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Which DnD source material are HLA based on

pietrkopietrko Member Posts: 13
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
As in the topic, which DnD source material are high level abilities based on?
From what I know the game was based on 2ed, however I've never heard about HLAs there.
Any particular book on that?

Comments

  • jsavingjsaving Member Posts: 1,083
    edited June 2021
    Nope, HLAs were invented by BioWare, though there were high-level supplements that had some thematically similar ideas.
    Post edited by jsaving on
  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 951
    There were a high level handbook for rules after level 20: ftp://ftp.warthman.com/pub/users/oceanowl/AD&D/Books/High-Level Campaigns.pdf

    But nothing were implemented as intended. Tob was rushed so as hla-s were not designed the best way. I really dont like Tob and i did my last Tob playtrough about 4-5 years ago, but i still play with Soa once per months. Without hla-s. But nobody will modify the base game so everything will remain the same.
  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    edited June 2021
    Yep, very loosely adapted from that 2e high level campaigns book. Quest level spells for priests and true dweomers for mages are from that book too, IIRC. Ofcourse, bg2 hlas are massively overpowered when compared to the rather modest high level abilities in that rule book.

    Originally, the hlas have much limited power and drawbacks in some cases. In bg2 you have dragons breath like 20d10 party-friendly, ignore magic resistance blast spell. No sane dm would ever allow that in tabletop play.
  • ArachnusArachnus Member Posts: 20
    The HLA can be completely removed from the game by editing the lunumab.2da file.

    Though then you have to be prepared for difficult moments in Neera and Rasaad quests in ToB.
    And also after this change, it's hard to beat Melissan without Wish rest.
  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 951
    Tob is harder yes. But soa absolutely doable.
  • IseweinIsewein Member Posts: 578
    Well SoA was never supposed to be played with HLA anyway, but they balance out the faster classes a bit so I personally don't mind them.
  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 951
    Isewein wrote: »
    Well SoA was never supposed to be played with HLA anyway, but they balance out the faster classes a bit so I personally don't mind them.

    They balanced nothing, but desinged bad way sadly :/
    If they not rushed TOB, the hla-s should faar more interesting.
  • jsavingjsaving Member Posts: 1,083
    It's a shame Beamdog hasn't added a toggle to deactivate HLAs until ToB because they trivialize SoA content. I can understand a momentary chuckle the first time you see Firkraag disintegate from spike traps, but do we really need to pretend there's much player skill in that?
  • masteralephmasteraleph Member Posts: 277
    Other than the extra zip if you start from SoD, Beamdog hasn’t changed anything in that regard. HLAs have been available in SoA for two decades, and the fact that no one has seen it necessary to make a mod to do this specifically (though you can set an xp cap through Tweaks) suggests that not many people are/were interested in blocking them.
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,538
    edited June 2021
    Wait, am I misremembering that vanilla SoA and ToB installs still had the 2.95m experience in the SoA part?
    Aren't people just used to playing with tweaks installed that made the value -1 in the 2da?
  • masteralephmasteraleph Member Posts: 277
    lroumen wrote: »
    Wait, am I misremembering that vanilla SoA and ToB installs still had the 2.95m experience in the SoA part?
    Aren't people just used to playing with tweaks installed that made the value -1 in the 2da?

    You’re misremembering. XP cap changes as when ToB is installed. Tweaks offered options to set an xp cap lift it.
  • jsavingjsaving Member Posts: 1,083
    edited June 2021
    masteraleph wrote: »
    Other than the extra zip if you start from SoD, Beamdog hasn’t changed anything in that regard. HLAs have been available in SoA for two decades, and the fact that no one has seen it necessary to make a mod to do this specifically (though you can set an xp cap through Tweaks) suggests that not many people are/were interested in blocking them.
    Players generally like being more powerful so I would be surprised if there were much demand for an HLA toggle. But I don't remember anyone claiming otherwise, we were simply noting it would be a nice option to have since SoA wasn't balanced with HLAs in mind.
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