BG2 Spell flags: Simplified Duration

[aVENGER_(RR)]

From my testing, this flag doesn't seem to affect spell duration at all. Instead, it appears to mark a spell as a non-magical ability which prevents it from being affected by spell failure, dead magic and wild magic. You can notice that most ToB HLAs (i.e. SPCL900) have this flag checked as well as the all the Thieves' traps (SPCL412.SPL)

[igi]

The IESDP only labels this bit as 'Simplified duration' for SPLv2.

 

For SPLv1 it's labelled as 'HLA' for the reasons you have noted (it doesn't affect duration, and it's on most of the HLA abilities).

 

A non-magical flag would be really neat - I'll test it when I next get a chance.

[aVENGER_(RR)]

A non-magical flag would be really neat - I'll test it when I next get a chance.

 

Yes, I think that's pretty much what the flag is meant to do - prevent Miscast Magic/Spell Failure from affecting innate abilities which are not magical in nature.

 

For example, the Berserker's Enrage (SPCL321.SPL), the Blade's Offensive Spin (SPCL521.SPL) and the Assassin's Poison Weapon (SPCL423.SPL) all have this flag checked.

[devSin]

Doesn't having them as type: innate kinda obviate this flag, though (very little ever tries to to give innate casting failure; it's usually mage and cleric spells only)?

[aVENGER_(RR)]

Doesn't having them as type: innate kinda obviate this flag, though (very little ever tries to to give innate casting failure; it's usually mage and cleric spells only)?

 

Note that any innate abilities without this flag will be affected by Dead Magic and Wild Magic zones (in Watcher's Keep) as well as by Beholder Antimagic Rays.

[devSin]

So it prevents spell failure (with type set to innate or innate (dead magic)) from interfering? Any other effects you could find?

 

RE: wild magic. Does this just mean that using the ability won't trigger a wild surge (and without the flag, using it would)?

[aVENGER_(RR)]

So it prevents spell failure (with type set to innate or innate (dead magic)) from interfering?

 

Without the flag ticked, even abilities marked as innate completely fail in the dead magic zones on the third level of Watcher's Keep (i.e. AR3004). I don't know what setting for spell failure the dead magic "spell" (DEAD_MAGIC_AREA) uses but it certainly prevents innate abilities who do not have this flag from being used.

 

RE: wild magic. Does this just mean that using the ability won't trigger a wild surge (and without the flag, using it would)?

 

Yes. In the wild magic zones of Watcher's Keep (i.e. AR3005) any spell or innate ability which doesn't have this flag will trigger a wild surge.

[Avenger]

So, the flag we know as HLA (in bg2) and simplified duration (in iwd2) is non-magical flag?

 

(there are 3 flags for dead magic: disable spell, disable divine and disable innate).

 

And there are miscast flags too, so i guess, this flag overrides ALL miscast/dead magic.

[igi]

Local copy updated - thanks.