Afaaq, the Djinni Companion

A mod for Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition and Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition.

Author: Argent77

Introduction

Afaaq's portrait

Meet Afaaq! The djinni who will be your faithful companion in the course of your adventures throughout SoA and ToB. Now available for Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition and the Enhanced Edition Trilogy (EET) as well!

Contents

Visit the SHS Forums or the Beamdog Forums if you have questions, or download the latest version.

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Installation

This is a WeiDU mod, that means it is very easy to install. Simply unpack mod archive into the installation directory of your game and run either "setup-DjinniCompanion.exe" (Windows) or "setup-DjinniCompanion" (macOS). Follow the instructions and you are ready to start.

To uninstall, run "setup-DjinniCompanion.exe" again and follow the prompts.

Compatibility and Installation Order

The mod requires that you have either Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, Baldur's Gate Trilogy (BGT), Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition or Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition installed. The Enhanced Edition Trilogy (EET) is supported as well.

You can install this mod at any time in your game before you are doing the Trademeet quests, but I suggest to install it early on to raise the chance of a certain quest to trigger.

The following mods have to be installed BEFORE this mod, if you want to use them:

The following mods will be considered if you install them before this mod:

The mod changes a number of original game resources. To ensure the highest compatibility with existing mods, it should be installed as late as possible. If you do encounter a bug, please post it either on the SHS Forums or the Beamdog Forums.

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Mod Components

  1. The main component comes in two flavors:

    Full Version: (recommended) This component installs the djinni Afaaq together with quests, new maps, lots of interjections, commentaries and banters with the protagonist as well as all Bioware/Beamdog NPCs.

    Light Version: This component installs a stripped down version of the mod consisting only of the djinni Afaaq and his magical lamp. Choose this if you merely want additional fighting power in your adventures.

  2. IWD:EE Version: This component is more or less the same as the Light Version, but can be installed in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition. It provides a stripped down version of the mod consisting of the djinni Afaaq, his magical lamp and a simple storyline to spice up the adventure.

    Note: You should avoid installing this component if you plan to integrate IWD:EE into the Enhanced Edition Trilogy to minimize potential conflicts.

  3. Banter accelerator: (Full Version only) Lets you control how often a conversation should be triggered by the djinni. Possible values range from 15 min. to 120 min. (Default is 60 minutes).

    Note: Only conversations between the djinni and the protagonist are affected.

  4. Remove Afaaq's banter soundtrack: (Full Version only) By default, a short oriental soundtrack will be played back whenever the djinni starts a conversation with the protagonist. This component disables the soundtrack.

  5. Alternate djinni portrait by Ulb: Choose this component if you want to replace the default portrait of the djinni Afaaq by an alternate version. (Preview)

  6. Disable IWD:EE Quest: (IWD:EE Version only) The quest, which is attached to the presence of the djinni in the party, includes a number of challenging battles. Choose this component if you want to skip this quest entirely.

  7. Add Infinity Animation creatures: (Full Version only) This component will be triggered only if the mod "Infinity Animations" and its subcomponent "Distinctive Genies" have been installed. It replaces a couple of creature animations with more natural looking versions.

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Details

Afaaq is a djinni – a genie of the Elemental Plane of Air. He is very old even in genie terms. The numerous events he witnessed in his long life have left their marks on his personality. He appears somewhat reserved and radiates a melancholic, sometimes even gloomy aura. Afaaq is more serious than others of his kind and tends to talk in a rather long-winded and convoluted way. He respects wisdom and open-mindedness, but will also tolerate foolhardy behavior to a certain degree. Everything else he can tell you by himself.

When you first meet him, he is equipped with his favorite enchanted scimitar, has a small variety of spells and a couple of unusual innate abilities. The djinni gains experience much like a party member would do and levels up automatically. Depending on the choices you make during the course of the game, he may become even more useful later.

Initial Statistics

If you want to know more, simply talk to him when he is around or in his magical lamp. He will be happy to answer most of your questions in detail.

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Frequently Asked Questions (Spoiler Alert!)

Q: Where can I find the djinni?
  • (Baldur's Gate II) You will find the djinni in the course of your Trademeet adventures.
  • (Icewind Dale) You can find it somewhere in Dragon's Eye.
Q: Could you be more specific where I can find the djinni?
  • (Full Version) The quest to find the djinni will be triggered when you attack Adratha, the potion seller of the druid grove. To reach her, enter the druid grove and look for a cottage in the upper right part of the map. She is the rakshasa in disguise.
  • (Light Version) You can find the djinni after you have killed Adratha, the potion seller of the druid grove.
  • (IWD:EE Version) The djinni is in possession of Yxunomei, the current ruler of Dragon's Eye.
Q: What's the deal with the full version and the light version of Afaaq?
  • The full version contains everything I've advertised in the readme and this FAQ, which includes banters, interjections, comments and several quests. The light version is just a stripped down version of the djinni without additional content. I have added this option as a bonus for people who already know him inside out or want to take him along in Icewind Dale.
Q: How useful is the djinni if he doesn't join like a regular party member?
  • Since he's rather tagging along than joining your party, you don't have access to his inventory or record screen. His spell selection is fixed as well, although it may expand at a certain point in the game. To compensate these limitations, I have given him many useful abilities and options how to interact with him. He also has an extensive PID menu, regardless whether he is inside or outside of his lamp. There is even more, but you should find it out by yourself. 😉
Q: Does he have a quest?
  • (Full Version only) Not only one. In the course of the game you can take part in up to five quests related to the djinni, his nature and his past. Some quests are mandatory, others are optional or depend on how you solved a previous quest.
Q: Does he get along with evil characters?
  • Afaaq is generally tolerant towards characters of any alignment. He won't always agree, but unless you're acting very abusive towards him, it won't come to a clash. It might even be worthwhile to take him along with an evil party at least once, as certain quest options are only available to evil-aligned protagonists.
Q: Can you romance the djinni?
  • No, you can't. But there is a friendship path of sorts. While Afaaq shares your company, his respect for you might grow or wane, depending on how you deal with certain events in your path. This is very important for specific events later on.
Q: How does he get along with other NPCs?
  • Currently, there isn't much interaction with most of the NPCs, so he will get along with everyone just fine. That will change however, eventually. He will get along better with like-minded characters, but he will also tolerate some of the more evil NPCs. That doesn't mean there aren't any surprises if you've got Korgan, Edwin or some of the other evil Bioware/Beamdog NPCs in your party.
Q: Will there be crossmod content?
  • The banter system is designed to support crossmod content. So yes, it is possible with little restrictions. But my first priority is to add banters for all official NPCs.
Q: I want Afaaq to retreat into his lamp. How do I do that?
  • You can ask him to do it. Click on the "Talk" button (or press F1) and click on your djinni. He will initiate a dialog which presents you an option to return him into his lamp. Another way is to trigger his quick menu in Afaaq's item ability slot. You can also force him into the lamp when you click the lamp's conversation button.
Q: Afaaq is badly hurt. What are my options to heal him?
  • You can cast healing spells on him, like on regular party members. You can also offer your healing potions to him. If you want to do that, make sure you have any kind of healing potion in your inventory before initiating a conversation with the djinni. Select the appropriate dialog option and the djinni will quaff the potion almost immediately. The same procedure works if Afaaq is poisoned or diseased and you have any kind of remedy in your backpack.

    Note: Healing spells in IWD:EE don't work on extraplanar creatures (such as genies) anymore. You have to rely on healing potions or Afaaq's own regenerative ability in this case.

Q: Sometimes I see strange messages in the game console which refer to Afaaq as familiar?
  • These messages are harmless and will only be shown whenever Afaaq tries to leave a map on his own or attempts to enter a store. Unfortunately they are hardcoded into the game itself and cannot be changed without patching the game executable.
Q: Will Afaaq become stronger later in the game?
  • (Full Version) Yes. He gains levels in the course of the game, similar to the level up process of your party members. To inspect his current strength, you can ask him to present his stats. One of his quests allows the djinni to become even more powerful. He will gain a couple of new innate abilities and spells as well.
  • (Light Version) Yes. As in the Full Version, the djinni gains levels in the course of the game. He will become even more powerful at a certain point in the game.
  • (IWD:EE Version) Yes. As in the Full Version and Light Version, the djinni gains levels in the course of the game. You can also choose between two options to make the djinni even more powerful. One of them can be triggered during your Heart of Winter journey by talking to a certain person who is relevant for the main quest. The second option is available in Lower Dorn's Deep from a certain shady character in the hidden Svirfneblin camp.
Q: Afaaq picked a fight with me. How does it affect the game?
  • (Full Version only) There are several points in the game where he may strongly disagree with the protagonist. Sometimes it even results in a fight. After you win the fight, he will be fully under your control. As a result, he won't banter with you and your party members anymore and it might affect future event. Everything else should work as usual.
Q: Quest "Vengeance": I used the item from the rakshasas, but it crumbled in my hands. What does that mean?
  • (Full Version only) Unfortunately you took too long to follow the rakshasas. Time limit is about 6 days. The djinni has most likely been destroyed by now or is out of reach by other means. In any case, there is no way to get him back.
Q: Quest "Vengeance": How can I disable the barriers around the temple complex?
  • (Full Version only) You'll need to place certain items into the slots next to the barrier. All of them can either be found or "earned" somewhere on the map. Explore every nook and cranny, and click on anything clickable.
Q: Quest "An unexpected encounter": I have entered the cave, but it looks abandoned. How can I proceed with the quest?
  • (Full Version only) Unfortunately, you can't anymore. The quest has to be started before you participate in the drow summoning ritual in Ust Natha. Afaaq should have reminded you once or twice to pay a visit to the cave before it's too late. You can still continue your journey without finishing this quest. It will make certain events in the future slightly more difficult to overcome, however.
Q: Quest "An unexpected encounter": How can I enter House Arabani?
  • (Full Version only) You need a wardstone to enter their home. Since House Arabani is one of the smaller houses in Ust Natha, they have made alliances with other houses to survive. Maybe you can take advantage of this situation?
Q: Quest "Playing with fire": How can I enter the pool in the smuggler cave?
  • (Full Version only) Firstly, you need permission from the occupants of the cave to enter the pool. Secondly, you'll surely burn yourself if you want to enter the pool unprotected. Talk to the townsfolk, smugglers or mercenaries to find a solution for this problem.
Q: Adventure "Loose Ends": A specific battle of this quest is too difficult. Is it possible to skip it?
  • (IWD:EE Version only) Yes, it is possible by performing a simple trick. All events of the story require that the djinni lamp is in possession of the party. Afaaq's PID provides an option that allows you to store items in his inventory. Since Afaaq isn't a regular party member, you can simply put the lamp into his care temporarily.

    You can skip a battle by putting the lamp into Afaaq's inventory before you enter the area where a battle may take place. Don't forget to return it into your own inventory after leaving that area behind. The places of interest are the cave entrance area to Dragon's Eye, the Underdark cave leading to Dorn's Deep and the cave entrance area to Lower Dorn's Deep. Skipping a battle may result in the premature end of the whole quest, however.

    Remember: The djinni will be lost forever if he happens to die while the lamp is still in his possession.

Q: I want to start a ToB-only or HoW-only game. Where can I find the djinni?
  • (Full Version) You can't. The mod is designed to be started in the SoA part of the game.
  • (Light Version) You can find the djinni after you have beaten Illasera.
  • (IWD:EE Version) You can find the djinni lamp somewhere hidden in the Shrine of Waukeen in Lonelywood.
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Troubleshooting

  1. The unsummoning process of the djinni has failed. He has now a neutral circle and the mouse cursor doesn't change into a talk button when I move it over him.

    The unsummoning process might be interrupted in very specific situations, most likely due to interfering script actions. You can still talk to him if you manually select your talk button (or press F1). His dialog will be the one of the djinni lamp, however.

    You can fix the issue if you ask him to come out of his lamp. This should replace the current djinni with a working one. If that didn't work, you can initiate a dialog with the djinni and select "You are behaving oddly. Care to fix it?". This option is not always available though. Sometimes a save and reload is necessary for the game to recognize the changes.

  2. The djinni behaves abnormally. He doesn't seem to "die" anymore when critically wounded or the mouse cursor changes into the talk icon when you try to select him.

    These issues can also be caused by interrupted script actions or by saving the game in critical moments. You should be able to fix all of these issues by talking to the djinni and selecting the option "You are behaving oddly. Care to fix it?". Sometimes a save and reload is necessary for the game to recognize the changes.

  3. (Full Version only) After attacking Adratha, the potion seller in the druid grove, nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

    In the normal course of the game, a permanent teleporter should appear as soon as Adratha becomes hostile or dies. There could be another mod interfering with the area script of Adratha's cottage. You have to find and uninstall the mod in question.

    Important: You have to use a saved game from BEFORE you've entered the cottage for the first time.

  4. (Full Version only) Nothing out of the ordinary is happening when I enter the smuggler cave in Amkethran.

    That will happen in certain situations:

    • If you enter the cave for the first time without the djinni lamp in your possession.
    • If you enter the cave for the first time after you have already defeated both Abazigal and Sendai.

    If you are sure the above-mentioned conditions don't apply, another mod may interfere with the smuggler cave script. As always, try to find the responsible mod and uninstall it.

    Important: You have to use a saved game from BEFORE you've entered the cave for the first time.

  5. Afaaq's Whirlwind ability is going crazy when the game option "Auto-pause: Spell cast" is active.

    This is most likely caused by a bug in TobEx. The mod attempts to disable the offending TobEx option during installation, but it could have been activated manually by the user or another mod. To fix this issue, open the file "TobEx_ini/TobExCore.ini", look for the option "Cast Spell On Condition Mod" and set it to 0. If you don't see this option, you have to add the line "Cast Spell On Condition Mod=0" (without the quotes) manually into the section "[Effect Opcodes]".

  6. Afaaq doesn't respond anymore when you try to talk to him.

    Under very rare circumstances a local variable may not have been set correctly, which prevents Afaaq's standard dialog from triggering. If this is the case you can solve it by activating the game console and entering CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("BanterActive","LOCALS",0) in BG2 or C:SetGlobal("BanterActive","LOCALS",0) in BG2:EE or IWD:EE while the mouse cursor is placed over the djinni.

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Credits

Writing & Coding: Argent77

English proofreading: Many thanks to snowshoes1818 and Thimblerig.

German translation and proofreading: Many thanks to Gerri from the German Baldurs Gate Forum.

French translation and proofreading: Many thanks to Deratiseur from Couronne de cuivre.

Alternate Afaaq portrait: provided by Ulb

Malik portrait: based on the Fire Genasi illustration by Jesper Ejsing (published under the Creative Commons license)

Afaaq's Theme: based on the soundtrack "Sa'aluni-n-Nass" by Fairuz (published under the Creative Commons license)

Serpent Statue riddles are coming from

Everything else is based on resources from Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II, Icewind Dale, Icewind Dale II, Diablo II or Age of Wonders Shadow Magic.

Programs/tools used in creation:

Copyright Notice:

Creative Commons License

"Afaaq, the Djinni Companion" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition and Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition © Beamdog Inc., Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal © TSR, Inc., Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale II: © Interplay Entertainment Corp., The BioWare Infinity Engine is © BioWare Corp., Diablo II: © Blizzard Entertainment, Age of Wonders Shadow Magic: © Triumph Studios.

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Version History

Version 2.10 (2024-03-10)
Version 2.9 (2021-06-05)
Version 2.8 (2020-01-04)
Version 2.7 (2019-09-05)
Version 2.6 (2018-08-10)
Version 2.5 (2017-08-25)
Version 2.4 (2016-09-29)
Version 2.3 (2016-04-22)
Version 2.2a (2016-02-06)
Version 2.2 (2016-02-06)
Version 2.1 (2015-12-16)
Version 2.0 (2015-12-10)
Version 1.7 (2015-11-04)
Version 1.6 (2015-09-12)
Version 1.5 (2015-08-06)
Version 1.4 (2015-06-21)
Version 1.3 (2015-05-23)
Version 1.2 (2015-05-07)
Version 1.1 (2015-04-30)
Version 1.0 (2015-04-25)
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