Jet Foundling
(Baldur's Gate CHARNAME) (Part #3)
— Dr. Bruce Banner.
Sequence
This profile is part of a chronological series, and as always these should be read in order.
The series goes :
- Prelude : context material about Baldur’s Gate. Start there.
- Jet Foundling (BG1) – A dark and stormy afternoon in Candlekeep.
- Jet Foundling (BG1) – Hit the road, Jet.
- Jet Foundling (BG1) – No country for old mines. This here profile.
- Jet Foundling (BG1) – Against the Iron Throne.
- Jet Foundling (BG1) – Iron maiden wants you for dead.
Past the first two profiles, there are many S P O I L E R S.
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Background
- Real Name: Jet Foundling.
- Known Relatives: Gorion (ward), Imoen (foster sister).
- Group Affiliation: A small team of adventurers.
- Base of Operations: Candlekeep.
- Height: 6’7″ (2m). Weight: 223 lbs. (101 Kg.).
- Eyes: Dark brown (occasionally on fire). Hair: Very black (occasionally on fire).
Powers & Abilities
During this era, Jet finds a magical tome . It teaches her to act and speak more confidently to impress people.
This and other experiences are starting to bring her enormous potential presence into play.
On point
Foundling will normally take point in a fight. Against manageable odds, it’s common for Jet alone to advance as everybody else opens up with ranged weapons.
The advantage is that arrows and sling bullets can start flying immediately, without having to get into melee range.
If possible she’ll hold the enemy at some chokepoint while the troops focus their fire to work through the opposition. Depending upon how much space needs to be controlled Khalid, Minsc and Jaheira (in that order) will switch to melee to form a rank.
Heavy duty
Jet operates as super-heavy infantry with plate mail or heavier, tower shield, full helmet, heavy gauntlets and sabatons, etc..
She wields a one-handed footman’s flail, usually of the “spiked ball on a chain” sort. The tower shield is heavily reinforced, and stops most crossbow bolts.
During this era, Minsc offers to train Ms. Foundling in dual-wielding flails. Though Jet is sceptical about how it could even work, she turns out to be a dab hand at it. Still, at this stage going flail-and-shield is tactically sounder.
During her adventures Jet acquires a +1, then a +2 flail. The +2 one is a different design. The chain is shorter, and the business end isn’t a spiky metal ball but a thick steel truncheon with longer, meaner spikes.
Dream a little dream
During this era, Ms. Foundling’s nightmares start seeping around her considerable defences. She can even remember a few of them in detail. There’s also a recurrent voice talking in these dreams.
During the most virulent nightmares, magical abilities awaken within Jet. For now this has endowed her with a minor, once-per-day healing touch.
Adνеrtisеmеnt
Soundtrack
The audial mood board for Jet had a fair bit of classic Iron Maiden .
Because when you have a gigantic warrior maiden with eyes of fire and full plate armour, who dual-wields heavy spiked flails, you know yoü’re in a heavÿ metal albüm cover.
But let’s get a bit more recent with mood music by Skinflint , a heavy metal band from Botswana. They are firmly in the tradition of NWOBHM and classic thrash metal, but with a successful fusion of Southern-end-of-Africa motifs.
History
(This starts *right* where the previous entry ended.)
Enter the hamster
Continuing South, the party crossed the border into Amn and reached Nashkel. The Mayor was expecting Jaheira and briefed her.
Meanwhile Jet ran into Volothamp “Volo” Geddarm , a famous travelling sage. He told her about local rumours.
Before the party could start investigating the mines, they ran into a strange, huge, bald warrior named Minsc. He confusedly explained that he was the bodyguard for a witch, who had been captured by gnolls. Minsc further stated that he and the sorceress Dynaheir were, quote, “butt-kickers for goodness”, end quote.
Enlisting a strongman and one of the dreaded Witches of Rashemen before investigating the reportedly demon-infested mines near Nashkel sounded sensible.
However, the expedition to find the gnoll fortress turned out to be a harsh one. It brought attacks from ogre berserkers, gangs of bandits with poison arrows, huge bears, hordes of small evil creatures called xvarts , etc..
Yet the gnoll stronghold was stormed and Dynaheir freed. As repayment, the witch joined the team along with Minsc (and Minsc’s pet hamster Boo).
The gnoll-occupied stronghold, which is very brown.
Just South of the border
Nashkel was in disarray. The iron crisis and resulting highway banditry had hit the town hard. Many miners had been killed whilst working.
Furthermore, locals had gone missing in sinister circumstances.
Whilst based in Nashkel, the Foundling party :
- Spotted an ancient suit of plate armour that a plough had just unearthed. Since it was made of ankheg hide, the farmer hadn’t realised it was armour. She was more concerned about breaking her plough on the strange material.
- Went on to hunt ankhegs in the North to skin them, since it was really good armour. Part of the skins was used to have a second suit created. The rest was sold to buy a suit of full plate armour.
- Rescued a little boy from his own pet baby wyvern. Then avoided getting arrested when the boy lied about the incident as he feared that his father would beat him over it.
- Found another person captured by the gnolls, then located the ghost of his fiancée (who had been killed during the kidnapping). The party put the ghost to rest using the proposal ring.
- Stumbled upon another little girl who had lost a pet. It’s an epidemic ! As it turned out Drienne’s cat had died after falling into a waterfall. But learning of this didn’t faze the kid much. It wasn’t the first time that happened, and Drienne’s sinister father would raise her clumsy pet from the dead. Again.
- Were forced to kill two complete idiots. They wanted to chop down a dryad’s tree as they thought it held great treasure. These guys were tough.
- Destroyed the undead, deranged priest Bassilus and his shambling retinue. This earned an impressive bounty from the temple of Lathander near Beregost.
- Were caught in a conflict between an orphaned, teenage priestess of Umberlee and fishermen forced to become amateur agents of Talos . These two sea divinities were feuding about dominance over the Baldur’s Gate bay.
- Defended an insane sculptor who had stolen emeralds of great price for his masterwork. During the fray Jaheira was slain by the bounty hunter Greywolf, using the magical sword Varscona. However, the party was but a few hours away from the temple of Helm in Nashkel. They could thus resurrect the druidess for a hefty donation.
- Cleared a sort of miniature zombie apocalypse on remote farmland.
(Some of these events actually occurred days of travel away from Nashkel. Here we underplay that. That’s the usual “the main quest is urgent, but you are much better off doing all possible sidequests and encounters first” video game problem.)
This is a modified Dark Souls 2 Faraam armour, using textures by EvilDeadAsh34 .
The games of the Iron Throne
The mines were “haunted”… by mere kobolds . After so much preparation and precautions, that came as an anti-climax.
However, the little creatures were well-equipped, well-trained, well-organised and carried bottles of an odd liquid. This solution was what they poured onto mined iron ore to make it brittle.
Forging downward, Jet and her team found the kobolds’ boss, a half-orc named Mulahey. Jet had to kill him after he feigned surrender to summon even more skeletons and kobolds. Several letters were found within his abode.
By this point :
- Khalid spoke of his suspicions about the bandits they had been killing as they travelled. The ambushes were too systematic and fairly well-organised, not unlike the kobolds in the mines of Nashkel.
- One letter sent to Mulahey mentioned that real mercenaries had been hired to step up the banditry. Odds were good that it was a reaction to the Foundling party killing off the penny-ante highwaymen.
- Though the Nashkel area produced the bulk of the ore, there were other mines where the iron was diseased. So, Mulahey had colleagues. More discreet ones, with more control over their troops than Mulahey had over his trigger-happy kobolds.
- Mulahey’s boss was one Tazok. A letter of his named Mulahey’s new contact in Beregost.
- Furthermore, Mulahey had mentioned that Tazok worked for something called the Iron Throne.
As Jet gloomily suspected, things were about to get worse.
Description
Jet’s full plate armour is a dull medium grey in colour. Imoen felt that the original shiny finish was too easy to spot.
Foundling no longer wears her robes once she upgrades to a full plate. However, there’s a huge, dark red, hooded coat thrown over her shoulders. It serves the same function. She occasionally wears a long, heavy skirt in the same tones over her armour.
The big armour is completed by a tower shield, a big flail and a big helmet.
Jet previously had a slim physique with whipcord muscle, but she is starting to bulk up. And unexpectedly, she’s *still* growing up. During this era, she breaks the two-metres-tall threshold.
Downtown Nashkel.
Personality
Reading the charisma-enhancing magical book is another stage in Jet shrugging off her teenage insecurities and awkwardness. That, and the slow realisation that her sheer physical power isn’t just a source of embarrassment.
The whole process is gradual, though. The party is constantly travelling, frequently camping in the wilds, sees a *lot* of combat, etc.. It’s really not the best for self-reflection.
Quotes
Imoen: “You mutton-mongering (hic) riff-raff ! You think you’re so tough uh ? I bet my (hic) big sister can take you on ! JJEEEEEETTT !!!”
Jet (rising to her full height so as to spot Imoen over the tavern crowd): “Uh ? Imoen ? Is there trouble ?”
Minsc: “AH !! The maiden is mighty indeed ! Taller than even Minsc ! This bout of arm-wrestling shall be legendary among men ! And hamsters !”
Imoen (dragging Jet by her robes): “C’mon c’mon show him ! Teach (hic) him a lesson Jet !”
Jet: “But… but… I don’t want to… I mean… I don’t… Imoen, you’re drunk !”
Minsc (clearing the table with one sweep of his hand, then putting his forearm in position with a loud thump as the tankards crash on the floor): “Arm-wrestling clash of the titans, and titanesses ! We shall have two referees ! Boo the just and fair shall watch the right ! Your tiny sibling shall watch the left !”
Imoen: “I AM. NOT. (hic) TINY !!”
Jet: “Is… is that a hamster ?”
Minsc: “Dynaheir ! We have come !”
Jet (leaping down the pit where Dynaheir is held) “Madam, can you move ?”
Dynaheir: (Exhausted gesture at a chain and manacle around her ankle).
Jet: “I need better light to remove that. And we have to assume gnoll reinforcements are on their way.” (crouches near the wall, grabs the chain) — KRRRR-NNNK ! — (Jet tears the steel chain free from the stone wall, then casually rips the 9″ nails clear from the steel plate).
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Jet Foundling (Level 4)
| Dex: 04 | Str: 04 | Bod: 04 |
| Int: 03 | Wil: 03 | Min: 04 |
| Inf: 04 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 04 |
| Init: 011 | HP: 016 |
Powers:
Drain resistance: 04, Iron will: 06, Super-ventriloquism: 02
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Iron Will also protects against fear effects (+1), sleep effects (+1), confusion and mind enfeeblement effects (incl. Maze spells) (+1).
- Super-ventriloquism only to amplify her voice’s volume. It is Form Function.
Skills:
Artist (Calligraphy and illumination, Seamstress, Storyteller): 03, Evasion (Must wield a shield): 04, Martial Artist (EV): 04, Medicine (First aid): 05, Weaponry (Melee): 04
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Weaponry (Melee) is specialised in flails. Other melee weapons are at 02, to simplify.
- Martial Artist (EV) can only be used when wielding a hammer or flail.
- Martial Artist is at this point useless. It’ll become useful later on through Character Advancement. Evasion is also not useful at this stage.
- Medicine is a Powered Skill, and is Mystically Linked.
- Medicine can be performed under a single Phase, without any equipment, in any conditions as long as Jet can focus and touch the person.
- Medicine has Ammo: 01 and No Reload In The Field (it is reloaded by sleeping).
Advantages:
Dream Team (Imoen ; Rupture Condition: no longer seeing each other as sisters), Familiarity (Myths and legends of the Realms, Simple military equipment and protocols), Language (Thorasta, Chondathan).
Connections:
None.
Wanderer’s Connections:
Nashkel: Mayor Berrun Ghastkill (Low).
Beregost: Officer Vai of the Flaming Fist (Low).
Drawbacks:
Creepy Appearance, Dependent (Imoen, 0 points), Innocent, Serious Rage.
Motivation:
Neutral Good.
Occupation:
Adventuress.
Wealth:
003
Equipment:
- Footman’s flail +2 [BODY 05, Enhance (EV): 02 (cap is 09), Descriptor: Bludgeon, Advantage: +2].
A flail receives a +1 to the final roll total when attacking a shield-wielding target. But melee opponents with a medium melee weapon get a +1 to *their* final roll against a flail-wielder who doesn’t have a shield. - Tower shield +1 [BODY (Hardened Defenses) 05, Enhanced (EV): 01 (cap is 05), Descriptor: Bludgeoning, Recommended STR 02, Advantage : +1, Notes:
- The OV/RV bonus when using the Block Manoeuvre is 3 APs (4 APs vs. ranged attacks).
- The OV bonus for the Shield Cover Manoeuvre is 3 APs (4 APs vs. ranged attacks).
- It is possible to use the shield to be under full cover, if you set it up and hunker behind it without taking Actions.].
- FULL PLATE ARMOUR w/HELM OF INFRAVISION [BODY 05, Conditional Soaking (Slashing damage), Blunting: 02, Damage capacity: 04, Thermal vision: 03, Enhance (Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing RV): 02 (cap is 09), Enhance (Laser, cold, heat/flame, Ballistic, Acid RV): 01 (cap is 08), Enhance (RV against Critical, Devastation and doubles): 04 (cap is 10), Enhance (Unarmed RV): 04 (cap is 11), Shade (Audial): 01; Stealth penalty 3/4, Drawbacks & Bonuses & Limitations:
- Damage Capacity has the Instant Recovery Bonus.
- Damage Capacity only for Slashing and Piercing damage.
- Audial Perception rolls have +2CS to their OV/RV.
- Visual Perception rolls have a +1CS to their OV/RV when the face protector is on.
- Thermal vision requires the face protector to be on.]
- TRAVEL CLOAK [BODY 03, Cold immunity: 01, Flame immunity: 01, Advantage: +1].
- BOOTS OF THE NORTH [BODY 02, Cold immunity: 02].
- RING OF PROTECTION +1 [BODY 05, Advantage: +1].
- Bag of holding [BODY 01, Dimension Travel (Mini-Tesseract Only): 06].
- Healing potion (x8) [BODY 01, Damage Transference (No Delay, No Damage Taken): 02, Grenade Drawback].
- Large backpack with some trail rations, a canteen, a rain poncho, spare socks and other basics for 5-ish days.
Design Notes
Yes, only level 4 at this point. For this playthrough I’m using a mod that halves the experience gains for everyone.
Jet was rolled up with ludicrously high ability scores, but her DCH modelling assumes that she doesn’t get them from the get-go. Instead, they rise as her level does. Plus, D&D attributes don’t really map to much in DCH.
Likewise, in-game the dual-wielding proficiency was actually taken at character creation, but it will only appear later in her DCH stats.
See our old-school D&D article for some of the technical stuff.
Source of Character: Baldur’s Gate computer RPG.
Helper(s): Darci.
Writeup completed on the 28th of August, 2017.