Wondering why your players are getting slaughtered by mobs using spellshields?

Right at the end of the one_hit() function in fight.c, find the following code:

if ( IS_AFFECTED( victim, AFF_BLADEBARRIER ) && !IS_AFFECTED( ch, AFF_BLADEBARRIER ) )
     retcode = damage(victim, ch, dam, skill_lookup( "blades" ));
if ( retcode != rNONE || char_died(ch) || char_died(victim) )
     return retcode;

if ( IS_AFFECTED( victim, AFF_FIRESHIELD ) && !IS_AFFECTED( ch, AFF_FIRESHIELD ) )
        retcode = damage(victim, ch, dam, skill_lookup( "flare" ));
if ( retcode != rNONE || char_died(ch) || char_died(victim) )
        return retcode;
    
if ( IS_AFFECTED( victim, AFF_ICESHIELD ) && !IS_AFFECTED( ch, AFF_ICESHIELD ) )
        retcode = damage(victim, ch, dam, skill_lookup( "iceshard" ));
if ( retcode != rNONE || char_died(ch) || char_died(victim) )
        return retcode;
    
if ( IS_AFFECTED( victim, AFF_SHOCKSHIELD ) && !IS_AFFECTED( ch, AFF_SHOCKSHIELD ) )
        retcode = damage(victim, ch, dam, skill_lookup( "torrent" ));
if ( retcode != rNONE || char_died(ch) || char_died(victim) )
        return retcode;
    
if ( IS_AFFECTED( victim, AFF_ACIDMIST ) && !IS_AFFECTED( ch, AFF_ACIDMIST ) )
      retcode = damage(victim, ch, dam, skill_lookup( "acidshot" ));
if ( retcode != rNONE || char_died(ch) || char_died(victim) )
      return retcode;
 
if ( IS_AFFECTED( victim, AFF_VENOMSHIELD ) && !IS_AFFECTED( ch, AFF_VENOMSHIELD ) )
         retcode = damage(victim, ch, dam, skill_lookup( "venomshot" ));
if ( retcode != rNONE || char_died(ch) || char_died(victim) )
         return retcode;

The dam variable being passed to damage() is still refering to the damage being dealt by the attacker. Therefore each of the shields is essentially reflecting back all the damage being dealt by the player each hit. Obviously this isn't a good thing (ex. a player using backstab will nearly kill themselves in the process). I changed each of the if-checks in the following way, now making a call to spell_smaug():

if ( IS_AFFECTED( victim, AFF_BLADEBARRIER ) && !IS_AFFECTED( ch, AFF_BLADEBARRIER ) )
    retcode = spell_smaug( skill_lookup( "blades" ), victim->level, victim, ch );
if ( retcode != rNONE || char_died(ch) || char_died(victim) )
    return retcode;

If someone sees a problem with this solution, feel free to reply.

I changed this also, but instead of just calling the spell for damage I just divide the value, like so:

if ( IS_AFFECTED( victim, AFF_FIRESHIELD ) && !IS_AFFECTED( ch, AFF_FIRESHIELD ) )
       retcode = damage(victim, ch, (dam/2), skill_lookup( "flare" ));

This way players will receive half the damage that they do when attacking a fireshield. I made similar adjustments to the other shields.

Just another way of dealing with this.

Cynshard

In looking at this and checking the stats of the various spells used, I'm led to conlclude Chrysaor's assessment is actually right. The damage values listed for the shield spells should not have been reflecting back collosall amounts of damage, and indeed the helpfiles for them imply "small" versions of the protective magic will be flung back on the attacker.

Simple solution then is to go with what Chrysaor suggests, and if the damage isn't suitable to your mud, tweak the spells to do different damage amounts. This can be done easily with the sset command and reduces the load on coders' time.