u/Jyuratoadies

Hi guys, wanting to do a shapeshifter run on BGEE and BG2EE, but it just irks me that the greater werewolf form gets left behind with having only +3 enchantment and basically the player is forced to either have a tank that can do no damage or have a caster that can't wear armor and lose those bonuses. I understand the balance logic. By then HLAs are a thing and cover the loss with fire or earth elemental forms, or just straight being a caster with a armor deficit on the few +4 fights, but it just seems completely antithetical to the kit fantasy. Basically requiring the player to meta game and plan a new strategy and party for a character right at the climax of the game to get around this deficiency. Beamdog made strides with offhand weapon traits applying to attacks and natural regeneration bonuses, but its still a tough pill to swallow that your shapeshifter is basically more or less gimped other than being a damage-less wall, a armorless caster, or falling to HLA abilities

Honestly the only thing I feel needs to be done to correct this but still be pretty balanced, is change the GWW paw weapon to +5. It will still have natural hybrid taxes of preist Thac0, so it won't be as accurate of an attacker compared to a fully trained grandmaster proficiency fighter. It still deals with not being able to cast in form, and it still has the no armor disadvantage out of form. All that is gained is a very slight damage and accuracy increase and the ability do damage properly in every fight and play the kit as it feels it should be intended without having to make a late game paradigm shift to a different playstyle.

I want to make a simple override for this, but I am not super savvy with making mods. I am told it would be a pretty easy override to make for an experienced modder. Is there anyone who could help me make an override for this?

I know SCS and Atweaks make changes to werewolf too that help with this, but they go further than I want with changes they make.

Playing a totemic druid charname for a trilogy run who is going to be more or less be nuetral good though true nuetral is the only option. I'm going to use the canon party until I clear the Nashkel mines because, story-wise through the trilogy, it feels right to roam with them a bit, but from their I plan to deviate.

Basically dropping Jaheira and Khalid for Ajantis and Kivan, and Minsc and Dynaheir for Xan and ???

Basically final party members will be Ajantis (frontline), Kivan (backline range), Imoen (thief skills, range), Xan (caster), charname (support, caster) and one other.

Just deciding on my last slot. I'm thinking Branwen so I have a turn undead option when needed and a back up healer when I want charname to load up on druid spells, but wondering if there are some other interesting synergistic picks that other BG vets might take instead.

My only limitation is wanting them to stay north of true nuetral. LG, NG, CG, LN, or TN. What's your advice guys?

I am roleplaying a nuetral evil fighter/thief that I am going to take through the trilogy and I want to recruit Edwin, but I don't want to kill dynaheir since its kinda goofy story-wise after BG1 if she is some how miraculously alive after murdering her for Edwin.

My roleplay thought is I will help Minsc rescue her from the Gnoll Fortress, as my nuetral evil fighter/thief is an opportunist and thinks there is good money to be made rescuing a damsel in distress, but once I rescue dynaheir I'll part ways with them and then go to recruit Edwin.

Is it possible to go with Minsc and rescue Dynaheir and then recruit Edwin after I release Dynaheir and Minsc from the party?