@Dee I love the idea about the character becoming paler. It might take me a while to implement this as I am very new to Infinity Engine modding. I'm not as interested in the "innate" suggestion that was mentioned earlier. I view the Pale Master's abilities as a deliberate physical change the character makes to himself and are abilities that the character would have regardless of how he wishes to shape the natural magic within himself.
@shawne I do agree with your suggestion about the race restriction. I will have to edit the file to change it. Wouldn't a half-orc be and interesting Pale Master?
Does anyone know how to code crit immunity? I haven't been able to find it. It would be an interesting lvl 20 addition, since most palemaster builds I've been able to find obtain it eventually. It would sync quite well with sorcerers not being able to wear helms.
@shawne I do agree with your suggestion about the race restriction. I will have to edit the file to change it. Wouldn't a half-orc be and interesting Pale Master?
Half-orcs would be tricky only because the PM is a Sorcerer kit (although there's a half-orc wild mage in Neera's quest so who even knows anymore), but coupled with the BG2 Tweak that removes all racial restrictions, it's certainly an interesting possibility.
For the purists, I'd recommend just keeping it at Human, Elf and Half-Elf (since those are the only classes that can be Sorcerers in the first place); anyone who wants to install the Tweak afterward can do so, and it should work on the PM as well.
I have updated the kit. As @Dee suggested, the character's skin now becomes gradually paler at levels 3, 8, 12 and 20. I have also edited the racial restrictions as @shawne has suggested. Elfs and half-elfs can now become pale masters too. What do you guys think of this being a regular mage kit, and how the advantages/disadvantages would change?
Well... the whole reason the Pale Master kit was proposed in the first place was as an alternative to the Dragon Disciple, where the trade-off wasn't quite so disadvantageous to the Sorcerer class (ie: trading nine spell slots for one use of the Breath Weapon). The Wizard class already has a complex set of specializations, plus the Wild Mage kit on top of that.
That aside, I tend to agree with your earlier idea that the Pale Master's unique abilities should be separate from arcane spellcasting - much like the DD's breath and the Bhaalspawn powers, these derive from what you are rather than what you learn. So in that sense I believe it makes more sense as it currently stands.
3E handles it differently because the PM (like the DD and the Shadowdancer) is a prestige class, so the idea is that you build your character towards that eventual goal (which means that, at least in the NWN games, you can start as a Wizard or a Bard and eventually become a PM anyway). That's not really possible in 2E.
I don't have Near Infinity in front of me, but one thing you could do to make the abilities feel more intrinsic is to make deathless touch just a part of the pale master's unarmed attack. Frozen Fists from the dark moon monk does this, and there's no reason you couldn't make it a permanent effect. It would have to be balanced differently of course. And you might want to then build in some boosted proficiency with that unarmed strike, too, to balance against the pale master's low THAC0.
@Vallmyr I've only been testing it with BGEE/BG2EE. Here is the latest update with fixes to some minor typos.
@Dee That sounds like far more trouble than its worth. I'm satisfied with the innate abilities. Plus, a wizard running unarmed at enemies sounds funny.
I have also begun to try and integrate this mod into the Tome and Blood mod. I am attempting to replace Tome and Blood's Pale Master NECROMANCER kit, yes I am trying to make it a wizard kit. I can attempt to make it a sorcerer kit in Tome and Blood for anyone who is interested, and if I have the motivation. Thankfully, Tome and Blood already has an excellent sub kit selection menu already in place. In theory, all I have to do is change the old pale master files to the new ones. I also plan on removing the spell school restrictions of Tome and Blood on the kit. This is because I don't want to give up any spell schools; I've never personally agreed with the wizard specialization system. My wizard being more interested with one type of magic, so he can't even touch other types. Dumb in my opinion. I will probably remove the loss of the extra cast per day and leave it at the wizards default table, or the BG2 Tweak PnP table for me. I will likely adjust the disadvantages to be more in line with Tome and Bloods other kits.
@Vallmyr I've only been testing it with BGEE/BG2EE. Here is the latest update with fixes to some minor typos.
@Dee That sounds like far more trouble than its worth. I'm satisfied with the innate abilities. Plus, a wizard running unarmed at enemies sounds funny.
I have also begun to try and integrate this mod into the Tome and Blood mod. I am attempting to replace Tome and Blood's Pale Master NECROMANCER kit, yes I am trying to make it a wizard kit. I can attempt to make it a sorcerer kit in Tome and Blood for anyone who is interested, and if I have the motivation. Thankfully, Tome and Blood already has an excellent sub kit selection menu already in place. In theory, all I have to do is change the old pale master files to the new ones. I also plan on removing the spell school restrictions of Tome and Blood on the kit. This is because I don't want to give up any spell schools; I've never personally agreed with the wizard specialization system. My wizard being more interested with one type of magic, so he can't even touch other types. Dumb in my opinion. I will probably remove the loss of the extra cast per day and leave it at the wizards default table, or the BG2 Tweak PnP table for me. I will likely adjust the disadvantages to be more in line with Tome and Bloods other kits.
Tome and Blood is a wonderful mod. If you haven't already, I recommend looking at the Necromancer changes that are also in the Scales of Balance Mod. Eventually TnB and SoB will be fully compatible and so maybe we can have this work in as well.
I am trying to reorganize the files in this mod into something a little simpler from a modders point of view. I have made new .tp2, clab, and individual spell files for all the class effects and abilities. I messed up somewhere and the class doesn't get any of its abilities. Can someone look over the changes I made and see what the problem it?
Changes are as follows: PALE MASTER: Necromancy is usually a poor choice for arcane spellcasters -- those who really want to master the deathless arts almost always pursue divine means. However, an alternative exists for those who desire power over undead but refuse to give up their arcane craft completely. Enter the pale master, who draws on a font of special lore that provides a macabre power all its own.
Advantages: - 1st level: Gains Boneskin.
BONESKIN: The pale master's tough, cadaverous flesh gives them immunity to sleep and a +1 to AC (+2 at 7th, +3 at 13th).
- 2nd level: May use Animate Dead once per day.
ANIMATE DEAD: As per the mage and cleric spell, summons an allied skeleton warrior to serve the caster.
- 3rd level: Gains Deathless Vigor.
DEATHLESS VIGOR: The pale master’s body becomes more akin to the undying flesh of his undead associates. Gains infravision and +1 to saves vs. death (+2 at 8th, +3 at 13th).
- 6th level: The pale master gives in to terrible necrophiliac urges. He cuts off his arm and replaces it with an undead prosthetic, which may be skeletal in form or preserved flesh stitched in place like that of a flesh golem. May use Undead Graft twice per day.
UNDEAD GRAFT: The pale master touches a target with a ghoulish hand. Target must save vs. death or be held for 5 rounds.
- 10th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -1. - 12th level: Gains Tough as Bone.
TOUGH AS BONE: The pale master becomes more and more like one of the implacable undead. Immunity to hold, stun and poison.
- 14th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -2. - 15th level: May use Create Skeleton Abomination once per day.
CREATE SKELETON ABOMINATION: Summons a powerful skeleton abomination to serve the caster for 2 hours.
- 16th level: The pale master's touch becomes deadly and can instantly kill a target. May use Deathless Master's Touch twice per day.
DEATHLESS MASTER'S TOUCH: The pale master touches a target with a life-snuffing hand. Target must save vs. death with a -3 penalty or die instantly.
Interesting changes, though I'm not sure why Boneskin would grant immunity to Sleep - even from a story perspective, the two don't seem connected (it's more of a physical buff than a mental one). Maybe a percentage of slashing or piercing resistance instead?
PALE MASTER: Necromancy is usually a poor choice for arcane spellcasters -- those who really want to master the deathless arts almost always pursue divine means. However, an alternative exists for those who desire power over undead but refuse to give up their arcane craft completely. Enter the pale master, who draws on a font of special lore that provides a macabre power all its own.
Advantages: - 1st level: Gains Boneskin.
BONESKIN: The pale master's tough, cadaverous flesh gives them a +1 to AC (+2 at 7th, +3 at 13th).
- 2nd level: May use Animate Dead once per day.
ANIMATE DEAD: As per the mage and cleric spell, summons an allied skeleton warrior to serve the caster.
- 3rd level: Gains Deathless Vigor.
DEATHLESS VIGOR: The pale master’s body becomes more akin to the undying flesh of his undead associates. Gains infravision, immunity to sleep and +1 to saves vs. death (+2 at 8th, +3 at 13th).
- 6th level: The pale master gives in to terrible necrophiliac urges. He cuts off his arm and replaces it with an undead prosthetic, which may be skeletal in form or preserved flesh stitched in place like that of a flesh golem. May use Undead Graft twice per day.
UNDEAD GRAFT: The pale master touches a target with a ghoulish hand. Target must save vs. death or be held for 5 rounds.
- 10th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -1. - 12th level: Gains Tough as Bone.
TOUGH AS BONE: The pale master becomes more and more like one of the implacable undead. Immunity to hold, stun and poison.
- 14th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -2. - 15th level: May use Create Skeleton Abomination once per day.
CREATE SKELETON ABOMINATION: Summons a powerful skeleton abomination to serve the caster for 2 hours.
- 16th level: The pale master's touch becomes deadly and can instantly kill a target. May use Deathless Master's Touch twice per day.
DEATHLESS MASTER'S TOUCH: The pale master touches a target with a life-snuffing hand. Target must save vs. death with a -3 penalty or die instantly.
Has anyone else tried this mod? I've discovered a bug that the Animate Dead ability overrides / deletes the Cure Light Wounds ability of the bhaalspawn. My character had the dream before gaining level 2.
Here is a beta 1.4 version. Don't use this one unless you want to help me fix it. I am organizing the code to be easier to debug and read. I am also beginning to add compatibility patches for Tome and Blood's various components into this mod. I'm not sure where I made the error. The mods installs, but the kit is not shown at character selection. Can anyone take a look and see what the issue might be? @shawne, @elminster, @subtledoctor, @Dee, @Vallmyr since you guys have shown an active interest in the development of this mod, can one of you please look to see what the problem is?
Thanks to @elminster providing wise tutelage I am pleased to release version 1.4.1. The mod should now be compatible with the different components of Tome and Blood by @Aquadrizzt.
@bfons86 When my pale master equips the ring called "Evermemory" , he can cast 6 spells per day at level one instead of 4 ( since he starts with 2 spells per day…)
@bfons86 and @Luke93, I figured I'd weigh in on the Evermemory sorcerer 'bug'. I've encountered it within my mod (Tome and Blood) as well, and I'm pretty sure I know why it happens.
Without looking at your files, I'm going to assume that you apply an ability to the Palemaster that reduces the number of spells per day at each level by 1. When you use Evermemory, which doubles spell slots, it applies its multiplicative modifier before all additive modifiers are applied. So instead of (3-1)x2, it is (3x2)-1. I'm not sure why you got 6 spells and not 5 however.
@bfons86, although I haven't done anything like this because its a minor bug and Tome and Blood has far bigger things to fix, but I imagine you could mod in an effect on the ring for Palemasters that removes an additional spell. It should be that simple, but I haven't tried it out.
Comments
@shawne I do agree with your suggestion about the race restriction. I will have to edit the file to change it. Wouldn't a half-orc be and interesting Pale Master?
For the purists, I'd recommend just keeping it at Human, Elf and Half-Elf (since those are the only classes that can be Sorcerers in the first place); anyone who wants to install the Tweak afterward can do so, and it should work on the PM as well.
That aside, I tend to agree with your earlier idea that the Pale Master's unique abilities should be separate from arcane spellcasting - much like the DD's breath and the Bhaalspawn powers, these derive from what you are rather than what you learn. So in that sense I believe it makes more sense as it currently stands.
3E handles it differently because the PM (like the DD and the Shadowdancer) is a prestige class, so the idea is that you build your character towards that eventual goal (which means that, at least in the NWN games, you can start as a Wizard or a Bard and eventually become a PM anyway). That's not really possible in 2E.
@Dee That sounds like far more trouble than its worth. I'm satisfied with the innate abilities. Plus, a wizard running unarmed at enemies sounds funny.
I have also begun to try and integrate this mod into the Tome and Blood mod. I am attempting to replace Tome and Blood's Pale Master NECROMANCER kit, yes I am trying to make it a wizard kit. I can attempt to make it a sorcerer kit in Tome and Blood for anyone who is interested, and if I have the motivation. Thankfully, Tome and Blood already has an excellent sub kit selection menu already in place. In theory, all I have to do is change the old pale master files to the new ones. I also plan on removing the spell school restrictions of Tome and Blood on the kit. This is because I don't want to give up any spell schools; I've never personally agreed with the wizard specialization system. My wizard being more interested with one type of magic, so he can't even touch other types. Dumb in my opinion. I will probably remove the loss of the extra cast per day and leave it at the wizards default table, or the BG2 Tweak PnP table for me. I will likely adjust the disadvantages to be more in line with Tome and Bloods other kits.
Changes are as follows:
PALE MASTER: Necromancy is usually a poor choice for arcane spellcasters -- those who really want to master the deathless arts almost always pursue divine means. However, an alternative exists for those who desire power over undead but refuse to give up their arcane craft completely. Enter the pale master, who draws on a font of special lore that provides a macabre power all its own.
Advantages:
- 1st level: Gains Boneskin.
BONESKIN: The pale master's tough, cadaverous flesh gives them immunity to sleep and a +1 to AC (+2 at 7th, +3 at 13th).
- 2nd level: May use Animate Dead once per day.
ANIMATE DEAD: As per the mage and cleric spell, summons an allied skeleton warrior to serve the caster.
- 3rd level: Gains Deathless Vigor.
DEATHLESS VIGOR: The pale master’s body becomes more akin to the undying flesh of his undead associates. Gains infravision and +1 to saves vs. death (+2 at 8th, +3 at 13th).
- 6th level: The pale master gives in to terrible necrophiliac urges. He cuts off his arm and replaces it with an undead prosthetic, which may be skeletal in form or preserved flesh stitched in place like that of a flesh golem. May use Undead Graft twice per day.
UNDEAD GRAFT: The pale master touches a target with a ghoulish hand. Target must save vs. death or be held for 5 rounds.
- 10th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -1.
- 12th level: Gains Tough as Bone.
TOUGH AS BONE: The pale master becomes more and more like one of the implacable undead. Immunity to hold, stun and poison.
- 14th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -2.
- 15th level: May use Create Skeleton Abomination once per day.
CREATE SKELETON ABOMINATION: Summons a powerful skeleton abomination to serve the caster for 2 hours.
- 16th level: The pale master's touch becomes deadly and can instantly kill a target. May use Deathless Master's Touch twice per day.
DEATHLESS MASTER'S TOUCH: The pale master touches a target with a life-snuffing hand. Target must save vs. death with a -3 penalty or die instantly.
- 18th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -3.
- 20th level: Gains Deathless Mastery.
DEATHLESS MASTERY: The pale masters are practically undead creatures themselves. Immunity to death magic and level drain.
- Hit Die: d6
Disadvantages:
- May cast one fewer spell per level per day.
- Alignment restricted to non-good.
- Incurs a -2 penalty to Charisma.
Moves sleep immunity to level 3
PALE MASTER: Necromancy is usually a poor choice for arcane spellcasters -- those who really want to master the deathless arts almost always pursue divine means. However, an alternative exists for those who desire power over undead but refuse to give up their arcane craft completely. Enter the pale master, who draws on a font of special lore that provides a macabre power all its own.
Advantages:
- 1st level: Gains Boneskin.
BONESKIN: The pale master's tough, cadaverous flesh gives them a +1 to AC (+2 at 7th, +3 at 13th).
- 2nd level: May use Animate Dead once per day.
ANIMATE DEAD: As per the mage and cleric spell, summons an allied skeleton warrior to serve the caster.
- 3rd level: Gains Deathless Vigor.
DEATHLESS VIGOR: The pale master’s body becomes more akin to the undying flesh of his undead associates. Gains infravision, immunity to sleep and +1 to saves vs. death (+2 at 8th, +3 at 13th).
- 6th level: The pale master gives in to terrible necrophiliac urges. He cuts off his arm and replaces it with an undead prosthetic, which may be skeletal in form or preserved flesh stitched in place like that of a flesh golem. May use Undead Graft twice per day.
UNDEAD GRAFT: The pale master touches a target with a ghoulish hand. Target must save vs. death or be held for 5 rounds.
- 10th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -1.
- 12th level: Gains Tough as Bone.
TOUGH AS BONE: The pale master becomes more and more like one of the implacable undead. Immunity to hold, stun and poison.
- 14th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -2.
- 15th level: May use Create Skeleton Abomination once per day.
CREATE SKELETON ABOMINATION: Summons a powerful skeleton abomination to serve the caster for 2 hours.
- 16th level: The pale master's touch becomes deadly and can instantly kill a target. May use Deathless Master's Touch twice per day.
DEATHLESS MASTER'S TOUCH: The pale master touches a target with a life-snuffing hand. Target must save vs. death with a -3 penalty or die instantly.
- 18th level: Undead Graft saving throw at -3.
- 20th level: Gains Deathless Mastery.
DEATHLESS MASTERY: The pale masters are practically undead creatures themselves. Immunity to death magic and level drain.
- Hit Die: d6
Disadvantages:
- May cast one fewer spell per level per day.
- Alignment restricted to non-good.
- Incurs a -2 penalty to Charisma.
~K_S_H K_S_D K_S_G K_S_E K_S_HE K_S_HL K_S_HO~
Same with this line (that changes CLSRCREQ.2DA). Again this will vary depending upon what races you want to allow to choose this kit.
clsrcreq = ~1 1 1 1 1 1 1~
http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/34119/how-to-making-kit-mods-for-the-ee/p1
The mod should now be compatible with the different components of Tome and Blood by @Aquadrizzt.
Without looking at your files, I'm going to assume that you apply an ability to the Palemaster that reduces the number of spells per day at each level by 1. When you use Evermemory, which doubles spell slots, it applies its multiplicative modifier before all additive modifiers are applied. So instead of (3-1)x2, it is (3x2)-1. I'm not sure why you got 6 spells and not 5 however.