Complicated Items Tutorial Â
Complicated item making from the ground up
Written by Lone Wolf
Thanks to Ghreyfain for some bug squashing
This tutorial will learn you how to make advanced and complicated items. To use this tutorial no item editing knowledge is required, however any experience will help you enormously. I'll use an longsword here as an example but it applies to all items.
Tools required:
1. EFFMaker.
http://www.teambg.com/?page=tools/basiccustomizing2. Infinity Engine Editor Pro.
http://www.teambg.com/?page=tools/basiccustomizing3. Near Infinity.
http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~joh/ni4. WinBIFF.
http://www.teambg.com/?page=tools/basiccustomiszingFiles requires:
1. SW2H10.itm (Holy Avenger +5).
Table of contents.
1. Making up the item.
2. Split the statistics to their headers.
3. Setting the basic settings.
4. Setting up the equipping effects.
5. Adding the Grand Master proficiency.
6. Adding the 8D10 lightning bolt.
7. The lightning bolt itself.
8. Making the invisible creature.
9. Executing the lightning bolt.
10. Adding the item's information.
11. Setting up the first extension header.
12. THAC0 & Damage vs. Evil.
13. Adding the 3x per day spells.
Step 1. Making up the item.
Think of an item. It may sound simple but when you want something special it is harder than you would think. If you've thought of something, write it down and make up it's history. In this tutorial I'll use this:
Moonblade
Discovered in Irenicus's dungeon, the sword is ancient, wielding numerous powers and abilities. Along the length of the blade are Espraur runes, denoting the powers. In the hilt of the moonblade is a semi-precious, blue-flecked moonstone that acts as a natural conduit for the magic within. Lost long ago in the dungeon, it had chosen to bond itself with the child of Bhaal to return order back to the world of Abeir-Toril.
If the blade is wielded by an person of evil alignment, an lightning bolt of no less than 8D10 will erupt from the blade, leaping the blade out of the wielder's hand.
Statistics:
Equipped Abilities:
50% Magic Resistance
Dispel magic 3 times per day
Dispel magic whenever sword strikes an opponent
Cast Flame Arrow 3 times per day
100% Fire Resistance
Grants Grand Master Proficiency
+2 bonus to all saving throws
Combat Abilities:
THAC0: +5 bonus, +6 vs. Evil
Damage: 1D8+5, +6 vs. Evil
Damage type: Slashing
Weight: 3
Speed Factor: 2
Proficiency Type: Long Sword
Type: One handed sword
Value: 35,000 GP
Unusable By:
Non-elven lineage
Druid
Cleric
Step 2. Split the statistics on their headers.
Now we've thought of an item, we'll have to put every statistic on it's appropiate place. Divide them like this: Resistances, AC bonuses, Savingthrow bonuses and other effects that have to take place on the wielder go to the Equipping header (first tab in IEEP).
Put the combat effects on the Extension header (third tab in IEEP). The cast spell x y times per day require an Extension header of themselves. To add another Extension header simply click the "+" button at the left top window. NOTE: if you still want to use the "per day"-charges for certain headers, no more than 3 can be added without losing the "per day" settings.
For my item the division would be like this:
Equiping header: 50% Magic Resistance, Immunity to Fire, Grants Grand Master Proficiency and +2 bonus to saving throws and the 8D10 lightning bolt.
Extension header #1: Dispel magic on target.
Extension header #2: Dispel magic 3x a day (as per the cleric/mage spell).
Extension header #3: Flame arrow 3x a day (as per the mage spell).
Step 3. Setting the basic settings.
Finally the moment has come that we are going to make the item. Start up IEEP and select "Item Maker", then select "File" -> "New Item File".
You'll now see the Equiping header of IEEP (first tab). In the Bace Price field enter the value you want your item to have, in this case 35,000. Now you need to specify which pictures (BAMs) you're wanting to have displayed in the game. I've chosen to use the BAMs of the Equalizer, the inventory BAMs are always having an I as prefix, the description BAMs an C and the ground BAMs an G. In the "Inventory" box we add "ISW1H54", in the "Ground" box we put "GSW1H02" and in the "Desc. Pic" box we fill "CSW1H54" in.
Ignore the "Unknowns" button and you'll see an button with the text "Attributes", click it and an screen will popup. Check the "Droppable", "Displayable?", "Copyable?", "Unbreakable", "Magical" as well as both "Silver?" boxes. After doing this hit the "Close" button.
Back in IEEP's main screen take an look at the second column of fields. The "Stack Maximum" field can be ignored (only for arrows, bolts, bullets and gems is it of importance). Put an value in the "Lore to ID"-field, appropiate to the powers of your item. Magical daggers+1 get around 10, and I'll give the Moonblade an value according to it's power, 100. The next field, "Enchanted to Hit", is extremely important for weapons or ammo, because it determines what it can hit. This statistic has no influence on THAC0 or damage, it only tells the game how strong it is. Due to the great strength of this weapon I'll put 5 in it (highest possible in BG2:SoA).
Next is an pull-down list named "Proficiency", here you'll (don't be surprised) enter the proficiency of your item, in this case "Longsword". Below is the "Item Type" box, where you'll enter the correct type of your item, in this case "Other sword". The last but not least of the pull-down lists is the "Paper doll" box, also select the proper one. NOTE: Using an 2-handed animation, like Halberd, for an axe will crash the game. Vice versa is the same story.
The "Equipping effects" box is skipped for the moment and we'll have only the "Usability" button left, click it and an screen pops up. Check out the classes, kits and/or alignments forbidden to use this item. Don't forget to set the "Weight" box to it's appropiate value.
Step 4. Setting up the equipping effects.
We will now go back to the "Equipping Effects" box, click the "+" button next to it to add an effect. New effects are standard set to "Bonus to AC vs. Weapon type", this is not what we need thus scroll down to "Magic Resistance Bonus". Set the "Timing mode" box to "While equipped", and ignore the "Duration" box. The first probability box is set to 0 (zero) and the second to 100, the "Target" box is set to "Self". All of the other settings are of no importance for this effect so click the "Click to edit Attributes" button. Choose the right type, in this case "1" (straight stat change), and fill in the appropiate resistance, 50 in this example.
If an weapon grants something special it would be best to have an icon displayed over the characters portrait. This is very easy, use the same steps as we used for the "Magic Resistance" effect to add another effect. Set the type of this effect to "Display Special Effect Icon", the timing mode, probability and target are set the same as for the "Magic Resistance". Now click the "Click to edit Attributes" button, and enter in the "Icon Type" box the correct value, in this case 28 (Protection from Magic).
Repeat the previous two alineas for the 100% Fire Resistance effect. Though the amount of resistance is now 100 and the "Icon Type" is 16 (Protection from Fire).
Next on our list is the "+2 bonus to all savingthrows", if you've succeeded all previous steps, this one won't be hard. Add an effect, select "Save vs. Breath bonus", timing mode "While Equipped", target "Self", probability boxes 0 and 100. Hit the "Click to edit Parameters" button and set the "Statistic Modifier" to 2. Repeat this 5 times for all types of savingthrows.
Step 5. Adding the Grand Master proficiency.
Modifying proficiencies can't be done with IEEP solely, therefor (if you've downloaded everything on the list) we'll use EFFMaker.
Start up EFFMaker and select "Make EFF File", and the editor should appear. As effect type we select "Proficiency Modification". If there are 4 boxes behind the "Prof. Star" and "Prof. Type" caption, hit the "Edit all as one" box. The value for the "Prof. Star" box is quite obvious, 5. The setting for the "Prof. Type" isn't hard either, just search the appropiate value in the "Effect Information Window" (if this isn't displayed, hit the F2 button), for this weapon it'll be Long Sword and thus 90 and fill it in. Set the target to "Self", the first probility box to 0 and the second to 100. Now save the file as LWLSGMPR.eff (change it to your needs, but remember that it can't have more than 8 characters).
Now minimize EFFMaker and go back to IEEP, add another effect to the "Equipping Header" and set it's type to "Use EFF File". Timing Mode is set to "While Equipped", target to "Self", probability to 0 and 100. And now comes the trick, put the filename you saved your eff as in the "Resource Key" box.