2 Phantom Questions and one Assassin Question

[Tekill]

Question 1&2)
The BGTSCC wiki and this forum lists the Phantoms level 10 ability as Ghost Step (Ethereal) and the level 20 ability as Ghost Walk.

Ghost Step sounds like Ethereal Jaunt. You become invisible and unable to be hit.
and
Ghost Walk sounds like Ki Step or perhaps Dimension door.
Is this correct?

Question 2)
Assassin spell book duration.
How is the assassin spell duration calculated?
10 caster levels does not have long duration. Is the duration based on class level perhaps instead of assassin levels?

Thanks in advance.

[KOPOJIbPAKOB]

1) Ghost step is an instantly activated invisibility, on 10th lvl it becomes instantly activated etherealness, lasts 3 turn. Ghost walk is the same thing, but it lasts round per phantom level and wastes 2 charges. Also, mind that you're still seen while ethereal due to bug -_-

2) From what I tested, it depends both on assasin level and intelligence modifer

[Svabodnik]

[...]Also, mind that you're still seen while ethereal due to bug -_-[...]

I wonder if having the spells (Ethereal Jaunt, Etherealness) apply an 'invisibility' effect alongside the 'ethereal' would be a viable work-around, since anything that breaks etherealness would also break invis. From what I remember, it's not as much a PvE issue, since you're still untargetable by mobs, but it's that other players would still see you.

I'm probably completely wrong, though.

[Tsidkenu]

Hard coded apparently (the spell effect for etherealness). there's an option to toggle between ethereal or invis effects post level 10 for phantom.

[metaquad4]

[...]Also, mind that you're still seen while ethereal due to bug -_-[...]

I wonder if having the spells (Ethereal Jaunt, Etherealness) apply an 'invisibility' effect alongside the 'ethereal' would be a viable work-around, since anything that breaks etherealness would also break invis. From what I remember, it's not as much a PvE issue, since you're still untargetable by mobs, but it's that other players would still see you.

I'm probably completely wrong, though.

The issue with applying both invisibility and ethereal, is that if someone can see invisibility (via see invis or true seeing) then it is able to byass ethereal and attack you directly. Mobs and players alike.

[Svabodnik]

[...]The issue with applying both invisibility and ethereal, is that if someone can see invisibility (via see invis or true seeing) then it is able to byass ethereal and attack you directly. Mobs and players alike.[...]

As far as I remember the PnP rules, the 'See Invisibility' spell lets the caster see ethereal beings as well (though it doesn't offer the ability to target them), so having the spell be able to detect a caster wouldn't be an issue lore-wise.

Though if that's true, then under NWN2 scripting if a character casts both Invisibility and Etherealness on themselves, if they come across a mob with See Invisibility up, the AI would be able to target them - but would not if they only cast Etherealness? Good to know - didn't think it was that borked.

EDIT: Just decided to test it out with the most accessible invis-seeing mob that I know of: the Efreet south of Beregost. Just having invis up it could detect and target me with spells and attacks. After casting Jaunt it could still detect me and pathed towards the character (as it should) but was unable to target me with any attacks or spells (likewise what I expected).

Hidden: show

Only concern would be if player-to-player visibility is still borked under an Ethereal+Invis character, as Tsidkenu says, though I'd need a volunteer in order to test that.

DOUBLE-EDIT: Did the further testing with the way Invis+Ethereal interact from another player's perspective.

Just 'Etherealness' alone, if cast in vision range of another player, still had the caster visible. Going through a transition maintained visibility (as expected per the bug).

Applying 'Invisibility' over an active 'Etherealness' maintained the character as visible. However, after going through a transition, the character was no longer visible with both effects up, despite actively being Ethereal.

Applying 'Invisibility' first had the character appear translucent (visible), but then they could no longer be seen once the character went out of sight. Applying 'Etherealness' over an already invisible character maintained the active invisibility, and did not make them further visible. I do just realize I didn't test what would happen if someone is 'invisible' but translucent and visible to another player, what an added 'etherealness' would do to their visibility.

In any case, if Ethereal Jaunt and Etherealness were scripted to apply the 'invisibility' effect just prior, for the same duration, as their 'etherealness' effect, it may address some of the Etherealness visibility issues.

[Invoker]

It would not address the problem of Invisibility mechanically breaking Etherealness and making it entirely useless, though...

[electric mayhem]

2) From what I tested, it depends both on assasin level and intelligence modifer

I agree with this. It corresponds with what i've seen in the field.