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OK _ I recently ditched Aerie in Spellhold in favor of Imoen, so I now have both Imoen and Nalia in my party.

Listening to Nalia, and reflecting on her background, I find it hard to believe that she ended up a theif/mage. I mean, daughter of a somewhat wealthly lord starting off as a thief and then picking up magecraft later? Doesn't jibe for me.

I figure that she would have been more likely a bard of some type (possibly a skald, but more likely a straight bard). She would have had to learn to be 'a lady' - but the plight of the lower class would have drawn her to telling those stories to other aristocrats.

Role playing aside, though, I really do hurt my party if I Shadowkeeper her to a Bard. I get the ID of items for free, but I lose 7th+ level spells for her. (Note: My party is F/T protaganist, Minsc, Jaheira, Keldorn, Imoen and Nalia)

Would you make Nalia a bard in my situation?

Thanks for the input!

Federicoz

i think it is said that nalia used to you know, sneak out of the lush castle to battle peasants' deficiency. i should guess that's where the thief class comes in, and if my memory doesn't fail me, her mom wanted her to learn the arts of magic like on her deathbed, so there, she dualled to a mage; she's a human, so what choices does she have?
no, not a bard. a bard, i think, is a nomadic malefactor.. not fitting for a noble of high birth status.
i don't use bards cuz, well, their song is nice, but can't do much more than that. blades? if i wanted a warrior, i'd get a warrior. spellcasting is not bad, but if i wanted a spellcaster, i'd get a mage.
conclusion: bards don't really excel anywhere. they do have partial thief, warrior, and wizard abilities; partial, mind you. he doesn't excel anywhere. ah but if you really want a bard i guess it won't be so bad after all.. for fun..

Originally posted by domi:
<STRONG>i think it is said that nalia used to you know, sneak out of the lush castle to battle peasants' deficiency. i should guess that's where the thief class comes in, and if my memory doesn't fail me, her mom wanted her to learn the arts of magic like on her deathbed, so there, she dualled to a mage; she's a human, so what choices does she have?
no, not a bard. a bard, i think, is a nomadic malefactor.. not fitting for a noble of high birth status.
i don't use bards cuz, well, their song is nice, but can't do much more than that. blades? if i wanted a warrior, i'd get a warrior. spellcasting is not bad, but if i wanted a spellcaster, i'd get a mage.
conclusion: bards don't really excel anywhere. they do have partial thief, warrior, and wizard abilities; partial, mind you. he doesn't excel anywhere. ah but if you really want a bard i guess it won't be so bad after all.. for fun..</STRONG>

As to Nalia, I agree with you. Also, I believe mages commonly are nobles, or at least belong to wealthy merchant families, as the education is rather expensive.

When it comes to bard, though, I'll have to disagree. Bards can do a lot more than singing. Have you ever played one in BG2? They are theh perfect teamplayers. Helping out the mages with extra spells, augmenting the fighters' battle skill with their song (especially the skald and enhanced bard songare amazing), picking pockets, identifying items... As for excelling, a well prepared bard, and the blade in particular, is the best fighter in the whole game if only for a short while. One weapon in each hand, then throw Stoneskin, Blur, Mirror Images, Offensive Spin and finally Tenser's - let your fighters take a short nap while your bard cuts the ennemies to pieces. But only a short one cause it won't take long.

Thanks for the input!

I guess I read Bards a little bit different than you. I see Jesters and Skalds as being part of the nobility, albeit on a lower level. As Nalia was the child, she would have had to entertain the guests (play the harpsicord, sing, dance, etc) like a young belle. Then, her thiefly side comes out as she finds out the plight of the peasants.

Federico

Then the bard can pick alchemy, Scribe Scrolls...

of course, as is the case with fighter\mages, it is nice to have the spell casting with elven chainmail, plus the bard's lore for identifying.
other than that bards really do kinda s00k.

A Bard is not too different from a Fighter/Mage/Thief. Which is funny, because in D&D3 they are more like a Sorcerer/Cleric/Rogue.

For the record, while I haven't played one yet, I can easily believe that a Blade would out-fight any straight Paladin, Fighter, Barbarian or Ranger. Kensai/Mages are another story.

Originally posted by Xyx:
<STRONG>
For the record, while I haven't played one yet, I can easily believe that a Blade would out-fight any straight Paladin, Fighter, Barbarian or Ranger. Kensai/Mages are another story.</STRONG>

True. The Bards (only?) advantage over a Kensai/Mage is his higher level. This means he gets more stoneskins, a better transformation and so on.

Many nobles in reallife were the original troubadours, the trouveres, of late Medieval western and central Europe. The folks who wrote down those sophisticated retellings of the Arthurian legends, etc, weren't peasants, but wealthy nobility; and much of what they wrote they also composed melodies to--though it was nothing like modern pseudo-medieval music. Some of that music survives, too.

That said, I would have figured Nalia as the most active type, and she might have started off with her father's blessing as a ranger, or mage.

Originally posted by Astafas:
<STRONG>The Bards (only?) advantage over a Kensai/Mage is his higher level. This means he gets more stoneskins, a better transformation and so on.</STRONG>

In terms of combat, certainly, though most spells are capped at level 20 anyway. Gets you 3 more Melf's Minute Meteors, 3d6 more Skull Trap damage, 3 more rounds duration on a number of spells, and, probably the nicest, the ability to place level 6 spells in Contingency (which straight Mages cannot do in SoA ).

Nalia grew up learning how to be qa lady and with that she learned her magic.She learned a few thief abilites while escaping the keep a few times.I find it believable