Issue with opcode Modify Proficiency (233) applied on level 1 of kit

[yarpen]

Hi. Long time no see.

I'd like to create a kit which starts Proficient (+) in all weapons. It was possible to do before Enhanced Edition (Ashes of Embers had Pit Fighter kit which had that feature). I struggle with replicating it for BG:EE. To be more specific what I care about is character having these proficiencies already during character creation (so player can add extra pip on his own).

• I tried both Preset Target & Self targeting.
• I used Instant/Permanent timing (9)

It does work after game starts but, again, does not affect character during its creation. 

Is there a way to make it work somehow? Or is it a change in engine which made class abilities affect you right after game starts instead of during character creation?

 

 

[jmerry]

Well, yes, that's exactly what is going on. The stuff in the ability table is only applied after character creation is complete. An Avenger or Shaman can't memorize their bonus spells at character creation, and your character doesn't get their free proficiency until after character creation is complete and they've assigned some proficiencies already.

I am not aware of any way to work around this.

[yarpen]

Thanks! Sorry for basically making a thread about IS IT REALLY LIKE THAT? With your response being "yeah, it is".

[polytope]

As you've noticed, some pre-EE kits are incompatible with the new engine because of assumptions about opcodes.

If I was going to try and make something like this, the CLAB file would at lvl 1 (only) apply a .spl to summon an invisible creature which checks if LastSummonerOf(Myself) has zero proficiencies in any valid weapon type and applies by script at least 1 star for each such through secondary .spls. Or, actually, you could try to do it with a single spell and #326s (I wouldn't). Awkward, either way and there's still a wasted proficiency for each weapon you specialized in at character creation since going by the concept that should have cost you 1 star rather than 2, because on EE it's either "increment if lower" or hard set the number, not "set if lower".

Has anyone ever considered making a mod that fixes all the retro mod kits that no longer work on EE? Some were duplicated in EE itself (like the Blackguard), and requires finding the authors for permissions I guess.

[yarpen]

I think I have a fairly decent solution for the problem altough I hate these kinds of solutions.

• Create kit A which can only achieve proficiency in all weapons. Apply increment proficiency opcode to it to increase anything that player selected to 2.
• Swap kit into a Kit B which, unlike the first one, permits specialization in all weapons.

This solution would take away player's ability to see the final state during character creation but other than that it'd be good to go.

Edited December 9, 2023 by yarpen