Oversight

A lot of the alignment codings in Baldur's Gate II are, to put it nicely, insane. Good brigands and murderers. Neutral paladins. Evil actors, major-domos, Priests of Lathander, and other characters that are entirely helpful and friendly. The Alignment Correction component of this mod was written to correct these errors.

Additionally, in Throne of Bhaal, David Gaider created excellent Tougher versions of four members of the Five, which are most conveniently available as part of Ascension-WeiDU, located at www.weidu.org, but no Tougher version of Sendai, Throne of Bhaal's ultimate spellcaster. Already markedly weaker than her brother Abazigal, whom players could encounter before facing her, Sendai became the weakest of the Five when all existing Tougher versions were installed. The Tougher Sendai component strives to rectify this, making Sendai approximately as deadly as Tougher Abazigal.

Oversight contains the following components, which can be installed independently of one another:

Alignment Correction

This component will change the alignments of the 700-some-odd creature files with alignments that seem at odds with their BG2 behavior. This component changes the creature files to the alignments I believe make most sense for them; this is inevitably a judgment call.

Be aware that this component will only change those creatures whom your character has not yet seen. If you wish to experience the full effects of the mod (that is, if you simply can't live with having killed a Neutral Good otyugh in the starting dungeon), you will need to begin a new game after installing. However, every miscoded character whose first appearance is after installation of this mod will be corrected, and every miscoded character (including the otyugh) will be corrected in any future games you play.

If you feel the mod is good for the most part but that I've changed a coding in error, or left a coding alone in error, feel free to email me. However, be aware of the following principles this component depends on:

  1. Inherent evil makes for lame stories. An email which goes, "But you can't make X good/evil, all members of that species are evil/good" is unlikely to sway me. I'll be far more likely to make changes you suggest if your argument takes the form, "This character should be evil/good/chaotic/lawful/neutral because in the game she does x, y, and z."
  2. The original coding of the game characters is a bad joke. "There isn't a compelling enough reason to change the coded alignment of that character" is unlikely to sway me. Any reason at all, down to and including "That looks like a Chaotic hairstyle to me," is more compelling than the game's original coding.
  3. I will not tread on another modder's toes. Don't ask me to make WeimerSolaufein or Ascension Balthazar Lawful Neutral, or to change anything else from a mod. Make your case instead to Westley Weimer (for Solaufein), David Gaider (for Ascension), or the designer of the mod in question (other mods).
  4. Good ≠ Nice. Just because a character is rude does not mean that character is evil. It doesn't even imply that that character is not good.
  5. Tabletop D&D was not consulted for any of these. I've been playing D&D for twenty years, and I've never played in a game without house rules. If a character's actions in BG2 indicate a different alignment from a D&D supplement (a character listed in a supplement as Neutral who acts blatantly evil in BG2, for example), I take that to indicate that BioWare changed the character and accordingly changed the character's proper alignment, rather than that the actions are to be ignored.

Class Tweaks/Fixes

This component changes those creature files with weird/inappropriate classes. I expect this component to be far more controversial than the Alignment Correction component. I doubt anyone will disagree that kobold shamans and hobgoblin captains shouldn't be coded as paladins, but what I do expect to draw more dissent is my reassigning of the Innocent class.

I consider this mod component entirely a fix, as many of the class codings are just as insane as the alignment codings; however, I realize some others will disagree, so I've named it Tweaks/Fixes. Call the changes tweaks or fixes (or something unprintable if you'd rather), as you please.

As with the Alignment Correction component, you are free to send me an email and make a case that I've changed a class inappropriately. However, again, there are some principles you should take into account.

  1. Reputation serves a dual function in the Baldur's Gate series: It reflects how you are seen, as its name suggests, but it also reflects how good you actually are. I use the coding "Innocent" primarily to reflect the latter, and I believe the game's coding, schizophrenic as it is, supports the idea that this is the true purpose of the class. I am thus unlikely to be convinced by arguments that take the form, "So-and-so shouldn't be an Innocent because no one would ever know if I killed him," or, "so-and-so should be an Innocent because even if she's evil she's still a respected member of the community." I take the position that a plurality of characters in the world are True Neutral. Some Neutral and Good characters may be unpleasant, but if a character is actually Evil with the Alignment Correction component of this mod, he or she is guilty of something bad enough that some people will consider you a hero if it becomes known you killed that character.
  2. This component is written for a world affected by the Alignment Correction component. "He shouldn't be an Innocent because he's evil" is a compelling argument for me to change one of those qualities in the character in question--but only if the character is an "evil Innocent" when both the Alignment Correction and Class Tweaks/Fixes component is installed.

Tougher Sendai

This component will make Sendai an opponent on par with the rest of the Tougher versions of the Five. It will change her stats to match those of the Sendai who appears for the final battle in the Ascension mod, and give her equipment and spell choices that enable her to make full use of her powers.

If you play on Core or below, she functions with strict limits on what she can or cannot do. On Hard or Insane, she is much more interested in kicking your ass than in being "fair" about it. Hopefully, you should notice a marked increase in the difficulty of the fight on any difficulty setting, but the tactics and abilities she uses will be different for each difficulty setting. (If you are curious, a list of the differences is available at http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2549 , but I strongly advise against looking at it before you fight Sendai, as it will ruin the surprise for you.)

Within the limits of BG2's AI, she attempts to be as deadly as an intelligently played PC. This is not a game to her; even on Novice, she has no compunction about abusing the engine to achieve the Greater Good of kicking your ass and thus saving her own. If you can think of anything that you think would be an effective tactic for a character with her stats in her situation and that she does not already do, by all means, email it to me. If you can think of tactics that work on her that ought not to work on an intelligent opponent, let me know as well.

Altered Spells

This component revises three of the spells in BG2 that are too weak to be worth casting. A ranger's Charm Animals ability will now automatically and permanently befriend every animal on the map. Know Alignment now targets every character on the map, like Detect Evil, and allows no save. It also detects lawful or chaotic alignment, instead of just good and evil. Comet is now unaffected by magic resistance and the damage it inflicts is half cold and half crushing, making it no longer a weaker choice than Dragon's Breath for every situation.

Improved Continuity

This component changes the soundset of the final villain of Shadows of Amn, in the final battle, to the soundset he's used throughout the game, instead of the ogre soundset he currently uses. It also prevents Saemon Havarian from returning in Throne of Bhaal if he has died in Shadows of Amn (and only if he has died--dark and terrible rumors suggest some people actually like him; if you didn't kill him in SoA, you don't need to worry about him failing to show up in ToB).

Cleric Kits

In Baldur's Gate II, clerics can choose a kit, and gain a stronghold, based on one component of their alignment--Good clerics serve Lathander, Neutral clerics serve Helm, and Evil clerics serve Talos. However, while Lathander works as a blanket Good deity, Helm is perhaps the single most intensely Lawful deity in the Realms, and this shows in his stronghold quests. This component has four effects:

  1. It changes the alignment restrictions to serve each of the deities to go with the alignments of the deities. Lathander's alignment requirements are unchanged, Helm accepts worshipers of any Lawful alignment or True Neutral, and Talos accepts worshipers of Chaotic Evil, Chaotic Neutral, or Neutral Evil alignment. Chaotic Neutral Anomen stands as an anomaly, but since Sir Anomen is an anomaly in the unmodded game, it makes little difference.
  2. It fixes a longstanding and infamous bug that prevents cleric/rangers from being recognized as part cleric for stronghold purposes.
  3. It offers a cleric stronghold (Lathander, or Helm, as appropriate to alignment) to monks, as well. Monks still have the option of taking the fighter stronghold instead.
  4. It changes the holy symbols cleric party members get to go with the new alignment requirements of the deities, so that a Lawful Evil PC will get a Holy Symbol of Helm which works for Lawful and Neutral PCs while a Chaotic Neutral PC will get a Holy Symbol of Talos which works for clerics within one step of Chaotic Evil.

Be warned that this component will not work with the Multiple Stronghold component of the Ease-of-Use mod. It will, however, work with the NPC Strongholds mod and with the Holy Symbol Fix component of Ding0's Tweak Pack.

Monk High Level Abilities

In unmodded Throne of Bhaal, monks have access to the same pool of High Level Abilities as fighters. This seems lame. This component will give monks their own set of High Level Abilities instead, most of which should be quite familiar to anyone who has played through Throne of Bhaal before.

Shadowless Kick

This kick throws the target back, knocks the target unconscious, and deals 4d8 points of damage.

Tiger Strike

A more powerful form of Shadowless Kick, this power ensures every blow for the next round is a critical hit. In addition, every blow for the next two rounds throws the target back and knocks the target unconscious.
Prerequisite: Shadowless Kick.

Dragon Fist

With a blow, the monk strips away the magical protections of the target.

Faster Than The Eye

By concentrating briefly on another area within 4000 feet, the monk can instantly transport herself there.
Prerequisite: Feet of the Wind.

Flip Resistances

The monk's magic resistance converts into physical damage resistance for a number of rounds equal to twice the monk's level. The monk also becomes immune to backstab for the same duration.

Solar Stance

Solar Stance renders nearby enemies more vulnerable, reducing the saving throws of any within 60 feet of the monk by 4. It creates a cloud of glittering golden particles that fill the air for twenty feet around the monk, revealing invisible creatures. All enemies in the cloud must roll a successful saving throw vs. spell or be blinded (-4 to attack rolls, saving throws, and Armor Class) until the dust fades, after 4 rounds. Also, a blast of fire emanates from the monk, scorching and throwing back everyone in a 30-foot radius, though the stance protects the monk from the flames.
Prerequisite: Tiger Strike.

Lunar Stance

A monk who strikes this stance gains a +5 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Death, a + 2 bonus to luck, and becomes immune to Slay, Imprisonment, Petrification, Level Drain, Disintegrate, and Time Stop. The duration of this power is four rounds.
Prerequisite: Solar Stance.

Shadow Stance

This stance causes the monk to instantly become both invisible, as per the spell Improved Invisibility, and immune to divination spells such as True Seeing. This power lasts for 23 rounds.
Prerequisite: Lunar Stance.

Feet of the Wind

Each time this ability is chosen, it greatly and permanently increases the monk's movement rate.

Second Wind

By concentrating briefly, the monk can shrug off even the worst of wounds, once per day. The effect of this power is to fully heal the monk instantly.
Prerequisite: Flip Resistances.

Stunning Blow

The monk has one more use of the Stunning Blow ability per day.

Quivering Palm

The monk has one more use of the Quivering Palm ability per day.

Holy Liberator Kit

This component adds a new paladin kit to the game, a conversion of a 3ed D&D Prestige Class.

A Holy Liberator is a cousin to the paladin, dedicated to the overthrow of tyranny. These champions of freedom are strong-willed, independent-minded, and virtuous.

In most respects, Holy Liberators are much like paladins. However, they shun positions of leadership and value wisdom over charisma. The trademark quality of the Holy Liberator is that their nature is entirely hostile to mind control abilities, whether putative allies or enemies use those abilities.

Holy Liberators are as intensely dedicated to Chaotic Good as paladins are to Lawful Good. For both, goodness is paramount, but while paladins follow carefully codified rules of conduct, Holy Liberators follow their own consciences. However, the standards they hold themselves to are no less strict.

Advantages:
- Immune to Charm.
- Gains Subversion ability, which temporarily protects all in the surrounding area, regardless of allegiance, from mind-affecting powers, once per day per four levels, starting at first level with one use.

Disadvantages:
- Cannot Lay On Hands.

Expanded Brynnlaw

This component makes it possible to hire the smuggler Calahan to take one of your companions back to Athkatla. Correspondingly, since stranding anyone in Spellhold is now an explicit choice, choosing to do so will cost you reputation, and may well enrage nonevil companions. Also, for those who find it frustrating that they can only watch helplessly in cutscene mode as Desharik the Pirate Lord murders Cayia, this will enable you to intervene and save Cayia’s life. Finally, this will expand the range in which Imoen will level with the PC, such that she won’t be far behind you in XP even if you’ve done most of the quests in Chapter Two.

Equalizer Longbow

This component turns the Equalizer parts into longbow parts, and the fully-assembled Equalizer into a longbow, changing Cromwell’s dialogue appropriately. It serves two purposes: It makes the Equalizer something potentially worth assembling from three parts after the Underdark, and it adds a marginally-better-than-the-Gesen-Bow longbow to the game, so that longbow-specialist PCs no longer have to choose between switching to using a shortbow or accepting the fact that they’ll be using a far worse bow than they could be. Maintaining plot continuity with the longsword version of the Equalizer is not one of the goals here; the longbow’s backstory and stats are in no way related to the original Equalizer.

Lanthorn Lenses

This component adds a plot where, after defeating Bodhi, the player needs to collect the missing lenses of the Rhynn Lanthorn. This component is for people who had a roleplaying problem with the need to either ignore most of the sidequests, or delay illogically while either Imoen or the PC was in urgent danger. The actual reward for retrieving the complete Lanthorn is unchanged and someone who does all the sidequests before killing Bodhi will not notice a difference.