Spells that don't interrupt
jesterdesu
Member Posts: 373
I know this isn't down to particular spells because sometimes the same spell will be interrupted, sometimes it won't.
For example, fighting Bassilus just now and was sure I generally interrupt his rigid thinking spell (his first cast), then use a potion of free action if I cannot interrupt his hold spells next. This time, hit him with an arrow during casts of both and he has pain animation but spell is still cast.
I've noticed this since vanilla but have never understood it... as I understand a spell should be interrupted 100% of the time if the enemy has the pain animation.
For example, fighting Bassilus just now and was sure I generally interrupt his rigid thinking spell (his first cast), then use a potion of free action if I cannot interrupt his hold spells next. This time, hit him with an arrow during casts of both and he has pain animation but spell is still cast.
I've noticed this since vanilla but have never understood it... as I understand a spell should be interrupted 100% of the time if the enemy has the pain animation.
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Comments
However the limitations of scripted AI sometimes make it necessary for the computer to cheat a little so as not to be a complete pushover. Great scripts minimize the times where this happens, but it remains a common recourse even for the most creative scripts simply due to the inherent limitations. As always though, it is of course a matter of degrees.
BG2 casters are tougher because of their defenses, but in the unmodded state they're still ridiculously easy to interrupt. Just get something that deals elemental damage, and watch as you poke through twelve dozen layers of Stoneskin as though it wasn't there. And that's just on mages, clerics are completely irrelevant because they basically have no defenses that can stand up to dedicated interruption.
I find that crippling casters so severely so easily is not where I want my game to be. Things like SCS address this issue by use of smart scripts, but they also frequently go back to "cheating" on spells with uninterruptable scripted spells, or scripted instant buff sequences, etc. I am completely fine with that, because while it's technically outside of the rules, it adds much more to the experience for me than it takes away.
Of course, in the end I wouldn't call even unmodded casters "underpowered" per se (though mostly because everything else is even weaker), but that doesn't mean that the system isn't inherently flawed.
A caster's other protection vs interrupt is faster casting times... obviously this isn't so NPC acessible as things stand, but giving some of the tougher mages some non-droppable items to reduce cast time might help.
Also, fixing cast times so only the more potent spells take longer to cast... no idea what logic is currently used here. If changed it would mean that a mage has to find a place of relative safety before pulling out the big spells, but could cast smaller ones much easier.
I like Clerics being harder to interrupt too, seeing as they are trained for combat/danger far beyond a mage.