Observer mode: Regarding EXP penalties in low+high lvl parties

[Poolbrain]

So this is my thoughts about what could be added to make RP across level differences possible as well as high level mentoring and avoid metagaming through stalking/scrying.

What: A mode that can be switched on and off to disable your ECL to be added to nearby parties as well as remove EXP income from slain monsters to said player.

How would it work: A player activating this mode will not have any effect on the group ECL of nearby parties when it comes to killing monsters and writs. Neither will the player gain exp from slain monsters.

The mode will automatically be cancelled if the player has a summon, attacks, gets attacked, uses spell or item during combat sequence. Making it impossible to re-activate the mode until combat sequence is over.

Crude script idea (I really don't know much about scripting, less so of how nwn scripts work):

While: observer mode= 1

Players addition to party ecl = 0 (or removed completely)

If: Player makes offensive action (throws a spell to initiate combat sequence/maybe there's a check to see if player is affecting a hostile creature with a negative effect?*), attacks, gets attacked, has summon, uses spell/ item during combat sequence: Observer mode = 0

Observer mode can only be activated outside of combat. (probably not hard to script, might just have it on the rest menu to enforce this)

Why a mode?: If it wasn't a mode and instead automatic while not participating in combat people would need to hurry to engage in fights to not lose EXP income from monsters. This won't change how people need to behave unless you want to observe.

With the mode you will be able to follow a party along, adding buffs, healing between fights, acting as a safety net incase things goes wrong without destroying the party's exp.

You will also be able to: Stalk, follow and scry on other players without this being metagamed by the stalked/scried players noticing a drop in their exp.

By having it only accessible on the rest menu we eliminate shenanigans with people dropping in and out of observer mode to cast crowd controll spells etc.

*Challenge: To make sure players don't find a loophole to affect hostile monsters before the fight begins. Example: Rogue throwing a grenade.

[Irongron]

This is a really good idea, and will help with stalking too.

Approved.

[Sincra]

Complex and fraught with potential for exploits.
Be warned if attempting this to make it watertight, especially if they're acting as a high level simply to keep people buffed with long dur mass haste or similar.