AC Cap

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(Long story) I've let my BG CDs dust away in my 'oldies' box for too long; and until recently I never felt like reviving it because of one issue: the AC cap. I'm one of those guys who enjoy taking as much juice off a build as possible, and one evening I decided to build an insanely high AC party member, only to find that it was capped at around -10 in SoA and around -30 in ToB. The question, thus, arises:

(Long story short) Does anyone know how to remove the AC cap in BG2?

PS: I believe there wasn't a single mod out there that could do it. I searched the forums and couldn't find anything about this issue, so until further notice I'll take it no one actually tried to decap it.

 

I think the AC cap might be hardcoded, which would explain why no such mod has been made.

 

There's no such thing as an AC cap. There's no 2da file for it (the XP cap has one), and I can't imagine they would build something so un-powergamer into BG2. Likely it's just a matter of kits (swashbuckler, monk, kensai, etc.) slowing down.

 

There IS an AC cap, for I have experienced it numerous times when using the correct, exact combination of classes, dexterity, and spells.

I know there isn't a .2da file for it (and if there is, it's under a pseudoname). But I guess I would be willing to find the code for it if someone could confirm me removing it to be possible (I recall finding some values that if changed altered the game as a whole, and a complete redux from NPCs to items would have to be done).

 

Well, if that's true, then just get ToB. AFAIK, there aren't any bosses or anything with a THAC0 lower than -8 (belonging to Abazigal and Demogorgon), so you wouldn't really need better than -30 anyway.

 

I already own ToB. Monsters add their Strength bonus in BG to their THAC0, thus making such character builds obsolote. I remember finding some Orcs that managed to hit me every turn, even if I had AC -30.

(Demogorgon has Str 25, earning it the title of 'greatest overall THAC0' in the game, along with the end-game ToB goddess, whose name I can't remember)

Guess I'll be installing IWD2 soon, I recall managing to build a nice Svirfneblin decoy character who had insane AC, which enabled my dwarves to excert punishment without limits.

/Edit: To build a virtually (20 on d20 always hits) unhitable character I would have to apply reverse engineering: get spells and abilities that actually lower the enemy's THAC0.

Oh well, guess the BG2+ToB CDs will keep gathering dust for at least one more year

 

Technically, if BG2 was really suppose to follow the 2nd ed rule set, any AC lower then -10 is practically worthless. When determining if something hits you, -10 is the cap, any extra is fluff depending on if your using the optional rules, which allows for 1 less point of dmg to you for every point lower then -10. Not sure if BG2 actually enforces this, but it should.

 

tbh i dont know what ur on about, i have twinked my toons with shadowkeeper and 2 of them have ac of -14, one -11 and one -10.

these are all plate classes:

pally, fighter, ranger, cleric.

and mazzy is dual weilding weapons.....pally is swrd/shield, and minsc atmo is using a bow.

 

But remember that no matter how low AC you have, any foe who rolls 20 will hit you. It could be lvl1 goblin

 

Understood.

 

What is the maximum possible AC? I can't imagine it can get any lower than -30 anyway! I guess we'd really have to do 2 calculations, one for characters without armor restrictions, and one for armor-restricted characters that get bonuses to their AC every few levels, like swashbucklers. Also, I guess we'd have to be able to assume that your character had a 25 in dexterity, even though that's not technically possible in the game (although it could be temporarily raised to such using Call Upon Heavenly Might - at least I think that's what the spell is called.

 

i think we should rule out classes without armor restrictions, and go for the swashbuckler with UAI, xp cap remover and so on...

 

Hmmm... Didn't think of that. Does the XP cap remover allow for unlimited leveling? If so, a swashbuckler's AC would only be limited to a player's willingness to continue playing the game. (Finish ToB, reimport saved character back to SoA, lather, rinse, repeat.)

 

i can't find one that goes beyond lvl 50... but then again my search was not that extensive

 

Without knowing for sure, I'd guess that the lowest AC can be aquired with a Blade who has UAI and is in a defensive spin.

 

a swashbuckler has kit AC remeber that and at lvl 50, with UAI and a heavy armor, remember he could also cast ALL mage spells(exept HLA) and cleric(scrolls) +dex 25 etc

 

The lowest AC possible is -24. The game caps at that value, and it isn't a display glitch, for I've used my Archer's insanely-high THAC0 (-22) against that character and he fell to every shot. (without the cap he would be having around -40 AC).

 

oh, okay, end of that discussion...

but is it possible to remove it, or is it hard-coded?

 

I think defensive spin is capped as well, at a maximum of -10.