Elves assisting Drow in Alaron?

[Selveem]

This happened to my CG Dwarf that was attacked along the road by the bandit mentioned below.

A bandit wizard is here.
A merchant caravan is travelling along the road here.
A bandit wizard begins to chant.
You attack a bandit wizard as he gets within your weapon's reach.
You score a critical hit!
Your pierce nearly bisects a bandit wizard's abdomen.
A bandit wizard's guts spill all over the ground.
You weave out of the way of a bandit wizard's punch.

<100%hp 0m 95%mv>
A bandit wizard utters the words, 'abrazak'.
a bandit wizard's armor begins to glow softly as it is enhanced by a cantrip.

<100%hp 0m 95%mv>
You attack a bandit wizard as he gets within your weapon's reach.
Your pierce nearly bisects a bandit wizard's head.
A bandit wizard is stunned, but will probably recover.
You weave out of the way of a bandit wizard's punch.
A merchant caravan joins the battle!
You weave out of the way of a merchant caravan's punch.

<100%hp 0m 95%mv>
Your pierce nearly bisects a bandit wizard's left leg.
A bandit wizard is mortally wounded, and will die soon, if not aided.

<100%hp 0m 95%mv>
Your pierce nearly bisects a bandit wizard's chest.
A bandit wizard is DEAD!
As a bandit wizard falls, his purse spills on the ground.
You get 8 silver coins from the corpse of a bandit wizard.
You get 5 copper coins from the corpse of a bandit wizard.

<100%hp 0m 94%mv> l

You attack a merchant caravan as he gets within your weapon's reach.
With a sickening sound your pierce violently shreds a merchant caravan's chest.
a merchant caravan has a few small cuts.
A merchant caravan's punches you violently in your right leg.
A merchant caravan calls for a caravan guard to come and defend him.
A merchant caravan guard's punch violently beats your right arm.

<98%hp 0m 94%mv> Trade Way
N-Trade Way E-Plains S-Trade way W-Plains p\p
NE-Plains NW-Plains SE-Trade Way SW-Plains p@p
The road is clear of grass and heavily rutted from the passage of many p\-
wagons bearing their heavy loads. There are several potholes that you
must take care to avoid tripping in.
The sky is cold and cloudy and a cold northern gust blows.
Some bat droppings lie on the ground here. (perfect)
The spilled guts of a bandit wizard makes you lose your appetite. (superb)
The corpse of a bandit wizard is here. (superb)
A pool of spilled blood lies here. (superb)
a merchant caravan is here, fighting YOU!
a merchant caravan guard is here, fighting YOU!

<98%hp 0m 94%mv> flee
Plains
N-Plains E-Plains S-Trade Way W-Trade Way \pb
NE-The High Moor NW-Trade Way SE-Trade Way SW-Trade way |@p
The grass is long, almost up to your knees. There are no trees for \-\
miles around. You can hear the rustle of small creatures moving
through the grass around you.
The sky is cold and cloudy and a cold northern gust blows.
You flee from combat!

[Raona]

There are three "merchant caravan" NPCs in the game, but the ones you should encounter on the roads are flagged noassist and should not enter combat on anyone's behalf, they should only act in self-defense. I've confirmed that to be the case on the testport. There's a merchant caravan out of Silverymoon that is coded differently, but they should be staying within the city. Was this near Silverymoon? (perhaps one escaped?) Did other merchant caravans appear after the first one started attacking you?

[Athon]

If you look at his log, he is on the Trade Road. That would put him south of Waterdeep. Based off the locations of bandits and merchant caravans, my guess is this took place with the SECOND merchant caravan south of Waterdeep - right where the Trade Way makes the 90 degree turn and due east of Trollbark Forest. There is a merchant caravan there and a bandit wizard, both of which he encountered on the Trade Road.

[Nysan]

My druid, Trilev (TN), was just attacked by this "a merchant caravan guard". Trade Road, the right angle bend in the road, south of Daggerford. Bandit wizard attacks me, guard joins battle on bandit's side. I may be drifting, but I seem to remember concerns about this discussed months ago and someone mentioned the guards attacked based on alignment... could be wrong.

The area looks like...

PP\PB
PP\PP
FP\-\
FPPPP

Log:
---
Your crush beats a bandit wizard to a bloody pulp.
A merchant caravan guard joins the battle!
Your stone skin absorbs some of a merchant caravan guard's damage.
You duck under a merchant caravan guard's slask attack.
---

[Athon]

Nysan,

That is the exact area that I was guessing Selveem's attack took place. Now with your confirmation, I'll see if I can replicate it.

[Selveem]

There are three "merchant caravan" NPCs in the game, but the ones you should encounter on the roads are flagged noassist and should not enter combat on anyone's behalf, they should only act in self-defense. I've confirmed that to be the case on the testport. There's a merchant caravan out of Silverymoon that is coded differently, but they should be staying within the city. Was this near Silverymoon? (perhaps one escaped?) Did other merchant caravans appear after the first one started attacking you?

Yeah, most of the merchant caravans don't attack but the one I mentioned in this post was not far south of WD near where the road makes the dip past Daggerford I believe. When the merchant caravan assisted the bandit, the guard(s?) began to span to assist the merchant caravan who attacked me to assist the bandit.

This has since happened one other time nearer ZK, but I didn't copy it as I wasn't able to post to my own report until someone approved it. I could probably find it somewhere in my logs, though, if needed.

[Gorwin]

Has also attacked gorwin same spot just a bit south of daggerford,

[Brar]

He is getting payback for having stayed several days under his cart last week...

I know it's a useless post but well :p

[Raona]

Thank you for the map, and the additional details! That pins down a lot, but I'm still not able to reproduce the caravan becoming involved in combat. It is flagged as noassist, and in my testing it stays true to that, staying out of the fray. The key is to figure out under what conditions it does enter into combat, when it should not.

Complete logs of these fights, especially including who was present, might help. Is it safe to assume each of you have also fought bandits near this caravan and NOT had the caravan jump in? (That is, this doesn't happen every time?)

[Selveem]

Thank you for the map, and the additional details! That pins down a lot, but I'm still not able to reproduce the caravan becoming involved in combat. It is flagged as noassist, and in my testing it stays true to that, staying out of the fray. The key is to figure out under what conditions it does enter into combat, when it should not.

Complete logs of these fights, especially including who was present, might help. Is it safe to assume each of you have also fought bandits near this caravan and NOT had the caravan jump in? (That is, this doesn't happen every time?)

I do not believe it is every merchant caravan, just the two I've mentioned thus far.
I was alone. One time it happened to my CG Agnostic (but unfaithed) Dwarf and the other time it happened to my CN Human of Tempus faith who nearly tore everything limb from limb.

The log was exactly what I showed: the bandit attacked me while I was traveling, the merchant caravan assisted, the guard was spawned to protect the rowdy merchant.

[Nysan]

Trilev's fight was simple. I used no skills besides swinging his staff (autoattacks). He entered the road and the bandit wizard casted a spell. When Trilev responded with a swing, the merchant caravan guard attacked Trilev. Sorry I don't have the logs anymore.

[Raona]

Thanks to both of you, though I'm afraid I still can't see a pattern. If anyone else experiences this, please chime in (ideally with a log, optimally with a LOOK somewhere in there, which you can PM to me if you prefer).

[Deltheric]

I was recently training in the Golden Rose School against the dummies there, and below is a snippet of what happened:

You watch with pride as your magic missile hits a large training dummy!
a large training dummy has several minor wounds.
You watch with pride as your magic missile hits a large training dummy!
a large training dummy has several minor wounds.
A large training dummy ducks under your slashing attack.
A Gold Rose School guard joins the battle!
A Gold Rose School guard's punch nearly removes your right leg.

I was just wondering...should the guards there *really* be autoassisting the dummies? I'd think that maybe it *might* be reasonable for someone not guilded there ("Hey, these are for guild members to fight!"), but doesn't it seem logical that as far as guild members go, they'd be cool with them fighting the dummies and not hassle them? I mean, that's what the dummies are there for in the first place, right?

Thanks in advance for the consideration!

Del

[Selveem]

Your pierce minces a drow invader's left arm.
a drow invader is badly injured.
An elf joins the battle!
You attack an elf as he gets within your weapon's reach.
Your pierce nearly bisects a drow invader's left arm.
A drow invader's severed left arm falls to the ground!
a drow invader is bleeding freely.
An elf's skillfully lands a blow on your chest.
A tortured and withered male human joins the battle!
A drow invader ducks under A tortured and withered male human's slashing attack.
Nicholette joins the battle!
With a bonecrunching sound Nicholette's crush smashes a drow invader's chest.
Gorwin joins the battle!
Gorwin's slash minces a drow invader's right leg.

Goreign is CG.

This also happened once where an Elf assisted a Drow and attacked Jirak:

A drow invader is here.
The drow invader spots A tortured and withered male human and attacks.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's slash shreds A tortured and withered male human's left arm.
A drow invader begins to chant.

<{[91%hp] [82%mv]}>
A tortured and withered male human's slash lacerates a drow invader's head.
An elf joins the battle!
A tortured and withered male human's slash lacerates a drow invader's left leg.
An elf's punch violently beats A tortured and withered male human's head.

For the record, this does not _always_ happen:

A drow invader's slash slashes your chest.
A drow invader begins to chant.
An elf joins the battle!
With a sickening sound a drow invader's slash shreds your left arm.
An elf's punch pulverizes a drow invader's chest.

[Athon]

Just approved this post. I cannot merge this thread, but there are three threads regarding this situation:

Merchant caravans/guards assisting bandits on the roads;
Elves assisting the Drow in Alaron;
Guards assisting dummies in the Golden Rose school.

Can someone break down when this exactly happens? I need exact locations, alignments, any other conditions you can think of. Once that's done, I can file a Bugzilla.

[Athon]

Can we merge this thread with the Golden Rose School and Bandits thread as they are the same issue?

[Deltheric]

As far as alignment, NG. Exact location? I don't know another way to specify it other than the large dummies in the Gold Rose school in Berdusk (though it of course happens with dummies of all other sizes there, as well). I could maybe understand ICly if it were directed at chars not enrolled in the school ("Hey, these dummies are for training members of the school here!"), but otherwise, I'm at a loss. Don't know if that helps, but I hope it at least provides something! Thanks in advance!

[Nysan]

At least for this area, an easily solution would be flag against the guards wandering into the dummy rooms. *shrug*

[Harroghty]

Nysan: Yes, that's a an easy fix for that particular area, but the problem appears to be broader in spectrum. A merchant guard could attack anyone in a panic, but the elf and the school guard situation raise questions about the code that governs assisting in combat.

Athon: The relevant threads are here now in one place.

[Isolrem]

I can confirm this happened with a merchant caravan to me yesterday. Along with the other issues listed it seems like the noassist code may be worth looking into.