NEVERWINTER NIGHTS- OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN GUIDE
By: HitNRunI95
www.leesux.com
rpg.leesux.com
hitnruni95@hotmail.com
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Technical Disclaimer: This guide is Copyrighted to the alias holder of
HitNRunI95 and should not be used without an affirming email from the
author, should not be directly linked without an affirming email from
GameFAQs.com, and should not be published in any case. Please stop
asking for my real name, unless you're interested in offering me a job.
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Real Disclaimer: This is my first guide, so bear with me.
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Note: Neverwinter Nights has a dynamic story. If I say something that
didn't happen to you, its not because I'm a newb, its because I did
something different. You're welcome to email me how it happened for
you, I'll check it out and make additions.
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Update 7/8/02: Finished Penninsula District. Guide now at 20 pages in
MS Word.
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Update 7/12/02: Finished Beggar's Nest. Guide now at 23 pages in MS
Word.
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Update 7/27/02: Finished Chapter 4. NOTE: Due to the email input of
readers, I've decided to go backwards and do Chapter 4, then 3, then 2.
I've also adjusted the recommended ranger stats. I somehow forgot about
the casting restrictions. D'oh. I have noted the suggestions on weapon
styles, henchmen, etc. Please send any more suggestions you like, I
will consider all of them. Guide now at 31 pages in MS Word.
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A.0 Introduction
B.0 Creating Your Character
Walkthrough Notes
0.0 Prelude
1.0 Chapter 1
.1 Peninsula
.2 Beggar's Nest
4.0 Chapter 4
.1 Walkthrough
.2 Quests
MORE TO COME PRESENTLY
A.0 INTRODUCTION (a.k.a. Blah Blah Blah)
The long awaited Neverwinter Nights is finally here, and you've come
looking for help. Obviously, the full experience of NWN stretches
infinitesimally away from the single player game, but that's what I'm
covering with this FAQ.
Why waste your time on the single player game when you can make your
own module? Well, first of all, not everyone has the confidence for
such an undertaking as creating a module from scratch. Second, nine-
tenths of those who have confidence are going to make some really,
really bad modules. Third, as of right now (early July '02), only the
default tile and character sets are available- a limited selection, to
say the least. Fourth, as either a player or designer, you're much
better off having played an actual, professionally made game with the
Aurora Toolset before you venture into the world of MODs. I just played
a MOD that was released not a week after NWN shipped- really, really
bad.
Anyway, I've blown the last week and a half or so of my life on the
single player campaign playing a ranger with a few levels in rogue, and
now I'm going to blow some more time playing through as a Wizard, with
some levels in whatever-I-feel-like. This guide will combine the
current experiences of my wizard character with my recollection of
doing the same areas as a ranger. This will give us a good blend of
melee and magical points of view.
Without further ado, behold the observations recorded from the
adventures of the ranger Albatross the Regarded and the wizard
Kellindra the Preeminent.
B.0 CREATING YOUR CHARACTER (a.k.a. I got a level 56 necromancer!)
Now is a good time to explain two things.
MODIFIERS: +2, -3, etc. This is a modifier to one of your character's
skills or ability scores. The computer randomizes a number, or sort of
rolls a twenty-sided dice, whenever you perform a skill. Whatever
bonuses or penalties you have gets added or subtracted to the roll. If
the total number is higher than the Difficulty Class (DC) of whatever
you're trying to do, then you succeed. If the number is lower, you
fail.
Let's say I wanted to pick a lock. This particular lock is DC 15. I
have a +3 in Open Lock. So when I pick the lock, the computer rolls a
twenty-sided dice and comes up with a 13. 13 plus my +3 in Open Lock
equals 16. 16 is higher than the DC of 15, so I would succeed. In non
combat situations, your character automatically "takes twenty" and the
roll of your dice is automatically its highest (twenty). So outside of
battle, I would succeed automatically (Twenty plus three is higher than
15.)
FAVORED CLASS: In Neverwinter Nights, your character can have up to
three classes simultaneously. Some classes, like Paladin and Monk, can
not be accessed if you do not have the proper alignment. Taking more
than one class can cause a penalty to how much experience you gain- the
larger the discrepancy of level between classes, the larger the
penalty. The exception to this problem is the Favored Class.
All of the races except Human and Half-Elf prefer a certain class, and
that class does not count toward the exp penalty. Humans and Half-Elves
are free to choose their own favored class- their highest level class
is considered their favored class. Each race's favored class is listed
below, inside their description. And now, we get into the meat of
character creation.
B.1 GENDER
The first part of creating your character is the least important as far
as power-gaming goes and the most important as far as roleplaying goes:
your gender.
Gender has no impact on any quality of your character, and its only
effect on the game is whether the text says "man" or "woman" and which
prostitutes you're allowed to hire. Go civil equality or whatever.
B.2 RACE
Part two is an aesthetic, gaming, and roleplaying choice, all in one.
If you get confused, you should probably just stick with a human.
HUMANS are the first choice and the best for those new to Dungeons and
Dragons. They get skills quicker than the other races and can excel in
any role. They incur no bonuses or penalties to their statistics. Their
favored class is their highest level class- they don't have to worry
about experience penalties unless they take out three classes. They get
one extra skill point each level, and four extra at level one. They
also get an extra feat at level one.
ELVES are slim and quick, but not quite as tough as the other races.
This is reflected in their +2 bonus to Dexterity, and their -2 to
Constitution. Reasons to pick them include their immunity to sleep
spells, their +2 defense against mind-affecting spells, and their +2
bonus to Spot, Listen, and Search checks. They can also Search at full
capability without activating Detect Mode, which humans must slow down
to use. Elves are also proficient at using longswords, longbows,
shortbows, and rapiers- this is not quite as cool as it sounds, since
most classes are proficient with these and more automatically. Their
favored class is wizard- see explanation under B.0
HALF-ELVES take bonuses from both Humans and Elves, and penalties from
neither. They can choose their own favored class and have no anomalies
in their ability scores, like Humans. From their elven parent, they
have a +1 bonus to Listen, Spot, Search, and they are immune to sleep.
They do not develop as sharply as humans, nor do they have the
dexterity of elves- but they have no penalty to constitution, either.
DWARVES are built to fight. With a +2 to constitution and a -2 to
charisma, their time is best spent in the more basic forms of
discourse. They get a +4 bonus to searching in subterranean areas (and
virtually all traps are underground) and a +2 to lore checks, which can
save you money. They get a +2 to saving throws vs. spells, and a +2 to
saves against poison. Top that off with a +1 against orcs and
goblinoids and a +4 Armor Class bonus against Giants, and you have a
race that is well bred for the trenches. Their Favored Class, of
course, is Fighter- see under B.0 for data on Favored Classes.
HALFLINGS are small, quick beings that lack the brute force of the
bigger races. This is reflected in their +2 to dexterity and -2 to
strength. Their list of bonuses is quite comprehensive, and includes a
+1 to attack and AC for being a small race, a +4 to hide, a +2 to
Listen and Move Silently, and a +1 to throwing weapons. This makes them
ideal rogues, which is their Favored Class. (See B.0) They also have a
+2 bonus against Fear Effects, which are more common than you might
think.
GNOMES are also small, but where a Halfling is quick, a gnome is tough
and gnarly. They get a +2 to constitution, but a -2 to strength, a
setup ideal for spellcasting (Mages need the hitpoints gleaned from
constitution, but are not as reliant on attack bonus.) They also have a
large list of modifiers, including a +1 to attack and AC and a +4 to
hide for being small, a +2 against illusion spells, a +1 against
Reptilians and Goblinoids, a +4 AC against giants, and a +2 to Listen
and Concentrate. They also start with a spell focus in Illusion, making
spells of that type stronger and harder to resist. Their Favored Class
is Wizard, mostly because BioWare adjusted the D&D specialist system to
fit their house rules, as will be mentioned later.
Finally, HALF-ORCS are large, strong, stupid, strong, ill-mannered,
strong, and brutish. They get a +2 to strength, but a -2 to both
intelligence and charisma. This may seem like a bit much, but few Half-
Orc characters are very reliant on those statistics anyway. Half-Orcs
have only the above modifiers and a Favored Class to separate them from
Humans- unsurprisingly, that class is barbarian.
B.3 PORTRAIT
I'd tell you that this has absolutely no affect on the game at all, but
you probably already know that. You can make your own portrait by
cutting an image to the appropriate dimensions and pasting it into your
Portraits subfolder in your Neverwinter Nights folder.
B.4 CLASS
One frequent concern on the GameFAQs forum I've heard is just how
balanced the classes are. Posters hearken back to other RPGs where one
class is dominant and to pick another class is to gimp oneself.
The Neverwinter classes, as I've experienced and observed them, are
fine. Playing a Warrior class offers more reliable damage. Playing a
Magi offers the high-impact spells. Healers can heal, and still hold on
(albeit tenuously) in melee. Rogues have 72% fewer headaches than the
other classes outside of combat.
The beauty of NWN is teamwork- even in the single player campaign,
you'll have henchmen and (maybe) animals and familiars to back you up
and cover the areas in which you are weakest. Just remember that
BioWare has tuned the class rules (among other things) to match their
personal preferences- D&D Wizards who normally specialize may want to
stick to the main path this time around.
Details on what you should do with your stats depending on what class
you are can be found in section 2.6, Abilities.
BARBARIAN- (Must not be lawful) You can't keep a good savage down.
Barbarians are the toughest class in the game to drop, with a 12 +
constitution bonus in hitpoints per level. This means Dwarven and even
Gnomish (hah!) barbarians are bone chillingly tough, taking all the
punishment you can dish out and more. They don't put out the damage a
fighter might with all his bonus feats, but the above example isn't
even considering the Barbarian Rage, which gives them a +4 to strength
and constitution and +2 to Will saves. (Later, you get Greater Rage,
which gives +6 to your stats and +4 to Will saves.) Its only downside
is that you lose 2 AC, becoming easier to hit. Barbarians are also
faster by 10% than other classes, starting from the very beginning.
They also have faster reactions than other classes, getting to keep
their Dexterity bonus to their AC even when surprised, and with all
kinds of bonuses to their Reflex saves to avoid traps. If that isn't
enough, they also gain damage reduction in later levels, and get to
shrug off light damage starting at level 11.
BARD- (Must not be lawful) The traveling minstrel, bards have a little
bit of everything and know a little bit more. I won't describe them
with the favorite cliche- D&D fans know what I'm talking about. But
suffice it to say that Bards have some skill in infiltration, potential
to become half-decent combatants, six levels of arcane spells, and a
song ability that raises the performance of all allies within thirty
feet once per day according to such a comprehensive bonus chart that I
don't feel like detailing it here. They also have a great Lore ability,
which will save you a ton of dough in Identify fees. They're not quite
as tough in melee, with a hit-die of 6+ constitution bonus.
CLERIC- The consummate healer, clerics glean spells (mostly of the
support type) from their deity and can put up a half-decent fight in
melee. Their damage spells aren't that bad either, but they're best at
stunning and turning undead in combat. Harm is the exception, being one
of the most powerful spells in the game. A cleric's armor class tends
to be higher than other casters as well, because armor interferes with
neither their ethos nor their spellcasting. Just to round off what they
do best, clerics can substitute a basic healing spell for any memorized
spell of the same level. They can take a decent amount of hits, with 8+
constitution bonus per level.
DRUID- (Must be partially neutral) An alternative to Cleric as a
healer, druids are not quite as good at healing as the former but have
a wide array of nature skills and spells to make up for this.
Basically, they lack the instant-substitution abilities of a cleric but
instead have some very mage-like attack spells and a familiar to boot.
They have a host of nature abilities they share with rangers, including
a +2 to attacks in the wilderness, +4 to stealth in the wilderness, and
a nifty immunity to movement-stopping spells. At fifth level they can
transform into an animal and at sixteenth level they can transform into
an elemental. After ninth level, they're immune to poison. They can
take a decent amount of hits, with 8+ constitution bonus per level.
FIGHTER- The quintessential dungeon crawler class, fighters are tough
enough to take the hits and strong enough to dish them out, with 10+
constitution modifier hitpoints per level. They have the best field of
feats for most melee styles (rangers make better dual wielders) and get
more feats than any other class. Every two levels, they can pick an
extra feat, in addition to the feats that all classes receive every few
levels. They are also the only class that offers the Weapon
Specialization feat, which gives a +2 damage bonus to the favored
weapon.
Many characters that attack in melee will want to take a level or two
of fighter later on, to get appropriate combat feats. This is fine, but
remember that you must remain devoted to some classes to continue
advancing in them, and some races will incur penalties to their
experience for this.
MONK- (Must be lawful) Fast, strong, tough, and disciplined, D&D Monks
combine the rigorous lifestyle of Western monks with the self
advancement of Eastern monks (not to mention the armory of Eastern
monks) to make a daunting fighting machine that can riddle you with
penalties in the blink of an eye, while being immune to half of what
you dish out. Their 8+ constitution hitpoints per level lets them take
a decent amount of hits, but their ability to add their Wisdom modifier
to their armor class means they don't have to. Monks have the largest
list of abilities in the game, including Flurry of Blows, the ability
to go faster than even barbarians, immunity to common diseases at level
five, the ability to heal oneself at level seven, the ability to
transform his hands into a magical weapon at level ten, immunity to
poison at level eleven, high magic resistance at level twelve, the
chance to deliver one-hit death at level fifteen, 50% concealment at
level eighteen, and immunity to mind spells and a damage resistance of
20/+1 at level twenty. Whew.
PALADIN- (Must be Lawful Good) Symbol of virtue and righteousness, the
paladin is a fighter that sacrifices his cousin's extra feats for
spells and favor from his god. His spell list is very cleric-like
(without healing substitution, of course) and his list of special
abilities is half as daunting as the above monk, which is saying
something. Paladins are as proficient as fighters in combat to start-
all armor and simple, martial weapons. From level one, the paladin is
favored with the ability to add their charisma bonus to all saving
throws, and is completely immune to disease from the start. Paladins
also have their trademark Lay Hands skill, which heals (charisma bonus
* paladin level) in hitpoints once per day. They are immune to fear
from level two and can also Smite Evil at level two, which adds their
charisma bonus to their attack roll and their paladin level to their
damage roll once per day. They can turn undead at level three, and can
remove disease from their friends at level three. Paladins can take
most of what evil can dish out with 10 + constitution modifier
hitpoints.
D&D fans should note that falling out of the Lawful Good alignment does
not permanently deactivate the paladin class- getting back to Lawful
Good reinstates your ability to continue on the Paladin's path. More
house rules, BioWare?
RANGER- Quick, stealthy, hard to hit and hitting hard, rangers are
fighters of the countryside and, I must admit, my favorite class so
far. Getting Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting feats automatically
at level one, they're the masters of melee damage, though they're
heavily restricted in armor choice. (Rangers must wear light armor to
keep their automatic feats.) They also have a +4 to stealth in the
wilderness and a bonus against their favorite (or least favorite)
enemies that accumulates and applies to more enemies every five levels.
(Pick Human, then Monstrous Humanoid or Giant, then Lizard.) Besides
his animal companion available at level six, (pick Bear or Panther)
there isn't much else to say. When you whip out your flaming longswords
and rip up a Very Difficult foe in a few rounds, you'll like rangers
too.
Rangers are best complemented with a level of fighter to get their
weapon specialization and possibly rogue, if you aren't using Tomi or
another rogue in your party. Of course, only Human rangers can do this
without taking a penalty to experience. (Dwarven rangers can take the
Fighter level, Halfling rangers can take the rogue)
ROGUE- Sneaky and observant, everyone who is allowed to is going to
want a level of rogue. No lie. Most people realize this about the time
they stumble over their 452nd trap and have to go retrieve their
henchman for the 185th time that day. Rogues are not that bad on their
own, with an extra 1d6 Sneak Attack every two levels when the enemy
isn't looking. (Even when the enemy is staring right at you, you'll
still get sneak attacks left and right. Who knows?) They also get every
dodge and evasion feat automatically, plus a handful of once-a-day
attacks every three levels from level ten. There's Crippling Strike,
which deals two points of strength damage on a sneak attack,
Opportunist, which gives a +4 to attacks of opportunity, the ability to
"Take 20" even when in combat, two chances to save vs. mind affecting
spells, or defensive roll, which lets you make a Reflex save vs. damage
dealt each time you are about to be killed. With 6+ constitution
hitpoints per level, rogues are best suited to relying on their sneak
attack, rather than charging into the fray. As mentioned before, every
character that can should get a level or two in rogue and pour all
their points into disable traps and Search (if your class isn't skilled
in searching) or Open Lock (if your class is skilled in searching.)
SORCERER- Full of fireballs and acid arrows, sorcerers are unmatched in
terms of dealing out damage. Unlike a wizard, when a sorcerer hits you
with a fireball, you don't mop your brow in relief if you and your
assistants all save...you prepare for the next fireball, and the next
fireball, and the next fireball. Sorcerers have to shortchange
themselves on support spells to get this kind of power, (in fact, a
sorcerer can shortchange their offense for their support spells, if
they wish- this example is merely an offensive sorcerer) but the
results can be devastating, giving the caster the ability to cast his
favorite spells again and again, without the day's notice a wizard
needs. Sorcerers also get a familiar from level one- this writer
recommends the panther.
WIZARD- Holding their cards tight and keeping their poker face up,
every wizard is different. They have the potential to be roughly as
destructive as their sorcerous cousins, but they are bound by lack of
foreknowledge and a much larger variety of spells to choose from. This
is not so much of a limitation- if a situation gets out of control,
simply load the game and memorize more appropriate spells before wading
back in. In the meantime, you enjoy the widest variety of spells in the
game. Everything from the big damage to the shield spells to the magic
shield spells to the stat buffs to the Identify and Invisibilities and
more are yours to command, as long as you have a little foresight.
Wizards also get a familiar from level one- this writer recommends the
panther.
SPECIALIST WIZARD- Well, I've been hinting at it, and here it is. The
second most intrusive house rule from BioWare (and there are some
doozies) in the otherwise wonderful experience of Neverwinter Nights.
Two odd years ago (summer 2000), Wizards of the Coast released their
3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons rules. Among the improvements were the
well thought-out specialist wizard rules, which transcended the rival-
school system of 2nd edition and evolved into a sort of point-buy
system. For example, under the old rules if you wanted to be an Evoker
you had to drop all Enchantment spells from your repertoire, because
Enchantment was the opposing school of magic to Evocation. Your reward
was an extra spell per level. There were no limitations on which spells
you picked- thus, there were Necromancers with no Necromancy spells
memorized, who had specialized just to get that extra spell. Under the
new rules, (which supposedly govern NWN) to play an Evoker you could
sacrifice any of the following combinations: (1) Conjuration (2) any
two of from: Abjurations, Enchantment, or Illusion (3) any three
schools. This gave a lot of leeway in character variety- each
specialist was different and you didn't have to lose a second favorite
school if you didn't want to. Also, the new rules entailed actually
HAVING A SPELL memorized FROM YOUR SCHOOL each level, so Necromancers
could be expected to actually cast necromancy.
BioWare has set gaming back a few years, however. Under their house
rules, (which seem to be heavily and heavy-handedly incorporated into
NWN) we're back to the old Rival Schools system. Also, there is no
memorization requirement, so we're back to evoking Necromancers. Oh
well. Anyway, the facts of specialization are as follows. Keep in mind
that you are not required to memorize a spell of your perferred type.
Abjuration is the magic of defense. Abjurers cannot cast Conjuration.
Conjuration is the magic of summoning. Conjurers cannot cast
Transmution.
Divination is the magic of sensing and detecting. Diviners cannot cast
Illusion.
Enchanment is the magic of...enchanting. Enchanters cannot cast
Illusion.
Evocation is the magic of..well, damage. Evokers cannot cast
Conjuration.
Illusion is the magic of trickery and light. Illusionists cannot cast
Enchantment.
Necromancy is the magic of life and death. Necromancers cannot cast
Divination.
Transmutation is the magic of change. Transmuters cannot cast
Conjuration.
Specialization is, of course, optional. You can remain a normal wizard
with all powers intact. Personally, I perfer Illusionist, because I
don't much care for the enchantment spells in NWN, but you might like
them. First time wizards should probably play straight wizards.
2.5 ALIGNMENT
Your alignment is only important in a roleplaying sense. As for the
gaming part, it only determines which classes from a short list are
closed to you.
Paladin- must be Lawful Good.
Monk- must be Lawful.
Bard- must not be Lawful.
Barbarian- must not be Lawful.
2.6 ABILITIES
And here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for. The largest
violation of the player in Neverwinter Nights. After this, the game
rules. But first, we must contend with- THE STAT SYSTEM.
There are six statistics in Neverwinter Nights. When you're done
adjusting them, they should all be 10.
Seriously, the limitations placed on your statistics (which govern
every skill and facet of the game) are a harsh thing. Raising any stat
above 13 causes the game to explode and quickly suck away your reserves
so you're either left with a character sporting all 12s and 13s or a
character completely crippled with one stat for being above average
with another.
To make it worse, dropping ANY stat below ten is disastrous in the
single player campaign. Characters with nine intelligence (Nine! One
below average), dey speek like dis. Me ogur! Me have nine inteljense.
Me speek bad. Me get zeerow skil poynts per level. Characters with nine
strength can't hit a paralyzed frost giant. Characters with nine
constitution get killed in melee by pixies. Characters with nine
dexterity can't avoid the swing of a paralyzed frost giant, nor can
they hit one with a missile weapon. Characters with nine charisma never
get bonuses in conversations, have to sell their newbie weapon and
armor to afford a glass of ale, and get cursed out by passer-bys. The
closest thing to an expendable is wisdom, (it gives you conversation
insights, letting you say witty things) but paladins, rangers, clerics,
and druids all need it. Also, dissing wisdom drops your Will save, and
who wants that?
Luckily, you get all kinds of stat-increasing items from chapter two
on. So just make an average character for now, with slight advantages
here and there- you get to augment them later. What about my modules,
you ask? Well, yes, your modules are bound by the same rules. Luckily,
there are override codes the DM can use to set statistics- these can be
found in your instruction manual.
Strength- Governs your melee attack bonus (how often you hit) and
damage, and how much you can carry.
Constitution- Governs your Fortitude save and HITPOINTS. 'Nuff said.
Dexterity- Governs your missile attack bonus and damage, and Armor
Class. (Most armors have a restriction on how much Dexterity bonus you
can use while wearing the armor. No more unhittable elves in plate from
the not-so-glory days of 2nd edition.) The Weapon Finesse feat lets you
use your dexterity for melee attack bonus and damage for small weapons,
so small-weapon-warriors don't have to max out strength if they don't
want to. Dexterity also governs most rogue skills.
Intelligence- Governs your skill points per level, and what level/how
many arcane spells you can cast as a wizard. Also governs speech
impediments (keep it above nine, unless you're a half orc.)
Wisdom- Governs your Will save, what level/how many divine spells you
can cast, your Lore, and some conversation "Insights." Definetely
expendible in most multiplayer MODS, less expendable in single player.
Charisma- Governs your Persuade skill, which gets you more reward from
conversations, and governs the prices merchants charge you. Governs
what level/how many arcane spells you can cast as a sorcerer or bard.
So what stats should you raise? Don't worry, I've got your answers
here. REMEMBER TO DISREGARD any notices from BioWare suggesting you
click the recommended button. The very act of reading this FAQ raises
you above the level of Abject Newbie, so don't worry. You're in good
hands. The suggestions below every class will suggest how many points
you should raise each stat. The number in (parentheses) is what the
adjusted stat will be if the character is human.
Barbarian- As with most melee classes, you'll need strength to hit
things, constitution to take hits. Barbarians who want to fight with
medium or light armor will also want high dexterity for their armor
class, while those aspiring to heavier platemail may want to leave it
average. Intelligence and Wisdom are both partially expendable- if
you're a half-orc, you should ditch Intelligence. (levelling it up to
thirteen would be more trouble than its worth.) All other races may
want to drop wisdom, as intelligence gives combat feats, and barbarians
are all about combat. Charisma is vaguely important for all classes,
but shouldn't be boosted too high- you need the points for your more
vital stats.
A good setup might be Str +6 (14), Dex +6 (14), Con +7 (15), Int +5
(13), Wis +0 (8), Cha +5 (13). Half-Orcs may want to switch
intelligence and wisdom.
Bard- Bards really have it rough. They need almost every stat- Strength
to hit, constitution to take hits, dexterity to dodge, (bards in heavy
plate can't cast spells) charisma for their spells and song, and
intelligence for their rogue skills. Only wisdom (ironically enough) is
expendable, but gimping it would hamper the largest advantage of a
bard- Lore. Basically, you're going to have to decide what kind of Bard
you want to be- melee or magic - and work on that. One loophole you
have is the Weapon Finesse feat, which lets you use your dexterity
bonus instead of strength for light weapons- you could gimp strength
and pour the extra into dexterity.
I'm not going to even attempt to suggest bard stats, since you should
be experienced in NWN (or at least D&D) before attempting to play one.
Try to have at least 16 Charisma, or prepare to wear some nymph cloaks.
Cleric- You'll need high Wisdom for spells, and constitution to take
hits. Strength is also important, especially in single player when
you're not part of a whole party. Dexterity is less important, as most
clerics wear encumbering armor anyway. Charisma is vaguely important
for all classes, but shouldn't be boosted too high- you need the points
for your more vital stats.
A nice setup might be Str +4 (12) Dex +4 (12) Con +7 (15) Int +2 (10)
Wis +8 (16) Cha +4 (12)
Druid- You'll need high Wisdom for spells, and constitution to take
hits. Strength is sort of important, but you have damage spells to back
you up if you decide to leave it average. Dexterity is quite important,
as you need it to make up for your ethos that permits you from wearing
anything heavy. Intelligence can be gimped, if you want- keep it above
nine though (sigh) as your character will become illiterate if it dips
into the single digits. Charisma is vaguely important for all classes,
but shouldn't be boosted too high- you need the points for your more
vital stats.
A good idea might be Str +2 (10) Dex +8 (16) Con +4 (12) Wis +5 (16)
Int +2 (10) Cha +2 (10)
Fighter- Most fighters will need Strength to hit things (with small
weapons and the weapon finesse feat, you can use your Dexterity) and
Constitution to take hits. Dexterity, an old must-have from Baldur's
Gate and 2nd edition, is unecessary for fighters who hope to have heavy
armor- most heavy plate armors max your dexterity bonus at one. Wisdom
is an expendable, as the only dowsides for losing it are your Will Save
and occasionaly Conversation insights. Charisma is vaguely important
for all classes, but shouldn't be boosted too high- you need the points
for your more vital stats. RAISE YOUR INTELLIGENCE TO 13. My largest
regret from my first character was his low (10) intelligence. I forgot
you needed 13 intelligence to perform a good number of combat feats,
such as disarm. Intelligence also gives you extra skillpoints each
level, and skillpoints are at a premium for fighters.
A good fighter setup might be Str +7 (15) Dex +4 (12) Con +7 (15) Wis
+2 (10) Int +3 (13) Cha +3 (11)
Monk- Monks are in nearly as tight a boat as Bards, but they don't need
to worry about spellcasting. They need decent strength for attack bonus
and damage, constitution to stand up in melee, and dexterity and wisdom
for armor class (pooling these statpoints to one or the other causes
the game to devour your stat pool in moments). Charisma is vaguely
important for all classes, but shouldn't be boosted too high- you need
the points for your more vital stats.
A good monk combo might be Str +6 (14) Dex +6 (14) Con +6 (14) Wis +6
(14) Int +2 (10) Cha +4 (12)
Paladin- Paladins have a lot of ground to cover as well, utilizing
Strength to hit and damge, Constitution to take hits, Charisma for
their skills (especially Lay Hands), and a little Wisdom and Dexterity
for spells and Armor Class, respectively. Intelligence should be kept
average for speech purposes and skillpoints. Wisdom is NOT as much of a
necessity as Paladins don't cast that many spells anyway- a +1 bonus
will do just fine.
An appropriate setup might be Str +6 (14) Dex +4 (12) Con +6 (14) Wis
+1 (12) Int +2 (10) Cha +7 (15)
Ranger- Rangers need Strength to hit and damage, Dexterity for their AC
(most rangers wear light armor to keep their two-weapon fighting feats)
and constitution for hitpoints. They need thirteen intelligence to get
the most out of their combat feats. They can actually skimp a bit more
than most people might think in Wisdom- Ranger spells are only used on
special occasions anyway, such as elmental resistance when fighting a
dragon or Cat's Grace at a boss. Take this advice firsthand from
someone who has beat the game with one and looks back with regret-
leave your wisdom at 11, and boost intelligence to 13. Charisma is
vaguely important for all classes, but shouldn't be boosted too high-
you need the points for your more vital stats.
My ideal ranger is Str +6 (14) Dex +6 (14) Con +6 (14) Wis +3 (13) Int
+5 (13) Cha +2 (10)
Rogues can skimp on strength if they want to use smaller weapons- just
take the weapon finesse feat, and you can use dexterity in place of
strength for daggers, short swords, rapiers, and more. This is good,
because you need dexterity anyway for Armor Class, because you can't
excel in anything heavier than light armor. You need constitution for
hitpoints. Wisdom should be kept average, so as not to gimp your Will
save and conversational insights. Intelligence is important- it
determines skillpoints per level, which a rogue depends on. Charisma is
vaguely important for all classes, but shouldn't be boosted too high-
you need the points for your more vital stats.
A nice rouge is Str +2 (10) Dex +8 (16) Con +6 (14) Wis +2 (10) Int +6
(14) Cha +4 (12)
Sorcerers cast spells through their charisma, which they'll need a good
amount of. They can use a good amount of dexterity, as they cannot wear
armor without a penalty to arcane spells. Strength is not quite
essential, but constitution is important for hitpoints. Wisdom should
be kept average, and a bonus to intelligence helps with skillpoints and
the spellcraft skill.
A good sorcery set is Str +2 (10) Dex +6 (14) Con +6 (14) Wis +2 (10)
Int +4 (12) Cha +5 (16)
Wizards need intelligence to cast their spells, and should have a
decent amount of it. They can use a good amount of dexterity, as they
cannot wear armor without a penalty to arcane spells. Strength is not
quite essential, but constitution is important for hitpoints. Wisdom
should be kept average. Charisma is vaguely important for all classes,
but shouldn't be boosted too high- you need the points for your more
vital stats.
A solid wizard has Str +2 (10) Dex +6 (14) Con +6 (14) Wis +2 (10) Int
+5 (16) Cha +4 (12)
2.7 PACKAGES
Looking at the package screen would suggest that you only have a few
choices, viewable on the left hand side, for what skills and feats you
want. Almost everyone, even complete newbies, are going to want to
click the Configure Packages button, convieniently hidden at the bottom
center. Disregard any notices from BioWare strongly suggesting you
click "Recommended". They're the ones that came up with that godawful
stat system, after all.
Avoid the Healing skill, as you'll find more than enough potions
throughout the single player game to keep your hitpoints up. Rogues
should get the weapon finesse feat, unless they've brought their
strength up and/or plan to use medium weapons. Every class that has
Search as a class skill should level Search up, and all excess points
should be put into Search and Disable Trap. Many characters may even
consider taking a level of rogue (those characters that can, anyway) to
level these up, as they are important.
2.8 CUSTOMIZE
You don't need me for this. Have fun.
---WALKTHROUGH NOTES---
Save often.
If you get a valuable item from a chest, chances are loading it and
reopening the chest again will produce another valuable item of a
different type. With a little persistance, you can outfit yourself very
nicely. For this reason alone, you should never feel pressure to craft
your character's skills according to a few nice items. Chests that drop
a relic-item suitable to your level are referred to as BOSS CHESTS.
In some battles, the object is not to kill, it is to survive long
enough to kill. These battles, which I call DEFENSIVE BATTLES, should
be approached with Parry Mode On (if you're dual wielding) or the
biggest, most powerful shield you can find, (if you're wielding
anything else.) or defensive spells acive. You should never use two
handed weapons in Defensive battles, (unless you're a caster) and you
should cast Cat's Grace or Barkskin if you have the spells. (And for
really hard battles, use the potions if you don't.)
Have your map open as often as possible. Most of my references can only
be fully digested if you have your map open. If its too big, you can
downsize it.
0.0 PRELUDE (a.k.a. Goblins With One Hitpoint Wipe Out a Military
Stronghold)
Neverwinter Nights opens with your character awakening in their
bedchamber. The first thing you should do is equip your newbie items
and, if you are a spellcaster, open your spellbook (the little circle
with dots around it) to memorize your newbie spells. Unmemorize the
Light spell in favor of another Ray of Frost, if you have it.
Then, walk outside. Talk to Pavel to hear the gossip about the latest
goings on in Neverwinter. Look around the other bedrooms for some small
loot, then talk to Bim, who will let you proceed to the next room. In
the next room, you will meet Olgerd the dwarf, who will explain stores
and your inventory, and give you a decent item depending on your
character class. Proceed to the next room, where you can (if you wish)
talk to Berna, who will explain to you the nuances of your journal and
map.
Now you're free to talk to the NPCs around the academy and hear the
latest news about the plague and the dire state of the city, as well as
learn how to use spells and skills. To advance, you'll need to pass a
test by your trainer. Sargeant Herban is the melee trainer, found right
outside Berna's room. Down the next hall to the left is Jaroo, the head
mage. The next door to the left is the home of Ketta, master rogue. The
door on the right houses Elwynyd, priest of Tyr. Most characters should
explore as much as possible, though you only have to report to your
class's headquarters to advance.
Once you've finished looking around, head to the Door Guard at the end
of the hall. Tell him you wish entrance, and he'll admit you to the
graduation ceremony, where you'll meet Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande.
Lady Aribeth (supposedly your personal sponsor for the academy) is very
pleased to speak with you...but your conversation is cut a bit short
when four Very Difficult mages teleport in and you, Aribeth, and a
handful of recruits have to mop the floor with them. Try to stick near
Aribeth- you wont get experience for anything she kills, but your first
two level-ups are going to be fake anyway, automatically rewarded by
the game. So you may as well help the most powerful person in the room.
After the mages are mopped up, Aribeth will tell you to get your hide
over to protect the Waterdhavian creatures. This will be the first of
several hundred times Lady Aribeth utters the phrase "Waterdhavian
Creatures," so get used to it. If you have not done so yet, summon your
familiar.
As you leave the room, (the way you came in) you'll be accosted by a
"mysterious mage," who will sick a couple of one-hitpoint goblins on
you. Don't bother with spells, this is a game of paintball- one tag and
down they go. If you haven't rested and have unmemorized spells, now
would be a good time to rest. Note that the sneaking-down-the-hall
style is not very effective in the prelude, even for rogues- you're
just not high enough level with Stealth yet, and you'll rarely if ever
avoid detection long enough to get a sneak attack. Wait until level
four or so. Now would also be a good time to SAVE THE GAME.
You can either go a few steps down the hall and then to the large door
to your right that you haven't gone into yet, or you can clean out the
training floor that you recently passed through. Although any
experience you get is pointless, (leveling from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 is
going to be automatic) the treasure is still good and it will help you
get used to Neverwinter Nights. Each room has a few goblins in it, and
the Warrior's training plaza has about five to contend with. Don't
bother zoning back past poor dead Olgerd- all you discover in the
starting room is that Bim is also dead. Gee, how did a pack of goblins
that probably have fewer than twenty hitpoints between them wipe out
these veteran warriors and spellcasters? I've beaten the game, and I
still don't know.
Once you go through the big door, prepare to fight the mage and his
goblins again. No big deal. Now, save the game. There's a chest to the
left that offers something sweet- warriors seem to get a breastplate,
spellcasters a Ring of Fortitude +1. Proceed throught the stables to
meet Pavel the Brotherless, who offers to join you. There's no reason
not to take him up, so let him teach you about henchmen and tag along.
Go through the door to a hallway that forms a square on your map around
a central room. Go into the central room, and wipe out the inhabitants
and loot the area.
Through the door intersecting the square hallway, and you'll meet an
old man who gives you your first free level up and offers you a
tutorial on how to level up. D&D vets won't need it, everyone should
listen once. After you're through leveling (I suggest you save it
first- leveling is a time of experimentation, and things go wrong.) go
through the door.
Clean out the goblins in the room immediately to your right for fun and
profit. Then leave the room and continue south down the hallway. Clean
out the skeletons behind the door at the two-way intersection (you may
want to rest and heal around now) for more fun and profit, then
continue west toward the T intersection.
All three ways here lead to the same spot. Assuming you're looking to
do everything, first go right (north) and clean out the warehouse, then
about face and go south to clean out the library. Rest and save, you're
finally about to finish off that inispid "Mysterious Mage."
If you're a combatant, rush the mage and hack him to interrupt his
spells. (Dual wielders obviously have an advantage here.) If you're a
caster, then try hitting him with a stunning spell, wipe out the
goblins with Pavel, then melee the mage. Elminster he's not, as long as
you can shut him down fast. Loot the Archer's Belt (usually) from his
body, and put it on- it's a nice item. Proceed to the Stables and the
end of the Prelude.
In the stables, you get to watch a couple of goblins with four
hitpoints among them free the Waterdhavian Creatures despite the best
efforts of a pair of clerics. Help the latter mow down the goblins,
then talk to one of the clerics. You'll learn about the relationship
between Aribeth and Fenthick, (yeah, too bad hotshot) and that Desther
has even more of a stick up his rectum than what D&D fans expect from a
Helmite.
Congratulations on your level up. This is your last automatic one,
unfortunately- from now on, every little bit of experience counts.
Proceed through the door before/after you level up. (You start Chapter
1 at the rear of a Tyrran temple.)
1.0 CHAPTER 1 (a.k.a. So Obvious, You Never Suspected)
Emerging into the back of the Temple of Tyr, you can have a
conversation with Fenthick and Desther, standing before you. They tell
you about goings on in the past week, and the dire straights the city I
in. Wait, its "in which the city is". That's better. You now have your
first of several enjoyable opportunities to be rude to Desther, which I
enjoyed. You also discover Lady Aribeth is waiting in the next room. Go
speak to Lady Aribeth, and she charges you with the recapturing of the
Waterdhavian (sigh) creatures. Apparently, chaos is reigning- a prison
revolt in the Penninsula district, an explosion of undead in the
Beggar's Nest, an uprising of cutthroats at the Docks, and a bunch of
callous aristocrats in the Blacklake district. Sounds like a job for
Superman, but he's on vacation so you're up.
She suggests (and I agree) that you try the Penninsula district first.
Like any good RPGer, you're going to want to peer around town first, to
see who says interesting things, what quests need to be done, and what
equipment you can afford (not much). Talk to Tomi Undergallows on your
way out- he costs more money than he's worth right now, but if you
don't plan on following my advice and taking a level or two of rogue
down the road, (or can't because of race/class restrictions) you're
going to be coming back for him quite often. Familiarize yourself with
Sergol and the portal in the temple- you're going to donate tens of
thousands of gold pieces to Tyr via those portals before the final blow
against the as-yet-unknown enemy is struck.
After talking to the girl just outside the temple, (she asks you to
help with the problem at the Penninsula, simply report back to her for
some more experience when you clear out that part of town) you're free
to explore. First thing on your list should be to walk around every
section of the City Core. On the itinerary for magi is the Cloaktower
and Eltoora just to the left of the door from which you emerge. Druids
and Rangers should check out Nyatar at the tree next to the Cloaktower
and receive a quest for (much) later. Melee classes should get a feel
for the Shining Knight where a certain dwarf in the basement will make
relics if you have the cash and the ingredients.
Everyone should check out the Trade of Blades, where five useful
henchmen (like Tomi) can be hired. Daelan Red Tiger is a powerful half-
orc barbarian of the Uthgardt and a compliment to anyone. His quests
are the easiest to do and net you a nice amulet that gives you more
strenght throughout the game. Linu La'neral is an elven cleric and a
godsend for warriors, especially later in the game when the Heal spell
becomes more accessible. (Note that her AI is terrible- you should tell
her manually to heal you if you need it.) Boddyknock Glinckle is a
sorcerer, a profession not suited to AI. You may get good results out
of him- I didn't. If you decide to try him out, remember to rest a lot,
because he WILL blow all his good spells on goblins with a dragon on
the horizon. Sharwyn is a bard, and I'll be frank- *phhbbbt*. Besides
her overstated I-Care-Not, she specializes in dying and failing to be
of use. Her defense spells are helpful, but she has a tendency to stop
in the middle of the road and start casting them for no reason, making
you choose between waiting for her and using the "Follow" command (you
should have this hotkeyed for all henchmen) to yank her along. Grimgnaw
fills the same role as Daelan Red Tiger and just as well, except that
a)he's quite evil and b)he lacks the barbarian's hitpoints but
outmatches him in Armor Class.
Quests accumulated while exploring the city core will be discussed in
section 1.5- Chapter 1 Side Quests.
1.1 PENNINSULA DISTRICT
Since the releasing of the Waterdhavian creatures, there's been a
prison break, and the inmates have overrun the district. Rumors have it
that Captain Alaefin, the head Gaoler in Neverwinter, has gone crazy
and set all the prisoners free. The guards are barricaded in front of
the gate to the city core, determined not to let the escapees penetrate
the inner district.
Into this mess comes you, the new recruit. Talk to Captain Kipp if you
like, and find out interesting locations on your itinerary- primarily,
the Militia Headquarters. Clean out the house and containers in the cul
de sac to the left. Then take the right fork, helping the guards in
front of the ramp take out some rebel prisoners. Go up the ramp.
Take care to notice the scattered groups of prisoner guards (small
joke) patrolling. Just ahead from the ramp, you'll have to fight a
particularly large group in and around the ruins of the main wall of
the prison, so save the game. If the fight gets too hot (it probably
will) run back to the gate and the guards will cover for you. You
should be using Daelan, because none of your other henchmen are as
consistantly effective yet. (Tomi, Sharwyn and Grimgnaw don't have
enough hitpoints, Linu and Boddyknock don't have enough spells.) The
enemies in this district are more alert than anywhere else in the game-
maybe BioWare hadn't gotten the hang of scripting a good alert radius
yet- so assume if you see someone that they've seen you. Try leaving
your henchman behind (the Stand Ground and Follow commands should be
hotkeys, so you can switch between them) and sneaking up on someone if
you're a rogue or ranger.
After you take out the prisoners partying in the ruins to the right of
the ramp-path, about-face to the east across the street and talk to
Master Johns. He was being kept a prisoner of the prisoners, for what
purposes I don't care to imagine. Take him back to the gate for 62
experience and some Good alignment if you want. Go back to where you
founnd him and continue generally East, looting and pillaging as you
go. (Hey, if you don't take it, the prisoners will. And how else are
you supposed to fund this little operation?)
Go East, cleaning out the standalone house to your right and the row
home to your left- both sport a number of prisoners and some treasure.
Make your way to the corner where the Mercantile and the Militia
Headquarters stand side be side. Don't go in yet, unless you really
want to. Go North, kill a few prisoners, clean out the guardhouse
behind Mrs. Dulicae, then rescue her (just like Master Johns). The
guardhouse sports four thugs and a leader. Then go behind the HQ
building and kill the one or two stragglers lurking in the cul-de-sac.
Loot away.
Go into the Mercantile and unburden yourself. Buy maps of the city if
you want them- the advantage is knowing where everything is and how the
city is structured without having to explore. The disadvantage is not
knowing if you've been to a certain area before. Rest, Save, then head
into the Headquarters and get down to business.
Sebos Sedile is the leader of this area. She seems kind of ditzy for
the head of a militia company, but she offers a 300 gold piece reward
for taking care of the problems in this district. Intrepid adventurer
that you are, you readily accept, and she tells you about getting into
the prison. You can decide how to get in...once you've finished getting
the most exp and treausre possible, of course.
In any case, head toward the Sewer Access on your new map. (If you
didn't buy the map, head southwest.) Around the "Sewer Access" you'll
fight a miniboss, so save it. The gang leader has about eighty
hitpoints. You might want to try parry-mode if you levelled it up.
Rogues may try losing him in the streets, then returning for a sneak
attack- or you can just sneak attack as Daelan distracts him. Don't be
shy with the Healing potions- you get more of them than you'll need.
Make sure to drink some Barkskin before the fight, if you have it.
DO NOT OPEN THE CHEST. Save the game first. Now, before you is the
first of what I like to call "Boss Chests." Boss Chests, as I explained
in the Walkthrough Notes, randomly drop a really cool (for your level)
item. Feel free to keep loading the game until you get something you
can use- don't be too picky, though- you shouldn't ditch the good armor
just because you really want a magic axe. It could be an hour before an
axe shows up. Also, if you're getting frustrated, just go with an item
you think will sell for the most- heavy armor generally sells the best,
as do heavy weapons.
Now, save it and head into the sewer. You'll be plunged into a battle-
royale. Prepare to use your Stone of Recall to teleport to safety. Work
on the thugs, first, then go after the leader. Now, go back outside
(from any door) and work your way around the perimeter of the Prison,
killing and looting. Be cautious- there is at least one more (less
difficult) Gang Leader waiting for you. When you can't go any further,
go into Lady Tanglebrook's house. (The key is under the mat.) Save the
game- two stink beetles await you in the west room. After you kill
them, check out both south side rooms, (the door in the west room is
trapped) then go downstairs.
When you get into the chess room, save the game and TELL YOUR
ASSISTANTS TO HOLD THEIR GROUND. Walk up to the chessboard, activate
Detect Mode...then go get something to drink, maybe a snack. Let your
character just sit there, his Search check slowly uncovering all the
traps. When you're ready, save the game and go to the left of the
board. Loot the boxes. Then work your way slowly to the right side.
Loot the boxes. Then save it, and look across the other bridge- see the
Fire Beetles? Move close to the gap, but not the bridge. You should
have them trapped, or at least with a long stretch to cover before they
get to you. Open fire.
When the beetles are dead, go across and up into the Prison. ONCE
YOU'RE IN THE PRISON, tell your assistants to follow you again. Go
around the bend and east into the room. Defeat the gang, then move
north to the cell block. Don't bother with the cells now, but head east
and then north through the door. (The door on the right is trapped,
wait a while.) Take out the gang guarding it, then heal up.
You're now in the MAIN HALL, so if you did the quest the way it was
supposed to be done (i.e Finding the key) you've just come in. I was
just about to tell my fellow Max Powerites to go into the Southwestern
door, in which is another gang is defending the locking mechanism to
all the locked cells they passed by following my way.
You can loot the South Wing cells if you want, but when you're done go
into the Northwestern door (from the Main Hall) and wipe out yet
another subgang to open the North Wing Cells. The Armoire in this room
usually furnishes good loot.
Next, clean out the Northeastern room, (the door is trapped) which has
(gasp) another mini gang, and two loot containers.
Now, head out the Westernmost door on the North Wall. A fight near the
intersection, and you'll be in the North Cell block. Clean out the
cells, then head into the only North door leading from that cellblock.
It leads into an storehouse. Relieve the prison of its surplus
valuables, then rest and SAVE THE GAME TO A SEPARATE FILE, especially
if you're the type of person who likes to quicksave during a large
battle.
On the other side of the West door is the biggest fight of the game so
far. Try to pull foes one at a time, because if the forces) farther
south (lead by a powerful Gang Leader) join up against you...you're
doomed. Make sure you have potions handy here. DO NOT TRY TO SNEAK UP
ON ANYONE TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM. You'll be instantly surrounded
and cut to ribbons. Instead, pull one of them with a missile weapon.
Make sure your henchman stays out of the way of this delicate procedure
until the fighting starts. Anyone but Daelan is going to get ripped to
shreds, and even he is probably going to bite the dust once. If you're
a caster, prepare to spend some money teleporting back for healing- and
even then, I hope you levelled up Concentrate. No matter what your
class, take out the thugs first, then take the leader. Casters should
memorize defense spells.
Once you've (if you've) managed to win this brouhaha, SAVE THE GAME
BEFORE LOOKING AROUND. There's a two real nasty guard dogs around that
hit for more than ten damage. The chest by the stairs is a BOSS CHEST,
so you may want to save it. You can open the four doors on the East
side of the room. Two lead to small storage rooms (with the guard dogs,
and no treasure), the middle one leads into the main corridor leading
back to the Main Hall, and the other door leads to the South Cell
block. If you haven't been everywhere on this floor, finish up, then
head downstairs.
When you get downstairs, you'll be greeted by an elf. Follow him into
the proper room, then lock the door as he tells you. He'll fill you in
on the prison and details. When you've finished, leave him and go out
into the heavily patrolled halls. Your first objective is to kill
everyone in the central room- no easy task, as its gaurded by a mighty
spellcaster and nearly a regiment of thugs. Here's my suggestion: Open
the door, and shoot an arrow or spell at someone. Then turn tail and
run back to your henchman, who should be planted down the hall a good
fifty yards. Kill those goons that are still chasing you, then work
your way back to the room. If a large pack starts to form again, run
for it. If the sorcerer is in range, run for it. Then work your way
back. When the sorcerer is out of earshot of his support, sneak up on
him (literally if you have stealth) and let him have it. In the center
room is a boss chest, and some other good loot.
There are four other rooms on this floor, two on the North and two on
the South, packed with minigangs and treasure. (The wooden door on the
south side is trapped.) Some of the cells have lootable bodies on them.
Visit all these places, watching out for prisoner patrols as you
pillage. When you're all finished, head downstairs.
Welcome to the Pits. A.k.a. "The Hole" in Oz. Flip the switch to open
the door, then get ready for a fight as a spell casting gang leader is
waiting for you, along with some thugs. You may want to pull them with
a bow, to limit how many can fight you at once. Loot the room, then
head south. Kill the door guards, then open the door. There's a trap in
the middle of the room- after you kill the thugs, either avoid it by
sticking to the fringes or disarm it. In the next room, there's
another, smaller trap in the middle of the floor, but the larger
problem is the half-dozen thugs led by a sorcerer. Pull them out in as
small numbers as possible- you may even want to try the HitNRun tactic
(pun intended) from the sorcerer upstairs.
This is the Hub of this floor- southeast is the way you came in. West
is just a cell with a dog, a prisoner, and some valuable garbage. North
is the right way, and thus is the last way you should go. Southwest
leads you to a battle with a pack of thugs. Kill them, and save it,
because the next room (not the locked door) sports a gang being led by
(another) sorcerer. Use the same hit and run tactic if you have
trouble.
The room you're in now should be shaped like an insect. The Western
legs lead to locked up treasure rooms, one dog in each. The treasure is
pretty good- you may want to consider chopping the doors down, though
it will take awhile. The Southeast leg is the direction you came in,
and the Northeast leg takes you toward the end of the floor- but
assuming you're looking to sweep the whole floor, return to the "Hub"
room instead of going in, so we can stay on the same page.
From the hub room, go north now. You will be entered into two battles,
each supported by a Leader. Kill them, rest, and save. The east door,
if you can open it, leads to a small room with a foe and a treasure.
Follow the corridors Notheast, and you'll soon see a Gang Leader on the
edge of your vision. Save it, this one's a doozie. Plant your henchman,
open fire, and get ready for a Defensive Fight. (see Walkthrough notes)
When you're finished, open your Boss Chest and then make your way to
the 3 way intersection to the Southwest. Fight your way down the East
hall, then go back to the intersection and go South. Clean out the
room, take the treasure- the circle on your map should be complete. Go
back north, then down the East hall you just cleaned out, Rest and Save
the Game. Here's the first of two bosses.
The half orc Kurdan Fenkt is a formidable fighter. Luckily, you only
have to get him down to Near Death, but its still a very tough fight,
and a DEFENSIVE BATTLE. Boddyknock is pretty handy here, shooting Acid
Arrows at the Half-Orc as you parry with your swords or block with your
shield, maybe even switching between the two if you find that even with
Parry, he's still hitting frequently. (If you're using two handed
weapon attacks, stop for this fight.) Don't be shy with Healing
potions, this is what they're for.
After you beat Kurdan, he'll declare a truce. I strongly suggest you
agree while you can. Interrogate him, discover that you've managed to
corner the Intellect Devourer, (one of the Waterdhavian Creatures, if
you don't remember) then let him go and teleport back to the Temple.
Sell, recruit Daelan, rest, go back in the portal and save the game.
The battle against the Head Gaoler is certainly a DEFENSIVE BATTLE. If
Daelan's still with you, don't go into parry mode unless you're a
rogue. (the Gaoler will just turn his attention to your henchman). Once
Daelan dies, of course, feel free to parry away. Once the head Gaoler
dies, (don't be ashamed about wasting money on teleporting back and
forth) you'll have to take out the Intellect Devourer as it possesses
each of the four other guards. If you persuade the guards to leave
beforehand, you can forego this and just kill the Devourer. Once that's
over with, Recall home and SAVE THE GAME. Sic Daelan on the Devourer.
The things' AC is off the charts, and its magic resistance is also a
bit high, so expect a long and wearisome battle. It isn't that hard
once the Gaoler is dead, however. (Except for the insane AC.) Again,
prepare to eat the teleportation costs, and you should be fine. After
you've slain it, loot the chambers (including two Boss Chests) and
teleport home, victorious.
Congratulations, you've liberated the Penninsula District. Remember to
tell the people hanging out in front of the gates to the district, as
well as the girl outside the temple, of your victory for some extra
experience.
1.2 BEGGAR'S NEST
(Note: For side quest walkthroughs from the Beggar's Nest, see section
1.5.2, Beggar's Nest Quests)
Shortly after the release of the Waterdhavian creatures, undead began
appearing in the common housing district of Neverwinter, also known as
the Beggar's Nest. Within a week, the walking dead had multiplied to
the hundreds, and had forced those still alive to flee the district.
Now its your turn to force back, as you walk into the district well
rested and with your game saved to a separate file.
Note that Clerics and Paladins should not waste their Turning on random
patrols of Beavis Zombies. Wait for the large groups, or the harder
undead, or right before you rest if you have extra.
Talk to Ergus. From the guard barricade, walk forward, take out the
undead, then scythe north around the standalone building. Go right
(East) at the first intersection, then right again (south) at the next.
Walk down the street toward the Shining Serpent. Get ready for a fight,
as four armed thugs jump you outside the building. Melee combatants
shouldn't have trouble at full hitpoints, casters should have a defense
spell up before going near the building. Pick a note off of one of your
assailants. Read it, then take it back to Aribeth and Fenthick whenever
you feel like it- you get some gold and get to insult Desther again.
Go into the Serpent. Talk to Herban Ashensmith, who will fill you in on
the situation and give you a quest to find Krestal and Jemaine. Also
speak to Drake for another perspective on the problem. Then go upstairs
and loot the containers- the loot is very good, with a semi-boss-chest
in one room. Head over to the temple of Tyr across the road, and talk
to the priests, preferably getting the Lost Soul quest. Head back to
the Guard post near the core and get the Find Walters quest if you want
it. Now Get ready- this next run is going to sweep the town and leave a
lot of twice dead corpses.
From the guard barricade, walk forward (maps open, boys and girls) and
make a left in front of the standalone house from before. Kill the
undead surrounding the house, then go into the row-home door just to
the East of it. More undead need slaying. You can go into the
standalone home if you want- there's a (justifiably) afraid man in
there, and a bureau to loot. Go north past the sewer grate, (a black
dot on your map) then left at the corner and into the first barricaded
home. The sign on the merchant shingle says "Siril's Bakery." Take out
the zombies and loot Siril's Corpse, which has a recipe that will
enable you to solve Boddyknock's quest when he gives it to you at a
higher level. Congratulations, you've solved a quest you haven't been
given yet. See details in section 1.5.1. Also, check the containers, as
one contains an Ingredient that will enable the dwarf in the Shining
Knight in the City Core to make you a low level relic.
From the bakery, go back onto the North/South street and take it up to
the next barricaded home. Wipe out the undead- this battle is sort of a
chain reaction and may take you further up the street than you
intended. That's fine, just come back to the second Barricaded Home
when you're done. (Its next to the ruined garden.) Inside is Jemaine.
Talk to him and get you to give you the key to the Strange House to the
North. Go outside and head North.
The cul de sac with the strange house is where you'll be going. If you
want to just get it over with, skip to where I type STRANGE HOUSE in
caps. The rest of us are going on a rampage, we'll meet you there in a
little while.
From the Strange House cul de sac, go east. You should be well rested-
get ready to take on a small army of undead by the gates to the
graveyard. Find Marcus' corpse, and take everything on it. Go south
past the warehouse and veer East. Find Krestal in the barricaded home.
From there, go into the middle of the city and talk to the halfling
couple waiting for their friend. Go south until you reach the
southeastern corner of the zone. Go into the Wheel Repair shop and find
Hector, and return him to the halflings waiting for him. Return the
journal to Bertran at the Tyrran temple. If you return the staff, you
get 400 gold pieces and 3 points of Good. If you sell the staff to a
merchant, you will get about 1200 gold. Ouch. Is virtue its own reward?
Magi, of course, may want to keep it for themselves.
Now its time to bring down the cause of the undead. There are two ways:
going into the warehouse and investigatinge the STRANGE HOUSE.
If you want to go in through the warehouse, head over to the Warehouse
in the Northeast. Clear out the undead on the top floor, loot heartily,
then head downstairs. This floor is straightfoward enough. Equip a
missile weapon, and pick off the shambling zombies one by one with
arrows, bolts, and low level spells. Loot as you go. When you get all
the way around to the next door, rest and save. This next battle is
definetely a DEFENSIVE BATTLE, if you can even manage it. The best way
to handle it is to keep running away, then shooting spells and arrows
at the Sword Coast Boy as he shambles after you. You may even want to
save to a separate file before the battle, then quicksave during the
battle. Loot away. Rest and Save, its not getting easier.
Drawl is a doozie. Barksin, Cat's Grace, fight defensively. If you're a
caster, make sure you throw your hottest stuff while your henchman is
still alive to distract the lightweight lich. After your hench dies,
(and he or she will) you may want to go retrieve him, if your armor
class isn't high enough to match Drawl's cruel mace. After Drawl goes
down, Walter awaits you. Talk to him for some more information on
what's causing the plague, then go downstairs. Take the first left and
fight your way to the switch (there are two traps in the left hallway)
to open the door. Follow the corridors into a big room, then follow the
hallway east. There's a trap at the end of the hall near the corner.
Save the game and rest, and recruit Daelan if you don't have him. The
Bloated Dire Spider hits for eighteen regularly, and you should be on
the defensive. When it dies, you can explore the rest of the floor, or
you can just go up the stairs behind it into the Graveyard.
The Graveyard is a battle royal. Twenty something zombies later, head
to the other tomb- the one that can be opened (the other one is part of
a Temple of Tyr quest, see 1.5.0) You'll be greeted by "Gulnan,"
speaking through her pet zombie. Let her rave, then go through the
antechamber and make a right. Blast down the undead waiting for you,
then enter the chamber at the end of the hall. Go into the room on the
left where you'll find the remains of Jemaine's poor brother (take the
ring). Go back out into the hall and head right/north. The chamber
ahead, of course, has a platoon of zombies taking an unhealthy interest
in you. Get through and fight your way up the hall, entering yet
another chamber of the living dead. Do the deed and turn left.
If you're having trouble with your life, note that Linu should be able
to keep up your HP if you order her manually, and Daelan kills things
fast enough that they don't hit you.
When you see the door on your left, its time to make a decision. Left
takes you into the central chamber and the end of the place. Forward
takes you on a path that eventually forms a square around the central
chamber, imparting mucho experience and loot.
After you decide to go forward, (everyone else look for TOMBS below) go
to the end of the hall and go left/south. Go into the first room on
your right. The chests in here are very good, and are also very heavily
trapped. Most of them WILL kill you, and are hard enough that only full
rogues have a chance to disarm them. Make sure your hench stays back.
Drink/cast some Cat's Grace and remove your armor- its good for your
reflex save.
After you've had your fun, go south down the hall to the next room,
where you win a date with a lovely cleric of Cyric. Save it, kill him
with missiles, and tell me what happens when you try to- I just opened
the gate for him and he vanished. Oh well. Wipe out his friendly
cellmates. Head south down the hall again. The last room has a bunch of
zombies, and substandard loot. Go south down the hall for the last
time. Zombies await near the gate around the bend. You've now
completed the cicle. Go to the north side of the dungeon and through
the door you passed by into the TOMBS.
The tomb room is a hallway with four side rooms. Don't go in the south
door yet. Go into each of the other doors. Inside of three is an
animated suit of armor. Shields up, swing away. The treasure is also
quite good in these rooms. Only rogues can get the most out of it,
unfortunately- the sarcophagi are almost immune to bashing attempts.
When you've looted, walk up to the south door, rest and save. Here
comes the yuan-ti.
Sneaking up on the Yuan-ti who is standing on one of the pyramids is
either really smart (if you're a ranger) or really stupid (if you're a
rogue, unless you have Daelan or Grimgnaw distract Gulnan's friends.)
Once you've engaged Gulnan, call your henchman over to help you pummel
her. (unless its Linu- if it is, let her turn the undead, she's more
effective that way.) Ward yourself against irritating stat problems-
drink a clarity potion, or at least some Owl's Wisdom. You may want to
dual wield in this fight, no matter what your favorite style is- the
more times you hit Gulnan, the more often her spells are interrupted.
Casters should cast creatively. (i.e. Time your direct damage spells to
interrupt her) Any higher-level defensive scrolls you have should be
used now. DO NOT TRY TO KILL HER BY LAUNCHING SPELLS AT HER FROM A
DISTANCE. She'll promptly return one three levels better than yours.
She can kill you very fast if she can get spells off, but if you're
quick enough on the healing potions, a brutal melee attack will stop
her.
Once you've beat her, hold her down and RIP OUT HER HEART. Seriously,
rip it out. Then save it- two boss chests demand your immediate
attention. You also get a key to a loot room- look at your map, it
should be the only unopened door, near the entrance. There's some nice
stuff in there, as you might imagine.
Once you've burdened yourself, teleport back and give Lady Aribeth the
STILL-BEATING HEART OF THE...oh, sorry. Give Aribeth the Yuan-Ti heart
and be showered with praise and riches. Stock the church with relics,
then go out and tell all the beggars that they can go back home now.
Return to the Shining Serpent for your reward. You get jumped again
outside, same procedure as last time. Take the note back to Aribeth and
Fenthick and insult Desther, but first go in and talk to Harben
"Whilliker's whiskers." Receive more praise and riches.
Congratulations, only two ingredients left.
***********************************
CHAPTERS 2 AND 3 TO COME. SEE UPDATE 7/27/02.
***********************************
Note: YOUR HENCHMAN AT THE END OF CHAPTER 3 IS YOUR ONLY HENCHMAN FOR
CHAPTER 4. IN THE NAME OF GOD, CASTERS- REMEMBER TO HAVE DAELAN OR
GRIMGNAW.
4.0 CHAPTER 4 (a.k.a. "I leave for a few months and come home to THIS?!
You're all grounded! Ma, get the hose.")
Despite the gallant efforts of Neverwinter's finest to recover the
Words of Power, the Luskan Army, led by none other than Lady Aribeth,
has routed the Neverwintan defense and their Lord's Alliance allies all
the way back to Neverwinter itself. The city's defenses were easily
breached by Aribeth (the former commander of the city's military) and
the defenders are now holed up in the City Core, guarding Words of
Power that they know nothing about. However, the silver lining is about
to flare into a cloudbreak, as the Hero of Neverwinter comes home from
artifact hunting and decides its time to clean house.
4.1 FULL WALKTHROUGH
The chapter opens with a discussion between you, Aarind Glend, and the
assmaster responsible for the entire situation, Lord Nasher Alogandar.
Find out how dire the situation is, then head right/south and thank
Nasher for his opinions by looting his house. Don't bother with the
south door yet- that leads out into the city. Now return to the hallway
adjacent to the Glend/Nasher room and head east to the dungeons.
Talk to Hedraline and discover that Nasher is as bad a diplomat as he
is a judge. Also discover that your only chance- as if it wasn't clear
before- is to kill Maugrim and take his stone. You can look around in
the deeper dungeons- all you find is a few archaeologists being slowly
corrupted and a ritual chamber that just screams "THIS WAY TO END OF
GAME."
Go back and tell Nasher and Glend about the discoveries if you want- as
you might imagine, the former doesn't really care and the latter just
reinforces Hedraline's message. So head out into the city. Chat up your
old friends and business partners, if you want- Nyatar and Eltoora are
still hanging around, selling +5 equipment. A must-see are the
Hardiness boots being offered by Nyatar, which offer +3 AC and +3
Constitution. Mages, pick up a +5 Clear Thought ring from Eltoora if
you don't have one yet.
After checking out the scene, (stop at the Druid Grove, the Cloaktower,
Shining Knight, Trade of Blades, and Moonstone) head toward the War
Zone in the south. Plow straight through (you may even want to leave
your henchman behind) south, killing Frost Giants and Luskanese
Captains that get in your way. Giants should be approached with a
shield. If you see a Golem, run- it can't be killed. Bearing left, head
south until you reach the wall, then turn right/west. U-Turn into the
house with all the purple magical effects streaming off the door but
save your game to a separate file first- you're about to go one-on-two
with a skilled magus and a balor.
FRUIT SALAD The balor isn't quite the living death sentence Salvatore
fans (ugh) were probably expecting, but he's still a tough fight. His
attack bonus isn't anything to write home about, so you may want to
bring out the big weapon or the off-hand shortsword for this one.
Casters should be able to take him down with a Cat's Grace and
Stoneskin and Magic Circle without too much trouble- if you're still
having problems, concentrate on boosting your AC, since after a certain
AC he stops hitting very often. Most classes should just ignore the
succubus, or sick Linu or Tomi on her if you have them- she likely
won't even land a hit on you. As soon as the mage sends an acid cloud
or a similar spell, (don't worry- he will) take off and call your
henchman to follow you. (Remember when I told you to hotkey follow and
stop?) The cloud spells last awhile, and there is no reason to subject
yourself to the damage if you don't have to. Once you've finished the
Balor, take out your other weapon or big weapon (if you didn't for the
balor) and hack into the mage. Casters should focus on dispelling
protections, then counterspelling, while Daelan or Grimgnaw rip him up.
Once he's down, loot the TRAPPED boss chest, and recall. Heal, rest,
recall back.
You can go back out onto the streets with stoneskin up. If you ran
through this part hastily before, you should have a crowd of Giants and
soldiers gathered around the purple door to cheer their wizard when he
emerges with your head. You can either teleport back and go dissapoint
them, or sneak up on them from the core. Giants should, as mentioned
before, be approached with a shield. The house adjacent to the Wizard
House has a pack of soldiers and two Krenshar. If you look at Krenshar
in the D&D 3E Monster Manual, this is what you see: 11hp, +2 or +0
attack bonus, 1d6 or 1d4 damage, Scare Will DC 12. Well, whatever
BioWare's been feeding the Krenshars for NWN, it sure beats what they
were eating in D&D. They can tear up the highest level fighter, with an
ungodly attack bonus and damage that sure as hell is higher than +2,
1d6, Scare DC 12. +25, 6d6, Scare DC 25 seems likelier. Head back out
of the house. The streets are filled with Houses of Horrors (as I call
them), marked House Entrance on your map. The method of engagement for
these houses is the same. Type KREN AND STIMPY into the Ctrl+F field if
you ever forget it.
KREN AND STIMPY When entering a House of Horrors, try to have a potion
of clarity or appropriate spell cast on you to protect your mind from
the ravages of the Krenshar, who's Scare DC (don't believe the Monster
Manual) is much, much higher than 12. (Casters usually have higher Will
saves, and as such are less threatened by this.) Rush through your
crowd of admirers (if you're a warrior class) to reach the captain. Hit
him three or four times, then Knockdown on him to interrupt his (yes)
Full Heal spell. He can cast it twice, and will do so on himself and
his allies if you can't interrupt him. Rangers and other dual wielders
probably wont even notice this spell of his, but everyone else will
hate it. A lot. After Captain L is dead, turn your attention to the
ridiculously overpowered Krenshar (their DC used to be 1, now its like
13) and cut them down. Take a few disarm potshots at the soldiers if
you like, but the Krenshar and their Scare is the main threat. (Getting
scared in these battles is more or less a death sentence.) After they
go down, hit the soldiers. Loot the trapped chest, and any bodies.
After you finish with the houses, head to the southwest corner and into
the welcoming home of Asgard, a former smuggler. Talk to him, then use
his secret entrance in the other room behind the bookcase. Emerging
into the next sector is much like your first foray into the War Zone-
keep fighting, but run if you see a golem. The Wizard house is around
the second bend to the left/east. It's the same as the last one- hit
ctrl+F and type "FRUIT SALAD" if you don't remember.
Once you've killed the wizard and his demonic homies, rest up, save,
and head into one of the doors across the plaza. The southern door is a
room of Umber Hulks. The Northern door nearest the gate is the next in
line, and it leads you face to face with a Luskan adventuring part. Its
best to have keep your henchman on a tight leash as soon as you walk
in- stay behind the entry wall and let the "adventurers" come to you
one at a time. Watch out for the assassin, who has probably hid
himself. If you don't see him, activate that Detect Mode thing I never
use until he shows up. Try not to reveal yourself to the Wizard until
you're ready to rush him. When you've defeated them, sit down and rest-
you've got three bosses coming up.
Walk out the back door, which is trapped. Now THIS is a balor. With a
base attack bonus of +39, it certainly won't have any problems hitting
you. Don't be shy about proactively drinking healing potions, telling
Linu to heal you early, or pulling out that Stone and getting the hell
out of there. Summon as many assistants as you're allowed, drink some
barkskin and don't be stingy with healing potions, and you should be
fine. Remember that he's immune to fire. When the balor dies, a portal
opens explosively. It leads you to The Showdown. Dun dun DUNNNNNNN.
(First loot the trapped Boss chest and take some baubles out of the
barrel.)
Aribeth isn't surprised to see you. Unlike Maugrim, she has no
illusions over her part in all this. Morag will betray her, but will
have to as a matter of course give her what she truly wants- the death
of Neverwinter. Personally, I agree with her distaste for Lord Nasher
and his actions, and I didn't even like Fenthick, while she...well.
BioWare won't let you say anything but "Traitor!" and "Die!" That is
neither here nor there, however. There are two ways to resolve the
issue. If you convinced Aribeth to lean on you in Chapter 2, you should
have a ring, with which you can attempt to turn her from the dark side,
as it were. I'm not sure if it involves a Persuade action. Of course,
if it does, you should have a +5 Nymph cloak on. If you succeed, you
can then type "ISSUE WITH ARIBETH" into your ctrl+F field and wait for
the rest of us, who are going to have to kill her. If you do not have
the ring or fail to convince her, get ready to swap the Nymph Cloak for
your Shield or Fortification Cloak, because she's ready to die on your
blades or spells. Don't feel too bad if you can't turn her- I have a
feeling that the "Aribeth" ending is similar to the rest of the plot.
(i.e. more predictible and cliched than a WWF plotline.)
Battling Aribeth- unless you're one of those people who could give a
damn about the plot, DO NOT LET LINU come in from the Antechamber. She
will screw Aribeth into so many pieces that you won't get to hear what
the latter says when you Badly Wound her. Keep your pause key ready as
soon as the action starts, because Aribeth has a Harm spell of her own
ready. As soon as you hear the Demonic Screeching of a negative energy
spell, hit pause and order your character to guzzle a potion of Full
Healing. The AI in Neverwinter is unresponsive enough that you may end
up putting your fist through the screen a few times before your
character gets the timing right, but that's what happens when you fight
a level 20 cleric. Don't worry, once it does work, you'll be at full
health and Aribeth will be out of tricks...
Except for her base attack bonus of +39, of course. Aribeth will light
you up for twenty damage a hit, but if you have Greater defensive
spells raised and drink a Heal potion as soon as you get down to 1/3rd
life, (more if you're a full caster) she's beatable. A Greater
Swordsman's belt doesn't hurt, either. Linu is really the best man (or
woman) for the job as a henchman, once you've heard (if you want to)
the concilitory conversation near the end of the fight. Linu has spells
that will screw Aribeth silly and can also throw you heals if you need
them. Daelan or Grimgnaw are better for healers and magi, however-
continuous melee damage is really key to beating the elf-turned-dark.
(Of course, this is really moot because you can only have one Henchman
in this chapter. I just wanted you to know what you're missing out on.
Or on what you're missing out. Wait, on you're missing out what.
There.) Warriors may want to consider dual wielding in this fight
unless they have a really good shield, because against a base attack
bonus of +39, you're not going to be avoiding a whole lot of attacks
anyway. Your results may vary, but unless you have an incredible shield
I recommend bringing out that short sword +3 you have lying around. And
for those who took my advice at character creation and gave your combat
class an intelligence of 13- my friend, THIS is why you have Disarm.
Use it well. Note that her full Heals are part of the game- I don't
think they can be interrupted, though my ranger tore through her so
fast she didn't get to cast one. Once she bites the marble, (or leaves)
take a solemn moment to Rest and reflect over her vanished body,
remembering the good old days like the time she once said "Waterdhavian
Creatures" like six hundred times in a minute.
After you've settled the ISSUE WITH ARIBETH, get ready- you have yet
another boss to fight. Go through the next door. Watch for the trap at
the end of the hall. Take the first left- the second left has another
trap and presents you to Maugrim before you can loot the first Boss
Chest. When you've found a satisfactory item, go confront Maugrim
himself. The maniac has already completed his ritual- it looks like
you're too late. You'll still have to fight him. Don't worry- he may be
tough, but Aribeth he's not. He'll Time Stop you, but he doesn't have
the Instant Death spells that Liches from the Baldur's Gate series
combined with their Time Stops. Concentrate on the Flesh Servant things
first- they'll pester you the whole battle if you don't kill them, and
Maugrim will take his time dying- he has some healing potions in his
belt.
After he's dead, disable the trap (DC 15) on the chest and SAVE THE
GAME BEFORE OPENING IT. Inside will be a Word of Power, Maugrim's
Journal, and a Relic-level artifact...of the same type as your favorite
weapon. In my experience, the chest randomizes a Good-Aligned Weapon, a
Nuetral-Aligned weapon, an Evil weapon, and a generic +3 weapon of your
favorite weapon type. So keep loading if you don't like your result.
When you're done looting, head back to Neverwinter Castle and apprise
your fearless commanders, who won't care, of recent events. After
buying a ton of barkskin and healing potions, go down and talk to
Hedraline, who will have bad news for you- its too late. The only thing
that can be done now is *shock and surprise* to go into the prison of
the Old Ones and kick some reptilian ass. Go down to the camp of
archaeologists that are slowly becoming obsessed. Place the Word on the
pedestal and jump in.
You'll be immediately greeted by two Old One Warriors. Shields up,
Number One. AC is a priority when fighting Old One Warriors. You can
expect some serious problems if you can't use shields or dropped all
the good ones. Don't bother with Combat Skills- these are full
Fighters, and it seems the only thing they put skills into was
Discipline. You'll need to roll in the high thirties to knock them down
or disarm them. Around the corner is an Old One Evoker. These are
easily dealt with for melee classes or if you have Daelan/Grimgnaw-
just run up and bury their high level spells under a wave of melee
damage. Just ahead is another Warrior. His back is turned to you...he's
fighting someone! Its Aribeth! No, maybe not. Talk to Aribeth's planar
cousin (My gut tells me she may not be here if you saved Aribeth- could
someone who saved her tell me if they ran into Asheera?) and discover
that Morag is not planning on blowing up Neverwinter, but the entire
Sword Coast...no, all of Faerun...no, all of Toril and a bunch of other
worlds! Wow. I wonder if Elminster and all the other innumerable
archmagi and demigods running around Faerun might have something to say
about this? Well, if you screw up then maybe we'll have to call them
in, but for now you're our guy, soldier!
Finish your conversation with Asheera. She grants you an Amulet of
Utter Worthlessness, which has the power to do absolutely nothing
because its required level is 26. Maybe its some expansion gimmick from
BioWare. Or maybe BioWare fooked up and forgot about the level-
restrictions they involuntarily assigned to all items. Save it (you can
always export your character and sell it) and move on. Up ahead you'll
see two Old Ones standing in a pillar of light. This basically means
that they can't be attacked until they attack you, which is a problem
for rogues. Kill the warrior first if you're a mage, kill the mage
first if you're a warrior. Loot the decent, heavily trapped chests,
then move on. Repeat the same process through the halls about four
times. None of the doors can be accessed, so the path is fairly
straight. When you see "Inner Sanctum" on your map, rest and save.
Guarding the inner sanctum is a Warrior, an Evoker, and the Lizardfolk
chieftain. Try to pull them out one at a time. Against the chieftain,
have a full bevvy of buffs up, including Barkskin, Cat's Grace, Bull's
Strength, and Endurance. Definetly have a shield out. Magi might want
to set Daelan or Grimgnaw out in the hallway, then pull each foe to him
before opening up with spells. A belt of Greater Swordsmanship does
wonders against the Lizardman's axe. Other than that, the protocol is
the same as his subjects (i.e. no combat skills). Loot the trapped boss
chest and the other containers, (there's a powerful floor trap in front
of the portal) then save the game.
Get ready for a terrible fight. This battle ranges from Quite Easy (if
you have the Belt of Greater Swordsmanship) to Nearly Impossible (if
you don't.) It features a Copper and a Silver dragon, corrupted from
their milennia hanging in the source stone with Morag and her crew.
Like the Genie said, "TEN THOUSAND YEARS...will give you such a crik in
the neck!" The dragons can obviously sympathize, so make sure you have
Stoneskin, Cat's Grace, Bull's Strength (especially), Endurance,
Elemental Resistance or whichever of those apply to you. Don't bother
Hiding- they can see you as soon as you come in, and have True Seeing
on them at any rate. You might try immediately running back and to your
left, pinning yourself in the corner of the wall and lake- sometimes
you'll be able to hedge out one of the dragons. Concentrate on the
Copper first- both Dragons will do about the same damage, but the
Copper is much easier to kill. The undertaking of killing two Dragons
is not as incredible as you might think- these are far from Ancient Red
Wyrms. Linu, of course, is the best girl for the job- Dragons are much
easier when reduced to 1d4+1 hitpoints and Daelan's knockdown isn't
going to work on the Dragons. Don't be stingy with the Heal potions,
spells, or commands. After the Dragons are dead, save the game to a
separate file...for the last time. Consult your map if you've forgotten
which way is up, and head to the vaultish doors. Read the next
paragraph unless you absolutely MUST experience every facet of the game
without forewarning, to the point that you're willing to get stuck.
Once you go into the gaping maw, YOU CANNOT TURN BACK. Get this- not
only can you not turn back, but you cannot Recall back. And not only
can you not Recall back, YOU CANNOT REST. That's right. You have to do
the last two battles cold turkey. It would have been nice of BioWare to
mention this. Make sure before going in that you have ten to twenty
Heal potions, and a few bottles of Barkskin, and the various Beastial
Bonus potions. (unless you can cast them or can't use CG because of
your armor). It goes without saying you should rest first. Again, save
to a separate file. Also: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SAVE THE GAME
TO YOUR "NORMAL" SLOT AFTER YOUR HENCHMAN DIES. He or she will be gone
forever. Regeneration equipment (such as the Ring of Power available in
the Temple) is a huge plus.
Once you land safely on the Inner Santcum, double back and loot a chest
behind you. Once you walk around the first corner, your Henchman will
strike up a conversation with you. Its fairly similar to the end of
Chapter 6 in Baldur's Gate 2, except that there's only one Henchman.
Continue on, looting as you go. At the first door, save the game. Tell
your Henchman to stay back, and open the door. Assuming you don't
charge in, you'll get to hear Morag and an Old One Cleric rant on for a
minute or so. Morag will then detect your presence, and order her
forces to destroy you. Prop yourself (or your hench, if you're a mage)
in the doorway so they can only come at you one at a time). Some of the
Old Ones will not join the battle- evidently a scripting problem. Don't
worry, you can kill them later. Kill the cleric ASAP- he performs some
weird ritual on the Old Ones you kill which doesn't seem to do
anything, but it certainly couldn't be doing something good. Once the
Lizards are dead, loot around (Heal potions and a minor boss chest are
waiting for you.) Try to use as few spells as possible during the
fight- you'll need them for the next and final battle.
Loot the Key from the cleric and walk through the next door. Loot the
barrel, then walk up to the next door. Quick save your game. Maybe even
save it to a separate file, if you think you've done very well up until
now- though don't overwrite the last Separate File save. That's the
last card you can play if something goes wrong. Head into the door and
get ready to take down Morag, Queen of the Creator Race. She is quite
flattering for a scaled demigod, and invites you to join her. You
cannot, of course, though the reason you decline is up to you. She then
does the typical You-Fool! act of a spurned archvillain, and banishes
the illusion she was using to talk to you, appearing about a hundred
feet back as a hostile.
The first thing you have to deal with is the two level 20+ Hands of
Morag that charge at you. Warriors (especially dual wielders) should
prepare to take some cool screenshots of three or four swords and one
axe blazing with elemental energy being thrown together in a duel to
the death. Once you take your screenshots, switch to your shield- the
attack bounses on these boys are very nasty. To you, I mean. I
recommend you leave Linu or Boddyknock (if you have them) around the
corner- call them once you've finished off these two Old Ones, because
if you don't they'll blow all their best spells on them. If you're
REALLY having a lot of trouble on them, trying pulling them back into
the hall and closing the door, giving you a bit of privacy, you modest
thing you. Once they lizards have gone down, rush over and smash the
statue head in front of the Blade Barrier. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RUN
THROUGH THE BLADES. I've heard secondhand that they kill you instantly-
I never tried it myself because running across a field of flashing
spiked greatswords doesn't appeal to me, and that statue so obviously
says "BREAK ME." Once its broken, the blades will linger about two
seconds, then dissapate. Pause the game, and revel in the feeling of
being a bull with Bull's Strength in a china shop, and take a look at
the goods. If you're a warrior, please have a gander at the lovely
ladies on your left. (Unless you use spears.) If you're a caster, kill
the Protector right in front of you, then make a choice from the
wonderful beauties on your right. Or, if you have some good area-effect
spells, just blow them all to the Abyss. Have your henchman hold off
Morag and her bulky assistants (Daelan, Grimgnaw, and suprisingly Linu
are all good at this, though you may have to drop her a potion) while
you have your way (in a matter of speaking) with Morag's handmaidens.
Once the proper protectors are dead, turn your attentions to Morag.
Hitting Her Worship in melee will cause you twentyish points of damage,
which makes up for her suprising lack of hitpoints- not more than any
of her guards. Let the potions and Heal spells/commands flow like ale
in the Green Griffon at Yuletide- you won't need them after this. You
may want to consider dropping one of Morag's big buddies if they give
you trouble- particularly the Umber Hulk and its confusion. If you're
feeling confident, the Grey Render shouldn't take more than ten seconds
to wipe out. The real challenge is behind you, however- Aribeth this
lizard is not. As long as you have enough Heals to use them liberally,
the Queen will die. Long live the Humanoids. Pick up the enchanted
shortswords and greataxe from where the Hands dropped them. In
Neverwinter Nights, greed transcends dimension.
Walk through the portal. Hedraline awaits you. Sate your curiosity (a
sequel, perhaps? Or maybe she was referring to your character playing
the NWN Multiplayer game.) Save your character (for future
importation.) Take a last look around...then head into the portal.
We're sorry, Adventurer, but our princess is in another castle! No, its
really the end. Thanks for playing.
4.2 CHAPTER 4 QUESTS.
Not much here.
Rescue Leesa- You get this quest from Luce, the best whore (personal
preference) in the Moonstone Mask. The poor 'ho has lost her little
sister, the care for whom presumably prompted her to follow the way of
the prostitute. Her sister can be found in the War Zone- go left/east
out of the gate and U-turn around the rowhomes into an alley. Leesa is
standing around there. Be nice and tell her to run home to Luce. When
you get back to Luce, she offers you a +5 AC cloak (deflection). Be a
nice guy and turn it down if you want, (you can buy your own at a few
of the local stores, not to mention rings that do the same thing) and
you'll get ten points of Good and the gratitude of a beautiful young
whore.
Neverwinter Under Siege- You get this commision in the Trade of Blades.
Talk to the commander and hear about the plight of the soldiers. I
cover the elmination of the Golems in the Walkthrough (if you're having
trouble with the Wizards, type "Fruit Salad" into the crtl+F field.)
The catapults can be found near the first Wizard house. Veer left out
of the gate, then go south until you hit the divding wall. Turn
right/west, and walk down the street-turned-alley. The catapult
commanders and the catapults are all there in a row.
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CHAPTERS 2 AND 3 AND POSSIBLY MORE TO COME. SEE UPDATE.
