Interesting thing. From what I understand second edition had no particular rules about scribing scrolls. They had rules about learning spells from other mages, less "roll a die and win/lose" and more "It'll take you this long to learn a spell of this level", but this whole system was invented wholecloth for the game.
Losing in general may be "A part of the game", but this particular form of loss was not traditionally a part of the Dungeons and Dragons experience.
2nd PnP do have rules for scribing scrolls and they are quite severe, exactly because they wanted to prevent a wizard from having and distributing scrolls around.
And not being able to have a spell is the most common way of losing in AD&D as Raise Dead/Resurrection are a thing but "Restore Lost Scroll" is not.
And might I add, that I could fully accept a 15% chance of breaking celestial fury when I pick it up - if I have the BG1 weapon proficiency types installed.
The loss of celestial fury will then be mitigated by picking up another great “great sword”. The loss of the CF is only unbearable if you have invested 5 pips in katana... not if I have 5 pips in great swords.
Knowledge is power, wizards know that and they are not willing to share and help other wizards to become powerful - at least not powerful enough to steal their grimoire.
I think one of the reasons scrolls are so weird in the BG's is the fact that we can't steal anyone's grimoire. I remember playing mages in PnP, where beating a wizard in his lair was like Christmas. Let everyone else argue about the gold and jewels, I want that spellbook! Tranzig and Daevon should have been a windfall for a wizard character.
You can kill any cow in Candlekeep with impunity. Except for Nessa, Dreppin's Prize Cow, which will turn the town hostile.
Nessa is the exception. Killing just about any scenery animal in Baldur's Gate (e.g. cows, horses, chickens, cats, rats, bats, squirrels) does not turn nearby townsfolk hostile. Doing so is an effective way to level up early on in Legacy of Bhaal, since these animals don't fight back, they are usually unarmed (giving you +4 to hit and damage against them), and they each give over 2000 experience if you have the bonus experience turned on.
You can kill any cow in Candlekeep with impunity. Except for Nessa, Dreppin's Prize Cow, which will turn the town hostile.
Nessa is the exception. Killing just about any scenery animal in Baldur's Gate (e.g. cows, horses, chickens, cats, rats, bats, squirrels) does not turn nearby townsfolk hostile. Doing so is an effective way to level up early on in Legacy of Bhaal, since these animals don't fight back, they are usually unarmed (giving you +4 to hit and damage against them), and they each give over 2000 experience if you have the bonus experience turned on.
I just think it's a fun touch. He talks about how much he loves this particular cow, his prize winning cow, and that's reflected in how the NPC's react when you kill her.
Though now that I think about it I do have to question what festivals it was winning prizes at. Do people come to candlekeep to show off their cows? Does he take his cows out into the world, to show them off at festivals, then pay the exorbitant fee to reenter candlekeep every time?
I have to assume that some merchants are allowed to enter to peddle their wares without paying the fee, so maybe he gets clearance by bringing cow stuff in and out of town.
You can kill any cow in Candlekeep with impunity. Except for Nessa, Dreppin's Prize Cow, which will turn the town hostile.
Nessa is the exception. Killing just about any scenery animal in Baldur's Gate (e.g. cows, horses, chickens, cats, rats, bats, squirrels) does not turn nearby townsfolk hostile. Doing so is an effective way to level up early on in Legacy of Bhaal, since these animals don't fight back, they are usually unarmed (giving you +4 to hit and damage against them), and they each give over 2000 experience if you have the bonus experience turned on.
I just think it's a fun touch. He talks about how much he loves this particular cow, his prize winning cow, and that's reflected in how the NPC's react when you kill her.
Though now that I think about it I do have to question what festivals it was winning prizes at. Do people come to candlekeep to show off their cows? Does he take his cows out into the world, to show them off at festivals, then pay the exorbitant fee to reenter candlekeep every time?
I have to assume that some merchants are allowed to enter to peddle their wares without paying the fee, so maybe he gets clearance by bringing cow stuff in and out of town.
Or maybe it's just an event inside Candlekeep, and Nessa keeps winning due to lack of competition.
Wouldn't surprise me if the Candlekeep entrance fee is just a huge sham to keep that darn bhaalspawn out. Merchants, servants and random wannabe-assassins have no problems with it.
You can kill any cow in Candlekeep with impunity. Except for Nessa, Dreppin's Prize Cow, which will turn the town hostile.
Nessa is the exception. Killing just about any scenery animal in Baldur's Gate (e.g. cows, horses, chickens, cats, rats, bats, squirrels) does not turn nearby townsfolk hostile. Doing so is an effective way to level up early on in Legacy of Bhaal, since these animals don't fight back, they are usually unarmed (giving you +4 to hit and damage against them), and they each give over 2000 experience if you have the bonus experience turned on.
Before the rules were changed I sometimes used to kill cows with the ugly stick (A staff that reduced charisma by 1 occasionally) whilst wearing Algernon's Cloak. This raised my charisma to 25. Can't do it now.
You can kill any cow in Candlekeep with impunity. Except for Nessa, Dreppin's Prize Cow, which will turn the town hostile.
Nessa is the exception. Killing just about any scenery animal in Baldur's Gate (e.g. cows, horses, chickens, cats, rats, bats, squirrels) does not turn nearby townsfolk hostile. Doing so is an effective way to level up early on in Legacy of Bhaal, since these animals don't fight back, they are usually unarmed (giving you +4 to hit and damage against them), and they each give over 2000 experience if you have the bonus experience turned on.
Before the rules were changed I sometimes used to kill cows with the ugly stick (A staff that reduced charisma by 1 occasionally) whilst wearing Algernon's Cloak. This raised my charisma to 25. Can't do it now.
Ehh, if you rely on serious exploits to pull something like that off, may as well Keeper it in...
Wouldn't surprise me if the Candlekeep entrance fee is just a huge sham to keep that darn bhaalspawn out. Merchants, servants and random wannabe-assassins have no problems with it.
My assumption is that Carbos and Shank didn't enter the Candlekeep through the front door. There are always ways to bypass inconvenient laws if you're so inclined.
Wouldn't surprise me if the Candlekeep entrance fee is just a huge sham to keep that darn bhaalspawn out. Merchants, servants and random wannabe-assassins have no problems with it.
My assumption is that Carbos and Shank didn't enter the Candlekeep through the front door. There are always ways to bypass inconvenient laws if you're so inclined.
I was thinking, had the svirfneblin in the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 2 understood that the monster they were facing was a balor and not simply a "creature of nightmares," they probably could've gotten Adalon to help them. Even if Adalon prefers if the svirfneblin help themselves and is not going to help them with every little problem they have, I would think that a balor would be a sufficient threat to be worthy of her attention.
Did you know that you can give a Kensai a solid armor class for a long time by casting Spirit Armor on him/her? Spirit Armor grants a base AC of 1, and a Kensai has +2 AC on top of that, leaving them with an armor class slightly better than if they were wearing ankheg plate.
Me being my exe snooping self, I was looking around the stats structure of BG2:EE. Stats 109 and 110, (CLERIC_HALLOW and CLERIC_ARMOR_OF_FAITH respectively), are internally named as unused proficiencies in the exe:
"m_nProficiencyGun"
"m_nProficiencyMartialArts"
I think the most surprising thing here is the mentioning of guns. Were the developers, at one point, considering adding guns to the game?!
Me being my exe snooping self, I was looking around the stats structure of BG2:EE. Stats 109 and 110, (CLERIC_HALLOW and CLERIC_ARMOR_OF_FAITH respectively), are internally named as unused proficiencies in the exe:
"m_nProficiencyGun"
"m_nProficiencyMartialArts"
I think the most surprising thing here is the mentioning of guns. Were the developers, at one point, considering adding guns to the game?!
What I do know is that there is an unused spell in Baldur's Gate 2 called "The MDK2 Spell" that summons the main characters from the video game MDK2 (which was also made by Bioware). At least one of those characters has a gun item in the game's files, though the characters do not have animations.
In SCS, a regular vampire's Cloud of Bats spell strikes as a level 3 spell and offers a save vs. breath at -4 to avoid it, but it is a schoolless spell. Bodhi's special Cloud of Bats spell (the Tactics-style version, anyway), however, is a level 7 spell, offers no save, and is a Conjuration spell. Thus, MGOI and strong saving throws can block a normal Cloud of Bats, while Spell Immunity: Conjuration will fail, but only SI: Conjuration, or possibly some higher-level spell protections or a Protection from Magic scroll, can block Bodhi's Cloud of Bats spell.
He needs more likes to continue the series. Wondering if you could click Like! or Subscribe from that episode (465) to the latest one so far, number 482.
My friend James has informed me that Vampiric Touch gives the caster more HP at higher difficulties if you use it on your own party members. Since party members suffer double damage on Insane mode or in Legacy of Bhaal mode, using Vampiric Touch on another party member deals double damage and therefore grants twice as much HP to the caster.
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And not being able to have a spell is the most common way of losing in AD&D as Raise Dead/Resurrection are a thing but "Restore Lost Scroll" is not.
The loss of celestial fury will then be mitigated by picking up another great “great sword”. The loss of the CF is only unbearable if you have invested 5 pips in katana... not if I have 5 pips in great swords.
My point was: even death is not a permanent loss in D&D, but scrolls are.
Arguing ‘X is right and Y is wrong’ is easy.
Arguing ‘you like X but I hate X and this is why X sucks’ is a pain and not worth it.
for comparison Gromnir has WIS 10 and CHAR 12 respectively. L O L
also Cattie Brie is male. Oh, yes! She is Drizzt actually, OG devs changed only name, didn't bother with anything else. Mizhena much, internet?
I liked the rod of reverse beautification.
"m_nProficiencyGun"
"m_nProficiencyMartialArts"
I think the most surprising thing here is the mentioning of guns. Were the developers, at one point, considering adding guns to the game?!
What I do know is that there is an unused spell in Baldur's Gate 2 called "The MDK2 Spell" that summons the main characters from the video game MDK2 (which was also made by Bioware). At least one of those characters has a gun item in the game's files, though the characters do not have animations.
A Gamer_1745 whom has recently re-started making and postoing his videos from episode number 459:
He needs more likes to continue the series. Wondering if you could click Like! or Subscribe from that episode (465) to the latest one so far, number 482.
THANKS!
If you are interested, here is the whole shebang: