Mprog Compendium/Examples

Special Attacks

There are several ways to have a mobile instigate special attacks with mobprogs.

Secret Weapon

mob oload #### 0 W
mob hit $n
mob junk ####

Attacks performed by this technique will cause the mob to load a weapon directly into their wield slot (assuming it has hands), execute an additional 'normal' attack with it, and then destroy it.

• This is an aggressive act
• The builder can specify damage dice, with bell curves as normal dice rolling
  • Although, the mob's damroll (and modifications to it) will apply
  • Further, extra attacks have a chance to activate as normal (2x/3x-cut, haste, etc.)
• It will be unaffected by Choke, cannot be Reflected, and will use the target's armor to determine damage reduction
• Damage type is any kind that can be put on a weapon, and weapon flags will activate/proc
• The message to the player will be as a normal attack, with whatever damage noun is on the weapon.

Mob Damage

mob damage $n 100 200 fire lethal

This method deals damage directly to the target

• This is NOT an aggressive act, and will not start combat
• Damage is set as a range, with no bell curve/dice simulation. Damroll and other modifiers will not apply.
  • Damage can also be specified as a percentage of the target's HP, calculated before resistances and immunities
• It will be affected by Choke, IF the damage type is not bash, slash, pierce, or 'weapon'. It will NOT be affected by Magroll.
  • but will not be affected by the target's armor, nor can it be reflected
• Damage type can be any, including 'magic' and 'weapon'
• This does NOT show ANY message to the player -- the builder must specify their own damage messages (see the $a variable in the compendium)

Mob Skill

mob skill lunge

• Will aggro things if the skill normally would
• Damage is based on the mob's level, unless the skill specifies otherwise (i.e. backstab)
• Skills are not be affected by choke or Magroll. Spells will be Reflected as normal.
• Damage type is as expected
• Message is predictably the same as when players use that skill
• Skills are treated as if the mob has 75% ability, unless the mob has the Inept or Adept flags set
  • Skills may fail due to skill%

Mob Cast

mob cast fireball

• Will start fights if the spell is considered offensive
• Damage is based on the mob's level, unless the spell specifies otherwise (i.e. Cadenza)
• Spells are affected by Choke and Magroll, and will be Reflected as appropriate
• Damage type is as expected
• Spell echo is the same as if cast by a player
• Spells are treated as if the mob has 75% ability, unless the mob has the Inept or Adept flags set
  • Spells will never fail to cast, however

Artifice

mob oload ####
hold foo
zap $n
mob junk foo

mob oload #### 0 W
use foo $n
mob junk foo

mob oload ####
recite foo $n

• Is aggressive if the spell is normally aggressive
• Damage is based on the item's level, allowing a mob to use stronger or weaker versions of spells
• Choke does not affect items, but Magroll does! Spells can be reflected.
• Damage type is as expected
• First, the mob will echo themselves using/reciting/drinking/etc the object, then the spell will echo as normal
  • If an artifice object only has one charge and isn't flagged noexplode, it will echo itself breaking as well
  • Unless it has the 'noecho' extra flag set
• Mobs are treated as having 75% artifice ability, so there is a failure chance (the Inept and Adept flags will affect this)
  • Setting the nochk flag on the item avoids this problem, without needing to flag the mob Adept
  • Only spells, and not skills, can be set on rods, wands, and staves
  • If you are having a mob load an event object like this you are probably being stupid

Off Flags

See Flags_Compendium#OFF_FLAGS for more information

• Only activate once already in combat -- aggro irrelevant
• Builder has much less control over how the mob uses them, but needn't waste a mobprog
• Skills are not affected by choke or magroll
  • but the mob DOES require movement points to use them, unlike 'mob skill'
• Damage type is as those skills normally deal
• Message to player is as normal for those skills
• Skills are treated as if at 75% ability, unless Inept or Adept are set

Dialogue Options

[ 1] Trigger [ACT     ] Program [ 100] Phrase [talks to you]
[ 2] Trigger [SPEECH  ] Program [ 101] Phrase [hatever the special is]
[ 3] Trigger [SPEECH  ] Program [ 102] Phrase [eperony and chease]

• Act progs should trigger on the phrase 'talks to you', which is what the 'talk' social shows to the target
• The missing first character is not a typo, but rather compensates for the player possibly not bothering to capitalize

100

say Hey what kind of pizza do you want?
mob echoat $n You think to yourself, 'Whatever the special is.'
mob echoat $n You think to yourself, 'Peperony and chease'

• The "thinking" lines are sent only to the player doing the talking.

101

if istarget $n
mob echoat $n {g$I{g says '{GLet someone else have a turn you loser!{g'{x
mob echoaround $n {g$I{g says '{GHey everyone, $Q is trying to get more pizzas!{g'{x
else
mob remember $n
say ORDER UP!
mob oload #### 0 R
mob force $n get pizza
endif

• The color codes on the echoat/echoaround lines simulate a normal 'say' command.
  • In this case, these are used to show different text to the speaking player than to other characters in the room

102

shriek
slap $n

Vnum Stacking

Many builders enjoy writing mobprog-heavy areas; this is encouraged, as it's part of the Cleft of Dimension's unique level of mobile interactivity. However, it's very easy to run out of mobprog vnums in a given area's vnum range, and it's inappropriate to siphon free progs from other areas.

One solution to this is 'vnum stacking', or using one program on many different mobs.

if vnum $i == 1004 
 say If you want to board the ferry, you'll have to give me your ticket first.
 break
endif
if vnum $i == 1013
 mob echoat $n The plump housecat meows at you.
 mob echoaround $n The plump housecat meows at $N.
 break
endif
if vnum $i == 1006
 say Do you need help?
 say If you're in need, let me 'heal' you.
 break
endif

This mobprog is set as the Act:"talks to you" prog for several different mobs, but only the portion that applies to each mob gets executed by that mob.

Beware of stacking complicated progs or over-stacking unnecessarily, as it makes debugging more difficult. He who confuses himself gets what he deserves.

Chibi-Devil

Mob Info

Short descr

a Chibi-Devil

Long descr:

A miniature devil flaps around here on tiny bat wings.

Description:

This little demon is almost cute. It is exactly like a devil but very small. It has small bat wings to flap around with, little nubby red horns, and even a miniature pitchfork. Chibi-devils love causing mischief for adventurers, and are not above swiping from their bags.

MOBPrograms for [ 9153]:
 Number Vnum Trigger Phrase
 ------ ---- ------- ------
[    0] 9154   GREET 30
[    1] 9161  RANDOM 5
[    2] 9155   SPAWN 100

Mobprogs

MPROG 9154 [GREET 30]

if align $n > 500
mob skill backstab $n
endif

This program executes 30 percent of the time whenever the chibi-devil sees someone enter the room. The $n variable is a shortcut for 'the person that triggered the program'. Basically, if the person's alignment is greater than 500, we backstab the poor sucker. This program is simple, but effective.

MPROG 9161 [RANDOM 5]

say Uee-hee-hee!

There is a 5% chance, every tick that the mob's not fighting, of this mob giggling out loud. (Random progs do not execute during fights)

MPROG 9155 [SPAWN 100]

mob oload 9165 1 W

This program executes every time the mob loads. It makes the mob load and wield a specific item (in this case, a pitchfork; a short piercing weapon so the mob can use backstab). This could also be accomplished with resets, but you can put random chances on a spawn prog.