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, ninetenths of those who do 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. Trust me, I just played a MOD that had been released not a week after NWN- 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 my 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 arcane 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.
1.0 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. And now, we get into the meat of character creation.
2.1 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.
2.2 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 class- they don't have to worry about keeping another class maintained 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 against Spot, Listen, and Search checks. They can also Search at full capability without activating Detect Mode, which slows humans down. 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 2.0
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 class that is well bred for the trenches. Their Favored Class, of course, is Fighter- see under 2.0 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 2.0) 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 HalfOrc 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.
2.3 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.
2.4 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- Wizards who normally specialize in D&D 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 dish 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 the 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 then 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 of them 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 startall arms and armor. 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 get hit more often then their Paladin and Fighter cousins when fighting large groups due to their dependence on dexterity. (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.
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 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 class 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 one, and the next one, and the next one. 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 rivalschool 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 it was the opposing school of magic. 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 (1) Conjuration (2) any two of the following: 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 incorporated more and more into NWN) we're back to the old Rival Schools system. Also, there is not memorization requirement, so we're back to evoking Necromancers. 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 play straight wizards.
2.5 ALIGNMENT
Your alignment is 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. 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 a paralyzed frost giant, nor can they hit one with a missile weapon. Characters with nine charisma never get bonuses in conversations and have to sell their newbie weapon and armor to afford a glass of ale. 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 used 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 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. 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."
Charisma- Governs your Persuade skill, which gets you more reward from conversation, and 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 clas ses, 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 (2) 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 regretleave your wisdom at 11, and boost intelligence to 13. Charisma is vaguely important for all classes, but shouldn't be boosted too highyou need the points for your more vital stats.
My ideal ranger is Str +6 (14) Dex +6 (14) Con +6 (14) Wis +0 (11) Int +5 (13) Cha +4 (12)
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 highyou 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 memorized. 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 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 then 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 in 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 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 demo, even for rogues- you're just not high enough level with Sneak 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 him. 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 of the city. You 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 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 the Sergol and the portal in the temple- you're going to donate tens of thousands of gold to Tyr via that portal before the final blow against the asyet-unknown enemy is struck.
After talking to the girl just outside the temple (she asks you to check out the Penninsula, simply report back to her for some more experience when you finish that part of town) you can explore. First thing on your list should be to walk around every section of the City Core. On the itinerary for magi is the tower just to the left of where you emerge. Druids and Rangers should check out Nyatar at the Tree next to the tower 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 three useful henchman (like Tomi) can be hired. Daelan Red Tiger is a powerful 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 a godsend for warriors, especially later in the game when the Heal spell becomes common. (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.
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 ley all the prisoners free. The guards are barricaded in front of the gate to the city core, determined not to let the invasion penetrate to the inner district.
Into this mess you walk in. 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 doesn'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 hand'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 find 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 a company leader, 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 you're 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 battleroyale. 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...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 turn, 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 South forces join up with the gang (lead by a powerful Gang Leader) about halfway up the hall...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 rooms, 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 ca n 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. 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 it's 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 restedget 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 problemsdrink 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.
The remainder of Chapter 1 and more can be expected in several days.
