Hordes of the Underdark

[Dark Jezter]

Which brings up a question I've been meaning to toss out there. Are any of the expansions using the 3.5 rules, or if not, is there any talk of a 3.5 version of Neverwinter Nights? Just curious.

Changing NWN to the 3.5e rules via patch or expansion pack would be a very difficult to do, and would make saved game files and many modules obsolete. The NWN developers have stated many times that they have no plans to update NWN to the 3.5e rules.

So, I highly doubt we'll be seeing NWN 3.5e in anything short of a full-fledged sequel.

 

[caudor]

Changing NWN to the 3.5e rules via patch or expansion pack would be a very difficult to do, and would make saved game files and many modules obsolete. The NWN developers have stated many times that they have no plans to update NWN to the 3.5e rules.

So, I highly doubt we'll be seeing NWN 3.5e in anything short of a full-fledged sequel.

That's kinda what I expected. I've got enough to keep me busy for a while.

Speaking of that sequel, it would be cool if they did something like Baldur's Gate III or Neverwinter Nights II. Although I suspect the 'next big thing' will somehow be based on the new world coming, I think it is called Eberon.

 

[KenM]

Picked up the expansion the day it came out, a little ways into the second chapter, one thing I really did not like was :

Spoiler

At the end of chapter one, the wizard you rescue puts a geas on you and railroads you into chapter 2. Its in a cut scene and there is nothing you can do about it. I really had being railroaded like that in video games. If I run into the wizard again, I will kill him for doing that to my character. If I can't kill him, I will go into the toolset and change it so you can kill him.

other then that, I think its a great expansion and they put alot of great stuff in it.

 

[Dark Jezter]

That's kinda what I expected. I've got enough to keep me busy for a while.

Speaking of that sequel, it would be cool if they did something like Baldur's Gate III or Neverwinter Nights II. Although I suspect the 'next big thing' will somehow be based on the new world coming, I think it is called Eberon.

Baldur's Gate III was in production, but it has been postponed indefinately, and will likely never see the light of day.

The upcoming MMORPG Dugeons & Dragons Online uses the Eberron campaign setting.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Actually, I would recommend playing through the NWN original campaign because a few quests in Chapter 3 of HotU are related to events that happened in Neverwinter Nights.

Ahhhh, I think I know how that's going to relate. I know the general story of the first campaign, I just couldn't bring myself to slog through it before, and I know I won't now considering all the improvements in the sequels.

Well then though, do the first campaign.

ON a note for Jezter, (NWN OC spoiler)

Spoiler

It has to do with Aribeth's redemption, doesn't it? In which case, it doesn't really make sense for my character to even know about her, but whatever.

Spoiler

Deekin is the only henchman from Chapter 1 who will accompany you to Chapter 2. So it looks like you'll have to fill in your second henchman spot with either Valen or Nathyrra.

Spoiler

Yes, I was very happy to have Deekin. I'm assuming if Deekin doesn't come along in Chapter 1, you can't use him in Chapter 2, right?

 

[Dark Jezter]

ON a note for Jezter, (NWN OC spoiler)

Spoiler

It has to do with Aribeth's redemption, doesn't it? In which case, it doesn't really make sense for my character to even know about her, but whatever.

Spoiler

Well, if you really want to know... It does involve Aribeth. She is available as a henchman (although I passed her up for Deekin and Nathyrra). The game assumes that rumors of Aribeth's betrayal reached the ears of your character, even though the character in SoU/HotU never met her before.

Spoiler

Yes, I was very happy to have Deekin. I'm assuming if Deekin doesn't come along in Chapter 1, you can't use him in Chapter 2, right?

I'm not sure about this one.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Is SoU necessary to use HoU? The OC soured me on NWN (I've played a number of user mods since that were good, but overall I've preferred party-based games like ToEE -- I only play in single-player mode). HoU looks interesting, and I'm tempted to pick it up, but probably won't if I have to purchase both expansions to make it work.

 

[KenM]

No, you don't need SoU to play HotU. But the OC in hotU is kind of a continuation of the SoU OC. Those modules are alot better then the NWN OC. If you don't have SoU, you just don't have access to the stuff from it. Now it's gonna get more complicated. They will have: 1. Modules that just use NWN. 2. Modules that use NWN and SoU. 3. Modules that use NWN and just HotU. 4. Modules that use NWN, SoU, and HotU.

 

[Azlan]

I'm interested in this expansion, but mostly (if not entirely) from a DM's and designer's perspective.

I am heavily into designing modules for Neverwinter Nights, and then DM'ing them through weekly multi-player sessions. I have an on-line campaign that's been going on for about a year now, called "Doombreather's Challenge". This is about the fourth time I've run this campaign.

How much and what type of new content is in the "Underdark" expansion, content that a mod designer can make use of? How does this new expansion compare in designer-content to the first expansion?

 

[LightPhoenix]

How much and what type of new content is in the "Underdark" expansion, content that a mod designer can make use of? How does this new expansion compare in designer-content to the first expansion?

Well, you can check out http://nwvault.ign.com/index2.shtml for lots of information, but in a nutshell... lots, and IMO loads better than the stuff from SoU.

The henchman system has been reworked a bit, supporting multiple henchmen (the number can be set with a simple scripting command). You also have slightly better control over what they do, but they still act on their own. Also, when henchmen level up you can specify an advancement table no matter what class they take - so if you want your henchman to take different feats depending on what class it's going up in, you can specify that exactly (as opposed to only one custom one, or being stuck with the class defaults).

You can define a user-made talktable (but only one per module), allowing the addition of flavor text to any custom feats, spells, and so on that you want to make.

Class-wise, you can specify a prestige class to gain "+1 caster level", the example in the game being the Pale Master. You can only do regular progressions (every level, every other, every third), not some of the irregular ones. This can be specified for arcane and divine, so in theory you could make a Mystic Theurge type class easily enough. Also, bonus feats (like the fighter's) are now defined in a seperate table (cls_bfeat_*), able to be changed if you so desire.

Items have a new property, OnHitCastSpell. It lets you specify a spell that will be cast when you strike (weapon) or are struck (armor). This means almost total flexibility with regards to weapon and armor properties. There are also several module-level events added - OnAcquireItem, OnEquipItem, OnUnAcquireItems, OnUnEquipItem. They also provide some scripts that let you handle all of these in one script, with the same name as the tag of the item. It's not very well documented, I had to play around in some of the files to find it, and strangely I don't think HotU uses it.

Epic-level rules, PCs can go to level 40 and NPCs to level 60. Six new prestige classes (Champion of Torm, Weapon Master, Pale Master, Dwarven Defender, Shifter, Dragon Disciple). Robes. Oozes. An incredibly more functional merchant system. New spells, new weapons (whip and dwarven axe), new heads, new armors. Armor dyes. Item Creation feats, five new tilesets.

I'm probably missing some stuff. I've been mostly playing the game more than tinkering.