Getting normal magic to work while transformed into a nonhuman

[Sekai999]

I'm working on a mod that enables polymorphing to custom models, and I would like to add the functionality to cast normal magic (by that I mean spells from the six schools normally learned from books, as opposed to creature abilities.) So far, the only way I can do it is by making my own spells in creation kit as lesser powers and adding them to the custom race, or by adding them to the custom race's default melee attacks as procs.

 

Most of the models I am working with use the Skyirm horse skeleton for animation. I have so far tried using Nifskope to copy the magic node structure from both the default player skeleton, as well as from nonhuman monsters that are able to cast (like spiders), but nothing works. I have slight knowledge of Nifskope so it is possible I am doing something wrong, but I tried several times and ensured that everything copied over was linked properly. I have also tried in creation kit, adding the ActionLeftReady, ActionLeftRelease, ActionRightReady, and ActionRightRelease to horse behaviors (as they do not have them by default), but that did not work either. The only problem I can still see is that monsters like spiders already have an animation built in for casting, whereas horses and most other nonhumans do not.

 

What I'm trying to find out is, between Nifskope and Creation Kit, isthere a way to enable these models to cast, or would doing so require me to make a custom Havok animation or something else? All I want is the functionality of casting normal spells.

 

Thanks

 

[Daedthr]

So your making spells that turn you into another creature with different animations, and you want to be able to cast spells like normal, except with different animations. Well, I don't know about getting the animations working for such a thing but I think you could at least get the player to cast the spell if you are able to equip it in the menu. I am slightly confused as to whether you are actually able to cast spells as creatures at the moment in your mod just with wrong animations, or whether you can't cast spells at all. Reply and tell me what the situation is, if you are not able to cast spells at all, but can equip them, I might be able to help you, otherwise I have no idea.

[Sekai999]

I just want to be able to cast spells, I don't care if the model has no animations at all. While transformed, I can can use only lesser powers, I cannot cast other spells. I can equip spells in the menu just fine, but when I attempt to cast anything other than a lesser power, nothing happens. The model just twitches slightly and doesn't do anything.

[GrimyBunyip]

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/33395/

 

my hotcast module should let you do this.

 

although you might consider looking at some other thing while you are there.

[Sekai999]

Thanks, though while that does work in terms of letting me cast spells, I would prefer to find a way to fix the core problem (presumably a skeleton or animation issue), as relying on this would require everyone that downloads my mod to also download three other mods and do a lot of remapping. Also this seems to remove the cooldown timer on spells as well as cause channeled spells like flames to keep shooting out from wherever you were when you started casting, as opposed to moving with you.

 

Edit - I will recommend it though as a workaround until I can fix it properly.

[GrimyBunyip]

Thanks, though while that does work in terms of letting me cast spells, I would prefer to find a way to fix the core problem (presumably a skeleton or animation issue), as relying on this would require everyone that downloads my mod to also download three other mods and do a lot of remapping. Also this seems to remove the cooldown timer on spells as well as cause channeled spells like flames to keep shooting out from wherever you were when you started casting, as opposed to moving with you.

 

Edit - I will recommend it though as a workaround until I can fix it properly.

really? that never happened with me when i tested flames/sparks/healing.

What spells were you using? and I guess you were in werewolf form while this happened?

[Sekai999]

Flames and Holy Bolt (a Forgotten Mastery spell). After testing it again with frostbite and fire bolt, I had the same issue with frostbite but firebolt had a normal recast timer, so maybe the no-recast was something specific to Forgotten Mastery.

 

I was transformed into a pony, not a werewolf, the polymorph script is different and doesn't disable menus or equipping gear/spells, though as it's based on horse animations, it doesn't have a casting animation and can't use any spells except for lesser powers, which is what I'm trying to fix--I'm trying to find out what needs to be done to the skeleton or animation settings to just let it cast without an animation, or if that's simply impossible without using other mods like yours or making a custom havok animation for it.

[Daedthr]

Ok, so if you don't mind no animations try making a script to cast the spells using a command like this: http://www.creationkit.com/Cast_-_Spell

 

So long as only the player is going to polymorph, you could add a certain object (any misc item will do, could look like a lexicon for instance) to the players inventory upon polymorphing which would act as an activator for casting the spells and add a script to it so that on activation it would cause the NPC activating it (in this case the player) to cast whatever spell they had equipped. You could then hotkey this object so you don't have to activate it in the menu all the time. In theory I think this should work, have a go at it anyway, if you create a script to polymorph you can probably do this.

 

Useful Pages:

 

http://www.creationkit.com/GetEquippedSpell_-_Actor - Assign this to a property of type spell for use in the cast spell command

 

http://www.creationkit.com/OnActivate_-_ObjectReference - Start of the event to cast the spell in the script you'll assign to the activator

 

 

 

Again this won't fix the core problem but it may work alright if theres not some massive flaw in my theory.

Edited April 27, 2013 by Daedthr

[Sekai999]

My scripting knowledge is fairly limited unfortunately, all I did was modify Jared Bangerter's polymorphing guide script a bit so as not to disable menus or unequip gear. I'll give it a try, though, thanks.