Creating Custom items for Protaganist

[Blades of Vanatar]

I will be starting a new run through and will base the character off of a PnP character from a FR campaign. The character is a Gold Elf who has 2 "House" items that he is oath-bound to wield at all times. A Blade and a Ring. What would be the easiest way to create them(I have no experience doing this whatsoever....)? Is there a guide out there for creating items?

[SlickRCBD]

There are generally two programs. DLTCEP and the TeamBG Infinity Engine Editor Pro (IEEP). DLTCEP can do anything, but IEEP is far easier to use.

I'm afraid the links to tutorials that I saved from 2003 are all broken, but it is easy to find DLTCEP, and I believe iEEP is available here on Sorcerer's Place.

I found IEEP to be quite intuitive for the most part. You might want to try editing a few existing items to figure out how to create new ones.

Reguardless of which program you choose to download (go for both) You'll also want BOTH Infinity Explorer and Near Infinity, as they will greatly help you examining existing items as well as exporting the files you need to edit them.

[Silverstar]

I started using DLTCEP, it is a very capable program for editing and creating stuff. I edited spells and descriptions to my tastes, even added some dialogue, and custom spels/items to my game; and I had no experience beforehand.

There are tons of codes for each effect, I look up to an existing item to learn the codes. For example, I wanted to create an amulet that speeds up spell casting. I looked up Robe of Vecna and copied the code for it.

If you post your ideas I may try to create the items and give you tips and steps for it.

[SlickRCBD]

DLTCEP is better, but less intuitive. IEEP is less comprehensive, but far easier to use.

It's like Linux vs Windows. At least in the 2000s. Today in 201Xs they've started to make Linux a bit easier to use.

Oh, IEEP has a built-in help that pops up when you are entering in the codes mentioned above. Still, IEEP has some limitations, while DLTCP can do anything IEEP can do.

[hannibal555]

I used Near Infinity to craft a custom weapon.

Easiest way would be to copy an existing item (possibly similar to the one you want to create) with the program and edit it to your liking.
Name the item (ex.: myitem.itm) and put it in your override folder.
Open your PC's character file with Near Infinity and add your created item to his inventory or any slot you like.
That's it.
The only thing that remains is giving your item a custom name (the one that appears ingame in your inventory) and a custom description (the flavor text).
This one is a bit more complicated if you don't want to mess with the dialog.tlk directly (and you really shouldn't).
You can do it with Weidu.
But that would involve slightly more effort.

edit:
here would be the WeiDu method of doing it:

- Download the latest Weidu.exe here at Sorcerers.
- create a Folder, name it myitemmod (or anything you like, just be consistent with the other names below)
- put your edited item (I assume myitem.itm) inside the 'myitemmod' folder
- create a .txt file, name it setup_myitemmod.tp2
- rename the weidu.exe to setup_myitemmod.exe.
- edit myitemmod.tp2 with a simple text editor of your liking:

// creates a backup folder
BACKUP ~myitemmod/backup~ 

// Adding your custom item
COPY ~myitemmod/myitem.itm~ ~override/myitem.itm~

// Identified description of the item:
SAY IDENTIFIED_DESC ~ Here you can put any background story of your custom weapon, list the things it can do, and so on ~

- save the file
- put the folder, the tp2-file and the exe-file to your game folder.
- install it just like any other WeiDU mod

You still have to manually add the custom item to your character file with an editor like Near Infinity or DLTCEP.
This would be possible with WeiDU scripting as well, but this would mean more scripting, which is maybe a bit too much for just some custom items.

Maybe another more experienced user can help with that.

[Blades of Vanatar]

Thnaks for all the replies everyone. I will mess around with it tonight.

---------- Added 2 hours, 12 minutes and 10 seconds later... ----------

Originally Posted by Silverstar

I started using DLTCEP, it is a very capable program for editing and creating stuff. I edited spells and descriptions to my tastes, even added some dialogue, and custom spels/items to my game; and I had no experience beforehand.

There are tons of codes for each effect, I look up to an existing item to learn the codes. For example, I wanted to create an amulet that speeds up spell casting. I looked up Robe of Vecna and copied the code for it.

If you post your ideas I may try to create the items and give you tips and steps for it.

The 2 items I was looking to create were...

"Tel'Alor Starym" a.k.a. "The Blade of Starym" - Longsword, usable only by Elves(Gold) of House Starym.

Abilities:
+2 to hit & damage
Free Action x1/day
When equipped, grants user Immunity to Poison.

"Tel'Val Starym" a.k.a. "The Ring of Starym" - Ring, usable only by Elves(Gold) of House Starym.

Abilities:
+4 S.T. vs. Breath Weapon
Blur x3/day
Minor Globe of Invulnerbility x1/day

Description: "Fabled Relic of the Gold Elf House of Starym" for each.

[SlickRCBD]

If you are planning on having him wield it all the way through Throne of Bhaal, you might want to seriously consider making that weapon a +4 or better weapon. Especially if it is a "fabled relic".

[Blades of Vanatar]

It was a +2 weapon in the PnP game, so I will keep it that way. But if this endeavor enlightens me on how to change/create items, I can always up it to +4 when starting ToB. Or dual-wield.

[SlickRCBD]

In P&P the DM is usually good about not throwing enemies that require a +3 or better weapon at players with special, valuable +2 weapons like that, unless he intends a special quest to find the creature's weakness (such as an early one back in my own D&D days our GM threw at us with a "vorpal bunny" that required a quest to find the hidden city of Antioch, then another quest to be worthy to be given a Holy Hand Grenade. Yes, we knew darn well where it was ripped off from, but it was great fun. Oh, and yes, there was a Book of Armaments involved)., but the game has enough critters that require them to warrant such a thing.

[Blades of Vanatar]

Originally Posted by hannibal555

I used Near Infinity to craft a custom weapon.

Easiest way would be to copy an existing item (possibly similar to the one you want to create) with the program and edit it to your liking.
Name the item (ex.: myitem.itm) and put it in your override folder.
Open your PC's character file with Near Infinity and add your created item to his inventory or any slot you like.
That's it.
The only thing that remains is giving your item a custom name (the one that appears ingame in your inventory) and a custom description (the flavor text).
This one is a bit more complicated if you don't want to mess with the dialog.tlk directly (and you really shouldn't).
You can do it with Weidu.
But that would involve slightly more effort.

edit:
here would be the WeiDu method of doing it:

- Download the latest Weidu.exe here at Sorcerers.
- create a Folder, name it myitemmod (or anything you like, just be consistent with the other names below)
- put your edited item (I assume myitem.itm) inside the 'myitemmod' folder
- create a .txt file, name it setup_myitemmod.tp2
- rename the weidu.exe to setup_myitemmod.exe.
- edit myitemmod.tp2 with a simple text editor of your liking:

// creates a backup folder
BACKUP ~myitemmod/backup~ 
 
// Adding your custom item
COPY ~myitemmod/myitem.itm~ ~override/myitem.itm~
 
// Identified description of the item:
SAY IDENTIFIED_DESC ~ Here you can put any background story of your custom weapon, list the things it can do, and so on ~

- save the file
- put the folder, the tp2-file and the exe-file to your game folder.
- install it just like any other WeiDU mod

You still have to manually add the custom item to your character file with an editor like Near Infinity or DLTCEP.
This would be possible with WeiDU scripting as well, but this would mean more scripting, which is maybe a bit too much for just some custom items.

Maybe another more experienced user can help with that.

hannibal,

Started messing around with Near infinity last night. After about 10 minutes, I decided that I needed to add a second install of SoA/ToB just in case I hose something up.

After that, I took a basic +2 LS, copied and renamed it, then started to add/change details. Looks like it could be a little bit of work. Found a link to some basic guidance about using Near Infinity. Looks doable for a noob like me. Thanks for the above notes...

[SlickRCBD]

Actually, IIRC you just need to back up your override folder, Chitin.key, and dialog.tlk file. Although backing up baldur.ini and keymap.ini is also recommended.

Use WinRAR or WinZIP to make archives of that folder and those files. It takes a lot less disk space than a backup of the whole game folder.

[hannibal555]

http://forums.gibberlings3.net/index.php?showtopic=5886

Above is a beginner friendly guide for creating a custom NPC.
I used it and it was quite helpful.
There might be some helpful information for your item project as well.