For the final part of my mod I need a wizards tower and a town near Baldurs Gate. I could make one up but I have chosen to use Beregost and High Hedge.
Personally I have never really liked the Baldurs Gate towns. No town wall is just not right in a area that has orcs and gibberlings just a short walk away. Walls are important to a town they keep bad things out.
So I am faced with either building a representation of the BG Beregost and High Hedge or builidng my own, one that suits my camapign setting.
I realise this is artistic choice and will likely go my own way with it, I just wondered which way you guys would go if faced with the same choice. Stick with FR lore as represented in the BG series or produce something in keeping with my campaign while keeping the BG terms of reference ... perhaps not even use Beregost at all and make up a new town and tower.
Any thoughts from any one?
PJ
Beregost - Fantasy or reality ....
Débuté par
PJ156
, sept. 20 2012 08:43
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#3
Posté 20 septembre 2012 - 09:35
Shaughn78
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I'm with Kevl.
Make some walls, but make them destroyable. That way the players who feel your messing with their reality can smash the walls and right all that is wrong.
Make some walls, but make them destroyable. That way the players who feel your messing with their reality can smash the walls and right all that is wrong.
#4
Posté 20 septembre 2012 - 09:41
kamal_
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There's a Beregost and envrions set of prefabs, from the BG prefabs. You can add some wooden walls if you want.
#5
Posté 20 septembre 2012 - 10:23
Arkalezth
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Agreed, I'm not that informed about the modding scene, but I feel like prefabs could be used more often.
Are your module and BG set in the same year/period anyway? A wall could have been built or destroyed between a game and another.
Are your module and BG set in the same year/period anyway? A wall could have been built or destroyed between a game and another.
#6
Posté 20 septembre 2012 - 10:37
kamal_
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^^ maybe they learned their lesson after some gibberling raids.
#7
Posté 20 septembre 2012 - 10:39
Dann-J
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Baldur's Gate seems to have deviated from canon in at least a few instances. The layout of Gullykin, for instance, doesn't match the description in Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. Neither did the location of Durlag's Tower.
That said; Beregost is quite well defended by the mere presence of the Lathander clerics and temple guards, not to mention Thalantyr (a level 17 wizard), and the blacksmith Taerom Fuiruim who is said to be able to kill an orc with a single blow of his iron-bound staff.
Not that any of that would deter gibberlings, who don't exactly consider tactics before an assault, but it might be enough to make the local ogres and hobgoblins think twice.
That said; Beregost is quite well defended by the mere presence of the Lathander clerics and temple guards, not to mention Thalantyr (a level 17 wizard), and the blacksmith Taerom Fuiruim who is said to be able to kill an orc with a single blow of his iron-bound staff.
Not that any of that would deter gibberlings, who don't exactly consider tactics before an assault, but it might be enough to make the local ogres and hobgoblins think twice.
Modifié par DannJ, 20 septembre 2012 - 10:40 .
#8
Posté 20 septembre 2012 - 10:39
Shallina
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there will Bereghost and hight edge from BGR before the end of the year on the vault i think.
#9
Posté 20 septembre 2012 - 10:55
PJ156
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Thanks guys,
I am not one for prefabs on my main areas, though I have come to use them for a side area or two.
I think I will go with walls and my own layout. Beregost for me is a prosperous town on a busy road. Walls keep the thieves out at night and prevent chance raiders. They also provide a way to tax caravans and monitor travellers.
Ark, you are right. I don't know when BG was set so there is room for change since mine is set at the same time as SoZ.
Now I guess I have to build it ... see you in a month or so
PJ
I am not one for prefabs on my main areas, though I have come to use them for a side area or two.
I think I will go with walls and my own layout. Beregost for me is a prosperous town on a busy road. Walls keep the thieves out at night and prevent chance raiders. They also provide a way to tax caravans and monitor travellers.
Ark, you are right. I don't know when BG was set so there is room for change since mine is set at the same time as SoZ.
Now I guess I have to build it ... see you in a month or so
PJ
#10
Posté 20 septembre 2012 - 11:25
Arkalezth
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Apparently, BG is set in 1368, and SoZ in 1374.
You could give some commoner a line about the wall being built after a raid or whatever, as Kamal suggested. Just an idea.
You could give some commoner a line about the wall being built after a raid or whatever, as Kamal suggested. Just an idea.
#11
Posté 21 septembre 2012 - 06:00
PJ156
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Thanks Ark, that's closer together than I thought it might be ...
PJ
PJ
#12
Guest_Iveforgotmypassword_*
Posté 21 septembre 2012 - 10:49
Guest_Iveforgotmypassword_*
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I don't know anything about Baldurs Gate never having played it but doesn't having a high hedge in High Hedge solve the problem ? There are some pretty spiky hedges out there that would certainly put me off !
.
.
#13
Posté 21 septembre 2012 - 03:07
kamal_
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Maybe Thalantyr died of old age and the new occupant isn't so powerful and need the pc to help clear out the area. There's enough time there that you could take a prefab, make changes to suit yourself, and say it's Beregost.
PC: "This doesn't look like the Beregost I remember visiting as a child."
NPC "You weren't here for the Great Orc Raid of '71. They dang near burned down half the town before the Lathanderites got them under control. I bet if Thalantyr had been around he would have fireballed them lickety split, but he was spending the year polymorphed into a pumpkin on account of losing a bet with that Terminsel feller. Took us three years, but we've got a proper wall now so my granbabies will never have to worry about them orcs never again."
PC: "This doesn't look like the Beregost I remember visiting as a child."
NPC "You weren't here for the Great Orc Raid of '71. They dang near burned down half the town before the Lathanderites got them under control. I bet if Thalantyr had been around he would have fireballed them lickety split, but he was spending the year polymorphed into a pumpkin on account of losing a bet with that Terminsel feller. Took us three years, but we've got a proper wall now so my granbabies will never have to worry about them orcs never again."
#14
Posté 22 septembre 2012 - 09:04
PJ156
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Good idea Kamal I am going to mod that slightly and say the destruction was Bhaal spawn. The story in BG3 is that there is all out war and the Bhaalspawn are looking for the PC. That will ahve taken some of them to Beregost and there's every chance a little mayhem may have ensued including the burning of the town.
The lathander temple did not intervene in the town but after some altercations did allow the citizens to come into thier walls for protection. the Bhaalspawn then attacked the temple and in this way the temple sowed the seeds of it own destruction. Once they found the PC was no longer in the region the spawn moved on leaving very little of Beregost standing ... where was Thalantyr? That part of the plot I have covered
I do like that the time scales are so close, I love to cross refer my story lines to the OC and now BG. Now I can do that and change Beregost dramatically.
Thanks for all the input,
PJ
The lathander temple did not intervene in the town but after some altercations did allow the citizens to come into thier walls for protection. the Bhaalspawn then attacked the temple and in this way the temple sowed the seeds of it own destruction. Once they found the PC was no longer in the region the spawn moved on leaving very little of Beregost standing ... where was Thalantyr? That part of the plot I have covered
I do like that the time scales are so close, I love to cross refer my story lines to the OC and now BG. Now I can do that and change Beregost dramatically.
Thanks for all the input,
PJ
#15
Posté 22 septembre 2012 - 12:04
kamal_
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Thanks. The way I think about it is that if you're sending players to somewhere or talking a lot about somewhere that's been visited in an official game, you should reference the official game somehow if you're making significant changes. It's likely many of the player's played the official game and so remember how the place "should" be, so referencing the original in explanation of why things are different addresses the "But Place X doesn't look like this!" complaint.
#16
Posté 23 septembre 2012 - 10:27
PJ156
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I have developed this a little into a side quest. Here are the bones of it. I thought I would post it to get some feedback. It is a side quest not a plot point so I’m not spoiling too much.
The party arrive in a Beregost that is split in two. Some of it lawful and ordered under the strong arm of the Lathander temple, the rest a lawless slum. So what’s going on?
The party will find an open invitation for adventurers to find work at the guild house but will be intercepted by a priest if Illmater who is lurking by the town gate.
The whole story revolves around a drug called hagweed (holding name). It is a halucinogenic that has a mild effect on humans but a marked effect of Orcs for whome it is highly addictive. It causes visions and a berserk type trance where the orc feels no pain making them a juggernaught in combat.
The past.
Beregost was sacked by the bhaalspawn hunter Illasera who, at the head of a small army of orcs, attacked and burnt the town in 1371. In that combat (which the Lathander temple call the night of shame) the Lathander clerics did not come out to save the town but remained in the temple to defend its contents. Worse still, when the towns folk came to the temple itself, one individual in the order, trusted to hold the gates, would not let them into the compound and many were slain at the gates, within sight of the clerics inside.
After this the Lathander temple set about making sure this would not happen again and the high priest set about creating a new town with sturdy walls, however, what started out as penance, fast became a vanity project and the high priest gained a very specific idea about who he wanted living in his town.
As the walls went up the dispossesed farmers from the local area swelled the numbers living in the town as did the hired buiders who found themselves without work when the project was finished. With no work for anyone and little food except that which is imported a slum fast grew and with it a temple to Illmater as is often the case.
The famers should be able to return to their lands but they were taken over by a group of non human bandits who have proved difficult to remove despite the many adventuring parties that have tried. The Lathander temple has just the men it needs to maintin order in the wealthier part of town as all of its trained soldiers died or desterted at the time of Illasera’s attack. Thus they do not intervene directly but look after what is thiers.
To add to their woes there has been an upsurge in raids by orcs on caravans which are the responsibility of the temple on this part of the road so the Lathanders poor resources are being spread thinner. The orcs are exceptionally tough and more than a match for anything the temple can put into the field. Thus the Lathander priest is putting pressure on the Illmater temple to get the slums emptied (something also desired by the Illmater temple), They can use the builders that are left to rebuild the twon as the Temple first envisioned.
Illmater has referred many adventuring parties to the town council but they have always left the town in high spirits and never returned.
The present.
The Illmater priest smells a rat in the council and tries (and fails) to hire the party directly. They have no money but the council offers five thousand gold to clear the farmland to allow the tenements to be cleared and the town land to be handed to the Lathanderites for “more appropriate” development.
There is a twist to the tale which I won’t divulge but the nonhumans are keeping the land clear using a small hobgoblin army. The reason for this is that they are using slave labour to grow Hagweed which they sell to the orcs. The orcs are hooked and are raiding to raise gold to buy more hagweed making the area more dangerous still. They might attack the source but, even they know that, once they have sold the family silver they cannot do it again.
The hobgoblins are well led and organised … and oddly well informed. Because they have had a steady stream of adventurers coming after them they are also experienced and well equiped.
Enter the player and his party of perhaps one, perhsp two depending on the choice they make earlier in the module. I may offer a short term npc for the quest alone for the faint hearted.
Anyways, there is a plot to weave a sidequest around and it fits with one of my npc’s finding her faith before the last part of the mod.
I put it up here to see if any of my co forumites could comment or develop it (or suggest prefabs – I know I said I don’t use them but there is a few areas here that are new to my area budget for this mod and I don’t want it to take a year … )
Cheers,
PJ
The party arrive in a Beregost that is split in two. Some of it lawful and ordered under the strong arm of the Lathander temple, the rest a lawless slum. So what’s going on?
The party will find an open invitation for adventurers to find work at the guild house but will be intercepted by a priest if Illmater who is lurking by the town gate.
The whole story revolves around a drug called hagweed (holding name). It is a halucinogenic that has a mild effect on humans but a marked effect of Orcs for whome it is highly addictive. It causes visions and a berserk type trance where the orc feels no pain making them a juggernaught in combat.
The past.
Beregost was sacked by the bhaalspawn hunter Illasera who, at the head of a small army of orcs, attacked and burnt the town in 1371. In that combat (which the Lathander temple call the night of shame) the Lathander clerics did not come out to save the town but remained in the temple to defend its contents. Worse still, when the towns folk came to the temple itself, one individual in the order, trusted to hold the gates, would not let them into the compound and many were slain at the gates, within sight of the clerics inside.
After this the Lathander temple set about making sure this would not happen again and the high priest set about creating a new town with sturdy walls, however, what started out as penance, fast became a vanity project and the high priest gained a very specific idea about who he wanted living in his town.
As the walls went up the dispossesed farmers from the local area swelled the numbers living in the town as did the hired buiders who found themselves without work when the project was finished. With no work for anyone and little food except that which is imported a slum fast grew and with it a temple to Illmater as is often the case.
The famers should be able to return to their lands but they were taken over by a group of non human bandits who have proved difficult to remove despite the many adventuring parties that have tried. The Lathander temple has just the men it needs to maintin order in the wealthier part of town as all of its trained soldiers died or desterted at the time of Illasera’s attack. Thus they do not intervene directly but look after what is thiers.
To add to their woes there has been an upsurge in raids by orcs on caravans which are the responsibility of the temple on this part of the road so the Lathanders poor resources are being spread thinner. The orcs are exceptionally tough and more than a match for anything the temple can put into the field. Thus the Lathander priest is putting pressure on the Illmater temple to get the slums emptied (something also desired by the Illmater temple), They can use the builders that are left to rebuild the twon as the Temple first envisioned.
Illmater has referred many adventuring parties to the town council but they have always left the town in high spirits and never returned.
The present.
The Illmater priest smells a rat in the council and tries (and fails) to hire the party directly. They have no money but the council offers five thousand gold to clear the farmland to allow the tenements to be cleared and the town land to be handed to the Lathanderites for “more appropriate” development.
There is a twist to the tale which I won’t divulge but the nonhumans are keeping the land clear using a small hobgoblin army. The reason for this is that they are using slave labour to grow Hagweed which they sell to the orcs. The orcs are hooked and are raiding to raise gold to buy more hagweed making the area more dangerous still. They might attack the source but, even they know that, once they have sold the family silver they cannot do it again.
The hobgoblins are well led and organised … and oddly well informed. Because they have had a steady stream of adventurers coming after them they are also experienced and well equiped.
Enter the player and his party of perhaps one, perhsp two depending on the choice they make earlier in the module. I may offer a short term npc for the quest alone for the faint hearted.
Anyways, there is a plot to weave a sidequest around and it fits with one of my npc’s finding her faith before the last part of the mod.
I put it up here to see if any of my co forumites could comment or develop it (or suggest prefabs – I know I said I don’t use them but there is a few areas here that are new to my area budget for this mod and I don’t want it to take a year … )
Cheers,
PJ
Modifié par PJ156, 23 septembre 2012 - 10:28 .
#17
Posté 23 septembre 2012 - 10:33
OfficerDonNZ
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Sounds good to me PJ.
And without gving too much away might a certain NPC mage we've been disscussing be a possible party member?
Also weren't the Lathanderites the ones giving the hero a hard time in Last Days of the Raven? Or am I geting my temples muddled?
If the player is a Cleric/Paladin/Follower of Lathander, that could be interesting!
And without gving too much away might a certain NPC mage we've been disscussing be a possible party member?
Also weren't the Lathanderites the ones giving the hero a hard time in Last Days of the Raven? Or am I geting my temples muddled?
If the player is a Cleric/Paladin/Follower of Lathander, that could be interesting!
Modifié par OfficerDonNZ, 23 septembre 2012 - 10:38 .
#18
Posté 23 septembre 2012 - 10:43
PJ156
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You're right Lathander does take a bashing in this campaign
Yup, Honour will be there unless you choose to leave her behind.
I need to allow for Lathander followers without offering another path ... not sure how yet but your average Lathanderite is not going to be overly impressed with the priest in this case. There are some sympathy points for him too ... not many, but some.
PJ
Yup, Honour will be there unless you choose to leave her behind.
I need to allow for Lathander followers without offering another path ... not sure how yet but your average Lathanderite is not going to be overly impressed with the priest in this case. There are some sympathy points for him too ... not many, but some.
PJ
#19
Posté 23 septembre 2012 - 10:48
OfficerDonNZ
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Heh, yes you Lathander basher you
I wasn't meaning Honour but it's nice to know she'll be there.
I was meaning a certain CG Drow Neromancer
I wasn't meaning Honour but it's nice to know she'll be there.
I was meaning a certain CG Drow Neromancer
#20
Posté 24 septembre 2012 - 04:47
Dorateen
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PJ156 wrote...
You're right Lathander does take a bashing in this campaign
Oh, I don't know that Lathander took such a beating, at least to me. The way I perceived those miscreants in question is that they were fraudulent, false priests. There was corruption, a failing too often seen in human institutions.
Just because someone cloaks themselves as something, doesn't mean it is who they really are. One of the themes that resonates with me are enemies who present themselves as champions of some cause or under a banner of light, and are in reality nothing of the sort.
I enjoyed the machinations in Last Days of the Raven very much.
#21
Posté 25 septembre 2012 - 05:30
PJ156
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Thanks Dorateen,
I like those kind of bad guys too. Half the time they are not even bad, just human ...
I want to have a healthy squirt of curruption and intrigue in the last part of the mod to balance the hack/slash feel I could well end up with if I am not careful.
PJ
I like those kind of bad guys too. Half the time they are not even bad, just human ...
I want to have a healthy squirt of curruption and intrigue in the last part of the mod to balance the hack/slash feel I could well end up with if I am not careful.
PJ
