SPELLHOLD STUDIOS - Nathaniel NPC Mod

# Nathaniel NPC Mod

A Spellhold Studios mod for Baldur's Gate 2: SoA/ToB

Authors: Feuille, Miss Sakaki

Mod Website • Mod Forum • Version: 4.3

## Introduction

The Nathaniel NPC Mod introduces a new joinable NPC into Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and the expansion pack, Throne of Bhaal. Nathaniel Aplin-Fletcher is a former officer of the Flaming Fist in Baldur's Gate, and witnessed the devastation that the player's half-brother Sarevok wrought in the city. As an indirect result of those events, he left the employment of the guards with several friends and has been travelling since. He is a skilled fighter, though he suffers from bouts of self-doubt perhaps due to his lack of physical robustness. For some players he can become a loyal companion, relying on him or her in times of crisis and in turn offering his support. For the right male character, a friendship can develop into something more. The mod contains original items, new characters, more than 300 voice clips and over 4000 new lines of dialogue.

If you want to write your own NPC talking about or with Nathaniel, you don't have to ask our permission. However, if you'd like to get in contact and get some ideas going, we're more than willing to put the work in.

#### Portrait Previews:

Portrait #1 by Feuille | Portrait #2 by K'aeloree | Portrait #3 by Amaurea

## Installation

If you have not already done so, obtain and install the latest official Bioware patch from www.bioware.com before installing Nathaniel. If you have other mods already installed, uninstall them before installing the patch. Like the majority of mods created for the Infinity Engine, Nathaniel is made using WeiDU, meaning that it adds to but does not overwrite game files. If you plan to install any non-WeiDU mods, install them before Nathaniel and any other WeiDU mods.

1. Make sure that Baldur's Gate II or any related programs are not running.
2. Place Nathaniel.exe anywhere on your drive.
3. Open Nathaniel.exe and follow the on-screen instructions. The installer will extract the necessary files into your game directory.
4. A DOS window will open automatically and ask whether you want to install Nathaniel.
5. WeiDU will copy the necessary files into the game and compile dialogues and scripts. This will take a few minutes.
6. WeiDU will decompress the audio files packaged with Nathaniel. The window will fill with text.
7. Choose whichever optional components you wish to install, and choose a portrait.
8. Start playing! You do not need to start a new game to have Nathaniel in your party.

#### Uninstalling Nathaniel

If you wish to uninstall Nathaniel, run Setup-Nathaniel.exe again and select the U option.

#### Solaufein conflict:

Installing this content results in Nathaniel breaking up with the PC if the Solaufein Romance progresses too far. It affects Nathaniel's behaviour but does not alter Solaufein's dialogue or script. Do not install this component if you enjoy the multi-romance aspect of the Solaufein mod. Note that Solaufein is needed for this component to be installed, but you can install Solaufein later and return to Setup-Nathaniel.exe for the conflict installation.

#### Kelsey content:

Installing this component enables talks to occur between Nathaniel and Kelsey. Note that Kelsey is needed for this component to be installed, but you can install Kelsey later and return to Setup-Nathaniel.exe for the banter installation.

## Mod Details

Though you do not need to start a new game to have Nathaniel join your party, as with all NPCs it is advisable to have him join early in order to view all his banters and interjections. He banters with all the Bioware joinable NPCs and comments on many of the quests available. Nathaniel is found in the Docks District of Athkatla and will initiate dialogue when you are close enough. He can also be summoned via the Fate Spirit in Throne of Bhaal.

ROMANCING NATHANIEL

Nathaniel romances human, elven or half-elven males of Good or Lawful Neutral alignment providing they are not thieves. Note that he will romance druids, but not males of other classes who are aligned True Neutral.

Nathaniel's lovetalk music is an excerpt from B.G.N., Variation XII of Elgar's Enigma Variations.

PLAYER-INITIATED DIALOGUES

If you are romancing Nathaniel, you have the opportunity to initiate dialogue with him if you click the Talk icon and click on Nathaniel's portrait or avatar. He too will periodically initiate dialogues separately from the timed lovetalks. Note that options available change greatly throughout the romance, so check often. If you are not comfortable with the content, ask him to stop and he will; there is also an opportunity to break off the romance. It is possible to platonically talk to Nathaniel if you are not romancing him, using the same method. This technology was originally developed by Jason Compton and Jesse Meyers for the Kelsey NPC mod.

STRING FIXER

If you see random bits of text coming up when you click on Nathaniel, select Nathaniel and press K. After a short cutscene, the problem should be fixed.

## Compatibility

There have been incidences where not all of Nathaniel's audio is decoded at installation, resulting in a message saying that oggdec "cannot open output file". If this occurs, run the file "nathaudio.bat" which will have appeared in your game directory and the audio will be fully decoded.

Any non-WeiDU mods or patches must be installed BEFORE Nathaniel.

Nathaniel has been tested in conjunction with a large number of WeiDU mods and has been compatible with them. Note that Virtue must be installed AFTER Nathaniel. In addition, if you wish to alter Nathaniel using a tweak- or fixpack, you should install the pack after Nathaniel.

-Revised HLA table component of Refinements makes Nathaniel's custom items unusable

-Solo With A Party incompatibility: both mods include unremovable items in the same inventory slots

## Credits

Nathaniel technical and audiovisual elements are copyright 2005-7 Hannah Powell-Smith and Fay Ikin unless otherwise noted. Nathaniel is not developed, supported, or endorsed by BioWare or Interplay/Black Isle.

REDISTRIBUTION NOTE: Nathaniel was created to be freely enjoyed by all Baldur's Gate 2 players. However, Nathaniel may not be sold, published, compiled or redistributed in any form without the consent of its authors.

Authors: Hannah Powell-Smith (Miss Sakaki), Fay Ikin (Feuille)

BAM graphics: Sir-Kill

Voice actors: Leo Ikin (Nathaniel), Philip Smith (Latimer), Fay Ikin (Mayonna and Asalie)

Testers: AkashaCatBat, ark7, Cathy Cooper, eachna, Emzeror, Fantasy, Garfield, Hannya, Kitana, Lilly, Nix, RavenBlack, SnowKing, SteveThaiBinh, toby_fowl, Undertaker, vera_kdt, Zander

Thanks to all our beta testers for their hard work. Special thanks to Nix, who has worked tirelessly to find Nathaniel bugs and help us squash them. Thanks to K'aeloree and Amaurea for making Nathaniel's alternate portraits. Thanks to Sir-Kill for BAM design. Thanks to Spellhold Studios for hosting the Nathaniel mod, and to Chosen of Mystra for early hosting. Thanks to everyone who has given us moral support and suggestions, and helped us out with technical problems. Finally, a big thank you to Leo for taking time out from his physics schedule to record for us!

Nathaniel utilises the following tools and resources:

WeiDU by Wesley Weimer, maintained by the bigg

Near Infinity (Infinity Engine browser and editor) by Jon Olav Hauglid

Infinity Explorer

DLTCEP by Avenger

Shadow Keeper

ConTEXT Programmers' Editor

Audacity audio editing software

Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements by Adobe

IESDP maintained by igi

OggVorbis audio encoder

winLAME audio encoder

## Version history

###### Version 4.3

- More bugfixes thanks to the BWP Fixpack & Lollorian

###### Version 4.2

- Major bugfixing

###### Version 4.1

- Stabilised scripting in a way that actually makes it stable
- Minor dialogue editing

###### Version 4

- Added ToB content
- Dialogue editing
- Stabilised scripting
- Updated to WeiDU-202
- Removed custom kensai kit

###### Version 3.1

- Small interjection bug fixed
- Haer'Dalis interjection fixed
- Flirt bug fixed
- Fixed a problem with the lovetalks that occurred if Bodhi did not kidnap Nathaniel
- Updated to WeiDU-197

###### Version 3

- Typographical errors fixed and major dialogue changes and additions
- Added the possibility of remaining friends with Nathaniel after Jaheira's and Aerie's romance conflicts under certain circumstances
- Flirt, interjection and banter timing bugs fixed
- Updated to WeiDU-196
- Added Kelsey banters
- Made a custom kensai kit to prevent dual-classing of Nathaniel
- Enabled completion of the romance if Bodhi does not kidnap Nathaniel
- Trimmed audio clips
- Converted dialogue files to d/tra format for future translations
- Changed Nathaniel's default portrait
- Removed the Korgan conflict so they can be in the party without fighting

###### Version 2

- Updated to WeiDU-185
- Made Solaufein installation actually work
- Shuffled around early love- and friendship talks
- Several dialogue additions
- Fixed a couple of flirt and interjection bugs
- Switched ring-hand
- Adjusted audio volume

###### Version 1

- Initial public release