Idiocy and Racism

Yes, it's right there in the title. I was thinking of starting up a game with an half-ogre idiot, however, the last time I tried I ended up doing about half the quests in Shrouded Hills before I had to increase my intelligence score.

My main problem is the issue of racism coupled with the limited dialogue options. First of all, everyone is a racist in Arcanum. On its own, this is fine I guess, and in line with the time in their fantasy history they're at. However, my issue with this arises when more or less any conversation will start with the NPC saying something offensive, and then your only two choices are to do some proper kissing of ass or smash his head in (or leave, but let's pretend you actually wanted something from this NPC).

Now, if your intelligence score is this low, I figure you'll be quite gullible, but also less capable of, or interested in, continuing a conversation with someone who insulted you right off the bat. In addition, where a more cunning character could have apologized and then kicked the NPC's ass once he had gotten what he wanted, I don't see this as a valid option for an idiot.

Finally, there is the fearlessness of all Arcanum's inhabitants that seals the less than satisfying deal here. If an half-ogre (or half-orc for that matter) tells you to reconsider or he'll kick your ass, most NPCs, especially commoners, would want to avoid just that.

In my opinion, this could've been solved with a few more introductionary dialogue options, such as having the ability to threaten someone without an immediate violent response, but there might be better solutions to this problem that I haven't thought of (it honestly wouldn't surprise me).

 

On one of my playthroughs, I plan on making a beatiful but stupid elf female. I'll try Idiot Savant so that, no matter what, I always have stupid dialog.

That's the best persuasive moron I could come up with.

 

The downside to this route, just to warn you, is that there are limitations on the system: even if you cheat yourself master of persuasion, and max charisma, you still get idiot conversations, with no change for the mastery/maxed charisma.

Sorry if this bursts your bubble a little, but I thought I'd let you know.

 

I've tried playing elves with the Raised in the Pits background a few times before, so I know what you mean.

I figured that since some NPCs actually like elves and you still get to start out with a decent amount of beauty, it would be a fun way to get to see the dumb dialogue and journal entries.

But yeah... Every time, I've gotten fed up with how people treat my character in Shrouded Hills and I end up wussing out and raising my character's intelligence to five so I can get the normal dialogue.

I never even thought about taking the "kill everyone who annoys you or gets in your way" approach and doing some of the evil quests. I was too busy getting annoyed by things like how you can't talk your way into making Sogg like you more before you ask him to join you. Or how Doc Roberts won't let you choose your reward.

So, yeah... I always seem to end up with a fighter/mage who just gets more critical misses than usual because trying to gain experience in Shrouded Hills when you're stupid is too much of a hassle.

By contrast, being ugly isn't nearly as frustrating. You just have to spend a little extra time sucking up to shopkeepers.

Although, I really don't get why NPCs are so mean to the female half-orcs I've played. Sure, on the one hand people are casually racist toward orcs. But on the other hand, I'm playing someone with a smokin' hot bod and either revealing armor or a fancy dress. That seems more like a "butterface" situation to me. Instead, I have to deal with crap like Madame Lil telling me I'm too ugly to work as a prostitute (didn't want to anyway, but it still stings a little) or having to do some fast talking just so I can buy bandages for Virgil.

It's like, "What the hell, people of Tarant?"

 

Thet's the strangest part since - after all - one of Madam Lil's girls is a half-orc herself.

I always look at it this way - no matter how hot your female character is, the social pressure is so great that every gentleman can do nothing but be indignant when seeing you naked, even though he dreams of nothing else but hot steamy sex with you. This is a even greater factor when you're - good Lord - a half-orc!

 

Ok, so I started up and I've gotten to Tarant via Dernholm / Black Root. I tried to get most of the usual quests, although it's perfectly fine that not all of them are avaliable due to my limited mental abilities. However, there's been some casualties. I've tried to put the bar for what was acceptable at the point where people are allowed to make a crass comment, as long as the following dialogue option doesnt make me apologize for my race. And I'm not playing it evil, I'm just a stupid half-ogre who likes to smash things, and when people grant him the opportunity, he will. So, these NPCs are no longer with us:

Shrouded Hills: Doc Roberts, Percival Toone, Rizette and a couple of guards
Black Root: Clarissa Shalmo, Kietzel Pierce, Garret Almstead, Dante, the entire Mayor's office
Dernholm: None (!), hell, even Praetor was reasonably nice and only offended me subtly whilst offering me a job. He even called me friend!

I was most pleased by the dialogue of Innkeeper Hallaway though, as you were able to threaten him when he insulted you when you first met him, and again when you told him you'd killed Garret Almstead to get his strongbox back. To be honest, most of the ones mentioned above could have learnt something from Mr. Hallaway, but I guess it's too late for that now. You just dont poke the bear; it being an actual bear, an half ogre or Russia.

 

You can work for Lil even if you're half-orcish, but she won't give you a job if your BE is below 6 or 7. Then, half-orc or not, you're simply too damn ugly.

 

On the topic of racisim and beauty, I thought I'd relate my story of my half-orc female who was beaten with an ugly stick. My original goal was to have her be slutty and try to sleep with everyone. Because that option was not available and I was so ugly I was occasionally attacked on sight, Shrouded Hills, Dernholm, Black Root and half of Tarant were destroyed. When it became apparrent that nobody would talk to me, the adventure of Hidea was abandoned.

I'm not sure if it was just the ugly, or the fact that I was also wearing Dread Armor that made people attack. In an attempt at a dwarf mage iron man, I was attacked by Sogg and the rest of the inn in Shrouded Hills because I had a self-inflicted scar and I had the "pact with a demon" background. The ugly + evil combination made me instantly hated and kill-on-sight. I'm not sure what the reaction to ugly saints are.

 

It's not because being bad or good, it's because of the -20 reaction comming from the background. If you are just extremely ugly and make people have 0 reaction towards you, they will hate you but they'll stay calm and won't attack. If, however, you make people have 0 reaction towards your character while having a reaction decreasing background (Sold Your Soul/Escaped Lunatic), they go berserk all over you ass.

 

The worst part about playing as a half-orc with beauty of five?

Sogg will randomly decide he doesn't like you any more and leave your party.

So, I spent an awful lot of time wearing my nice dress and/or using Purity of Water just so I wouldn't keep having to hear that speech about how Sogg isn't sure if he trusts me any more and having to sweet talk him into rejoining.

I finally gave up and just raised my beauty to six. You just get low neutral reactions instead of constantly having to role play. But that's less annoying.

 

That, my friend, makes for an excellent quote. :lol:

 

The NPC's reactions about your char is one of those thing that i like on this game.

I'm most of times amused about some standard NPC's, sometimes nothing more than civilian walking on the streets, that will decide to attack you on sight just because you're ugly or wear the Barbarian's armour. The elves are still surprisingly aggressive on this purpose, escpecially if you're an Half-orch.

Also, I still have fun usong the Dominate Will spell just only to steal all the cash of some shoppers or blacksmiths, and after a while is pretty funny for me pass in front of theyr shops, and see some of them exiting immediatly outside to attack me, even if i don't enter inside. Also, using the DW spell on a waiting Virgil will give you a reaction about -1040.

 

I would use a fate point to boost his reaction. Which, by the way, would be the very first fate point I would actually use in my life, for I never find them necessary in my games. I collect them like an old embittered penny-pincher just to see the number grow.