Cloak of the Sewers

[yarpen]

I think that wouldn't be a problem if he got 25 thaco and deals 1-3 damage, dont'cha think?

[SixOfSpades]

There's difference between scripting a summon and forcing PC to use another script. What if they cuf the AI off? Etc.

I'm mostly unfamiliar with scripting, so this is probably a doofus question. Can you set target's AI to [whatever] only for a certain amount of time, and then let it automatically switch back when the duration expires? Or is it like the Change Portrait opcode, in that you have to know the filename of the original AI/portrait, and manually reset it?

[Jarno Mikkola]

There's difference between scripting a summon and forcing PC to use another script. What if they cuf the AI off? Etc.

I'm mostly unfamiliar with scripting, so this is probably a doofus question. Can you set target's AI to [whatever] only for a certain amount of time, and then let it automatically switch back when the duration expires? Or is it like the Change Portrait opcode, in that you have to know the filename of the original AI/portrait, and manually reset it?

Well technically you can by timing the script to get rid of itself with the same thing you assigned the script... but that might make a bad things appear with none standard AI structure containing NPCs... meaning that if they have assigned to the same script slot their AI as the item does, you'll loose everything when you use the thing...

 

Is it worth looking into, definitely in due time, and with a proper warning, the risk is worth taking.

[Ardanis]

There's no way in hell to know if the target has something in their presumable empty slot (perhaps some sharpwit like us decided to utilize it for other needs). We can perfom a weidu search for such instances, then use invis creature to manually set script in another slot, but it's cumbersome.

And there might be other mod items/spells that would try the same. Which means deeper and more complicated search. It's still probably doable, but I honestly wouldn't bother writing and testing 300-500 LOCs just for a single item, just for a not-all-too-common case one will decide to make a good use of such ability.

 

Appending party AI scripts is far easier, but it leaves the 'AI is shut down' issue open.

[DavidW]

I'd rather see Protection from Creatures (Humans and some sort of animals).

Yes, it would work much better then scripting invisibility. Though the effect should be cancelled if the rat attacks. Also, I propose we consider removing the attack ability from the rat form entirely, so it became usable only for stealth and exploration.

Using protection from creature opcode is an interesting suggestion, though I have to think any possible consequence. I'd prefer to allow it to attack for example, but if we opt for this solution I can't, else an undetectable rat would be able to attack and remain "invisible".

 

1) Build a new secondary type, InvisibleRat

2) Build a spell, of secondary type InvisibleRat, which gives protection from creature type, and have the Cloak apply this spell when you use it to take rat form

3) Give the rat undroppable paws

4) Make the paws cast a spell on the user that removes effects of the InvisibleRat secondary type whenever they're used to attack

 

 

(I'm doing this as an intellectual exercise, I'm not necessarily saying it's worth the hassle)