Auto-constrict?

[savageorange]

I was just trying a OpHe, and I accidentally bumped into a bat rather than pacifying it. It becomes constricted; I realize my mistake and heal it. Next turn it dies of constriction.

What I'm trying to say is I find that quite confusing. Is it so that one enemy can be constricted while you attack another? I certainly was only expecting constriction damage to continue if I continued to attack. What's the rationale here?

[Jabberwocky]

Yes you can constrict an enemy and attack a different enemy. To help explain how I think this works in game: a naga wraps its tail around you, cutting off your oxygen supply and bruising ribs, hurting you. Even if the naga then attacks a different adversary with its weapon, its tail would still be hurting you.
I think you could have released the bat just by stepping away from it.

[evilmike]

Constriction is always "automatic" this way, even for nagas. This means you can begin constriction, and then cast spells or something while the effect continues. In terms of gameplay, it's basically a damage over time effect that triggers on melee attacks, and only works on adjacent enemies.

What you ran into sounds more like an oversight to me. I think if you pacify an enemy (or enslave, I guess), it would make sense for constriction to automatically end.

[savageorange]

@Jabberwocky: Fair enough, and I agree I should have just stepped away.
@evilmike: That helps explain why it works like that on a gameplay/mechanics level, which I appreciate.
Actually the pacification failed, so for all I know that case is already handled.