Mod/Web Updates Options

[Marvin]

This sounds awesome!

If I get it right, the graphics and sounds will be added only by the tweaks, while the spellpack itself just alters/adds spells.
I think this is great especially when it comes to talking about compatibilty.


Marvin

[Galactygon]

Yes, SpellPack alters/adds spells without touching anything else - the exact features and overwritten files are covered in the readme per component. Changes to graphics and sounds to existing spells are mostly covered by tweaks. Some changes (where the spell itself is revamped enough to require new graphics) are covered by 'Pack instead of 'Tweaks. Examples are: Web, Flame Strike, Incendiary Cloud, Meteor Swarm.

-Galactygon

[Maanape]

Hi, it's great to see a new release of this mod. I have some suggestions, though. I think that would be better having water spells spread through levels, as the fire spells are, instead of stacking Produce Ice and Smashing Wave at level 5. Since there isn't a spell called smashing wave in Priest Spell Compendium, I think it should be carried to level 4, as a resembling spell called Striking Wave. Another suggestion is about Undead Ward - as per Priest Spell Compendium, it's not required that a priest can repulse undead to acess this spell. It's only required that (s)he can acess the ward sphere, and then the spell will work as if cast by a priest 2 levels lower.
Well, great job, hope that your conversation with the people of Divine Remix improve, it will be great to add more color and diversity to the priests, especially the druids, which are havilly nerfed by the sphere system (the vanilla spells left are too few for them). Cheers!

[Maanape]

What I meant with Undead Ward is: you should keep the druids able to cast it, since the Forgotten Realms druids get the wards sphere and the Priest Spell Compendium says nothing opposing to this.

[Galactygon]

Hi, it's great to see a new release of this mod. I have some suggestions, though. I think that would be better having water spells spread through levels, as the fire spells are, instead of stacking Produce Ice and Smashing Wave at level 5. Since there isn't a spell called smashing wave in Priest Spell Compendium, I think it should be carried to level 4, as a resembling spell called Striking Wave.

I modeled Smashing Wave after Striking Wave, with the difference being that you are standing on dry ground and you create the wave from nothing. Truth be told, IWD2 inspired me to use this as a level 5 spell. I am planning to carry over Ice Storm to Druids as a level 4 spell.

But I will consider what you said, and ask for more input: Should Smashing Wave be renamed and ported to level 4 and Ice Storm to level 5, or should Smashing Wave remain a level 5 spell, and Ice Storm be ported to level 4?

Another suggestion is about Undead Ward - ... ...and then the spell will work as if cast by a priest 2 levels lower.

I'll consider this too.

Well, great job, hope that your conversation with the people of Divine Remix improve, it will be great to add more color and diversity to the priests, especially the druids, which are havilly nerfed by the sphere system (the vanilla spells left are too few for them). Cheers!

Thanks for your comments and encouragement.

What I meant with Undead Ward is: you should keep the druids able to cast it, since the Forgotten Realms druids get the wards sphere and the Priest Spell Compendium says nothing opposing to this.

You are right. But I've decided to be consistent with vanilla's sphere system instead of being faithful to the FR's system (the sphere is wards is barred from druids in vanilla). I'm leaving this aspect up to Divine Remix; in the future new spells added by spell mods should be redistributed to the classes as per AD&D.

The problem is, talks are going really slow, we haven't agreed on a common format yet. So I'll ask you to nag Mike1072.

-Galactygon

[Maanape]

Oh, about the Smashing Wave spell, I noticed IWD Heart of Winter placed it as a 4th level spell as well! Maybe IWD2 moved it up just to grant some water spell due to the lack of Produce Ice... By the way, if you put Ice Storm as a level 5 spell, this may cause the player to make a choice between two ice spells, levaing one of then unused. Well, maybe it should be moved to level 6, as area spells tend to be higher leveled as the single targeted ones, and there's lack of water spells at level 6. But then I don't know if there's some spell like that at any PnP Book.
I refer to the books because I feel that as modders keep increasing the spell list, there must be a reference to all. I did saw some mods intended to implement 3e rules like Domain spells, and I think this would only totally mess the feel of the game, with few or none gains at all. And fortunetely, I sense you think like that too. Thanks for the reply!

[Maanape]

Hi! I was wondering, as you told you're trying to make Spellpack compatible with DR's sphere system, maybe you should aim to common and generalist spells, instead of specialty priest spells. As per sphere system, currently only a Silverstar of Selune can cast Numbers' spells. Many spells like Strom Shell, (Greater) Shield of Lathander, Elysium's Tears, are restricted and should only be granted to specialty priests of certain Deity. Instead of making deity special spells available to everyone (Striking Wave is an Umberlee's priest spell), wouldn't make more sense to have more generalist ones? I know you have your own preferences, but since the goal is to have an unique spell list working under a sphere system, having every generalist priest cast Spacewarp makes its uniqueness turned trivial. On the other hand, restricting the new spells to the specialists they belong may unbalance and maybe nerf the majority of priests, since almost everyone is a dual/multiclassed priest. That's why I'm begging for more generic priest spells.

[Galactygon]

Many spells like Strom Shell, (Greater) Shield of Lathander, Elysium's Tears, are restricted and should only be granted to specialty priests of certain Deity. Instead of making deity special spells available to everyone (Striking Wave is an Umberlee's priest spell), wouldn't make more sense to have more generalist ones? I know you have your own preferences, but since the goal is to have an unique spell list working under a sphere system, having every generalist priest cast Spacewarp makes its uniqueness turned trivial. On the other hand, restricting the new spells to the specialists they belong may unbalance and maybe nerf the majority of priests, since almost everyone is a dual/multiclassed priest. That's why I'm begging for more generic priest spells.

I'm designing the new priest spells with DR's sphere system and BGII's gameplay in mind. The problem is, many of the generic AD&D spells are suited for non-combat (like Speak with the Dead, for example). This leaves me with less AD&D spells to work with.

DR's biggest problem with its specialty priest kits is that with so many sphere restrictions, they can accommodate very few spells. This and the fact that the number of AD&D inspired spells are limited has convinced me to grab some deity-restricted spells in favour for more balanced and playable classes. Note that IWD is guilty of this as well (Alicorn Lance, Smashing Wave, etc.) I'm not going to give away all deity-restricted spells; I'd like to reserve some for specialty priest xyz. And allow them to use selected wizard spells.

I respect and remain consistent with vanilla's sphere restriction - SpellPack is not about changing the magic system of the game. If I restrict Spacewarp to a non-existant Specialty Priest of Selune kit, I'd have to restrict Physical Mirror too (which will get an overhaul in B7). I'm intentionally leaving this to a mod that deals with redistributing spheres - Divine Remix.

-Galactygon

[Galactygon]

A silent update of SpellPack B6 has been uploaded. This fixes several typos and inconsistencies in the readme, and fixes an obscure bug where the Dimension Door component fails to install if HIDESPL.2da has been biffed.

Relevant links:

• Download
• Readme

-Galactygon

[Marvin]

Any news on the Tweakpack that is suposed to be released separately?

thx,
Marvin

[Galactygon]

RL has been preventing me from finishing B1 by making it automatically handle SpellPack. Otherwise, in terms of modding, this is my highest priority.

-Galactygon

[Maanape]

Hello! I saw this new update for SP6. Does it have more changes to the contents besides the ones regarding Dimension Door, as stated at Spellhold Studios? And if I upgrade the TobEx to version 21, will it fix the Dimension Door behavior?

By the way, I want to report that Spider's Bane two-handed sword can't protect the wielder from being webbed. I don't know yet if that applies to free action sword/ring/spell/effects too, but then I'm not sure if free action should grant immunity to web as well.

[Marvin]

Nice to hear!

Don't let RL stress you out too much

[Galactygon]

Hello! I saw this new update for SP6. Does it have more changes to the contents besides the ones regarding Dimension Door, as stated at Spellhold Studios? And if I upgrade the TobEx to version 21, will it fix the Dimension Door behavior?

There are no content changes. This silent update fixed an obscure bug, where if the user biffed the override folder beforehand, the component would fail to install. This normally doesn't happen, as users would typically biff everything after the last mod was installed. If everything is running fine on your install, don't worry about this.

By the way, I want to report that Spider's Bane two-handed sword can't protect the wielder from being webbed. I don't know yet if that applies to free action sword/ring/spell/effects too, but then I'm not sure if free action should grant immunity to web as well.

Caught, thanks. Will be fixed for the next version.

-Galactygon

[Galactygon]

It has been many years since my last post in this thread and a year since the last post in this board.

But that doesn't mean nothing was done in the meantime. I have been tight-lipped but have actually been very busy with SpellPack B7 and a lot has been done. I am for the most part done except for lots bugfixing, spell icons, and writing the readme. I will also squeeze in a couple of extra PnP spells. With the help of EE's enhanced modding capabilities there will be lots and lots to look forward to!

For a taste of what is to come, see the description of Homonculus Shield which allows the caster to split his/her mind so that he/she temporarily gains the ability to simultaneously cast multiple spells per round!

[The Imp]

A silent update of SpellPack B6 has been uploaded. ... links:

• Download
• Readme

-Galactygon

Instead of this, could you please make a new thread in the forum, that has a version attached to the very first post, name the mod as SpellPack, the archive can retain the SpellPackB*.exe name convention, but not the mod itself, and add a version flag to the .tp2 file...
VERSION ~Beta *~
... and possibly add the tweak/fix the BW(S) Fixpack has for the mod, if it's still needed and you haven't dealt with the issue yet.

[Galactygon]

I am in the process of updating this mod and will start a separate thread for releases from B7 on. Thanks for the link; I will double-check whether those issues occur.

I still need to do a final round of bugchecking/fixing, new icons, and an improved readme.

This post has been edited by Galactygon: Nov 11 2017, 04:53 PM

[Salk]

I am sure B7 will be a milestone!