Furyband Anti-magic field

[Theyli]

I'm playing a golem stonewright and I can't cast spells because I keep getting the message that my anti-magic field is preventing it; however, I can't figure out why I have one. Do golems generate them? It doesn't mention it under races.

[Derakon]

If you're wearing an amulet of antimagic or (IIRC) a darksword, or you have any training whatsoever in the Anti-Magic skill, then you can't cast spells.

[Theyli]

Antimagic

I have none of those things, nor did I skill antimagic. I ended up just suiciding.

[AnonymousHero]

The p_info.txt says:

R:R:1:-5
R:F:SEE_INVIS | HOLD_LIFE | RES_FIRE | SUST_STR 
            | RES_FEAR | SUST_CON | SLOW_DIGEST | SPEED | [b]ANTIMAGIC_50 | NO_MAGIC[/b]

under the Golem entry. So Golems have innate anti-magic. (Though I suspect the actual anti-magic field still requires pumping up the Antimagic skill, so it seems pretty pointless to me. I guess NO_MAGIC is something since it confers 95% or 100% saving throw.)

[Zop]

In regard to this problem, it seems either Golems should be able to cast magic, or their class selection should be limited to prevent this situation. I don't know the lore behind golems, other than the text file, so it seems like they should NOT have antimagic fields. What do you think?

[Carnivean]

In regard to this problem, it seems either Golems should be able to cast magic, or their class selection should be limited to prevent this situation. I don't know the lore behind golems, other than the text file, so it seems like they should NOT have antimagic fields. What do you think?

Golems are non-living creatures, without a soul. They're magical constructs powered by the instructions of their creator, ie robots before we invented machines and computers.

In general they should probably be non-magical due to either the lack of a soul or an inability to think outside their "programming".

[AnonymousHero]

In regard to this problem, it seems either Golems should be able to cast magic, or their class selection should be limited to prevent this situation. I don't know the lore behind golems, other than the text file, so it seems like they should NOT have antimagic fields. What do you think?

Well NO_MAGIC precludes any casting AFAIK, so they'd be screwed if even if you remove the field. Can't remember anything else of interest about the Golem class, so can't really offer any good advice, sorry.

I've been having a bit of a think about this kind of thing in my AH fork of the original ToME 2.3.x... I haven't come to any conclusions yet, but I'm starting to lean towards a model where Magic and Anti-magic are really just two different types (and opposed) types of magic. The "classic" Anti-magic model in T2.x (while extremely satisfying as you play(1) it, ultimately tends towards boring characters.(2)

(1) Who doesn't like walking slowly up to a Q or a Skull Druj and just bludgeouning it to death?

(2) The exception here would be characters who start with Possessor/Loremaster who get everything they need and then go Antimagic via Lost Sword quests.

[Derakon]

Golems are non-living creatures, without a soul. They're magical constructs powered by the instructions of their creator, ie robots before we invented machines and computers.

In general they should probably be non-magical due to either the lack of a soul or an inability to think outside their "programming".

That depends entirely on how you assume magic works. There's plenty of settings where magic can be performed merely by making the right invocations or rituals, no soul required. And for that matter, golems are innately magical creatures. And the Bone Golem and Bronze Golem enemies can cast plenty of spells.