AddKit and multiclass kits don't play nice together...?

[subtledoctor]

Background: I've long been having some trouble with the combination of the Faiths & Powers mod full of priest kits, and my NPC_EE mod which lets you select a kit (among other things) by dialogue to customize NPCS. After trying to troubleshoot for a long time, it now appears this problem runs much deeper.  If I'm right, it seems that the application of multiclass ktis by AddKit does not apply any kit characteristics or abilities. 

Here's my test: grab the test mod from here. It installs three multiclass kits: the Spellfilcher and Loremaster as mage/thieves, and the Thug as a fighter/thief. Install the mod and then roll up a mage/thief or fighter/thief. Do not choose one of these kits; make sure you roll up an unkitted M/T or F/T. Then, once you are in the game, open the console and enter one of these:

• for a mage/thief: "C:CreateItem("d5_filch")
• for a mage/thief: "C:CreateItem("d5_lorma")
• for a fighter/thief: "C:CreateItem("d5_thug")

Each of those creates a book which you can use from a quickslot. They will successfully run an AddKit script - you will see your kit change in the record screen. But the kits' attributes will not be applied. For a Spellfilcher, at 1st level you should be granted an innate version of Silence 15' Radius; for a Loremaster, your lore value should go up and UAI should be applied (try using a blue divine scroll like SCRL5B); for a Thug, your STR score should go up and your DEX/INT scores should go down. None of these things happen.

Now, maybe my there's something wrong with my test, but if not, then it means there is a major problem with applying multiclass kits by script. (A major problem for my mod, I guess.)

Tagging @kjeron for general knowledge and @argent77 for relevance to ADD_KIT_EX.

[kjeron]

The multikit spell (QD_MCT01.SPL) applies immunity to itself through a separate subspell, preventing it from running a second time (it runs the first time on any trueclass character, since both trueclass and multikits share the default clab).

Also, because the multikit spell applies the individual kit abilities through separate subspells, the kit-scrubber can't remove any kit abilities of any previous multikit (I think only important it you try to change out of a multikit).  The EFFs use "cast spell", and that resource's effects are not touched by the kit-scrubber.  The first-level multikit spell (QD_MCT01.SPL) could probably include preceding op321 for each such subspell it applies and op172 each ability it grants to avoid this, but not tested.

[subtledoctor]

Okay, sorry, I have added 318 effects to the top of the 'QD_MCT01' etc. spells, to prevent them working for kit=0 and kit=16384. This way, the 146 casting the immunity subspell should not fire when you roll the initial unkitted character. Also, just in case, I have added a 321 effect to remove the immunity subspell when you use the item that summons the invisicre that runs the AddKit script. So, when the AddKit script is applied, there should be no immunity. But, the kit features still aren't getting added.

EDIT -

Interestingly, when I level up a character in the new kit, level-up effects are added correctly. I'm testing in BGEE v2.5.17, and what I'm seeing is:

• Roll a level 1 mage/thief
• Use the book to convert it to a Loremaster via AddKit
• The kit changes, but the level 1 effects are not applied (no Lore bonus, no UAI)
• Use the console to level up to 3
• The Lore bonuses for level 2 and level 3 are applied correctly
• (The QD immunity subspell for level 1 is never applied, either at CharGen or from the kit change; the immunity subspells for levels 2 and 3 are applied)

I don't think it's about level 1 in particular; I was seeing similar behavior with an 8th-level cleric/mage in my modded SoA game. Given the above, my conclusion remains that it is something to do with the AddKit script action.

If I had to guess, I would say that AddKit is set up to simply process the CLAB table of the chosen kit. But for multiclass kits the CLAB table doesn't work; they get their CLAB effects from the trueclass table. The game normally processes the trueclass table for them, so this is fine; but AddKit does not process the trueclass table when it applies a kit (even if it is a multiclass kit).

Which means my solutions are probably 1) do the "drop to level 0" thing like SCS; or 2) actually write up a script to process the trueclass clab table for instances when the player chooses a multiclass kit.

Both of those sound annoying. Sigh...

EDIT -

Actually option 2 would not need a script to process the table; just ‘ApplySpellRes(“QD_MCT01”)’ etc. up to your character level. That should actually be pretty easy.

Though with option 1, if I drop the player to level 0, at that point I could pretty easily add class-change choices to the dialogue, which would improve the mod.  Hmmm...

Edited August 1, 2021 by subtledoctor