Hey, what's this 'Lost Items' mod like?

[Miloch]

I found an online "Roll of Years" somewhere once, and naturally I have since lost the URL.

There's a timeline of Faerun on Wiki (of course).  It looks like that Tuigan invasion happened about eight years before BG1, and got as far as at least Rashemen before it was stopped by an alliance largely from Waterdeep and Tethyr.

The Tuigans were not Kara-Turans of course - I get the feeling of more of a Mongol (a la Genghis Khan) horde, but they had invaded Kara-Tur the previous year.  In any case they'd have exotic weapons of some sort, and probably quite a few Kara-Turan weapons.  And the invasion may not have gone as far as the BG region, but it's certainly plausible there would've been enough trade in 'souvenirs' as you say, to satisfy any screams of 'NOO!  Katanas and wakizashis are ultra ultra rare on the Sword Coast!"  Bleh.

Having said all that, I'm leaning toward our mystery monk being from Estagund.  It's close enough to the Sword Coast where he could've conceivably joined a caravan to BG or Athkatla as a guard, and decided to seek enlightenment at Candlekeep afterwards.  And the description fits in pretty well:

Estagund: "Durpar, but with warriors exalted over merchants. Noble slayers, but slayers nonetheless -- and dangerous because of their honor and discipline. This is where the Durpari get their guards. Wealthy but with more places to ride hard, more walls for defending, and fewer gardens. They love beautiful weapons, and buy and sell such things as eagerly as children devour candy..." (It is modeled after an Indian culture mindset.)

So I'm thinking this guy has some decent weapons from his homeland, nothing fancy, pretty commonplace to him, but decides he really wants to swap out for these fancy, exotic (to him) long swords and whatnot.  Maybe he's an outcast Marquar crusader (dunno if I want to run with that though).  He's also a bit of a scholar and has a book or two from his homeland (which could've explained any entry requirements - again, what may be common to him might be considered rare to Sword Coasters).  And my work is already cut out because there is a 'History of Estagund' already in the Candlekeep Library.  Where did they get it?  Ok, maybe it's not all that rare, but still.   It also seems a bit absurd the only 'exotic' weapons are Kara-Turan.  Have you *seen* a map of Faerun?  Place is huge, and there are a lot closer 'exotic' places to the Sword Coast than Kara-Tur.

Rather than just stick his weapons on Winthrop, I might even introduce the Estagundan himself as a CRE, give him some dialog and make him a store so's CHARNAME can buy his weapons (if the PC isn't too insulting), if I'm feeling crazy.   So I'm thinking he might have a dha, a shamshir and a kastane, in lieu of a katana, a wakizashi and a ninja-to.  They'd be either -1 dmg (so 0-9 for the dha) or slower than their counterparts, or both.

I promise I won't give him the voice of Apu from the Simpsons.

I don't want to get too carried away but what if, 'and believe me this is hypothetical' (says in his best Bob Slydell voice) I was to introduce shuriken (throwing stars) as rarities?  Which proficiency should they be (without inventing a new one of course) - throwing axe, dagger, maybe dart?  Any thoughts on damage or placement?

[Guest]

If you are going to introduce completely new weapons, won't that hurt the continuity between BG1 and BG2?

[Miloch]

I doubt it.  The items are rare, after all.

[SixOfSpades]

The Monk/Watcher/traveler being from Estagund sounds quite solid--but frankly, the part about him being a Murquar crusader sounds less like you're rationalizing the presence of Kara-Turan steel in Candlekeep, and more like you're designing a recruitable NPC--which might not be a bad idea, really.

A wider array of interesting weapon types never hurts, and AoE has already made a pretty good start, what with its Bolas, Katars and Throwing Spears. I too have some weapons to add (Shuriken=Dart, Nunchaku=Flail, War Pick=Warhammer, Glaive/Billhook/Partisan/Naginata=Halberd, etc), but the thing is, that doesn't seem to be this mod's intention. It appears that its only goal was to disperse some BG2 items throughout BG1, not create entirely new weapons imported from locales foreign to the Sword Coast. Besides, many of the weapon types you mention might well already exist: Take a look at the weird-ass shapes of the unique weapons already in BG2. Compare the Equalizer with Dragonslayer with the Drow Longsword--they're just as different as the various bladed weapons developed by Earth's cultures, but they're still grouped as "Long Swords." So go ahead, develop your Kukri with my blessing, but players are just going to see it as simply another Sword Sword with a funky shape to it.

Not all the "exotic" weapons in the game are Kara-Turan in origin--Scimitars are most likely considered exotic, what with their association with Calimshan, and especially with Djinni and Rakshasa (whose swords are curved while they're alive, and straighten when they're killed--go figure).

[Miloch]

The Monk/Watcher/traveler being from Estagund sounds quite solid--but frankly, the part about him being a Murquar crusader sounds less like you're rationalizing the presence of Kara-Turan steel in Candlekeep, and more like you're designing a recruitable NPC--which might not be a bad idea, really.

Hmm.  I dunno how far I'd want to take that at this point.  It takes longer than one day to design a real NPC.   I was vaguely considering him leaving Candlekeep after you talk to him and reappearing somewhere else later (maybe BG) as part of his story or something.

It appears that its only goal was to disperse some BG2 items throughout BG1, not create entirely new weapons imported from locales foreign to the Sword Coast.

Yeah, that's one reason I said the shuriken thing was hypothetical.  I have a number of other weapons of my own I'd also like to add that aren't that exotic (rapiers, sabres, swordbreakers, whips, etc.).  I've already designed a blackjack for a potential Thievery mod.  I could give the Estagundan a tulwar or falchion also, but I dunno if I want to make him a full-fledged arms dealer.

Besides, many of the weapon types you mention might well already exist: Take a look at the weird-ass shapes of the unique weapons already in BG2. Compare the Equalizer with Dragonslayer with the Drow Longsword--they're just as different as the various bladed weapons developed by Earth's cultures, but they're still grouped as "Long Swords."

Yeah, but most of them are more 'exotic' in a fantastic (e.g. dragon hilts, clawed crossguards) sense rather than a cultural one.  Or they're just souped-up scimitars or katanas.  Besides, these ones are normal weapons, not magical weapons, and it's the proficiencies that count in this case (really the only purpose for these particular weapons, but they also give a bit of flavour I guess).

...Rakshasa (whose swords are curved while they're alive, and straighten when they're killed--go figure).

Heh.  What's up with that?  Oh by the way, did anyone ever figure out what an ashirukuru or whatever is?  Some sort of shade or spectre or something?  I tried poking around a bit but stuff like this isn't helping much.  Oh well.

[Bursk]

Sounds like the remake has taken on a life of its own!  Neato!

Tell me, Miloch, if these weapons do use existing proficiencies, will you be able to take into account the fact that some people e.g. Bursk, are using 'Rebalanced Weapon Profs'?  I mean, will the description of your weapons and the proficiencies they use be wrong when using 'Rebalanced Weapon Profs'?

[Miloch]

From what I understand of the Rebalanced Proficiencies code (or the explanation of it by way of Cam and the bigg), it goes through and replaces all descriptions and actual proficiencies accordingly.  So it should work on these weapons, as long as I don't do something boneheaded like call it a 'wakazashi' instead of a wakizashi .  Though it should still modify the proficiencies correctly.  This should also hold true if you want to revert to BG1-style proficiencies (they'll just become short or long swords).

Of course, all of that depends on the assumption you're installing Tweaks after this mod (which is the recommended order anyway).

[Bursk]

Cool.  I look forward to using my new wakazashi and katona weapons.

[Miloch]

//REPLACE_CRE_ITEM ~BLUN13~ #0 #0 #0 ~NONE~ ~WEAPON1~ EQUIP //was _HAMM01 redundant

@Ascension64 - what exactly does "was ... redundant" mean in your comments?  I'm looking at Beyn in stock EasyTutu and the only real item he has is a wand - no hammer, bracer or daggers.  Maybe you had some other mod at the time that gave him other items?

Also, why is this mod copying bags as both items and stores to the SW namespace without making any changes?  Can't we just refer to bag##.itm?

In other news, I think I've reimplemented the ammo stacking using an include (by cannibalising code from Tweaks and MixMod ) so you can set it to 50, 60, 80, 100 or 200 for all ammo available at the time of mod install.  This is different from the percentage changes in MixMod since these are hard numbers.  And if you want unlimited ammo then install Tweaks you filthy cheater .  Personally carrying around a hundred or more arrows without encumbrance is pushing the bounds of pseudo-reality for me, but the options are there.

[Ascension64]

Um, these were checked against Tutu v6b, which probably isn't the best choice I made to compare.

For the bags, you must copy the store, otherwise two bags will use the same store. It would make for some interesting "bag"-lifting. 

Otherwise, further developent of Lost Items is now Miloch's property, not mine, so you can send all your hate-mail to him.  *j/k*

[Miloch]

Um, these were checked against Tutu v6b...

Okaaayyyy.... dunno why Tutu v6 would've added items to CREs but anything is possible I guess (you sure it isn't BG1UB?).  Anyway, what's the 'redundant' mean?  You have it on the Bishop too, who has no eq, and usually you don't put comments if you're replacing nothing (or sometimes you do '//was none' but I've never seen '//was redundant').

Regarding the standard BG2 katana and ninja-to... won't they be unbreakable by default unless the breakage effect is specifically applied to them?

[Miloch]

For the bags, you must copy the store, otherwise two bags will use the same store.

Alright, I'm thoroughly confused by this bag business (see what happens when you get me modding).  This is what is was in the code - I've only added the comments:

Code: [Select]

//Items
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG03.ITM~ //Scroll Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG19.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG19.ITM~ //Bag of Holding - read error
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG02.ITM~ //Gem Bag
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG03B.ITM~ //Scroll Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG06.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG06.ITM~ //Potion Case - read error
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG02B.ITM~ //Gem Bag
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG03C.ITM~ //Scroll Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG02C.ITM~ //Gem Bag
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG06.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG06B.ITM~ //Potion Case - read error
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG05.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG05.ITM~ //Ammo Belt - read error
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG05.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG05B.ITM~ //Ammo Belt - read error
//Stores
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.STO~ ~override/SWBAG03.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG19.STO~ ~override/SWBAG19.STO~ //Bag of Holding full of items - clone BAG31.STO instead
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.STO~ ~override/SWBAG02.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.STO~ ~override/SWBAG03B.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG06.STO~ ~override/SWBAG06.STO~ //Potion Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.STO~ ~override/SWBAG02B.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.STO~ ~override/SWBAG03C.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.STO~ ~override/SWBAG02C.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG06.STO~ ~override/SWBAG06B.STO~ //Potion Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG05.STO~ ~override/SWBAG05.STO~ //Ammo Belt
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG05.STO~ ~override/SWBAG05B.STO~ //Ammo BeltNow, oddly, DLTCEP gives me a 'cannot read file' error for those items where the store *does* exist, but not for those items without a store of the same name (NI seems to be ok with either, so maybe it's a DLTCEP bug).  The bags that don't exist are present in BG2 but not EasyTutu.  I guess () they all work to some extent anyhow, or maybe there are subtle differences between the types of bags.  Do they really all need stores?  Some apparently aren't getting them, or maybe they're getting null stores from a nonexistent copied file - see below also.

• Thunderhammer Smithy sells a Case of Plenty +0
• Nashkel General Store sells a Bag of Plenty +0
• One of the Nashkel Carnival tent stores sells a Quiver of Plenty +0

The case (cdplcase) is coded as a bolt, the bag (cdplbag) as a bullet and the quiver (cdplquiv) as an arrow, as opposed to bags (0x24).  None of them have associated stores as far as I can tell.  Is this intentional?  How are they coded to be containers then?

• Haseo has a katana +1 (group with Tamoko right outside of Sarevok and the final battle)
• Krumm has a cursed katana +2 (one of the dolts bothering the dryad and her tree in the Cloudpeaks)

Yeah... if a -1 WIS modifier is your idea of 'cursed'.  Most warrior classes wouldn't give a fried gibberling bollock about that (and I'm fairly certain Krumm wouldn't :D).  No offense, but this seems kind of ass-backwards to me - Krumm should have -maybe- a katana +1 (and more likely just a normal one, if that) and Haseo should get the so-called 'cursed' katana +2.

Also I'm assuming you wrote all that complex patching code before the advent of ADD/REPLACE_CRE/STORE_ITEM, or you're just being intentionally overcomplicated. :P

[Ascension64]

Um, these were checked against Tutu v6b...

Okaaayyyy.... dunno why Tutu v6 would've added items to CREs but anything is possible I guess (you sure it isn't BG1UB?).  Anyway, what's the 'redundant' mean?  You have it on the Bishop too, who has no eq, and usually you don't put comments if you're replacing nothing (or sometimes you do '//was none' but I've never seen '//was redundant').

Regarding the standard BG2 katana and ninja-to... won't they be unbreakable by default unless the breakage effect is specifically applied to them?

//was redundant simply means that the item entry was in the CRE, but it was never placed anywhere in that NPC's inventory/equip slots. Hence, replacing those items wouldn't change anything.

For katana and ninja-to, you are probably right, but perhaps Aramis/Vedran thought differently. In other words, I think it might be safe just to use the standard weapons, but just make sure they don't shatter (unless you decide otherwise).

[Ascension64]

For the bags, you must copy the store, otherwise two bags will use the same store.

Alright, I'm thoroughly confused by this bag business (see what happens when you get me modding).  This is what is was in the code - I've only added the comments:

Code: [Select]

//Items
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG03.ITM~ //Scroll Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG19.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG19.ITM~ //Bag of Holding - read error
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG02.ITM~ //Gem Bag
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG03B.ITM~ //Scroll Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG06.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG06.ITM~ //Potion Case - read error
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG02B.ITM~ //Gem Bag
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG03C.ITM~ //Scroll Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG02C.ITM~ //Gem Bag
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG06.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG06B.ITM~ //Potion Case - read error
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG05.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG05.ITM~ //Ammo Belt - read error
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG05.ITM~ ~override/SWBAG05B.ITM~ //Ammo Belt - read error
//Stores
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.STO~ ~override/SWBAG03.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG19.STO~ ~override/SWBAG19.STO~ //Bag of Holding full of items - clone BAG31.STO instead
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.STO~ ~override/SWBAG02.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.STO~ ~override/SWBAG03B.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG06.STO~ ~override/SWBAG06.STO~ //Potion Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.STO~ ~override/SWBAG02B.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG03.STO~ ~override/SWBAG03C.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG02.STO~ ~override/SWBAG02C.STO~ //doesn't exist
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG06.STO~ ~override/SWBAG06B.STO~ //Potion Case
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG05.STO~ ~override/SWBAG05.STO~ //Ammo Belt
COPY_EXISTING ~BAG05.STO~ ~override/SWBAG05B.STO~ //Ammo BeltNow, oddly, DLTCEP gives me a 'cannot read file' error for those items where the store *does* exist, but not for those items without a store of the same name (NI seems to be ok with either, so maybe it's a DLTCEP bug).  The bags that don't exist are present in BG2 but not EasyTutu.  I guess () they all work to some extent anyhow, or maybe there are subtle differences between the types of bags.  Do they really all need stores?  Some apparently aren't getting them, or maybe they're getting null stores from a nonexistent copied file - see below also.

It might be DLTCEP, I use NI almost exclusively. The only way to find out for real is to CLUAConsole:CreateItem() them in-game. If the bags don't exist in EasyTutu, you'll have to install them manually (i.e. export the STO from a BG2 install, put them in the Lost Items directory, then COPY those bags over).

Also I'm assuming you wrote all that complex patching code before the advent of ADD/REPLACE_CRE/STORE_ITEM, or you're just being intentionally overcomplicated.

Errm, which? I know there are a few ADD_ARE_ITEM equivalents in the code, but I don't have the .tp2 to look at at the moment.

[Miloch]

It might be DLTCEP, I use NI almost exclusively.

As it turns out, it was DLTCEP or perhaps user error.  The 'BG1 style dialogs (no freezing dialog type flag)' - whatever that means - should not be set for Tutu.

The only way to find out for real is to CLUAConsole:CreateItem() them in-game.

Whoa, wait a second.  That would imply I'd have to actually (gulp) *test* something, a procedure I'm firmly against and totally unfamiliar with.

If the bags don't exist in EasyTutu, you'll have to install them manually (i.e. export the STO from a BG2 install, put them in the Lost Items directory, then COPY those bags over).

I just copied other bags that *are* present in EasyTutu.  I'm not sure why E22 would've dropped BG2 resources - I thought it only dropped unused BG1 resources.

Also I'm assuming you wrote all that complex patching code before the advent of ADD/REPLACE_CRE/STORE_ITEM, or you're just being intentionally overcomplicated.

Errm, which? I know there are a few ADD_ARE_ITEM equivalents in the code, but I don't have the .tp2 to look at at the moment.

Sorry, that last was directed at Cam's Exotic Items.  And I guess it was sort of rhetorical, though the other questions weren't.

//was redundant simply means that the item entry was in the CRE, but it was never placed anywhere in that NPC's inventory/equip slots.

Where/how are you seeing these (Tutu/BGT or the Lost Items v1 CREs)?  I'm not getting how you view items on a CRE not assigned to a slot...

[SixOfSpades]

The case (cdplcase) is coded as a bolt, the bag (cdplbag) as a bullet and the quiver (cdplquiv) as an arrow, as opposed to bags (0x24).  None of them have associated stores as far as I can tell.  Is this intentional?  How are they coded to be containers then?

Quivers of Plenty and the like are not Containers--they are ammunition. You do not open them and store arrows inside, you simply stick them in your Ammo slot and forget about them.

Krumm should have -maybe- a katana +1 (and more likely just a normal one, if that) and Haseo should get the so-called 'cursed' katana +2.

No way should Krumm or Caldo get a Katana--those dolts wouldn't even know which end to hold. Besides, the Girdle + Potions + Rep boost is more than enough loot from a fight that easy. Consider giving the Katana+1 to the Ogre-Mage in either the Firewine dungeon or the Cloakwood Mines, since there's strong suggestions that the Bastard Swords all Ogre-Magi carry were pretty much meant to be Katanas anyway.

[CamDawg]

• Haseo has a katana +1 (group with Tamoko right outside of Sarevok and the final battle)
• Krumm has a cursed katana +2 (one of the dolts bothering the dryad and her tree in the Cloudpeaks)

Yeah... if a -1 WIS modifier is your idea of 'cursed'.  Most warrior classes wouldn't give a fried gibberling bollock about that (and I'm fairly certain Krumm wouldn't :D).  No offense, but this seems kind of ass-backwards to me - Krumm should have -maybe- a katana +1 (and more likely just a normal one, if that) and Haseo should get the so-called 'cursed' katana +2.

You may want to look again. A greater than 1-in-3 chance of losing one attribute point permanently (any of them, not just wisdom) permanently, every time it's used, seems fairly cursed.

Also I'm assuming you wrote all that complex patching code before the advent of ADD/REPLACE_CRE/STORE_ITEM, or you're just being intentionally overcomplicated. :P

Yes.

[Miloch]

Quivers of Plenty and the like are not Containers--they are ammunition. You do not open them and store arrows inside, you simply stick them in your Ammo slot and forget about them.

Hmm ok.  Not sure how I feel about those being available so early, but I guess it's a convenience tweak.

You may want to look again. A greater than 1-in-3 chance of losing one attribute point permanently (any of them, not just wisdom) permanently, every time it's used, seems fairly cursed.

Ah.  Yes that's fairly messed up... possibly *too* cursed for the unwitting Tweaks user, but whatever.

No way should Krumm or Caldo get a Katana--those dolts wouldn't even know which end to hold.

Quite right, Krumm doesn't have proficiency in any swords that I can see, being as how the cursed katana is replacing a blunt.  And the fight is easy, as you say.  I would suggest giving Krumm at least 1 star in Large swords (and perhaps more) if you're replacing his club with a blade.  And as a player, I'd also be asking "Where did he get this thing?"  I doubt those two could've overpowered a samurai (as the description sort of suggests), though who knows, maybe Krumm got suckered into it on the Kara-Tur arms-trading black market or something...

Consider giving the Katana+1 to the Ogre-Mage in either the Firewine dungeon or the Cloakwood Mines, since there's strong suggestions that the Bastard Swords all Ogre-Magi carry were pretty much meant to be Katanas anyway.

Would you really want a katana +1 that early (well midgame, really) being as how Cam seems to have it on Haseo as sort of a 'final prize'?  Not that you'd get a chance to use the latter that much.

[CamDawg]

You may want to look again. A greater than 1-in-3 chance of losing one attribute point permanently (any of them, not just wisdom) permanently, every time it's used, seems fairly cursed.

Ah.  Yes that's fairly messed up... possibly *too* cursed for the unwitting Tweaks user, but whatever.

If it wasn't right there in the description, maybe.

[Miloch]

Well, it doesn't actually say it's cursed, even upon identification, like for example the Cursed Berserking sword does.  It merely implies a wielder who doesn't respect Kara-Turan customs might experience bad luck.  How do you know the PC (particularly one who managed to become proficient in such weapons somehow) does not show that respect?

But I guess being more obvious would take all the fun out of playing a nasty joke on the players.   Anyway, I don't really care about that - I'm more concerned about the (lack of) proficiency and the question of how Krumm got it.  Either he hasn't had it long, or he's been exceptionally lucky with it not affecting his STR of 18/32.

[CamDawg]

As a result, this cursed blade has a chance to drain the wielder every time it is used.

Chance to permanently drain life or attributes from wielder when used

[Miloch]

Ok, fair enough... was reading the wrong desc.   So how did a Sword Coast low-life like Krumm end up with 'the Coveted Blade... forged in the nation of Wa more than five centuries ago...'?  I'm not saying it's not possible, it just could use fleshing out a bit, story-wise.  If you're not interested in doing something like that in Tweaks (which I can understand I guess) then nevermind - I'll stop wasting your time.  I still think a proficiency reassignment shouldn't be out of the question though.

[SixOfSpades]

Hmm ok.  Not sure how I feel about those [Ammo of Plenty] being available so early, but I guess it's a convenience tweak.

Just so. Since the ammo isn't enchanted, it's no different than renting a mule to help carry the hundreds of arrows you need (okay, I need) to get through the Cloakwood in one trip. If BioWare had tweaked the Travel Times so that a journey to the Mines & back took less than a week, or flagged the Wyvern ambush so that it only happens once or twice per game, I could see clearing the Cloakwood in stages. As it is, I demand that it be scoured clean in one fell swoop, and that means Tons O' Ammo.

Besides, nobody in the game uses Slings or Crossbows, so if any of my characters wants to (or has to) use anything but a Bow, they've got to fill their backpacks with ammo every time we leave town.

You may want to look again. A greater than 1-in-3 chance of losing one attribute point permanently (any of them, not just wisdom) permanently, every time it's used, seems fairly cursed.

Holy crap. Who designed this? Have they no idea of the power level of BG1? Hell, this would be overpowered even in ToB.

Would you really want a katana +1 that early [Cloakwood Mies or Firewine] being as how Cam seems to have it on Haseo as sort of a 'final prize'?

In general, +2 versions should be gained only after completing difficult quests/battles, spending a great deal of money, or simply playing the game for a good long amount of time. But +1 versions are a different matter: First off, it's essential that your Tank has a weapon that won't snap at the worst possible moment. Kara-Turan weapons are exempt from this, but you still need magical weapons in order to not be stopped dead by things like Vampiric Wolves, Mustard Jellies, Flesh Golems, and the like. So I support scattering +1 copies of every weapon type in the game randomly around Chapters 1-3. And in accordance with the rarity of the imported Oriental weapons, finding a Katana+1 in Chapter 4 seems about right. And while I'm on the subject, let's not forget CLUBS! There's not so much as a single Club+1 in all of unmodded BG1, and one must install ToSC and go all the way to bloody Werewolf Island just to get a decent weapon for their Cleric/Thief. UB adds the Root of the Problem, but I'd still like to see a Club+1 somewhere . . . the Song of the Morning Temple might sell it, perhaps.

But yeah, Ogre-Magi. The more I think about this, the more I think I'd like to see a Katana or Wakizashi on every Ogre-Mage, most of them unenchanted of course. The one in the Cloakwood Mines and the "leader" of the 5 in that house in BG would each have +1 versions. Thoughts?

[Miloch]

But yeah, Ogre-Magi. The more I think about this, the more I think I'd like to see a Katana or Wakizashi on every Ogre-Mage, most of them unenchanted of course. The one in the Cloakwood Mines and the "leader" of the 5 in that house in BG would each have +1 versions. Thoughts?

This is from the 2nd Ed. MM:

Ogre magi are taller and more intelligent than their cousins and they dress in oriental clothing and armor... In battle, ogre magi prefer the naginata (75%) or scimitar and whip (25%).

I guess if we're aiming for canon authenticity, I could introduce a naginata and perhaps a whip here and disburse them on the ogre magi accordingly.  Thoughts?

[SixOfSpades]

I was aiming more for consistency with the Ogre-Mage sprite ingame, rather than canon equipment.
Well, Naginata = Halberd easily enough, but Whips are so different from every other type of weapon that they demand their own proficiency. . . which there isn't room for. Yeah, I'd like to see Chain-based and Rope-based weapons have their own proficiency, but I'm pretty sure the game won't support it.

Besides, then you run into characters that have "Grandmastery in Kinky," and claiming that Viconia should have at least 2 stars in it.