hello there
----munbo jambo (you can skip it)----
first of all let me say i find Valen mod concept very interesting, although i never played it (neither BG2 for a long time, RL sucks...) and i'm looking forward to summer vacations...
i decided to post here since i hate overpowered npc's/items; they ruin the game... ironically being i a power gamer (or a least i try to)
-------------------------------------------
you want to have a vampire in your party like other vampires... but it can't be because it is too overpowered; so some major changes have to be taken, not ruining the concept of Valen, but neither take the fun/challenges of the game... so take a look at my sugestions and flame me
(i bet lot of people won't like it... but it's just MHO)
Valen isn't a vampire; but instead she's half vampire, half human(or half elf... "her mother was an elfish sorcerer"..."her birth wasn't wished, has she is a product of a rape"... i don't know, spread wings to imagination)
this gives the biography background to make her different from other vampires, like using magical items, leveling up, et cetera... things that weren't intended to happen to creatures but only NPCs. with this argument you can make a balanced NPC-vampire: lower her damage, thaco, resistances, speed, et cetera
The Gaseous Form should be more vulnerable to fire and magic.
wouldn't cold make more sense? fire => heat => solid->liquid->gaseous
if she's already in gaseous form, more heat shouldn't do nothing... au contrair, cold would 'damage' the gaseous form
the sunlight stuff. My thought instead is what every other vampire does.... turn into a bat.
she is useless on one/fourth of the game (in daylight) where she can't be used as a fighter and not even as a thief
how about making vampire bats more powerfull ? wirm-bat? bat-girl? LOL
(sorry... couldn't resist it)
now seriously:
idea1: she's half-vampire, she keeps her humanoid form and can withstand the daylight, but i sures hurts: she gets STR/DEX/CON penalties, and also gets slowed and what about 1HP lost per hour ?
idea2: her mother trying to hide her true nature, enchanted a magical amulet that makes her withstand the sun (only usable by Valen) (another user suggested a ring slot)
idea3: she's Blade's daughter
lol (couldn't resist it.. again)
5 potion of invisibility
she's a vampire and a thief... she should have a skill like: "3 times a day - improved invisibility" + "5 times a day - invisibility"... and this could grow with her level-ups (or maybe start lower)
(i don't know if she has it already, but by the 5 potions.. it doesn't seem)
she can't be resurrected, thus she can get definitively killed
this totally sucks
idea: for Valen to join up your party... someone has to carry her coffin, making her resurrectable
i don't know if the not-resurrect thing was Weimer's idea or IE limitation
yes, you can always reload... but it makes sense that she doesn't leave her coffin and that she could only permantely die if pierced by the wooden stick ou a critical hit by a piercing weapon(nice idea, i don't know if it's possible)
she gets killed by your OWN turn undead/ false dawn/ sunlight if you try to use it against undead
now that ruined it!
she gets you in some fights you don't want to engage (like the guards in gov district)
encore... but since she's caotic evil... it makes some sense... OTOH she's in your party... she's supposed to obbey
Instead of tweaking Valen, how about making a tactics component for the mod. Make the enemy use anti undead tactics if Valen is in your party: have clerics cast sunray, equip the odd character with holy water, even a protection from undead scroll(should be part of any veteran adventurers kit), or even have a cleric or two turn undead! Lets see how overpowered Valen is when an evil cleric controlls her and she turns on your party!
superb idea! but i think this should be already in the mod.
What if she has an XP penalty?
a level-up table is a better one IMO
about the level drain... why not a saving throw allowed, or a 50% chance it drains 1-3 levels... and of course 'bosses' are imune to level drain. or maybe even remove the level drain ability, making it avaible only in ToB for enemies X levels lower than Valen...
the hp drain should be improved as she gets new claws.
great idea!
why not to kick the level drain and have a HP drain instead
since she's only half vampire
Valen ahs the weapon-immunity of other Vampires, at Matriarch rank she can only be harmed by +3 weapons or greater.
that's wayyy powerfull... somehow a penalty should increase also... "+3 weapons" cames along with "-30% piercing resist"
overall this is positive, since what? only 1/3 of damage out here comes from piercing
removing the dagger proficiency, as vampires aren't actually meant to have claws, just more powerful fists. Vampire fists are supposed to deal 5-10 base (crushing) damage and drain 2 levels, or possibly more based on the age (level) of the vampire.
this is very subjective, and IMO out the dagger, in the fists, but 3-6(crushing) + 2-4 (slashing)
imagine yourself a vampire, you could punch but you can also cut with your steel like sharp nails...
to prevent dual-wielding
if IE possible, i think unarmed dual wielding makes sense... 'all your life you have been killing with your hands... well, to be honest, only your right hand'; it makes sense your master unarmed fight, you dual wield your fists
(i don't remember monks, if not, they should also... but this is D&D, not my idea of logic'ness :/)
Although I guess this would make the vampire hunters less of a challenge...
Not to mention pointless. "Attack the vampire, though we have not a hope of killing it!"
hurry... get the vacuum cleaner, i left it in my wagonmobile
LOOL
the gaseous form even turns vicon
nice... after wrting all this i see that TG Maestro as defined the path to custom the mod...
in Nov 19 2003... ohh well... i'll post it anyway... :/
cya... and thanks Weimer for all you have contributed to the modding scene
@TGM
how are things going ? btw.. what about the other mod you talked about tweaking? (K-Z : )
kind'a- offtopic, but it IMO it would be nice... (i just though of it now, it wasn't my intention)
but what do you think of adding the jokes i said here as some funny NPC interactions...
Edwin: Oooh my... you sure know how to spill some blood... you sexy bat-girl... Is there any chance you can teach me those techniques? Shall we say... dinner at 8 o'clock ?
Valen: That would be nice... i always wanted to taste some red wizard wannabe blood...
Edwin: hmmrrr... forget i said that, i have to....hmmm... help the childrens... in an orphanege.... in neverwinter.... yes, that's it.
Slayer1: Attack the vampire, if by any chance she turns to her gaseous form, get the vaccum cleaner on the slayer-mobile.
Kagain: Tell me ou' fowl beast... how can yea' withstand the daylight? How do yeh' survive? Aren't yea' supposed to turn to dust?
Valen: Tell me dwarf... How do you survive without your brain? : )
Kagain: What?
Valen: I said a lot of suncream. : )
Kagain: What the bloody hells is a funcream? O_o Yea' eat it? Or ya' drink it? haha
Valen: Grrr... these punny livings creatures just make wish to be dead.
Viconia: Aren't you already? If you aren't happy i can always turn you... undead! : )
Valen: Very funny... i bet the locals townfolks would like to ear it also... and then burn the drow witch... : )
hope i didn't forget anything
lol