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Understanding the combat log

AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
Sometimes I find it difficult to understand the meaning of the messages in the combat log. I create this thread to clarify those messages with a less obvious meaning.

I start with "One of the spells has failed". I get that message about twenty or thirty times when fighting the Balor in the svirfneblin settlement in the Underdark (BG2). It appears every time I hit the Balor with anything, either weapons or spells. It seems similar to the messages about disrupted casting, but AFAIK spells don't get disrupted when you're hit by a spell like Breach.
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So what does it mean?

In case it's relevant, I have several mods installed, including SCS.

Messages explained so far
  • One of the spells has failed: A contingency or sequencer was fired out of range of the spells it contains.
  • <creature1>: Casts <spell>: <creature2>. For example: Ulitharid: Casts Dimension Door: Ulitharid. Creature 1 has cast a spell on creature 2.
  • <creature1>: <spell or ability>: <creature2>. Same as above, but without the word "Casts". For example: Ulitharid: Psionic domination: Haer' Dalis. This can have several meanings:
    • An Innate ability was used.
    • A spell was cast using a contingency or sequencer.
    • The AI cheated, forcing a spell without memorization or interruption.
  • Weapon ineffective: Your target is immune to the weapon you're using. There can be two reasons for this:
    • Your target is naturally immune to the weapon you're using. This is common in magical monsters.
    • Your target is protected by a spell that protects against some kinds of weapon, like Protection from magic weapons or Mantle.
  • <creature> was immune to my damage. The creature is immune to the type of damage you're using against it. Example: You attack a clay golem with a magical sword. Clay golems are immune to the slashing damage of swords, so you get the message Clay golem was immune to my damage.
  • <creature>: unaffected by effects from <item>: The creature is immune to some or all the effects of the item or spell that was used against it.
  • <creature>: Dispel effects: The creature was in the area of effect of a Dispel Magic or Remove Magic spell. Note that this message doesn't mean that anything was dispelled, it is displayed even when the dispelling fails to dispel anything.
Post edited by Alonso on
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Comments

  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    also haer dalis landed a hit just before the pause, if he was equipping a weapon that can disrupt this can explain the thing if valarien had the robe equipped so the casting of lower resistance was very fast.
    AndreaColombo
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    It can also happen when the player uses a sequencer or trigger against an out-of-range target. For example, if you used a Mirror Image+Magic Missile Minor Sequencer on an enemy, the Magic Missile would fire but the Mirror Image would not, because Mirror Image is a self-only spell. Likewise, a touch-range spell or a shorter-range spell could also fail in a sequencer or trigger. Take the example of a Vampiric Touch+Flame Arrow+Skull Trap Spell Sequencer. If you fired it at point-blank range, all three spells would hit normally. If you fired it at a nearby target, the Vampiric Touch spell would fail because its range was too short. If you fired it at a very distant enemy, both the Vampiric Touch spell and the Skull Trap would fail, since the range for a Skull Trap is shorter than that of a Flame Arrow.
    AndreaColomboAlonso
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    edited March 2019
    Thank you for your help. Another question. What's the difference between these two lines?

    Ulitharid: Psionic domination: Haer' Dalis
    Ulitharid: Casts Dimension Door: Ulitharid

    Why one says "casts" and the other one doesn't?
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    edited April 2019
    I have another one. I'm attacking the
    black dragon in the elven town in BG2
    with arrows of biting and the combat log says "unaffected by effects from Arrow of Biting". What does it mean? Does he have some sort of immunity?
  • BubbBubb Member Posts: 998
    Alonso wrote: »
    I have another one. I'm attacking the
    black dragon in the elven town in BG2
    with arrows of biting and the combat log says "unaffected by effects from Arrow of Biting". What does it mean? Does he have some sort of immunity?

    I'll try to explain it as I understand it:

    Some items / spells use certain prerequisites to check if a creature should be affected. In the Arrow of Biting's case, the arrow itself checks if the hit creature has 100 or more poison resistance - if it does, then the arrow does not pass along its effects, (and displays the message in the log). This resistance check seems really common regarding poison sources.

    Note that this is a very specific mechanism that some spells / items use - not all immunities will be displayed in this way. Usually when you see this message it means that all of the item's / spell's effects have been resisted.
    AndreaColombosemiticgoddessgorgonzolaAlonso
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Opcodes 206, 318, and 324 all grant immunity to certain resources, but 206 doesn't display any message in the dialog box; the spell just doesn't work. Opcodes 318 and 324 are exclusive to EE and the original Icewind Dale games, I think, and unlike 206, they can grant immunity to items as well as spells. I believe they display messages in the dialog box if they work. Those Arrows of Biting must use one of those opcodes so that the message is displayed for the player.
    Bubb
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
    semiticgoddess
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    Bubb wrote: »
    Alonso wrote: »
    I have another one. I'm attacking the
    black dragon in the elven town in BG2
    with arrows of biting and the combat log says "unaffected by effects from Arrow of Biting". What does it mean? Does he have some sort of immunity?

    I'll try to explain it as I understand it:

    Some items / spells use certain prerequisites to check if a creature should be affected. In the Arrow of Biting's case, the arrow itself checks if the hit creature has 100 or more poison resistance - if it does, then the arrow does not pass along its effects, (and displays the message in the log). This resistance check seems really common regarding poison sources.

    Note that this is a very specific mechanism that some spells / items use - not all immunities will be displayed in this way. Usually when you see this message it means that all of the item's / spell's effects have been resisted.

    What would be the difference between this and "<creature> was immune to my damage"?
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    edited April 2019
    Duplicated
    Post edited by Alonso on
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    Alonso wrote: »
    What would be the difference between this and "<creature> was immune to my damage"?
    The latter is generated automatically by the engine. It doesn't block any effects.
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    Can you elaborate?
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    The engine displays "<DAMAGEE> was immune to my damage" when someone is dealt zero or less damage, in certain circumstances (there are variant feedback strings depending on who's damaging whom, for how much, and whether or not it is weapon damage).
    AndreaColombogorgonzola
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    It also means, unlike the "Hobgoblin unaffected by effects of Pointy Stick" kind of message, that the damage was the only thing blocked. So, if you're smacking a Clay Golem with Celestial Fury, the Clay Golem might not be taking any slashing damage, but it's still being forced to make a saving throw to avoid getting stunned, so Celestial Fury isn't completely useless against it.
    Grond0AndreaColombogorgonzola
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    semiticgod wrote: »
    It also means, unlike the "Hobgoblin unaffected by effects of Pointy Stick" kind of message, that the damage was the only thing blocked. So, if you're smacking a Clay Golem with Celestial Fury, the Clay Golem might not be taking any slashing damage, but it's still being forced to make a saving throw to avoid getting stunned, so Celestial Fury isn't completely useless against it.
    What message are you talking about here?
    kjeron wrote: »
    someone is dealt zero or less damage
    How do you deal less than zero damage?

  • StromaelStromael Member Posts: 195
    Alonso wrote: »
    How do you deal less than zero damage?

    If the critter you're smacking has greater than 100% resistance to the damage type you're trying to use, then you deal "negative" damage, i.e., you heal the creature. The message displayed is still "Critter was immune to my damage".

    In fact enemies don't ever have >100% resistance (that I'm aware of, can anybody give a counter-example?), but it's a classic power-gaming tactic: get, e.g., your fire resistance above 100% (by combining various protective items/spells/scrolls/potions) and let loose next to you with all the fireballs/fire AoE spells you like; the damage won't affect you, and in fact will heal any HP you lose otherwise.

    Or a Barbarian can combine their physical resistance, Hardiness HLA, Defender of Easthaven and Roranach's Horn to achieve 127% crushing damage resistance. A lot of late-game enemies use crushing damage, so the Barbarian will be healed by their physical attacks.
    Alonsogorgonzola
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    kjeron wrote: »
    The engine displays "<DAMAGEE> was immune to my damage" when someone is dealt zero or less damage, in certain circumstances (there are variant feedback strings depending on who's damaging whom, for how much, and whether or not it is weapon damage).
    Do we know in what cases each of these strings is used?
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    I think this is all of them:
    DAMAGER: Creature A
    DAMAGEE: Creature B
    TYPE: crushing, slashing, piercing, nonlethal, fire, cold, acid, poison, magic, electricity, magic fire, magic cold, missile
    Percentage Modifiers: Damage Resistance, Game Difficulty, op332 (Kontik's Ring of Wizardry, Kossuth's Blood, Belt of the Skillful Blade, Robe of Red Flames)
    Takes <AMOUNT> <TYPE> damage from <DAMAGER>
    • Creature A deals damage to Creature B, damage was not adjusted by percentage modifiers.
    Takes <AMOUNT> <TYPE> damage from <DAMAGER> (<RESISTED> damage bonus)
    • Creature A deals damage to Creature B, damage was increased by percentage modifiers.
    Takes <AMOUNT> <TYPE> damage from <DAMAGER> (<RESISTED> damage resisted)
    • Creature A deals damage to Creature B, damage was decreased by percentage modifiers, but still positive.
    <DAMAGEE> was immune to my damage.
    • Creature A deals damage to Creature B, damage is negative.
    • Creature A deals damage to Creature B, damage was decreased by percentage modifiers to zero.
    Took <TYPE> Damage (<AMOUNT>)
    • Creature B deals damage to itself, damage was not zero.
    (nothing)
    • Creature B deals damage to itself, damage was adjusted by percentage modifiers to zero.
    • Creature B took zero damage, damage was not adjusted by percentage modifiers.
    • Creature B took "Percentage" damage.
    • Creature B took "Set" damage
    • Creature B took "Feedback suppressed" damage
    gorgonzolaAlonsoGrond0
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    kjeron wrote: »
    • Creature B took "Percentage" damage.
    • Creature B took "Set" damage
    • Creature B took "Feedback suppressed" damage
    What do these mean?
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    Alonso wrote: »
    kjeron wrote: »
    • Creature B took "Percentage" damage.
    • Creature B took "Set" damage
    • Creature B took "Feedback suppressed" damage
    What do these mean?
    Damage dealt is a specific percentage of maximum or current health. (A couple of Cutscene spells deal damage setting the target's health to 50% of it's maximum. Guarantees it cannot kill them.)
    Damage dealt to set health to a specific amount. (Harm deals damage to set the target's health to 1.)
    Damage dealt with BIT5 of special field set (not used outside mods AFAIK).
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    edited April 2019
    Alonso wrote: »
    semiticgod wrote: »
    It also means, unlike the "Hobgoblin unaffected by effects of Pointy Stick" kind of message, that the damage was the only thing blocked. So, if you're smacking a Clay Golem with Celestial Fury, the Clay Golem might not be taking any slashing damage, but it's still being forced to make a saving throw to avoid getting stunned, so Celestial Fury isn't completely useless against it.
    What message are you talking about here?
    Sorry for using a colorful quote; I can see why that might be unclear. I was referring to this type of message mentioned at the end of your first post: <creature>: unaffected by effects from <item>. It's the message that displays when a critter is immune to either certain on-hit effects from a weapon or certain spells, due to the use of opcode 324. So, undead in IWD will often display this sort of message if you try to poison them with Presio's Dagger and so on.
    Alonso
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    edited May 2019
    I have another one: Spell ineffective. I think that it can have two meanings:
    1. The target of the spell is immune to spells of that level, like a lich or a rakshasa.
    2. The target is protected by a spell protection that has blocked the incoming spell.

    The same Spell ineffective message is used regardless of whether the spell was aimed directly at its target or it was an AoE spell.

    Is that right? Is there anything else I might have missed?
    Post edited by Alonso on
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    It's the automated feedback message generated whenever one of the spell deflection opcodes deflects a spell, whether it be by power level (op102,op201), spell school (op204,op223), or secondary type (op205,op226). Of them, only op201 cannot deflect effects through AoE projectiles.

    The string is also manually specified semi-frequently by op206 (Immunity to effects, by resource) for a variety of uses.
    semiticgoddessgorgonzola
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    edited May 2019
    @kjeron: Can you say that in a way that non technical people can understand? Alternatively, can someone translate for the rest of us?
    gorgonzola
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    edited May 2019
    @Alonso: It means the immunity comes from Spell Turning/Deflection/Immunity/Trap, GOI, or innate spell level immunities like those of a lichen or rakshasa. Or a Potion of Magic Blocking or Protection from Magic scroll. Unless it's a lich or a rakshasa, it basically means you can remove the immunity with Pierce Magic and other magic attack spells.
    gorgonzolaJuliusBorisov
  • NeverusedNeverused Member Posts: 803
    I’ve also seen Spell Ineffective for other types of immunities, such as Dominate Person on someone with charm immunity or being an Elf.

    One of the Spells has Failed: this also happens when a character out of melee range makes an autoattack against a creature with a damage reflection-on-hit spell. A thief hitting a mage with fireshield with a bow, for example, would trigger this message.
    semiticgoddessgorgonzolaJuliusBorisov
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    semiticgod wrote: »
    @Alonso: It means the immunity comes from Spell Turning/Deflection/Immunity/Trap, GOI, or innate spell level immunities like those of a lichen or rakshasa. Or a Potion of Magic Blocking or Protection from Magic scroll. Unless it's a lich or a rakshasa, it basically means you can remove the immunity with Pierce Magic and other magic attack spells.
    Not Turning or Trap, they have no feedback, only those using deflection effects.

    The op206 effects are on items or creatures, and cannot be removed either, blocking specific spells (Buckler of the Fist +2 blocks Hold Person and it's variants, Nymph and Gargantuan Spider block Entangle and it's variants, etc...)
    NeverusedsemiticgoddessgorgonzolaJuliusBorisov
  • AlonsoAlonso Member Posts: 806
    edited May 2019
    Let's try again then:

    Spell ineffective is displayed in these cases:
    1. The target of the spell is immune to spells of that level, like a lich or a rakshasa.
    2. The target is protected by a spell protection that has blocked the incoming spell. This includes Spell Deflection, Spell Immunity, (Minor) Globe of Invulnerability, potions of Magic Blocking and Protection from Magic scrolls. It does not include Spell Turning or Spell Trap, there is no combat log feedback for spells blocked by those.
    3. Dominate Person was cast on someone with charm immunity.

    The Spell ineffective message is used regardless of whether the offensive spell was aimed directly at a target or it was an AoE spell.


    Is this correct now?
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    The automated message is generated by #1&2.
    The Dominate Person example was most likely "Unaffected by effects (from <RESOURCE>)", rather than "Spell Ineffective", at least in the current game version.
    There are occasions with specific spell immunity (op206) on items/spells/creatures that are setup to generate the message "Spell Ineffective", but that specific string must be manually specified in these cases. by default there is no feedback, and any string can be set to display.

    While an effect coming from an AoE projectile will influence whether it can be blocked by one of those mechanics, it will not further influence whether or not the message is displayed once the effect is blocked. The message will trigger if the spell was blocked by those mechanics. If the spell gets blocked by other mechanics before these are checked, it will prevent the feedback from being displayed.
    JuliusBorisov
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