Restore Charm Spell durations
elminster
Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
I know you are busy with larger issues at the moment, but I recently realised these changes (that have happened over time) and I would appreciate if you would changing the durations for charm person, charm person or mammal, and dire charm back to what they were in Baldur's Gate 1 (changed for both BGEE and BG2EE).
Since Baldur's Gate was released the mage level 1 charm person spell has had its duration reduced to only 5 rounds, down from what it was originally in Baldur's Gate 1 (100 seconds or roughly 17 rounds).
The 2nd level druid spell charm person or mammal was listed in game in BG1 as lasting 20 rounds (I've actually just tested it and thats how long it lasted). According to Near Infinity in BGEE it now lasts 10 rounds instead.
While the Near Infinity description in BGEE states that the third level spell Dire Charm lasts 2 turns (20 rounds), it actually only lasts 5 rounds. In BG1 it originally lasted 20 rounds.
Since Baldur's Gate was released the mage level 1 charm person spell has had its duration reduced to only 5 rounds, down from what it was originally in Baldur's Gate 1 (100 seconds or roughly 17 rounds).
The 2nd level druid spell charm person or mammal was listed in game in BG1 as lasting 20 rounds (I've actually just tested it and thats how long it lasted). According to Near Infinity in BGEE it now lasts 10 rounds instead.
While the Near Infinity description in BGEE states that the third level spell Dire Charm lasts 2 turns (20 rounds), it actually only lasts 5 rounds. In BG1 it originally lasted 20 rounds.
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Comments
The problem occurs when you've finished a fight but have to sit around for about 60secs afterwards being unable to save or explore while you wait for the effect to wear off.
Ideally, the charm would wear off once the Sirens die, but that doesn't seem like it would be easy to code.
Besides which, don't Sirines already have "Ghoul hands" (causes confusion or feeblemindedness)? If successful (no saving penalties/bonuses for either effect) that lasts for 150 seconds. Plus Bassilus casts rigid thinking, which lasts a turn itself. So its not as if they are alone in having long durations for similar spell effects (both can cause a party member to attack another). Its one thing to reduce sirines to having it last a turn or half a turn, its another thing to three charm spells because of one enemy.
Especially since unlike in the case of places you find Bassilisks and Wyverns both areas you find sirines in are optional, you can sneak past the sirines if you want (once you learn of their charm ability you could probably cripple their spell casting with glitterdust - which you can get in beregost- and then kill them from a distance) and outside of random exploring the only way you come across either is if you accept the quest for them (you get a quest to kill the sirines in the City of Baldur's Gate).
And sorry if you find death inconveniencing. Don't think there's going to be an easy solution to make it easier for you other than what you already are doing: reloading. Death is hardly a consequence for you.
Plus as typo says, stone to flesh scrolls solves your whole basilisk problem, not to mention summoning undead as tanks are ideal as well. So playable solutions are everywhere but the underline issue is when it happens, not if.
Just FYI: rounds and turns are hugely different time span in this game.
When it happens is later into the game (as the quests to attack sirines are granted later in the game), or earlier if you take the risk. Likewise if you take the risk of running into Ulcaster, running into the vampiric wolves east of the Temple, or going into the area east of the Temple (where whether you know it or not you will run into basilisks) you are taking a risk by getting involved in an encounter that may be difficult for a lower level character. That's fine as risks are part of any game. However, that still doesn't justify not only the huge reduction in the time that dire charm lasts but that all three charm spells have had their times significantly reduced.
However, the area I was more referring to when it came to basilisks is under candlekeep, where if you didn't take a stone to flesh scroll and you do happen to have a party member hit by a basilisk you will have to reload or accept the loss of your party member and their equipment. You can't return there later. This is just as much of an inconvenience as having to reload because the sirines charm hit your party member.
As you yourself have stated playable solutions are everywhere. To stop the sirines you could hit them with Glitterdust, available in Beregost from the start. This makes them blind and used cautiously you can kill them all with ranged weapons and not have to worry about being dire charmed. Likewise, once you have a cleric and level 3 spells you could even use your own solution as skeletal warriors (and all undead for that matter) are immune to charm.
Having to deal with a charmed party member for an extended duration is 'all the fun of the fair'. Personally I 'blind' that member, so that they don't attack any party members. I guess one could also use Dispel Magic...or using the 'prevention is better than a cure method' of using your Elvish party members to soak up the charms.
I don't agree with changing something because it's inconvenient (in this case, thinking harder whilst the charm is in effect)...seems a lot like pandering to the lowest common denominator. The Kobolds in the Nashkel mines are annoying and they cost me time (they aren't hard to kill) - would the next step be to remove all 'time consuming enemies'...because...well they're annoying.
What I think should be:
Charm person/charm mammal:the victim is charmed and becomes green circled, but you can't control him perfectly. He just stays there and adores you as his new friend, however he does not turn hostile and attack his former comrades, the effect is just not that powerful. You can persuade him to walk to some place. He can cast healing of protection spells on you but he won't cast offensive spells or attack his comrades:doing so will automaticaly break the charm. Edample of a charmed victim that is forced to attack his old allies:'What am I doing they were..are my friends too! Ohh!' (Snaps out of the weak charm) 'You WILL pay for this!'
Dire charm:The victim goes berserk and automaticaly turns on his former comrades and attacks them viciously. You don't control him he becomes like a berserk (without the bonuses) but only attacks your foes. A spellcaster won't be able to cast spells, his mind is clouded by the powerful enchantment and he only wishes to kill your foes with the most basic instincts:Hulk smash mode. If you hurt him in any way the dire charm will be broken. 'Grrrr you attack my new bestest friend, you die, YOU DIE! (Foams from the mouth)'
Dominate/Mind control:Total and unrestricted control on the subject. The control is perfect and unbreakable. You can make the victim do anything you want, inlcuding attacking his old comrades, healing/buffing you, or doing suicide with his own spells. The domination effect won't be broken if you hurt them too. '...' (Silent, total puppet to your will)
Still I find that charm person allows you as the player to control the enemy so perfectly as to gain access to his spells, rather wrong. Enemy AI can't use this, when they charm your party member your npc just attacks the party, he can't even change weapons to melee. So if he has a ranged weapon just sending a party member next to him will nulify their threat, as they will continously try to attack the nearest enemy with ranged weapon at-8 to hit. (Unless ofcourse the charmed party member is a super archer like Coran or has a habit of rollinf critical hits)