Suggestions for the coming release Options

[forthenature]

I’ve run through this game twice in the recent one and a half month. It is admirable that even I’ve played the mod so many times, it’s still attractive. I am very appreciate with the changes of the recent releases. I’m so glad that this mod is still under updating and I am quite looking forward for the next release. So here are my personal suggestions for it.
1.Relief the constraint on whether the protagonist is a necromancer.
The single factor that affects the difficulty and game experience of the mod most is whether the protagonist is a necromancer. I should admit that the adventure and item designed for necromancer is very fantastic and the battle with the Old Ones is one of my favourite. However, after so many tries I would like to start the game with other roles. Unfortunately, the game difficulty could be quite different, especially in the battle with the Great Wyrm. One way to do this is to make Memory of the Apprenti and Amulet of Hades available for all characters, or other wizard should have counter abilities against Greater Silence. As a trade off, necromancer should be nerfed. RVE is a bit too powerful for a necro that in late game you nearly need no other healing method.
2.Make cleric more powerful.
Just as I said, with RVE you nearly don’t need a healer in your party. And what makes things worse is that in the recent release druid over compete cleric from nearly all dimensions: stoneskin, new items and new kits, and more useful HLAs. So to maximize party fighting power, there is no room for a cleric. But cleric is one of my favourite role in the game(and also in other PRGs), so I would like it to be buffed in the next release. I think a single class cleric should be as the same attractive as Jaheira.
3.Make ranged weapons a choice.
Damage dealt by ranged weapons can be lower than melee weapons instead of no damage.
4.Make paladin more powerful.
Comparing to other warrior roles(ranger, barbarian, champion of arvoreen, risk breaker), paladin is far less attractive. It should be buffed a bit.
5.Nalia should be buffed
She should at least have access to the 9th level spells. And her first class and low wisdom make her not a good party member. But she is one of my favourite character.

These suggestions are ordered. And I do hope the first two to come true. I think they will be beneficial for further development of this mod.

[ed boy]

I feel that a major problem with clerics is that things they should be best at are done better by other classes. For instance, buffing is traditionally part of the Cleric class identity, but the best buff spells in the game are all arcane.

Adding spells to make clerics stronger is tricky - mage spells can be gated by limited scroll availability whereas cleric spells cannot. Unless there is a way to add cleric spells known by script, this makes giving late game cleric spells tricky without upsetting early to mid game balance.

The availability of Alacrity for Auramasters is a large part of what makes them outshine clerics so much. I would be hesitant to straight up give it to clerics without any hoops to jump through, but I feel like they need access to it to some degree (I also feel like it shouldn't be so easily given to Auramasters or Mages, but that's probably a separate conversation).

Some things that could be done to give cleric a better class identity and give a reason to include a cleric over something like a druid:

• Change Giant Strength (any maybe other buff spells) from a mage spell to a cleric spell
• Add a self-buff that increases APR (similar to Boon of Lathander, but not limited to a kit)
• New, stronger anti-undead or anti-outsider spells that are unique to clerics
• Cleric-unique ways of debuffing an enemy's elemental damage weakness (setting to exactly 90% resistance would open up a lot of strategies without opening up abuse by being stackable)
• Cleric-unique ways of buffing party members (eg +10% resistance to a damage type)
• New cleric ability/buff: Upon striking an enemy, gain alacrity and/or improved casting speed for 3 seconds
• New wish/RVE style spell with weaker initial choices, but more powerful options being unlocked as the game progresses/major enemies are defeated
• Pitre-style spells/abilities where other party members are protected but the cleric is made vulnerable and prioritized by enemies

I'm not suggesting all of these, but I feel that some combination of them could be used to give clerics a power level similar to other classes without making them feel too similar to the other classes.

[pekkae]

I feel that a major problem with clerics is that things they should be best at are done better by other classes. For instance, buffing is traditionally part of the Cleric class identity, but the best buff spells in the game are all arcane.

Adding spells to make clerics stronger is tricky - mage spells can be gated by limited scroll availability whereas cleric spells cannot. Unless there is a way to add cleric spells known by script, this makes giving late game cleric spells tricky without upsetting early to mid game balance.

The availability of Alacrity for Auramasters is a large part of what makes them outshine clerics so much. I would be hesitant to straight up give it to clerics without any hoops to jump through, but I feel like they need access to it to some degree (I also feel like it shouldn't be so easily given to Auramasters or Mages, but that's probably a separate conversation).

Some things that could be done to give cleric a better class identity and give a reason to include a cleric over something like a druid:

• Change Giant Strength (any maybe other buff spells) from a mage spell to a cleric spell
• Add a self-buff that increases APR (similar to Boon of Lathander, but not limited to a kit)
• New, stronger anti-undead or anti-outsider spells that are unique to clerics
• Cleric-unique ways of debuffing an enemy's elemental damage weakness (setting to exactly 90% resistance would open up a lot of strategies without opening up abuse by being stackable)
• Cleric-unique ways of buffing party members (eg +10% resistance to a damage type)
• New cleric ability/buff: Upon striking an enemy, gain alacrity and/or improved casting speed for 3 seconds
• New wish/RVE style spell with weaker initial choices, but more powerful options being unlocked as the game progresses/major enemies are defeated
• Pitre-style spells/abilities where other party members are protected but the cleric is made vulnerable and prioritized by enemies

I'm not suggesting all of these, but I feel that some combination of them could be used to give clerics a power level similar to other classes without making them feel too similar to the other classes.

Completely agree. The Cleric seems to sort of left behind and it's not even an optimal healer as druids & necro are much more adept at it than a Cleric.

I don't think there's need to make new anti-outsider / anti-undead spells, as cleric has a number of cleric specific spells - should be quite easy to rebalance them so that they work in ia + work against the new undead introduced by IA? (Though I know absolutely 0 about modding).

A few other ideas;

The Boon of Lathander is nice. It's also quite easy to make an early game powerhouse with it, if it would stack (like in vanilla bg2). As you could reach (without haste / ih) 3 APR's after level 10 with it (assuming you get it every 10 levels). That together with fast level progression and combined with a bonus of casting as few levels higher than the actual levels would mean great APR's, great Thac0 (though buffs) early game. Also great dispelling ability later on.

I really like the idea of debuffing elemental resistances as that would be unique to a cleric and quite useful.

Another idea would be t give cleric a HLA with long-lasting regen (undispellable). This would be a good addition.

I don't know how a cleric could protect itself in combat though as it only has nice AC. Perhaps reworking sanctuary-spell could be something useful?