PC Start Spell?

[nicro hat]

Can anyone please tell me how you can make a player start with a spell? I've tried selecting the PC Start Spell option and it doesn't work... Any help is apprieciated.

[Vagrant0]

Can anyone please tell me how you can make a player start with a spell? I've tried selecting the PC Start Spell option and it doesn't work... Any help is apprieciated.

That little check box is buggy at best. As I tried to explain in a similar topic before, you're really best off making a script to add the spell to the player. Then using an activator, quest, or something to make the script run.

[nicro hat]

Ok, thanks. Well, now I can waste the rest of my summer learning how to make scripts. :D

[Vagrant0]

Ok, thanks. Well, now I can waste the rest of my summer learning how to make scripts. :D

Well, here's somewhere to start. First, load up the mod containing the spells you want as active (all the spells must exist within the active mod), then find yourself an activator that doesn't have any special traits, and wouldn't stick out too much (If you have extracted meshes from the BSA archives you could also make your own. Dark10skulltrigger was one I've used as a base since it's small and generic. Make a copy of that activator with a different editor ID (something you'll be able to find on the list later). Now open up the script editor, and paste the following script, making sure you fill in the areas <> with the appropiate information. (don't leave the <>, replace that whole space).

scn <scriptnamehere>
short once

Begin onload
if once != 1
player.addspell <the form ID of the spell here like below>
;player.addspell 01000ed7
set once to 1
endif
end

Begin onactivate
return
end

the line starting with ; is a comment line, and is there solely for reference, you can also adjust it to add another spell to the player, just be sure to remove the ";" if you plan on using it. The script will run when the player loads the cell containing the activator the script is attached to. The activator doesn't need to be visible, but it should be close enough to a playable area. The form IS is the space after the editor ID in the CS, by default it is minimized and looks like two lines, between Editor ID and Count, you'll need to expand that area to make the form ID visible. Once the script is made, attach it to the activator you made, and place the activator near where you want the spells to be added. If placed in the cell where the player starts, the script will actually trigger before the facegen starts, but the effects won't be registered completely till after.

[Deleted4709949User]

what's an activator?

[WarRatsG]

player.addspell <the form ID of the spell here like below>
;player.addspell 01000ed7

 

Never use the FormID in a script, because the FormID changes depending on your load order. Instead, you must use the EditorID, because it remains constant no matter what your load order is.

 

An activator is any object that you can activate, such as a button, a door, a wayshrine. If it does something when you hit space, it is an activator, however some activators work in the background with their scripts and may not do anything when you "activate" them.

 

There is a much simpler way to do add the spell, that requires very few lines of script and will work for both new and saved games. This is to use a quest, and then have that quest terminate itself so that it will not run anymore.

To do it, first create the following script:

Scn MyQuestSCRIPT

Begin GameMode

    Player.AddSpell <insert Editor ID of spell>
;    Player.AddSpell MySpell
    StopQuest <insert name of quest>
;    StopQuest MyQuest

End

 

Like vagrant, I have added in little templates, however the templates will not run because they are "commented out" with a ; sign.

Make sure that this script is tagged as a Quest script and not an object script or magic effect script, otherwise you cannot attach it to the quest.

When you have done that, all you need to do is go into the quest tab (the big Q button at the top of the CS) and create your own quest (right click in the quest list on the left and click new), then in the Quest Data tab click on the script dropdown box and select your script. Tick the "Start game enabled" box and save, then your spell should be added about 5 seconds after you start the game.

 

If you want to learn how to script, you should check out the Construction Set wiki. I believe TesAlliance also has a beginners guide.

 

Hope this has helped :)

[Deleted4709949User]

ok thanks Edited July 13, 2012 by Guest

[Vagrant0]

player.addspell <the form ID of the spell here like below>
;player.addspell 01000ed7

 

Never use the FormID in a script, because the FormID changes depending on your load order. Instead, you must use the EditorID, because it remains constant no matter what your load order is.

Holy hell... ancient topic.

 

Anyway, to answer to this. When used in a script like my example, the script links to the form regardless of load order since both are within the same mod. Using a formID in this way is perfectly fine, or was in Oblivion, and only carries with it the downside of not knowing exactly what that ID is adding. In my own experience, using names for spells and items never worked well with scripts, so mainly just used IDs as these never caused a compilation error unless you entered the ID wrong.

[Maskar]

I strongly suggest not using form ids, if only to keep things readable. Also, if you're having issues using editor ids you're doing it wrong.