How old are they?

[theacefes]

I decided to stick this in Noobermeet since it isn't directly related to modding right now.

 

Is it, in any point in the game, mentioned around how old each of the Bioware NPCs are?

 

Thanks!

[Kulyok]

Only Imoen, I'm afraid. Also, Viconia has been worshipping Lloth for an age and a half(over 150 years, I presume).

[theacefes]

Ah I see. The other thing I was wondering is whether or not the community itself had come to some sort of mutual guess as to how old we THINK they are.

[berelinde]

I don't think "the community" can agree on much at all. I figure Keldorn's probalby somewhere between 40 and 45, J&K are the half-elven equivalent of 30, Faldorn's 16 or so, Nalia's probably 18 or 19, Garrick about the same. Cernd's probably around 30. Who knows how old Jan is.

[devSin]

Jaheira's pretty young (I think they mention in BG that they're not too much older than you). Maybe add 10 years to <CHARNAME> or so for an approximate age.

 

In terms of maturity and common sense, Nalia's like 3 years old.

[Kulyok]

I think Nalia's about twenty or twenty-three, Anomen/Valygar/Edwin/Sarevok/Minsc/Yoshimo are about twenty-five to twenty-eight, Cernd is about forty, Keldorn/Jaheira/Haer'Dalis are about fifty, Aerie is about a hundred years old(a young elf, twenty-one or twenty-two by human standards), Viconia is about two hundred years old.

 

That's BG2 only, and that's just me.

 

(As for short races, I don't even want to start to guess.)

[theacefes]

I don't think "the community" can agree on much at all.

 

How optimistic.

 

 

I figure Keldorn's probalby somewhere between 40 and 45, J&K are the half-elven equivalent of 30, Faldorn's 16 or so, Nalia's probably 18 or 19, G arrick about the same. Cernd's probably around 30. Who knows how old Jan is.

 

Faldorn's 16? Wow, based on her personality and soundset, I would have pinned her for older but *shrug*.

[Sorrow]

Jaheira was born in 1347. She is 23. Also, she is a level 1 experienced harper that is an old friend of Gorion and had a lot adventures before she joined <CHARNAME>.

[cmorgan]

In terms of "actual years alive" age as opposed to functional-equivalency age [maturity] Youngest is Faldorn, but I am forgetting the source (there are a number of them scattered around the net) - the early teen fanatic in BG1 who ages only a (year?) and is a slightly older teen fanatic. The Drow Mistress of Pain tops in at "young established" age, which should be about 120 or so (functional equivalent of a human 24 or 25). I have found no agreeing sources on Dwarves and Gnomes, but if we use Tolkein as a guideline we get a much longer lived set of races - or of course you can take "maturity" and work it out using the 2E or 3.5E ruleset.

 

From my ancient, falling-apart AD&D DMG, first edition, © 1979,

 

Race Teen / Mature / Middle Aged / Old / Venerable

Humans : 14 - 20 / 21 - 40 / 41 - 60 / 61 - 90 / 91 - 120

Dwarves: 35-50 / 51-150 / 151- 250 / 251-350 / 351 - 450

half- elves: 24-40 / 41-100 / 101- 175 / 176-250 / 251- 325

Drow Elves: 50-100 / 101-400 / 401- 600 / 601 - 800 / 801 - 1000

High Elves: 100 - 175 / 176 - 550 / 551 - 875 / 876 - 1200 / 1201 - 1600

Halflings: 22 - 33 / 34 - 68 / 69 - 101 / 102 - 144 / 145 - 199

Gnomes: 50 - 90 / 91 - 300 / 301 - 450 / 451 - 600 / 601 - 750

 

3.5 E has altered tables, but since BG is loosely based on 2E rules, this is close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades. (Sorry - anachronistic reference - rephrasing: close enough for Cloudkills and Fireballs).

 

Xan should be a(n un-)comfortable established adventurer in the mid 200's, having been made a Greycloak and being old enough to attain a MoonBlade. Perhaps a litle younger, but not much - and certainly not a teen. Kivan would be about the same age, with a young wife parted from too early (if it had been a marriage of over 200 years there might have been enough established bond for him to feel her beyond the grave, and averted his desparation and revenge - but I tend to "Tolkeinize" things, so this is sheer and utter speculation on my part). Coran would be younger, his fathering babies and consorting with humans being teen indiscretions in Wood Elf/ High Elf society, so look for around 120 or so. Quayle is established as a middle aged dude, so 350 is as good as any; that would make the baby elf he rescued probably the equivalent of a 16 or 17 year old (which makes sense from her personality) so call her 110. Every human except Faldorn is probably about PC's age or within the same "early mature" band, at early 20's; Keldorn in Middle Age as he has an older daughter and Mazzy probably the same as she is a TrueHeart (which isn't something for youngsters in hobbit-land). Khalid is grave robbing, figuratively speaking; he has to be at least 250 or more (unless I am misremembering his canon race, because he might be a Half-Elf. I just change him to an Elf in my games), and Jaheira at 23 acts the 250 while he acts the 23 Yeslick is older, as he has positions of responsibility in the mines, and Kagain and korgan both are independents with their own shops so they are well past Apperenticeship age - figure each to at least be at the top end of "mature", or somewhere in the middele. Bently and Gellana are middle aged to old for gnomes, retired from adventuring, so about 375 +/- 100 years or so.

 

ballparking it is a fun exercise, but it runs into the same continuity problems with the Time of troubles that the FR canon lore has and BG/BG2/ToB has - folks played fast and loose with the numbers, forgetting that part of the enjoyment of a fan base is the internal consistency of the fantasy world.

[Sorrow]

Khalid is grave robbing, figuratively speaking; he has to be at least 250 or more (unless I am misremembering his canon race, because he might be a Half-Elf. I just change him to an Elf in my games)

He's a Half-Elf.

 

ballparking it is a fun exercise, but it runs into the same continuity problems with the Time of troubles that the FR canon lore has and BG/BG2/ToB has - folks played fast and loose with the numbers, forgetting that part of the enjoyment of a fan base is the internal consistency of the fantasy world.

Well, it seems that they were treating the "it's only a game" philosophy very seriously, but can anything else be expected from people that populate their worlds with hordes of high level thugs, guards and soldiers that don't even have any permanent magic items and later add hordes of anonymous epic level soldiers equipped with very powerful magic items?

 

While we are at inconsistencies - the whole mechanic of level-scaling the CNPCs completely destroys their believability as characters. A wingless elf that was brought up in a circus may be a level 9 cleric/mage and a well travelled pair of harpers may be on level 1 just because the player is on such level.

[Jazhara7]

Um...is this about just the Bioware characters in the Baldur's Gate games, or Bioware games in general?

 

 

(Please don't kill me. )

 

 

 

-

[theacefes]

Sorry, just BG.