[MOD] Doomsinger kit

dib

Update: The Doomsinger now comes with a new unique HLA! So please uninstall the old version, get the new one and install that or you won't receive your HLAs when you reach 3M XP. Sorry about this.

Enhanced Doomsinger Song
This improvement to the Doomsinger's song adds even more devastating effects to his/her voice in addition to the normal effects. Enemies recieve a 20% casting failure and a -4 penalty to hit, -4 penalty to damage -4 penalty to Armor Class and -4 to saving throws. Also the level of creatures it can kill is increased by 2 (10 at level 25 and 12 at level 30).

These effects are added on top of the normal Doomsinger song and does not replace it.

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

EDIT: My very first publicly released weidu mod is now available for download! Enjoy!
And let me know if you run into any technical difficulties.

To install, just unzip the contents of the archive into [...]Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition\Data\00783 and run setup-doomsinger.exe.

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

Came up with this cool sounding name for a bard kit and decided to have a go at defining it further. I haven't made the actual kit yet but after I do, I might try to learn myself the mysterious workings of weidu and distribute it publicly if there's any interest. Here is the description anyway, let me know if you think it sounds OP or something:

DOOMSINGER: The doomsinger sings of death and destruction, and with his/her words he/shecan put dread in the hearts of his/her enemies and break the will of even the most hopeful person. It is even said that some of weaker heart could fall to their knees and die upon hearing the doomsinger's dark voice.

Advantages:
- The doomsinger's song is different from the typical bard, it affects enemies and varies with level:
1: Save vs. Spell (+4) once per round or flee in terror.
5: Save vs. Spell (+2) once per round or flee in terror.
10: Save vs. Spell once per round or flee in terror.
15: Save vs. Spell (+2) once per round or be instilled with hoplessness for one round (affected creature will lie down on the ground, apathetically).
25: Save vs. Spell once per round or be instilled with hoplessness for one round, also any creature of level 8 or lower must make a saving throw vs. death or instantly drop dead.
30: Save vs. Spell once per round or be instilled with hoplessness for one round, also any creature of level 10 or lower must make a saving throw vs. death or instantly drop dead.

Disadvantages:
- No pickpocketing bonus.
- The doomsinger rolls d4 for hit points instead of a bard's d6.
- On character creation, receives a -2 to strength and constitution.
- Must be evil.

dib

I've successfully implemented the kit now in BGEE and BG2EE and it's working pretty great. I might do some balancing after I've played around with it more.

Archaos

I'm not a fan of fear effects. Actually, I hate any fear-inducing magic because it makes enemies scatter and run away from you and having to hunt them down.

Instead of a fear effect, I think instead inflicting them with Doom would be far better and more fitting to the name.

And there's no real reason for the change in HD. Why d4? That's gimping the bard for no real reason, I think.

dib

The fear effect, just like any bard song effect, wears off after roughly one round, so even if enemies run away they will soon come back for more. It also fits the vision I had of the kit very well.

As for the lowered hit dice, you have to consider that the doomsinger's song becomes a lot more powerful than any other bard song. And the kit is supposed to be heavily focused on singing, just like the blade is focused on melee. He's mainly supposed to stand in the back rows and sing while your other companions take care of business, perhaps with many ranged weapons - hunting down fleeing enemies.

lychee26

I think either the constitution penalty or the reduced hit die but not both would work better. Right now it seems too much in comparison to other kits.

dib

Actually the con penalty doesn't really do much at all since bards can't get more than a +2 hp/level bonus from con.

Archaos

I agree that both -2 con and d4 is too much. It doesn't fit with the rest of the kits also. Bards should have d6 because they are not primary casters, not because their Bard songs are special.

dib

After playing around for a while in BGEE I haven't really found the low HP much of a hindrance at all.

Also, now you can try out the kit for yourself! My first ever public weidu mod can be found attached the first post in this thread.

lychee26

Well, seeing as I always play low health, low strength characters anyway, I guess it doesn't matter that much. Are you planning on introducing any HLAs? 'Cos the bard ones aren't very bardy, which always bothered me.

dib

@lychee26 Personally I use the HLAs from Refinements as I find the vanilla HLA tables a bit bland.
And that reminds me, I might have accidentally uploaded a HLA table with spells from that mod, which won't work of course unless you have it installed. If so I'll upload a fix as soon as I get home.

dib

Fixed the problem with HLA table and added this unique HLA which replaces the Improved Bard Song:

Enhanced Doomsinger Song
This improvement to the Doomsinger's song adds even more devastating effects to his/her voice in addition to the normal effects. Enemies recieve a 20% casting failure and a -4 penalty to hit, -4 penalty to damage -4 penalty to Armor Class and -4 to saving throws. Also the level of creatures it can kill is increased by 2 (10 at level 25 and 12 at level 30).

These effects are added on top of the normal Doomsinger song and does not replace it.

dib

Made a small update to the Doomsinger song as there seems to have been a change in how unconsciousness works in bg2ee 1.3. Enemies will now lie down for a full round when affected by hopelessness even if attacked.