Introduction
============

Hi, and thanks for downloading my mod! :)

The mod was a request from someone on the Dragon Age Nexusforums - the person wanted a full Grey Warden suit of armor as well as a weapon and shield that matched, as closely as possible, the items from the Sacred Ashes trailer.

I've made two versions of the save and the 'item_variations.gda' file. One pair (the 'MALCOLM' files) is more in the vein of the Sacred Ashes Grey Warden (pale face, tattoo, golden shield and sword), while the other (the 'VANCE' files) is the vanilla DA2 Hawke (mark of destiny blood tattoo, preset face and beard, open hooded helm, steel shield, sturdy sword). Aside from the aethestics, both are completely the same, and the items are 100% identical.

You can copy both of the saved games and play either one (or both), but you must choose *ONE* of the 'item_variations.gda' files. The mod contains 2:

WARDEN_MALCOLM_HAWKE_item_variations.gda

WARDEN_VANCE_HAWKE_item_variations.gda

These .gda files control how your items look in the game (without them, the gear reverts back to its vanilla look). You can see the difference in the pics.

Choose the one you want and rename it to 'item_variations.gda' (but without the apostrophes, of course), and drop it into your override folder. Make sure the spelling is correct, or it won't work.

You can switch out one 'item_variations.gda' file with the other at any time you like - they're not tied with the saved games in any way. Just make sure you spell it correctly, and put it in the right folder.


Installation
============

- Unzip the .rar archive

- choose the files you want to use (consult the pics for info)

- rename your chosen .gda file into 'item_variations.gda'

- drop the item_variations.gda of your choice into the override folder
[X:\...\BioWare\Dragon Age 2\packages\core\override]

- drop the save game folder of your choice into the saves folder
[X:\...\BioWare\Dragon Age 2\Characters]

- run the game, load the save, play, and have fun! :)


Clarifications
==============

The two saved games are completely identical, save for the face and name of the character. Both come with the same gear, and are at the exact same spot in the game (Prologue, just after picking up Aveline and Ser Wesley).

'Malcolm' Hawke more closely resembles the Sacred Ashes trailer Grey Warden.
'Vance' Hawke is the vanilla Hawke from DA2 for those who enjoy that preset.

There's a slight difference in the item_variation files. This has nothing to do with the items' properties (you always get the same gear), rather, with the 3D models used for the helm, sword, and shield. See the pics for more info. (note: the chest, gloves, and boots are the same in both .gda files)


Mod Contents
============

The mod includes 2 savegames, both featuring a male warrior Hawke wearing a suit of Stonehammer Armor, wielding the Edge of Song and Glory sword, and equipped with the Hearth Shield.

The plate suit has been modified to look like Carver's Warden Armor, and the sword and shield to, as closely as possible, resemble Grey Warden items (I've even slapped a Grey Warden insignia on the shield for the sake of consistency). I've also tweaked the face preset a bit to be in line with Malcolm Cousland, the Grey Warden you see in the Sacred Ashes trailer.

All of the items will level with the player, and provide hefty bonuses; hey, it's a suit of Grey Warden armor, it's supposed to be powerful, right? To keep things balanced, I've taken out the rune slots (you'll find only 2 on the sword and 3 on the shield). The gear has been itemized with a tank in mind, and offers bonus health, armor, damage resistance, and a few immunities.

One thing I need to mention is that the armor gives immunities to stun, crit, knockback and flanking. This was done on purpose, and with a good reason.

This mod is meant to be fun, and taken as light entertainment - if you find the items are not to your taste, simply don't wear them. If you do use them,
keep in mind that you're only leveling the playing field - DA2 Nightmare mobs play unfair, and cheap tactics like perma-knockback from elites and one-shot-kills from assassins are the hallmark of bad design, not thoughtful and inspirational ways of pushing the envelope on game mechanics. Simply put, wear the armor, and you won't have to worry about mobs using cheesy tactics on your avatar.

Also, for the roleplaying purists out there (myself among them), here are some of the reasons why the items have their unique properties (cheating is made of win!):

- helmet; flanking immunity, it's impossible to flank a well-prepared Grey Warden
- gloves; knockback immunity, something pushes a Warden, and s/he'll push right back!
- chest; stun immunity, the sturdyness of the incredibly thick armor is impossible to deny
- boots; crit immunity, Wardnes are known for their uncanny speed and maneuverability
- shield; XP bonus, the Grey Warden insignia is said to bring wisdom and experience
- sword; threat bonus; enemies know that a Grey Warden is the most dangerous foe



Technical Details
=================

Since we still (as of 21.3.2011.) don't have the ability to modify the .uti files (DA2 Toolset hasn't been released yet) I've had to resort to some exhausting methods in order to tweak the files needed to release this mod.

First of all, the mod overwrites the 3D model of the Stonehammer Armor; it replaces it with Carver's Grey Warden one. You can still obtain the vanilla suit throughout the game, but it'll look like Grey Warden gear (bear in mind that the items in the saved games were tweaked through the editor; their stats are completely different from the vanilla ones you'll find ingame).

This mod is not compatible with anything that modifies the item_variations.gda file. Since I don't have access to a .uti editor, I had to use pyGFF to change the items' 3D models and then manually tweak their properties once they were inside a save game (that was done through a modified rewards.gda, but including the file in the mod is not necessary). What this means is that there's no way for me to release the items as a standalone mod without a saved game. As soon as one of the other more technical-savvy moders releases a .uti editor, I'll update the mod so you can get the items in your own saved games. Until then, you're just stuck with this. Sorry, not my fault Bioware is slow with their editor's release.



CONFLICTS
=========

Naturally, this mod will conflict with any other mods that change or modify the item_variations.gda in any way. I'm not responsible for any bugs, but please post comments if you're having trouble, or the files don't work.

I'm not sure if you can have multiple versions of the same .gda files in different folders in the override - some people have said it's possible, but I haven't gotten it to work. If you remove the item_variations.gda, or replace it with anything else, the items in your saved game will revert to their vanilla graphics - you'll still have the gear, but it'll look like the default versions of the armor, sword, and shield.

Finally, I have the Signature Edition of the game and all the DLCs released so far so I had to use pyGFF to strip the saved games of this requirement (or else people with the vanilla game can't load the saves). There shouldn't be any problems with the saves themselves, but please, don't hesitate to tell me if something's broken.



CREDITS
=======
Everyone who took their time to write the modding tutorials.
Dragon Age Nexus for being the best mod site ever.
The people behind pyGFF for their excellent editor.
The people who keep filling the item info lists.
Bioware, for making such a fun game.
You, for playing.


Enjoy!

Edit: Re-uploaded the archive 'cause I forgot to delete the DLC requirements. It should work ok now, you only need the Black Emporium to load the saves. Let me know if there are any bugs.