Introduction
This modification is the offspring of existing patches in pre-ZETA versions of Baldur’s Gate Trilogy-WeiDU 0.99. It was decided that tweaks should be separated from fixes in order to keep BGT-WeiDU more faithful to the original Baldur’s Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast. Therefore, this package was borne to address the issues in the original Baldur’s Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast that were thought to be lacking.
The components of this modification are:
- Eldoth reminds of Skie’s ransom: Eldoth periodically reminds the player when to collect the ransom money for Skie, to save you forgetting to collect your money.
- DEPRECATED – Angelo notices Shar-teel: Father and daughter relationship saves the day when the party is captured by the Flaming Fist.
- DEPRECATED – Finishable Kagain caravan quest: Finding the son of Duke Entar Silvershield is not a futile wander unless the player waits too long...
- Add Semaj's Cloak and Upgraded Koveras' Ring of Protection: This component introduces Semaj’s Cloak, an item that used to be part of the classic Baldur’s Gate Trilogy modification. The cloak is imported into Shadows of Amn if the party has it upon transition. Also, Koveras’ Ring of Protection gets an upgrade when it is imported into Shadows of Amn.
- Major locations explored upon visit: Baldur’s Gate, Beregost, Candlekeep, Nashkel, and Ulgoth’s Beard begin fully explored.
- Druid/Ranger-responsive bears in BG1: Just like in Shadows of Amn, bears encountered in the Sword Coast will do no more than growl if a Druid and/or Ranger is nearby.
- Happy patch: Help NPCs find their inner happiness and party harmony... by making sure they never get annoyed by the party’s reputation! Two options are possible with this component:
- NPCs cannot choose to leave the party: the NPCs will never leave the party no matter how much they are repulsed by your inappropriate behaviour
- Only good and evil NPCs leave the party: good and evil NPCs will leave the party, but not other alignments
- Import more items into Shadows of Amn: This tweak allows the importation of the following items from Baldur’s Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast to Shadows of Amn - Greenstone Amulet, Wand of the Heavens, Ring of Protection +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise, Eagle Bow, Shadow Armor, Boots of Stealth, Bracers of Archery, Gauntlets of Dexterity, Light Crossbow of Speed, Ankheg Plate Mail, Cloak of Non-Detection, Ring of Wizardry, Full Plate Mail +1, Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Ring of Holiness, Cloak of Balduran, Ring of Fire Resistance, and Ring of Freedom. Please note that importation of these items WILL VERY LIKELY make Shadows of Amn much easier than usual, and as such installation of this component can be considered a cheat.
- Random activated traps in the pirate cave: Ever thought that tromping around in the cave guarded by Sil’s and her sirines was too easy? This component randomly activates existing inactive traps so that you will never know what to expect each time you re-install this component, unless your stupid thief disarms them all! Note that this component will have no effect if you load a save game where you had already visited the pirate cave before. There are two options for this component:
- Install-time randomisation: Different traps are set every time you re-install this component.
- Game-time randomisation: Different traps are set every time you first enter the pirate cave in your game.
- Bags of the Sword Coast: No, not scum, but containers. This component makes it easier for you to carry around your priceless gems, scrolls, ammo, potions, and whatever-you-wants with the space of just one inventory slot. But first, you will have to find them.
- Altered spawns: This component is suitable for those who do not like the current BGT-WeiDU method of fixed random monsters. There are several options for this component:
- TuTu-style levelled spawns: Random monsters appear depending on the level of the player. This component is similar to the spawns used by TuTu v6 beta (permission from Ghreyfain).
- Deactivate BGT-WeiDU spawns (spawns never appear): This removes random monsters in main areas altogether. However, random encounters in discrete areas still occur when travelling.
- Deactivate BGT-WeiDU spawns (spawns appear once): This removes respawning of random monsters in main areas, making them only appear once. Random encounters in discrete areas still occur when travelling.
- Arkion reacts to player’s reputation: This minor tweak simply prevents Arkion from asking a high reputation character to fetch a corpse for him from the sewers.
- Coran responds to the death of a wyvern: This component restores original unused dialogue reminding the player to return the wyvern head to the Temple of Lathander for a reward.
- More bandit scalps: Please sir, can I have some more? MORE?!?!? You know, those dirty bits of skin that form the upper part of the head? More bandits shall have them when you install this component.
- Altered item shattering: This component modifies the kinds of items that shatter. There are two options for this component:
- Remove item shattering: For those people who just hate it when their items shatter as if they were made of talc, this component prevents shattering of all items.
- Make armor and shields shatter (for BGT-WeiDU v1.05b or above): Armor and shields also shatter, identical to the item shattering behaviour of BGT-WeiDU v1.05a or below.
- Hooded unarmoured mages: The Salk special (a forum member) decrees that mages must not look like bare skulls, and should wear hoods to make them look like the Emperor from Star Wars. Yes, females too! Well, eureka, here it is! This component previously included thieves. 1PP: Thieves Galore has a more comprehensive fix for thieves.
- Salk's Pen-and-Paper ruleset corrections: Yet another Salk special; this time in the correction of thieving modifiers by race.
- Import more NPCs into Shadow of Amn: From your choice of Alora, Branwen, Eldoth, Kagain, Kivan, Shar-teel, Skie, Xan, Yeslick, Dark Side of the Sword Coast joinable NPCs (if installed), and Northern Tales of the Sword Coast joinable NPCs (if installed), if the NPC is in the party and is not dead, then they will be imported into Shadows of Amn. Simple as that. However, some of them you will have to find... (this component is incompatible with The Darkest Day, Tortured Souls, and Never Ending Journey).
- Restore BG2 XP bonus for traps, locks, and scrolls (for BGT-WeiDU v1.05 and above): This component restores the original amount of experience gained from picking locks, disarming traps, and scribing scrolls, which was reduced since BGT-WeiDU v1.05. Using this component on version of BGT-WeiDU prior to v1.05 will produce no effect. It is recommended that you install this when you transition to Shadows of Amn.
- Protagonist's biography modifications: This component provides two options that slightly modifies the behaviour of how BGT-WeiDU sets the protagonist’s biography:
- Do not set BG1 biography for imported characters: If you import a character into a new game starting in Candlekeep, the Baldur’s Gate I biography will not be set. Use this if your imported character has a custom biography that you wish to keep and use on the character.
- Set BG2 biography upon Shadows of Amn transition: If you would like the biography of your character to change to the Shadows of Amn version upon transition into Irenicus’ dungeon, this component will do this for you. However, note that custom biographies will be lost when this occurs.
- Exotic weapons for Taerom: Taerom has imported some Katanas, Wazikashis, and Ninja-Tos for the oriental sword-wielding enthusiasts.
- Item BG1-ification: This component converts some of the items to behave more like the Baldur’s Gate I version. Changes are separated into sub-components that include prices, stack sizes, lore requirements, scroll casting level, and item behaviours (strength requirements, damage, range, power, and various bonuses).
- Disable hostile reaction after charm: Spells and abilities that charm creatures no longer result in the target becoming hostile after the effects wear off. Works best when installed with the ‘Enable conversations with charmed/dominated creatures’ patch.
- Enemy items shatter: Give your opponents a dose of the iron shortage by giving them a chance for their iron weapons to shatter when used. If you have installed the 'Make armor and shields shatter' option of the "Altered item shattering" component, then they also have a chance for their iron shields and armor shatter upon being hit.
- Access Ulgoth's Beard west of Wyrm's Crossing only: Ulgoth's Beard lies to the west of Baldur's Gate according to Forgotten Realms Lore, but in Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast, Ulgoth's Beard is placed to the north-east. This component corrects this inconsistency by only allowing access to Ulgoth's Beard on the west side of Wyrm's Crossing. However, this also means that Ulgoth's Beard will not be accessible until Baldur's Gate city is also accessible.
- Prevent access to Durlag's Tower from adjacent areas: This component stops the player from discovering Durlag's Tower just by walking to its location. If this component is installed, the only way to discover Durlag's Tower is through informants at Ulgoth's Beard.
- Put Sword of Chaos +2 in Sarevok's inventory: If you can't get anoough of kick-ass swords, then running around with Sarevok's sword ain't a bad way to satisfy your greed. This component allows you to pick up Sarevok's Sword of Chaos +2 after he is slain.
- Reputation Resets at Beginning of BG2 (from BG2 Tweaks): When making the transition from the end of Baldur's Gate to the beginning of Baldur's Gate II, this component will reset the party's reputation back to its default value (from 8-12, depending on the protagonist's alignment). It doesn't make sense that the party could emerge from the opening dungeon, head over to the Adventurer's Mart, and get hero discounts (or villain markups) from Ribald. Despite the events of Baldur's Gate, the protagonist and the party are more or less unknown in Amn.