Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity [BETA RELEASED, GO TO THE NEW THREAD]

[Delterius]

http://www.formspring.me/GZiets/q/421400801852813913

Does Lord Ao have a counterpart in PE?

Probably not.

Better question would be if there's some sort of concept of Balance between the Gods; and wether there's some Wall of PURGATORY for all the retarded unbelievers.

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

Although at least sometimes they are avoiding a clear-cut backstory:

According to her followers, she had once claimed rulership over all the other gods. But if that was true, she was cast down in the far distant past.

The variance among gods origins, portfolio's etc. among real-world cultures is at least partially due to the inevitable game of collective telephone that happens when ideas about non-existent spiritual entities diffuse from one culture to another. Without a real, existing referent to compare these description to, there will be shifting and inconsistency. In a fantasy universe where the gods actually exist as an objective reality to be described, there would, theoretically, be far less variance between how different cultures would describe them.

 

[Infinitron]

Probably not means possibly maybe.

I really don't have a preference for the direction they take. It's just the overuse of qualifying adjectives and equivocating mealy-mouthed public relations speech grates on me sometimes.

They're creating the game as we speak. It's either mealy-mouthed public relations speech or no speech at all, because everything is subject to change.

 

[SwiftCrack]

Bhaal helped to kill Jergal and received one of his portfolios because he wanted to become the god of murder.

They never killed him. According to the random book in-game Jergal made them a deal by playing games with them. Jergal was just tired for he had grown too powerful and become apathetic to... existence (I'd say life, but he was a god of death so... ya know).

Yeah, you can read it here on sorcerersplace.net (the book is history of the dead three)

http://www.sorcerers.net/Worlds/FR/8.php

 

[Jasede]

This is true.
However, Jergal is also supposed to be an alien entity from outer space who looks like a mantis in his true form.
I am not making this up.

 

[Blaine]

Sawyer actually likes D&D settings? That explains alot, I guess

The only D&D campaign setting I like is Planescape. I got the boxed set in 1994 (being twelve years old at the time, I had to wheedle me dear ol' da into buying it for me), and I still have it today. It's probably not as great as I like to think it is, but by mid-90s standards, I'd say it was mind-blowing.

Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Spelljammer, and especially that Eberron shitpile no one ever gave a damn about can fuck right off.

 

[SwiftCrack]

This is true.
However, Jergal is also supposed to be an alien entity from outer space who looks like a mantis in his true form.
I am not making this up.

As opposed to a four armed blue man who manifested as ten different avatars on earth including a small smiling fat bald man who then founded a new religion ?

 

[Aeschylus]

Ravenloft ... can fuck right off.

Outrage! : x

Actually objectively I realize that Ravenloft is kind of silly, but it was the first setting I played in, and I love it.

 

[Grunker]

Sawyer actually likes D&D settings? That explains alot, I guess

The only D&D campaign setting I like is Planescape. I got the boxed set in 1994 (being twelve years old at the time, I had to wheedle me dear ol' da into buying it for me), and I still have it today. It's probably not as great as I like to think it is, but by mid-90s standards, I'd say it was mind-blowing.

Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Spelljammer, and especially that Eberron shitpile no one ever gave a damn about can fuck right off.

Forgotten Realms is actually quite fantastic for medium fantasy roleplaying and tactical combat campaigns. Two reasons for this: 1) The 2nd edition version of FR has very good sourcebooks and 2) The frame of reference between GM and players for the world is setup before starting, so you can jump right in. For a standard D&D campaign, FR is what you need. It's not a particularly fantastic setting, but 2nd edition version is decent, and everybody knows it.

Beyond that, yes, you're completely right.

What I questioned about Sawyer was playing D&D for the settings... that is so wrong on so many levels.

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Spelljammer, and especially that Eberron shitpile no one ever gave a damn about can fuck right off.

Dark Sun always seemed like it could have been a cool setting. I never played it, but I thought alot of elements seemed like interesting departures from the usual generic fantasy (no metal weapons, defiler magic, city states ruled be evil sorceror-kings). What was wrong with it?

 

[Excidium]

Dark Sun is awesome, its only flaw is being a D&D setting.

 

[Blaine]

I will allow that Dark Sun may deserve a pass. I'm not too familiar with it anymore.

 

[Excidium]

I really want to play on it one day. And planescape too. Though planescape looks like the kind of setting that is more fun to read about than actually play.

 

[coffeetable]

So I realized that if those black and white pics of aumauas are companions, all of them are now accounted for. Looks like they've doubled-up on mages so I'm assuming the elf guy and the aumaua guy are mutually exclusive. Classes not accounted for would be rogues, druids, chanters, and paladins.

So we've got

Edair - human fighter
Cadegund - human cleric
Aloth - elf mage
Sagani - dwarf ranger
Forton - human monk
? - Amauna barbarian
? - Amauna mage (though she's possibly a chanter)
? - Orlan cipher

As well as missing the classes you listed, there's no Godlike NPC. Which is strange in a game obsessed with gods and souls.

e: Actually, one of the humans could be Godlike and it's just a subtle thing.

 

[Aeschylus]

I really want to play on it one day. And planescape too. Though planescape looks like the kind of setting that is more fun to read about than actually play.

As with most settings, both Dark Sun and Planescape are as fun as your GM/group makes them.

 

[Blaine]

As with most settings, both Dark Sun and Planescape are as fun as your GM/group makes them.

Yes, but GM/group being equal, some settings are better than others... dependent on people's tastes, of course.

 

[Rostere]

I was originally afraid that Obsidian were using D&D terminology ("portfolio" - which has a very specific meaning in D&D) in their description of the gods without reflecting about what it would mean to their setting. From Ziets' Formspring answers, it does seem that they know what they are doing though.

 

[villain of the story]

This is true.
However, Jergal is also supposed to be an alien entity from outer space who looks like a mantis in his true form.
I am not making this up.

Fucking DC/Marvel-ification.

 

[Roguey]

? - Amauna mage (though she's possibly a chanter)

http://media.obsidian.net/eternity/media/updates/0034/AumauaWizard.jpg

I wouldn't expect a paladin or chanter companion since those were the last classes unlocked well after all the companions were accounted for.

As well as missing the classes you listed, there's no Godlike NPC. Which is strange in a game obsessed with gods and souls.

Godlikes are probably too special to be mere companions.

 

[Irenaeus]

? - Amauna mage (though she's possibly a chanter)

http://media.obsidian.net/eternity/media/updates/0034/AumauaWizard.jpg

That's one weird looking lady. No offense, Roguey.

 

[Infinitron]

Two Aumaua companions? Interesting.

 

[Cosmo]

Personally i think those were concept art for the race, rather than for recruitable NPCs.

 

[Rake]

Personally i think those were concept art for the race, rather than for recruitable NPCs.

This.
Unless i missed something, i don't saw anywhere that these concepts are companions

 

[imweasel]

How is "Amauna" pronounced anyway?

A-ma-u-na
or
A-mau-na

(the hyphens indicate where a syllable ends)

 

[Irenaeus]

How is "Amauna" pronounced anyway?

A-ma-u-na
or
A-mau-na

(the hyphens indicate where a syllable ends)

We'll learn in the opening cinematic.