Baldur's Gate & Baldur's Gate II Mod Thread

[octavius]

If it's your first playthrough, don't use any mods. Not just for "purity" sake, but for the sake of your own sanity.
They are all in quality far, far below the original. Except maybe "Ascension" mod by Gaider himself, but that's not fit for first playthrough either.

The mods that introduce new NPCs and lots overpowered items and spells, yes.
But BG1 NPC Project, Sword Coast Stratagems and the various fixpacks mods are quality mods.

You're probably right in BG1 department - I've only done vanillla BG2 + ToB playthroughs (and never encountered any bugs or problems there, so need need for fixpacks etc).

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to BG1.

BG2 doesn't really need any mods, except perhaps the Fixpack. Unfinished Business and SCS is nice too. And Ascension, I guess (I never completed ToB).

BG1 OTOH really needs mods like BG1 NPC Project and SCS to be more than a mediocre game, IMO.
And either EasyTuTu or BGT combined with a widescreen mod. Playing in 640x480 resolution on a 22' monitor is just too claustrophobic...

 

[Average Manatee]

https://plus.google.com/photos/1090...lbums/5631421170377993665/5631423856507429122
click on view all

Apparently it wasn't actually finished, this is just a preview of changes. Dunno if I should be happy or sad about that.

 

[waywardOne]

I like the Tweakpacks because I hate inventory management. Most of the retarded shit is completely optional.

 

[canakin]

Fucking Baldur's Gate refuses to run properly on my pc for some reason. Jagged fog of war and general choppiness everywhere. I tried to install Easytutu in order to convert the game to BG2 engine and make 3d acc. available but that isn't working either. I guess I will just play BG2 and skip the original.

 

[Grunker]

Or you could just use BGT.

Also, turn OFF 3D acceleration. It fucks up everything on newer systems.

 

[Ashery]

Anyone able to get SCS working without ToB? It seems as though there are some obscure files from ToB that EasyTutu will use during setup that are required by SCS.

 

[Xor]

For Baldur's Gate mods, I have two rules of thumb. Avoid all NPC mods like the plague, and avoid the so-called "mega mods" except Baldur's Gate Trilogy (which is really just recycling BG1 content). The rule revisions, bug fixes, and small content like a single area or shopkeeper mods are generally fine, just make sure you read their documentation so you know what you're getting.

Fucking Baldur's Gate refuses to run properly on my pc for some reason. Jagged fog of war and general choppiness everywhere. I tried to install Easytutu in order to convert the game to BG2 engine and make 3d acc. available but that isn't working either. I guess I will just play BG2 and skip the original.

You're honestly not missing much. BG1 doesn't have the sophisticated spell battles that make BG2's combat fun and memorable, and the plot isn't too exciting either. There are a lot of dungeons to explore, but few of them tie in with a big quest like in BG2. Overall the world feels more open, but emptier. Every time I play it I end up getting bored and rush to finish the plot as quickly as possible.

 

[Average Manatee]

Anyone able to get SCS working without ToB? It seems as though there are some obscure files from ToB that EasyTutu will use during setup that are required by SCS.

Why wouldn't you be using ToB? At this point it's pretty much assumed for mods, those don't break on installation without it may easily break during gameplay without it.

 

[Quetzacoatl]

For TOB get Wheels of Prophecy and Ascension.

 

[Ashery]

Anyone able to get SCS working without ToB? It seems as though there are some obscure files from ToB that EasyTutu will use during setup that are required by SCS.

Why wouldn't you be using ToB? At this point it's pretty much assumed for mods, those don't break on installation without it may easily break during gameplay without it.

Because I bought the games at release and never bothered to get their respective expansions? I tried both UG and public trackers to grab just the expansions but had shit luck re:finding working images, and so I'm not going to bother wasting another half day of my time in order to try and save 20$.

 

[joeydohn]

Anyone able to get SCS working without ToB? It seems as though there are some obscure files from ToB that EasyTutu will use during setup that are required by SCS.

Why wouldn't you be using ToB? At this point it's pretty much assumed for mods, those don't break on installation without it may easily break during gameplay without it.

Because I bought the games at release and never bothered to get their respective expansions? I tried both UG and public trackers to grab just the expansions but had shit luck re:finding working images, and so I'm not going to bother wasting another half day of my time in order to try and save 20$.

You want the GOG / Good Old Games' releases as they come with with the expansions and patches in a single (DRM free!) installer (most of the time anyway, some expansions aren't owned by the same people who own the original game etc.).

 

[Ashery]

Anyone able to get SCS working without ToB? It seems as though there are some obscure files from ToB that EasyTutu will use during setup that are required by SCS.

Why wouldn't you be using ToB? At this point it's pretty much assumed for mods, those don't break on installation without it may easily break during gameplay without it.

Because I bought the games at release and never bothered to get their respective expansions? I tried both UG and public trackers to grab just the expansions but had shit luck re:finding working images, and so I'm not going to bother wasting another half day of my time in order to try and save 20$.

You want the GOG / Good Old Games' releases as they come with with the expansions and patches in a single (DRM free!) installer (most of the time anyway, some expansions aren't owned by the same people who own the original game etc.).

That's what I'll likely end up doing, but that involves blowing 20$ on packages that include the base games that I already own and expansions that I don't have a strong desire to play for their content, but am instead required to buy for the misc. files/engine changes that the mods utilize.

 

[waywardOne]

That's what I'll likely end up doing, but that involves blowing 20$ on packages that include the base games that I already own and expansions that I don't have a strong desire to play for their content, but am instead required to buy for the misc. files/engine changes that the mods utilize.

This makes me wonder... Several mods rewrite ToB files, basically negating the need to have the originals. Then there are the various hacks and exe mods, which no one seems to mind distributing despite being equally as forbidden by typical EULAs as providing the exe itself. I'm thinking, if it wasn't a pain in the ass to organize, someone could provide you with the ToB: Engine Upgrade and not need the derpy actual content. I'll let you know if I think of a way to do it.

 

[joeydohn]

Anyone able to get SCS working without ToB? It seems as though there are some obscure files from ToB that EasyTutu will use during setup that are required by SCS.

Why wouldn't you be using ToB? At this point it's pretty much assumed for mods, those don't break on installation without it may easily break during gameplay without it.

Because I bought the games at release and never bothered to get their respective expansions? I tried both UG and public trackers to grab just the expansions but had shit luck re:finding working images, and so I'm not going to bother wasting another half day of my time in order to try and save 20$.

You want the GOG / Good Old Games' releases as they come with with the expansions and patches in a single (DRM free!) installer (most of the time anyway, some expansions aren't owned by the same people who own the original game etc.).

That's what I'll likely end up doing, but that involves blowing 20$ on packages that include the base games that I already own and expansions that I don't have a strong desire to play for their content, but am instead required to buy for the misc. files/engine changes that the mods utilize.

The website you already mentioned has a button that let's you search for GOG releases specifically.

 

[Ashery]

That's what I'll likely end up doing, but that involves blowing 20$ on packages that include the base games that I already own and expansions that I don't have a strong desire to play for their content, but am instead required to buy for the misc. files/engine changes that the mods utilize.

This makes me wonder... Several mods rewrite ToB files, basically negating the need to have the originals. Then there are the various hacks and exe mods, which no one seems to mind distributing despite being equally as forbidden by typical EULAs as providing the exe itself. I'm thinking, if it wasn't a pain in the ass to organize, someone could provide you with the ToB: Engine Upgrade and not need the derpy actual content. I'll let you know if I think of a way to do it.

Oh, and I guess I fucked up on my searches on UG. I always restrict searches to title only, so I missed'em.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

So, looks like BGT is officialy confirmed to beat the shit out of anything BGEE team spits out. Which reminds me I need to reinstall BG. Any obligatory mods I should install or avoid?

Get swordcoast stratagems, unfinished business, questpack,and virtue. AVOID EVERY SINGLE MEGAMOD AND NPC MOD! There's also Tutu and BGT.

Hmm..Virtue seems to be a BG2 mod. Speaking of that, which BG2 mods are good and which should be avoided? Fixpack, Tweaks and SCSII seem to be enough, I think (not interested in BGT / Tutu). Saerileth Romance is a no brainer, ofc

 

[Johannes]

An unrelated BG2 question: Should liches be vulnerable to cloudkill? I've got SCSII, fixpack, unfinished business, ascension installed (in the correct order) and against my expectations they actually are hurt by it. They also don't do anything to clear it (with zone of free air) or to walk out of it - and afaik there's no spell that'd make you immune, either, apart from prot from poison scroll. So they get some steady damage done to them and also their spells are constantly interrupted, so makes them really easy since I have a recharged wand of cloudkill. Or does the immunity to 5th lvl or lower spells not apply to wands?
Well, I guess I should just go to SCSII forum for this regardless if it's a bug or not, but cba to register.

So, do you think this is standard behavior, and does this happen in your game (maybe my installation is just fuked somehow)?

 

[sgc_meltdown]

Should liches be vulnerable to cloudkill?

Cloudkill
(Evocation)

Range: 10 yds.
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 rd./level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 40 x 20 x 20 ft. cloud
Saving Throw: None

This spell generates a billowing cloud of ghastly yellowish green vapors that is so toxic as to slay any creature with fewer than 4+1 Hit Dice, cause creatures with 4+1 to 5+1 Hit Dice to roll saving throws vs. poison with -4 penalties or be slain, and creatures with up to 6 Hit Dice (inclusive) to roll unmodified saving throws vs. poison or be slain. Holding one's breath has no effect on the lethality of the spell. Those above 6th level (or 6 Hit Dice) must leave the cloud immediately or suffer 1d10 points of poison damage each round while in the area of effect.

Liches can themselves be hit only by weapons of at least +1, by magical spells, or by monsters with 6 or more Hit Dice and/or magical properties. The magical nature of the lich and its undead state make it utterly immune to charm, sleep, enfeeblement, polymorph, cold, electricity, insanity, or death spells. Priests of at least 8th level can attempt to turn a lich, as can paladins of no less than 10th level.

looks like 2E liches are vulnerable to dirty bomb terrorism

 

[Shannow]

It'd be so much easier to work with race-templates. Simply state that they're undead (and thus immune to poison) and save lots of text under monster descriptions.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

which BG2 mods

http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=104&Itemid=81
http://www.spellholdstudios.net/ie/sarevokromance
http://www.spellholdstudios.net/ie/edwin

http://www.spellholdstudios.net/ie/npcdamage
http://downloads.spellholdstudios.net/scrn/615-1206304493-npcdamage.jpg

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Viconia's nosebleed makes it look like she's thinking of new creative ways of submitting males to female drow superiority.

Also, obligatory

 

[octavius]

An unrelated BG2 question: Should liches be vulnerable to cloudkill? I've got SCSII, fixpack, unfinished business, ascension installed (in the correct order) and against my expectations they actually are hurt by it. They also don't do anything to clear it (with zone of free air) or to walk out of it - and afaik there's no spell that'd make you immune, either, apart from prot from poison scroll. So they get some steady damage done to them and also their spells are constantly interrupted, so makes them really easy since I have a recharged wand of cloudkill. Or does the immunity to 5th lvl or lower spells not apply to wands?
Well, I guess I should just go to SCSII forum for this regardless if it's a bug or not, but cba to register.

So, do you think this is standard behavior, and does this happen in your game (maybe my installation is just fuked somehow)?

Sounds like a bug to me. Liches are supposed to be immune to lvl 1 to lvl 5 spells, and as undead they should be immune to poison and similar "organic" effects.

 

[waywardOne]

Liches in BG2 are specificially excluded from being affected by 5th level or lower spells, significantly Breach, by LICH.ITM. BG2 couldn't give a fuck about PnP rules. Vanilla has it that way, and SCS maintains it. Something got messed up in your install.

 

[GarfunkeL]

WTF are those, Clockwork Knight? Emo goth version of BG2? Yikes.

 

[octavius]

Where does that Wand of Cloudkill come from anyway? Is it vanilla or from a mod?
You may want to check it in Infinity Explorer, and see how the spell from the wand differs from the regular spell.