Need Assistence with Scripting

[Omny]

So I'm working on a mod that will turn human NPCs into charred skeletons when killed via energy weapons. I've got the skeleton models all ready to go, but now I need to actually make the scripts.

 

I have a very, very basic idea of how scripts work, but I've only dabbled in it once long ago. What I ultimately want the script to do is, upon killing someone with an energy weapon (regardless of crits), it causes the same kind of disintegration/melting effects on the NPC's body, but instead of having that eventually vanish and be replaced by ash/goo piles, their ragdoll is replaced with a skeleton. I don't want it to simply "drop in" a skeleton as that would just appear t-posing in thin air before falling to the ground (I've played with a mod that did a similar thing). I want the skeleton ragdoll to "line up" with the original NPC's ragdoll upon death so it actually looks like they're being vaporized.

 

Can anyone give me any advice on how to do that, or any handy tutorials? I have a little bit of experience with GECK and Nifskope, so please be thorough in any explanations.

 

(Before you ask, yes I have seen EVE. It almost does what I want, but personally I find it adds a bit too much that I can't easily get rid of without breaking it entirely)

[Omny]

UPDATE: Okay, so after some tooling around, I think I'm on the home stretch for this mod.

 

So what I have at the moment are a set of non-playable "clothes" that, when equipped to an NPC, makes them turn into a charred skeleton. I've tested these outfits in-game and they look fine. The only thing I need to do now is work on the script itself.

 

That's where I've hit a snag. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing when it comes to scripting. I know what I WANT to happen- I want this script to do the following three things:

 

1: Detect if an NPC is killed via an energy weapon

2: If they are (and they're not essential), to apply the classic laser-burning effect upon death

3: add and equip the skeleton outfit to their inventory

 

The trouble is, I can't translate that into a script form, and I'm completely at a loss. I've tried looking on the GECK wiki and looking at other similar scripts, but it's all gobbledegook to me. Can anyone more fluent in script language lend me any kind of help in this regard?

[Omny]

UPDATE: Well I've tried a few tutorials and installed the Johnny Guitar plugin. Here's what I have as far as my script goes:

ScriptName OMNYLaserSkeletonizerScript

;Human NPCs hit with lasers will be turned into red skeletons=

ref rActor

begin SetJohnnyOnDyingEventHandler

    if OnHitWith OMNYListOfLasers
    PMS LaserCritGlowFXShader
    PMS effectLaserDisintegration
    Set Timer to 1.8
    Set DoOnce to 0
    additem OMNYLaserSkellySuit 1
    equipitem OMNYLaserSkellySuit 1
    endif

end

The "OMNYListOfLasers" is a form list of several laser weapons in the game, and I added a few lines from the Laser Disingetragion effect script from the vanilla game. Of course, it doesn't seem to want to save, so obviously something is either missing or not written correctly. What am I doing wrong?