[MOD] jmerry's Tweak Collection

jmerry

Current mod version: 3.1
Updated: 30 May 2023

It's what it sounds like - a collection of tweaks, most of which I'd use myself. Fifty-three of them as of version 3.1. Most of them are bug fixes or small rule changes, but a few components change the game's content, and I've included my tweaks to party members' combat AI as well.

Component list:

Bug Fixes:
1. Wilson's strength doesn't stack indefinitely
2. Vernus can be raised
3. Fix Black Pits oversights
4. Enchant Weapon works in contingencies
5. Joinable NPCs don't have null kits
6. NPCs don't go in inaccessible locations
7. Close polymorph immunity loopholes
8. Shapeshift corrections
- All transformations
- Druid shapeshifts only
- Mage polymorphs only
9. Wish Hardiness doesn't stack with itself
10. Hold Person doesn't display multiple strings
11. Barbarian Rage blocks cosmetic effects
12. Dueling fireshields don't go infinite
13. Standardize Wand of Missiles
14. Inquisitor True Sight is consistent with other versions of the spell
36. Nature's Beauty blindness can be cured
37. Fix Imoen's script in BGEE/SoD
38. Prevent characters from acting uncontrollably under Project Image

Rule Changes:
15. Temple cures work better
16. Bala's Axe dispels reasonably well
17. Celestials cast all of their spells at high levels
18. Antimagic Ray and Spell Shield
- Antimagic rays ignore Spell Shield
- Spell Shield blocks one antimagic ray
19. Death Ward protects against Aec'Letec's Death Gaze
20. Elemental protection spells increment resistances
21. Vorpal weapons don't chunk
22. Resurrection can heal the living
23. Loosen restrictions on what clones can do
24. Undead Hunters are better at Turn Undead
25. Loosen NPC item restrictions
26. Green Slime poison can be cured
34. Potion effects don't stack with themselves
39. Some merchants ignore reputation
40. Alternate targeting for Potions of Fire Breath
- Potions of Fire Breath use Burning Hands targeting
- Potions of Fire Breath use Breath Weapon targeting
41. Imoen always joins at level 1 outside Candlekeep
42. Less reputation loss for killing Phandalyn
- Always lose 3 rep
- Lose 3 rep or innocent penalty, whichever is less
43. Kondar works against more kinds of shapeshifters
52. Warrior and rogue HLAs can't be removed by spell-breakers

Content Changes:
28. Barrityl's Bigger and Better Burden
29. Allies against Bodhi are better prepared for vampires
30. Noober's Game
36. Bigger random spawns
45. Random spawns scale with difficulty
46. Change Hexxat's class or kit
- Make Hexxat a Fighter/Thief
- Make Hexxat a Shadowdancer
47. Candlekeep XP boost
48. Variable drow magic resistance
- Choose base drow MR (required). Three options: Low (35), Medium (50), High (65).
- Choose MR progression rate (required). Three options: none, slow (1/level to 30), fast (2/level to 20)
- Choose sunlight penalties (required). Two options: none, Dazzled (-2 THAC0, -2 missile AC)
49. Alternate Adoy's Belt
50. Liia knows how to cast her spells
53. Deactivate Spellhold picture monsters until their doors are opened

AI Tweaks:
31. Slightly improved party AI
51. Allow clones of party members to use Advanced AI

Cosmetic Changes:
31. Map notes for BGEE quests
32. Standardize inn and tavern music
33. Randomize battle music
51. Area names for the BGEE world map
- Traditional names
- Non-spoiler names

The line between categories is fuzzy and subjective, of course. Full details on the components are in the readme, and lower down in this post.

I'd like to highlight one component in particular, from the "Content Changes" group. Here's a quote from the readme:

Buried deep within the files for the Black Pits 2, there is a hidden extra tier of fights after the final confrontation with Dennaton's forces. Disregarding all logic, you can battle friends and foes alike from the main campaign. Or you could, if the enemies had the proper scripts and any of this were enabled. But at the very end ... well, I'll leave it to the new announcer Elgiad:
"Well done! You have faced all manner of creature—heroic mortals, reprehensible villains, fiends, even a god—and defeated them all. It's tempting to simply declare you victorious, but there's still one challenger so vile, so reprehensible, and so feared that ALL who encounter him flee in screaming irritation!"
"I will not lie, he causes even me to recoil in horror. But to be the best, you must beat the worst. And so I give you... your final challenge!"

Noober's Game (previously seen as a thread in the General Discussion forum) is now here for the main campaign. As it's "endgame" content, I've placed the item to activate it in Amkethran - a new scroll in the inn's shop.
There is a reward. It currently has placeholder graphics, which I'd love to fix - that's what my art request thread is for.

This mod is only for EE games, and is intended for patch 2.6. As of version 2.0, Mac and Windows installers are included. It is only currently available in English.

Changelog:

Version 3.1
- Two new components added for BG2EE/EET. These are #52 "Warrior and rogue HLAs can't be removed by spell-breakers" and #53 "Deactivate Spellhold picture monsters until their doors are opened"
- Random spawns scale with difficulty: Two significant bugs fixed, both of which could cause errors. The component will no longer fail to install when installed without the "Bigger random spawns" component or when applied to areas that lack a rest encounter table. The component's code was also tweaked for better clarity and feedback.
- Shapeshift corrections: Fixed an error for druid-only and mage-only versions in BGEE that would have written the wrong changes to items.
- Area names for the BGEE world map: Now available for EET as well as for BGEE alone.

Version 3.0:
- Fifteen new components added. These are #37 to #51 in the above list of components.
- Many existing components have been recoded to reflect my growing knowledge of WeiDU capabilities and conventions.
- The mod's resource folder has been restructured, adding a number of new subfolders.
Specific functional updates to existing components:
- Shapeshift Corrections: fixed swapped descriptions for mage polymorphs to black bear and to wolf.
- Dueling fireshields don't go infinite: should now actually work reliably.
- Standardize Wand of Missiles: now available for EET, because I don't trust it to fix the issue.
- Temple cures work better: no longer breaks and causes crashes if another mod removes restoration fatigue. Also, the new temple dispel should actually function as intended and always dispel effects on its target.
- Resurrection can heal the living: "Healed" text restored to Mass Raise Dead healing. The component also no longer creates new spells in the base game's namespace.
- Loosen NPC item restrictions: now more compatible with mods that change base item usability.
- Slightly improved party AI: now chooses scripts to modify by parsing PARTYIA.2DA. It should be compatible with companions from SoD and mods now.
- Map notes for BGEE quests: eliminates an issue that could have resulted in notes being added to the wrong maps.
- Standardize inn and tavern music: the Elfsong no longer gets generic tavern music added. The top floor of the SoD version of the Three Old Kegs has its generic tavern music removed.
- Randomize battle music: Now fully supports SoD areas and mod-added battle music. Code vastly simplified.
- Bigger random spawns: Fully overhauled. Instead of a flat 10, the new cap for monster spawns is either twice the original or (difficulty/20), whichever is lower. Most spawn points in BG1 have difficulty 200, and most of the spawn points in both BG1 and BG2 that didn't have that difficulty are being edited up to it. The oversight that enabled spawn points with ten beholders or ten mind flayers has been fixed.

Version 2.3: Windows installer is now based on WeiDU version 249. It should work now. No other changes, so feel free to skip this version if you've already installed the mod.

Version 2.2: Syntax error in Nature's Beauty component fixed. It works now.

Version 2.1:
- One new component: Nature's Beauty blindness can be cured

Version 2.0:
- Mac and Windows installers added
New components added:
- Map notes for BGEE quests
- Standardize tavern and inn music
- Randomize battle music
- Potion effects don't stack with themselves
- Bigger random spawns
Existing components updated:
- Vernus can be raised: ToB Bhaal power resurrection added to list of spells that work.
- Fix Black Pits oversights: Sandthief's Ring is now sold fully charged.
- Enchant Weapon works in contingencies: Bug fixed. Now properly deletes all existing rows of that 2DA.
- Shapeshift corrections: Shapeshift weapons now block the off hand in BGEE.
- Dueling fireshields don't go infinite: Now actually works in all games, not just BG2EE.
- Undead Hunters are better at Turn Undead: Description now uses the correct dash.
- Various components: tweaked code to improve performance or cover possible issues.

1.1: Corrected a silly mistake in my preamble. It should actually install now, at least on the systems I tested it on. Also, now contained in a folder so that the zip has a different name and the forum lets me upload a new version. When installing, move the contents (the folder jtweaks) to your game folder.

Full component descriptions (copied from the readme):

Bug Fixes:

1. Wilson's strength doesn't stack indefinitely
Games: BG2EE, EET

In BG2EE, you can recruit the bear Wilson to your party. He has a unique kit that, among other things, increases his strength as he gains levels. Unfortunately, the spell that does that is bugged, and applies additional strength boosts every time he leaves and rejoins the party. Even the version of him with the lowest possible level can be quickly brought to strength 25 by simply dismissing and re-accepting him repeatedly.
This component fixes that issue, so his strength stays at the intended levels.

2. Vernus can be raised
Games: BG2EE, EET
Patch: 2.6

In Dorn's quest during the SoA campaign, you encounter at one point a "dead" druid Vernus that you can raise to use as a sacrifice. Sadly, the update to resurrection spells in patch 2.6 broke the mechanism used for this.
This component restores the ability to raise Vernus by altering those spells again.

3. Fix Black Pits oversights:
Games: BGEE, EET

This component fixes several minor issues with the Black Pits adventure bundled with BGEE.
– The Black Pits shops include an Improved Cloak of Protection +2, which is even better than it should be because it can be used with enchanted armor or another protection item (unless you have SoD). This component adds that item to the list of protection items that can't be used together if it isn't there already.
– If you export a character from the Black Pits to play in the main campaign, they retain an override script used to support the arena fights. This can cause unintended effects, especially if the character ever drops to 1 HP.
This component fixes that issue, causing the script to remove itself if the character is not in a Black Pits area.
– In the final normal fight, your foe Hogarl has both potions of extra healing and potions of fire breath. When he's hurt and has at least one potion of extra healing, he's scripted to ... use a potion of fire breath?
This component fixes that obvious mistake, so Hogarl uses the potions he's meant to. He should be slightly tougher now.
- The Black Pits shops include the Sandthief's Ring at both tier 2 and tier 3. The tier 2 version was fully charged, while the tier 3 version forgot to set a charge number. This component updates the tier 3 version to be fully charged as well. The ring is still never worth buying, because there's an unlimited supply of invisibility potions as well for a much lower price.

4. Enchant Weapon works in contingencies
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

The Enchant Weapon spell, in the EE, modifies your existing attacks to use the new +3 enchantment value when that's higher. However, when used in a contingency, an older implementation of the spell that creates a temporary +3 weapon is used instead.
This component fixes that issue so that Enchant Weapon behaves exactly the same in contingencies as it does when cast normally.

5. Joinable NPCs don't have null kits
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Many NPCs have null (kit ID 0) kits, instead of the standard "base class" kit that a player-created character gets if they don't otherwise select a kit. In most cases, this is irrelevant. However, if a character (such as Imoen) with a null kit is capable of learning arcane spells, they are treated as a specialist with no school for the purpose of spell learning, and take a 15% penalty to their spell learning chance for all scrolls.
This component takes all joinable characters with null kits and gives them the "base class" kit. (It may also apply the change to some characters that can't actually join, but that's completely harmless)

6. NPCs don't go in inaccessible locations
Games: BG2EE, EET

A few NPCs in SoA are initially placed in walls, making them difficult to interact with. This component moves them to accessible locations nearby. In addition, at certain points of her dialogue, Aerie storms off to an inaccessible location on the circus tent map. In at least one case, she even says she's going back to the circus. This component sends her to her usual spot inside the tent when that happens instead.
This component may result in you facing an interesting encounter you haven't seen before; there's a man named Stein in the graveyard district at night.

7. Close polymorph immunity loopholes
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

A number of monsters are immune to polymorphs. However, the actual polymorph effect is not the only effect of hostile polymorph spells, and so they need specific immunities to those spells as well. This leads to some loopholes, notably with the wand of polymorphing. You can hit a demon with the wand to reduce them to 5 HP, 3 strength, no chance of casting arcane or divine spells, and 1d2 base damage even though they're supposed to be immune.
This component alters everything that grants polymorph immunity to grant full immunity to the effects of the wand and bolt of polymorphing, and adds an overlooked wild surge to the immunity list. In addition, such items and spells formerly granted immunity to Sphere of Chaos; they now only grant immunity to the sphere's polymorph effect.

Compatibility note: this component adds new subspells in the base game's namespace. WAND09.SPL for the effect of WAND09.ITM, BOLT05.SPL for the effect of BOLT05.ITM, and SPWI711P.SPL for the polymorph effect of SPWI711. If the subspell in question already exists, the component skips making any changes for that effect.

8. Shapeshift corrections
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch: 2.6

Voluntary shapeshifting has long been prone to bugs, and the 2.6 update is no exception. While the crashes that plagued earlier versions seem to have been fixed, there are still plenty of mismatches between spell descriptions and actual effects. This component seeks to fix as many of them as possible.
In BGEE:
– Druid wolf shapeshifts used the wrong kind of wolf, resulting in strength 18 and dex 17 instead of 15 and 18 as listed. This component switches that, and also adds +1 damage like mage wolf polymorphs get.
– Druid greater werewolf form doesn't match the BG2EE version; it lacks the regeneration added in version 2.6. This component adds that regeneration, although it doesn't matter in the standard rules.
- Many form descriptions are updated to provide more accurate and complete information.
- Shapeshift forms no longer allow for off-hand weapons to be used. This may display incorrectly on the inventory screen, but only main-hand attacks will actually happen and weapons held in the off hand will not provide passive bonuses.
In BG2EE:
– Black and brown bear shapeshifts were inadvertently switched with the 2.6 update; you use the ability for one kind of bear and get the other instead. This component switches them back.
– Druid wolf shapeshifts used the wrong kind of wolf, resulting in strength 18 and dex 17 instead of 15 and 18 as listed. This component switches that, and also adds +1 damage like mage wolf polymorphs get.
– The weapon for the mage's ogre polymorph wasn't flagged as magical, unlike in BGEE. This component fixes that.
– The two mage bear polymorphs used the same bear; this component makes them actually differ.
– Shapechange forms with immunity to +1 and greater weapons had only the highest weapon immunity effect, rather than the full array of support effects (such as normal weapon immunity and scripting states). This component adds those effects back in, so that things work better with other effects that key off that immunity.
– Iron Golem form lacked almost all of the immunities claimed in its description. This component adds them in.
– Many form descriptions are updated to provide more accurate and complete information.

This component comes in three versions: all forms, druid forms only, mage forms only. If you have another mod that alters shapeshifting, avoid using this component to alter any of the same forms that one did; this component's new descriptions may overwrite description changes from the other mod.
Item-based shapeshifts, such as from the Cloak of the Wolf, are unchanged.

9. Wish Hardiness doesn't stack with itself
Games: BG2EE, EET

The Wish option "All party members gain the temporary ability Hardiness" is bugged. While Hardiness is supposed to remove existing instances of Hardiness and Defensive Stance, this version gets that wrong. It applies Hardiness to the party and removes it from the caster. The same spell could result in one character going from one instance of Hardiness to none and another going from one to two (caster is a clone of a fighter/mage with Hardiness active, at least one party member has Hardiness active).
This spell corrects that mismatch, so that Wish Hardiness removes Hardiness from the same targets it benefits.

10 Hold Person doesn't display multiple strings
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

When Hold Person is cast successfully, two instances of the string "Held" appear. One comes from the game engine, while the other is an explicit effect of the spell. This component removes that explicit effect so that only one string appears.
This component affects all versions of Hold Person, and also the druid spell "Hold Animal".

11. Barbarian Rage blocks cosmetic strings
Games: BGEE

The BGEE version of a barbarian's Rage fails to block several cosmetic effects that it should, such as the "Held" string and the overhead icon for Horror. This component corrects that issue.

12. Dueling fireshields don't go infinite
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch: 2.6

The 2.6 patch updated fireshields in several ways, one of which was to route the retaliation damage through a new projectile. This has an unintended side effect; if one creature with a fireshield up hits another, damage bounces back and forth every tick until either one of the creatures is dead or they're out of range of each other.
This component fixes that issue, reverting "dueling fireshields" to the older behavior of delivering exactly one hit each way.

13. Standardize Wand of Missiles
Games: BGEE

Imoen and Mordaine (from the "combat testing" party in Candlekeep) start with wands of Magic Missiles. What you might not notice is that they aren't the same as all of the other wands of Magic Missiles in the game; they're technically a different item, and they lack the effect that allows Shield to block them.
This component standardizes Imoen and Mordaine to use the same Wand of Magic Missiles as everybody else.

14. Inquisitor True Sight is consistent with other versions of the spell
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Unlike all other versions of True Sight/True Seeing and indeed all divination attack spells, the initial pulse of the Inquisitor kit's True Sight spell hits as a level 5 spell. This allows certain defenses such as a lich or rakshasa's low-level spell immunity to block the effect.
This component corrects the spell to hit as level 0, like all other similar spells and even the later pulses of the inquisitor's own spell.

36. Nature's Beauty blindness can be cured
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

The 7th level druid spell Nature's Beauty inflicts permanent blindness with no save. This is intended to be curable and dispellable, but the effect is unfortunately bugged. When used with this form of permanent duration, blindness can't be properly removed by effects such as Cure Disease or Dispel Magic. The "Blinded" portrait icon is removable by a dispel or cure, and the character's vision radius can be cured, but the 4-point penalties to base (unarmored) AC and to THAC0 are completely unremovable.
This component restores the intended dispel/cure behavior by making the blindness technically temporary. It'll wear off ... in about eleven game years. Just cure it already. Clones of the spell - anything with the same permanent blindness effect - will also be patched.

Nature's Beauty is a party-friendly spell, and the only enemy that uses it in the vanilla campaign is the immortal version of Faldorn at the Druid Grove. As such, you are unlikely to notice the effect of this component unless you have a mod that changes enemy spellcasting behavior.

I have previously posted a quick and dirty "drop in override" version of this on the Beamdog and Gibberlings 3 forums. This version comes with better compatibility (no string errors on non-BG2EE games, no overwriting other modded effects of the spell) and a larger duration number.

37. Fix Imoen's script in BGEE with SoD
Games: BGEE with SoD, EET

Siege of Dragonspear removed most of Imoen's script - the version you meet outside Candlekeep and can recruit, not the version that's part of the SoD plot. Among other things, this means that she doesn't gain experience when she joins if the protagonist has 2000 or more XP.
This component adds the missing part of her script back in.

38. Prevent characters from acting uncontrollably when under Protect Image
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

On a few occasions, when playing a mage with the Project Image spell, I've noticed the original running off to attack things on its own while the clone casts spells. That's not supposed to be possible; the clone is uncontrollable and technically helpless.

This component patches all player-usable combat scripts to prevent creatures using them from acting when they're helpless. This should only make a difference in this exact situation, as all other effects that induce helplessness also include a condition such as "stunned" or "sleeping" that prevents action.


Rule Changes:


15. Temple cures work better
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Due to a quirk of the engine, when you buy a cure from a temple, the recipient is treated as the caster. This has troublesome implications for the function of some of the spells involved. Restoration spells fatigue the recipient, and dispels are frequently completely ineffective because the recipient casts them at level 1 when they're not a priest.
This component changes the spells most affected by this issue; temple Dispel Magic is changed to a single-target spell that always dispels, and the fatigue effect is removed from the temple versions of Lesser Restoration and Greater Restoration.
If fatigue has already been removed from restoration spells, this effect does not create a new version of the spells or edit the temple stores.

16. Bala's Axe dispels reasonably well
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Another one for dispel levels. The 1/day Dispel Magic ability on Bala's Axe: Wizard Slayer uses the priest Dispel Magic Spell, at the wielder's divine caster level. Unless the wielder is a Shaman, you're pretty much out of luck.
This component changes that spell to an innate one, now cast at the wielder's innate caster level. You will now have a reasonable chance at dispelling effects with it.

17. Celestials cast all of their spells at high levels
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Devas and planetars have both cleric and mage spells. Devas are pure clerics, and thus cast their mage spells at minimum level. Planetars are pure mages, and thus cast their cleric spells at minimum level. This component turns them all into cleric/mages, so they cast all of their spells at high levels.
In addition, deva and planetar weapons both have a chance to dispel on hit ... at what appears to be a pretty low level. This component changes those weapons to dispel at level 25 (their standard creature level). One bone for the poor victims, though ... I've moved the dispel effect to the end of the list. Now, if you have a Death Ward up and a planetar rolls a vorpal hit, the Death Ward will block the instant death effect before being dispelled. Before, a planetar could dispel your Death Ward and decapitate you in the same attack.

18. Antimagic rays and Spell Shield
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Beholder antimagic rays ignore almost all spell defenses, and go on to dispel the target of all combat protections (and anything else dispellable). There's just one exception - Spell Shield. Which works way too well. Spell Shield will not only block an antimagic ray, it will stick around to block the next. And all the rest for its full duration, unless some other spell breaks the shield.
This component changes that interaction, with two options.
- Antimagic rays ignore Spell Shield: Like it says, the antimagic ray goes right through the spell shield. The shield stays, but doesn't protect you from the ray. Unless it's a Hive Mother's ray; that will wipe out the shield and any other spell protections with it.
- Spell Shield blocks one antimagic ray: For this one, Spell Shield works against antimagic rays exactly like it does against conventional spell-breakers like Secret Word or Khelben's Warding Whip. It blocks one ray entirely, then goes away.

19. Death Ward protects against Aec'Letec's Death Gaze
Games: BGEE, EET

Aec'Letec's Death Gaze has several effects if you fail the save: it paralyzes you, it inflicts the "dying" portrait icon, and after a delay it kills you and replaces you with a ghast. Absolutely nothing protects against the death and replacement effect, not even story mode; your only options are to save against it, to block it with a potion of mirrored eyes, or to dispel it during that delay.
Death Ward blocks the "dying" portrait icon. Which doesn't seem to be used by anything else.
This component changes Death Ward, Story Mode, and anything else that blocks the "dying" portrait icon, to also fully block the effects of Aec'Letec's gaze.

20. Elemental protection spells increment resistances
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

A number of spells in the game temporarily boost resistances to various elements. Some of them increment resistances, while others set base resistances. The latter option plays badly with shapeshifting, as the most recent "set" effect wins and polymorphs effectively set all base resistances to the new creature's values. It's pretty inconsistent, too - priest Protection From Fire is an "increment" effect, while wizard Protection from Fire is a "set" effect.
This component standardizes all such spells to increment resistances, generally making them better.

21. Vorpal weapons don't chunk
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

This component simply changes all "vorpal" effects on weapons (instant death) to cause a normal death that allows resurrection rather than an exploding death that doesn't.
While you don't encounter any vorpal weapons in the standard BGEE campaign, there are still some resources for them in the game. As such, I'm allowing this component to install on BGEE, even if it doesn't do anything relevant.

22. Resurrection can heal the living
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch: 2.6

The 2.6 update to resurrection spells removed the ability of Resurrection, Mass Raise Dead, and the Rod of Resurrection to heal living creatures. This component restores that ability.
It does not restore the bugged behavior of Mass Raise Dead that caused it to massively heal the party for up to 6 times the intended amount, or the various bugs regarding temporary abilities that inspired the update in the first place.

This component no longer creates new subspells in the base game's namespace. It creates new healing subspells with my modder prefix for Resurrection and the ToB Bhaalspawn resurrection ability, and repurposes the existing healing subspell in the case of Mass Raise Dead.

23. Loosen restrictions on what clones can do
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch: 2.6

The 2.6 update tweaked the various clone effects in the game, adding significant restrictions on what clones can do. In standard 2.6, clones (such as those created by Project Image and Simulacrum) are unable to hide, search for traps, create clones, set up sequencers, or set contingencies.
This component loosens those restrictions, allowing clones to hide, search for traps, set up sequencers, and create contingencies. On the flip side, it prevents clones from using the "Thieving" ability to disarm traps, pick locks, or pick pockets. As the game engine already prevents clones from interacting with doors, containers, or floor regions, this only really blocks Pick Pockets. That ability could cause real problems; if a clone steals a critical item and then expires, the item in question is gone forever.

24. Undead Hunters are better at Turn Undead
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

This component adds a third advantage to the Undead Hunter kit; their Turn Undead ability is improved to approximately match that of a cleric with the same amount of experience.
I previously posted a quick and dirty version of this on the Beamdog forums; this is an improved version, using WeiDU for better installation and also updating the kit description.

25. Loosen NPC item restrictions
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

This component reduces the overly-specific class/kit/alignment restrictions on many NPC-specific items to reasonable levels, and also removes some attribute restrictions not listed in the item descriptions. It does not do anything about the items' restriction to only that NPC, and in some cases even tightens that (Cernd's staff is now listed in the item_use table in place of the second instance of Keldorn's sword, and both of Haer'Dalis' swords have tiefling-only restrictions instead of just one of them).
The only BGEE item affected by this mod is Eldoth's variety of poisoned arrow.

This component is primarily intended for use with mods that allow you to customize NPCs; it will have essentially no non-cosmetic effects under the standard rules.

26. Green Slime poison can be cured
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

If you get poisoned by a Green Slime, a simple antidote will stop the damage over time ... but it won't stop you from dying a few seconds later. This component changes that, so anything which cures poison will prevent the affected character from dying if delivered in time.
You still can't save the bartender at Ye Olde Inn, though. You just didn't get there fast enough.

34. Potion effects don't stack with themselves
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

When 2.6 was being developed, one beta version removed the ability of buff potions to stack with themselves. This change was dropped due to player response before the final release. But you know, I feel a bit bad about the part I played in that. So here's a simple mod component to apply that change.
With this component, drinking a potion with ongoing effects while already under the effect of a potion of the same type will merely refresh that effect's duration, rather than stacking the effect higher. If you drink two different potions with similar effects, the effects will stack; a potion of genius and a potion of mind focusing together will still give you +7 Int as long as both are active. However, drinking three potions of genius will only result in +4 Int, rather than +12 as in the unmodified game.

A few potions generate spurious matches; healing potions have a short-duration visual effect that the code catches. This shouldn't cause any actual problems, as permanent effects such as healing don't get removed.

39. Some merchants ignore reputation
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

The EE introduced a potential flag to stores, allowing them to ignore reputation in determining the prices they sell goods to you at. In the standard game, this flag is only used for stores in the Black Pits 2 adventure. This component adds that flag to a number of other stores:
- Fences and other shops associated with the black market. They deal with criminals all the time.
- Stores in the Black Pits adventure. This way, an evil protagonist doesn't make all of your purchases more expensive.
- Nazramu. This one is mainly to close an exploit; at the full 20/20 discount, you make a profit repeatedly buying and selling the same item with him.
- Stores that you can only access while disguised as drow. They shouldn't even know your reputation as yourself.
- Stores in the Thayan arena from Neera's ToB quest. They're variants of Black Pits 2 stores, and they're just too far away from Amn and Tethyr for your reputation there to matter.

40. Alternate targeting for Potions of Fire Breath
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch: 2.6

The description of a potion of fire breath mentions "a giant breath of fire spewing forth in an arc". The actual effect, in the standard game, is a line of fire similar to Aganazzar's Scorcher.
This component changes the potion effect to an actual arc of fire, with two options:
- Burning Hands targeting: a small arc similar to Burning Hands, targeted at a point up to 5 feet from the user.
- Breath Weapon targeting: a large arc similar to a Dragon Disciple's Breath Weapon ability, targeted at a point up to 30 feet away from the user
The potion's damage is unchanged, though it has less single-target damage potential because it's no longer capable of hitting the same target twice.

41. Imoen always joins at level 1 outside Candlekeep
Games: BGEE, EET

Almost all joinable NPCs in the BGEE campaign join as their lowest-level version no matter when you meet them. Imoen is the sole exception; if you're level 2 or higher when she first joins you, she'll join as a level 2 thief instead of a level 1 thief.
This component alters Imoen to match the standard, joining as a level 1 thief no matter what.

42. Less reputation loss for killing Phandalyn
Games: BGEE, EET
Patch: 2.6

In older versions of the game, killing Phandalyn (a paladin in southwest Baldur's Gate who attacks your party if he detects evil) cost you a constant 3 points of reputation. In patch 2.6, this was changed to the same penalty as killing an innocent - up to 10 points of reputation loss if your initial reputation is high enough.
This component reduces that penalty, with two options.
- Always lose 3 rep: What it says. Killing him costs you 3 points, no matter where you are on the reputation scale.
- Lose 3 rep or innocent penalty, whichever is less: Also what it says. The innocent penalty is less than 3 rep points if your reputation is less than 9, and more than 3 rep points if your reputation is more than 9.

43. Kondar works against more kinds of shapeshifters
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

The bastard sword Kondar says it gets bonuses against "shapeshifters" in its description. In game, this bonus applies only to doppelgangers and lycanthropes. It's great in the one quest full of werewolves and wolfweres, great against the doppelgangers in the chapter 5-7 plot and Durlag's Tower, and basically just a +1 sword outside of that.
This component extends Kondar's bonuses to also apply against rakshasa and vampires, creatures with natural shapeshifting abilities. Since enemies of these types appear throughout the Shadows of Amn campaign, the sword might be useful for considerably longer.

52. Warrior and rogue HLAs can't be removed by spell-breakers
Games: BG2EE, EET

In the base game, a number of warrior and rogue high-level abilities such as Hardiness and Evasion have types that make them subject to removal by spells such as Breach or Spell Thrust. This is ... probably a mistake, though arguments could be made either way. This component removes those types, so these nonmagical abilities can't be removed by any ordinary means before they expire.


Content Changes:


27. Barrityl's Bigger and Better Burden
Games: BGEE, EET

In my latest full run of BGEE, I ran an evil party including Baeloth. I tried out his ring's ability to gamble on creating a gem, and ... it's disappointing. Only the three cheapest gems are even possible to get.
This component changes that gamble to be significantly more exciting; you can get gems up to a Black Opal in value. But beware - the damage you take if the attempt fails is also increased.
With this component, there is approximately a 1/3 chance of getting a gem. If you don't, you take 1d12 damage of a random element.

Compatibility note: this component overwrites any existing modifications to Baeloth's ring BARING.ITM. Do not use if you've already altered the item.

28. Allies against Bodhi are better prepared against vampires
Games: BG2EE, EET

This component makes slight improvements to all three parties of potential allies in the fight against Bodhi.
- The paladin leader, Eric Vanstraaten, is now an Undead Hunter and gains the passive benefits of that kit.
- The thief leader, Arkanis Gath, now has an (undroppable) Amulet of Power so he can't be level-drained into oblivion.
- Drizzt's companion Wulfgar can now hit vampires with his hammer Aegis-fang +3; it was inexplicably set to enchantment level 0 before.
(Drizzt himself already has an undroppable Amulet of Power; he doesn't need any help.)

29. Noober's Game
Games: BG2EE, EET

Buried deep within the files for the Black Pits 2, there is a hidden extra tier of fights after the final confrontation with Dennaton's forces. Disregarding all logic, you can battle friends and foes alike from the main campaign. Or you could, if the enemies had the proper scripts and any of this were enabled. But at the very end ... well, I'll leave it to the new announcer Elgiad:
"Well done! You have faced all manner of creature—heroic mortals, reprehensible villains, fiends, even a god—and defeated them all. It's tempting to simply declare you victorious, but there's still one challenger so vile, so reprehensible, and so feared that ALL who encounter him flee in screaming irritation!"
"I will not lie, he causes even me to recoil in horror. But to be the best, you must beat the worst. And so I give you... your final challenge!"
(These lines are fully voiced and wonderfully hammy. If you have Near Infinity or a similar tool to listen to them, they're strings 100794 and 100795)

That final challenger is ... Noober. Who talks to you. But beware - he has the largest dialogue file in the game that doesn't belong to a companion with a romance. And it's all one conversation. This is the largest and most complex conversation in the game, by far.
What is that conversation? It's a game - a fully realized text adventure game. I've previously brought that game out to be played in a thread on the Beamdog forums, and here it is in the main campaign. The bartender in Amkethran has a new scroll in his shop...
A number of small changes have been made from the original version of the conversation; fixes to incorrect string references, flow corrections, a few new reply options, and a rebalancing of the random elements (all in the player's favor).

35. Bigger random spawns
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Particularly in BG1 wilderness maps, many monsters are generated by "spawn points". A monster type is chosen, and a number of monsters of that type based on the party's size and level spawns in. Unfortunately, many of these spawns are capped at disappointingly small numbers; even if you visit the gnoll fortress with a maxed-out party, you'll only see four gnolls or xvarts per spawn point.

This component raises those caps to up to twice what they were before. If you've got the levels for it, you'll see groups of up to ten monsters of the same type. It does not increase the "difficulty" numbers, so you won't see an increase unless you have enough levels to reach the old cap.
In addition, this component repairs flaws in the spawn point system, assigning sensible "power level" numbers to creatures and "difficulty" numbers to spawn points. The repairs are particularly needed in BG2EE, where every single spawn point has difficulty set so low that it'll only spawn one creature ... unless that creature has "power level" 0, in which case it'll spawn the maximum every time.

Many spawn points in later campaigns use a different system, spawning a token such as "rdgob" that unpacks to a group of monsters. Spawn points that use this other system are unchanged.

44. Random spawns scale with difficulty
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Siege of Dragonspear throws more monsters at you if you play at higher difficulty levels. This component is inspired by that mechanic, scaling spawn points to the game difficulty. 50% at "Easy" difficulty, 75% at "Normal" difficulty, 100% at "Core Rules" difficulty, 125% at "Hard" difficulty, and 150% at "Insane" difficulty. Unlike the previous component, this one changes both the maximum and difficulty numbers by the same factor.
In addition, this component repairs flaws in the spawn point system. These are the exact same repairs as those the "Bigger random spawns" component makes.
These two random spawn point components can be used together, leading to spawn points with up to 15 (or three times the original) monsters at a time.

Some spawn points activate and deactivate based on scripting conditions in the area. As this component also needs to activate and deactivate spawn points to function, any such points are skipped by this component. Token-based spawn points are also skipped, much like the other component.

45. Change Hexxat's class or kit
Games: BG2EE, EET

This component has two alternate options for Hexxat's class and kit. It was previously released as a standalone mod, and is not significantly changed from that version.
- Fighter/Thief: This option makes her a multiclass fighter/thief, changing her proficiencies, hit points, and skill allocations appropriately. Her script is also tweaked so she gains access to her level-based vampire Domination abilities at the same experience total.
- Shadowdancer: This option gives her the Shadowdancer thief kit, changing her skill allocations appropriately.
Hexxat's new stats are read from the 2da files jtweaks/resource/2da/j8hhexft and jtweaks/resource/2da/j8hhexsd respectively. Altering those files before installation will alter her stats accordingly.

46. Candlekeep XP boost
Games: BGEE, EET

This component increases the experience gained from the chores around Candlekeep in the BGEE prologue to 400 each, from 50. If you complete all of them, they will be worth a total of 2400 XP, enough for most single-class characters to reach level 2. A simple mod for those who find level 1 play tedious and want to push a little bit ahead as soon as possible.

47. Variable drow magic resistance
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

Enemy drow typically get magic resistance based on their level, from about 50% at level 1 to 90% at level 20. Recruitable drow start with a fixed amount (50% or 65% for the characters in the standard game) and have to rely on equipment if they want more.
This component allows a version of that level-scaling mechanic to extend to drow party members, and also deactivates their magic resistance in daylight.
All recruitable elves with more than 20% base magic resistance are considered drow. This resistance is removed and replaced with the variable resistance as soon as they join the party.

This mod component is structured as a core component with several subcomponents to set options.
- Core component: sets up the spells and scripts needed. Required for all other subcomponents. If you install this component, you must select an option for each subsequent subcomponent.
- Choose base drow MR: sets the base "level zero" quantity of magic resistance for drow characters. Options are low (35), medium (50), or high (65).
- Choose MR progression rate: sets how much magic resistance to gain as the character's level increases. Options are none, slow (1 per level up to level 30), or fast (2 per level up to level 20).
- Choose sunlight penalties: sets any additional penalties in daylight beyond merely losing magic resistances. Options are none or dazzled (-2 to hit, -2 AC versus missiles).

Player-created characters can also use this system, though it requires save-editing or the cheat/debug console. To give a party member drow magic resistance, set a local variable "j8#drow" equal to 1 for them. The scripts will do the rest.
Any combination of these options is allowed, for a total of 18 possible variations. I don't recommend combining a high MR start with level-based scaling (it's obviously overpowered), but I don't forbid it either.

48. Alternate Adoy's Belt
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

This component changes Adoy's Belt to grant the wearer immunity to most harmful wild surges instead of improving the wearer's polymorph save. And if that harmful surge has an area of effect ... that's too bad for everyone else nearby. The belt still only protects its wearer.

49. Liia knows how to cast her spells
Games: BGEE, EET

Liia Jannath is a level 16 mage. She has memorized spells up to level 8. And in the ducal palace battle, she doesn't know how to cast anything beyond spell level 2.
This component rectifies this stunning incompetence by giving her a combat script from Siege of Dragonspear, originally from a Flaming Fist mage. Combat elements are also removed from her override script.
Liia doesn't get any new memorized spells with this component. She doesn't need them.

53. Deactivate Spellhold picture monsters until their doors are opened
Games: BG2EE, EET

One notable room in Spellhold contains several monsters behind locked doors marked with pictures. You're expected to visit this room, then come back later to actually open the doors and fight the monsters.
However, AI-altering mods (SCS) may give some of these monsters the ability to teleport out of their rooms and face you while their doors are still closed. This rather undercuts the encounter's design.
This component rectifies this issue by deactivating the monsters when the area is first loaded, and only re-activating them when you actually open each of their doors. Your enemies may take a moment to appear when their doors are opened.


AI tweaks:


30. Slightly improved party AI
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

If you change an NPC's class, including by dual-classing them, the character is often unable to automatically use the new class's abilities with "Advanced AI". This component aims to address that, along with generally improving the logic for how to use such abilities.
- Find Traps: No change to the script conditions (use when not attacking), but all characters now have the block for it.
- Hide in Shadows: Shadowdancers will automatically hide in shadows even when near enemies. All other thieves, monks, and rangers will only do so when no enemies are near them. All characters now have this block.
- Bard Song/Shaman Dance: Jesters and Shamans will sing/dance when in combat and stop once combat ends. Other bards will sing regardless of combat status, unless they're invisible. All characters now have this block.
- Turn Undead: Clerics and paladins will actually use this now; the trigger condition is no longer so difficult as to be practically impossible. All characters now have this block.
- Auto-attack: All characters now have the same blocks, instead of having one of several different variants. No real change to the logic here; I just standardized.

Compatibility note: This component relies on the standard AI-control variables set in the customization menu. Any mod that changes the meaning of those variables, such as the SCS "ease of use AI", is incompatible with this component.
The scripts modified by this component are bddefai.bcs (player characters) and bd*****c.bcs (joinable NPCs) as referenced in PARTYAI.2DA. All joinable characters that appear in this 2DA table are included, including mod characters.

50. Allow clones of party members to use Advanced AI
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

In the standard games, clones such as those created by Project Image and Simulacrum have no AI scripts whatsoever. This component assigns the standard "Advanced AI" script BDDEFAI to friendly clones of player characters, and copies over the AI control variables of the cloned character. They'll be exactly as dumb as their originals.
It also slightly tweaks that script so that characters using it will act even if they're not in the party.

Compatibility note: this should be compatible with any change to BDDEFAI that uses the same control variables. Even if the meaning of those variables is completely different.


Cosmetic changes:


31. Map notes for BGEE quests
Games: BGEE, EET

Many BGEE quests require you to barge into an unmarked home in one of the game's cities to talk to the NPC there. And if you don't have what they need with you, you'll have to come back later. This component adds map notes for those homes, once you have a reason to go there - either you've been given the quest, or you have the quest item with you.
BGEE also has pre-placed map notes for some of these homes. This component removes those notes, then re-adds them after suitable unlock conditions.
For example, here's what the component does in Beregost:
- Landrin's house loses its marker. The marker comes back once you have either talked to Landrin or picked up an item she wants.
- Mirianne's house gains a marker once you either talk to her or pick up the scroll.
- Mr. Colquetle's house gets a marker once you pick up his son's amulet. (Talking to him without it doesn't give the quest, so you don't get the marker for it either.)

32. Standardize tavern and inn music
Games: BGEE, EET

About 80% of the tavern and inn areas in the BGEE campaign follow a standard pattern for their area music; places where people eat and drink get tavern music, bedrooms have no music assigned. Those places don't actually have no music at all though; they inherit from the master area instead.
This component standardizes the remaining 20% of areas to follow this pattern. With the exception of the Elfsong, which genuinely has no music so its ambient "wailing" sound effect can be heard.

BG2EE organizes area music a little differently, and has fewer inns. No changes are needed for that campaign.

33. Randomize battle music
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET

This component assigns randomly chosen battle music to all areas, including those that previously had no battle music assigned. The possible choices include all "songs" designed as battle music, based on my parsing of the playlist definitions. It should be compatible with any mods that add battle music, as long as they follow the same design conventions as existing battle music.

51. Area names for the BGEE world map
Games: BGEE, EET

This component adds names to all areas outside the city of Baldur's Gate on the BGEE world map that don't already have them. You can choose between the traditional names the community has come up with over the years, or non-spoiler names that don't reference the enemies found on these maps.
As a side effect of adding these names, travel times to any named area will be shown on the map. Now you'll know how long it takes to go places.

Endarire

@jmerry
Thankee for posting this! What say you to uploading this to GitHub for posterity with a proper WeiDU installer?

jmerry

"With a proper WeiDU installer"? Gladly, as soon as I can figure out how to make them, or someone else provides them. I'm developing on Mac OS X, and I can't even get a Mac installer working right. (Write my own .command file? Completely refuses to run with an error message that's a blatant lie; the only option I seem to have is to copy one from another mod and slightly edit the text. The setup executable? I'm not sure exactly what to copy, and I haven't found an option that works yet; even copying from another mod gives me errors because those were built on older versions of WeiDU.)

GitHub? Maybe someday. Not right away.

For my own mod installs, I use the Mac WeiDU Launcher tool by subtledoctor. It's sometimes annoyingly slow to start up, but it's reliable.

GraionDilach

FYI; with GitHub, one can use InfinityAutoPackager to sidestep all these file-hunting problems (that one uses GH Action to grab the latest weidus for Win and Mac).

I think I'll test a few changes from this in my next run, thank you!

ALIEN

@jmerry Hi,

you have an error inside tp2:

[JTWEAKS/SETUP-JTWEAKS.TP2] PARSE ERROR at line 10 column 8-14
Near Text: INCLUDE

so the mod can't be installed at all.

jmerry

Right ... an ordering mistake somehow snuck in between my final testing and the release. Updated to 1.1 with the obvious fix.

jmerry

Updated to version 2.0. Five new components, plus updates to many existing components.

My favorites among the new components:
- Map notes for BGEE quests: You know all those unmarked houses in the BG1 campaign with quest content? Now they'll get marked on your minimap once you unlock the quest, by talking to the relevant NPC or picking up the associated item.
- Randomize battle music: Chooses new battle music randomly for every area. The list of possible choices includes all of the songs the game has that are designed as battle music, some of which are rarely heard or even unused in the vanilla game. This will not add any new music; it just makes use of what you already have.

GraionDilach

What does Bigger random spawns do?

jmerry

GraionDilach wrote: »

What does Bigger random spawns do?

More monsters at random spawn points like you see in the BG1 wilderness. Or, at least, a higher cap.
If you go to the Gnoll Stronghold with a max-level party in vanilla, you'll see groups of four gnolls or four xvarts, because that's what those spawn points are capped at. This component increases that cap to 10.

Only spawns of very low-level monsters are likely to be affected. The ankheg spawn points at the farm, for example, are normally capped at 6 - but even a party at the BG1 cap isn't going to reach that cap, because of how the "difficulty" calculation works.
BG2-style spawn points, where it picks a code from SPAWNGRP.2DA and unpacks that to a group of monsters, are explicitly excluded.

Details on what every component does are in the readme.

jmerry

Actually ... here's a slightly abbreviated version of those component details. Still a lot, so spoilered for size.

Components of the mod (2.1)

Component: Wilson's strength doesn't stack indefinitely
Games: BG2EE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

The bear Wilson has a unique kit that, among other things, increases his strength as he gains levels. Unfortunately, the spell that does that is bugged, and applies additional strength boosts every time he leaves and rejoins the party.
This component fixes that issue, so his strength stays at the intended levels.

Component: Vernus can be raised
Games: BG2EE, EET
Patch 2.6 only
Group: Bug Fixes

In Dorn's quest during the SoA campaign, you encounter at one point a "dead" druid Vernus that you can raise to use as a sacrifice. Sadly, the update to resurrection spells in patch 2.6 broke the mechanism used for this.
This component restores the ability to raise Vernus by altering those spells again.

Component: Fix Black Pits oversights
Games: BGEE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

This component fixes several minor issues with the Black Pits adventure bundled with BGEE.
- The Improved Cloak of Protection +2, available in the tier 3 shop, is added to the item exclusion list so it can't be worn with enchanted armor and other protection items.
- If you export a character from the Black Pits and import them in the regular campaign, the Black Pits plot script will remove itself. This prevents unintended effects if the character drops to 1 HP, among other things.
- When the fire giant Hogarl is injured and has a potion of extra healing, he'll use it instead of a potion of fire breath as originally scripted.
- The Sandthief's Ring in the tier 3 shop is now sold fully charged like the one in the tier 2 shop.

Enchant Weapon works in contingencies
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

The Enchant Weapon spell, in the EE, modifies your existing attacks to use the new +3 enchantment value when that's higher. However, when used in a contingency, an older implementation of the spell that creates a temporary +3 weapon is used instead.
This component fixes that issue so that Enchant Weapon behaves exactly the same in contingencies as it does when cast normally.

Component: Joinable NPCs don't have null kits
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

Many NPCs have null (kit ID 0) kits, instead of the standard "base class" kit that a player-created character gets if they don't otherwise select a kit. This usually doesn't matter, but these characters (notably including all versions of Imoen) improperly take the 15% spell learning penalty that specialists have for spells outside their school.
This component takes all joinable characters with null kits and gives them the "base class" kit.

Component: NPCs don't go in inaccessible locations
Games: BG2EE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

A few NPCs in SoA are initially placed in walls, making them difficult to interact with. This component moves them to accessible locations nearby. In addition, at certain points of her dialogue, Aerie storms off to an inaccessible location on the circus tent map. This component sends her to her usual spot inside the tent when that happens instead.
This component effectively enables an encounter you may not have seen before; there's a man named Stein in the graveyard district at night.

Component: Close polymorph immunity loopholes
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

A number of monsters are immune to polymorphs. However, the actual polymorph effect is not the only effect of hostile polymorph spells, and so they need specific immunities to those spells as well. This specific immunity misses out on some effects like the wand of polymorphing, and applies immunity to all effects of the 7th level spell Sphere of Chaos instead of just the polymorph effect that comes up 10% of the time.
This component corrects these oversights by moving the polymorph effects to new subspells and adding specific immunities to these subspells to any effect that grants polymorph immunity. No more neutralizing demons with the wand of polymorphing.

Shapeshift corrections:
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch 2.6 only
Group: Bug Fixes

Voluntary shapeshifting has long been prone to bugs, and the 2.6 update is no exception. While the crashes that plagued earlier versions seem to have been fixed, there are still plenty of mismatches between spell descriptions and actual effects. This component seeks to fix as many of them as possible.
In BGEE:
– Druid wolf shapeshifts used the wrong kind of wolf, resulting in strength 18 and dex 17 instead of 15 and 18 as listed. This component switches that, and also adds +1 damage like mage wolf polymorphs get.
– Druid greater werewolf form doesn't match the BG2EE version; it lacks the regeneration added in version 2.6. This component adds that regeneration, although it doesn't matter in the standard rules.
- Many form descriptions are updated to provide more accurate and complete information.
- Shapeshift forms no longer allow for off-hand weapons to be used. This may display incorrectly on the inventory screen, but only main-hand attacks will actually happen and weapons held in the off hand will not provide passive bonuses.
In BG2EE:
– Black and brown bear shapeshifts were inadvertently switched with the 2.6 update; you use the ability for one kind of bear and get the other instead. This component switches them back.
– Druid wolf shapeshifts used the wrong kind of wolf, resulting in strength 18 and dex 17 instead of 15 and 18 as listed. This component switches that, and also adds +1 damage like mage wolf polymorphs get.
– The weapon for the mage's ogre polymorph wasn't flagged as magical, unlike in BGEE. This component fixes that.
– The two mage bear polymorphs used the same bear; this component makes them actually differ.
– Shapechange forms with immunity to +1 and greater weapons had only the highest weapon immunity effect, rather than the full array of support effects (such as normal weapon immunity and scripting states). This component adds those effects back in, so that things work better with other effects that key off that immunity.
– Iron Golem form lacked almost all of the immunities claimed in its description. This component adds them in.
– Many form descriptions are updated to provide more accurate and complete information.

This component comes in three versions: all forms, druid forms only, mage forms only.
Item-based shapeshifts, such as from the Cloak of the Wolf, are unchanged.

Wish Hardiness doesn't stack with itself.
Games: BG2EE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

This component fixes a bug with the Wish option "All party members gain the temporary ability Hardiness". In the standard game, it removes any existing Hardiness/Defensive Stance effects from the caster and applies Hardiness to the party, allowing the effects to stack up. With this component, it removes those existing effects from the party instead of just the caster, behaving as intended.

Hold Person doesn't display multiple strings
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

When Hold Person is cast successfully, two instances of the string "Held" appear. One comes from the game engine, while the other is an explicit effect of the spell. This component removes that explicit effect so that only one string appears.

Barbarian Rage blocks cosmetic strings
Games: BGEE
Group: Bug Fixes

The BGEE version of a barbarian's Rage fails to block several cosmetic effects that it should, such as the "Held" string and the overhead icon for Horror. This component corrects that issue.

Dueling fireshields don't go infinite
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch 2.6 only
Group: Bug Fixes

The 2.6 patch updated fireshields in several ways, one of which was to route the retaliation damage through a new projectile. This has an unintended side effect; if one creature with a fireshield up hits another, damage bounces back and forth every tick until either one of the creatures is dead or they're out of range of each other.
This component fixes that issue, reverting "dueling fireshields" to the older behavior of delivering exactly one hit each way.

Standardize Wand of Missiles
Games: BGEE
Group: Bug Fixes

Imoen and Mordaine (from the "combat testing" party in Candlekeep) start with nonstandard wands of Magic Missiles, that lack the effect that allows Shield to block them.
This component standardizes Imoen and Mordaine to use the same Wand of Magic Missiles as everybody else.

Nature's Beauty blindness can be cured
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Bug Fixes

The permanent blindness effect on the 7th level druid spell Nature's Beauty is bugged; while you can dispel or cure the portrait icon and cure the vision reduction, there is absolutely no way to remove the penalties to THAC0 and natural AC; those are written into the creature's base stats from then on.
This component fixes the bug by changing the effect to be technically temporary - though I doubt you'll ever want to wait more than ten years for it to wear off. With the fix, dispels and effects such as Cure Blindness work fully, as intended. Any clones of the spell created by other mods will also be fixed in the same way.

Temple cures work better
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

Due to a quirk of the engine, when you buy a cure from a temple, the recipient is treated as the caster. This has troublesome implications for the function of some of the spells involved. Restoration spells fatigue the recipient, and dispels are frequently completely ineffective because the recipient casts them at level 1 when they're not a priest.
This component changes the spells most affected by this issue; temple Dispel Magic is changed to a single-target spell that always dispels, and the fatigue effect is removed from the temple versions of Lesser Restoration and Greater Restoration.

Bala's Axe dispels reasonably well
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

Another one for dispel levels. The 1/day Dispel Magic ability on Bala's Axe: Wizard Slayer uses the priest Dispel Magic Spell, at the wielder's divine caster level. Unless the wielder is a Shaman, you're pretty much out of luck.
This component changes that spell to an innate one, now cast at the wielder's innate caster level. You will now have a reasonable chance at dispelling effects with it.

Celestials cast all of their spells at high levels
Games: BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

Devas and planetars have both cleric and mage spells. Devas are pure clerics, and thus cast their mage spells at minimum level. Planetars are pure mages, and thus cast their cleric spells at minimum level. This component turns them all into cleric/mages, so they cast all of their spells at high levels.
In addition, deva and planetar weapons both have a chance to dispel on hit. That is now a level 25 dispel, instead of whatever low level it was before, but it's moved to end of the stack. Death Ward will now reliably save you from a vorpal hit, even if that hit dispels it.

Antimagic rays and Spell Shield
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

Beholder antimagic rays ignore almost all spell defenses, and go on to dispel the target of all combat protections (and anything else dispellable). There's just one exception - Spell Shield. Spell Shield will not only block an antimagic ray, it will stick around to block the next. And all the rest for its full duration, unless some other spell breaks the shield.
This component changes that interaction, with two options.
- Antimagic rays ignore Spell Shield: Like it says, the antimagic ray goes right through the spell shield. The shield stays, but doesn't protect you from the ray. Unless it's a Hive Mother's ray; that will wipe out the shield and any other spell protections with it.
- Spell Shield blocks one antimagic ray: For this one, Spell Shield works against antimagic rays exactly like it does against conventional spell-breakers like Secret Word or Khelben's Warding Whip. It blocks one ray entirely, then goes away.

Death Ward protects against Aec'Letec's Death Gaze
Games: BGEE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

Aec'Letec's Death Gaze has several effects if you fail the save: it paralyzes you, it inflicts the "dying" portrait icon, and after a delay it kills you and replaces you with a ghast. Absolutely nothing protects against the death and replacement effect, not even Story Mode; your only options are to save against the gaze, to block it with a potion of mirrored eyes, or to dispel it during that delay.
Death Ward blocks the "dying" portrait icon. Which doesn't seem to be used by anything else.
This component changes Death Ward, and anything else that blocks the "dying" portrait icon, to also fully block the effects of Aec'Letec's gaze.

Elemental protection spells increment resistances
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

A number of spells in the game temporarily boost resistances to various elements. Some of them increment resistances, while others set base resistances. It's not very consistent; priest Protection From Fire is an "increment" effect, while mage Protection From Fire is a "set" effect.
This component standardizes all such spells to increment resistances, generally making them better.

Vorpal weapons don't chunk
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

This component simply changes all "vorpal" effects on weapons (instant death) to cause a normal death that allows resurrection rather than an exploding death that doesn't.

Resurrection can heal the living
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch 2.6 only
Group: Rule Changes

The 2.6 update to resurrection spells removed the ability of Resurrection, Mass Raise Dead, and the Rod of Resurrection to heal living creatures. This component restores that ability.
It does not restore the bugged behavior of Mass Raise Dead that caused it to massively heal the party for up to 6 times the intended amount, or the various bugs regarding temporary abilities that inspired the update in the first place.

Loosen restrictions on what clones can do
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Patch 2.6 only
Group: Rule Changes

The 2.6 update tweaked the various clone effects in the game, adding significant restrictions on what clones can do. In standard 2.6, clones (such as those created by Project Image and Simulacrum) are unable to hide, search for traps, create clones, set up sequencers, or set contingencies.
This component loosens those restrictions, allowing clones to hide, search for traps, set up sequencers, and create contingencies. On the flip side, it prevents clones from using the "Thieving" ability to disarm traps, pick locks, or pick pockets.

Undead Hunters are better at Turn Undead
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

This component adds a third advantage to the Undead Hunter kit; their Turn Undead ability is improved to approximately match that of a cleric with the same amount of experience.
I previously posted a quick and dirty version of this here; this is an improved version, using WeiDU for better installation and also updating the kit description.

Loosen NPC item restrictions
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

This component reduces the overly-specific class/kit/alignment restrictions on many NPC-specific items to reasonable levels, and also removes some attribute restrictions not listed in the item descriptions. It does not do anything about the items' restriction to only that NPC.

This component is primarily intended for use with mods that allow you to customize NPCs; it will have essentially no non-cosmetic effects under the standard rules.

Green Slime poison can be cured
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

If you get poisoned by a Green Slime, a simple antidote will stop the damage over time ... but it won't stop you from dying a few seconds later. This component changes that, so anything which cures poison will prevent the affected character from dying if delivered in time.

Potion effects don't stack with themselves
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Rule Changes

With this component, drinking a potion with ongoing effects while already under the effect of a potion of the same type will merely refresh that effect's duration, rather than stacking the effect higher.

This change was floated during the 2.6 beta, but withdrawn due to player reactions.

Barrityl's Bigger and Better Burden
Games: BGEE, EET
Group: Content Changes

Baeloth, as a recruitable companion in BGEE, comes with a unique ring that has a chance of creating a gem or damaging you. It's a disappointment; only the three cheapest gems are possible to get, and it's no more than 3 damage.
This component changes that gamble to be significantly more exciting; you can get gems up to a Black Opal in value. But beware - the damage you take if the attempt fails is also increased.

Allies against Bodhi are better prepared against vampires
Games: BG2EE, EET
Group: Content Changes

This component makes slight improvements to all three parties of potential allies in the fight against Bodhi.
- The paladin leader, Eric Vanstraaten, is now an Undead Hunter and gains the passive benefits of that kit.
- The thief leader, Arkanis Gath, now has an (undroppable) Amulet of Power so he can't be level-drained into oblivion.
- Drizzt's companion Wulfgar can now hit vampires with his hammer Aegis-fang +3; it was inexplicably set to enchantment level 0 before.
(Drizzt already has an undroppable Amulet of Power; he doesn't need any help.)

Noober's Game
Games: BG2EE, EET
Group: Content Changes

This component restores the longest and most complex conversation in the game, from the unused tier 6 of the Black Pits 2 arena. Noober wants to play a game...

I previously ran this game as a forum thread in General Discussion. Now it's available in the main campaign - check the bartender's shop in Amkethran.

A number of small changes have been made from the original version of the conversation; fixes to incorrect string references, flow corrections, a few new reply options, and a rebalancing of the random elements (all in the player's favor).

Bigger random spawns
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Content Changes

Particularly in BG1 wilderness maps, many monsters are generated by "spawn points". A monster type is chosen, and a number of monsters of that type based on the party's size and level spawns in. This number is often capped at rather low levels, such as groups of four gnolls or four xvarts in the gnoll stronghold.
This component raises those caps. If you've got the levels for it, you'll see groups of up to ten monsters of the same type.

This has minimal effect on the other campaigns, as they utilize a different system for most monster spawns. While there are still spawn points in BG2EE, most of them generate tokens such as "rdgob" which unpack to groups of creatures - in that case, two archer goblins and four melee goblins. Spawn points of this type are unchanged.

Disclaimer: This has not been tested for balance. But you should be able to mow through crowds of low-level enemies anyway, right?

Slightly improved party AI
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: AI Tweaks

If you change an NPC's class, including by dual-classing them, the character is often unable to automatically use the new class's abilities with "Advanced AI". This component aims to address that, along with generally improving the logic for how to use such abilities.
- Find Traps: No change to the script conditions (use when not in combat), but all characters can now use it if they have an appropriate class.
- Hide in Shadows: Shadowdancers will automatically hide in shadows even when near enemies. All other thieves, monks, and rangers will only do so when no enemies are near them.
- Bard Song/Shaman Dance: Jesters and Shamans will sing/dance when in combat and stop once combat ends. Other bards will sing regardless of combat status, unless they're invisible.
- Turn Undead: Characters will actually use this now; the trigger condition is no longer so difficult as to be practically impossible.
- Auto-attack: All characters now have the same blocks, instead of having one of five different variants. No real change to the logic here; I just standardized.

Map notes for BGEE quests
Games: BGEE, EET
Group: Cosmetic Changes

Many BGEE quests require you to barge into an unmarked home in one of the game's cities to talk to the NPC there. And if you don't have what they need with you, you'll have to come back later. This component adds map notes for those homes, once you have a reason to go there - either you've been given the quest, or you have the quest item with you.
BGEE also has pre-placed notes for some such places. This component removes those notes, then re-adds them after appropriate unlock conditions.

Standardize tavern and inn music
Games: BGEE, EET
Group: Cosmetic Changes

About 80% of the tavern and inn areas in the BGEE campaign follow a standard pattern for their area music. This component standardizes the remaining 20% of areas to follow this pattern as well. No more tavern music in the upstairs bedrooms at the Friendly Arm, for example.

Randomize battle music
Games: BGEE, BG2EE, EET
Group: Cosmetic Changes

This component assigns randomly chosen battle music to all areas, including those that previously had no battle music assigned. The possible choices include all "songs" in base BGEE and BG2EE designed as battle music, plus anything used as battle music in existing areas that wasn't on the list already. After some pre-processing to remove unsuitable battle music from a number of BGEE and BG2EE areas, anyway.
The random choice is made when this component is installed. Once installed, each area will have consistent battle music.

GraionDilach

Yeah, every other component was listed in the readme excluding the Bigger random spawns one which is why I asked (Bigger random spawns is mentioned in the changelog section only that it got added).

Thanks!

jmerry

No, it's in the readme. It's just not in the same place as most of the other new components; they're first sorted by group, so that component is at the end of the "Content Changes" group. You were probably expecting all of the new components to be at the end; that only applies to the three that I put in the "Cosmetic Changes" group.

GraionDilach

No, I did it via Ctrl-F random but now I did found it so I'm puzzled what went wrong there on my side yesterday. Sorry.

jsaving

Outstanding work!

jmerry

Updated to version 2.1, with one new component: Nature's Beauty blindness can be cured.

OrlonKronsteen

Thank you for this! Quick question: just how does the Undead Hunter turn undead improvement work? The readme states that it puts them on par with a cleric of the same experience. But I thought the ability was determined by level and clerics and paladins level up differently... Do you compensate by giving Undead Hunters a turn ability that is a few levels up from their actual character level?

jmerry

Yes, that's exactly what I do. +2 turn levels when they first get turning at character level 3, +1 turn levels at levels 10/13/16/19/22/25/28. At the BG2EE cap, they have level 41 turning.

Also, updated to 2.2. There was a syntax error in my new component for 2.1. Fixed now.

Mothor

Cool mod. Any more components coming in the future?

jmerry

Likely, though I couldn't tell you what sort of components. I haven't thought of them yet, after all.

Mothor

jmerry wrote: »

Likely, though I couldn't tell you what sort of components. I haven't thought of them yet, after all.

Is it possible to post some suggestions of what one might want to see in future releases?

jmerry

While I can't guarantee anything, I do at least read everything in this thread.

Oh, and an update: I have to say that my "Bigger Random Spawns" component is not recommended for BG2EE in its current state. While it technically works the way it's supposed to, spawn points in BG2EE just aren't set up right. You can wander around the outside of de'Arnise Keep and see one troll or one ice troll despite my change, and you can head to the Underdark and see scenes like these:

(From my current "Dorn It" run. The mind flayer spawn point is normally capped at three, while the beholder spawn point is normally capped at two.)

I'll be fixing these issues for the next version, trying to set reasonable "difficulty level" parameters for the spawn points and "power level" parameters for the creatures used. At least, those creatures used in vanilla. I take no responsibility for mod-altered spawn points using creatures not on the list - setting those parameters right is up to the mods in question.

OrlonKronsteen

Hi jmerry,

Thanks for your work on this. Now that I've finally gotten around to trying to install it, I'm unable to. I get a parsing error. I know very little about programming, etc., but I've attached a pic if that's helpful.

Best,
~O

jmerry

Line 2? All the way up at the top?

Ah. You're using an old version of WeiDU - version 242. 249 is current, and this mod requires 247 or latter. It should install with warnings (that I compensated for) with version 247, and without warnings on 248 or 249. The specific error that got you comes from me using a feature that was added in 243.

OrlonKronsteen

Hmmm... on my latest test your mod was the only one I attempted on a clean install. How would I change it to a more recent version of Weidu?

jmerry

What are you using to install it? While I haven't tested the Windows installer I included (I'm on a Mac), I copied it from something that I thought was v249...

OrlonKronsteen

I used your installer. I haven't added anything else to the game folder.

jmerry

Then it's definitely my bad.

All right, I just downloaded Windows WeiDU even though I can't use it, to copy as an installer. Updating to version 2.3.

OrlonKronsteen

It looks like we're getting somewhere. I'm not getting that parsing error anymore. However, there is now an undefined string error that prevents the display and installation of components, as per the attached image.

jmerry

Sounds like the system isn't parsing the .tra file; those are the first strings it has to include. And the mod isn't translated into anything but English.

Definitely don't continue from there, as the bits of in-game text I include wouldn't work. But when it comes to fixing it? I just don't know.

OrlonKronsteen

Interesting... I don't know the first thing about this stuff so I'm not much help diagnostically. Maybe someone else from the community will have the solution. In any case, I'm happy to help with testing. I will check here later to see how it goes. Feel free to DM me, too, if you can think of specific ways for me to help.

GraionDilach

Can't reproduce.

Although the whole mod is packaged weirdly. The standard way of packaging doesn't subfolder the binaries away.