[14283] UNDEDDAM.EFF is bugged

swit

UNDEDDAM.EFF is assigned to 2 weapons:
- BLUN10.ITM (unused in vanilla game although restored by mods)
- SW1H79.ITM (Harrower +1, new item added by BG:EE)

There are 2 problems:

1. SW1H79 is supposed to make Damage: 1d8+1, +3 vs. undead, but UNDEDDAM.EFF that is responsible for adding this undead bonus has Parameter 3 set to 0 which according to IESDP means it doesn't work at all.
UNDEDDAM.EFF has been modified some time after Build 2015: http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/278831#Comment_278831

2. Second problem with this EFF file: it uses IDS target set to 3-2 (ANIMAL) instead of 3-4 (UNDEAD)

btw. SW1H79 is assigned to 2 creatures: ELKART.CRE and ZEELA.CRE. Isn't it supposed to be unique item? Description seems to suggest this.

Hurricane

The problem with the damage is that UNDEDDAM.eff is used incorrectly by SW1H79. On weapons, any extra damage versus specific creatures should never be applied as a global effect. It needs to be part of the ability. @CamDawg and I used to deal with this back in the days for the BG2 Fixpack (http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=24641), but SW1H79 is not fixed that way because it is a new BG:EE item.

Steps to resolve problems 1 and 2:

- UNDEDDAM.eff: change the opcode from 179 (damage vs. type bonus) to 12 (damage), set it to 2 points of normal crushing damage to the preset target
- BLUN10.itm: no further changes necessary
- SW1H79.itm: remove UNDEDDAM.eff from the global effects, make a copy of the corrected UNDEDDAM.eff and change its damage type to slashing (because SW1H79 is a sword), attach that new eff to the melee ability via opcode 177 with target = 2 (preset) and IDS target = 3-4 (General - Undead)


Repro steps to observe the problem:

1. Go to Options -> Gameplay, make sure the difficulty is set to core rules (middle)
2. Start a new BG:EE game with the Abdel pregen
3. C:SetCurrentXP(161000)
4. Open the record screen (R), click Level Up
5. Put one point in Club proficiency and distribute the remaining point elsewhere, close the screen
6. C:CreateItem("blun10")
7. Open the inventory (I), equip the Root of the Problem, close the screen
8. C:CreateCreature("skelet")
9. Attack the skeleton using the Root of the Problem

*Observed*
You do 3 to 8 points of regular damage (1d6+1 from the club and +1 strength bonus). No additional line with any extra damage is displayed. There is no extra damage vs. undead done to the skeleton.

*Expected*
Apart from the regular damage, the club should do +2 additional damage vs. undead to the skeleton. This should be applied by the melee ability, which would produce an extra line in the combat log saying that 2 additional points of damge have been dealt.

*Notes*
See UNDEDDAM.eff in BGII:EE for reference.

Mathsorcerer

Hurricane said:

On weapons, any extra damage versus specific creatures should never be applied as a global effect. It needs to be part of the ability.

There must be something I am missing, then, because I have always applied such effects by setting opcode 177 as a global ability then opcodes 178 and 179 (thaco vs type and damage vs type, respectively) in the external .eff file and I got weapons like Root of the Problem to work correctly. Were corrections made to those opcodes when upgrading to the EE version? Do both versions work but the way you and @CamDawg applied the effect makes more sense or is easier to implement?

Hurricane

@Mathsorcerer It's not that opcodes 178 and 179 don't work as global effects. They do work, technically. But if they are attached to a weapon, they have undesired side effects. And as far as I know, this hasn't changed in the EEs.

Mathsorcerer

I'll have to keep that in mind, then, and try it out the other way to see how the differences work.

I have a work-in-progress (truthful disclosure: I haven't "worked" on it in over a year) returning throwing dagger that sets the target's intoxication modifier to 60, giving them -4 luck but +4 morale. So far this has...interesting...results to their attack and damage rolls.

Illydth

Reported as #14283. Thanks all!