Item Revisions Mod

[Demivrgvs]

One of the most underrepresented items in game is surely the bastard sword. There are 11 unique long swords in SoA and only 3 ( ) bastard swords. I know long swords should probably be more common than any other weapon but taking the bastard sword proficency is near useless considering that the first good one is acquired in the underdark. There are two possible things I can do to counter this, one is reintroducing Albruin and Bloodbrand (which are also restored by UB if I'm not wrong), the other is changing one of the most powerful long swords to a bastard swords, actually as it should be as per PnP: I'm taking about the Daystar. Is this one of that kind of think many players won't like? Furthmore bastard swords will now deal 1D10 instead of 2D4.

 

Lawgiver +1

Equipped Abilities:

Immunity to confusion effects

Combat Abilities:

Axiomatic: +2D6 additional damage against creatures of chaotic alignment

THAC0: +1 bonus

Damage: 1D10 + 1

 

Notes: it replaces "Kondar +1, +3 vs. shapshifter", it should be much more useful and I think it's more appropriate as reward for freeing Hendak and the slaves.

 

Albruin +2

Special Abilities (once per day):

Detect Invisibility

Equipped Abilities:

Immunity to poison effects

Cure Wounds: the blade automatically heals the wielder of 2d8+10 hit points, once if he drops below 50% of his maximum health, and once if he drops below 25%

THAC0: +2 bonus

Damage: 1D10 + 2

 

Notes: I've found its PnP version in the "Champions of Valor" manual, and it's an intelligent +3 silvered sword which can cast Cure Moderate Wounds 3xday, Invisibility Purge 3xday, and Neutralize Poison 1xday (wielder only). I've incremented its enchantment bonus by one at the moment, depending on where I'll place it I can make it more powerful or not.

 

Jhor The Bleeder +2

Combat Abilities:

Bleeding Damage: 1hp/round for 1 turn

THAC0: +2 bonus

Damage: 1D10 + 2

 

Notes: the damage inflicted is the same as vanilla but the effect lasts twice as long. Furthmore bleeding damage has been changed from "poison opcode" to "damage type: poison" thanks to aVENGER_(RR)'s suggestion.

 

Blade of Searing +3

THAC0: +3 bonus

Damage: 1D10 + 3, +1D6 fire damage

 

Notes: "restored" a missing +1 to damage and increased the +1 fire damage to 1D6.

 

Daystar +4

Special Abilities (once per day):

Sunray (15th caster level)

Combat Abilities:

Sunblade: effective enhancement bonus against evil creatures is +4, deals double damage against undead

THAC0: +2 bonus, +2 vs. evil creatures

Damage: 1D10 + 2, +2 vs. evil creatures

 

Notes: changed from long sword to bastard sword and increased the caster level of Sunray from 10th to 15th. PnP Sunblade is a bastard sword that can also be wielded as a short sword, but I don't like this idea.

 

Foebane +4

Combat Abilities:

Foe Bane: effective enhancement bonus against undead, shapeshifters, and all extra-planar beings is +4

Vampiric: drains one to four hit points from the target and transfers it to the wielder

THAC0: +2 bonus

Damage: 1D10 + 2

 

Notes: it's a long story. Vanilla's Foebane had +3 enchantment and dealt +6 damage against undead creatures, dopplegangers, Lycanthropes, Rakshasas, and Demons (there's also an unused SW1H63A.EFF which deals +6 damage vs. evil creatures). PnP Foebane has +4 enchantment, +6 damage to all those creatures (evil ones included), +4 to all saves, a spell turning effect and the vampiric effect.

I've re-introduced the additional damage against evil creatures, and I've reduced the enchantment bonus by one to slightly balance it (though it always counts as +4 to determine what it can hit). Now it works as an Undead/Shapeshifter/Demon Bane weapon against the mentioned creatures (+2 to hit, +8 to damage), and as a holy weapon against all other evil creature (+6 damage). Deal?

 

Foebane +5

Equipped Abilities:

Saving Throws: +1 bonus

Combat Abilities:

Foe Bane: effective enhancement bonus against undead, shapeshifters, and all extra-planar beings is +5; deals +6 additional damage against evil creatures

Vampiric: drains one to four hit points from the target and transfers it to the wielder

THAC0: +3 bonus

Damage: 1D10 + 3

 

Notes: it now uses the standarized vampiric effect instead of casting Larloch's Minor Drain. The sword is more or less as powerful as before: it usually deals more damage, but works as a full +5 weapon only against selected foes. As always I'm open to suggestions, especially regarding such powerful weapons.

 

Purifier +4

Equipped Abilities:

Magic Resistance: +10% bonus

Combat Abilities:

Dispel: removes all magical effects upon the target (save vs. spell neg.)

Holy: deals additional damage against creatures of evil alignment

THAC0: +4 bonus

Damage: 1D10 + 4, +6 vs. evil creatures

 

Notes: I've halved the magic resistance bonus, extended additional damage to all evil creatures (previously only chaotic evil ones), and added dispel on hit to induce players to use it in the main hand.

 

Purifier +5

Special Abilities:

Draw Upon Holy Might (twice per day)

Greater Restoration (once per day)

Equipped Abilities:

Magic Resistance: +15% bonus

Combat Abilities:

Dispel: removes all magical effects upon the target (save vs. spell neg.)

Holy: deals additional damage against creatures of evil alignment

THAC0: +5 bonus

Damage: 1D10 + 5, +6 vs. evil creatures

 

Notes: agian, magic resistance bonus is one half of vanilla's sword, additional damage is extended to all evil creatures (previously only chaotic evil ones), and dispel on hit should induce players to use it in the main hand. I've also changed mass cure with greater restoration and dispel with draw upon holy might, but if you have a better spell selection in mind let me know.

 

I'll add Bloodbrand asap, any suggestion about it?

[J Beau]

Everything looks good but still ... including the 2 additional swords, 3 are found in the underdark and Bloodbrand is +1. So unless you can kill a lich early on (SCS II makes that pretty hard) you are stuck with just a +1 weapon for essentially half the game if bastard swords are your weapon.

 

I think you should pick one more sword that is found early on but hardly anybody ever uses and turn it into a bastard sword of +2 or +3. If its +2, it should have some cool secondary abilities. Maybe you could grab one of the short swords or another long sword that are out there (Namarra comes to mind). I think something along those lines will be necessary to make bastard swords viable.

 

On a side note ... I have always thought the dragonslayer sword was way too wimpy against dragons. I used it once against dragons and thought it wasn't worth the effort to equip it. It should be THE weapon against dragons or change its name. Just my opinion.

[Demivrgvs]

Everything looks good but still ... including the 2 additional swords, 3 are found in the underdark and Bloodbrand is +1. So unless you can kill a lich early on (SCS II makes that pretty hard) you are stuck with just a +1 weapon for essentially half the game if bastard swords are your weapon.

Actually I hope players will play with SCS II because Daystar deserves to be very hard to obtain imo. And you are right about the lack of bastard swords in the first half of the game, that is why I was thinking to add Albruin and Bloodbrand on my own, I would place them early on (in approriated places if possible) despite what UB did and at least one of the two will be a +2 sword obviously. Somehow I'll manage to make them compatibile with UB anyway.

Maybe you could grab one of the short swords or another long sword that are out there (Namarra comes to mind).

There aren't enough short swords to remove one of them, and I'll post the progress on them very soon. Long swords deserve to be very common, and I think that if Albruin and Bloodrand are implemented as mentioned above everything should be fine.

On a side note ... I have always thought the dragonslayer sword was way too wimpy against dragons. I used it once against dragons and thought it wasn't worth the effort to equip it. It should be THE weapon against dragons or change its name.

I totally agree with you, and I've already improved it even if it's still a work in progress.

[Guest Guest]

If we can't have more than 3 headers to the same item, don't worry about the invisibility.

 

I'm assuming that BG2 Tweaks Two-Handed Bastard Swords will still work well with your changed Bastard Swords? I like using this since it gives further options to my Two-Handed weapon characters.

[Demivrgvs]

I'm assuming that BG2 Tweaks Two-Handed Bastard Swords will still work well with your changed Bastard Swords? I like using this since it gives further options to my Two-Handed weapon characters.

Well...I suppose it should, I've not checked the code but I think it probably copies the existent items and creates a two handed version of them. If it does, than installing Tweak Pack after Item Revision will be fine.

 

P.S I've discovered Albruin is already present in game in a rather cheesy way...players are supposed to cast a Heal spell on one of the mad man in the underdark sphere, but they have to do it before he starts to talk! It's near impossible and there's no way of guessing it with in-game information. Anyway, what were they thinking when they placed all SoA bastard swords in the same area of game?! What am I supposed to do with it now?

[Icendoan]

Maybe make him a script where different things happen, on chance. One time he could just stand and say things similar to Mad Arcand in BG1 (wertle wooooo) and others he could be hostile.

 

A bit out of item revising, but there you are.

 

You could simply move it.

 

On a side note, I never actually figured out how to get at the Purifier, I know exactly where it is, but not how to access it.

 

Icen

[Shaitan]

P.S I've discovered Albruin is already present in game in a rather cheesy way...players are supposed to cast a Heal spell on one of the mad man in the underdark sphere, but they have to do it before he starts to talk! It's near impossible and there's no way of guessing it with in-game information. Anyway, what were they thinking when they placed all SoA bastard swords in the same area of game?! What am I supposed to do with it now?

 

I also think that you could change that and move the bastard sword to a more appropriate location, perhaps Brynnlaw?

[J Beau]

Brynnlaw is still the second half of the game. Put it somewhwere in the docks or the bridge district and give that mad man in the underdark a vanilla +3 bastard sword.

 

And I have done the heal thing before. It's just a matter of good timing.

[Demivrgvs]

Brynnlaw is still the second half of the game. Put it somewhwere in the docks or the bridge district and give that mad man in the underdark a vanilla +3 bastard sword.

I agree, even if I still have to find an appropriate place for this blade.

On a side note, I never actually figured out how to get at the Purifier, I know exactly where it is, but not how to access it.

Only Paladins (or lawful good characters) can take it from where it lies.

 

Update: You may notice I'm adding many notes here and there to help understand what I've done to all weapons (one by one), and I've also added Albruin, Foebane and Club of Detonation to their respective lists.

[Guest rlilewis]

Ive read through all the pages and i agree with most things but...

 

I'm not too sure on your armour encumberance effects, i like the idea in principle but think the penalties of your implementation are too broad.

 

"While it looks heavy, a full plate armour set could be as light as only 20 kg (45 pounds) if well made of tempered steel. This is less than the weight of modern combat gear of an infantry soldier, and the weight is better distributed. The weight was so well spread over the body that a fit man could run, or jump into his saddle. Modern re-enactment activity has proven it is even possible to swim in armour.[2] It is possible for a fit and trained man in armour to run after and catch an unarmoured archer." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_armour)

 

Unfortunately the IE does not provide skill slots for armour types to reduce penalties so surely the penalties should be related to:

 

A) The weight (materials used, thickness, distribution)

B) Quality of the plate (craftmanship, magical?, blessed?, boon?)

C) The **strength of the user

 

I have been looking at the plate sets in the game and strangely the weight of the armour or quality don't relate to the strength required in a consistent fashion.

 

For example:

 

Plate Mail (standard) Weight = 50lb Strength req = 12 (lol?)

Full Plate (standard) Weight = 70lb Strength req = 15

Full plate+1(magic)**Weight = 35lb Strength req = 15 (?)

Red Dragon Plate **Weight = 30lb Strength req = 8 (?)

 

So full plate +1 is only 5lbs hevier than red dragon plate yet requires 7 more strength, it is also significantly lighter than standard plate mail yet requires 3 more strength to wear, which is completely bizzare.

 

Standard plate mail only requires 12 strength, incurring no penalty which seems silly imo; 12 strength is like an average human.

 

(60-70lb plate)

Strength < 10 = dweeb (Critical penalties)

Strength 10-13 = Average Human (Severe penalties)

Strength 14-15 = Above Average Human (Heavy penalties)

Strength 16 = Strong / Fit human (Medium penalties)

Strength 17 = Very strong human (Light Penalties)

Strength 18 = Exceptionally strong human (Almost no penalties)

Strength 19 = Exceptionally strong half-Orc

Strength > 20 = Giantkin strength (25 = godlike)

 

I think the lightest plate in the game is around 25lbs (delver's plate+2) whereas the heaviest is 70lbs (full plate). If modern day full plate using tempered steel is 45lbs then anything around 45-55lbs would be expert craftmanship with minor magics while anything under 45lbs would be made with mastercraftmanship and be heavily magical or use fantasy materials.

 

So as the weight of the plate comes down from the standard crappy plate mail and full plate then the penalties for each of the groups should reduce.

 

Anyway i've rambled on way too much lol

[Icendoan]

I would say, in actuality, that I have a STR score of about 10. I am 14. I have worn and run in full plate, if even for a very short amount of time.

 

I would agree with you, but perhaps a fatigue penalty related to armour weight and the characters strength. The higher weight of the things you are carrying vs your STR and CON (for simple endurance). The greater the difference;

(max weight + CON x10) <= (weight on the person) the greater the movement/Thac0/fatigue/Attack Speed penalties on the person.

 

Another one is sheer bulk. I find it hard to believe that someone like Minsc can lift ~7 sets of plate mail in his BACKPACK!

 

Most of us, in real life, can lift a bar of lead, but will have trouble lifting a 3m^3 block of low-density polystyrene without machinery.

 

Icen

[Demivrgvs]

Sorry I'm in a hurry...I'll deal with armors soon, and I'll surely do something about weight and strength requirement.

 

I leave for a week within minutes, see you soon.

 

Ilbratha +1

Special Abilities (once per day):

Mirror Image (1 turn)

Equipped Abilities:

Blur: upon entering combat the outline of the wielder's form become blurred, granting +3 bonus to AC

THAC0: +1 bonus

Damage: 1D6 + 1

 

Notes: I've added the Blur effect while equipped (which doesn't stack with the homonym spell).

 

Kundane +2

Combat Abilities:

Speed: +1 attack per round

THAC0: +2 bonus

Damage: 1D6 + 2

 

Notes: unchanged.

 

Arbane's Sword +2

Special Abilities (once per day):

Haste (4 rounds)

Equipped Abilities:

Immunity to hold, stun & slow effects

THAC0: +2 bonus

Damage: 1D6 + 2

 

Notes: unchanged. I've just raised haste duration by 2 rounds.

 

Short Sword of Backstabbing +3

Combat Abilities (thieves only):

Backstabbing: increases backstab multiplier by 1 and attack rolls by 2

THACO: +3 bonus

Damage: 1D6 +3

 

Notes: aVENGER did the same with Rogue Rebalancing and I think it's perfect.

 

Cutthroat +4

Combat Abilities:

Slashing: +1D6 slashing damage

Keen: +10% chance to score critical hits

THAC0: +4 bonus

Damage: 1D6 + 4

 

Notes: added keen and slashing abilities. Do you prefer "1D6 damage on all hits" or something like "2D6 (save vs. death negates)"?

 

Short Sword of Mask +4

Combat Abilities:

Hold: 20% chance to paralyze the target for 2 rounds (save vs. death at -2 penalty neg.)

Stealthblade: 20% chance of making the user improved invisible for 4 rounds after each successful attack

THAC0: +4 bonus

Damage: 1D6 + 4

 

Notes: I've replaced entangle (no save) with hold ability (with a save) and added the stealthblade ability.

 

Short Sword of Mask +5

Equipped Abilities:

Non-detection

Combat Abilities:

Hold: 20% chance to paralyze the target for 2 rounds (save vs. death at -4 penalty neg.)

Stealthblade: 20% chance of making the user improved invisible for 5 rounds after each successful attack

THAC0: +5 bonus

Damage: 1D6 + 5, +1D6 poison damage

 

Notes: the improved version also grants non-detection (making this weapon the ultimate stealth tool), the save against hold effect is toughened, and the added poison damage makes this blade very useful against stoneskinned mages.

[Demivrgvs]

I'm back at home and I've finally found/written excellent descriptions for each spear.

They are too long to be posted here imo but I can give you some examples if you wish.

Anyway now that they're finished I can at least post the list of all in-game spears, after mentioning that they now deal 1D8 points of damage instead of 1D6 (they are two handed weapons after all!).

 

Halcyon +1

Combat Abilities:

Returning: returns to the wielder's hand instantly after an attack is made

THAC0: +1 bonus

Damage: 1D8 + 1, +1D6 electrical damage

Damage type (melee): piercing

Damage type (thrown): missile

 

Notes: the most noteworthy change is that I've made it a throwing spear, other than that the electrical damage has been increased from +1 to 1D6.

 

Spear of the Unicorn +2

Equipped Abilities:

Immunity to charm and hold effects

Saving Throws: +3 bonus vs. death

THAC0: +2 bonus

Damage: 1D8 + 2

 

Notes: unchanged.

 

Backbiter +3

*CURSED*

Combat Abilities:

Keen: +10% chance to score critical hits

Vicious: inflicts additional 2D6 points of damage to the target and 1D6 points of damage to the wielder

THAC0: +3 bonus

Damage: 1D8 + 3

 

Notes: added the keen ability and 2D6 additional damage, while the damage inflicted to the wielder has been changed from 3 to 1D6. It's surely much more powerful than before, but I like the idea that players may actually think to use it sustaining its drawbacks.

 

Impaler +3

THAC0: +3 bonus

Damage: 1D8 + 3, +10 piercing damage

 

Notes: unchanged. Does anyone has a better idea to implement the "impale" effect?

 

Spear of Withering +3

Combat Abilities:

Dolorous Decay: 5% chance that a rotting and withering of the body spreads throughout the afflicted creature dealing 1 point of damage per second for 1 turn and slowing the target

THAC0: +3 bonus

Damage: 1D8 + 3, +1D6 poison damage

 

Notes: enchantment bonus decresed by 1, poison damage changed from 4 to 1D6, added the Dolorous Decay effect.

 

Ixil's Nail +4

Equipped Abilities:

Free Action: the wielder is immune to everything, magical and otherwise, that limits his mobility in any way

THAC0: +4 bonus

Damage: 1D8 + 4

 

Notes: I've added the free action ability that was originally granted only to the upgraded version.

 

Ixil's Spike +5

Equipped Abilities:

Free Action: the wielder is immune to everything, magical and otherwise, that limits his mobility in any way

Combat Abilities:

Pin: opponent must save vs. death or be pinned for 3 rounds, taking an additional 1D6 + 5 damage each round

THAC0: +5 bonus

Damage: 1D8 + 5

 

Notes: unchanged, but I've yet to decide if vanilla's "sleep" effect is really the best one to perform the "pin" ability; enchantment bonus has been decreased by one (there won't be +6 items).

[Icendoan]

I always thought spears were useless, as they did the same damage as staves, but had a slower attack speed.

 

I am glad to see them revised.

 

 

Icen

[J Beau]

Just checking in to see how things are going. I am really looking forward to this mod. I'm sure others are as well.