'New' spells (again) from clones

[beowuuf]

*Puts false beard, nose and glasses on this post to disguise it as being similar to previous years' requests*

Decded to post remarks from the 'reassigning runes' thread to a new suggestion. Since i don't know how spells work exactly, then this might not work, but can we create 'new' spells by cloning old ones

It seems like there are only a few basic spells with properties that could maybe be altered (not counting the one-off spells)

Shields (currently party, fire)
Properties - attribute(s) raised
Bitmap - party indicators

Missile (currently fireball, lightning, des ew)
Properties - damage type done
Bitmap - missile views, explosion

Potions
Properties - x converts to y when x held in hand

Create item (zokathra)
Properties - put x on hand/floor

So you could have a 'ploughshears to swords' spell that clones any potion, and you change the 'converts to ' from 'empty flask => ku potion' to 'stick => sword
You could have a ful bomb spell by clonign zokathra, and changing 'zokathra' to 'ful bomb'

Also, not sure how poison cloud works, but could you clone it, and create say 'ethereal mist', where the missle graphic changes to look like des ew, the cloud bitmap changes to any graphic (smoke gets smaller, or fuzzy mist that gets fainter) and it does des ew type damage?

Aaaaaand, there are other object effects that could be used as a spell...suck as fluxcages (no purpose of course), teowand spellshield, fuse/disrupt from vorpal blade, calm...actually, any attack really could instead be assigned to a blank 'generate effect' spell....

[George Gilbert]

All this can now be done in V0.35