SCS AI and SR

[Proteus_za]

Change it to an indoors or outdoors version of Call Lightning, much like Static Charge is in IWD2,

 

very evil, I know. I would love such a spell.

 

Perhaps each caster level adds an additional bolt, which deals 1d8 damage per caster level, max 10d8. 1 bolt per turn.

[aVENGER_(RR)]

Or you could rename the spell and make it to release multiple of small bolts inside a small period of time...

 

A small note here, any radical changes to the targeting method (i.e. single target vs. multi-target or party friendly vs. area effect) of commonly used spells are going to cause issues with AI enhancing mods and possibly with the vanilla game scripts as well.

 

Change it to an indoors or outdoors version of Call Lightning, much like Static Charge is in IWD2,

 

Static Charge is already available through Galactygon's SpellPack.

[Demivrgvs]

Emotion: Hopelessness

I am definitely commenting the Emotion out, best spell in the game imo.

I've changed it exactly because it was too good. Anyway, SR's Sleep is exactly like vanilla's Emotion with two differences: doesn't affect creatures with more HD/levels than the caster, and a sleeping creature awakes if hit.

 

You could make a concentration effect by disabling the attack and spellcasting buttons while it is in effect.

It would create quite a mess with the AI, as mages casting it won't be able to do anything else after casting it.

 

Lightning Bolt

Or you could rename the spell and make it to release multiple of small bolts inside a small period of time...

A small note here, any radical changes to the targeting method (i.e. single target vs. multi-target or party friendly vs. area effect) of commonly used spells are going to cause issues with AI enhancing mods and possibly with the vanilla game scripts as well.

Correct, that's why for example I haven't changed Flame Arrow and Vampiric Touch targeting system.

 

Change it to an indoors or outdoors version of Call Lightning, much like Static Charge is in IWD2,

Static Charge is already available through Galactygon's SpellPack.

SR's Call Lightning can be used indoor as per 3rd edition. In the furure I'll make its indoor version slightly different from the outdoor one (e.g. different animation and damage output).

[Demivrgvs]

PRIESTS Lvl 1° spells

 

Doom: normally unavailable in BG1. I haven't changed it yet, but don't you think it should allow a save? Perhaps making its save penalty improve similarly to Spook should keep it pretty powerful in BG2.

 

 

PRIESTS Lvl 2° spells

 

Barkskin: improves AC instead of setting it to a fixed value (druids only)

 

Flame Blade: more damaging, inflicts only fire damage and has better to hit changes (druids only)

 

Spiritual Hammer: can hit from distance

 

 

PRIESTS Lvl 3° spells

 

Call Lightning: can be casted indoor, less damaging (druids only)

 

Glyph of Warding: party friendly

 

Hold Animal: "replaced" by Hold Person and Animal to make it useful (druids only)

 

Holy Smite & Unholy Blight: damage is cappet at 10th level (10d4)

 

Miscast Magic: the next spell casted by the target causes a wild surge

 

Rigid Thinking: replaced by Contagion

 

Summon Insect: the swarm is unavoidable (as the 5th and 7th level version already were), but allows the target to save vs. spell to avoid 100% spell failure (druids only)

 

Zone of Sweet Air: replaced by Gust of Wind, which does the same but als0 blows nearby creatures away

 

 

PRIESTS Lvl 4° spells

 

Cloak of Fear: last up to 1 turn, each round nearby creatures must save or flee in terror

 

Defensive Harmony: +4 to AC instead of +2

 

 

PRIESTS Lvl 5° spells

 

Flame Strike: it has a small area of effect (party friendly)

 

Greater Command: each round creatures are allowed a save to negates the spell effects. (note: this spell now has a -4 penalty to its save)

[aVENGER_(RR)]

PRIESTS Lvl 1° spells

Summon Insect: the swarm is unavoidable (as the 5th and 7th level version already were), but allows the target to save vs. spell to avoid 100% soell failure. (druids only)

 

This change will cause problems for tactical mods which detect Insect Plague (and the like) via CheckStatLT(Myself,100,SPELLFAILUREMAGE) instead of using DS's !CheckStatGT(Myself,0,CLERIC_INSECT_PLAGUE).

 

Anyway, I don't really see the point of removing the spell failure chance since the 1hp/second damage which the insects deal is going to make casting most spells impossible anyway.

[DavidW]

Anyway, I don't really see the point of removing the spell failure chance since the 1hp/second damage which the insects deal is going to make casting most spells impossible anyway.

 

For Insect Plague it's 1 hp per 2 seconds, which is long enough to snap off a MM or a power word.

[Galactygon]

That would still involve tricky timing to pull it off.

 

-Galactygon

[Icendoan]

In fact, if you had awesome timing, you could get off a Melf's Acid Arrow.

 

Icen

[Demivrgvs]

Summon Insect & Insect Plague

This change will cause problems for tactical mods which detect Insect Plague (and the like) via CheckStatLT(Myself,100,SPELLFAILUREMAGE) instead of using DS's !CheckStatGT(Myself,0,CLERIC_INSECT_PLAGUE).

You are correct, though I think only very old mods do that. I'm not sure about Tactics, I haven't it anymore to check it.

 

Anyway, I don't really see the point of removing the spell failure chance since the 1hp/second damage which the insects deal is going to make casting most spells impossible anyway.

As DavidW and Icen suggest both Summon Insect and Insect Plague deal 1hp/2 seconds, which allows some spells to be casted.

Furthmore both SR and SCS make some powerful creatures (e.g. Dragons, Genies, Celestials and Fiends) cast instantly, and this means if they successfully save against the swarm they pratically are able to cast whatever they want (unless a very unfortunate timing).

[aVENGER_(RR)]

You are correct, though I think only very old mods do that.

 

Actually, all mods that don't use Detectable Spells would be affected.

 

As DavidW and Icen suggest both Summon Insect and Insect Plague deal 1hp/2 seconds, which allows some spells to be casted.

 

That works for player characters, but there is no way to make the AI deliberately utilize the "2 seconds window of opportunity" to cast a spell besides relying on chance.

[DavidW]

That works for player characters, but there is no way to make the AI deliberately utilize the "2 seconds window of opportunity" to cast a spell besides relying on chance.

 

True, but at least with a CT 1 spell, the chance is probably worth taking (especially as damage doesn't always disrupt NPC spellcasters). Of course, no mod is currently coded to take advantage of that.

[Galactygon]

You could have the stat CLERIC_INSECT_PLAGUE set to 2 for 1 second each time the damage is applied, and have checks of

 

OR(2)

CheckStat(Myself,CLERIC_INSECT_PLAGUE,2)

CheckStat(Myself,CLERIC_INSECT_PLAGUE,0)

 

before each spell with a casting time of 1. It's tedius, but I imagine with SSL magic, it is not too bad. It works 90% of the time, which is realistic. The remaining 10% could be seen as the AI miscalculating.

 

-Galactygon

[Guest Guest]

Sorry if this is the wrong thread, but was there talk of Call Lightning doing more damage when cast outdoors? This is something I'd like to see if it can be balanced.

[DavidW]

Okay, so here's my list of things to allow for in an SR version of SCS:

 

(i) Lightning bolt is now single-target, which makes it safer to use; so the targetting should shift and wizards should carry it more

 

(ii) Sleep affects higher-level targets, so the targetting should stop restricting it so much; on the other hand, saving throws aren't penalised, making it less good against low-levels. This means it should move down the priority list.

 

(iii) Call Lightning works indoors, so druids shouldn't ignore the spell indoors

 

(iv) Silence 15' Radius is now party-friendly, so clerics should use it more

 

(v) Glyph of Warding is now party-friendly, so it becomes a highly desirable spell for clerics

 

(vi) Rigid Thinking is removed

 

Anything obvious I've missed? (noting that I'm not trying to redo SCS's AI from scratch to allow for SR, just trying to fill the most obvious holes)

 

 

As for detection, name a file that'll always be there, and I'll do it on an all-or-nothing basis. (I think I'll have to just assume either all or none of SR is installed - it's going to be too fiddly to allow for user customisation).

[Icendoan]

I never understood the use for Glyph Of Warding. How do you use one? it might be useful if you trapped an area and then put glyphs on them I suppose.

 

Icen