Khalida++ A Tomb Kings Lord Expansion
This is the new version of Khalida++ re-posted because of new scope and requirements
The goal of this mod is to make Khalida’s campaign more rewarding to play, give her more options for army composition and empire building, and make her faction specifically amongst the tomb kings more unique and thematic.
This is, ultimately, a personal mod. I made this because I wanted to play Khalida over and over, and wanted to improve the experience. It is CERTAINLY power positive, but it’s in a normal total war way where your units are better, not game-breaking mechanics or invincible heroes aoe nuking the map or anything. Future updates are likely and feedback is appreciated.
Faction effects: Khalida’s faction gains 20% spell intensity for 20% more expensive mortuary cult crafting. The bad relations with vampires is tripled to 150. The bonus AP damage goes from 1 to 2, and the penetration is also given to Spulchral Stalkers (probably won’t have much effect though). Her income from income buildings is halved: at level 8 she can choose whether it goes back to normal + a bonus or if she instead focuses on trade, ports and vassals for money (which leaves her able to build +1 building per settlement if you usually always build the income building). This was to give her more empire-building options and to make her early game just a little leaner again.
Skills: Power and QOL for Khalida’s skills. Lots of changes. Updated effects more closely in line with vanilla skill descriptions, and to be more thematic and interesting in general. More bonuses for Sepulchral Stalkers and Necropolis Knights outside of Khalida’s own army (pretty much all bonuses are factionwide).
Landmarks: Khalida can build 2 new landmarks unique to her faction only. The main one can be built in Lybaras, a newly 6-slot (still minor) settlement (but kept normal until t3 for balance) that buffs skeleton archers a hefty bit and is intended to make late-game skeleton archers a fine unit and not feel like wasted army slots. The other can be built in Mahrak, and buffs heroes.
Books of Nagash: Books of Nagash are now taken from vassals on the following turn after vassalization. Currently this only works with Repanse (pyramid of nagash and Sartosa) and Thorek (lost plateau most applicable one), for Settra isn’t a possible vassal (and you’d confederate any tomb kings anyway) but I’ll likely work to make it more universal than it is right now.
Choose your Magic: Starting Liche priest is now able to choose what lore of magic they practice.
Likely future updates: More robust vassal book-stealing (shouldn’t be too hard). Another landmark in the Temple of Skulls or Rasetra (temple of skulls going to be vampire-related, rastera going to be hierotitan related as to lore about the crater of the dead). Possibly more dilemmas that affect your campaign in different ways, possibly more optional skills for Khalida. Maybe a sneaky way for her to confederate Settra? Though he does not serve…
Full skill changes:
Innate: Khalida has access to stalking stance (Lord’s army only)
True blessing of Asaph: Mapwide range (basic blessing is NOT mapwide), +5 WoM/turn for armies in local province, +20% ambush chance
Purified: made into 1 skill point, gives 30% battle healing cap + regeneration + -1 global corruption (vanilla is 2 skill points for a building effect, felt horrible lategame)
Lybaras’ Best: +20% range, +8% reload reduction, +1AP missile damage for skelly archers and horsemen archers. +25% ammo factionwide.
Legions of the Asp Goddess: +2 recruit rank for skelly archers/horsemen/stalkers/necroknights. -1 global recruit duration for stalkers and necro knights. +2 unit cap for stalkers/knights, +6 for skelly archers/horsemen. (global recruitment reduction and slots for stalkers/knights is hellish if you want to focus on them)
Embodiment of Asaph: 360 missile block and 33% block chance for Khalida and stalkers. Devastating flanker for Khalida and knights. Immune to contact effects for khalida, stalkers and knights. +12% speed for khalida, stalkers and knights.
Warrior Queen: Vanilla effects +10% ward save and Wayfarer ability.
New Skills:
mutually exclusive pair: Your Rightful Claim / The Fleet of the Dead
Your Rightful Claim: +50% income from income buildings (returns to normal), -15% cost for defense structures, -1 turn construction time for defense buildings
The Fleet of the Dead: +50% income from trade, vassal tribute, and port buildings. -1 construction time for ports.
