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Varshoon

RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
edited January 2014 in BGII:EE Mods
I was wondering if this mod works for bg2ee would rather not test it myself and wanted to know if anyone else has used him
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  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    edited January 2014
    Ok it works wondrously though I might have to shadow keeper him into being a psionist cuz an illithid fighter makes no sence in my eyes.

    The mod is here if anyone else wants an illithid npc: http://www.shsforums.net/topic/42824-varshoon-an-illithid-npc/
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    edited January 2014
    This guy rocks :D

    His banter with Korgan is hilarious. Still can't decide if he's powerful or not. One the one hand — lots of kickass resistances. On the other — low hp and only one attack per round. And possibility to upgrade him with items is very limited.
  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    I agree been thinking about switching him to mage or sorcerer in eekeeper but I don't know much about eekeeper so it easily confuses me lol
  • LavaDelVortelLavaDelVortel Member Posts: 2,680
    Uhm, thanks guys. I mean... I didn't expect anyone to check the mod as I never prepared the EE version. Huh.

    And I know that it may seem strange that he's a fighter, but he's not a true fighter. He has some special innate skills and he's not very strong, thanks to his shard he may attack from a distance...
    However, once I wanted to make a component that would let players change him to a psionic if Kwiat's mod is installed. But I just don't have time to do that right now.

    Cheers!
  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    We'll I changed him into a Mage cuz for some crazy reason I don't want edwin in this play through unforchanatly I had to get rid of his crushing tenticuls to do so. I love the mod by the way played it once before ee and it was awesome. I didn't change him to a psionist because the one playthrough I had a psionist in I beet the game on the highest difficulty level solo way over powered. I hope the change doesn't offend @LavaDelVortel and thank you for the amazing mod.
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    edited January 2014
    @LavaDelVortel
    1. So far he has fantastic personality — exactly what one would expect from a hyper-intelligent and driven by hunger of knowledge Mind Flayer. As I said, the way he insults Korgan (or even MainChar) is priceless.
    2. Kudos for making him speak to you telepathically — that way you avoided one of the biggest drawbacks of many NPC mods: less than ideal voice-over.
    3. I absolutely love the music you used/composed when he talks to you. That is SOMETHING — a bit mysterious, scary, creepy at the same time. Exactly what one would expect while confronting an "old magical being" as Irenicus put it.

    All things considered — one of the best (if not THE best) mods I've ever installed so far.

    You might want to make his attack number progression better, though. All things considered, his best attacks fall a bit behind what an average fighter can do — at least until he gets Whirlwinds. I think being able to reach 2 attacks per round would not be that game breaking (better than a mage, worse than a fighter and might benefit more from haste spells).

    EDIT: @Rajick what does it mean "change him into a psionist" and how do you do it in EE Keeper? Does it change his stats or something?
    Post edited by Lathlaer on
  • LavaDelVortelLavaDelVortel Member Posts: 2,680
    @Rajick - no, I'm not offended! Everything is fine. I just didn't want to make him a mage because I think illithid use usual magic. It's more about psionic and brain eating.

    @Lathlaer - the thing is that I heard that he's a bit too strong already... that's why I'm not sure if I should make him even stronger, huh. I don't want him to be like Valen who can alone kill a dragon...

    But anyway -- thanks guys for all the compliments. I never thought anyone would like him that much. There are some mods I still work on and I hope you'll enjoy them, too.
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    edited January 2014
    @LavaDelVortel Well, you limited his power vastly with making most important items non-removable. His armor(robe) is nice, but nowhere near as powerful as it could be with items found in the game. Same with headgear. His Piercing Tentacles are awesome but with only one attack per round it's unlikely that he will kill a dragon alone* :P And there is this 9 Con.

    I usually test it like that: send a single character solo against a group of enemies and see how long it takes for him to handle them. Obviously the character must survive but there were times when I waited long enough and got impatient and send Korgan to put an end to it :) In a group fight, when analyzing battle logs, I almost don't see him.

    But yes, he is very resilient and good against other Flayers (then again, also everyone with Chaotic Commands and Berserk is just as good :>)

    In the end, I don't know what kind of standard the people who said he was too strong were using, but I think they were quite overestimating it :)

    But that was only a suggestion, of course — obviously no more valid and valuable than those you got from those others. If I want something more from him, I can always use the Keeper.

    * Unless you want to tell me that you can stun a Dragon with his Psionic Stun :P
  • LavaDelVortelLavaDelVortel Member Posts: 2,680
    I may upgrade him a bit once... we'll see, ok? Right now I have to focus on another project (I've been working on it for like...2 years and I hope people will like it -- btw, it will work on BG2EE, too) and Uni stuff :(
  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    edited January 2014
    @lathlaer you have to download another mod call psionics unleashed i found it on the forum but if you look up psionics unleashed on google it will get you to the download site. That mods good but I feel it's overpowered. Once the mod is installed you can have charname as a psionist and you can use eekeeper to make other characters in your party psionists if you want but it does get a bit confusing when changing an npc due to the way the mods implemented.
  • ZPPZPP Member Posts: 10

    Uhm, thanks guys. I mean... I didn't expect anyone to check the mod as I never prepared the EE version. Huh.

    And I know that it may seem strange that he's a fighter, but he's not a true fighter. He has some special innate skills and he's not very strong, thanks to his shard he may attack from a distance...
    However, once I wanted to make a component that would let players change him to a psionic if Kwiat's mod is installed. But I just don't have time to do that right now.

    Cheers!

    Actually if I remember the 2 AD&D source book (I don't have it at hand), if there is a mind flayer faction (sort of like a political party in illithid society) that advocates for a (even) more militant approach. So while unusual a illithid fighter is quite possible.

    As for magic I think illithids tend to detest arcane magic especially necromancy (undead tend to be immune to psionics) also they tend to be too arrogant to worship deities so divine magic is also usually not an option.

    All in all IMHO fighter is probably the best class to give to a mind flayer NPC.

    Out of topic question: are you planing to port any more of your mods to BG2EE ?

  • LavaDelVortelLavaDelVortel Member Posts: 2,680
    Yep, I do, but I have very little time. I hope that soon I'll offer you more new versions of my mods. Once I prepare them, they should work on BG2EE :)
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    @ZPP
    You are right in the arcane magic bit — Illithiliches (Alhoons or Illithid Liches) are creatures detested and feared by normal Flayers since they defied natural psionic cycle of life forced by Elder Brains.
  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    Mt research would beg to differ as all illithid use magic as psionics can only go so far plus evil creatures who wish to rule all of reality would never gimp themselves by not accepting and exploiting a sources of power that would allow them to bend the vary fabric of reality. Yes they hate the Alhoons because those illithid mages who take it to far and make themselves sit outside of the illithids vision of perfection are unacceptable and there for they must be eradicated . But its stated in numerous sources they wile most illithid do practice magic they prefer there natural psionic ability. I did look into this like a few months ago but thats what I gathered from it and what built my bases for him being a mage rather then psionist or fighter but of course to each his own.
  • ZPPZPP Member Posts: 10
    Maybe in 3rd edition but if I remember correctly back in AD&D things were different. Of course most illithids in need of arcane magic would just prefer to mind control a mage thrall, that's what the other races are for from their point of view.

    Well I guess the odd illithid magic user is a possibility.
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    edited January 2014
    Huh. I had 20 Int and 18 Wis, he joined my party and I've been treating him well (never insulted him) and yet he still left in Underdark. Can't say I'm happy.

    Is there something I can say IN the Illithid colony to change his mind? Or is it too late?

    I guess I can summon his ToB version (just have to go through the out of character talk about fighting other Bhaalspawns) but I don't know if it will lead to any bugs or other weird things. I guess I will have to wait until ToB then.
  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    We'll he cut his connection to the elder brain so yeah I'd say is odd @zpp lol
  • ZPPZPP Member Posts: 10
    Good point a rogue illithid would be a prime candidate for a magic user, especially with that huge int score.
  • LavaDelVortelLavaDelVortel Member Posts: 2,680
    It's not just about insulting him. It's about you chainging his opinion about you. You need to answer the way a calculating creature would answer. Also there is a matter of character, scenery talks, time he spent in your group etc. There are more factors :)
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475

    It's not just about insulting him. It's about you chainging his opinion about you. You need to answer the way a calculating creature would answer. Also there is a matter of character, scenery talks, time he spent in your group etc. There are more factors :)

    Well, I guess I'll be traveling light until ToB then :)

    Great job for making him that complex and realistic — even if it pisses me off that after playing with him quite long we had to part ways :)

  • LavaDelVortelLavaDelVortel Member Posts: 2,680
    edited January 2014
    Weeeell, if you have a save game from before the illithid lair, you may use the console to change variable and make him stay :P
    Oh, and thanks!
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    edited January 2014
    @LavaDelVortel I was thinking about it but decided against it for two reasons:

    1) My save just before the lair got useless because that was an autosave and I foolishly went back, thus overwriting it. And the one before is in Spellhold and that is way too much to repeat.
    2) There is no reason not to go along with it for RP reason. I, as they say, made my own bed. I like it when decisions have consequences, be it positive or negative for me. I shall endure without him until ToB :)
    Post edited by Lathlaer on
  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    Omg he ate the unseeing eyes brains that's freakin awesome
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    edited February 2014
    @LavaDelVortel now I have to ask.

    My VARSHOONDEVOTION parameter has a value 6292484. I have 15 Int and had him relatively long (did Unseeing Eye, de'Arnise, Planar Sphere, Umar Hills, Planar Prison with him). And he STILL leaves. Is this number not high enough or what? Is there another parameter that has to have specific value?

    EDIT: ok, nevermind. It's VXCOUNTER. And I had 64, you've got to be kidding me...
    Post edited by Lathlaer on
  • KainePKaineP Member Posts: 9
    I remember installing this mod on my first BGT playthrough and loving it. Thanks to @LavaDelVortel for such fine work.
  • LavaDelVortelLavaDelVortel Member Posts: 2,680
    I may be wrong, but I think 66 unlocks him and you can keep him. Remember that you start with 50 the moment he joins so it seems you could give him a bit better answers.

    You can still change the variable with the console, though :)
    Cheers!
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    @LavadelVortel Yes, I found the variables searching the forum of this mod. That's why I was stunned when I learned that I was so close :D
  • chrstnmonkschrstnmonks Member Posts: 176
    quick question where do you find him within the game
  • vangoatvangoat Member Posts: 212
    I think he's in the mind flayer area in the sewers under the temple district (Get the sewer key off tazok first)
  • AurelazzaAurelazza Member Posts: 8
    I've been trying to convert Varshoon's class into a Psion from the Psionics Unleashed (http://www.shsforums.net/forum/634-psionics-unleashed/) mod. I've tried tinkering around with Near Infinity and EEKeeper, to little luck. Any idea how I might go about implementing this change?
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