Losing magic in second form

[llamabeast]

Second impossible question of the day.

I'm trying to make a mage which, when killed, transforms into a second form. The idea is that the second form should have less magic than the first (the mage expended a lot of his powers on giving himself a second life). Possible?

I'd assumed it would be, but I hadn't realised how the magic commands seem to be ignored except for when a unit is recruited/summoned. It seems that magic levels are conserved no matter what.

Maybe I could give him "Mute". Is that possible? I guess not, I've not seen affliction modding.

[Sombre]

You can give him #magicbonus -1 or whatever. It's worked for me before with a hero in the exile/avernum mod.

[Saulot]

#secondtmpshape seems to work for me. I have a unit which uses that, and when it is heavily wounded/killed, I've seen a completely different unit, which retains the same name and experience of the first. I imagine the same would apply to magic levels.
If you used the #magicboost command with the desired penalties to each magic path on the second unit, that should do the trick.

[Sombre]

I believe negative #magicboost on specific paths doesn't work - while if you put it on all paths it does work. I could be wrong, but I think that's what I found out when I was modding the hero in the Avernum mod.

He's the Feline Demon in there if you want to look it up. He gains magic in one form, but loses troop summoning.

[llamabeast]

Hooray! Thanks guys! I'd missed #magicboost entirely. It works a treat.

Actually as Sombre says it doesn't work properly for individual paths (it worked for fire but not other paths, sorcery seemed to include holy and other general dodginesses). But that was pretty much exactly what I wanted. Thanks!! *dances*

[Endoperez]

Are you sure you want to use #secondtmpshape and not #secondshape?



7.75 #secondshape &#8220;<monster name>&#8221; |
<monster nbr>
This monster will assume another shape when it gets seriously
wounded. Remember to give the other shape the
#firstshape command if you want it to return to the primary
form when it feels better. Werewolves and elementals
use this ability.

7.76 #secondtmpshape &#8220;<monster name>&#8221;
| <monster nbr>
This monster will transform into another monster when
it is killed in battle. This other monster will be removed
after battle. Serpent Cataphracts use this ability.

[llamabeast]

Yep, you're right Endo - I'm using #secondshape in fact.

Lots of progress on the Tomb Kings by the way. I will have to start posting some previews.