The Witcher 3
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Fnts

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About this mod

The mod balances the crossbow damage, bolts' effects and crossbow related skills, so that the crossbow is useful also without the Blood and Wine's Cat Eyes mutation. Features also some improvements to ranged combat logic and a new bolt type.

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Crossbow Damage Boost and Balance
Player crossbow logic in the great Witcher 3 is very weird. On one hand there is a killer Cat Eyes mutation, on the other hand, without that mutation, crossbows are extremely weak with no proper bolt damage scaling with Geralt's level. This mod fixes that by making the player's crossbow logic normal and balanced. That includes changes to bolt damages, scaling with level, balancing the bolt effects, balancing the crossbow skills, perks and Cat Eyes mutation. Features also some improvements to ranged combat logic and a new bolt type.

I recommend switching to Witcher 3 Enhanced Edition, my line of the mod: Less Hardcore Witcher 3 Enhanced Edition. I'm gradually adapting my ideas from this mod there.


Detailed list of functionality:
  • bolt damage ~4x, bolt silver damage ~7.5x (base bolt damages in def_item_bolts.xml file)
  • Crossbow attack power bonus now scales from 1% to ~160%, instead of 101% to ~300% (strongest crossbow in vanilla, which is now 160% with the mod).
  • Bolt damage increasing with Geralt's level. That is because the bolts and crossbows scaling with witcher's level is not enough compared to swords or armor parts. The bolt base damage is increased for all bolts by a value that grows with Geralt's level (not linear) - gives combined bolt damage. Combined bolt damage takes bolt types and bolt damage types treatment into account.
  • Bolt prices adjusted, namely reduced. For some bolts the reduction is greater, for some lesser.
  • Cold Blood skill now increases the crossbow attack power by 12% per each skill level. Adrenaline/focus gain was reduced from 0.04 to 0.03 per skill level.
  • Bug fix from vanilla - critical hits fast style sword skill no longer affects critical damage for crossbow.
  • Anatomical knowledge skill adjustment - now increases critical chance by 2% per level and 5% per level for manually aimed shots. Also increases critical hit damage by 20% per skill level.
  • Toned down alternative battle trance perk for crossbow shots - increases critical chance by 6% per adrenaline point.
  • Explosive bolts balancing. Their burning effect is moderately weakened due to the fact that their direct damage is greatly increased in comparison to vanilla. The duration of burning scales with total crossbow attack power as in vanilla. Increased also the chance of applying burning to the victim. Explosive bolts: 0.25 --> 0.30, legendary explosive bolts: 0.30 --> 0.37. Recipe for explosive bolts is now more demanding - require two additional ingredients. With Cat Eyes mutation the direct damage and explosion radius is reduced in geometrical progression after pierces, namely divided by 2 (damage) and 2.5 (radius) after each pierce, so on about 3rd hit the radius is minimal.
  • Bolts deal randomized damage in +- 10% interval
  • Quick shot at flying target suffers /2 damage penalty - knockdown is an effect strong enough.
  • Manually aimed shot is now promoted over unaimed one. It always deals maxed damage from random interval (+10%) or if a creature is flying during hit, the flying damage penalty is removed. Also aimed shot gives strong benefit to precision skill and cat eyes mutation. For explosive bolts only direct hit (not radius explosion damage) benefit from being aimed and from split bolts, only the central one can.
  • Steady shot now increases the crossbow attack power by 40% and raises the base damage for manually aimed shots by 10% (that 10% damage bonus stacks multiplicatively with crossbow attack power bonus).
  • Lightning Reflexes skill now increases also manually aimed bolt base dmg by 3% per skill level. Like Steady shot this damage bonus stacks multiplicatively with crossbow attack power bonus.
  • Bug fix from vanilla - on stats screen the silver damage from fire bolts is calculated and shown properly
  • Added a new bolt - Heavy Blunt Bolt. Required level 25. Available for purchase from Hatori in Novigrad, Kaer Trodle blacksmith and Touissant blacksmiths.
  • Blunt bolts now can cause a knockdown, both light one and heavy knockdown lasting 1-4sec, prolonged by total Geralt's crossbow power modifier (like the base bolt damage is increased by that value). Even if the heavy knockdown is not applied, there is another roll for standard (light) knockdown. With Cat Eyes mutation blunt bolts' heavy knockdown chance grows up by 25% and light knockdown chance by 40%. Even if both rolls fail, there is the Aard like effect of Cat Eyes mutation like with all bolts. Blunt bolts knockdown chances (from weakest one):
    - Blunt Bolt (blue): heavy knockdown: 5%, light knockdown: 35%. Any knockdown probability then: ~38%.
    - Legendary Blunt Bolt (blue): heavy knockdown: 15%, light knockdown: 45%. Any knockdown probability then: ~53%.
    - Heavy Blunt Bolt (yellow): heavy knockdown: 45% (Cat Eyes 70%!), light knockdown: 75%. Any knockdown probability then: ~86%.
  • Griffon Merchnant in White Orchard sells now all the bolts in NG+. So in NG+ you have a supply right away.
  • Broadhead bolts have stronger bleeding effect. It lasts shorter, but is much stronger and the duration is still very long (5s base) and naturally scales with crossbow attack power.
  • Target point bolts have higher point armor reduction, but sligthly lower percent armor reduction. Legendary target point bolts maintain the strongest direct damage from all the bolts with the per level scaling.
  • Crossbow damage displayed on inventory screen is now better matching the real gain. However bolt damage calculations are now more complex, so you should only rely on the damages displayed on stats screen.
  • Blood and Wine cat eyes mutation adjustment. This mutation now no longer gives any base damage bonus. Instead it gives a 60% crossbow attack power bonus. Critical chance increase changed to 18% and 36% for manually aimed bolts. The bolt stops being aimed after first pierce. Increases also critical damage by 50%. Enemies at full health health reduction value depends on a bolt type, with default value of 12% (vanilla was 15%). Piercing and force wave effect as in vanilla.
  • Blood and Wine Touissant crossbows params adjusted. There are two basic new crossbows (others are just visual modifications). Weaker one: attack power +140% (in vanilla its equivalent to +240%, see point 2), point armor pierce +10, critical chance +3%, adrenaline gain +5%, required level 35, Stronger one:  attack power +160%, point armor pierce +20, critical chance +4%, adrenaline gain +10%, required level 40.
  • Touissant crossbows are available in the Beauclair blacksmith and its clones, but have a lot higher price than vanilla.
  • The blacksmith in the Beauclair and its clones have now also a supply of better bolt types.

Modifies the following files:
Spoiler:  
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Assets (Vanilla Base):
effects.xml
geralt_skills.xml
def_item_bolts.xml
def_item_crafting_recipes_bolts.xml
def_loot_shops.xml

Assets (Blood and Wine):
def_item_bolts.xml
def_item_weapons_crossbows.xml
def_loot_shops.xml
geralt_mutations.xml

Scripts:
gameParams.ws
playerWitcher.ws
attackAction.ws
damageManagerProcessor.ws
arrowProjectile.ws
playerBoltProjectile.ws
explosiveBolt.ws
characterMenu.ws
CharacterStatsPopup.ws

Compatible with 1.31*, Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine and NG+**. Compatible with The Enhancement System*** mod (see friendly mods list).

* Both GOTY and non-GOTY.
** The bolt damage per Geralt level scaling should be ok until level ~70 (tested). Values above level 70 are filled more-less. This can be adjusted in config file.
*** TES version 3.0 has CDBaB version 1.29 integrated, but with no BaW support.

The mod is incompatible with any other that modifies crossbows/bolts damage, unless see below.
  • Must be used with caution with any other mod that tweaks combat calculations or Geralt's skills or stats due to possible balance failures.
  • Must be used with caution with any other mod that adds new crossbows/tweaks existing ones. If the new crossbows' stats are reasonable, the mod will be compatible.
  • Most probably incompatible with mods that adds new bolts/tweaks existing one, since that won't take the calculation changes from this mod into account.

Installation (manual):
Unzip the archive into: <game_installation_folder>/Mods/
If you update, delete the previous mod folder first: <game_installation_folder>/Mods/modCrossbowDamageBoost

After installation (manual or NMM) or update, remember to use script/file merger to check for conflicts (unless you don't have other mods): File merger
After update, make sure you delete all merges of files modified by this mod and make them again.
This way you can make the mods that modify the same file work. Also you can more-less see whether those mods are compatible - if there are heavy conflicts, there is high chance they aren't.

Configuration:
  • Go to <game_installation_folder>/Mods/modCrossbowDamageBoost/content/scripts/mod
  • Open file 'crossbowDamageBoostData.ws' in any text editor
  • Follow the instructions in file
  • Make your edits and save file
  • Restart the game
Note: Every time you update/install the mod again, reedit the config file, as new version might update it.


Recommended mods:
Grand Balance Repair (Combat Speeds module especially for light armor build, increased roll speed helps in keeping enemies at distance, thus improves crossbow usage possibilites)
No instant kill on knockdown (no instant kill on knocked down enemy with hp > 40%, this works good with strong knocking down by blunt bolts that this mod introduces)

Friendly Mods:
No Infinite Crossbow Ammo (use the version compatible with CDBaB)
The Enhancement System (by Mangekyoumadara1987). This mod is integrated into The Enhancement System. So if you choose to use it, you shouldn't install mine separately. If you endorse it, please consider endorsing also mine (to improve my stats :P).

Recent updates:

Version 1.33.1
Fixed a bug where crossbow critical damage increase would also apply to petards with Manticore set bonus 1.