Why I hate Bishop
Neverwinter Nights 2 is perhaps one of my favorite games of all times. However, it has a few flaws. Magic gets insanely over powered versus melee once Sorcerers and Wizards get access to decent Abjuration spells, friendly AI can be a bit clunky, and some spells and abilities aren?t worth a damn. However, it has good characters. But it has one major problem. Bishop
Bishop is a Chaotic Evil Human Ranger. Firstly, he breaks two of the game engine?s rules. The first is that he has a pointbuy of 40, which is more than the PC can legally have. Second, he is a divine spellcaster yet he does not have a patron deity (which is required under 3.5 ed rules)
Right from the start you know he?s an asshole. During the first act, he sits in the bar, and makes rude (and lewd, if you are a female player) comments to you. He only joins after your uncle calls a debit due to him, the nature of which is left vague. He then joins you for the rest of the game. When he is in your party, he will pick fights with everyone. Help people? Your influence goes down. Respect the dead? Your influence goes down? Defend people and tell the truth? You get three guesses as to what happens.
He is also evil without any real reason. All the other ?evil? characters have a reason. Even those who aren?t ?evil? are characterized better as more complex characters than him
Ammon Jerro is determined. He wants to do whatever it takes to save Neverwinter. Even if that means killing a few people along the way.
Qara is impulsive. She is a Sorceress, which means she never had to work to earn her powers. Thus, she always wants more because she has no respect for them
Neeshka is insecure. She has suffered her life as a Tiefling (which is not an easy thing in the Realms). Thus, she steals because that?s what she learned to do in order to survive.
Sand is sarcastic. He comes off as a bit LE at times, and tends to spend more time on that part of the Lawful spectrum. This might be why I like him so much. He is sarcastic, and tired of taking orders from Nevall. However, he respects the laws of magic, almost to a fault. He comes off as an old man, tired of those new-fangled Sorcerers. Thus, his clashes with Qara are the best
Even in Mask of the Betrayer we had a better evil companion. One of Many at least has comprehensible motive: selfishness. It wants things for itself, and thus, is willing to follow you to gain the power.
But Bishop? Bishop has no real reason to be evil. Let?s also look at his deeds compared to the others. Bishop joined the Luskans (which can get you hung in Neverwinter), burned down his home village (which likely had children there), killed the Luskans, and then barely got saved by the PC?s uncle. He then spends the next few years of his life sulking in the woods as a smuggler. Let?s compare that to the others. Ammon Jerro killed a few nobles of Neverwinter, for the ?greater good?. If he didn?t get the shards, Neverwinter would fall and they would die regardless. Qara almost gets into an altercation with classmates and nearly kills them (or does so in self-defense). Neeshka steals from people, but only minor things (save for the collector). Sand is just kind of a pompous jerk, but not really evil. Hell, One of Many won?t commit evil acts unless you allow it. So you cannot say it is not possible to write a good ?evil? character.
Bishop has poor motivation, and serves as an annoyance. Why can?t my Paladin arrest him for all the evil things he has done? He would clearly show up on my Detect Evil. But what?s worse is that the game forces him in your group for the rest of the game. At the end, no matter how high your influence, he will betray you. He also joins the BBEG in the end. The only way to not have to fight him is to use a skill check (Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, Ect) and even then it is more a hatred for order and loyalty then any respect to you.
He serves as an example of how not to make a compelling character. He is rude, arrogant, cruel, disloyal, and generally an ass. None of those would be any problem if he had a real REASON for doing that. But he doesn?t. We don?t even know why he hated his village.
The way Obsidian redeemed themselves for him was showing him in MotB stuck in the Wall of the Faithless. To be tortured slowly until oblivion? That seems fair to me.
In short, I would gladly download a mod that would remove him from the game, if such a thing existed.