul funnier than what should be found.

If not Korax the Ghoul, then how about the Great Gazib, proprietor of the Amazing Oopah?

Well, Gazib was fun for me. I was actually dissapointed when Oopah refused to explode for the 4-th time

Ok, I have been thinking a lot on this thread and I really can't think of any pathetic NPC (for me). Maybe because it's been a long time since I played BG last time. The only ones who popped up in my mind were those darn respawning kobolds in the dungeon under Firewine Bridge. They were more annoying than pathetic, however.

Curry · Post by **Curry** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:43 am

Silvanerian wrote:I'm surprised no one has mentioned Noober..??

Noober is obviously mentally challenged, calling him pathetic is like hitting a child with a sledgehammer

Sannom · Post by **Sannom** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:00 am

What about the guy who changed himself into a chicken??? Now that was incredibly stupid and pathetic! If i was his master, I would have never made him come back to human form.

Jimwth · Post by **Jimwth** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:49 am

Sannom wrote:What about the guy who changed himself into a chicken??? Now that was incredibly stupid and pathetic! If i was his master, I would have never made him come back to human form.

Aww, Melicamp the chicken was sooo cute! He's funny, come on

I was quite shocked, when he died in my second playthrough, when Thalantyr tried to polymorph him back into human. I was sure it would be 100% successful all the time

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:03 pm

I disagree with Lopov's premise that characters that are killed should stay dead. If the protagonist can raise people from the dead, why not others?
It is completely consistant, and much better than fixing the characters so that their health can never go below 1 HP which happens in some mods.
That would be cheating on the part of the programmers.

Pellinore · Post by **Pellinore** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:46 pm

... would be better if Carbos or Shank backstabbed the PC out of nowhere and said "Remember me?" The one thing missing in BGII is the fear for your character's life.

Sapience · Post by **Sapience** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:15 pm

I've got to agree that Silke is bad. Now that I am thinking about it. Hah.

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 12:50 am

My vote probably goes for "Neb." Again, it's all how you define pathetic. I guess a child killer could technically just be sick.

Sapience · Post by **Sapience** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:30 am

Noober is pretty bad. But that's something of an obvious pick.