The Greater Command spell affects allies

[aVENGER_(RR)]

Oddly, the Greater Command spell (SPPR512.SPL) affects allies except when cast by characters of level 20 and above. This occurs because the spell uses an area effect projectile (SPKLARCH.PRO) in all of its headers except the final one where it uses a party-friendly projectile (INAREANP.PRO). The spell's description doesn't clearly state whether it should affect allies or not, but the behavior should probably be standardized in either case. Should we opt for making Greater Command into a party-friendly spell at all levels, the relevant code would be:

 

// Make Greater Command into a party-friendly spell

COPY_EXISTING ~SPPR512.SPL~ ~override~											 // Greater Command
PATCH_IF (%SOURCE_SIZE% > 0x71) THEN BEGIN										 // file size sanity check
READ_LONG  0x64 ab_off
READ_SHORT 0x68 ab_num
 FOR(i=0; i<ab_num; i+=1) BEGIN												   // cycle through all headers
WRITE_SHORT (ab_off+i*0x28+0x26) 159										   // use INAREANP.PRO for the projectile
 END
END																				// end file size sanity check
BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

 

 

OTOH, should we opt to make it into an area effect spell at all levels, the code would be:

 

 

// Make Greater Command into an area effect spell

COPY_EXISTING ~SPPR512.SPL~ ~override~											 // Greater Command
PATCH_IF (%SOURCE_SIZE% > 0x71) THEN BEGIN										 // file size sanity check
READ_LONG  0x64 ab_off
READ_SHORT 0x68 ab_num
 FOR(i=0; i<ab_num; i+=1) BEGIN												   // cycle through all headers
WRITE_SHORT (ab_off+i*0x28+0x26) 155										   // use SPKLARCH.PRO for the projectile
 END
END																				// end file size sanity check
BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

[amanasleep]

I think that the spell description gives strong hints that it is not party friendly, in that it describes the AoE as similar to that of a Stinking Cloud or Fireball.

 

OTOH I think that making the spell party friendly would be more balanced, since it is in other respect similar to the Arcane spell Emotion, which is lower level, party friendly, and has better effects (Remove Fear on caster).

[Ithildur]

I think that the spell description gives strong hints that it is not party friendly, in that it describes the AoE as similar to that of a Stinking Cloud or Fireball.

 

OTOH I think that making the spell party friendly would be more balanced, since it is in other respect similar to the Arcane spell Emotion, which is lower level, party friendly, and has better effects (Remove Fear on caster).

 

 

If the reasoning is that 'balance' means clerics should be able to cast spells more on par with wizards etc perhaps that might be reasonable, but I for one strongly believe arcane casters, with all their restrictions compared to clerics (most noticiable ones being clerics being able to cast in full plate, use shields, have double HPs, much better fighting abilities, turn undead, healing) should HANDS DOWN have more powerful spells. That's the tradeoff; in return for all their limitations and squishiness especially at lower lvls, they get the most powerful spells in the game.

 

2e did a much better job of this than 3e/3.5e; 3e clerics are often just as powerful spellcasters as arcane casters, and still have all the above non spellcasting advantages, becoming the clear king of the base classes (Wizards of the Coast should change their name to CLERICS of the Coast for crying out loud) which many veteran 3e DMs will atest to.

 

There's no need to beef up/improve 2e/BG clerics' spells list. They can already buff up and outfight fighters, as well as cast stuff like firestorm.

[Nythrun]

There's similar nonsense going on with Chaotic Commands and Holy Word.

 

I think I ended up making Greater Command party friendly so that the AI could use it, but since it's used about twice in the unmodded game that's not a terribly compelling reason for fixpack purposes.