Minimum HP (208) still requires a duration to work with permanent timing mode(s) (at least on CRE files)

[Guest Mini me]

It's quite possible that Minimum HP (208) has the same bug as Regeneration (98) : Permanent timing modes appear to still obey the duration field at least in tested cases, meaning a duration of 0 will have the effect disappear right away and it'll work as "basically permanent" with the maximum duration of 2^31 - 1 = 2,147,483,647 seconds.

I didn't do all tests to round it as "this is exactly like Regeneration", but enough to notice one of the permanent timing mode failing when applied to a CRE file unless a duration was specified. I think it was timing mode 9 and/or 1, i.e. Instant/Permanent and/or until death. I didn't test further once I confirmed behavior was identical to Regen as far as my needs were concerned.

 

[jmerry]

Opcode 98 has this box:

Important: Permanent timing modes require a duration for this effect to work.

Copy that over? Or edit both of them to clarify that permanent timing modes in an effect directly placed on a CRE require the duration but other forms such as spells (such as OHSMODE1 "story mode" which has both opcodes 98 and 208 in timing mode 9) work just fine without the duration?

I can definitely see why this would be missed; opcode 208 is never enough on its own to grant the immortality you use it for, so it's always packaged with a bunch of other immunities in a spell or equipped item. There's just no reason to have the effect sitting out there on its own.

Edited February 11, 2023 by jmerry

[Avenger]

Some effects couldn't have a permanent timing (1), because there is no field in the base creature to store it. Timing mode 1 effects are usually affecting the base stats then go away. 
They couldn't be dispelled. Considering that the code for this effect is a single line, and still be "dispellable", along with the rest of the immunities, by destroying the item it is carrying it, i think that was the optimal solution. I wouldn't call it a bug. 

So actually, any effect with timing mode 1 is not a permanent, but fire and forget. The real "permanent" effect is timing mode 9, which keeps the effect on the list until dispelled or removed by special effects. Those effects that are "'permanent" with timing mode 1 have a special code section to modify the base stats of the creature, then the effect is gone. Its change is permanent, because it modified the base stats, but it cannot be revoked, and the original setting of that stat is lost.

Before the story mode was implemented, only a few monsters had this effect, so it was not needed to be a permanent creature flag. I think only IWD2 had this flag in the creature base stats.