bandit / merchant - angry merchant... bug or intentional?

[killter]

I tried to save the merchant. The bandit lord attacked me, setting off a defensive attack (Coral Spray shield), which inflicted minor damage on the merchant. He's now aggro. Really?

I understand NPCs going aggro if you attack them, but in this case I'd think the merchant should 'know' I'm trying to save him (role playing wise). It wasn't an offensive AOE attack, but defensive. Any chance for a smarter NPC in this case, or is this intentional behavior 100% of the time? If I'd have known he'd go aggro I'd have moved.

(Not really a bug per se, and the current behavior is... understandable, just not exactly 'best case' imo). Didn't really know where to post this.

[kyuubee]

hm, just don't kill him and leave the floor, you still may get the shop

[Mankeli]

I understand NPCs going aggro if you attack them, but in this case I'd think the merchant should 'know' I'm trying to save him (role playing wise). It wasn't an offensive AOE attack, but defensive. Any chance for a smarter NPC in this case, or is this intentional behavior 100% of the time? If I'd have known he'd go aggro I'd have moved.

There are also about a hundred different ways one can unintentionally hurt escorts with similar things. I don't know if they are intentional or not but it would sure be cool if they were removed.

[Doctornull]

The most clever and low-risk* way to avoid aggro on the Merchant is to attack the left-most thief instead of talking to the Assassin Lord.


*) where "clever and low-risk" might mean cheaty if you aren't me