Enhanced Effect Handling on a Successful Spell Saving Throw Extension (EoSSE) for 5E

[Minty23185Fresh]

Announcing the release of the Effect on Spell Save Extension.

Sep 19, 2017: Fantasy Grounds version 3.3.2 was released which mostly makes this extension obsolete, mostly.
For an explanation see post 11 of this thread

The changes in FG v3.3.2 have reorganized program flow. Some routines were depreciated, some were moved to other files. It will take me a while to rework this extension. The extension has seen limited use to date. If you use this extension and cannot live with the issue noted in the other thread, please let me know and I'll work more diligently to get this extension operational with FG v3.3.2. If I don't receive any requests to the contrary I may just let this extension quietly go into obscurity.


New version as of September 5, 2017 is v0.1.1
which has been tested for compatibility with Fantasy Grounds v3.3.1.

This extension remedies a minor problem with Fantasy Grounds' application of an effect to the targeted creatures of a spell, when the spell deals half damage on a successful saving throw and also applies an effect. The Sunbeam spell in the Players Handbook is a perfect example.

When a spell is cast that meets the aforementioned criteria, Fantasy Grounds performs saving throws for the targets of the spell. The success or failure of the saving throws, and the status of the "Half on Success" flag influences the amount of damage dealt when the damage throws are performed. However Fantasy Grounds fails to use the saving throw results when applying the effect to the targets. Targets that successfully saved should not have the effect applied to them, but FG applies the effect to all target regardless of their saving throw. (For an in game example see this thread.)

Install the extension as you would any other (instructions).
Load a 5E campaign and choose the Effect on Spell Save Extension (EoSSE).

Before using this extension please consider reading the first two follow up postings to this thread "EoSSE Usage" and especially "EoSSE Caveats".

Comments, problems or complaints? Please direct them to me.

[Minty23185Fresh]

Using the EoSSE

There are no options (currently), nothing to set up, just install it as you would any other extension, then on FG start up, the DM should select it as one of the desired extensions to run. That's it. Everything else is automatic.

IMPORTANT:
The mechanics of this extension only:
* influence the application of an Effect on targeted creatures
* for Spells or Mystic Disciplines (see Caveats in the following post of this thread)
* whose result is determined via a saving throw by the target
* that employ the "Half on Success" damage option for the spell

So, the spell must allow the target a saving throw, with half damage on a successful save, and with an effect applied on an unsuccessful save. There are only a few spells that meet this criteria (see Caveats in the following post to this thread). The Sunbeam spell in the Players Handbook exemplifies a spell that meets all of the necessary criteria.

For an example of how Fantasy Grounds incorrectly handles Effect application see this thread.

Here is a screenshot of EoSSE in action, with explanations following:
HalfOnSuccess-Corrected.png

The Wizard targeted all three ogres and Cast the Sunbeam spell. Saving throws were rolled by Fantasy Grounds. Ogre 1 failed its save, ogres 2 and 3 successfully saved (see the leftmost portion of the screenshot, the Chat sub window). The Wizard applied damage, ogre 1 took full damage the others taking half damage. The Wizard clicked the Effect button, EoSSE correctly applied the Blinded Effect to ogre 1 only, since it failed its save (see Chat sub window on the left and Combat Tracker sub window on the right).

I must reiterate, Fantasy Grounds handles all other effect applications flawlessly: spells without the "Half on Success" option, creatures that fail their saves, spells without damage components (which of course would not have a "Half on Success" option, etc. It is only those spells with "Half on Success" and for those creatures that successfully save that cause errant application of an Effect by FG.

An interesting behavior for the "Target: Remove on miss" Client Option (in the Options Manager) should be noted. The option only comes into play for damage not for effects. When the option is set to On or Multi, PCs are appropriately removed as targets on a missed attack or a save for an attack, but they are not removed if the option is set to Off. This is not the case for effects. An example is the Fear Spell which has no damage component, just an effect component. Regardless of the Remove on miss option setting, whether it be Off, On, or Multi when the Fear Spell is cast, those creatures that save are removed as targets (Note, even if the option is Off). Just something to be aware of.

[Minty23185Fresh]

Caveats - consider these before employing EoSSE

I have pretty thoroughly searched through the spell descriptions in the Players Handbook looking for spells that employ "half damage on success" plus apply an effect. I found only 8 of them:
Arms of Hadar (no reactions), Control Water (~restrained), Destructive Wave (prone), Dissonant Whispers (~frightened), Earthquake (prone, e.g. buried), Sunbeam (blinded), Sunburst (blinded), Thunderwave ("pushed").

There were a few others that affected the area of play, so they would affect movement (e.g. sleet or hailstones cause difficult terrain) but not specific conditions or effects.

Therefore EoSSE would only be used for a very minor number of spells. If you are currently used to applying the effects on an individual target by target basis, EoSSE might not really save you that much grief.

Also EoSSE does not currently work for the DM, ....... (verbiage edited out because this has been fixed, v0.1.1)

So why does this extension even exist? Because of the experimental Mystic Class!!!

My DM has graciously granted me the privilege of using a Mystic in our Storm King campaign. The Mystic has 24 disciplines/sub disciplines that use half damage on a successful save plus employ an effect. The DM and I became tired of having to deal with incorrectly applied effects when the targets saved against my character's psionic attack. I have a need, and I decide to share the extension.

[Minty23185Fresh]

Versioning Information

v0.0.0 (Sep 01, 2017) Initial release
v0.1.0 ( not released ) Adheres to Mitigating Extension Conflicts methodology
v0.1.1 (Sep 05, 2017) Works for DM now too

***Fantasy Grounds v3.3.2 (Sep 19, 2017) makes this extension obsolete (ALMOST!)

[Moon Wizard]

Just a heads up that I just made some changes to v3.3.2 that will impact this extension.

When a half damage situation occurs for saving throws, targets which successfully saved and took no/half damage will be automatically be de-targeted after damage dealt.

Regards,
JPG

[Minty23185Fresh]

Just a heads up that I just made some changes to v3.3.2 that will impact this extension.

When a half damage situation occurs for saving throws, targets which successfully saved and took no/half damage will be automatically be de-targeted after damage dealt.

Yikes. Okay. Thanks for the warning. I guess I'll have to save the target list after Save processing but prior to Damage processing for exclusive use by Effect processing.

And this oddly enough makes me happy with regards to my "Mitigating Extension Conflicts" methodology proposal. While re-coding this extension to adhere to the technique it dawned on me that the methodology might make maintenance of an extension easier when new versions of Fantasy Grounds are released. I guess I'll see if I was correct.

[Moon Wizard]

Most definitely. The idea of saving and replacing specific function vs. the whole script is solid, and something we realized about a year ago and have suggested in the forums. Thanks for writing it up.

Regards,
JPG