Luckmann

In his defence, he's "58 year old woman"-writing completely down. It's eerie.

As part of the The Theorems of Pandgram quest, Nedyn at the Brackenbury Asylum asks you to retrieve a book, the Theorems of Pandgram, from the Hall of Revealed Mysteries. She has been previously denied access, by the keeper, Grimda. What is the first thing you do? You go up to Grimda and tell her that; Hey, I've been sent by Nedyn, because she wants to Theorems of Pandgram. Is there any way we could make that work? Any way I could persuade you? What's the issue between you two and this thing, anyway? There's one option: "An animancer named Nedyn asked me to retrieve the Theorems of Pangram from the Elder Archives". This immediately ends the quest and makes it impossible to secure The Theorems of Pandgram, by making the chest in which they are kept un-interactable. ... ... ... I... I have nothing. Completely and utterly blindsided me. I wasn't there to steal, unless it was necessary, or maybe I would've changed my mind after talking to Grimda, or maybe the Theorems of Pandgram could've been moved to a harder-to-reach location because I tipped Grimda off that Nedyn is apparently not going to give up. This can't possibly be working as intended. Also, if you do opt to just steal The Theorems of Pandgram right away, and never talk to Grimda at all; you need to lockpick the door to the Elder Archives. As long as you are in Scouting Mode, whether you are being seen or not, you can lockpick the door and walk inside just fine. But if you are not in Scouting Mode, the entire Temple/Library goes hostile.

Can you actually do that? Sacrifice a party member to the blood pool in game? Well, canon is what the writers say it is. If it's a direct sequel, then it will probably be assumed that you recruited all party members and that they survived. God, please no. It utterly destroys the feeling of telling my own story. If you're not going to take my decisions into account, don't pretend like they matter, don't give me ending slides you're going to ignore. BG2's beginning made no sense to me whatsoever because Khalid died long before and I never traveled with Minsc. I hope Obsidian doesn't go this way and imports our decisions from the first game - or if not, then simply doesn't show people with uncertain fate. This is part of why I'd like PoE2 to be stand-alone. I really, really hated BG2 for just assuming that Minsc, Jaheira and Imoen were in my core group, and that I had even met Viconia (Who was extremely easy to miss, as opposed to, say, Xan, or Kivan, or practically anyone else) and others. I never even *liked* Minsc, Jaheira, or Khalid. I really liked BG2, make no mistake, but stuff like that is part of why I still put the storyline and storytelling well below Baldur's Gate.

Engagement numbers do not matter much for tanking, and if all you wanted to do was stand and tank, all you need is the heaviest armour around and you're actually doing great. Get some Athletics and you're set. Supposed to be. The "No Bad Builds"-thing never gets old.

Has been an issue since forever, I've brought it up before, but it's still not addressed, so I'll mention it again. When resizing the text, which is more or less necessary for the combat log to be readable at all, due to the insistence of keeping it tiny and in the worst part of the screen, most other text in the game looks terrible, including loading screens: Is it so hard to make the boxes resize properly, or at least centre the text? Also, loading screen text shouldn't be affected by the setting at all.

I'm open to this idea, but right now Obsidian is banking on nostalgia. PoE is a brand new IP for them. They made this for people who love Infinity Engine games. What made the Baldur's Gate series more memorable was the continuity of the storyline, character imports included. This is a chance for Obsidian to make a saga which could rival the Baldur's Gate greatness. There's a reason why games like Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment were made. They're basically in the same world/lore Baldur's Gate (Forgotten Realms/Abeir-Toril) but also disconnected to the Bhaalspawn saga. Deviating from the original story of PoE 1 at this very early stage of the IP would create another Dragon Age 2. I really don't mind having a different storyline for thew future PoE games, but like I said, Obsidian needs to create a new epic saga of their own. I disagree on the note that Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment were created for that purpose. Especially Planescape: Torment wasn't "just" disconnected from the Bhaalspawn saga, and the Icewind Dale games were created for their own sake, because of the popularity of the IE. Saying that deviating from the original story of PoE would create another Dragon Age 2 is ridiculous. Having standalone adventures in the same setting and universe has nothing to do with the trainwreck that was Dragon Age 2. Dragon Age 2 was criticized far more for dumbing everything down to another Mass Effect game than for the fact that it was disconnected from Dragon Age: Origins, never mind the fact that it was advertised from the beginning as a direct sequel, which it was evidently not. A stand-alone adventure for "PoE 2" shouldn't be called Pillars of Eternity 2, imo, just to make it clear. But more importantly and to the point, I would love it if the stories weren't disconnected at all. The best thing would be if it's stand-alone adventures, but with a deeply connected storyline.

Going further into the game, it is my interpretation that what caused you to become Awakened was that the machine causes Biawacs - hence the increasing amount of Biawacs in Dyrwood - and that it was the Biawac that awakened you, after you survived a traumatic event that shatters most souls and drags them to the wheel (or whatever). Why did this make you a Watcher though? No idea. At first I thought it was one and the same thing, but Aloth has an Awakened soul, and several other people in the game, and none of them are also Watchers. There's a good argument for the theory that all Watchers are Awakened, but not all Awakened become Watchers. I think you need to be in a situation where you "look beyond the veil" or "peer behind the curtain", such as seeing a biawac rip souls off - to become a Watcher, and that being a Watcher, being able to see the souls of others and yourself, sorta makes you awakened by default (since you can, on some level or another, interact with your own soul). None of this suggests that Watcher become irreversibly insane, though. There's mention in the game of other Watchers beyond yourself and Maerwald, too, and I haven't seen anything suggesting they go mad.

Then the issue is still there, just different. Why would you say "I'm going to give you the papers" before you mention the price? The offer to give it to him the papers in exchange for the armour should become before the decision to give him the papers.

But I want to make questionable fashion statements nooooooooooooooow. ;_;

Aside from the penalty of added Recovery Speed, no. But it's fairly major, considering that you don't really need any armour at all.

I'm hoping for a completely stand-alone adventure, not a direct sequel.

If that's what that dialogue is supposed to do, then it does a really, really, really piss-poor job of doing it. Not only can you object to it quite reasonably, but I always interpreted Maerwald's situation as near-unique. The entire buildup in Caed Nua has to do with Mearwald's very unique situation in having been involved in events relating to his soul's own, deeply traumatic, personal tragedies. There's nothing at all that happens there that has anything to do with you specifically, and nothing saying that this happens to all Watchers. The difference between Awakened and Watcher does not come across properly, especially in the early game. Exactly what made you into which isn't clear either, afaik. I was entirely under the impression that Watchers aren't actually awakened, but can still see their (and others) souls, whether in their current or previous incarnations, while Awakened are simply those that have manifested their own old lives through their soul. The game does not communicate this appropriately. The only common indication that you're having "nightmares" is the odd swirly adra thing that shows up sometimes when you make camp. And even so, nightmares? Pshaw, that's hardly a reason for concern. Some people have night-terrors their whole lives.

It does not.

Fair enough Let's mod in Aerie and have her get in a life or death fight with GM over who gets to raise the baby. One gave her life; the other gave her soul: Only one can be the mother. Next up, on HBO:s Pillars of Maternity.

The hints makes perfect sense. I had no problem solving the bell puzzle on my first try. Of course, I had seen the bells before the hint from the soul, and the rest were all written down for you, so I paid attention to the soul thingy. As far as I've been able to ascertain, there's three different ways to open the door. Lockpick, solving the puzzle, or finding the key. Funnily, only one of those results in experience. I really liked the Temple of Eothas, partly because of how they did the bell puzzle. It was simple, but it felt meaningful, and it could be approached in more than one way.

What's 'ridiculous' is that you sent a very important character away on a mission...? Since there's no info on if there are any variables involved in the quests (at least that I can find) about how effective a particular character/class may be on that quest or whether it makes any difference who you send, it's not exactly illogical to assume you may want to send someone you feel has the best chance of success. To me, that just reinforces the point. You say it yourself, you have no info regarding the variables, including reward and actual time spent doing it. Why would you send one of your most important assets away like that?

Need I say more?

Great character. I want to comment on her personality and beliefs, but then I'd end up ruining the thread. Do eeeeeet. There's no use having a thread just for posting stuff no-one ever talks about or comments on. Then it's just another fanfic thread and I loathe fanfic threads. It's not that talking about her would ruin the thread; it's what I'd say. SAY IT, F****T!

....why did you send your only tank that you feel that you absolutely need for anything and everything on a one-man quest?

Only for you, the rest of us aren't bound by strict dichotomous relationships in regards to disposition. Also, what would be the "opposite" of Passionate and Clever? That's just based on Pallegina herself, though, especially the Disapproved dispositions of Cruel/Passionate. I could stretch myself to Diplomatic/Rational, although I still think Aggressive/Diplomatic makes a lot more sense, but Disapproved dispositions of Cruel/Passionate? I don't see that at all.

Upon leaving Dunryd Row with the knowledge that Penhelm's documents were forged, you are accosted by Penhelm. Penhelm talks about how it's not fair that he should be judged by the content of his soul, and so on and so forth. You can choose to make fun of him, be cruel to him, insist that his superiors deserve to know, hand the papers over and so on, but it all centres around him and whether it's fair that he be judged that way. In this, it is completely forgotten that he's a dungbeetle that forced Osric out of the Knights of the Crucible because they are obsessive about their past, and that you're doing this to get Osric's armour back. It is odd and jarring that you cannot throw this back into his face, or insist that you agree with the sentiment that he shouldn't be thrown out of the order based on this, but that Osric shouldn't have been thrown out either, and that you'll trade the papers for the armour.

If you choose to attack Thristwn during the course of the Far From Home quest in Defiance Bay (Brackenbury/Ondra's Gift), by means of the [Aggressive] option in telling him to stay away from Serel, the entire establishment (The Charred Barrel) turns hostile. Considering that nothing like that happens if you do the opposite - force your way to Serel at the Salty Mast by killing her guards - I cannot believe that this is working as intended. Also, even if you do not initially agree to get the medallion for Thristwn, you still get the quest, and much of the dialogue suggests that you have agreed to help him. When you return to Thristwn after talking to Serel and coming to the conclusion that she deserves it more, your only dialogue option is to actually agree to get the medallion for him. This updates the quest, and then when you next talk to him, you can tell him that you've come to the conclusion that she deserves it more, leading to the argument which can get the entire inn violently murdered. Also, the fact that you get greatly reduced options in dialogue when talking to her after killing her guards makes very little sense, compared to the options given to you if you pay to sleep with her and instead just ends up talking to her. It stands out as very odd and the dialogue is extremely shallow. Not a bug, just a comment. Solutions: The quest should not start unless you agree to help Thristwn to begin with. If you choose to deal with him violently, the entire Inn should not turn hostile. The entire quest feels a bit wonky and unfulfilling, and should probably get another pass at the very least. It feels rather forced upon you, and lacking in options. If you side with Serel, your only option is to either attack him (and thus make the entire establishment hostile, currently) or tell him that you'll deal with him later; unless you have Resolve 17, which gives you a pacifist "get over it" option, or Might 16, which gives you another [Aggressive] option that doesn't necessitate attacking him. Suggestions: Allow the threat to be attempted without 16 Might (Aggressive), but resulting in him pushing back, panicking, and attempt to attacking you. Have a Might 16 option to rough him up (Aggressive), resulting in a second option to either let him go peacefully (Benevoloent), or to actually kill him then and there (Aggressive or Cruel).

None of the options are supposed to be opposites, and advancing as one does not cancel out the other. Someone that is Aggressive/Diplomatic is one that favours aggressive solutions, but is also adept at negotiating, or understanding a conflict before taking sides. In the case of Frermàs, my interpretation is a military order subservient to merchant lords, that exists to further the interests of the Vailian Republics first and foremost. As much as I am not a big fan of Pallegina herself, when I think of these things, the Vailian Republics and the Frermàs, I can't help but to think of Machiavelli's The Prince, french mercantilism, and the old fascist adage of Libro et muschetto (the book and the musket). I could go with Pallegina herself preferring the Passionate responses, but those are the responses that actually go against her duties as a Frermàs mes Canc Suolias. My suggestion is that the Frermàs mes Canc Suolias should Favour Aggressive/Diplomatic and Disfavour Clever/Honest. What Pallegina prefers herself is irrelevant, and all we can do is infer the disposition of the Frermàs based on interactions related to her. Pallegina herself can be as honest and as passionate as she wants to be, but that doesn't mean that she's not at odds with or feeling that she's at odds with what she's been taught. I can be a Bleak Walker and still be Benevolent, after all. I'm still a Bleak Walker. Just a bad one. And my support of Paladins being influenced by party reputation is based on association. If the actions of those you associate does not sit well with the ideals you've been taught, it's not that much different from your own actions going against the grain, like for player Paladins. I think that a per-levelup increase of bonuses is unfair, because it's a blanket bonus that the player can't get, no matter it's disposition and reputations. They're supposed to be? Really? Where does it say that? What source material are you drawing on? In any case, Pallegina strongly approves of the Watcher if they're Diplomatic, but is personally hard-handed, hard-headed, and is honestly pretty violent. She's the essence of "walk softly, and carry a big stick." That's Diplomatic/Aggressive to a tee. I guess you could go Diplomatic/Passionate, since Passionate choices largely work out to "judgmental ass" in practice, but that seems kinda meta. On a meta level, I can't be the only one who's noticed that the ten dispositions are easily and neatly divided into five opposing pairs. But, beyond that, the mere definitions of aggressive and diplomatic put them into conflict, even how they're handled in the game itself. Diplomatic is all about negotiation, compromise, and avoiding tactlessness and hostility. Aggressive is forcing conflict to get what you want and refusing compromise. I'd never be able to reconcile those two as being at all compatible. Personal opinion, perhaps, but again this strikes me as suggesting a paladin order that is benevolent and cruel. Just doesn't compute. I can do Benevolent and Cruel. It's a Paladin Order that seeks to improve the lot in life for those that are lacking, and carries out torturous attacks upon their enemies, cruel and vindictive in practice. It is an inquisitorial organization of a fundamentally good faith, that seeks to root out heresy and threats to the social order with fire. A Paladin Order that has Benevolent and Cruel could be dedicated to Eothas. On tuesdays and thursdays, they organize soup kitchens for the poor and clothing drives for the homeless. On fridays and saturdays, they break down the doors of closet magranites and drag them to the Citadel. Cruel and Benevolent isn't even hard. Fellows of St. Waidwen Martyr could Favour Benevolent/Cruel, and Disfavour Deceptive/Rational.

Now, I'm not opposed to much, much, much, much stricter resting rules, and would prefer it if you'd always be attacked when sleeping in overtly hostile areas, if there was a chance to be attacked in the wild, and if you were flat-out refused to sleep in the streets of cities, relegating safe sleep to designated areas (safe zones) and Inns, to go along with the resting supply limitations. But that's not how the game works. And thus it is very odd that you cannot sleep at the Lighthouse in Ondra's Gift. I suspect it has to do with it becoming an Inn, and that it's a map-wide flag that doesn't change when the area changes.

And I actually hate that. I think that one-handing Battle Axes just feels off.