Haer'Dalis' proficiencies

[Shambelle]

Searching for some informations on another subject, I found this on the page BG2 Fix pack Documentation: Core Fixes:

 

Many Joinable NPCs Have Incorrect Proficiencies:

Haer'Dalis has one too many stars at level 15 so his second star in long swords is removed.

 

As far as I know, It is not (as for the the two stars in Short Sword) a bug so I report it.

And I will explain you why...

 

The root of the problem is that even if we know that Haer'Dalis belongs to the Doomguard, no effect or power is described.

 

In fact, belonging to the Doomguard grants a special ability:

 

benefits:The Doomguard is very military in organization and outlook. All members are trained to fight with a sword, gaining a +1 to attack rolls when wielding one. Those bashers normally denied the use of swords can use one with no penalty, but they must abide by all the other restrictions of their class.

 

This ability was transcribed in the game by giving a free star in Short Sword and Long Sword proficiencies (it is a good approximation of the bonus, as he's not a Fighter, he can't get the additional 1/2 attack).

When you look at his proficiencies at low level:

 

Short Sword ++

Dagger +

Dart +

Long Sword +

Two weapon style ++

 

In fact, he really have:

 

Short Sword +

Dagger +

Dart +

Long Sword 0

Two weapon style ++

 

(Nota:To be true, he should even have a free star for other sword-like weapons as the ninja-to, the bastard swords...

The Developers didn't do this, perhaps for balance issues, perhaps because he doesn't have the restrictions of his faction, perhaps for other reasons...)

 

In the vanilla game, the result is that when Haer'Dalis joins you at higher level (like after level 15), he has Long Sword ++: the Developers gave him a proficiency with long sword and this is added to his freebie as a Doomguard.

The problem here is not that he has one too many stars in long swords: as explained, it's correct (and expected) to have two if he's proficient with these weapons.

No, the problem here is that the player when levelling up can't give him his normal proficiency like the Developers did.

But this is another issue and the Fix Pack don't fix it.

[devSin]

Removing the second star for long sword is a bug and will be corrected in a future update, thanks.

 

Note that Haer'Dalis should also have a static +1 THAC0 bonus (before his kit bonuses) and that he will gain his two stars in short sword and long sword when you move to ToB (regardless of his level or current proficiencies).

[Guest Guest]

Even if we use Level One NPCs to configure Haer'Dalis, are you saying that he'll automatically jump to 2* in short sword and long sword when you move to ToB? Would it matter what his profs were pre-ToB?

[devSin]

That should be correct; he has a spell applied to him that sets both these to two stars (his max; if you never give him sword profs with L1 NPCs, he'd now have 4 bonus profs) once in ToB (either when his script changes as the party transitions to ToB or the first time you summon him to the pocket plane if he was outside the party when moving to ToB).

[Guest Guest]

Ooh, that's certainly worth knowing.

[Guest amanasleep]

Just curious--did this fix make it into v8?

 

Doesn't look like it, but I'm not certain from the notes.

 

If not, at the very least I feel justified at SK'ing the extra Long Sword * in at H'd B15.

 

And he's supposed to have an extra generic Thac0 bonus as well? That's pretty neat.

[Nythrun]

Just curious--did this fix make it into v8?

 

No, sorry everyone. It'll be in v9.

 

Haer'Dalis's thac0 bonus is the kind that doesn't display as a bonus on the character record, so it's easy to miss, but it's there.