Imprisonment on Dead Bodies

[Lord]

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I just remembered this problem I had last week when fighting Kangaxx. Jan had died, but Kangaxx the Demi-Lich still imprisoned him. How does that happen? I wasn't sure if this was a bug or something, so I reloaded, used control-y on Edwin, Jan, and Korgan. But Kangaxx still imprisoned them. I did a search on the forum and couldn't find anything about it. Is this just an attribute of improved Kangaxx?

[Sir Goulum]

Maybe because they're still 'in' your party? I have no idea, just my best guess.

[Link]

In the same line of thoughts: it is possible to stun someone after they've died. I have a screenshot proving it (courtesy of Baldur's Gate 1). This happens because the game deals the damage first and then applies the effects of a spell or a magical weapon.

However, Imprisonment is a spell with no special effects other than the 'putting you miles beneath the ground'-thing. How much time was there between the death of the NPC's and them being imprisoned?

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Well... Kangaxx uses a projectile to imprison. And I know that sometimes I'll pause only to have a character's status change from "Near Death" to "Dead"... What if Kangaxx fired the Imprisonment and it hit in that split-second window of Death status before actual death? Or perhaps the projectile just hit the normal corpse and the spell took effect?

[Lord]

Originally posted by Illumina Drathiran'ar: Well... Kangaxx uses a projectile to imprison. And I know that sometimes I'll pause only to have a character's status change from "Near Death" to "Dead"... What if Kangaxx fired the Imprisonment and it hit in that split-second window of Death status before actual death? Or perhaps the projectile just hit the normal corpse and the spell took effect?

That would make sense for the first time Jan was imprisoned since I think he died just before the spell hit him. However, it wouldn't make sense for the 2nd time when I went and tested it out using control-y on my characters first. I don't remember how long after I used control-y on them that they were imprisoned, but I highly doubt this 'split-second window' would occur 4 times in a row...

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Then perhaps once the spell is targeted it works on anything, even corpses?

[greg28j]

kangax does not 'cast imprisonment'. it is an ability called 'trap the soul'

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Does that change anything?

[GoblinZ]

If it is not an ordinary spell, then the working mechanics could be different.

If not that, then it could just be the AI treating the ability differently:
Maybe Kangaxx is every then and then told to "Imprison" the nearest target to ensure he takes full advantage of his abilities?

Now a normal mage wouldn´t aim Imprisonment at a corpse, but a simple special scrip just might. :/

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

::nods:: And as it's a ranged spell, it might take effect as soon as it hits the target. It can only target living creatures. If the creature dies before the projectile hits, it imprisons the corpse.