Problem with creating aura-like spells (DLTCEP)

Mornmagor

Hello folks, i have some trouble with the following :

I am using DLTCEP, and plan for example to create an innate ability that enables me to make a greater malison aura, centered on self, affecting only enemies and not party members.

But i'm having some trouble with some parameters of DLTCEP, like on the extended effects, i see many possible targets, and when i edit, the same thing, i am not exactly sure how to make an aura centered on me that doesn't affect my party.

Also, there is something called "extended headers", some times it has 22 pages, some times 1. I am guessing it has something to do with how many you can use it as an innate ability, or...? I have no idea how to set it for example if i want to make a 3/day usable ability.

Is there a guide anywhere that explains how to make aura spells for this? My head hurts a bit after digging into spell/ability creation and kit creations

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Edit : I figured out some things, mostly about how to add penalties to opponents through an aura. But although the target of the spell is self, should the target of the effect (thaco modifier), be everyone not in party, or just pre-target. The goal is to target all opponents at a specific yard range.

Grammarsalad

Extended headers are for the abilities affects at higher levels. Say you wanted your aura to give a higher penalty at tenth level. Create another header, copy the old one, and then make your changes (including level).

there are tons of tutorials on gibberings 3, pocket plane and spellhold. You can even google your questions (it's worked for me). Also look in other mods and experiment, experiment, experiment!

Mornmagor

Thanks for the answer, that's what i'm doing. I'm having some trouble with Weidu coding since i'm just learning how to do it, but so far so good

Grammarsalad

What specifically are you having trouble with? I have a suspicion that I can't help as I'm new myself but you never know...

Mornmagor

I am at the phase of learning how to structure the abilities, i mean, the guides say how to add a kit and arrange the files associated with it, but they don't say exactly how to add abilities, existing or new ones for a kit with detail.

So i'm opening with con-text or something like that the tp2 files of various kits to see how everyone is doing it, so i can recreate something like that.

The process is reaaaally slow though, since i don't have that much free time for it every day.

I figured out some things by doing that, unfortunetely, there is little someone else can do at this point, i will have to learn how to do it myself. I appreciate the help offer though :]

In the end, i gave up on using kit editors and other stuff, since they can screw up the game pretty bad, with Weidu at least that doesn't happen (unless i screw up really bad )

Grammarsalad

There is a tutorial that gives you all the basics of kit creation but I can take you through out if you want. I've made a few first draft kits already.

It sounds like you need to add your abilities to the clab. is that right? Well that might not make sense if you don't know what I'm talking about.

you should have a .2da file that should be specified in your tp2 which probably has a name like clabxxx. (e.g. Clabth0 for vanilla thieves). You will need to create your own for your new kit. I believe that you need it to be 7 characters long though I don't think it needs to start with "clab". Thats just a convention.

creating a clab.2da is extremely easy. just as easy as a tp2 if you've created one already. you just need to create a new text file and change the extension on the end (the .xxx which is in this case .txt) to.2da. If you view "details" in your folder it should say in the file type field "2da".

Now you just need the structure of the file and you have a nice example in the iesdp. It is under 2da files "clabxxx" where it gives you the monk clab. Copy everything and paste it in your clab though get rid of the ab_xxx and ga_xxx entries and replace them with "****".

notice along the top there are numbers going from 1 to 40.these represent the level the character will gain a given ability.

now when you want to give your kit an ability at a specific level you first need to determine if it is a constant bonus (like a bonus to hit or damage)or an activated ability (like your aura). (I'm assuming you've created all of your spls btw)

If you want to give your kit a use of an activated ability you just replace the "****" in one of the "ability#" rows at the appropriate level with "ga_xxx" where "xxx"is the name of your spl without the .spl extension. So if your aura spl was called "aura.spl" and you wanted to give that at first level you would put "ga_aura" in (say) the ability 1 row under level one.

Constant abilities are assigned as "ap_xxx".

hope that helps!

Mornmagor

Yeah thanks that actually did help a lot.

That was my problem, putting abilities to the kit, at whatever levels.

Avenger_teambg

You won't need multiple extended headers , if you want a specific AoE (area of effect).
This is just a gained ability (you need to put it in the proper CLAB file).
If it is permanent, then use it as an AP_* entry, if it needs activation, then use GA_* .

To affect only opponents, you need to select a proper projectile type.

Mornmagor

@Avenger_teambg yeah, i understood how to add all the spell files in the override so then in the clab to add them as gained and applied abilities.

My problem was with creating something like auras, i understand it can't be an effect that applies every second because it can be tricky at least for me, but i don't know if i want it to affect everyone except my party, who should be the target. Pre-target, everyone except party or something else? Also when i apply the penalties of the opponents on the aura, i don't know what to put.

For example, say i want to add a penalty to attack for my opponents.

I choose the spell target as myself, and then go to spell effects. I put duration, specify the attack roll penalty spell effect type, but i don't know 2 things.

First, after the probability(0-100) i need to specify the target of the spell effect. I don't know if it should pre-target, or global without party. I need the spell to affect everyone except my comrades so i guess the second?

Second, i need to set parameters, about who this effect affects. And it says : Known IDS File parameter values are 2 for Object.IDS, 3 for General.IDS, 4 for Race.IDS, 5 for Class.IDS, 7 for Gender.IDS, and 8 for Align.IDS

What do i put for it to affect everyone, creature or human or whatever? Leave it at 0?

I also assume that the resource key tab and dice thrown are to be left empty?

I'm using IEEP for the spell creation, i left dltcep alone.

Cheers.

Avenger_teambg

For aura: target self with a projectile like "inareanp".
You should apply this every round (effect 232 with 0,10 parameters).

Mornmagor

@Avenger_teambg thanks a lot, that cleared up most of my concerns.

Mornmagor

Edit3 and end : I fixed it finally, the 10 doesn't exist for some reason at vanilla, only the 0 and 8 work.

I deleted most of the post, the task is done.

Avenger_teambg

Yeah, i used iesdp info which may be invalid, 8 should work if people come too close. I'm glad to help.