Guild Wars 2

So basically I have been trawling the forums for some definite answer to how your Spirit Guide choice in Character Creation affects the story. I choose Bear and all I have noticed a Bear Shaman in my Home Instance but there is no interaction possible which the NPC. I’m currently level 37.
Is there anything else beyond this?
I know with other races some biography choices affect which ally helps you near the end of your personal story. Will I get a Bear to help me at some point?

I picked Bear and I got a female Bear Shaman help me out at one point in one of the final missions.

However, I have not done that on a character that has not picked Bear so I can’t really tell if that’s why she showed up, or if she always does, even to non-Norns.

It probably will matter in the future expansions. I took Grenth for my human thief and I haven’t seen anything related to him during my personal story.

What Spirit of the Wild you chose your character to revere determines some of the early personal story mission chains your character will do and/or options you have.

Also various NPC dialogue throughout the world will change depending upon which you choose. But in my experience hardly any players take the time actually talk to the NPC characters in the game so not many would notice this.

If you visit the temple of your Spirit Guide, the shaman there will recognize you as a follower of whatever spirit you chose and have some special dialogue, but that is all I’ve noticed.

That’s a shame.
As for Tarn, that’s not true, depending how you answer the “Important Quality” question affects a story line mission in which a spirit guide helps you.
I chose Bear as my Spirit but when I took on the Jotun King the Wolf Spirit Guide helped me. So my Spirit question has no affect on the storyline. Its strange that the other races (except Human) are affected by all their Biography Questions. I’m wondering if they didn’t complete these two races personal stories to their intended level before release.

Anonymous The Spy.2491:

That’s a shame.
As for Tarn, that’s not true, depending how you answer the “Important Quality” question affects a story line mission in which a spirit guide helps you.
I chose Bear as my Spirit but when I took on the Jotun King the Wolf Spirit Guide helped me. So my Spirit question has no affect on the storyline. Its strange that the other races (except Human) are affected by all their Biography Questions. I’m wondering if they didn’t complete these two races personal stories to their intended level before release.

I’m not sure sure. As I understand it what you choose – spirit guide wise – does effect your story options, whether or not you choose that particular option when playing the story is up to the user of course. And naturally, things – personal story wise – are fairly crude still it seems, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there were inconsistencies.

There’s a lot more banter relating to your choice than players think out there.

Ah, the Guild Wars 2 site gives away that this question was initially meant to affect with Spirit Form you could change into but they obviously changed that so you could access all forms.
See the bottom paragraph: https://www.guildwars2.com/en-gb/the-game/races/norn/

The same applies to the God Choice in Humans: https://www.guildwars2.com/en-gb/the-game/races/human/

Kinda proves the biography consequences weren’t properly finished before release.

I think a cool alternative would be that either your chosen Spirit form is 5 skill points cheaper.
Or that the wild animals of your Spirit type are neutral towards you and your pets instead of hostile. In the case of the Raven, whenever you attack animals (not monsters or humanoid creatures), a random bird in the vicinity will do a single “Call Owl” attack to your target.

Oglaf.1074:

I picked Bear and I got a female Bear Shaman help me out at one point in one of the final missions.

However, I have not done that on a character that has not picked Bear so I can’t really tell if that’s why she showed up, or if she always does, even to non-Norns.

Sorry this is over a week late, but that bear shaman always shows up. I recognized her on my silvari because she is part of one of the early Norn missions (I think defending the mysts choice) that I had done on another character and, like many other NPCs from the early questlines, makes an appearance towards the end.

Anonymous The Spy.2491:

I think a cool alternative would be that either your chosen Spirit form is 5 skill points cheaper.
Or that the wild animals of your Spirit type are neutral towards you and your pets instead of hostile. In the case of the Raven, whenever you attack animals (not monsters or humanoid creatures), a random bird in the vicinity will do a single “Call Owl” attack to your target.

Good ideas. Additionally:
Perhaps the elite skill that turns you into a were-form of your chosen spirit lasts 50% longer/or is stronger/lets you use your utility skills/etc than compared to the other forms.

Tarn.1374:

Good ideas. Additionally:
Perhaps the elite skill that turns you into a were-form of your chosen spirit lasts 50% longer/or is stronger/lets you use your utility skills/etc than compared to the other forms.

Perhaps, but I think it needs to be something that’s not game changing, essentially so a player does not regret their biography choices. If it is something like stat/ability changes, a player could feel cheated, but allowing a player to access the other choices with a little bit more effort than their initial choice will at least give a desired level of “choice and consequence”.

Monagan.6925:

Oglaf.1074:

I picked Bear and I got a female Bear Shaman help me out at one point in one of the final missions.

However, I have not done that on a character that has not picked Bear so I can’t really tell if that’s why she showed up, or if she always does, even to non-Norns.

Sorry this is over a week late, but that bear shaman always shows up. I recognized her on my silvari because she is part of one of the early Norn missions (I think defending the mysts choice) that I had done on another character and, like many other NPCs from the early questlines, makes an appearance towards the end.

Awww… what a bummer

Most of the races have one biography choice that is pretty much useless. Humans have the patron god (never noticed any references to that when I did the personal story on my guardian, but i might have missed something), Norn: the spirit of the wild (at least they have some extra dialog options and the shaman in your home instance), Asura: their mentor (which is NEVER mentioned outside of the biography). Sylvari have it a little better as you get your cycle leader (like Malmodies or however you write it) depending on which cycle you choose, but Charr have it the best, as you get a follower for the first 30 levels of your PS (still makes me angry that you never hear from them again after that though)