Use the variables to indicate the improvements by tome. Adjust the BG2 initial stats (which are usually different from the BG1 initial stats) as necessary, depending on how many and which tomes they consumed. This only needs to be done for the 5 (8 now) NPCs that you carry over to BG2 (and not for CHARNAME).
Keep the classes the NPCs had during the BG1 playthrough. Imoen NEEDS to use a spell for the plot? Cool. Give her a Special Ability (like 99.9% of the other characters) which makes her shoot one Magic Missile a day, REGARDLESS OF HER CLASS. This solves the problem of the OH SO SMOTHERING plot limitations, while fitting with the character background nonetheless (she was a scoundrel who grew up in Candlekeep with Gorion... even if she never dualled, it's almost obvious she picked up something). It's not overpowered, and it's not like any other character doesn't have one of these quirks. If it's considered too much, maybe remove a lvl 1 spell slot from her (IF she duals to mage), or give her a similar, small penalty (which I still insist would be superflous).
@Raistlin82 This guy knows what's up! Lots of characters in BG1 has some weird special as a daily ability with little explanation given or expected by anybody.
Heck, Imoen starts BG1 with a wand of magic missiles. I think you could give her magic missile 1/day at character level and have it be no big deal. It'd be the least powerful of the specials in BG2.
They could solve the Imoen problem by having her use a wand as a thief if she wasn't dualed to mage, and have that still make the spellhold mages mad. They really just took her because Irenicus insisted.
If you really want to bring stat tomes over into bg2 with you. You can just remember who you used which tome on, and shadow keeper them to what you want.
The Imoen Problem (tm) would be even more handily resolved by giving her a special ability that casts Magic Missile X/day. It would also be appropriate foreshadowing (for reasons that I won't get into, for spoiler purposes).
Use the variables to indicate the improvements by tome. Adjust the BG2 initial stats (which are usually different from the BG1 initial stats) as necessary, depending on how many and which tomes they consumed. This only needs to be done for the 5 (8 now) NPCs that you carry over to BG2 (and not for CHARNAME).
Keep the classes the NPCs had during the BG1 playthrough. Imoen NEEDS to use a spell for the plot? Cool. Give her a Special Ability (like 99.9% of the other characters) which makes her shoot one Magic Missile a day, REGARDLESS OF HER CLASS. This solves the problem of the OH SO SMOTHERING plot limitations, while fitting with the character background nonetheless (she was a scoundrel who grew up in Candlekeep with Gorion... even if she never dualled, it's almost obvious she picked up something). It's not overpowered, and it's not like any other character doesn't have one of these quirks. If it's considered too much, maybe remove a lvl 1 spell slot from her (IF she duals to mage), or give her a similar, small penalty (which I still insist would be superflous).
Slightly offtopic, but this is a good idea. Unfortunately, ways of justifying Imoen being taken despite not being a mage have been brought up several times before, and as far as I know, we never got any dev input. So in all likelihood, they're not allowed to turn her into a pure thief.
I'm guessing any new thief NPC in BG2 is going to be Evil, so that leaves us without a Good thief yet again. Meh.
Comments
Use the variables to indicate the improvements by tome.
Adjust the BG2 initial stats (which are usually different from the BG1 initial stats) as necessary, depending on how many and which tomes they consumed.
This only needs to be done for the 5 (8 now) NPCs that you carry over to BG2 (and not for CHARNAME).
Keep the classes the NPCs had during the BG1 playthrough.
Imoen NEEDS to use a spell for the plot?
Cool. Give her a Special Ability (like 99.9% of the other characters) which makes her shoot one Magic Missile a day, REGARDLESS OF HER CLASS.
This solves the problem of the OH SO SMOTHERING plot limitations, while fitting with the character background nonetheless (she was a scoundrel who grew up in Candlekeep with Gorion... even if she never dualled, it's almost obvious she picked up something).
It's not overpowered, and it's not like any other character doesn't have one of these quirks.
If it's considered too much, maybe remove a lvl 1 spell slot from her (IF she duals to mage), or give her a similar, small penalty (which I still insist would be superflous).
This guy knows what's up! Lots of characters in BG1 has some weird special as a daily ability with little explanation given or expected by anybody.
BG1: Yeslick (Dispel Magic), Dynaheir (Slow Poison), Minsc (Headwound), Branwen (Spiritual Hammer), Faldorn (Summon Dread Wolf), Quayle (Invisibility), Safana (Charm Animal), Eldoth (Poison Arrow), Tiax (Summon Ghast), CHARNAME (Assorted)
BG2: Minsc (Headwound), Jan (Create Flasher), Mazzy (Multiple Things!), CHARNAME (Assorted)
Heck, Imoen starts BG1 with a wand of magic missiles. I think you could give her magic missile 1/day at character level and have it be no big deal. It'd be the least powerful of the specials in BG2.
If you really want to bring stat tomes over into bg2 with you. You can just remember who you used which tome on, and shadow keeper them to what you want.
I'm guessing any new thief NPC in BG2 is going to be Evil, so that leaves us without a Good thief yet again. Meh.