[V35.9] Telekinetic Storm is bugged - does not seem to allow a saving throw.

[Guest Nightfall]

Abi Dhazid's Horrid Wilting's description is that it is a 20d8 spell with a save vs spell for half damage, that does not work against undead.

Telekinetic Storm was, as per the mod description, intended to fill a slightly weaker anti-undead level 8 nuke tactical gap. The description is:

"A storm of intense telekinetic energy erupts at a point specified by the caster. Allies in the storm are unaffected, but the caster's enemies are blasted and torn by the discharge, taking 1d6 points of magic damage per level with a saving throw for half damage."

This implies that it should be a 20d6 spell with a saving throw for half.

... It does not seem like this spell has a saving throw.  I've tested it on ~20 enemies, and I've had a party wipe fighting a lich where three party members with negative saving throws got hit for 60-70 damage from it.

[jmerry]

All right, looking at it ... this spell gets made in code (newspell/extra_arcane_spells.tpa):

Spoiler

	WIZARD_TELEKINETIC_STORM,WIZARD_TELEKINETIC_STORM_SCROLL=spl.make[WIZARD_TELEKINETIC_STORM|icon_base_name=telekinetic_storm_ icon_location=icon force_extended:i=0]
	[
		m_name:=@17
		m_description:=@18
		m_type:=wizard
		m_level=8
		m.spl_enforce_school{alteration}
		m_sectype=10
		m.ab.add{s_location:=spell s_projectile:="%pro_telekinetic_storm%" s_range=60 s_target=4 s_casting_time=8}
		n=max_caster_level - 16
		m.ab.clone{s_level=17+entry_index|number:i=n}
		m.ab_fx.add{s_opcode=12 s_power=8 s_parameter2b=64 s_target=2 s_timing=1 s_dicenumber=p_level=1?16:p_level s_dicesize=6 s_save_for_half=1 s_dispel_resist=1}
		if {is_iwd}
		{{
			m.ab_fx.add{s_opcode=215 s_power=8 s_target=2 s_timing=1 s_dispel_resist=1 s_resource:=alterh}
			m.ab_fx.add{s_opcode=174 s_power=8 s_target=2 s_duration=2 s_dispel_resist=1 s_resource:="#eff_m15"}
		}}
		ELSE 
		{{
			m.ab_fx.add{s_opcode=215 s_power=8 s_target=2 s_duration=2 s_dispel_resist=1 s_resource:=spstrenh}		
		}}
	]

 

And the core of that is one line, adding the damage effect:

m.ab_fx.add{s_opcode=12 s_power=8 s_parameter2b=64 s_target=2 s_timing=1 s_dicenumber=p_level=1?16:p_level s_dicesize=6 s_save_for_half=1 s_dispel_resist=1}

So there's the s_save_for_half=1 element; that should set the "save for half" flag. But there's something missing: nothing to say which save to use. So it defaults to no save, and the flag is moot. Check the description ... nothing about what save to use. Default assumption is that it's a spell save, so add "s_save_vs_spell=1" to that effect definition:

m.ab_fx.add{s_opcode=12 s_power=8 s_parameter2b=64 s_target=2 s_timing=1 s_dicenumber=p_level=1?16:p_level s_dicesize=6 s_save_vs_spell=1 s_save_for_half=1 s_dispel_resist=1}

So that's the bug confirmed, and the one-line fix needed.