Sword Coast Stratagems: Spell Tweaks

Make Protection from Normal Missiles affect magical projectiles

This component improves the power of the PNM spell. It now blocks almost all arrows, bolts etc. The exceptions are the Arrows of Detonation, the Arrows of Slaying, and the Arrows of Dispelling.

The logic behind this is basically that magic arrows are two a penny in BG. It's essentially pointless for an enemy mage to use PNM, since any prepared party worth their salt will just swap to magic ones. (By contrast, in pen-and-paper D&D magic arrows are often fairly rare at mid levels). By making PNM more impervious, enemy mages gain a basic defence against long-range attack, compensating for the lack of Stoneskin in BG2.

You don't need this component to use the Smarter Mages scripts, but you'll find them a lot easier to kill if it isn't installed.

If you install this component on a BGT install, it will (obviously) affect the spell in BG2 as well as in BG.

More consistent Breach spell (always affects liches and rakshasas; doesn't penetrate Spell Turning

Although it isn't documented, the 5th level spell Breach will remove a creature's combat protections (such as Stoneskin) even if that creature is protected by Spell Deflection, Spell Turning or Spell Trap; it will not, however, affect creatures like liches or rakshasas, because they are immune to spells of level 5 or below (not that there are many of the latter in Baldur's Gate I!). This component removes both features: Breach now bounces off Spell Turning (etc.), but it affects even those creatures immune to "normal" 5th level spells.

Once this component is installed, the Breach effect of the Wand of Spell Striking will behave in exactly the same way as the Breach spell.

Enemy wizards will assume Breach works this way (and so won't target characters protected by Spell Turning etc with a Breach), even if you don't install this component.

This component is identical to the equivalent component of SCSII.

Antimagic attacks penetrate improved invisibility

This component changes those spells which target a creature's spell defences (e.g. Secret Word, Spellstrike, Ruby Ray of Reversal - but not Breach) so as to give them a small area of effect rather than requiring them to be targetted on a specific creature. The idea of this component is that these spells can now be cast on enemy mages who are protected by Improved Invisibility - this makes the Improved Invisibility / Spell Immunity: Divination combination less overpowering.

The down side, of course, is that it is now possible to miss your target entirely with these spells. (Ideally I'd just have changed them so as to bypass improved invisibility directly, but that appears not to be possible in the Infinity Engine.)

The antimagic attacks of enemy mages will bypass Improved Invisibility even if you don't install this component.

This component is identical to the equivalent component of SCSII.

Iron Skins behaves like Stoneskin (can be brought down by Breach)

For some reason the Iron Skins spell, although it appears identical to a Stoneskin, counts as a Spell Protection (like Spell Turning) and not as a Combat Protection (like Stoneskin). This means that in the unmodded game, Breach does not bring down Iron Skins, but (e.g.) Secret Word does. This component relabels Iron Skins as a Combat Protection.

Enemy mages will assume that Iron Skins works this way (and so will, e.g., cast Breach at it) even if you don't install this component.

Reduce the power of Inquisitors' Dispel Magic

This component is identical to the equivalent component of SCSII.

Inquisitors have a very fast powerful Dispel Magic ability, which is cast at twice their level. In most bits of the game, this is usually much higher than the majority of spellcasting enemies. This component reduces the power of the Dispel a little; you can choose to use it at 1.5xlevel or at 1xlevel.

This component is identical to the equivalent component of SCSII.