Icewind Dale 2 Forum Update

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(Originally posted by Tiamat)

J.E. Sawyer, Lead Designer

Race/Class-Restrictions: The multi- and dual-class options available in IWD2 will be the same as in IWD. Currently, classes still use 2nd Ed. race/class restrictions, with a few notable changes (elves can be druids, duergar can be cleric/rogues). This may be loosened more over time, but there are a few things that are highly unlikely to change:
* Races that do not use human avatars will not be able to be monks. There are no monk avatars for demihuman races.
* Races will not be allowed to take new multi- and dual-class combos like ranger/bards or druid/bards or paladin/clerics.

Kit Restrictions: It operates in the same manner as BG2. Dual-classed characters will be able to start with a kit, then hop over to the new class. I'm not sure how equipment restrictions work once the original class has been passed.

Will dual-classed characters be able to choose a kit for their second class? No.

Will a dual classing character have minimum ability score requirements to dual No.

Is it true that paladins and bards can’t be dualed from or to? That is correct.

Can you dual to or from the 3E classes? No, I do not believe so. You may be able to dual from barbarian, as it is technically a fighter kit (yes, I know that is listed separately, but in code, it is a fighter using a kit).

Undead Hunters: There are nowhere near enough undead in the game to justify the existence of the Undead Hunter. The undead are actually scarce enough that the cleric kits currently have the least troublesome disadvantage in the game.

Will there be Insane Mode? Yes, I mean as an option. And I never "tout" level limits. Honestly, who really cares what level you do or don't get to?

Point Buy: The point value is easy to change. I would prefer that it start a little lower, but not everyone believes in my stoic outlook on RPGs. HAW HAW.
Please kill me.

Kit Ideas: Here are some more kit ideas for your disapproval:

Landsknecht: Typically a heavily armored front-line fighter, the landsknecht breaks apart enemy formations and creates an offensive menace that is hard to overcome. The landsknecht focuses most of his or her expertise on brute force weapons and heavy armor.

Advantages:
* Landsknechts automatically start with a point in the two-handed weapon fighting style.
* 3rd Level: Armor Optimization: Landsknechts are masters of scavenging and piecing together bits of armor. Even without armor, the landsknecht layers his or her clothing and equipment in such a manner that they constantly have a +1 generic bonus to their armor class.
* 6th Level: Knockdown: When a landsknecht critically hits an opponent, the target must make a Fortitude saving throw (15 DC) or be knocked unconscious for 1-3 rounds.
* 9th Level: Critical Attack: Activating this ability causes the landsknecht to lose one attack per round, but all attacks during this time receive a +2 bonus to critically hit.

Disadvantages:
* The landsknecht cannot gain proficiency in bows, slings or darts. They require too much finesse for front-line fighter.
* The landsknecht cannot use shields, and cannot specialize in the weapon and shield fighting style.
* The landsknecht gains proficiencies at a reduced rate, once every four levels.

Ravager: Living a life of violence, the ravager is a warrior who revels in slaughter, leaving maimed and terrified opponents in his or her wake. Unlike the barbarian, who enters a berserk state to down foes with powerful blows, the ravager inflicts awful, painful wounds on an opponent with malicious glee.

Advantages:
* Ravagers are immune to the effects of fear.
* 3rd Level: Vile Wounds: When a ravager critically hits an opponent, the target must make a Fortitude save (15 DC) or suffer a bleeding wound that causes 1 point of damage per round for 10 rounds.
* 6th Level: Cruelest Cuts: After activating this ability, which lasts for 3 rounds, all of the ravager's blows have an equal chance blinding the target or reducing his or her movement by 2 points unless a Fortitude save (20 DC) is made.
* 9th Level: Spirit Blades: Once per day, the ravager has the ability to invoke a circle of spirit blades similar in effect to the blade barrier spell. The ravager's spirit blades cause less damage (3d6), but the ravager is immune to the blades effects and can move through them without fear of personal harm.

Disadvantages:
* Ravagers start game play with two weapon proficiencies.
* Ravagers lack the focus to gain grandmastery in any weapon.

Restrictions:
* Ravagers cannot be lawful or good.

Can single class thieves get 2 points in Single Weapon Style? Yes.

Who in will be using a single one handed weapon without a shield? People who like doing double damage more often.

Halflings: Hmm... I actually can't think of any halfling NPCs in IWD2. A few dwarves and gnomes, but no halflings come to mind.
Oh, wait. Yes, there is a halfling in Targos. He's the only one, though.

Deep Gnome: The Deep Gnome may be changed to more by-the-book stats, depending on how the bonuses for various ability scores work out. The listed specs were based on the original stats, in which wisdom and charisma were big fat throw-away scores.

Weapon Styles: Four weapon styles have been implemented:

Weapon & Shield Style:
One Slot: +1 to AC when shield is equipped.
Two Slots: +2 to AC when shield is equipped.

Single Weapon Style:
One Slot: +1 bonus to Critical Hit when single weapon is equipped.
Two Slots: +2 bonus to Critical Hit when single weapon is equipped.

Two Handed Weapon Style:
One Slot: +1 to Damage when two-handed weapon is equipped.
Two Slots: +2 to Damage when two-handed weapon is equipped.

TWO WEAPONS: This weapon class allows the character to fight using two weapons.

One Slot: Penalties for two-weapon fighting are reduced to -2 for the primary weapon, -6 for the secondary weapon.
Two Slots: Penalties are reduced to 0, -4.
Three Slots: Penalties are reduced to 0, -2.

I'm not sure if the two-weapon fighting style description is accurate, but the others should be.

The Blade Kit: Currently, the Blade kit has been implemented as listed:

BLADE: The Blade is an expert fighter and adventurer whose bardic acting abilities go towards making him appear more intimidating and fearsome. His fighting style is showy but also quite deadly.

Advantages:
* Blades automatically have an extra proficiency slot in the Two-Weapon fighting style.
* 3rd level: Trick Shot: When Blades critically hit, they cause Blindness (50% chance) or Slow (50% chance) for five rounds unless a save vs. death is made. Undead, constructs, and elementals are immune to these effects.
* 5th level: Offensive Spin: When a Blade activates this ability, he or she gains a +2 attack bonus and a -2 penalty to damage for ten rounds. He or she can use this ability 3/day.
* 7th level: Defensive Spin: When a Blade activates this ability, he or she gains a +2 to Armor Bonus and Saving Throws and a -2 attack bonus penalty and Damage for ten rounds. He or she can use this ability 3/day.

Disadvantages:
* Only has one-half Lore value.
* Can only play the Ballad of Three Heroes bard song.

There has been some rending of beards and garments among the flower of France because of the Blade's OS and DS. How would you feel if the OS and DS were changed as follows:

* 5th level: Offensive Spin: When a Blade activates this ability, he or she gains a +2 attack bonus and a +2 bonus to damage for ten rounds. He or she can use this ability 3/day.
* 7th level: Defensive Spin: When a Blade activates this ability, he or she gains a +2 generic Armor Class and Saving Throw bonus for ten rounds. He or she can use this ability 3/day.

Offensive Spin: It does not increase their BAB, just their total attack bonus. People were right, though, the blade was losing bard songs and gaining a power that gave equal bonuses and penalties. That's not a good trade. The bard's songs are "pure cream" -- except for the fact that the bard is occupied playing them. The blade's powers should be a little less powerful, but shouldn't occupy his or her time.

Blade Songs: After a little further thought, I think the blade should also get the Siren's Yearning and War Chant of Sith at 9th and 11th levels, respectively. He/she would still lose access to the Tale of Curran Strongheart, Tymora's Melody, and the Song of Kaudies. That makes the benefits/disadvantages a little more even. Does that sound reasonable?

The Blade and Lore: He does get half lore value, which is a powerful blow to a bard.

Is the Blade's only thief skill pickpocketing? And Use Magic Device.

The Riddlemaster: The riddlemaster is a master of knowledge and, in that aspect, I think the kit fits the spirit of the bard quite well. Bards are performers and the kings of obscure knowledge. The riddlemaster excels at obscure knowledge at the cost of performance abilities. That's the way I look at it, anyway.
Well, that and the fact that the riddlemaster is just a cool concept, IMO.

XP Table: Currently, all characters use the 2nd Ed. fighter's XP table. Priests and rogues got significant boosts to their abilities that arguably put them on par with the weakened warrior classes. Wizards are still wizards, and they have spell disruption now, but they don't advance as slow as the mystics from Dark Crystal.
*waits for explosion*
However, this could change. When Daddy Weirbucks did a conversion of all the creature files to support 3E saving throws, we included something that gave each creature a 3E Challenge Rating based off of the XP they granted. It's not a terrific 100% conversion, but it always comes within 1 CR of a creature's 3E counterpart. We could use 3E CRs, but that still doesn't solve the messy multiclassing issues.

The Captain: Well, this kit seems to be going over like a lead zeppelin. BTW, it has not been implemented yet.
I wouldn't write the captain off completely, but, put it on the back of some list somewhere.

Voice Acting: It would, indeed, be great. And extremely, extremely expensive. We love, love, love to have a lot of good VO in our game. However, given a budget of X dollars, we would rather have 5 very good actors doing a small number of parts than 20 so-so actors doing many parts.

Are race-class combinations open? That is quite possible, but it has not been decided upon. Not everything can be opened up -- demihuman monks, for instance.

Adding New Multi-classes: We have considered it, but the odds of it happening are looking slim at this point in time. We only have one programmer on the project, and he's devoting most of his time towards fixing bugs. Darren Monahan, our producer, is also quite a programmer, but he has to balance occasional programming tasks with managing the team.

Will humans be able to multiclass, and the other races dual class? Quite possibly.

XP Penalties: Yes. You will only be one level behind "other" multiclassed characters. When you reach 10th level, the penalty is lifted, and you should stay one level behind the other characters for the rest of the game.

Will the Forest Gnome be Implemented? Possible, but highly unlikely.