diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/PubUtilLib/plGImage/plFont.cpp b/Sources/Plasma/PubUtilLib/plGImage/plFont.cpp
index b89020a5..cdc47362 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/PubUtilLib/plGImage/plFont.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/PubUtilLib/plGImage/plFont.cpp
@@ -288,15 +288,16 @@ void	plFont::IRenderString( plMipmap *mip, UInt16 x, UInt16 y, const wchar_t *st
 
 	if( justCalc )
 	{
-		plCharacter& ch = fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar];
+		UInt16 ixFC = (UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar;
 		if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar)) {
-			UInt16 w = wctob(string[0]);
-			if (w != EOF && (w - fFirstChar) <= fCharacters.Count())
-				ch = (fCharacters[w - fFirstChar]);
+			UInt16 w = wctob((UInt16)string[0]);
+			if ((w != EOF) && (fCharacters.Count() > (w - fFirstChar)))
+				ixFC = w - fFirstChar;
 		} else {
-			ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar]);
+			ixFC = (UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar;
 		}
 
+		plCharacter &ch = fCharacters[ixFC];
 		fRenderInfo.fX = fRenderInfo.fFarthestX = x - (Int16)ch.fLeftKern;
 		if( fRenderInfo.fX < 0 )
 			fRenderInfo.fX = 0;
@@ -395,15 +396,17 @@ 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[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar];
+		UInt16 ixFC = (UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar;
 		if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar)) {
-			UInt16 w = wctob(string[0]);
-			if (w != EOF && (w - fFirstChar) <= fCharacters.Count())
-				ch = (fCharacters[w - fFirstChar]);
+			UInt16 w = wctob((UInt16)string[0]);
+			if ((w != EOF) && (fCharacters.Count() > (w - fFirstChar)))
+				ixFC = w - fFirstChar;
 		} else {
-			ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar]);
+			ixFC = (UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar;
 		}
 
+		plCharacter &ch = fCharacters[ixFC];
+
 		fRenderInfo.fMaxHeight = (Int16)fMaxCharHeight;
 		fRenderInfo.fMaxWidth = (Int16)32767 + (Int16)ch.fLeftKern;
 	}
@@ -466,14 +469,16 @@ void	plFont::IRenderString( plMipmap *mip, UInt16 x, UInt16 y, const wchar_t *st
 				}
 				
 				// handle invalid chars discretely
-				plCharacter* charToDraw = &(fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar]);
+				UInt16 ixFC = (UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar;
 				if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[i] - fFirstChar)) {
-					UInt16 w = wctob(string[i]);
-					if (w != EOF && (w - fFirstChar) <= fCharacters.Count())
-						charToDraw = &(fCharacters[w - fFirstChar]);
+					UInt16 w = wctob((UInt16)string[i]);
+					if ((w != EOF) && (fCharacters.Count() > (w - fFirstChar)))
+						ixFC = w - fFirstChar;
 				} else {
-					charToDraw = &(fCharacters[(UInt16)string[i] - fFirstChar]);
+					ixFC = (UInt16)string[i] - fFirstChar;
 				}
+		
+				plCharacter* charToDraw = &(fCharacters[ixFC]);
 
 				Int16 leftKern = (Int16)charToDraw->fLeftKern;
 				if( fRenderInfo.fFlags & kRenderScaleAA )
@@ -603,14 +608,16 @@ void	plFont::IRenderString( plMipmap *mip, UInt16 x, UInt16 y, const wchar_t *st
 				{
 					Int16 baseX = fRenderInfo.fX;
 	
-					plCharacter& ch = fCharacters[(UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar];
+					UInt16 ixFC = (UInt16)L' ' - fFirstChar;
 					if (fCharacters.Count() <= ((UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar)) {
-						UInt16 w = wctob(string[0]);
-						if (w != EOF && (w - fFirstChar) <= fCharacters.Count())
-							ch = (fCharacters[w - fFirstChar]);
+						UInt16 w = wctob((UInt16)string[0]);
+						if ((w != EOF) && (fCharacters.Count() > (w - fFirstChar)))
+							ixFC = w - fFirstChar;
 					} else {
-						ch = (fCharacters[(UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar]);
+						ixFC = (UInt16)string[0] - fFirstChar;
 					}
+			
+					plCharacter &ch = fCharacters[ixFC];
 
 					fRenderInfo.fX -= (Int16)ch.fLeftKern;
 					fRenderInfo.fDestPtr -= (Int16)ch.fLeftKern * fRenderInfo.fDestBPP;