diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/actors.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/actors.cpp
index 1fd053cf3..5aa146093 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/actors.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/actors.cpp
@@ -262,8 +262,9 @@ void lotsofstuff(DDukeActor* actor, int n, int spawntype)
 {
 	for (int i = n; i > 0; i--)
 	{
-		int r1 = krand(), r2 = krand();	// using the RANDCORRECT version from RR.
-		auto j = EGS(actor->sector(), actor->int_pos().X, actor->int_pos().Y, actor->int_pos().Z - (r2 % (47 << 8)), spawntype, -32, 8, 8, r1 & 2047, 0, 0, actor, 5);
+		int r1 = krand();	// using the RANDCORRECT version from RR.
+		double r2 = zrand(47);
+		auto j = CreateActor(actor->sector(), actor->spr.pos.plusZ(-r2), spawntype, -32, 8, 8, r1 & 2047, 0, 0, actor, 5);
 		if (j) j->spr.cstat = randomFlip();
 	}
 }
@@ -5229,15 +5230,15 @@ void movefta(void)
 				{
 					if (badguy(act))
 					{
-						double px = ps[p].opos.X + (64 - (krand() & 127)) * maptoworld;
-						double py = ps[p].opos.Y + (64 - (krand() & 127)) * maptoworld;
+						double px = ps[p].opos.X - xyrand(64);
+						double py = ps[p].opos.Y - xyrand(64);
 						updatesector(DVector3(px, py, 0), &psect);
 						if (psect == nullptr)
 						{
 							continue;
 						}
-						double sx = act->spr.pos.X + (64 - (krand() & 127)) * maptoworld;
-						double sy = act->spr.pos.Y + (64 - (krand() & 127)) * maptoworld;
+						double sx = act->spr.pos.X - xyrand(64);
+						double sy = act->spr.pos.Y - xyrand(64);
 						// The second updatesector call here used px and py again and was redundant as coded.
 
 						// SFLAG_MOVEFTA_CHECKSEE is set for all actors in Duke.
@@ -5245,9 +5246,9 @@ void movefta(void)
 							(actorflag(act, SFLAG_MOVEFTA_CHECKSEEWITHPAL8) && act->spr.pal == 8) ||
 							(bcos(act->spr.ang) * (px - sx) + bsin(act->spr.ang) * (py - sy) >= 0))
 						{
-							int r1 = krand();
-							int r2 = krand();
-							canseeme = cansee({ sx, sy, act->spr.pos.Z - (r2 % (52 << 8)) * maptoworld }, act->sector(), { px, py, ps[p].opos.Z - (r1 % (32 << 8)) * maptoworld }, ps[p].cursector);
+							double r1 = zrand(32);
+							double r2 = zrand(52);
+							canseeme = cansee({ sx, sy, act->spr.pos.Z - r2 }, act->sector(), { px, py, ps[p].opos.Z - r1 }, ps[p].cursector);
 						}
 					}
 					else
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/funct.h b/source/games/duke/src/funct.h
index 72cd543a7..b7b752f62 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/funct.h
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/funct.h
@@ -171,7 +171,12 @@ int furthestangle(DDukeActor* snum, int angDiv);
 void getglobalz(DDukeActor* s);
 void OnEvent(int id, int pnum = -1, DDukeActor* snum = nullptr, int dist = -1);
 
-DDukeActor* EGS(sectortype* whatsect, int s_x, int s_y, int s_z, int s_pn, int8_t s_s, int8_t s_xr, int8_t s_yr, int s_a, int s_ve, int s_zv, DDukeActor* s_ow, int8_t s_ss);
+DDukeActor* CreateActor(sectortype* whatsect, const DVector3& pos, int s_pn, int8_t s_s, int8_t s_xr, int8_t s_yr, int s_a, int s_ve, int s_zv, DDukeActor* s_ow, int8_t s_ss);
+
+inline DDukeActor* EGS(sectortype* whatsectp, int s_x, int s_y, int s_z, int s_pn, int8_t s_s, int8_t s_xr, int8_t s_yr, int s_a, int s_ve, int s_zv, DDukeActor* s_ow, int8_t s_ss)
+{
+	return CreateActor(whatsectp, { s_x * inttoworld, s_y * inttoworld, s_z * zinttoworld }, s_pn, s_s, s_xr, s_yr, s_a, s_ve, s_zv, s_ow, s_ss);
+}
 
 void ceilingglass(DDukeActor* snum, sectortype* sectnum, int cnt);
 void spriteglass(DDukeActor* snum, int cnt);
@@ -240,4 +245,15 @@ void loadcons();
 void recordoldspritepos();
 void DrawStatusBar();
 
+inline double zrand(int spread)
+{
+	int r = krand() % (spread << 8);
+	return r * zmaptoworld;
+}
+
+inline double xyrand(int mask)
+{
+	return ((krand() % mask) - (mask << 1) - 1) * maptoworld;
+}
+
 END_DUKE_NS
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/spawn.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/spawn.cpp
index 9694126ff..b1c5d8885 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/spawn.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/spawn.cpp
@@ -45,11 +45,12 @@ BEGIN_DUKE_NS
 
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //
-// 
+// this creates a new actor but does not run any init code on it
+// direct calls should only be done for very simple things.
 //
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-DDukeActor* EGS(sectortype* whatsectp, int s_x, int s_y, int s_z, int s_pn, int8_t s_s, int8_t s_xr, int8_t s_yr, int s_a, int s_ve, int s_zv, DDukeActor* s_ow, int8_t s_ss) 
+DDukeActor* CreateActor(sectortype* whatsectp, const DVector3& pos, int s_pn, int8_t s_s, int8_t s_xr, int8_t s_yr, int s_a, int s_ve, int s_zv, DDukeActor* s_ow, int8_t s_ss)
 {
 	// sector pointer must be strictly validated here or the engine will crash.
 	if (whatsectp == nullptr || !validSectorIndex(sectnum(whatsectp))) return nullptr;
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ DDukeActor* EGS(sectortype* whatsectp, int s_x, int s_y, int s_z, int s_pn, int8
 	SetupGameVarsForActor(act);
 
 
-	act->set_int_pos({ s_x, s_y, s_z });
+	act->spr.pos = pos;
 	act->spr.cstat = 0;
 	act->spr.picnum = s_pn;
 	act->spr.shade = s_s;