I'm sure this will make the game very easy, but honestly I don't care. I'm not playing Book I for challenge, I just want to explore the world and not really have to think about where / how I will get good enough gear to continue playing (I refuse to save scum, I consider that just as much cheating as what I've done here, but a far greater waste of time). Also the theme of the gear was inspired by my actual class title of Paladin (Virtuous Fighter).WARNING: RP ZONE AHEAD!!!
Lohengramm the Paladin said his nightly prayers before collapsing into a deep slumber. He was weary after a long day of fighting the brigands and poisonous lizards plaguing the coast, but it was his sacred duty to restore order to these war torn lands. Lohengramm had no regrets though, knowing every swing of his sword was a strike for Virtue.
He knew he must be dreaming when Lohengramm found himself in a tranquil field, surrounded by flowers of every color (including colors he didn't realize existed) and a few unicorns. He liked stories of unicorns and this was a nice change of pace from the usual nightmares. Just as he was considering standing up and approaching the unicorns one broke from the small herd and cantered towards him. As Lohengramm watched his dream became even stranger, for the unicorn began to speak!
"Lohengramm, as my chosen avatar I command thee to go forth and cleanse these lands of their rot. Thou hath suffered much, but your faith in Virtue ne'er wavered. You are my chosen avatar, my righteous fist cast into the face of evil. Thou art... a smite meister!" With these final words echoing in his mind Lohengramm's vision was filled with light, and he awoke startled.
As strange as the dream had been, it was pleasant. Lohengramm would have been happy enough at that, but upon looking around his small camp he discovered a trove of priceless treasures. A suit of steel armor that felt cool to his touch despite the balmy coastal climate, and the largest sword Lohengramm had ever seen were chief among them. Carefully, he attempted to lift the great sword, only to discover it weighed no more than the old nicked and dented longsword he was already well acquainted with. As well, when he held it aloft he could hear the "unicorn's" voice once more: "Go, champion, bring forth the light unto Thaermore and lands beyond".
As a man of faith Lohengramm needed no further encouragement. He finished strapping and buckling his new armor, and great power surged through his body. He felt stronger, more aware, and filled with vital energy. After taking a few practice swings with his new sword he found his arm did not tire, and on a whim he struck a rusted anchor upon the shore with all his might. Scarcely could Lohengramm believe his own eyes as the anchor split in two, but he soon recovered and began thinking of who (or what) he would cleave next. Indeed, the foes of Virtue would soon know the same fear they had inflicted upon the weak and vulnerable of Thaermore...
WARNING: END RP ZONE!!!
So there you have it! All that is left is to show off the goodies
My goal was to re-create the best weapons and heavy armor you could normally find in the game, but with Paladin themed bonus stats roughly equal to gaining a character level, and the bonuses those items could normally get from high level Alchemy enchantments. I didn't want to break the game to the point of being an invincible demi-god, but it seems like the +armor enchants you can get from Alchemy accomplish that anyway by raising your Armor Rating absurdly high...HERE THERE BE HAXXED ITEMZ
So there you have it, I will probably play a Dex based melee Rogue in Book II and I might just have to do something like this again for that character
For anyone curious, the total stat boosts are:
Strength +6 (w/ either Sword)
Dex +3 (w/ Bow)
Endurance +6 (w/ Shield)
Speed +3
Wisdom +6
Perception +6
To-Hit +9
Damage +6
HP and MP +60 (w/ Shield)
Armor +59 (w/ Shield)
All Resists +20%
+3 to each of: Divination, Dodge, Swords, Bows, Shields, Heavy Armor, Meditation, Survival, and Cartography, depending on which weapon set you're using.
59 Armor Rating seems like a lot, but I'm pretty sure anyone can reach this without cheating just by using Alchemy? If there are any items I enchanted with a bonus +3 armor that Alchemy actually can't in game, please let me know.
I created a "real" two-handed sword (The Lightbringer) by raising its damage to 12 (vanilla game weapon damage cap was 10), and giving it 4 armor value (the editor can add armor value to ANYTHING) which is half of the value of holding a def 5 shield with +3 enchantment. I created this sword with the condition, however, that I'm not allowed to hold a Shield while using it. This was mainly because Book I does not auto-remove your Shield slot when you try to quick-swap to a Bow, and it seems actual two-handed weapons (aside from bows) do not exist. At least that I have found so far!
As far as being able to cast while carrying that heavy shield, I'm actually tempted to put it to weight zero with the self enforced restriction that I'm only allowed to cast first tier Divination spells regardless of my Wisdom / Divination skill. I'm a Paladin after all, I should be able to cast some light holy magic even in full battle dress, in combat. It is the will of the Virtue god, or they wouldn't have given me Bless to begin with
I don't think I would actually need to be able to cast Haste anyway with this equipment set to win the game. Alternatively I guess I could just not use the shield or the 2H sword, since my Armor Rating is absurdly high without them anyway. I actually like the casting restriction system and think it was well implemented, but perhaps it could have been a little more forgiving than all-or-nothing. Perhaps it could have just incurred a skill penalty for every pound above your strength cap. For example, if I can cast with 8 lbs in my hands normally, but I'm holding 16 lbs, my casting is as if I have -8 to my Elemental and Divination skills. Idk if Book II changes this system at all, but maybe for Book III the devs could look into that along with not being able to quick swap to a bow and just stowing your shield (and remembering it when you swap back)?While writing that last paragraph I went digging into the equipment lists and realized Executioner only weighs 6 lbs... SO! I just created a new weapon called Final Judgment based on it that weighs 2 lbs more (8 lbs), has 12 base damage, and will be my self enforced 2 handed axe that I feel I can cast with, without really breaking the "rules" of the game world TOO badly
Unlike The Lightbringer, though, I left the extra Armor Value off of Final Judgment, because that is my trade off for being able to cast unrestricted. Oh and just for fun, and because I don't want to accidentally break any of my custom weapons, I went ahead and made a chest and door basher called "The Key" and duplicated it a few times, just in case... I don't know, can you lose a weapon on the same strike that breaks a door? Anyways I definitely will not fight using it, but it did one-shot Father Michael's cottage door