I love Phil in a books and in the games REDs did a good job with her character. Loved every minute with her in games. Is's a shame other sorceresses from Lodge did not received good treatment, eh. Love them all to bits.
I liked Philippa in the books and in W2, despite her betrayal. I didn't like that she was so openly aggressive and dismissive of Geralt in W3 though.
Not because I think Geralt simply has the right to be treated better by her (for example since my Geralt saved her life at least two time now), but because I think it's stupid behaviour of her to alienate someone like Geralt so openly for no reason at all. (Hmm okay maybe she is secretely in love with Geralt and hates him for sleeping around with all the other sorceresses? Would be the only logical explanation for me for her behaviour.
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But well for a supposedly intelligent and wise sorceress she made a quite immature and short shighted impression on me in her conversations with Geralt. Personally I would have expected her to learn from her mistakes in W2. She afterall is one of the main reason for the death of countless of her "sisters". That she obviously didn't learn anything from that mistakes and shows no sign of self criticism was one of the only very few negative aspects of W3. Hoping now we might see a wiser version of her in a possible expansion.
Not because I think Geralt simply has the right to be treated better by her (for example since my Geralt saved her life at least two time now), but because I think it's stupid behaviour of her to alienate someone like Geralt so openly for no reason at all. (Hmm okay maybe she is secretely in love with Geralt and hates him for sleeping around with all the other sorceresses? Would be the only logical explanation for me for her behaviour.
) But well for a supposedly intelligent and wise sorceress she made a quite immature and short shighted impression on me in her conversations with Geralt. Personally I would have expected her to learn from her mistakes in W2. She afterall is one of the main reason for the death of countless of her "sisters". That she obviously didn't learn anything from that mistakes and shows no sign of self criticism was one of the only very few negative aspects of W3. Hoping now we might see a wiser version of her in a possible expansion.
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I liked Philippa in the books and and in W2, despite her betrayal. I didn't like that she was so openly aggressive and dismissive of Geralt in W3 though.
Not because I think Geralt simply has the right to be treated better by her (for examply since my Geralt saved her life at least two time now), but because I think it's stupid behaviour of her to alienate someone like Geralt so openly for no reason at all. (Hmm okay maybe she is secretely in love with Geralt and hates him for sleeping around with all the other sorceresses? Would be the only logical explanation for me for her behaviour.
But well for a supposedly intelligent and wise sorceress she made a quite immature and short shighted impression on me in her conversations with Geralt. Personally I would have expected her to learn from her mistakes in W2. She afterall is one of the main reason for the death of countless of her "sisters". That she obviously didn't learn anything from that mistakes and shows no sign of self criticism was one of the only very few negative aspects of W3. Hoping now we might see a wiser version of her in a possible expansion.
Isn't Phillipa's primary character trait in the games she's not nearly as wise as she thinks she is, or, at all? It's kind of her (to quote Lancelot), "idiom" that she thinks she's a Master Manipulator but everyone fools her.
And she thinks she's a genius, when all of her plans blow up in her face.
And that she's incredibly charismatic but, in fact, alienates everyone she meets. Hell, in Witcher 2, she thinks Radovid loves her as a mother.
Well true in the end it turns out like that, but nobody seems to call her out on that. Also in the books in her first meeting with Geralt she acts way smarter and smoother. Even shows a liking in Geralt's personality. In W2 she acts less smoother but still gives the impression to think things through and have good self control.
What I really don't get is that her reaction to her failures in W2 is to become more arrogant, short sighted in her decisions and alienating towards possible and trustworthy allies. There seems to be no learning effect for her, which is kinda strange for such powerful and formerly clever sorceress. So for me Phillippa in W3 is just a sorry, disappointing shell of what she could or maybe even should have been.
As you say, she is not wise and she is not supposed to be wise. But she is a Master Manipulator, just look how she still has some influence over the members of the Lodge.
Another example is the Thanedd coup. She captures Vilgefortz and other conspirators, but everything ends badly. Even her former tutor Tissaia de Vries is disgusted with her.
Thanedd coup - fail, Vilgefortz flees and mages are discredited. Emhyr-Philippa 1:0.
Lodge - fail, mages are even more discredited. Emhyr-Philippa 2:0.
Now she wants to become the advisor of the Emperor/future Empress. Not sure, if mages can be even more discredited, but if yes, it is gonna happen.
To be fair, humility would ruin her character.
Why? It would make her less one dimensional and believable imo. It also doesn't mean that she would become less ambitious because of that. Philippa recognizing her mistakes and acting more humble and thoughtful would actually help her realizing her goals and make her in that sense more dangerous if you oppose her.
The way she acted now in Witcher 3 she is an easy target, everybody can hate easily and would soon agree on to get rid of her or imprison her indefinitely. At the end of W3 she is probably the least influential living sorceress around, which I find kinda pitiful for a sorceress with her possible abilities.
I'll pass on seeing her humble -- her arrogance is because of her past success.
Radovid spent most of his life firmly under her thumb -- clearly a success, even if she lost control later on.
Formed a secret society to replace the former open one -- which removed most of her competition.
Killed and subverted monarchs in order to gain control over their territory.
Her enemies who were admitted to The Lodge, most importantly Yennefer and Enid an Gleanna -- were systematically put under her influence.
Philippa always doubles down, that's why so many seem to think she fails.
The reality is she has one end goal.
Its path may be calculated and subtle, but make no mistake; she'd rather fail at world domination than be the de facto ruler of some small-time Northern kindgom.
Radovid spent most of his life firmly under her thumb -- clearly a success, even if she lost control later on.
Formed a secret society to replace the former open one -- which removed most of her competition.
Killed and subverted monarchs in order to gain control over their territory.
Her enemies who were admitted to The Lodge, most importantly Yennefer and Enid an Gleanna -- were systematically put under her influence.
Philippa always doubles down, that's why so many seem to think she fails.
The reality is she has one end goal.
Its path may be calculated and subtle, but make no mistake; she'd rather fail at world domination than be the de facto ruler of some small-time Northern kindgom.
im not so sure about that, if you would recall a scene where geralt intentionally walks in on phillipa and cynthia, when phillipa "educates" cynthia with that crop, seemed to me geralt was more than interested to "educate" both of them with his "crop".
but yes she is a classic example of an educated person that isnt necessarily smart, i do wish that geralt would have had better lines with her, or even roughed her up a little in that quest where you pursue her, or if ciri would have showed her what she thinks about her manipulation attempts, sadly i dont think that phillipa's eyes can get any blacker...
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As you say, she lost control of him. Then he ordered to blind her.
Most of her competition was removed, because they were either traitors or casualties of the Thanedd coup. Her plan was to execute the traitors and gain influence over the Chapter and Council, simply replacing Vilgefortz in a role of the puppeteer. She certainly didn't plan to discredit and disintegarte the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. Finally the Lodge also failed, Philippa became an outlaw and some members of the Lodge were killed/imprisoned.
And Letho outsmarted both her and Sile. And Upper Aedirn? Controlled by Nilfgaard/Redania.
Yennefer was never under her influence. But Philippa certainly succeeded in manipulating Triss.
I'm quite sure she will fail. She is a skilled manipulator, schemer and the most powerful mage. But she is also a megalomaniac who survived only thanks to Geralt.
She's a fantastic character to have floating about in the world because she's always up to something.
I especially like her particular style of nonchalance, it really fits a character with her perpetual beauty, ambition, ability and age. Certainly not infallible but that makes her more interesting because you never really know whose side, if any, she's on.
Special mention: her banter with Geralt at the Thanedd ball.
I especially like her particular style of nonchalance, it really fits a character with her perpetual beauty, ambition, ability and age. Certainly not infallible but that makes her more interesting because you never really know whose side, if any, she's on.
Special mention: her banter with Geralt at the Thanedd ball.
@Zeroscape
She's always on the winning side, or the one she thinks she can best manipulate.
@moonknightgog
Yet Philippa is holding an old grudge with Dijkstra...perhaps her thinking isn't so much different from Triss'?
She's always on the winning side, or the one she thinks she can best manipulate.
@moonknightgog
Yet Philippa is holding an old grudge with Dijkstra...perhaps her thinking isn't so much different from Triss'?
Though we don't always know what side that is until the end, which is what makes her double dealing so enjoyable.
@Zeroscape
And that's where she keeps failing, most likely. Double dealing.
She manages to make enemies even out of her friends. Like Triss, who was probably at one time the most naive of all The Lodge. Triss schemed and had laid-back plans for snatching Geralt for *years* from Yennefer. Plans she was willing to put on the back burner to simmer, but never quite go away.
And here comes Philippa to, yup, screw over Triss in the worst way, from her POV.
Sooner or later she needs to make some plans in a reasonable scope. Ones that don't blow up and cause her to reset all her machinations, again. Something that nets her a permanent gain.
But she does earn an 'A+' in somehow surviving and coming back for more.
And that's where she keeps failing, most likely. Double dealing.
She manages to make enemies even out of her friends. Like Triss, who was probably at one time the most naive of all The Lodge. Triss schemed and had laid-back plans for snatching Geralt for *years* from Yennefer. Plans she was willing to put on the back burner to simmer, but never quite go away.
And here comes Philippa to, yup, screw over Triss in the worst way, from her POV.
Sooner or later she needs to make some plans in a reasonable scope. Ones that don't blow up and cause her to reset all her machinations, again. Something that nets her a permanent gain.
But she does earn an 'A+' in somehow surviving and coming back for more.
The problem is, at heart, Phillipa acts like a Queen versus a Sorceress.
Phillipa is pathologically incapable of being anything other than commanding and it shows.
She wants Geralt to leave with Triss or Yennefer, so how does she do it?
Insults him, threatens Yennefer, and more or less spells out her entire plan.
Unlike Triss OR Yennefer, she's incapable of putting on a smile before stabbing her enemies in the back.
She's the TVtropes.org definition of Smug Snake.
Phillipa is pathologically incapable of being anything other than commanding and it shows.
She wants Geralt to leave with Triss or Yennefer, so how does she do it?
Insults him, threatens Yennefer, and more or less spells out her entire plan.
Unlike Triss OR Yennefer, she's incapable of putting on a smile before stabbing her enemies in the back.
She's the TVtropes.org definition of Smug Snake.
@Willowhugger
Yeah her decisions aren't always the best.
In a story we can't just kill off people with little reason.
Though, if Phil was smart, she'd have just killed Yennefer a *long* time ago, and dropped the Ciri Control Conspiracy.
All Yen's been was a thorn in her side from square one.
Yeah her decisions aren't always the best.
In a story we can't just kill off people with little reason.
Though, if Phil was smart, she'd have just killed Yennefer a *long* time ago, and dropped the Ciri Control Conspiracy.
All Yen's been was a thorn in her side from square one.
Of course she`s fascinating. Also a total bitch. She`s one of the characters I can`t get over with after what she did to Saskia, the only actually good (personality) character in the whole universe
I got a good laugh from what that sorcerer did to her with the dimetrium shackles on her in owl form. Oh Philippa, the scheming bungler who finagles her way from one botched partial success to another. She should get her own game, hah.