Small mods you would like to see
Permidion_Stark
Member Posts: 4,861
This is a thread for people who don't have the faintest idea how to mod themselves to suggest minor mods that they would like to see.
I will get the ball rolling ...
I have always found the Melicamp quest really frustrating and it is the one place I will reload even if I am in theory doing a no reload run. Currently you get 2,000 XP and +1 reputation if Thalantyr's Antichickenator spell succeeds and nothing if it fails. This feels really unfair. Surely seeing a guy who has been polymorphed into a chicken dying in the process of being returned to human form should be worth some experience? So what I would I like to see is a mod that gives you 1,000 XP and -1 reputation if Thalantyr's Antincheckenator spell fails and Melicamp dies.
Anyway, that's what I would like to see. Are there any other minor tweaks people are longing for?
I will get the ball rolling ...
I have always found the Melicamp quest really frustrating and it is the one place I will reload even if I am in theory doing a no reload run. Currently you get 2,000 XP and +1 reputation if Thalantyr's Antichickenator spell succeeds and nothing if it fails. This feels really unfair. Surely seeing a guy who has been polymorphed into a chicken dying in the process of being returned to human form should be worth some experience? So what I would I like to see is a mod that gives you 1,000 XP and -1 reputation if Thalantyr's Antincheckenator spell fails and Melicamp dies.
Anyway, that's what I would like to see. Are there any other minor tweaks people are longing for?
9
Comments
Technically, your reputation should stay the same on a failed anti-chickenator and Thalantyr's reputation should go down. Wouldn't it be cool if Thalantyr had to lower his prices after word got out that he bungled restoring his former apprentice so badly that he died? Well, I think it would be anyway...
I don't think there's a single female dwarf character in the entirety of Icewind Dale 1 (aside from PCs).
1. Phylacteries for liches:
It seems insane that the main aspect of liches' awesome power is missing from the entirety of BG2/ToB. It would add some fun new tactics needed to defeat them if you've got to run and find their phylactery before they recompose themselves.
2. Improved Familiars:
Familiars can level up (a bit!) and can become a spell-caster, a fighter-like or a rogue-like depending on their type;
Rangers and Druids gain access to nature-type familiars.
3. Ten Towns Tactics:
SCS-type scripting for IWD:EE, as well as improved tactical encounters throughout the game. In fact, of all these mod suggestions, this is the one I would absolutely love, the most.
4. Kits:
Mercenary, Weapons Master (Kensai rename), Votary, Giant Killer, Arcane Rogue, Riddlemaster, Aes Dana (these were cut from IWD2 in development stage).
5. Dual-wield throwing weapons:
Same mechanism as BGTweaks P&P-style protection items, i.e., have item special ability that converts weapon between thrown and mêlée version.
6. Improved Drizzt & Co.:
a) Twinkle: Defender +5:
Classically Defender weapons in P&P have the option to reduce some of their attack bonuses to improve their defense bonuses. Using the BGTweaks approach, I propose
Twinkle to have a weapon special ability to choose X between 0 and 5, for +X THAC0 and damage, and +(5 - X) AC. It should still always count as +5 for what it can hit.
(originally X = 3)
b) Fix Malchor Harpell scripts (so he doesn't keep pestering party after his death!), make him killable, disable his cheating abilities, and instead make him a high-level Mage (30?) equipped with Staff of the Magi (undroppable), Robe of the Archmagi (neutral), Speedspell Ring (-4 casting time, not wearable in conjunction with Robe of Vecna), Amulet of Power (undroppable), Mindbarrier Ring (immunity to all mind-affecting magic, psionics, and INT drain); needs clever scripting to use his Staff Invisibility.
7. Bala's Axe:
Make Bala's Axe throwable, introduce it into BG2. (I'm yet to play BG2:EE, so perhaps this was already done?)
- change his class from Innocent to Ranger and nerf his ability scores to actually match his official AD&D 2e stats
- debuff all the nonsensical immunities Black Isle and Beamdog put on him for no reason at all (this also includes him seeing invisibility)
- give him his black panther animal companion Guenhwyvar to fight alongside with
- get his light sensitivity racial penality on that drow for Lolth's sake
- also, make him actually use his iconic weapons. Not those fake creature weapons what aren't even pickpocketable
I would like Captain Brage's two-handed sword to be tweaked so that it actually makes the wielder go berserk. It is called a Cursed Berserking Sword but it doesn't grant any of the bonuses Berserkers gain when they become enraged. So, at present, it is more like a Cursed Rigid Thinking Sword.
I think it should grant either the bonuses Minsc gets when he goes berserk (+2 bonus to Strength and Dexterity, +15 HP) or the ones that apply to Berserkers when they become enraged (+2 bonus to damage rolls, -2 bonus to Armor Class and THAC0, +15 HP).
I'm not certain about the status effects that wielding the sword currently gives but to be consistent with Minsc and Berserkers it should also grant the wielder Negative Plane Protection, Resist Fear and Mind Shield.
a returning throwing staff for mages and sorcerers only, with some decent added effect (like a 25% spell failure on hit that bypass the MR but not the ST check) somewhere in WK or underdark, able to hit as +4 but that has only +1 enchantment level (like sotm hits +5 but gives only +1 thac0 and dmg bonus.
some staffs usable only by specialist mages, 1 for each kit, that give some specific, kit related bonus.
something like the ones already existing in the Boards O' Magick Item Pack
https://sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/bomip-docs/index.html
but less powerful, the ones from that mod are way too overpowered (immunity to time stop or a free CC...), retaining the immunity to the opposite school.
maybe a speed staff for clerics only, with chaotic command effect while equipped, +2, upgradable to +3 or +4 in tob.
and mainly a way to send back to town the npcs from brinnlaw or the asylum maze
this should not be a mod, but a fix that the game developers should have done from a long time.
it is possible that this will be done with the final patch as a request of it is in the redmine, but is something that has really to be done one way or the other. a first time player that is running a 6 people party now find himself in a very difficult situation.
to find her way home alone,
Khalid/Jaheira mourning the other if one has died, beyond the moment it happens
Jaheira having unique dialogue options in the Larswood encounter with Osmadi and Corsone (edit: Faldorn does, though it may be via a mod, and it is a cool addition)
Branwen being *especially* motivated to kill basilisks
Some way to peacefully resolve the encounter with the ogre in Bear River--I always feel bad killing him right after he finishes eating
Same for the Amazing Oopah--he should have a dialogue at 1 HP
Faldorn should also have a way to peacefully resolve the Hamadryad encounter, and should object to Coran's quest
I do understand that "ranged weapons" or "blunt weapons" is too broad a category, because you need different skills for different weapon types, in real life, too.
*But* some weapons are reasonably similar, so I think you should get, let's say, one free pip in clubs if you have two in maces, for example, or automatically get one in bastard swords if you have two or three in long swords.
It doesn't make sense that a trained fighter with proficiency in longsword, katana and scimitar takes as long to master a bastard sword as an unblooded rookie.
Ah right; I had thought she was male because I hadn't read all her dialogue before. Now I have:
By the way, in the original character animations (from the pre-enhanced BG1 and the pre-Heart of Winter version of Icewind Dale 1), female dwarves had beards.
-Horn-free Helm of Balduran.
-Druid/mage and druid/thief multiclass
No, not as useable items in a quickslot. I want to grab that magic stick and swing it at my enemies. And should the charges run dry the wand itself may still be used as a club in melee. At least the pointy end could very well poke out an eye or three.
Also, Stromael mentioned this one, but I would also love to have an SCS equivalent mod for IWD. But this would not be a small mod though, in fact it would be huge.
Simply to save the hassle of preparation for each and every encounter. No more time spend clicking, and pointing in endless streams trying to get the rights loading order of your buffs. It’s not worth my time.
Try playing the game on a 2 by 4 inch iPhone and you will see my point.
The “All in one buff spell” (ACME (c)), could be an innate ability and the mod could let you choose how many versions of the buff sequencer you wanted to give charname and npc’s every day.
For BG and SoD there should the following 2 variants of the buff available:
1) buffing BG style (low level buffs)
2) buffing SoD style (low and mid level buffing)
For BG2 and ToB there should be the following 4 variants available:
1) buffing BG style
2) buffing SoD style
3) buffing BG2 style (low, mid and high level buffing)
4) buffing ToB style (low, mid, high and epic level buffing)
For IWD you could just have the four variants:
1) low level spell buffs,
2) low and mid level spell buffs.
3) low, mid and high level spell buffs.
4) low, mid, high and epic level spell buffs.
For spicing things up, you could add
a) priest only,
b) druid and shaman only,
c) mage only
d) bard only
e) under the effect of different bard songs
versions of the ”All in one spell buff”.
But a true version of the “All in one spell buff” with all the goodies packed in one would be great.
Another thing I would like to see about Brage's Sword is a more colourful story in the item description. At present it is so prosaic it makes the sword sound commonplace:
This is one of the most powerful swords in BG1. I think it deserves a name of its own (because it isn't really Brage's Sword after all) and a history of how and why it was forged.
They have spells like time stop and imprisonment, epic loot like staff of the magi and a holy avenger. But you can’t even find one lousy Starbucks, who are willing to serve you an overpriced cop of coffee - makes no sense.
Edit. or at least change the good berry spell so it removes fatigue instead of a few HP. Even if coffee is a nut and not a berry...
You can get some java in the G3 Anniversary mod.
Proficiencies can be altered via Tweaks or Scales of Balance.
SCS might affect IWD if that part of the EET project ever gets done. Does it affect the Luremaster mod for BG2?
But Rapiers are cool! They could be given extra crit rate or apr to compensate.
so i don't see a need for a new specialization as it is basically a short sword with a longer reach and a little more weight, so a little slower, but not much.
so introducing them would be cool, but i see them more as a short sword variant that needs the same proficiency. the damage should imo be the same, to be pierced by a longer or shorter sword makes really no difference, and if dex should be used to affect its use it should also be used for the existing short swords, so no str related dmg and thac0 bonus and dex affecting the thac0.
ideally they should have a little slower speed, thing that is easy to code, and a little longer reach, thing i think is impossible to code as afaik it goes in steps and it would get the same reach of a 2H sword or a staff.
a possible implementation of rapiers could be as using the short sword proficiency and damage, but giving them a little slower speed, a not justified +1 or +2 bonus damage to compensate the impossible to code properly longer reach, or even better a -1 thac0 bonus and the very same damage.
by the way the short swords of the games are treated like post medieval ones, while in RL in previous times existed short swords designed to do slashing damage, like the roman legionaries daga.
this kind of sword in the game is completely not exsisting, and it has sense, as are weapons designed to be used in closed formation situations where the solders protected themselves with a wall of shields and a longer slashing sword would have been not practical to use.
After Sarevok is killed, you remain in the BG1 game and you can play on. If you go into the Palace and talk to Duke Belt, he offers you the room in the Palace you have in SoD and asks you to stay.
You have the reply options:
1. (EET only) No thanks, I will be on my way shortly -> SoD is skipped and BGII start movie plays.
2. Yes, I will stay for a while and help hunt down all of Sarevok's followers. -> SoD happenings start.
3: Later, I have to finish something first -> dialogue ends and you can go on roaming BG1 like in BGT.)
Nice idea and, as far as I can tell, pretty simple to implement in terms of mechanics. With option 3 and immersion in mind though, there might be need of general dialogue editing to get people to stop talking about the rise of Sarevok and similar endgame phrases.