Creating a custom spell

[ArgentDuergar]

Hello all!
First of all, a disclaimer: I'm pretty much an Aurora newbie, meaning that yes I've tinkered with custom modules, creatures, items, etc. in the past (~10 years in the past), but I've never actually changed preexistent scripts, let alone created a new spell. Disclaimer number two: not gonna use the above as an excuse for making someone else do all the work.

Since I had no idea about what to do, I went and downloaded a "Custom spell creation for dummies" tutorial from NWN university (link here if you want to check it out) and started following it.
Now, first question: the guide says to download a certain "NWN TLK Editor v1.1 by Nerwen" hosted on the ign boards, but the nwn ign boards exploded at a certain point in the past so the link isn't working... Any alternative? I couldn't find this tool online with a google search.

Then I started following the guide for as long as the lack of tlk editor would let me. Below's the .2da line that came out of that with my reasonings (and questions) for each parameter. Could you help me figure out some more details please?
NOTE: the custom spell I want to create is based on Hoard Gullet from the PnP game).

Code: Select all

1501 Hoard_Gullet   ****    Hoard_G      T      P     VS      0x3a     0x01    ImpactScript    ****    ****    ****   ****  ****   1     1     1500   head    ConjHeadVisual    ConjHandVisual    ConjGrndVisual    ConjSoundVFX    ****    ****    self     1000   ****   CastHandVisual    ****   CastSound    0   ****    ****    ****     ****    ****     ****     1      ****      ****      ****      ****      ****    10     ****    1   SpellDesc   1    0    AltMessage    0    ****    ****   ****   0

• SpellID= 1501 (the padded .2da I'm using starts from this line)
• Label= Hoard_Gullet
• Name= **** (stuff should go here, but I haven't looked at tlk tables yet)
• IconResRef= Hoard_G (name of the icon; about that, do you know where I can find the icon for draconic breaths? It seems like it would fit with the spell)
• School= T
• Range= P
• VS= VS
• Metamagic= 0x3a (Extend, Quicken, Silent, Still; did I get this right?) OK!
• TargetType= 0x01 (Self; did I get this right? Other self-buffs seem to have a different value here) OK!
• ImpactScript= I have no idea what to put here yet, mainly because I don't even know if it's possible to alter the max encumbrance value of a character without raising its Strength score. If you know this isn't possible I guess we can consider this issue closed and save some time to everyone involved
• Bard/Cleric/Druid/Paladin/Ranger= **** for all of them
• Wiz_Sorc= 1
• Innate= 1
• ConjTime= 1500 (default)
• ConjAnim= I didn't even know there were spells that only used head animations (no hand). What do these look like? I couldn't find a video. FIXED! It's where the spell animation appears.
• ConjHeadVisual/ConjHandVisual/ConjGrndVisual/ConjSoundVFX= to be decided
• ConjSoundMale/Female= **** (as usual for Transmutation spells)
• CastAnim= self
• CastTime= 1000 (default)
• CastHeadVisual= ****
• CastHandVisual= to be decided
• CastGrndVisual= ****
• CastSound= I have no clue what to put here to be decided (probably ****)
• Proj= 0
• ProjModel= I have no clue what to put here ****
• ProjType/ProjSpwnPoint= ****
• ProjSound= should this just be **** if there are no projectiles? PROBABLY YES!
• ProjOrientation= ****
• ImmunityType= **** (self-buff)
• ItemImmunity= 1 (self-buff)
• SubRadSpell1-5= **** for all of them
• Category= 10 (beneficial enhancement self)
• Master= ****
• UserType= 1
• SpellDesc= I haven't looked at tlk tables yet
• UseConcentration= 1
• SpontaneouslyCast= 0
• AltMessage= tlk tables stuff
• HostileSetting= 0
• FeatID= ****
• Counter1/2= ****
• HasProjectile= 0

As you can see above... I have several questions. If anyone wants to help, I'll be happy to learn. (but check the red text first!)

[Deider]

Have you looked here yet?

http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Spells.2da

[ArgentDuergar]

Have you looked here yet?

http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Spells.2da

I hadn't looked there, but that table looks a lot like the one in the tutorial I'm following. However, certain descriptions are worded slightly different so I managed to pick up some useful things.
The Metamagic/TargetType calculator tool at the end of the article would've been helpful to check those value, but sadly the link to it expired. I found another one online and those two values seem fine!
ConjAnim is now head because I figured that out.
CastSound is probably going to be ****.
I went with **** for both ProjModel and ProjSound, as I figured it'd be just fine.

So all things considered it was a darn useful table to cross reference!

Issues left pending:
- Finding that dragon breath icon;
- Deciding if a script that increases maximum encumbrance without raising strength is possible - regarding this I've found the GetWeight(object) function that, if used on a creature, returns the weight of all items in its inventory. Could this be used to reduce the weight of a creature's inventory instead of raising its maximum encumbrance or would that screw up other things?
- Related to the above, but even more important: in what part of NWN aurora toolset should I drop a function to test it and see if/how it works?
- Finding a functioning link for "NWN TLK Editor v1.1 by Nerwen" or a valid alternative to that program so that I can start looking at tlk tables.

[tizmo]

This is always a good place to start: https://neverwintervault.org/project/nw ... collection

You may want to test these out:
- https://neverwintervault.org/project/nw ... erf-editor
- https://neverwintervault.org/project/nw ... -compliant
- https://archive.codeplex.com/?p=nwn2datlkeditor