17 replies to this topic

[Aeviannce]

File Name: Auror Kit for the Ranger Class
File Submitter: Aeviannce
File Submitted: 28 Oct 2008
File Category: Miscellaneous Released Mods

AUROR: A unique type of ranger; skilled with the bow and possessing an exceptional ability to control the elements of ice and the forces of winter. Though normally mistaken to be an Aurillian priest, she does not share the destructive whims of the goddess nor her followers but on the contrary, follows a strict, solitary edict of an unnamed silver dragon, known to be as her hegemon.
 
Trained to be agile, she is extremely quick and precise in every move but it proves to be a necessity rather than an advantage as the path of becoming an Auror renders her physically weak. This does not prevents her however, to aid those in need. She is an enigmatic protector of the good and a vicious, cold foe of evil.
 
ADVANTAGES:
-  +2 bonus to dexterity on character creation.
-  Immune to charm and confusion.
-  Grandmaster: bow-type weapons. The Auror may put 5 points in long bow and short bow.
-  +1 thac0 bonus with missile weapons every 4 levels.
-  +1 to damage with missile weapons every 6 levels.
-  +1 bonus to AC and save vs. breath weapons every 3 levels; caps at the 29th level.
-  +1 bonus to AC vs. missiles every 6 levels; caps at the 30th level.
-  +1 to save vs. spells every 2 levels till the 8th, then every 3 levels till the 17th, and finally every 4 levels till the 30th level of experience.
-  Starts with 7% cold resistance, gains +12% every 2 levels till the 10th, then on 13th and 16th, +9% on 20th and 24th, and finally +7% on the 29th level of experience.
-  +2% magic resistance every level; caps at the 30th level.
-  Gains additional priest spell slots starting at the 14th level of experience.
-  Sharpshooting: starts with critical hit chance on 1d19, and then gets better for every 6 levels of experience; caps at the 30th level with a chance of 1d14.
-  Foresight: at 4th level, the Auror gain an unnatural sense of her surroundings. This allows her to detect and attack hidden enemies (though they still remain invisible) and is impossible to surprise thus, making her immune to backstab attempts.
-  Frost Touch: at the 6th level, the Auror adds 2d4 cold damage on every attack and freezes the target for 4 rounds unless a successful save vs. spells is made. Missile attacks are charged with psionic force, knocking back targets if fails to save vs. breath.
-  Innate Abilities
   2nd Level: Cryogenesis - Ice Blade
   4th Level: Cryogenesis - Frost Arrow
   6th Level: Far Sense
   8th Level: Frost Blink
   10th Level: Frostbite
-  Beginning the 8th level of experience, the Auror learns new abilities upon reaching certain levels. They are as follows:
   8th Level: Glacial Aura
   10th Level: Frost Wave
   12th Level: Aurora Borealis
   15th Level: Dire Frost
   18th Level: Hoarfrost
   20th Level: Lament of Winter
 
DISADVANTAGES:
-  Available only to human, elves or half-elves of neutral or chaotic good alignment.
-  -6 to strength and -8 to constitution on character creation.
-  Hit Die: d4
-  Incurs -1 penalty to save vs. death every 4 levels of experience.
-  Has limited proficiency on selected melee and ranged weapons.
-  Cannot put any point to fighting style proficiency other than Two Weapon Style.
-  Cannot wear any armor.
-  Cannot dual class.
-  No Charm Animal ability.
-  No high level abilities.

Click here to download this file

[vilkacis]

This kit seems horribly broken to me. Giving it better damage/hit bonuses than the archer is pretty iffy on its own, but adding a heap of special resists and abilities on top of that is just overkill. +2d8 damage is more than twice the damage of regular arrows (d6)! Disadvantage "no armour" is pretty much offset by AC bonus, so the only real disadvantage left is the loss of stealth - not exactly a big deal considering what you get in exchange.

And then there's the spells. Just looking at the descriptions - Breath of Cold is 12d12 damage (apparently with no save?) plus a chance of slow as a second level spell? Hoarfrost is an instant (AoE?) kill on fire creatures as a first level spell - in addition to its other effects!? Bloody hell. That is not the kind of power a ranger is supposed to be throwing around (remember, those spells come in addition to already being able to kick all kinds of ass with regular weapons, second only to a pureclass fighter).

I appreciate the attempt to make an "elemental warrior" kind of kit, but it needs balancing, and lots of it.

[Deratiseur]

Yep, it is unbalanced and too powered, for sure.

But i like it, so can i trayfit it and add a french translation ?

[Deratiseur]

In fact, it's ever done, and the result is for the moment on megaupload, Here

I have uptated the text to include :
+1 to dexterity and +2 to charisma on character creation.
-3 to constitution and -4 to strengh on character creation.

Have a good day

[Deratiseur]

At the 14th, 16th and 18th level, she will receive additional priest spell slots.

This doesn't work, the kit have always 3 spells by lvl.

I can fix it by myself, but i'm traductor, not conceptor.

Have a good and happy new year, guys

[Aeviannce]

Hi everyone,

 

Please be informed that version 4.4 is for BG2-EE only. I've yet to figure out how to make the tp2 file work for both versions. Also, I've omitted some content in the tp2 file that may be important as I am still learning the new coding for it. Please bear with me...

 

Thanks!

[Miloch]

I've yet to figure out how to make the tp2 file work for both versions.

GAME_IS is the usual method to detect the game and install relevant (game-specific) code. Offhand, I don't think such differences would be major between BG2 and BG2:EE for a kit mod, but I don't know. While you're at it, Tutu/BGT compatibility should be much the same as BG2 (for a kit mod, as long as you're not adding area-related stuff or the like).

[The Imp]

I've yet to figure out how to make the tp2 file work for both versions.

And if you use the fl#add_kit_ee.tpa to enable the kit in the EE, the non-EE BG2 game does fine with and without it. There's a few cases where there's no way to make it compatible within both game models(EE and vanilla), but usually it's OK for kits.

Will check this later...

 

Yeah, well of course this can't be done in non-EE games: "-  Recieves only 1d4 hitpoints value per level." .. hmm is that a spelling error by the by: Recieves -> Receives ...

Edited by The Imp, 15 August 2017 - 09:25 AM.

[Aeviannce]

@The Imp @Miloch
 
Thank you for the unexpected advice! I really appreciate your time to consider my little problem.
 
However, I don't have the slightest idea what I'm doing actually so I'm just going to add at the kit installation block here haha...
 

//MODDER
NO_IF_EVAL_BUG
VERSION ~v4.04~

LANGUAGE ~English~ ~english~ ~A4Auror/Language/ENG/A4Auror-Setup_ENG.tra~

BEGIN @1

//Checks for BGII-EE Installation
REQUIRE_PREDICATE (NOT GAME_IS ~soa tob iwd2 pst bg1 totsc iwd how totlm tutu tutu_totsc bgt ca iwd_in_bg2~) @2 //Check if EE game

// EE compatibility patch, updated version by Subtledoctor
INCLUDE ~A4Auror/lib/fl#add_kit_ee.tpa~

//internal name of the kit
ADD_KIT ~A4AUROR~

 //appended to CLASWEAP.2da
 ~A4AUROR	       1	1	0	1	1	0	0	1~
 
 //appended column-wise to WEAPPROF.2da
 ~A4AUROR 1 1 5 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 5 5 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0~
 
 //appended to ABCLASRQ.2da
 ~A4AUROR	9	17	7	14	12	16~
 
 //appended to ABCLSMOD.2da
 ~A4AUROR	-6	2	-8	0	0	0~
 
 //appended to ABDCDSRQ.2da
 ~A4AUROR	0	17	0	14	12	16~
 
 //appended to ABDCSCRQ.2da
 ~A4AUROR	0	17	0	14	12	16~
 
 //appended to ALIGNMNT.2da
 ~A4AUROR	0       0       0       1       0       0       1       0       0~
 
 //appended to DUALCLAS.2da
 ~A4AUROR	0	0	0	0	0	0~
 
 //path to CLAB-style 2da file
 ~A4Auror/2da/CLABA4AU.2da~
 
 //appended to KITTABLE.2da
 ~K_R_H K_R_E K_R_HE~
 
 //usability flags appended to KITLIST.2da
 ~0x10000000	12~
 
 //HLA abilities appended to LUABBR.2da
 ~***~
 
 //appended to 25STWEAP.2da
 ~* * HELM07 BAG24 RING06 RING31 CLCK02 BOOT01 AMUL19 BRAC16 BELT06 AROW11,40 BULL03,40 BOLT06,40 POTN52,5 POTN04,2 POTN14,5 HAMM07 SW1H39 STAF08~
 
 //Kit name and description
 SAY @10
 SAY @11
 SAY @12
 
 // Call EE compatibility patch
 LAF fl#add_kit_ee
  STR_VAR
         kit_name = A4AUROR
         clsrcreq = ~1 1 1 0 0 0 0~
         hpclass = ~HPA4AU~
 END

 
See anything?
 

 
Yeah, well of course this can't be done in non-EE games: "-  Recieves only 1d4 hitpoints value per level." .. hmm is that a spelling error by the by: Recieves -> Receives ...
 

Oh, didn't noticed that. Thanks Imp.

Edited by Aeviannce, 16 August 2017 - 01:12 AM.

[Miloch]

This is the part that makes it only installable on EE:

REQUIRE_PREDICATE (NOT GAME_IS ~soa tob iwd2 pst bg1 totsc iwd how totlm tutu tutu_totsc bgt ca iwd_in_bg2~) @2 //Check if EE game

 

Rather, someone has excluded pretty much everything but EE games there (I suppose for future compatibility or something). I would recommend revising that parenthetical exclusion to the following:

NOT GAME_IS ~iwd iwd2 how totlm pst bg1 totsc~

That's less restrictive, excluding the original BG1, IWDs and PST. In theory (and this is hypothetical), the kit should be compatible with everything else, as those platforms are all more or less based on BG2 originally.

 

I don't know what fl#add_kit_ee.tpa does (I'd have to see the code in that file), but according to the Imp, it only fires for EE. If it didn't, you could enforce this on your own by including that last LAF block in something like:

ACTION_IF (NOT GAME_IS ~soa tob tutu tutu_totsc bgt ca iwd_in_bg2~) BEGIN
  LAF fl#add_kit_ee
    ...
  END
END

Again, you might need to do other stuff, but that's a start at least. Regarding the hit point thing, you could simulate a penalty with every level in the original games, but you'd want to make sure it didn't go below 0-1 per level. There's probably some way of implementing it intelligently, maybe via script.

 

On another note, I'm wondering why you chose "Auror" for the kit name. I thought that was a Harry Potter type of wizard that hunts down dark wizards. Maybe "Icestalker" or something like that would be more fitting (can't use White Walker either, as that's a Game of Thrones type of undead).

Edited by Miloch, 16 August 2017 - 07:29 AM.

[The Imp]

I don't know what fl#add_kit_ee.tpa does (I'd have to see the code in that file), but according to the Imp, it only fires for EE. ..

Indeed, and if you go and find out reading the file, it ... should be clear that that's the case. At least the ... v1.1.3 does. Well, unless you go and conjure up a monkfist.2da into the game folder just for kicks, and to throw pegs into the wheels. But then you are liable to break other things just for confort of knowing you do things wrong.

[Miloch]

Indeed, and if you go and find out reading the file, it ... should be clear that that's the case.

There appears to be nothing that prevents it from running until it gets around to looking for monkfist.2da. So putting more code (ACTION_IF) checks around the LAF (LAUNCH_ACTION_FUNCTION) as I mentioned above won't hurt anything. Edit: that goes for the INCLUDE too; no need to bother including and scanning that if it only needs to do so for EE.

Edited by Miloch, 16 August 2017 - 09:00 AM.

[Aeviannce]

Thank you Miloch. I think I was able to implement the new lines you've recommended:
 

//MODDER
NO_IF_EVAL_BUG
VERSION ~v4.04~

LANGUAGE ~English~ ~english~ ~A4Auror/Language/ENG/A4Auror-Setup_ENG.tra~

BEGIN @1

//Checks for BGII-EE Installation
REQUIRE_PREDICATE (NOT GAME_IS ~iwd iwd2 how totlm pst bg1 totsc~) @2 //Check if game is compatible

//internal name of the kit
ADD_KIT ~A4AUROR~

 //appended to CLASWEAP.2da
 ~A4AUROR	       1	1	0	1	1	0	0	1~
 
 //appended column-wise to WEAPPROF.2da
 ~A4AUROR 1 1 5 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 5 5 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0~
 
 //appended to ABCLASRQ.2da
 ~A4AUROR	9	17	7	14	12	16~
 
 //appended to ABCLSMOD.2da
 ~A4AUROR	-6	2	-8	0	0	0~
 
 //appended to ABDCDSRQ.2da
 ~A4AUROR	0	17	0	14	12	16~
 
 //appended to ABDCSCRQ.2da
 ~A4AUROR	0	17	0	14	12	16~
 
 //appended to ALIGNMNT.2da
 ~A4AUROR	0       0       0       1       0       0       1       0       0~
 
 //appended to DUALCLAS.2da
 ~A4AUROR	0	0	0	0	0	0~
 
 //path to CLAB-style 2da file
 ~A4Auror/2da/CLABA4AU.2da~
 
 //appended to KITTABLE.2da
 ~K_R_H K_R_E K_R_HE~
 
 //usability flags appended to KITLIST.2da
 ~0x10000000	12~
 
 //HLA abilities appended to LUABBR.2da
 ~***~
 
 //appended to 25STWEAP.2da
 ~* * HELM07 BAG24 RING06 RING31 CLCK02 BOOT01 AMUL19 BRAC16 BELT06 AROW11,40 BULL03,40 BOLT06,40 POTN52,5 POTN04,2 POTN14,5 HAMM07 SW1H39 STAF08~
 
 //Kit name and description
 SAY @10
 SAY @11
 SAY @12
 
 // Call EE compatibility patch
 ACTION_IF (NOT GAME_IS ~soa tob tutu tutu_totsc bgt ca iwd_in_bg2~) BEGIN
 
 // EE compatibility patch, updated version by Subtledoctor
         INCLUDE ~A4Auror/lib/fl#add_kit_ee.tpa~
         COPY ~A4Auror/2da/HPA4AU.2da~ ~override~
         
         LAF fl#add_kit_ee
         STR_VAR
                kit_name = A4AUROR
                clsrcreq = ~1 1 1 0 0 0 0~
                hpclass = ~HPA4AU~
         END
 END

 

I hope I got it correctly.

 

One more thing, I've been noticing this block since I've started fiddling with tp2 of other kit mods. This is from the bear walker kit. Now I don't have the slightest idea what this does but I think its important. Any clue would be helpful

 

ALWAYS
  // Borrowed from Edwin Romance: convert strings to UTF-8 for BGEE/BG2EE
  INCLUDE ~%MOD_FOLDER%/lib/handle_charsets.tpa~

  // No exception, everything needs to be converted
  ACTION_DEFINE_ARRAY UBnoconvert BEGIN END

  // ubbear.tra needs to be reloaded?
  ACTION_DEFINE_ARRAY UBreload BEGIN ubbear END

  // There is no "language" folder so the root of all languages is %MOD_FOLDER%
  LAF HANDLE_CHARSETS
    INT_VAR
      infer_charset = 1
    STR_VAR
      tra_path = EVAL ~%MOD_FOLDER%/translations~
	  noconvert_array = UBnoconvert
      reload_array = UBreload
  END
    ACTION_IF (NOT GAME_IS ~soa tob iwd2 pst bg1 totsc iwd how totlm tutu tutu_totsc bgt ca iwd_in_bg2 bg2ee eet iwdee~) THEN BEGIN     // Check if BGEE/SOD
COPY ~BearWalker/files/25STWEAP.2DA~ ~override~                                                               // Add working 25STWEAP.2DA copy from BGII so ADD_KIT command doesn't break
END
END

 

 

On another note, I'm wondering why you chose "Auror" for the kit name. I thought that was a Harry Potter type of wizard that hunts down dark wizards. Maybe "Icestalker" or something like that would be more fitting (can't use White Walker either, as that's a Game of Thrones type of undead).

 

Hahaha, well the word "Auror" is based on "Aurora Borealis". I've read somewhere that Aurora Borealis was believed to be the spirit of the north, kinda like a diety of sorts. Since this kit tends to feel more like a prestige class bordering on cheesy quasi-elemental/demigodhood, I thought it would be a fitting name.

Edited by Aeviannce, 16 August 2017 - 06:58 PM.

[Ulb]

ALWAYS
  // Borrowed from Edwin Romance: convert strings to UTF-8 for BGEE/BG2EE
  INCLUDE ~%MOD_FOLDER%/lib/handle_charsets.tpa~

  // No exception, everything needs to be converted
  ACTION_DEFINE_ARRAY UBnoconvert BEGIN END

  // ubbear.tra needs to be reloaded?
  ACTION_DEFINE_ARRAY UBreload BEGIN ubbear END

  // There is no "language" folder so the root of all languages is %MOD_FOLDER%
  LAF HANDLE_CHARSETS
    INT_VAR
      infer_charset = 1
    STR_VAR
      tra_path = EVAL ~%MOD_FOLDER%/translations~
	  noconvert_array = UBnoconvert
      reload_array = UBreload
  END
END

 

This is used to convert strings from .tra files to UTF-8.

Apparently the EE games have issues with files that are encoded differently in combination with foreign languages. Don't ask me for details, just copy the code into your .tp2 file, point it to your .tra files and put the .tpa file and the iconv folder in your mod and you should be good.

 

 

ACTION_IF (NOT GAME_IS ~soa tob iwd2 pst bg1 totsc iwd how totlm tutu tutu_totsc bgt ca iwd_in_bg2 bg2ee eet iwdee~) THEN BEGIN // Check if BGEE/SOD COPY ~BearWalker/files/25STWEAP.2DA~ ~override~ // Add working 25STWEAP.2DA copy from BGII so ADD_KIT command doesn't break END

 

BGEE/SoD installs are missing (or have a corrupt, don't remember which one it is) 25STWEAP.2DA file. No big deal since the game doesn't use the file anyway but WeiDU needs it to install kits so the mod just copys the file over.

Edited by Ulb, 17 August 2017 - 12:21 PM.

[Miloch]

I hope I got it correctly.

 

Hahaha, well the word "Auror" is based on "Aurora Borealis". I've read somewhere that Aurora Borealis was believed to be the spirit of the north, kinda like a diety of sorts. Since this kit tends to feel more like a prestige class bordering on cheesy quasi-elemental/demigodhood, I thought it would be a fitting name.

The code looks sound, but as with every mod, the only true test is, well, an actual test (or three or four).

 

As for aurora borealis and gods, Aurora was in fact the Roman goddess of the dawn (and a fairly common name, such as for the proprietor in our mod), and Boreas was the Greek god of the north wind. So the term means something like "northern dawn" or northern lights as we call them. But that is neither here nor there I suppose as far as your mod; just of academic interest (or not).

 

BGEE/SoD installs are missing (or have a corrupt, don't remember which one it is) 25STWEAP.2DA file. No big deal since the game doesn't use the file anyway but WeiDU needs it to install kits so the mod just copys the file over.

Surely it would be more efficient to use ACTION_IF GAME_IS ~bgee sod~ BEGIN than the laundry list of everything but those two games?

[Ulb]

Surely it would be more efficient to use ACTION_IF GAME_IS ~bgee sod~ BEGIN than the laundry list of everything but those two games?

 

Yes and no.

Yes, if you did that code today it would obviously be more effecient to do it that way and no, because I did that before WeiDU could check for SoD and I'm lazy I just keep copy&pasting that code into any kit mod.

[The Imp]

There would be a way to make the HPs to not be 1d10, but a standard 4 per level up, as you could set the max HP with the effect opcode 18. One only needs to detect the games nature (EE or non-EE) and based on that copy the correct CLABA4AU.2da file(without and with the opcode spells) to the game folders override folder, and the spells that do this. But I am not sure you want that ?

Edited by The Imp, 28 August 2017 - 11:08 AM.

[Sam.]

Does this mod still do this?  I couldn't find where, so I assume it has been changed since then?