- Installation
- Compatibility
- Overview
- Contents
- Customisation
- Additional Notes
- Known issues
- Acknowledgements
- Copyright Info
- History
Sword Coast Stratagems
A Gibberlings Three Mod
Author: DavidW
Version 31 Release Candidate
Languages:English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, and Spanish
Platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
GitHub: Gibberlings3/SwordCoastStratagems
Sword Coast Stratagems (SCS ) adds over 130 optional components to Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition, Baldur's Gate II:Throne of Bhaal, Baldur's Gate Trilogy, and Baldur's Gate 1 TUTU, mostly focused around improving monster AI and encounter difficulties, but also including a number of cosmetic and ease-of-use components and tweaks to abilities and spells.
If you have installed version 21 or earlier of SCS or SCSII, you must completely uninstall (and preferably delete) it before installing this version. (It should be installable over the top of version 22 or later without incident.)
Installing the mod
Installation is fairly straightforward. Run "stratagems.exe" and tell it to install in your BG:EE folder, BG2:EE folder, BG2 folder, BG1TUTU folder, EasyTUTU folder, or Baldur's Gate Trilogy folder, as appropriate. (If nothing happens, run "stratagems.bat", in this folder.)
(Finding this folder for the Enhanced Edition can be a bit tricky; it's the folder with "CHITIN.KEY" in it. On my install, the path to BG:EE is C:\Program Files (x86)\BeamDog\Games\00766, and the path to BGII:EE is C:\Program Files (x86)\BeamDog\Games\00786.
Choosing components
Components for SCS are organised into groups. For each group, the installer will offer you the choice of installing all, some or none. If you pick "all", the installer will still ask you about some components, as some SCS components have various different options.
Once you have selected all of your components, the mod will install. This takes a while --- about 15 minutes on a fairly fast desktop for a BGT install. This is why the installer for SCS is slightly different from the installer used for most Infinity Engine mods: it lets you choose all your options in advance, rather than having to wait for each component to be installed before selecting the next one.
If you want to change your install later, run stratagems.bat again. It will offer you the choice of uninstalling the entire mod, rebuilding the install from scratch, or fine-tuning the install component-by-component.
(For advanced users: under the hood, all this is just WEIDU. You can bypass the auto-installer and go straight to the standard process in the usual way - just rename weidu.exe to setup-stratagems.exe and run it. On BG:EE, though, this needs to be done at the command line with --script-style bg2 added.)
Installing on non-Windows systems
I don't generally test on non-Windows systems, so I can't vouch for any of this.
On Mac OSX, follow the above instructions, except that you should click on setup-SCS.command, and then drop the ".exe" suffixes.
On Linux, usual instructions apply: Download the latest version of WeiDU for Linux from weidu.org and extract (at least) the WeiDU, weinstall and tolower executables in a $PATH directory (E.G. /usr/bin). Following that, open a terminal, cd to your BG2 installation directory, run `tolower' and answer Y to both queries. Finally, run WeInstall SCS to install the mod.
A note on ToBEx
SCS ships with ToBEx version 21 for use on non-Enhanced Edition installs. If you want to use a more recent version, install it wherever you like - before SCS or after. Either way, things should work fine. (If you don't know what ToBEx means, ignore this note.)
This game discusses the base game, then mods in general, and then goes through specific mods in alphabetical order.
Games
SCS is designed to work with any of the following install options:
- Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
- Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
- The original (or GoG) Baldur's Gate II, with the Throne of Bhaal (ToB) expansion installed
- Macready's "EasyTUTU" version of Baldur's Gate Tutu", again with both TotSC and ToB installed
- The Baldur's Gate Trilogy (BGT) combination of BG1, TotSC, BG2 and ToB into one game
Mods in general
SCS attempts to be as compatibility-friendly as possible. It should be compatible with most quest, item, NPC and tweak mods (I don't know of any significant incompatibilities with currently-used mods other than those listed below).
In general, when installing multiple mods, it matters which order you install them in. A rough guide is:
- The Ascension mod
- The BG2 Fixpack
- Mods which change the spell or item systems
- Mods which add new quests and similar game content
- Mods which add new joinable characters
- Mods which tweak aspects of gameplay
Ascension
Ascension is fully compatible with SCS II. By default, Ascension enemies use their own scripts instead of SCS scripts, although a number of components change this. (Note in particular that the Ascension "tougher Demogorgon" component is overridden by the "Improved Fiends" component of SCS.
However, a number of reports suggest that SCS is not compatible with "BP-Ascension", the version of Ascension that ships with the Big Picture. I recommend that you use the standard WEIDU version of Ascension (at www.weidu.org) with SCS. (Users constructing a Big World Project mega-install should probably take advice from www.shsforums.net on the best strategy.)
Incidentally, Ascension is about the only mod that should be installed before the BG2 fixpack.
aTweaks
aTweaks is designed to function with SCS. It should be installed after SCS. (This is an exception to the usual rule that SCS should be installed last.)
Big Picture
I believe that the latest version of Big Picture aims at some level of SCS compatibility. I haven't been able to investigate myself. On balance I'm inclined to think that for a stable install you should choose one or the other, as both try to do broadly similar things in rather different ways.
BG2 Fixpack
SCS is designed to work with the (G3) BG2 Fixpack when used on BG2 and BGT installs. On old-style BG2, and BGT, I very strongly recommend that you install this fixpack first, before any other mods (except Ascension, if you use it) but certainly before SCS . It probably installs without the Fixpack but it's designed on the assumption that Fixpack is installed, and odd things may happen if it isn't. The Fixpack is not required (or available) on Tutu or Enhanced Edition installs
Divine Remix
SCS has slight compatibility issues with Divine Remix. Divine Remix rearranges the spellbooks of some potentially-hostile priests and SCS, not knowing this, will fail to use their spells effectively. This is unlikely to have any significant effect on play, though.
Item Revisions
SCS should be compatible with Demivrgvs's and Mike1072's "Item Revisions (IR) mod. IR should be installed beforeSCS (and indeed before most mods). Some IR components overlap with SCS components; these components will be silently skipped on an install of SCS.
Oversight
If you install "Tougher Sendai" from Oversight then SCS will still work, but the SCS improvements to Sendai (in the Smarter Mages / Smarter Priests component) will be skipped in favour of the Oversight ones. Pick which one you want.
Quest Pack
Quest Pack's AI and creature enhancements should be compatible with SCS II. Install Quest Pack first, then install whichever components of SCS you want: they will override the Quest Pack for the affected creatures. Quest Pack still has some content not influenced by SCS II: notably, it improves Mummies and Umber Hulks.
Refinements
SCS is fully compatible with the "Refinements" mod, and in particular, will make use of the modified High-Level Abilities introduced by Refinements. Refinements must be installed before SCS for this to work properly. (Yes, I know the Refinements readme says "install me last"; trust me on this.)
Spell Revisions
SCS should be compatible with Demivrgvs's "Spell Revisions" (SR) mod, and I make a reasonable (though imperfect) amount of effor to allow for SR changes. SR should be installed beforeSCS (and indeed before most mods). Some SR components overlap with SCS components; these components will be silently skipped on an install of SCS.
Tactics
Compatibility between Tactics and SCS depends on the components:
- Components which have a direct SCS analogue: common sense applies, only install the ones you want. These are: Improved Bodhi, Improved Golems, Improved Irenicus in Hell, Improved D'Arnise Keep, Improved Kangaxx, Improved Mind Flayers, Smarter Dragons, Smarter Beholders, Slightly Smarter Mages and Liches, Slightly Tougher Demons, Streamlined Trolls (which overlaps with SCS 's "Resilient Trolls"), Tougher Druid Grove (the Faldorn part ovelaps with SCS 's) Improved Faldorn, Improved Sahuagin City, and Improved Demon Knights (which overlaps with SCS 's Improved Fiends component).
- Components with no overlap with SCS : should be compatible. These are: Improved Ilyich, the Ritual, Kuroisan, Red Badge, Lich in the Docks, Fighter/Illusionist in the Docks, Improved Crypt King, Improved Nymphs, and the kits. Install these before SCS.
- The "Improved Maevar" component is incompatible with SCS's "Smarter Arcane Spellcasters". Only install one of them.
- The "Always Toughest Random Spawns" component is basically the same as the toughest setting of SCS 's "Increase difficulty of level-dependent monster groupings" component. I recommend that you use the latter, as it has the same overall effect but is coded in a way that will cause fewer problems for SCS and other mods. (The Tactics version is known to cause some (harmless) warnings when installed with some components of SCS .)
- Improved Undead is basically not compatible with SCS . If you want to try it anyway, it will need to be installed after SCS (it's the only component of Tactics for which this is true).
- Tougher Druid Grove is probably incompatible with SCS 's "Smarter Divine Spellcasters". Try at own risk.
- Tougher Fire Giants appears to be compatible with SCS 's "Improved Fire Giant Temple". Install the Tactics version first, and you should find that fire giants get both the Tactics and the SCS upgrades.
Tweaks Anthology (formerly BG2 Tweaks)
Tweaks Anthology can be installed before or after SCS; both should work. It probably makes sense to put last whichever one you think you're more likely to modify in play. For most people I probably recommend putting Tweakpack last. (Also, it takes much less time than SCS to uninstall and reinstall.)
Wheels of Prophecy
SCS is fully compatible with my Throne of Bhaal content-enhancement mod, Wheels of Prophecy. Install SCS after Wheels of Prophecy.
Sword Coast Stratagems is a collection of mini-mods for the Enhanced Editions of Baldur's Gate I and II, the original edition of Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, Baldur's Gate TUTU, and Baldur's Gate Trilogy. Although it contains many tweaks and ease-of-use components, it is mostly a tactics mod, intended to make the combats in the game more challenging and interesting. A full install basically rewrites the entire AI system of the game.
Since there are a lot of tactics mods out there, of very different styles, it's probably simplest to describe the distinctive features of SCS. (I don't want to suggest that all of these are automatically advantages: there are lots of different styles of play, and different mods fit different people.) Some more thoughts of mine on how to assess tactical mods can be found here.
- SCS plays fair. I've made a fairly sustained effort to ensure that SCS opponents fight by the rules and don't use powers denied to the player (other than obvious things like dragons' breath weapons, liches' ability to see through invisibility, etc!) This is probably most notable for spellcasters - SCS mages don't randomly get uninterruptible spells, improved casting time, free Alacrity, or the like. (In fact, I've removed these powers from creatures in the vanilla game occasionally, though I haven't done so systematically.) However, "fair" is sometimes in the eye of the beholder, and there are also one or two exceptions (notably fiend-summoning by mages and priests), so please do read the component descriptions if this is important to you!
- SCS is almost pure AI. SCS mucks around rather little with the core powers of creatures, and hardly at all with their abilities, resistances, saving throws and the like. Its main focus is on getting creatures to do as much as they possibly can with their existing abilities. In particular, its targeting is very careful - hopefully you'll almost never see a mage do something stupid like cast repeated spells at someone immune to that spell.
- SCS is quite low-key in its changes Where SCS does modify something other than AI, it usually does so in a relatively undramatic manner - adding a few more creatures, giving a creature a couple of other magic powers in keeping with powers it's already used, and so forth. It doesn't give new ultra-powerful spells to creatures who didn't have any magic before, or give creatures massive damage resistances, for instance. (Again, there's not necessarily anything wrong with doing this, it's just not what SCS is about).
- SCS is very customisable. Feel free to install whichever combination of components you like - there is a separate one for each major AI / tactical change.
- SCS is systematic. I've tried to be very thorough in making sure that there aren't "gaps" in its AI modifications - so that all hostile wizards, for instance, and not just some, are upgraded.
- SCS tries to be as compatible as possible. I've done the best I can to ensure that SCS will install on top of other mods (especially non-tactical ones) without causing problems for either. In particular, SCS dynamically alters its scripts to take (some) account of new magic items introduced by other mods.
Overall, playing SCS shouldn't exactly feel like a whole new game - it should feel like the old game, but with your foes acting much more intelligently and realistically.
At present, SCS makes no use of the difficulty slider except in the "Beholder's lair" upgrade (which is borrowed from Quest Pack) and in one choice of options for the Mage and Priest components. I hope to introduce difficulty-slider dependence in a future update.
SCS also contains a number of other small tweaks to the game. Most of these (especially the spell and item modifications) are intended to modify the game in small ways that are helpful from the point of view of tactical challenge - some make the game a little easier, others make it a little harder. I recommend that all the spell tweaks are installed since the AI scripts assume that they are present, but it isn't compulsory.
On BGT, TUTU and BG:EE versions, SCS also includes a collection of components that improve NPC-related aspects of game-play in small ways - for instance, it implements the useful BG2 feature where you can send NPCs to inns when you don't need them; it lets you break up NPC pairs like Khalid/Jaheira without having to arrange for one of them to get killed; it lets you choose NPC's weapon proficiencies rather than being stuck with the game's preset choices; and it allows Yeslick, the dwarven fighter-cleric, to use axes.
Finally, SCS contains a few ease-of-use features (notably, an ease-of-use player AI script with a large number of convenience features) and a few "flavour" features that don't really affect gameplay but hopefully aid the feeling of immersion in the game world.
Unless otherwise noted, all components are for all forms of the game.
(Almost all components require this)
This component does various setup tasks needed by most other components in SCS. You won't directly notice what it does, but it fixes a few bugs and extends the game's capabilities to allow the rest of SCS to function correctly. (For experts: among other tasks, it installs Detectable Spells and (on non-BGEE Windows installs) ToBEx, makes magic items detectable, modifies weapons so that the script engine can detect their enchantment level, fixes the bugged Spell Shield spell, reconfigures area-effect spells so that Mirror Image doesn't block them, and prevents casting from being disrupted by zero-damage attacks.)(Advanced users who find my mods slightly too good at detecting items may wish to experiment with setting AI_Does_Not_Detect_Items to 1 in stratagems/stratagems.ini; this isn't recommended, though.)
These components make rather minor alterations to the spells in the game, usually in the interest of game balance or consistency. All changes are fully documented in the spell descriptions themselves. Note that while all these components are optional, many of the tactical choices made by wizards and priests in SCS assume that they are installed, so you may notice some slight anomalies in enemy behaviour if you don't install them all.
Standardise spells between BG and BG2 (TUTU, BGT)
At the moment, BG1Tutu and BGT are both a bit inconsistent in their use of BG2-only spells (like Stoneskin or Holy Smite). Non-player characters don't have any of these spells, and enemies don't use them, but party sorcerors, clerics and druids have access to them, and party mages can choose them at first level.
This component offers two alternative ways to resolve the inconsistency. The first (available only for BG1Tutu players) blocks player access to all BG2-only spells except for Find Familiar and the various wild-magic spells.
The second alternative reintroduces into BG all of the new wizard spells of fifth level or lower. Some are added to stores, others to treasure caches; see here for all of the locations.
Note that this is not needed for BG:EE because the BG2 spells are already available. (In fact, the code to make them available is based on SCS code, so in effect this component is already included in BG:EE.)
Make Protection from Normal Missiles affect some magical projectiles
This component improves the power of the Protection from Normal Missiles (PNM) spell. It now blocks most magical arrows, bolts etc that lack a formal "plus": that is, it blocks fire arrows, ice arrows and the like. The exceptions are the Arrows of Detonation, the Arrows of Slaying, and the Arrows of Dispelling. Combined with the component that replaces +1 weapons with nonmagical weapons, this significantly increases the usefulness of PNM (read: makes PNM not entirely useless for NPC mages).
Allow Spellstrike to take down a Protection from Magic scroll (BG2,BGEE,BGT)
In the original game, the protective sphere produced by a Protection from Magic scroll is completely impenetrable by any spell at all - if you use one, all a hostile wizard can do is run away or fight in melee. This component allows the most powerful mage anti-magic spell, the 9th level spell Spellstrike, to destroy the anti-magic sphere of one of these scrolls. It also allows the anti-magic ray of the Hive Mother beholder to destroy the sphere.More consistent Breach spell (always affects liches and rakshasas; doesn't penetrate Spell Turning)
Although it isn't documented, the 5th level spell Breach will remove a creature's combat protections (such as Stoneskin) even if that creature is protected by Spell Deflection, Spell Turning or Spell Trap; it will not, however, affect creatures like liches or rakshasas, because they are immune to spells of level 5 or below. This component removes both features: Breach now bounces off Spell Turning (etc.), but it affects even those creatures immune to "normal" 5th level spells.
Once this component is installed, the Breach effect of the Wand of Spell Striking will behave in exactly the same way as the Breach spell.
Enemy wizards will assume Breach works this way (and so won't target characters protected by Spell Turning etc with a Breach), even if you don't install this component.
Antimagic attacks penetrate improved invisibility
This component changes those spells which target a creature's spell defences (e.g. Secret Word, Spellstrike, Ruby Ray of Reversal - but not Breach) so as to allow them to target creatures which are protected by Improved Invisibility. The idea of this component is that these spells can now be cast on enemy mages who are protected by Improved Invisibility - this makes the Improved Invisibility / Spell Immunity: Divination combination less overpowering.
Prior to version 16, this component worked by giving the spells a small area of effect. This option remains, as a legacy component, for those who prefer it.
The antimagic attacks of enemy mages will bypass Improved Invisibility even if you don't install this component.
Iron Skins behaves like Stoneskin (can be brought down by Breach)
For some reason the Iron Skins spell, although it appears identical to a Stoneskin, counts as a Spell Protection (like Spell Turning) and not as a Combat Protection (like Stoneskin). This means that in the unmodded game, Breach does not bring down Iron Skins, but (e.g.) Secret Word does. This component relabels Iron Skins as a Combat Protection.
Enemy mages will assume that Iron Skins works this way (and so will, e.g., cast Breach at it) even if you don't install this component.
Modify the Harm spell so it does damage rather than reducing target to 1 hp (BG2,BGT)
The Harm spell reduces its target to 1 hp in 2nd edition D&D; in 3rd edition, it does a large amount of damage instead. This component modifies Harm to work more like the 3rd edition spell: it inflicts 150 hp damage, with no saving throw, on a successful touch attack. The rationale for this is that Harm (especially combined with Critical Strike) is otherwise an almost-instant way of eliminating even foes with hundreds of hit points. Harm remains lethal in this component, but is not quite so overwhelming.
There are two versions of this component. One version modifies only the player's version of Harm; the other modifies player and enemy versions alike. (The former component is probably more merciful, as rather few characters in the party will have more than 150 hp even at full strength, at least until very late in the game.)
Make individual versions of Spell Immunity available, so that players can use them in Contingencies etc. (BG2,BGEE,BGT)
This component is self explanatory. It should be irrelevant for the vast majority of old-BG2 users; I leave it in place for anyone who for some reason isn't using ToBEx.
Revert Greater Restoration back to only affecting one creature (BG2,BGT)
Throne of Bhaal makes an undocumented (but widely known) modification to the Greater Restoration spell, making it into an area-effect spell that heals the entire party. This component reverts Greater Restoration to its SoA version (also its BGEE version), where only one creature can be affected.
Enemy priests assume Greater Restoration affects one target only (and so fairly rarely use it) even if you don't install this component.
Blade Barrier and Globe of Blades only affect hostile creatures (BG2,BGT)
Even in the unmodded game, hostile priests used a special form of Blade Barrier that only affected their foes. (This is probably because, in the Infinity Engine, it is almost impossible to script creatures to avoid them crashing into each other.) This component (again in the name of fairness, and also of hassle avoidance) extends this to the player's version of these two spells: with it installed, players and NPCs use the same form of Blade Barrier. (They don't quite use the old NPC version, which had a rather shorter range: they use a hybrid version, as large as the old PC version but affecting only enemies).
Cap damage done by Skull Trap at 12d6(BGEE,BG2,BGT)
Skull Trap, like the other L3 spells Fireball and Lightning Bolt, does 1d6 damage per level. Unlike those spells, though (and, I suspect, via an oversight on the developers' part, though I could be wrong) Skull Trap's damage is not capped at 10d6, which makes it extremely lethal for a third level spell by the later part of the game. This component caps the damage of Skull Trap at 12d6 (the slightly higher cap reflects the much shorter range of Skull Trap compared to Fireball.
I don't know whether this component makes the game net easier or harder. I was led to write it after seeing a lich in SCS II playtesting cast a 3xSkull Trap Spell Sequencer, doing about 100 hp damage even to characters who made all their saving throws.
Make Power Word: Blind a single-target spell (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
Unlike other Power Words, Power Word: Blind has a small area of effect. This both makes it rather powerful, and makes it virtually impossible for enemy AI to use without "friendly-fire" incidents. This component just makes Power Word: Blind target a single creature. (This is another component which the mage AI will assume is installed.)Make Minute Meteors into +2 weapons (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
In the unmodded game, the meteors created by the third-level Melf's Minute Meteors spell strike as +6 weapons, enough to penetrate any creature's resistances and to cut through even the Absolute Immunity spell. This strikes me as a bit overpowered for a third-level spell. This component makes meteors +2 - still enough to hit most creatures, but not enough to cut through any of the protection-from-magic-weapon spells.
Reduce the power of Inquisitors' Dispel Magic
Inquisitors have a very fast powerful Dispel Magic ability, which is cast at twice their level. In most bits of the game, this is usually much higher than the majority of spellcasting enemies. This component reduces the power of the Dispel a little; you can choose to use it at 1.5xlevel or at 1xlevel.
Slightly reduce the power of Insect Plague spells (and the like) and let Fire Shields block them
In the unmodified game, Insect Plague and Creeping Doom are very hard indeed for a spellcaster to deal with or defend against. This component (which was partly inspired by Demivrgvs's Spell Revisions) grants a per-round saving throw against the spell-failure effects of the insects; it also cause the insects to be destroyed if the target protects himself/herself with a Fire Shield spell (either colour) or Aura of Flaming Death spell.
Cosmetic change: stop Stoneskins from changing the caster's colour (BG2,TUTU,BGT)
The Stoneskin spell causes the recipient to turn a uniform grey colour, which is realistic but does get a bit monotonous when your spellcasters are permanently protected by it. Note that this effects NPC mages too. This tweak (which uses Ascension64's "ToB Extender" and so is unavailable on BGEE) removes the colour change from the spell.Slightly increase the power of Mantle, Improved Mantle, and Absolute Immunity (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
In the unmodded game, Mantle protects you from +2 or weaker weapons, Improved Mantle from +3 or weaker weapons, and Absolute Immunity from +5 or weaker weapons. In all cases, arguably this is slightly too weak given the prevalence of such weapons in the game. This component increases each protective range by one: Mantle protects against +3 or weaker weapons, Improved Mantle against +4 or weaker weapons, and Absolute Immunity against +6 or weaker weapons (i.e., basically everything.)
The mage AI, in choosing its defensive spells, assumes that this component is installed; if you don't install it, mages may be slightly too willing to use Mantle etc instead of Protection from Magic Weapons, though this shouldn't be too noticeable.
Make spell sequencers, spell triggers, and contingencies learnable by all mages
In the unmodded game, spell sequencers, contingencies etc are in the Evocation school, making them unavailable to Enchanters; this is a serious weakness for the class. This component moves them to be in both the Conjuration and Evocation schools (like Wish), so that all mages may use them. The affected spells are Minor Sequencer, Spell Sequencer, Spell Trigger, Contingency, and Chain Contingency.
Note that if you have Smarter Mages installed, SCS enchanters will use sequencers and the like even if you do not have this component installed.
Add extra spell scrolls for hard-to-find spells (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
This component adds one extra copy of a few spells into shops in Amn and Trademeet. The spells are chosen to be ones which otherwise tend only to be found late in the game or only given good luck with random loot. The affected spells are Bigby's Clenched Fist, Bigby's Crushing Hand, Control Undead, Improved Mantle, Invisibility 10' Radius, Mordenkainen's Sword, Pierce Shield, Remove Magic, Ruby Ray of Reversal, Spell Shield, Stone to Flesh, and Summon Nishruu. The location of the scrolls is determined randomly at install time.
Give True Sight the ability to prevent magical blindness (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
This spell modifies True Sight (and the clerical version, True Seeing) so that the caster is immune to Blindness while the spell is effective; existing Blindness effects are also removed.
(The main reason for this change is that Blindness is essentially lethal for enemies (especially spellcasters). With this change, Truesight effectively works like Vocalize, in addition to its other effects.)
Prevent clones made by the Simulacrum and Project Image spells from using their magic items (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
At present, clones can use magic items belonging to their creator - even one-shot items - which arguably isn't what the spell is intended to do. This component blocks use of useable items, by greying out the quick-item bar for clones. Magic weapons, armour, and protective devices still function normally.
These components remove, move or tone down the powers of a small number of magic items. It's not at all systematic (there are mods out there which go through almost all the items in the game and reduce their powers) but it reduces the extent to which a party can coast by on a few über-items.
Make elemental arrows like BG2 (TUTU,BGEE)
The arrows of Fire, Ice and Acid in BG are seriously powerful in terms of damage done - much more so than their equivalents in BG2, presumably because the designers chose to tone it down a bit. This component applies a similar tonedown to BG.
It also removes (undocumented, save in EE) bonuses to hit and damage for Fire Arrows.Replace +1 arrows and other projectiles with Fine ones
This component replaces the weakest magical projectiles with non-magical ones of high quality. The main point is to make the "Protection from Normal Missiles" spell less ineffective when used by enemy spell-casters.
Replace many magic weapons with fine ones
This replaces most of the standard (i.e. non-named) +1 weapons in the game with non-magical equivalents: they still give you +1 to hit and damage but they don't give you +1 to initiative and they can't harm creatures that are immune to normal weapons.
This is mostly a cosmetic change: I wrote it because otherwise there are implausibly many magic weapons lying around the Sword Coast. It has two significant effects on the game, though. Firstly, +1 weapons cost a lot less (about a third as much). This mostly works against you (you generally find +1 weapons on enemies and sell them). More seriously, the iron plague affects "fine" weapons. I actually quite like this (feels more realistic, and makes the iron plague more a part of the game) but if it's just going to annoy you, don't use it: you can choose to have Fine weapons without the effects of the iron crisis. (It's clear from what you're told in-game that the crisis affects all iron (even iron not forged from Nashkel ore), but some people feel this is outweighed by the annoyance of having your high-quality weapons break so much. It's up to you.)
My alpha version of this component (for BG2) changed +2 weapons too, but that turns out to have unwanted effects on game balance - +2 nonmagical weapons are great to use against mages with the Protection from Magic Weapons spell running, and the protagonist is probably immune to nonmagical weapons in ToB and needs to be affectable by at least some opponents.
This component applies to all versions of the game (though on BG2 installs there is no iron crisis, of course). For technical reasons there are actually two separate versions (one for BG2, one for TUTU/BGT/BGEE): the right one for your install should be selected automatically.
Reintroduce potions of extra-healing (TUTU,BGT,BGEE)
This places smallish numbers of potions of extra-healing at some of the temples (see here for details) on the Sword Coast. It's mostly here because some of the enhanced encounters give potions of extra-healing to the bad guys, and it's rather unfair if the player can't buy them too.
Remove Arrows of Dispelling from stores
Arrows of Dispelling are arguably a little overpowered (they are all-but-eliminated in BG2, though some mods reintroduce them). This component gives you the choice of removing all, or all but five per store, of the Arrows of Dispelling from the stores throughout the game.
Remove the Shield of Balduran from the game (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
I looked fairly extensively for ways of scripting beholders to deal with the Shield of Balduran without resorting to cheese, or for ways of toning down its powers while keeping it recognisable, but I had limited success. Ultimately, the character equipped with the Shield of Balduran is nearly invulnerable to beholders, pretty much irrespective of what strategy they use. This component (which, as always, is optional) removes the shield entirely from the game, leaving beholders as a challenge again.
(More recent versions of SCS have given beholders the power (after a few rounds) to steal the shield using their telekinesis power. It's possible that this means this component is not essential any more; I leave it in place anyway, since it's already written.)
Remove the invisibility power of the Staff of the Magi (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
The Staff of the Magi allows the wielder to go invisible, at will and without losing any time to do so, and this is famously overpowered. This component just removes the invisibility power from the Staff.
Move Vhailor's Helm into Throne of Bhaal (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
Vhailor's Helm is not absurdly powerful relative to some of the items that can be found later in the game, but it's a bit much for something that can be bought for cash at the start of chapter 2. This component moves it into the early part of the Throne of Bhaal expansion (see the spoilers for details).
Move the Cloak of Mirroring into Throne of Bhaal (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
You can't get the Cloak until later in the game; still, it's hugely powerful and could be argued to be unbalancing at the time it's introduced. This component moves it into Throne of Bhaal (see the spoilers for details).
Move the Robe of Vecna into Throne of Bhaal (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
Similarly, the Robe of Vecna - one of the most powerful items in the game for a spellcaster - is overpowered for something that can be bought in chapter 2, and so this component moves it into Throne of Bhaal (see the spoilers for details).
Make the Healing and Resurrection powers of the Rod of Resurrection into separate powers (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
Having a magic item which not only restores its target to life but also heals them fully is extremely powerful. This component mildly tones down this power, by giving the rod separate resurrection and healing powers. It can still restore its target to life, but they have only one hit point; it can also cast a Heal spell on living targets.
Change Carsomyr so that its dispel-on-contact power gains a saving throw (BG2EE,BG2,BGT)
Carsomyr (the holy paladin sword) dispels all magical protections instantly on hitting its target, which drastically changes the flavour of many battles (notably those with mages and priests, and to a lesser extent with dragons). This component (which was borrowed directly from Demivrgvs' and Mike1072's Item Revisions) grants a saving throw against this effect, which makes it useful but less transformative.
These components could equally well be called "miscellaneous tweaks".
Faster Bears
"If you're in the woods, and you run into an angry bear, don't worry about it. Bears can't move very fast, you can outdistance it at a brisk walk".
It's unrealistic that BG bears can't catch up with the party. This component tweaks their movement rate (when hostile) until it's about the same as for humans. This also makes the druid's bear shapeshift less annoying.
Grant large, flying, non-solid or similar creatures immunity to Web and Entangle
Logically, things like Fire Elementals, Grey Oozes, and Giants ought to be unaffected by Web and Entangle effects. This component grants them immunity to those effects. Affected creatures are Elementals (all except small Earth), djinnis, efreetis, anything larger and stronger than an ogre (which basically means umber hulks, shambling mounds, large demons, giants, otyughs, and wyverns), magical flying swords, and oozes and slimes.
More realistic wolves and dogs (TUTU,BGT,BGEE)
In the real world, wolves rather rarely attack humans; indeed, they normally keep their distance. In the Sword Coast, though, wolves are apparently ruthless, fearless predators that think nothing of attacking even large parties of heavily armed adventurers. (And, as a corollary, even wilderness-oriented types like rangers and druids spend much of their time fighting off attacks from implacable wolf packs.)
This component makes the behaviour of wolves (and also wild dogs) a bit more realistic. They won't usually attack humans (they still do sometimes: it's been a harsh winter and game is scarce). They'll generally retreat if more than a few of them are injured or killed. If you approach them, they might take a bite out of you, but just as likely, they'll keep their distance.
This component has no effect on non-"normal" wolves (dire wolves, winter wolves and the like), since for all I know, they really are ruthless predators. Its main point is to spare the author (who rather likes wolves) the heartache of perpetually having to cut them down and listen to the rather sad yelp they make when you kill them.
Improved shapeshifting
This component (inspired in part by Wesley Weimer's Shapeshifter Rebalancing component) modifies all of the druid innate shapeshift abilities (and the druid/cleric elemental-shapeshift HLA) to be useable instantly (that is, without requiring a six-second cooldown before the next spell can be cast). It does so by creating "symbolic paws": if you equip one, you instantly shapeshift. Other than that, the effects of the shapeshift are largely the same as previously, though some of the ability score and attack bonuses have been tweaked slightly. Note that shapeshifting still blocks spellcasting.
If you have both this component and the "improved priests" component installed, enemy druids will use improved shapeshifting.
Make party members less likely to die irreversibly
This component tries to prevent "chunking", the annoying permanent death of your character when you're reduced below -10 hp. Characters who get reduced to 0 hp or below just die in the usual fashion and can be resurrected. It isn't possible to prevent quite all forms of chunking (massive damage from fire, in particular, still seems to cause chunking fairly reliably), but this component should make it a rarer occurrence. This may be useful in the later stages of the game, when melee opponents often do 30-40 hp damage per blow - that 10 hp safety margin starts to feel slender.
Reduced reputation increase
In general, if you're playing a half-way honorable character in BG2, your reputation fairly rapidly reaches 20 and stays there. The idea of this component is to slow down the rate at which you gain reputation: you can choose the degree of slowdown.
In more detail: any time you would have gained 2 or more reputation points, you gain one fewer point than you should have. Any time you would have gained one, it's decided at random whether you actually do gain it, according to the probability you choose at install time.
Allow player to choose BG1 NPC proficiencies and skills (TUTU,BGT)
At the moment the various NPCs who join your party have their existing proficiencies, thief skills etc. determined for you according to what the designers of BG and/or Tutu had in mind. There's nothing wrong with this, but it can be interesting - especially if you've played several times - to have more flexibility.
This component gives you the chance to select each character's proficiencies from scratch. It does so in a slightly convoluted way (to get around game-engine difficulties): when a new NPC joins your party, they start at level 0. They immediately go up a level, so you get to choose their starting skills. As soon as you've levelled them, they gain enough experience to go up to about the level of the PC, and you can give them any remaining proficiencies.
This differs from the BG2 Tweaks version (which is overwritten) because you get to choose proficiencies even for 1st-level characters. The component only works for the "core" NPCs in BG, not for any NPCs added by someone else's mod (or for BG2 NPCs). It won't work for a given NPC if you install it after you've already entered their area.
Note that at present this component is not available for the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate. (I haven't yet found the time to get my head around how BGEE handles NPCs.)
Note:the patch takes a few seconds to come into effect. If there's a 3-4 second pause when your character's statistics (hit points, say) aren't right, don't worry about it.
Warning: Occasionally this component seems to give odd results for people; be warned. (Trying to mess around with them during the above 3-4 second pause seems to be the reason.) There is a much more stable and powerful version of this mod due to Nythrun available at the Gibberlings 3 site; however, that version cannot be used during an ongoing game.)
Allow BG1 NPC pairs to separate (BGEE,TUTU,BGT)
One of the more frustrating aspects of BG is that many of the more interesting NPCs come in inseparable pairs (Khalid and Jaheira, Minsc and Dynaheir, etc.) Of course, it's always possible to get round this by leaving one member of a pair in a building or getting them killed, but it does spoil the suspension of disbelief a bit.
This component allows you to separate the pairs. If you kick one member of a pair out of the party, then the other still leaves - but if you speak to one member of a pair and invite them to join up, you get a dialogue option to take them but not their partner.
BG1 NPCs go to inns (BGEE,TUTU,BGT)
One of the nice features of BG2 is the ability to ask NPCs to meet you somewhere else, rather than just getting them to stand around forlornly. This component introduces this feature for the "core" BG NPCs. You can send them to the Friendly Arm inn, the Elfsong tavern in Baldur's Gate (from chapter 5), the Nashkel Inn (if you've been to Nashkel), or the Jovial Juggler in Beregost (if you've been to Beregost). You can't send them there from Balduran's Isle, the Ice Island, the Candlekeep dungeons, or the lower levels of Durlag's Tower..
To send someone to an inn, first kick them out of the party. Then talk to them - you should be given the opportunity to ask them to go to an inn and await you there.
This component isn't compatible with the similarly-named BG1 NPC component "NPCs wait at inns". Install whichever one you want (you won't be allowed to install more than one). There isn't much difference between the two - the dialogue is handled a bit differently, and this version lets you send people to more inns.
Move BG1 NPCs to more convenient locations (BGEE,TUTU,BGT)
Many of the BG NPCs are inconveniently located - either at places where you can't get to at all until late in the game (e.g. Baldur's Gate, the Cloakwood), or places where you in principle could get to but realistically wouldn't. This makes it annoying to experiment with varying your party: you have to leave extended gaps in your party until quite late, or unrealistically sneak into later-game areas to act on your Reload Knowledge of where someone is.
This component moves as many as possible of the NPCs to locations where you are likely to run into them fairly early in the game. Obviously it doesn't move all by any means (many have plot-related reasons for their locations).
See here for details of who has been moved and to where. Note that this component will only work if you start a new game.
BG1 NPC also moves some NPCs. If you've got BG1 NPC installed, this component will only move those NPCs (Shar-Teel and Viconia) whom BG1 NPC leaves alone.
Allow Yeslick to use axes (TUTU,BGT,BGEE)
It seems appropriate that Yeslick, who is a dwarven fighter-cleric, ought to be able to use the traditional dwarven weapon; this component allows him to.
(There is a loophole here: due to the way the game engine works, this actually allows all fighter-clerics (not just Yeslick) to use axes. Yeslick is actually the only NPC fighter-cleric in the core game but it might affect third-party NPCs, or your primary character (and, for BGT users, it will affect Anomen). If you want to take advantage of this then be my guest, but it wasn't the intended function of the component.)
Skip the Candlekeep tutorial sections (TUTU,BGT,BGEE)
The Prologue to BG is a perfectly good tutorial in the Infinity Engine for complete beginners. By the time you return to it for the Nth time, it's unutterably tedious - but you more-or-less have to do it, because even the small amount of gold and XP it gives you is pretty vital for later. It doesn't really even add colour, because realism is always being spoiled by these damn monks telling you which button to press.
This component gives you two ways around this problem.
The first option (which leaves the tedium unchanged but resotres the verisimilitude) just removes the green-robed monks. The less-than-serious alternative choice, inspired by PPG's Dungeon-Be-Gone, lets you skip the whole thing: at the start of the adventure, a guard will come up to you and give you the chance to collect all the cash and XP from him. He'll give you a decent interval to shop, and then teleport you direct to Gorion ready for the start-of-game ambush.Be warned that the dialogue with the guard is unrealistic and written for laughs. Realism is restored once you start talking to Imoen and Gorion.
Allow the Cowled Wizards to detect spellcasting in most indoor, above-ground areas in Athkatla (BG2,BG2EE,BGT)
The Cowled Wizards claim to ban magic everywhere in Athkatla; in practice, though, they only complain if you cast spells out of doors. This component extends their watch to most indoor, above-ground areas in Athkatla (there are a few exceptions, mostly places where wizards live (e.g. Prebek's tower) or where it's likely that the owners have made arrangements with the Cowled Wizards (e.g. the Copper Coronet).
Increase the price of a licence to practice magic in Athkatla BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
The default price for a magic licence from the Cowled Wizards is 5,000gp. This component allows you to increase it to an amount between 10,000gp and 50,000gp, depending on which option you choose during installation.
Increase the price asked by Gaelan Baele BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component aims both to make it more realistic for the player to linger in chapter 2 of SoA (which in gameplay terms is often rather tempting, but is hard to justify on roleplaying grounds) and to add an extra challenge by restricting the player's wealth in the first part of the game. As everyone knows, in the unmodded game Gaelan asks the player to provide 20,000gp. With this component installed, he will want more - between 40,000gp and 120,000gp, depending on which option you choose during installation.
Make Freedom scrolls available earlier BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
Scrolls of Freedom (the spell that reverses Imprisonment) are fairly thin on the ground early in SoA, whereas Liches love Imprisoning people. This component makes a few scrolls of Freedom available from Athkatlan stores (the Coppor Coronet and the Adventurer's Mart, in fact.)Make Watchers' Keep accessible between SoA and ToB BG2, BGT)
In roleplaying terms, the natural time to explore Watchers' Keep is between the end of Shadows of Amn and the start of Throne of Bhaal. Before chapter 4 you're probably too weak; in chapters 6 and 7 of SoA you're in a desperate race against time; in ToB, the way the start works makes it difficult not to take random time off from urgent business to explore Watchers' Keep.
This component moves the start location of Throne of Bhaal to Watchers' Keep, so that you're moved there immediately after the end of SoA. You can then explore WK to your heart's content. When you want to start ToB, just leave WK via the world map. You can still return to WK after leaving.
Be warned: you don't have any stable base, or any way to change your party, as long as you're starting at WK. If you find you need either, you'll need to do the first part of ToB. Similarly, although you could start a new game of ToB using this component, this is only a good idea if you're masochistic enough to want to solo Watchers' Keep with a starting-level ToB character!
This component is only available on Windows versions of SCS, and isn't at present available on BG2EE.
Warning:If you install this component you will not be able to access Watcher's Keep during the Shadows of Amn part of the game. This is to prevent a persistent bug, which I've been unable to track down, whereby going to WK during SoA triggers the chapter counter to advance to chapter 8.
Recover lost items from Hell (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
Because you're transported directly from Hell at the end of chapter 7, any items on the ground (notably, those dropped by slaughtered companions) are lost in the lower planes. This component (suggested by the bigg) fixes this problem: your items will be on the ground waiting for you when you start chapter 8. The component is compatible with the "Make Watchers Keep accessible between SoA and ToB" component, and you can install them in either order.
Randomize the maze in Watcher's Keep (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component is for the benefit of people who've now basically got the Watcher's Keep teleport maze memorized. It randomly rearranges the maze to one of three different alternative configurations. Don't install or reinstall this component while you're exploring the maze (before you enter it, or after you've left it, will be fine).
Remove unrealistically helpful items from certain areas (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
Vampires do not stockpile stakes in their lairs; magic golems are not usually found near stashes of nonmagical weapons; demons' lairs are not usually stocked with books explaining how to eliminate their defences and wands stocked with the requisite spells; trolls are not generally found in places filled with fire and acid arrows; cities under siege do not generally have large quantities of +3 weapons for sale in bars. But in BG2 all these things occur. Presumably this is intended to reduce frustration, but I just find it spoils my suspension of disbelief. This component tries to remove all such implausibly-placed items. (Obviously, things like stakes and fire arrows are still plentifully available, but you can't count on just finding them lying around where you want them.)
Remove unrealistically convenient ammunition from the game (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
Similarly, the game has vast stashes of ammunition lying around for the taking, presumably because the developers thought you'd be bored of having to buy it. This component removes all the ammunition from containers, for those who find things just a bit too convenient to be realistic.This component can be fine-tuned. You can choose to remove only the non-magical ammunition, to remove all the ammunition except those nice +3/+4 items you find in Throne of Bhaal, or just to remove everything.
Delay the arrival of the "bonus merchants" in the Adventurers' Mart and the Copper Coronet (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component causes the "bonus merchants" (Deidre and Joluv) to appear a little later in the game (by default they are in the Adventurers' Mart and the Copper Coronet, respectively, as soon as you go there). One of them (chosen at random) will appear once you've started Chapter Six; the other will appear once you've either completed four of the "stronghold quests" or recovered the Rhyn Lanthorn.
You don't need to have the bonus merchants already installed (e.g. through Tweak Pack) to run this component; if you do, it won't matter.
Treat mages' and priests' High-Level Abilities as innate abilities rather than memorisable spells (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component causes the 10th level spells that mages get as High-Level Abilities, and the Quest spells that priests get likewise, to become disentangled from existing 9th level mage spells and 7th level priest spells. If installed, 10th level and Quest spells are no longer added to the character's list of spells to learn. Instead, each can be cast once per day in addition to the character's normal spells. Each spell can only be taken once. Note that clones (Projected Images and Simulacra) of the spellcaster do not get High-level abilities.
The component should be compatible with other mods (notably Refinements) which change the High-Level Ability system. If it is installed, SCS mages and priests will also receive High-Level Abilities in this way.
I'm grateful to TheBigg and Vilcakis, from whose rather similar mod I took significant inspiration, and to Ardanis for the suggestion that each ability should only be available once, which changed me from a strong opponent of this change to a (cautious) supporter.
Ease-of-use party AI
This AI script, suitable for all characters, is not intended to help you fight difficult battles, but it might make your life simpler (especially where pre-casting spells is concerned - SCS II virtually requires you to do a lot of precombat spellcasting of long-duration spells, but it's tedious to do manually.) The AI has 5 functions:
- The character will fight, prioritising opponents who are not immobile
and helpless, not fighting if they're trying to Turn Undead, and not wasting
Melf's Minute Meteors, Energy Blades or Invisibility (the idea of this AI is
to help you mop up weak opponents, so it conserves resources). You can
shift the character between melee (D) and ranged weapons (F) using the
hotkeys.
If you'd rather that your character did not enter melee, you can toggle melee off by pressing (K). Characters with melee toggled off will fight if enemies are in weapon range but won't be proactive about getting into range. - The character will cast some long-duration spells when out of combat. There are 4 settings for this, which you can toggle through using (S). On setting 1, the character uses no spells. On setting 2 and up, the character will cast all of the following spells if they are memorized (and not already active): Stoneskin, Iron Skins, Armor, Melf's Minute Meteors, Goodberry.
- On setting 2 and up, the character will consume Goodberries if injured and out of combat. On setting 3 and up, the character will also consume potions of healing. On setting 4, the character will consume potions of extra-healing.
- On setting 2 and up, the character will automatically activate the following items once per day: the Cloak of the Stars; the Gargoyle Boots; the Belt of Fortitude.
- On setting 2 and up, the character will automatically cast low-level healing spells on the party if they have them. The casting is highly accelerated and cannot be done in combat; characters will only cast healing spells of a level 2 or more below the highest level of spells which they can cast.
- The character will cast some spells, by hotkey, on the whole party. This casting is highly accelerated, cannot be done in combat, and only casts on characters who are not already protected. Its main function is for later in the game when you can afford to carry enough spells to protect the whole party. The hot-keys are: C for Chaotic Commands; V for Death Ward; B for Protection from Fire, Protection from Lightning, and Protection from Magic Energy; Z for the paladin's Protection from Evil. (The latter key is already allocated to a hotkey (sleep) - sorry, I was running out of hotkeys. To use it you'll need to disable Z in the Configuration program. Later versions of SCS will feature a more flexible hotkey-allocation system.)
Move Boo out of quick access and into Minsc's pack
I love Boo, really I do, but it's infuriating that he eats up one of Minsc's quickslots. This patch just moves him into a slot in Minsc's backpack. It will only work if you start a new game (or, for BG1, at least install before arriving at Nashkel).
Remove blur effect from the displacer cloak
Like it says really: this removes the annoying blurry graphic when someone wears the displacer cloak.
Remove animation from the Cloak of Mirroring (leave it for other spells and effects that use the same graphic) (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
The Cloak of Mirroring creates an annoying spherical animation that is a pain to have around permanently. The BG2 Tweak Pack eliminates that animation entirely from the game, but that can be a nuisance for SCS as the animation, annoying or not, is a good way of telling which mages have which defensive spells running. This component just removes the animation from the Cloak, leaving it in place for other spells and items.
Stackable ankheg shells, winterwolf pelts and wyvern heads (TUTU/BGT/BGEE)
These aren't infinitely stackable in the "standard" inventory-management mods, or at least they weren't last time I checked.Ensure Shar-Teel doesn't die in the original challenge (TUTU/BGT/BGEE)
Shar-Teel is rather fragile: it's easy to kill her by mistake in the battle where you recruit her. This component guarantees that she survives the battle.
The distinction between this section and the next two ("tactical challenges") is a bit arbitrary, but basically components in this section either don't alter creatures' abilities at all, or do so in a relatively low-key way.
Initialise AI
This component has no in-game effect, but carries out some preprocessing that's necessary for any of the other AI/tactical components to function.
(For experts: it constructs a centralised list of which spells and items use opcode 206, builds lots of prebuff and instant-effect spells, and constructs the "cursed wound" item used by clay golems.)
Smarter general AI
This component improves the generic AI used in melee and ranged combat throughout BG2. In addition, it rearranges creatures' choices of proficiencies and (where appropriate) high-level (non-spellcaster) abilities, assigns kits to some fighters and thieves who don't currently have them, and ensures that creatures have correct (or at any rate consistent!) saving throws, attack rolls, levels, and kit abilities. It will mostly affect fighters, thieves, and monsters without large numbers of special abilities.
Main features of this component include:
- Enemies will try to choose targets more intelligently. This will be most noticeable for ranged attackers - the game's engine makes it difficult to safely tell melee fighters to do much more than "attack nearest".
- Melee attackers will fairly quickly notice that their opponent is immune to their attacks (if you're protected from magic weapons, for instance) and will try someone else; ranged attackers will similarly notice spells like Physical Mirror.
- Thieves will use their backstab and hide-in-shadows power as much as they can, and will avoid wasting backstabs on characters with Stoneskin or Mirror Image.
- Enemies will use potions if they have them (though this component doesn't give them any).
- Enemies with class abilities (e.g. Kai) or high-level abilities (e.g. Whirlwind Attack) will use them.
- Enemies above a certain minimum intelligence will usually prioritise opponents who are not stunned, held or otherwise helpless. From their point of view, they're fighting to win, and if they kill all non-helpless opponents they can finish off the helpless ones at their leisure. (They will, however, finish off nearby vulnerable opponents in preference to chasing up distant ones.)
- In Baldur's Gate I, various creatures who foolishly moved up to talk to the party, or sat immobile while being surrounded, will now initiate conversation at a distance.
- About a dozen (in BG1) or about seventy (in BG2) creatures now have kits assigned. Kits used are archer, assassin, barbarian, berserker, kensai, swashbuckler, and wizard slayer.
Better calls for help
This component substantially improves the (in BG1 almost nonexistent, in BG2 rudimentary) scripting for monsters to help one another. Even the stupidest monsters will fight in groups (so the advance-a-few-steps-at-a-time strategy will fail); intelligent monsters will call out to nearby allies. There are some ways to abuse this component but generally it seems to strike a good compromise between amazingly unrealistic behaviour on the one hand, and the entire map emptying towards you on the other.
High-Level Abilities for spellcasters (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component allows high-level spellcasters in BG2 to use High-Level Abilities (HLAs). The component has no effect unless the Smarter Mages and/or Smarter Priests component is installed (really it's just a component choice for those components, not a component in itself). There are five options, allowing HLAs to be available for only special creatures, or all sufficiently-high-level spellcasters, in Shadows of Amn or Throne of Bhaal or both.
Warning: The option is available to let all Shadows of Amn spellcasters use HLAs, but this will make some early parts of the game extremely dangerous, and I don't really recommend it. If you ignore this warning and then get Dragon Breath dumped on your twelth-level party, don't blame me.
Smarter mages
This component drastically improves the intelligence of pretty much all the arcane spellcasters (liches, mages, fighter/mages, thief/mages, bards) in the game. It does so in three ways:
- Better choices of spells and sequencers. The spell lists of mages are systematically restructured to swap useless for useful spells. I've tended to err on the side of variety over usefulness: Maze is less useful than Horrid Wilting but it's still fairly useful, so I've kept it; but Larloch's Minor Drain just can't compete with Magic Missile, so out it goes. Enemy sequencers, spell triggers, contingencies and the like are all completely reworked. Both the spellswap and the sequencer choice are done at random (though occasionally I've tweaked it for specific mages) - I think an 18th level wizard has about 4000 different possible combinations of contingencies and sequencers! Spell choices will change each time you reinstall SCS ; sequencer and contingency choices will change each time you reload. (Whether mages use High-Level Abilities will depend on whether you installed the appropriate component above.)
- Much better targeting. SCS mages are very, very careful to choose sensible targets
for their spells and to avoid silly or unrealistic actions. They will
renew magic defences as soon as they are destroyed, try to show some
discernment in when to use antimagic attacks, prefer to target fighters
with Dire Charm and mages with Power Word: Kill, etc. Multi-class characters
will try to intersperse their mage and non-mage abilities. There is quite
a lot of randomness, though - partly because it's tactically unwise to
use too-fixed a strategy, but mostly for variety.
SCS tries extremely hard not to cheat. It's impossible within the engine to be completely certain of this, but as far as I can manage, no SCS mage does anything that the party can't (assuming that you have installed the Spell Tweaks components of SCS ). There are two exceptions:
- As noted in the "Improved Fiends" component (below), if you install that component then NPC-summoned fiends behave a little differently from PC-summoned ones.
- I assume that NPC wizards (who have years and decades more practice than the PC) can specify the conditions on which their contingencies go off with more discernment than the PC, so I haven't restricted myself to the conditions that the game allows for PC spellcasters. Otherwise, I have kept to the standard Contingency rules even when the unmodded game breaks them (no choosing different targets in the same sequencer; no 9th level spells in Chain Contingency, etc.)
SCS mages obey the rules on invisibility: only spells which can be cast at a point on the ground can be used against improved-invisible opponents. So they will cast Horrid Wilting or Fireball at your improved-invisible character, but not Breach or Magic Missile. One unavoidable game-engine, glitch, though, is that (unlike with PC spells) an NPC-cast Fireball will land at the feet of its target even if s/he has moved after casting began. I can't do much about this. Note that sequencers cannot be, and are not, targetted at invisible opponents (even if they contain area-effect spells); but note also that liches can see through invisibility (even in the unmodded game).
Out of mercy, enemy mages won't cast Imprisonment on the main character. If you're masochistic enough to want to change this, enter CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("DMWWImprisonPlayer","GLOBAL",1).
- SCS allows
mages to cast some spells instantly, to simulate casting before battle
begins (in BG2 it's very difficult
to script enemies to do the sort of pre-battle buffing that PCs
can do). They will always do this with any spell with a duration of more
than a couple of hours (e.g. Stoneskin,
Melf's Minute Meteors). There are five options, though, for the casting
of short duration spells. (Note that whichever option you choose, mages
will still use contingencies and spell sequencers.)
- Option 1: Mages are always allowed to cast spells instantly at the start of combat. This is basically the same way magic works in SCS, and is tactically the hardest challenge; however, on occasion it might appear a bit unrealistic.
- Option 2: Mages are allowed to cast spells instantly at the start of combat only when they are created near the PC (e.g. enemy mages teleporting in to ambush you). This is basically how Tactics handles this (though I think I keep to the rules more strictly than Tactics does). It's somewhat less challenging, but since even casters whom you catch off-guard have contingencies and sequencers to defend themselves with, mages can slam up defences pretty quickly.
- Option 3: Mages never cast spells instantly. (Though, again, they can very quickly use contingencies and sequencers to defend themselves.)
- Option 4: Option 1 for BG1, option 2 for BG2. The logic here is that many mages in BG2 teleport in, but hardly any do in BG1 - partly because they are lower level, partly because of different design philosophies. (For what it's worth, this is my own preferred option.)
- Option 5:Mages use short-duration spells at the start of combat, but only if the difficulty is set to Hard or Insane.
This component also makes some systematic adjustments in the levels of NPCs. The unmodded game is very inconsistent: it often makes casters much too-low-level for the spells they have (this matters because many spells have different effects at different levels, and also because Dispel Magic depends on the difference in levels between the casters. SCS goes through every arcane caster in the game and modifies their level according to the following rule: an NPC is raised to the lowest level consistent with all the spells s/he knows, except that no-one is raised to a level that would let them cast higher-level spells than they actually have, and (almost) no-one has their level reduced by SCS II. This is then fine-tuned manually.
Finally, many wizards will be specialists of one sort or another (I use necromancers, conjurers, invokers and enchanters), and this should - hopefully - lead to a little more variety in the kind of spell use you see.
The component uses whatever memorization rules are in the game. If you've installed a component which changes the number of spells a caster of a given level can learn, this will apply to enemy mages too; if you've opted for High-Level Abilities to work as innate abilities rather than spells, this is how mages will use them.
Since Irenicus is a mage, this component upgrades him too. He gains no new spells, but he should use his existing spells more effectively, and this makes him a lot more dangerous (particularly in his final incarnation). Illasera is a fighter-mage in the unmodded (non-Ascension) game, so if you don't install Ascension then she gets upgraded. If you have the "Smarter Clerics" component then Sendai is also upgraded (unless you've installed "Tougher Sendai" from the Oversight mod).
Smarter Priests
This component upgrades the intelligence of the clerics and fighter-clerics in the game, in much the same way as the "Smarter Mages" component does for mages etc. It has the same three pre-casting options; note, though, that since clerics do not have access to sequencers or contingencies, enemy clerics are at a huge disadvantage on options 2-5. (For this reason, my own preference is to use option 1 for clerics.)
Potions for NPCs
Potions are one of the most effective and cheap ways for a humanoid creature to enhance its combat ability. The party collect literally hundreds of them through the game and can easily buy hundreds more; it's not that realistic that enemy NPCs don't have them. This component gives healing and protection potions of various sorts to humanoid NPCs; it also gives combat-boosting potions to fighters and invisibility potions to thieves. The potion allocation is based on level (the higher level your opponent, the more likely he is to have good potions); it also requires a higher level for a Throne of Bhaal NPC to have potions than for a Shadows of Amn one, since Throne of Bhaal is crawling with mid-level grunts, and a higher level for a Shadows of Amn NPC than for a BG1 one.
This component "plays fair", in the sense that potions are given to NPCs when they are created, not beamed into existence just in time to be drunk. This means you'll probably end up with (even) more potions if you use this component, since you'll be able to steal a few from enemies who are killed before being able to use them. However (as Alesia_BH pointed out to me on the Bioware boards) it's not exactly unrealistic that glass bottles get smashed in the heat of battle. So you can choose any of six different rules for what fraction of potions are recoverable.
The Superior Healing potion only gets given to enemies in Throne of Bhaal (to preserve a flavour difference between the two components).
Improved Spiders
This component enhances the AI (and in some cases, the abilities) of most of the spiders you meet in the game. Its effects will be most noticeable in BG1 - it makes the Cloakwood, in particular, quite challenging. Basically, there are two main changes: giant spiders cast (single-target) webs every few rounds, and phase spiders teleport more effectively. All spiders also have an increased predisposition to attack webbed opponents and poison them.
Smarter dryads and sirines (TUTU/BGT/BGEE)
This component improves the intelligence of sirines - their charms will be better targetted and they make more intelligent use of their invisibility. It also adds a little defensive magic to the hamadryad of the cloakwood - she is hopefully a little more of a challenge now.
Slightly smarter carrion crawlers (TUTU/BGT/BGEE)
This small component gives carrion crawlers a slightly smarter script - they know enough to continue paralysing moving opponents before feeding.
Smarter basilisks (TUTU/BGT/BGEE)
This component spreads basilisks' gaze attacks around, rather than mechanically petrifying the nearest target. More importantly, it gives them the intelligence to see (eventually) that some targets are immune altogether, and to concentrate on others.
Improved Golems (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component doesn't really make golems smarter (they're supposed to be stupid) But it streamlines their scripts a bit, gives their weapons a sensible range, makes them immune to Lower Resistance and to poison, and tries to prevent situations where golems get stuck behind barricades. It also fixes an animation glitch in the Iron Golem animation - this hopefully makes iron golems a bit prettier when they attack and blow clouds. As of version 22, it also gives clay golems a cursed-wound weapon, as in PnP Dungeons & Dragons. (You can turn this off before installing - see the Customisation section.)
Improved Fiends (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component overhauls the "Fiends" (i.e., Baatezu and Tanar'ri, aka Devils and Demons) throughout SoA and ToB. More than any other component of SCS II, this component not only upgrades their scripting but actually gives them a variety of new magical abilities. I've based the abilities the fiends received on a combination of 2nd and 3rd edition pen-and-paper D&D; details can be found in the Spoilers section. However, the fiends' basic combat abilities and defences remain essentially unchanged: other than a certain amount of systemisation (where two similar-looking fiends have wildly different immunities, for instance) I've left their hit rolls, damage, immunities, magic resistance etc pretty much alone. In fact, in one or two cases I've removed a power (e.g. permanent haste) that seemed to be added as a cheesy way of making a fight harder.
The component also enforces the fact that fiendly spellcasting is instantaneous and innate, so that fiends do not use up time getting their spells off, and cannot be interrupted.
This component also makes a substantial change to the way fiend-summoning magic works (this is one of the few places where SCS II breaks the rule that players and NPCs should be treated equally). I assume that enemy spellcasters (who, after all, have been learning high-level magic far longer than the party) summon demons with whom they have a pre-existing pact. These demons won't attack their summoner - and, crucially, will attack the party even if they are protected by Protection from Evil. The practical upshot is that the only demons in the game now kept at bay by a Pro/Evil are the ones that your party summons. This makes summoned demons rather more useful, and you'll see more of them being summoned. Note: this component will only have an effect on the game if you also install SCS 's "Smarter Mages" and/or "Smarter Priests" components; unmodded priests and mages continue to use the original version.
The component also offers the option to increase fiends' hit points by about 50 percent. (In playtesting, I found that this led to more interesting battles, with fiends having more opportunities to use their powers.)
Smarter Genies (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component improves the various genies (djinni, efreet, and the like) in BG2. Mostly this is done by improving their scripts and systematising the rather chaotic list of spells and abilities that different genies get (in the original game, if you charmed a genie you'd see that it had a totally different list of spells from the ones it was actually using!) However, the component also changes summoned genies so that they count as "Gated" rather than "Summoned"; the practical consequence of this is that they are immune to Death Spell. This makes genie-summoning rather more useful.
As with the "Smarter Fiends", component, this component makes genies' spell use instantaneous and uninterruptable, and has an option to give genies a 50 percent hit point boost.
Smarter Celestials (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component improves the way in which summoned devas and planetars use their magical and combat powers. It only affects celestials summoned by enemy NPCs, and it doesn't grant any extra abilities - it just uses the existing abilities more effectively.
As with the "Smarter Fiends", component, this component makes celestials' spell use instantaneous and uninterruptable, and has an option to give celestials a 50 percent hit point boost.
Smarter Dragons (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component improves the intelligence of all the dragons in the game (including Adalon and Fll'Yissetat, but Abazigal is only modified if you also install the "SCS AI for Ascension" component). It tries to do this without granting them new abilities (the main grey area is exactly how many spells dragons should have: the unmodded game is somewhat inconsistent about it). At any rate, in play you should - hopefully - see dragons being a bit more discerning with their targeting and their spell priorities.
The component also systemises dragons' immunities to be consistent through the game, modifies dragon breath to penetrate magic resistance (the unmodded game is a bit inconsistent on this point, but since the spell Dragon's Breath goes through MR, presumably real dragon breath should too!) and lets dragons cast spells at a more realistic level (usually 15-25 or so).
As with the "Smarter Fiends", component, this component also lets dragons cast their spells instantly and uninterruptably.
The component has an option to increase dragon hit points very substantially - tripling them, in fact. At the moment dragons have about 200 hp, which by the late stages of Shadows of Amn really isn't enough to go toe-to-toe with an entire party. Somehow, it doesn't seem right that dragons have to rely on Stoneskin and Protection from Magic Weapons - this component gives them the ability to hang around in battle for longer.
Smarter Beholders (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component upgrades the AI of the beholders, gauths, elder orbs and hive mothers in SoA and ToB. (It basically tries to do it non-cheesily, but it's hard to define this exactly since beholder powers are almost all scripted). Beholders get to use their eyestalks once per round each, but they will tend to manage to get through more of them in a round; their targeting has also been drastically improved (the new scripts are about 150 times the length of the old ones!)
In accordance with PnP 2nd edition rules, beholders are now immune to most (not all) of their own eyestalks, which makes them more willing to bombard their way through Spell Deflection. I have removed the Disintegrate eyestalk power (I don't like scripting for powers that require you to reload on a failed save) but I have added a Telekinesis eyestalk (more for fun than for increased challenge). And I have borrowed, with thanks, the Quest Pack component which allows beholders to lose their eyestalks when damaged. Beholders are also unable to use eyestalk powers when blinded (although their allies may use anti-magic rays to remove the blindness).
Hive mothers use the same range of powers as in the original game, but use them more efficiently, and use their eyestalks in the gap while they're waiting to cast spells again. Elder orbs were tricky because of the rather inconsistent range of powers they show in the unmodded game, but I have interpreted them as casting spells just as standard mages do, and as knowing 2 spells of each level. Their choice of spell, and of Contingency, Spell Trigger et al, has been optimised more, and they too use eyestalk powers while waiting to cast again (and show a preference for short-casting-time spells, so as to allow more eyestalk use.)
It might be worth noting that, even in the unmodded game, hive mothers can see through invisibility (though elder orbs cannot).
Beholder eyestalk rays ought to be able to work their way through Spell Turning spells and the like: a few beholder rays ought to be enough to overwhelm a Spell Turning spell (and for that reason, beholders are scripted to use their rays even on protected characters). However, for whatever reason this doesn't seem to work very well in-game. So instead, beholder rays now have a random chance (thirty percent) of dispelling a spell protection on contact; this should work out, on average, to the same thing. This is optional: you can choose whether or not to let beholder rays "burn through" defences in this way.
In addition, you can choose at install time to have beholders use an alternative form of their antimagic ray. In pen-and-paper D&D, a beholder's eyestalk blocks all magical effects, beneficial or otherwise, on the target for as long as it's targetted. In BG2, the eye is more powerful: it removes all magical effects, blocks spellcasting for several rounds, but doesn't block enemy magic attacks (including the beholder's other eyestalks). Optionally, the beholder antimagic ray blocks all magical effects, including harmful ones, for one round, and also disables magical activity (spellcasting etc) by the target for one round; this is supposed to simulate the beholder bathing the target with its antimagic ray for one round. This subcomponent obviously requires different scripting, so beholders will use their antimagic ray a bit more cautiously if it's installed.
Finally, if Spell Revisions is installed then Beholders will use a Spell-Revisions-style disintegrate ray (at 10th level for ordinary beholders, 20th level for Hive Mothers). The default in this case is that they do use Disintegrate; entering CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("DMWWBeholderDisintegrateSR","GLOBAL",1) will disable it.
Smarter mind flayers (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component improves the intelligence of the mind-flayers and their kin (specifically, it upgrades flayers, ulitharids, vampiric illithids, and the Master Brain). It allows the illithids to use a somewhat wider range of abilities than before (notably, they have access to a few physical psionic attacks, like Ballistic Attack, and they can astrally travel to more convenient bits of the battlefield); it significantly improves their targetting; it allows them to use each power every 2-4 rounds and choose the most appropriate available power; it lets them avoid attacking targets who are immune to their abilities or to their physical attacks.
There are a variety of options in this component. You can choose whether to let mind flayers see invisible opponents (I'm inclined to think that their great intelligence and wide range of psionic powers means that invisibility is no barrier to them; not everyone agrees, though). You can also choose to give mind flayers 50% resistance to melee and missile damage. (The Tactics version of smarter mind flayers grants both these powers; both are optional in SCS.)
The component also makes a few changes in how psionic powers work. It mildly increases the damage done by physical psionic attacks (though not to anything like the extent that Tactics does) and it changes "anti-psionic" items so that they do not protect from physical psionic attacks. (On my interpretation, "Ballistic attack" involves using psionics on a rock, not on a PC). This gives illithids a few more options when facing enemies who are shielded from mental attack. The component also systematises illithid magic resistance and level, so that all of them are 90% magic resistant (previously there were a few exceptions) and the same level. As of version 16, it allows illithids' detonation power to destroy skeletons automatically (in accordance with the 2nd edition rules, as it happens). (This can be disabled at the console.)
If the "Smarter Mages" component and this one are both installed, the Alhoon is also upgraded. I interpret him as a L18 mage with the psionic powers of an ulitharid, I also give him the "split mind" psionic power, which allows him to cast a spell and use a psionic power in the same round. (Yes, purists, this is a valid 2nd edition psionic power!) This guy is now fairly dangerous.
Improved Vampires (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component upgrades vampires' intelligence and abilities, roughly in line with pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons. They should target their magic more effectively, pick on people vulnerable to their level drain, and so forth. The component also standardises vampire statistics a bit (usually increasing vampire ability scores slightly). It allows vampires to summon wolves, bats, or rats (the bat summoning was present in earlier versions but has been toned down), to drink blood (which drains Constitution) as well as draining levels, and to make much more use of their various shapeshifting abilities (bat, rat, wolf, gas cloud).
This component does affect Bodhi, but only if you don't install the "Improved Bodhi" component (in other words, if you want Bodhi to use her original-game abilities more effectively but don't want to give her the extra powers of that component, install Smarter Vampires but not Improved Bodhi).
Smarter Githyanki (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component improves the githyanki in the game, mostly through better scripting for their psionic powers (those which they demonstrate in-game in one way or another), although it does also slightly raise the level of some of the stronger gith. It also makes the same general upgrade to psionics that the "Smarter Mind Flayers" component does. Finally, it upgrades the githyanki lair in ToB by the rather simple expedient of opening all the doors. ("Sir, just a suggestion, but maybe we should fall on our enemies all at once rather than dividing our forces into four bite-sized chunks?")
Smarter ToB final villain (BG2, BG2EE, BGT)
This component upgrades the AI of the final villain of Throne of Bhaal, in both their Ascension and non-Ascension forms. I try fairly hard to use only those abilities actually demonstrated in-game, although I do fix a bug in the non-Ascension version whereby their last form wasn't using quite the right script.Smarter Illasera (BG2, BG2EE, BGT - requires Ascension)
This component changes the AI of the Ascension version of Illasera (and her flunkies) to match the SCS norm. Hopefully this makes them more rather than less dangerous (although Ascension AI is pretty good, so I'd welcome feedback).This component has no effect on the non-Ascension version of Illasera (who is a standard fighter/mage and gets modified by the "Smarter Mages" component). Both the original and the finale versions are affected.
Smarter Yaga-Shura (BG2, BG2EE, BGT - requires Ascension)
This component changes the AI of the Ascension version of Yaga-Shura (and his flunkies) to match the SCS norm. Hopefully this makes them more rather than less dangerous (although Ascension AI is pretty good, so I'd welcome feedback). Both the original and the finale versions are affected.This component has no effect on the non-Ascension version of Yaga-Shura (who is a standard fighter and gets modified by the "Smarter General AI" component).
Smarter Abazigal (BG2, BG2EE, BGT - requires Ascension)
This component tries to upgrade the AI of Abazigal. Both his humanoid and dragon forms are affected; if you have Ascension installed, so is the finale form of Abazigal, and so is his companion Tamah. I try to systematise Abazigal's magical talents a bit, but I don't do anything for which there isn't some existing in-game justification.Smarter Gromnir (BG2, BG2EE, BGT - requires Ascension)
This component changes the AI of the Ascension version of Gromnir Il-Khan (and his flunkies) to match the SCS norm. Hopefully this makes them more rather than less dangerous (although Ascension AI is pretty good, so I'd welcome feedback). Both the original and the finale versions are affected.This component has no effect on the non-Ascension version of Gromnir (who is a standard fighter and gets modified by the "Smarter General AI" component).
Ascension versions of Irenicus and Sendai use SCS abilities and AI (BG2, BG2EE, BGT - requires Ascension)
These components do exactly what they say: they modify these aspects of Ascension to fit the SCS norm. (Note that only the chapter 10 version of Sendai is affected: the chapter 9 version will use SCS scripting anyway.)Ascension demons useSCS abilities and AI (BG2, BG2EE, BGT - requires Ascension)
Though the distinction isn't hard-and-fast, components in this section are less concerned with improving the intelligence of creatures, more concerned with increasing their abilities and numbers. (Though hopefully, creatures remain intelligent and changes remain fairly low-key.) All components in this section are for TUTU/BGT/BGEE installs.
Improved doppelgangers
The doppelgangers in chapter 5 and later are by and large nothing like powerful enough to be an interesting challenge to a Tutu party at that level. This component (which has been overhauled for version 22) improves them mostly by systematising up, so that all ordinary Dopplegangers you meet are as powerful as the toughest ordinary Dopplegangers, and similarly for Greater Dopplegangers. It also increases the power and resources of the doppleganger assassins you meet late in chapter 7, giving them access to some spellcasting power.
Tougher Black Talons and Iron Throne guards
This component upgrades the Black Talon Elite and (most of) the Iron Throne mercenaries to L5 fighters. This doesn't have that much effect on the Black Talons (though they are now immune to Sleep); it's quite a substantial boost for some of the Iron Throne flunkies.
Improved Deployment for Parties of Assassins
Two groups of assassins (one made up mostly of dwarves and gnomes, one made up entirely of amazons) hang out in the vicinity of Gullykin. This component removes them from there and makes them proactively hunt the party down instead - they'll show up at random times in chapter 3 once the main character hits third level.
As of version 24, the assassins spawn in the usual random-encounter areas on TUTU and BGEE games, and on BGT games with BGSpawns or BGT-Tweaks spawns. (The old behaviour is fun, but a repeated source of bug reports!) If you want to hold on to the old version, you can force it via the ini file.
Dark-Side-based kobold upgrade
This component substantially increases the number of kobolds met, and adds some tougher "Guards" and "Chieftains" - the Nashkel Mine becomes less of a walkover, especially if "Better calls for help" is also being used.
As the name suggests, this component is substantially based on a small subcomponent of the old "Dark Side of the Sword Coast" mod for BG. I haven't been able to track anyone down from that mod to ask permission (I'm not really sure where to start) - it goes without saying that if the authors of that mod would like the component removed I'd be happy to oblige.
Warning: this is, surprisingly to me, one of the more controversial components, as it's really a fairly sharp increase in difficulty. If your usual play-style is to go to the Nashkel Mines at first level, you may find it tediously difficult (both because you're too low-level to cope with the kobolds, and because you haven't had a chance to get used to SCS).
Relocated bounty hunters
In the original game, a tough group of bounty hunters are waiting pointlessly in a locked building in the Docks, with no explanation as to why. This small component moves them to somewhere more interesting - see here to find out where, if you want to spoil the suspense.
Improved Ulcaster
This component improves two of the tougher monsters in Ulcaster: Icharyd and the Vampiric Wolf. Both are pretty straightforward opponents in Tutu (more so than I remember from the original BG) and this component gives them a fighting chance. Both gain a few more hit points and some special powers (the Vampiric Wolf's powers are specific to the one in the ruins, they don't apply to all vampiric wolves).
Improved Balduran's Isle (requires TotSC or BGT)
This component makes a number of changes to the "Balduran's Isle" component of Tales of the Sword Coast. A couple of the main fights are made more interesting and the dialogue with Kaishas and Mendas is substantially altered. It is now possible to seek a significantly less bloody resolution to the island voyage. (See here for details.)
Improved Durlag's Tower (requires TotSC or BGT)
This component improves the tactical challenge of a number of the key battles in Durlag's Tower. It is designed to be used with the "Smarter Mages" and "Smarter Priests" components, though it's playable without them. (See here for details.)
At least one of these battles is now actually quite hard, though still perfectly doable by a seventh-eighth level party.
Improved Demon Cultists (requires TotSC or BGT)
This component ups the capabilities of the demon cultists you meet in TotSC. (See here for details.) It's also pretty difficult for a party that isn't already 7th-8th level - be warned.
Improved Cloakwood druids
The druids of the cloakwood, even with improved scripting, are a pushover for a well-played party. This component increases their levels slightly and gives each a couple of low-level acolytes.
Improved Bassilus
This component slightly increases Bassilus's level; it also makes his undead flunkies die off a little less quickly even if you say the right thing to him.
Improved Drasus party
This component upgrades the group of mercenaries you meet in chapter 4 guarding the Cloakwood mines: each gains a couple of levels.
Improved Red Wizards
This component adds three levels to each of the Red Wizards of Thay you can meet in the Wood of Sharp Teeth.
Improved Undercity assassins
This component enhances the (optional) final group of assassins you meet - each gains about three levels.
Tougher end-of-chapter battles
These components (there are four of them) improve the strength and numbers of the opposition in the end battles in chapters 2-5 - they are "upgraded" rather than massively overhauled, so they still aren't ridiculously hard. See here for details. (There isn't currently a version for chapter 6 - I was dissatisfied with my previous one but haven't had a chance to put something new together.)
Improved final battle (requires TotSC or BGT)
By the end of the Tutu version of TotSC, the final battle of BG isn't much of a challenge. This component tries to change that and provide a worthier finale to the adventure. It turns out that Sarevok didn't just flee to the Temple of Bhaal because it looked pretty - he has other surprises... (see here for details).
Improved miscellaneous encounters
This component mildly increases the difficulty of a half-dozen or so battles scattered through the game, usually by increasing opponents' levels by one or two. It creates "divertingly" difficult fights rather than really stiff challenges. See here for the specific battles if you want to spoil the surprise!
Though the distinction isn't hard-and-fast, components in this section are less concerned with improving the intelligence of creatures, more concerned with increasing their abilities and numbers. (Though hopefully, creatures remain intelligent and changes remain fairly low-key.) All components in this section are for BG2, BG2EE, BGT installs.
Make the starting dungeon slightly harder
This is a very low-key modification to the initial dungeon. It replaces the pathetic goblins with duergar (which I think has a better "feel" to it in any case) and it prevents you from sleeping more than once. (I allow you to sleep once because (i) it gives you a chance to choose your spells, and (ii) Imoen has some rest-related dialogue that I don't want to block.)
Improved Shade Lord
This component upgrades the Shade Lord, mostly by giving him additional magical powers (though his hit points are also increased). Unlike most SCS components, this one doesn't make any particular effort to stick with the vanilla game or with anything from PnP source material: like the Wolf of Ulcaster, the Shade Lord has his own unique abilities.
Spellcasting Demiliches
This component (which requires "smarter mages") makes demiliches more like their third-edition versions. The demilich Imprisonment ability has been nerfed: it now grants a saving throw vs. death at -5, although it also causes level drain even on a successful save. Demiliches are still 100% immune to magic, but they are not additionally immune to spells of L6 or above (this means that high-level antimagic works on them).
On the other hand, demiliches are now by-the-book 35th level wizards with significantly accelerated casting times (and the ability to use their Imprisonment ability in the same round that they cast a spell). (Only the demilich in WK has access to HLAs.) The net effect should be to make demiliches quite significantly more dangerous.
More Resilient Trolls
This component tries to turn trolls' regeneration from a minor book-keeping nuisance to a genuine threat. Trolls still collapse when reduced close to death, and still require fire or acid to finish them off - but a more significant amount of damage is needed (ranging from 2 hit points for ice trolls to 8 hit points for spirit trolls) and they will get up again (at partial strength only) much more quickly.
This component probably isn't for everyone. Some will find it tactically and role-playing-ly interesting; others will find it a chore.
Increase difficulty of level-dependent monster groupings
At various points in the unmodded game, BG2 chooses the strength of the monsters you face based on your level. Typically there are four encounters, and which one you get depends on your experience level.
This component causes the game to give you somewhat tougher choices; there are four options available. "Mildly increased difficulty" causes you to get a fight one step too high-level for you; "significantly increased difficulty" gives you a fight two steps too high, and "almost-maximum difficulty" gives you the hardest possible fight whatever your level (with one exception: see below). Other ability-dependent components are modified in a similar way to try to achieve the same effects.
The only exception to the general rule is the "spawn-undead" script, whose highest-level setting causes liches to spawn. SCS II liches are so much more powerful than vanilla ones that it is nearly suicidal to take them on at lower levels (at least without cheesy tactics), so even on the "almost-maximum difficulty" setting they don't spawn unless you have at least 1 million XP. If you really, really want a massively-hard-to-injure undead archmage dumping Pit Fiends and Horrid Wiltings on you at 8th level, install the fourth option, "maximum difficulty".
This component is rather like the "always tougher spawns" component of Tactics, but it's rather more customisable (and, since modding tools are much improved since Tactics was written, it installs in a way that's less likely to mess up other mods).
Improved Random Encounters
This component adds a little more variety and challenge to the "You have been waylaid by enemies" encounters. The main point of this component was not so much to make random encounters more difficult (though it does that too, to some extent) as to make them less repetitive - there are now about a dozen encounters, and the order in which they occur is somewhat randomised.
Improved D'Arnise Keep
This component, though not identical to the "Tougher Torgal" component of Tactics, is strongly influenced by it. It adds more trolls to the keep, upgrades Torgal a bit, and gives Spirit trolls some optional magical abilities. The main differences from the Tactics version are more detailed targeting for the spirit trolls, a wider variety of troll reinforcements (not just spirit trolls) and a (hopefully!) cleverer, but slightly less tough, Torgal (who, in this version, has not stolen one of the flail heads).
Improved Unseeing Eye
The original Unseeing Eye is actually a fairly ineffectual high-level spellcaster. This component shifts it into an Elder Orb (I assume that, just as the Eye grants magical sight to its blind followers, so it grants itself the magical use of its eyestalks even though strictly it's blind; I do assume its central eye is inoperative, though) and makes it virtually immune to damage (Demilich-level immunities) until the Rift device is used. Even once the device is used, the Eye will still put up a reasonable fight.
Improved Bodhi (Tactics remix)
This component is very closely based on the Improved Bodhi in Westley Weimer's Tactics mod. To quote from the readme to that mod:
Sigh. Bodhi is worth 91K XP -- more than almost anything else in the game. And yet she is a mere brute-force melee fighter who doesn't even drink healing potions. We make her more intelligent ... and give her some impressive pseudo-magical powers associated with vampires of myth and legend. Bodhi gains dominion over bats, the cold, the ground and the grave.
The SCS version of Improved Bodhi is updated to use modern WeiDU coding (to help with compatibility-friendliness) and SCS II AI scripting. She comes in two versions: a "hardcore" version which has the same stats and powers as Westley's version, and a toned-down version with stats closer to Bodhi's vanilla-game stats, less ferocious saving-throw penalties for her spells (-4 instead of -10) and no Deathly Shroud (Bodhi's lethal Fire Shield power).
You can fight Bodhi in chapters 3 and 6; in chapter 3 (again, following Tactics) she'll pull her punches, slightly more so in the toned-down version than the hardcore one.
Party's items are taken from them in Spellhold
This component does essentially what it says: when the party are captured in chapter 4, their equipment is taken from them and they have to survive the maze beneath Spellhold without it. A small amount of nonmagical equipment is available relatively quickly in the Asylum. Players (even solo players) might want to note that Imoen does carry the Enchanted Weapon spell.This component is rather similar to a component of the "Big Picture" mod, but it's coded rather differently: most importantly, it creates a dynamic list of all the items in the game, which should prevent the "missing-item" bugs that caused some problems with the Big Picture component. It's compatible with the Big Picture version in the following sense: if you install the SCS II version after the BP version, SCS II dynamic-item-generation will be added to the BP version but that version will otherwise be left alone. Don't install the BP version after the SCS II version, though.
Improved fight with Irenicus in Spellhold
This component improves the clones summoned by Irenicus in the end-of-chapter-4 battle (see the Spoilers for details).
Improved Sahuagin
This component improves all sahuagin in the game (but especially the ones in the sunken city). No new creatures are added, and no special powers are granted, but the sahuagin statistics are systematised and generally improved slightly, and their scripting is smarter. (Various clues in the vanilla game suggest that sahuagin priestesses are cleric/mages; I disregard this and treat them as standard clerics.)Overall, this component should be a bit more difficult than the vanilla sahuagin, but nothing like as powerful as Tactics' Improved Sahuagin.
Improved beholder hive
This component (adapted from Quest Pack) adds a few extra beholders to the hive in the Underdark, notably including a Hive Mother.Prevent resting in the illithid city
This component does just what it says it does: it prevents you from sleeping in the city. This is partly on role-playing grounds (it's blatantly implausible that you could rest there), partly on tactical grounds (a party at the kind of level that's likely to enter the city can protect everyone with Chaotic Commands, nullifying most illithid powers. This will force you to ration your protections a bit, and to be more creative.Slightly Improved Drow
This component makes a number of small improvements to the drow of chapter 5 (it doesn't affect the drow of Sendai's enclave). It slightly increases the combat proficiency of drow soldiers, it adds a few extra drow to one of the Underdark ambushes and a few extra priests to the Ghaunadans; it improves the drow battlegroup defending the doors to the Underdark; it slightly optimises House Jae'llat nobles and adds one more noble and a few commoner priests and mages.Notably, it also dramatically beefs up the defences of Ust Natha (as of version 8, this is an optional subcomponent). The place is a drow city, not the kind of place that even a 15th level adventuring party should be able to wipe out. Now, more defenders will continuously spawn. For the first twenty rounds or so, this will be disorganised, low-level groups. After that, the drow will get more organised and start sending serious war-parties against the party. Eventually truly powerful groups of mages and high priestesses will turn up.
Warning: this component is not intended to make the conquest of the drow city somewhat more interesting and challenging: it is meant to make it virtually impossible. It's probably possible to beat the drow and conquer Ust Natha without exploits, but it will be extremely difficult and it's not the intended playstyle (i.e., if you manage to do it, don't complain to me that it's too difficult or time-consuming!) The sane thing to do is to get out as soon as you can; even that will probably be a bit trickier than usual.
Players who do want a challenging but doable battle to conquer Ust Natha can make it more manageable at the console; see the Customisation section for details.
Improved Watcher's Keep
This component makes small changes to a few areas in Watcher's Keep to make them more tactically interesting. The changes aren't too dramatic; they shouldn't change the feel of the place much. See the spoilers section for details.Improved Fire Giant Temple
This component improves various aspects of the Yaga-Shura part of chapter 8. Fire giants acquire some high-level abilities; elemental creatures are slightly improved and given better scripts; a couple of bonus monsters are added.Improved Sendai's Enclave
This component improves a number of sections of the approach to Sendai. Drow spellcasters become slightly higher-level and can summon more dangerous allies; the drow war-parties are tougher and reinforced by other creatures; the illithid ambush is less of a joke. Also, the final battle with Sendai is modified: no actual creature in the battle is altered at all (though other components of SCS II will alter them) but the statues activate and attack in a more efficient fashion.
Improved Abazigal's Lair
This component (which has been drastically changed in version 6) improves some parts of Abazigal's lair by adding several new encounters and toughening up the existing ones. See the spoilers for details.Improved minor encounters
This component slightly improves the difficulty of a small number of encounters scattered across the game (see spoilers for details).
Note that just because I make the option available, that doesn't mean I recommend using it! All this section is "at own risk" to a greater or lesser degree.
The console
The console can be accessed by (1) adding the line "Cheats=1" (without the quote marks) to the baldur.ini file in your game directory, just below the line "[Game Options]", and then (2) pressing CTRL-SPACE in-game.The options are all controlled by setting certain global variables, which is done by typing this command:
CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("[Global to set]","GLOBAL",[value to set it to])
So for instance, to set the variable SeduceBodhi to 3, type
CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("SeduceBodhi","GLOBAL",3).
The variables that can be set in SCS are these (all start as 0):
- DMWWImprisonPlayer - set to 1 if you want enemy spellcasters to try using Imprisonment on your main character (which, be warned, ends the game if they succeed).
- DMWWBeholderDisintegrate - set to 1 if you want beholders to use their Disintegrate eyestalk.
- DMWWBeholderDisintegrateSR - set to 1 if you are using Spell Revisions and you want beholders not to use their Disintegrate eyestalk.
- DMWWDisableBeholderTheft - set to 1 if you want to prevent beholders trying to steal certain items with their telekinesis eyestalk
- DMWWReduceDemonSummoning - set to 1 if you don't want enemy wizards summoning Glabrezus
- DMWWDisableBuffing - set to 1 to stop mages and priests doing any pre-battle spellcasting. (Obviously, if you want this switched off all the time then just don't install the prebuffing component; this is to turn it off for any specific fights that you don't feel should have prebuffing. Don't forget to turn it on again.)
- DMWWNeutralPrebuff - set to 1 to allow neutral mages and priests to have long-term defences like Stoneskin in place, rather than insta-casting them when they go hostile. (Arguably this is more realistic, but it can be offputting.) Note that the default behaviour has been reversed as of version 10.
- DMWWDrowCityLite - set to 1 or 2 (in decreasing order of difficulty) to make the defenders of Ust Natha less overwhelming. (See the Drow section in "additional notes on contact" for details, but roughly, each reduces the number of ordinary drow by about 3/4 and halves the number of elite drow.)
- DMWWDemorgorgonTS - set to 1 if you want to enable Demogorgon's Time Stop power.
- DMWWDemogorgonHost - set to 1 if you want Demogorgon to summon a host of demons at the start of the fight.
- DMWWNoTimestopMelee - set to 1 if you want to prevent enemy fighter-mages from attacking during Timestop spells (this mostly affects Irenicus in Hell). Set to 2 if you additionally want to prevent (the SCS version of) Melissan attacking during Timestops. (This will also prevent Melissan attacking during *your* timestops, and is pretty exploitable.)
- DMWWBonusMerchantSpawn - set to 3 if you're bored of waiting for Joluv and Deirdre to show up.
- DMWWNoSkeletonDetonate - set to 1 if you don't want illithids' psionic detonation to destroy skeletons.
- DMWWDisintegratePlayer - set to 1 if you want SR mages to use Disintegrate on Player 1, to 2 if you want them to use Disintegrate Spell Triggers on Player 1.
- DMWWKillAndris - set to 1 while in the Ice Island Maze to kill Andris. (This is in response to persistent problems with his being unkillable - hopefully I've fixed it, but just in case...)
- DMWWIllithidsAreVisible - set to 1 if you want Illithids to avoid automatically going invisible even when the player isn't in sight of them.
The ini file
The file "stratagems.ini", found in the stratagems directory, allows fine-tuning of install options not available via the main installer. To do this, just edit the file in Notepad or another text editor. Each line consists of a configuration option, then a space, then a number. The only thing you should edit is the number.
The current player-usable options are listed below. (Don't change anything not listed; these are work-in-progress and/or part of the testing framework.) I list the default value in parentheses after the setting.
- AI_Detects_Items_Slowly (1) - set this to zero and enemies will immediately recognise your protective magical items. (Currently it takes about a round.) This may decrease in-game lag.
- AI_Does_Not_Detect_Items (0) - set this to 1 and enemies will completely fail to notice your protective magical items. (This is likely to cause some odd behaviour.)
- Do_Not_Fix_Save_Errors (0) - set this to 1 and errors in the saving throws for creatures will not be corrected. (At present, inappropriately weak saving throws are automatically fixed.)
- Do_Not_Fix_THAC0_Errors (0) - set this to 1 and errors in the attack rolls for creatures will not be corrected. (At present, inappropriately weak attack rolls are automatically fixed.)
- Genai_Does_Not_Adjust_Kits(0) - set this to 1 and the "smarter AI" component will not adjust the kits of creatures, nor enforce legal kits on kitted creatures.
- Genai_Does_Not_Adjust_Levels(0) - set this to 1 and the "smarter AI" component will not adjust the levels of creatures.
- Genai_Does_Not_Adjust_Profs(0) - set this to 1 and the "smarter AI" component will use creatures' original weapon proficiencies rather than rewriting them.
- Conceal_Prebuff_Spell_Names(0) - set this to 1 if you don't want pre-buffing wizards and priests to display strings like "Stoneskin (cast previously)" when their buffs go up.
- Force_No_HLA_Repeats(0) - set this to 1 if you have a mod (like Vilkacis') installed that allows wizards and priests to learn HLAs as if they were innate abilities rather than spells, and you don't want enemy wizards and priests to take more than one of each ability. (If you're planning on taking more than one of each yourself, be ashamed.)
- Mage_Level_Add(0) - this value (which can be positive or negative) is added to the level of all mages in the game (subject to a minimum level of 1 and a maximum of 40).
- Mage_Level_Scale(100) - this value (which must be a positive integer) is applied as a percentage scale to the level of all mages in the game (subject to a minimum level of 1 and a maximum of 40). So if you set it to 125, all mages will be 25 percent higher level than in the baseline install. Mage_Level_Scale is evaluated before Mage_Level_Add.
- Priest_Level_Add, Priest_Level_Scale - as above, but for priests
- No_Deployment_Change(0) - set to 1 to bypass the changes in (BG1) deployment made by the "Smarter general AI" component. (This reverts to the setup where creatures stand around waiting to be attacked, or come up to you to talk to you before attacking.)
- No_Cursed_Golem_Wounds(0) - set to 1 to bypass the cursed wounds caused by Clay Golems.
- Bypass_Dragon_Immunity_Changes(0) - set to 1 to prevent "Smarter Dragons" systematising the various immunities available to dragons.
- Spellhold_Hardcore(0) - set to 1 to remove the small bag of nonmagical gear that you would otherwise find early in your escape from Spellhold (if you have "party items are removed" installed).
- Spellhold_Easycore(0) - set to 1 to get access to your stolen items (in "party items are removed") before the final confrontation with Irenicus. (This mildly tangles up the plot.)
- Fiends_Cast_Slowly(0) - set to 1 to have fiends cast spells like normal casters. (This may confuse fiend AI to some extent.)
- Dragons_Cast_Slowly(0), Genies_Cast_Slowly(0), Celestials_Cast_Slowly(0) - as for "Fiends_Cast_Slowly".
- Fiend_Staying_Power(150) - this is the actual percentage multiplier for the hit points of fiends if you install the "increased fiend hit points" subcomponent.
- Dragon_Staying_Power(300), Celestial_Staying_Power(150), Genie_Staying_Power(150) - as for "Fiend_Staying_Power".
- Sendai_Component_Is_Sendai_Only(0) - this is a favour to Loz. If set to 1, the Sendai's Enclave component only enhances the final encounter with Sendai.
- thac0_tolerance(6) - this controls how much a creature's thac0 can be better than its legal level for SCS to assume it ought to be corrected, rather than left in place as deliberate. Set it to zero to disable SCS's correction of too-good thac0. Set it to 99 to ensure that all thac0s are made legal. (Only weapon-using creatures are affected.)
- Force_Old_Assassin_Spawn(0) - if set to 1, the C3 assassins spawn in the old (pre v24) fashion.
Override files
In many cases, choices of spells, kits, creature levels and the like are externalised to text files which are then user-editable using Notepad or similar. You do this at your own risk. Here is a list of the files that can be edited. In each case the file format is fairly self-explanatory (though you may need to look up the resource names of creatures from Near Infinity).
- High-level Abilities for fighters and thieves
- genai/hla_choices/core.2da: default choices of High-Level Abilities for fighters and thieves. (Powers are chosen at random; if a power has a prerequisite that isn't possessed, that prerequisite is granted instead.)
- genai/hla_choices/refinements.2da: used instead of core.2da if Refinements is installed.
- genai/hla_choices/override_fighter.2da, genai/hla_choices/override_thief.2da: used to override the default choices for specific creatures.
- Kits for fighters and thieves
- genai/kit_override/bg2/[kit].2da - assigns kits to bg2 characters. Just list the creature resource name in the appropriately-named file.
- genai/kit_override/bg1/[kit].2da - same for bg1 characters. Creatures should be listed in non-TUTU form, i.e. without the initial "_". Missing files present in the BG2 version can be added.
- Levels for fighters and thieves
- genai/level_override/bg1.2da: overrides levels for BG1 fighters/thieves. Creatures should be listed in non-TUTU form, i.e. without the initial "_".
- genai/level_override/bg2.2da: overrides levels for BG2 fighters/thieves.
- Choices of non-defensive spells for mages
- mage/spellchoices/core/[type].2da (where "type" is "necromancer", "conjurer", "invoker", "enchanter", "fighter-mage" or "bard"): the standard spells used by mages at each level (after the basic allocation of protective and utility spells has been made). Spells are chosen at random from each level. The "H" row is used for HLAs if they are cast as normal spells, the "IO" row if they are cast as non-reusable innates, and the "IR" row if they are repeatable innates. (Note that adding a spell not on the list at all probably will not lead to anything useful, since the mage will not cast that spell.)
- mage/spellchoices/demivrgvs/[type].2da: as above, but this version is used if Demivrgvs' "Spell Revisions" mod is installed.
- mage/spellchoices/refinements/[type].2da: as above, but this version is used for HLAs if the "Refinements" is installed.
- (Defensive spells are controlled from the "defensive_spells_[type].tph" files in the mage directory, but this is code, not data, so only touch it if you really know what you are doing.)
- Choices of non-defensive spells for priests: as mage, with the obvious replacement of "mage" with "priest". (Possible types are "cleric_good", "cleric_neutral", "cleric_evil", "druid", and "avenger".)
- Choices of kits, levels, alignment and individual spells for specific mages and priests: controlled by [mage/priest]/override/[bg1/bg2]/[alignment/kit/level/spellchoice].2da. The format should be self-explanatory.
- Choices of which mages and priests get HLAs
- [mage/priest]/hla/tob_spec.2da: controls which "special casters in ToB" get HLAs
- [mage/priest]/hla/tob_norm.2da: controls which "normal casters in ToB" get HLAs
- [mage/priest]/hla/soa_spec.2da: controls which "normal casters in SoA" get HLAs
Re-introduce potions of extra-healing.
There are three potions at the temple in the Friendly Arm Inn, five each at the Song of the Morning temple at Beregost and the Lady's temple in Baldur's Gate, and eight at the High Hall of Wonders in Baldur's Gate.
Standardise spells between BG and BG2
The locations of the new spells are as follows.
- Feldepost's Inn: Reflected Image, Spook, Deafness
- High Hedge: Spook, Power Word: Sleep, Ray of Enfeeblement, Deafness, Minor Spell Deflection, Protection from Fire, Protection from Cold, Hold Undead
- Sorcerous Sundries: Power Word: Sleep, Ray of Enfeeblement, Minor Spell Deflection, Protection from Fire, Protection from Cold, Hold Undead, Melf's Minute Meteors, Contagion, Secret Word, Farsight, Wizard Eye
- Alai: Minor Sequencer
- Davaeorn: Stoneskin, Remove Magic
- Andris: Remove Magic
- Denak: Teleport Field
- Dezkiel: Stoneskin
- Halacan: Detect Illusion
- Kysus: Fire Shield: Red
- Niemain: Spider Spawn
- Nimbul: Find Familiar
- Resar: Fire Shield: Blue
- Tranzig: Glitterdust
- Venkt: Spell Thrust
Move NPCs to more convenient locations.
The NPCs who are moved are:
- Eldoth - moves from the Cloakwood to the woods south of the Friendly Arm.
- Quayle - moves from Baldur's Gate to the Nashkel Carnival
- Shar-Teel - moves from a fairly inaccessible bit of wilderness to the Nashkel-Beregost road
- Tiax - moves from Baldur's Gate to Beregost
- Viconia - moves from the eastern forest to the woods south of Beregost.
These are the five ogre magi in the Docks district. They turn up just outside Candlekeep as you arrive at the start of chapter six.
Three fights are modified:
- The battle with Karoug. Karoug himself is left alone, but Daese lives up to the villagers' warning about the wolfweres' magical powers. She becomes an eighth-level mage.
- The confrontation with Kaishas. Kaishas becomes a greater werewolf, with Free Action and immunity to all weapons except cold iron. (This seems to have been intended in BG1 but not properly implemented). She will also call for help from the tunnels: reinforcements will arrive at a rate of about one werewolf per round.
- The final battle with Selaad. Selaad and Baresh are now both greater werewolves, as well as being respectable opponents in human form - Baresh is a twelfth-level fighter, Selaad is a tenth-level mage. Only once reduced to below 25% hit points will they take on their wolfman forms.
In addition, it is now possible to talk your way past Kaishas and on to the boat. Your protagonist needs either Intelligence 14+, or Wisdom 14+ and good alignment, and you need to have saved Maralee's baby and befriended Durlayle or Delainy. (This was an aspect of the original game that's always infuriated me - I liked Kaishas.)
Four fights are modified:
- The battle with "Love", "Pride", "Avarice", and "Fear" on the first dungeon level. They get extra hit points and/or regenerative capability, and three get improved magic powers.
- The doppelgangers on the second dungeon level - they are instructed to use their specific powers a bit more effectively. (This mostly affects Islanne's doppelgangers; it won't be all that effective without Smarter Mages).
- The duplicates that can emerge from the Mirror have been upgraded slightly.
- The chessboard battle has been significantly upgraded and is now quite difficult. The chess constructs have gained a variety of immunities (electricity, normal weapons, mind-affecting magic) to represent their status as constructs rather than humans; the pawns have gained more hit points. The King is now a 9th/7th level fighter/mage and the Queen is an 11th level mage.
(For what it's worth, my own solution to the fight was to refuse to play the chessboard game: make everyone immune to lightning and just go where you want. You should have enough potions of absorption by this stage.)
The cult consists of:
- Cult Guards: 8th level fighters. Their hit points are increased from 39 to 65; otherwise they're left alone. But note that 8th level fighters usually get pretty good battle potions from Smarter Potions.
- Cult Archers: originally 8th level thief archers, they're changed into 8th level fighters (more hit points and better battle potions).
- Cult Assassins: 8th level fighter/thieves. They get extra hit points and a stack of Invisibility potions (they'll only use them if you have Improved General AI installed).
- Cult Wizards: originally 3rd level wizards (in practice), they become 8th level and get Wands of Paralysis (a surprisingly nasty weapon in BG1).
- Cult Enforcers: in the original game they're actually listed as high-level fighter-mages, but they don't use any of their fighter-mage powers. I take their classification seriously: they are now 15th/15th level fighter-mages, though with only L5 spells and below, and they use their Wands of Frost. These guys are very dangerous.
Improved miscellaneous encounters.
The full list is:- Laurel the paladin's gibberling hunt. As it stands this is a ridiculous encounter - the "horde" of gibberlings is tiny. I've quadrupled their number - it's still not a difficult fight, but it's a more realistic one.
- Cythandria, Sarevok's paramour, is currently guarded by a pair of hopeless ogres; they're replaced by Stone Golems.
- Slythe the assassin gains a level (which brings his backstab into quadruple-damage territory). He also slugs a potion of invulnerability, and receives a Non-Detection spell, before the battle starts.
- Jenkal, the halfling traitor in Gullykin, is currently a 4/4 fighter/thief. I raise her to 6/6 and give her some potions of invisibility. Jenkal will flee if badly hurt and will turn up again later in the game. More seriously, the secret passage in Jenkal's home is now blocked, requiring you to go the long way through Firewine Bridge to reach the Ogre Mage.
- Hairtooth and Gnarl, the half-ogres at the bridge to the gnoll fortress, become 5th level fighters and get an appropriate (18/95) strength score.
- Sunin (the randomly encountered mage in a house in Baldur's Gate) is raised to 11th level.
- Tamoko's level is increased to 14, so she's slightly more of a speed bump to end-of-game-level parties.
- The "amazon" group of assassins gain one level each. (This is really just to make them immune to Sleep.)
Tougher chapter-two end battle
This is the fight with Mulahey at the bottom of the Nashkel Mine.
Mulahey's hit points are improved, and he gets some Strength of One spells and scripting to use them. Mulahey's tough kobold allies are redesignated as "Kobold Elites" and improved a bit. The allies that he summons later in the fight are beefed up a bit too.
If "Dark Side based kobold upgrade" is installed, the kobold elites get poisoned daggers and the summoned allies include some kobold guards.
Tougher chapter-three end battle
This is the fight with the Iron Throne adventurers in Tazok's tent.
Britik the gnoll gets a strength potion and a slight level increase. A few Black Talons and Chill are added to the tent.
Most importantly, if you talked your way into the bandit camp, by the time you get out you'll find that Taugosz has smelled a rat, and you may have to fight your way out. And if you storm the camp, the Iron Throne adventurers won't be content to wait for you - they'll come out and attack.
Tougher chapter-four end battle
The confrontation with Davaeorn at the bottom of the Cloakwood mine.
The battle horrors, instead of being summoned by traps, are there already. They're enchanted to be immune to fire, lightning and web (I'm following pen-and-paper rules here, more or less.)
More importantly, if the Smarter Mages component is installed, Davaeorn benefits from it: he has a modified script which combines features of his original teleport-around script with the Smarter Mages script.
Tougher chapter-five end battle
The six acolytes are left alone (though if you are using the Smarter Mages/Priests/general AI components you'll notice a big effect). However, they are joined by two new acolytes: a half-elven fighter/thief and a human thief, who begin the battle invisible. You get some warning of the change if you read the dialogues lower down the tower carefully.
Sarevok and his three acolytes (Tazok, Angelo, Semaj) are joined by a fourth: Diarmid, who the party briefly encounter at the very end of chapter 6. He's a fighter/mage rather like Angelo.
More crucially, Sarevok is the beneficiary of a spell which lets him draw protective strength from his followers. You won't even be able to hurt him until at least one is dead, and killing him requires all four to have died. (Not terribly original, I admit, but in the original battle you might as well just ignore everyone else and go straight for Sarevok. This way it's a proper fight against a team of opponents. And hopefully the added dialogue is smooth enough not to make it feel contrived.)
Move Vhailor's Helm into Throne of Bhaal
Vhailor's Helm is now worn by Gromnir Il-Khan, who is not afraid to use it. (He'll use it whether you're confronting the unmodded or the Ascension versions of Gromnir.)
Move the Robe of Vecna into Throne of Bhaal
The Robe of Vecna is now worn by Azamantes, the lich guardian of the Seal of the Imprisoned One. If you install the Smarter Mages component, you will find that he has received a memo explaining that the Improved Alacrity spell has never been more fun...
Move the Cloak of Mirroring into Throne of Bhaal
The Cloak of Mirroring is now worn by the demilich of Watcher's Keep. (Don't ask me how a demilich can wear a cloak; according to 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons, they can benefit from equipment even if they don't wear it.)
Improved fiends
Alu-fiends:
- Charm person, at will
Balors (cast at 24th level):
- Stoneskin, Fire Storm, Implosion, once per day each.
- Teleport without Error, Remove Magic, Telekinesis, Symbol: Stun, Symbol: Death, and Domination, all at will.
- Permanently wreathed in flames (Fire Shield effect)
Balors will only use their Implosion power in Throne of Bhaal. All Balors now wield the vorpal swords that the Watchers' Keep Balors wield; but these have been modified so that they kill but don't chunk, and so that they allow a saving throw.
Bone Fiends (cast at 12th level):
- Teleport without Error, Improved Invisibility, and Cone of Cold, all at will
- Permanent Fear aura
Cornugons (cast at 17th level):
- Teleport without Error, Remove Magic, and Lightning Bolt, all at will
- Permanent Fear aura
Demon Knights (cast at 18th level):
- 20d6 fireball, once per day
- Power words: stun, blind, and kill, once per day each
- Symbols of Death and Stun, once per day each
- Remove Magic, twice per day
- Dimension Door, three times per day
Erinyes (cast at 12th level):
- Teleport without Error and become invisible, at will
- Charm Person and Unholy Blight, at will
- Protection from Magic Weapons, once per day
Glabrezus (cast at 17th level):
- Teleport without Error, Mirror Image, and Remove Magic, at will
- Power Word: Stun, Unholy Blight, and Confusion, all at will
Lesser Demon Lord (casts at 25th level):
- True Sight and Teleport without Error, at will
- Remove Magic and Breach, at will
- Symbol: Stun, Domination, and Sunfire, at will
- Wail of the Banshee, once per day
Mariliths (cast at 20th level):
- Stoneskin, once per three rounds
- Protection from Magic Weapons, once per five rounds
- Cloudkill, once per three rounds
- Animate Dead, once per three rounds
- Remove Magic, Teleport without Error, and True Sight, at will
- Blade Barrier and Telekinesis, at will
Maurezhi (cast at 10th level):
- Improved Invisibility and Blur, once per day each
- Protection from Magic Weapons, once per five rounds
- Animate Dead, Hold Person, and Cloak of Fear, at will
Nabassus (cast at 12th level):
- Powerful silence spell (-5 to saves) once per day
- "Death gaze" (damaging gaze attack) automatically, once per round (in addition to other powers)
- Teleport without Error, Paralysis and Vampiric Touch, all at will
Pit Fiends (cast at 24th level):
- Teleport without Error, Remove Magic, and Improved Invisibility, at will
- Meteor Swarm and Unholy Word, once per day each
- 20d6 fireball and Symbol of Fear, at will
- Permanent fear aura
Succubi (cast at 12th level):
- Minor Spell Turning, once per day
- Cure Critical Wounds (self only),Teleport without Error and become ethereal, at will
- Charm person, at will
Chromatic Demon (cast at 28th level):
- Remove Magic and Teleport without Error, at will.
- Chain Lightning, Fireball, Cone of Cold, an acidic blob attack based on the acid blob trap, and an airburst attack based on the dragon's Wing Buffet, at will when in the appropriate form.
Demogorgon (cast at 30th level):
- Initial Chain Contingency, containing Protection from Magic Weapons, Aura of Flaming Death, and Spell Turning.
- Initial Contingency, containing Stoneskin.
- Stoneskin, once per two rounds
- Protection from Magic Weapons, once per six rounds
- Summon demons, once per two rounds; doing so also partially heals him and restores his Magic Resistance
- Storm of Vengeance and Dragon's Breath once per day
- Implosion, once per 30 rounds
- Earthquake, once per 20 rounds
- True Sight, Death Spell, and Unholy Word, each once per six rounds
- Finger of Death, Breach and Spell Strike, each once per 3 rounds
- Dispel Magic and Teleport without Error, at will
- Charm hostile demons, at will
Smarter Beholders
The beholders can now use their telekinesis power to steal the Cloak of Mirroring and the Shield of Balduran. They don't do it in the first couple of rounds, then they have a 1/3 chance per round (per beholder). The idea isn't to make the items useless but to block the move of just giving them to one person and sending them in. If it annoys you, you can turn it off at the console: set DMWWDisableBeholderTheft to 1.Give HLAs to mages and priests
If you install the "only selected" components, then the following creatures
are affected:
ToB mages: Yaga-Shura's
lieutenant; Sendai and her statues; the Skeleton Mage; the fire giant mages;
Karun the Black; the Hell Trial form of Irenicus; Semaj; Draconis; Illasera
(non-Ascension version); Iycanth the Mad; all named liches.
ToB priests: Yaga-Shura's
lieutenant; Sendai and her statues; the Skeleton Priest; Nyalee; Berenn;
Ameralis Zauviir.
SoA mages: Alchra
Diagott; Suneer; Irenicus (all forms); Shangalar; the Shade Lich; the Elemental
Lich; Layene; Kangaxx the Lich; Lagole Gon.
SoA priests: Matron
Mother Ardulace, Stalman, Hindra Jae'llat
Improved Irenicus in Spellhold
The clones are now direct copies of the party.Improved Watcher's Keep
The statues on level one are rearranged: a fighter becomes a thief, a random monster becomes a high-level mage, and an archer gets a proper archery script. Some random extra fiends are added to the teleport maze as random encounters for when you return to already-cleared areas. The two spellcasting glabrezu gain four brethren. The number of mind flayers in the lair on level four is greatly increased.Improved Drow
The drow defenders of Ust Natha look like this:
- Group A: disorganised raiders (about every five rounds)
- Three L9 fighters, two L9 archers, a L12/12 fighter/mage
- Two L9 fighters, two L9 archers
- Four L9 fighters, two L9 archers, a L10 cleric
- Four L9 fighters, a L11 mage
- Group B: serious war-parties (every four rounds)
Each party comprises six L9 fighters, four L9 archers, a L10 cleric, a L14 cleric, a L12/12 fighter/cleric, a L11 mage, and a L15 mage. There are four of these war-parties. - Group C: elite battlegroups (every ten rounds, with another Group B war-party between each battlegroup)
- Four L9 fighters, three L17 mages
- Four L9 fighters, two L12/12 fighter/clerics, a L18 cleric, a L18 mage, a glabrezu, and two nabassu
- Two L11 mages, a L15 mage, a L22 mage, and four stone golems
- Six L9 fighters, two L10 clerics, two L12/12 fighter/clerics, a L14 cleric, a L20 cleric, two balors and two glabrezu.
If you want a tough fight but something a little less hideous, set DMWWDrowCityLite to 1 (in which case after group A you'll get two group-B war parties and the third and fourth elite groups) or to 2 (in which case after group A you'll get a group-B war party and the first and second elite groups).
Improved Fire Giant Lair
Fire giants gain 2 HLAs and elites gain 5; both become Berserkers. Flaming Skulls become tougher and get access to Stoneskin and more powerful fireballs, and Burning Men get a dispel-magic attack; both get a smarter script. One of the groups of fire creatures behind the force fields is replaced by a group of Efreeti and a Fire Lich (a creature removed from the original game). Imix becomes tougher and gets a Greater Whirlwind ability. A red dragon of about Firkraag's strength joins the giants in the inner temple.Improved Sendai's Enclave
Drow mages are raised to 16th level; drow priests are raised to 17th level and gain a Gate spell that summons a Balor (summoning Pit Fiends isn't appropriate for the chaotic evil drow). The random (and weak) drow spawns in the city region of the enclave are replaced by two war parties - one backed up by glabrezu, one by beholders. Odamaron gets two apprentices (one vampire, one lich) and two skeleton warriors. The pathetic illithid ambush is replaced by two battles: one with the vampiric illithids reinforced by three more illithids with umber-hulk guards, one with a three-stage illithid strike force consisting of human thralls, illithids, and ulitharids supported by umber hulks. Sendai's statues animate once per round whether or not the previous one is dead.
Improved Abazigal's Lair
The Earth Elementals are replaced by Lizard Men, as are the Salamanders. A strike force of baatezu (two pit fiends, four cornugons) attacks the party on their way back from collecting the Breath Potion. All eyes except the eagle eyes get better targetting; the sentinels now summon much tougher monsters (elementals, mordenkainen's swords, efreeti, and skeleton warriors). A strike force of tyrant golems (golem beholders; lots of HP and 100% MR) and undead beholders protects the entrance to Iycanth's sanctum.More importantly, there are two new encounters with dragons. The bone fiend area where the Breath Potion is has been replaced with the lair of a yellow dragon (and L20-odd mage) who was ousted by Abazigal. You have to fight the dragon one way or another, but depending on how the conversation goes, it may not be to the death. There is a rather nice item available if you play nice, and the dragon's scales if you play nasty.
Part way through the lair, you'll have to return to town. On coming back, there will be a posse of dragons waiting for you: two black dragons, then a green dragon, and finally a red dragon.
The dragon encounters have (for a tactical mod) a reasonable amount of dialogue; I welcome feedback on it (and everything else, as usual.)
Improved minor encounters
- The Twisted Rune's fighter Revanek gets some equipment (this is almost a bugfix) and Vaxall the beholder becomes an Elder Orb. (code borrowed from Quest Pack with thanks).
- The Guarded Compound fighters become, respectively, a berserker and a barbarian, and the traps in the compound no longer affect the slavers.
- The Murderers who work with Irenicus are upgraded to 7th level thieves
- A few extra creatures are added to the Druid Grove (code borrowed from Tactics with thanks)
- Imix is now immune to his own traps
- The Unseeing Eye guards are slightly tougher.
- The elemental guardians of the Underdark portals are slightly tougher and have some magical abilities and some sidekicks.
- The defenders of the temple of Talos (if you do the good cleric quest) have been upgraded: there are more Storm Knights and a temple mage, and the Knights are now cleric/fighters.
- Nyalee gets a Mirror of Opposition that can make hostile copies of party members. The skeleton warriors in her area get the normal skeleton-warrior resistances.
- The Docks muggers are now thieves (not fighter/thieves) and don't endlessly respawn.
- SCS has some extremely long scripts. This may cause lagging on older computers; even on newer ones, the game may lag momentarily on entering an area, or when a creature (especially a mage) appears or begins combat.
- Every string referring to the original cost of going to Spellhold needs to be modified manually; this means that there may well be third-party mod content which still refers to the old amounts. Let me know if you find any and I'll allow for it in future releases.
- I have occasional reports of wizards renewing their buffs and contingencies when they go out of sight. I'm unable to reproduce this bug locally. If you get it and can reproduce it, please let me know, in as much detail as you can.
Over the seven-plus years this mod has been available, I've benefitted hugely from dozens of players and modders. The list below is probably incomplete, and I apologise for anyone I've left out.
- For the game itself: Bioware and Black Isle, sine qua non.
- For hosting: Gibberlings Three, and especially Pete Camagna ("CamDawg") and Kat Bella ("TheAceFes")
- For tools: Westley Weimer, Valerio Biggiani ("TheBigg"), and Fredrik Lindgren ("Wisp") for WEIDU; Jon Hauglid, devSin, and others (for Near Infinity).
- For information about the game; Ascension64, for ToBEx; the various contributors to the Infinity Engine Structure Description Project
- For code tips and actual code: SimDing0, Westley Weimer, Nythrun, Demivrgvs, Mike1072, Ardanis, Steve, Taimon, Wisp (and I think many others)
- For help with BGT: Ronin69hof, Pro5, cmorgan
- For help with BGEE: Cheesebelly, AndreaColombo
- For BGEE itself, and also for giving me advance access to the BGEE and BG2EE betas: Everyone at Beamdog
- For translation: Leonardo Watson, ClanDLAN, Yarpen, Immortality, Nugrud, and many others
- For testing, bugfixes, bug reports, and related suggestions: many of the above, and also Berelinde, Demivrgvs, Gort, Lemernis, Temujin, Avenger_RR, Stworca, Bursk, Coaster, Erebusant Grand_Dracolich, Jadefang, KGub, Nythrun, PetrusOctavius, Polytope, Raven_Song, Shaitan, thetruth, Wanderer, Mad Mate, Kreso, Dakk, and many others
- For patience: Hannah Wallace
Sword Coast Stratagems is ©2006-Present, David Wallace.
Since in practice I'm obviously not going to sue anyone, I'll use this section to say what I'd like people's attitude to re-using and redistributing my mods. Basically, I don't mind what you do provided you (a) give me full credit when you borrow or re-use my code, and (b) don't actually mirror this mod somewhere else.
Changelogs for versions 1-21 of SCS and SCSII can be found in their respective v21 readmes in the "doc" folder.
Version 22 (February 2013)
- Unified SCS and SCSII into combined version
- Complete recoding of the mod from the ground up (desperately needed to make it half-way maintainable after eight years of unplanned development) using a "functional" coding style intended to work at a much higher level of abstraction
- Compatibility with the Enhanced Edition of BG
- New automated install program
- Streamlining of the component structure: some smaller options are now moved out to the .ini file and some components are merged. (I think no actual customisation options have been lost, but the previous structure was a bit forbidding for new users.)
- Systematic restructuring of "improved general AI" component to rebuild creatures' choices of proficiency, HLAs, and kit-provided abilities, from scratch
- Reorganising of general AI scripts to be more adapted to the particular creature's weapons (this means more scripts, but shorter scripts; hopefully this reduces lag.
- Substantial expansion in the number of kitted creatures
- Clay golems now cause cursed wounds (a la PnP)
- Deprecated "Improved Irenicus in Hell" (I coded it as a favour to someone ages ago, but I don't really feel its flavour meshes with SCS. Squeal if you want it reinstated.)
- Deprecated "Improved final battle in [BG1] chapter 6". (I've never really been happy with it.)
- Rewrote the Doppleganger component, removing the non-PnP ability boosts and standardising doppleganger abilities.
- Too many small tweaks, bugfixes, optimisations and consistency adjustments to keep track of
Version 23 (March 2013)
- Corrected a number of BG1 creatures which were L30 in their second level in the vanilla game. (This messes with SCS's algorithms for THAC0 and saving throws.)
- Updated French translation (thanks, Mornagest).
- Updated Russian translation (thanks, Silent).
- Bassilus component now installs on BGEE v2014. (Sorry, modding a game still under development means shooting at a moving target...)
- Bears in BGEE no longer have warp drives.
- "Fine weapons" component should now work correctly in TUTU.
- The "improved minor encounters" component correctly locks Jenkal's door.
- Teven's bandits should now go hostile correctly.
- The ogres who've incurred Sarhedra's ire should now more reliably register as dead.
- On BGEE, Mulahey doesn't spawn a double helping of kobolds.
Version 24 (August 2013)
New components or major changes- "NPCs wait at inns" now works on BGEE.
- "Allow NPC pairs to separate" now works on BGEE.
- Updated German translation (provided by Leonardo Watson)
- Updated Polish translation (provided by Luk S)
- Minor file-structure tidying.
- Tweak to the ssl_to_bcs macro so as to allow more standard "location" arguments.
- Imix's attacks (in Improved Fire Giants) now count as +5.
- If a component fails to install, users are invited to visit the forum, not to email me.
- New option for genies: increase hit points by 50%. (This was in the readme but not actually implemented.)
- Externalised the level of hit-point increase to genies, dragons, celestials and fiends to stratagems.ini.
- "Standardise BG1 spells" now allows for 5th level mage spells: Once copy of each such spell is now available from Sorcerous Sundries. (Suggestions for more imaginative distributions are welcome!)
- The spells that summon shapeshifter tokens are now named for the tokens, not the shapeshift itself (hopefully less confusing).
- Humanoid creatures with slightly too-good THAC0s now have them trimmed back to legal levels. (I think in most cases in the vanilla game this is done to crudely allow for weapon proficiencies et al. Since I now do that explicitly, there's some double-counting going on. Occasional cases where the THAC0 is radically too good are left alone.)
- Minor under-the-hood changes to SFO function library.
- Where possible assassins now spawn in random-encounter areas, not on the main maps. (Can be overridden at the ini.)
- Credus the bandit no longer initiates dialog if the bandits are all hostile.
- Fine-tuned the auto-installer.
- We now use the WEIDU newline and tabulation variables rather than the previous kludge, which should help (at least) Mac installs (thanks to Wisp for suggestion).
- Summoned wolves are exempt from the non-hostile wolf component.
- The install options for the "remove unrealistic ammunition" component now display correctly.
- Fixed a typo that displayed a nonexistent string (15046) in some circumstances where a user tried to install a component that required another missing component.
- "Improved Sendai's Enclave" now installs correctly even if "Smarter Mages" is not installed (previously fixed in SCSII and un-fixed in v22...)
- "SCS scripting for Improved Abazigal" now installs correctly even if "Smarter Mages" is not installed.
- "Improved BG1 minor encounters" fix for Jenkal was erroneously being applied to Slythe (caught by Adanedhel).
- Davaeorn no longer stands around like a lemon when he's finished his core attack routine.
- On Enhanced Edition installs, Shar-Teel's duel with men no longer has odd results (either when picked up, or in the Basilisk area).
- If the does_not_detect_items ini flag is checked, ENCHANTMENT_IMMUNITY warnings are no longer displayed.
- "Improved Fire Giant" scripts hadn't been properly moved over to the new SCS format.
- Red and green dragon scripts in Abazigal's enclave now compile properly.
- Avengers now buff correctly.
- Synchronised some disparaties in gtimes.ids between different versions of the game, which was messing with script parsing in a couple of places.
- Moved shapeshifter token summoning over to 122 from 255, which might prevent random vanishing of tokens.
- Increased hit points for fiends should now work correctly.
- Sorted minor issues with the Nashkel merchant's winter-wolf pelt quest.
- Better Calls for Help now insulates Irenicus's dryads from other creatures.
- Bonus Merchant component is no longer broken.
- SSL scripts now compile correctly even if "AI_does_not_detect_items" is set to 1.
- Mulahey is no longer supported by several hundred kobolds! (A spawn-more-kobold script was erroneously being given to some of his flunkies and then malfunctioning; the script has been removed from the flunkies and also rewritten to be proof against that sort of malfunction.)
- Tweaked bandit, and generic help, scripts to hopefully reduce the incidence of creatures homing in on invisible PCs.
- Corrected a couple of glitches on the BGT version of "NPCs wait at inns.
- Improved chapter 5 battle: the dual-wielding assassin wasn't getting the correct weapons on non-TUTU installs.
- Creatures with "wander randomly" instructions (i.e., the old WDASIGHT and WDARSGT) now follow them.
- A few mages were sometimes getting illegally many defensive spells.
- "Welcome to Candlekeep" message is correctly removed if skip-tutors is installed on BGEE.
- On BGEE, "unusable by" information no longer appears twice.
- On BGEE, "CHARNAME" is now correctly rendered (at least if you use the auto-installer).
- Fixed a find/replace error that was messing up Bassilus's undead.
- Fixed a typo that prevented Aec'letec's cultists from defending themselves.
- Fixed a problem in the vanilla Enhanced Edition shout script.
- General AI no longer suppresses monsters' battle-cries. (Thanks to Pecca for spotting this one.)
- Consistent Breach now works properly.
- Ulcaster component now works properly.
- Creatures with illegally high character levels no longer cause install failures.
- "Move NPCs to new locations" now correctly checks if the equivalent BG1NPC component is installed.
- Spell Revisions' wizard spell "Create Undead" is now correctly handled by SCS (this previously caused an install failure if SR was installed).
- SSL scripts required for Spell Revisions fiends and celestials are now compiled correctly (this also previously caused an install failure if SR was installed).
- Since SR no longer modifies the Wand of Spell Striking, neither do we.
- SR's "Sunscorch" spell should now be used correctly.
Version 25 (November 2013)
New components or major changes- Updated function library. (You won't notice this in game but it's a significant coding shift.)
- Updated to WEIDU 234; associated changes to BGEE installation process.
- BG2EE support.
- Updated French translation (thanks to Mornagest).
- Updated Russian translation (thanks to Silent).
- Updated Polish translation (thanks to S Lukasz).
- Incorporated the EE text for Power Word Blind.
- Included AI support for Dark Moon and Sun Soul monks, and for Paladins (rudimentary only) and Blackguards.
- On EE installs, a couple of creatures are designated as Blackguards.
- Monks now use Lay On Hands.
- Allowed for the (admittedly kinda theoretical) case of good-aligned casters summoning Celestials.
- Spellcasters now summon Celestials even if "Smarter Celestials" isn't installed.
- Added console command to disable illithids' habit of going invisible on spec (favour to Angelsfury).
- Added BGEE journal support.
- Changed shadow thief battlemage from conjurer to invoker (to avoid glitches with her summoned help's allegiance if/when she changes sides) and lowered her level (she's normally supposed to lose).
- Intelligent creatures no longer attempt to charm Cavaliers.
- Being able to recover your items in Spellhold before confronting Irenicus is messing with the plot logic (of when you meet Saemon/find the portal) so I've reverted to the original where you get your items back after the final Ch4 battle. Squeal if it's too hard (or put spellhold_easycore=1 in the ini to restore previous behaviour.)
- On non-enhanced versions of the game, "Faster Bears" (if you don't also use Improved Shapeshifting) does not affect the speed of shapeshifted druids. There are serious difficulties in implementing this on vanilla BG2; it's doable but a pain, so ask nicely if you use this.
- Peasants and townspeople (i.e. L1 innocents) no longer propagate shouts or turn hostile when they hear a shout; they just get the hell out of Dodge.
- Semaj no longer bothers with his original scripted teleport.
- Tightened up the code for creatures going hostile if attacked (and, under the hood, externalised it to an SSL trigger block).
- Creatures with a character class and the default (=9) value for a class-relevant ability score that has in-game effects (STR,CON for fighters; DEX for rogues; WIS for clerics) now have it randomly set to something sensible.
- Mildly tweaked mid-level mages' Minor Sequencer choices towards offence.
- Marked a few gith as fighter/mages based on some evidence that they were originally intended that way.
- Mildly tweaked mages' defensive preferences in favour of Mantle et al over PMW.
- Deprecated stronghold component.
- Updated and debugged function library, fixing various problems en passant, notably including various area crashes.
- Spell Trigger string is now correct on a non-EE install.
- Liches are now immune to Cloudkill.
- Descriptions of Breach et al are now correctly patched to allow for Iron Skins on a BGEE install.
- Inquisitor dispel magic fix now correctly applied.
- Corrected a typo that prevented the Universal Sequencer component from working.
- Fine weapons on BGEE/TUTU should now shatter correctly.
- Realistic wolves should now be working properly.
- Werewolf (and other shapeshifter) tokens should now be made properly.
- Reputation-increase component now sets rate correctly.
- On TUTU installs, "remove tutors from Candlekeep" no longer breaks hit point initialisation.
- "Remove tutors from Candlekeep" now also removes the ones in the inn.
- Corrected a logic error which could lead to both lots of assassins spawning at the same time.
- Kobold chieftain now gets his proficiencies correctly.
- Ogre assassins now spawn correctly.
- Wolf of Ulcaster should correctly use its powers.
- Additional werewolves spawn correctly.
- Worked around a rather subtle BGEE shift in the way some actions work that was causing Icharyd to break.
- Kobold ambush on mines level 3 now triggers correctly.
- Power Word Blind has a correct scroll description.
- Wand of Spell Striking version of Breach is correctly modified (should be relevant only on Enhanced Edition).
- Corrected errors in the group designation for some "Gameplay" components.
- Correction of THAC0 errors is less aggressive.
- Fixed some glitches in the assignment of (mostly thief) HLAs.
- Cambions no longer cast spells instantly.
- Clay Golems' Cursed Wounds effect should work correctly now.
- Wizards now correctly handle the situation where Smarter Fiends is not installed.
- Devas now get a proper script.
- Fixed some serious problems with Smarter Fiends fiend-summoning spells.
- Beholders' sequencers and prebuffs work correctly even if the beholder component is installed later.
- Mages' Minute Meteors and Energy Blades are now dispelled by Dispel Magic.
- Fixed a glitch in the spellcaster-level algorithm which was giving too-high levels to spellcasters with illegally many low-level spells.
- Brimstone gets proper dragon scripting etc.
- Sahuagin priests correctly receive stoneskins.
- A few djinni missing their combat scripts now get them.
- "Skip Candlekeep" now works properly on a BGEE install.
- Beholder flesh to stone is no longer broken.
- Irenicus now has the presence of mind to confiscate Shadow Thieves' potions before casting Rapture of the Father on them.
- Spells with persistent graphical effects (e.g. Blade Barrier) no longer lose those effects when cast as part of a prebuff routine.
- In certain circumstances, mages were trying to Imprison the protagonist.
- Davaeorn no longer gets potions of Superior Healing.
- Cambion spellcasters no longer lose their combat scripts.
- Ogre Magi are less pusillanimous and now engage in combat.
- Death Knight in Durlag's Tower now receives his combat script.
- Demogorgon and Melissan have been back to mage school and now realise that their version of "Stoneskin" cannot be dispelled by Carsomyr.
- Skeleton Warriors are now consistently flagged as undead that are immune to turning. (In vBG1 their turning immunity is rather crudely handled by making them MONSTERs rather than UNDEAD; BGEE restores their UNDEAD status but ignores turn immunity.) Among other effects this should prevent BG1 skeleton warriors from using healing potions.
- Fallen Solar in non-Ascension games now summons allies correctly.
- Beasts in the Copper Coronet more reliably go hostile.
- Clerics' wisdom is now correctly figured into their number of spells.
- The Ascension version of Gromnir now gets a proper combat script.
- The "Smarter Gromnir" component now allows correctly for players who have Ascension but not Tougher Gromnir, or vice versa, installed.
- The twelfth statue in level one of Watchers' Keep now activates correctly.
- Fixed (harmless) offset mismatch in Anadramatis' amulet.
- Vampyre now correctly affected by Vampires component.
- Gith fighter-mages now get their psionic abilities.
- Female demons no longer exemplify feminist critiques of gender essentialism.
- Resources required for Cythandria's golems are now correctly present.
- BG1 greater werewolves no longer drop Rings of Free Action.
- Now that Big Picture main component is much more broken down, there's no reason to overwrite BP generic scripts, so we don't.
- Make some effort to force SSL to output lowercased files. (If I'm still sometimes doing uppercase, someone shout.)
- Muggers only disappear in the docks and the slums, not indoors, avoiding problems with multiple use of SPMUGGx.
- Various spell and item components now check for Spell Revisions/Item Revisions and install only if it isn't present.
- Removed a couple of redundant spell-sequencer scripts from Ascension wizards.
- Make proper allowance for the fact that Cacofiend (aka Summon Death Knight) is a Necromancy and not a Conjuration spell in SR; ditto for cleric Gate. En passant, this should solve a nasty crash bug with SR/SCS combinations.
- SR's "Sphere of Chaos" and "Cause Critical Wounds" should now be used correctly.
- On SR+SCS installs, enemy-summoned glabrezu no longer attack their summoner.
Version 26 (November 2013)
- Updated to WEIDU v235.
- Fixed v25 bug that prevented immunity effects being cloned to apply to sequencer-cast spells.
- "1/4" option on Reduce Reputation Gain now works.
- Imoen, though still annoying in other respects, no longer pretends to be a dwarf on BGEE/TUTU installs when asked to wait at an inn.
- Minor optimisation to kit-enforcement function.
- "Improved Durlag's Tower" no longer requires "Smarter General AI" to be installed.
- Creation of the "setup-stratagems" exe file is slightly more robust.
- Carnifex no longer thinks he's Agent Smith.
- Support for non-English languages on a BGEE/BG2EE install (thanks for Wisp for the trick for doing this).
- Updated autoinstaller to allow for language change above (this was missing on 25.x, causing problems).
- On EE installs, a change in Mulahey's dialog compared to vanilla BG1 meant that in certain circumstances he'd spawn unlimited numbers of kobolds.
- Corrected a few typos in the English dialog file (thanks to Grieg for identifying them).
Version 27 (November 2013)
- Worked around a WEIDU v235 bug that was preventing install of some components on BG2EE.
- Fixed a bug with the extend_script function that inter alia was breaking Kaishas' interaction with the PC.
- "NPC pairs separate" is more robust.
- Temporarily disabled the "Smarter Vampires" component on BG2EE installs, as it's causing (animation-related?) crashes that I don't currently have time to track down.
- Vampyre in the Book of Kaza crypt is toned down a bit.
- Kaishas now gives the sea charts if you resolve the island quest peacefully.
Version 28 (November 2013)
New content- Updated to WEIDU v236 (and deprecated v27's workaround of the v235 bug).
- Mildly tweaked combat scripting for Love et al (probably invisible in-game).
- Davaeorn's flunkies spawn slightly less frequently and no longer run through webs so readily.
- Slightly tweaked Davaeorn's scripting.
- Priests make more attempt to remove blindness.
- Updated French translation (thanks to Isaya).
- High-level paladins and blackguards no longer summon devas out of combat.
- Fixed vanilla issue with paladin/blackguard Summon Fallen Deva: it no longer crashes the game when un-memorised via script.
- Improved Random Encounters modifies the random-encounter script less destructively, and no longer breaks Dorn's random encounter.
- Abazigal now uses his antimagic sequencer correctly.
- Mages no longer chuck meteors at invisible or sanctuaried targets.
- Sarevok still challenges player if approached at range.
- In BGEE installs, the (small) number of mages that now use Contingencies have them correctly described.
- "Improved starting dungeon" no longer stops the game starting in BG2EE.
- Troll spawns around the d'Arnise Keep no longer cause a sporadic crash bug.
- Corrected code bug with code that was supposed to prevent some creatures from being allocated potions.
- On TUTU/BGT installs, chess players and dwarven doom guards are now race=golem, which prevents them from getting potions. (This is already the case on BGEE.)
- Prevented (rare) situations where non-warriors used strength potions.
- On EE installs, Durlag's Tower love-fight wardens no longer appear twice. (They don't appear twice on non-EE installs either, but that's not new!)
- "Avarice" is now designated as a thief, correcting a BGEE bug where he doesn't use his backstab.
- Mages and priests should now use scrolls correctly (no more random "reads a scroll" messages).
- On installs without "Improved Shapeshifting", avengers no longer shapeshift into lesser basilisks (cool though that does sound).
- Davaeorn's Battle Horrors are no longer mislocated on EE installs.
- Davaeorn's flunkies now spawn correctly.
- Fixed an ordering error which meant pre-cast protection spells don't protect against sequencer-cast attack spells. (Main noticeable effect: Davaeorn's MGI doesn't protect him against his initial sequencer.)
- Mages hopefully no longer melee when they have Minute Meteors available.
- Blinded mages and thieves no longer automatically go invisible.
- Phase spiders no longer teleport to invisible or sanctuaried creatures.
- Worked around variable conventions for DISPEL_/REMOVE_MAGIC in a somewhat more compatibility-friendly way.
- We now work around duplicate entries in gtimes.ids in a less destructive way, inter alia not breaking BG1NPC romance timers.
- Kit-adding function should no longer choke on Divine Remix kits (this may help with other issues on megamod installs too, though I haven't tested it).
- Various bits of code should now skip corrupted files (and print a WARNING).
- Fixed a function-library problem with signed integers; the only problem I'm aware of caused by this was that some creatures with very negative THAC0 (notably Melissan) were having it inappropriately modified.
- In rare circumstances, Fighter/Mages weren't getting their level set correctly.
- Irenicus in Hell now has his correct spell set.
- Irenicus in Hell is now included on the list of SoA creatures that get HLAs.
- On BGEE installs, Imoen now leaves and rejoins the party correctly.
- Mages and thieves no longer go invisible if they are paralysed or similar.
- Priests don't bother to remove blindness caused by Holy Smite, given its brief duration.
- Breach now correctly affects liches et al.
Version 29 (January 2015)
New or Modified Content- Restored "Improved Vampires" component on EE installs. (I can no longer reproduce the crash bug, which makes me cautiously optimistic that BG2EE 1.3 has solved it.)
- Upgraded to WEIDU v237
- "Improved Watchers Keep" now makes all statues into golems (suggestion, and code, by Mad Mate).
- Various wizard spell uses are slightly more sensitive to spell turning, minor globes, and the like. (Thanks to Kreso and Raest for suggesting and coding these.)
- Ease-of-use AI now uses Bhaalspawn innate healing ability.
- Quick-cast mage spells used by the ease-of-use AI no longer attract the attention of the Cowled Wizards.
- Better use of Talosar spells.
- General AI is a bit more willing to attack weakened (but non-helpless) opponents.
- High-level wizards fairly reliably carry Spell Thrust or Secret Word to deal with Spell Shields.
- Wizards don't use Timestops during their (or their allies') Alacrities.
- Slightly toned down use of Teleport Field.
- Enemies are aware of the effects of barbarian/berserker rage.
- More customized spell selections for rakshasas.
- "Elemental arrow" component now removes the (undocumented except on EE) bonuses to hit and damage from fire arrows.
- Kobold commandos get an enhanced Dexterity score and an extra pip in Shortbow (low-level humanoids are only normally allowed 1 pip) to compensate for the decrease in their abilities from standardising THAC0 and toning down elemental arrows. (They should now be about back up to vanilla power).
- Hobgoblin elites get designated as Fighters for the purposes of proficiencies, to compensate for THAC0 standardisation.
- Deprecated "Faster Bears" on BG2EE installs, since 1.3 does this automatically.
- Fiend hit point changes are now calculated relative to their actual pre-SCS values, not hardcoded. (This mostly means that they're higher.)
- Candlekeep fourth-wall-breaking tutors now get removed on either version of skip-Candlekeep.
- Under-the-hood updates to SFO install function.
- Under-the-hood change: detection of the Cloak of Mirroring is now externalised to a DirectDamageSafe trigger.
- Under-the-hood change: externalised SSL library dependence in SFO calls to SSL.
- Under-the-hood change: an argument of "null" to an SFO automatically-generated ASCII or ASCII20 edit function prints a blank string (inter alia this suppresses a harmless SFO warning in "improved Fiends").
- Documentation change: I no longer officially support Tutu v4 (i.e., I don't do install tests on it, though I'll probably respond to reported problems). I still support EasyTUTU, BGT, vanilla BG2, BGEE, and BG2EE.
- Paranoid liches don't get confused when Improved Fiends isn't installed (thanks to Mad Mate for spotting original issue)
- Izefia's druid flunkies now built properly (thanks to Mad Mate for spotting original issue)
- Iron Throne mooks in Candlekeep no longer turn the whole keep hostile (thanks to Mad Mate for spotting original issue)
- Corrected a typo that prevented fiends from using Dispel Magic correctly (thanks to Raest for spotting this)
- Corrected a typo that prevented mages using one of their sequencers in some defensive contexts (thanks to Raest for spotting this)
- 9th-11th level wizards may be able to cast Oracle (thanks to Kreso for spotting that they couldn't and identifying the cause)
- Clerics and druids now use Chaotic Commands in prebuff routines (thanks for Kreso for spotting that this wasn't happening)
- Fixed several miscoded trigger blocks in spell-use and power-use scripts (thanks to Kreso for catching these)
- Beholder antimagic eyes now get implemented correctly even if v4 of SR is installed (thanks to Mad Mate for catching this).
- Tightened up handling of INNOCENT spellcasters. (In particular, INNOCENTs don't need to change class in enhanced-edition installs; some bugs also fixed. Thanks to several people for identifying this issue.)
- Creatures inappropriately coded as PALADIN in the core game no longer use paladin abilities. (Thanks to Mad Mate for identifying them.)
- Irenicus, the Fire Lich and Azamantes are now correctly handled by Smarter Mages. (Thanks to Raest for spotting this problem.)
- Added a couple of missing lizard man weapon animations (thanks to Miloch for spotting this).
- Disabled BIFFing of lizard-man animations on OSX installs, as (dashteacup tells me) it causes crashes on OSX.
- Removed (harmless) cruft from Irenicus script and projected-image/simulacrum script (thanks to Mad Mate for spotting it).
- Hostile clones of players now get appropriate combat scripts (thanks to Mad Mate for spotting this).
- Guarded Compound glabrezu should now appear correctly even when Improved Fiends is installed (thanks to Raest for spotting this).
- The Black Pits version of Cursed Wound is now used in Enhanced-Edition installs (this should sort out the bugs with it on EE installs - or at any rate, if not blame Beamdog!)
- "More consistent breach", in its eternal oscillation between working for liches and not working for liches, now works for liches.
- "Allow spellstrike to penetrate Magic Protection Scrolls" now works correctly again (the fix for Spell Shield was confusing it; thanks to Raest for spotting the problem).
- NPC clerics now use the NPC version of Blade Barrier, as per the original game (this has an effect only if the Blade-Barrier spell component is not installed)
- Fiend animation IDS names now recognise the EE changes to those names (thanks to CrevsDaak for spotting this).
- Dispel Magic scroll is now handled correctly on EE installs. (Thanks to Crevsdaak for spotting this).
- Mod now installs correctly on EasyTutu.
- Option 2 for mage and priest prebuffing now works properly on the BG1 part of the game.
- Bugfixes coded by Mad Mate:
- Tyrant Golem in Abazigal's Lair is now correctly built
- Components that use golem functions can now be installed in isolation.
- Ascension version of Abazigal gets his death script correctly.
- Mariliths use the correct telekinesis spell.
- Fixed logic error in hive mother antimagic-eye use.
- A couple of missing instant/prebuffed spells are now correctly built.
- Fixed a typo in the SFO code to build Gaal's creature file.
- Cleric-mage Sendai's script now parses correctly.
- QuestPack version of project image now allowed for correctly.
- Ease-of-use AI now uses casting-time-speedup spell correctly.
- Missing chromatic-demon slime attack restored.
- Smarter Mage component now installs correctly even if HLAs are not being used.
- Smarter Mage sequencers now make use of Carrion Summons correctly.
- Confusion in code logic for installing cleric/mages fixed.
- Fixed incorrect death variables for some Elemental Princes summoned by NPCs.
- BG1 priests use longterm buffs correctly (old code from SCSI v21 left unupdated)
- Alhoon code now correctly loads required resources.
- Refinements nerve poison effect correctly parsed.
- Find Familiar scroll correctly allocated in "Standardise BG1 spells".
- Fixed logic error in Improved Drow City installer.
- Irlentree doppelgangers spawn properly.
- Avarice (from Durlag's Tower) correctly flagged as thief (a typo had been preventing this).
- Timestop from Wish spell now works correctly.
- Smarter Priests now correctly checks for Improved Shapeshifting component.
- Xvarts respond appropriately to calls for help.
- Smarter Golems component now suppresses too-large golems in AR1202.
- Better Calls for Help does a better job of removing redundant scripts.
- "Improved general AI" now does a better job of skipping creatures whose AI shouldn't be improved.
- "Smarter Mages" now correctly modifies randomly-encountered yuan-ti.
- Removed a typo that prevented ease-of-use stackable ankheg shells from being properly handled by Taerom.
- Fixed a typo in script controlling "choose proficiencies".
- Druid flunkies get death variables.
- Watcher's keep access component correctly adds Forest of Tethyr entrance coordinates, if you travel there from WK.
- "Smarter Mages" and "Smarter Dragons" now correctly allow for the possibility that the Ascension-Abazigal component of SCS is installed before them.
- Azamantes correctly gets at least one Improved Alacrity.
- Sendai's combat script is no longer overwritten.
- Laskal is correctly treated as a druid, not a cleric.
- Corrected error in some vampires' script allocation.
- Corrected error in SR efreet compatibility code.
- Davaeorn now gets his scrolls correctly.
- Disabled (rudimentary and incomplete) use of Divine Remix spells. (One day I'll do this properly but for the minute it's just getting in the way and doing more harm than good.
- Some rudimentary support for Item Revisions, following suggestions from Kreso.
Version 30 (January 2015)
- Updated Polish translation (thanks, Bartek)
- "Modify breach" really and truly affects liches this time. (Maybe? Maybe?)
- "Skip candlekeep" classic version works correctly.
- Ease-of-use AI installs correctly on BGEE/TUTU installs.
- Fixed cosmetic problem with werewolf tokens.
- NPC precast blade barriers now work.
- Under-the-hood change: vampire and lich simulacrum-immunity spells are now auto-built from the corresponding items.
- Slightly more forgiving code to allow for Ding0Tweaks (probably fixes the false positive that's blocking vanilla TUTU installs)
Version 31 Release Candidate (August 2018)
This version is a maintenance release, packaged by CamDawg, though the work is from others. ALIENQuake had colected a lot of these for BWS, and they were happily (and easily) integrated. Mad Mate also had another huge chunk of fixes, for which we were very grateful.
- CamDawg provided the following fixes:
- Updated Detectable Spells to the most recent version (v3.95). This should fix some miscellaneous installation errors.
- Fixed the bug where the party could fail to be transported to the chessboard in Durlag's Tower in EE games
- Fixed the crash with the druid Osmadi when he tried to shapeshift by removing his cursed item in EE games
- One of the patches was broken; thanks to Ineth2 for the fix
- K4thos provided several fixes:
- Integrated many, many fixes to make SCS fully compatible with EET
- Fix for Viconia in EET for the move NPCs component
- Fix for unkillable Sarevok in EET game
- Stopped Mulahey from spawning wave after wave of enemies
- AstroBryGuy provided the followiing fixes:
- fixed the missing header for caster_shared.tph
- fix for joinable SoD NPCs whose DVs do not match their pdialog values
- fix for flame arrows and Kobold Commando flame arrows
- burner1024 had a fix for fiends
- Ilya Ivanov provided a fix for installing fiends without Smarter Mages
- agb1 provided the following fixes:
- Fixed for the macro_read_in_spells_per_level failing when mxsplXX.2da had an all-zero column
- updated the EET compatibility patch for Allow NPC pairs to separate
- Updated Allow NPC pairs to separate to use the cpmvars libraries
- Also fixed a bug where Allow NPC pairs to separate would fail on a standalone install due to a missing macro call
- read_in_NPC_dialog macro is now ToB-aware
- Removed redundant chunk of code
- Updated Wheels of Prohecy compatibility code from v4 to v5
- Etamin and Cahir updated the Polish translation; Bartek and Etamin did as well
- Graoumf updated the French translation
- critto provided a fix for the Reduce the number of Arrows of Dispelling in stores component
- In addition to providing the updated repo to base this version on, ALIENQuake added a patch for Ascension compatibility
- subtledoctor provided a fix for SCS choking while pasrsing spell.ids
- whiteagnus provided a fix for non-English EE games
- CrevsDaak provided the following fixes:
- A fix for the player1 translation file for EE games
- A fix for an install failure
- A fix for SCS/Wheels of Prophecy compatibility
- khelben provided a fix for init scripts on Ascension games
- Mad Mate provided the following fixes
- Additional fixes to CamDawg's DS update
- Corrected the script name for Brendan
- Fixed a bug (identified by kreso) where low level priests could get high level spells if Refinements was installed
- 'Innocent' druids were skipped in the divine spell patches
- SCS made copies of liches, but never installed the main lich from which copies should be made
- The new realistic wolves only worked in Tutu games
- Abazigal should now spawn Tamah if you use Ascension-based components
- Some miscellaneous typos that prevented patches from being executed, plus other miscellaneous typos
- Various assassins were not getting their stuff because of a typo
- Scripting glitch that prevented Irenicus from acting in Ascenion games at the Throne of Bhaal
- Schlumpsha did not receive the correct weapon
- Scripts were added to the wrong hobgoblins
- SCS was not properly detecting Spell Revisions
- Melissan adjustments were not properly detecting Ascension
- The wrong prebuff version of Blade Barrier was being called
- Dragons were not using their dragon-specific prebuff spells