diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/PubUtilLib/plGImage/plFont.cpp b/Sources/Plasma/PubUtilLib/plGImage/plFont.cpp
index 6f2b7de7..c9a282fb 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/PubUtilLib/plGImage/plFont.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/PubUtilLib/plGImage/plFont.cpp
@@ -288,14 +288,14 @@ void	plFont::IRenderString( plMipmap *mip, UInt16 x, UInt16 y, const wchar_t *st
 
 	if( justCalc )
 	{
-		plCharacter& ch = fCharacters[fFirstChar];
-		if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar))
+		plCharacter& ch = fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar];
+		if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar)) {
 			if (wctob(string[0]) != EOF)
 				ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)wctob(string[0])]);
-			else
-				ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar]);
-		else
+		} else {
 			ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar]);
+		}
+
 		fRenderInfo.fX = fRenderInfo.fFarthestX = x - (Int16)ch.fLeftKern;
 		if( fRenderInfo.fX < 0 )
 			fRenderInfo.fX = 0;
@@ -394,14 +394,13 @@ void	plFont::IRenderString( plMipmap *mip, UInt16 x, UInt16 y, const wchar_t *st
 		// Just calculating, no wrapping, so the max is as far as we can go
 		// Note: 32767 isn't quite right, since we'll be adding the left kern in before we
 		// calc the first character, so adjust so we make sure we don't underflow
-		plCharacter& ch = fCharacters[fFirstChar];
-		if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar))
+		plCharacter& ch = fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar];
+		if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar)) {
 			if (wctob(string[0]) != EOF)
 				ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)wctob(string[0])]);
-			else
-				ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar]);
-		else
+		} else {
 			ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar]);
+		}
 
 		fRenderInfo.fMaxHeight = (Int16)fMaxCharHeight;
 		fRenderInfo.fMaxWidth = (Int16)32767 + (Int16)ch.fLeftKern;
@@ -465,14 +464,13 @@ void	plFont::IRenderString( plMipmap *mip, UInt16 x, UInt16 y, const wchar_t *st
 				}
 				
 				// handle invalid chars discretely
-				plCharacter* charToDraw = NULL;
-				if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[i] - fFirstChar))
+				plCharacter* charToDraw = &(fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstchar]);
+				if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[i] - fFirstChar)) {
 					if (wctob(string[i]) != EOF)
 						charToDraw = &(fCharacters[(UInt16)wctob(string[i])]);
-					else
-						charToDraw = &(fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar]);
-				else
+				} else {
 					charToDraw = &(fCharacters[(UInt16)string[i] - fFirstChar]);
+				}
 
 				Int16 leftKern = (Int16)charToDraw->fLeftKern;
 				if( fRenderInfo.fFlags & kRenderScaleAA )
@@ -602,14 +600,13 @@ void	plFont::IRenderString( plMipmap *mip, UInt16 x, UInt16 y, const wchar_t *st
 				{
 					Int16 baseX = fRenderInfo.fX;
 					
-					plCharacter& ch = fCharacters[fFirstChar];
-					if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar))
+					plCharacter& ch = fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar];
+					if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar)) {
 						if (wctob(string[0]) != EOF)
 							ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)wctob(string[0])]);
-						else
-							ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar]);
-					else
+					} else {
 						ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar]);
+					}
 
 					fRenderInfo.fX -= (Int16)ch.fLeftKern;
 					fRenderInfo.fDestPtr -= (Int16)ch.fLeftKern * fRenderInfo.fDestBPP;