Hardcode18

From NWN1 Custom Content Guide

Issue

Summon limit of 1, though summons can have other summons/henchmen et al. Also NPCs cant use standard summon familiar/animal companion.
- Primogenitor Tuesday, 30 March 2004 06:44AM

Jasperre 17:58, 10 May 2004 (BST) The summon limit is only hardcoded within the engine via. the use of EffectSummonCreature(). Also, a NPC CAN use a summoned familiar/animal comapion, by the use of ActionUseFeat(), but it turns out to be a (totally valid) bat (Summon Familiar) or Badger (Summon Animal Companion) with no name. This is because the information for scuh things are stored on the characters .bic file, and NPC's don't have this ability to set them or edit them (and I wish they could!).

Reason for it being a Badger or Bat is they are the 0 entries in the approprate 2da files. Changes to the 2da files will change the things the NPC will summon.

Discussion

But changes to the 2da will change what ALL NPCs summon; could be useful if you're haking a mod for a custom setting where all mages -do- have the same familiar (see hen_familiar.2da)

Jasperre 00:28, 5 Aug 2004 (BST): Good point, actually. Bascically, if you wanted them to all use the eyeballs, simply making the eyeballs the 0 reference in hen_familiar.2da will make the NPC's, by default, summon them. The simpler workaround with a (supernaturally applied) summoned monster would probably be much easier for specific changes - noting that the game engine will be able to handle, for instance, when they disappear, following, and attacking as if they were a normal familiar. Making it supernatural should mean it never goes. Editing the script (nw_s2_familiar.nss) would allow this to be easily added.