Baldur's Gate: Which classes make "sense"

[Commissar Sae]

Wait, a BARD makes more sense to you than a MONK for a person who was raised in what is essentially a MONASTERY??? Really? For god's sake, the place is run by a group of MONKS. Ok, I can kinda see the Bard angle, with the main character growing up surrounded by books and therefore wanting to be a storyteller, but how is a Monk least likely?

Personally, I'd say Mage > Monk > Cleric > Bard. A Mage/Cleric multiclass might be a good fit too, but it would take a bit of rerolling to get enough stat points for a decent build (you don't want to end up shitty like Aerie)...

Candlekeep is a glorified library. Much like ancient Alexandria, entry is attained by bringing them knowledge (books) they do not already possess. The Monk is about as solid a fit into that setting as a knight in full plate armour with a lance would be in Japan.

We really don't need to go into the differences between eastern and western definitions of "monk", do we?

Since candlekeep is a fortress-library though and because it draws people from all over the realms, a case could be made for a wandering monk having brought knowledge to the keep, and having trained CHARNAME after spending a few years there.

That said the western monks of Candlekeep are very different from the eastern monks that are the character class.

The only class I can really see not fitting in with the background is barbarian or druid. While not completely impossible to consider, both are a difficult fit with the library upbringing.

 

[ultramarine486]

I feel a lot of people are assuming that CHARNAME has extensive knowledge of the class he or she chose to follow. Really though any of the classes can be justified by saying that CHARNAME read up on or self taught themselves. Just when they finally got the hang of the basics of the basics they had to leave with Gorion. Level one being that the person in question knows only slightly more then your average citizen. After all if mage was the most likely class to exist within Candlekeep then why is CHARNAME only a level one mage at the start? You'd think being surrounded by peers would level someone faster then a person who is alone in his profession.

 

[Jandau]

Wait, a BARD makes more sense to you than a MONK for a person who was raised in what is essentially a MONASTERY??? Really? For god's sake, the place is run by a group of MONKS. Ok, I can kinda see the Bard angle, with the main character growing up surrounded by books and therefore wanting to be a storyteller, but how is a Monk least likely?

Personally, I'd say Mage > Monk > Cleric > Bard. A Mage/Cleric multiclass might be a good fit too, but it would take a bit of rerolling to get enough stat points for a decent build (you don't want to end up shitty like Aerie)...

Candlekeep is a glorified library. Much like ancient Alexandria, entry is attained by bringing them knowledge (books) they do not already possess. The Monk is about as solid a fit into that setting as a knight in full plate armour with a lance would be in Japan.

We really don't need to go into the differences between eastern and western definitions of "monk", do we?

Last time I checked, Candlekeep was in Forgotten Realms, not Europe. While FR is a standard fantasy setting which is in turn based mainly on medieval Europe and related lore, I still see no problems with changing a few things. The in-game lore for the Monk is consistent with the setting. Oh, and as for the "eastern" definitions of monks, not all eastern monks are Shaolin, so I'm guessing that what you consider an "eastern monk" has little to do with the majority of actual eastern monks...

 

[Fasckira]

I'd say the only ones that don't make much sense given the context are ranger or druid.

I think ranger could kind of work, if the character had been bunking off (pretty sure Imogen mentions something like how the main char was always ducking out of studies) and hanging out in the woods or something but its a bit of a stretch.

I'd say mage though, working on the basis that Imogen was raised with you so theres a level of basis in that she represents a typical output.

 

[Falseprophet]

Last time I checked, Candlekeep was in Forgotten Realms, not Europe. While FR is a standard fantasy setting which is in turn based mainly on medieval Europe and related lore, I still see no problems with changing a few things. The in-game lore for the Monk is consistent with the setting. Oh, and as for the "eastern" definitions of monks, not all eastern monks are Shaolin, so I'm guessing that what you consider an "eastern monk" has little to do with the majority of actual eastern monks...

I even think you're being too charitable. The Forgotten Realms has as much to do with medieval Europe as Star Wars does with World War II.

 

[Doom972]

Fighter - Some of the guards seem to to be very friendly with you. One of them could have taught you how to wear armor and use a weapon.
Mage - Gorion taught you.
Cleric - The priest of Oghma in the local temple could have trained you.
Thief - Same way as Imoen.
Paladin - See Cleric.
Sorcerer - Anyone could have the gift and Gorion could've helped with training.
Bard - There are plenty of minstrels around.

The only classes that don't make sense are Barbarian, Ranger and Druid, because you stayed your whole life inside the walls of candlekeep.