Let's Play Planescape: Torment.

((Sure, most of you have played this game. But I'm still LPing it for 3 reasons:

1. Some visitors or newbies might not have played it yet and want to see how it is.
2. I'm using a fix pack, tweak pack, and restoration mod all found here. Since these mods were only released earlier this month, I'm guessing most of you haven't played with them yet.
3. I haven't played past the Tomb of the Nameless One yet. So although I know the Hive like the back of my hand, the rest of the game will be uncharted waters. (Although I have read plot spoilers)

Intro
Update 1: Talking with a floating skull
Update 2: Killing zombies with medical supplies
Update 3: Hitting on the ladies (zombies)
Update 4: Talking to Dhall
Update 5: Going on our first fetch quest
Update 6: Mutilating our body in multiple ways

So, let's begin.



Planescape: Torment.



My character is a fighter-type who has good wisdom and OK intelligence, which will unlock some conversation options, but not all of them. The tweak pack adds some armor for fighters, so hopefully he won't be too gimped compared to mages.))

I must have been dead.

I woke up on a hard slab, the sharp ridges cutting into my back. Dried blood and guts were everywhere; judging from my scars, they must have been mine.

But how did I live through whatever, or whomever, gave me the scars?

And how is that skull floating towards me?


"Me?" The skull seemed indignant. "How about *you* start, scabbie? Who are you?"
"I asked you first, skull."
"Yeah, and I asked you second. What's your name?"
"You first, skull."
"Man, you're tighter than a wet rope. All right, all right... *I'll* be the nice guy here... me, I'm Morte. Morte Rictusgrin. Now what name is unfortunate enough to have you as its owner?"
"I don't know... I can't seem to remember anything."

"Don't know what Sensates are? Oh, are *you* in for a treat! They're this group of bashers who are all about experiencing all the planes have to offer, right, including... well, forget it for now. What about those scars?"
"Scars?"
"It's like some basher decided to paint you with a knife. You're scarred all over... even on your back, 'cept..." He paused. "Say, you got a whole tattoo gallery on your back, berk. Spells out something..."
"What does it say?"
"I know it feels like you've been drinking a few kegs of Styx wash, but you need to CENTER yourself. Among your possessions is a JOURNAL that'll shed some light on the dark of the matter. PHAROD can fill you in on the rest of the chant, if he's not in the dead-book already."
"Don't lose the journal or we'll be up the Styx again. And whatever you do, DO NOT tell anyone WHO you are or WHAT happens to you, or they'll put you on a quick pilgrimage to the crematorium. Do what I tell you: READ the journal, then FIND Pharod."
"No wonder my back hurts. Do you know someone named Pharod?"
"Nobody I know. Then again, I don't know many people. Still, some berk's got to know where to find this guy... once we get out of here, that is."
"Did I have a journal with me when I was lying here?"
"No... you were stripped to the skins when you arrived here. 'Sides, looks like you got enough of a journal written on your body.
"How do I get out of here?"



"From where I'm sitting, it's obvious you need to get out of here. Me, I can afford to wait. The only danger *I'm* in is dying of boredom. We could lend each other a hand."
"You don't have any hands. What could *you* do to help me?"

"Awright then... now, c'mon, let's give this place the laugh. The doors outta here are locked, so we'll need the key. Chances are, one of the walking corpses in the room has it."
"Walking corpses?"
"Yeah, the Mortuary keepers use dead bodies as cheap labor. The corpses are dumb as stones, but they're harmless, and won't attack you unless you attack first."
"So I should attack one of these corpses and loot it for the key?"
"Well, before you do that, arm yourself first. I think there's a scalpel on one of the shelves around here."
"All right, I'll look for one."
"One last thing: Those corpses are slow as molasses, but getting punched by one of them is like being kissed by a battering ram. If they start getting an edge on you, remember you can RUN, and they can't. Use it to keep some distance if you need to recover."
"All right. Thanks for the advice."

Journal Screens for this update:






Music for this update:
http://pigmystrong.com/wp-content/uploa ... -title.mp3
http://pigmystrong.com/wp-content/uploa ... rtuary.mp3

So, uh, are you planning to retype all of Torment here?

OK, that was a lot. Seems like I've got to find out who I am, and why I lost my memory. But first I have to find Pharod and my old journal. But, before I can do that, I have to leave the mortuary while avoiding the "Dustmen" who apparently want to cremate me. But before that, I have to find a key to get out of here. And before THAT, I have to find a scalpel so I can kill a zombie (kill a zombie?) to get the key.

At least I have a purpose in life.


No key or scalpel here, just some bandages.


And the next drawer over has a scalpel. It was time to go zombie hunting.


"I WILL be helping you. Good advice is hard to come by."
"I meant help in attacking the *corpse*."
"Me? I'm a romantic, not a soldier. I'd just get in the way."
"When I attack that corpse, you better be right there with me or you'll be the next thing that I plunge this scalpel in."
"Eh... all right. I'll help you."
"I'm glad we understand each other."
"Time to introduce these corpses to the second death, then..."
"Let's go."

((Being a low-res, 2D game, Planescape: Torment used textual descriptions of objects in addition to showing them on screen. I'll try to include as many of these as I can in the LP))








So I began to look for a zombie with a key, armed with a scalpel and a skull that, given the fact that he's dead, should probably talk quite a bit less.

The first zombie I came across was a shambling corpse that looked like it had been dead for several years. The skin along its forehead had been peeled back. revealing its chalk-white skull. Someone had chiseled the number "569" into the exposed bone.

"Uh, chief... they can't hear you, all right? They're dead."
"But you're dead. And you're talking to me."
"Yeah, but *I'm* special. Death couldn't kill my zest for life. These corpses here..." Morte rolled his eyes. "They probably didn't have much personality to begin with."
"I... see."
"Look, chief... watching you try to swap the chant with these corpses isn't doing much for my morale. Let's leave the corpse talk for the barmies, all right?"
"All right, then. Let's go."

I came up to another corpse.

This corpse looked like the one with the key. It was holding onto it tightly in its left hand, its thumb and forefinger locked around it in a deathgrip. It looked like I'd need to hack the corpse's hand off to free the key.

Ignoring what Morte said about corpse-chat, I said,
"I need that key, corpse... looks like you're not long for this world."


I'm not sure if it was my intimidating remark or my incredible skills with a scalpel that insured my victory over the zombie, but whatever it was, I had won, and now carried a way out of this strange place.

I opened the gate and entered... another room. Was there no end to this place?

"Wh - are you *serious*? Look, chief, these dead chits are the last chance for a couple of hardy bashers like us. We need to be *chivalrous*... no hacking them up for keys, no lopping their limbs up, things like that."
"Last chance? What are you *talking* about?"
"Chief, THEY'RE dead, WE'RE dead... see where I'm going? Eh? Eh?"
"No... no I don't, actually."
"Chief, we already got an opening line with these limping ladies. We've *all* died at least once: we'll have something to talk about. They'll appreciate men with our kind of death experience."
"Wait... didn't you say before that I'm *not* dead?"

"All right, I'll try and remember that."
"Look, chief. It's obvious you're still a little addled after your kiss with death, so I got two bits of advice for you: one, if you've got questions, *ask* me, all right?"
"All right, if I have any questions, I'll ask you."
"Second, if you're *half* as forgetful as you seem to be, start writing stuff down - whenever you come across something that *might* be important, jot it down so you don't forget."
"If I had that journal I was *supposed* to have with me, I'd do that."
"Start a new one, then, chief. No loss. There's plenty of parchment and ink around here to last you."
"Hmmmm. All right. It couldn't hurt... I'll make a new one, then."

New journal entries:

Lumpy said:

So, uh, are you planning to retype all of Torment here?

Click to expand...

Just most of it, as I'm leaving some of it in screenshots. This guide did all of it, and came out at 479 pages, without the Unfinished Business mod I'm using. Just gives you a sense of how big this LP will get.

EDIT: OK, typing takes forever, so screenshots it is.

this is going to take monumental effort, so I salute you for even trying

I played Planescape: Torment once. I got down to the basement where some thing attacked me. I managed to get through that but then ended up in a part where zombies were after me. I got bored of the combat and meant to play it again later. I didn't.

I half-heartedly expected a response; Morte can't be the only talking deader, can he?


Fascinating conversation to be had with a corpse.


Morte, shut up. Please.


What, she can't hear me or anything.


"Where's my muh-muh-memories?" The skull has wit, if nothing else.


Trying yet again.


And failing yet again.


Maybe he likes walking that way.


The Dustmen? Or the RULE OF THREE ILLUMINATI?


Does it have something to do with the number 3?




You know, I usually don't put much stock in the words of necrophiles, even dead ones. Just sayin'.


But the rule is important enough to have its own journal entry.

In front of me I saw a corpse shuffling from slab to slab, bandaging the corpses lying there. The number "396" was carved into his left temple, and his lips were sealed closed. I noticed the corpse was carrying a roll of bandages in its hand, and they looked usable.




It's a fair point, why DO zombies need bandages?


Hmph.


Oh, look, a book. Something to pass the time with if I'm really trapped here forever.




Well, I just got here, so I'm probably on the last page. That's no use, then.



These fist irons I found just seem, I don't know, *better* than the scalpel. I think I'll use them.



So that's why there are no names in the logbook, I guess.

May possibly be as long as the Best Thread Ever.

Dhall, the great and terrible.




"Whoa, chief! What are you doing?"
"I was going to speak with this scribe. He might know something about how I got here."



Well, there's no turning back. I wasn't going to trust Morte over my own gut though, not now and not ever.

Then you know that the skull's a dick.



Finally, I can get answers from someone intelligent.



"Tell me about the Mortuary."

"Shadow of life?"

So we're dead, and our goal in "life" is to die. You are quite the cheery person, Dhall.

Sounds like Oblivion. Why would anyone want that?
"Is it worse than remaining in this shadow of what life once was? I think not."
"How did I get here?"




Just tell me where he is, you lamp...person...elf...thing.

Quit being condescending.

Sounds like YOU know where to find him, and just aren't telling me.

Knight of the Post? He's a mailman?

I wasn't even close.

Let me guess, you know where that is too, but you don't want me perpetuating this "cycle of misery"?
"A journal? If it was of any value, then it is likely it lies in Pharod's hands."
:facepalm: Thinking it was about time to leave this crazy old man, I asked,
"Can you tell me how to get out of here?"

So I am stuck after all. Might as well ask if he knows my name, then.
"Do you know who I am?"





"You say that I have been here more than once. How is it that the Dustmen do not recognize me?"

Hearing his coughing, I asked him if he was ill. He responded,


Whatever. Once I get out of this mortuary thing, I plan to do a little living. Have fun with your "True Death" and all.
As I turned to leave, Dhall spoke:
"Know this: I do not envy you, Restless One. To be reborn as you would be a curse that I could not bear. You must come to terms with it. At some point, your path will return you here..." Dhall coughed, the sound rattling in his throat. "It is the way of all things flesh and bone."
"Then perhaps we shall meet again, Dhall."

New journal entry:

zomg, MOAR Avellonian prophecies! That man is truly holy!

Did you really need 18 str?

Lestat said:

zomg, MOAR Avellonian prophecies! That man is truly holy!

Click to expand...

:awed:

In before OP loses interest after 3 days

kingcomrade said:

Did you really need 18 str?

Click to expand...

Why not? The moment he leaves Ravel's maze, the game will plunge him into plenty of combat. Better to get through that stuff quickly, or the game will get really boring.

Why the fuck aren't you going to play as a mage? The stats are the same that you need for dialogs and the spells are beautiful. FFS, that's the only smart choice!

DarkUnderlord said:

I played Planescape: Torment once. I got down to the basement where some thing attacked me. I managed to get through that but then ended up in a part where zombies were after me. I got bored of the combat and meant to play it again later. I didn't.

Click to expand...

You're unfit for command.

Here you have the greatest game and you're not playing it.

The only stats worth raising to 18 are Intelligence, Wisdom and, to a lesser extent, Charisma. Combat is simple enough, you're immortal anyways, you companions can do most of the fighting and when you play a mage those stats are the ones you'll actually need for combat spells. And they help you in dialogue.

Ah, yet another Let's Play thread. I wonder how far this will go...

The farthest I ever got was to the "rich" part of the Hive (I guess?), where you run into a quest where you have to ask this warehouse fool to give you some crap, and then run back to this bandito dude to give him the stuff, where he then explains some story about some woman and I forgot the rest. Either way I couldn't finish the quest so I assumed it was broken.

I might try PS:T with this new pack stuff.

Making let's play of PS:T will require a huge effort and gigantic amount of writing and screenshots. It would be better to post screenshots and do some writing in the same time in order for the LP to flow smoother. A constant rolling of screens will get tiresome really soon. And don't show item descriptions and unimportant stuff, like finding common items. You should just show the key moments and the clever/lulzy dialogs.

Anyway, good luck.

JarlFrank said:

The only stats worth raising to 18 are Intelligence, Wisdom and, to a lesser extent, Charisma. Combat is simple enough, you're immortal anyways, you companions can do most of the fighting and when you play a mage those stats are the ones you'll actually need for combat spells. And they help you in dialogue.

Click to expand...

Oh, Charisma can be as useful as Intelligence and Wisdom.

Moments where Charisma comes into play are far between, but there are big benefits to it.

Ravel gives you a special gift if you keep using your Charisma to flatter her. You get massive XP and a big raise to your stats from that.

Nordom can be upgraded with Charisma.

Charisma is especially useful in the Dead Nations. It lets you find a way to get inside the Silent King's room without fighting. It lets you know that Acaste is waiting to find out a weakness so that she can go on a murdering spree. You can tell her the secret of the Silent King so that she does go on her spree. (Even walkthroughs don't tell of this)

And without Charisma, one can't even hope to talk to Ojo The Leatherhead.

These are some of the situations I remember. I am sure there were more.

That, and there's the reduction in prices of goods offered by merchants and increase in the value of goods sold to them. Unlike alot of RPGs, in PS:T, money and loot are not as easy to come by, and this is an added benefit of Charisma.

What does Ojo say to you when you have high charisma?

12 INT? haha what

Dark Individual said:

What does Ojo say to you when you have high charisma?

Click to expand...

I believe he reveals his connection to the wererats. He tells that the hole in the wall is used for talking to a rat, and the rat bit him at some point. Perhaps this info helps in some quest, but I am not sure.

Usually I wouldn't bother but this Let's Play is bad news. You'll ruin the game for yourself worrying about it and you'll ruin it for anyone who hasn't played it who bothers to read. And holy fuck you've barely stumbled out of the first room and you've written a novel. All around, just no.