Specific spell immunity

[Ephesos]

Is there a way to make a creature immune to a specific spell? For instance, I'm planning on creating a creature immune to Simulacrum (because I think that'd be easier than eliminating Simulacrum from my scenario), and I wasn't sure whether magic resistance would quite achieve this.

[Niemand]

The easiest way to do this is to set its species to special (12). Or, you could give it a default script that causes it to erase itself if it is friendly to the party.

[Sticky]

The second option would be weird, as you could still capture it, but it just wouldn't work to use it. It would seem like a 'bug' though I suppose people would figure it out soon enough.

 

Edit:

Oh, right, I've never used that spell so I kinda assumed it would be the same. Yuck.

[Niemand]

This is the BoA version of simulacrum, though, not the A1-3 version, so no soul is captured; the creature is just duplicated once on the spot.

[Lilith]

Note that Simulacrums always use the default script of their creature type as defined in the data script, so if for some reason you don't want to give a creature the Special monster type, another way to disable Simulacrum is to give the creature type a null-monster script by default, but give every actual instance of the creature a custom script. When a player tries to cast Simulacrum on it, it'll inherit the default script from the scenario data script instead of the custom script, and they'll summon a living doorstop.

 

EDIT: Wait, Niemand already said that. I'm a fool.

 

EDIT 2: On closer inspection, my solution is actually subtly different from Niemand's. Niemand's is possibly simpler, but mine might be useful if (for some reason) you wanted a creature that can be charmed but not Simulacrumed.

[Niemand]

That's true, I didn't think about charming. I would guess, though, that if this creature is to be immune to simulacrum, it is probably pretty powerful, and might just resist charming on its own. Or, to combine my idea with Thuryl's, how about a script that erases itself if friendly to the party, but not if one of its memorycells is set a certain way? You just set that memorycell for the creature that you actually place, so that it will never erase itself, but if it gets simulacrummed, the duplicate will not have the cell set and will erase itself.

[Ephesos]

Actually, the Special creature type solution is more of what I needed, though I might look into the idea of creatures which turn against you if Simulacrumed. Thank you for the help.

 

I suppose I should've looked at that in the docs, really.

[SpineRaker]

**shudders** wow...my "evil-meter" just jumped a few pegs. Think of that! Make a creature mildly hard, mostly annoying. Make it more attractive (don't know how you would though) to Simalcrum it as opposed to kill it right off (perhaps it has some nice spells that one would like to have cast at one's side for a few minutes while exploring the dungeon).

 

NOW! Script it so that, when it is Simalcrumed (w/e), it turns evil instantly--making it twice the annoyance and probably a lot harder; heck, even have it interact with the original (heh...quick, in battle conversation with itself...heheh...that would be creative ) in a way that multiplies all abilities of each one by the number existing on the field.

 

hmm...more I think of this, the more this concept gets complex...damn I love Scripting Engines .

 

EDIT: Uhh...that reminds me. Can a monster have that spell? Simalcruming a PC would be interesting...but I wonder how it would work. I don't think monsters can cast it (thought I read it somewhere in the docs), but if it can--I am including that in my scenario .

[Niemand]

Monsters can't cast Simulacrum, Arcane Shield, or Repel Spirit. There are others too, but these are the ones that matter the most to combat.

[Ephesos]

Well, actually they can cast Arcane Shield (I'm pretty sure I've seen it happen). It just doesn't happen that often, because creatures with such high Mage Spells skill tend to waste it on Arcane Blow and Arcane Summon.

 

A simulacrum of a PC? That'd be very strange, particularly since they probably wouldn't get any of the weapons held by the PC. So really, only simulacruming a PC mage or priest would be helpful.

 

I don't see why monsters/NPCs shouldn't be able to cast Repel Spirit... I'd much rather have them unable to cast Arcane Summon. After all, who hasn't run into the fun problem of a vampire who Arcane Summons three vampires, who then Arcane Summon three more vampires...

[John S]

I'm pretty sure I've seen Erika cast Arcane Shield, and I think I've seen random priests use Repel Spirit.

 

And you can do all sorts of mean tricks with custom scripts. To make a monster copy a creature, you could just set a variable to the target's type and use a call to place the copy(ies).

[Niemand]

In A2 and A3 (I haven't played A1, yet anyway), npcs can cast arcane shield, for instance. However in BoA, I really think that they can't.

[John S]

Okay, I checked and indeed, neither Erika nor any other kind of NPC can cast Repel Spirit, Arcane Shield, or Simalcrum. Phooey.

 

If you say otherwise, you're a damn liar. And goblins will bite you when you sleep.

[Ephesos]

Hm... I wonder if there's a way to give back the ability to use Arcane Shield... that'd make for some more challenging monsters.

 

(Okay, I guess I remember monsters casting Arcane Shield from A2 or A3)

[Lilith]

Fake it with scripts. You can fake anything with scripts.