» Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:47 pm It started as "let's just add a few powers to an existng weapon mod" but it grew and grew when I decided that I couldn't just leave a priceless sword on a dungeon floor somewhere. So it ended up as a full voice-acted quest with some rather tough opponents and bits that require some intuitive searching (so much that I had to release a "cheat" file!).
Here it is - enjoy!
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=36365
Name: Anduril Reforged
Version: 1.1
Date: 2/1/11
Category: Weapons and Armor
Requirements: Oblivion Patch 1.2.0.416, Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE)
Author: Lanceor
Source: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=36365
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=6520
http://www.invision.tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/topic/3473-anduril-reforged/
Description
===========
A scholar deciphering ancient texts has discovered that the blade known as Andúril Flame of the West - as used by Aragorn in the War of the Ring - was hidden away in Tamriel. Unfortunately, the scholar disappears under mysterious circumstances before he can recover the legendary artifact. Can you follow the clues and recover the sword that was broken before sinister forces get to it first?
Quest Start
===========
Speak to émile Lapérouse in Bravil. He hangs around the docks most of the time, but goes to the Lonely Suitor Lodge to eat and sleep. He will bring you up to speed on recent events and start you on your quest.
Details
=======
This is a weapon mod that takes the beautiful mesh and textures as created by Adonnay and Kohdi respectively and adds several ingredients that were missing.
1) The powers of Narsil/Andúril as described in Tolkien's works have been added. Among them:
- "...the sword of Elendil filled Orcs and Men with fear, for it shone with the light of the sun and of the moon." (The Silmarillion)
- "...Andúril came down upon his helm. There was a flash like flame and the helm burst asunder." (The Fellowship of the Ring)
- "The blade that is drawn from this sheath shall not be stained or broken even in defeat" (The Fellowship of the Ring)
- "Andúril rose and fell, gleaming with white fire." (The Two Towers)
2) The books infer that Andúril was a one-handed sword, but the movie version was mostly used two handed. To solve this, Andúril properly functions as a hand-and-a-half sword and can be used either one- or two-handed.
3) Priceless artifacts don't fall out of trees. Instead of dumping such a legendary artifact on the floor somewhere, a proper voice-acted quest was written so that you actually have to use mixture of brain and brawn to obtain Andúril.
4) Andúril is levelled and can be used from level 1 all the way to 40+ without unbalancing the game. Putting it back where you found it updates it (much like the Crusader relics). Damage output is roughly equivalent to the Sword of the Crusader up until level 25. But from there, it keeps leveling all the way to level 45 to become a truly legendary weapon befitting the demigod that your character has become.
Bonus Items
===========
Upon completion of the quest, you can obtain a set of xxfmanxx's Gondorian Guard Armor and Gondorian Knight Armor.
If you have completed the quest and you are level 25 or higher, you can obtain further bonus items from various other mods:
- The Shield of Elendil (Daedric quality, choice of enchantments)
- Lórien dagger (equivalent to perfect Amber quality)
- Gimli's Battle Axe (equivalent to perfect Madness quality)
- A full set of Gondorian Ranger Gear (equivalent to perfect Amber quality)
Install
=======
1. Extract the files to a temporary location.
2. Copy Anduril Reforged.esp, Anduril Reforged.bsa and the DistantLOD folder to (install folder)\Oblivion\Data\
3. Start Oblivion Launcher, click 'Data Files', place a checkmark besides Anduril Reforged.esp.
This mod requires Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE). If don't already have it, you can get it from http://obse.silverlock.org. OBSE is simple to install: just copy three files!
Upgrade
=======
1. Extract the files to a temporary location.
2. Overwrite older versions of Anduril Reforged.esp, Anduril Reforged.bsa in (install folder)\Oblivion\Data\. The DistantLOD folder does not need to be updated.
3. Continue as normal - the upgrade will not affect your saved games.
Uninstall
=========
1. Start Oblivion Launcher, click Data Files, uncheck Anduril Reforged.esp.
2. Delete Anduril Reforged.esp and Anduril Reforged.bsa.
3. Delete Tamriel_40_6.lod and Tamriel_41_7.lod from the (install folder)\Oblivion\Data\DistantLOD folder
Incompatibility
===============
Any other mods that modify the Cadlew Chapel or Fort Entius interiors may cause conflicts. Of the ones that I know of:
Cadlew Chapel Repair.esp - no conflict (other than the quest item being out of context)
CadlewChapel.esp and Cadlew Chapel Redone.esp - minor conflict. You'll have to search in an "illogical" spot for a quest item.
Cadlew Chapel - Scout's Lodge.esp - quest-breaking conflict. I'll post a workaround if you need it.
Andúril Reforged uses the DARK magic effect for its power attacks so it will conflict with another mod that also uses this effect. You can put Andúril Reforged *before* the other mod in the load order if you don't want to override the other mod's magic effect. (This will likely result in Andúril gaining new powers though.)
Known Issues or Bugs
====================
DistantLOD has been known to work erratically. If it is not working, it will be much harder to find "the statue". You can still continue with the quest using other clues given. I recommend running TES4LODGen (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15781) every time you install a new mod that changes Tamriel.
History
=======
28/12/10 0.8 Beta - Beta release for playtesting
30/12/10 0.81 Beta - Fixes many bugs and balance issues based on playtest feedback.
01/01/11 1.0 - Release version
02/01/11 1.1 - Incorrect texture paths for Gondorian Ranger Armor fixed
Contact
=======
You can find me at TESNexus, the Bethesda Forums and TES Alliance as "Lanceor".
Credits
=======
Thanks to these fellow modmakers for giving me permission to use their work as part of Andúril Reforged.
Adonnay - for creating the original Andúril mesh.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9185
Kohdi - for his breathtaking retexture of Adonnay's sword.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=29391
xxfmanxx - he created several sets of LOTR inspired gear:
Gondorian Ranger Gear http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=32307
Gondorian Knight Armor http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=31352
Gondorian Guard Cuirass and Shield http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=31299
Stoltie92 created a lovely rendition of Gimli's Axe and Aragorn's dagger: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27400
alphaprime_01 and LHammonds for creating a beautiful second-age Gondorian shield. http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12703
Music:
"Movement Proposition" by Kevin MacLeod http://incompetech.com
Beta Testers:
A big thank you to John, nottlong, drakon136, Arion and the rest of the team at TES Alliance for helping me squash numerous bugs. "Rumor" has it there's a cooking waiting for you.
Special Thanks:
- All those who assisted me at the Bethesda Forums.
- Bethesda for creating Oblivion and giving modders free reign to let their imaginations run wild.
- TESNexus.com and Planet Elder Scrolls for providing file hosting and resources for authors and players alike.
- LHammonds for the Readme Generator this file was based on.
- Peter Jackson and crew for making the definitive movie adaptation of the Lord of the Rings.
- Last but not least, JRR Tolkien, the father of high fantasy, for creating the rich, mystical world that is Middle Earth and for weaving the legendary stories of its heroes and tyrants.
Tools Used
==========
Audacity - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
GIMP - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14920
LipTEmplate.7z - http://www.4shared.com/dir/7624076/5c6300d5/VAP.html
NIFSkope - http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/NifSkope
Oblivion Mod Manager - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2097
Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE) - http://obse.silverlock.org/
Paint Shop Pro - http://www.paintshoppro.com/
Switch - http://www.nch.com.au/switch/plus.html
TES4Edit - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11536
TES4LODGen - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15781
TES Construction Set 1.0 and 1.2 - http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/The_Elder_Scrolls_Construction_Set
Readme Generator - http://lhammonds.game-host.org/obmm/tools_readme_generator1.asp
Licensing/Legal
===============
Feel free to reuse any parts of the mod that I created. If my work was helpful to you, some credit would be nice. Feel free to let me know if you find an interesting way to use my stuff. The weapon and armor meshes and textures were created by other authors, so don't forget to ask them for permission if you use their work.
Version: 1.1
Date: 2/1/11
Category: Weapons and Armor
Requirements: Oblivion Patch 1.2.0.416, Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE)
Author: Lanceor
Source: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=36365
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=6520
http://www.invision.tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/topic/3473-anduril-reforged/
Description
===========
A scholar deciphering ancient texts has discovered that the blade known as Andúril Flame of the West - as used by Aragorn in the War of the Ring - was hidden away in Tamriel. Unfortunately, the scholar disappears under mysterious circumstances before he can recover the legendary artifact. Can you follow the clues and recover the sword that was broken before sinister forces get to it first?
Quest Start
===========
Speak to émile Lapérouse in Bravil. He hangs around the docks most of the time, but goes to the Lonely Suitor Lodge to eat and sleep. He will bring you up to speed on recent events and start you on your quest.
Details
=======
This is a weapon mod that takes the beautiful mesh and textures as created by Adonnay and Kohdi respectively and adds several ingredients that were missing.
1) The powers of Narsil/Andúril as described in Tolkien's works have been added. Among them:
- "...the sword of Elendil filled Orcs and Men with fear, for it shone with the light of the sun and of the moon." (The Silmarillion)
- "...Andúril came down upon his helm. There was a flash like flame and the helm burst asunder." (The Fellowship of the Ring)
- "The blade that is drawn from this sheath shall not be stained or broken even in defeat" (The Fellowship of the Ring)
- "Andúril rose and fell, gleaming with white fire." (The Two Towers)
2) The books infer that Andúril was a one-handed sword, but the movie version was mostly used two handed. To solve this, Andúril properly functions as a hand-and-a-half sword and can be used either one- or two-handed.
3) Priceless artifacts don't fall out of trees. Instead of dumping such a legendary artifact on the floor somewhere, a proper voice-acted quest was written so that you actually have to use mixture of brain and brawn to obtain Andúril.
4) Andúril is levelled and can be used from level 1 all the way to 40+ without unbalancing the game. Putting it back where you found it updates it (much like the Crusader relics). Damage output is roughly equivalent to the Sword of the Crusader up until level 25. But from there, it keeps leveling all the way to level 45 to become a truly legendary weapon befitting the demigod that your character has become.
Bonus Items
===========
Upon completion of the quest, you can obtain a set of xxfmanxx's Gondorian Guard Armor and Gondorian Knight Armor.
If you have completed the quest and you are level 25 or higher, you can obtain further bonus items from various other mods:
- The Shield of Elendil (Daedric quality, choice of enchantments)
- Lórien dagger (equivalent to perfect Amber quality)
- Gimli's Battle Axe (equivalent to perfect Madness quality)
- A full set of Gondorian Ranger Gear (equivalent to perfect Amber quality)
Install
=======
1. Extract the files to a temporary location.
2. Copy Anduril Reforged.esp, Anduril Reforged.bsa and the DistantLOD folder to (install folder)\Oblivion\Data\
3. Start Oblivion Launcher, click 'Data Files', place a checkmark besides Anduril Reforged.esp.
This mod requires Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE). If don't already have it, you can get it from http://obse.silverlock.org. OBSE is simple to install: just copy three files!
Upgrade
=======
1. Extract the files to a temporary location.
2. Overwrite older versions of Anduril Reforged.esp, Anduril Reforged.bsa in (install folder)\Oblivion\Data\. The DistantLOD folder does not need to be updated.
3. Continue as normal - the upgrade will not affect your saved games.
Uninstall
=========
1. Start Oblivion Launcher, click Data Files, uncheck Anduril Reforged.esp.
2. Delete Anduril Reforged.esp and Anduril Reforged.bsa.
3. Delete Tamriel_40_6.lod and Tamriel_41_7.lod from the (install folder)\Oblivion\Data\DistantLOD folder
Incompatibility
===============
Any other mods that modify the Cadlew Chapel or Fort Entius interiors may cause conflicts. Of the ones that I know of:
Cadlew Chapel Repair.esp - no conflict (other than the quest item being out of context)
CadlewChapel.esp and Cadlew Chapel Redone.esp - minor conflict. You'll have to search in an "illogical" spot for a quest item.
Cadlew Chapel - Scout's Lodge.esp - quest-breaking conflict. I'll post a workaround if you need it.
Andúril Reforged uses the DARK magic effect for its power attacks so it will conflict with another mod that also uses this effect. You can put Andúril Reforged *before* the other mod in the load order if you don't want to override the other mod's magic effect. (This will likely result in Andúril gaining new powers though.)
Known Issues or Bugs
====================
DistantLOD has been known to work erratically. If it is not working, it will be much harder to find "the statue". You can still continue with the quest using other clues given. I recommend running TES4LODGen (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15781) every time you install a new mod that changes Tamriel.
History
=======
28/12/10 0.8 Beta - Beta release for playtesting
30/12/10 0.81 Beta - Fixes many bugs and balance issues based on playtest feedback.
01/01/11 1.0 - Release version
02/01/11 1.1 - Incorrect texture paths for Gondorian Ranger Armor fixed
Contact
=======
You can find me at TESNexus, the Bethesda Forums and TES Alliance as "Lanceor".
Credits
=======
Thanks to these fellow modmakers for giving me permission to use their work as part of Andúril Reforged.
Adonnay - for creating the original Andúril mesh.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9185
Kohdi - for his breathtaking retexture of Adonnay's sword.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=29391
xxfmanxx - he created several sets of LOTR inspired gear:
Gondorian Ranger Gear http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=32307
Gondorian Knight Armor http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=31352
Gondorian Guard Cuirass and Shield http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=31299
Stoltie92 created a lovely rendition of Gimli's Axe and Aragorn's dagger: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27400
alphaprime_01 and LHammonds for creating a beautiful second-age Gondorian shield. http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12703
Music:
"Movement Proposition" by Kevin MacLeod http://incompetech.com
Beta Testers:
A big thank you to John, nottlong, drakon136, Arion and the rest of the team at TES Alliance for helping me squash numerous bugs. "Rumor" has it there's a cooking waiting for you.
Special Thanks:
- All those who assisted me at the Bethesda Forums.
- Bethesda for creating Oblivion and giving modders free reign to let their imaginations run wild.
- TESNexus.com and Planet Elder Scrolls for providing file hosting and resources for authors and players alike.
- LHammonds for the Readme Generator this file was based on.
- Peter Jackson and crew for making the definitive movie adaptation of the Lord of the Rings.
- Last but not least, JRR Tolkien, the father of high fantasy, for creating the rich, mystical world that is Middle Earth and for weaving the legendary stories of its heroes and tyrants.
Tools Used
==========
Audacity - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
GIMP - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14920
LipTEmplate.7z - http://www.4shared.com/dir/7624076/5c6300d5/VAP.html
NIFSkope - http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/NifSkope
Oblivion Mod Manager - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2097
Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE) - http://obse.silverlock.org/
Paint Shop Pro - http://www.paintshoppro.com/
Switch - http://www.nch.com.au/switch/plus.html
TES4Edit - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11536
TES4LODGen - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15781
TES Construction Set 1.0 and 1.2 - http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/The_Elder_Scrolls_Construction_Set
Readme Generator - http://lhammonds.game-host.org/obmm/tools_readme_generator1.asp
Licensing/Legal
===============
Feel free to reuse any parts of the mod that I created. If my work was helpful to you, some credit would be nice. Feel free to let me know if you find an interesting way to use my stuff. The weapon and armor meshes and textures were created by other authors, so don't forget to ask them for permission if you use their work.
