Unearthed Arcana present Tome & Blood: more options for arcane casters

[subtledoctor]

So, neither here nor there, but I’ve been kind of using this mod as a playground/dumping ground for different  ideas, and I’ve come to think that was a mistake. As a result, an upcoming version will be greatly slimmed down, and narrow the focus to what Aquadrizzt originally envisioned: sorcerer kits and mage/sorcerer class features. The various tweaks to spells will migrate to my “Random Tweaks” mod, which will be renamed, imaginatively, “SubtleD’s Spell Tweaks.”

More details when it is ready. 

[subtledoctor]

Okay, here is the big update:

I present version 1.0, the "less is more" update, which removes a bunch of the experimental stuff I had added over the last year or two and distills the mod down to its core:

• new sorcerer kits
• improvements to specialist mages
• multiclass sorcerers
• the Arcanist wizard kit
• spell switching for sorcerers (and shamans, I think)
• updated class abilities for wizards and sorcerers: innate Find Familiar and innate Spell Sequencers

All of the spell tweaks can now be found, appropriately enough, in the new "SubtleD's Spell Tweaks" mod. That mod now includes changes to spell schools and specialist opposition, revised illusionary clones, revised invisibility, a revised Find Familiar spell, various options for cantrips, and more. Install that one before this one.

[mickabouille]

Hi, I submitted a pull request on github that adds a french translation for tome and blood. It took a long time, but as the scope has been reduced with 1.0 (and also the changes has slowed a little before that) I finally managed to finish and test it.

It's here if you are interested https://github.com/subtledoctor/TomeAndBlood/pull/6

 

NOTE: On the threads for SD_spell_tweaks and might and guile, there are also one pull request each

 

[cdds]

Hi SD, one question regarding arcanist (and 5e spellcasting conversion in general I suppose): did you ever manage did fix the issue that 5e Spellcasters don't get the "range finder" for AoE spells, i.e. not showing the effect range for a fireball etc.? I'm really bad at judging this range myself, so this game feature is quite helpful 

[subtledoctor]

8 hours ago, cdds said:

Hi SD, one question regarding arcanist (and 5e spellcasting conversion in general I suppose): did you ever manage did fix the issue that 5e Spellcasters don't get the "range finder" for AoE spells, i.e. not showing the effect range for a fireball etc.? I'm really bad at judging this range myself, so this game feature is quite helpful 

There’s nothing to “fix,” it’s just not possible. 

[callmebad]

Hello, just wanted to say ty for the mod first and sorry if this question may sound stupid but what's the rest of the Fire Dragon Disciple's Kit and the character progression?

I've found that in the beggining it was something like:

Advantages
- Hit Die: d6
- May cast arcane spells.
- Gains a set of Bloodline spells as bonus spells.
- Gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
-- (5th) This bonus improves to +2.
-- (15th) This bonus improves to +3.
- Has Claws: Unarmed attacks deal 2d4 slashing damage.
-- (5th) Claws are considered +1 magic weapons.
-- (10th) Claws deal 2d6 slashing damage.
-- (15th) Claws deal 2d6 slashing + d6 fire damage.
- (3rd) Gains a +10% bonus to Fire Resistance.
-- (9th) This bonus improves to +25%.
-- (15th) This bonus improves to +50%.
- (3rd) Gains a Breath Weapon usable once per day. This ability improves every 3 levels.

Disadvantages
- Has a permanent -2 casting speed penalty.
- May cast one fewer spell per level per day.
- May not summon a Familiar.

However since the Change in the dragon disciple to the Revised Edition i've only found this 

• d6 Hit Die. The Dragon Disciple rolls a d6 instead of a d4 whenever a new hit die is earned.
• Elemental Affinity. Dragon Disciples are attuned to one of the following damage types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. They gain a +50% bonus to resistance against that damage type and they also deal +25% more damage of the selected type.
• Scales. While not wearing armor, the Dragon Disciple may subtract their charisma modifier from their base armor class.
• Reduced Spellcasting. The Dragon Disciple gains one fewer spell slot for each spell level they can cast.

Do the unarmed/claw damage still count? Do we still gain more dmg to the claws as we progress? If not is it possible to add to the character  in eekeper? i'm asking this since i was interested into playing a fist fighting dragon disciple  in BG 2 EE albeit i know how unviable that is.

Ty for the assistance

Edited December 21, 2023 by callmebad

[zelurker]

Maybe there is something I didn't understand about spontaneous casting, but Dynaheir gets some super boosted magic missile spells when using this, I mean with her normal magic missile she sends 2 projectiles, with the spontaneous version 5 projectiles ! Well that's handy, low level mages are not really useful for anything usually, but here even if she doesn't have a lot of spells, she makes them count with such a power, but I thought it was just about casting the spell with a difference of 1 level ?

Anyway, at least it's fun !

[zelurker]

On 11/17/2023 at 6:16 PM, subtledoctor said:

There’s nothing to “fix,” it’s just not possible. 

For that you would need the source of the engine to extend it. It's too bad the ee edition didn't go open source. Well you can still have a look at gemrb which tries to recreate the engine for these games in open source but there are still quite a lot of bugs, and feature-wise it's still quite far from the ee versions, even though there are a few interesting options (like being able to have a party of more than 6 characters for example).

[TwiceTested]

So, I was using Tomb and Blood and The Artisan's house rules for their additional casting spell slots based on ability modifier.  When I create an arcanist with 18 int/cha, I get to prepare three spells (17 and 18 int, each give +1 spell per day), and cast 4 spells per day (2 more than base) once the casts converts the spellbook.  However, if I re-memorize spells and rest, I'm back to just 2 spells cast per day for some reason.

 

I guess the simple answer is to use the Doc's spell tweaks instead, but is there a way to make the arcanist work with the artisan's tweaks?

[subtledoctor]

The Arcanist uses very different mechanics for memorization and casting. I would be very surprised if Artemius’ stuff addresses it. 

1 hour ago, TwiceTested said:

but is there a way to make the arcanist work with the artisan's tweaks?

Not that particular tweak, no.  I mean, unless Artemius wants to support my Arcanist/5E spellcasting system, which I’d be happy to help him with. 

[TwiceTested]

Well, thanks for entertaining the idea!  If I used your stat overhaul instead, what files do I need to edit to change the bonus spells from Int for Wizard, cha for Sorcerer?  Is it the mxsplwis.2da file?

[subtledoctor]

10 hours ago, TwiceTested said:

Well, thanks for entertaining the idea!  If I used your stat overhaul instead, what files do I need to edit to change the bonus spells from Int for Wizard, cha for Sorcerer?  Is it the mxsplwis.2da file?

Unfortunately it’s not that simple. Hang on, I don’t remember, need to look at the code.

Ah, actually it may not be difficult. In SubtleD_Stat_Overhauls/lib/semi_stats.tpa, at line 70, line 313, and line 568 are three arrays for wizard/bard (INT), sorcerer (CHA), and divine casters (WIS) respectively. You can see from thise arrays how it works: the stat value is in the left side, the spell slot bonus is on the right. Xa is a bonus Xth-level slot, Xb is a second bonus slot, and Xc for sorcerers is a casting level bonus. By changing those three arrays you will change the bonuses. 

That’s for 5E casting slots. 

For memorization slots, i.e. vanilla spell slot bonuses, it is more annoying. Look at SubtleD_Stat_Overhauls/components/stat_bonus_spells.tpa at lines 131-175 (wizards, bards, sorcerers) and lines 508-523 (divine casters). These are harder to edit but you can see the stat scores in parameter1 of the op326 effects (13 through 25) and the resources ending in letters ‘m’ through ‘y’ apply bonuses in the same order as above (m=1, n=1, o=2, p=2,q=3, r=3, s=4, t=4, u=5, v=5, w=6, x=6, y=7). So you can change the resource values’ last letter to the bonus you want for each stat value. 

I would make sure both sets of values apply the same bonuses. 

Edited January 30 by subtledoctor

[TwiceTested]

Thanks a ton!

[subtledoctor]

I know I said I was going with the "less is more" approach here, trying to hew to Aquadrizzt's original vision for the mod. But I am adding a component: component 95, 'Multiclass Specialists,' will make the specialist wizard kits available in all of the appropriate kit menus for fighter/mages, cleric/mages, and mage/thieves.

Please note that, in an otherwise-unmodded game, this will only affect elves and half-elves. If you install mods that expand racial options to classes and kits, component 95 should be installed after such tweaks. (You can install this one component later than the rest of the mod.) 

Get version 1.1 here.

Also worth noting: version 1.1 adds a French translation thanks to @mickabouille!    Thank you!

Edited February 6 by subtledoctor

[mickabouille]

Quote

Also worth noting: version 1.1 adds a French translation thanks to @mickabouille!    Thank you!

You're welcome!