Rogue Rebalancing Mod
-core components-

by aVENGER

Component Summary

The core components of the Rogue Rebalancing mod strive to bring the Rogues (Bards and Thieves) of Baldur's Gate 2 closer to their Pen and Paper 2E AD&D counterparts. In so far, these components can restore proper dual-wielding skills to Bards and Thieves, revise the Bard and Thief kits and their respective high level ability tables, restore the proper PnP spell progression table for Bards, add more items useful for Rogues to the game and slightly revise the thievery aspect of the game.



Proper dual-wielding implementation for Thieves and Bards

According the the second edition AD&D Player's Handbook the "Two Weapon Fighting" style should be fully available to Rogues. While it seems that Baldur's Gate 2 uses a modified proficiency system from the "Combat and Tactics" supplement, the game still fails to properly grant Rogues this benefit. This issue was resolved by allowing all Rogues (Thieves, Bards and their Kits and Multi-classes) to assign up to three points into "Two Weapon Fighting" instead of just one. The reasoning for this change is described below:

A quote from the 2E AD&D "Player's Handbook":

"Attacking with Two Weapons; A tricky fighting style available only to warriors and rogues is that of fighting with two weapons simultaneously. The character chooses not to use a shield in favor of another weapon, granting him a greater number of attacks, with a penalty to his attack rolls (rangers are exempt from the attack roll penalty)."

A quote from the 2E AD&D "Combat and Tactics" supplement:

"Two Weapon; Not to be confused with the two-handed weapon style,two weapon style uses a weapon in each of the character's hands. The advantage of this is clear: the character either has more attack power or can use the secondary weapon defensively to block incoming blows. Another benefit lies in the fact that even if the character loses a weapon, he's still armed. The character can use any one-handed weapon in his primary hand, but his secondary weapon must be a size smaller than his primary weapon. Knives and daggers can always be used, regardless of the primary weapon's size. The character suffers a -2 penalty to attacks with the primary weapon, and a -4 to attacks with the secondary weapon. This penalty is offset by the character's reaction adjustment for high Dexterity. Important Note: While the character receives his normal number of attacks for class, level, and specialization with his primary weapon, he only receives one additional attack with his secondary weapon. Warriors and Rogues know two weapon fighting style."

A quote from the 2E AD&D "Complete Fighter's Handbook" supplement:

"Only Warriors and Rogues can buy the Two-Weapon Style Specialization."


Thief kit revisions

This component will alter the Assassin, Swashbuckler and the Bounty Hunter thief kits so that they match their PnP counterparts more closely.


Assassin

Through this revision, Assassins can no longer be good aligned, their bonus to hit and damage has been replaced with Poison Expertise, the Poison Weapon ability has been altered in order to properly scale with levels and a new Death Attack ability has been added at higher levels. Furthermore, Assassins now start with x3 backstab multiplier at level 1 and can reach a x7 multiplier at level 17. A comparison between the backstab progression of an Assassin and a regular Thief is given in the table below:

Backstab multiplier comparison

Level	Thief	Assassin
1-4	x2	x3
5-8	x3	x4
9-12	x4	x5
13-16	x5	x6
17+	x5	x7

The updated kit description reads as follows:

ASSASSIN: This is a killer specialized in discreet and efficient murder, relying on anonymity and surprise to perform his task. Training in anatomy, stealth and poison use allows an Assassin to carry out missions of death with terrifying precision. A clever Assassin might never be seen by his victim.

Advantages:
-  Starts with a x3 backstab multiplier
-  Backstab multiplier reaches x7 instead of x5
-  May use Poison Weapon once per day at 1st level and every 4 levels thereafter
-  Acquires Poison Expertise at 8th level. This ability improves further every 8 levels thereafter
-  May use Death Attack once per day at 16th level and every 8 levels thereafter

Disadvantages:
-  Only 15% per level to distribute on abilities
-  Must be of evil or neutral alignment

Poison Weapon:
Due to the requirements of his profession, an Assassin becomes adapt at coating his weapons in poison early during his career. Any weapon prepared in this manner will deal an extra 1d3 points of poison damage upon contact. Furthermore, unless a saving throw vs. poison is made, the poison will be injected into the bloodstream of the victim dealing one additional point of damage per each level of the Assassin (up to a maximum of 20). The poison coating evaporates after 5 rounds. Constructs, Elementals, Slimes and Undead creatures cannot be poisoned.

Poison Expertise
Through training and experience, an Assassin gradually learns to utilize poison more effectively. Furthermore, due to the constant exposure to poison an Assassin slowly becomes desensitized towards it. Each time this ability is acquired, the Assassin gains a permanent +1 bonus to his saving throws vs. poison. At the same time, the saving throw difficulty class of his Poison Weapon ability improves by 1.

Death Attack:
By thoroughly studying the weak spots of his victim, an Assassin can focus all of his cunning and prowess into a single, deadly strike. The next attack he makes automatically becomes a critical hit and his victim must make a saving throw vs. death or die instantly. As the Assassin gains more experience, the lethality of the Death Attack increases. The victim saves with a -1 penalty at level 24, a -2 penalty at level 32 and a -3 penalty at level 40. Constructs, Elementals, Slimes and Undead creatures cannot be slain by a Death Attack.




Swashbuckler

The Swashbuckler kit now uses the Fighter's THAC0 advancement table (i.e. THAC0 improves by one point at each level up) when wielding melee weapons, as described in the "Complete Thief's Handbook" 2E AD&D supplement. Note that this trait replaces the "+1 to hit per 5 levels" bonus which was present in the unmodded game. Furthermore, Swashbucklers no longer receive an innate damage bonus, cannot dual-class to Fighters (they can still dual-class to Mages or Clerics though) and can no longer benefit from an increase to the backstab multiplier provided by items (such as the revised Short Sword of Backstabbing). The updated kit description reads as follows:

SWASHBUCKLER: This rogue is part acrobat, part swordsman and part wit: the epitome of charm and grace.

Advantages:
-  Gains +1 bonus to armor class for every 5 levels
-  Uses the Fighter's THAC0 progression table while wielding melee weapons
-  Can specialize in any melee weapon that a thief can use
-  Can acquire the Whirlwind ability at higher levels
-  Can acquire the Insightful Strike ability at higher levels

Disadvantages:
-  Cannot backstab
-  Cannot dual-class to a Fighter
-  Cannot acquire the Assassination ability
-  Cannot acquire the Crippling Strike ability



Bounty Hunter

Through this revision, the Bounty Hunter relies on mechanical devices and alchemical substances for incapacitating his prey, rather than imbuing his snares with magical effects as was the case in the unmodded game. In summary, the Bounty Hunter's special snares have been replaced with Alchemical Traps, he can now coat his weapons in Paralytic Toxin and his Alchemical Expertise improves as he gains more experience. Finally, a Bounty Hunter can now also choose the Tracking HLA at higher levels. The updated kit description reads as follows:

BOUNTY HUNTER:
This is a hunter of men, skilled in tracking and capturing quarry, whether for lawful authorities or underworld masters. Due to the frequent need to bring his prey back alive, a Bounty Hunter often relies on alchemical substances that can incapacitate or weaken his victims. A Bounty Hunter's trap making abilities are also well beyond those of the average thief.

Advantages:
-  Gains a +15% bonus to the Set Traps skill at 1st level
-  May use Paralytic Toxin once per day at 1st level and every 10 levels thereafter
-  Can lay Alchemical Traps in addition to regular snares
-  Acquires Alchemical Expertise at 10th level. This ability further improves every 10 levels thereafter
-  Can acquire the Tracking ability at higher levels

Disadvantages:
-  Gets only 20% to distribute between thief abilities at each level

Paralytic Toxin:
The Bounty Hunter's intricate understanding of alchemy and herbalism allows him to create a substance that causes severe loss of muscle function when injected into the bloodstream. This paralytic toxin is a transparent, odorless liquid which can be easily applied to weapons without fear of detection. A hit from any weapon coated in this substance causes the target to make a saving throw vs. paralyzation or become paralyzed for one round per every ten levels of the Bounty Hunter. However, the toxin evaporates quickly when exposed to air making the coating last only a single round. Constructs, Elementals, Slimes and Undead creatures are unaffected by the Paralytic Toxin.

Alchemical Traps:
Combining his superior trap setting skills with alchemical knowledge, a Bounty Hunter can create traps that are primarily designed for incapacitating his opponents, rather than killing them outright. The effects of the traps vary according to the Bounty Hunter's level, but always last for five rounds and can be negated by a successful saving throw vs. breath:

1st:  trap deals 2d4 points of subdual damage and dazzles the target
6th:  trap deals 4d4 points of subdual damage and slows the target
11th: trap deals 6d4 points of subdual damage and entangles the target
16th: trap deals 8d4 points of subdual damage and blinds the target
21st: trap deals 10d4 points of subdual damage and renders the target unconscious

Note: subdual damage is non-lethal and will render the target unconscious if its hit points drop below 0 instead of killing it. Constructs, Elementals, Slimes and Undead creatures are immune to subdual damage.

Alchemical Expertise
Through training and experience, a Bounty Hunter gradually learns to utilize alchemical substances more effectively. Each time this ability is acquired, the saving throw difficulty class of the Bounty Hunter's Paralytic Toxin and Alchemical Traps improves by 1.

Note: The setting range of the Alchemical Traps has been reduced to normal (i.e. they cannot be "thrown" as in the unmodded game). Furthermore, the traps no longer have the spell-like Maze/Otiluke's Resilient Sphere effects and the physical damage component (which was missing from level 16 onward) has been restored. Their new secondary effects are alchemical (rather than magical) in nature  and therefore completely ignore any magic resistance of their targets. However, specific creatures may be innately immune to certain effects. For example, Constructs, Slimes, Elementals and Undead creatures cannot be dazzled or rendered unconscious, flying and incorporeal creatures like Wyverns, Beholders, Shadows, Mists, Air and Fire Elementals cannot be slowed by the grease effect, while exceptionally large creatures (Dragons, Giants, Iron Golems) and incorporeal creatures (Shadows, Mists, Air and Fire Elementals) cannot be entangled. It should also be noted that slowed, entangled and blinded creatures temporarily lose any dexterity bonus to their armor class since they cannot dodge attacks effectively while they are incapacitated.




Thief High Level Ability revisions


This component will revise the Thief High Level Ability table by replacing all magic-based HLAs with new abilities which are more fitting for the Thief class. Furthermore, some of the non-magical Thief HLAs will be modified in order to match their PnP counterparts more closely. In effect, Scribe Scrolls will be replaced with Crippling Strike, Time Trap will be replaced with Acid Trap, Greater Evasion will be replaced with Danger Sense while Evasion and Alchemy now work more akin to their PnP counterparts.

Crippling Strike (replaces Scribe Scrolls)

An experienced Thief can use the knowledge of his opponent's weak spots to gain an advantage in combat. During the round when this ability is activated, every attack of the Thief deals maximum damage and may weaken his target. On each successful hit the victim must make a saving throw vs. death (with a -4 penalty) or have its strength score lowered to 10 for the next five rounds. Note: Constructs, Elementals, Slimes and Undead creatures are completely unaffected by this ability.

Requires: Assassination

Insightful Strike (replaces Scribe Scrolls, Swashbuckler only)

An experienced Swashbuckler can use the knowledge of his opponent's weak spots to gain an advantage in combat. During the round when this ability is activated, the Swashbuckler receives a +5 bonus to his critical hit rolls and deals maximum damage with each attack.

Danger Sense (replaces Greater Evasion)

By studying his surroundings intently, an experienced Thief can predict the actions of his opponents through cunning insight and extraordinary perception. Any potentially hostile actions are perceived in advance, giving the Thief enough time to react appropriately. This uncanny sense for impending danger almost borders on precognition and grants the Thief a +5 bonus to his armor class and all saving throws for 5 rounds after this ability is activated. Furthermore, as the Thief cannot be surprised nor caught off guard while using this ability, he is not susceptible to backstab attacks until the duration expires.

Evasion (revised ability)

Thieves of exceptional skill can avoid damage from energy discharges such as breath weapons, fireball spells and the like through a combination of superior reflexes and extraordinary agility. Through nearly superhuman effort, a Thief can position himself out of harm's way mere seconds before an energy discharge reaches him. After activating this ability the Thief can evade the effects of the following spells: Burning Hands, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Call Lightning, Flame Strike, Cone of Cold, Sunfire, Chain Lightning, Delayed Blast Fireball and all forms of Dragon's Breath. The Evasion ability expires after five rounds.

Requires: Danger Sense

Spike Trap (revised ability)

This ability allows the rogue to set a powerful spring-loaded spike trap that deals 20D6 points of piercing damage to the unsuspecting creature that sets it off.

Note: the Spike Trap now deals piercing damage. For reference, in the original game its damage type was flagged as magical (i.e. like Magic Missile) which didn't make much sense for a non-magical ability.

Acid Trap (replaces Time Trap)

This ability allows the rogue to set a powerful trap that splashes nearby opponents with a highly vitriolic alchemical mixture which deals 10d6 points of acid damage. Once the acid engulfs a target it becomes difficult to remove. Afflicted opponents must make a saving throw vs. breath or take an additional 2d6 points of acid damage during each of the following three rounds. Creatures who are particularly vulnerable to acid damage (such as Trolls) do not get a saving throw.

Note: the Acid Trap is alchemical (rather than magical) in nature and is therefore not subject to the target's magic resistance.

Exploding Trap (revised ability)

By mixing unstable alchemical compounds together, a rogue can set a powerful trap which unleashes a violent explosion when triggered. The force of the blast deals 15d6 points of fire damage to all nearby opponents, pushing them back and knocking them off their feet. Enemies may attempt to save vs. breath in order to reduce the damage by half and avoid being pushed away and knocked down. Exceptionally large or heavy creatures (Dragons, Giants, Stone and Iron Golems) may take damage but are unaffected by the secondary effects of the blast.

Note: the Exploding Trap is alchemical (rather than magical) in nature and is therefore not subject to the target's magic resistance.

Alchemy (revised ability)

With cleverness innate to the class, an experienced thief has seen enough potions in his or her adventuring career to simulate the creation of one. However, the costs for any raw materials that are used in the process must be paid. This ability allows a thief to brew one of the potions from the following list:

1) Potion of Master Thievery
2) Potion of Perception
3) Potion of Invisibility
4) Potion of Defense
5) Potion of Superior Healing
6) Elixir of Health
7) Oil of Speed
8) Oil of Fiery Burning
9) Potion of Frost Giant Strength, only usable by thieves or bards

Note: brewing potions is a delicate task which can only be undertaken in safe (non-hostile) areas. Due to his advanced alchemical knowledge, a Bounty Hunter can make three times as many potions as a regular rogue in one setting.



Proper racial adjustments for thieving skills

This component will restore the proper PnP AD&D racial adjustments for thieving skills. For the most part, the adjustment values were correctly implemented in BG2, however, the base 10% chance to Detect Illusions was missing for all races and a few entries for Elves, Half-Elves, Halfling and Half-Orcs were inaccurate. The values which this component uses are taken from Tables 27 and 28 of the "Player's Option: Skills and Powers" 2E AD&D supplement. Any values which differ from the unmodded game are marked in different colors. The numbers which were increased are marked in green, the numbers which were lowered are marked in red.

Pen and Paper AD&D thieving skill racial adjustments
Skill	Human	Dwarf	Elf	Gnome	Half-Elf	Halfling	Half-Orc
Pick Pockets	0	0	+5	0	+10	+5	0
Open Locks	0	+10	-5	+5	0	+5	0
Find Traps	0	+15	0	+10	0	+5	+5
Move Silently	0	0	+5	+5	0	+10	0
Hide in Shadows	0	0	+10	+5	+5	+15	0
Detect Illusions	0	+5	0	+10	+5	0	-5
Set Traps	0	+10	0	+5	0	0	0

Bard kit revisions

This component will modify all Bard kits so that they match their PnP counterparts more closely, as described in the 2E  AD&D "Complete Bard's Handbook" supplement. The kits now get additional benefits but also receive new disadvantages. The default Bard song has also been altered (it was largely defunct in the unmodded game) and is now based on the PnP version of this ability. Furthermore, the hearing range of all battlesongs has been standardized and now extends slightly above the in-game visual range of the performing Bard.


True Bard

The Bard's song has been altered as it was almost completely non-functional in the original game. The revised Bard song is based on the Pen and Paper version of this ability. The updated kit description reads as follows:

BARD: The bard is also a rogue, but he is very different from the thief. His strength is his pleasant and charming personality. With it and his wits he makes his way through the world. A bard is a talented musician and a walking storehouse of gossip, tall tales, and lore. He learns a little bit about everything that crosses his path; he is a jack-of-all- trades but master of none. While many bards are scoundrels, their stories and songs are welcome almost everywhere and are often inspirational to the listeners. A bard can rally his allies by singing heroic songs or weaving inspiring tales about how his companions will overcome their foes and win the day. The effect of the bard's song varies according to his level:

1st:   +1 to hit and all saving throws, song raises morale
9th:   +2 to hit and all saving throws, song removes fear
18th:  +3 to hit and all saving throws, song protects from fear


Blade

Blades now automatically start with maximum proficiency (3 points) in Two Weapon Fighting style as described in the 2E  AD&D "Complete Bard's Handbook" supplement. They also get a new special ability called "Weapons Display" once for every 10 experience levels (starting with one use at level 1). However, Blades no longer gain access to the "Enhanced Bard Song" HLA. They can now pick the Whirlwind HLA instead. The updated kit description reads as follows:

BLADE: The Blade is an expert fighter and adventurer whose bardic acting abilities make him appear more intimidating and fearsome. If there is a showy way to wield or perform with a weapon, a Blade knows how to do it better than anyone. Blades often perform amazing displays of skill and control as they whirl various weapons about their bodies with deadly precision. The weapons of a Blade are always kept in perfect condition and highly polished for maximum effect during a battle or a performance. Blades regularly train and perform with weapons in both hands eventually developing complete ambidexterity.

Advantages:
-  May use the Offensive Spin and Defensive Spin abilities once per day per 4 levels
-  May use the Weapons Display ability once per day per 10 levels
-  Obtains maximum proficiency in two weapon fighting style at first level
-  Can acquire the Whirlwind ability at higher levels

Disadvantages:
-  Only has one-half normal Lore value
-  Only has one-half Pick Pockets percentage
-  Battlesong does not improve with levels
-  Cannot acquire the Enhanced Battlesong ability
-  Cannot acquire the Lingering Song ability

Offensive Spin:
This ability lasts for 24 seconds granting the Blade +2 bonus to hit and damage and an extra attack. All of the Blade's attacks do maximum damage for the duration.

Defensive Spin:
This ability lasts for 24 seconds and grants the Blade a +1 bonus to Armor Class per each level of experience, up to a maximum of 10. The Blade cannot move away from the initial spot while performing a Defensive Spin.

Weapons Display:
By whirling a melee weapon about his body a Blade can affect the morale and courage of others. Such a display of skill, precision, and deadly grace lowers opponents' morale (enemies must save vs. spell to avoid morale failure) and simultaneously inspires allies, granting a +1 bonus to their attack rolls. The display must occur for a full round without interruption. During this time, any successful attack upon the Blade or failed saving throw by the Blade disrupts the display. Weapons Display is an extraordinary (non-magical) ability, therefore it completely ignores any magic resistance of the subject creatures. Undead, Constructs, Slimes, Animals and Demonic creatures are completely unaffected by the Weapons Display. Furthermore, the ability cannot affect creatures whose total Hit Dice exceed the Blade's current level and creatures with more than 20 Hit Dice are completely unaffected. The effectiveness and the duration of this ability improve as the Blade gains more levels. The bonus granted to the attack rolls of allies and the saving throw penalty for the enemies increase by one point per ten experience levels of the Blade. The effects of Weapons Display last for one round per each level of the Blade.


Jester

Jesters now have to be partially chaotic aligned (instead of partially neutral aligned) and are limited to the Thieves' weapon proficiency selection. The Jester's song has been slightly altered as well. Furthermore, Jesters gain two new innate traits: "Fool's Luck" and "Chaotic Mind", as described in the 2E  AD&D "Complete Bard's Handbook" supplement. The updated kit description reads as follows:

JESTER: This bard is well versed in the arts of ridicule and hilarity and uses his abilities to distract, confuse and mesmerize his enemies, cavorting madly during combat. Many sages believe that Jesters live in a constant state of borderline insanity. It's known that they crave for attention and feel at ease only when they are the focus of events. All Jesters are chaotically aligned, since no mind attuned to law and order could possibly sustain such an odd personality. Due to their peculiar fighting style, Jesters tend to avoid large and unwieldy weapons.

Advantages:
-  Gains Jester's Song at first level. This ability further improves at 9th and 18th level
-  Gains Fool's Luck and Chaotic Mind as passive traits at first level

Disadvantages:
-  Can only become proficient with weapons that are usable by the Thief class
-  Must be Chaotic aligned
-  Battlesong doesn't help allies

Jester's Song:
A Jester's Song doesn't help allies. Instead, it distracts every opponent within hearing range. The effect of the song further improves as the Jester gains more levels:

1st:   Enemies must save vs. spells or become distracted (+4 save bonus)
9th:   Enemies must save vs. spells or become distracted (+2 save bonus) and confused (+4 save bonus)
18th:  Enemies must save vs. spells or become distracted (no save bonus), confused (+2 save bonus) and mesmerized (+4 save bonus)

Distracted opponents have a 20% chance of spellcasting failure and suffer a 2 point penalty to their THAC0 and AC. Confused opponents either go berserk and attack the nearest creature, stand still and babble incoherently or wander about aimlessly. Mesmerized opponents have their flow of thoughts disrupted to such an extent that they are unable to take any rational actions while listening to Jester's song which effectively incapacitates them. However, even in that state opponents can still perceive danger on a subconscious level, so any hostile action taken against them automatically breaks this effect. The Jester's song has no effect on mindless creatures such as Constructs, Skeletons, Zombies and Slimes.

Fool's Luck:
Jesters are careless, foolish and given to whimsical decisions, yet they seem to possess some uncanny ability which allows them to survive in almost any situation. Fool's Luck adds a +1 bonus to the Jester's base Armor Class, a +1 bonus to all of his saving throws and a +5% bonus to his pickpocket skill checks.

Chaotic Mind:
Due to their unique mindset, Jesters are innately immune to the effects of spells, items and abilities that cause Confusion.

Skald

Skalds now have a +1 penalty to the casting speed of all spells as an additional disadvantage. Their battlesong has been slightly revised as well. The updated kit description reads as follows:

SKALD: This Nordic bard is also a warrior of great strength, skill and virtue. His songs are inspiring sagas of battle and valor, and the Skald devotes his life to those pursuits. Skalds are honored and respected as great warrior-poets who memorize the feats of each raid and battle, setting them down in the form of poetry. Spells are nearly unknown in the Skald's society and they are viewed with suspicion in any event. Using magic is slightly more difficult for a Skald and requires additional time and effort.

Advantages:
-  Gains Skald's Song at first level. This ability further improves at 9th and 18th level
-  Gains a +1 bonus to hit and damage with all weapons at first level

Disadvantages:
-  Pick pockets ability one-quarter normal
-  Suffers a 1 point penalty to spellcasting speed

Skald's Song:
By chanting a war song, a Skald can inspire allies as they go forward into combat. Chanting can elevate spirits, remove concerns about danger, keep men's minds focused on combat and fill friendly forces with a sense of being larger than life. The effects of the song further improve as the Skald gains more levels:

1st:  gives allies +2 to hit, +2 to damage, -2 to AC and immunity to Fear
9th:  gives allies +3 to hit, +3 to damage, -3 to AC, immunity to Fear and Confusion
18th: gives allies +4 to hit, +4 to damage, -4 to AC, immunity to Fear, Stun and Confusion.



Bard High Level Ability revisions

This component will remove all Traps and other Thief-specific HLAs from the Bard High Level Ability table and replace them with new abilities which are more fitting for the Bard class. These new HLAs are: Mass Charm, Sound Burst, Enthralling Melody, Lingering Song, Resonating Weapon and Sound Barrier. Furthermore, the Magic Flute and Alchemy HLAs will be  revised and each Bard kit will get a unique version of the Enhanced Battlesong HLA.


Enhanced Bard Song (True Bard only)

This mighty battle chant grants the Bard and his allies +4 to hit, +4 to all saving throws, +10% bonus to magic resistance and immunity to Fear and Charm. The Bard himself receives an 8 point bonus to all of his saving throws while singing the song.


Enhanced Skald Song (Skald only)

This mighty battle chant grants the Skald and his allies +5 to hit, +5 to damage, -5 to AC, +10% resistance to physical damage, immunity to Fear, Stun and Confusion. The Skald himself receives a 10 point bonus to his armor class while singing the song.


Enhanced Jester Song (Jester only)

The Enhanced Jester Song affects all opponents within hearing range who must save vs. spells once per round or become distracted (-2 save penalty) confused (no save bonus) or mesmerized (+2 save bonus). The Jester himself becomes immune to all mind-affecting spells and abilities while singing the song.


Mass Charm (replaces Spike Trap)

Range: Visual range of the caster
Duration: 5 rounds
Casting Time: 6
Area of Effect: 30 feet radius
Saving Throw: Special

An experienced Bard eventually learns to influence the actions of his opponents. By focusing his willpower a Bard can suggest a course of activity which opponents feel strongly compelled to follow. The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the activity sound reasonable. Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried out and break the enchantment. If a common language is shared, the Bard can generally force the subjects to perform as he desires, within the limits of their abilities. If no common language is shared, the character can communicate only by using basic commands, such as "Come here," "Go there," "Fight," "Stand still" etc. Opponents can attempt a saving throw vs. spells in order to avoid being controlled, but even if they succeed, there is still a 25% chance that they will suffer a mental breakdown from the amount of stress that their minds have suffered. This will effectively cause them to enter a Berserk state (no save) and attack the nearest creature for one round.

Being non-magical in nature, this ability completely ignores any magic resistance of the targets. However, it has no effect on mindless creatures such as Constructs, Skeletons, Zombies and Slimes. The racial charm resistance of Elves and Half-Elves also applies.


Enthralling Melody (replaces Exploding Trap)

Range: Visual range of the caster
Duration: 5 rounds
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: 30 feet radius
Saving Throw: Special

By softly humming a catchy tune, an experienced Bard can captivate and enthrall any audience, even creatures that do not understand his language. Opponents in the area of effect must successfully save vs. paralyzation or give the Bard their undivided attention, totally ignoring their surroundings and becoming fascinated for the following five rounds. Fascinated creatures can take no actions for the duration of the effect, however, they can still perceive danger on a subconscious level so any hostile action taken against them automatically breaks this state. In addition, even if opponents make their saving throws and avoid the fascination effect, there is still a 25% chance that they will become confused for one round (no save) from being too deeply immersed into the hypnotic pattern of the song.

Being non-magical in nature, this ability completely ignores any magic resistance of the targets. However, it has no effect on mindless creatures such as Constructs, Skeletons, Zombies and Slimes.


Sound Burst (replaces Time Trap)

Range: Visual range of the caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 30 feet radius
Saving Throw: Special

The Bard magically amplifies the capabilities of a musical instrument in order to fill his surroundings with high pitched stone-shattering sound waves. Creatures in the nearby area take 15d6 points of sonic damage and are also deafened for five rounds. Deafened creatures suffer a 50% chance of spellcasting failure. A successful save vs. breath halves the damage and negates the deafness.

Being non-magical in nature, this ability completely ignores any magic resistance of the targets. However, resistance to energy damage can reduce the amount of damage dealt.


Lingering Song (new ability)

Once a Bard's musical talents have reached a significant level, his music can stay with the listeners long after the last note has died away. After the Bard stops playing, the effects of his or her song last an additional 2 rounds.
Requires: Enhanced Bard Song


Magic Flute (revised ability)

This ability creates an enchanted flute made of pure magical energy which remains in existence for 8 hours. When played by a bard of exceptional talent the flute can be used to break enchantments, which effectively nullifies the effects of all spells and spell-like abilities (but not Psionics) that belong to the Enchantment school, whether they are beneficial or not (three charges). Furthermore, the flute can be used to mimic the effects of any arcane spell from the Enchantment school (two charges). Finally, the flute can summon forth a Spirit Warrior (one charge).

Spirit Warriors are spectral echoes of past heroes whose souls now rest in the halls of Valhalla. If a bard agrees to spread stories and songs of their legendary deeds in order to prevent them from being forgotten, a spirit of one of these valiant fighters will materialize and join the bard's cause for a short while (10 rounds). The mere presence of this fabled warrior instills courage in all nearby allies raising their morale to its highest.

Note: The Spirit Warrior is actually a spectral undead creature and thus receives the proper PnP spectral undead traits (vulnerability to any spells or items which specifically target undead creatures such as Hold Undead, Repulse Undead, Control Undead, False Dawn and Sunray; immunity to curative magic, sleep, charm, hold, poison, paralyzation, cold-based spells and non-magical weapons). For convenience reasons, the Spirit Warrior cannot be turned, rebuked or controlled by PC clerics. In terms of power, the Spirit Warrior should be somewhere in-between an Elemental Prince and a Deva. However, Spirit Warriors summoned by Skalds are slightly more powerful than those summoned by other Bards. Although the Spirit Warrior cannot be controlled directly by the player, he is treated as an ally, and the party will receive experience for every kill he makes.


Resonating Weapon (replaces Evasion)

Bards eventually achieve a high degree of control over sound which enables them to imbue any weapon with concentrated sound energy for a short while. A weapon imbued in this fashion resonates with a sharp tone and deals an extra 2d4 points of sonic damage to its target on each hit. Furthermore, anyone struck by the resonating weapon must save vs. breath or become temporarily deafened. After 2 rounds have passed, the weapon ceases to resonate and the deafness subsides.


Sound Barrier (replaces Greater Evasion)

The most skilled of all Bards are able to fully control the intensity, speed, and direction of the very waves which compose sound, which allows them to shape and bend it as they see fit. By utilizing this ability, the Bard encases himself within a sphere of swirling sound waves thereby forming a barrier which protects him from all sound-based spells and attacks (Silence, Deafness, Command/Greater Command, Power Word (any), Holy/Unholy Word, Wail of the Banshee and Demilich Howl). Anyone who attempts to break through the barrier and strike the Bard in melee takes 2d8 points of sonic damage. Furthermore, the attacker may become deafened (75% chance) or stunned (25% chance) during the following round unless a save vs. breath is made. The sound barrier dissipates after 5 rounds.

Requires: Resonating Weapon


Alchemy (revised ability)

With cleverness innate to the class, an experienced bard has seen enough potions in his or her adventuring career to simulate the creation of one. However, the costs for any raw materials that are used in the process must be paid. This ability allows a bard to brew one of the potions from the following list:

1) Potion of Mind Focusing
2) Potion of Clarity
3) Potion of Regeneration
4) Potion of Defense
5) Potion of Superior Healing
6) Elixir of Health
7) Oil of Speed
8) Potion of Freedom
9) Potion of Frost Giant Strength, only usable by thieves or bards

Note: brewing potions is a delicate task which can only be undertaken in safe (non-hostile) areas.


Scribe Scrolls (revised ability)

This ability allows an experienced spellcaster to scribe a spell from his spellbook onto a scroll. Only a spell that is currently memorized may be scribed in this manner. Furthermore, the cost of any raw materials that are used in the process must be covered in full. Finally, inscribing a scroll removes one instance of the spell in question from the caster's memory.

Note: scribing scrolls is a delicate task which can only be undertaken in safe (non-hostile) areas.



Proper spell progression for Bards

This component will restore the proper PnP AD&D spell progression to Bards, effectively granting them the ability to cast 7^th and 8^th level spells once they reach the appropriate experience levels. Up to character level 30, the spell progression table has been taken directly from the "Dungeon Master's Option: High-Level Campaigns" supplement by Skip Williams. After level 30, the spell table continues by the established progression and mirrors Blucher's work from the BG2 Tweaks mod (with permission of its current maintainers). Any numbers which differ from the table that was used in the unmodded game are marked in different colors. The values which were increased are tinted green, the values which were lowered are tinted red.

Additional equipment for Thieves and Bards

This component adds more magic items suitable for Thieves and Bards (bucklers, bardic instruments, hoods, cowls, ioun stones...etc.) to the game and modifies the Short Sword of Backstabbing in order to bring it closer to its PnP counterpart. Most of the new equipment can be purchased from Marina, the Black Market merchant, who resides on the main floor of the Shadow Thief guildhall in Athkatla's Dock District. Besides adding new equipment, this component also restores several lost items from BG1 (i.e. the Dagger of Venom and Kiel's Buckler). In return, a few of the new items are also available in the BG1 portion of the game for BG1Tutu and BGT players. Finally, a small quest involving Arledrian (the fence who resides on the top floor of Gaelan Bayle's house) will be added as well. 

Note: if you are using BG1Tutu or BGT some of the lower tier items from Marina's special stock will be available for sale at the following BG1 stores:

Bergost blacksmith:  Composite Short Bow, Composite Short Bow +1, Buckler +1, The Stalwart Defender, Masterbelt, The Weary Cudgel
Ulgoth's Beard innkeeper:  Composite Short Bow, Composite Short Bow +1, Composite Short Bow +2, Buckler +1, Buckler +2, Fading Glory, Returning Frost Dart, Harp of Descant
High Hedge:  Fragment of Enlightenment, Deep Red Ioun Stone
Black Lily:  Buckler +1, Buckler +2, Composite Short Bow, Composite Short Bow +1, Composite Short Bow +2, Sparkburst, Safeguard, Lyre of Progression, Cowl of Acuity

Furthermore, Slythe (the assassin in the Undercellars) will now wield the revised version of the Short Sword of Backstabbing.


Bucklers

Buckler +2

Despite the effectiveness of the enchantments on this buckler, it is otherwise nondescript and defies precise identification.  Such standardization makes it likely that it is from the militia of some forgotten barony, though it is hard to be certain.

STATISTICS:

Armor Class Bonus: 3
Special:  No Missile/Piercing Attack Protection
Weight: 2
Requires: 4 Strength
Unusable By:
 Mage


Buckler +3

Despite the effectiveness of the enchantments on this buckler, it is otherwise nondescript and defies precise identification.  Such standardization makes it likely that it is from the militia of some forgotten barony, though it is hard to be certain.

STATISTICS:

Armor Class Bonus: 4
Special:  No Missile/Piercing Attack Protection
Weight: 2
Requires: 4 Strength
Unusable By:
 Mage


Fading Glory

For many generations, this shield was passed down to selected High Jurists of Amaunator who took upon them the duty of cleansing the lands of all undead. After Amaunator seemingly disappeared and the Keep of the Eternal Sun had fallen, the shield's brilliant golden finish began to fade and its powerful enchantments started to dissolve. Eventually, the once mighty artifact was degraded to a mere wall decoration. As time passed, Amaunator's followers slowly fell into disarray and started to disband. The shield was lastly pillaged from their temple along with many other relics.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    Any undead creature who strikes the shield bearer in melee takes 1d2 points of fire damage and must save vs. spells or become blinded for 2 rounds

Armor Class Bonus:  2
Special:  No Missile/Piercing Attack Protection
Weight:  2
Requires: 4 Strength
Unusable By:
 Mage


Kiel's Buckler

This is the buckler of Kiel the Legion-Killer, first-born son of Durlag Trollkiller and Clan-prince of his father's ill-fated tower. Its light weight and excellent craftmanship increase the dexterity of all who bear it by a single point.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +1 Dexterity

Armor Class Bonus:  2
Special:  No Missile/Piercing Attack Protection
Weight:  2
Requires: 4 Strength
Unusable By:
Mage

Note: In unmodded BG1 this buckler was unenchanted, despite providing a magical bonus to Dexterity. For consistency's sake, this component increases the enchantment level of Kiel's Buckler by one point, effectively turning it into a proper Buckler +1.


Rogue's Ward

This buckler is made from a darksteel alloy which was tinged with trace amounts of mithral and silver. Although its surface appears to be extremely polished, the shield somehow seems to draw in the light, rather than reflecting it. Upon closer examination, several enchantments which are commonly attributed to Mask's priesthood can be detected. It is likely that the Shadowlord himself blessed this item with his touch, granting it the power to hide and guard his followers from any dangers which they may encounter in their risky professions.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +2 bonus to all saves vs. death
    +10% to Hide in Shadows

Special Abilities:
    Casts Improved Invisibility 1x/day

Armor Class Bonus: 3
Special:  No Missile/Piercing Attack Protection
Weight: 1
Requires: 4 Strength
Only Usable By:
 Thief
 Bard


Safeguard

These consecrated bucklers are often wielded by high clerics and temple guards of Moradin, the creator god of the dwarven race. The Soul Forger is strength and force of will embodied and his weapons, armor, and tools are virtual extensions of his own incarnate being. The enchantments within this shield bestow Moradin's blessing upon its wielder, guiding his weapon to strike surely and guarding him from harm in times of dire need. Many of these bucklers were lost in the battle of Dorn's Deep after the invading orcs razed and pillaged the mighty dwarven stronghold.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    Bless

Special Abilities:
    Casts Sanctuary 1x/day

Armor Class Bonus:  3
Special:  No Missile/Piercing Attack Protection
Weight:  2
Requires: 4 Strength
Unusable By:
 Mage


The Stalwart Defender

This ceremonial buckler bears magical runes which are commonly associated with Gaerdal Ironhand, the gnomish god of vigilance and the most martial deity of the gnome pantheon. His serious nature garners him sober respect, and he teaches gnomes to hold their own in combat with larger and more powerful creatures by using their size and natural abilities to their advantage. Gaerdal has a small but devout following among gnome warriors and those responsible for defending gnome communities against outside threats, and he has earned the respect of the Forgotten Folk in general.


STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    The wielder receives an additional +2 bonus to AC vs. giant humanoids

Armor Class Bonus:  2
Special:  No Missile/Piercing Attack Protection
Weight:  2
Requires: 4 Strength
Unusable By:
 Mage


Shields

The Guardian

This odd looking shield appears to be entirely made up of large hardened leaves. The unusual shape and size of the leaves suggests they once belonged to the ancient oak trees which grow deep within the Forest of Mir. Upon closer examination, powerful druidic enchantments can be discovered on the shield's surface. It appears that they slightly increase the shield bearer's health and make any sustained wounds heal faster. Every morning, at sunrise, one of the leaves glows faintly for a moment. It can then be picked and planted into the ground while another instantly grows back to take its place. After the proper incantation is spoken, the planted leaf quickly grows into a fearsome Shambling Mound who's strength and size seem to be directly linked to the power of the shield bearer.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +5 to maximum hit points
     Shield bearer regenerates 1 hit point per round

Special Abilities:
    Summon Lesser Shambler 1x/day

Armor Class Bonus: 2
Weight: 1
Requires: 12 Wisdom and 15 Charisma
Only Usable By:
 Druids

Note: The Guardian shield can summon three different types of Shamblers depending on the level of the Druid who is wielding it (levels 1-13 a Lesser Shambler for 12 hours, levels 14-24 a Shambling Mound for 16 hours, levels 25+ a Greater Shambler for 24 hours). As per PnP rules, Shamblers will seamlessly blend into their natural surroundings if they are summoned in swamp, marsh or forest areas. They are also plant creatures and will thus receive the proper PnP plant traits (increased vulnerability to the Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting spell, immunity to curative magic, mind-affecting spells, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and critical hits). Besides these basic plant traits, Shamblers are also immune to lightning, fire and crushing damage and resistant to cold, piercing, slashing and missile damage. Although the Shamblers can not be controlled directly by the player they are treated as allies, and the party will get experience for every kill which they make. This is similar to my implementation of the Spirit Warrior or the way that Bodhi and Balthazar were handled in the Ascension mod. However, if a Druid summons a Shambler and then unequipps The Guardian, his mental link with the creature will break and it will be unsummoned. Attempting to summon Shamblers with non-druidic characters (i.e. Thieves or Bards with UAI ) will have dire consequences. On the other hand, if The Guardian is carried by a Druid, its enchantments will be further strengthened as the shieldbearer becomes more powerful.


Bardic Instruments

Greagan's Harp

This finely made harp is well known among the nomadic peoples of the east, though more for the infamy of its owner, Greagan of the Low Hills. He was a bard, of sorts, though less for his love of people than his hatred of hard work. He bade a mage relation construct this harp so its magic might disguise his utter lack of talent in the arts. Its power was greater than he had hoped, and he later turned to petty burglary using 'his' music to captivate his victims. Greagan ultimately disappeared some years ago amidst rumors of a bardic college uncharacteristically moved to violence. The harp still functions, though any self-respecting troubadour would reserve its use for the most dire of circumstances.

STATISTICS:

Special Abilities:
    Casts Domination 3x/day

Weight:  3
Only Usable by:
  Bards

Note: Neutral (blue circle) creatures charmed by Greagan's Harp will not turn hostile after the charm duration expires. This is not a bug, the harp intentionally functions that way.


Harp of Descant

Lady Laxaella Bronshield, the Baroness of Tanistan, had this harp fashioned for her court jester before sending him along with a company of her best soldiers to deal with the recent Umber Hulk infestation of the Thornwood forest. At first, the soldiers were surprised that a jester was to accompany them on this task, merrily mocking his meager physique and his apparent fatuousness, but after they encountered the first Umber Hulk they soon realized the true importance of his role. To the soldier's astonishment, the jester was completely unfazed by the Umber Hulk's terrible gaze, which simultaneously turned one of their most steadfast warriors into a stuporing idiot. Furthermore, the odd, quirky tune which the jester's harp produced somehow seemed to counter the effect of the monster's gaze, restoring the sanity to the afflicted soldier. In the end, the infestation was cleansed with no casualties and only minimal injuries. For the better part of their home trip, the soldiers carried the jester on their shoulders all the time chanting praises in his honor.

STATISTICS:

Special Abilities: 
    Dispels Confusion 3x/day

Area of Effect: 1 target
Weight:  3
Usable by:
  Bards


Lyre of Progression

The Lyre of Progression was created by the bard Sedini Paletto.  Sedini was a teacher of young aspiring bards during difficult times.  This instrument, held close at all times, helped Sedini fight off those who would attack him or his students.  When Sedini grew old, he passed it on to his best student, Galwen Alaman.  Galwen continued teaching for a few years before setting out into the wilderness on a life of adventure.  It is believed that he lost the lyre when he accidentally dropped it in a marsh.

STATISTICS:

Held under the left arm, this instrument allows a bard to memorize two extra second level spells and an extra third level spell.

Only Usable By:
  Bards


Belts

Masterbelt

The pouches of this belt hold an array of masterfully crafted tools that are most commonly used by locksmiths and watchmakers. However, such items can easily be abused for nefarious purposes, making these items a very popular accessory among thieves. This particular belt has the letter "G" engraved upon its buckle.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +10% to Open Locks
    +10% to Disarm Traps
    +10% to Set Snares

Weight:  2
Usable by:
  Thieves


Ioun Stones/Cowls/Hoods/Helmets

Cowl of Acuity

Once a valued property of the Xanathar Thieves Guild, this seemingly plain looking cowl has been treated with magic in order to enhance the acumen and perception of anyone who wears it. The cowl was temporarily lost during a raid on one of the Xanathar slave trading houses in Skullport, but recently, it re-surfaced in Calimport and made its way to Athkatla on one of the many trading caravans belonging to the Sybarr mercantile company.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +15% to Find Traps
    Infravision
    Immunity to all forms of blindness

Armor Class Bonus:  None
Special:  Protects Against Critical Hits
Weight: 0
Usable By:
  Thief
  Monk


Darkveil

At first glance this item looks like a plain, black hood which obscures the wearer's facial features making him nondescript. However, when its wearer faces a creature that can employ gaze attacks (such as a Basilisk, a Vampire or an Umber Hulk) the hood will magically pull itself over his eyes whenever he is about to meet the creature's gaze, thus shielding him from the harmful effects. Unfortunately, the wearer can not direct this action consciously, and therefore has a harder time fighting against such creatures despite being protected from their gazes.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +5% to Hide in Shadows
    Wearer is immune to gaze attacks
    Wearer suffers a 2 point THAC0 penalty against creatures that employ gaze attacks

Armor Class Bonus:  None
Special:  Protects Against Critical Hits
Weight: 0
Usable By:
  Thief
  Ranger
  Monk


Deep Red Ioun Stone

This Ioun Stone is spherical in shape and deep red in color. Once activated, it can enhance the wearer's hand-eye coordination, reflexes and balance which makes it a highly prized accessory among rogues.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +1 Dexterity

Armor Class Bonus: None
Weight: 0
Usable By:
  Everyone


Fragment of Enlightenment

This dim blue Ioun Stone appears to have been carefully polished into its current shape from a much rougher form. Rumors say that it was originally a piece of the sensory stone used by Mirdival the Astute, a Calimshite court wizard, who had spent his entire life researching and crafting magical artifacts for his Pasha. During his many travels, the wizard studied and familiarized himself with a large number of enchanted items and mystical objects. Fearful of forgetting important details, and not trusting the fragile nature of paper, Mirdival regularly stored his memories into a sensory stone which he had acquired from a planewalking Fire Genasi merchant. Unfortunately, one of his experiments went awry, and his whole tower was leveled by the ensuing explosion. During the towers's collapse, the sensory stone was shattered into a number of fragments, some of which still retain a small part of the wizard's memories.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +20 to Lore

Armor Class Bonus: None
Weight: 0
Usable By:
  Everyone


Tri-souled Sapphire

Akram Maluzar was an infamous Zhentarim wizard obsessed with the secrets of the ancient Nethril. During his many travels through the Great Waste he scoured a system of caves which, as he had guessed, interconnected with a buried Nethrese city. His enthusiasm was somewhat dampened  when he found out that the ruins were heavily trapped and riddled with illusionary floors and sturdily locked doors. The ability to pass these obstacles was beyond Akram's skill, so he grew desperate. Not wanting to share the power of the Nethrese with anyone else, Akram chose to steal the very talents he lacked instead. Promising them a great share of the treasure, the wizard hired three exceptionally skilled Calimshite thieves - an expert locksmith, a shady trapmaster and a keen-eyed scout. Instead of sending them to the ancient city, Akram tricked the thieves and imprisoned their souls inside a Sapphire Ioun Stone, thus enchanting it with the traits which he sought. The procedure worked, and at first he was able to delve deep into the ruins without hindrance. Eventually however, the souls of the three thieves confined within the Ioun Stone began rebelling and started draining the wizard's health in an attempt to reclaim his body as their own. Driven by his lust for power Akram paid little heed to his condition until it was too late. Terribly fatigued, he collapsed in front of a ruined Nethrese library, and thereby accidentally activated a hidden trap which caused a cave in and claimed his life. Akram's prized Ioun Stone was later recovered by a wandering tribe of kobolds who mistook it for a simple jewel and traded it for supplies.

Note: In order to gain the knowledge necessary to use the abilities which this item provides, the wearer must actually dive into the consciousness of the trapped souls. This process can be very straining, and using these abilities causes progressively more and more fatigue. The more one uses these abilities, the more fatigue one accumulates. The only way to remove the fatigue is a full night's rest.

STATISTICS:

Special Abilities:
     Casts Find Traps 3x/day
     Casts Knock 3x/day
     Casts Invisibility Purge 3x/day

Weight: 0
Usable By:
  Everyone


Clubs

Sap

Alternatively called a blackjack, the sap is a small leather bag filled with sand, lead shot, coins, or other weighted materials. It can be used to quietly render a victim unconscious by administering a blow to the head or back of the neck. A sap is more suited to an urban environment than to the great outdoors or a dungeon crawl. It's mainly used in situations which make it necessary to capture someone without causing him permanent harm, though thieves often favor this weapon for their own nefarious purposes.

STATISTICS:

Combat Abilities:
    Whenever a hit from a sap would reduce a victim's hit points to 0 or lower, the victim will be rendered unconscious instead

Damage:  1D2
Damage type: crushing (non-lethal)
Weight: 1
Speed Factor: 2
Proficiency Type: Club
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 3 Strength
Not Usable By:
  Mage


Stonesmasher

Dark orcish runes are etched into this club. It is a remnant of the last war between the orcs and the Turmish wizards. When the orcish tribes started raiding their city the wizards created golems of terrible power to protect them. Sensing that the brute strength of his warriors was not enough, the great orc chieftain Gull-Nar ordered his shamans to craft a weapon that would allow him to smash the "living statues" into rubble. His shamans used the books from a raided wizard tower to enchant the favorite weapon of their chieftain, a great war club. Gull-Nar was so pleased that he decided to personally lead the next raid, smashing the golems into bits as he proceeded toward the city core. Victory was near but then a lone mage dressed in black appeared out of nowhere and cast a powerful spell which caused the raging orcs to turn upon each other. In mere minutes their numbers were decimated and Gull-Nar himself was killed by his most trusted warriors.

STATISTICS:

Combat Abilities:
    10% chance to instantly shatter Stone, Clay and Sand Golems on each hit

THAC0: +2, (+4 vs. Golems)
Damage:  1D6 + 2, (+4 vs. Golems)
Damage type:  crushing
Weight: 3
Speed Factor: 2
Proficiency Type: Club
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 5 Strength
Not Usable By:
  Mage


The Weary Cudgel

Crafted by a powerful Uthgardt shaman, this club has been specifically enchanted to diminish the fighting capability of an adversary. It was wielded by chieftain Aukthar of the Blackraven tribe in many clashes between his people and the orcish hordes which periodically attempted to invade Ravenrock, their ancestral mound. The weapon was lost during one particularly fierce battle when the war cries of the combatants triggered a huge avalanche which swept them down the mountainside.

STATISTICS:

Combat Abilities:
        25% chance that the target must save vs. death or become fatigued (note: Constructs, Elementals, Slimes and Undead creatures are not susceptible to fatigue)

THAC0: +1
Damage:  1D6 + 1
Damage type:  crushing
Weight: 3
Speed Factor: 3
Proficiency Type: Club
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 5 Strength
Not Usable By:
  Mage


Darts

Returning Frost Dart

It is rumored that a cunning priestess of Auril created dozens of these darts in order to provide her temple guards with a weapon of last resort. A dart seemed perfect for the task since it was very easy to conceal. Minor enchantments which cause frost burns and return the dart to the wielder's hand after striking were added as well. In general, such weapons are rarely seen outside of Auril's temples which are commonly located on the snow covered peeks of Icewind Dale. However, in the recent years, a few merchants from the Ten Towns region have been acquiring suspiciously large quantities of these darts from local adventuring parties.

STATISTICS:

Combat abilities:
    Dart instantly returns to the wielder's hand after being thrown
    5% chance on each hit that the target becomes slowed for 1 round

THAC0: +1 bonus
Damage:  1D3 +1, +1 Cold
Damage type:  missile (piercing)
Weight: 0
Speed Factor: 1
Proficiency Type: Dart
Type:  1-handed
Not Usable By:
 Cleric


Daggers

Dagger of Acumen

The lavish, fiery runes etched into the hilt of this dagger indicate that it was crafted in Thay, presumably for a high ranking member of the Researcher faction. Although the blade may be used by anyone skilled enough to wield it, only those who are versed in the arcane arts can unlock its true potential. The tiny weapon appears to have been imbued with an enchantment which sharpens the mind of its wielder, providing greater acuteness and thereby enhancing the spell memorization capabilities of arcane spellcasters.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +1 Intelligence
    Arcane spellcasters can memorize an additional 1st and 2nd level spell

THAC0:  +3 bonus
Damage:  1D4 + 3
Damage type:  Piercing
Weight: 1
Speed Factor: 0
Proficiency Type: Dagger
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 3 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Cleric

Note: The Dagger of Acumen can be found on Aran Linvail who resides in the basement of the Shadow Thief guildhall (AR0307). If you install the Shadow Thief Improvements component and side with Bodhi, you can pick up the dagger as loot after you've dealt with the Shadowmaster. In case you side with the Shadow Thieves, you can still try to steal the dagger from Aran, but you'll need an exceptionally high Pickpocket skill to do so.


Dagger of Venom

The dagger of venom is a potent blade favored by assassins all across the Realms.  This particular dagger of venom was created for use by the Shadow Thieves of Amn.  Every time it hits an opponent it secretes a venom into the blood stream of the creature unless a save vs. death is made.  The venom works quickly and efficiently.

STATISTICS:

Combat abilities:
   15 additional points of poison damage (1 per second) on each hit, save vs. death for none

Damage:  1D4 + 2
THAC0:  +2 bonus
Weight: 2
Speed Factor: 0
Proficiency Type: Dagger
Type:  1-handed
Not Usable By:
 Cleric


Dagger +2, Longtooth

Dagger +2, longtooth:  'Grave Binder'
Discovered relatively recently by adventurers in the south, the abilities of this weapon went unknown for several years. Magical tomes eventually revealed its extensive history as an assassin's tool, and it was dubbed the Grave Binder.  It was stolen soon after.

STATISTICS:

Damage:  1D6 +2
THAC0:  +2 bonus
Damage type:  Piercing
Weight: 2
Speed Factor: 0
Proficiency Type: Dagger
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 3 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Cleric

Note: The Plaguebearer and Longtooth daggers can be found on Booter, the Shadow Thief torturer, who resides in the guildhall basement (AR0307). If you install the Shadow Thief Improvements component and side with Bodhi, you can pick up both daggers as loot after you've dealt with Booter. In case you side with the Shadow Thieves you can still try to steal the daggers from Booter, but you need a fairly high Pickpocket skill to do so.


Plaguebearer

At first glance this roughly crafted, rust covered dagger seems like a very odd choice for a weapon. Only the old goblin runes notched along the blade reveal some of its power and history. Apparently, this weapon was originally a torture device of a powerful goblin shaman called Sharnuk, who above all else sought the knowledge of higher wizardry. Sharnuk's tribe often ambushed lone mages in their sleep and brought them to their leader so that he could rob them of their secrets. During the interrogations, Sharnuk would meticulously stab at his victims until they either became weakened by magical afflictions induced by the blade or simply delirious from the loss of blood. In such a state, it was easy for him to pry the knowledge that he sought from a mage's mind. When he believed that he had acquired enough power, Sharnuk led his tribe to a raid on a nearby gnomish settlement. However, luck was not on his side that day, as he and his entire cohort were scorched to death when he attempted to cast his first fireball.

STATISTICS:

Combat Abilities:
    33% chance that the target must save vs. death or become afflicted with one of the following diseases:
    Filth Fever - target loses 2 points of Constitution and Dexterity for 1 turn
    Devil Chills - target loses 2 points of Strength and becomes slowed for 1 turn
    Mummy Rot - target takes 20 points of damage (2 per round)

THAC0:  +3 bonus
Damage:  1D4 +3
Damage type:  piercing
Weight: 1
Speed Factor: 0
Proficiency Type: Dagger
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 3 Strength
Not Usable By:
  Cleric

Note: The Plaguebearer and Longtooth daggers can be found on Booter, the Shadow Thief torturer, who resides in the guildhall basement (AR0307). If you install the Shadow Thief Improvements component and side with Bodhi, you can pick up both daggers as loot after you've dealt with Booter. In case you side with the Shadow Thieves you can still try to steal the daggers from Booter, but you'll need a fairly high Pickpocket skill to do so.


Silverblaze

This dagger was forged from purest silver and blessed by Sehanine Moonbow, the elven goddess of the moon. Its blade is especially potent against vampires as it was enchanted to channel any stray bits of power from the Positive Energy plane. Each day the weapon amasses a small amount of positive energy which the wielder can use as a shield against the soul-draining claws of a vampire. Furthermore, any vampire struck by the dagger may become stunned from contact with the stored energy.

STATISTICS:

Combat Abilities:
    15% chance that any Vampire struck by the blade will be stunned for 2 rounds

Special Abilities:
    Casts Negative Plane Protection 3x/day

THAC0:  +3 (+5 vs. Vampires)
Damage:  1D4 + 3 (+5 vs. Vampires)
Weight: 1
Speed Factor: 0
Proficiency Type: Dagger
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 3 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Cleric

Note: the Silverblaze dagger can be acquired through Arledrian  - the fence who resides on the top floor of Gaelan Bayle's home. You need to either pickpocket him (this can be done via dialogue as well), kill him (if you side with Bodhi) or solve his quest in Chapter 3 in order to get this dagger. Arledrian's quest is triggered in Chapter 3 as a part of Aran Linvail's second task. It involves investigating Arledrian's disappearance and eventually leads to the crypts beneath the Graveyard area. There you will encounter Arledrian who is desperately trying to fight off several vampires. You can either help him, heal him, kill him or intimidate him into giving you the dagger.


Trollmelter

The winter of 1228 was particularly hard on the halfling settlements near Shalebrook forest. The last few years were harsh, and food was very scarce. The situation was worsened further by the troll raids which had become more frequent due to the famine which was spreading through the whole region. Although inferior in numbers, their great strength and resilience allowed the trolls to mercilessly seize the halflings' very last supplies. However, the fair food of the small folk could not settle their immense hunger and the trolls soon started feeding on the healthier halflings. Outraged, the head of the halfling settlement tried to call for help, but as the main roads were snowed in and the outer paths lead through the troll-infested forest, no immediate support could arrive. One morning, after the trolls took his own sister, a young rogue named Lars the Lightfooted grew desperate. The following night, he gathered all his courage and somehow snuck through the forest full of trolls. With the last ounce of his strength, he managed to reach a nearby dwarven settlement. He begged the dwarves to help him, but due to their own problems with the ongoing orc invasion, they could only offer him some of their spare weapons and supplies. Devastated, Lars grabbed the only weapon he knew how to wield, a dagger, and left. Lady Tymora smiled on him that day, for he had unintentionally picked a weapon which would soon save his life. As he rushed back through the forest the loud snoring of the trolls hinted him to the cave where they were sleeping. The sight of gnawed halfling bones scattered around the entrance was the final straw. Blindly rushing inside, Lars viciously stabbed at the nearest sleeping troll with the dwarven dagger, oblivious to the risk to his life, his thoughts going to his beloved sister. To his amazement, the troll he had struck screamed in agony as his horrid body started melting and dissolving into a puddle of goo. The rest of the trolls woke up, but the sight of their melting comrade and the strong smell of acid brought such immense fear to them that they immediately ran away, never to return to Shalebrook forest again. Still in shock, Lars slowly recomposed himself and freed his sister and the other captured halflings. Eventually, Lars the Lightfooted was proclaimed the Savior of Shalebrook, and his weapon was given the name Trollmelter.

STATISTICS:

Combat Abilities:
    15% chance that any Troll struck by the blade receives an additional 15 points of Acid Damage

THAC0:  +2 (+4 vs. Trolls)
Damage:  1D4, +2 Acid Damage (+4 Acid Damage vs. Trolls)
Weight: 1
Speed Factor: 0
Proficiency Type: Dagger
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 3 Strength
Not Usable By:
  Cleric


Short Swords

Revised (PnP) Short Sword of Backstabbing

In PnP AD&D this sword is supposed to have some extra features when wielded by a Thief. Here's a passage from the The Complete Thief's Handbook:

"Short sword of Backstabbing: In the hands of any character this is a +2 magical weapon, but in the hands of a thief it is especially potent. When a thief makes a backstab attempt with this short sword, it allows him to attack as if four levels higher than his actual experience level, with corresponding improvements in THAC0, attack rolls, and damage multiplier on a successful hit."

Based on that, the Baldur's Gate 2 version of the item was altered in the following manner:

The Shadow's Blade was created to be the perfect assassin's tool.  It is highly sought after by any who settle differences with a blade, and many that possess it do not do so for long.  In the hands of any character this sword acts as a standard +3 magical weapon, but in the hands of a Thief it becomes especially potent granting him an additional bonus to hit and increasing his backstab multiplier.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities (Thieves only):
    Increases backstab multiplier by 1
    Provides an additional +2 THAC0 bonus

THAC0:  +3 bonus
Damage:  1D6 +3
Damage type piercing
Weight: 3
Speed Factor: 0
Proficiency Type: Short Sword
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 5 Strength
Not Usable By:
  Druid
  Cleric
  Mage

Note: It is no longer possible to obtain the Short Sword of Backstabbing from Renal Bloodscalp after completing his quest. Renal will now merely award the party with a generic Short Sword +3. The revised Short Sword of Backstabbing has been transferred to Aran Linvail and can now be acquired from him in Chapter 6. The Shadowmaster will give the blade to the party if the protagonist successfully convinces him to aid the party in the battle against Bodhi. The only other way to get the revised Short Sword of Backstabbing is to side with Bodhi in Chapter 2 and kill Aran as a part of her final task.


Scimitars/Wakizashis/Ninja-tos

Black Cat's Claw

The profession of a ninja is very versatile, some are skilled assassins while others excel at the art of stealth and thievery. The owner of this blade undoubtedly belonged to the second group. Her true name remains a mystery, though she was known as The Black Cat, an infamous thief renown for acquiring rare commodities for and from the upper class circles of the Kara-Tur nobility. It was not unusual for her to steal a precious jewel from the collection of one noble, sell it to another wealthy aristocrat and then steal it back merely for the thrill of the deed. For her mischiefs, the Black Cat was hunted by many famous Kara-Tur warriors, but through a combination of luck and extraordinary acrobatic skill, she always managed to evade her pursuers. Eventually, as the story goes, she fell in love with a particularly persistent samurai and left her country and her former life together with him.


STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +1 Dexterity
    +1 Luck

THAC0: +2 bonus
Damage:  1D8 +2
Damage type:  slashing
Weight:  4
Speed Factor: 2
Proficiency Type: Scimitar/Wakizashi/Ninja-To
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 6 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Druid
 Cleric
 Mage


Keeper of the Law

This blade once belonged Lao-Tzu, a samurai from one of the southern provinces of Kara-Tur. Upon finishing his training the warrior had sworn an oath to finally free his lands from the bandits and brigands which had plagued his people for the last ten years. However, that task proved fairly difficult as his opponents were cunning, and only struck late at night, always wearing hoods and masks. Lao-Tzu understood that these bandits had no honor and that they may well be hiding among the very people which he sought to protect, but he dared not act merely on impulse for his code of conduct would not permit him to falsely accuse an innocent. To aid him in this task, Lao-Tzu sought a great Wu Jen master and asked him to enchant his wakizashi with the ability to sense the true intentions of a person and to strike vigorously against those without honor. The samurai organized a feast for the people in order to lift the spirits of the robbed ones and to drive out the bandits into the open. The people answered his call and Lao-Tzu was pleased. Using the power of his new weapon he managed to separate the cunning bandits from the simple peasants and to seat them inside a separate dining hall. Once they were all rounded up, the samurai barred the only exit and fought alone against a dozen rogues. After a short battle Lao-Tzu emerged victorious, but his honor did not allow him to kill even such unworthy foes. Instead, the samurai exiled the bandits from the province and his people finally knew peace.

STATISTICS:

Equipped Abilities:
    +1 bonus to AC

Special Abilities:
    Casts Detect Alignment 2x/day

THAC0: +2 bonus, +4 vs. Chaotic aligned creatures
Damage:  1D8 +2, +4 vs. Chaotic aligned creatures
Damage type:  piercing
Weight:  2
Speed Factor: 1
Proficiency Type: Scimitar/Wakizashi/Ninja-To
Type:  1-handed
Requires: 5 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Chaotic aligned characters
 Druid
 Cleric
 Mage


Short Bows

Composite Short Bow

Composite bows are long bows or short bows whose staves are made from more than one type of material.  This gives greater flexibility and makes arrows fired from this bow deliver more damage. This bow can only be wielded by characters with a strength score of 16 or higher. 

STATISTICS:

Damage:  +1 bonus
Weight: 2
Speed Factor: 6
Proficiency Type: Short Bow
Type:  2-handed
Requires: 16 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Druid
 Cleric
 Mage


Composite Short Bow +1

Composite bows are long bows or short bows whose staves are made from more than one type of material.  This gives greater flexibility and makes arrows fired from this bow deliver more damage. This magical bow can only be wielded by characters with a strength score of 16 or higher.

STATISTICS:

THAC0: +1 bonus
Damage:  +2 bonus
Weight: 2
Speed Factor: 5
Proficiency Type: Short Bow
Type:  2-handed
Requires: 16 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Druid
 Cleric
 Mage


Composite Short Bow +2

Composite bows are long bows or short bows whose staves are made from more than one type of material.  This gives greater flexibility and makes arrows fired from this bow deliver more damage. This magical bow can only be wielded by characters with a strength score of 16 or higher.

STATISTICS:

THAC0: +2 bonus
Damage:  +3 bonus
Weight: 2
Speed Factor: 4
Proficiency Type: Short Bow
Type:  2-handed
Requires: 16 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Druid
 Cleric
 Mage


Composite Short Bow +3

Composite bows are long bows or short bows whose staves are made from more than one type of material.  This gives greater flexibility and makes arrows fired from this bow deliver more damage. This magical bow can only be wielded by characters with a strength score of 16 or higher.

STATISTICS:

THAC0: +3 bonus
Damage:  +4 bonus
Weight: 2
Speed Factor: 3
Proficiency Type: Short Bow
Type:  2-handed
Requires: 16 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Druid
 Cleric
 Mage


Sparkburst

Crafted by an eccentric gnomish inventor, this composite short bow was designed to charge any arrow fired from it with a tiny electrical spark. Whenever such an arrow hits, there is a small chance that it will create an electrically charged field around its target. Until it dissipates, this field will attract any subsequent missile attacks by pulling the projectiles toward the target.

STATISTICS:

Combat Abilities:
    10% of all hits deal an extra 1d3 points of electrical damage and cause the target to suffer 2 point penalty to AC vs. missiles during the next 3 rounds

THAC0: +2 bonus
Damage:  +3 bonus
Weight: 2
Speed Factor: 4
Proficiency Type: Short Bow
Type:  2-handed
Requires: 16 Strength
Not Usable By:
 Druid
 Cleric
 Mage



Revised Thievery

This component will slightly revise the thievery aspect of the game. Firstly, it will allow all merchants whose dialogue implies that their wares are stolen to buy fenced goods. Secondly, it will prevent PC thieves from stealing from any merchants who can buy fenced goods in order to fix the "steal item from merchant > sell stolen item to the same merchant > repeat for infinite money" exploit. For quick reference, here's the list of the merchants who are now also marked as fences:

• Arledrian, the Shadow Thief merchant on the top floor of Gaelan Bayle's house
• The halfling male thief merchant in the Slums
• The half-orc female thief merchant in the Slums
• Fovem, the human male thief merchant in the Docks District who only appears at night
• Carras, the Amkathran smuggler
• Black Lily, the human female thief merchant who resides within the Thief Guild in Baldur's Gate (BG1Tutu/BGT only)
• Silence, the human male thief merchant who resides within one of the houses in Baldur's Gate (BG1Tutu/BGT only)
• Erdane, the human male thief merchant who resides outside of Durlag's Tower (BG1Tutu/BGT only)

• Marina, the Black Market thief merchant on the main floor of the Shadow Thief guildhall
• Roger "the fence", the human male thief merchant in the sewers under the Temple District
• Cutpurse, the halfling male thief merchant in the Bridge District
• The elven female thief merchant in the Bridge District
• Jayes, the halfling male thief merchant in Waukeen's Promenade who only appears at night
• Gorch, the human male merchant on the main floor of MaeVar's Guild
• Rattell, the Shadow Thief merchant on the main floor of the thief stronghold

Thirdly, this component will prevent animals and sleeping, silenced, feebleminded or otherwise incapacitated characters from summoning the guards in case a party member loots a container in their vicinity. Furthermore, this component will also prevent the effects of Potions of Master Thievery and Potions of Perception from stacking (in case of multiple uses) and can optionally replace them with their corresponding PnP counterparts. Since the PnP versions of these potions are somewhat different from their BG2 counterparts, their full description is included here:

PnP Potion of Master Thievery

This potion grants a temporary increase in thieving skills and maximum hit points to a rogue if he has fewer than 13 levels of experience. The bonus diminishes as the rogue advances in levels and completely disappears once he masters the art of thievery on his own.

STATISTICS:

Levels 1-3:  +20% to all thieving skills, 5d6 temporary hit points gained
Levels 4-6:  +16% to all thieving skills, 4d6+1 temporary hit points gained
Levels 7-9:  +12% to all thieving skills, 3d6+2 temporary hit points gained
Levels 10-12: +8% to all thieving skills, 2d6+3 temporary hit points gained
Levels 13+:  the potion has no effect

Duration:  3 turns
Only Usable By:
  Thief
  Bard

PnP Potion of Perception

This potion heightens the sensory perception of the drinker, which allows delicate tasks to be performed better.  The effect is to make certain thieving skills more likely to succeed.  Only thieves gain any benefit from this potion.

STATISTICS:

Open Locks:  +10% bonus
Find Traps:  +20% bonus
Detect Illusions:  +25% bonus

Duration:  8 turns
Only Usable By:
  Thieves


Revised NPC behavior on failed theft attempts

Note: Altered behaviour on failed pickpocket attempts requires either ToBEx or a sufficiently up-to-date version of the Enhanced-Edition engine. This behaviour is consequently not available on all supported platforms. The rest of the component will work regardless of platform.

In the unmodded game, a merchant would instantly turn hostile  (and often try to attack a fully equipped, combat-ready party) whenever a party member failed to steal an item from his store. Similarly, neutral, non-joinable NPCs would simply turn hostile after a failed pickpocket attempt. This component alters that behavior as follows:

• Merchants will no longer turn hostile after a failed theft attempt. They will instead opt to report the theft to their superiors (thereby lowering the party's reputation) and refuse to have any further dealings with the party
• A PC can now talk his way out of a failed theft/pickpocket attempt if one of his mental attributes and/or Lore and Reputation score is high enough
• Neutral, non-joinable NPCs will now initiate a special dialogue after a failed pickpocket attempt rather than simply turn hostile
• If a familiar fails a pickpocket check against a non-hostile NPC it will be reprimanded (which will make it run around in panic for a short while)

In summary, whenever you fail a theft or a pickpocket attempt, you now get various dialogue options for dealing with the situation depending on your Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Lore and Reputation scores. The initial requirements are fairly low (12 for either of the mental attributes, 20 for Lore, 14 for good Reputation and 7 for bad Reputation). However, each NPC keeps track of how many times you've tried to talk your way out of a theft, and the aforementioned requirements exponentially rise with every further failed attempt. Also, even with the highest attribute scores, you can have no more than 3 botched theft attempts per NPC. After that, no amount of talking will be able to convince that particular NPC of your "innocence". Lastly, this component allows parties with a high reputation and party members with a charisma score above 10 to pay a fine to various law enforcers (Flaming Fist, Amnish Centurions, Saradush Militia) after a failed theft attempt instead of having to face them in combat. The amount of gold that needs to be paid depends on the party's reputation or the charisma score of the party member who had committed the theft.

Note: Parts of this component require ToBEx or one of the Enhanced-Edition games and will not be installed on games that do not support the required functionality. ToBEx is only available for the original Windows version of the game. The rest of the component will work regardless of platform.



Compatibility

Known Issues

Version changes

4.48 - February 18, 2012

• The "Proper dual-wielding implementation for Thieves and Bards" and "Proper racial adjustments for thieving skills" components can now be installed on SoA-only games
• Most components should now install properly on IWD-in-BG2
• Rogue Rebalancing now uses ENGINE_IS to determine the type of your installation (i.e. BG2-SoA, ToB, BGT... etc.)
• Upgraded to TobEx Beta 0022

4.47 - November 6, 2011

• Fixed a small error in a dialogue line which allows elven partymembers to translate Arledrian's journal
• Updated the Russian translation
• Upgraded to TobEx Beta 0021

4.46 - September 18, 2011

• Fixed an issue which prevented the "Use PnP thievery potions and prevent their effects from stacking" subcomponent of "Revised Thievery" from working properly. Furthermore, this component now takes into account Item Revisions v3
• If Quest Pack is installed, Aran Linvail will now have the Short Sword of Backstabbing in his inventory in case the party sides against him in Chapter 6. Furthermore, the SsoB will now be moved to Aran Linvail when either the "Shadow Thief Improvements" component or the "Additional Equipment for Thieves and Bards component is installed"

4.45 - August 14, 2011

• Shambling Mounds were erroneously not immune to the Mariliths' Cause Serious Wounds ability
• Updated the French translation

4.44 - July 24, 2011

• The Thief version of the Alchemy HLA was erroneously using the description of the Bard version
• Blades can no longer assign any proficiency points in Two Weapon Fighting Style at the character creation screen since they receive the full bonus automatically upon starting the game
• The Exploding Trap HLA has been slightly revised. It now deals 15d6 points of fire damage and is no longer subject to magic resistance. However, its secondary effects can now be avoided with a successful save vs. breath
• The Spike Trap HLA now deals piercing damage. For reference, in the original game the damage dealt by this trap was classified as magical (i.e. akin to the Magic Missile spell) which didn't make much sense for a non-magical ability

4.43 - May 15, 2011

• Synchronised DS with SCSII v19.
• The Evasion ability now properly protects against the appropriate spells from aTweaks' PnP Fiends.
• Scribe Scrolls now accounts for Galactygon's Spell Pack mod.

4.42 - March 10, 2011

• Updated the French translation.

4.41 - February 26, 2011

• Fixed a regression that prevented the mod from installing when Italian language was used.

4.40 - February 19, 2011

• Fixed a regression that broke Scribe Scrolls.
• Fixed a few compatibility problems with regards to the description of the Avoid Death HLA if Refinements was also installed.
• Revised Thievery now uses ToBEx instead of ToB_hacks.
• Proof-read the mod.
• Updated the "Upgradeable equipment" component (Cromwell resets ForgeStuff).
• Updated the thief and bard kit and HLA components to be more compatible with other mods, such as Refinements.
• Updated Italian and Russian translations.
• Swashbucklers really do not get Crippling Strike, even if Refinements is installed.
• Crippling Strike now correctly requires Assassination, even when Refinements is installed.

4.38 - October 25, 2010

• Scribe Scrolls has been synchronised with aTweaks v3.22.
• Gold spent on creating potions can now not be recouped by removing the thief from the party.

4.37 - May 25, 2010

• Updated German and Russian translations

4.36 - May 20, 2010

• The Sparkburst composite shortbow has been slightly revised
• Updated the French, German, and Italian translations
• Final update by aVENGER. Mod maintenance transferred to Wisp

4.35 - May 8, 2010

• The Rogue's Ward buckler erroneously had 3 charges of Improved Invisibility available when first purchased at Marina's special store
• Slightly restructured the patching routine for the "Revised Thievery" component

4.34 - March 16, 2010

• Fixed a rare bug which could previously prevent a Protagonist who had a high Lore score but a low Intelligence score from translating Arledrian's Journal
• The "Revised Thievery" component will no longer assign a pickpocket response script to creatures who use no AI scripts at all (i.e. creatures that appear only during cutscenes)
• The "Additional equipment for Thieves and Bards" component will now add Composite Short Bows to most shops which carry regular Short Bows. Furthermore, this component will now also add enchanted bucklers to most shops which offer enchanted Small Shields for sale. Finally, a Sap can now be purchased from most fences
• The Scribe Scrolls ability has been slightly revised. Inscribing a scroll now removes one instance of the spell in question from the caster's memory (i.e. just like casting the spell regularly would). Furthermore, as long as the caster is in a non-hostile area, this ability can now be used at will
• Summoned Shamblers and Spirit Warriors will now deprioritize panicked targets
• Updated the Japanese translation (by Taro)

4.33 - January 29, 2010

• Fixed an original game bug which previously made all Bard kits lose their Enhanced and Lingering Songs after leaving and rejoining the party
• Summoned Shamblers and Spirit Warriors now have visible selection circles. This makes it possible to target them with beneficial spells and check their health status. However, they still remain uncontrollable by the player. Furthermore, both the Shamblers and the Spirit Warrior are now immune to curative magic, being plant and undead creatures, respectively
  
• Externalized the bulk of the Revised Thievery component to a macro for easier use
• A more robust patching method for spells, items and creatures is now being used. Among other things, this should speed up the installation process and ensure greater compatibility on megamod installs
• Depreciated ALLOW_MISSING in favor of modern coding techniques
• Minor code optimizations

4.32 - December 12, 2009

• Updated the French and Russian translations
• Changed homepage location

4.31 - October 24, 2009

• The highest tier effect of the Jester's song now mesmerizes opponents instead of stunning them
• The Enthralling Melody HLA now fascinates opponents instead of stunning them
• The secondary effects of Mass Charm and Enthralling Melody now only have a 25% chance of occurring
• Spirit Warriors summoned by Skalds are now slightly more powerful than those summoned by other Bards
• Updated the French and Italian translations

4.30 - October 2, 2009

• The Assassin kit has been revised more thoroughly. Firstly, the damage dealt by the Poison Weapon ability is now dependant on the Assassin's level. Secondly, the one-time bonus to hit and damage has been replaced with a new passive ability called Poison Expertise which improves the Assassin's saving throw vs. poison and the effectiveness of his Poison Weapon ability. Finally, Assassins now gain a new Death Attack ability at level 16 and every 8 levels thereafter
• The Bounty Hunter kit has been revised more thoroughly. Firstly, the Paralytic Toxin ability now has a shorter duration and is acquired once per 10 levels. Secondly, the Bounty Hunter's Special Snares have been additionally modified and renamed into Alchemical Traps. Thirdly, the saving throw difficulty class of Paralytic Toxin and Alchemical Traps now improves as the Bounty Hunter gains more experience and acquires the Alchemical Expertise passive ability. Finally, a Bounty Hunter using the Alchemy HLA can now make three times as many potions as a regular Thief
• The Revised Thievery component will now allow parties with a high reputation and party members with a charisma score above 10 to pay a fine to various law enforcers (Flaming Fist, Amnish Centurions, Saradush Militia) after a failed theft attempt instead of having to face them in combat. The amount of gold that needs to be paid depends on the party's reputation or the charisma score of the party member who had committed the theft
• The effectiveness of the Jester's song has been slightly reduced (enemies will now make their saves more easily)
• Special abilities that are unable to affect specific targets now display more descriptive feedback strings

4.22 - September 7, 2009

• The Jester's song (including its Enhanced and Lingering versions) will no longer affect mindless creatures such as Constructs, Skeletons, Zombies and Slimes
• Under specific circumstances, the abilities of the Tri-Souled Sapphire could become corrupted if WoRm's visual Ioun Stone animations were present. This issue has been rectified
• Resolved a compatibility issue related to the Glitterdust and Faerie Fire spells from the Spell Revisions mod (special thanks to Mike1072)
• Updated Detectable Spells to the latest available version (the same as in SCSII v10)
• Added the Italian translation (courtesy of Andrea C.)
• Updated the French translation
  

4.21 - August 8, 2009

• The Alchemy HLA now creates Potions of Superior Healing instead of Potions of Extra Healing and Elixirs of Health instead of Antidotes. The resource cost has been appropriately increased 
• The Harp of Descant was erroneously usable by Paladins
• Activating the Improved Invisibility ability of Rogue's Ward will no longer trigger a reaction from the Cowled Wizards in case the spellcasting license wasn't acquired
• The "Revised Thievery" component now checks for Taimon's "ToB Hacks" in order to prevent his patch from being needlessly applied twice
• Updated the French and Spanish translations
  

4.20 - July 18, 2009

• The Revised Thievery component will now make non-hostile NPCs initiate a special dialogue after a failed pickpocket attempt rather than simply turning hostile (special thanks to Taimon and Miloch)
• Improved compatibility with the "Classic Adventures" total conversion mod. Several items introduced by the "Additional equipment for Thieves and Bards" can now be acquired during regular gameplay on a "Classic Adventures" installation 
• The "Proper spell progression for Bards" component can now be installed on BG1Tutu
• The protagonist can now ask one of the elven or half-elven party members to translate Arledrian's journal during the "A missing fence?" quest
• The Rogue's Ward and the Weary Cudgel have been slightly revised. However, Cromwell can now improve these items if the "Upgradeable Equipment" component is installed
  
• Added Thieves' Cant related remarks for Nalia, Jan and Haer'Dalis to Marina's dialogue
• The Composite Shortbow +1 was erroneously using the longbow proficiency. This issue has been rectified
• Rogue Rebalancing (including all code and documentation) is now licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License
  

4.11 - May 10, 2009

• The Revised Thievery component will now work better on BG1Tutu and BGT installs. Firstly, this component will now properly prevent sleeping, helpless, feebleminded and silenced characters from summoning the guards in case a party member loots a container in their vicinity on BGT installs. Secondly, the merchants in the BG1 part of the game will now properly give the player a chance to talk his way out of a failed theft attempt on both BG1Tutu and BGT installs
• Restructured the tp2 to use ALLOW_MISSING in conjunction with dedicated macros in order to ensure proper compatibility checks
• Reduced the amount of Arrows of Dispelling in Marina's special stock
• Updated the French and German translations

4.10 - April 21, 2009

• 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

4.04 - March 2, 2009

• Fixed a minor compatibility issue which previously prevented Bards from properly acquiring the "Avoid Death" HLA if the Refinements mod was present
• The Spirit Warrior summoned by the Magic Flute HLA erroneously had one extra hit die added on top of his hit point total. This issue has been rectified
• In one specific instance, Druids using The Guardian could accidentally summon two different shamblers at the same time. This issue has been rectified
• The in-game description of the Enhanced Bard Song HLA (which is only available to True Bards) erroneously listed an AC bonus as one of the song's benefits. This issue has been rectified
• A new GUI icon for the Summon Shambler ability of The Guardian has been added
• Added the BETA version of the Russian translation (courtesy of the Aerie.ru team)
• Updated the German translation

4.03 - January 26, 2009

• Resolved a minor issue which could, under specific circumstances, prevent elf and half-elf protagonists from deciphering Arledrian's journal on their own
• Using the Mass Charm HLA now properly breaks the invisibility of the caster
• The shamblers summoned by The Guardian now use a unique soundset instead of mimicking the Earth Elemental soundset. Furthermore, the shamblers will no longer glow with overly bright colors when affected by "Protection From Evil 10' radius" and similar spells
• The entanglement ability of the shamblers can no longer affect a single creature more than once per round. Furthermore, exceptionally large creatures (Dragons, Giants, Iron Golems) and incorporeal creatures (Shadows, Mists, Air and Fire Elementals) can no longer be entangled by the shamblers
• The compatibility with the "Trap Cap Removal" component of BG2 Tweaks has been improved
• Made a workaround for the compatibility issue between the "Triple-Class HLA Tables" component of G3 BG2 Tweaks and the "Thief High Level Ability revisions" component of Rogue Rebalancing. In order for the workaround to take effect, you need to install the "Thief High Level Ability revisions" component of Rogue Rebalancing after the "Triple-Class HLA Tables" component of G3 BG2 Tweaks
• Minor code optimizations

4.02 - December 23, 2008 

• The "Revised Thievery" component will now treat Erdane, Black Lily and Silence as fences and allow them to buy stolen goods (BG1Tutu/BGT only)
• Cleric, Druid, Paladin and Ranger protagonists will now properly get the dialogue option to heal Arledrian with curative magic during the final conversation at the end of his quest if they have any healing spells memorized. Protagonists who possess the "Cure Light Wounds" Bhaalpower will receive a similar option regardless of their class
• Compatibility with the "Item Revisions" mod has been improved. If the main component of "Item Revisions" is detected, Rogue Rebalancing will automatically utilize Erephine's round buckler animations and WoRm's Ioun Stone animations for its own items
• Minor code optimizations

4.01 - November 21, 2008

• Added the German translation (courtesy of Cronox)
• Updated the French and Spanish translations

4.00 - November 1, 2008

• Added the "Upgradeable equipment" component
• Added the "Proper racial adjustments for thieving skills" component
  
• Reintroduced the "Thief High Level Ability revisions" component. For Thieves, Scribe Scrolls was replaced with Crippling Strike, Time Trap was replaced with Acid Trap, Evasion was replaced with Danger Sense. Greater Evasion is now simply called Evasion and has been completely revised
• Expanded the "Bard High Level Ability revisions" component. For Bards, Evasion was replaced with Resonating Weapon and Greater Evasion was replaced with Sound Barrier
  
• The regular Bard, Jester and Skald songs have all been slightly revised
• The area of effect (i.e. the hearing range) of all bard songs has been slightly increased to more closely match the visual range of the bard
• The enhanced Bard, Jester and Skald songs have all been slightly revised. Furthermore, their effects will now properly apply to summoned creatures and their area of effect is now limited to the visual range of the bard
• The hit dice (level) limits have been removed from the primary effects of the Mass Charm, Enthralling Melody and Sound Burst HLAs
  
• Skalds now have a 1 point casting time penalty for all spells as an additional disadvantage
• Jesters are now limited to the Thieves' weapon proficiency selection as an additional disadvantage
• The Swashbuckler's innate damage bonus has been completely removed. Furthermore, Swashbucklers now only use the Fighter's THAC0 progression table while wielding melee weapons
• The Bounty Hunter's "Tranquilizer" ability is now called "Paralytic Toxin"  and it no longer affects Constructs, Undead, Elementals and Slimes
• The secondary effects of the Bounty Hunter's special snares no longer affect certain creatures. For example, it is not possible to entangle a Shadow or to render a Golem unconscious
• Due to a coding oversight, the Bounty Hunter could not gain his regular snares at levels 1 and 16. This has been corrected
• The Guardian has been slightly revised. Furthermore, the shield will now improve as the druid gains more experience (alongside the summoned shambler)
• The Returning Frost Dart, the Plaguebearer dagger and the Rogue's Ward buckler have all been slightly revised
  
• Kiel's Buckler and the Short Sword of Backstabbing are now being altered in a more compatibility-friendly manner
• Added Fading Glory to Marina's special stock in BG2 and to the Ulgoth's Beard store in BG1Tutu/BGT
• Several item icons have been revised
  
• The compatibility with the Refinements mod has been improved. It is now possible to get a mix of the Rogue Rebalancing and Refinements HLA tables for Thieves and Bards by simply installing the "Thief High Level Ability revisions" and the "Bard High Level Ability revisions" components of Rogue Rebalancing after Refinements. However, the "Thief kit revisions" and the "Bard kit revisions" components of Rogue Rebalancing still have to be installed before Refinements
• Standardized the version numbers of all components

3.92 - August 25, 2008

• 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)

3.91 - June 9, 2008

• 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

3.90 - March 23, 2008

• Installing the Revised Thievery component will now prevent animals and sleeping, silenced, feebleminded or otherwise incapacitated characters from summoning the guards in case a party member loots a container in their vicinity. This feature is compatible with BG2 as well as BGT and BG1Tutu
• Added an optional subcomponent to Revised Thievery which can replace Potions of Perception and Potions of Master Thievery with their respective PnP counterparts
  
• Added a PnP Composite Short Bow (and a few enchanted varieties) to Marina's special stock in BG2 and to various stores in BG1Tutu/BGT
• Added Sparkburst to Marina's special stock in BG2 and to Black Lilly's store in BG1Tutu/BGT
• Added the Sap (a PnP non-lethal weapon) to Marina's regular store in BG2 and to various stores in BG1Tutu/BGT
• Added the Fragment of Enlightenment and the Deep Red Ioun Stone to Marina's special stock in BG2 and to the High Hedge store in BG1Tutu/BGT
• Added The Weary Cudgel and Darkveil to Marina's special stock in BG2 and to the Ulgoth's Beard store in BG1Tutu/BGT
• The Harp of Descant can now be purchased at the Ulgoth's Beard store in BG1Tutu/BGT
• The Magic Flute Bard HLA can now dispel or mimic the effects of any spell from the Enchantment school as well as summon a Spirit Warrior
• The Blade's Weapons Display innate ability has been slightly revised
• Kiel's Buckler, Rogue's Ward and  Plaguebearer have all been slightly revised
• Greagan's Harp, Kiel's Buckler and the Dagger of Venom will now have consistent abilities and prices across BG2, BG1Tutu and BGT
• The Last Defense buckler has been replaced with the Stalwart Defender
  
• Several item and special ability icons have been revised
• Several items were erroneously unusable by certain dual-class combinations (i.e. Abjurer -> Thief)
  
• Fixed a bug which could previously cause the Mass Charm Bard HLA to expire prematurely
• In case his summoner dies, the Spirit Warrior will now follow and protect the protagonist
• Under some circumstances, a journal entry from Arledrian's quest could erroneously persist after his quest was finished
• Fixed a small bug which could potentially prevent the fight scene between Arledrian and the Vampires from occurring
• This component now uses the G3 version of Detectable Spells and all of its AI scripts have been accordingly enhanced

3.82 - December 23, 2007

3.81 - October 28, 2007

3.80 - October 4, 2007

3.71 - August 6, 2007

3.70 - July 26, 2007

3.61 - July 1, 2007

3.60 - June 25, 2007

3.50 - May 12, 2007

3.11 - November 28, 2003

3.10 - November 13, 2003

3.00 - October 31, 2003

2.41 - May 30, 2003

2.40 - May 27, 2003

2.35 - May 5, 2003

2.34 - May 1, 2003

2.31 - April 19, 2003

2.30 - April 17, 2003

2.29 - April 3, 2003

2.28 - March 27, 2003

2.27 - March 26, 2003

2.01 - February 3, 2003

2.00 - January 3, 2003

1.20 - December 24, 2002

1.12 - December 13, 2002

Contact

web site: http://www.spellholdstudios.net/ie/rr
forum: http://www.shsforums.net/forum/79-rogue-rebalancing/