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Almost every BGII party has a cleric. They have a ton of interesting spells other than healing and are pretty useful, if not absolutely necessary. However, they're also answerable to a higher power, and I've always wondered about the conflict this causes if they remain with the PC.

Aerie: Let's assume the PC is good/neutral (If he's evil, he'd probably take Viconia anyway..). Baerevan is the forest god of the gnomes, a diety close to nature. Ok, Aerie became his cleric thanks to Quayle. However, most PCs are not gnomes. The only gnome in the party would be Jan (which half of us don't take). The only interaction with nature the PC has is at Trademeet. Most of the PCs action do not influence gnomes in any way, and in fact might even be evil by necessity (associating with Thieves/Vampires). Why then would Aerie remain with the party, and continue to get spells? At the end of TOB Aerie is probably the most powerful cleric of Baerevan in the realms. Would a diety allow his chosen (which Aerie practically is, at this point) to go off with a PC having nothing to do with the diety's faith and people? (Of course, if the PC is a gnome, Aerie is the perfect choice..)

Viconia: Slightly more straightforward. A good PC taking Viconia is ridiculous. Shar is an evil diety, and her clerics are required to perform evil acts to gain or even retain powers. Viconia is not exactly encouraging loss and despair by performing good deeds. The whole concept of Viconia redeeming herself is impossible, unless she accepts a new diety and gains the same levels. She would lose her clerical powers in a few days by doing good. A neutral/evil PC with Viconia is understandable. They're together for mutual benefit, the PC for her healing, and Viconia for the conflict and resulting despair in the PC's wake.

Anomen: An interesting choice. Helm is the god of watchers, and it is possible Anomen will work with a good/neutral PC, both to watch over his path and to assist in ridding the land of evil. There are certain quests Anomen can never undertake (he can help rid the graveyard district of Undead, but cannot be robbing the tombs). I'm also not sure he can take on the Mae'var quests (unless he thinks getting rid of a guild master is for the greater good). He would have an interesting conflict helping the PC with either the Shadow thieves or Bodhi. However, Helm might not mind his cleric working with the PC on his path to godhood, as he does not yet know if the PC will use his power for good or evil. If the PC is good/neutral and human, Anomen is the perfect choice.

After looking at all three Clerics, I feel Anomen is a more realistic choice to gain powers and mesh well with a good/neutral PC. Yes, he's a pompous, prickly guy, but it's his personality that makes him irritating, not his faith. Comments?

[QUOTE=Vikramaditya] A good PC taking Viconia is ridiculous.[/QUOTE]
Spoilers



Not if your pc romances Viconia. The whole Viccy romance isn't so much about love, sex and courtship, it's mostly about Viconia dealing with - and fighting against - her dark side. Mostly because of the pc's influence she tries to change and does, in the end (meaning in ToB) where she actually changes alignment. But all of that only happens if you roleplay your pc as good. When you choose the 'evil' dialogue options when talking to Viccy, she does not change for better.

[QUOTE=Coot]Spoilers

it's mostly about Viconia dealing with - and fighting against - her dark side. Mostly because of the pc's influence she tries to change and does, in the end (meaning in ToB) where she actually changes alignment. [/QUOTE]

There are two issues here. First, a good PC must romance Viconia even knowing she's a priestess of Shar, without any promise of redemption. At least in the beginning, the relationship is about physical attraction. (At least from the PCs side. From Viconia's side, it might be interest in his divine heritage).

The more important issue is, how will Shar react to Viconia's alignment change? Would she allow one of her most powerful Clerics to move so far away from her faith, to become neutral? I don't think Viconia will continue to recieve spells from Shar if she starts changing alignment, or even continues for too long in a good party. Hence my conclusion that Viconia gaining clerical power in a good party makes no RP sense.

Well, I found out this when I went through BGII again. ANY alignment can romance Viconia, and as stated above, its not about the sex etc. but about her struggle with her problem (all of the romances have them ). She is a straightforward cleric so she will gain the spells quicker than Anomen or Aerie, and her conversations are humourous.

You can take aerie if you want her for her cleric spells AND her mage spells, but she gains them much slower. She has a whiney personality that is really annoying. She talks about her wings being clipped so much that she never lets you forget it. And she doesnt get really powerful until near the end of TOB if you have a party with 6 people.

Anomen is a good choice too, but again like Aerie, he never shuts up. He is a mix of fighting and clericing, making him strong. Though the conversations with his drunken father and the quest that follows are annoying. Choose the right path and he will become "Sir Anomen" making him extra snobby.

This topic isn't really about how useful clerics are...

As a general note, if you romance an NPC, that makes them have a reason to stay, so I will stay away from that point.

Aerie: She is a good person. She is trying to help the world. While she does follow a Gnomish god, she is still a major practicer of good and lawful behaviour. As such, she is with the PC to help him along and make sure he stays lawful, that way the world can be helped. Also, you must consider that if your PC were to fail, then other evil Bhaalspawn will take over, thereby causing suffering to eventually affect Gnomes. In this way, Aerie has cause to stay.

Anomen: As you said, he is staying to influence the PC, and also helping him to follow Helm's will. This is again, a great reason to stay.

Vicona (with good pc): While she is evil, she will leave if you have more than 18 reputation. So let's get that sorted first, you cannot be a goody-goody two shoes. Now, the main quest items are not so much good vs. evil, but order vs. chaos. If evil were to take over, they would not help other evil groups. Rather, they would enslave and punish all others. This would then include other gods, who would have to suffer this. So by Shar being saved from a god, Vicona has reason.

[QUOTE=dj_venom]Vicona (with good pc): While she is evil, she will leave if you have more than 18 reputation. So let's get that sorted first, you cannot be a goody-goody two shoes.[/QUOTE]The whole reputation and alignment system (by far the weakest and silliest part of the game) is contradicting the whole point, plot and morale of the Viccy romance. Viccy's romance is, IMHO, clearly written for a good-aligned pc - that is, if you want the romance to have a happy ending. If you choose the evil options in the dialogues, the romance will go nowhere.

[spoilers below]


None of the other powers interfere with the fate of the children of bhaal in the game because, as Cyric tells you in the abyss, Ao doesn't allow it. So i guess there's your explanation why Shar won't interfere.

And Aerie wants to see the world that's why she comes with you, methinks.



But these things all depend on how you play the game, if you're "Golbane the Murderer of a Thousand Men and Slayer of the Innocent" some things won't make as much sence as if you were good aligned. This is what i like about the game, you can play it really different from your previous attempts.

[QUOTE=Vikramaditya]

The more important issue is, how will Shar react to Viconia's alignment change? Would she allow one of her most powerful Clerics to move so far away from her faith, to become neutral? I don't think Viconia will continue to recieve spells from Shar if she starts changing alignment, or even continues for too long in a good party. Hence my conclusion that Viconia gaining clerical power in a good party makes no RP sense.[/QUOTE]
According to the D&D rules, clerics can be "one step" away from their gods alignment. Shar is NE, so TN is only "one step."

Helm with a CN is another story (failed Anomen).