I'll wager the turnip market's making a killing today (Jan Jansen rules!)

Zaha · Post by **Zaha** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 2:16 pm

This was supposed to be a reply, but I thought it's better to start a new thread.

You don't like Jan? Well, IMO you're missing a lot. With his special equipment, he's both a good mage and an excellent thief. Jansen AdventureWear is the only real armor any mage can wear (it's not great, but better than what most mages get), and his gloves give a good lock picking / pocket picking bonus. His spectroscope also makes him a good trap detector, and the detect invisibility ability really rocks as it can reveal any invisible creature with a casting time of 1. Also he's a gnome, the only race able to combine a specialist mage and a multiclass.

Not to mention Jan's humor, which is a great balancer to the too common "For honor and glory!" attitude. Especially because Jan also dislikes such attitude, and you will have extremely fun conversations if you have Anomen in your party, altough he will jest with just about any NPC in the game.

Size doesn't matter. I gave Jan the Equalizer and a girdle hill giant strength, which made him a decent fighter as well.

Myself, I'd be ready to start a Jan Jansen fan club. Anyone else..?

Zaha

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 2:21 pm

I'm personally very fond of Jan, as I posted elsewhere; and not just for his abilities. As a character, his wry humor is a welcome departure from the usual larger-than-life stereotypes found in these games (and AD&D fiction). Jan's one-of-a-kind.

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 2:27 pm

Agree with all of the above

Plus Jan's is one of the most interesting subquests you get in the game (and also one of the most unresolved - grr - fingers crossed for ToB).

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 3:11 pm

Jan is the best. Him and Edwin are unstopable.

The_Pope · Post by **The_Pope** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 3:17 pm

Jan is a very good thief as well as a decent spellcaster. That, and he has great dialogue with Minsc (and everybody else, but especially Minsc).

------------------
The Pope, known in the Realms as Gabriel, is a Proud Member of the Brotherhood of the Woods

shesgottahaveit · Post by **shesgottahaveit** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 3:21 pm

I like Jan also. BTW he is the only decent alternative if you play evil and keep your rep low.

Question, what is Jan talking about when he says somthing about Cradum Shi Itch?? He will only say this when he's unhappy ie your rep gets too low or high..

Angelus · Post by **Angelus** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 4:07 pm

I suppose his dialogues and the quest make him a pretty good NPC for a good party.

But admit it, he just doesn't fit in with an evil party, you have all the bloodthirsty people like Edwin, Korgan and Vic, and he goes on and on about turnips and god knows what...

I find this the more annoying since with his allignment he is more or less the only available thief for an evil party.

[This message has been edited by Angelus (edited 03-26-2001).]

shesgottahaveit · Post by **shesgottahaveit** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 4:13 pm

Originally posted by Angelus:
I suppose his dialogues and the quest make him a pretty good NPC for a good party.
But admit it, he just doesn't fit in with an evil party, you have all the bloodthirsty people like Edwin, Korgan and Vic and he goes on and on about turnips and god knows what.
I find this the more annoying since with his allignment he is more or less the only available thief for an evil party.

[This message has been edited by Angelus (edited 03-26-2001).]

Ya your right he does not "fit in" with an evil party but like you said he is more or less the only available thief for an evil party. Unless you play a thief. He wont complain so long as you keep your rep 6 of better though. I just think he's cool to have in an evil or good party..

Rhyfelwyr · Post by **Rhyfelwyr** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 4:15 pm

Ya, whats up with his quest? Why don't we get to resolve it?

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 4:22 pm

dunno but it is annoying.

I *want* to get that other guy (the child beater). Jan even asks if you'll
help when the time comes, but it never does.
With regard to Hidden, it does say when you clear the sewer flayers you've probably disrupted their plans by 'being there' but the whole thing just feels like its been left hanging with Hidden still at large.

[This message has been edited by kopywrite (edited 03-26-2001).]

Angelus · Post by **Angelus** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 4:24 pm

Why do you think the quest remains unresolved? So, it has a sad ending but I don't see what remains to be done?
Or did I mis something?

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 4:37 pm

Originally posted by Angelus:
Why do you think the quest remains unresolved? So, it has a sad ending but I don't see what remains to be done?
Or did I mis something?

um, see my last post

Angelus · Post by **Angelus** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 4:46 pm

Yeah, I forgot about the Hidden thing.

Xurbax · Post by **Xurbax** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 6:49 pm

I just finished Jan's quest this weekend, and I was really angry to learn that the whole thing is left hanging...
Ok, so in real life we have to put up with this kind of crap all the time... which is exactly why an RPG should let us deal with the situation if we want to! Although I am playing a good-guy character, I would have cheerfully gone and assassinated that Vaelag a**hole if that had been an option in the game... I too sincerely hope that we are given some further options to resolve that sub-plot in the expansion... in fact I was thinking of emailing Bioware to harass them about that one.

the Elfstone · Post by **the Elfstone** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 6:53 pm

i did a little Jan bashing in the thread i started but i should clarify i agree that Jan is the most effective thief once Yoshimo's gone, but i don't know, there's just something about him that irks me. plus multiclassed thiefs take so long to become really good across all of the rogue skills unless you play a small party. of course, at one point i considered taking Aerie's whiny head off (she wanted to rest every 10 friggin hours!), but i made it to the end with her intact (my pc actually shagged her rotten baby, yeah). maybe jan will grow on me (i'm playing 3rd time now w/ evil party and he's in it). just thought Yoshimo was one of the coolest npcs up until spellhold, wish he was available for the whole game w/o breaking the storyline by using the imprison spell bug.

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 6:54 pm

@ xurbax : Exactly!!
This isnt Raymond Carver its a bloody dungeons and dragons game! I want closure! NOW!

[This message has been edited by kopywrite (edited 03-26-2001).]

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Mar 26, 2001 7:25 pm

i did a little Jan bashing in the thread i started but i should clarify i agree that Jan is the most effective thief once Yoshimo's gone, but i don't know, there's just something about him that irks me. plus multiclassed thiefs take so long to become really good across all of the rogue skills unless you play a small party.

You have a point, but I'd suggest that, since Jan is also an illusionist, you really don't need to raise him in two of the traditional thievish family values (hiding and shadows and moving silently). Instead, you can concentrate your thief ability points on other matters, while Jan uses his Invisibility spells to scout. This pretty much compensates for the quick-rise of a singleclass thief, not to mention gives him all the added advantage of being a good mage.

Pe Ell · Post by **Pe Ell** » Tue Mar 27, 2001 1:39 am

Originally posted by shesgottahaveit:
I like Jan also. BTW he is the only decent alternative if you play evil and keep your rep low.

Question, what is Jan talking about when he says somthing about Cradum Shi Itch?? He will only say this when he's unhappy ie your rep gets too low or high..

When I get too low rep he says "I dont think I like your attitude, you have all the makings of a nasty griffin. Which reminds me, you need a bath!".
Jan is king! He seems to have comments about everything! This reminds me of that time waaaay back...

------------------
When there is no wrong, there can be no right.

When there is no darkness, there can be no light.

And when there is no evil, there can be no good.

~Just a few words of wisdom from a proud member of the Brotherhood of the woods

Garcia · Post by **Garcia** » Tue Mar 27, 2001 1:44 am

Jan rules he might not seem that good at first and get killed a lot but he has lots of skills as a mage and as a thief. his little interactions with Minsc is great fun!

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Tue Mar 27, 2001 4:06 am

Originally posted by shesgottahaveit:
Question, what is Jan talking about when he says somthing about Cradum Shi Itch?? He will only say this when he's unhappy ie your rep gets too low or high.

He's talking about the "Calimsh-ite Itch". (If you want to read about the land of Calimsham, just make a copy of BOOK10.) When Jan steals Boo from Minsc, he claims that it's a fatal disease, but in reality, it's probably an, uh, intimate affliction, if you catch my drift. When Jan worked for Golodon the Unmanned, he had to wash a lot of underwear, and you can see that he's obsessed with underwear and personal hygiene and things like that.

BG2 just wouldn't be the same without Jan. I was lucky because Jan wasn't in my party the first time I played the game (I didn't know what to think of him at first), but I picked him up early in my second game, and I got a chance to see how much he adds to the experience. I'm disappointed that Jan doesn't get to create items for the party (other than Bruiser Mate ammo) and that Vaeleg doesn't give me a good reason to kill him (killing him outright is not the act of a Good character). The jests and the stories are priceless.

I don't have many complaints about Jan, but I wouldn't mind editing his personal equipment to make it even more powerful. I usually replace his AdventureWear and FlasherMaster with better armor and a weapon like Firetooth. I let him shoot Paralytic Bolts and Kuo-Toan Bolts with a crossbow (many of them are better than the Flasher), and sometimes I let him backstab with Pixie Prick while he's invisible. Sometimes when I kill Edwin, I think it's only fair to give his Amulet to someone else, so sometimes Jan gets it. But I'd take Jan along even if he didn't do anything except run his mouth.

[This message has been edited by VonDondu (edited 03-27-2001).]