I'm sure you've already thought about it - your mods being usually well written - but if you haven't, interaction between Caelar and Irenicus could be nice Super nice project though, I must say I am quite hyped right now.
Hello, thank you all! Unfortunately, because I'm taking a couple of classes over summer, I'll have less time to dedicate to modding. Progress will be slow, probably nonexistent, until late June/early July.
Hello, thank you all! Unfortunately, because I'm taking a couple of classes over summer, I'll have less time to dedicate to modding. Progress will be slow, probably nonexistent, until late June/early July.
Considering I've played this game on and off since 1998 I don't think a few extra months wait to replay it again is going to affect me much :-)
The mod is still very much in early production stages with writing and plot being planned beforehand, so it'll be a while before it sees release. It's a lot more resource and work heavy than my other simpler mods so don't expect it to be done any time soon. In the meantime, expect one, maybe two other NPC mods soon
I've noticed that there's been a resurgence in discussion on Caelar and SoD in general, and this mod's been mentioned a few times. I'm sorry to say that progress has still been slow, but in light of the recent rise of interest I've gone back to drafting on the mod's plot. I'm aware that I've been very cryptic regarding the details of the mod, and deliberately so, but if there's any questions people want to ask I'll be happy to answer at my own discretion.
I've noticed that there's been a resurgence in discussion on Caelar and SoD in general, and this mod's been mentioned a few times. I'm sorry to say that progress has still been slow, but in light of the recent rise of interest I've gone back to drafting on the mod's plot. I'm aware that I've been very cryptic regarding the details of the mod, and deliberately so, but if there's any questions people want to ask I'll be happy to answer at my own discretion.
Actually the mod discussed recently for SoD (https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/960414/#Comment_960414 and afterwards) wasn't yours. Yours sems to be about what happens to Caelar after SoD, I understood. Discussion was more about having an alternative within SoD to side with her against Mr.H and his master. There is a mod that provides that http://www.shsforums.net/topic/59746-mod-shine-on-caelar-part-1/. That mod however does not change anything in SoD outcome, it's just an alternative to reach the portal in Dragonspear. Once you are there, the original game continues including all of Caelar. I tested it and Caelar events during Avernus are the same and ending is also same. In the other mod it says this:
Part 2 is currently suspended for release until details about a possible other mod that may bring Caelar back to the game are known. This is to avoid overlap or incompatibility. (Note that part 1 stays true to the original SoD contents concerning Caelar and therefore should be compatible with any mod that adds her in later parts.)
Sounds like care is taken not to overlap with your planning. And maybe not do part 2 if yours covers same topic?
Me too. I've been looking forward to the idea for a long time.
@Artemius_I - were you still planning on the "Caelar joins at a decently higher level, but progresses slower" idea? I've always wondered how that would balance out.
Caelar will join with the same gear and experience as in SoD (1.75m) but have a permanent -20% penalty to experience gained. While she is very powerful when recruited, she will lag behind your other party members quickly. That being said, she will gain some strong ability and exp rewards that make sure she doesn't fall off the radar by SoA endgame.
Also, the quest that leads to her recruitment is designed for a party of roughly 1m experience's worth of levels, so she won't have over double or triple the party's experience.
Mild spoilers (though the contents no longer really apply):
The original draft had a curse placed upon her that would incur a -50% penalty to experience until further in her plot. However it had bad results when tested and was scrapped.
I'm curious as to how you are approaching writing her. She is one of the more polarizing characters and even among the people who like her, interpretations of her character/motives vary greatly.
Hard to summarize, but being humbled by the events of SoD has changed her - for better and worse. That said, she’s still a stubborn, conflicted person who will repeatedly defend her actions, but the PC has plenty of opportunities to challenge her. Or the less patient will want to throw her back into Avernus after a few talks. The one thing she has accepted is how her actions have caused harm to the undeserving and that has left her a rather broken, bitter person. She’s accepted her fate in hell as a sort of twisted penance - you’re not there to save her, you’re there to convince her to leave.
“I am the Shining Lady no longer.” - Caelar Argent
For a counterpart comparison (Dragon Age: Origins spoilers)
Her interactions with the PC will be similar to those with Grey Warden Loghain.
Caelar will join with the same gear and experience as in SoD (1.75m) but have a permanent -20% penalty to experience gained. While she is very powerful when recruited, she will lag behind your other party members quickly. That being said, she will gain some strong ability and exp rewards that make sure she doesn't fall off the radar by SoA endgame.
Also, the quest that leads to her recruitment is designed for a party of roughly 1m experience's worth of levels, so she won't have over double or triple the party's experience.
Mild spoilers (though the contents no longer really apply):
The original draft had a curse placed upon her that would incur a -50% penalty to experience until further in her plot. However it had bad results when tested and was scrapped.
Bad results, huh? I guess she fell behind too quickly?
Anyways - At first, I was thinking that this might be pretty frustrating - but I guess it makes a kind of sense. Different classes in BG2 excel at different points in time, she'll be no different.
CHAMPION OF THE ASTER: Followers of Lathander that are born with the blood of the Upper Planes train to become Champions of the Aster and are granted divine powers directly from the Morninglord to spread light and destroy evil throughout the Realms.
Advantages: - +1 to maximum Wisdom and Charisma. - +3 to hit and damage against demons and devils. - May cast the priest spell Bless as an innate ability once per day. Gains one use at level 1 and an additional use every 10 levels thereafter. - May cast the priest spell Cure Critical Wounds as an ability three times a day starting at level 10. - May cast Shining Bolt once per day starting at level 12. Gains an additional use every 10 levels thereafter.
SHINING BOLT: This unique ability allows the user to hurl a bolt of divine energy at an enemy once per day, dealing them 5d6 points of magic damage. Undead creatures and fiends are particularly susceptible to the bolt's effects, suffering double damage when they are struck. The target's Magic Resistance, if any, does not affect this ability.
- May choose Summon Deva as a High Level Ability.
Disadvantages: - Receives a -20% penalty to all experience gained. - Must be an aasimar. - Alignment restricted to good.
Comments
thanks for the update!
good to see you are still working on it. i'm especially curious about the last point you mentioned in the spoiler section.
Super nice project though, I must say I am quite hyped right now.
Yours sems to be about what happens to Caelar after SoD, I understood. Discussion was more about having an alternative within SoD to side with her against Mr.H and his master. There is a mod that provides that http://www.shsforums.net/topic/59746-mod-shine-on-caelar-part-1/. That mod however does not change anything in SoD outcome, it's just an alternative to reach the portal in Dragonspear. Once you are there, the original game continues including all of Caelar. I tested it and Caelar events during Avernus are the same and ending is also same.
In the other mod it says this:
Sounds like care is taken not to overlap with your planning. And maybe not do part 2 if yours covers same topic?
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/957833/#Comment_957833
Alternate portrait, based of SoD intro, baldurized.
@Artemius_I - were you still planning on the "Caelar joins at a decently higher level, but progresses slower" idea? I've always wondered how that would balance out.
Caelar will join with the same gear and experience as in SoD (1.75m) but have a permanent -20% penalty to experience gained. While she is very powerful when recruited, she will lag behind your other party members quickly. That being said, she will gain some strong ability and exp rewards that make sure she doesn't fall off the radar by SoA endgame.
Also, the quest that leads to her recruitment is designed for a party of roughly 1m experience's worth of levels, so she won't have over double or triple the party's experience.
Mild spoilers (though the contents no longer really apply):
Hard to summarize, but being humbled by the events of SoD has changed her - for better and worse. That said, she’s still a stubborn, conflicted person who will repeatedly defend her actions, but the PC has plenty of opportunities to challenge her. Or the less patient will want to throw her back into Avernus after a few talks. The one thing she has accepted is how her actions have caused harm to the undeserving and that has left her a rather broken, bitter person. She’s accepted her fate in hell as a sort of twisted penance - you’re not there to save her, you’re there to convince her to leave.
“I am the Shining Lady no longer.” - Caelar Argent
For a counterpart comparison (Dragon Age: Origins spoilers)
Bad results, huh? I guess she fell behind too quickly?
Anyways - At first, I was thinking that this might be pretty frustrating - but I guess it makes a kind of sense. Different classes in BG2 excel at different points in time, she'll be no different.
Advantages:
- +1 to maximum Wisdom and Charisma.
- +3 to hit and damage against demons and devils.
- May cast the priest spell Bless as an innate ability once per day. Gains one use at level 1 and an additional use every 10 levels thereafter.
- May cast the priest spell Cure Critical Wounds as an ability three times a day starting at level 10.
- May cast Shining Bolt once per day starting at level 12. Gains an additional use every 10 levels thereafter.
SHINING BOLT: This unique ability allows the user to hurl a bolt of divine energy at an enemy once per day, dealing them 5d6 points of magic damage. Undead creatures and fiends are particularly susceptible to the bolt's effects, suffering double damage when they are struck. The target's Magic Resistance, if any, does not affect this ability.
- May choose Summon Deva as a High Level Ability.
Disadvantages:
- Receives a -20% penalty to all experience gained.
- Must be an aasimar.
- Alignment restricted to good.