Jaheira... the hell:?

[Kamuizin]

It's just some rant from me, but... how the hell Jaheira is only level 8 after all SoA and ToB Stuff? She soloed lichs with a hand behind her back (kinda, AD&D mages were on steroids, so maybe not).

And if she's not high level Druid to have timeless body, how's she alive!!!

Half-elf timespan is 180 years afaik. BG2 events started in 1.368DR and BG is in 1492DR, more than 1100 years of difference.

Larian had the perfect excuse to justify her being alive (lvl 18 druid - 2 fighter) and just throw it away?

[id795078477]

.. because reasons. Jaheira is also a character where "muh, it's a tadpole doing" sorry excuse doesn't work. Don't expect consistency. The writing in this game isn't on a decent level.

[Kamuizin]

Originally posted by id795078477:

.. because reasons. Jaheira is also a character where "muh, it's a tadpole doing" sorry excuse doesn't work. Don't expect consistency. The writing in this game isn't on a decent level.

I have no idea how they put minsc in this game (i will find out eventually) but Jaheira has the perfect excuse. Of course, if the devs make her a playable character, then no, that excuse goes over the window as there's no way Larian will put a lvl 20 companion in our hands,

Still, with the little knowledge i have from my current first playthrough and the random open spoilers of who's joinable in BG3, i would prefer her as non joinable and plot coherent.

If i have to guess, she's also contamined with the thing and got nerfed, just like Gale, but no need for spoilers, i will figure it out eventually.

[Xomap]

When you get to her home in Baldur's Gate, you discover there's a ritual she's done to stop aging... She doesn't really explain it, but you could infer it's also due to the ritual, i.e. she sacrificed it to prolong her natural life.

[Lani]

Originally posted by Kamuizin:

And if she's not high level Druid to have timeless body, how's she alive!!!
Half-elf timespan is 180 years afaik. BG2 events started in 1.368DR and BG is in 1492DR, more than 1100 years of difference.

You might want to review your calculations there.

Levels have nothing to do with narrative, they're just a game mechanic.
Jaheira's a very well written character in this game. Oozing with the effects of a long life fighting hard on a person. The most relatable of all companions.
Some lousy stats/levels are meaningless compared to that.

[psychotron666]

Bg3 only takes place like 130 years after bg2. As a half elf she'd still be alive. As for levels that's mostly just game mechanic and can easily be explained by 100 years of not being on constant battle that she got a little rusty.

I havent found minsc myself but I remember from a trailer he's petrified, so it would explain that.

Apparently viconia and sarevok are also butchered into 1 dimensional bad guys.

[Xomap]

Originally posted by Lani:

You might want to review your calculations there.

Levels have nothing to do with narrative, they're just a game mechanic.
Jaheira's a very well written character in this game. Oozing with the effects of a long life fighting hard on a person. The most relatable of all companions.
Some lousy stats/levels are meaningless compared to that.

Also true lol. Still, she would've been too elderly if not for the ritual...

Originally posted by psychotron666:

Apparently viconia and sarevok are also butchered into 1 dimensional bad guys.

Not true. They don't have much screentime, but there's several scattered texts and dialogues with other people that explain what they've been up to, they're not 1 dimensional at all...

[Spiral_Architect]

Originally posted by Kamuizin:

It's just some rant from me, but... how the hell Jaheira is only level 8 after all SoA and ToB Stuff? She soloed lichs with a hand behind her back (kinda, AD&D mages were on steroids, so maybe not).

And if she's not high level Druid to have timeless body, how's she alive!!!

Half-elf timespan is 180 years afaik. BG2 events started in 1.368DR and BG is in 1492DR, more than 1100 years of difference.

Larian had the perfect excuse to justify her being alive (lvl 18 druid - 2 fighter) and just throw it away?

The answer to her longevity can be discovered in BG3.

[Ravenus]

I find it as a odd choice, they degraded Viconia to a quest npc even she is still in active age and instead we got Jaheira who need to be on magic juice as second druid to party at the end of act 2.

[psychotron666]

Originally posted by Ravenus:

I find it as a odd choice, they degraded Viconia to a quest npc even she is still in active age and instead we got Jaheira who need to be on magic juice as second druid to party at the end of act 2.

For me personally she's my only druid because halsin is glitched out and won't move after waking the dude up with the lute so I can't complete his quest and get him as a companion.

[Kamuizin]

Originally posted by Lani:

Originally posted by Kamuizin:

And if she's not high level Druid to have timeless body, how's she alive!!!
Half-elf timespan is 180 years afaik. BG2 events started in 1.368DR and BG is in 1492DR, more than 1100 years of difference.

You might want to review your calculations there.

Levels have nothing to do with narrative, they're just a game mechanic.
Jaheira's a very well written character in this game. Oozing with the effects of a long life fighting hard on a person. The most relatable of all companions.
Some lousy stats/levels are meaningless compared to that.

Don’t take me wrong here, i’m not trying to be pricky, but levels does have to do with D&D mechanics. It’s how the story told measure the level of power of their characters to us, players, readers or whatever. When BG3 tell me, the player, she’s lvl 8, it’s stating that on the view of the personages of that world she’s a considerable powerful person but far from being an exceptional character.

She being well written or not i can’t opine about it, i’m just in act 2 of BG3 atm in my first run.

Originally posted by psychotron666:

Bg3 only takes place like 130 years after bg2. As a half elf she'd still be alive. As for levels that's mostly just game mechanic and can easily be explained by 100 years of not being on constant battle that she got a little rusty.

I havent found minsc myself but I remember from a trailer he's petrified, so it would explain that.

Apparently viconia and sarevok are also butchered into 1 dimensional bad guys.

For herage, she was born in the 14th century:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Jaheira#cite_ref-BG_1-0

“Jaheira was born in the 14th century into a noble Tethyrian family aligned with King Alemander IV. She was but a child during the Ten Black Days of Eleint on the eve of the Tethyrian Interregnum“

The ten black days of eleint, when she was a children happened in 1347 DR:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Ten_Black_Days_of_Eleint

The average life span of a half elf is 180 at the maximum, it roams between 128-180 years:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Half-elf

So no, without intervention, at the age of BG3 she would be either at death’s door, id she reached the maximum half-elf lifespan, or already dead.

On D&D, at least in the current edition, there’s no official rule for level reduction from idling or aging.

[Lani]

Originally posted by Xomap:

When you get to her home in Baldur's Gate, you discover there's a ritual she's done to stop aging... She doesn't really explain it, but you could infer it's also due to the ritual, i.e. she sacrificed it to prolong her natural life.

Interesting, in every one of my play-throughs she has the ritual scroll but is still considering whether or not to go through with it.

[psychotron666]

Originally posted by Kamuizin:

Originally posted by Lani:

You might want to review your calculations there.

Levels have nothing to do with narrative, they're just a game mechanic.
Jaheira's a very well written character in this game. Oozing with the effects of a long life fighting hard on a person. The most relatable of all companions.
Some lousy stats/levels are meaningless compared to that.

Don’t take me wrong here, i’m not trying to be pricky, but levels does have to do with D&D mechanics. It’s how the story told measure the level of power of their characters to us, players, readers or whatever. When BG3 tell me, the player, she’s lvl 8, it’s stating that on the view of the personages of that world she’s a considerable powerful person but far from being an exceptional character.

She being well written or not i can’t opine about it, i’m just in act 2 of BG3 atm in my first run.

Originally posted by psychotron666:

Bg3 only takes place like 130 years after bg2. As a half elf she'd still be alive. As for levels that's mostly just game mechanic and can easily be explained by 100 years of not being on constant battle that she got a little rusty.

I havent found minsc myself but I remember from a trailer he's petrified, so it would explain that.

Apparently viconia and sarevok are also butchered into 1 dimensional bad guys.

For herage, she was born in the 14th century:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Jaheira#cite_ref-BG_1-0

“Jaheira was born in the 14th century into a noble Tethyrian family aligned with King Alemander IV. She was but a child during the Ten Black Days of Eleint on the eve of the Tethyrian Interregnum“

The ten black days of eleint, when she was a children happened in 1347 DR:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Ten_Black_Days_of_Eleint

The average life span of a half elf is 180 at the maximum, it roams between 128-180 years:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Half-elf

So no, without intervention, at the age of BG3 she would be either at death’s door, id she reached the maximum half-elf lifespan, or already dead.

On D&D, at least in the current edition, there’s no official rule for level reduction from idling or aging.

That link doesn't say half elves only live to 180. It actually specifically says they can exceed 180 years old, and has no mention of average lifespan (easy enough to explain that there is possibly big discrepancy in lifespans because it depends on how much Elf genes you get or human genes you get, plus what type of elf).

Even the 5e players handbook simply says they can exceed 180 years old. And jaheria as we meet her is decently old looking for a half elf. So yeah she's likely nearing the end of her natural life span.

Easy enough to chalk up to eating Druidic good berries would probably be more nutritious food than regular people, putting her on the higher end of the lifespan scale for her race - and would also be an easy explanation for why she's only level 8 (her being all old n ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥)

[Duetzefix]

Originally posted by Xomap:

When you get to her home in Baldur's Gate, you discover there's a ritual she's done to stop aging... She doesn't really explain it, but you could infer it's also due to the ritual, i.e. she sacrificed it to prolong her natural life.

It's the opposite, really. She says she prepared it, but right now she isn't quite sure whether she wants to do it or not. Or if she'd even still be able to, seeing how old she is.
And yes, I guess her being so much weaker than she was in Baldur's Gate 2 probably simply comes from her advanced age. She's just old, even for a Half-Elf.

Minsc ... well, he was petrified as a statue on some plaza in Baldur's Gate for at least 100 years, so that's why he's still alive. And he's been infected with a tadpole, so that's why he's only whatever your level is when you recruit him; something between level 10-12.

[Kamuizin]

Originally posted by psychotron666:

That link doesn't say half elves only live to 180. It actually specifically says they can exceed 180 years old, and has no mention of average lifespan.

Even the 5e players handbook simply says they can exceed 180 years old. And jaheria as we meet her is decently old looking for a half elf. So yeah she's likely nearing the end of her natural life span.

It's there at the top right of the page, on "general information", 128 to 180 years, with 3 quotations to give base to the affirmative.

About the 5e description, if that's how it's described then ok, i have no material to contest that except the mentioned link that imput 128-180 years on 5e.

[Hellsteeth30]

She's skipped 2 (and a half) editions of rules, she needs a remedial class.