Breaks invisibility

[devSin]

The following spells look like they should be flagged hostile, but they aren't. I've omitted symbol/glyph spells (including Delayed Blast), Earthquake, Teleport Field, Wizard Eye, dispel spells, divination spells, and Repulse Undead.

SPPR105.SPL (Entangle): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR204.SPL (Charm Person or Mammal): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR208.SPL (Hold Person): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR209.SPL (Know Alignment): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR211.SPL (Silence 15' Radius): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR302.SPL (Call Lightning): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR305.SPL (Hold Animal): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR313.SPL (Holy Smite): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR314.SPL (Unholy Blight): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR405.SPL (Mental Domination): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR503.SPL (Flame Strike): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR512.SPL (Greater Command): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR609.SPL (False Dawn): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR704.SPL (Nature's Beauty): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR705.SPL (Fire Storm): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR709.SPL (Confusion): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR710.SPL (Holy Word): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR715.SPL (Unholy Word): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR717.SPL (Creeping Doom): Does NOT break invisibility
SPPR722.SPL (Storm of Vengeance): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI103.SPL (Burning Hands): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI104.SPL (Charm Person): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI112.SPL (Magic Missile): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI119.SPL (Larloch's Minor Drain): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI205.SPL (Horror): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI208.SPL (Know Alignment): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI211.SPL (Melf's Acid Arrow): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI213.SPL (Stinking Cloud): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI215.SPL (Web): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI217.SPL (Agannazar's Scorcher): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI303.SPL (Flame Arrow): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI312.SPL (Slow): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI314.SPL (Vampiric Touch): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI316.SPL (Dire Charm): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI324.SPL (Hold Undead): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI401.SPL (Confusion): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI411.SPL (Emotion): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI502.SPL (Cloudkill): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI503.SPL (Cone of Cold): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI506.SPL (Domination): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI507.SPL (Hold Monster): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI612.SPL (Power Word, Silence): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI615.SPL (Chain Lightning): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI711.SPL (Sphere of Chaos): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI714.SPL (Prismatic Spray): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI715.SPL (Power Word, Stun): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI720.SPL (Control Undead): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI805.SPL (Pierce Shield): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI810.SPL (Incendiary Cloud): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI812.SPL (Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI813.SPL (Maze): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI910.SPL (Imprisonment): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI911.SPL (Meteor Swarm): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI912.SPL (Power Word, Kill): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI922.SPL (Dragon's Breath): Does NOT break invisibility
SPWI925.SPL (Comet): Does NOT break invisibility

[CamDawg]

Know Alignment seems like it should hold invisibility (Detect Evil does). Outside of that, these are patched.

[devSin]

Know Alignment has to be cast at a creature, though. I know there was an argument somewhere about how the magic has to "enter the target" and that bull, unlike Detect Evil which just gives the caster the ability to sense evil emanations.

 

I don't think anyone anywhere actually uses the spell, though, so no big deal.

[icelus]

Kish is going to smack you.

[CamDawg]

I usually just think of the invisibility flag as the 'break sanctuary' or 'summon CW' flag. If Detect Evil is fine with sanctuary/the CWs, I don't really see an issue with Know Alignment.

[devSin]

I'd unroll these for the time being, as this has more consequences than I'd originally anticipated.

[SimDing0]

The CWs don't use that flag, do they? I'm pretty sure defensive spells--Mirror Image, say--trigger them.

[devSin]

What is "CW"?

 

I think the original confusion (from whoever created these spells) may have come from the fact that summoning spells all have effects target: self. The engine only uses the target type, however, so these spells break invisibility anyway (since they're all any point in range; the only effect this flag has is to start the combat counter). With an ability of target type 4, even if you click on the caster, invisibility will still be broken since the engine uses the point, not the actor.

 

There are few legitimate uses for this flag. If a spell has a target type other than enemy, or if the caster is target self even though it's a hostile spell, and the effects are something other than damage, then the flag should be used to have the target change allegiance (if appropriate) and set LastAttackerOf() to the caster. So, a spell like Wail of the Banshee uses target: self, but obviously BioWare wanted it to break invisibility since the flag is set. A single target spell like Deafness also has this flag set, since casting it at the target is an overt hostile action (in this case, it has nothing to do with breaking invisibility, since casting at a different actor will break the invisibility by default).

 

A spell like Web already breaks invisibility, since you're casting at a different target (not target: self). After following my suggestion to set the flag, the combat counter would start, and any neutral in the AoE would Enemy() (setting LastAttackerOf() to the caster), even though the effects aren't overtly hostile. Enemies entering the area would remain hostile, and would set LastAttackerOf() to the caster (forcing them to acquire the new target if they didn't have one already).

 

There needs to be a bit more testing before the above is taken entirely seriously, but my current thought is that there are very few cases where this flag should ever be set, and we should just ignore it (don't remove or set it, just let it be).