Globe of Invulnerability bug or no?

[Gherbod]

I am attempting Solo Sorceror and I had big plans in mind for Globe of Invulnerability. It is supposed to protect me from damage from my own Skull Traps, etc... however it is not working consistently. Sometimes it works and I take no damage and sometimes it does not work at all. I'm thinking at this point that it simply doesn't work but sometimes I haven't been in the damage radius.

So anyone know what's up with that? Is the spell bugged? I cam up with a list of all of the spells that Globe of Invulnerability should protect me from and it should be AMAZING...

Oh the other thing... web is trapping my spiders from spider spawn!?! ... sigh.

Possibly pertinent... I'm playing with a patched S. of A. and don't have T. of B. installed because my copy got scratched up so much it wouldn't install.

Please help,

Gherbod

[Azred]

The effects for Globe of Invulnerability give you immunity to spells at levels 1 through 4; since Skull Trap's effects are coded for level 3 you should always be immune to it, no matter who casts it. If you are being damaged by Skull Trap, then either the coding for your globe is incorrect, the coding for skull trap is incorrect, the spell damaging you is only named "skull trap" but is actually something else, or you are being hit with a trap version of "skull trap"--all trap effects are coded to be level 10. I noticed this once and, of course, made a spell that gave immunity to spell level 10 but had to abandon it because it was too unbalancing--most monster spell attacks are also level 10, so it made me immune to many things.

[Gherbod]

Well I tested it in a non-combat situation to be absolutely sure. Globe of Invulnerability does not protect my character from her own Skull Trap spells. I'll assume it's just bugged. It's too bad because GoI could be one of the best spells in the game.

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

To be perfectly honest, I think Skull Trap itself has issues. I wanted so much to like it as a spell but found it performed far too inconsistently for my purposes.

[Gherbod]

That's an interesting angle as well. I think I need to make a test character to look at the interactions of some of these spells. I'll post my findings.

Ok, did some quick tests. Skull Trap appears to be the exception and the main problem in terms of coding and proper function. Fireball, Lightening Bolt, Web, Stinking Cloud, Slow... none of these get through either Minor Globe or the Globe. The Globe also protects against confusion. Some of the damage from Ice Storm goes through the Globe of Invulnerability... I think because some of the damage is physical damage instead of cold damage. Just a guess. Skull Trap goes through both globes and hurts the caster... so appears to be the one spell not really working as intended.

- Gherbod

[Firestormalpha]

Have you installed any fixpacks? And/or are there any fixpacks known to remedy this issue? From all I've read so far, I'd have to agree the issue is with skull trap and not the globes.

[Gherbod]

I've got the Gibberling's Three Baldur's Gate 2 Tweaks v. 9.

I don't know what's coded wrong... was just trying to say that everything seems to be working as intended... with the exception of Skull Trap.

[Shadow Stranger]

By the time you have enough Mage levels that you can use Globe of Invulnerability, most spellcasters have access to spells of level 5+. I rarely bothered with GoI for that reason.

[Azred]

Originally Posted by Gherbod Ok, did some quick tests. Skull Trap appears to be the exception and the main problem in terms of coding and proper function. Fireball, Lightening Bolt, Web, Stinking Cloud, Slow... none of these get through either Minor Globe or the Globe. The Globe also protects against confusion. Some of the damage from Ice Storm goes through the Globe of Invulnerability... I think because some of the damage is physical damage instead of cold damage. Just a guess. Skull Trap goes through both globes and hurts the caster... so appears to be the one spell not really working as intended. - Gherbod

Really? hrm...now my curiosity has been piqued. This is as good a reason as any to reinstall SoA/ToB on the new computer so I can look into this, myself. I'll let you know what I find out.

[Azred]

I just reinstalled it and, on a quick glance, it appears that Skull Trap is not marked as a "hostile spell" but it does target an area, not a creature. This may have something to do with it, because the spell effects for Globe of Invulnerability also grant immunity to certain particular spells like Web, Stinking Cloud, and Unholy Blight. Perhaps Skull trap should be on this list; it would certainly be easy enough to add it.