diff --git a/include/aoapplication.h b/include/aoapplication.h
index c3b7550..d9b9e89 100644
--- a/include/aoapplication.h
+++ b/include/aoapplication.h
@@ -166,8 +166,7 @@ public:
   QString get_sfx(QString p_sfx, QString p_misc="", QString p_character="");
   QString get_pos_path(const QString& pos, bool desk = false);
   QString get_case_sensitive_path(QString p_file);
-  QString get_real_path(const VPath &vpath);
-  QString get_real_suffixed_path(const VPath &vpath, const QStringList &suffixes);
+  QString get_real_path(const VPath &vpath, const QStringList &suffixes={""});
   void invalidate_lookup_cache();
 
   ////// Functions for reading and writing files //////
diff --git a/src/courtroom.cpp b/src/courtroom.cpp
index 1884c7c..fdb1613 100644
--- a/src/courtroom.cpp
+++ b/src/courtroom.cpp
@@ -4695,22 +4695,9 @@ void Courtroom::set_effects_dropdown()
   ui_effects_dropdown->show();
   ui_effects_dropdown->addItems(effectslist);
 
-  // ICON-MAKING HELL
-  QString p_effect = ao_app->read_char_ini(current_char, "effects", "Options");
-  VPath custom_path("misc/" + p_effect + "/icons/");
-  VPath theme_path = ao_app->get_theme_path("effects/icons/");
-  VPath default_path = ao_app->get_theme_path("effects/icons/", "default");
+  // Make the icons
   for (int i = 0; i < ui_effects_dropdown->count(); ++i) {
-    VPath entry = VPath(ui_effects_dropdown->itemText(i));
-    QString iconpath = ao_app->get_image_suffix(custom_path + entry);
-    if (!file_exists(iconpath)) {
-      iconpath = ao_app->get_image_suffix(theme_path + entry);
-      if (!file_exists(iconpath)) {
-        iconpath = ao_app->get_image_suffix(default_path + entry);
-        if (!file_exists(iconpath))
-          continue;
-      }
-    }
+    QString iconpath = ao_app->get_effect("icons/" + ui_effects_dropdown->itemText(i), current_char, "");
     ui_effects_dropdown->setItemIcon(i, QIcon(iconpath));
   }
 
diff --git a/src/path_functions.cpp b/src/path_functions.cpp
index 4e031d8..45920d5 100644
--- a/src/path_functions.cpp
+++ b/src/path_functions.cpp
@@ -334,11 +334,15 @@ QString AOApplication::get_case_sensitive_path(QString p_file)
 #endif
 }
 
-QString AOApplication::get_real_path(const VPath &vpath) {
+QString AOApplication::get_real_path(const VPath &vpath,
+                                     const QStringList &suffixes) {
   // Try cache first
   QString phys_path = asset_lookup_cache.value(qHash(vpath));
   if (!phys_path.isEmpty() && exists(phys_path)) {
-    return phys_path;
+    for (const QString &suffix : suffixes) { // make sure cached asset is the right type
+      if (phys_path.endsWith(suffix, Qt::CaseInsensitive))
+        return phys_path;
+    }
   }
 
   // Cache miss; try all known mount paths
@@ -354,50 +358,6 @@ QString AOApplication::get_real_path(const VPath &vpath) {
   // content 2
   // content 1
   // base
-  for (const QString &base : bases) {
-    QDir baseDir(base);
-    QString path = baseDir.absoluteFilePath(vpath.toQString());
-    if (!path.startsWith(baseDir.absolutePath())) {
-      qWarning() << "invalid path" << path << "(path is outside vfs)";
-      break;
-    }
-    path = get_case_sensitive_path(path);
-    if (exists(path)) {
-      asset_lookup_cache.insert(qHash(vpath), path);
-      unsigned int cache_size = asset_lookup_cache.size();
-      if (is_power_2(cache_size))
-        qDebug() << "lookup cache has reached" << cache_size << "entries";
-      return path;
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Not found in mount paths; check if the file is remote
-  QString remotePath = vpath.toQString();
-  if (remotePath.startsWith("http:") || remotePath.startsWith("https:")) {
-      return remotePath;
-  }
-
-  // File or directory not found
-  return QString();
-}
-
-// Special case of get_real_path where multiple suffixes need to be tried
-// on each mount path.
-QString AOApplication::get_real_suffixed_path(const VPath &vpath,
-                                              const QStringList &suffixes) {
-  // Try cache first
-  QString phys_path = asset_lookup_cache.value(qHash(vpath));
-  if (!phys_path.isEmpty() && exists(phys_path)) {
-    for (const QString &suffix : suffixes) { // make sure cached asset is the right type
-      if (phys_path.endsWith(suffix, Qt::CaseInsensitive))
-        return phys_path;
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Cache miss; try each suffix on all known mount paths
-  QStringList bases = get_mount_paths();
-  bases.push_front(get_base_path());
-
   for (const QString &base : bases) {
     for (const QString &suffix : suffixes) {
       QDir baseDir(base);
@@ -417,6 +377,12 @@ QString AOApplication::get_real_suffixed_path(const VPath &vpath,
     }
   }
 
+  // Not found in mount paths; check if the file is remote
+  QString remotePath = vpath.toQString();
+  if (remotePath.startsWith("http:") || remotePath.startsWith("https:")) {
+      return remotePath;
+  }
+
   // File or directory not found
   return QString();
 }
diff --git a/src/text_file_functions.cpp b/src/text_file_functions.cpp
index dc95dc3..ee6db6b 100644
--- a/src/text_file_functions.cpp
+++ b/src/text_file_functions.cpp
@@ -544,8 +544,18 @@ QString AOApplication::get_court_sfx(QString p_identifier, QString p_misc)
 
 QString AOApplication::get_sfx_suffix(VPath sound_to_check)
 {
-  return get_real_suffixed_path(sound_to_check,
-                                {".opus", ".ogg", ".mp3", ".wav", ".mid", ".midi", ".xm", ".it", ".s3m", ".mod", ".mtm", ".umx" });
+  QStringList suffixes = {".opus", ".ogg", ".mp3", ".wav", ".mid", ".midi", ".xm", ".it", ".s3m", ".mod", ".mtm", ".umx" };
+  // Check if we were provided a direct filepath with a suffix already
+  QString path = sound_to_check.toQString();
+  // Loop through our suffixes
+  for (const QString &suffix : suffixes) {
+    // If our VPath ends with a valid suffix
+    if (path.endsWith(suffix, Qt::CaseInsensitive))
+      // Return that as the path
+      return get_real_path(sound_to_check);
+  }
+  // Otherwise, ignore the provided suffix and check our own
+  return get_real_path(sound_to_check, suffixes);
 }
 
 QString AOApplication::get_image_suffix(VPath path_to_check, bool static_image)
@@ -556,7 +566,17 @@ QString AOApplication::get_image_suffix(VPath path_to_check, bool static_image)
   }
   suffixes.append(".png");
 
-  return get_real_suffixed_path(path_to_check, suffixes);
+  // Check if we were provided a direct filepath with a suffix already
+  QString path = path_to_check.toQString();
+  // Loop through our suffixes
+  for (const QString &suffix : suffixes) {
+    // If our VPath ends with a valid suffix
+    if (path.endsWith(suffix, Qt::CaseInsensitive))
+      // Return that as the path
+      return get_real_path(path_to_check);
+  }
+  // Otherwise, ignore the provided suffix and check our own
+  return get_real_path(path_to_check, suffixes);
 }
 
 // returns whatever is to the right of "search_line =" within target_tag and