Subtledoc's Random Tweaks

[subtledoctor]

I mean... I googled before I wrote that post.  I don't think "Noble Djinn" or "Noble Efreet" are particularly good names, and  I will likely change them in the finished product.  But you get the idea - a more powerful, more elite version of the Djinn and Efreet that you can summon with 7th-level spells.  I'm open to suggestions about the name; this will inevitably be fairly non-canon so whatever sounds cool and/or makes sense.  (How about "Elite Effete Efreet Aesthete?")

[Guest Guest]

I like the idea if subbing planetar, but I don't get why you would be able to actually get both hla, if they are conceptually the same.

I would be for giving a demon hla to evil and noble efreti to good. I would make both hla available for all alignment.

[Jarno Mikkola]

34 minutes ago, Guest Guest said:

noble efreti to good

The actually only noble genie is a Djinn*. Efreets are evil, as they are the same kind but with a flare of fire instead of Djinns Air. The titled "Noble" Efreets are:

Quote

Efreet were cruel and self-serving. They all considered themselves to be of noble character and assumed grand titles to make themselves seem impressive.

..just a titled, by themselves.

*this too can be argued in multiple ways. But as these creatures are D&D lore based, not a set cultural ones, only D&D lore should be referenced. Not say Aladdin...

Edited August 3, 2020 by Jarno Mikkola

[Guest Guest]

Djinni* to good

[subtledoctor]

Big update to v0.8. This adds the following tweaks:

• If SRv4 or SRR is installed, have Haste and Slow effects cancel each other rather than overwrite each other.
• Hold Undead and Control Undead bypass magic resistance
• Improve SRv4's Waves of Fatigue (emulate fatigue rather than using the actual in-game effect)
• Make it easier to use Sol's Searing Orb without burning yourself (longer range, quicker attack speed, smaller explosion radius)
• A first pass at changing Planetars into suspiciously similar-performing Noble Genies (biggest change it, vorpal blades are replaced by swords of fire or electricity)
• Make IR's Rod of Absorption even more instantaneous to use
• Make the SoD Gargoyle Cloak match the Gargoyle Boots' Stoneskin effect, if IR/IRR is installed
• Allow non-dwarves to use the Dwarven Thrower hammer
• 'Missile Storm' will work better with Tome & Blood's 'Level 1 Cantrips'
• Finally, per the request of @Bartimaeus, the "Cure Spells Bypass Deflections" part of Magic Battles Revised has been separated out into its own component.

Cheers.

Edited August 5, 2020 by subtledoctor

[Bartimaeus]

52 minutes ago, subtledoctor said:

Big update to v0.8. This adds the following tweaks:

• If SRv4 or SRR is installed, have Haste and Slow effects cancel each other rather than overwrite each other.
• Hold Undead and Control Undead bypass magic resistance
• Improve SRv4's Waves of Fatigue (emulate fatigue rather than using the actual in-game effect)
• Make it easier to use Sol's Searing Orb without burning yourself (longer range, quicker attack speed, smaller explosion radius)
• A first pass at changing Planetars into suspiciously similar-performing Noble Genies (biggest change it, vorpal blades are replaced by swords of fire or electricity)
• Make IR's Rod of Absorption even more instantaneous to use
• Make the SoD Gargoyle Cloak match the Gargoyle Boots' Stoneskin effect, if IR/IRR is installed
• Allow non-dwarves to use the Dwarven Thrower hammer
• 'Missile Storm' will work better with Tome & Blood's 'Level 1 Cantrips'
• Finally, per the request of @Bartimaeus, the "Cure Spells Bypass Deflections" part of Magic Battles Revised has been separated out into its own component.

Cheers.

"Hold Undead and Control Undead bypass magic resistance" I see you finally converted on this idea!

"Dwarven Thrower" ...This wasn't really still only usable by Dwarves in IR, was it? I don't remember changing that, but it hasn't been that way for years with IRR.

"Cure Spells Bypass Deflection" Aw yeah, thanks, pal. Although funnily, yesterday (or was it the day before?), I was using Cure Wounds spells on Kahrk to try to wear down his Spell Deflection. It was unsuccessful because then his Globes of Invulnerability kicked in, but I did try.

[DavidW]

Not only are there noble efreet in D&D lore, there are noble efreet in BG2 itself - one is imprisoned in the Planar Prison, one is in the Sphere. Neither are anything like as powerful as the summoned Planetar, though.

Genie-summoning is intrinsically cool, and I find the argument against fallen planetars pretty persuasive (I'm less moved by the argument that good-aligned wizards can't summon regular planetars), but losing the alignment coding of the spell will cause some AI difficulties - nothing serious, but you'll mostly only see enemies use whatever version subs for DARK_PLANETAR. A similar-style alternative would be to replace the Dark Planetar with a Balor Lord (if you don't object to 3e-isms) or just a Lesser Demon Lord - same idea, just substitute the animation and name.

 

[subtledoctor]

37 minutes ago, DavidW said:

losing the alignment coding of the spell will cause some AI difficulties - nothing serious, but you'll mostly only see enemies use whatever version subs for DARK_PLANETAR

As of yet I haven’t touched the HLA 2da tables themselves. So good casters can only summon PLANGOOD.CRE (Noble Djinni) and evil caster can only summon PLANEVIL.CRE (Noble Efreet). So in-game, for reasons unknown, every enemy mage will have coincidentally chosen to summon the efreet. At some point I’ll remove the alignment restrictions but make them mutually exclusive - my arbitrary lore is, you sign a deal with the djinn to periodically summon one to your aid, but then the efreet won’t make a deal with you; and vice-versa. 

I still need to spiffy up the animations to distinguish them from the lesser genies - at a minimum, add some glowing effects or something. And to make up for losing Vorpal Swords, I want to add inherent Fire Shield Red to the efreet and something like Gedlee’s Electric Loop to the djinni. But I need to make the electric spell first. (Hmm, or maybe the djinni should have something like a permanent repeating version of SR’s Gust Of Wind...)

[Guest Guest]

I like the lesser demon lord idea. In fact I had proposed it here:

 

But...

- What made me say "just kidding" was the fact that I would bet on a lesser demon lord over a planetar any day. A lesser demon lord would be more powerful. Unless you go for the "cloned" creature, but in that case it would be only a cosmetic issue. Is a cosmetic issue so important? Only the beholder can decide.

- Matron ardulace asked a lesser demon lord for help. That creature was supposed to help sieging suldanesselar and was offered the eggs of a dragon. Should be way way tougher than a planetar. Doubt a matron mother could not have summoned a planetar, but a planetar would not be enough for the deeds she wanted to do.

- by the way, the lesser demon lord summoned in ust nasta is ridiculously overnerfed compared to what he should be supposed to do. Would bet on adalon over him any day. 

 

 

[subtledoctor]

A very quick little update to version 0.8.1.

This improves the haste/slow opposition by removing the shiny Spell Shield ground graphic. 

This also adds a new component, "Improved Bard Harps." It will cause Azlaer's Harp to cast Resist Fear + Aid, instead of just Resist Fear; and will cause Methild's Harp to cast Remove Paralysis and Remove Curse, instead of just Remove Paralysis.  (Credit to @Bartimaeus for the idea for Methild's.)

[Bartimaeus]

I don't remember having that idea...when did that happen?

[subtledoctor]

2 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

I don't remember having that idea...when did that happen?

I thought when I looked at SRR or IRR to glance at their interactions, I saw Methild’s Harp casting Break Enchantment. I’m taking a bit of a shortcut, adding that to Remove Paralysis instead of replacing it. But all these harps need buffing. I’m thinking they should all get some kind of passive bonus for the bard, too. 

[Bartimaeus]

10 hours ago, subtledoctor said:

I thought when I looked at SRR or IRR to glance at their interactions, I saw Methild’s Harp casting Break Enchantment. I’m taking a bit of a shortcut, adding that to Remove Paralysis instead of replacing it. But all these harps need buffing. I’m thinking they should all get some kind of passive bonus for the bard, too. 

Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. I suppose Break Enchantment is basically that.

[subtledoctor]

I updated the mod to version 0.9, adding “Breachier Breach” and “Revised Pierce Shield.” 

Breachier Breach is intended for use with both Spell Revisions and SCS; it doesn’t really change anything, but might make Breach work the way SCS intends it to, more successfully. There is an alternate version that does make a change: it allows 7th-level spells to affect rakshasa, but in turn gives them 100% resistance to poison and acid.

Revised Pierce Shield came about because it turns out the Breach-like secondary effect of SR’s Pierce Shield bypasses all spell protections. This makes Pierce Shield into a super-powered version of Breach, which allows the caster to simply ignore an enemy mage’s carefully-arranged defenses and enable a warrior ally to curb-stomp the mage. There are five different options for how to revise Pierce Shield: 

- Just Cast Breach, which simply makes the secondary Breach effect subject to Breach’s normal limitations, like being blocked by spell protections. 

- Instead of removing combat protections, the secondary effect will remove specific protections like Fire Resistance.

- Instead of removing combat protections, the secondary effect will remove Spell Shield.

- Instead of removing combat protections, the secondary effect will remove Dispelling Screen.

- Instead of removing combat protections, the secondary effect will remove Spell Shield and Dispelling Screen.

Edited January 21, 2021 by subtledoctor

[Guest Obtuse User]

Do you recommend a specific component for revising pierce shield? My play experience at that level isn't sophisticated enough to make a good choice.