subtledoctor

Suggestion: for the Obscuring Mist spell, give any thieves/rangers in the AoE a ~15-20% bonus to Hide in Shadows and Move Silently.

Tactic: envelop your enemies in mist, sneak up behind them, and they are less likely to notice you. Great for low-level thieves who struggle with this skill. And appropriate for that power level, because it's a low-level spell!

Roxanne mentioned different idea for implementation:

 

The Black Pits - when those Mindflayers capture you in the Underdark they make you fight for their amusement. Why not integrate those pits here as an option - you can side with the Githyanki just in the vanilla game or take the hard road, i.e. go through the pits. Instead they hang their without connection to the game.

That would be nice but requires quite a lot of work in rebalancing all combat encounters from Black Pits 1 to fit high level BG2 parties, and adding a lot of new text to the game. Also potential for incompatibilities with mods. It's probably better to leave such project for modders to implement, if someone will be interested in it.

What happened to the gear? The party's gear goes into the BP store inventories. You can buy it back... but whatever you *don't* buy back, is gone for good.

OR don't allow the player to buy any of their gear back, but make it all a drop in the last fight.

However, I think BP2 is too hard for that stage of the game. That should be in TOB. Or something.

Just taking a closer look at this. It's a very nice technique, defining the variables up-front. But I see a possible problem (really just with Imoen and Viconia)

now you no longer need separate blocks for each platform. For example this (which is not really compatible with either EET or Tutu):

ACTION_IF GAME_IS ~tutu bgee eet~ THEN BEGIN
    COPY_EXISTING ~IMOEN1.cre~ ~override~
                ~IMOEN2.cre~ ~override~
                ~IMOEN4.cre~ ~override~
                ~IMOEN6.cre~ ~override~

could be changed to:

ACTION_IF GAME_IS ~tutu tutu_totsc bgee eet bgt~ THEN BEGIN
    COPY_EXISTING ~%tutu_var%IMOEN1.cre~ ~override~
                ~%tutu_var%IMOEN2.cre~ ~override~
                ~%tutu_var%IMOEN4.cre~ ~override~
                ~%tutu_var%%IMOEN6_var%.cre~ ~override~

notice that whole

ACTION_IF GAME_IS ~bgt~ THEN BEGIN

block in mage_thief.tpa is no longer needed if you code it like this, so there is less chance for mistakes.

 

In EET and BGT you don't just need the one variant of Imoen6 or Viconi6; I need to patch both imoen6 and imoen61; and both viconi6 and viconi61. So I would still need a separate block for

ACTION_IF GAME_IS ~bgt eet~ THEN BEGIN

No?

For shields, I don't particularly care which version is used by the game - I'm just renaming them to remove reference to the "+" enchantment numbers. (So, e.g., a "Shield +1" become "Mastercraft Shield," and "Shield +2" becomes "Enchanted Shield.") Therefore, I just run checks for the existence of each variant and perform the renaming as appropriate. (See example code in the spoiler.) So, this should already work in EET.

ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~shld02.itm~ THEN BEGIN
COPY_EXISTING ~shld02.itm~ ~override~
    WRITE_LONG 0x60 1
    SAY NAME2 @1051
END
ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~shld02a.itm~ THEN BEGIN
COPY_EXISTING ~shld02a.itm~ ~override~
    WRITE_LONG 0x60 1
    SAY NAME2 @1051
END
ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~shld04.itm~ THEN BEGIN
COPY_EXISTING ~shld04.itm~ ~override~
    WRITE_LONG 0x60 1
    SAY NAME2 @1052
END
ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~shld04a.itm~ THEN BEGIN
COPY_EXISTING ~shld04a.itm~ ~override~
    WRITE_LONG 0x60 1
    SAY NAME2 @1052
END
ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~shld06.itm~ THEN BEGIN
COPY_EXISTING ~shld06.itm~ ~override~
    WRITE_LONG 0x60 1
    SAY NAME2 @1053
END
ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~shld06a.itm~ THEN BEGIN
COPY_EXISTING ~shld06a.itm~ ~override~
    WRITE_LONG 0x60 1
    SAY NAME2 @1053
END

As for the BGEE items that are different in BG2EE, I've added handling for "LEAT07_" and MISC89_" ... the rest are untouched by my mod.

So finally there's just the NPC variant names, which are only referenced in the WPO and the (secret, hidden, deprecated) WCO. Those should be easy enough to deal with. I'll get around to it and update the mod soon.

2. Pretty much every EXTEND_TOP like the one above for BG2 NPCs is not compatible with a game started in ToB because you only modify non-ToB variants of Override scripts.

Actually most of them do also EXTEND the TOB scripts, but a few (Nalia, Mazzy) were missing. Good catch.

As to EET, I don't mean to gripe and it is 100% in my plans. It's just, RL is absolutely destroying me right now and I don't have enough time to get this done anytime soon.

Oy. More, different renaming conventions. What was wrong with the BGT convention?

Well, I think I'm just removing Tutu compatibility - it's not used very much, and it's a ton of work to deal with, and I don't have a Tutu install to test with so I would be releasing code blindly. And it's fine for this mod, anyway, because it's now EE-only.

As for EET, I'll get around to adding those variants when i can. Bad timing though, as RL is preventing me from doing much more than the occasoinal bug-fix and some forum posts. Until SoD comes out, EET is not going to be a very high priority...

Forgot to say, for the record, I'm in favor of GoW dispersing insects only in a 5' radius - the same radius as the knockback effect. So you could use it for yourself and maybe one persons standing next to you, but most of the party would still be affected. This way Creeping Doom retains some power.

I don't love the idea of GoW being wizard-only, and ZoSA being priest (druid?)-only. Here again, like with Blindness and Obscruing Mist, both spells are distinct and useful and I'd rather just see GoW *added* rather than *replace* the old spell. I think both spells would be particularly appropriate for druids, as they both seem to be within the province of Elemental Air.

But as for what you propose *doing* with ZoSA, I like that it would prevent cloud-based spells for some time, rather than just dispersing them. I suggest a small AoE (~10-15 feet) so party members would have to huddle close to the caster to get the benefit of the Sweet Air - if that's possible to code. (As I think about it, it may not be possible.)

As for Holy Word, I think that

1) HD limits are not a great mechanic in general

2) A save might be okay, but probably at -4 penalty or something - while it was argued that HW should "only be as powerful as other 7th level spells, I'll remind everyone that these are the most powerful spells available to priests, and the game often equates them with higher-level wizard spells (priests get TS at 5th level, Gate at 7th level)

3) The effects should adversely impact everyone, not just casters

4) I'm always in favor of bad effects, save for less-bad effects - instead of bad effects, save for no effect.

How is something that seriously messes up the most important part of the game's strategy not a big deal?

 

Sure, you could have all your casters quaff a potion to counter the deafness effects, but that's typically 2-3 wasted caster rounds (+2-3 wasted potions which are not unlimited in the game). These critical rounds often determine the outcome of a battle

Isn't the whole point of battles in this game that you try to mess up your opponents' strategy, and your opponent tries to mess up yours? And you both then try to adapt and counter? It's the highest level spell, and it buys a single round (2-3 spells, as you say) against opposing casters... that's too powerful??? I'm trying to think how it could be *less* powerful.

It's a priest directly channeling the voice of a *god* - what do you suggest the effects be? Something that *doesn't* harm opponents? Instead of just saying "nerf it nerf it nerf it" maybe suggest what you think the spell should do.

No reason to stick to PnP here IMHO. So here's another idea: Weakness (Str/Dex/Con penalties) plus a casting speed penalty, no save, 5 rounds. So you can still fight, you can still cast, but are less efficient at both. To me that sounds like something that might result from exposure to the voice of an angry god...

Me too. And would definitely like to see it do something against high-HD non-spellcasters. Something like Slow, could work, or Weakness (Str/Dex/Con penalties - an anti-DUHM effect), or even a smaller effect like Faerie Fire or Bad Chant combat penalties.

EDIT - actually, it should probably be a stat-draining disease - the disease opcode allows for that. And then the same counter - Cure Disease spell or Elixir of Health - would work to fix things for both spellcasters and non-spellcasters.

And differentiation between Good and Evil versions makes sense, but don't put too much time into it, given the severe lack of non-evil enemies in the game.

Actually, strike that. Why are there good/evil differences in this spell? It's not about morals, it's simply a manifestation of divine power in relatively pure form, meant to affect the opponents of the priest casting it at the time. Seems to me, alignment should have nothing to do with this. Alignment should definitely come into play with summonses (why I hate 'evil devas') but not with an acoustic manifestation of divine wrath.

I like the idea of save every round for insect spells - so some rounds you'll get bit/stung, other rounds you won't.

I don't think Holy Word should have a save, and I don't think spell failure should be less than 50%. If the solution is as simple as drinking an Elixir of Health, I can't see this as a very big deal.

Okay: I'm ready to unveil v2!

Download link

This makes MAJOR changes. There are no more options to change kits. Instead, there are options to change NPCs' class. There are many fewer components, because there are not as many class changes that work (for lore reasons, I'm not changing Jaheira from druid, or Quayle from cleric/mage, or Kagain from fighter, etc. Side benefit: less work for me!

Then, in-game, the magic happens: I've devised a way to generate a script on the fly that will detect any mod kits you have added. Every single joinable NPC in the game will get an innate ability to add a kit, or to switch to a new kit, and they will have options for every kit that their class allows.

It's frakkin' awesome.

What's more: I've cheated a bit. Just 20 minutes ago, I figured out how to add an extra option to sorcerers, allowing them to take the Wild Mage wizard kit. I haven't tested it at all but I did confirm that it works. So, with this mod you can turn Neera into a sorcerer, and then in game turn her into a Wild Sorcerer! It's perfect for her!

You can turn Minsc into a fighter, and then in-game you can turn him into a Barbarian!

Also, as if that's not enough (come on!):

I've also added options for multiclass characters to take a kit. They can only take a kit in one class, so here how it pans out:

- ranger/clerics: choose a ranger kit

- fighter/clerics: choose a cleric kit

- cleric/thieves: choose a cleric kit

- cleric/mages: choose a cleric kit

- fighter/druids: choose a fighter kit

- fighter/thieves: choose a fighter kit

- fighter/mages: choose a fighter kit

- thief/mages: choose a thief kit

- fighter/mage/clerics: choose a cleric kit

- fighter/mage/thieves: choose a fighter kit

So you can turn Coran into a kensai/thief. You can turn Montaron into a berserker/thief. You can make Imoen into a mage/thief multiclass, and then in-game turn her into a swashbuckler/mage.

YES, you can do all of this and more with EEKeeper. But this is much cooler and easier to use.

Cheers!

Yeah I've always thought that the "fire spell destroys web (and causes fire damage to everyone in the web)" thing was a cool idea.

Defensively, it gives you a (painful) way to get out of a Web; offensively, it lets a 3rd-level wizard turn Web + Burning Hands into a poor man's Fireball.

Unfortunately SpellPack has some bugs - especially with Web. I've long since gone 100% SR. Shame they're mutually exclusive, because Galactygon is a good guy and really knows his stuff.

You're asking way too much here. That's not something SR should be doing. Demi takes great care to consider stuff like spellcasting speed for each spell (more more than the original devs did) and he should make that decision based on his own judgment.

"Reduce casting time of every spell to 1" is a whole other mod someone can make; It has nothing to do with SR.

Aldo, btw, that would be a really easy mod to make. I bet It can be done in less than 10 lines of Weidu, total. No joke. I'm on my phone and can't do it now, but I bet Jarno can give you the code right off the top of his head.

What do you mean? With the new EE-only method? That would be your answer: it's EE only.

 

The new EE opcode 321 can cancel spells by *spell name.* But I thought the old engine has the ability to cancel spell effects by *opcode.*

Or is it only, *protect* from opcode? If you're affected by Charm and you get hit by a 1-second "protection from Charm" effect (with opcode... 206? 101? I forget) does it not cancel the Charm? (I don't mean Charm like the spell, I mean the Charm opcode.)

It may not work - I'm asking, not telling.

Out of curiosity, why does Break Enchantment use a custom SecType for that? Why not just cancel the Charm/Domination opcode(s)? I suspect Geg has a mod compatibility issue, where SR Break Enchantment is not working against some other custom Charm

effect.

This could be remedied, I suppose, by using CLONE_EFFECT early in the SR .tp2, to find all spells that have Charm/Domination effects, and add the SR SecType to them. Then when Break Enchantment is copied in a few seconds later, it will be compatible with any such mods.

As for insect spells... They were always kind of stupidly OP in vanilla, to the point where I found them cheesy and would not use them.

- Save to avoid spell disruption and half damage seems kind of meaningless, when any damage causes its own spell disruption (for the majority of players, who don't/can't use TobEx concentration checks).

- I don't think these spells should do that much damage anyway. Even a bunch of tarantula wasps (look them up, they are terrifying) will stun you more than kill you. Maybe x hp damage every two rounds, so the victim can get some spells off... but some high chance of spell disruption (~60%) and maybe a -4 AC penalty; and s save to reduce those to a 30% failure chance and -2 AC penalty. And maybe the higher level spell, which presumably summons more painful/venomous insects, could stun the target on a failed save (stun for 3 seconds, save every round - so you can slowly try to escape while writhing in pain).

tl;dr: insects should cause distraction and pain, more than actual life-threatening bodily harm.

- As for eliminating insects: I think Gust of Wind should do it (if it can blow size-M creatures away, surely it also works on little insects). GoW should probably should have a quick casting time for this purpose. Also basically any AoE fire spell. For instance, I'd even suggest that Burning Hands should disperse them - I think a broad fan of jetting flames would be an excellent tool to disperse angry bees.

- I think Holy Word is fine... after all it's kind of the original priestly Quest Spell, before quest spells became a thing. If anything, it should be buffed. Killing less than 5 HD is pathetic and useless - weaker than Death Spell! I would combine the Slow and Deafen effects, so that warriors and spellcasters are both hampered by Holy Word, without the arbitrary HD check that basically lets warriors off the hook if they are 12th level.

- A bigger issue is perhaps, is there any other way to cure deafness than the Cure Disease spell? (Which you can't cast of you're deaf.) Shouldn't potions that cure disease also cure deafness? Do they already? Perhaps this is an issue for IR, not SR.

In the current build TS highlights illusionary clones/creatures, but I was thinking to make it "weaken" them (e.g. halving hit points). It will also come useful against Phantasmal Force and Shades illusionary summons.

Something like this would be very cool. I'm not sure what can be done as a technical matter, but maybe TS could act like a Scroll of Prot. from Undead, against illusionary creatures like Projected Images or Simulacrums. So they can't target the TS caster?

Well, that wouldn't be easy to do in ways that work equally for the player and AI.

Hmmm... maybe a blunt approach - just have TS Slow any illusionary creatures, or something. That could be cool because it would hamper their utility without destroying them outright. And it would work (by .eff) on other spells/creatures tagged as illusions, like Shadow Monsters, Demishadow Monsters and Shades from IWDEE/IWDification.

Oracle will destroy Mislead clones and Projected Images, correct?

And:

What does TS get you that See Invisible doesn't?

That came together faster than I thought! Here's a very rough beta of v2.

Some of the strings are stupid, and it's limited to the NPC's current class. I'll clean up the text and eventually add some Weidu options to change some NPCs' class. Consider this a proof-of-concept.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86011511/NPC_EE_beta.zip

EE-only - it relies on an EE feature of kitlist.2da. If you're playing BGT or TOB, use Level1NPCs instead.

But... this *is* an old mod that hasn't been updated since years ago...

But you are quite right about the code (well, I assume you are right) and that's just another reason this shouldn't be used with the EE games.

CTRL-Q. Yes, sorry. When you would normally talk to someone to have them join your group, do this instead.

What mods are you using? I used to get that big also. Something to do with BGT and/or BG1NPC and/or SCS. Probably with one of the "NPCs go to inns" component.

Immediate solution is, use ctrl-X on him.

Sorry - I have time for intermittent forums posts, but no time for actual coding.

Idobek was last active over a year ago ... it may not be compiled or redistributed in any form without the author's consent.

Right, that's why my thought of possibly combining mods or contributing to this mod never happened, and I kept my mod separate and with separate content and specifically for EE games. And, that's why it seems pretty dicey for players (and BWS) to try to install this on EE games. "Abandonware" was perhaps overstating it, but the fact is, parts of the mod don't work, and there doesn't seem to be much progress making them work.

Oh - sorry for the mischaracterization! Basically it just seemd to me that, while collecting code updates and fixes from the community generally works fine, for something like a big update adding EE compatibility it wants a more concentrated effort from a single authority.

In truth, when I first made NPC_EE for this purpose, I wanted to get in touch with whoever is in charge of NPCKit to look into adding these kits as options in NPC_EE... or, donating my kit options to this mod. Basically, instead of having 2 mods that do similar things in the same area of the game, make a unified .tp2 that presents players with all the options of both mods.

But, before i make that approach, i want to implement a new idea for NPC_EE v3 that will make it much more flexible...

That a different error that, unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the inclination to fix.

At the end of the day, this mod was never updated to work with the EE games, and is currently abandonware. It's not what anyone wants to hear, but this simply shouldn't be used with the EEs unless and until someone steps up to take over the reins.

NPC_EE is an option in the meantime (though of course it is a different, and for some, less desirable, option).