Creating a dual-classed character

grassBlade

I'm using the GOG version.

Whenever I try to create a dual-classed character, I cannot. The character ends up level 7 (or somesuch). Am I missing something or is this normal for SOD?

How do I create, say, a lvl 5 swashbuckler and lvl 7 fighter?

deltago

It's like this for BG2 as well.

You need to create a character in Baldur's Gate, level it to where you want your first class to be, dual it and then export your character. Load that character into SoD or BG2 to get the rest of your starting XP.

Sids1188

SoD automatically starts you a certain amount of experience (161k?) as its intended to be played after the original game (similar to how bg2 does it). As Deltago said, if you want to dual before that point you need to do it in the original bg1. If you don't want to have to play that all the way to level 5, you can use console commands to give yourself the XP to reach the level you want to dual at:

Open your baldur.ini file and add the line:
'Program Options', 'Debug Mode', '1',

In game press ctrl+space, and select and mouse over your level 1 character.

Type:
C:SetCurrentXP("[10000]")

Press enter. You should now be able to level up to 5 and dual-class. Then export your character and put it into SoD.

I hope this is right since I'm pretty terrible with the console ;P

grassBlade

Thanks for setting me straight. Haven't played BG2 in a while and simply assumed dual-classing was an option...shame Beamdog didn't make it so for SOD.

Juris

I just imported my 8th lvl fighter from BG1 and immediately dual-classed to rogue. Just hit 9th lvl reaching the crusader camp. So... not really sure why you think you can't dual?

grassBlade

@Juris I meant without leveling up...during character creation...

rapsam2003

grassBlade said:

@Juris I meant without leveling up...during character creation...

That's not how dual classing works. You don't dual class in the character creation screen (largely because you couldn't do so in P&P either). You CAN multiclass in the character creation screen, but you canNOT dual class.

grassBlade

rapsam2003 said:

That's not how dual classing works. You don't dual class in the character creation screen (largely because you couldn't do so in P&P either). You CAN multiclass in the character creation screen, but you canNOT dual class.

Because something isn't done in P&P (and I would assume that is really up to the DM), doesn't mean it shouldn't be considered in a CRPG. After all, computers are supposed to, foremost, save time.

KampfKaninchen

I agree that would be a handy addition to SoD and BGII.

But on the other hand with tools like EEkeeper you can customize your character in any way you want in a very straightforward and safe way.

rapsam2003

grassBlade said:

Because something isn't done in P&P (and I would assume that is really up to the DM), doesn't mean it shouldn't be considered in a CRPG. After all, computers are supposed to, foremost, save time.

That's great. But the reality is, you canNOT dual class at character creation. Iirc, this is hardcoded, so not much can be done about it. BG2EE has the same deal.

If you really want to dual class at the beginning of SoD (assumingly without playing through the entirety of BGEE again), you can do the following with EEKeeper, however:

1. Create a new character.
   
2. Save the game with that new character.
   
3. Open EEKeeper and then edit your new character to be dual classed. Set the class levels, classes/kits, etc.
   
4. Make sure to assign any "kit abilities" in EEKeeper, using the Innate tab and then by clicking on "Kits".
   
   *This also applies to base classes. For example, a character edited to be a barbarian won't have Rage if you don't assign it in this manner.*
   
5. When done, save the edited save game in EEKeeper.
   
6. Load up the edited save game in SoD.
   
7. Enjoy your dual classed character.
   

grassBlade

aKampfKaninchen: yes, but I imagine the vast majority of people who play the game have never heard of EEKeeper (or for that matter bothered to come to this forum).

rapsam2003

grassBlade said:

aKampfKaninchen: yes, but I imagine the vast majority of people who play the game have never heard of EEKeeper (or for that matter bothered to come to this forum).

EEKeeper (and its predecessor, Shadowkeeper) have been around for ages. It's very well known. So, I highly doubt your assumption is correct.

KampfKaninchen

Yup, IMO to add smth like this directly in the character creation screen (a button titled advanced mode) would contribute to creating the definite InfinityEngine experience, as they plegded to deliver

grassBlade

@rapsam2003: Nice to see that you're more optimistic than I . And that you included a how-to.
@KampfKaninchen I agree

rapsam2003

grassBlade said:

@rapsam2003: Nice to see that you're more optimistic than I . And that you included a how-to.

jsaving

The problem with dual-classing at the start of SoD/BG2 is that you're forced to take all of your accumulated level-ups at one time. If you could instead level-up one level at a time, it would be possible for human characters to use some of their XP for their initial class, then dual and use the rest for their second class. This has been proposed at various points in time but never implemented, perhaps because it would make the level-up process more cumbersome for characters who don't dual.

Zilber

jsaving said:

The problem with dual-classing at the start of SoD/BG2 is that you're forced to take all of your accumulated level-ups at one time. If you could instead level-up one level at a time, it would be possible for human characters to use some of their XP for their initial class, then dual and use the rest for their second class. This has been proposed at various points in time but never implemented, perhaps because it would make the level-up process more cumbersome for characters who don't dual.

I truly adore eekeeper. I think the class (multi/dual and base) restrictions of 2e are unnecesarily limiting (no elven bards? No dwarven (rune) wizards? These are mytical tropes older than the 19th century faery tale revival, plus the elven chain makes very little sense). I usually roll up a character, and save directle when in game to make the character what I think it needs to be. I don't do this to be powerful, I do this because I have an image in my head what I want to portray.

I fully intend to write a bard kit mod for an elven musical enchanter, needing a 17 cha, 15 dex, with spell restrictions against necromancy and evocation. With full 9 level spell progression (adjusted not to overtake wizards, no specialty bonus spells), d4 hit points, only able to use quarter staves, daggers, short/long swords and shortbows, -1 str penalty (no 19 for you), able to wear up to chain, no shields, no pickpocket (detect illusion would be good, but I have no idea how to put that in). I think the regular bard song progression will serve, though I may think up a new case.

Objulen

You can use EEKeeper, but unless you're very familiar with it, it's probably easier to just make the character in BGI and level it up with console commands. That way you don't have to muck around with adding and removing abilities, hit points, and/or thief skill points.

grassBlade

jsaving said:

The problem with dual-classing at the start of SoD/BG2 is that you're forced to take all of your accumulated level-ups at one time. If you could instead level-up one level at a time, it would be possible for human characters to use some of their XP for their initial class, then dual and use the rest for their second class. This has been proposed at various points in time but never implemented, perhaps because it would make the level-up process more cumbersome for characters who don't dual.

"Cumbersome": Only if the UI itself were ill-designed. NWN2, imho, did it correctly; the user was given the option to manually or automatically level up. True, the 'automatic' leveling would have to have been changed so that skills, etc. would still be manual, but it shouldn't have been too difficult a chore. (I am presuming that the Beamdog coders had access to the various UI subroutines and/or could have rewritten them from scratch.)

jsaving

Pillars of Eternity provides a great recent example of a BG-type game in which level-ups always occur one level at a time. Or if Beamdog didn't want to make that route mandatory, perhaps there could simply be a toggle in the gameplay settings to enable one-at-a-time leveling.

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grassBlade

@subtledoctor: where are you getting your numbers/facts ("something deep in the engine" -- I presume it's somewhere in the modding section, but a quick glance didn't help)? If you can, please provide a link, either here or pm.

rapsam2003

grassBlade said:

@subtledoctor: where are you getting your numbers/facts ("something deep in the engine" -- I presume it's somewhere in the modding section, but a quick glance didn't help)? If you can, please provide a link, either here or pm.

Probably due to the fact that the files which would deal with this aren't accessable to modders. There's a lot of the game that is buried in the executable. Files that modders can edit are in the .bif archives and can be extracted easily by modding tools like DLCETP.

All of the actual game engine files are hidden. Only the devs can access them.

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The user and all related content has been deleted.

grassBlade

@rapsam2003: Thank you for the info you provided. May seem like a stupid question, but where do I get DLCETP? (I retired a while back and am getting itchy ) And can you recommend resource links?

rapsam2003

(doublepost...)

rapsam2003

rapsam2003 said:

grassBlade said:

@rapsam2003: Thank you for the info you provided. May seem like a stupid question, but where do I get DLCETP?

https://sourceforge.net/projects/gemrb/files/Utilities/DLTCEP 7.7/ -- DO NOT EDIT THE TLK using DLTCEP. It's always an iffy proposition to edit the tlk with anything other than WeiDU.

grassBlade said:

And can you recommend resource links?

http://www.pocketplane.net/tutorials/simscript.html -- Infinity Engine Scripting Guide
http://gemrb.org/iesdp/main.htm -- Tons of information here
http://www.shsforums.net/forum/395-ie-modding/ -- Lots of tutorials and such here
http://www.weidu.org/WeiDU/README-WeiDU.html & http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php?board=44.0 -- think of WeiDU as your main "coding source", because it can safely overwrite things in files, in the tlk, etc. Look for WeiDU version 239, which I think is the latest.