ideas for crypt ranger kit
marcos
Member Posts: 71
in BG:EE Mods
Hey Gang,
I'm toying around with the idea of a Crypt Ranger kit. It's an idea from the Complete Ranger's Handbook that was never (to my knowledge) fleshed out. Think of it as an Undead Hunter for Rangers.
I'd like to put something together that is new and not overpowered. So no Hold Undead at first level, for instance.
I'd also like it to have some power in BGEE and not have to wait until BG2EE for the kit to come into its own.
I'm open to ideas. Like I said, I don't want to just make a Ranger version of Undead Hunter.
Possibilities: Perhaps have an innate ability that's like Protection from Evil, but giving the attack penalty only to undead. Or, instead, perhaps an nerfed Bolt of Glory that does lower-level damage, again only to undead.
I'm wondering if--and how--I could restrict favored enemies at character creation to undead.
Oh, and I'm wondering more generally the damage from weapons like the Harrower or Azuredge stacks with the damage a Ranger or Undead Hunter deals.
Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
I'm toying around with the idea of a Crypt Ranger kit. It's an idea from the Complete Ranger's Handbook that was never (to my knowledge) fleshed out. Think of it as an Undead Hunter for Rangers.
I'd like to put something together that is new and not overpowered. So no Hold Undead at first level, for instance.
I'd also like it to have some power in BGEE and not have to wait until BG2EE for the kit to come into its own.
I'm open to ideas. Like I said, I don't want to just make a Ranger version of Undead Hunter.
Possibilities: Perhaps have an innate ability that's like Protection from Evil, but giving the attack penalty only to undead. Or, instead, perhaps an nerfed Bolt of Glory that does lower-level damage, again only to undead.
I'm wondering if--and how--I could restrict favored enemies at character creation to undead.
Oh, and I'm wondering more generally the damage from weapons like the Harrower or Azuredge stacks with the damage a Ranger or Undead Hunter deals.
Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
0
Comments
Advantages (could just be a few of the following, not all of them):
Immunity to fear and hold (common undead status effects that would be useful for BG1)
+3 to hit/damage against undead
Hold Undead as a level 2 priest spell
Animate Dead as a level 3 priest spell
Undead Killer innate (or whatever name for a mini-Bolt of Glory) - 1d4 damage + 1 per level against undead
Immunity to level drain at mid-high levels (level 8-10)?
Disadvantages:
No armor heavier than studded leather
No Charm Animal
Probably something else I can't think of right now - the advantages kind of outweigh the drawbacks atm.
I like the immunity to fear + hold. Maybe leave Negative Plane Protection out of it completely.
Too bad I can't restrict favored enemies (in BGEE) to just Ghouls, Skeletons, and Shadows. That was going to be one of the disadvantages.
I wonder how the +3 to hit/damage against all undead would interact with the favored enemy choice. And if it's overpowered.
I was thinking of adding Hold Undead, Repulse Undead, and Control Undead to the spell list. Animate Dead, not so much: I imagine my ranger hating undead.
I like your idea for damage for the mini-Bolt of Glory. I wonder if I can apply it to a weapon-strike, kinda like Smite Evil in IWD2.
Regardless, I don't want to pile everything on--just two or three simple ideas.
Negative Plane Protection: up to you. I just utterly loathe vampires and their stupid level drain.
Animate Dead: From the Complete Ranger's Handbook: "Cemeteries, battlefields, or other locales associated with death are his primary terrain. His followers are non-evil undead." I felt Animate Dead would be the closest fit, and something that's generally useful. This class is pretty garbage while fighting anything that's not undead.
+3 to hit/damage: The Undead Hunter gets the same bonus, and I'd say paladins > rangers as a whole so it's hardly unfair.
On-hit Bolt of Glory: Making it for one hit only is tricky to implement. You can make it effective for 1 round, that's doable.
I've been able to add spells via the CLAB file--no problem. But I'm having problems removing spells from the spellbook.
I've tried using a dummy spell with a global effect using opcode 172. I've tried making it a passive ability (AP_SPELL) and it doesn't work. If I do (GA_SPELL), I can get it to work, but now I have the dummy spell either in my spell book or as an innate ability, which kind of defeats the purpose.
I must be doing something wrong. What is it?
If there were a way to make them not stack, then I'd consider working on the kit. But it's currently beyond my capabilities.
Add to it that I can't restrict the choice of favored enemy at character creation--I think the kit is a no go.
I believe the bonus for racial enemies is also hardcoded. You might be able to create a script that checks the "HATEDRACE" stat for any undead choices and then applies some bonus or penalty to your Thac0/damage against that type of enemy (by using a permanent spell file). But I think figuring that out might be pretty involved (and it likely would be an imperfect method).
Then I went in and took "Dragon" off the list at character generation. No problem. (I don't know why it's there anyway.)
It seems like any race in RACE.IDS is fair game. So simple.
What are the possibilities here? How does the new GUI make some options invisible at character creation?
1. If I were to modify the .2da in the way you suggested, how would I get the character sheet to show "Varies by Kit" in game? It would be that, not the inconsequential race, yes? But the inconsequential race would show up at character generation?
2. How do you do the dialogue in your mod? A literal dialogue with a character? I could imagine placing a ranger in Candlekeep and having a conversation with them.
+3 Hit / +3 Damage against Undeads
Protection From Evil
Casts Remove Fear as a priest of the same level. Gains an use at level 2 and gains another every 4 levels up to three uses at level 10
Casts Remove Paralyze as a priest of the same level. Gains an use at level 2 and gains another every 4 levels up to three uses at level 10
Casts Negative Plane Protection as a priest of the same level. Gains an use at level 2 and gains another every 4 levels up to three uses at level 10
At level 10 gains the ability to cast Phantom Blade once per day as a wizard of the same level
At level 12 gains the ability to cast False Dawn once per day as a priest of the same level
At level 15 gains the ability to cast Sunray once per day as a priest of the same level
At level 17 gains the Strong Soul ability:
STRONG SOUL
The Crypt Ranger constantly faces death during its life. This kind of experience let him endure things that other warriors would not be capable of. During 1 Round/Level it becomes immune to Charm, Fear, Hold, Energy Drain, Death Magic, Maze and Imprisonment.
Disadvantages:
May only use Crossbow, Maces, Longswords and Axes.
Alignment restricted to Lawful Good
Can't wear metal armor
-2 Charisma penalty
No Charm Animal
Can't cast spells
@elminster @subtledoctor can you guys evaluate? Don't know if I was too generous with the advantages or too harsh with the disadvantages.
My comments: Negative Plane Protection as an early immunity or spell-like ability would make him way overpower. Same goes to Hold Undead. You don't want to get bored hunting the bastards. Against some kind of undead you will start with a +7 Hit / +7 Damage (+17 if using the Phantom Blade).
I think that letting him/her use the Phantom Blade as a Master (+++) would be great. Don't know if it is possible.
Control Undead and Animate Dead are really out of question for this kit.
Altered the Effect (amount from 1 to 3 in Opcode 233).
Changed the Spell a bit (Schoolless, Innate, Casting Time 1).
It should create the exact same Phantom Blade but faster, as an innate spell and giving Mastery (+++) proficiency.
Don't know if it works cause it's the first time ever I do such a thing, it's 0023am here in Brazil and I don't know how to implement it in the game.
Some thoughts on the piece from Dragon (counter arguments are welcome):
1. I don't think I want to implement the intelligence bonus. Stat bonuses just inflate ability scores. On the other hand, I might want to implement the penalty to reaction rolls as a -2 to Charisma. It makes sense thematically: I bet Crypt Rangers are pretty creepy.
2. Immunity to fear: Not as common from undead in BGEE and so not as useful. I was thinking of immunity to hold (Ghouls/Ghasts) and charm (Vampires), which is more in line with BG. The question is, one or both?
3. Protection from Evil: Yeah, as an innate. Since most kits in BGEE take when they give, this could be substituted for Charm Animal.
4. BGEE can do Detect Undead. Thus, perhaps substitute another undead-focused spell.
You're not that far from what I was thinking. It's more conservative than yours, but I still wonder if it's overpowered. Here it is:
CRYPT RANGER: These rangers are grim hunters of the undead. Unfortunately, the people have come to associate them with the evil they work to eradicate. It does not help that they have sacrificed their power over nature to gain necromantic magic.
Advantages:
- +3 bonus to hit and damage rolls against all undead creatures.
- May cast the following Necromantic and Protection spells:
Protection from Evil: Gains one use at level 1 and an additional use every other level thereafter.
Animate Dead: Gains one use at level 1, one use at level 5, and an additional use every 5 levels thereafter.
Hold Undead: Gains one use at level 5 and an additional use every 5 levels thereafter.
Negative Plane Protection: Gains one use at level 10 and an additional use every 10 levels thereafter.
- Immune to hold and charm.
Disadvantages:
- May not cast druidic spells.
- May not use Charm Animal ability.
- Incurs a -2 deficit to Charisma.
And about the immunities: I think they should be, everytime it is possible, against the opcode used by undeads. So he would be immune to a Ghoul's paralyze, but not to Hold Person. And so on.
IDK if it is possible to do this for every undead effect, but it is a nice way to balance things. Even to mod the Undead Hunter the same way.
Well, this argument sounds a little 3rd Edition the way I see, where rangers got rid of the alignment restriction.
Either way, if you wanna use it, I recommend to forgot my LG-only disadvantage.
I really ain't comfortable with the Animate Dead, but it your mod
Maybe, if it's ok for you, I'll do my own version.
Nerfed a little my version of this kit:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/840041/#Comment_840041
I chose the hold/charm immunity because it would protect against common ghoul/vampire attacks. Death immunity is thematic though.
At first I was thinking of simply adding the spells to the spell book. If I were to do that, I'd like to take the animal/plant domain spells out as a disadvantage--exchanging magic over the living for magic over the undead. If opcode 172 worked more smoothly, I'd do it that way. Unfortunately, even though I can get it to remove spells from the spellbook, there's an instant at level-up where the removed spells are accessible. Not optimal.
But maybe I should give that up and merely add the spells against undead. If I were to do that, I might add Minor Restoration and Repulse Undead too.
Thoughts?
(1) I don't know how to apply new strings to HATERACE.2DA
(2) I have no idea how to set up the special ability. I've tried looking at the feat system of Might & Guile, and I can't quite follow how it's done.
Help? Help!