Author Topic: npc conversions redux (more ideas for iwg npcs)  (Read 2355 times)

Ryder

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npc conversions redux (more ideas for iwg npcs)
« on: May 20, 2004, 10:04:47 PM »
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Having enjoyed the (long-dead) topic on converting BG2 characters to IWG, I began to think about this a bit, and would like to share what I’ve come up with. Yes, I know the IWG project has been somewhat on the backburner, and that the developers still have serious kinks to work out in the conversion before it’s necessary to do the “polishing up” work of finally defining the NPCs, but hopefully this is useful or interesting nonetheless.

On stats: In coming up with the stats below, I used the following rough conversion scale:

BG2 IWG
6-7 6-7
8-9 8-10
10 10
11-12 10-11
13-14 11-12
15 12-13
16 13-15
17 14-16
18 16-18
19 18-20

This scale was designed according to the following criteria. First, an effort was made to keep the bonus modifiers roughly equivalent. While BG2, using 2E rules, generally gave its +1, +2, +3, and +4 modifiers at 15, 16, 17, and 18, IWD, using 3E rules, gave the same modifiers at 12, 14, 16, and 18. Given that the stat totals in BG2 were generally far higher than the 76 stat point buy system in IWD, it seemed best to consider, for example, that a Con of 16 in BG2, with it’s +2 HP bonus, would roughly end up as a Con of 14 in IWG, where it would also have the +2 bonus. Second, the scale allows for conversion across a range of scores, which in many cases overlap, to allow for flexibility in converting a wide variety of characters with widely varying stat totals, class requirements, etc., into the 3E IWG system.

In using this scale, I tried to keep the converted scores within the given ranges as much as possible, except when doing so would 1) take away too much from the perceived strengths of the BG2 character, or 2) lead to what would seem like an especially bad choice from a gaming perspective (i.e., giving more than two odd numbered ability scores at character creation).

On skills and feats: I tried to choose skills and feats in keeping with both the concept of the NPC and the role of the NPC in the party. Conversational skills (Keldorn would certainly develop his Diplomacy, and Jan his Bluff) could possibly modify Charisma checks for some dialogues, while Alchemy, for example, could modify the Lore skill. Though I can imagine all the extra work of translating these skills and feats to IWG and balancing them, it seems to me that doing so would only add to the feeling of NPC interactivity that was so central to the original BG2 experience.

On builds: The builds and level progressions at level 4, 6, and 8 as given below are meant to translate as well as possible the character and party roles of the NPCs as they are converted from BG2 to IWG. If no level progressions are given, it is assumed the NPC remains single-classed.

On game difficulty: Would it be better to start at level 6 rather than level 4? Given that the characters have presumably already gone through all of BG1 and defeated Saravok, it seems to me that they would be more experienced than level 4. Also, given the reported difficulty of making it through Chateau Irenicus with a standard, non-powergamed level 4 party even at the normal setting (disclaimer: I haven’t done any beta-testing myself), it seems bumping up the levels might be worthwhile. In any case, IMHO the opening dungeon shouldn’t be overly difficult for the following characters at a normal difficulty setting. As much of BG2’s popularity stemmed from its story and dialogues, I would hope that the level of difficulty would allow for the use of the stock BG2 NPCs, without the need to add powergamed NPCs to complete the game.

Imoen: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Thief7/Magex 09 18 16 17 11 16
IWG Human Rogue/Wizard 08 16 13 16 10 13
At level 4: R2/W2; at level 6: R3/W3; at level 8: R3/W5
Skills: Disable Device; Hide; Move Silently; Open Locks; Pick Pockets; Search; Bluff; Concentration; Spellcraft; Knowledge (Arcana); Alchemy; Diplomacy
Feats: Dodge; Spell Focus: Transmutation; Spell Focus: Evocation; Spell Focus: Enchantment (alt: Rapid Shot)
Notes: Why is Imoen a generic wizard, and not a specialist? As most mages are generic wizards and not specialists, I would look for some argument (other than powergaming) for why a given character would be a specialist. Edwin, as a haughty Thayvian wizard, is a natural choice for a specialist, and Jan, as a gnome, has a racial preference for the Illusionist school. I just don’t see any argument for why Imoen would be drawn to the extensive study of one school of magic versus another.
Imoen loses a lot in the conversion from BG2 to IWG, moving from a stat total of 87 to 76. In addition, while her 7 thief levels didn’t have that big of an impact on her eventual skills as a spellcaster in BG2, even these 3 levels most certainly would in IWG. This might be mitigated if she is able to hold her own as the default thief replacement for Yoshimo; otherwise, I’m sure even more players will be abandoning her in Spellhold.
Another possibility: Some players might be more tempted to keep Imoen if she were a Rogue/Sorceress instead of a Rogue/Wizard. This doesn’t seem so far-fetched to me. While Imoen admittedly was a Mage/Thief in BG2, the option of Sorceress/Thief was not even available. In addition, she has (in BG2) a high Charisma score, and, as a Child of Bhaal, her Sorcerous ability seems to me both justifiable and fully in character. A Sorcerer/Rogue would be interesting to play, and might also remedy the lack of Sorcerers in BG2/IWG, as well as the near cloning of Imoen as Nalia:

Alternate Imoen: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Thief7/Magex 09 18 16 17 11 16
IWG Human Rogue/Sorceress 08 16 13 14 10 15
At level 4: R2/S2; at level 6: R3/S3; at level 8: R3/S5
Skills and Feats as above

Minsc: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Ranger 18/93 16 16 08 06 09
IWG Human Ranger/Barbarian 18 16 16 08 08 10
At level 4: Ran2/Bar2; at level 6: Ran3/Bar3; at level 8: Ran4/Bar4
Skills: Animal Empathy; Hide; Move Silently; Wilderness Lore
Feats: Luck of Heroes; Power Attack; Cleave; Dodge (alt: Martial Weapon: Great Sword; Martial Weapon: Large Sword; Simple Weapon: Mace; Martial Weapon: Bow)
Notes: Minsc is actually enhanced by the IWD point-buy system!
Why not a Ranger with an innate Barbarian Rage? As Minsc would not be able to cast any Ranger spells due to his low Wisdom, it seems rather pointless to hold him to his BG2 Ranger single class, especially as the Ranger/Barbarian mix seems to capture Minsc quite well. After reaching Ranger 3 or 4, I would expect most players to level up in Barbarian exclusively.
Why doesn’t Minsc have any Fighter levels; or why don’t you start Minsc off with a bunch of Weapon Focuses? It would be tempting to give Minsc 4 Fighter levels for Weapon Specialization and Maximized Attacks. However, that kind of studied and disciplined weaponcraft just didn’t seem very Minsc-like to me.

Jaheira: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Half-Elf Fighter/Druid 15 17 17 10 14 15
IWG Half-Elf Fighter/Druid 13 14 14 10 13 12
At level 4: F2/Dr2; at level 6: F3/Dr3; at level 8: F4/Dr4
Skills: Concentration; Wilderness Lore; Animal Empathy; Spellcraft; Diplomacy
Feats: Discipline; Simple Weapon: Quarterstaff; Martial Weapon: Large Sword; Power Attack; Cleave (alt: Simple Weapon: Mace; Wild Shape: Panther)
Notes: First of all, I probably wouldn’t convert Jaheira’s alignment from TN to NG. Yes, I know she’s a do-gooder Harper, but somehow that didn’t seem to me to contradict her TN alignment in BG2.
This build of Jaheira sees her more as a Fighter with Druidic abilities than the other way around, as reflected in the choice of feats (i.e., Power Attack and not Spell Focus: Evocation for those Druidic Flame Strikes). As a F4/Dr4, for example, she only has access to lower level Druid spells (though spells like Entangle and Barkskin can be quite effective) while her BAB is only one point less than it would be if she were a single-classed F8. But she could be leveled up as a F4/Drx after that.

Viconia: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Drow Cleric 10 19 08 16 18 14
IWG Drow Nightbringer of Shar 10 18 08 14 18 12
Skills: Concentration; Spellcraft; Knowledge (Arcane); Diplomacy
Feats: Discipline; Spell Focus: Enchantment; Spell Focus: (Any)
Note: The Nightbringer of Shar order could simply be based on the Demarch of Mask order, with which it shares a number of similarities, but it seemed to me preferable to develop a custom order (not playable by <CHARNAME>) for Viconia. Shar is apparently a Neutral Evil deity of darkness, night, loss, obscuration, and forgetting, though she is sometimes described as possessing multiple aspects, with aspects of Shar, especially those associated with forgetting, worshiped by TN or NG priests. Shar is a mortal enemy and near mirror image of Selune, the goddess of the moon and travelers; where Selune is about navigation through the darkness, Shar is about becoming lost within that darkness. The following is a stab at a Nightbringers of Shar order:

Advantages: Blind Fight and Slippery Mind feats

Shar Domain Spells:
1: Command, Sleep
2: Blindness, Invisibility
3: Rigid Thinking, Nondetection
4: Emotion Despair, Improved Invisibility
5: Confusion, Feeblemind
6: Chaos, Symbol of Fear
7: Impervious Sanctity of Mind, Symbol of Hopelessness
8: Power Word Blind, Mind Blank
9: Mass Dominate, Wail of the Banshee

Edwin: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Conjurer 10 10 16 18 10 10
IWG Human Transmuter 10 10 18 18 10 10
Skills: Concentration; Spellcraft; Knowledge (Arcana); Alchemy; Bluff; Intimidate
Feats: Subvocal Casting; Spell Focus: Transmutation; Spell Focus: Evocation; Spell Focus: Necromancy; Spirit of Flame
Notes: Edwin, as the only pure class wizard and the only character with an 18 Int, will certainly be a favorite among IWG powergamers. (As it’s only fitting that powergamers would take an evil party!)
The decision to convert Edwin from a Conjurer to a Transmuter was based upon Edwin’s dialogues and story line. In his dialogues, Edwin often grumbles about how he would like to blast someone or another with a fireball, while in IWG, a Conjurer would be unable to cast Evocation spells. In addition, Edwin’s specialization in Conjuration is never part of the BG2 plot, while the Edwin/Edwina plot line is based upon his own personal research into an ancient and legendary rite of Transmutation.

Korgan: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Dwarf Fighter (Berserker) 18/77 15 19 12 09 07
IWG Shield Dwarf Fighter/Barbarian 18 12 20 10 10 06
At level 4: F3/Bar1; at level 6: F4/Bar2; at level 8: F5/Bar3
Skills: Intimidate; Concentration
Feats: Bullheaded; Martial Weapon: Axe; Power Attack; Cleave; Martial Weapon: Hammer
Notes: Korgan will be another favorite among powergamers. His Berserker kit seems best converted into a Fighter with a Barbarian mix-in for the Barbarian Rages. While I’m sure many players will level Korgan as the popular F4/Barbarianx build, it seems to me that he is much more of a calculating city-dwelling fighter than a wild barbarian, and so here, at least, he is given more Fighter than Barbarian levels.

Nalia: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Thief4/Magex 14 18 16 17 09 13
IWG Human Rogue/Wizard 11 16 13 16 08 12
At level 4: R1/W3; at level 6: R1/W5; at level 8: R1/W7
Note: Why is Nalia not a specialist wizard? See Imoen, above. I personally can’t think of any reason, other than powergaming, why Nalia would choose one specialization over another.

Yoshimo: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Thief (Bounty Hunter) 17 18 16 13 10 14
IWG Human Fighter/Rogue 14 17 13 12 10 10
At level 4: F1/R3; at level 6: F2/R4; at level 8: F3/R5
Skills: Disable Device; Hide; Move Silently; Open Locks; Pick Pockets; Search; Bluff; Diplomacy
Feats: Exotic Weapon: Bastard Sword; Martial Weapon: Bow; Dodge; Dirty Fighting; Power Attack
Notes: Why does Yoshimo have Fighter levels? The 3E Rogue it seems to me was designed to be multiclassed, and if there is any class the katana-wielding Bounty Hunter
Yoshimo would multiclass with it would be Fighter.

Aerie: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Avariel Cleric/Mage 10 17 09 16 16 14
IWG Wanderer of Baervan/Wizard 10 14 10 15 15 12
At level 4: WoB2/W2; at level 6: WoB3/W3; at level 8: WoB4/W4
Skills: Concentration; Spellcraft; Knowledge (Arcana); Alchemy; Diplomacy
Feats: Dodge; Spell Focus (Any)
Notes: Why is Aerie not a specialist wizard? See Imoen and Nalia, above. One argument for why Aerie should be a specialist is that she studied under Qualye, who was an Illusionist. However, Aerie seems to me just a little too innocent and naïve to be a master of illusions.
As none of the IWD cleric orders seemed even remotely close to Baervan Wildwanderer, the following is an attempt at a custom order. Baervan is a NG gnomish lesser god of forests, woodland creatures, mischief, adventurers, thieves, and travel, whose domain would most likely focus on nature (plant and animal), healing, travel, and goodness-related spells, with a little bit of gnomish trickery thrown in. And so, many of the domain spells for the “Wanderer of Baervan” order were drawn from the Druid spell list:

Advantages: +1 to Animal Empathy and Wilderness Lore Skills, Cast Charm Person or Animal 1/day

Baervan Domain Spells:
1: Entangle, Invisibility
2: Barkskin, Remove Fatigue
3: Spike Growth, Summon Nature’s Ally III
4: Spike Stones, Freedom of Movement
5: Healing Circle, Summon Nature’s Ally V
6: Conjure Animals, Divine Shell
7: Mist of Eldath, Summon Nature’s Ally VII
8: Aura of Vitality, Elemental Barrier
9: Mass Heal; Summon Nature’s Ally IX

Jan Jansen: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Gnome Illusionist/Thief 09 17 15 16 14 10
IWG Rock Gnome Rogue/Illusionist 10 16 13 15 12 10
At level 4: R2/Ill2; at level 6: R3/Ill3; at level 8: R4/Ill4
Skills: Bluff, Concentration; Alchemy; Disable Device; Hide; Knowledge (Arcana); Move Silently; Open Locks; Pick Pockets; Search; Spellcraft
Feats: Simple Weapon: Crossbow; Spell Focus: Transmutation; Spell Focus: Enchantment; Spell Focus: Evocation
Notes: Be sure to give Jan plenty of points in Bluff!

Keldorn Firecam: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Paladin 17 09 17 12 16 18
IWG Human Paladin of Torm 14 09 14 10 13 16
Skills: Diplomacy, Concentration
Feats: Heroic Inspiration; Martial Weapon: Great Sword; Power Attack; Cleave
Notes: Keldorn takes an even greater stat hit than Imoen. I was tempted to give him a Dex of 8 and raise the Cha to 17, but thought people might object to a clumsy Keldorn.
A Paladin of Torm would most likely resemble a Paladin of Helm, and would multiclass freely with the Fighter class. As there’s no equivalent of the Inquisitor kit in IWD, Keldorn becomes a vanilla Paladin.

Haer’Dalis: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Tiefling Bard (Blade) 17 17 09 15 13 16
IWG Tiefling Bard 14 16 10 13 10 15
Skills: Bluff; Concentration; Diplomacy; Knowledge (Arcana); Spellcraft; Alchemy; Hide; Move Silently; Pick Pockets
Feats: Lingering Song, Ambidexterity, Two-Weapon Fighting, Spell Focus: Enchantment (alt: Martial Weapon: Large Sword; Simple Weapon: Small Blade)
Notes: Given the combat abilities of the Blade kit, I can see the argument for adding in some Fighter levels. In the end, however, this seemed to demand too much of a sacrifice in Haer’Dalis’ Bardic abilities, which really define him as a character.

Anomen: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Fighter7/Clericx 18/52 10 16 10 12/16 13
IWG Human Fighter/Watcher of Helm 18 10 14 10 13 11
At level 4: F2/WoH2; at level 6: F3/WoH3; at level 8: F3/WoH5
Skills: Concentration; Diplomacy
Feats: Martial Weapon: Large Sword; Simple Weapon: Mace; Combat Casting; Power Attack; Cleave
Notes: Anomen fits quite well into the Watcher of Helm class, and could be leveled successfully as a F4/WoHx.
If Anomen passes his test, he could receive a +2 bonus to Wisdom. If he fails, he could either remain a (technically illegal) CN Watcher of Helm, or, alternately, become a Battleguard of Tempus. The former seems preferable to me, as he failed a test and went through a personality crisis, not a full conversion to another god. Failing the test will further limit Anomen’s clerical abilities anyway, unless Every God Rings make their appearance in IWG.

Cernd: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Druid (Shapeshifter) 13 09 13 12 18 15
IWG Human Druid 12 10 12 12 18 12
Skills: Concentration; Spellcraft; Animal Empathy; Wilderness Lore; Diplomacy
Feats: Combat Casting; Extra Wild Shape; Spell Focus: Transmutation; Spell Focus: Evocation; Wild Shape (Any)
Notes: The IWG Cernd seems like a real improvement.

Valygar: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Human Ranger (Stalker) 17 18 16 10 14 10
IWG Human Rogue/Ranger 14 16 14 10 12 10
At level 4: R1/Ran3; at level 6: R2/Ran4; at level 8: R3/Ran5
Skills: Hide; Move Silently; Concentration; Wilderness Lore; Animal Empathy; Search; Knowledge (Arcana); Disable Device; Open Locks; Pick Pockets; Diplomacy; Intimidate
Feats: Iron Will; Exotic Weapon: Bastard Sword; Power Attack; Martial Weapon: Bow
Notes: The rogue levels were added here to emulate the Stalker subclass. It would be expected that the vast majority of Rogue Skill points be placed in Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, and Search, with fewer in Open Locks or Pickpocket.

Mazzy Fentan: S D C I W Ch
BG2 Halfling Fighter 15 18 16 10 13 14
IWG Halfling Fighter 12 16 14 10 12 12
Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy (yes, the typical Paladin skills)
Feats: Martial Weapon Bow; Simple Weapon Small Blade; Luck of Heroes; Weapon Finesse
Notes: Ahh, the Mazzy/Paladin dilemma. I know that some source book or another says that Avoreen can have Paladins, but it makes sense given the dialogues that this would not be the case in IWG. Much better to give her two or three innate 1st level cleric spells (Cure Light Wounds, Remove Fear, maybe Protection from Evil) to cast once/day. If someone wants to mix in some Paladin of Helm once they get Mazzy, and as a consequence deal with the story dissonance (and the XP penalty), let them.

Offline Mongoose87

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Re: npc conversions redux (more ideas for iwg npcs)
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2004, 05:17:47 PM »
Now, I'm certainly no expert, but as far as I know, the biggest problem in IWG is NPC dialogue.

 

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