Here area few ideas I had concerning the improvement - make it a tweak - of some Bioware NPCs which deserve some love in my opinion. It's pretty messy as I just write ideas down as they come. I'll try to make this a bit more readable at some point.

I know there are many things in project or to be done already, so I'm rather trying here to open a discussion which is to be taken in a "long run" point of view.

I'm almost at the end of a run that includes Mazzy for the first time in my party, and I really, really enjoyed the kit she's been given. As I said it already somewhere else, it's extremely lore-friendly, balanced and truly useful for any party. That's this kit I have in mind when I think of how other Bioware NPCs could be somehow remade to make them fit the wonderful IA engine better.
Valygar is a great example too, even though I'd have liked something maybe closer to a Wizard Slayer to get into his actual background even more, but his kit is great nevertheless (the "prepared for" thingie especially).

Anyway, the first Bioware character that really comes to my mind is Viconia. And with her, the "why do I need a pure cleric in my party when a dual or multi is so much stronger ?" question.
As I've played R/C in my runs, and as I recall having read the way people on this forum play them, it seems obvious that their dedicated to a main tank role, the ranger part giving the almighty Iron Skins spell.


Viconia

Keeping that in mind, and considering Viconia inherent magical resistance, I thought of a possible future for cleric that'd make them fully dedicated to tanking. As a matter of fact, Anomen's IA improved shield kind of pictures this idea already, with all the imunities it brings. If you party gets into some nasty "save or this fight becomes a chaotic mess" situation, cleric should be the last man-woman standing.

That's why I think Viconia could be a good template to work on, as her stats are definitely suboptimal (but her dexterity), and she could hardly be defined as a frontline "warrior".
Since I was starting my point with a comparison between R/C and pure cleric, I found that the Prestige Class (so we're not in 2.5 AD&D anymore but it sounds cool) the Nightcloak was pretty fitting to what I intend to present regarding Viconia :

"The nightcloak is a special prestige class for clerics and rangers who worship Shar. Nightcloaks serve Shar in a variety of capacities such as helping her hide knowledge, search for her enemies, and using the Shadow Weave to increase her power. Most nightcloaks possess great charisma and intelligence, a powerful combination to manipulate ignorant nobles and commoners alike to bring about events pleasing to Shar's vision of the end of all existence." (Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 198)

Hence my idea to base a priest kit on shadow/darkness magic/summoning and illusion spells - which both fit a Sharran and Drow character.
For example, Viconia could have access to invisibility spells (hence more AC and saves) and a personnal summon that improves with level (Clan Hunter - like, but squishier, with effects on hit).
The camouflage spell Cernd gets at lvl 7 gives a nice idea of the option I try to explore here on Viconia. I also thought of access to SI : Divination, but that's maybe too strong - she can't cast PFMW though.
The Dark Moon Monk kit also is dedicated to Shar, so we could get some working line here (even though his abilities are definitely more of a flavour in IA).

There is also this question of Iron Skins, which makes the R/C so attractive. I don't know how this could be implemented on a cleric, but a high level spell for Viconia could include a skin-like effect through shadows. I suggested on another topic a hardiness-like ability, shadow-based : a mantle of thick shadows that improves AC and reduces damage taken, while being removed hit after hit like the iron skins spell. On the other hand, the fact that a character cannot be interrupted by hits when under skin is part of what makes it attractive too.

Overall, it kind of looks like a thief/mage/cleric mix, so it would just be fair, for discretion purposes, to limitate the use of armor to those usable by thieves.

As for the resilience/tankiness part, a bonus to AC and some saves that grows with levels would make sense, assuming the Nightcloak is shrouded by shadows as he grows in power.

Ideas for a Nightcloak kit - an Illusion-oriented cleric

I gathered some ideas and tried to make something balanced out of this, based on term of power on the bonuses and items a character like Cernd gets from being an Auramaster.
Here are some lines of it, each meant to be discussed, it's rather to give a general picture of a kit dedicated to tanking, while definitely giving up on the melee damage potential of a R/C.

Due to their connexion to the plane of shadows, Nightcloaks are naturaly immune to level drain, but it comes at the price of draining their strength (-2) and constitution (-4) and their hit dices is only d6 (instead of the usual d8 for clerics). Furthermore, the connexion getting stronger as the Nightcloak grows in level, he looses permanently 1 point of strength every 6 levels of experience (which cannot be compensated by items such as Vengeance Trolls str-drain or Jaheira's harper call). This inherent physical weakness prevent them from wearing heavy armor, and they're limited to the use of armor allowing to hide in shadows.

Nightcloaks are shrouded in shadows, naturaly granting them the bonuses to AC and saves of Invisibility (+2 AC/+2 saves at lvl 11) and Improved Invisibility (+4AC/+4 saves at lvl 20 - or whatever level they get HLAs at). These bonuses don't stack with each other, but do stack with the use of Invisibility spells (+8AC/+8 saves is kinda strong but that's my point on clerics there. And Cernd gets +4 on both from his cloak real early). Could also be a +1AC/+1saves every 6 levels (to stick with the loss of 1 strength).

The cult they vow to their godess, and her implication in the Weave, grants them access to the illusion school of profane magic. They hence gain the use of the following spells :
- Blur
- Blindness
- Mirror Image
- Invisibility
- Improved Invisibility
- Shadow Door
- Twin Shadow (lvl 7 spell or HLA - simulacrum like) OR/AND (as HLA) Summon Phantasmal Killer (could be like and improved version of a Nishruu - or a lesser version of the phantasmal killer from vagrant Good Bad & Ugly illusionnist fight)

I also thought of the access of something like (pick one, not all ofc. But they're real strong by themselves) :
- Inherent Non-Detection (at lvl 11)
- Can cast SI : Divination (at lvl 13)
- Inherent Immunity to Divination school (absolutely overpowered tbh - as a HLA that works as a passive effect like UAI - and isn't it like the Non-Detection effect by itself ?)

To fit in the Sharran background, also thought of (-20 -50%) penalty to fire resistance, (20-50%) bonus to cold resistance, evoluting with level. More of a disadvantage given the number of fire-based spells in comparison to cold ones.

As for a Iron/Stone Skins like effect, maybe it could be implemented as an innate ability :

Shadow Mantle (1 use per 6 levels) : "As s/he calls for his/her goddess' help, the shroud of shadow surrounding the priest thickens and protects him from physical attacks such as melee weapons and projectiles."
Then, it's just like Iron Skins for the number of hits taken per level and such and instead of having the grey effect on the character, it could go like pitch black (+ blur effect ?).


Divine Magic in general and ideas on clerics itemization

Apart from Greater Restoration (and raise dead let's be honest), clerics feel like druids on the rest in IA. Yet, they tend to be much more into the fray than their nature lovers counterpart (Avenger Kit excepted, so I'm just refeering to Auramaster here, what else would you play anyway ? And Cernd is a totally viable tank somehow).
I wouldn't find ridiculous that clerics would get some damage reduction abilities (just like Cernd does with aura of invulnerability), or even an inherent Armor of Faith effect (like Mazzy's shield) when they reach some level. After all, they're supposed to be supported by some deities.

That could be implemented on the holy symbol they get at lvl 25 (maybe add a Cromwell option that includes the symbol itself that makes it a truly viable ring. To forge with a +3 ring like Nalia's).

Holy Symbol of XXX
Ring + 3
Scroll of Memory Boosting
Ring of Holiness
100 000 gp
( + Ring of Human Influence - not necessary, just feels nice to have to dump some good item - could go with Maze Wardstone to prevent upagrading Cernd's staff in exchange if he's in team)

> Aegis of XXX
+ 20% Magic Resistance
+2 Strength +2 Wisdom + 2 Charisma (or just Charisma set at 20, for turning undead purposes... would make sense if ring of human influence is wasted)
+3 AC/Saves bonus
Wearing can memorize 2 additionnal spells per level (pretty much like Jaheira's Amulet, Neera's Robe and so on)
(could go for 1 more additional minor bonus based on the deity such as a 20% resistance to an element or 5% damage reduction ? Why not fiting the Armor of Faith effect there like Mazzy's shield ? That's not a "minor" bonus though)


Maybe Mace of disruption could be an ingredient to forge a minor version of Hesperus - only usable by clerics - with a "Shield of the Archon" clickie instead of the immunity to level drain (which could possibly be upgraded to a version including the immunity to level drain effect as expensive as Hesperus is. But honestly who forges Hesperus ? : p The hardest undead fight of the game is gone once you can make it, and it's slashing anyway (yay, I can one-shot mummies : p ).

Something like :

Mace of disruption +1
Bone Club +2 (so it's a post-spellhold item anyway and by that time cleric has access to Shield of the Archon)
Skullcrusher +3
Mace +3 (to be forged through 2xMace +2, permanency scroll and Scroll of Magical Weapon)
Holy Symbol of Amaunator
3 scrolls of Minor Disruption
1 scroll of Disrupt Undead
5 scrolls of lesser restauration
75 000 gp

> Mace +4 : Deathbane (so it's a +4 weapon for its post-spellhold purpose on hitting some things)
+4 to hit +6 vs. undeads
1D6 + 5 + 10 vs. undeads
+3 to AC vs. undeads
With each successful hit there is a 20% chance to minor disrupt (as per the lvl. 4 spell)
With each successful hit there is a 5% chance that a Sunray (as per the lvl 7 spell) is cast from the wielder
Cast "Lesser Restoration" x 3 per day
Cast "Shield of the Archons" x 1 per day

Only usable by : Good-aligned single-class Clerics

(the very high chance to proc the on-hits effect being compensated by the horrid APR and THAC0 of a single-class cleric - otherwise 10% and 2% seem more fiting).


Ideas to be developped :

Aerie as a "caring" version of the Auramaster (fits Aerie personality IMO), a kit that would rely on fast casting like Cernd (Aerie is half a mage after all) but mostly dedicated to healing (dunno what she could do more than Cernd though). I really like the Natural Restoral HLA druids get, and I could see a priest able to buff everyone from a distance (if only my mages could throw PFME from far away : p)

Anomen as a Avenger-like version of the cleric, with abilities to turn him into a true Juggernaut to compensate his lack of Iron Skins - this would work if he was accepted to the Radiant Heart Order.
It's not really 2.5 AD&D-friendly, but since clerics of helm get the ability to summon a sword, maybe he could be granted access to long/bastard/two-handed swords and be able to wield Carsomyr (and be immortal too, immune to everything with 100% undroppable resistance to everything). Kidding there of course, but him benefiting from some paladin-like stuff would make sense to me.
I'm thinking of the protector's kit as an inspiration too, as Helm is the "Watcher", god of bodyguards, guards and so on... So the bodyguard playstyle Valygar gets would really fit a Watcher of Helm.