ZSTweaks

This mod is a compilation of tweaks that I think personally improve things as they are in the vanilla game. The vast majority of the tweaks are designed to be simple improvements of underpowered items or abilities. Some of them overhaul the game a bit more extensively, though not radically.

Every group of components, except those that have only a few items, have as the first component the option to install all components in the group, except those that require user input.

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General Item & Spell Tweaks

This section includes non-specific improvements to groups of items and spells. Components that affect many items based on pattern matchings do no affect their item descriptions.

Component 120: Make conjured magical weapons add extra attacks (Flame Blade, Ghost Blade, Black Blade of Disaster...)

The problem with these spells is that they promise power, but your little sickly wizard is not a very good fighter at all. I think this promise should be more serious, and therefore, by default, all these weapons grant +1 APR by default.

Component 1120: Make some weapon categories incur in backstab penalties for balance

This reduces the backstab multiplier of some weapons who realistically would not be great for backstabs, which also includes pretty broken weapons when used for backstabs, such as the Staff of Ram.

• No penalty: Piercing swords, Ninja-tos, Clubs, and Daggers.
• -1 penalty: Long swords, Scimitars, Katanas.
• -2 penalty: Staves

Note that this will make holding two weapons with backstab penalties increase them additively, which is an unavoidable side effect of the fact that the backstab reduction cannot be applied per weapon, only universally. For example, if you're an assassin with a 6x backstab multiplier, holding two long swords would reduce this to 4x.

Component 1121: Make Flails and Morningstars always inflict a small amount of piercing damage

Both types of weapon have piercing parts, that's why. The amount of piercing is very small and depends on enchantment level:

• +0, +1 -> 1 point of piercing damage
• 2+, +3 -> 2 points of piercing damage
• +4, +5 -> 3 points of piercing damage
• +6 -> 4 points of piercing damage

Component 1150: Make spears do a baseline damage of 1d8, not 1d6

1d6 is a little low for spears in my opinion and it fills the imaginary "gap" of two-handed weapons with damage between staves and two-handed swords and halberds.

Component 1160: Make warhammers do a baseline damage 1d5+1, not 1d4+1 (except hammers outside that range)

1d4+1 always felt a little too small and narrow for hammers. This doesn't affect special hammers that have double the damage potential such as Crom Faeyr. It also includes Voidhammer +3, which only inflicts magic damage.

Component 1350: Make Wakizashis and Ninja-Tos deal 2d4 instead of 1d8 and have a speed factor of 3

This mostly exists to create a differentiating factor in terms of damage from long swords. I think the inclination is clearly towards "Kara-Turan/eastern blades are higher quality". In practical terms, it means that these swords will deal more minimum damage compared to long swords and scimitars, and luck bonuses would allow maximum damage dealt with less effort.

Additionally this will make ninja-tos have a speed factor of 3 by default, like short swords and wakizashis, since they are technically short swords. This will also make them equally valuable as backstabbing weapons by reducing the delay until a successful attack is made.

Component 1351: Make Wakizashis a piercing/slashing weapon

This makes wakizashis hit as a slashing weapon if the circumstances favor it. IRL it is really a slashing sword anyway, but I want to preserve the original damage type (which is better than slashing in most situations, especially against enemies that use wearable armor).

Component 1360: Make Light Crossbows get +1/2 more APR

Just a small bonus to make it more interesting and different compared to heavy crossbows. It's not too far-fetched anyway to think smallers crossbows can be reloaded faster. This will affect crossbows that have an APR bonus already, i.e. 1/2 APR will be added.

Component 1370: Make Katanas deal 2d5 instead of 1d10

This mostly exists to create a differentiating factor in terms of damage from long swords. I think the inclination is clearly towards "Kara-Turan/eastern blades are higher quality". In practical terms, it means that katanas will deal more minimum damage, and luck bonuses would allow maximum damage dealt with less effort.

Component 1400: Make Bastard Swords deal 1d8+1 by default

I never liked that bastards swords were "between long swords and two-handed swords" but there was no max damage difference between long swords and bastard swords. So now they're damage-wise actually between both.

Component 1430: Make Two-handed swords deal 1d9+1 by default, and 2d6 where it applies

This mostly exists for consistency with the bastard sword, such that the minimum damage is equal to it. Two-handed swords that have a 1d12 base damage will instead get 2d6.

Component 1440: Make daggers have general extra features to compensate the low damage

There's generally very little reason to use a dagger, because:

• All other melee weapons cause more damage
• Your other weapons will never be stolen (read the proficiency description for daggers)
• Using the dagger has no benefits of any sort for being a small weapon.
• The only saving grace they might have is that a few of them have a semi-interesting special effect which likely gets deprecated later.

This is a small change to make daggers slightly more appealing on a general level. They will all have an implied:

• +1 THAC0 bonus
• Speed factor of 0
• +5% Critical chance
• Overwhelming criticals: critical hits do moderately additional piercing damage in a second tick. The formula for critical damage added is (Max weapon damage) + 2 dice of Max Weapon Damage. Specifically:
  • Dagger +0 -> 2d4+4, i.e. 6-12 dmg
  • Dagger +1 -> 2d5+5, i.e. 7-15 dmg
  • Dagger +2 -> 2d6+6, i.e. 8-18 dmg
  • Dagger +3 -> 2d7+7, i.e. 9-21 dmg
  • Dagger +4 -> 2d8+8, i.e. 10-24 dmg
  • Dagger +5 -> 2d9+9, i.e. 11-27 dmg
  • Dagger +6 -> 2d10+10, i.e. 12-30 dmg

All these bonuses are additive, which means are not affected by most effects, or strengh, although it also means that they're good weapons for characters with low strength.

Exceptions: Grave Binder is not affected by these bonuses because it's an oversized dagger.

Component 1450: Make some rogue weapons have the chance of doing more damage if wielded by pure thieves (Finesse)

This component is an attempt at making single-classed Thieves more effective with a portion of thief-usable weapons without relying on stats, APR or proficiency points.

Essentially, when wielding a weapon they can use what I call "finesse", which is a concept that I borrowed from NWN, they can deal extra damage per attack randomly (additively), based on the base attack damage of the weapon used. You could think of this as a part of the sneakiness, or dirty-fighting, or fast, acrobatic combat skills of rogues. This includes bows, crossbows, clubs, daggers, long swords, scimitars, wakizashis, ninja-tos, katanas, and short swords. It's a little "gamey" since you have no control over it, it relies on luck, as most things not quite supported by the game, but it works. To be more specific:

• Scimitars, long swords, quarterstaves: 10% chance per hit to inflict 1d8/6+bonus of slashing/crushing damage.
• Katanas: 15% chance per hit to inflict 1d10+bonus of slashing damage.
• Ninja-tos and Wakizashis: 25% chance per hit to inflict 1d8+bonus of slashing/piercing damage.
• Short Sword and Clubs: 35% chance per hit to inflict 1d6+bonus of piercing/crushing damage.
• Bows, Slings: 45% chance per hit to inflict 1d6 and 1d4+bonus missile damage respectively.
• Darts, Daggers, Crossbows: 60% chance per hit to inflict 1d3+bonus, 1d4+bonus and 1d8, respectively, of piercing/missile damage.

Note that this component does not account (automatically) for special weaponry which may use a different kind of damage-dealing effect than normal. For example, Voidsword +3 in SoD causes only magic damage and is not part of the damage of the weapon as such, but exists as a separate effect. These have to be added manually (in that example, the extra damage would occur in the same way as the others, but only as magic damage, which is intended). Currently, the following thief-usable items are accounted for:

• Voidsword, Void-arrows, Void-bullets (SoD, magic damage)
• Fierce Swirl +2 (Lava's Shades of the Sword Coast, magic damage)
• 1d2 Arrows of Antimagic will be skipped (SoD, it's meant to deal almost no damage)
• Arrows of Detonation are also skipped, since they're not designed to pierce
• Broken Spirit Arrow +1 will be skipped (The Calling, it's designed to deal almost no damage)

Component 1530: Moderate the inexplicably double damage magical throwing daggers do, to not make them the obvious choice all the time to maximize damage

This reduces the number of dice thrown of DAGG11 and DAGG12 to 1 so they are not the only good choice for daggers to maximize damage. And for consistency. Generally speaking I dislike a lot this sort of unbalanced design. DAGG11 specifically, already comformed to this rule in BGEE.

Component 1531: Make all divination spells and a few spells ignore magic resistance, where it makes sense

This component makes divination spells that are affected by Magic Resistance (which seems odd) lose that restriction, and also cannot be dispelled by Dispel Magic, unless noted. Affected spells include: Detect Evil, Know Alignment.

Additionally, a few spells also bypass magic resistance, because it makes sense in my judgment. My rationale:

• Stinking Cloud: It's a fart cloud that smells so awful, it can make you lose consciousness. Puh-lease.
• Entangle, Grease & Web (and other web spells used by creatures): It's physical webs, grease, and animated vegetation, so I think it makes sense.
• Summon Cow: Because it's a cow falling on you, duh.
• Glitterdust: It's just a ton of conjured sparkly dust that blinds and makes enemies visible. Can be dispelled.
• Magical Stone: because you're just hurling a stone magically
• Call Lightning: because the druid is beckoning the skies to shoot lightning onto your foes, which means it's not exactly the same as Lightning Bolt, which is generated directly from the wizard.
• Summon Insects/Insect Plague/Creeping Doom: well, because it's insects doing damage, that's it. Can be dispelled though.
• Nature's Beauty: You're blinding or killing others by the shock, which is something that is the result of plain perception, so I don't think it makes much sense to be affected by magic resistance.
• Storm of Vengeance: Because it's a spell that causes the skies and the earth to go crazy. It might make it more useful in some instances, and not just as a way to kill <=8 HD or to interrupt spellcasters.

Overall this should make all these spells more usable throughout the trilogy of games, especially against enemies such as drow, who have a very high chance of resisting magic.

Please bear in mind that this component should be installed after tweaks that affect these spells, especially if they add new effects to them; otherwise, this tweak will only work partially, and inconsistent results could ensue.

Component 1532: Make unenchanted bracers, belts and boots grant +1 HP, so they're not just garbage used only for RP purposes

I do not like gear that you can wear without any effect whatsoever. I can live with rings that don't do that, because there's no reasonable benefit to just wearing a ring. Therefore, wearing unenchanted belts, boots, and bracers will grant the wearer +1 HP which I think is reasonable enough, and it doesn't change balance much.

For consistency, all of the enchanted belts, boots and bracers will also grant this. The unenchanted items will be still a bottom-of-the-barrel choice, but at least, they don't exist just as unglorified decoration, and will provide some use, especially at the beginning of BGEE (and IWDEE?), and encourages filling all the gear slots.

Component 1533: Rebalance wands (currently only the Wand of Missiles is affected)

• Wand of Magic Missiles: it casts 3 missiles, not 1, which makes it generally useful for the majority of both games, same as casting from a scroll.
• We'll see in the future

Component 1534: Rebalance some potions

• Potion of Icedust: instead of providing a set immunity to fire for 1 round, it adds +75% resistance to fire for 3 rounds. I was considering making this effect undispellable, but decided against it.
• Potion of healing (basic): these options are generally speaking never used after a while. Therefore, now they heal 12 HP instead of 9 HP, which makes them marginally more useful without breaking balance.
• Potion of Heroism: it also prevents morale failure as it increases the confidence of the drinker. It can also be drunk by any class.
• Potion of Invulnerability: it also increases magic resistance by +10%, and it can be used by any class
• Elixir of Health: the HP recovered is now 20 (from 10) and protects against being poisoned (but not to direct poison damage; not dispellable) for 10 seconds. This is added such that when taking heavy damage, if you're poisoned, it's more desirable than just gulping down a better HP potion to ensure survivability.
• Potion of Perception: now the proper "detection" thief skills are improved further (find traps and detect illusions): 40%. Additionally, the enhanced perception improves THAC0, AC, and Saving Throws by 2.
• Potion of Power: this makes the potion prevent morale failure like the potion of heroism, +1 backstab, it improves all thieving abilities (not just some), improves casting speed by 1, and it now also grants +10% higher damage output (physical and magical), which makes it useful for any class. Its rarity and price should be rewarded handsomely.
• All Strength potions: usable by any class

Component 1535: Make all potions usable by all classes

Self-explanatory. There's no earthly reason your character can't put that potion to their mouth and drink it.

Component 1537: Make Poison-curing spells an instant cast so attempting to cure poison is less likely to be interrupted

Self-explanatory. It's quite a pain when it's something that is supposed to cut a poison's effect short, but it's almost guaranteed to be interrupted for the caster unless you're extremely precise with casting timing (and you're lucky). This does not fully prevent interruption, but it makes timing the cast far easier.

Component 1538: Make jewelry and other items meant to be sold more valuable

This improves the value of all necklaces, rings, and gems that are not magical in nature (no passive or active traits of any sort). The component allows increases of 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, and 200% to these items.

Component 1601: Make potions and food universally incapable of stacking with themselves

This prevents cheeesy stacking of things like Fire Resistance, Saving Throws (Potion of Invulnerability), etc. Applies to food items such as apples from Lunia, and goodberries.

Component 1650: Make mage robes without cloak (like Robe of Vecna) take on the appearance of a robe with cloak

Purely cosmetic tweak. I've never liked the look of robes without cloaks or without hoods.

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Armor/Gear Tweaks

This section includes specific armor tweaks, and it updates descriptions accordingly in a destructive way.

Component 1170: Make Shadow Dragon Scale behave less like a Black Dragon Scale

It seems like a mistake to me that this armor, made from a creature from the plane of Shadow that doesn't even use acid as a breath weapon grant you acid resistance. Instead of acid resistance, it offers:

• Negative Plane Protection
• Nondetection
• Saves vs. Illusion and Necromancy spells: +4 bonus
• The usual AC bonuses.

Component 1171: Make Silver Dragon Scale also grant 40% cold resistance as you would expect

Silver Dragons wield and are resistant to cold, same as White Dragons. It should grant cold resistance, much like the Fire Dragon Plate does fire.

Component 1172: Make Rings of Elemental control more likely to charm the elementals and add missing resistances

This improves the power of the charm by making the save against it -2, instead of +2. Additionally, the rings grant a 50% to the related element consistently.

Component 1173: Make Ring of Gaxx's improved haste last 2 full rounds, and not 10 seconds

It's pretty strange to limit it to 10 seconds. It's 2 full rounds now.

Component 1174: Make Heartwood Ring add 1 spell slot per level, as well as 1 HP/round regen

This makes this ring significantly more useful for an Archdruid, adding 1 extra spell slot of every level, and a slow regeneration effect as the nigh-timeless druidic legend you are.

Component 1180: Make Ring of Danger sense protect against backstabs

Self explanatory and ever useful, for any class. Anti-chunking for mages.

Component 1316: Make Mercykiller Ring more useful for rogues that like killing

This makes the ring also add a +1 damage bonus, +1 THAC0 bonus, and +5% critical hit chances with all weapons, along with the other bonuses, but only to pure, single-classed Thieves (for balance and to encourage commitment). The ring can also be equipped by rangers, but only the vanilla benefits will apply.

Component 1317: Make the basic robes and Archmage robes slightly more remarkable

I do not like that most robes, except the most powerful ones are largely unremarkable. This is the list of changes:

• Knave's Robe
  • +2 AC against Slashing and Piercing (was +1 against Piercing)
  • Save vs. Death +1 (vanilla) and Save vs. Breath +1 (new)
  • +50% Poison damage resistance
  • 5% universal Thief skill boost (you're a knave!)
• Traveler's Robe
  • +3 AC against missile (was was +1)
  • +15% Missile damage resistance
  • Save vs. Wand +1 and Save vs. Spell +1 (was Save vs. Breath +1)
  • Movement speed increases by a factor of 4 (you're a traveler, moving from town to town!)
• Adventurer's Robe
  • 1 universal AC bonus (the bonus to crushing seems a little weird)
  • Save vs. Petrification +1 (vanilla) and Save vs. Spell +1 (new)
  • +20% Magic damage resistance
  • +10% Elemental damage resistance
• Elemental resistance robes: resistance increased to 40%, adds 7% damage bonus in the relevant element and +1 save vs. evocation spells. This also increases the damage resistance of Robe of Red Flames to 50%, and adds the evocation bonus, for consistency (it's a straight upgrade from the Robe of Fire Resistance).
• Archmage Robes
  • AC set to 5 (vanilla), and it improves AC by 1 (new)
  • Magic resistance improved by 10%, not 5%
  • Magic damage resistance: +25%
  • Casting speed improved by 1
  • Saving throws bonus against Spell at +2, +1 for the rest

Component 1560: Make Belt of Skillful Blade also increase piercing damage by 10%

This makes the belt include piercing damage, such that it affect things like daggers, short swords and wakizashis.

Component 1561: Make Cloak of the Stars create 30 darts, instead of six, and add passive effects

6 darts is really unremarkable for a once-per-day effect. 30 is far more interesting. Additionally, if you wear it, you become proficient in darts immediately (unless proficiency is higher) and gain Save vs. Spell bonus of +2. Perhaps you don't need to sell it immediately anymore!

Component 1570: Make Eyes of the Beholder's skills mirror the power of the spells they're based on

This improves the component slightly such that the Domination power is as powerful as the Domination spell, i.e. -2 penalty to Save vs. Spell, and the Paralyze spell is as powerful as Hold Person, i.e. -1 penalty to Save vs. Spell. Additionally, the helmet makes the wearer immune to beholder rays that cause the same effects, that is, you cannot be paralyzed, charmed, or scared by beholder rays.

Component 1610: Make Robe of Invocation also improve all elemental damage by 5% and add a +2 bonus against Invocation

This makes this robe improve Invocation wizards in more ways, similarly to my tweaks to elemental robes, but with milder damage bonuses, since it's a more universal bonus:

• 5% elemental damage bonus
• +2 save vs. Invocation

Component 1620: Make Vicross' Thayan Circlet more interesting for Wild Mages

This makes the circlet a bit more valuable by making it more effective in controlling Wild Surges. It's a little underwhelming to just have the same bonus as the robe of Hayes.

Additionally, in the same theme of chaos related to wild magic, while wearing the circlet, they get a 15% bonus to a random non-physical type of damage, except poison. So, for example, if you happen to be in a Magic Damage bonus round, a Horrid Wilting that deals 100 damage, would deal 115 damage. If not, too bad!

To promote specialization, this also restricts the circlet to Wild Mages.

Component 1651: Make Studded Leather of Thorns add some piercing damage too

I mean, they're THORNS; the only difference is that they're FIERY. Instead of only inflicting 1d4 fire damage, they inflict also 1d4 piercing damage, making it an overall more useful defensive armor.

Component 1652: Make Grandmaster's Armor's movement bonus not affected by Free Action

This component makes the doubled movement of this armor not be affected by Free Action at all, which to me seems much more fitting, since it's the main (and only) feature of this armor. Ahhh, Free Action, the constant thorn in our sides.

Componen 1653: Make Thieves' Hood protect against critical hits and slightly more advantageous for single-classed thieves: +1 THAC0 and Damage

This improves this item in the following ways:

• Both upgraded and non-upgraded version protect now against critical hits, essentially giving Thieves a vanilla item that protects them too against critical hits.
• Single-classed thieves gain +1 THAC0 and Damage (for balance, and to promote specialization)

Component 1654: Make Star-Strewn Boots slightly better and favor Inquisitors too (SoD)

This makes these boots improve Magic Resistance by 10% for everyone (from 7%) and Inquisitors and Wizard Slayers by 18%. Inquisitors are added because they fall fairly well in the anti-wizard theme.

Component 1655: Make Crown of Lies more consequential when used

-30 lore is generally not very important, since it's not used for any game interaction, just for identifying objects, which is ordinarily a mundane and inconsequential task. Therefore now it reduces lore by -20 BUT it also decreases Wisdom by 2 (which would affect Cleric/Mages more), Detect Illusions by 10, and inflicts -2 vulnerability to Illusion magic. This is compensated slightly such that it provides 2 spell slots for level 4 too (3 and 4).

Component 1656: Make Helmet of Dumathoin very slightly more powerful

This improves the damage resistance it grants to 5%. The reason for this lies in the fact that the game only uses integers for most calculations, including damage. This means that the vanilla 3% damage reduction, for classes that have no other sources to reduce damage, would have to be hit with a physical attack of at least 34 damage to reduce the damage by 1, which is the minimum amount, which oftentimes means you're dealing with an enemy that is about to chunk/delete you anyway.

5% would reduce the threshold before the reduction to 20 points of received damage. It's still mild and shouldn't unbalance anything. For Barbarians, Cleric, Paladins, and Dwarven defenders, it will provide a juicier bonus, since they all have ways to add physical damage reduction.

Component 1657: Make The Visage add the capacity to cast Aura of Despair once per day and improve powers slightly

This improves this mask's powers in the following ways:

• Breathe Acid now causes 8d6 acid damage, not 6d6
• May cast also Aura of Despair as a blackguard of the same level once per day, which is fitting considering the description itself talks about how looking into the mask causes feelings of dread.

Component 1658: Make Dragon Helm add protection against acid too, as well as +2 saves against Breath

Self explanatory. As for the reasoning, because it felt odd leaving acid breath out of it. Saves vs. Breath, because well, dragon breath.

It also tweaks the description slightly, because oddly enough it talks about having red, white and green scales. I was expecting red, white, and blue, since blue dragons are the ones who produce electricity, and green dragons exhale poisonous gas. Now it mentions having red, white, black (dragons with acid breath), and blue scales.

Component 1659: Make Helm of the Rock a bit more protective and commanding

This makes both versions of the helm a truly universal non-physical damage protector by adding a 25% resistance to magic damage. Additionally, the upgraded version gets the following:

• +7% physical damage reduction
• +1 Charisma
• Aura of Command is no longer single-target, it spreads upon impact, similarly to Hold Person, but in a bigger area.

Component 1661: Make Cloak of the Sewers also protect against poison

This makes the cloak grant additionally grant a Save vs. Poison bonus of +1, as well as 50% poison damage reduction.

Component 1662: Make Montolio's Cloak grant a damage and thac0 bonus to rangers

This makes this cloak more meaningful for rangers, without having to focus only on dual wielding benefits. Rangers get a +1 THAC0 and Damage while wearing it.

Component 1663: Make Sandthief ring in BGEE work as in BG2EE (one use per day)

This makes this ring reusable instead of having limited charges.

Component 1664: Make all ioun stones and circlets protect against critical hits

Self-explanatory. This component is in a way incompatible with the spirit of other components, because it makes protection against critical hits more pervasive, such is the case with the tweak that makes Thieves' Hood protect against critical hits.

You can choose to affect all, only ioun stones, only circlets, or a selection of those that I deemed more logical or balanced: Pale Green Ioun Stone, Obsidian Ioun Stone, Malla's Stone, Wong Fei Ioun Stone, Circlet of the Lost Souls, Headband of the Devout.

Component 1665: Make several basic ioun stones and circlets a bit more interesting or powerful

This modifies a selection of vanilla ioun stones and circlets:

• Dusty Rose Ioun Stone: inspired by the description, it also protects against berserk and fear. The AC bonus is also now 2. Additionally, it changes the BAM so it has a pinkish hue.
• Pearly White Ioun Stone: this improved the trollish regeneration from 1 HP every 5 rounds, to every round.
• Golden Ioun Stone: makes it more interesting for general use by improving not just intelligence, but Saves vs. Spells by 1 and magic resistance by 10%.
• Obsidian Ioun Stone: obsidian is brittle but hard. Other than increasing CON by 1, now it also improves AC against all except crushing by 2, and improves physical damage resistance to everything except crushing by 5%.
• Silver Gray Ioun Stone: Now it now also improves WIS by 1, but it also improves lore by 15. Divine casters get one extra spell slot from level 1 to 5. Finally, druids and clerics get a +1 to casting speed.
• Circlet of Netheril: this makes it more useful and final for sorcerous classes by adding one extra spell slot for level 9 as well, as well as a +7% magic damage dealt bonus.
• Eilistraee's Boon +1: non-evil elves get +1 DEX

Component 1666: Make Bracers of Blinding's Improved Haste effect last 1 turn and improve speed passively

The original lasts 20 seconds. Additionally, it improves weapon speed factor by 2 and movement rate by 2 (not affected by Free Action).

Component 1667: Make Xarrnous's Second Sword Arm (and SoD's version) also add +1 damage (lesser Legacy of the Masters)

This improves the gauntlets such that it also improves damage, not just thac0, making it a lesser version of Legacy of the Masters.

Component 1668: Make The Dale's Protector slightly more powerful and open to all classes

This improves the item such that it's more attractive for ranged weapon users: the thac0 bonus is now +3, and it improves ranged damage as well by +1 (which becomes +2 for Archers, and any rogue, both thief or bard).

Component 1669: Make Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization improve THAC0 by 2 and open to all classes

Self explanatory.

Component 1671: Make The Eyes of Truth add a bonus to Detect illusions and Find Traps

I decided to take the name of item more seriously. And let's face it, this item is always an automatic sell. In this state at least it has some use for Fighter/Thieves or Cleric/Thieves.

Component 1672: Make Stalker Gauntlets also benefit Bounty Hunters and Shadowdancers

It seems obvious that both Stalker and Bounty Hunter ("professions") align with each other, stalking prey and hunting for a bounty. Shadowdancers are masters as stealth via innate shadow magic, so I don't think it's far-fetched either. Both Stalker-only benefits apply, including the enhanced backstab.

Component 1673 Make Blessed Bracers more powerful

This makes the bracers far more worth the trouble for paladins. Instead of just letting you cast Resurrection and Heal Critical Wounds, and +10 HP:

• You can cast Resurrection once per day
• You can cast Heal once per day (instantly cast)
• You can cast Mass Heal three times per day
• All wearers get a "blessing": +1 THAC0 and Damage (Use Any Item users or good-aligned paladins)
• Paladin-only bonuses: +1 Casting Speed, +1 spell slots (1-4), +1/2 APR, +15 HP

Component 1674: Make Whispers of Silence protect against detection spells except for True Sight, and improve Move Silently

This makes the Nondetection effect more useful, since it's unremarkable as an effect anyway, and so the wearer is also immune other invisibility-detecting spells, except True Sight. Additionally, it adds a 10% bonus to Move Silently.

Component 1675: Make Cloak of Displacement add +5% damage resistance

Makes the cloak add "displacement" in the same way as "displacement" is faked with things like Shadow Form and Spirit Form, i.e. damage resistance. In this case, just +5% damage resistance (universal).

Component 1676: Make Skull of Death allows casting Finger of Death, and protect against Necromantic instant-death effects

I don't like items that only add an ability without any passive benefit. Therefore:

• May cast Finger of Death once per day too
• Saves vs. Necromancy spells: +4 saves
• Immunity to necromantic death effects and vorpal hits. This on a technical level means immunity to the Slay and Kill Target opcodes, but not to the Power Word Kill, Petrification, or Disintegration opcodes.

Component 1677: Make Wondrous Gloves Wondrous

In my opinion, these gloves are very very mundane, and not wondrous. Therefore, the effects of wearing these gloves are now useful for all bards, with specific benefits according to vanilla kits and for bards in general.

• Bards in general get: +2 AC, THAC0,+2 Damage, Casting Speed, +1 spell slot from level 1 to 6
• Skalds get +1 Strength and +1/2 APR
• Blades get +1 Dexterity and +1/2 APR
• Jesters get immunity to confusion, slow, and unconsciousness, as well as +6 bonus Saves vs. Enchantment spells
• Only bards can wear these.

Component 1678: Make Senses of the Cat imbue the user of more cat-like features

Cats forever!

• It improves AC by 1 and adds +4 bonus against missiles
• +1 Saves vs. Breath
• Movement rate increased by a factor of 3

Component 1679: Make the Horn of Kazgaroth more useful and the self-damage more unique

To me the duration of the effects is too short. Plus the "unknown" damage to user becomes "known" too easily. I slightly tweaked the description, by describing what Kazgaroth is, plus:

• Now it lasts for 5 rounds
• It can be used three times per day, instead of 30 times in total before it disappears
• +2 AC, +4 more against Missiles
• Immunity to level 1, 2, and 3 spells
• +2 Saving throws (vanilla)
• Physical resistance: +8% resistance
• The Horn now has a 50% chance of causing a deleterious effect on the user: -10 Max Hit Points, -3 THAC0, -2 Damage, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -1 Saving Throws, -4 Saves vs. Death, or -50% movement speed. This effect continues for 2 turns.

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Dagger Tweaks

Component 1000: Make throwing poisoned daggers slightly more likely to poison enemies

This component makes these items get a -2 penalty to Save vs. Death which makes them more useful, and compensates for their rarity.

Component 1130: Make Bone Blade dagger more special and not just a plain +4 dagger

Plain enchanted weapons are boring, and the higher the enchantment level, the more egregious that is, as far as I'm concerned.

Instead of simply giving the usual +4 weapon bonuses:

• Being made partially from the tooth of a black dragon, it causes an extra 1d4 acid damage on hit and increases Acid Resistance by 40%.
• Being tempered in the blood of the duergar smith, every hit causes +5 extra damage against all elves, including drow, and the inhabitants native to the Underdark: beholders, mind flayers, kuo-toa, hook horrors, duergar, driders and umberhulks.

Component 1140: Make Dagger of the Star slightly more powerful.

• Dagger of the Star +4 becomes +5, and the chance of invisibility increases to 10%.
• Dagger of the Star +5 becomes one of the few privileged +6 weapons and inflicts +1 electric and fire damage per hit
• Star Bolt: Increased the chance to trigger elemental effects to 15%, the difference being, you have equal chances of triggering fire damage, electrical damage, or both (5% chance each).

Component 1490: Make Neb's Nasty Cutter have an unlimited amount of poison

The dagger will always cause 20 poison damage over 10 seconds if a Save vs. Death is failed, and never deplete.

Component 1630: Make The Jade's Fang slightly more powerful and improve the lifesteal effect

This component will make the healing per it based on probabilities, such that there is a 50% chance it will heal by 1, 20% chance it will heal by 2, 15% chance it heals by 3, 10% chance it heals by 4, and 5% chance it heals by 5. Additionally, there is a 15% chance the stun happens as well, but only if a Save vs. Spell is failed. All the effects now bypass Magic Resistance, like the Stupifier in BGEE and Adjatha the Drinker (which is probably an oversight in this case).

Component 1660: Make Heart of the Golem +2 get a couple more magic-based features, inspired by the description

This makes the dagger, which is made from arcane metals from a golem, imbued with something more magically golem-like:

• Improves Magic Resistance by 10% when held
• 50% chance of inflicting 1d4 magic damage, no save

Component 1670: Make Werebane +1 a bit more effective towards Lycanthropes

Werebane's description is a little misleading. It doesn't cause +4 damage against Lycanthropes. The 1d4+1 base damage of the weapon doesn't become 1d4+5. This type of confusing description is common to all weapons that do extra damage to specific creatures. Instead, it causes 1d4+1 and if the target is a Lycanthrope, another tick of 3 piercing damage is inflicted. This improves this extra additive tick of damage so it inflicts 6 instead.

Component 1680: Make Stiletto of Demarchess +2 a bit more powerful and bleed every hit

This component makes the weapon try to stun the victim with a probability of 25% instead of 20%. Inspired by the sadistic story behind the weapon, it has a +5% critical chances, and it also causes bleeding every hit, similar to Gnasher, inflicting 2 extra piercing damage, as well as 2 more per round for 3 rounds.

Component 1681: Make Elements' Fury +2 slightly more powerful

This component makes this dagger a bit more powerful in the following ways:

• Damage dice number against elementals improved by 1: 2d4
• Elemental resistance improved by 10% while holding it.
• Random elemental damage improved to 2

Component 1682: Make Acid-Etched Dagger +2 generally more powerful and act as +3

This component makes this weapon one of the few +3 weapons in the expansion, acting in every way as a +3 weapon, as well as:

• Hits with dagger also deal 1d3 acid damage (improved from 1).
• 20% chance of causing 1d3 acid damage per round for 3 rounds (improved from 1, 15% chance), as well as adding an AC penalty of 2 for 3 rounds

Component 1683: Make Gemblade +2 more powerful and more worth hanging onto for wizards

This makes Gemblade +2 more worth using. Gemblade is one of those "cool items" design-wise, but functionally, has nothing that interesting, particularly considering INT bonuses are generally useless in vanilla game. So now, other than increasing INT by 1:

• Every hit causes an additional 1d2 magic damage
• 33% chances of causing additional 1d4+2 magic damage
• Mages/Sorcerers can cast 2 more spells of level 1 and 2 while holding it.
• Acts as a +3 weapon for the purposes of what it can hit

Component 1684: Make basic throwing daggers usable as melee weapons

This copies the design of SoD's special throwing dagger such that you can use vanilla throwing daggers as melee weapons if desired. The items modified are:

• Throwing dagger (dagg05.itm): Has a melee option which deals 1d3 piercing damage, with a speed factor of 3
• Poisoned throwing dagger (dagg16.itm): Has a melee option which deals 1d3 piercing damage, plus +1 poison damage (no save). The usual poisoning ability does not work in this mode, only in ranged mode. This was done because otherwise using it as a melee weapon is too obvious as a better choice.

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Two-handed Melee Weapons Tweaks

Component 1200: Make Ixil's Spike allow Haste and Improved Haste and improve it slightly

I think everyone agrees that this type of restriction (Free Action) makes the weapon in question immediately less appealing. It will not reset your character's movement speed either. A side effect of this component is that the Free Action spell no longer sets movement speed to the baseline. The description was adjusted to reflect that.

Additionally, the damage when pinned is now 1d8+6 rather than 1d6+5.

Component 1201: Make Lilarcor +3 have a chance of causing confusion on hit

It seems appropriate that the talking sword containing the blood-lusting, raving, screaming, lunatic can cause confusion on hit. Now it has a 25% chance of causing confusion on hit for 1 round if Save vs. Spell is failed.

Component 1202: Make Warblade +4 slightly more unique, and more potent when wielded by barbarians

Since this was blessed by northern barbarian gods, the sword now causes 1d4 cold damage on contact, but makes the sword damage actually 1d12+2 (keep reading, don't worry). Barbarians wielding this sword will receive +5% physical resistance and the sword's bonus damage is increased by 3 (1d12+5). Lastly, it will be renamed to "Barbarian Warblade +4", just because.

Component 1280: Make Carsomyr affect any kind of evil and not just Chaotic Evil

Self explanatory. Not that it needs to be more powerful, but it feels wrong to not be especially effective against non-chaotic evil (but yes, I understand it's because it's the opposite of a paladin's alignment).

Component 1290: Make Carsomyr's Dispel Magic abilities more balanced

The dispel on hit thing is pretty cheesy so, yeah. That. No penalty with +5, -2 with +6 version. As for the ability to cast Dispel Magic, since level 15 dispel is quite weak, especially for the +6 version, it's now level 20-30 for each version.

Component 1300: Make Silver Sword significantly more unique and add a more interesting (imo) description

This component improves the description to something a bit more interesting than "hey, this sword is evil and can cut heads off". See the file unique_descriptions.md for details. Additionally:

• The faulty probabilities for vorpal hit are fixed (true 25%, not 26%)
• The sword acts in every way as a +6 two-handed sword against mind flayers only, that is, +6 THAC0, +6 enchantment, 1d10+6 damage.
• Against other targets, it's still a +3 weapon in terms of damage, thac0 and enchantment level
• Wielding it makes the wielder immune to mind blasts and domination attempts by mind flayers
• Critical hits causes a psionic blast which causes 2d8 magic damage and causes Confusion for 10 seconds if a Save vs. Spell at -2 is failed. Mind flayers save with a -4 penalty.
• Speed factor of 6

Component 1318: Make Flame of the North +2 affect all evil, not just chaotic evil

Self explanatory

Comoponent 1322: Make Flame of the North inflict +2 fire damage against trolls

The backstory of the sword heavily implies it was involved in the slaughter of many trolls. Therefore, the sword can completely destroy trolls on hit by causing +2 fire damage on hit to trolls only.

Component 1390: Make Staff of the Magi force a saving throw to dispel effects on hits

The dispel on hit thing is pretty cheesy so, yeah. That. Save vs. Spell at -2

Component 1410: Make Ir'revrykal Dispel Magic effect not depend on probabilities, but allow a saving throw.

This essentially is the same tweak to Carsomyr, except the chance of dispelling is also 100%. The saving throw vs spell has no penalty.

Component 1420: Make Ir'revrykal base damage equal to Carsomyr

This makes the weapon have 1d12 base damage much like Carsomyr, tightening the resemblance between both swords.

Component 1460: Make Spear of Withering able to poison on contact if save is failed

I feel like this spear should be more withery, especially considering it's a +4 weapon! This makes the spear able to inflict 12 extra poison over one round if a Save vs. Death at -2 is failed.

Component 1540: Make Wave +4 slightly more powerful

This component improves Wave +4 by making it always deal 3 points of cold damage per hit. Giants take 9 cold damage instead, since it was made to fight fire giants. This may make it a fine choice for a weapon for a big portion of ToB.

Component 1587: Make Rod of Terror inspire less Terror by how awful it is and more by how effective it is

Panic is very unlikely to happen, and panic is generally not very convenient because it makes it difficult to hit the enemies. Plus, the permanent-until-death penalty discourages pretty much any idea of using this item. Therefore:

• Save vs. Spell for Panic has no penalty now, and it only lasts 2 rounds. On the second round, if the target is still suffering from panic, there's a 20% chance that the affected creature must save vs. Death, or be killed by the shock. Even if they survive, they become rooted in place for the remaining of the round in panic.
• The penalty to Charisma is now a penalty to Constitution which is more meaningful, and is no longer permanent but lasts 24 hours (2 in-game hours, or 3 full normal 8-hour rests). The chance of this happening is 10% instead of 20%.

Component 1590: Make Blackmist more powerfully blinding and grant immunity to blindness

This makes Blackmist's blindness power be more likely to be effective, by adding a -2 Save penalty. Additionally, you're immune to blindness while wielding it.

Component 1591: Make Soul Reaver slightly more balanced

Soul Reaver is fairly unbalanced, particularly because it reduces THAC0 by 2 cumulatively for 2 full minutes and it's fairly easy to make any enemy to not be able to hit anything at all. This tweak reduces this duration to 5 rounds, and requires a Save vs. Spell at -4 to resist.

Component 1592: Make Soul Reaver deal 1d12 damage

The sword looks like it's fairly massive. You may disagree, but that's how it comes across to me. So this will match the dice size of other blades like Carsomyr and Warblade: 1d12 (or 2d6 if the two-handed general tweak was installed).

Component 1593: Make Sword of Ruin +2 slightly more powerful

This makes the extra critical damage of the weapon a bit more substantial, 2d5+2 (from 2d4).

Component 1594: Make Cleric's staff more unique and actually benefit clerics

I don't like that it's just casually called "cleric's" staff. Therefore, it gains a few perks:

• 1 AC
• +1 spell slot of level 3, 4, and 5 (clerics only)
• +1 turn undead and casting level (clerics only)
• May cast Mass Cure (at minimum level, 1d8+9 healing) twice per day

Component 1595: Make Halcyon +1 a bit more powerful

There aren't many spears in the game. It would be tragic if most were boring. This makes the electrical damage of the weapon random, between 1 and 3 (inclusive):

• 50% chance of causing 1 electrical damage
• 30% chance of causing 2 electrical damage
• 20% chance of causing 3 electrical damage

Every hit has a chance of electrifying target: 2 electricity damage per round for 2 rounds if Save vs. Spell at +2 is failed.

Hopefully this is slightly less boring!

Component 1597: Make Staff of Rhynn not just unique in name and description, but in function

Another example of a highly enchanted weapon without any special property. I based this tweak on the description, which is frankly horrific, but inspiring. Therefore:

• Causes additional +4 fire damage per hit
• +25% fire resistance while holding the staff
• Hits with this weapon reduce Fire Resistance by 25% (doesn't stack) for 2 rounds.
• Special ability: Witch's Wrath once per day. It works as a Sunfire that causes 8d6+10 fire damage to all enemies around the caster, without affecting party members. The damage will be increased by 4d6+10 if the target is affected by Panic. The explosion itself will cause Horror and Slow for 3 rounds unless a Save vs. Spell at -2 is made.

Component 1599: Make Psion's Blade more offensively powerful against Illithids

I like the idea of the sword but it's a little too boring beyond the affect of the great +5 enchantment. Now:

• Deals 1d10+5 damage, but against mind flayers, it deals 1d10+8 (as if it was a +8 weapon without being one)
• THAC0 bonus: +5, but against mind flayers, it's +8
• Mind flayers struck with this weapon must Save vs. Death at -3 or die instantly. You'll see a "Illithid destroyed" message in the log when it happens. However, this effect can only be attempted on the same mind flayer once per round.

Component 1602: Make Dragon's Bane +3 better and act as a +6 weapon in every sense against dragons and wyverns

This makes the weapon act in every way against dragons and wyverns as a +6 weapon (thac0, enchantment, and damage). Otherwise, it acts as a +3 normal halberd.

Component 1603: Make Dragon's Breath +4 act damage-wise as a +4 weapon

This weapon, similarly to The Equalizer, deals unenchanted level damage by default, and adds additive damage separately. For the purposes of multipliers, it's a fairly less powerful halberd compared to any other +4 halberd, despite the added multi-elemental +5 damage per hit. This makes the weapon damage truly 1d10+4, with the extra damage intact. If it's okay for the Flail of Ages +5, it is okay for this too.

Component 1604: Make Duskblade +2 more imbued with the essence of necromancy

This component enhances the weapon a bit, inspired by the description about how it got their powers because of the persistent presence of undeath:

• Other than +2 cold damage, it has a chance to unleash extra 1d6 cold damage if hit target fails a Save vs. Death
• Every hit has a 25% chance of decreasing Strength by 2 for 5 rounds. This can't kill the target. If Strength is less than 3, it drains -2 Constitution instead, which can kill the target (though it would be fairly difficult to pull it off considering the duration of 5 rounds).

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One-handed Sword Tweaks

Component 1125: Make Ninjato of the Scarlet Brothehood +3 available for other classes and alignments

This makes this sword usable by non-monks of any alignment. Monks are not really implemented to take too much advantage of weapons anyway (in vanilla game).

Component 1126: Make Blackrazor able to hit targets immune to +3

This allows this sword to be usable in more cases. Since it's extremely powerful, no other changes are added.

Component 1127: Make Peridan more powerful against dragons and wyverns and less misleading in the description

The description of Peridan is slightly misleading because it states that it does "double damage to dragons". You may think that every time you do damage to a dragon with it, you deal the same damage again, or perhaps you think the damage value of every attack is always double of what it would be against other enemies (like a critical hit). Uhh, not quite.

In reality, the sword deals 1d8+2 against enemies, and 1d8+2 again in a second tick of damage if the enemy is a dragon. So now the description is a bit more explicit about what it does and:

• Regeneration improved to 1 HP per 3 rounds
• Adds 15% resistance to all elements (i.e. the damage type of most dragons)
• THAC0 against dragons is now +6, +2 for others
• +2 AC and saving throws against Dragons (essentially like a "Protection from Dragons" spell)
• Extra damage to dragons: every hit causes additionally 2d8+2 (bear in mind this is not affected by Strength or any other damage modifiers except any effect that increases slashing damage universally)
• Detect Invisibility can be cast three times, not once per day

Additionally, Peridan's extra THAC0 extra damage to dragons affects wyverns as well.

Component 1210: Make The Equalizer slightly more powerful

Honestly, it kinda feels like it's immediately not useful by the time you get it. The description is also slightly misleading because it looks like it will deal, for example, 1d8+6 against some alignments, in the same way that a Longsword +6 would, but it's not like that. It actually just inflicts 1d8 (like a normal non-magical sword) and then additively includes the damage which is generally much less powerful. Therefore:

• The sword now has an enchantment of 5 for the purposes of what it can hit.
• The sword acts as a 1d8+3 in all other respects as baseline.

The rest functions exactly the same: no bonus against True Neutral, +1 THAC0 +2 damage against LN/CN, +2 THAC0 +4 damage against NG/NE, and +3 THAC0 +6 damage against LG/CG/LE/CE.

Component 1220: Make Ras slightly better and the Dancing Blade last for 1 turn, instead of 4 rounds

This makes it useful for far longer, and more like Sword of Mordenkainen. Additionally, drawing inspiration on this "dancing" thing, it has extra features given by the fact that the sword can "dance" on its own while being wielded as if with sentience:

• +1 AC, +2 against piercing and slashing
• Speed Factor: 1
• THAC0: +4
• It's a flashy sword, and kits that are used to flashy fighting get bonus +1/2 APR: Blades, Shadowdancers, and Swashbucklers

Component 1230: Make Short Sword of Mask +5 slightly more powerful

Makes the chance-based Level drain take 2 levels instead of just one and the Entangle effect 5% more likely to trigger (20%).

Component 1240: Make Purifier's damage bonus affect all evil, not just Chaotic Evil

Just as the title says. It's kinda funny considering the description of the weapon mentions Pit Fiends, which are Lawful Evil.

Component 1241: Make Purifier's Dispel Magic level 30, like Staff of the Magi and Carsomyr

This makes the dispel magic effect equal to those in the Staff of the Magi and Carsomyr.

Component 1250: Make Yamato's passive abilities more substantial

The effect is pretty underwhelming for a +4 weapon. Since it's advertised as a defender weapon, the following is added:

AC bonus improved to 2 (instead of 1) plus 1 against slashing, piercing, and missile weapons. 5% universal damage resistance & magic resistance.

Component 1260: Make Usuno's Blade slightly more electrically powerful

The effect is pretty underwhelming for a +4 weapon. Now:

• Chance of dealing 2d10 electrical damage increased to 15%, and is now 5d4+1, with a Save vs. Spell at -2 for half.
• Every hit deals 1d3 electrical damage with no save allowed.
• Increases electrical damage resistance by 40%.

Component 1270: Make Spectral Brand slightly better and make the dancing blade last for 1 turn, instead of 4 rounds

This makes it useful for far longer, and more like Sword of Mordenkainen. Additionally, the Armor Piercing special ability also improves damage by +4, critical hit chances by +10%, and cannot critically miss.

Component 1315: Make Dak'kon's Zerth Blade behave as a +3 weapon

This makes the katana +3, for consistency with the power level of other WA-weapons.

Component 1319: Make Holy Sword of Tyr +3 affect all evil, not just chaotic evil

Self explanatory. I also removed the weird preamble that includes the first sentence of the general description of long swords. Seems lazy, and perhaps a mistake.

Component 1341: Make Hindo's Doom a +4 and +5 weapon

This simply allows the game to grant you a +4 and +5 katana, essentially.

Component 1470: Make Adjatha the Drinker thirstier

This component will make the healing per it based on probabilities, such that there is a 50% change it will heal by 1, 20% it will heal by 2, 15% it heals by 3, 10% it heals by 4, and 5% it heals by 5.

Component 1550 Make Drizzt's weapons slightly more worth stealing in BG2

By the time you get this weapon in BG2, it's generally underwhelming and you have better weapons already. This improves his weapon in a few ways, trying to not to stray too much from the lore:

• Both: act as a +5 weapon for the purposes of what they can hit and in terms of THAC0
• Icingdeath: it's a "frost" weapon, and as such, it also inflicts 1d3 cold damage per hit, +5 against creatures immune to fire (fire elementals, fire salamanders, fire giants...). It's also considered a silver weapon.
• Twinkle: it has a defensive theme, therefore: added +2 AC bonus against slashing, piercing and missile, +1 Save vs. Spell, +8% physical damage resistance

Component 1580: Make Hawksight +2 improve your senses, reflexes, and accuracy more keenly

This component takes the description more seriously, and hence, other than giving +1 Dexterity it also:

• Has +4 THAC0 bonus instead of +2
• Universal +1 Saving Throw bonus
• +1/2 APR

Component 1581: Make Hawksight's description unique and add a minor power to it

This component requires the previous one, and it adds a description worth-reading (YMMV). I really dislike items with unique names, but with no interesting description or brief backstory. It seems lazy and uninteresting to add a named item without any background. Additionally, it adds a minor power to it, based on this brief backstory. See ZSTweaks/unique_descriptions.md for details.

Component 1582: Make Vexation +2 more powerful

I've always liked this sword conceptually and it's introduced into the game in a very cool way. This makes this short sword another +3 weapon, and additionally improved in the following ways:

• Critical hits inflict 2d4 extra piercing damage
• Bleeding per hit improved to 1d2 from 1

Note that this will make the encounter relatively more difficult, obviously. Protect your mages, Neera will likely be targeted. And promptly chunked.

Component 1583: Make Kachiko's Wakizashi substantially more unique in description and improve it

I really hate unique items with nothing in the description worth reading, so I tried to add something a bit more worth reading and hopefully not too cringy (see ZSTweaks/unique_descriptions.md for details). For reasons described in the description, it is now called Kachiko's Whisper. Nothing is going to contradict the lore anyway. The following additions are added:

• Wisdom penalty (which can kill, technically, and I guess remove spell slots from priests) lasts for 6 rounds now as opposed to 2 rounds.
• Shadowdancers receive: +10% Hiding skills and +1 THAC0
• Can cast Shadow Jump three times per day: teleport instantly to a place in sight, becoming invisible for 2 rounds, and becoming unable to critically miss for the duration.

Component 1584: Make The Brass Blade +5 cast a more powerful Fireball not tied to caster level

The Brass Blade allows you to throw a Fireball as per the 3rd level wizard spell, and it's tied to caster level which means only Fighter/Mages would be able to take advantage of the full power of this -- other classes would throw a much weaker Fireball. This changes the power so it casts instead a Delayed Fireball cast at max level (15d6 fire damage with vanilla values) at a particular target, regardless of presence or absence of caster level, and adds the power to cast Sunfire too.

Technical side note: since Type 2 is bugged for op146, as it makes spells cast bypass magic resistance as if the caster targetted themselves, it uses now Type 0, which unfortunately means the spell casting will have the casting speed of the spells in question.

Finally, it fixes two likely bugs: spells cast being set as conjurer spells instead of evocation, and the fire damage of the sword bypassing mirror images.

Component 1585: Make Arbane's Sword of Agility's Haste last 1 turn, not 2 rounds

Self explanatory. Additionally, the speed factor of the weapon is now 0.

Component 1586: Make Blade of Searing more Searing

This makes this weapon more interesting, by replacing the simple +1 fire damage by:

• 1d3+1 fire damage on hit
• Can make the target catch on fire, causing it to receive 1d3 fire damage per round for 3 rounds if a save vs. Spell is failed.

Component 1588 Make Water's Edge not just unique in name and description, but in function

The unique description with no unique functionality bothers me, therefore:

• +20% cold resistance on equipping it
• Causes 1d2 cold damage on hit

Component 1589 Make Rashad's Talon not just unique in name and description, but in function

The unique description with no unique functionality bothers me, therefore:

• Cursed wound: critical hits with this weapon prevent any healing for 2 rounds
• +5% critical hit chances with this weapon

Component 1596: Make The Shadow Blade +3 not just unique in name and description, but in function

The sword has the following benefits now:

• +1 Backtab bonus (single-classed thieves only)
• +2 THAC0 (single-classed thieves only, only while wielding on main hand)

They're relegated to single classed thieves because they need it more, I want to promote specialization, and for balance, since multiclassed Thieves have other alternate means of increasing their THAC0 and general damage.

Component 1598: Make Cutthroat +4 not just unique in name and description, but in function

This weapon is not even a normal +4 weapon, since the speed factor is not 0 as it should. Therefore:

• Speed Factor: 0
• Critical hit chances: +10%
• Critical hits causes bleeding: 1d6 piercing damage immediately, and again in the next 2 rounds

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Axes and Blunt Weapon Tweaks

Component 1310: Make Defender of Eastheaven damage reduction a little more moderate

The bonuses of this weapon are very significant, and an infamous toolset for powergaming, and no-reload runs. I reduced the resistances to 10%.

Component 1311: Make Krotan's Skullcrusher +2 slightly less generic

Yet another enchanted, unique weapon without any special trait of any kind. It now posesses the same bonus as Skullcrusher (in vanilla game), which is a +2 damage bonus to humanoids

Component 1312: Make Skullcrusher +3 slightly more crushy

This component improves the extra damage against humanoids to +4.

Component 1313: Make Gnasher +2 slightly more painful

This component makes the "pain" that the description talks about manifest as a non-stackable 2-round weakness: -2 AC, -2 THAC0, -2 Dmg

Component 1314: Make Jerrod's Mace +2 behave as a +3 weapon

This makes the mace +3 for consistency with the power level of other WA-weapons. It also improves the damage and thac0 bonuses against fiends by 1.

Component 1320: Make Flail of Ages +5 allow Haste and Improved Haste and improve it slightly

I think everyone agrees that this type of restriction (Free Action) makes the weapons immediately less appealing. It will not reset your character's movement speed either. A side effect of this component is that the Free Action spell no longer sets movement speed to the baseline. The description was adjusted to reflect that.

Component 1321: Make Bone Club +2, +3 against undead's effect reflect the description better and improve it slightly

This makes the club slightly more powerful (+3 in all respects), more shamanic, and more damaging to undead: acts as +5 against them, with THAC0 bonus of +5 against undead, undead take +4 damage, and spectral undead take +8

Component 1323: Make Azuredge act properly as a +3 weapon

The original hits in terms of extra damage and thac0 like an unenchanted weapon. This component makes the weapon match the basic stats of a +3 weapon. Additionally, it fixes the usual misleding bits in the description for extra damage, and it improves slightly the extra damage to undead from 1d6+4 to 1d6+6.

Component 1324: Make Wyvern's Tail +2 cause poison damage on hit and have a chance of poisoning

This improves this item in the following ways:

• Causes 2 poison damage per hit with no save allowed
• If Save vs. Poison is failed, deals 5 poison damage over 5 seconds. There's a 4% chance that this poison will be as lethal as that of an adult wyvern, becoming instead 25 poison damage over 5 seconds.

Component 1325: Make Borok's Fist +2 different from Ashideena +2

This exists simply because I hate that it's identical to Ashideena. So, inspired the description, it has a neat bonus against giant humanoids: on hit, they get Stunned for 1 round if they fail a Save vs. Spell at +2

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Ranged Weapon Tweaks

Component 1010: Make Asp's Nest darts much more likely to poison, to compensate for the rarity and cost

This makes those very expensive darts much more likely to affect characters, which is a fair compensation for their rarity and huge monetary cost: Save vs. Death at -4

Component 1330: Make Darkfire Bow slightly more remarkable

Makes the elemental resistances against fire and frost increase to 15%, 30% at +5. Additionally, the +4 version makes all arrows deal extra 1 cold and fire damage (2 damage at +5).

Component 1340: Make Taralash slightly more remarkable

The +5 version literally just increases the THAC0 bonus by 1. That's a bit too boring for a +5 weapon. I'm not saying these changes are much better -- but slighty better? Absolutely!

• Makes movement bonus increase to 5.
• Adds a damage bonus of 1 like a regular composite bow
• Animals and other kind of unintelligent beasts, magical or not, take +2 and +5 damage (+4 and +5 version respectively)

Component 1342: Make Protector of the Dryads deal +2 damage to orcs, ogres, bugbears, gnolls, and goblinoids

Inspired by the description, it deals +2 damage to orcs... as well as some groups of similar monsters that would band together to spread evil on the Sword Coast.

Component 1343: Make Mana bow more magical and more deadly against arcane casters

This follows the theme of the description, which is an anti-wizard theme, and thus the following changes were added:

• Magic damage resistance: 33% (from 20%)
• Magic Resistance: 5%
• Arrows force a Save vs. Spell at -2 or the target suffers 1d4+1 magic damage and get a 10% wizard casting failure for 4 rounds

Component 1344 Make Arrows of Biting apply poison faster and improve the misleading description

The description states that 30% of the health of the target will be lost by the time the poison is done, but that's not actually true. Therefore, now it deals 30 points of poison damage over 30 seconds, similar to Bolts of Biting, but slower.

This will in turn make Hobgoblins and Sirenes in BGEE significantly more dangerous if they get the poison off on you, since -30 HP is a big deal. Keep the antidotes and healing ready. (My potion and healing spell overhaul helps wink wink)

Component 1345: Make Arrows of Fire cause fire damage always, same as Arrows of Ice

This removes the save from the damage effect, therefore 1dx fire damage will always be inflicted.

Component 1346: Make Arrows of Piercing always cause at least half of the extra piercing damage

This makes the arrows cause at least 3 extra piercing damage, when save succeeds. When the save is failed, the extra piercing damage is instead 7. This should make these expensive arrows feel like less of a waste when used, especially against targets with good saves.

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NPC Tweaks

Component 1380: Make Chaos and Entropy grant 1/2 APR each and improve them slightly.

My first move whenever I used Haer'Dalis was to give him swords that granted him extra attacks. These are his personal swords, so it feels wrong to not use them. This makes it more appealing to use, now he will have 3 APR when dual wielding by default, and both have a speed factor of 0.

Additionally, it makes Entropy cause 6 poison damage, on a Save vs. Death at -1 instead of 3 with a save without penalties or bonuses, and it makes Chaos reduce the struck opponent's Save vs. Death by 1 for 2 rounds. They both gain a speed factor of 0 and can hit targets immune to +2 weapons, like balors.

Chaos is also now similarly restricted to Tieflings, much like Entropy, and according to the description.

This component is compatible with Improved Haer'Dalis Swords mod, which makes the weapons +4 after upgrading. The benefits in the upgraded version will mirror the baseline, except:

• +1 APR granted each
• Save vs. Poison penalty for Entropy is -2, 9 poison damage
• Save vs. Poison debuff in Chaos is -2 and lasts for 3 rounds
• Act as +5 weapons
• Can only be wielded by Haer'Dalis

Component 1480: Make Yoshimo's Katana slightly more unique and powerful

This components keeps to the idea that it is only lightly enchanted, but it also offers a few advantages to Yoshimo:

• Speed factor reduced to 1 from 3
• THAC0 bonus increased to 3.
• Sets proficiencies to katanas to 2, unless it's higher.
• +10% critical hit chance

Component 1500: Make Mazzy's weapons slightly more powerful

Come on, Arvoreen! Be more generous to your most faithful holy warrior.

• Bow of Arvoreen grants extra 1/2 APR to Mazzy, +3 THAC0, and +1 damage
• Sword of Arvoreen grants extra 1/2 APR to Mazzy, +4 THAC0, and becomes in most respects a +3 weapon, except it can hurt enemies immune to +3 weapons.

Component 1510: Make Delryn's family shield become a +2 shield

Just a simple buff to make the shield a good option for longer. This component also applies automatically the changes to this item in Component 1644

Component 1520: Make Hallowed Redeemer able to hit enemies immune to +2 weapons

This extends the usability of the weapon, despite the lower damage, if the constant shield the weapon grants is desired. This component also applies automatically the changes to this item in Component 1644

Component 1640: Make Abyssal Blades more powerful (Dorn's Quest)

This improves the blades such that they have an enchantment of 5, and thus their usability is extended until the end of game, if so desired.

Additionally, the versions that have one fiend in them deal +1 fire damage compared to baseline. The version that has two deals +2.

Component 1641: Make the item creation abilities of vanilla NPCs slightly better

This makes these skills generate more items. Jan Jansen will create 10 Bruiser Mates. Eldoth will create 15 poisoned arrows. Additionally, his poisoned arrows will deal 20 poison damage over 40 seconds, instead of 13, and Jan's bolts will deal 1d3+1 damage, instead of 1d2+1.

Component 1642: Make Nalia's ring slightly more powerful

Equipped items that you cannot remove from NPCs are quite inconvenient, since they prevent your character from being upgraded in the ways you desire. This component changes this ring so it seems less inconvenient to have it on at all times for Nalia. Specifically, other than improving AC and saving throws by 2, and granting 50% fire resistance, it also adds:

• +20% to Pick Locks and Find Traps (this makes her more competent at these tasks, similar to Imoen)
• 1 extra spell slot from level 1 to 5

Component 1643: Make Corthala family blade more powerful and more effective against wizards

This makes the blade grant Valygar the following perks:

• +1 backstab multiplier (this will ignore the backstab multiplier tweak, and behave as you would expect)
• Total bonus of +6 THAC0 against wizards and sorcerers

This component also applies automatically the changes to this item in Component 1644

Component 1644: Remove the unnecessary stat restrictions in NPC's gear

The stat restrictions are a remnant of an older, inferior way of making the gear usable only by THEM... Unless of course you happened to have the exact same stats as they. This removes these restrictions, though only in the items that seem too arbitrary:

• Cernd's gear
• Valygar's gear
• Keldorn's gear
• Anomen's shield (requires 13 Charisma, removes this requirement only)

The rest seem less arbitrary: Jan Jansen's special gear requires 17 dexterity (i.e. ability to handle it), Mazzy's (no special restrictions), Haer'Dalis' (no special restrictions), Yoshimo's (no special restrictions).

Component 1645: Make Cernd's cloak more powerful

This component makes Cernd's cloak more worth hanging onto. As it stands, it is like a +1 cloak of protection, with the bonus that it can be worn with other magically protective items. Now it's more unique and seems more significative for our druidic lupine sensei. Additions (saving throws stay as they were):

• +2 AC (from +1)
• Physical damage resistance: +10%
• Elemental damage resistance: +15%
• Regeneration: 1 HP / 2 rounds

Overall, this will complement his werewolf shapes and druidic traits. Obviously this was made with the assumption he's a shapeshifter and not any other kind of druid.

It will also remove the needless stat restrictions from the item.

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Misc Items Tweaks

Component 1190: Make Rod of Lordly Might usable by any class and more powerful

The rod is conceptually quite interesting, but generally underperforming.

• Mace +2 is renamed to Mace of Lordly Might +3, becomes a +3 weapon, and the save against panic is now at +2, not +5, and the panic is now a 2-round Slow effect.
• Flaming Long Sword +1 is renamed to Flaming Sword of Lordly Might +3, becomes a +3 weapon, causes 1d4 fire damage per hit, and the paralyze effect Save becomes +2 and not +5, but the Hold effect only lasts one round. Additionally, it makes it look like an actual flaming sword when held.
• Spear +3 is renamed to Spear of Lordly Might +3, and it no longer has a Save vs. Spell bonus of +6 to cause 2d4 magic damage, now it has no bonus or penalty and causes 3d4 magic damage when save is failed.

Component 1600: Make CHARNAME's Tankard a bit more useful (Neera's quest)

This makes this item significantly more valuable. 3x 27 HP healing per day, plus +1 Strength and Constitution for 1 turn, since it mentions feeling stronger when holding it.

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Wizard Spell Tweaks

Component 150: Make Disintegrate behave more like a modified Harm spell, similar to how it behaves in NWN2 (NOT IMPLEMENTED YET)

This component makes disintegrate behave like it does in NWN2, which causes 150 points of magic damage if successful, to differentiate it from the Flesh to Stone spell.

Component 160: Make Black Blade of Disaster unsuitable for backstabs

This exists simply to destroy any temptation to use these as cheesy ways to get insane numbers with backstabs that would instakill most things with HP and normal damage resistances in one hit. So now they should not be able to trigger backstabs.

Component 163: Make Iron Golem weapon unsuitable for backstabs

Same as previous component.

Component 161: Make Phantom Blade scale in duration up to level 20, instead of to level 18

Might be a bug present in various spells. See Glyph of Warding component.

Component 170: Make Wail of the Banshee inflict some magical damage and deafness on a successful save

This exists because I personally dislike using spells, especially high level spells, which are powerful but unpredictable, so that there is a benefit to using them regardless. Therefore, on a successful save, it will cause 3d6+3 magic damage and cause deafness for 2 rounds.

Component 180: Make Meteor Swarm more likely to do more damage, and bypass magic resistance like Fire Storm

The problem with Meter Swarm is that the likelihood of doing very low damage is quite high, which is pretty bad for level 9 spell. To make it worse, it doesn't bypass Magic Resistance either. Now it will instead do it like Fire Storm, causing 2d10 + 1 point/level (i.e 22-40 fire damage per round, instead of 4-40 damage per round) and no Magic Resistance will apply.

Component 200: Make Sleep work for level >=5 enemies with a save bonus (NOT IMPLEMENTED YET)

This tackles another one of my pet peeve, which is spell deprecation. Now sleep will also work for enemies of more than 4 HD, but they save against it with a Save vs. Death at +3 (it's -3 for HD less than 5).

Component 210: Make Horror an Enchantment spell

This mod simply changes the school to Enchantment, which is probably more accurate for a mind-altering spell.

Component 220: Make Ice Storm do more damage, including piercing damage

I think the damage is a little low for a 4 round static effect (2-16 cold damage per round). Now the damage will be 2d8+2 cold damage plus 1d6+2 piercing damage. Piercing was added because the animation indicates pointy ice is what falls down upon your foes.

Component 370: Make Ray of Enfeeblement a Necromancy spell

It probably makes more sense to make this spell a Necromancy spell like in NWN and NWN2.

Component 380: Make Contagion cause 4 points of Strength and Dexterity damage

2 points of damage for STR, DEX and CHA is underwhelming, and CHA reduction is irrelevant unless using particular mods. Now it reduces 4 STR and DEX, which should be a little more meaningful and more worth the level 4 slot.

Component 390: Make Death Fog inflict 1d8+8 acid damage per round instead of flat 8 damage

Improves the usability of Death Fog as a "general purpose" damage dealer, instead of just a stationary lingering anti-summon spell. The options for acid spells are very lacking in the game anyway. So instead of 8 acid damage per round now it will be between 8 to 16 per round with no save.

Component 400: Make Energy Drain drain 6 levels instead of 2

2 levels of drain is unremarkable and a waste of a spell slot, particularly when the likely enemies to fight by the time you get this spell are fairly high level.

Component 405 Make Maze bypass Magic Resistance, like Imprisonment, and make Minotaurs immune to it

I think this makes this spell quite more useful, although perhaps it's too powerful like that if used against some enemies. I like this tweak, but I'll use the spell judiciously (perhaps not mazing dragons, for example). Additionally, Minotaurs are immune to it, same as IWDEE.

Component 407 Make base Imp Familiars have 12/24 HP like the other familiars

This allows you to be Lawful Evil and enjoy the same amount of HP bonus as other alignments. I see no reason there should be a bias against the Imp familiar.

Component 410: Make Horrid Wilting actually be more effective against plants and Water Elementals and increase minimum damage

This makes the spell mirror the behavior in 5E/BG3, where plant and water-based creatures take always maximum damage with a Save vs. Spell at -2 (this penalty is missing in vanilla), halved on a save. Additionally, enemies that are not damaged by draining moisture are unaffected (undead and golems).

Finally, it modifies the dice size and damage bonus, such that instead of dealing (Level * 1d8), it deals (Level * 1d7 + 1). Ultimately, it deals the same maximum damage. The difference is that the minimum damage dealt will be higher, such that the damage range will be 40-160 at max level (vanilla is 20-160).

Component 430: Make Grease bypass Magic Resistance and apply a Fire Resistance debuff to affected characters, and reduce movement speed regardless, as per the description

A very cool part other games using the Grease spell is that it actually primes the area for extra fire damage. This component emulates that behavior, and also makes a part of the speed reduction unavoidable. Failing the save will simply increase very significantly the slowdown.

Component 440: Make Comet bypass magic resistance and apply a mix of cold, fire and crushing damage

As others have noted this spell is generally just less powerful than Dragon Breath (the latter also is not affected by Magic Resistance). This is an attempt at making it more unique. As for the rationale, comets are cold and icy, hence the cold damage, but burn when in a collision path, hence the fire damage, and are big rocks, hence the crushing damage. The breakdown of damage is: 2d10+10 cold, 2d10+10 fire, 3d10+10 crushing.

Component 441: Make Tenser's Transformation grant a THAC0 of 0 at max level

Makes this spell achieve a THAC0 of 0 at max level, since the description clearly states "fighter of the same level".

Component 442: Make Tenser's Transformation give extra APR like a Fighter at the appropriate levels

This components further tightens the gap between the wizard and the fighter they want to emulate, and are granted 1/2 APR at levels 7 and 13.

Component 443: Make Symbol of Death work with Save bonus if above the 60 HP threshold

This spell is useless if the health of the enemy, which ordinarily you cannot know, is above that threshold, so it's fairly wasteful to use the spell unless the enemy is Near Death or the enemies are very weak anyway and easy to kill. As such, now the spell works for HP above 60, but with a bonus of +6 giving it at least some (small) chance of working at all times.

Component 444: Make Flesh to Stone use Petrification saves

This makes this spell force a save vs. petrification instead of spell. I think Flesh to Stone and Disintegrate are way too similar functionally, and it's almost always a better idea to use Flesh to Stone over Disintegrate (they're both even boosted equally if cast by a Transmuter). This affects the version that beholders use.

Component 445: Make Bigby's spells more powerful

Bigby's spells are generally a pretty poor choice for a level 8 and 9. Low damage, high chance of doing nothing. This tweak improves those two spells such that they do more damage and are more likely to be effective, bypassing magic resistance, as well (but can still be dispelled):

• Clenched fist:
  • 1st round: 4d6+6 crushing damage (originally 3d6, no save)
  • 2nd round: 6d6+4 crushing damage if save vs. Paralysis at -4 is failed (originally 4d6, save vs. Paralysis at -2 )
  • 3rd round: 8d6+4 crushing damage if save vs. Paralysis at -2 is failed (originally 6d6, save vs. Paralysis, no penalty)
• Crushing hand:
  • 1st round: 6d6+6 crushing damage (originally 2d10, no save)
  • 2nd round: 8d6+8 crushing damage if save vs. Paralysis at -6 is failed (originally 3d10, save vs. Paralysis at -4)
  • 3rd round: 10d6+10 crushing damage if save vs. Paralysis at -4 is failed (originally 4d10, save vs. Paralysis at -2)

Component 446: Make Fireball, Sunfire, and Delayed Blast Fireball scale slightly more up to level 20

Fireball is such a ubiquitous spell in D&D and generally considered like a great spell to clear out groups of enemies. I felt that it could use some extra help at higher levels.

• Fireball: After level 10, when damage is 10d6, an extra point of fire damage will be gained, up to 10d6+10.
• Sunfire: After level 10, when damage is 10d6, an extra point of damage will be gained, up to 15d6+5. After level 15, 2 points of fire will be gained per level, up to 15d6+15.
• Delayed Blast Fireball: now it will start off at 13d6 (level 7 spells are gained at that level), and then grow by 1d6+2 per level, up to 18d6+10, which then increases by +5 each level until level 20, becoming 18d6+20.

If you think this is OP, consider these damage range values:

• Skull Trap deals 20d6 at level 20 (14d6 with SCS), which is significantly more than the bonus in this component. Comparison:
  • Skull Trap (no SCS): 20-120 damage
  • Skull Trap (SCS): 14-84 damage
  • Fireball (with component): 20-70 damage
  • Fireball (without component): 10-60 damage
• Cone of Cold, another damaging spell of level 5, deals up to 20d4+20 damage too. Comparison:
  • Cone of cold: 40-100 cold damage
  • Sunfire (with component): 30-105 fire damage
  • Sunfire (without component): 15-90 fire damage
• Horrid Wilting deals 20d8 and it's an ubiquitous spell for players because of the huge damage potential and Delayed Blast Fireball is an unimpressive contender comparatively (despite the spell level difference). Comparison:
  • Horrid Wilting deals 20-160 damage (40-160 with my HW tweak)
  • Delayed Blast Fireball (with component): 38-128 damage
  • Delayed Blast Fireball (without component): 15-90 damage

Lastly, Delayed Blast Fireball no longer has a markedly smaller explosion radius compared to Sunfire and Fireball, but the exact same as those.

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Cleric/Druid Spell Tweaks

Component 100: Make Glyph of Warding do damage on a failed save and extend damage up to level 20, and not 18

Generally speaking I do not believe in damaging spells that can be avoided completely with Saving Throws, at least in this game, because for the most part, they constitute, sooner or later as a waste of a spell slot. Therefore, it will always cause half damage. Additionally, it extends the headers up to level 20, such that the damage grows up to 20d4 instead of 18d4.

Component 101: Make Flame Blade do 4 more points of Fire Damage to undead and act as a +2 weapon against them

This is essentially how it works in IWDEE, except the +2 enchantment bonus, which is an addition to make it an effective tool against undead. This also fixes the inaccurate description in IWDEE (it's +4 fire damage, not +2). Note that this will mark the weapon as magical due to technical reasons, which will make the weapon not effective to something that is protected against magical weapons but not normal ones.

Component 102: Make BG's version of Flame Blade scale duration-wise like in IWDEE

There's no reason this weapon should be more limited duration-wise. Now it follows the usual convention.

Component 110: Make Bless last longer

I don't think 36 seconds with a very long casting makes this spell desirable in most situations. Therefore, now the duration is 36 seconds plus 1 round per 2 levels up to level 19.

Component 130: Standardize Hold Person's saving throw penalties

This component equalizes the saving throw penalty in the cleric version of Hold Person so it has the same as the wizard one, which is -1.

Component 140: Standardize Finger of Death magical damage on a successful save

This component matches the magic damage inflicted by the wizard version of Finger of Death so it's as powerful as the priest version.

Component 145: Make Luck last for 1 turn to make it more usable

The bonus that Luck provides really doesn't justify such a short duration. Now it lasts 1 turn instead of 3 rounds (i.e. 18 seconds).

Component 147: Make Luck also add 5% critical hit chances, 2 AC, 5% more to thieving

This component makes Luck more generally useful by adding also a 5% critical hit chance boost, 10% total bonus thief skill bonus, as well as 2 AC. The rest is unchanged.

Component 190: Make Holy Power achieve a THAC0 of 0

Makes this spell achieve a THAC0 of 0 at max level, since the description clearly states "fighter of the same level".

Component 230: Make Cloak of Fear work as a temporary aura of fear, like in IWDEE

For the most part I don't think this spell is worth memorizing. Now instead of being a one-off horror effect, it creates an "aura" that triggers once per round for 3 rounds, with the same specifications as the original spell.

This uses the same filename and the same effect that in IWDEE, and attempts to patch known spells that remove fear effects. Might need to be updated if new ways to remove fear are introduced.

Component 240: Make Goodberries generate six berries, each healing 2d4 instead of 1 point of damage, and granting very slow regeneration for 8 hours

Conceptually I think it's a cool spell for druids and rangers, and it might be a teensy bit useful perhaps for the beginning of BGEE, but generally not useful after that. Now it will heal 2d4 immediately and add a regeneration of 1 HP per turn for 20 turns. Now it also generates six berries because I like the idea of having enough to give one to every party member.

Additionally it allows stacks of 12 berries.

Component 250: Make Earthquake party friendly

Earthquake is generally very inconvenient to be cast at any point because of how it affects your whole party. This disables that behavior.

Component 350: Make Earthquake not shake the screen

In case you don't enjoy feeling like casting it might give you a tiny seizure.

Component 260: Make Negative Plane Protection's duration increase somewhat as you level up

It only lasts 30 seconds, which might be insufficient for fights with vampires. Since it's a very powerful effect, the increases in duration are moderate, one round per 2 levels after level 7 up to 66 seconds at level 19.

Component 270: Make Entangle's saving throws improve slightly at higher levels so it remains relevant for druids

Entangle saves are quite generous and as such very difficult to pull off at higher levels. It's such a "druidy" ability to have, that it feels wrong to leave druids without them because it's no longer useful.

Therefore, it starts with now a +2 bonus (from +3), which improves to +1 at level 5, 0 at level 10, -1 at level 15, and -2 at level 20.

Component 280: Make Poison (cleric spell) do half damage on a failed save (without poisoning them)

See component 100 for reasoning.

Component 290: Make Holy Power give extra APR like a Fighter at the appropriate levels

This components further tightens the gap between the cleric and the fighter they want to emulate, and are granted 1/2 APR at levels 7 and 13.

Component 300: Make Iron Skins cast as fast a Stoneskin

Just as it sounds, it allows druids to do that, like wizards, so they're protected as quickly as mages do with Stoneskin, and reduces the need to use them only in pre-fight buffing rituals.

Component 310: Make Fire Seeds create more seeds that do slightly more damage, with an enchantment of 2

Too little seeds and too little damage. From 4 seeds that do 2d8 to 10 that do 3d8+5. The original is way too unremarkable for a level 6 spell. Additionally, the description will mention the fact that they are thrown with a +2 THAC0 bonus. Additionally, the seeds no longer bypass most physical protections due to an enchantment level of +6, so now it will be considered +2.

Component 320: Make Nature's Beauty a bit more likely to kill humanoid enemies, and make blinded enemies immune

Nature's beauty is the druidic Wail of the Banshee (only for humanoids anyway), but it is fairly unlikely to kill (especially considering druids cannot have a Necromancy bonus to spells -- without save editing or special kits that is). Save bonus is now +2 instead of +3.

Additionally, much like IWDEE, blinded enemies are not affected, which is to be expected given the nature of the spell.

Component 330: Make Cleric's level 7 version of confusion act like Chaos (-4 saving throw penalty)

It was always a fairly odd choice of level 7 spell. Some mods resolve this by moving it to lower levels. This is another way of resolving it. It will behave like Chaos, having a Save penalty of -4 instead of -2.

Component 340: Make Symbol of Death work with Save bonus if above the 60 HP threshold

This spell is useless if the health of the enemy, which ordinarily you cannot know, is above that threshold, so it's fairly wasteful to use the spell unless the enemy is Near Death or the enemies are very weak anyway and easy to kill. As such, now the spell works for HP above 60, but with a bonus of +6 giving it at least some (small) chance of working at all times.

Component 420 Make Armor of Faith also add a +2 AC bonus to make it useful at low levels

At the beginning of BGEE this spell is largely unremarkable and provides no protection of note to the cleric, now it will at least provide a minor AC bonus by default, which makes this spell the only one in vanilla BG that improves the AC of the cleric other than Defensive Harmony (IIRC).

Component 450: Make single-target healing spells other than Heal worth using

Healing spells are infamously bad in BG/BG2, they heal too little for such a slow cast, and they don't improve with level. With this tweak:

• Cure Light Wounds: Heals 8 points plus 1 more point per level, up to 12.
• Cure Moderate Wounds: Heals 13 points plus 2 points the first 2 levels, and 1 point on next 2, up to 19 (requires IWDEE's spell present)
• Cure Medium Wounds: Heals 20 points plus 2 more point per level, up to 28.
• Cure Serious Wounds: Heals 30 points plus 3 more point in the next two levels, 2 on the next two, up to 40.
• Cure Critical Wounds: Heals 42 points plus 3 more point per level, up to 54.

Also they will no longer be stopped by spell deflection.

Component 460: Make Mass Heal faster to cast and heal a bit more

This improves the power of this spell as a combat spell by improving the casting speed to 2 (from 5), and it improves the healing slightly from 1d8 + 1/level (max of 21-28) to 4d3 + 1/level (24-32). Also it will no longer be stopped by spell deflection.

Component 461: Make Bolt of Glory slightly better

This makes the Bolt of Glory generally more effective and rearranges the damage such that outsiders and undead are always ahead in potential damage compared to Prime Material creatures. Additionally, the description, accurately notes other less-known characteristics of this spell, such as how it has no effect on celestial beings (planetars, devas, solars, aasimar), and how it bypasses Magic Resistance. Here's the damage distribution now:

• Prime Material Plane creatures: 4d4+6 magic damage
• Outsiders (except fiendish and celestials; elementals, genies, gith...): 6d6+6 magic damage
• Undead: 8d6+6 magic damage
• Fiendish outsiders (demons, devils, evil planetars and fallen solars): 8d8+6

Component 462: Make Magical Stone bypass Magic Resistance and deal both magic and missile damage

Generally speaking this spell is pretty worthless and barely even thinking about. This improves its usability by making it bypass Magic Resistance, since it is essentially a pebble enchanted to be thrown at an enemy. Now it deals 1d4 missile damage and 1d4 magic damage.

Component 463: Make Dolorous Decay more powerful

This component improves the spell in the following ways:

• It causes 2d10 poison damage immediately on contact, as well as the usual 2-round slow effect.
• Saving Throw against the poison effect is now -3
• The poison duration is now 1 full turn. The description will be more accurate.
• During the poison's duration, target receives 8% more physical damage, and gets a -2 penalty to THAC0, Damage, and AC.

Component 464: Make Wondrous Recall also recall wizard spells, and a higher number of them

This components allows cleric/mages to benefit more, by allowing wizard spell recalling. The spell now functions as follows:

• Guarantees the recall of 2 level-1 wizard and cleric spells.
• Up to 4 spells will be recalled additionally of up to level 5

However, the casting time is very high now (2 full rounds), which makes it less convenient to cast in the middle of combat, and serves more as a recovery after combat spell, unless triggered by contingencies or sequencers. Bear in mind that if this spell is cast through scripts, the caster might have lapse in judgement and stop the casting after only one round of casting to do something else, because it seems the engine doesn't ever expect casting times over just below 1 full round (i.e. casting speed of 9).

Component 465: Make Nature's Beauty blocked by True Sight

This component allows creatures that have True Sight or True Seeing active to automatically resist the effects of Nature's Beauty, since the spell is effectively an illusion that kills and blinds.

Component 466: Make Shield of Archons absorb more spell levels (equivalent to cleric level)

This component improves this spell such that it has equal level of spell absorbtion as that of the cleric level (20 for BG, 30 for IWDEE).

Component 467: Make Sunray be able to kill undead regadless of their magic damage resistance

This component makes the spell usable against undead, even if they're immune to magic damage resistance (or very resistant). It should inflict now 100% of the health in damage, and as such, killing them always. Additionally, magic resistance does not affect the spell.

Component 468: Rebalance Call Lightning's damage and scaling

This spell is quite powerful, up to 4 bolts dealing 20-160 (or half when saved) damage each. I am bothered it doesn't scale up to level 20, it stops at level 18 (dealing 20d8 for bolt), which is understandable for balance reasons (unlike other spells where it makes little sense like Glyph or Warding or Phantom Blade).

Therefore, I rebalanced it so it starts out dealing a bit less damage, and it builds up until 20 until it deals a similar amount of damage as vanilla at level 18. It will also bypass Magic Resistance, because this spell is simply a druid beckoning the skies to throw lightning bolts at something, not magical energy coming out from the druid. Specifics:

• It starts out dealing 7d6+7 electric damage (from 7d8)
• Every level thereafter up to level 18, the dice number thrown increases by 1 and the extra damage increases by 1. For example, next level, you would deal 8d6+8 electric damage (from 8d8).
• When reaching level 18, the maximum damage would be 20d6+20 electric damage (from 20d8), i.e. 40-140 vs. 18-144.
• After level 18, only the extra damage will increase, improving by 2 at level 19, and by 3 at level 20, ending with a maximum damage of 20d6+25 electric damage.
• Final comparison of maximum possible damage (with save failed and no resistances) at level 20: 45-145 vs. 20-160

In summary: higher minimum damage, more moderate scaling, bit lower maximum damage, and magic resistance has no effect.

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Class/Kit-related Tweaks

Component 2100: Make Sun Soul Ray from Sun Soul Monks damage improve slightly and do more damage to undead

The maximum damage normally grows up to 6d8 at level 12, adding 6 damage to undead, which is a very small bonus that doesn't scale. Now this bonus against undead increases by 2 points every time the power is upgraded.

Component 2110: Make Sun Soulbeam do more damage to undead: 12d6 instead of just 3 more damage than baseline.

The difference in damage between non-undead and undead in vanilla is 9d6 vs. 9d6+3. It's really not a meaningful difference. Therefore, the damage to undead will now be 12d6, i.e. up to 72 damage instead of 57, which I think is okay for a once-per-day ability anyway.

Component 360: Make Etheral Retribution do more damage per round: 6d6 per round instead of 3d8

Three rounds of 3d8 for a Quest/level 10 spell is hilariously bad, despite the possibility of sapping some Strength with a Save vs. Spell that doesn't even have a penalty. Now it does 6d6 magic damage per round at least, and the Strength-sapping effect has a -2 penalty now.

Component 2111: Make Shaman's Writhing Fog slightly more powerful

This improves this spell by making it cause 1d3+1 cold damage, whose dice size improves by 1 every level after level 3, until it becomes 1d10+1. The Slow effect, additionally, triggers with a 50% chance, not a 20% chance.

Component 2112: Make Shaman's Spirit Fire slightly more powerful

This makes the damage of this spell scale better: it deals 1d4+1/level, up to 12d4+12 magic damage (24-60 damage). Additionally, the 33% Doom effect no longer requires a saving throw, it's based on probability only.

Component 2113: Make Shaman's Spiritual Clarity induce more clarity (removes berserk and intoxication too)

Self-explanatory. Additionally, it improves the speed of the spell from 9 to 6.

Component 2120: Make War Cry inflict fear with a -2 Saving Throw penalty

War Cry as an HLA is bad enough, but this makes it at least have a more reasonable chance of affecting creatures by the time you get this power.

Component 2130: Make Set Spike Trap do piercing damage instead of magic damage

Because it's rather strange that it does magic damage and makes you wonder why the thief would have the ability to do this. (To be fair, the same could be said for the Time Stop trap). Rogue Rebalancing, SCS, and ToF also do this.

Component 2140: Make Exploding Trap do slightly more damage: 15d6 as opposed to 10d6

I feel like 10d6, which is the same damage of the Fireball spell at max level, is very low for an HLA, so now it's 15d6.

Component 2150: Make selected kit HLAS unable to be breached.

I do not find abilities that tap into "inner strength" or pure skill-based physical abilities a candidate for breach. What exactly is the spell supposedly dispelling? That's my take.

Therefore, the following abilities are no longer breachable:

• Evasion
• Improved Evasion
• Assassination
• Avoid Death
• Hardiness
• Resist Magic

Component 2160: Make Quivering Palm slightly more powerful at high levels

I really dislike things that scale poorly or not at all. This makes Quivering Palm saving throw penalty improve to -1 at level 18 and to -2 at level 26. Additionally, the effect lasts 7 seconds, up from 5 seconds, to give more leeway.

Component 2170: Make the THAC0 progression of Thieves better and more streamlined, so they improve up to 6, like clerics

Among many of the manifestations of the Baldur's Gate series' undying hate for thieves is that their THAC0 sucks. A LOT. Barely better than wizards. This improves the progression such that it can reach 6, like clerics. The progression follows this type of sequence: 20-19-19-18-17-17-16-15-15-14....

Component 2180: Make the THAC0 progression of Bards better and more streamlined, so they improve up to 6, like clerics

Refer to component 2170 for reasons. Applies the same bonus to Bards, who also have had their power sucked away by the game.

Component 2190: Make Poison Weapon improve couple of times more every 4 levels (level 17, and 21)

This makes Poison Weapon more powerful and reliable at high levels. At level 17, the save penalty improves to -3, lasts for 27 seconds, and the immediate poison damage increases to 8. At level 21, the save penalty improves to -4, lasts for 30 seconds, and the immediate poison damage increases to 10.

Component 2200: Allow Blackguards to perform backstabs as if they had a 2x backstab multiplier

Self explanatory. It depends on the spell granting negative plane protection.

Additionally, it allows a certain Blackguard in SoD to perform backstabs if the conditions are met, even if a component in this mod is reducing the backstab damage to their weapon.

Component 2210: Light proficiency overhaul

This tiny overhaul addresses primarily something that has bothered me forever about proficiency progression, which is the weird jump in THAC0 from 2 proficiency points to 3. Therefore:

• 1 proficiency point: No penalty (vanilla)
• 2 proficiency points: +1 THAC0 and +2 Damage (vanilla)
• 3 proficiency points: +2 THAC0 and +3 Damage
• 4 proficiency points: +3 THAC0 and +4 Damage
• 5 proficiency points: +4 THAC0 and +5 Damage

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Creature Tweaks

Component 3010: Make inappropriately aligned creatures in BG2 more correct

This is a more correct alignment revision compared to Oversight's component, specifically aimed at the state of this problem in the latest version of BG2EE. A huge chunk of the alignment corrections in that component no longer apply, and some of them differ from BeamDog's correction. I left BD's corrections as long as they made sense, and I did not include edits that made no sense to me. For example:

• Making Cowled Enforcers evil
• Making some Amnian Guards evil
• Making the Spectator beholder evil. They're supposed to be Lawful Neutral. BD's corrections show that.
• I didn't make Melissan evil before the plot reveals her nature. It defeats the purpose of the deception and the twist.

I also added other creatures that I spotted that seem to be problematic too. For example, the skin dancer version of Rejiek is... Neutral Good. Ooookay.

It preserves the most egregious fixes for errors that still exist. Like Tolgerias being Chaotic Good. Yeah, right.

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Compatibility and Installation order

This mod should generally be installed after mods that add items to the game. If installed after, the tweaks in this mod that affect them will not be able to affect those.

As far as other mods that may affect spells or abilities, it should be okay because the modifications are made through code and not file replacements, but if there is a philosophical or conceptual difference in the design of the spell or ability it might make no sense to install both tweaks, so use your best judgement. For obvious reasons don't attempt to mix two tweaks that try to do the exact same thing, the results will be likely not what you expected.

Also I would suggest making this the first tweak mod to install, since other older more mature mods will likely handle the changes from vanilla game states better, since the code of this mod is less flexible than in those, such as Tweaks, SCS, and the like.

Notes for users & modders

This mod doesn't modify descriptions of items and spells automatically, every change is a total substitution of the text, and it only applies to tweaks that affect specific spells or items. I have preserved the original structure of information in such descriptions so that more mature mods that handle text content more precisely, can hopefully handle non-vanilla descriptions just fine. This is another reason why this mod should be the first tweak mod to be applied, at least in the current state. An overall change to descriptions is that if a component modifies an upgradable item, the upgraded version no longer loses the original, much more interesting description, they are both combined (for example, compare the description between Carsomyr +5 and Carsomyr +6).

And feel free to offer feedback if there are any bugs, criticize the code and offer better alternatives, if you want. I'm aware though that there are ineficiencies, like redundant checks and needless loop iterations, because I mostly wanted to get things working first, and I only just learned the scripting language. So yeah, those things may improve later, though as an user the difference will be of just a bunch of milliseconds.

Credits

• To BeamDog and Bioware for the game, obviously.
• CamDawg for spending significant time to explain details about how WeiDu works, sharing insights, helpful code, and other matters for modding
• DavidW for his great WeiDu tutorial
• Thanks to the developers of WeiDu, including the documentation
• And the IESDP, invaluable resource.
• People on Discord generally for their help, and the great modders out there that allowed their WeiDu code to be available publicly, like jmerry, Camdawg, 11jo, Argent77, Ardanis, DavidW, SubtleDoctor, among others.

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