I don't know if I should do this, but...
HIDDEN KITS FOR BG2
Beta Release v0.95
by Zyraen
zyraen@hotmail.com
1. Introduction
This mod introduces a variety of Hidden Kits that are made available under certain conditions. Typically all of them are obtainable by Dual-Classing at level 12, from either a Fighter, Mage, or Cleric. The amount of XP required to achieve the Hidden Kit is considerable, but so are the advantages gained. Note that certain Basic Stats are still required to successfully Dual-Class.
Apart from a few standard advantages and disadvantages within the Kit itself, most notably present in ALL the Hidden Kits is the ability to Increase your INACTIVE Class by one level every time you level up. This advantage grants players the enjoyment of being able to level up what is effectively a Mult-Class Character at about the rate of a Single-Class Character.
The concept was first applied in the Reaver and brought "live" in this mod. The full breakdown of Hidden Kits is as follows.
Spell Steel - Fighter -> Mage
Sylvan Warden - Fighter -> Druid
Shadow Blade - Fighter -> Thief
Eldritch Phantom - Mage -> Thief
Prelate - Fighter -> Cleric
Archmage - Cleric -> Mage
Sylvan Justicar - Cleric -> Ranger
Many of the Kits also have Innate abilities that "bridge" the divide between both their Classes, allowing them to perform some or both functions even more effectively. Most such effects last for a long period of time, and are generally Un-Dispellable ; but without these effects, the Character might be at a disadvantage compared to a Unkitted Character.
Behind each Kit is a basic concept that will be mentioned later, along with the Detailed
The Purpose of the Mod is to affect Gameplay in BG2 to a Large Extent that it will have a somewhat different feel from a Traditional Run.
**For BETA testers, notes will appear in this mod just like this 
So do take note of them, thank you so much.**
Also included is a Small Subcomponent to Adjust Druid XP Advancement towards Mage XP Advancement for a few levels. This is for those who do not have the Tweak that fixes Druid Advancement, and is used more for those who intend to try out Sylvan Warden.
2. Checks & Balances
Since the advantage of the Hidden Kit mainly lies in the Accelerated Levelling up, the choice of XP Deductions as a Balance for its ability becomes a fairly natural and logical choice.
To balance off the startling effect of being able to level up at a Single-Class rate, 30% of the Inactive Class's XP as an amount to be deducted from the character every single level up.
On top of that, since many of the Hidden Kits have abilities that have limited usage every day, the following penalty is placed on ALL the Hidden Kits, that is that upon Resting, the following XP will be lost
- 5000 XP loss if the Character has XP lesss than 3 Million
- 7500 XP loss if the Character has XP morre than 3 Million but less than 6 Million
- 10000 XP loss if the Character has XP morre than 6 Million
The purpose of this is basically so that players will not be tempted to abuse the Character abilities, but will think wisely on using their powers as Resources managed and deployed, as well as similarly planning Spell Usages so that Spells do not run out too early or too late.
Minimising the Resting time also will give the Gameplay Shift to have a concept of "Running Out of Time", an element that has been lacking greatly in BG2 since the time. Some however may not enjoy this and a Built-in Mechanism has been included to stop it from occurring simply by setting a Global using CLUAConsole or ShadowKeeper.
Note that this mod is not strictly done up with Balance in mind. Its meant to be interesting, rewarding, yet challenging.
3. Bioware NPC Kits
One drawback of almost all Kit mods is that they generally affect ONLY the custom made Character, typically, the PC. To this end, Components have been included that modify up to TWELVE Bioware Characters and make them Eligible for the Hidden Kits made available, 1 component for EACH Character. To have them take effect you have to start a NEW GAME after installing the components you wish to install.
Note however - they have been made ELIGIBLE but they do NOT start with the Kits. In some sense, compared to the Player it is much easier for them to obtain the Kit if the only requirement is to hit a certain Level or XP, so to that end, for EACH and EVERY NPC there are TWO requirements for them to receive the Hidden Kit.
1) have more than 1 Million XP in their Active Class
2) Complete a Particular Portion of a Particular Quest
Because most of these NPCs are now Dual Classed as well, that means that their traditional Roles in Parties may not quite be the same as well, at least until they receive the Kit, so this is something for Players to manage. The Player also potentially to manage the XP Gain of the NPC, so that they do not Complete the Particular Portion that they have to UNTIL they have more than 1 Million XP.
Its basically arranged so that Playing the Same Game with the Same Characters, yet with different Mechanics, can hopefully change the Gameplay Experience Significantly.
So which Quest triggers which NPC? Again this is a puzzle I leave for Players to figure out so they can "enjoy" rediscovering New Things in an old game. To make it more reasonable, in the game the NPC will Display a Line Over his/her Head when completing the Quest, so that you know that you completed it too early. Also, in this Readme is included a Clue for each NPC, for the Readers to Figure Out. This Clue may comes in the form of the line spoken by the NPC in the game in reaction to the event, or from a note of the events occurring. In any case, Clues and Hidden Kits are listed below.
Aerie - Archmage - ~I think... some power from that place... left with me.~
Anomen - Prelate - ~Righteousness has prevailed, in Helm's name.~ after some Cleansing
Imoen - Eldritch Phantom - ~Now I remember why travelling with you was so much fun.~ after a tough encounter with an evil group
Jaheira - Sylvan Warden - ~This deed will serve the greater balance.~
Jan - Eldritch Phantom - ~Guess things could have ended worse for him. Like my uncle whatshisname...~
Korgan - Shadow Blade - ~Aye, now this be a fine place for lootin'!~
Mazzy - Prelate - ~Rest in peace, my Lord ____.~
Minsc - Sylvan Justicar - ~Great fun! Right, Boo?~ after helping slay a large ____
Sarevok - Spell Steel - ~Finally, I get to kill you. Heh ha ha...~
Valygar - Sylvan Justicar - ~This mage seems fair enough despite his power...~
Viconia - Prelate - ~Infiltration? Filthy ____...~
Yoshimo - Shadow Blade - ~Things are going well for us, yes? Yeah.~
**For BETA testers, do NOT make known what Quests apply to which Characters!**
Some however may not enjoy this "Unexpected" Component and a Built-in Mechanism has been included to allow a Character to automatically gain the Hidden Kit simply by setting a Global using CLUAConsole or ShadowKeeper.
Note that Valygar and Mazzy have modified custom items to match their usable range of gear. This may affect your other Saved Games.
Aerie, Anomen, Imoen, Jaheira and Jan *may* be affected in other games, spontaneously gaining the Hidden Kit when you load the game. Imoen and Anomen should only benefit from gaining the Kit, not much different from as if they had gained the Hidden Kit normally in a New Game. Aerie, Jaheira and Jan may have some problems due to them being Multi-Classed.
**For BETA testers, do take note of such problems, especially if any of them proves exceptionally damaging.**
4. Kit Details
Each Kit comes with a Concept, a
4.1 Spell Steel (Fighter -> Mage)
Concept : Ever dreamed of the power of a Fighter/Mage, yet always found it irritating that you can never cast spells while in armor? This makes casting spells in the middle of a pitched fight virtually impossible. Well, now it can be done with the Spell Steel! By using the Innate Ability you will be able to do so.
SPELL STEEL : This Mage, having regained previous Warrior abilities, has now stepped beyond simply the arcane and martial disciplines to master the use of both strengths at the same time. Through the use of special protective Magic, this Mage has gained abilities that enhance both areas of his power, but at a price...
Advantages
- Fighter level progresses at one less than Mage level
Arcane Armor :
- 1 use per day. gain 1 use at level 19, 25, 31
- lasts 12 hrs, undispellable
- sets AC to 1, with additional +1 AC bonus at level 16, 20, 25, 31
- whenever the caster is struck, it drains 1d4 Life unless a successful Save vs Spells is made
- at level 20, provides -1 to casting Speed while active
Disadvantages
- -2 AC and -3 Thac0 whenever Arcane Armor is not active
- loses 75,000 XP for every level gained
- loses some XP upon every Rest
4.2 Sylvan Warden (Fighter -> Druid)
Concept : The Druid always felt like so much potential, but not being able to do anything really well, which is a pity with so much potential in deadliness for some of the Druid spells as well as in other abilities apart from Shapeshifting. This Kit actually gives the player the choice to specialise in Melee or Magic. Despite originally wanting to include a Missile specialisation, this has been discarded in favour of simpler implementation, as there was no simple way of making 3 HLAs out of which only 1 was selectable.
SYLVAN WARDEN : This Druid, having regained previous Warrior abilities, continues to advance in both disciplines, but at the cost of shape-shifting abilities. Furthermore, an eventual a choice has to be made, where the Warden chooses to specialise in either Melee or Magic attacks. By specialising in Melee, it affects Missile attacks negatively. The Warden can also choose to specialise in Spellcasting, sacrificing proficiency in all physical attacks.
Advantages
- Fighter level progresses at one less than Druid level
- can choose 1 of the following 2 HLAs Melee Specialisation or Druidic Magic.
- Melee Specialisation gains +2 Thac0 and +7 Damage in Melee, but...
- Druidic Magic Specialisation gains -3 Casting Speed and permanent Improved Alacrity, but...
Disadvantages
- loses Shape-shifting abilities
- loses 75,000 XP for every level gained
- loses some XP upon every Rest~
~Melee Specialisation
- Receives penalties of -10 Thac0 in Missile Weapons
~Druidic Magic
- permanent Improved Alacrity and -3 Castinng Speed
- all Physical attacks penalised by -7 Thacc0
- Sylvan Warden only
4.3 Shadow Blade (Fighter -> Thief)
Concept : The Assassin was a nice concept but left much to be desired in practice, especially in terms of dishing out high damage, and missing a bit too often for comfort. Experience typically pointed the way to a Fighter/Thief Multi-Class being able to do more damage, especially with the right Strength-giving Belt. The Shadow Blade addresses this by providing a good strong alternative that mixes the advantages of both.
SHADOW BLADE : This Thief, having regained previous Warrior abilities, continues to advance in both disciplines, but at the cost of ranged and thieving abilities. The extremely experienced Shadow Blade can also increase the lethality even his already deadly backstab.
Advantages
- Fighter level progresses at one less than Thief level
- has HLA to increase Backstab Damage Factor by 1, selectable twice
Disadvantages
- -7 Thac0 when using Missile Attacks, at level 18
- -15 to Trap Setting and Pickpocketing, at level 18
- loses all Snare Traps after gaining this Kit
- loses 75,000 XP for every level gained
- loses some XP upon every Rest
Character Creation : It may not be a good idea to put Proficiency points into weapons that cannot Backstab or into Missile Weapons.
4.4 Eldritch Phantom (Mage -> Thief)
Concept : From roleplaying and considering Kova, there were sentiments that the incredible potential of Mage/Thieves have been largely left untapped in most of the gameplay. The Eldritch Phantom aims to make use of magic to augment concealment abilities ; by making things like Improved Invisibility undispellable, this actually makes it useful to some extent.
ELDRITCH PHANTOM : This Thief, having regained previous Mage abilities, continues to advance in both disciplines, but at the cost of thieving abilities. The Eldritch Phantom uses specialised magic to greatly enhance his stealth when necessary. Note that this ability is so powerful it may interfere even when targeting the Thief with beneficial spells. His reliance on his magic also makes him vulnerable to ranged attacks.
Advantages
- Mage level progresses at one less than Thief level
Obfuscation
- 1 use per day. gain 1 use at level 20, 25, 32
- Improved Invisibility, undispellable, lasts 6 hrs
- Magic Resistance set to 10%, with extra 10% at levels 18, 24, 30. lasts 6 hrs, undispellable
- at level 24, gains Non-Detection effect, lasts 2 hrs
- Invisibility, dispellable, lasts 6 hrs
Disadvantages
- takes 30% extra Damage from Missile attacks except when Obfuscation is in effect
- does not gain Snare Traps after gaining this Kit
- loses 112,500 XP for every level gained
- loses some XP upon every Rest
4.5 Prelate (Fighter -> Cleric)
Concept : A holy Warrior Priest was implemented excellently in Anomen, but it always felt a pity the Fighter side could not advance. Furthermore, there was a wonderful spell in the form of Draw Upon Holy Might, but its duration was waaaay too short. The Prelate aims to put into place the righteous fury of a true warrior priest, up close and personal.
PRELATE : This Cleric, having regained previous Warrior abilities, continues to advance in both disciplines, but at the cost of Missile abilities. The Prelate uses specialised magic to greatly enhance his Melee combat abilities when necessary, but it practically makes the Prelate unable to use Missile Attacks completely.
Advantages
- Fighter level progresses at one less than Cleric level
Channel Holy Might
- 1 use per day. gain 1 use at level 17, 22, 28, 35
- +1 to Str, Dex, Con for every 4 Caster Levels, up to a max of +5
- lasts 6 hrs, undispellable
- while active, Missile Attacks have -16 Thac0 penalty
- at level 24, sets Str to 25 for the duration of the ability
Disadvantages
- -5 Thac0 to Missile Attacks
- loses 75,000 XP for every level gained
- loses some XP upon every Rest
Character Creation : It may not be a good idea to put Proficiency points into non-Cleric weapons or into Missile Weapons.
4.6 Archmage (Cleric -> Mage)
Concept : In Aerie, such incredible potential was so wasted and largely out of reach for so much of the game that it was dismaying. Looking things over, as well, why did a Character have so many potential spells available for use, but not time enough (no. of rounds mainly) to use it before the fight was over (ie every foe was dead.) ? The Archmage arose as a fantasy of what could have been, but gained its own momentum along the way.
ARCHMAGE : This Mage, having regained previous Cleric abilities, continues to advance in both disciplines, but at the cost of being able to use armor effectively. The extremely experienced Archmage can choose to specialise completely in spellcasting, increasing casting speed and able to cast spells back-to-back, but will forever be denied any form of effective physical attack, and will be more susceptible to physical damage.
Advantages
- Cleric level progresses at one less than Mage level
- Conduit HLA, gives -1 Casting Time, requires Extra Level 8 Spell. If Improved Alacrity HLA is memorised, Archmage gains permanent Improved Alacrity, but will have Physical attacks set permanently to 0, and takes an extra 40% damage on being hit by Melee or Missile attacks
Arcane Sanctuary :
- 1 use per day. gain 1 use at level 19, 25, 31
- lasts 12 hrs, undispellable
- sets AC to 3, with additional +1 AC bonus at level 16, 20, 25, 31
- at level 20, provides Protection from Backstab while active
Disadvantages
- -4 AC except when using Arcane Sanctuary
- loses 67,500 XP for every level gained
- loses some XP upon every Rest
Character Creation : It may not be a good idea to put Proficiency points into non-Cleric weapons.
4.7 Sylvan Justicar (Cleric -> Ranger)
Concept : The Cleric/Ranger is a sensible choice for a multi-class, but it always felt wrong in some sense for a Ranger to be unable to use twin Blades or most importantly, a Bow. For this purpose and mainly this purpose only, the Kit was created ; indeed it has little or no significant advantage apart from this cosmetic improvement. It may be small to some people, but significant IMHO. There's no real need to use this Kit if you've installed Swords for Clerics (can't remember the exact name of the Tweak Component)
SYLVAN JUSTICAR : This Ranger, having regained previous Cleric abilities, continues to advance in both disciplines. The Justicar sacrifices some ability with weapons and stealth in return for retaining access to his previous Ranger disciplines, and in return receives certain weapons from divine powers that allow him to cross certain traditional boundaries of Clerics.
Advantages
- Cleric level progresses at one less than Ranger level
- receives one Divine Bow +3 and two Divine Blades +3 that are usable by Clerics
- Divine Bow uses a Sling Proficiency ; Divine Blade uses a Mace Proficiency
- Divine Bow generates arrows that counts as of +5 enchantment
Disadvantages
- Divine Bow and Divine Blades both do slightly less damage than normal weapons
- may not cast Cleric spells while using Divine Bow or Divine Blade(s)
- receives a permanent -3 Thac0 when NOT using divine Bow or Divine Blade(s)
- -30 to Stealth, permanent
- loses 67,500 XP for every level gained
- loses some XP upon every Rest
Character Creation : It may be a good idea to put more Proficiency points into Mace and Sling proficiencies.
5.0 FAQ
This section will probably be vastly expanded after the Beta...
Q : Why doesn't my Hidden Kit work?
A : If you are cheating to hit level 12 in your first class, make sure you unpause the Game before you Dual-Class so as the script can "record" down your earlier Class. You also need to unpause after hitting level 13 in your 2nd Class so the script can apply the Kit onto you.
Q : Why does the Level of my Inactive Class fluctuate after I get the Hidden Kit?
A : It fluctuates as the script makes adjustment so the Inactive Class is always one less than your Active Class. This fluctuation will occur WHENEVER you level up the Hidden Kit Class. Be sure to leave the game unpaused for the script to take a while to settle it. As a general point, NEVER Level-Up a Hidden Kit Class while in battle - it will almost certainly interrupt Attacking, Spellcasting, Movement, etc.
Q : Why does my Character have a stutter-bug effect?
A : The script may be adjusting the level of the Inactive Class. See above question.
Q : I don't like being rushed into not being able to Rest. It cramps my style and I want to disable the XP Drain on Resting.
A : Send me an Email or PM at SHS Forums and I'll tell you the Global to set to disable it.
Q : Why doesn't my Bioware NPC have the right Dual-Class combination to obtain the Hidden Kit?
A : You may have visited that Area before in your game. Try starting a New Game, or using CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("xxx") to spawn in a New Updated Copy of the Bioware NPC.
Q : My Bioware NPC *still* doesn't have the right Dual-Class combination...!
A : Did you install the component for that NPC at all...?
Q : My Bioware NPC doesn't seem to get the Hidden Kit no matter what I do?
A : Did you check that the NPC has XP above 1 million in his/her Active Class? If so, you might have already completed the quest required to give the Bioware NPC the Hidden Kit.
Q : My Bioware NPC doesn't get the Hidden Kit despite remarking with a Line over his/her head after the Quest.
A : Make sure your Bioware NPC has above 1 million XP.
Q : Is there any hint which Quest gives which Hidden Kit to which Bioware NPC?
A : See Part 3 of this Readme for the listing of all the Clues.
Q : Trying to find the Quest to get the Hidden Kit is driving me nuts! Help me disable this damn it!
A : Send me an Email or PM at SHS Forums and I'll tell you the Global to set to disable it.
6.0 Credits
Exceptional, exceptional thanks go to
- ERIC P.
for helping me with naming the characters, overall encouragement, ideas suggestions and lots of timely banter to prevent me from dropping this to work on something else. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Many thanks to
- K`aeloree / Liam
for offering encouragement ( as well as asking me to apply for SHS Hosting... heh)
These 2 Individuals, to my knowledge, might not be active in the community anymore, nor might they even be around, but I feel I owe it to them too, for their earlier support and indulgence that prevented this idea from being canned almost 2 yrs ago, or even more, I think. They might be gone but not forgotten. Thanks very much to...
- LuckyOne
- Deathsangel(he is here 
)
And though I don't know all of you just yet, thanks in advance to all my dear intrepid and daring...
- BETA TESTERS! Cheers and Enjoy!
I really don't like the ability to alter kit names, cause it just ends up confusing me and everyone else. But the idea of other kit names is a good one, so they are always welcome. So Zyraen can choose the one he likes to most.
Now, what I would really want is to make Viconia, a Thief -> Cleric and then have a custom kit for that, and I think that the Prelate is just a little off from her character, so the thief could be better as a base class. And there are a few such wishes elsewhere too.
PS, when Zyraen updates the ReadMe, I'll remove the quoted one myself.
