Introduction

The Rogue Rebalancing mod is a gameplay modification for Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal. This mod strives to bring the Rogue classes (Bards and Thieves) and their respective kits closer to their Pen and Paper 2E AD&D incarnations. The mod is divided into multiple components all of which can be installed separately and are completely independent of each other. In so far, Rogue Rebalancing can restore proper dual-wielding skills to Bards and Thieves, revise some of the Bard and Thief kits and their respective high level abilities, add more items useful for Rogues to the game, slightly revise the merchant treatment of stolen goods, enhance the Shadow Thief opponents which the player faces while siding with Bodhi in chapter 2 and introduce a new challenging encounter with a party of Cyric's followers in chapter six. Some of the introduced changes will be applied immediately but, for best results, you should start a new game after installing this mod. More detailed descriptions of all mod components can be found in the documentation section of the Rogue Rebalancing website.


Relevant links

• Mod homepage
• Download locations
• Documentation
• Discussion forum
• Compatibility guide

I can highly recommend this mod, the changes are fairly seamless with the original game, and the Chosen of Cyric encoutner is one of the best fights in the game. I particularily like how I can do pretty much everything they can do without cheating, yet it still remains a difficult battle. No hacked resistances, infinite spells, cheating stats etc here.

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.6. In summary, this revision adds difficulty level scaling to the Chosen of Cyric encounter and the Shadow Thief improvements, improves compatibility with other BG2 mods (especially BGT and BGTuTu), corrects several errors which were present in v3.5 and adds a number of small improvements, optimizations and tweaks to the AI scripts of all characters and creatures which are a part of the Rogue Rebalancing mod. The first post in this thread has been updated and contains a full list of changes. As always, it is recommended to completely uninstall any old versions of this mod before installing the latest revision

Rogue Rebalancing has been updated to v3.61. In summary, this small revision adds the French translation to the mod and fixes a few minor issues. Here's the full list of changes:

What's new in v3.61

Core component changes:

• Added the French translation (courtesy of Graoumf)
• Fixed a small issue with Marina's AI script
• Fixed some minor dialogue errors
• Fixed missing RR folder icon

Changes to the Chosen of Cyric component:

• Added the French translation (courtesy of Graoumf)
• Charmed and Panicked opponents will no longer attempt to attack the party
• The inventory icon for Venduris' Shadow Wrap cloak is no longer missing

Changes to the Shadow Thief improvements component:

• Added the French translation (courtesy of Graoumf)
• Spells cast from scrolls by the Shadow Thief opponents are now disruptable and will be properly affected by Silence and Miscast Magic, as per PnP rules. (Note: spells cast from scrolls by the player remain non-disruptable and are unaffected by Silence and Miscast Magic, as in the unmodded game)
• Charmed and Panicked opponents will no longer attempt to attack the party
• The check for SimDing0's Quest Pack will now properly work on a Big Picture installation

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.7. In summary, this revision adds a new component which slightly revises the merchant treatment of stolen goods, further improves compatibility with (Easy)TuTu and BGT, allows single-classed thieves to side with Bodhi and brings several mod components even closer to PnP AD&D. The first post in this thread has been updated with the full list of changes.

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.71. In summary, this small revision adds the Spanish translation (courtesy of Immortality and Clan DLAN), restores a missing journal entry to Arledrian's quest and resolves a small compatibility issue with the Song and Silence mod.

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.8. In summary, this revision adds the proper (PnP) Bard spell progression table as an optional component, makes some minor adjustments to the Swashbuckler thief kit, adds an option to make the bonuses from potions which increase thieving skills non-stackable, resolves the compatibility issues which previously caused the "Shadow Thief Improvements" and the "Chosen of Cyric" components to conflict with a few other mods and further improves the AI of the CoC and STI opponents. Note: it is now mandatory to start a new game after installing the Rogue Rebalancing mod, otherwise you will miss the bulk of the new content which it introduces. The first post in this thread has been updated with the full list of changes.

Congratulations on the new release, aVENGER!

An interesting point:



Improved Anvil does it the other way round: Changes the description to match the spell's de facto duration.

- In the vanilla game, the spell's duration is 5 turns while the description says 24 hours. (iconsistent)

- If a player install Rogue Rebalancing alone, the spell's duration and description will both be 24 hours. (consistent)

- If a player installs Improved Anvil alone, the spell's duration and description will both be 5 turns or 1 hour. (consistent)

- But if a player installs both mods, the spell's duration will be 24 hours while its description says 5 turns. (inconsistent again but this time the other way round)

It's not a problem, if IA requires the spell to last 5 turns feel free to change it back. I merely fixed it in order to ease the stealth path through the STI encounters, but that can be accomplished with other means as well.

OTOH, the 24 hour duration is per PnP rules, but I understand if you want to make it last less for balance reasons.

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.81. In summary, this update resolves a few compatibility issues with other mods and fixes several minor bugs. Here's the full list of changes:


Core component changes:

• The "Revised Thievery" component can now be installed on (Easy) TuTu and Classic Adventures (Note: on those installations only the "non-stacking potions" part of the component works)
• The Jester's innate trait "Fool's Luck" will now correctly apply the +5% bonus to the Pick Pockets skill
• Fixed a duplicate response in one of Arledrian's dialogue branches and made some minor tweaks to his AI script
• Fixed a duplicate response in one of Gaelan's dialogue branches
• Greagan's Harp was erroneously usable by Monks

Changes to the Chosen of Cyric component:

• Fixed a bug which could sometimes prevent Venduris, Grok and Bodak from becoming invisible during one of the encounter resolution cutscenes
• Fixed a bug which sometimes prevented Grok from switching between his weapons
• Resolved a minor incompatibility issue with the Improved Anvil mod

Changes to the Shadow Thief Improvements component:

• Resolved some minor script conflicts which could previously occur when other AI-enhancing mods were installed. For example, several Shadow Thief opponents were unintentionally getting additional potions from both "Shadow Thief Improvements" and "Sword Coast Stratagems II". This has been fixed, and they will now only receive one set of potions
• Fixed a bug which could cause the Spell Sequencer cast by a Zhentarim Mercenary to crash the game under rare circumstances
• Fixed a bug in Aran Linvail's AI script which could occasionally cause him to stand idle for a short while
• Made some minor script tweaks

Note: if you currently have Rogue Rebalancing v3.8 installed then you won't have to start a new game after updating to v3.81. Otherwise, starting a new game is required in order for all components to work properly.

Happy holidays everyone! The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.82. In summary, this small maintenance update resolves a few compatibility issues with other mods, fixes several minor bugs and further enhances the AI scripts of all characters which are altered or introduced by this mod. Here's the full list of changes:


Core component changes:

• Fixed a bug which could trigger some of the NPC interjections at the wrong places in Arledrian's and Marina's dialogues in case other mods had previously altered them
• Giving a potion to Arledrian while he is wounded will no longer deplete an entire stack of potions of the same type
• Slightly revised the saving throw penalties of the Bounty Hunters' Special Snares
• Main readme updated to SHS format

Changes to the Chosen of Cyric component:

• During the cutscene at the City Gates the party's spell protections were dispelled a few seconds before Venduris had actually started his incantation. This has been fixed and the dispelling will now occur precisely at the intended time
• Fixed a bug in Zaeron's script which could occasionally prevent him from attacking valid targets. Furthermore, Zaeron will no longer request Bodak's aid if Bodak has already been killed
• If any of the Chosen of Cyric characters become charmed or feebleminded Bodak will attempt to remove the effect by targeting them with Arrows of Dispelling
• In case Venduris, Zaeron or Bodak become blinded they will no longer attempt to hide in shadows while they are still within the visual range of the party
• The stun chance of the Stormcharged Axe has been reduced to 10% and its electrical damage bonus was reduced to 1d3 points per hit
• Selina and Zaeron's Spell Sequencers have been slightly revised in order to put more emphasis on protection and defense
• Made some minor AI tweaks

Changes to the Shadow Thief Improvements component:

• The Shadow Thieves guarding the captured informant on the top floor of the guildhall have been slightly repositioned. It is now possible to sneak past them and reach Palern unnoticed should you prefer a stealth approach. Once you get to Palern, you can help him escape without alarming the guards by either giving him a Potion of Invisibility or by casting an Invisibility spell on him
• Blinded Shadow Thieves will no longer attempt to hide in shadows while they are still within the visual range of the party
• It is no longer possible to receive the bonus XP for stealing Gaelan's key if he has already been killed
• Removed a few superfluous ambient sound references from the guildhall basement area script
• The Spell Sequencers of several Shadow Thief spellcasters have been slightly revised in order to put more emphasis on protection and defense
• Added an incompatibility warning message which prevents the installation of this component in case the "Check the Bodies" mod is detected
• Made some minor AI tweaks

Note: if you currently have Rogue Rebalancing v3.8 or v3.81 installed then you won't have to start a new game after updating to v3.82. Otherwise, starting a new game is required in order for all components to work properly.

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.9. In summary, this release adds several new items to the game, revises some of the items which were introduced in the previous versions of the mod, further expands the "Revised Thievery" component with an option to use the PnP variety of thievery potions and enhances all AI scripts that are used in Rogue Rebalancing through Detectable Spells. In light of these changes, the compatibility with other mods and the recommended install order for Rogue Rebalancing have changed. Please consult the revised Compatibility Guide for more details.

Special note for Improved Anvil players

Unfortunately, as of v3.9 and above, due to the use of Detectable Spells Rogue Rebalancing is no longer compatible with Improved Anvil.

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.91. In summary, this minor update improves the compatibility with the "EasyTutu" and "Beyond the Law" mods, fixes a few small bugs and updates Detectable Spells to the most recent version. Here's the full list of changes:


Core component changes:

• Resolved a conceptual incompatibility issue between the "Additional equipment for Thieves and Bards" component of Rogue Rebalancing and the "Beyond the Law" mod. In order to prevent the incompatibility, Arledrian's new quest which is introduced by Rogue Rebalancing will not occur if Kova or Kiyone are in the party
• Some G3 BG2 Fixpack content was erroneously mirrored on EasyTutu installations through Rogue Rebalancing. This will no longer occur as EasyTutu already contains those fixes
• Fixed some minor cosmetic issues with the Mass Charm, Enthralling Melody and Sound Burst HLAs
• Reduced the "casting" range of the Bounty Hunters' Special Snares to 1. In effect, this means that the Special Snares can no longer be thrown across the screen
• The Blade's "Weapons Display" ability will no longer be affected by spell failure, dead magic and wild magic zones
• Updated Detectable Spells to the latest available version (the same as in SCSII v7)
• Made some minor code optimizations

Changes to the Chosen of Cyric component:

• Spell Triggers/Sequencers which contain hostile spells will now properly break the Invisibility (but not Improved Invisibility) of enemy spellcasters who employ them
• Updated Detectable Spells to the latest available version (the same as in SCSII v7)
• Made some minor code optimizations

Changes to the Shadow Thief Improvements component:

• If the party chooses the stealth path, the alarm in the Shadow Thief guildhall basement won't be activated automatically upon entering the area. In that case, deviating from the stealth path (i.e. by taking any hostile actions and/or triggering certain traps) will raise the alarm instead
• After he is freed, Tizzak will attempt to hide in shadows and quietly sneak out of the guildhall without alerting any opponents who may be nearby
• Spell Triggers/Sequencers which contain hostile spells will now properly break the Invisibility (but not Improved Invisibility) of enemy spellcasters who employ them
• Updated Detectable Spells to the latest available version (the same as in SCSII v7)
• Made some minor code optimizations

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v3.92. In summary, This small maintenance release fixes a couple of stray bugs, improves the compatibility with the One Pixel Productions mod and updates Detectable Spells to the latest available version. Here's the full list of changes:


Core component changes:

• The Lingering Bard and Skald songs will no longer erroneously stack multiple times before expiring
• The base price for Sparkburst has been increased
• The compatibility with the One Pixel Productions mod has been improved. The "Legacy Shields - Bucklers" component of that mod will now be automatically detected and utilized as long as it is installed before Rogue Rebalancing
• Updated Detectable Spells to the latest available version (the same as in SCSII v8)

Changes to the Chosen of Cyric component:

• After spending all of his invisibility potions, Venduris would sometimes stand around idly instead of attempting to hide in shadows. This has been rectified
• Venduris' Ring of Concealment no longer erroneously protects the wearer from the Glitterdust spell and now properly protects the wearer from the Oracle spell
• Updated Detectable Spells to the latest available version (the same as in SCSII v8)

Changes to the Shadow Thief Improvements component:

• On certain occasions, Aran Linvail's Mislead clone would remain stationary instead of running away. This issue has been rectified
• Updated Detectable Spells to the latest available version (the same as in SCSII v8)

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v4.0. In summary, this major release further revises the Thief and Bard HLA tables and tweaks their respective kits a bit further. Optionally, Rogue Rebalancing can now restore the proper PnP racial adjustments for thieving skills and allow Cromwell and Cespenar to upgrade some of the items which are introduced or altered by this mod. The first post in this thread has been updated with the complete list of changes.

The Rogue Rebalancing mod has been updated to v4.1. In summary, this minor release alters the Alchemy and Scribe Scrolls HLAs in order to make them more customizable. Characters using these abilities can now choose which potion/scroll they wish to create. Furthermore, this update gives characters a chance to talk their way out of trouble after failing to steal an item from a store. The new dialogue options which make that possible are dependant on the character's mental attributes. Here's the full list of changes:


Core component changes:

• The Alchemy HLA has been slightly revised. Characters using this ability can now choose which potion they wish to brew. However, the raw material cost for brewing a potion must now be paid and the ability can no longer be used in a hostile environment (i.e. during combat). Furthermore, Bards can now brew certain potions that Thieves cannot and vice versa
• The Scribe Scrolls HLA has been slightly revised. An arcane spellcaster using this ability can now scribe any spell that he can cast onto a scroll. However, the costs for any raw materials that are used in the process must be paid and the ability can no longer be used in a hostile environment (i.e. during combat)
• The "Revised Thievery" component now gives characters a chance to talk their way out of trouble after failing to steal an item from a store. These dialogue options are dependant on the character's mental attributes

Changes to the Chosen of Cyric component:

• Resolved a minor compatibility issue with the "Maximum HP for all creatures in the game" component of G3 BG2 Tweaks. That component previously altered the hit points of a specific character who is supposed to die during a cutscene sequence. This will no longer occur
• Minor code optimizations

Changes to the Shadow Thief Improvements component:

• Minor code optimizations

Changes to the Upgradeable Equipment component:

• Cromwell can now upgrade the Keeper of the Law if you bring him a Brine Potion
• Fixed a harmless response duplication in Cromwell's Returning Frost Dart upgrade dialogue