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Nonweapon proficiencies

GrammarsaladGrammarsalad Member Posts: 2,582
edited June 2012 in Archive (Feature Requests)
I think it would be a blast to have nonweapon proficiencies in the game. for example there could be a fletcher skill that allowed you to create a number of arrows (via special ability) per day in exchange for some amount of gold. Perhaps an apothecary or herbalist skill that created once per day for some amount of gold a healing potion or cure poison that disappeared after a day and that would be sold for 0 gold because say the ingredients go bad or something. Stuff like that.

Comments

  • WardWard Member Posts: 1,305
    edited June 2012
    What you're speaking of reminds me about good old skill points in Neverwinter Nights. Problem is, my figher always has low intelligence so I get none. Unless I give him 16, 13, 16, 8, 13, 8. That way I lose out on STR+CON but I get dodge, mobility and stuff.

    It's an interesting idea but I don't know if it should go too far down the MMORPG path. Plus all the work that'd need to go into this would take away from critical gameplay and bug fixes.
  • MERLANCEMERLANCE Member Posts: 421
    Well, TOB lets you make some potions and scrolls if you are of the appropriate class, and Eldoth can make poisoned arrows each day, so I dont think this would be hard to implement. Maybe have it pop up like the high level TOB abilities do.

    That being said, theres enough potions, scrolls, and arrows in the game to buy or loot already. Plus, you get your Bhaal powers, then more if youre a druid, paladin, ranger... I would be concerned that people would be overwhelmed by the number of abilities they get.
  • FranticFeyFranticFey Member Posts: 31
    I agree to some extent with both previous posters. While it reminds me less of NWN and a bit more of Runescape skills (oh goodness, I hope I'm not the only one who played that,) I think that adding them, while it may be fun for us veterans who have explored the game to such an extent that we look for mods and such to add more to enjoy, it takes away from the focus of the game. It does make it a bit too much like an MMORPG. Further, the actual items that you'd be able to make while still keeping it balanced would be pretty much inconsequential; as Merlance said, there is plenty of loot to keep you running back to Beregost with every map you explore! And if you're making poisoned arrows, Eldoth doesn't look very special anymore...

    Still, I think it's interesting, and I have always thought that the Scribe Scroll and Brew Potion HLA's didn't really match up with the power level of the PC for being an HLA... Perhaps if they produced items that are not acquirable otherwise?
  • WardWard Member Posts: 1,305
    RS was the best game in the world until 2006 then it sucked. Go to their homepage and see for yourself, it's a sad attempt by greedy businessmen to make a buck. I played that game when it was a baby in 2001 I did.

    I don't think we should have skills in BG1. If you get the ability to make armour, how does that work with the iron crisis? Can you just fart it? No I think with the amount of coding needed, the amount of money you get quickly and the amount of shops and items to find it's unnecessary.
  • GrammarsaladGrammarsalad Member Posts: 2,582
    Well, IIRC in 2ed Int added but didn't subtract # of non-weapon prof's for high Int. This might be a nice way to make Int more attractive really though I don't think there should be a penalty for a low Int.

    I was also thinking characters could start with just 1 or 2 at char creation (plus possible Int mod). Other skills might add to Lore, or Mage learning checks (would be a 'must have' for them but they'd have the higher Int anyway)

    Also, this might be an interesting way to sneak in a few feat like-abilities. 'Endurance' might add a +1 vs. poison/death for example.

    Really, I don't think a couple of extra special abilities/options would overwhelm newcomers that much especially in this post-neverwinter nights world.

    Also, I certainly wouldn't suggest armor or weapon craft skills.
  • BhryaenBhryaen Member Posts: 2,874
    New skills would indeed be a "blast..." but there's a certain charm to sticking to BG on things like this. After all, NWN can't help but come to mind instead of BG on such questions, particularly with some NWN servers that go all out on the crafting options (which I never liked much admittedly). There is also something to accentuating the positive, and BG doesn't have crafting as one of its positives. I don't mean to naysay though, just state a preference for game development direction...
  • GrammarsaladGrammarsalad Member Posts: 2,582
    Heh. It seems that it was a mistake suggesting a craft-like skill first. didn't mean to bring up bad memories of nwn!
    :)

    Perhaps it's just me but it seems like it would give each character a little bit of a unique flavor.

    Like a fighter that was raised by a herbalist before being sent off to fighter school and specialize in a weapon like every other fighter.

    I think nwps are one of the charms of 2 nd edition d and d that made each character feel special.
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    Maybe instead of a non weapon proficiency we could buff the special abilities that some NPCs have by letting them get more uses/day of those skills when they level up.

    At the same time they could add special abilities to the NPCs that currently have none.
  • BhryaenBhryaen Member Posts: 2,874
    @Grammarsalad- No actual bad memories of NWN1 for me other than the ultra-powergamer servers and PK dweebs (the latter of which is the reason I'm not in favor of PvP introduced into BGEE). I've played NWN1 more than any other game by far and love the advantages of the game. I'm just feeling protective of that feat of pioneering and ingenuity, BG, wanting it to have the best possible complements for enhancements. :-) I may be wrong after all, but I do believe that diversity in BG (2E) characters is less a matter of skills (for non-thieves anyway) than of kits, dual-class options, modded possibilities (never encountered a BG skills mod), and, probably more than all, lastingly interesting companions and encounters...
  • GrammarsaladGrammarsalad Member Posts: 2,582
    Oh there is an incomplete full conversion mods (shadow of ishtar or something like that) that was pretty cool. Had climb and swim by dialog to teleport and stuff like that. And certain npcs have the ability to "craft"even in traditional baldurs gate (though maybe only II).

    I wouldn't mind something like that for my created characters (I usually create a party with only an npc here and there).

    but yeah tan that would be cool. But if want a list to select from (for variation preferably with that level one suggestion for the few npcs I like)
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