| “ | *sob* I really, really tried... *sob* | ” |
Biff the Understudy is the 'understudy' to any missing characters in all of the games and, in Baldur's Gate II, has a proper role in the game. Biff can technically be recruited as a potential Companion. This is similar to the Candlekeep party in the original Baldur's Gate. In which there are various not conventional but possible ,methods to recruit Companions that are otherwise not typical of most expected playthroughs. This can be done in the base games and no cheating is required. There are instances when multiple Biff the Understudy companions can be recruited into the player's party. Although this is quite difficult and requires specific circumstances to be met and in the overwhelming majority of playthroughs this is exceedingly rare but it does happen from to to time to have Biff the understudy in one's party.
In at least the original Baldur's Gate Biff can be used as a sacrificial companion for lures such as with fighting Drizzt. Biff can be in fact summoned multiple times and is exceedingly valuable in a sacrificial or on demand replacement roll. Given he seemingly has no penalties to death can be re-recruited again and again even after complete annihilation that would permanently kill most all companions. Biff the Understudy is the only neutral aligned pure Fighter companion in the original Baldur's Gate.
In any Baldur's Gate game, if an NPC is absent when the game calls for them to recite lines, Biff will appear and say the character's lines instead, being the understudy. Though he will speak their dialogue, he will not perform any of the character's actions. Should you happen to kill him, there will be no penalty.
In Baldur's Gate II, Biff has an actual role to play. In the basement of the Five Flagons Inn there is a play going on. One of the actors, Haer'Dalis, is missing so Biff comes on the scene and fills in for his role. Because he isn't the usual actor in the plays in the inn and because he gets most of his lines wrong, he is booed by the crowd. Due to this the play is abandoned.
Gallery[]
- Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere
Dialogue[]
Uh... here I am! H-here I am, my... uh... s-sweetums?
- "*gasp* Yes, Rodrigo! Rodrigo, it is thee at long last! But where have—" {actor}
I've been, uh... across the sea, my fair... um... m-my fair one. Yeah, yes, that's it—across the sea and, uh...
- Say... that's not the actor they had last time! (crowd)
- "*ahem* ...and perhaps on the new lands, my lord?" {actor}
Yes, that's it! On the new lands. Yes, um...
- Ugh! Where's the actor that was here last time? Ughf! (crowd)
- This is terrible! Awful! (crowd)
- "*AHEM* But... is it Rodrigo? No! No! How can this be?!" {actor}
Well you should be so... um... confused? (It is confused, right?)
- (It is baffled! Baffled!) {actor}
Baffled! Yes, well, you should look so baffled, my lord... um... Kirinaldo! 'Twas you who... who... who...
- Oh, terrible! Get him off the stage! (crowd)
...who, um... which that, uh... i-in a way...
- (Psst! Arranged for me to be shipped across the sea!) {actor}
Eh? What's that?
- "*sigh* Yes, you are correct, Rodrigo! 'Twas I that arranged for thy trip across the great ocean! 'Twas, er, um... truly fiendish of me! But how did thy ever come to return so quickly?" {actor}
Uh... I forget. I'm just the understudy...
- Lliira's bane! I refuse to watch this! (crowd)
- I agree—boo! Boo! (crowd)
- Boo! BOO, that's awful! Terrible! (crowd)
Eugh... oh... oh dear...