BG2 Ascension question (spoilers)
Laura Uerling
Spoilers...
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Now, I know that in Ascension you can talk Balthazar over to your side
and get him to fight Melissan with you. However, I am having a terrible
problem picking the *right* dialog choices to do so. He either goes
hostile or commits suicide--which is a real PITA because the Solar dream
kicks in and you have to slog through the whole thing before reloading
to try again.
So, Ascension veterans, any hints, suggestions, etc. on selecting the
dialog choices that will get Balthazar to join forces with my PC?
TIA!
Laura Uerling
luer...@lynx.neu.edu
Westley Weimer
> So, Ascension veterans, any hints, suggestions, etc. on selecting the
> dialog choices that will get Balthazar to join forces with my PC?
Looks like there's this ConvinceBalth global variable that keeps track of
things. From a scan of balth.dlg (using the dialogue compiler toolset,
blatant plug), here are all the positive things you can say to him in a
hard-to-understand format:
IF ~Alignment(Player1,MASK_GOOD)^M
ReputationGT(Player1,18)~ THEN REPLY ~But I am not evil! I am a force of
good and justice!~ // Convince +2,
// Or Convince +1 if you are evil with 19+ reputation
IF ~~ THEN REPLY ~You would make us out to be victims of circumstance rather than masters of our own destiny.~
DO ~IncrementGlobal("ConvinceBalth","GLOBAL",1)~ GOTO 97
SAY ~Fight her together?~
// if you are not evil && charisma > 15, ConvinceBalth goes up by 1
IF ~CheckStatGT(Player1,15,WIS)^M
CheckStatLT(Player1,19,WIS)~ THEN REPLY ~Think about it, Balthazar! You honestly think she didn't know what your plans were? Do you think you took her by surprise? Even I saw it coming, and there was nothing I could do to stop it!~
DO ~IncrementGlobal("ConvinceBalth","GLOBAL",1)~ GOTO 64
IF ~CheckStatGT(Player1,18,WIS)~ THEN REPLY ~She used you to get rid of the other Bhaalspawn, obviously. Think about it! She knew what you were planning all along. She wanted all the Bhaalspawn dead...and she wants us to fight! She *wants* this to happen!!~
DO ~IncrementGlobal("ConvinceBalth","GLOBAL",2)~ GOTO 65
Wow, 19 wisdom. I guess it's possible.
IF ~~ THEN REPLY ~Yet another death added to your tally? And what then, once you kill her? Once you have all that power and it's yours alone...you think you're going to resist that?~ // #74157 |165| {3}
// if you are GOOD and your reputation is 18 or above, Convince goes up 1
IF ~~ THEN REPLY ~You always have a choice, Balthazar. Don't be a slave to Alaundo's prophecy! I have fought against it ever since I found out about my heritage and I will *not* give up!~
// if you are GOOD and your rep is 10 or above and your charisma is 16 or
// above, Convince goes up 1
IF ~CheckStatGT(Player1,14,WIS)^M
CheckStatLT(Player1,19,WIS)~ THEN REPLY ~I have been told many things by agents of Alaundo's prophecy...higher beings that have sought me out to prepare me. Alaundo's prophecy does not necessarily mean what you think it does, Balthazar.~
DO ~IncrementGlobal("ConvinceBalth","GLOBAL",1)~ GOTO 77
IF ~CheckStatGT(Player1,18,WIS)~ THEN REPLY ~A Solar has been my mentor since this began, guiding me and preparing me for what is to come. The prophecy is not so simple as you think it to be, no matter how we assume it to be. Think about it and you'll know it to be true, Balthazar...everything has more than one side.~
DO ~IncrementGlobal("ConvinceBalth","GLOBAL",2)~ GOTO 78
IF ~~ THEN REPLY ~You can walk away. You can do what's right, Balthazar, what you know to be right instead of what you've resigned yourself to.~
// if you are not evil and your charisma is 17 or above, Convince goes up 1
IF ~~ THEN REPLY ~Look at the suffering you have brought to Amkethran! Your monks terrorize the innocent at your command! You hire soulless mercenaries that cut down the innocent at the slightest provocation! And all for nothing! You call these the actions of a good man?~
DO ~IncrementGlobal("ConvinceBalth","GLOBAL",2)^M
IF ~~ THEN REPLY ~A truly good man would have stood against Melissan from the beginning. You say you wanted to find out who the Five were...and yet I defeated them without your scheming. It was your choice to join the Five in their reign of destruction, so live up to it!~
// if your reputation is 11 or more, Convince goes up 1
IF ~~ THEN REPLY ~And what if that is my path, too, Balthazar? You say you don't judge me, and yet you hold yourself to some duty as the only person who can fight against evil? Do you know destiny so well that you can say for certain where it leads for someone else, never mind yourself?~
// if you are good and your rep is 18 or more, Convince goes up 1
SAY ~Do you think that others of our kind are any different? Count them, <CHARNAME>, and think of the multitudes of Bhaalspawn that existed and brought misery to others, if not by intent, then even by their very presence. Would you allow such carnage to continue? Have we not spared the entire land from agony by the slaying of our siblings?~
// if you are not evil, Convince goes up 1
SAY ~You mistake the path for the journey, my friend. Whatever paths you have taken since leaving Candlekeep, the journey has ended here as it was always meant to. Destiny masters us...we do not master it.~
// if you are not evil, Convince goes up 1
SAY ~Yes, whether they were obstacles to be overcome or merely by-standers crossing your path. My own life has been little different, no matter how I have struggled against it. I am glad you see this...it will make things much easier.~
// if you are not evil, Convince goes up 1
SAY ~You sound like Yaga-Shura, a giant in ego as well as body. Yet he fell, too, when his fate came due. The power of your blood may yet make you victorious, it is true, but the fact that you embrace the taint within you makes my own path that much the clearer.~
// if you are not evil, Convince goes up 1
Anyway, "SAY" means Balth is talking, "REPLY" means the PC is talking. Try to
steer your conversation to pick up all of the REPLYs I mention above.
How do you "win"? When Balth says:
SAY ~I am at a loss, <CHARNAME>. You question me, and I have no good answers for you. My heart tells me that you must be killed, but I am not sure if I should listen to it. What...what would you have me do?~
If you have a ConvinceBalth of 4 or more, you can say:
REPLY ~Join me, Balthazar. Let us fight Melissan together, instead of doing what she wants us to.~
So the real key is to be wise (drink a potion), charismatic (use the ring or
cast friends), not-Evil (can't do anything about that) and have a high rep
(donate!).
And he will. Good luck.
- Wes
Laura Uerling
>
> Laura Uerling <luer...@lynx.neu.edu> wrote:
> > So, Ascension veterans, any hints, suggestions, etc. on selecting the
> > dialog choices that will get Balthazar to join forces with my PC?
>
> Looks like there's this ConvinceBalth global variable that keeps track of
> things. From a scan of balth.dlg (using the dialogue compiler toolset,
> blatant plug), here are all the positive things you can say to him in a
> hard-to-understand format:
Just for me, huh? :-)
'Sokay, I printed that bad baby out. I'm sure I'll be able to follow it.
<snip>
> REPLY ~Join me, Balthazar. Let us fight Melissan together, instead of doing what she wants us to.~
>
> So the real key is to be wise (drink a potion), charismatic (use the ring or
> cast friends), not-Evil (can't do anything about that) and have a high rep
> (donate!).
>
> And he will. Good luck.
Well, thanks oodles, Wes! It looks like I was mostly saying the right
things, but my CHR and WIS are too low. *cough* story of my life *cough*
I'll have to dig my RoHI out of a Bag 'o Holding and cross my fingers
I've got a Wisdom potion somewhere. I swear, if I don't have a potion
I'm going to cheat it in 'cause I've come too far to stop now!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! (Sorry, got carried away.)
Thanks again for your help. Just don't be surprised if I'm back tomorrow
begging for more help to get through Ascension. I get the feeling that
it's errr..*tough*.
Laura Uerling
luer...@lynx.neu.edu
Deviation
What if your main, chaotic evil character, put on the helm of opposite
alignment, and after securing Balthazar's help, had it removed with a curse?
Kish
/Is/ there a Helm of Opposite Alignment in BG2 without cheating?
Richard Wood
I found one somewhere when I first played through bg2, can't remember
where though.
words of wisdom:
wisdom comes with age,
death comes with age,
therefore wisdom is dangerous