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Your thoughts about Kivan's and Nathaniel's mod, please

DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Hey there!
I'm thinking of playing my next SoA run with Minsc, Kivan (Mod), Nathaniel (mod/romance) , yoshimo/Imoen and the 6th slot is reserved for npc quests and sarevo in ToB. I was wondering if you could help me with a couple of things:

1- Party composition:
My protagonist might be a cleric or a bard, while my companions consist of an armored tank, an unarmored kensai and an archer (and yoshimo, but he's more of a support character). Do you think that keeping a rod of ressurection and several potions (healing and buffing) make up for the lack of spellcasters?

2-Have any of you tried Kivan's bg2 mod? Is it good? I have read about it but I don't intend to have Deheriana in my party .

3-About Nathaniel's mod, I have read good things about it but there also seem to be complaints about possible bugs. Have any of you tried it on the EE version?

Thanks in advance!

Comments

  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    edited November 2017
    The Kivan Mod is very good, but there's a big IF/BUT.

    You need to be "in love" with Kivan because you need the patience of a saint to see the romance through.

    It's hard, really hard to work out what answers to give otherwise the romance gets ended.
    You have to "kill" Deiriananana completely by ensuring that your romance score is high enough and then having a conversation with Avril in Spellhold (the one in the cells who sees demons, so your party has to get taken to SH by the pirate king, not using the wardstone way, so Kivan can talk to her).

    And even then, if you come on a bit strong to the angsty elf, forget it.

    The alternative is you going loveless and Deheiriananana coming back later in game.

    Edited to add

    It's a great mod though. One of the best for dialog IMO because there are actual conversations about what you are doing, comments on the quests ect.

    Also, I don't think you can be at all involved with any other romance, not at all.
  • EsoxGreenEsoxGreen Member Posts: 2
    I didn't plan to install Kivan because I wasn't a big fan of his personality in BG1 and preferred to use Coran but somehow ended up with him in BG2.

    The mod is great - the writing is very good so far and Kivan is a fantastic mage killer with his bow. Also, he is an archer now. I don't know about the romance though, I had a male Charname.
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    edited November 2017
    Thank you @UnderstandMouseMagic !A question, though : My character is male (that's why I picked Nathaniel for a gay romance) so I was hoping for a friendship path with kivan (BG1 npc project reinforces that charname and kivan become good friends) , but the thing is that I'm not interested in having deheriana in the party - can I avoid that?
    @EsoxGreen , same question applies , thanks in advance!
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,177
    edited November 2017
    Kivan is an awesome mod, which follows on well from the BG1 NPC project content. I struggle not to have him along! If you don't take certain steps in BG2 to revive Kivan's wife then he will not be with you in ToB however. I *think* that you may be able to ask her to wait in the pocketplane... but from a story perspective it's possibly better to just replace him if you don't want the happy couple around.
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    Mantis37 said:

    Kivan is an awesome mod, which follows on well from the BG1 NPC project content. I struggle not to have him along! If you don't take certain steps in BG2 to revive Kivan's wife then he will not be with you in ToB however. I *think* that you may be able to ask her to wait in the pocketplane... but from a story perspective it's possibly better to just replace him if you don't want the happy couple around.

    Are you sure? If so then perhaps I should have a 6th npc in the party and let kivan go by the end of SoA.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    DJKajuru said:

    Mantis37 said:

    Kivan is an awesome mod, which follows on well from the BG1 NPC project content. I struggle not to have him along! If you don't take certain steps in BG2 to revive Kivan's wife then he will not be with you in ToB however. I *think* that you may be able to ask her to wait in the pocketplane... but from a story perspective it's possibly better to just replace him if you don't want the happy couple around.

    Are you sure? If so then perhaps I should have a 6th npc in the party and let kivan go by the end of SoA.

    Not sure about the friendship path but think it works like this.

    You get the chance to bring the wife back in Suldenesselar before facing Irenicus (so late game.) But from a friendship RP perspective, of course you would. And they both move to TOB with you if you take her in party. Only way round it , I think, is to to bring her back but not let her in party and Kivan leaves with her then and there.


  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    UnderstandMouseMagic said:

    DJKajuru said:

    Mantis37 said:

    Kivan is an awesome mod, which follows on well from the BG1 NPC project content. I struggle not to have him along! If you don't take certain steps in BG2 to revive Kivan's wife then he will not be with you in ToB however. I *think* that you may be able to ask her to wait in the pocketplane... but from a story perspective it's possibly better to just replace him if you don't want the happy couple around.

    Are you sure? If so then perhaps I should have a 6th npc in the party and let kivan go by the end of SoA.

    Not sure about the friendship path but think it works like this.

    You get the chance to bring the wife back in Suldenesselar before facing Irenicus (so late game.) But from a friendship RP perspective, of course you would. And they both move to TOB with you if you take her in party. Only way round it , I think, is to to bring her back but not let her in party and Kivan leaves with her then and there.


    Thanks @UnderstandMouseMagic . I intend follow his story the way its writer meant for the friendship path, we shall see.


  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    edited November 2017
    DJKajuru said:

    UnderstandMouseMagic said:

    DJKajuru said:

    Mantis37 said:

    Kivan is an awesome mod, which follows on well from the BG1 NPC project content. I struggle not to have him along! If you don't take certain steps in BG2 to revive Kivan's wife then he will not be with you in ToB however. I *think* that you may be able to ask her to wait in the pocketplane... but from a story perspective it's possibly better to just replace him if you don't want the happy couple around.

    Are you sure? If so then perhaps I should have a 6th npc in the party and let kivan go by the end of SoA.

    Not sure about the friendship path but think it works like this.

    You get the chance to bring the wife back in Suldenesselar before facing Irenicus (so late game.) But from a friendship RP perspective, of course you would. And they both move to TOB with you if you take her in party. Only way round it , I think, is to to bring her back but not let her in party and Kivan leaves with her then and there.


    Thanks @UnderstandMouseMagic . I intend follow his story the way its writer meant for the friendship path, we shall see.


    Just remember, you must talk to Avril in Spellhold I think. :)
  • ArctodusArctodus Member Posts: 992
    @UnderstandMouseMagic I got a small question for you... I got Kivan in my group in BG2. Do you know what happen if I didn't talk to Avril in Spellhold ? Deheriana won't come back ? Is it that easy to miss so much content from the mod ?
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    Arctodus said:

    @UnderstandMouseMagic I got a small question for you... I got Kivan in my group in BG2. Do you know what happen if I didn't talk to Avril in Spellhold ? Deheriana won't come back ? Is it that easy to miss so much content from the mod ?

    Well, I haven't tested it yet but the readme files state that deherianna fis a *hidden* character and you can only unlock her if you (1) talk to aphril , (2) talk to demin AND be either a cleric/paladin/druid or have aerie or cernd in the party. Seems to me that the story proceeds without her if you don't have these requirements.
  • ArctodusArctodus Member Posts: 992
    Ah shucks... Seems that I will do without her...
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    the thing is the creator did say resurrecting deherianna is considered the evil option.
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,177
    Arctodus said:

    Ah shucks... Seems that I will do without her...

    Don't get too attached to Kivan either in this case, he may not be with you in ToB.
  • ArctodusArctodus Member Posts: 992
    @Mantis37 How so ? He just leaves ?
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    I forgot how complicated this mod is having not played it for a while.
    But perhaps that's why it is a very good and brave mod?

    Shakes up the "charname is the most important thing since sliced bread" a lot and encompasses the idea that NPC have their own motivations and outlooks.

    Never thought I'd say it but doing the romance the "correct" way might even be easier than the friendship path?
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,177
    Arctodus said:

    @Mantis37 How so ? He just leaves ?

    In a manner of speaking... having helped you to regain your soul and taken vengeance on Tazok (fulfiling his vow to Shevarash), I believe that he goes to die at the end of SoA, finally joining his wife. One way or another he'll meet her again... Rather touching however you play it.
  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    edited December 2017
    Nathaniel mod is very good. He is a nice guy, a bit naive, but it is okay. As a gay romance option it is well done, though the romance has its ups and downs. However, he is a very nice guy and won't romance non-good alignments or thieves-also if you choose evil quests he may leave. I had one tiny bug which made his flirts unavailable, but was able to fix it.

    I also strongly recommend Faren mod, made by same author. Faren is bisexual and has different romance dialogues based on gender. He is a relaxed and okay guy, looks like a trouble maker at first sight but he is not that bad. Definitely a totally different character than Nathaniel, he is more relaxed, and the romance is easier, thus different but still nice.

    Two mods have components for rivalry between the two, but if you don't install it you can have both and romance both at the same time. I also have Arath, who also romances male pcs, that mod is of a bit inferiour quality but still fun. Yeah, 3 concurrent gay romances at the same time, yay!
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