You have read the Bethphel's Diary, and might be wondering now what actually happened in the game? Here, you might find answers to some of your questions. If you have any other questions, please email me at l.korogodski@verizon.net. If you are using Internet Explorer 4 or higher, or Netscape 4, click on the skull icons to expand/collapse the corresponding entry.
Now that the novel is finished, allow me too to ask you a question. 
When does the diary's reader cry out so that Bethphel hears? Why was it so important? And here is another one. Do you think Bethphel has gone over to the Chaotic Good alignment shortly before the end? Good luck answering!
You keep statistics for the game that follows the story. Why is it that I cannot find Sarevok and his cronies from the final battle in the list?For the purpose of the story, the game ended with the Final Save, and before the final battle. Yes, I did play it out, just for fun (and you can do it, too! the final save is downloadable). But the results I obtained in the game are in no way reflected in the story. When you read the novel to the end, you will know why. 
Oh, and if you are wondering why Quayle doesn't have any magic missile spells memorized in the final save, well... it was my choice. Even though the game allows it, the proper rules don't let an illusionist use evocation spells.
Angelo is Shar-Teel's father? And how did Bethphel escape the prison without having to deal with Neb the childslayer?As strange as it may look, but Angelo is Shar-Teel's father in the game as well, not only in my story. If you have Shar-Teel in your party when you're captured, Angelo releases you himself, and you never meet Neb (thank goodness! I hate that experience). Unfortunately, due to a scripting bug in the dialogues, Angelo never tells you that he is Shar-Teel's father. That dialogue never gets activated. But, if you have target="Lblank">Infinity Explorer, you can find it. Try yourself!
Yes, and she did have the dream in the game. But, for the purposes of the story, I delayed it until later. Oh, and as a sidenote, there is a reference in the previous chapter that Bethphel gained Vampiric Touch as a result of the fifth dream.
What is all the deal about Tethtoril and the others already knowing about dopplegangers in Candlekeep?Indeed, this is a far cry from what happened in the game. But... more surprises are coming, and I hope you'll find it all falling in quite nicely together. In the meantime, let me just suggest that it was Imoen, Jaheira, and Minsc who discovered those dopplegangers one can find above the ground in the game, and alerted Tethtoril of their presence.
Recall that I do not represent them as books, but rather by some events in the character's life that affect the change. Even though the tomes are found in different places in the game, I had both changes occur in the Alaundo's tomb. No specific tomb is marked so in the game, but I decided that having visited one would have been a good idea.
With that in mind, allow me to quote two lines from the novel:
"There is strength in knowing your enemy," in Shar-Teel's low voice.
"There is wisdom in remembering your friends," answers Viconia.
I created a character for Dradeel and imported him into the game. To be more specific, I copied the savegame into the "mpsave" folder, then started it as a multi-player game. Imported Dradeel's character, saved the game, and moved it back into the "save" folder. Then continued as a normal single-player game.
For the Dradeel's character, I wanted to give him Selune's Curse, Selune's Blessing, and Selune's Blade spells that he has in the game. Unfortunately, I met with crashes, and since I was pressed with time, I didn't bother to troubleshoot. After all, Dradeel ended up quite a powerful character even without those spells.
Dradeel's portrait was taken from Lady Nightshade's Portraits.
You say the Helm of Balduran was in Sarevok's house. But it's not like that in the game. And what Sarevok's house are you talking about, anyway?What I did was I rewrote the entire quest with Balduran's helm and cloak. Not only does it make little sense in the game, but it also didn't relate well to my plans for the novel.
Therefore, Degrodel's house became Reiltar's mansion (recall that Rieltar is Sarevok's stepfather), and Degrodel just another of the Iron Throne's wizards. Vail and his party were turned to stone in that house that very evening, after having delivered the helm. The parts of the quest related to the Helm and Cloak inn, as well as to Quenash in the Undercellar were scrapped.
In the game, I hacked the savegame to change Bethphel's alignment. In the story, though, there is a reason to justify that.
Wait a second. Bethphel couldn't have possibly gone to the Ice Island for so long without killing Mendas first. Her party would have turned into wolfweres long before that.Indeed, that is what would have happened in the game. And that is why I had to come back to Ulgoth's Beard first (by clicking on that sail, you know), kill Mendas, and then have Shandalar teleport the party into the kingdom of ice. But that's only in the game...
As mentioned numerous times in the game, the Ice Isle is a trap to capture wizards that attempt teleporting across large distance (say, across an ocean). Dradeel did just that, and so he, along with Bethphel's party, ended up at the Ice Isle.
But how did they escape? Note how Shandalar tells you in the end that all of that is essentially a test of character. Those who learn to cooperate are finally able to escape. It was even more for Bethphel. Read the chapter to see just how, and note that her alignment finally changes. From Chaotic Evil to Chaotic Neutral.
Wait a second! The conflict on the Werewolf Island was supposed to be between werewolves and wolfweres. Where have you found some seawolves?Seawolves is one of the AD&D lycanthrope species, combining the aspects of human, wolf, and seal. Please, refer to the AD&D Monster Manual for their complete description, which I cannot reproduce here due to the copyright limitations.
Personally, I had a problem with wolfweres. As opposed to werewolves, one had to be an animal first to become a wolfwere (while werewolves started as humans). How could have a part of Balduran's crew become wolfweres?
So, I decided to make them seawolves instead. Quite fitting, considering that it was the members of the Balduran's original crew (read, sailors) who became seawolves. The new recruits were werewolves, even before they were forced into service.
Selkies is another lycanthrope species, combining the aspects of human and seal. Please, refer to the AD&D Monster Manual for their complete description, which I cannot reproduce here due to the copyright limitations.
In the game, the only cure from the infection of lycanthropy was for the party to kill the leader of the pack. None of that in the novel. What gives?True, but that was done on purpose. Personally, I believe the entire idea with that leader-killing thing to be pretty lousy. What, any member of the pack could become human again by killing their leader? More even, how much time, in your opinion, it would take to sail back to find that leader? Bethphel and her entire party would have been transformed by then!
Of course, having to kill the leader gave an in-game excuse to turn the fight with Mendas as a necessary and unavoidable part of the quest. But it goes against my plans or the novel's continuation (not to mention the simplest logical reasoning), and hence is dispensed with entirely.
Larze, the ogre who meets you in the Blushing Mermaid... I thought you made him go away to look at the portrait. How did he end up in the Three Old Kegs, taking part in ambush?Yes, the encounter with Larze was resolved without a fight, by sending him off. However, I felt that it would make sense to have him keep looking, and for Eldoth directing him at Bethphel at exactly the "right moment." The fight at the Three Old Kegs, when Tor Lobo shows up instead of the blackmailed noblewoman, also needed some edge to be made more challenging. Thus, I used the CLUAConsole:CreateCreature command.
You have so many characters acting in the city of Baldur's Gate that I lost track of who's joining the party, who's leaving, and when...No problem, I'll be most happy to help. When Eldoth and Skie left for Ulgoth's Beard, I dumped everyone else, so the party had only three characters. Including Bethphel (the game doesn't allow a party without the main character), but she obviously wasn't taking part in anything, like she wasn't really there.
After what had to be done in Ulgoth's Beard was done (you'll have to see what in the chapters that follow), I dumped Eldoth with Skie and picked up Imoen, Minsc, and Jaheira. (Again, Bethphel not interfering in anything they were doing.) Xan, as you know, leaves the game for good if refused to join the party in the Nashkel Mines. I had to remedy the situation by summoning the sucker with the all-mighty CLUAConsole:CreateCreature command.
Finally, after their part was over, I went back to the party of Kivan, Tiax, Quayle, and Alora. But Kivan stayed only till Phandalyn's murder. You know the rest. Just keep in mind that sequence doesn't necessarily have to follow the timing of events as presented in the story. I had to do it simply because there was no other choice.
Yes, in the story I had, besides Bethphel, Edwin, Eldoth Kron, Montaron, Safana, Shar-Teel, Viconia, and Xzar. However, in the game I left Edwin with Viconia in the Cloakwood when picking up Eldoth. In the story, however, they left the party at Beregost. Eldoth had a great influence over Bethphel at the moment, suggesting that a trip to the city of Baldur's Gate with a drow in the party would not be feasible.
Edwin with Viconia left for the Cloakwood to hunt spiders. But even though they have always been there in the game from the start of Book Three, I roleplayed their presence through the entire trip to the Sword Coast.
Once again (see the question about the Tome of Charisma, I did not roleplay it as a book per se. Instead, it is described as a purported "elixir of immortability" attempted by a nameless sorceror. He did not succeed, of course, but it does raise constitution to a degree.
Of course, only Eldoth Kron out of the entire party could possibly benefit from it at the moment.
Indeed, yes. However, I roleplayed it in the story as if the dagger has always been with Safana. After all, she's a pirate. Compare with Eldoth Kron's poisoned arrows...
That's pretty simple, actually. I simply pretended she did it. Yes, I know that she is to be found at the same map with the treasure cave. But I thought it would do better for the story if she comes to Beregost looking for Eldoth's help in her enterprise. That set the party on the "right" track.
Lake? What lake? I don't remember any cloak on the map of the third Cloakwood area, where the Shadow Druids are found. At least, not where Eldoth Kron is waiting...So what if there is no lake on the map? I imagined it, folks. For the sake of the story. After all, is that a big deal? There would have easily been lakes in the forest...
Why did you have to fight Davaeorn's Battle Horrors? Surely, you know that they're spawned by triggering traps. Disarm the traps, and no problem.Indeed, I know that and could have disarmed those traps easily with an invisibility spell cast on Montaron. Along with the skull trap and the glyph of warding, that otherwise caused quite a damage to poor Shar-Teel. However, I didn't feel that it was realistic. There would just have not been any time for any careful trap disarming. Can't Davaeorn see that someone just entered his chamber? I wanted a challenging fight, and the fight I got. I hope you believe me if I say it proved out to be much more exciting than if I would have gone the easy way.
Where did the fight with the assassins at the Cloakwood mine site occurred? Looked like you described it happening outside the mine's perimeter?Yes, in the game the assassins greet you inside the mine's perimeter, on the first island. However, I'm not too much fond of the spirit of romping through as invinsible warriors. Note that in the Bandit Camp I also didn't want a direct confrontation with the entire bandit army. Nor did I want it in the Cloakwood mine. Bethphel and her companions are quite apprehensive of what sheer numbers of enemies can do to them. I wanted the penetration into the Davaeorn's lair to be more or less a stealthy affair, or at least one that doesn't cause the entire garrison to surround our heroes. Thus, I "made" the assassins to discover Bethphel's secret camp outside the mine.
OK, I confess. I have cheated this time, and this time only. I have used the CLUA console codes to spawn the Ring of Energy. But I think it was worth it. You know that it was on one of the Red Wizards in the Wood of Sharp Teeth. Since Edwin was in the party, they talk peacefully and immediately disappear. Thus, there is no legitimate way to get the ring. But in the story, they give the ring to Edwin as a reward of his service in fidning and eliminating Dynaheir. Just look at the ring's description! It's a drow thing. What more fitting "engagement" gift could Edwin bestow upon our fearless Viconia? And then, she used it to release Centeol from her spider prison (other than that, only one more time, against Karhk the ogre mage at Firewine). Now tell me I cheated in vain!
I wanted to represent the scene with Aldeth Sashenstar and the druids (on the first Cloakwood map) in the way that Seniyad kills the hunter, while Bethphel and her party stand by watching. In the game, for whatever reasons, the druid do not attack Aldeth while he's starting to attack the party. I had to charm Seniyad and have him execute Aldeth.
Just curious in that, if the site is supposed to follow the game, why doesn't Bethphel have Larloch's Minor Drain instead of Cure Lite Wounds, since she's got a lousy reputation?The reason is very simple. Her reputation wasn't always that low. Remember that Jaheira was the party leader from the start, and her husband Khalid was primarily responsible for a couple of good deeds. For example, it could have only been Khalid of all the party who could have been mistaken for Greywolf by Oublek, and Khalid wouldn't have deceived him.
In any case, at the time of the first two special dreams, the reputation was 10 or higher (in fact, the highest it got to was 12, I believe). But then it quickly dropped to 4 and since then only climbed back up to 9 (after helping the slaves to flee from the Cloakwood mine). You can see in the Book Two The Time of Flowers how Bethphel got her first Ghoul's Touch special ability after the third dream at the Mutamin's stonegarden.
It appears that you are describing the Ulcaster dungeon as being above ground. Is that right? And how can that be? We all know that it is underground in the game.Yes, you read it right. In my story, the entire visit to the ruins of Ulcaster's school occurs above ground. I think it was suited better for the entire ambience of that night. The ancient ruins resembling a graveyard, where crows crow and undead are walking in the moonlight. Besides, how else would you explain all those wolves and spiders underground? I simply thought of the entire "dungeon" in the game as being a zoomed out version of the above-ground map. That's all...
How are you handling things, game-wise, with Jaheira, Khalid, and Minsc heading off to the gnoll fortress? Since I know you can't have that many people in the party, and I know that you can't have different parties going in different directions, what are you doing?Well, game-wise, I have just left Jaheira with Khalid at the Nashkel Carnival, when I picked up Branwen. Note that Khalid had Samuel's body in his inventory at that point, so that the Lena's quest was obviously aborted. Minsc wasn't approached at all, as you know that you either end up inviting him in the party or fighting him. I just pretended that Bethphel never even met Minsc, but instead stumbled upon Edwin. Jaheira picked Minsc, instead.
As far as the rest goes, neither Jaheira, nor Khalid, nor Minsc ever had to move anywhere. The reason is that they never really had any significant contact, by the story, which would have required the NPCs' physical presence in a certain location. Since the story had them moving, nevertheless, it is now imperative for me to ignore their game locations. Unless some of them reappear in the future, of course...
What happened to the Tome of Leadership and Charisma found at one of the caves next to the Gnoll Stronghold?Bethphel read it, obviously. However, I have decided, for the roleplay purposes, not to consider them as books. Indeed, how would you describe the event? I found a book, read it, and felt myself better? Hardly exciting. In my approach, when a stat-raising tome is read, I invent some event with the same end result, but described in a much different fashion.
In our particular case, the party was starting to despair in a futile search for a secret entrance to the stronghold. When in one of the caves (note: the one with the tome), Bethphel suddenly felt a surge, an enlightment. Rising over herself (and isn't that the meaning of the stat-raising?!), she led the party forward. As if drunk with her new power. Note that the Algernon's nymph cloak also proved to be handy, with its inherent charm action.
I think Bethphel's alignment seems more neutral evil than chaotic evil. She doesn't seem erratic enough to be chaotic and not cruel enough to be the "lowest form" of evil.I do not believe that cruelty correlates strongly with the lawful/neutral/chaotic aspect of the character's alignment. Why can't an evil tyrant (an example of the lawful evil alignment) be more cruel than a highway robber? Even a lawful good paladin, for that matter, can be quite "cruel" to what he perceives as the "ultimate evil".
There is another side to the story, though. The people change in the course of their lives. Book One is called "The Melting" not by a mere coincidence with the last month of springtime. Note how different she is by its end from the time she left the illusory safety of Candlekeep with her foster father? In the future, there might be more vacillations of her character, some weaker, some stronger. Make sure to visit the site to see the saga unfold! :)
I have played the game from the save provided, and I wonder why the Amnish soldiers and Officer Vai in Beregost become hostile and attack the party.If the party reputation falls below 5, the Amnish soldiers and Officer Vai become hostile. This seems to be a new thing that most players didn't notice before. The credit for solving this mystery goes to Stalker and Keteion, who discovered the answer independently.