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 ***************** AREEN THE WILD MAGE -- BGEE NPC MOD *****************
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 VERSION: 1.2     PLATFORMS: BGEE, BGEE+SoD     AUTHOR: BORESAL
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION / DESCRIPTION

This mod adds a joinable NPC, Areen the wild mage. Stats-wise is a strong character, but it comes with a caveat that can be fixed progressively during the game.

Areen has small banter with all wizards in the game (and their companions). But he is incompatible with Neera in the long run.


II. QUEST / ENCOUNTERS

The mod does not include new quests or encounters besides Areen. It includes a few items that Areen could use and lore-appropiate reading books.


III. TWEAKS AND FIXES

To make the wild magic experience more enjoyable and get the maximum of protecting spells like Chaos Shield and boost items, an optional component tweaks the wild surge table (WILDMAG.2DA) as follow:
- Most incapacitating surges (e.g., petrification, polymorph squirrel) have been placed in the lower rows,
while more neutral, beneficial and "spell cast normally" surges appear more on top.
- Surges consisting in performing multible rolls have been replaced by summon demon surges, which are now spread accross the table uniformly.
- Some changes without much gameplay influence have also been added (e.g., changing one instance of good berries by a visual effect)

These changes aim to reduce reloading if the wild mage is played more seriously. Now, spells like Chaos Shield and items granting bonuses are
way more effective as the most dangerous surges are between 1 and 15.


IV. INSTALLATION AND COMPATIBILITY

Install as every WeiDU mod - copy the content of the archive into your main BGEE directory. Remember, that Steam users need to install modmerge first. Run Setup-ArenWildMage.exe and follow instructions on the screen. This mod requires an updated EE version of the game, preferably with Siege of Dragonspear.

The mod should be compatible with most BGEE mods that use WeiDU installation. You should start a new game to enjoy all-new content.

At the moment, the mod is not compatible natively with EET, but given the limited content it adds, it should work if installed in BGEE before EET.
The next version will include EET compatibility.


V. CREDITS
	Mod author: Boresal
	Resources: DnD Detective tutorials, Branwen NPC mod
	Additional help: jastey
        Wild surge comparison table: DraikenWeAre

Areen The Wild Mage mod is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. The mod was created to tweak, modify original content. The mod is by Boresal; tweaked, modified, and extended content is based on the original game and its elements belong to their respective official creators.


VI. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

This mod is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This means you are free to:

- Share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt: remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially

Under the following terms:
- Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the author endorses you or your use.

The full license can be found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/


VII. CROSS-MOD CONTENT

While this mod is freely available under the Creative Commons license, I kindly request that you contact me before incorporating any content from this mod into other projects. This allows me to keep track of how the content is being used and ensures proper attribution. Please reach out to me at boresal@gmail.com to discuss any cross-mod integration.

I am open to collaboration and content sharing, but would appreciate being consulted and credited appropriately.


VIII. VERSION HISTORY

2025/02/24: Initial Release v1.0
2025/03/03: v1.1
	- Fixed bugs:
		+ Re-learning of wild mage spells automatically upon reload.
	- Other fixes:
		+ Scrolls to add wild mage spells to Areen no longer require activation, this is now done via script upon taking the items.			+ dialogJ text moved to corresponding .tra file for easier translation.
  		+ Using italics instead of *...* for non-verbal text.
	- Additional content:
		+ New dialogue entry upon entering Candlekeep library in Chapter 6.
		+ Updated ReadMe
2025/03/14: v1.2
	- Fixed dialogue bugs:
		+ Area-triggered talks misplacement.
		+ Going back to using * instead of italics, for compatibility.
 	- Other fixes:
		+ Remove "lb" from item weight description for consistency with vanilla items.
		+ Improved dialogues
		
