[Item] Ankheg Armor usable by Druids (bug or no?)
sandmanCCL
Member Posts: 1,389
Current Behavior: Druids can equip Ankheg Armor, including Avengers who are supposedly unable to equip anything heavier than leather armor (confirmed in BG2 and BGtutu)
Expected Behavior: Druids of any kind cannot equip Ankheg Armor unless they are also multi/dual-classed with Fighter, OR item description claiming Druids are barred from equipping the armor should be removed.
Post edited by Balquo on
1
Comments
@AndreaColombo?
I know it's part of the game but I've always found this armor quest to result in a very overpowered piece of armor, for the level.
Within BG2 quite a few armors, such as Ashen Scale and Blue Dragonplate, are not usable by druids, but they should (Item Revisions obviously follow PnP and allows druids to use these armors made of natural sources). I'm not sure how BGEE wants to handle this (afaik Ankheg Plate is the only case within BG1), but at least keep some consistency on the whole matter please.
Lots of inconsistencies. Red Dragon Scale is usable, but Blue Dragon scale is not. RDS is usable by Avengers despite being Full Plate by item type, but White Dragon Scale is not usable by Avengers because it is Studded Leather by item type.
It's bizarre and wildly inconsistent. But that's all BG2/ToB stuff so we can worry about that down the road.
Edit: oh and for the record, one of the few times I agree with Demivrgvs (:P) - yes, druids should be able to wear this, as they are already, so it is just a textual inaccuracy.
I mean, the Avenger description does say "heavier" so everything that goes over the weight of the standard Leather Armor should be not usable? I dunno, just thinking out loud here XD
Edit: after careful 2-minute consideration (and DLTCEPing :P) - avengers *can* wear ankheg armor in BG2, but shapeshifters can't; however, avengers cannot wear studded leather. I would interpret that as they can't wear metal, and the ankheg armor presumably is not metal. I'm good with that I think... anyone else not?
Question is though - is not being able to wear Studded Leather armors ALONE that much of a drawback? I mean, -2 to Con and Str is important, but in the end, they can still get max health from it.
In BG2 it's a fairly pronounced drawback for quite some time. There's a lot of leather armors that count as Studded they can't use. Luckily they can still use Red Dragon Plate for whatever reason, or you could go with something slightly more kosher in Shadow Dragon Scale (because at least that counts as just regular leather per game code.) End game, not a big thing. Early game, hurts a lot.
I'd also like to submit that it's really not that big a drawback in BG1 even if they can't use Ankheg Armor. I believe a level 10 druid casting Barkskin gives AC4. Even naked, drop a cloak/ring of protection +2 and you're only a single AC behind someone in Ankheg armor. In fact, you'd have better AC while shapeshifted if you did that, as animal forms don't factor in AC from armor.
Someone (I think @Avenger_teambg) suggested that "weight" could be added via GUI code as well, and I'd agree. Right now, several items are missing an indication of their weight. I've added it to some and plan on adding it to every item that has a weight in the long run, but it's gonna be a fairly big amount of work.
Regarding Avenger's armor limitations, I think the "May not wear better than leather armor" part implies he cannot use 'better' armors, such as medium and heavy armors, regardless of the armor's material imo. Not to mention the whole "cannot use stutted leather but can use a plate armor" would really make no sense. It pratically is the only drawback/hindrance, but if you allow the kit to use Ankheg Plate (or Dragon Armors in BG2) then it's not a drawback anymore.
P.S @Miloch LOL.
reason for Avenger's armor restriction - weight/metal
So I think the ankheg is ok
Weight display would be beneficial even for item weight mods - they don't have to care about language stuff. There is some incompatibility, but that isn't significant. You just have to skip modifying the tlk.
Balance wise, the Avenger really shouldn't be able to wear the best druid armors, and even vanilla descriptions clearly implies that imo.
For the record though, in BG2 they can wear ankheg plate which weighs 25 but not white dragon scale which weighs 15. Seems like a bug with the latter since normal and totemic druids can wear it. Also no druids can wear blue dragon plate which weighs 20, but all druids except shapeshifters can wear red dragon plate which weighs 30. So another bug with the blue dragon plate I think.
White dragon scales not.
Description says: "May not wear better than leather armor". Is it not a clear evidence they are not supposed to wear armors BETTER than leather armor?
@Miloch back to our old quarrels, we don't agree as usual.
Its possible that Avengers may experience problems when trying to wear Ankheg plate. Just felt like throwing that into the discussion.
Carry on.
@Demivrgvs - no, we're not :P. I've had enough bickering on previous forums (and it seems this one is no different). I'm just telling you what's in the unmodded game and drawing some inferences from it. Edit: the only thing really relevant to BG1 is the ankheg armor, but since there were no avengers in BG1, we have to draw inferences based on what's in BG2.
For that matter, the stalker description says "May not wear armor greater than studded leather." And yet they can wear white dragon scale in unmodded BG2. Do you propose changing that too?
Let's examine your beloved White Dragon Scale:
- it has the Splint Mail hidden AC bonuses
- its enchantment lvl (+3) and AC value (Base AC -2) would suggest a Full Plate instead
- it can be used by thieves (eh? why?)
- it has no penalty on thieving skills (better than Mithral/Elven Chain?!? how's that even possible?)
Great example man!
Such great insults on this forum. I should really just resign, if I cared about getting insulted. Except that I don't :P.
As for stalkers, I think the intention was to disallow anything that would not let them stalk. I would think even non-metal plate or chain-like armors would thus be disallowed, but perhaps not. As for avengers, the only real clue is that they're against harming "nature." So you'd think they'd be against butchering cows etc. for leather and for that matter other animals. Then again, they tend to be a bit evil (though all druids are "neutral" somehow) in the games. Maybe they're just against mining (yet again, apparently not the huge mine on their own turf, the Cloakwood).