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Custom Spellcasters (Familiars)

BrandonKBrandonK Member Posts: 16
in Builders - Scripting
(Forgive me if you have already read this post. I was told to try in scripting)

I was reading the EE version of the game removed the hardcoding for spellcasters, however when I add the familiar feat to a custom or existing class something is missing. For example, adding the feat to the cleric feats 2da file (In override) causes the character to have the ability but since no familiar was selected nothing happens?

I was also reading about an extension NWNX? which allows spellcasters to be customized...I just enjoy character creation and am wanting to tinker and tweak the classes. A few years ago I played around with this stuff and maybe ran into the same issue?

Comments

  • KamirynKamiryn Member Posts: 74
    edited August 2022
    Classes.2da has a (new) column MinAssociateLevel. I guess you have fill/change that column to activate familar selection.

    From NWN Wiki (https://nwn.wiki/display/NWN1/classes.2da):
    1 to enable associate (Familar for Arcane casters, Animal Companion for Divine casters). 255 to disable adding one (eg; Cleric). If you have something other than 1 to enable, it becomes a minimum level for the class to receive their Animal Companion and increase its level (Does not work for Familiars).
  • BrandonKBrandonK Member Posts: 16
    I got super excited because it showing in game and now it was allowing me to pick a familiar at character creation...Unfortunately when I activate the skill nothing happens:(

    Files in override: classes.2da and cleric feats.2da (Trying to add familiar to cleric as a test)

    Is there something else needed to make that work?

    Thank you so much Kamiryn for the information and being willing to help:)
  • KamirynKamiryn Member Posts: 74
    edited August 2022
    I think divine casters can't have familars but only animal companions (see quote from nwn.wiki).

    When you create your cleric you should see that you don't pick a familar but an animal companion (regardless of any feats your cleric might have). And to summon an animal companion you need the feat Animal Companion.
  • BrandonKBrandonK Member Posts: 16

    Kamiryn wrote: »
    I think divine casters can't have familars but only animal companions (see quote from nwn.wiki).

    When you create your cleric you should see that you don't pick a familar but an animal companion (regardless of any feats your cleric might have). And to summon an animal companion you need the feat Animal Companion.

    You are a genius, and I am a goof!! :D I didn't even pay attention to the type of animal I was picking. I was just so excited that it worked...That is really weird that divine casters can't have a familiar, I wonder why? So if I create a custom caster class I should be able to have a familiar as long as it is arcane and not divine. I need to go read the wiki sounds like lots of good information:)

    Thank you again for all your help!
  • TarotRedhandTarotRedhand Member Posts: 1,481
    I need to go read the wiki sounds like lots of good information:)

    You have no idea just how much info is up there B) . Here's the link to the NwN EE area. There is also some information in the few blogs on there as well. To see those just click on the "Spaces" link on that page.

    TR
  • BrandonKBrandonK Member Posts: 16
    edited August 2022
    Okay...So I have been really trying to figure things out myself. Let's see how many things I have wrong:)

    Files I need in my override to make a custom class XXX work
    *Classes.2da
    *cls_feat XXX.2da
    *cls_skill XXX.2da
    *packages.2da - Edit this is mostly suggestions for character creation right? It can be very generic especially if I am making the character by choosing what I want?
    *Dialog.tlk (see below)

    Do I actually need the file that creates the equipment packages? Changing the 2da files seems really straight forward.

    I assume the dialog.tlk can just go back in the main game or does it actually need to be an override as well?

    I got the TLK editor and I see how you can extend the table but do I really have to skip all the way to 16,777,216 plus _______________ for my entries? This is where I am getting stuck currently. I did it before but I can't figure out where I got the number to add to 16,777,216?

    I feel like last time I played with this stuff I found a tutorial that basically went step by step but maybe that was for NWN2 and not the original game? I was kinda playing with both last time.

    Thanks! in advance....I always feel like I either ramble or don't say enough so:) please ask questions and I will do my best to answer them.
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,316
    Packages - also required for level up scripts e.g. companions, also creature scaling in some modules.

    Dialog.tlk - you don't need to edit it. Make a custom .tlk instead. Add it to your module properties on the custom content tab. You can start at line 0 because the game will add the 16M offset automatically.
  • BrandonKBrandonK Member Posts: 16
    Proleric wrote: »
    Packages - also required for level up scripts e.g. companions, also creature scaling in some modules.

    Dialog.tlk - you don't need to edit it. Make a custom .tlk instead. Add it to your module properties on the custom content tab. You can start at line 0 because the game will add the 16M offset automatically.

    I did this before and got my class name and description to show up correctly, but can't seem to remember how. If I understand what you are saying I can just make a tlk file (Do I call it Dialog.tlk) and put it in the override folder? Start at line 0 because it is going to automatically add it to the end of the regular tlk? Module properties? I am just trying to mess with the OC with a custom class.

    level up scripts? I swear I found a how to with a basic example before? Was it the sun soul one? If I have an example I normally can figure things out....The way I understand the 2da files is for example the word fighter is just for me reading the document. The computer uses those numbers 9674 for example to reference the tlk file but this is where I am stuck...How do I know what number to put in the tlk file for the computer to reference?

    As always thank you for your time and patience....I am sure for those of you who are fluent in this my questions are simple and annoying:)
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,316
    The new .tlk file needs a unique name, e.g. mymodule.tlk. It goes in the tlk subfolder in documents.

    If you use the latest tlkedit utility (available on NWVault), on the View menu you can Display User Strref, which converts your local line numbers 0, 1, 2... to the numbers you need to put in 2da files 16777216, 16777217,16777218...

    In the examples I have, line 0 always reads Bad Strref... not sure if that's essential for a custom tlk, but does no harm.

    To get your custom tlk to show up in the toolset, go to Module Properties > Custom Content, then select your file from the tlk dropdown.

    As for level up, any script that uses the LevelUpHenchman function requires the packages.
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