[LE] How to make spells not harm non-hostile characters?

[StarboyCosmic]

I've created several new spells in the CK, and I'm trying to find a way so that they wont hurt innocent bystanders or followers. In particular AOE spells, spells with large explosions, and spells like Chain Lightning. Is there a way I can make them only hurt hostile characters and avoid hitting allies/bystanders?

If it's possible, I would assume it's somewhere in the Target Conditions tab of the Magic Effects? But I'm not sure.. and even if its there, I don't know what exactly to choose for this purpose.

Can someone help?

[maxarturo]

On the 'Magic Effect' add a condition like:

S IsHostileToActor == 1

Adding conditions on the 'Magic Effect' allows you to define to "whom' to apply the effect or not.

But, if you are using explosions and especially custom ones be sure that it doesn't apply damage, because the explosion damage can't be excluded and it's always applied to All npcs.

[StarboyCosmic]

Hmm, it sounds like there isn't a way to do what I'm wanting then, when it comes to spell explosions.. that sucks.

But thanks for the info, at least I think I can use that for chain lightning style spells

[maxarturo]

The 'Explosion Itself', not the explosion used by the Magic Effect. Just go to 'Explosion' on the 'Object Window' and open one to understand it. The majority of the vanilla explosions do not apply damage, but some of them do.

[StarboyCosmic]

Again, thanks for the info, I'm pretty new to modding, so i've honestly not even looked at the separate "explosion" tab yet, so that will be interesting to skim through and learn. But I dont think that will help with what i was trying to do. I definitely want the explosions to do damage in a large area lol i just wanted them to not hurt anyone besides hostile actors. Which yea, sounds like that isnt possible. Unless i'm just confused on what you're saying lol

Here is a mod i made, which i would like to edit in this way:

Shadefire Spells (original version) at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Mods and Community (nexusmods.com)

I already tried your suggestion of changing the target condition, it worked when the spell directly hit a target, but the area explosion still did damage when not hitting them directly with the projectile. So yea, i'm thinking i cant do what i want.

[maxarturo]

Your issue is that you haven't comprehend how the whole thing works, what you want to do can easily be done, you just need to understand how the 'Magic Effect' should apply damage when using an explosion, and the 2 ways of how the explosion itself can apply damage without been used by a 'Magic Effect'.

* In order to create a spell you should comprehend all aspects that involve the spell making. This will also help you troubleshoot easily and faster any issues that may occur from your mod.

This is the SLE forum, SSE forum link bellow:

https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/forum/4070-skyrim-special-edition-creation-kit-and-modders/

[StarboyCosmic]

Ok, well that's why I'm posting here asking for help on how to do it.. is that not one of the purposes of this forum?

 

I've tried researching online for tutorials and I'm just going off the scarce information I've found. Learning the CK isnt easy when barely anyone seems to be teaching it, let alone the more in depth details and intricacies.

You obviously know exactly how to do what I'm asking for.. I would appreciate if you could explain in more detail, or point me to a resource for learning it, that I am not finding myself.

It's not that I cant comprehend it, its that I don't have all the information on how it works.

 

Also, I didn't realize there was another forum specifically for Skyrim SE, thanks.

[maxarturo]

Yes that's the purpose of this forum, but you have to take on account that we also have our own projects under development and we can't always take someone from the hand to guide them.

Take me for example today, I sat down to work on my project at around 2 o'clock and now it's 8, and I have not done anything because I was just answering to others till now.

The very basic thing to learn about CK are done how everybody else did it, testings, experimentations and a lot of trial and error.

Anyway, find the explosion your magic effect is using > Duplicate it and give it a unique name > Now on the explosion:

- Force > 0

- Damage > 0

- If it has an enchantment, Remove it. and add your own enchatment and on its magic effect add the same condition logic to exclude friendly npcs.

- Add your explosion to your spell's magic effect

Now you have an explosion that it will not do any damage to any npc it's just a visual fx, the damage that will be applied by the explosion will only be handle by the magic effect or / and the enchantment's magic effect its carring.

As for tutorials, i've no idea my friend, i've never used them and especially youtube stuff, but there are literally hundreds out there on the subject.

Edited June 3, 2021 by maxarturo

[StarboyCosmic]

Well after trying for hours, your advice still isn't working for me, all that seems to do is disable the explosion and its vfx in game completely. It only reappears if I increase the area/magnitude of the magic effect which uses the explosion, through the spell effects tab, and then it harms non-hostiles anyways, regardless if the explosion force and damage is set to 0.

I also dont know what you mean by adding enchantments to an explosion. What kind of enchantment would i make to add to an explosion? And does that even have any purpose for what i'm trying to do?

 

suggestion, if you dont have time to walk people through the steps of doing things, you should not reply to requests for this kind of help in the first place, just to tell people you dont have time to help 4 comments in..

Irregardless, thanks for taking the time and trying. I'm just giving up for today before my eyes die of ligma :facepalm:

[maxarturo]

I don't know what you have actually done with your spell that it isn't working, but i've shown you the door and things are pretty simple and straight forwards.

Area: it controls the size of the explosion, so the bigger the 'Area' the bigger the explosion.

Magnitude: It controls the amount of damage that will be applied to the npc.

* Those flags must be enabled on the magic effect so that it can work.

Enchantment on an explosion:

- You can create a spell that does not do any damage, except from the explosion itself.

- You can use an explosion without a spell, like a wall exploding when you activate a lever.

In both of those circumstances, if you add an "Enchantment" to the explosion you can control except the magnitude of it, and what will the explosion affect using the conditions system in the 'Magic Effect', like: excluding friendly towards the player npcs.

The only thing required for the enchantment to work in the explosion is to have the magic effect as "Contact", and adding of course the enchantment to the explosion.

But there is small disadvantage with using enchantments on an explosion:

- If the npc dies before or while been hit by the explosion the enchantment will not fire on that npc, this is because enchantments are set up to not work on dead actors, and unfortunately there isn't a workaround to this.

//.....//.....//.....//.....//

You don't need to be so aggressive and be grateful that someone has shown you the door. I'm from the few people out there that are willing to educate, share knowledge and knowhow of a higher level, but i'm just a human and as with everybody else i also have my days... but i still offer my unconditional assistance.

Have a happy modding.