74 replies to this topic

[rreinier]

I meant maximum hit point potential...for example viconia's 1,200,000 XP. file has 72hp, when a cleric of that LvL. should have 80hp.

Actually, a cleric of that level "should" have less than 72 XP. One is not supposed to reroll indefinetly until getting a good score... The average a cleric gets when leveling up is 3,5 HP/level until level 9, then 2 per level...

[Rathwellin the Bard]

Actually it's 4.5 + con bonus for clerics.

[CamDawg]

Other than powergaming, can anyone make a case why setting Sarevok's starting XP to a higher level than any other ToB NPC a good idea?

Edited by CamDawg, 14 May 2004 - 06:09 AM.

[Schatten]

Even without Tactics or other mods I'm well over that by the time I get to that point in the game. 4 to 4.5 mil seems about right based on memory for most party members that I've had with me.

I don't really mind Sarevok starting with less than the number mentioned above but it would be a nice tweak IMO if his starting ToB level was based on the PCs somehow with the 2.7 mil as a floor.

why should he has a higher lvl then the other npcs?
if you do that and base it on the pc level then make it for all npcs...

[Rathwellin the Bard]

It seems pretty simple to me. Either you:

a- have just started a new ToB game & your PC will have about 2.5 mil PC & will have to summon NPCs to fill out the party. In that case the PC & NPCs will have about the same amount of XP. In this case Sarevok?s starting XP is fine.

b- will have played through SoA and will probably have a stable party. In that case your PC and the rest of the party will most likely have a lot more than 2.5 mil XP each. Your PC is *very* unlikely to summon other companions but may want Sarevok in his group. In this case Sarevok?s starting XP is clearly too low IMO.

I don?t have hard facts, but my sense is that case ?b? is far more common that case ?a? is. Only makes sense to bump up Sarevok in that case.

Edited by Rathwellin the Bard, 14 May 2004 - 07:02 AM.

[Feanor]

I have an observation here : Sarevok has far better stats than any other NPC and that could counter the fact he has lower XP than the others.

[CamDawg]

a- have just started a new ToB game & your PC will have about 2.5 mil PC & will have to summon NPCs to fill out the party.  In that case the PC & NPCs will have about the same amount of XP.  In this case Sarevok?s starting XP is fine.

Except that now any players have a balanced party, plus Sarevok at 3.5M+ XP complete with HLAs thanks to this "refinement."

b- will have played through SoA and will probably have a stable party.  In that case your PC and the rest of the party will most likely have a lot more than 2.5 mil XP each.  Your PC is *very* unlikely to summon other companions but may want Sarevok in his group.  In this case Sarevok?s starting XP is clearly too low IMO.

Players now have a Sarevok closer to their party level, complete with HLAs they may or may not want. Saves the 20 or so keystrokes to type SetCurrentXP, I suppose.

I don?t have hard facts, but my sense is that case ?b? is far more common that case ?a? is.  Only makes sense to bump up Sarevok in that case.

I would agree, but it still doesn't address the serious imbalance in the first case.

[NiGHTMARE]

Why not just have different versions of Sarevok (and maybe the other NPCs too) depending on your level? That's what happens in SoA after all.

[T.G.Maestro]

Slow down people.
First, I haven't edited Sarevok's XP yet - it was only and idea. And btw, I only wanted to increase it by 100.000 XP.

He will stay as he is at the moment then, at his "average" XP-level.

[maximize]

Are you still going to do any of this? T.G. Maestro? Littiz? Bigg?

If you are...
Have you ever noticed how high Jan's wisdom is? It's 14. For one, he gets a penalty to Wisdom because he is a gnome. And just reading his banters(without looking at his stats first), you would think his wisdom is something like 9. Not 14. For example, he often talks and talks despite the pleas of other characters, and he talks about the strangest things, like things that sometimes aren't even related to what going on...

Oh yeah and I also noticed the Korgan- Beard thing mentioned earlier in this thread.

[T.G.Maestro]

maximize, you read my mind.
In fact, this component is already "finished", it only needs coding (which is one of the hardest parts though). Note however, that in this component it is very unlikely that we will change any stats - I only intend to correct possible oversights, or add a few missing abilities and some additional flavor to some NPCs. Here are the current changes:

Minsc:
- "removed" hair (like on Balthazar);
- altered the color of clothes to match the portrait;

Jaheira:
- changed her ugly "indian" skin color to a more fitting one, one that matches the color seen on her portrait;
- new colors on clothes to match the portrait;

Haer'Dalis:
- added the missing tiefling resistances to the SoA .cres (the ToB version has them);
- added the Globe of Darkness innate (once/day), with a new icon;

Viconia:
- added the missing drow innates Globe of Darkness and Fairy Fire. Both are useable once/day, and have their unique casting icons too.

Sarevok:
- removed hair;
- added an extra special effect to his .cre: until now he had a few% chance to either stun the opponent or deal a Deathbringer Assault, now he has some minor chance to knockback the target (no extra damage though) in addition to the exiting effects.
- boosted his XP somewhat (+100.000XP) to be a bit more in line with the party when he joins in ToB. This upgrade won't give him any HLA, he is still below the HLA limit. It only serves to make him less inferior to other NPCs.

[maximize]

maximize, you read my mind.

I can do it again, if you like, but it will cost you.

in this component it is very unlikely that we will change any stats

Aww... Well, I guess that would also require some item editing. Mostly for Jan's personal items...

boosted his XP somewhat (+100.000XP) to be a bit more in line with the party when he joins in ToB

Seriously, does he need it? If you start out in ToB, without playing through SoA, he always has more XP than you.

Altering NPC's so that they more appear to their portrait seems a bit banal to be honest. Leave some room for poetic license.

It doesn't make sense to me, that if someone is bald in their portrait that they have white hair. (Minsc) And if someone has one color clothing on their portrait, why would they have different one on their paper doll/avatar? With my current (and first) NPC I'm making, I'm going to try to get his colors as close as possible to the portrait. Makes for better roleplaying, I think.

[Stone Wolf]

I'm kinda wondering about Viconia's innates too. Salvatore let Drizzt keep some of his innates without any justification, but Viconia should lose hers. Maybe she could regain them in the Underdark, but I think it's supposed to take time for that to happen.

[Crokus]

It doesn't make sense to me, that if someone is bald in their portrait that they have white hair. (Minsc) And if someone has one color clothing on their portrait, why would they have different one on their paper doll/avatar?

Though I agree with these points, what about Jan? He has green-silver clothes on the portrait, while the ingame purple-pink is totally him.

I'm kinda wondering about Viconia's innates too. Salvatore let Drizzt keep some of his innates without any justification, but Viconia should lose hers. Maybe she could regain them in the Underdark, but I think it's supposed to take time for that to happen.

Judging from the books they only loose the ability to levitate, not the MR, darkness or faerie fire.

[T.G.Maestro]

I'm kinda wondering about Viconia's innates too. Salvatore let Drizzt keep some of his innates without any justification, but Viconia should lose hers. Maybe she could regain them in the Underdark, but I think it's supposed to take time for that to happen.


Judging from the books they only loose the ability to levitate, not the MR, darkness or faerie fire.

Yes, thats what I had in mind too. On the other hand, I like the idea that she should only get them in the Underdark. I'm still open to suggestions.

boosted his XP somewhat (+100.000XP) to be a bit more in line with the party when he joins in ToB
Seriously, does he need it? If you start out in ToB, without playing through SoA, he always has more XP than you.

I can live well without it, it was merely a tactical addition. It is true that if you start a game from ToB, he is slightly more powerful than the PC - but this is the one and only example. And I think most players keep playing through at least SoA before get him to join, and in that case they have significantly more XP than he has.

It doesn't make sense to me, that if someone is bald in their portrait that they have white hair. (Minsc) And if someone has one color clothing on their portrait, why would they have different one on their paper doll/avatar? With my current (and first) NPC I'm making, I'm going to try to get his colors as close as possible to the portrait. Makes for better roleplaying, I think.

Exactly.

[fallen_demon]

I think having less xp than the pc makes sense, he comments on you having surpassed him.

and both the rules and viconias ingame journal say that she looses her abilities.

[LarryTheArcher]

Are you still going to do any of this? T.G. Maestro? Littiz? Bigg?

If you are...
Have you ever noticed how high Jan's wisdom is? It's 14. For one, he gets a penalty to Wisdom because he is a gnome. And just reading his banters(without looking at his stats first), you would think his wisdom is something like 9. Not 14. For example, he often talks and talks despite the pleas of other characters, and he talks about the strangest things, like things that sometimes aren't even related to what going on...

Oh yeah and I also noticed the Korgan- Beard thing mentioned earlier in this thread.

Knowing things brings wisdom, and thosde stories could be accurate and truthful, therefor be sueful in another situatuion, therefore wisdom. Howeve,r he just has a talent for delivering the 'wisdom' when the 'wisdom' doesn't apply to the situation...