New Spells

[Rasael]

I have written a set of around 60 new spell scripts based heavily on the original Baldurs Gate I & II games and I was wondering if there is any interest in them here. My main goal was to add more versatility and utility to the arcane classes and put back that feeling of *OOMPH* you got when watching Irenicus in BG2 or any other high level mage.

They include Contingency, Chain Contingency, Protection Normal & Magical Weapons, Detect Disease, Meditate(restore spells without rest) Wish, limited wish, Non Detection, Scyring, Shadow Walking, Alarm, and more.

The spells currently use the spell framework which I've merged with Kaedrin's PrC and the Tome of Battle to allow alternate forms of casting spells such as Shadow Magic, Blood Magic, Circle Magic and Permanency. (used by toggling a feat - complete with added casting visuals)

With some minor work the spells can be converted back from the spell framework but the additional spellcasting modes won't work without it's functionality.

The new Spellcasting modes work pretty much as you guess, Shadow magic cannot not create light through spells and boosts certain schools (Illusion etc..) while penalizing others (Evocation and [y]). Blood Magic costs HP (based on spell level). Permanency costs XP. Circle Magic adds hall the circle provider's caster level to the circle master's when he or she casts a spell.

I'd be happy to share them and am in the process of uploading them to the vault as well. I'll provide a link and some screenies there.

Link: http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NW ... tail&id=54 (It's up!)

My character name is Nadril Durothil,

Kind regards

[Ivan38Rus]

What's the functional of Chain Contingency?

I can only imagine it working like Sequencers in NWN1...

[dzidek1983]

http://www.gamebanshee.com/showshot.php ... ngency.jpg

3 spells of any level are cast at the same time when a condition is met f.ex. you see an enemy, you are hit, etc.

so you can f.ex. choose premonition, mirror image and improved invisibility and they are cast at the same moment

[Ivan38Rus]

I'm not asking for spell's description.

I'm asking how it was implimented..

In PnP, you could bind 3 missle storms to fire off the moment an enemy is seen. But it is highly unlikely to be coded like this in NWN2.

Sequencers in nwn1 acted like you described, dzidek. Several buffs in one spell.

Hence the question.

*falls asleep*

[Rasael]

It is implemented through running a custom function once every so many seconds after the spell is cast and the following conversation finished. (the conversation calls the custom function script) The custom function then checks whether or not a condition has been met and fires all the preset spells.

The spells and condition are what you just said including distance (20, 15 ft etc... as well as being under a certain effect (stunned or silenced)

There is room for up to three spells to fire although Chain Contingency only sets 2. Various NPC's could have 3 put on them through a script or an epic spell could be made that allows for 3 spells to be set. (Or you could make Chain contingency allow 3 instead of the 2 it sets currently)

In essence you should think of it as a prototype function that acts like a heartbeat on the casting creature after the relevant choices are made in a conversation.

Exactly which spells are selectable is easily altered by modifying the conversation, the target is always the caster himself / herself.


I think the delay was 6 seconds but it might also be 3. Regardless...(Irenicus style) it can be anything the scripter wants it to be for reasons of performance and functionality.

I honestly don't know why this spell wasn't implemented upon release because it adds so much versatility and flavor to the arcane classes even just by itself!


Edit: Just to be clear, the wizard doesn't need to be able to do anything! It fires when the condition is met regardless of whether or not the subject is capable of casting anything at that moment. A great way to save yourself from a silence spell!

If memory serves a sequences is an item that you'd need to use so you would be pretty screwed if you were paralyzed for example

[Maecius]

This sounds extremely exciting, Rasael, and we may be interested in including all or part of your coding in our module.

Please let Luna and myself know once they've been approved on the Vault, and we will take a look at them as a staff.

If you are interested in scripting beyond these spells, we may have a position for you also; but that is Luna's decision to make, not mine.

[mute83]

yeah, it sounds interesting

[Luna]

Ye I think we would be very interested Rasael.
I guess right now the vault post isn't approved yet.. so I can't see what it all has.

[Rasael]

The .rar file is uploaded to BeyondThePale's FTP and may even be attached already but for some reason the entry isn't approved yet. I have no idea how long that usually takes or what it is they look at.
I have attached some images to give people a basic idea of what the project does and I'll start compiling a list of spells from the .2da.

That would be very helpful to any modders and people wishing to use it.
The code is well documented though with a few artifacts from my previous Turn Based Combat System project. Checking for the combat "area" master creature for example or setting turns --> Most is commented out.

These spells were actually conceived for that Turn Based system it was later on that I figured out how easily they could be translated into real time.

[dzidek1983]

it's time to make a mage i see if the sequencers go in... serious upgrade to power it will be...

[Rasael]

If the casting modes such as Blood, Circle and Shadow Magic make it in you would also face a lot of dangerous enemies....

Personally I'd run away if I had to fight against a Magical Circle of Red Wizards adding half their caster levels to the Circle Master. --> That's pure suicide already.
Now consider what happens if the Circle Master not only uses his Circle Slaves but also dips into....blood magic.



That would be one very, very powerful spell! ("OOMPH" )


I don't quite know how useful Contingency will be to mages. It's a one shot deal and you have to set the the proper condition or it won't fire when you want it to. Plus you can't use it to store all manner spells, only those you can cast on your person.

It will certainly add versatility because you'll probably survive longer as a fragile mage with a spare stoneskin if you go below Half Health

[Edit:] This would be neat on NPC enemies as well, think you have them and then *BAM* Stonestkin and an assortment of other protections. I loved this in the BG games!

I suppose it all comes down to preparation.

PS. Sequencers are Awesome!

[Blame The Rogue]

ah, contingency, near death.........false life, ethereal, haste.....run like hell

[dzidek1983]

on cleric... implosion, implosion....

[DM_TPK]

If someone could refresh my memory on Wish and Limited Wish mechanics in an RPG computer game... and Miracle for that matter... I've always viewed those 3 spells (and the 2 psionic versions) as more RP in PnP than almost any other spell... how would those translate to the game?

[Rasael]

I copied their Baldurs Gate implementation. You can wish for things in a conversation but there is a pretty big chance they will backfire. This depends on wisdom and pure chance to reflect your ability to phrase your wish in a watertight manner.

I remember reading stories about crafty DM's that caused all manner of mischief with the phrasing of the wish so that's one oppertunity it affords

http://www.dnd-wiki.org/wiki/SRD:Wish

The spell I included is effectively a mimic of BG2's version though so not all these SRD options are included. It could be a neat quest tool though - Wishing scroll or spell.

Here's an overview of the possible effects and endings in BG2.
http://www.gamebanshee.com/baldursgatei ... edwish.php

My Wish spell is more dyanmic in the sense that there is no default good result based on your wisdom score. There is also chance and there are usually four possible results ranging from succes to the worst possible failure.

- Limited Wish does not permanently / supernaturally alter the game world.
- Wish will permanently / supernaturally alter the game and this includes increasing a player characters ability score. (breaking the valid character check if it applies on this server -- probably not since its server vault)

You can see part of the menu on the link I provided, there are some screenies on the right side near the bottom.