Welcome to the Quest Pack.
The Quest Pack contains a number of components designed to add additional adventures throughout Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal. While the expansion is supported by some material, it is not required. ToB-specific components will be automatically skipped if ToB is not detected. Some components may expand on existing quests, while others may be completely new. All are independent, optional to install, and do not rely on one another technically or in terms of story. Quest Pack uses WeiDU for ease of (un)installation, and compatibility.
In expanding Baldur's Gate II to make the game more fulfilling, Quest Pack seeks to merge seamlessly with the content of the original game. When players claim that mods can never match the quality of a professional game, I consider it a challenge, and I can only hope that I've succeeded. Quest Pack contains dozens of interjections for both Bioware and mod NPCs; it will also interact fully with various other mods, including Kelsey, Keto and Virtue, all three of which will add to the BG2 and Quest Pack experience.
Quest Pack should not upset the balance of the game. It is no secret that, in the past, many quest mods have been the subject of complaints about overpowered items, excessive XP rewards, and so on. This should not be the case here, and if you do encounter any balancing issues, please feel free to raise them on the forum.
Many of the battles in QP respond to the difficulty slider. If you find one too difficult, try reducing the setting. There should be no extreme Tactics-type combat in the mod, but it seeks to be challenging where appropriate.
Have any thoughts on the mod? Head over to the forum. Guest posting is enabled for the shy. Alternatively, e-mail me at SimDing0@hotmail.com.
(Screenshots are available here.)
This component is divided into two options: AI Improvements & Expanded Vocabulary, and AI Improvements Only. The AI changes are discussed below. If you choose the install the former option, creatures will also display a greater diversity of comments above their heads during battles, depending on their race, class and personality, rather than all humanoids unfailingly repeating "I can't take this!"
With this component installed, creatures throughout the game will behave marginally more intelligently. Don't expect drastic increases in difficulty, but do expect, for example, creatures to no longer stand around without attacking inbetween drinking potions. This is not a tougher battles mod, but more of a fix for poor intelligence I witnessed while playing the game. Installing this should improve the overall Quest Pack experience, and indeed that of the game as a whole.
If this component is installed, you get:
You do not, however, get any changes to creature abilities. Stats, items, abilities, and so on remain unchanged. You also get legal AI—the scripts do not allow creatures to "cheat".
Note that Demiliches may become substantially tougher with this component, as it is more difficult to "cheese" them. (I stress once again that they gain no new abilities save a bugfix to the Watcher's Keep Demilich's Spell Trigger, which previously failed to do anything except display text due to a coding error.) See the FAQ section if you're really finding them painful to endure with the new AI.
This component is split into three parts: All Creature & Area Improvements, All Creature Improvements, and Boss Improvements Only. All seek to improve the atmosphere in BG2—be it by enhancing enemy environments, abilities or intelligence. The first option will install improvements to general creatures and bosses, and will make various changes to the environments in which you will encounter these creatures. The second option will install improvements to general creatures and to bosses, but omit changes to the areas themselves. The final option will only install the changes to bosses.
The area changes are as follows:
The general creature changes are as follows:
The boss changes seek to make Irenicus and Bodhi more credible. All incarnations of them are affected. While these changes made mainly affect AI, some new abilities are also granted. Bodhi may now Dominate in the same way as other vampires, and she also gains the ability to Control Undead. Irenicus in Suldanessellar now has a greater repertoire of low-level spells, and gains the ability to Dimension Door to you if you flee the battle. Additionally, on Hard difficulty, Tree of Life Irenicus gains one use of Improved Alacrity, and on Insane, Tree of Life Irenicus gains two and Spellhold Irenicus gains one.
This component will automatically install Detectable Spells.
This component does not add a single new quest per se, but instead introduces assorted new minor encounters and enhancements in various places during the game, to spice up the atmosphere.
Some of the encounters may be recognisable from Iron Modder competitions; however, all have been fixed and improved in some way. This component may safely be installed over the top of Iron Modder entries, but not vice versa.
The complete list of changes introduced by this component is as follows:
This component expands on the existing quests focusing around the Shadow Thieves. It can be divided into a number of sections:
To play with this component, a new game should be started, or at least a save prior to entering the Shadow Thief guild house should be used.
This component expands the Harper plots in two significant ways:
(Note that this component will also add a eight-hour delay to Meronia's spawning after Xzar has been killed. If you're used to her appearing instantly, then there's nothing to worry about.)
Reynald de Chatillon is undeniably an intriguing character. Unfortunately, he disappears all too quickly in the original game. This component adds additional material after the original sequence has finished, expanding on his background, beliefs and goals in life.
The new Reynald material may be gained even if it is installed after the quest has been completed. Simply visiting the Bridge District should trigger it. Otherwise, play the quest as normal; new dialogue options will soon become apparent.
This component makes various enhancements to the Copper Coronet:
Originally created by Rahul Kanakia, this little-known gem makes a reappearance in Quest Pack. Edited by Ding0 and Compton, Potion Quest tells the tale of a man torn between work and family, and of the very real consequences of thirst for power.
This quest begins in the southwest of the sewers beneath the Temple District.
Adahn, original author, writes:
Originally intended as a small contribution to a larger project that is now never to be completed, this mod deals with the five tests that occur in the Abyss (or Gehenna, depending on whom you ask) during chapter 7. From a roleplaying standpoint, this final stage of the game seemed somewhat unsatisfying, especially for neutral characters. And the fact that a neutral protagonist had to complete all five tests in the "good" manner in order to remain neutral doesn't appear too logical, either. Therefore, this mod attempts to resolve these issues by changing the following things:
It always seemed that the ToB Oasis was a very limited area, designed only for combat. Jamis Tombelthen's dialog was insultingly small, and there was only one possible outcome: battle. This component expands Jamis Tombelthen's dialog in the Oasis area, to potentially allow for a peaceful solution rather than inevitable conflict.
And, of course, not forgotten is the Combat Enhancement aspect of IO2. This is entirely optional; you may install the Dialogue Enhancement with or without the Combat Enhancement. If installed, the battle will respond extensively to difficulty setting, party size, and party level.
This component adds a window of opportunity during which Sanik can be saved from his untimely fate at the hands of Galvena's Assassin in Bynnlaw. Be sure to act quickly, however, for the assassin will soon penetrate his meagre defence and strike true.
One of the most loved (or loathed) characters in all of Amn, Galoomp, has been feeling rather down lately. The reason? Somebody has been stealing scrolls from his store! Solve the mystery to uncover a tale of sadness and rejection in this component originally created by Andyr.
Are all dryads the beautiful, innocent creatures they appear to be? Originally created by Bons, this component adds an intriguing twist to the quest to return Irenicus' dryads' acorns to the Windspear Hills. Evil players may delight in the new opportunities afforded here, including a delicious gourmet meal. The quest begins with a new encounter which will take place in the south of the De'Arnise Hold if you have not already returned the acorns.
Originally created by Icelus, this component adds a new encounter in the graveyard, in the tomb in which the Staff of Curing may be found. A troubled man, stuck somewhere between life and death, seeks to be united once more with his true love. Will you bring them together, or send them both to rot in their graves?
This component allows additional options in dealing with the slavers around the city:
An option sorely missing from the original game was for non-mage characters to send the Solamnic Knights in the Planar Sphere back to their home world. Now, any character may do so in exactly the same was as was previously the case. New clues have been added to account for the lack of Cowled Wizard involvement.
With this component, a new area is added to the Underdark. Deep beneath the earth resides an ancient lich, yearning to reach the surface and "freedom". Expect a unique and challenging battle with an intriguing back story. The new area can be found in the Kua-Toa caves west of the main Underdark area; it is somewhat hidden, but there may be (rather obvious) clues as to its whereabouts.
This component is designed to provide alternative, non-violent means of gaining satisfactory rewards in various situations throughout the game. Currently only one change is effected:
With this component installed, a new encounter designed by SixOfSpades will take place in the Bridge District a few days after the skinner murders have been resolved. A man will approach you with an unusual offer, and the climax will occur shortly afterwards in the southern part of the district.
BGII, with or without ToB, is required. The BG2 Fixpack is firmly recommended. If you have other mods installed, please see the compatibility notes below prior to installation.
Extract the Quest Pack files into your BGII main directory. This is normally: C:\Program Files\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\
Run (click on) "Setup-D0QuestPack.exe".
(If "Setup-D0Quest.exe" is present—note the subtle difference from the above filename—do not run it. This name is used by early, obsolete versions of Quest Pack.)
Select your language. Currently available languages are:
Please note, however, that not all components are available in all languages. If a component's name does not appear in your language, it has not yet been translated.
Next, choose which components you would like to install. They are all optional. You may always uninstall any or all of them later by re-running "Setup-D0QuestPack.exe".
It is strongly recommended that a new game be started after installation of Quest Pack. This may not be required for all components, but will minimise the possibility of issues occurring.
Aka BIG SPOILERS.
Q: I thought this was meant to be a quest pack. What's with all this AI and creature improvement nonsense? A: While Quest Pack's primary goal is the introduction of new adventures to the game, I also feel that portraying foes convincingly is essential to maintain the integrity of the game. It's hard to tell a compelling story in an environment when enemy intelligence is constantly embarrassing. As such, I've made some token efforts to lace the entire game with the sort of AI found in Quest Pack content, in the hope that it will strengthen the story and provide extra fun for players.
An excellent illustration of this principle is dragons: with metagaming knowledge, we're fully aware that they're something of a joke in vanilla BG2, and as such, there's minimal motivation to use the Reward Negotiation component with them. However, if dragons become credible enemies, there's more sense in a player taking the diplomatic route.
It's also worth noting that unlike many other mods, "Improved" in the Quest Pack context does not exclusively mean "Tougher". While many enemies will become more challenging (and respond to the difficulty slider), the primary intent of the improvements is to make them more believable and fun—for example, Beholders may now lose eyestalks during combat, which is clearly not a change intended purely as a difficulty increase.
For a more complete AI enhancement package, you might consider looking at Sword Coast Stratagems.
Q: Where can the money lender be found? A: In the Copper Coronet, near the door. His name is Celile, and you should see him speaking to a boy when you first enter. He will not speak with you unless you are very persuasive. See if anyone else knows anything about him.
Q: I can't seem to side with Mae'Var! He just attacks me... what gives? A: You can't join him straight away; once you've completed Edwin's quests and gained his trust, then try telling him what you're up to.
Q: I am a problem with Arkanis Gath. Can I stop him spawning somehow? A: If, for whatever reason, you need to prevent Arkanis Gath from showing up, bring up the console and enter: SetGlobal("D0DisableArkanis","GLOBAL",1) Be aware, however, that if you disable Arkanis, it may be possible to break the game by killing plot-crucial characters.
Q: Where is Moiya's daughter taken? A: One of the tombs in the graveyard. Try talking to the gravedigger and see what you can get out of him.
Q: Can Xzar join my party if I save him? A: No. And in anticipation of the next question, I'm not going to be developing a Xzar NPC in the future either. (TDD provides a "silent" Xzar NPC, for those determined to acquire one.)
Q: Where can Jadarath's family be found? A: In the southwest of the Bridge District. Try speaking with Sidhe and returning to Jadarath, but ensure that you do so before bringing him the final potion.
Q: How exactly do the changes to the Hell Trials work? A: The neutral tests are as follows:
WRATH (Sarevok): This is only a minor change. It works almost exactly like the good path, but instead of refusing the taint because it is evil you can do so out of distrust towards Sarevok or because you accept your destiny in whichever form it comes. Reward: +2 intelligence
GREED (Blackrazor): Following the good path first you can tell the genie that you don't want to kill him, but simply can't give him the sword either. He will leave you the sword for as long as you need to beat Irenicus and gives you the tear, but places a geas upon you to ensure the return of the blade. Later, during the ToB section, he will reappear, demanding the sword. Refusing this simply results in death. Reward: +2 THAC0
SELFISHNESS (Sacrifice): Now, instead of simply disappearing the demon gives you the chance to say what you intend to do. Expressing the willingness to sacrifice or to kill the hostage, as well as being unsure has no real effect, the test will continue as always. A fourth option involves threatening the demon, resulting in a fight. He cannot be killed, but after some time surrenders the tear. Reward: +30% resistance to slashing damage
FEAR (Nymph Cloak): It is now possible to ask the demon whether the nymphs are dead already or whether they still have to be killed (the original dialogue has been altered slightly to make this at least remotely logical). He will reveal that they are dead already, and you can accept the cloak, since refusing it won't change anything. Reward: +2 dexterity
PRIDE (Dragon): When speaking with the demon, you must follow the evil path (saying that you'll kill the creature if it deserves death). The dragon (who is now a silver dragon at all times) will initiate dialogue, and you can simply talk him out of attacking. As a side note, possession of the Human Flesh Armor or the Silver Dragon Blood will result in him refusing a peaceful solution. Reward: +30% resistance to magic damage.
Q: How is alignment evaluated in Revised Hell Trials? A: Your alignment is no longer switched to neutral evil after a single evil act. Instead, it will be determined after the last test, and can be adjusted to either good, neutral or evil, corresponding to the chart below (with e being evil, n being neutral and g being good). With every good test, a counter (starting at 3, 4 or 5, depending on your alignment) is raised by one, with every evil test it is lowered by this amount.
On the left of this table are shown the choices made in the tests (good/neutral/evil). On the right is shown the new alignment according to the original (good/neutral/evil in that order).
| eeeee | e | e | e | ||
| eeeen | e | e | e | ||
| eeenn | eeeeg | e | e | e | |
| eennn | eeeng | n | e | e | |
| ennnn | eenng | eeegg | n | n | e |
| nnnnn | eengg | ennng | n | n | n |
| nnnng | enngg | eeggg | n | n | n |
| nnngg | enggg | n | n | n | |
| nnggg | egggg | g | n | n | |
| ngggg | g | g | n | ||
| ggggg | g | g | g |
Obviously, It is generally easier to become evil than good, and the chance for an evil character to "ascend" is lower than for a good character.
Q: My class changed in Revised Hell Trials. How come? A: Depending on the choices you make, some classes may incur penalties with the mod installed. Paladins will lose their status after a single evil act or after two neutral ones. A loss of rangerhood occurs if your alignment changes, i.e. after three neutral or one evil and one neutral act. Specialist priests of Lathander, Helm and Talos will lose their kit if they provoke an alignment change in either direction. Naturally, this also causes the loss of any special powers, such as the "Boon of Lathander" ability. They will not lose any normal priest spells, though.
Q: What are you smoking? Those Demiliches are way too tough now! A: If you're finding the randomised targeting too much to cope with, then never fear! It's not time to throw Quest Pack away just yet. Setting the difficulty slider to Easiest will cause them to target only the nearest enemy. (Incidentally, the AI scales up from there, so the Demiliches will become smarter with each notch of the slider.)
Q: I dispelled the illusion on the knights in the Windpear Hills, but they still attack me. How come? A: While you can see that they're knights, they still think you're horrible monsters. They weren't willing to listen to reason at first, and they aren't now either.
Q: What on earth is the nonsense that little girl is spouting? A: The cryptic remarks are a nod towards Icewind Dale. Hopefully it's at least slightly creepy.
Q: Hi! I installed a load of mods including yours and there's something fishy going on which isn't mentioned in your readme. Should I visit a gaming forum and blame you for it? A: The likelihood is that I didn't do it. It's worth checking with me, on the off chance that it's a bug/omission, but my readmes are typically fairly thorough. I am ideologically opposed to mods making undocumented or "secret" changes to the game.
Q: I think your writing sucks and I hate you.
A: That's not a question. However, if you have any feedback
regarding the content of the mod, please do contact me. I'd far
rather be told that you didn't like something than silently lose a
whole bunch of (prospective) players.
Many thanks to everyone involved in making and contributing to this mod. If there are any omissions to this list, please inform me.
| SimDing0 | Lead Writer/Editor Quest Coding |
| Jason Compton | Rewriting of the Potion Quest Component NPC Interjection Writing Quest Design and Writing Support Voice of Larell Voice of Celile Beta Testing |
| Rahul Kanakia | Original Author of the Potion Quest Component |
| Adahn | Original Author of Revised Hell Trials |
| Bons | Original Author of the Dahlia Encounter Original Author of the Phluafae Encounter Original Author of the Spectre Encounter Voice of Dahlia Voice of Phluafae |
| Ghreyfain | Original Author of the Quallo Component Original Author of the Carrack Quest Beta Testing |
| Andyr | Original Author of the Galoomp Quest Improved Athkatlan City Guard Quest Ideas |
| Icelus | Original Author of the Besamen Encounter Co-Author of the Spectre Encounter |
| Victoria Joyner (Blue) | Original Author of the Indigo Encounter |
| SixOfSpades | Quest Design for Saving Rayic Gethras Quest Design for Infernal Thievery Quest Design for Elven Court Bow Design of the Improved Oasis Combat Enhancement Writer of the Vithal Negotiation Sequence Beta Testing |
| Analía Dobarro (Immortality) | Quest Design and Writing Support |
| CamDawg | Quest Design and Writing Support Detectable Spells Coding Support |
| Kensai Ryu | Creator of Restored Drow Innate Abilities Detectable Spells |
| Jaysyn | Creator of Displacer Beasts |
| Bohus Blahut (recorded at Gulag Picture Radio) | Voice of Reynald de Chatillon |
| g'lain | Voice of Moiya |
| OperaDragon | Voice of Besamen |
| Jill Rossetto (St. Josephine) | Voice of Baisera |
| Notmrt | Voice of Jamis Tombelthen |
| the_bigg | Coding Support Detectable Spells WeiDU/"BiggDU" |
| Vulgar Zildrath Cirerrek Horred the Plague King Diamond | Detectable Spells |
| Idobek Galactygon CBisson Nythrun | Coding Support |
| Jonathan Hiers | Extensive Improved Oasis Feedback |
| Kish Hendryk NiGHTMARE | Quest Ideas Beta Testing |
| Entreri Caedwyr Hlidskialf Grim Squeaker Bookwyrme | Quest Ideas |
| Qwinn Murdane Sir Billybob Magi StoplightRed Echon Joe Dosh | Beta Testing |
| Westley Weimer | Author of WeiDU |
| Jon Olav Hauglid | Author of Near Infinity |
| Avenger | Author of DLTCEP Detectable Spells |
| Per Olofsson | Author of TISpack |
| temujin | Bug reports |
| hook71 | Proofreading |
Special thanks should also go to all those involved in the translation of various components of this mod into other languages:
Additionally, Adahn (original Author of Revised Hell Trials) would like to thank the following:
The best IE mods to date can be found at Pocket Plane Group and Gibberlings Three. Both are well worth a visit.