Wow, I was going to vote for Shar-Teel but the thread said that my vote has already been cast. I can't remember what I did 2 weeks ago
So far that is the only romance that I have finished but I have enjoyed it so much, best NPC mod I have played. I think Bioware should put a link to the NPC Project on their site. I have a friend who has played all Bioware games, I'll have to remind him again to try out this mod when he has some leisure time, too bad he roleplays exclusively with the same Lawful Good character in every game, so I won't find out his impressions of the Shar-Teel portion of the mod.
I have tried to play vanilla BG1 for the 1st time. I stopped after reaching Beregost. Nobody comments when I find Gorion's corpse, Imoen doesn't banter upon reaching Beregost. For someone who enjoys character development and storyline as much I do, the NPC Project makes a huge difference. And since I finished the game with Shar-Teel, Xzar, Montaron, Edwin and Viconia, there are still plenty of NPCs for me to travel with.
Xzar's quest with the dryad was great! Another time I met the dryad along with Khalid and Jaheira, then they attacked me because I wanted to cut down that tree. It was well done and in character, and my character was laughing inwardly at Jaheira for wanting to kill him over a tree.
Now what I like about Shar-Teel's romance:
The writing was very well done. After finishing the romance, my impression of Shar-Teel is that of a sadistic yet sincere person, the opposite of her hypocrite of a father.
Furthermore, she strikes me as being VERY strong-willed. The way she reacted after her encounter with the Flaming Fist while still a youth, is something my Chaotic Evil character really admires. At first his thought was that it would have been better to die than to suffer such indignities, but the fact that Shar-Teel came out a stronger person from that event certainly altered his perception about her and about his own values.
Also, her replies really revealed her intelligence. For example, when my character was arguing with her that to be able to apologize displays strength and nobility of character, she retorts that "Nobility itself is foolish. Look at the - pfeh! - 'knights' of the city, rotting in their armor as they stand like slabs of meat, doing nothing, killing nothing. Chivalry won't lead to power. The strong know this. You should, too."
That response left my character speechless as it reminded him of the lessons he learned while reading privately at Candlekeep. Indeed, he is one to believe that nurturing a code of chivalry is akin to waging war in chains. To triumph, one has to be ruthless. To survive, one has to destroy, be it beasts for food or trees for fire. No matter what your excuse is for slaying a cow, it will still yearn for life and regard your action as unfair. So he is one to act on his impulses and make no pretense of being righteous.
Shar-Teel is also very bold in her manner of speaking to the PC. And the fact that she can leave the party and attack the PC is a testament to her bravery and independence.
All those traits as well as her beauty moved even an ambitious and selfish son of Bhaal. So naturally he would have accepted her offer. The fact that during my game, she died during the epic battle at the end, in which she dealt the fatal blow to Sarevok before being killed herself, possibly by Angelo, would give the main char a reason to continue his quest for godhood, although a void would always remain.
That story with Ysena provides a great explanation for her background. And I like the way in which she displays her affection too.
In conclusion, your Shar-Teel is a multi-dimensional character endowed with many qualities, so far my favorite female character among all those I've encountered in any RPG. Better than Aribeth or that drow cleric antagonist from Hordes of the Underdark for certain.
I think I'm pretty lucky to have been able to play Shar-Teel's romance, from digging up past threads it would seem that not many people were vocal about wanting to play such a mod. I was always curious about how a romance with an evil character would go, and this mod certainly exceeded my expectations.
