[iwd] Blast Skeletons: Scripted self-destruction is unreliable

[argent77]

Blast Skeletons can be encountered on the third level of Dragon's Eye and in the TotLM Watchknight Tomb. They are supposed to self-destruct when taking damage. However, the scripting can be easily disrupted by status changes like Hold Undead, or delayed by keeping the creature busy with physical attacks.

Apparently the developers were aware of this shortcoming and gave them an illegal amount of 200 HP.

While fixing the latter issue is probably outside the scope of the fixpack, I'd propose to change the scripted self-destruct sequence to an op232 effect (condition: either TookDamage or HitBy). That way the creature will self-destruct reliably on hit (or damage). The only way to avoid the damage would then be by using ranged attacks or destroying the creature via Turn Undead or spells with similar effects.

[Galactygon]

TookDamage() is preferrable since OnHit() triggers for non-damaging spells with the hostile flag enabled.

[argent77]

I agree. HitBy() can trigger a nice chain reaction though, if several Blast Skeletons are within range.

[Galactygon]

If that behavior is desired then you could do the following:

- Add a dummy item on SKELBLST.cre, say SKELBLST.itm that does nothing and acts as a marker

- Modify Snilloc's Snowball Swarm (SPWI204.spl) by adding an effect targeting that item (opcode 182) that casts another spell (SKELBLST.spl) which kills that skeleton (use damage crushing, set to 0 hp). You need to use an external SKELBLST.eff for that to use the resource2 field.

[argent77]

Exploding chain reactions don't work in the original scripting and therefore shouldn't work in an effect-based version either. It was just a funny quirk that I enjoyed during testing.