Off-hand Blocking

[Aquadrizzt]

I am working on a kit that thematically should not be able to equip weapons or shields in their off-hand. This functionality is similar to the original BG2's handling of Monks. I was wondering if it is possible to replicate such functionality easily or efficiently in the Enhanced Engine.

[Mike1072]

You could equip them with a shield that is unremovable.

[Aquadrizzt]

That could work, although that would interfere with weapon styles wouldn't it? Would that prevent wielding a two-handed weapon in v2.X?

[Mike1072]

The current EE versions allow you to put a shield or off-hand weapon in that slot even if you have a two-handed or ranged weapon equipped. The off-hand item will only be used when you have a compatible weapon equipped in the main hand.

 

Having a shield there may interfere with single weapon style proficiency. (I assume you don't allow sword and shield style or two-weapon style since the kit is not supposed to use a shield or second weapon.)

 

To try to get around the weapon style stuff, you could try putting an item into the slot that isn't classified as a shield or weapon, but I don't know what effect that will have (maybe it crashes, maybe it solves all your problems).

[Avenger]

It is possible to disable equipping shields with opcode 181. Sadly, there is no way to disable equipping weapons in offhand.

[Aquadrizzt]

So it looks like the engine can't handle items other than shields and one-handed weapons being in the off-hand slot.

 

Follow-up question: is it possible to have a spell that only applies when a character is wielding something in their off-hand?

[Jarno Mikkola]

... is it possible to have a spell that only applies when a character is wielding something in their off-hand?

What are you exactly after ?

[Aquadrizzt]

Preferably either disable spellcasting while wielding something off-hand or major casting speed penalty while wielding something off-hand.

 

Its not essential and I'll likely settle for just not being able to place points in Sw&Sh or 2WS but I figured I'd ask.

[subtledoctor]

Easy enough to disable spellcasting as an equipping effect of the off-hand item, no?

 

As to the rest: ideally I would make it an item, and give it an equipping effect that adds a huge penalty to off-hand thac0 and a small bonus to main-hand thac0 that is based on your dual-wielding proficiency (so it would offset your main-hand thac0 penalty regardless of your proficiency).

 

But as we know, opcode 326 cannot handle equipping effects and opcode 177 cannot handle stats.ids.