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.

[SparrowJacek]

Do you guys have any ideas, how to make Cleric kits a viable choice? Right now, no matter how I look at it, R(9)/C is just far superior. More health, more spells(IRON SKINS!), more proficiencies, better weapon specialisation... Cleric kits would need to be very powerful, to match that.

[pekkae]

Do you guys have any ideas, how to make Cleric kits a viable choice? Right now, no matter how I look at it, R(9)/C is just far superior. More health, more spells(IRON SKINS!), more proficiencies, better weapon specialisation... Cleric kits would need to be very powerful, to match that.

Yes. . Though just one kit.

If I recall correctly the R/C isn't supposed to get skins, they just get druidic spells up until level 3 or so. They used to get but it was because of a bug in the game.

Would use Priest of Lathander as a Template. Here's random ideas that I think would fit the Cleric nicely without being OP.

So "Priest of Lathande" - Kit. Essenatially a buffer with good combat ability & tremendous casting & combat ability, especially against the undead. A specialist with "sword and shield - style" combat.

- Gets Boon of Lathander every 10 levels, gets one use of the ability on level 1.
- Boon of Latahndee: +1 APR, +2 (or +3) bonus to Thac0 and Damage and decreases casting time with -2. Negative plane protection. Lasts for 1 rd per 2 levels.
- Can use Blessed Bracers (while the R/C would not be able to)
- Single class Clerics gain mending (at start or at level 18 or so), so a number of buffs can be cast immediately (say something like AoF, protection from fire, resist fire & cold, protection from evil, negative plane protection, defensive harmony, chant, free action, protection from evil 10" radius bless, remove paralysis, aid, mental equillubrum + some additional useful ones and cleric's essential combat buffs so holy power + righteous magic). Right now cleric is an almost useless buffer in combat.
- "Armor or faith" is reverted back to the original armor of faith for Priest of Lathander (so bg2 vanilla AoF which is a lot more powerful than IA's AoF)
- Clerical abilities should work against IA's undead
- Introduce "mental equillubrum" for clerics as well
- Can put 2 prfiency points in "sword and shield style"
(Could put 3 proficiency points in "sword and shield style", where the Kit-specific additional * would give additional-1 against missiles (-5 AC total against missiles) + 10% physical resistance against missile damage). No-one ever uses the "sword and shield" -style, so it would be nice to see it in use + also fits nicely with this character.

HLA's

- Gains HLA of equal ability to Cernd's "Aura of Invulnerability" with a few uses daily
- Gains power attack HLA
- Gains HLA Spell Trigger (so can start a fight with false dawn + bolt of glory + repulse undead or so )

Additional bonuses at level 25 or so (don't recall exactly when the holy symbol is received but somewhere in the vicinity)...

- Gains new ability "Mind Clarity" (or something like that) which is just uninterrupted casting (so if it gets hit while casting casting isn't interrupted)
- Gians additional combat ability "blessed touch" against undead & demons (can also be a HLA); say undead/demons hit by cleric get -2thac0, -2damage,- 2ac for 5 rounds and it is cumulative. So Cleric can wear undead/demons down and remove the most potent physical attacks.
- Cleric's holy items they get at (level 25 or so?) should be upgradeable. Now they get +1STR +6&7th level spell. Something like elemental resistances, -3AC, Immunity to fear, +1 thac0, +1damage, +1 spell per level, +25% magic resistance and immunity to silence & grave silence should do it

Minuses

- Can't dual class
- Armour choices restricted to chain mails
- Can't use 2-handed weapons or missile weapons
- Can't put any proficiency points in "dual wielding", "2 handed weapon style" or "single weapon style"

Would be unique, useful and very powerful without being completely op. Also, this character can protect itself in combat in later stages and has very useful casting ability. And it can dish out damage as it should have fighter Thac0's & 5 APR's under IH with Boon of Lathander + Blessed Bracers.

It may also be easiest to buff their bonus abilities. Some last too short to begin with. Some are not useful to have in current IA.
I would have Hold Undead affect the new undead to some extent. Divine favor to last longer. Maybe have boon of Lathander scale through level and take away the stacking. Replace lightning bolt from Talos with at least a more party friendly alterbative. Scale stormshield with an extra bonus through levels. Scale Chaos of Battle differently.
Maybe add a third bonus to each that themes a bit.

And this would be very welcome as well. Cleric's undead breaking abilities should definitely be useful against IA's undead as well.

This post has been edited by pekkae: Oct 13 2022, 09:37 AM