List of underwhelming creatures

Oh, I didn't remember it wasn't actually in the game. I looked through the module and supposedly they can occur in the earth node. That's where the gorgon is mentioned, too. Is that also not in the game?

 

Both gorgons and basilisks apply a Command effect for like 100 rounds. I think the one that just removes all your actions. So you're out of the fight, but it's not quite as dire as being turned to stone.

 

But shouldn't it be LOS?

The basilisks i fought in Paladin's Cove were affecting me through a wall - they were in the same room, but there was a long wall between us, and I could not even see them, so maybe it was treated as an AoE

 

That's not how it is if you go into 'control NPCs' mode. But maybe the spell script cheats for AI controlled creatures.

If I drop one in Hommlet near the Welcome Wench, even without control NPCs, the AI runs around the corner before trying any spells. So I assume that it's doing some amount of line of sight checking. Once it runs around the corner the AI just uses its gaze every round. Presumably the only reason it'd do anything else is if it can't.

Maybe something is different in the other module, though.

Gorgons can breathe on you through walls, though, which I assume is wrong.

 

I vaguely recall altering that in Temple+ to some extent, so Pal Cove could be different (assuming you don't play it with Temple+).

 

I do not use T+ for Paladin's Cove

 

I thought of one possibility.

The spell script ignores the selected target and use its own logic to pick who to affect. It's using the 'list objects in cone' function, which might ignore line of sight (not really sure).

So, maybe you were in a situation where there was some valid target that the AI selected, and then the spell script just ignored it and picked a new target behind a wall.

 

Oh, I realized I left something off my original list.

Golems' immunity to magic is supposed to contain a sort of 'puzzle' element. Certain spells can still be used on them and have alternate effects. Also most of them have custom abilities, some of which probably aren't implemented.

I'm not sure if golems were in the original game, but I see them in the prototypes, so either they were planned or added by Co8. The magic immunity is just a super high spell resistance that no one will be able to beat, though (which is fine for the immunity part, but not the puzzle part).

 

In 3.5 RAW, a most golems' magic immunity means infinite spell resistance, meaning even a simple grease spell works on them.

 

For lycanthropy, how about the following? If you travel overnight with an afflicted party member, you get an automatic 'random encounter' with a werewolf, and your party roster omits that character from the fight. Unless you loot the body and carry 'werewolf corpse' away with you, and gather up their gear from the edge of the map, you end up abandoning your buddy in the wild somewhere.
Rationale: A flagged lycanthropy disease condition just becomes another PITA thing to deal with: "Half of us are Werewolves now? Fine. How long to full moon? Okay, next time we schlep back to Hommlet to sell loot, we drop in on Terjon and buy a load of cure spells." Conversely, a 'you wake up in a ditch the morning after a full moon, to the sound of alarm bells and of wailing voices. You're covered in blood' requires awhile load of scripting. With my suggestion, there's just a touch of danger that your band of proficient murder-hoboes deals with the werewolf without noticing that one of the team isn't there (big party, couple of NPCs, Jemima usually comes late in the initiative order, and it turns out that single werewolf doesn't last long if they are standing between a barbarian holding Fragarach and a dual-wielding rogue) amd leaves a team-member behind by accident through inattention.
Altermative: exit a building at night (perhaps go into the common room of the Wench, with its big windows...) become werewolf, charge nearest bystander. Party has to put down the threat. MAYBE paying for any dead to be raised (minor change to Terjon's/ Ramses' script when activated) and an Atonement lets you reset your reputation.

 

Oh, cool.

Yeah, I didn't intend any criticism of the Co8 modders. I understand that anything that was made had to be assembled out of things that already existed in the engine.