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Items that would be awesome in PnP, less so in BGEE...

So I just picked up Relair's Mistake today, the cloak that allows you to turn into a wolf. If the wolf transformation was any more powerful than a normal character, or if the bite attack could Backstab, it might be a pretty awesome item. Unfortunately, neither of these things are true. Turning into a wolf would be great for scouting, escaping, or traversing wilderness areas quickly in PnP, but in BGEE its only real function is to sell it as far as I can tell.

Does anybody dispute my assessment? What other items could be really useful in PnP but don't much cotton to a CRPG?

Comments

  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,344
    The Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity is probably a prime example.
  • LateralusLateralus Member Posts: 903

    So I just picked up Relair's Mistake today, the cloak that allows you to turn into a wolf. If the wolf transformation was any more powerful than a normal character, or if the bite attack could Backstab, it might be a pretty awesome item. Unfortunately, neither of these things are true. Turning into a wolf would be great for scouting, escaping, or traversing wilderness areas quickly in PnP, but in BGEE its only real function is to sell it as far as I can tell.

    Does anybody dispute my assessment? What other items could be really useful in PnP but don't much cotton to a CRPG?


    A Sphere of Anihilation with the talisman that controls it, would be great for PnP but lame for BG.

    The cloak is exceptionally useful for low level pure class mages who get tangled up in melee combat. It gives TWO attacks at 1d6 each and increased speed on the battle field. You can stand there with your feeble damaging staff and slowing swinh away or use the cloak and rip two throats out per round.
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    Shin said:

    The Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity is probably a prime example.

    Nah, that item is perfect for correcting any sausage fest parties. I gave it to Xzar the second I got it.
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    Virtually all cursed items.
    A majority of (usually combat) powers which only last for a round or a couple of rounds
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    ajwz said:


    A majority of (usually combat) powers which only last for a round or a couple of rounds

    Eh? Poison Weapon, Rage, Defensive Spin, Offensive Spin, Kai, and Defensive Stance are all pretty damn powerful.

  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,344

    Shin said:

    The Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity is probably a prime example.

    Nah, that item is perfect for correcting any sausage fest parties. I gave it to Xzar the second I got it.
    If it were fully implemented it would have been awesome in the game. As in somewhat more like Edwina; new voiceset, dialogue noticing the change, new portrait and potentially different actions/romances. As it is, it's pretty much just an animation change. In PnP though, this could have an untold number of uses.
  • MortiannaMortianna Member Posts: 1,356

    What other items could be really useful in PnP but don't much cotton to a CRPG?

    Any item that provides food and drink, like Murlynd's Spoon or the Decanter of Endless Water.
  • EudaemoniumEudaemonium Member Posts: 3,199
    The Decanter was pretty useful in Planescape, though.
  • meaglothmeagloth Member Posts: 3,806
    Butter knife of balduran?
  • MalicronMalicron Member Posts: 629
    If you count BG2:EE, the bag of holding. It's so effective at killing demi-litches that it was banned from Tomb of Horrors, and in PnP can similarly one-shot anything you can trap in it. That said, it's still a nice item.
  • ZanathKariashiZanathKariashi Member Posts: 2,869
    edited October 2013
    Goodberries. Each one is as nutritious as a full course meal.

    The vast majority of spells aside from direct damage. (and even they can be used creatively, such as blowing holes in walls or doors with a fireball or lighting bolt).

    Targeting the floor under a high MR enemy with Disintegrate to trap them in a 10ft deep pit or drop them into a lower area.

    --------------------------------------------

    Most activated abilities would be weaker in PnP.

    PnP enrage only blocks a tiny handful of effects +1 hit, -2 ac penalty, +3 damage, +5 hp, (immunity to charms/sleep/commands, +4 save bonus vs hold/paralysis, prevents 1 failed fear save but shakes them out of their rage instantly), lasts 10 rounds unless disrupted. Delays magical healing or rolling instant death saves until the rage ends, cannot know their current HP total, chance to go completely berserk for the remainder of the rage. Can only use enrage once per encounter and is winded (-2 hit/damage/ac/saves) until the end of the encounter once the enrage ends by any means. Can only enrage once per day per 3 points of constitution.

    PnP Offensive spin takes 1 round of uninterrupted blade swinging and causes the fear with no save if the follow attack hits, but does nothing if the target has managed to damage the blade. Targets with more HD then the blade are immune.

    PnP Whirlwind Attack (HLA) combat action (no use limit, requires a minimum lvl of 10, and costs 2 NCP)- In place of normal attacks per round, the warrior makes a single melee attack vs all targets in weapon range.

    PnP Deathblow (HLA) combat action (no use limit. Requires minimum lvl of 15, and costs 3 NCP) - In place of normal attacks the user can attempt a single powerful attack that forces the target to save vs death or die instantly. Creatures higher level then the warrior are immune to this effect, as are creatures normally immune to instant death.

    PnP Defensive spin prevents all actions and roots the user in place, but grants them an AC bonus and anyone attempting to strike the blade in melee must save or take melee damage as per a normal attack (cannot exceed half the blade's level). Any damage disrupts the effect.

    Kai requires 1 Ki point per use (Kensai have one per level per day), and allows their next attack to deal maximum weapon damage. Only applies to melee attacks from their chosen weapon.

    Barbarian rage: Sets the barbarian's str to 18/00 unless it's normally higher. Grants +2 all saves. Lasts 5 rounds. Can only be used once per encounter. Can only rage once per day per 3 points of constitution.

    Turn Undead can only be attempted once per encounter due to how exhausting channeling that much power at once is. (But at lvl 17+ has small chance (around 15%) of potentially turning Extra-planar Creatures in addition to Undead).

    The Jester's song requires the enemies be able to see and hear him, but has no save bonus making it more likely to work, and forces them to attack the jester with no regard for battle tactics or their surroundings. ( 4 or less int or 16+ int characters are immune).

    Skald's Battle-song is actually more powerful then it currently is, because the Skald sings it WHILE engaging in combat.

    And the Bard's song doesn't require them to stand around singing either (lasts 1 round/level).

    Poisoning a weapon requires having a supply of prepared poisons on hand (usually requires a round of preparition if applying to a weapon, and needs to be used quickly while it's at it's most potent). Classes without training in poison use must roll a dex check to avoid accidentally poisoning themselves when employing most types of poisons. Exact effects depend on the poison used, and the delay before symptoms appearing can range anywhere between several seconds to days or even weeks depending on the poison used and it's manner of application.
    Post edited by ZanathKariashi on
  • rathe101rathe101 Member Posts: 61
    The horn of blasting is the first item I thought of. In PnP the thing can knock over buildings, collapse walls in dungeons, etc, but in BG2, its basically a low damage directional knock back with a pretty easy save.

    Made me pretty sad to find it, as I've had a few PnP character die to the misuse of a Horn of Blasting.
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    The evil cleric spells and anything with a bonus "vs. good". There are so few "good" enemies, it's pointless to even have those spells.

    The cloak is alright for low level mages or druids, since the transformation can't be interrupted, unlike the casting of protection spells. Better to turn into a wolf than waste a shield amulet charge or potion on a travel encounter with kobolds.
  • ZarakinthishZarakinthish Member Posts: 214
    Count me as another vote for the Decanter of Endless Water. I once blessed the water in one and then used it like a firehose against a bunch of vampires (if I remember correctly).
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190

    The evil cleric spells and anything with a bonus "vs. good". There are so few "good" enemies, it's pointless to even have those spells.

    The cloak is alright for low level mages or druids, since the transformation can't be interrupted, unlike the casting of protection spells. Better to turn into a wolf than waste a shield amulet charge or potion on a travel encounter with kobolds.

    It would be nice if CRPGs that had anti-Good abilities included powerful Good enemies (or NPCs you just want to kill) that are worth lots of experience or loot. This would help with both making Evil worth playing as many CRPGs of BG's era failed to do, and make anti-good effects worth using if only for a few instances. For example, if there was some valuable artifacts worth raiding the Order of the Radiant Heart in BG2 and some tough Good-aligned NPCs in there to guard those artifacts, suddenly Unholy Smite becomes a very powerful spell for that particular activity.
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    Agreed, it wouldn't be such a big thing to add an alignment to NPCs that are maybe not meant to be killed, but are commonly killed by an evil party anyway, just to give those spells (or weapons) a meaning. Be it a somewhat worthy item to gain by raiding a temple of Lathander (or other good aligned deity) or just some "upstanding citizen" commoners in certain houses with minor loot, or more instances like the paladin in Baldur's Gate that will attack an evil party.
    In BG2, the "vs. good" spells are even less useful (in vanilla) because you couldn't have a full evil party and if you were filling up the ranks (i.e. keeping Imoen), you'd hurt your own party member/s.
  • karnor00karnor00 Member Posts: 680
    Ring of infravision.

    Tinderbox, bedroll, etc.

    Tracking (okay, so it's not an item but I'm still counting it!).
  • ZanathKariashiZanathKariashi Member Posts: 2,869
    Murlond's Spoon
  • scriverscriver Member Posts: 2,072
    Worn leather boots.
  • pixie359pixie359 Member Posts: 251
    Items better in PnP than BGEE?

    A loaded d20.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    Food
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    Yeah game got better at balancing alignments in newer games it seems. I know fallout 3 tempts me with tenpenny tower house :)

    I always play good though so it doesn't much affect me
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190

    Agreed, it wouldn't be such a big thing to add an alignment to NPCs that are maybe not meant to be killed, but are commonly killed by an evil party anyway, just to give those spells (or weapons) a meaning. Be it a somewhat worthy item to gain by raiding a temple of Lathander (or other good aligned deity) or just some "upstanding citizen" commoners in certain houses with minor loot, or more instances like the paladin in Baldur's Gate that will attack an evil party.
    In BG2, the "vs. good" spells are even less useful (in vanilla) because you couldn't have a full evil party and if you were filling up the ranks (i.e. keeping Imoen), you'd hurt your own party member/s.

    The only example of this I can think of is the Temple map in BG1. I assume the priest there is Good, but the sirines probably are not.
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    It's a temple of Lathander, so the sirines are the choristers of Lathander and should technically be good, too.
  • EudaemoniumEudaemonium Member Posts: 3,199

    It's a temple of Lathander, so the sirines are the choristers of Lathander and should technically be good, too.

    I think the operative word here is 'should'.
  • ZanathKariashiZanathKariashi Member Posts: 2,869
    They could be true-neutral and still work (Lathander is NG).
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    For simplicity, employees located in a temple should match the deity's alignment (good, neutral, evil). There's no big story or personality behind NPCs that stand in temples, why make it complicated? It's not like there are many other options to assign good alignment to NPCs just to make the "vs. good" useful in BG1. Sirines, while not having any notable loot, at least have attack-worthy XP. That's better than making random inn keepers good and give them 65 gold.
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