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Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

How does someone get the ability to place others under
a geas?

Ok, how does the player character get this abiility?
What exactly, (or more or less,) is the background of a geas?
Is it all written out, like a ticket or instruction manual?
Could the Adventurer's Mart to have a geas or two available?
Saemon?

Could the player character reasonably have a geas to dispense?
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

> How does someone get the ability to place others under
> a geas?
>
> Ok, how does the player character get this abiility?
> What exactly, (or more or less,) is the background of a geas?
> Is it all written out, like a ticket or instruction manual?
> Could the Adventurer's Mart to have a geas or two available?
> Saemon?
>
> Could the player character reasonably have a geas to dispense?

Geas is a term from Irish myth, and is a powerful compulsion. In D&D terms,
it's a high-level spell that forces the target to obey or carry out a
particular task, and weakens or eventually kills them if they do not.
The PC can't go around geasing people because it would be (a) very difficult
to implement and (b) unbalancing.
There you go then 🙂
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"Henry Lockwood" <hnl22@NOSPAM.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:c7areg$4c5$1@pegasus.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> > How does someone get the ability to place others under
> > a geas?
> >
> > Ok, how does the player character get this abiility?
> > What exactly, (or more or less,) is the background of a geas?
> > Is it all written out, like a ticket or instruction manual?
> > Could the Adventurer's Mart to have a geas or two available?
> > Saemon?
> >
> > Could the player character reasonably have a geas to dispense?
>
> Geas is a term from Irish myth, and is a powerful compulsion. In D&D
terms,
> it's a high-level spell that forces the target to obey or carry out a
> particular task, and weakens or eventually kills them if they do not.
> The PC can't go around geasing people because it would be (a) very
difficult
> to implement and (b) unbalancing.
> There you go then 🙂

Thanks, Henry.


the objections

(a) difficult to implement.

I don't see why this would be the case.

Baddop-baam

and it's done.

You know, like everything else in the game. 🙂

Maybe this will take care of both your objections - I'm thinking of
a geas being used on one person rather than as it being used as an
ongoing strategic maneuver.

Does the thought of the PC using a geas once seem completely
wild-eyed and unbelievable?

(b) unbalancing

Is this correct - the target of a geas must be a willing participant.

The target may be duped and deceived, in large or minor ways,
but a geas will not take effect if the target does not consent to it.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"Henry Lockwood" <hnl22@NOSPAM.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:c7areg$4c5$1@pegasus.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> > How does someone get the ability to place others under
> > a geas?
> >
> > Ok, how does the player character get this abiility?
> > What exactly, (or more or less,) is the background of a geas?
> > Is it all written out, like a ticket or instruction manual?
> > Could the Adventurer's Mart to have a geas or two available?
> > Saemon?
> >
> > Could the player character reasonably have a geas to dispense?
>
> Geas is a term from Irish myth, and is a powerful compulsion. In D&D
terms,
> it's a high-level spell that forces the target to obey or carry out a
> particular task, and weakens or eventually kills them if they do not.
> The PC can't go around geasing people because it would be (a) very
difficult
> to implement and (b) unbalancing.
> There you go then 🙂
>

"Henry Lockwood" <hnl22@NOSPAM.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:c7areg$4c5$1@pegasus.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> > How does someone get the ability to place others under
> > a geas?
> >
> > Ok, how does the player character get this abiility?
> > What exactly, (or more or less,) is the background of a geas?
> > Is it all written out, like a ticket or instruction manual?
> > Could the Adventurer's Mart to have a geas or two available?
> > Saemon?
> >
> > Could the player character reasonably have a geas to dispense?
>
> Geas is a term from Irish myth, and is a powerful compulsion. In D&D
terms,
> it's a high-level spell that forces the target to obey or carry out a
> particular task, and weakens or eventually kills them if they do not.
> The PC can't go around geasing people because it would be (a) very
difficult
> to implement and (b) unbalancing.
> There you go then 🙂

Thanks, Henry.

the objections

(a) difficult to implement.

I don't see why this would be the case.

Baddop-baam

and it's done.

You know, like everything else in the game. 🙂

Maybe this will take care of both your objections - I'm thinking of
a geas being used on one person rather than as it being used as an
ongoing strategic maneuver.

Does the thought of the PC using a geas once seem completely
wild-eyed and unbelievable?

(b) unbalancing

Is this correct - the target of a geas must be a willing participant.

The target may be duped and deceived, in large or minor ways,
but a geas will not take effect if the target does not consent to it, right?
~~~~

(Sorry if this has been sent twice - dang puter problems)
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

>the objections
>
>(a) difficult to implement.
>
>I don't see why this would be the case.
>
>Baddop-baam
>
>and it's done.
>
>You know, like everything else in the game. 🙂

Hard to implement = Difficult to program.


>Maybe this will take care of both your objections - I'm thinking of
>a geas being used on one person rather than as it being used as an
>ongoing strategic maneuver.
>
>Does the thought of the PC using a geas once seem completely
>wild-eyed and unbelievable?
>
>(b) unbalancing

Its not a device the original devisers of the pnp game system wanted
players to use. Go ask the makers of quake why they didnt put flower
aranging in instead of the nail gun.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"Trickle" <false@quiteclearelyfake.tz> wrote in message
news:6svj90h0fon8aiu25bmh6fhc0k11rh05s2@4ax.com...
> >the objections
> >
> >(a) difficult to implement.
> >
> >I don't see why this would be the case.
> >
> >Baddop-baam
> >
> >and it's done.
> >
> >You know, like everything else in the game. 🙂
>
> Hard to implement = Difficult to program.

I don't think I'm explaining this well.

I'm thinking of the geas being used as a one-time special
event rather than as a special ability like Slayer Change
or whatever. Okay, not knowing anything at all about
programming, which is the case for me, I'm as confident
as I can possibly bethat it's not something that would be
difficult to program - if a certain group member leaves the
group then that person (or maybe someone else) dies. This
can't be difficult to program.

> >Maybe this will take care of both your objections - I'm thinking of
> >a geas being used on one person rather than as it being used as an
> >ongoing strategic maneuver.
> >
> >Does the thought of the PC using a geas once seem completely
> >wild-eyed and unbelievable?
> >
> >(b) unbalancing
>
> Its not a device the original devisers of the pnp game system wanted
> players to use.

No DnD character has ever used a geas?
An honest question - I'm not trying to make any kind of point
with it. I'm just very surprised that that might be the case.

Go ask the makers of quake why they didnt put flower
> aranging in instead of the nail gun.

Well, I do remember the Big Flower Gun.

It's a good point though - I'd like to ask them why they didn't
include a plot or story, but they'd most likely (and rightfully) tell
me to keep my criticisms to myself seeing as how they did quite
well with what they put out.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"kevin" <khiggins2@nyukhouston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:MoAmc.71260$Dn1.11170@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> I'm thinking of the geas being used as a one-time special
> event rather than as a special ability like Slayer Change
> or whatever. Okay, not knowing anything at all about
> programming, which is the case for me, I'm as confident
> as I can possibly bethat it's not something that would be
> difficult to program - if a certain group member leaves the
> group then that person (or maybe someone else) dies. This
> can't be difficult to program.

RCV: Just for sake of arguement, what sort of Geas are you going to have
the PC cast on an NPC anyway, to force them into some action? Doesn't
having someone die if they don't do what you want sort of take any
excitement [?] out of the whole process? How one could make this much more
interesting than simply casting Dire Charm or Domination on someone and
having them kill X monster leaves me at a loss.

Isn't it the PC who wants to be doing the quests, not their "questing"
another individual to do so, via a Geas?

Rich
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

kevin wrote:
> "Trickle" <false@quiteclearelyfake.tz> wrote in message
> news:6svj90h0fon8aiu25bmh6fhc0k11rh05s2@4ax.com...
>
>>>the objections
>>>
>>>(a) difficult to implement.
>>>
>>>I don't see why this would be the case.
>>>
>>>Baddop-baam
>>>
>>>and it's done.
>>>
>>>You know, like everything else in the game. 🙂
>>
>>Hard to implement = Difficult to program.
>
>
> I don't think I'm explaining this well.
>
> I'm thinking of the geas being used as a one-time special
> event rather than as a special ability like Slayer Change
> or whatever.

Why would the PC stick to that, though? "You can use a geas, but only
once" is just as arbitrary as, "You can use a geas 0 times." In P&P
it's a spell; it can be cast as many times as the mage who knows it
chooses to, like any other spell.

>>Its not a device the original devisers of the pnp game system wanted
>>players to use.
>
>
> No DnD character has ever used a geas?

They have, yes. It's in the book as a commonly available spell.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"Kish" <Kish_K@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:uDDmc.6003$Cl2.4870@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com...
> kevin wrote:
> > I'm thinking of the geas being used as a one-time special
> > event rather than as a special ability like Slayer Change
> > or whatever.
>
> Why would the PC stick to that, though? "You can use a geas, but only
> once" is just as arbitrary as, "You can use a geas 0 times." In P&P
> it's a spell; it can be cast as many times as the mage who knows it
> chooses to, like any other spell.

Yes, to allow the PC to utilize a geas once, and in a scripted event
only, is arbitrary. Is there something wrong with that? I don't see
anything wrong with a feature or event being arbitrary, and thank
goodness<g> I don't - some NPCs can change alignment and some
can't; some characters are members of classes that their stats say that
they shouldn't be members of, and so on. The player buys the story/
event or doesn't. It's unrealistic to expect a game to not feature at least
a few arbitrary events or situations, isn't it? How arbitrary is the value
of
a soul in this game?

PnP treats geas as a spell. Ok, and thanks - this is one of the things
I was most curious about. Geas is treated much differently in the BGs,
of course. I'm not sure what I make of it, really, but it's something
that shouldn't actually be cast by the PC as this would limit it to just
mages - haha maybe Jon-bon himself might play a part in this.

> > No DnD character has ever used a geas?
>
> They have, yes. It's in the book as a commonly available spell.

What are the most common uses for it?
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"Rich C. Velay" <RCVelay@remove.this.shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:ErBmc.393387$oR5.34597@pd7tw3no...
>
>> RCV: Just for sake of arguement, what sort of Geas are you going to
have
> the PC cast on an NPC anyway, to force them into some action?

Actually it's more to force, or at least to strongly persuade, non-action.
It's to keep Imoen with an evil group, of course.
At least to prevent the lemming-like automatic action of her leaving a
low rep group. I'd like a war of wills between Imoen and the PC. I just
didn't dare say so.

>Doesn't
> having someone die if they don't do what you want sort of take any
> excitement [?] out of the whole process?

Have you ever tried this?

Well, then don't knock it!




just kidding
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"kevin" <khiggins2@nyukhouston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:76Kmc.69384$NR5.55696@fe1.texas.rr.com...
>
> "Rich C. Velay" <RCVelay@remove.this.shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:ErBmc.393387$oR5.34597@pd7tw3no...
> >
> >> RCV: Just for sake of arguement, what sort of Geas are you going to
> have
> > the PC cast on an NPC anyway, to force them into some action?
>
> Actually it's more to force, or at least to strongly persuade, non-action.
> It's to keep Imoen with an evil group, of course.
> At least to prevent the lemming-like automatic action of her leaving a
> low rep group. I'd like a war of wills between Imoen and the PC. I just
> didn't dare say so.

RCV: I wasn't aware she would EVER leave the group, but then I haven't
spent much time with a rep of 1, its true. I always thought she was a
special case....

And if that is all you want a Geas for, d/l Shadowkeeper and change her
alignment to some sort of neutral with regards to Good and Evil.....

> >Doesn't
> > having someone die if they don't do what you want sort of take any
> > excitement [?] out of the whole process?
>
> Have you ever tried this?
>
> Well, then don't knock it!
>
>
>
>
> just kidding
>
RCV: I've seen it cast in PnP, and as a DM made use of it by NPCs.
Hardly seems worth the effort to put it into BG 2 though, just to manipulate
Imoen.... IMHO.

Rich
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"Rich C. Velay" <RCVelay@remove.this.shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:fFRmc.404069$oR5.252248@pd7tw3no...
>
> RCV: I wasn't aware she would EVER leave the group, but then I haven't
> spent much time with a rep of 1, its true. I always thought she was a
> special case....

She will leave if the group has a rep of one or two. The difference with
Imoen is that unlike other NPCs who leave because of rep she will rejoin
the group (I'm told) if (I guess) its rep gets above 2. Eh, whoopie <g>

OTOH, I have heard that Vicky and Sarevok wont leave groups with
obscenely high reps. If this is truly the case I suppose it's due to there
being such a scarcity of good-aligned players in the game that it must be
tough for good-aligned groups to field a full group of six. This must also
the reason why half the evil-NPCs (that being 2!)can be converted to
non-evil while none of the 'good' characters can be converted to evil.

> And if that is all you want a Geas for, d/l Shadowkeeper and change her
> alignment to some sort of neutral with regards to Good and Evil.....

What, and be a cheater?!

Nah, I'd rather complain. <g>

I understand you've got to be tough to be evil ;-)

I don't actually have any problem keeping my rep above 2 when I'm
playing evil. I just think there could a lot more done in regard to Imoen
persuading an evil PC to shape up.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

kevin wrote:

> OTOH, I have heard that Vicky and Sarevok wont leave groups with
> obscenely high reps.

No. Viconia will leave as any other NPC would. There is a persistent
and inaccurate rumor that she'll stick around if you're romancing her.

Sarevok...well, Sarevok can only join in ToB, and no NPC leaves in ToB.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.baldurs-gate (More info?)

"Kish" <Kish_K@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:r8Vmc.6328$cd2.1393@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com...
> kevin wrote:
>
> > OTOH, I have heard that Vicky and Sarevok wont leave groups with
> > obscenely high reps.
>
> No. Viconia will leave as any other NPC would. There is a persistent
> and inaccurate rumor that she'll stick around if you're romancing her.

Cool!

I believe though that there's a mod that wipes out rep as a determining
factor for NPCs leaving.

> Sarevok...well, Sarevok can only join in ToB, and no NPC leaves in ToB.

I didn't know that.
Do you know the reason(s) why they decided to not let
NPCs leave in ToB?
 
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