Some core spells

Discussion in 'General Modification' started by Sagenlicht, Apr 18, 2021.

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  1. Sagenlicht

    Sagenlicht Established Member

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    While doing spells for the spell compendium I do come across some spells that offer different version of spells from the PHB, be it a mass version, a lesser or greater version, or a swift version. Usually they are in ToEE already, but some not. Which led to the curiosity that now you could cast those versions but not the non implemented core version of the spell.

    Having coded a different version ofc means, I have the core version as well, which I will offer here as long as there is no way in Temple+ to differentiate between core and non core spells, as some of you might not want to play with non core material but like to have those spells.

    At the moment these are the following spells:
    • Bless Weapon (Pal 1)
    • Align Weapon (Cleric 2)
    All spells come with a full help integration.

    You will get a warning when you copy those spells to your override folder and use my spell_compendium mod as well, as those spells share their tpModifer and their indicator file. You can safely overwrite those files and it does not matter which mod you copy first. It IS the same file and once Temple+ can differentiate I will merge them and this will be obsolete.

    This mod uses as well the custom file name options Temple+ offers, so you can savely copy everything to your overrides folder, with the exception of the spells_radial_menu_options.mes which is used by Align Weapon, this file is not customizable. It is very unlikely you use a modded verison of this file, but if you do please be careful.

    Last but not least, please be aware that cleric spells get blocked for clerics if the alignment descriptor of the spells is opposed to your alignment. ToEE automatically blocks spells that are not fitting with your alignment, so do spells I have added that have a fixed descriptor.

    But I have started to implement spells that change their alignment descriptor depending on what option you choose when you cast the spell. Align Weapon is such an example. I don't think I can block the spell from being cast with the wrong descriptor once the option is chosen but I have added a check to the spell that will let the spell fizzle, which means you will loose the spell!
    Example: Align Weapon is a good spell if you choose the Good option from the radial and evil when you choose the Evil option. Casting the Good option when have a LG cleric works fine, the Evil version will fizzle and you loose the spell.

    While talking about core spells, which lower level core spells (up to character level 9 (not spell level!!)) do you miss and wish would be in the game? I won't do those spells before the non core flag exists but afterwards I can take a look.
     

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  2. Pygmy

    Pygmy Established Member Supporter

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    Hi Sagenlicht,

    Thanks for the offer. My first nomination would be the 2nd level Sorcerer/Wizard spell Command Undead which would open the arcane necromancer as a playable class. Spectral Hand (also a 2nd level Sorcerer/Wizard spell from the Necromancy School) would be my second nomination, please.
     
  3. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Seconded - anything to improve Necromancy.
     
  4. Endarire

    Endarire Ronald Rynnwrathi

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    My primary preference for improving Necromancy is to make animate dead work as per RAW: You get a specific Skeleton or Zombie with the appropriate HD of the appropriate size of the targeted creature. As-is, this level 3+ spell makes 2ish HD minions.
     
  5. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Then create the protos for those monsters instead of repeatedly posting your expectations of someone else doing it for you.
     
  6. Sagenlicht

    Sagenlicht Established Member

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    Hmm I am unsure Ted if this can be done with core only spells. I am fully aware that necromancy is a weak school, I always add it to the forbidden schools for my wizards.
    Blight (also Druid spell) In the game
    Chill Touch In the game
    Circle of Death (though there is the Undeath domain in the spell compendium, which would make it availible for clerics) In the game
    Clone Spell Level 8, too high for ToEE to be of interest
    Command Undead not in the game; Doable but I am still in the process of learning how to create new charm spells.
    Control Undead Spell Level 7, unsure if it's worth doing but similar to command undead
    Disrupt Undead In the game, the Spell Compendium has a versions of this spell, I will do those
    Enervation(though it is part of two new domains as well) has a constants.py entry, could not find it but maybe I missed it, is it in the game? If not, would be doable
    Eyebite(though als part of new domains) In the game
    False Life In the game I think
    Fear(also a brad spell, would be part of new domains) In the game
    Finger of Death(also a druid spell, qould be part of new domains) In the game
    Ghoul Touch In the game
    Halt Undead In the game
    Horrid Wilting(would be in a lot of new domains) In the game
    Magic Jar Not in the game, not doable or needed I think
    Ray of Enfeeblement In the game
    Ray of Exhaustion availible through temple+
    Scare(also bard; part of a new domain) In the game
    Spectral Hand Not in the game
    Touch of Fatigue availible through temple+
    Undeath to Death In the game
    Vampiric Touch In the game
    Wail of the Banshee I assume it was added
    Waves of Exhaustion availible through temple+
    Waves of Fatigue availible through temple+
    Curse Water In the game
    Death Knell In the game
    Death Ward (also a Pali and a Druid spell) In the game
    Deathwatch Not in the game, but I don't think its needed
    Destruction In the game
    Doom In the game
    Harm In the game
    Inflict spells In the game
    Poison (also a Druid spell and a Warmage spell) In the game
    Slay Living In the game
    Speak With Dead Not in the game, not applicable for ToEE or Ted would need to write some dialog lines ;)
    Animate Dead Only animates 1 HD Skeletons or 2 HD Zombies (hardcoded); I could redo the spell.
    Astral Projection Level 9; of no interest for ToEE
    Bestow Curse (Clr 3, Wiz 4) In the game
    Blindness/Deafness (Clr 3, Wiz 2) In the game
    Cause Fear In the game
    Contagion(Clr 3, WIz 4, also a Druid spell) In the game
    Create Greater Undead In the game
    Create Undead In the game
    Energy Drain Unsure if in the game, has a constants.py entry, but too high level anyways
    Gentle Repose(Clr 2; Wiz 3) not in the game, not needed
    Soul Bind Not in the game, too high spell level to be of in interest in ToEE
    Symbol spells Not in the game
    I don't think there is much of a chance to push necromancy with core spells, maybe with the exception of command/control undead. But let's face the truth, an evil cleric will always be better that any wizard in controlling undead, Rebuke Undead is way stronger than both of these spells. Only the symbol line is really missing and most of them are too high level anyways.

    Now if some of those spell do not work properly I could take a look at them, but you would need to tell me which spells are defunctional, as mentioned above I do not use necro spells in my playthroughs with the exception of heal spells.

    If you talk about non core spells, I already implemented Wave of Grief in the Spell Compendium mod, which is a huge boost to evil clerics. I really hope, once those spells are added to temple+, that some modders use that spell to give palyers a real challenge :)

    About animate dead.
    The spell has a major problem. You can turn any fallen body into a zombie, which is ofc not supported by protos file. For example there is no ogre zombie in the protos at all.
    If it is possible to change AI behavior to a zombie script (I did not look into AI scripts at all yet), the easiest solution would be to use the original critter, add a condition to limit its actions to either move or attack and use the zombie script which would then hopefully lead to a zombie behaviour (including not using things like rage which would be.. odd :))
    If this is doable, I can redo the spell without much time investment.
     
  7. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Absolutely, but its not our job to fix the problems in the core rules - if you can add Command &/or Control Undead, that would be plenty in itself. My main interest in Necromancy is there is an NPC follower Necromancer in KotB (and dlg files for a second one from Return to the KotB, actually) and I have long contemplated ways to improve the school - but that's for me to worry about.
    Changing the AI scripts is trivial (making them good is not!) You can easily change the portraits, too, to a zombie.

    target.obj_set_int( obj_f_critter_strategy, [# from strategy.tab])
    target.obj_set_int( obj_f_critter_portrait, [# from portrait.mes] )

    EDIT: Passing thought - I don't want to add to your labours, but if you were going to 'add the Undead template' on the fly to the target, as it were, perhaps you should think about a general 'add a template' routine and then just change the args. That might be a bit excessive though :rolleyes:
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2021
  8. Pygmy

    Pygmy Established Member Supporter

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    Can I ask you a stupid question please Ted? Could you please tell me where to find the file that lists monsters' equipment, treasure and weapons? All these years I had assumed they would be in proto.tab.....

    Briefly, I am trying to mimic what you did with the KotB wight and replace the masterwork falchion with which ToEE 14954 is presently equipped [although I don't know how or where] with a Greatsword of Life Stealing(4154); I would then adjust weapon damage down to say 1-4 and increase threat range to say 15-20 whilst making the sword unlootable like bugbear weapons. Thank you.
     
  9. Endarire

    Endarire Ronald Rynnwrathi

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    @Sagenlicht
    D&D 3.0 had a list of Skeletons and Zombies with uniform stats based on size: Tiny, Large, etc. (The linked site has them under MONSTERS and not TEMPLATES.)
     
  10. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Their inventories are in rules/invensource.mes, which is then attached to the proto in col 44 (marked 'NPC Inv' in ProtoEd). So if you spawn a monster with the console or script, it will spawn with whatever inventory is assigned by col 44. Pretty much everything in ToEE will have this same set-up, though in KotB a lot of the monsters were made with WorldBuilder and had bespoke inventories.
     
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  11. Pygmy

    Pygmy Established Member Supporter

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    Thank you very much Ted love my Wight
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2021
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