I want to start a quest (AAABardMode) through the Story Manager whenever the player casts a particular spell (AAABardicPersuasion) on a hostile enemy. The magic effect on the spell calms the hostile target, and then the quest should start and the target should be forced into a quest alias with a ForceGreet package (AAABardPersuaded) that should have them initiate a dialogue topic (AAABardModeInitiate). Similar to how guards interrupt you after you cast a shout in town, I would think, but different in that it is not bound to a particular location and is initiated by the target of the player's spell, with conditions set so that it only works on humanoid player races (not dragons, monsters, etc).

I have the dialogue set up so that after the initial topic, the player has a choice between a number of different topics that produce different effects on the spell target, then the dialogue ends and the quest stops.

I added a quest node to the Story Manager under Cast Magic Event with my quest linked beneath; I ensured that the quest has the "Cast Magic Event" selected, and all the nodes above it are marked with "shares event." The condition for the quest node (AAABardModeNode) is set to

GetEventData, GetIsID, SpellForm, Spell: 'AAABardicPersuasion' == 1 Run on EventData: CastingActor

... which I feel should make the quest activate whenever that spell is successfully cast. It can only be cast directly on a single target within 10 feet (functions similar to simply talking to an NPC, at least in theory, but using the Powers key instead).

Although I can cast the spell and calm the target, the quest does not start. The NPC does not initiate the ForceGreet package that is aliased in the quest, they just wander around aimlessly until the spell wears off.

I would not be surprised if my conditions on the quest node are part of the problem, yet even when I remove those entirely the quest doesn't start when I use the spell (or any spell, which I thought it should since they would all activate the Cast Magic Event Story Manager Nodes). I am surely missing something, but am struggling to identify where my problem lies. The Story Manager is probably the most confusing part to me-- everything else seems to be properly set up, but any suggestions or advice from those experienced with these things would be greatly appreciated.