A pretty consistent effect of EffectSanctuary() (e.g. when used from the cleric spell) is that even enemies who make their save are still unable to perceive the sancted target of the effect. Obviously, the NPCs aren’t complaining about this, but PCs regularly notice it. The combat log will note that an enemy cleric is casting Sanctuary, then there is a log entry that the PC successfully saved, but the enemy cleric disappears anyway.
This seems like a significant issue, but I don’t see much reference to it. Worse, it looks like this may be an engine bug, as EffectSanctuary() handles the save and any applied effect or forced non-perception internally.
Any further insight into what’s going on here or if there is a scriptable workaround?
That’s an engine bug carried over from NWN1, never being fixed in the sequel. A detailed description can be found in the NWN Lexicon. One could script its own Sanctuary with the help of EffectInvisibility() - but it’s not really the same. Invisibility grants hearing perception checks to locate invisible creatures which sactuary does not. So, it’s not ideal. The custom effect could also grant a sizeable bonus to move silently as a workaround.
Thanks, Semper. I have read the note in the Lexicon’s EffectSanctuary() page. It does seem that this has changed between 1.69 and EE, but I’d have to do some testing to confirm. The note in the Lexicon regarding this didn’t appear until Feb 2021.
Sadly, none of the scriptable workaround really do the job. I think Sanctuary is supposed to work versus See Invisibile. Meanwhile, most of the ways to compensate for things like listen checks end up being hard to tailor just to the Sanctuary recipient. E.g. a move silently bonus would apply against those who passed their save.
Seems like this is something Beamdog would have to address. Or, at least expose the Sanctuary code so that we could fix it.
If I am understanding correctly, the same problem plagues that approach. You can’t set up a creature to be ethereal only to those creatures who have failed a save.
Aaargh! Now I see that I accidentally posted this in the NWN2 section, instead of NWN1, where I intended it to be. My apologies for any resulting confusion and moreso if suggestions people have made would have worked for NWN2 but not NWN1.
I would appreciate it if a mod could move this topic to the NWN1 section.
I’ve moved it, also EffectSanctuary / EffectEthrealness / EffectTrueSeeing are all a bit of a mess. It’s on my long todo list somewhere near the bottom since I expect fixes to be long and tedious since the NWN perception system is weird.
It probably needs reworking with some toggles since the default behaviours are so strange where True Seeing + Save = unable to do anything while save + no true seeing = can do something against them.
Also don’t get me started on EffectDarkness or that whole heap of mess.