"rust monster" question

[Harloff]

Just had my first real encounter with a rustmonster (lost an ada battle axe not complaining since i can make that msyelf), but it made me thinking, and I ended up with a question: Do rust monsters affect equipment of shape changed persons. E.i. Skarp transform into a bear and uses his claws instead of his axe, the axe should therefor be out of harms way, but does the other equipment count as equiped or not. I mean he has some benifits from the equipment but he can no longer remove it.

[Leanthar]

Good question, I am not entirely sure. The script looks at 'equipped' items... when you are shifted in to a form I am not sure if nwn still assumes the other items are equipped in that form or not. My guess is no, but that would be up to a scripter to answer because it is just a guess on my part.

[Dorganath]

My understanding of the shifting code is that equipped items have their properties transferred to your creature's attributes (e.g. claw, skin), but they do not remain equipped in the mechanical sense of the word. This applies to weapons, armor, rings, etc.
  So, my guess is that a rust monster would not be able to destroy these items on a shifted PC, but that's something I'd have to test to be sure.

[Harloff]

*scratches his beard* If this work I will add a new title to Skarp-Heiden "rust monster killer extra ordinaire"