Public Service Alert: do not use IWDEE:HoW to test your mods

[subtledoctor]

I've been using IWD to test the development of some stuff recently, specifically the HoW campaign start option, for several reasons:

• my IWDEE happened to be mod-free at the moment
• can easily make a party of six to test effects of mod on various classes/kits
• don't need to deal with the Chateau Irenicus game start (cut-scene, talking to Imoen, etc.)
• starting at mid-level tests the immediate jump in levels during character generation, similar to BG2
• game is at the latest v2.5.17 patch

HOWEVER, some things were not working. Specifically I had a function to dynamically add certain spells to spellbooks, and I was testing it on mages, sorcerers, clerics and shamans. It wasn't working, and in frustrated me to no end because I couldn't find the error but I'm testing a mod, right? So surely the problem is with the mod? Nope, turns out if you start a HoW game, spells applied from the kit ability table with opcode 171 effects do not work. By chance, after several hours, I tried a level 1 IWDEE game start and suddenly my code was working perfectly.

I don't know if it is just opcode 171, or what.

The more your know...!

[Endarire]

<whistles Old Spice theme>
Thankee!