[(BG1, BG2) Bug/Spells] Blindness (SPWI106.SPL) description is inaccurate

Igneous

Current behaviour: Blindness's (SPWI106.SPL) spell description is inaccurate. It currently states: "If a victim is blinded he receives -4 to hit on his attack rolls, and has a 4 point armor penalty." In reality, blindness actually afflicts the target with a hefty -10 THAC0 penalty, and there is no AC penalty at all.

Suggested behaviour: The spell description should be updated to reflect the actual penalties of blindness. Or, Opcode #74 (Blindness) should be modified to inflict -4 penalties to THAC0 and AC, which is a more balanced solution, in my opinion.

Games affected: BG1, BG2, BGEE.

AndreaColombo

From the AD&D Player's Handbook:

"The blindness spell causes the victim to become blind, able to see only a greyness before its eyes. Various cure spells will not remove this effect, and only a dispel magic or the spellcaster can do away with the blindness if the creature fails its initial saving throw vs. spell. A blinded creature suffers a -4 penalty to its attack rolls, and its opponents gain a +4 bonus to their attack rolls."

Hence, the ingame spell description appears to be accurate / correct, and the opcode appears to be bugged / wrong.

SethDavis

Potentially fixed - Blindness will now add 4 to the victims THAC0 and AC

@Igneous - Please forgive my horrendous lack of D&D knowledge, but this should take an 18 THAC0 and 6 AC creature to 22 THAC0 and 10 AC, right?

Igneous

@SethDavis - LOL, yes that's right.

Igneous

Confirmed fixed. Blindness is now correctly applying -4 penalties to AC and THAC0. Tested on several types of creatures (e.g., tutorial monks, Firebead, gibberlings) and checking their stats with Ctrl+Q.