Enhancement suggestions for DR v6

[Miloch]

There are caretakers of BP who can give a nod/shake to borrowing components from it.

As long as source acknowledgment is given, components can be borrowed from BP.

Well which is it? If the former, then who? If the latter, I suppose we should find out who created the spell (could've been anybody, judging from the credits).

 

Though actually, now that I've done further analysis, this question might be moot. I think I'll choose to implement this differently than BP, as the 6th level PnP Liveoak spell (2e PHB p. 290), which basically conjures a small, medium or large treant.

Liveoak (Enchantment)

Sphere: Plant

Range: Touch Sight

Duration: 1 day/level (might as well make this "Permanent" for all practical purposes?)

Area of Effect: 1 tree

Saving Throw: None

And I might use Galactygon's version of the animation, which saves slot space (though both animations are otherwise identical, being from IWD). However, I have no problem giving credit to BP either (if that can be done without invoking a Commune spell or something).

People out there have their hands on various Monster Handbook versions, so getting treants' stats right shouldn't be too hard.

Here are the stats from the 2e MM:

Fire Elemental

Small: HD 8, THAC0 13, 1 attack 3-24 dmg, 2000xp

Medium: HD 12, THAC0 9, 1 attack 3-24 dmg, 6000xp

Large: HD 16, THAC0 5, 1 attack 3-24 dmg, 10,000xp

Greater: HD 24, THAC0 0, 1 attack 3-24 dmg, 18,000xp

- AC2, +2 weapon or better to hit, fire resistance

 

Earth Elemental

Small: HD 8, THAC0 13, 1 attack 4-32 dmg, 2000xp

Medium: HD 12, THAC0 9, 1 attack 4-32 dmg, 6000xp

Large: HD 16, THAC0 5, 1 attack 4-32 dmg, 10,000xp

Greater: HD 24, THAC0 0, 1 attack 4-32 dmg, 18,000xp

- AC2, +2 weapon or better to hit

 

Shambling Mound

Lesser: HD 8, THAC0 13, 2 attacks 2-16 dmg (x2), 6000xp

Normal: HD 9.5, THAC0 11, 2 attacks 2-16 dmg (x2), 7500xp

Greater: HD 11, THAC0 9, 2 attacks 2-16 dmg (x2), 9000xp

Giant: HD 20, THAC0 1, 2 attacks 2-16 dmg (x2), 18,000xp

- AC0, Immune to fire, 1/2 or no dmg from cold, lightning regenerates

- Stealth, entanglement, immune to blunt, 1/2 dmg from slash/piercing

 

Treant

Young: HD 7.5, THAC0 13, 2 attacks 2-16 dmg (x2), 2500xp

Normal: HD 9.5, THAC0 11, 2 attacks 3-18 dmg (x2), 4500xp

Elder: HD 11.5, THAC0 9, 2 attacks 4-24 dmg (x2), 6500xp

AC0, weakness to fire, animate trees

As you can see, there's not a whole lot of difference between the creatures. Shamblers get more immunities, but treants cause more damage at higher HD. Both have more abilities than elementals, but those have more HD. I might throw an "ancient" treant in there or something, since that's the only creature that doesn't have a 20+ HD form.

 

Looking at the stats (and BG2 matches PnP here for the most part), I have to wonder now why fire elementals are better than earth elementals. They're pretty much the same in all respects, except for the fire resistance - earth elementals hit harder though.

 

At least one source for that notion is from Weimer's Shapeshifter Rebalancing component in BG2 Tweaks. I'm thinking the last 2 paragraphs of that should be incorporated into DR, or at least split into another component, since it has nothing to do with shapeshifters (and I would install the last part, but I've heard the main component is either overpowered or glitchy).

 

As for the shamblers, I think I'll implement that as a 5th level Forest Guardian spell, as per Ayce's spell pack. It'll have similar chances to the Conjure Elemental spells (60%-12HD, 35%-16HD, 5%-24HD creature).

As for Druids, I think they should get to summon elemental princes as a 9th level spell, instead of summoning a demon that they can not control. Do they get this ability thru HLA, or am I mismatching mods?

This is granted by a ToB quest level spell:

Elemental Summoning (sppr723): 2 16HD elementals (earth, air or fire)

- 30% chance for Elemental Prince (description says 10%)

[aVENGER_(RR)]

As for the shamblers, I pinched that code too. But we will have to implement it as a proper spell (aVENGER does it as an item effect on a shield). So, I guess, the same questions there. You can summon a lesser shambler, shambling mound (as per core BG2) or greater shambler. So at which level should that be implemented?

 

Actually, I had to make a proper spell (RR#SHM.SPL) in order to summon different Shamblers at different levels, the shield was merely configured to cast it. You can find the spell in the RR/RR_CORE/SPELLS folder.

 

BTW, in RR, at levels 1-13 you get a Lesser Shambler for 7 turns, at levels 14-24 a Shambling Mound for 14 turns and at levels 25+ a Greater Shambler for 25 turns. See here for details. Anyway, in this form, it would probably fit best as a fifth level Druid spell. However, if you're aiming for Stalker from IWD1, then seventh level is the way to go.

[Azazello]

There are caretakers of BP who can give a nod/shake to borrowing components from it.

As long as source acknowledgment is given, components can be borrowed from BP.

Well which is it? If the former, then who? If the latter, I suppose we should find out who created the spell (could've been anybody, judging from the credits).

Ah! You want names. I'll get back atcha later.

 

Miloch, are you actually creating content, and not just doing your typical but lovable grousing? then YaY!

In several years, when you Ascend, I'll be here defending your work just as strongly.

[Miloch]

Miloch, are you actually creating content, and not just doing your typical but lovable grousing? then YaY!

Well, I don't know if I'm creating a whole lot, but I'm compiling and adapting the work of others (Ayce, aVENGER, etc.). My idea is to have a more comprehensive Druid Remix that is compatible with (and probably will require) Divine Remix... hopefully it can be incorporated in DR too, to make things simpler. I may actually throw in an original spell or two while I'm at it (I have an idea for a sort of "Summon Swamp Thing" spell involving the Trocopotaca animation Cuv has so kindly ported from PST, but I'm still sketchy on the details of that...).

 

Also, I'm thinking of expanding Call Woodland Beings (or coming up with additional spells) as per PnP so that, in addition to wood nymphs, you have a chance to summon brownies (IWD svirfneblin animation), pixies or sprites (BG2 xvart animation recolored), centaurs (PST bauriar animation), satyrs or unicorns (I'm kind of stuck for those last two, but I'm thinking maybe resized/modded sohmien, horse, glabrezu animations). That might be for a future version though - right now, I'm just trying to package Ayce's spells and throw in a few other quick druid-related enhancements.

[Miloch]

Ah! You want names. I'll get back atcha later.

Not necessary any more - horred put in a reappearance and answered my PM:

Sure, use it if you wish. I always liked that spell, hehe. It was the sole creation of the mad mind of yours truly, so your credits list would be pretty short. Obviously, don't forget to include the IWD2 Treant animations.

 

Cheers, and good luck!

 

Horred

Most of treant and related stuff is coded, so it's just a question of implementing it DR-style and testing it. It's roughly third on my to-do list, which means it'll get done in roughly 1d50 days +/- some unspecified amount of time .

[Revy]

Forgive my ignorance, I've a 'suggestion' for the excess of kits. I don't really know if is feasible or not, but I'll post it anyways, just in case. You are the experts so you can judge it.

 

Isn't it possible to modify the kit selection screen from this:

 

[_Cleric_]

[_Kit__1_]

[_Kit__2_]

[_Kit__3_]

[__....__]

 

to something like this:

 

[_Cleric_]

[_Page_1_]

[_Page_2_]

[_Page_3_]

[__....__]

 

and when you click [_Page_1_], like when you select the generic class, a new submenu appears with a list of kits?

[CamDawg]

No. The interface is obnoxiously hardcoded and there's little to nothing we can do about it.

[Guest Radnom Pesron]

One thing that'd be interesting, though perhaps of minimal value would be to tweak Faldorn's alignment. It's less of an issue for BG2, but for TuTu, having her as TN feels a bit... wrong. She seems prone to fits of lashing out and scorn at random, I'd say she fits more of a CN, or maybe, though unlikely, NE. Not to mention, Shadow Druidry and the desire to feed on nature to destroy don't sound very balanced either.

[Guest Guest]

More druid spells...at the moment they feel like clerics without the melee ability and it makes me melancholy. I feel like the only druid worth playing is a fighter/druid, because their spell-list is both quite top-heavy (lower level spells are by and large nothing to get excited over) and lacking a good variety of useful spells (which the cleric certainly is not, which makes it good fun...never had a tough decision in spellchoice with a druid). Preferably some more damage/enchantment related ones, such as Thorn Wall from IWD or Dire Charm (remember that Hamadryad? owchies), and so on as there's already quite a few summoning spells. Maybe something like Dimension Door or Shadow Door for higher level druids, as I recall reading somewhere about a planewalking ability they attain?

[Nyarlathotep Fhtagn]

A rather small change, but something should happen that would allow Druids to use the Conjure Animals (level 6) spell. I don't see why they can't.

 

Yeah, I use the Tweakpack that gives incredible Bearweres or whatever they are. But still, logically, the Druid should be the first one to summon incredible beasts like those.

 

Could you make a spell belong to more than one sphere, or would it be wiser to simply create a different version of the spell included in the Animal sphere that only Druids have access to? I don't mod, I have no idea what could be done, but the end result makes sense to me.

[nurgles_herald]

Hijack + Necromancy, ftw.

 

Recently, I had Anomen pass his knighthood test. Now Sir Anomen the Shitty has two (2!) level 4 and level 6 spells. I'll go find all of my rulebooks and whatnot to present more concrete recommendations before the end of the day, but I'd strongly recommend adding a few more spells to avoid forcing a Helm Cleric to memorize Holy Power or Farsight 18 jillion times. It makes me a sad herald.

[Guest fkirenicus]

So... Anyone still working on this?

I have but one request - make Chaotic Commands perform as it used to (protect against Confusion effects) - the game is IMO severly unbalanced without it, as most foes above level 10 have such attacks.

Whereas I appreciate your commitment to stay true to PnP rules, I implore you to see reason for a CRPG.

Oh, and fix some bugs in the Temple quests of Cleric Remix.

[Miloch]

So... Anyone still working on this?

I haven't seen the original modders active for some time, but I still have a DR add-in on the back burner.

Oh, and fix some bugs in the Temple quests of Cleric Remix.

More specific information might help with that (even the poster above never materialised with "more concrete recommendations" promised).

[Leomar]

Oh, and fix some bugs in the Temple quests of Cleric Remix.

More specific information might help with that (even the poster above never materialised with "more concrete recommendations" promised).

He reported the issue here:

http://forums.gibberlings3.net/index.php?showtopic=17350

 

Perhaps it helps.

 

Greetings Leomar

[Miloch]

He reported the issue here:

http://forums.gibberlings3.net/index.php?showtopic=17350

Sigh. I don't know if I feel comfortable trying to fix something that far-reaching in someone else's mod. Someone needs to roust out CamDawg, Andyr and/or NiGHTMARE from whatever rocks they're hiding under...