simplify? not keeping the flavor of IWD? i don't see how. we're not on the same page
"+2 of action" generally (but inconsistently) doesn't grant +1 APR but +1 DEX. do you agree that something should be done about this? (obviously this is stupid because +1 APR and +1 DEX have got literally nothing in common and the first is not an upgrade of the latter)
if you think the longsword of action +2 needs flavor (name+description+graphics) do you think all vanilla random loot should get the same treatment?
so if there are two similar items both with some distinct proc ("of phasing" effects), how would you rework those into two unique items?
i suppose you realize that some items have to stay generic-enchanted... but which? (i agree about renaming the hammer +4 defender, and "moradin's defender" sounds nice)
for example, a solid criteria would be that all flavorless-nongeneric weapons of +4 ench. level should get an "upgrade" to unique items. that includes longsword of action +4. but are you really going to create new graphics, write new descriptions and create even more unique names? i'm highly sceptical about the quality. it's humanely almost not possible to produce something completely seamless in this regard. so in my view, you are the one who is not keeping the flavor.
Uhm, no. You are confusing 2 items. Long sword of Action +2 grants +1 dex. The +4 version grants +1 APR.
And create icons? No. No need for that, I have plenty of icons to choose from, including from IWD2 (which despite what many might say, is not that different from the other IE games).
We are definitely not on the same page when it comes to your idea of merging items. I want a big pool of items and from what I saw on this boards, usually players want that too. More diversity, more replayability.
Yes, I am going to remove the duplicates of unique items. Yes, I am going to modify some of the generic + weapons that only have fancy descriptions. But I do not want to merge them with other weapons who just have generic descriptions.
Sorry, but in some points I am adamant on sticking to my own ideas on how the game should be balanced.
yeah, i meant that (Long sword of Action +2 grants +1 dex. The +4 version grants +1 APR.). my wording was unclear, i see now. i meant that the situation where "of action" grants confers either +1 APR or +1 DEX is untenable. i remember finding that annoying the very first time i played the game.
i wasn't trying to nag you about your mod or necessarily persuade you, just brainstorming "What improvements IWD needs" - so yeah, by all means please go ahead with your mod, i'm sure it's gonna be fine. but it's one of those mods, like a vast majority of others, in the best IE traditon, that takes what is already there, what players' expectations are, and adds a layer of flavory and groovy (and rebalance-y; okay, you remove those extraneous rings and a duplicate weapon here and there, but i still see that as fundamentally cosmetic) on top of that, and i've never thought that it's the best way to design mod content. sometimes you really need to rethink some game system, like itemization, especially in iwd since it is so dependent on it. there's a lot of clutter, lot of confusion, and little real quality, apart from item graphics, and a few neat descriptions
All right, I understand what you are saying. However, I still think that when it comes to IWD1, variety is good to have. Like I said, about certain abilities of generic weapons, those come from 2E edition. I don't have them right now, as I am at the office, but later on, I might be able to provide some description of those abilities. They are basically common enchantments of otherwise generic weapons.
A magic weapon does not necessarily has to have a history. Especially a history which can be discerned by a simple cast of an identify spell. Some weapons who have unique enhancements or who are unique in their balance&construction might be created by great mages, enchanters, artificiers and alike. Those usually have a history, they have a description and a name.
Frostbrand as an example, is a common enchantment. Unfortunately, it gained popularity as a possible unique item for one reason. In BG1&2 it was carried by Drizzt replacing Icingdeath. Obviously, found when you kill him. Btw, I killed him several times and I once apologized for it when discussing with RA Salvatore on his board.
Usually in a PnP D&D game when it comes to creating unique items, the player needs indications from DM on what ingredients he needs to build an unique item. Obviously, a high level mage or cleric and certain spells are required. Some of the enchantments can be placed on weapons without the need of help from DM. Those are the common enhancements, like Enforcer, Action, Quickness, Defender, Health, Resistance etc.
Now they might seem like generic enhancements, but those are just common items you can find during a usual PnP game. As such, in IWD1 they are used. When BIS made the game, they inspired themselves from the books on items. I think Volo's Guide for All Things Magical was used for creating the items in IWD1. As you probably noticed, they are a lot more varied than what you can find in BG1. That's one big part of the flavor of IWD1 which I want to keep.
As I said, first order of business is converting the original Auril's Bane and my extension to EE. Then I'll focus on adding things like items for specific kits, races and alike.
oh great point about p&p enchantments. i've looked into this a while back and while i had difficulty tracking the names (i remember seeing "defender" however it meant something else; i don't recall seing "of action"), i found some agreement with IWD naming, i found a lot of disagreement too - firstly, IWD is idiosyncratically inconsistent, while p&p is most definitely not...
so i think that maybe it's better to take a few cues from IWDII that has a much neater naming system...
i was theorycrafting this on that other topic i linked: (the presumption is that all +4 items become uniques, so the system doesn't deal with those and a goal is to remove the "+x" enchantment signifiers from names because they're unimmersive in a CRPG; therefore there are variants for higher and lower levels of enchantment)
defender becomes this: (i'm aware that "defender" exists in pnp but it's really something else) --- no +1 version of repelling: +10% slash/pierce, AC+1 sentinel- +15% slash/pierce, AC+2
of action becomes of speed: +1/2 APR (light crossbow of speed remains inconsistent but it's ok since it's a ranged weapon) --- no generic +2 version, but there are lots of unique +2 +1 APR weapons which scales well of flurry: +1 APR (IWDII: short sword of flurry +3)
flaming-, fire-, x: conflagration, x: incinerator becomes of flame (here goes the existing sword of flame, which is already generic; adding other weapons is not even necessary) of flaming burst (taken from iwdII) blazing-
[cold damage] of frost of frost burst (taken from iwdII) winter- (taken from iwdII)
of sparks becomes: --- no +1 version because electricity is a bit like a higher-tier element fulgurous- of shock (taken from iwdII)
corrosive- [acid damage] --- no +1 version because acid is a bit like a higher-tier element corrosive of dissolution
x: life giver azure- (like iwdII azure rod; the effect is a bit different) --- no +2 version glowing azure- (from iwdii)
sanctified- of favor --- no +2 version sanctified
proposed stats for these names (needs work, more of a proof of concept):
+1 of speed . . . . . . +1/2 APR (+1 APR for ranged) +2 --- +3 of flurry . . . . . +1 APR (+2 APR for ranged, theoretically)
+1 azure- . . . . . . . 10% chance to heal 1D6 hp +2 --- +3 glowing azure- . . . +5hp, 15% chance to heal 1d10 hp
+1 of favor . . . . . . extra cleric spell 1xlvl1 +2 --- +3 sanctified . . . . . extra cleric spell 2xlvl1, 1xlvl2, 1xlvl3
the thing is: when you have a consistent index of affixes, you can add every creatable weapon to every random chest (no higher tiers on early levels of course), and then, for the first time, it becomes a truly random experience
you can have corrosive scimitars, scimitars of phasing, scimitars of shock... there is no more underrepresented weapon types
i've even started writing custom descriptions for random weapons (based on the affix) - yeah, they don't need an epic backstory, i completely agree there, just something generalized but sufficiently distinctive and descriptive
Yeah, well, my idea was to add some descriptions to these items taken from PnP books, not just use the generic weapon description with that added phrase about enchantment at the end.
And don't even get me started about IWD2. I made an extensive mod there as well, although it was not weidu. I had restored content, modified and fixed (PnP) kits, races and large number of items taken from IWD1. I even had Paladin of Red Falcon instead of Paladin of Helm, even replacing the reference to this in dialogues.
i remember seeing some pnp descriptions and i thought they kinda sucked
for example, a description i wrote for a +3 mace that deals cold damage:
Normally an assemblage of distinct pieces, the whole length of this intricately decorated mace /or "blade" or other appropriate term/ looks completely melded together - as if it had been brought to form by a fine artisan for purposes of ceremony, which is likely also why it defies precise identification. It is only a powerful infused magic that makes it balanced and robust.
Held in hand, patches of hoarfrost start appearing on it's surface even though it does not feel any more cold to the touch.
so the format is: first paragraph - dependent on enchantment level second paragraph - dependent on the affix
edit: practically, this would be formatted as a single paragraph i suppose
I see. You mean the generic enchantments. Those I can agree on being changed in description.
Some of them might be more tempting to add descriptions.
Alternatively, some of these generic enchanted weapons could be removed from the pool of loot to be found and instead used as part of a additional component where the player can enchant common weapons with this effect.
A mage, like Orrick could create weapons (similar to Caspenar's approach), with certain weapons and ingredients. When I speak about ingredients, I mean them in PnP style, pieces of various monsters and gems. That would make the gems have value beyond just selling them. It would also make sense to allow mage stores to buy/sell gems as well. Obviously Orrick would only be able to create magic weapons with common arcane enchantments. The player could then go to the Temple of Ilmater and have those weapons enchanted with divine enchantments (like the "sanctified" enchantment for example).
hey that sounds good! i think you should find most ingredients such as gems in random chests (instead of weapons, but in greater number; however you'd find some weapons too, but much fewer). also, +3 weapons should maybe only be craftable with a masterwork weapon base, and i think those should be pretty limited (about one of each type)
+2 or +3 enchantments could be done by blacksmiths using magic tools (including magic fire). At least that's what some of the D&D manuals hint at. Not necessarily the need for a mage to be involved. Also, for some items of dwarven construction, where arcane magic is definitely not possible, runes play the role of arcane enchantment.
And I also remember reading in an older manual (I don't remember if it was 2E or 3E) about blacksmiths being able to build items from magicked raw material, which avoids the whole idea of enchantment.
Also, if feasible and if I ever find the time to implement it, this component would lead to massive build-up of items after the player visits Wyrm Tooth Glacier, due to high number of gems and also possibly recipes (taken from Severed Hand and Upper Dorn's Deep) found there.
The whole process of building items of great power and enchanting has been hinted in IWD1, due to inspiration from PnP manuals. It was then taken by the team who developed BG2 and later on ToB, although the process there was simplified: "Bring the 2 items and I'll merge them to create a very powerful artifact (no hint on why this was not done before)".
I think Icewind Dale has a lot of potential for gameplay modding (given it's almost perfectly linear story). As long as you're careful and how and when XP is awarded, you can control with relative precision what level parties of various sizes are at any given point, which allows you to fine-tune the rewards offered. Because of this, it makes IWD an excellent playground for the mechanical side of the games.
Bounded Accuracy 5th Edition streamlined a lot of 5th Edition progression by adopting a system called Bounded Accuracy. In this system, your "proficiency bonus" (think BAB and saves and skills all rolled into one) scales from +2 at 1st to +6 at 20th. The difference in melee attack bonus for a 1st Level Fighter (with 16 Strength) and a 20th Level Fighter (with 20 Strength) is only +6 (1st: +5, 20th: +11). Once you factor in magic weapons (capped at +3 for artifacts) and some minor magic buffs, that difference might be +10 or even +12 in a bounded accuracy system.
Compare that to 2E, where the difference on melee hit bonus between a 1st level Fighter with 16 Strength and a 20th level Fighter with 20 Strength is +23! A 20th level Fighter can consistently hit things that a 1st level Fighter could never hit, even on a critical hit.
I think adopting this kind of design for Icewind Dale would be neat because it would mean that most of your party will always be on a mostly level playing field for what they can or can't hit (e.g. if your Fighter can hit it with their greatsword, then your Rogue can hit it with their crossbow, and your Mages can hit it with their spells). There would be few if any encounters where only one person can contribute to damage and the rest of the party just sits there body-blocking and waiting for the two actual combatants to resolve their differences.
Roguelike/ARPG Itemization If you've played Path of Exile or Diablo then this idea will seem familiar (to an extent). I haven't thought about the exact implementation of this system yet, but I think it would be interesting and tie into the random item availability that a lot of players are looking for. To generate an item in this system, you would randomly add modifiers (e.g. "Radiant..." or "... of Frost" onto a base weapon such as a Longsword). The Infinity Engine unfortunately isn't innately able to handle this, which means you would need to generate item files for every. single. combination., which be a bit of a turn off.
Let's say that you somehow manage to have all the files you need. You can then have, whenever a magic item should be awarded, players roll on a massive table to see what they get. You could even have tiers of items, where items rolled earlier in the game would have fewer modifiers or modifiers with less intensity. You could probably also tie this into a crafting system (like Path of Exile's or whatever), where useless items can be reforged or disenchanted to provide resources that you actually want.
Icewind Dale Trilogy Now that IWD is in a nice, well-behaved engine, you could probably drag IWD2 into it (via a rather large amount of automated conversion, some of which would presumably be taken from IWD2-in-BG2), and them somehow weave those two stories together. I think it would be less work that one would expect to then have IWD lead into IWD2 Heart of Fury mode without too much annoyance. That might not be the kind of epic end-game you're looking for, but it would be a start.
Broader Weapon Classes Making weapon proficiencies more expansive (e.g. Heavy Blades that contains all Greatswords, Bastard Swords, and Katanas), would eliminate the trap proficiencies like Katana. This would work particularly well if different base items had different base stats (e.g. Greatswords deal 2d6, Katanas deal 1d10 but have increased crit range, etc.) That way, when you find a cool weapon, you don't have to immediately discard it because it is a Dagger and your character is only built for Shortswords.
If you provided them with enough frequency, then dry spells where everything being dropped was unusable by everyone would be incredibly infrequent, but if that proved false you could always do entropic randomness to make sure that things are evenly distributed.
Also yeah, my concern with item generation is that combinatorics grow exponentially by definition, which means that you would need to be very careful about limitations of the random item generation process. You also need to be careful with such a large field of possibilities, or you very well run the risk of running out of 8 character names, but that's a bridge to cross at a later point.
Icewind Dale DESPERATELY needs NPCs. I know, I know, there is one already, but they are all boring elves and half elves (blegh). There needs to be NPC variety.
@ThacoBell , oh absolutely. NPCs would be a welcome addition to the game now that they are fully supported and not just a hacky workaround (not that I don't love myself a good hacky workaround... like all of Tome and Blood's cool features).
Distributing them organically might prove to be a bit of a challenge though, as you really need to have most of a full party by the time you enter the Vale of Shadows, which only leaves you 4 maps to place people (Easthaven, Cave, Kuldahar Pass, Kuldahar) with enough variety to accommodate most PCs.
Depends on the player I suppose. I like to constantly rotate npcs out througout the game. One could even populate the area the npc is recruited with a personal quest for them.
@ThacoBell , while you could space NPCs out more after that, you still need to be able to assemble most of an adventuring party before you set off to the Vale of Shadows. So the first 4 maps need to be particularly dense at the beginning of the game.
Honestly, I've always thought there were three easy converts for joinable NPCs in Easthaven itself. Accalia (the acolyte at the Tempus Temple), Erevain (the elf at the Snowdrift Inn), and Hildreth (the dwarf in the starting tavern) would be three early (and great) NPC candidates.
Given that the story centers around the story of Jerrod's sacrifice, Accalia could be a great source to augment the main storyline. Same can be said for the importance of Tempus in the HoW events.
Similarly, Erevain and Hildreth could provide (dueling) accounts of the elf-dwarf feud; Erevain has an additional storytelling hook in that his cousin is Xan.
@CamDawg , yeah I was gonna suggest the Acolyte of Tempus in the temple but I didn't think who else would be good. All three of them seem like prime choices.
For reference for other interested parties:
Accalia: TN Female Human Priest of Tempus / STR 14 DEX 14 CON 11 INT 16 WIS 16 CHA 14 Erevain Blacksheaf: CG Male Elf Fighter / STR 17 DEX 16 CON 8 INT 11 WIS 12 CHA 11 Hildreth Highhammer: NG Female Dwarf Fighter / STR 16 DEX 9 CON 17 INT 9 WIS 9 CHA 9
Hildreth obviously needs a bit of retooling stat/class-wise but those three should be able to get you through the Easthaven Cave at the very least. Erevain even starts with a unique +2 Broadsword (which might need to be tuned down a bit).
A quick look through the rest of the game suggests that other than maybe Aldwin (the false innkeeper who stole the Evening Shade Inn after the owner disappeared), there are few options for NPCs based on existing characters.
Yeah, I don't think I'd necessarily keep Erevain's or Hildreth's in-game stats or classes. Hildreth as a fighter is fine (or kit her as a dwarven defender), but Erevain could be shifted to a ranger or fighter-mage multiclass so you can have a little more of a rounded party coming out of Easthaven.
@CamDawg@aquadrizzt maybe even Hildreth or Erevain could be multiclassed as a fighter/thief? I feel like that would round out the party nicely. I think story wise you could even add a character in the first cave where you find the caravan remains. Having a prisoner stuck inside would be a great choice. Maybe even have a few characters in Kuldahar or dragon eye as possible additions? Heck even a restless spirit or other remnants of an adventuring party would be doable in any either of those locations. Granted that is just my thought.
I think that if you want to have the Dwarf vs. Elf perspective fully realized, then Hildreth being a Defender and Erevain being a Ranger (or Fighter/Mage) would adequately emphasize each of them as a good representative of dwarvish and elven culture.
I'd love to have some weirder companions; my understanding is that the Dales are a pretty "accepting" place (in the "don't start unnecessary fights" way not in the "oh yeah I'm totally fine with your Ogre friend" way).
Some random options: - Jhonen, the guy with the family sword [Easthaven] - Prisoner from the caravan [Easthaven Cave] - Ghereg, the ogre whose headache you cure [Kuldahar Pass] - Aldwin, the unscrupulous innkeeper [Kuldahar] - Mytos the Bonesinger [Black Wolf Temple] - Prisoner of the lizardmen [Dragon's Eye 1] - Ancient elven ghost [Severed Hand] - Vera, the slave leader [Aquatic Museum]
@Aquadrizzt Awesome selection! What do you think about that goblin lackey in the wizards tower in Kuldahar? Lysan the priest of Auril would be an interesting choice for an evil party as well I think.
Ooooh I had forgotten about those two. Weenog would certainly be a unique Mage or Mage/Thief. Maybe a Wild Mage? Lysan could also fill in as an evil Cleric option, but aren't there a few plot points that assume her death?
@Aquadrizzt It revolves around Kressalack giving you information that he really doesn't have as I recall. You could team with her and kill him and have her give you the information in his place since it is a vague danger is to the north speech. I don't see anywhere else other than the tavern seen where you get her items she left that it would matter. @CamDawg Thanks for the assist on Weenog. I could not remember his name to save my life.
Yeah, you'd have to rework the Vale of Shadows storyline quite a bit for Lysan. Not to mention, while the Ten Towns are pretty accepting they do make exceptions to dislike Aurilites. Arundel would have severe misgivings about helping a party with Lysan present, at the least.
@Aquadrizzt Awesome selection! What do you think about that goblin lackey in the wizards tower in Kuldahar? Lysan the priest of Auril would be an interesting choice for an evil party as well I think.
Heh, posted at the same time--I didn't even see this before I posted Weenog. Weenog, plus the three I already mentioned and a new-from-scratch thief, were part of my pitch for an IWD NPC pack (with Erevain as a F/M).
If you removed the bard dependency from Jhonen's Sword (or made Jhonen a Bard), then you could have Jhonen be a rather generic guy who is empowered by his family's magical (maybe even Intelligent) sword. That's always a fun trope.
Ghereg could be either a Barbarian or a Monk. There might be some potential for subverting the pious/contemplative Monk trope if you wanted to go that route.
Weenog would be a cool Mage character (using the Goblin Shaman animations and it should be fine). He'd have a lot of... amusing interaction with Ghereg I'd imagine.
Aldwin could be your bog standard evil (or even chaotic neutral, if you are willing to change his alignment) halfling rogue who's in it for the money.
Mytos could fill the role of evil undead priest in an interesting way, although I doubt many of the other priests you run into will have much patience for his presence.
If Lysan is fine then she'd offer another flavor of evil Priest, and Auril is especially relevant to most of the Icewind Dale series. Aurilites attract all manner of negative attention though, possibly even more than having an undead priest of Myrkul would.
Vera could offer an alternative to a Thief if Aldwin is not to your liking, although she comes up super late in the game. (when will someone drag IWD2 into the IWD engine...)
I guess you could also have Oswald have an apprentice that you can pick up (who could be an artificer-type thief), but if you just go roaming around the town abducting people's apprentices that might be too much.
Comments
"+2 of action" generally (but inconsistently) doesn't grant +1 APR but +1 DEX. do you agree that something should be done about this? (obviously this is stupid because +1 APR and +1 DEX have got literally nothing in common and the first is not an upgrade of the latter)
if you think the longsword of action +2 needs flavor (name+description+graphics) do you think all vanilla random loot should get the same treatment?
so if there are two similar items both with some distinct proc ("of phasing" effects), how would you rework those into two unique items?
i suppose you realize that some items have to stay generic-enchanted... but which? (i agree about renaming the hammer +4 defender, and "moradin's defender" sounds nice)
for example, a solid criteria would be that all flavorless-nongeneric weapons of +4 ench. level should get an "upgrade" to unique items. that includes longsword of action +4. but are you really going to create new graphics, write new descriptions and create even more unique names? i'm highly sceptical about the quality. it's humanely almost not possible to produce something completely seamless in this regard. so in my view, you are the one who is not keeping the flavor.
And create icons? No. No need for that, I have plenty of icons to choose from, including from IWD2 (which despite what many might say, is not that different from the other IE games).
We are definitely not on the same page when it comes to your idea of merging items. I want a big pool of items and from what I saw on this boards, usually players want that too. More diversity, more replayability.
Yes, I am going to remove the duplicates of unique items. Yes, I am going to modify some of the generic + weapons that only have fancy descriptions. But I do not want to merge them with other weapons who just have generic descriptions.
Sorry, but in some points I am adamant on sticking to my own ideas on how the game should be balanced.
i wasn't trying to nag you about your mod or necessarily persuade you, just brainstorming "What improvements IWD needs" - so yeah, by all means please go ahead with your mod, i'm sure it's gonna be fine. but it's one of those mods, like a vast majority of others, in the best IE traditon, that takes what is already there, what players' expectations are, and adds a layer of flavory and groovy (and rebalance-y; okay, you remove those extraneous rings and a duplicate weapon here and there, but i still see that as fundamentally cosmetic) on top of that, and i've never thought that it's the best way to design mod content. sometimes you really need to rethink some game system, like itemization, especially in iwd since it is so dependent on it. there's a lot of clutter, lot of confusion, and little real quality, apart from item graphics, and a few neat descriptions
A magic weapon does not necessarily has to have a history. Especially a history which can be discerned by a simple cast of an identify spell. Some weapons who have unique enhancements or who are unique in their balance&construction might be created by great mages, enchanters, artificiers and alike. Those usually have a history, they have a description and a name.
Frostbrand as an example, is a common enchantment. Unfortunately, it gained popularity as a possible unique item for one reason. In BG1&2 it was carried by Drizzt replacing Icingdeath. Obviously, found when you kill him. Btw, I killed him several times and I once apologized for it when discussing with RA Salvatore on his board.
Usually in a PnP D&D game when it comes to creating unique items, the player needs indications from DM on what ingredients he needs to build an unique item. Obviously, a high level mage or cleric and certain spells are required. Some of the enchantments can be placed on weapons without the need of help from DM. Those are the common enhancements, like Enforcer, Action, Quickness, Defender, Health, Resistance etc.
Now they might seem like generic enhancements, but those are just common items you can find during a usual PnP game. As such, in IWD1 they are used. When BIS made the game, they inspired themselves from the books on items. I think Volo's Guide for All Things Magical was used for creating the items in IWD1. As you probably noticed, they are a lot more varied than what you can find in BG1. That's one big part of the flavor of IWD1 which I want to keep.
As I said, first order of business is converting the original Auril's Bane and my extension to EE. Then I'll focus on adding things like items for specific kits, races and alike.
so i think that maybe it's better to take a few cues from IWDII that has a much neater naming system...
i was theorycrafting this on that other topic i linked:
(the presumption is that all +4 items become uniques, so the system doesn't deal with those
and a goal is to remove the "+x" enchantment signifiers from names because they're unimmersive in a CRPG; therefore there are variants for higher and lower levels of enchantment)
--- no +1 version
of repelling: +10% slash/pierce, AC+1
sentinel- +15% slash/pierce, AC+2
of action becomes
of speed: +1/2 APR (light crossbow of speed remains inconsistent but it's ok since it's a ranged weapon)
--- no generic +2 version, but there are lots of unique +2 +1 APR weapons which scales well
of flurry: +1 APR (IWDII: short sword of flurry +3)
flaming-, fire-, x: conflagration, x: incinerator becomes
of flame (here goes the existing sword of flame, which is already generic; adding other weapons is not even necessary)
of flaming burst (taken from iwdII)
blazing-
[cold damage]
of frost
of frost burst (taken from iwdII)
winter- (taken from iwdII)
of sparks becomes:
--- no +1 version because electricity is a bit like a higher-tier element
fulgurous-
of shock (taken from iwdII)
corrosive- [acid damage]
--- no +1 version because acid is a bit like a higher-tier element
corrosive
of dissolution
x: life giver
azure- (like iwdII azure rod; the effect is a bit different)
--- no +2 version
glowing azure- (from iwdii)
sanctified-
of favor
--- no +2 version
sanctified
proposed stats for these names (needs work, more of a proof of concept):
+2 ---
+3 of flurry . . . . . +1 APR (+2 APR for ranged, theoretically)
+1 ---
+2 of repelling . . . . +10% slash/pierce, AC+1
+3 sentinel . . . . . . +15% slash/pierce, AC+2
+1 of phasing . . . . . 10% phasing
+2 of greater phasing . 15% phasing
+3 of disembodiment . . 30% phasing
+1 of flame . . . . . . +1 fire
+2 of flaming burst . . 25% +1d6 fire
+3 blazing- . . . . . . +2 fire, 25% +1d6 fire
+1 of frost . . . . . . +1 cold
+2 of frost burst . . . 25% +1d6 cold
+3 winter- . . . . . . +2 cold, 25% +1d6 cold
+1 ---
+2 fulgurous- . . . . . +1 electrical
+3 of shock . . . . . . 25% +1d6 electrical
+1 ---
+2 corrosive . . . . . +1 acid
+3 of dissolution . . . 25% +1d6 acid
+1 azure- . . . . . . . 10% chance to heal 1D6 hp
+2 ---
+3 glowing azure- . . . +5hp, 15% chance to heal 1d10 hp
+1 of favor . . . . . . extra cleric spell 1xlvl1
+2 ---
+3 sanctified . . . . . extra cleric spell 2xlvl1, 1xlvl2, 1xlvl3
the thing is: when you have a consistent index of affixes, you can add every creatable weapon to every random chest (no higher tiers on early levels of course), and then, for the first time, it becomes a truly random experience
you can have corrosive scimitars, scimitars of phasing, scimitars of shock... there is no more underrepresented weapon types
i've even started writing custom descriptions for random weapons (based on the affix) - yeah, they don't need an epic backstory, i completely agree there, just something generalized but sufficiently distinctive and descriptive
And don't even get me started about IWD2. I made an extensive mod there as well, although it was not weidu. I had restored content, modified and fixed (PnP) kits, races and large number of items taken from IWD1. I even had Paladin of Red Falcon instead of Paladin of Helm, even replacing the reference to this in dialogues.
for example, a description i wrote for a +3 mace that deals cold damage:
Normally an assemblage of distinct pieces, the whole length of this intricately decorated mace /or "blade" or other appropriate term/ looks completely melded together - as if it had been brought to form by a fine artisan for purposes of ceremony, which is likely also why it defies precise identification. It is only a powerful infused magic that makes it balanced and robust.
Held in hand, patches of hoarfrost start appearing on it's surface even though it does not feel any more cold to the touch.
so the format is:
first paragraph - dependent on enchantment level
second paragraph - dependent on the affix
edit: practically, this would be formatted as a single paragraph i suppose
Some of them might be more tempting to add descriptions.
Alternatively, some of these generic enchanted weapons could be removed from the pool of loot to be found and instead used as part of a additional component where the player can enchant common weapons with this effect.
A mage, like Orrick could create weapons (similar to Caspenar's approach), with certain weapons and ingredients. When I speak about ingredients, I mean them in PnP style, pieces of various monsters and gems. That would make the gems have value beyond just selling them.
It would also make sense to allow mage stores to buy/sell gems as well.
Obviously Orrick would only be able to create magic weapons with common arcane enchantments. The player could then go to the Temple of Ilmater and have those weapons enchanted with divine enchantments (like the "sanctified" enchantment for example).
And I also remember reading in an older manual (I don't remember if it was 2E or 3E) about blacksmiths being able to build items from magicked raw material, which avoids the whole idea of enchantment.
Also, if feasible and if I ever find the time to implement it, this component would lead to massive build-up of items after the player visits Wyrm Tooth Glacier, due to high number of gems and also possibly recipes (taken from Severed Hand and Upper Dorn's Deep) found there.
The whole process of building items of great power and enchanting has been hinted in IWD1, due to inspiration from PnP manuals. It was then taken by the team who developed BG2 and later on ToB, although the process there was simplified: "Bring the 2 items and I'll merge them to create a very powerful artifact (no hint on why this was not done before)".
Bounded Accuracy
5th Edition streamlined a lot of 5th Edition progression by adopting a system called Bounded Accuracy. In this system, your "proficiency bonus" (think BAB and saves and skills all rolled into one) scales from +2 at 1st to +6 at 20th. The difference in melee attack bonus for a 1st Level Fighter (with 16 Strength) and a 20th Level Fighter (with 20 Strength) is only +6 (1st: +5, 20th: +11). Once you factor in magic weapons (capped at +3 for artifacts) and some minor magic buffs, that difference might be +10 or even +12 in a bounded accuracy system.
Compare that to 2E, where the difference on melee hit bonus between a 1st level Fighter with 16 Strength and a 20th level Fighter with 20 Strength is +23! A 20th level Fighter can consistently hit things that a 1st level Fighter could never hit, even on a critical hit.
I think adopting this kind of design for Icewind Dale would be neat because it would mean that most of your party will always be on a mostly level playing field for what they can or can't hit (e.g. if your Fighter can hit it with their greatsword, then your Rogue can hit it with their crossbow, and your Mages can hit it with their spells). There would be few if any encounters where only one person can contribute to damage and the rest of the party just sits there body-blocking and waiting for the two actual combatants to resolve their differences.
Roguelike/ARPG Itemization
If you've played Path of Exile or Diablo then this idea will seem familiar (to an extent). I haven't thought about the exact implementation of this system yet, but I think it would be interesting and tie into the random item availability that a lot of players are looking for. To generate an item in this system, you would randomly add modifiers (e.g. "Radiant..." or "... of Frost" onto a base weapon such as a Longsword). The Infinity Engine unfortunately isn't innately able to handle this, which means you would need to generate item files for every. single. combination., which be a bit of a turn off.
Let's say that you somehow manage to have all the files you need. You can then have, whenever a magic item should be awarded, players roll on a massive table to see what they get. You could even have tiers of items, where items rolled earlier in the game would have fewer modifiers or modifiers with less intensity. You could probably also tie this into a crafting system (like Path of Exile's or whatever), where useless items can be reforged or disenchanted to provide resources that you actually want.
Icewind Dale Trilogy
Now that IWD is in a nice, well-behaved engine, you could probably drag IWD2 into it (via a rather large amount of automated conversion, some of which would presumably be taken from IWD2-in-BG2), and them somehow weave those two stories together. I think it would be less work that one would expect to then have IWD lead into IWD2 Heart of Fury mode without too much annoyance. That might not be the kind of epic end-game you're looking for, but it would be a start.
Broader Weapon Classes
Making weapon proficiencies more expansive (e.g. Heavy Blades that contains all Greatswords, Bastard Swords, and Katanas), would eliminate the trap proficiencies like Katana. This would work particularly well if different base items had different base stats (e.g. Greatswords deal 2d6, Katanas deal 1d10 but have increased crit range, etc.) That way, when you find a cool weapon, you don't have to immediately discard it because it is a Dagger and your character is only built for Shortswords.
Also yeah, my concern with item generation is that combinatorics grow exponentially by definition, which means that you would need to be very careful about limitations of the random item generation process. You also need to be careful with such a large field of possibilities, or you very well run the risk of running out of 8 character names, but that's a bridge to cross at a later point.
Distributing them organically might prove to be a bit of a challenge though, as you really need to have most of a full party by the time you enter the Vale of Shadows, which only leaves you 4 maps to place people (Easthaven, Cave, Kuldahar Pass, Kuldahar) with enough variety to accommodate most PCs.
Possibly too dense to be plausible...
Given that the story centers around the story of Jerrod's sacrifice, Accalia could be a great source to augment the main storyline. Same can be said for the importance of Tempus in the HoW events.
Similarly, Erevain and Hildreth could provide (dueling) accounts of the elf-dwarf feud; Erevain has an additional storytelling hook in that his cousin is Xan.
For reference for other interested parties:
Accalia: TN Female Human Priest of Tempus / STR 14 DEX 14 CON 11 INT 16 WIS 16 CHA 14
Erevain Blacksheaf: CG Male Elf Fighter / STR 17 DEX 16 CON 8 INT 11 WIS 12 CHA 11
Hildreth Highhammer: NG Female Dwarf Fighter / STR 16 DEX 9 CON 17 INT 9 WIS 9 CHA 9
Hildreth obviously needs a bit of retooling stat/class-wise but those three should be able to get you through the Easthaven Cave at the very least. Erevain even starts with a unique +2 Broadsword (which might need to be tuned down a bit).
A quick look through the rest of the game suggests that other than maybe Aldwin (the false innkeeper who stole the Evening Shade Inn after the owner disappeared), there are few options for NPCs based on existing characters.
I'd love to have some weirder companions; my understanding is that the Dales are a pretty "accepting" place (in the "don't start unnecessary fights" way not in the "oh yeah I'm totally fine with your Ogre friend" way).
Some random options:
- Jhonen, the guy with the family sword [Easthaven]
- Prisoner from the caravan [Easthaven Cave]
- Ghereg, the ogre whose headache you cure [Kuldahar Pass]
- Aldwin, the unscrupulous innkeeper [Kuldahar]
- Mytos the Bonesinger [Black Wolf Temple]
- Prisoner of the lizardmen [Dragon's Eye 1]
- Ancient elven ghost [Severed Hand]
- Vera, the slave leader [Aquatic Museum]
Ghereg could be either a Barbarian or a Monk. There might be some potential for subverting the pious/contemplative Monk trope if you wanted to go that route.
Weenog would be a cool Mage character (using the Goblin Shaman animations and it should be fine). He'd have a lot of... amusing interaction with Ghereg I'd imagine.
Aldwin could be your bog standard evil (or even chaotic neutral, if you are willing to change his alignment) halfling rogue who's in it for the money.
Mytos could fill the role of evil undead priest in an interesting way, although I doubt many of the other priests you run into will have much patience for his presence.
If Lysan is fine then she'd offer another flavor of evil Priest, and Auril is especially relevant to most of the Icewind Dale series. Aurilites attract all manner of negative attention though, possibly even more than having an undead priest of Myrkul would.
Vera could offer an alternative to a Thief if Aldwin is not to your liking, although she comes up super late in the game. (when will someone drag IWD2 into the IWD engine...)
I guess you could also have Oswald have an apprentice that you can pick up (who could be an artificer-type thief), but if you just go roaming around the town abducting people's apprentices that might be too much.