Introduction and Questing Tips
If you want more gold, you may attempt to persuade people. However, it may affect your alignment. If you talked to anyone about a quest, even though they may not have affected your journal, remember to talk to them again anyway. For instance, if you talk to the girl that informs you about the prison break after you have turned in the brain of the Intellect Devourer, your alignment shifts 3 points towards good.
Tips on Character Creation
Sorcerer
It is suggested that you take a two-handed weapon as your main focus. Also try to get a bow. Combat Casting is essential — at level 1, without it, you will fail every concentration check when hit in combat. For metamagic feats, choose Extend Spell and Maximize Spell (Empower Spell as an alternative). Use the ability to unlearn spells at each level — there may be better spells with the same purpose. Remember that enchantments do not stack.
Druid
Two weapon paths are recommended:
- Dual wielding — Take all the feats for low penalty attacks. Improved Two Weapon Fighting is the real perk. Suggested race: Elf (for Longsword proficiency).
- Two-handed weapons — Human or Elf recommended. Human preferred for the extra feat allowing Martial Weapon Proficiency.
In either case, get Heavy Armor Proficiency — the druid can't take a beating without it. Maximize Spells is recommended (a maximized Call Lightning can be devastating).
Note on Animal/Elemental Forms: They may look good but tend to be phased out quickly. The elemental forms come too late to be of much use.
Prelude
The prelude is fairly self-explanatory. After the ceremony and brief fight, get out alive. You won't be able to level up from the goblins and skeletons in the academy. Speak with the man who tells you to level up, then go straight to the stables and speak with Fenthick to get your third level. Only bother clearing rooms if you need the items — some chests contain helpful or valuable things.
Chapter 1
City Core
XP Tip: Visit the Moonstone Mask back room. After getting authorization from Ophala, buy pass coins from Torgo. Speak with Tamora and/or Luce (if male) or Tanith (if female) for 50 XP. Tamora also has a mini-quest worth another 50 XP.
The Wailing and the Waterdhavians — Quest from Aribeth (600 XP, 2000 gold). Recover 4 components for the Wailing Death cure: the Intellect Devourer Brain, Yuan-Ti Heart, Lock of Dryad Hair, and Cockatrice Feather. Each component is worth 150 XP and 500 GP when turned in.
Peninsula: Prison Break — Side Quest (200 XP, 800 gold). The woman outside the Halls of Justice tells you about the prison break. Head to the Peninsula, speak with Sedos Sebile, or go directly to the Tanglebrook Estate. Fight through the prison, kill Head Gaeoler Alaefin. Make sure to rescue all Former Guards first, or the Intellect Devourer will escape into one of them. Return to Sedos Sebile for an extra 300 gold.
The Great Tree: Animal Rescue — Side Quest (276 XP, 400 gold). Get the quest from Nyatar in City Core. Use the key and Transport Via Plants Scroll at the Blacklake Zoo. Free each animal (19 XP each) and send them through the portal.
Cloak Tower: Membership — Side Quest, Bard/Wizard/Sorcerer only. Join the Guild of the Many-Starred Cloak by collecting 4 items in order: rare clay (Peninsula), flask of water (Docks), puff of fog (Blacklake), kindling (Beggar's Nest). Each Wizard Lab is guarded by an elemental Mephit. Return to Eltoora for a battle of wits against a Minogon. Reward: Many-Starred Cloak.
Blacklake: The Gauntlet Arena — Side Quest (200 XP). Speak with Graxx in the Trade of Blades. Pay 50 GP for the pass, take it to the Board Laid Bare in Blacklake. Fight and kill Hrusk, Fashi, Agar, and finally Claudus (pay the cleric to Dispel Magic on him). Reward: 200 XP and ownership of the bar.
Moonstone Mask: Art Theft — Side Quest (500 XP, 1200 gold, Boots of Reflexes +3). Ophala asks you to steal three art items from nobles: an urn from Hodge in Blacklake, a portrait from the Rumbottom Estate, and a statuette from the Androd Estate in the Docks.
Temple of Tyr: Never's Tomb — Side Quest (900 gold, Amulet of Will +3). Oleff sends you to find Lord Never's tomb. Find Briley in an unmarked house by the Militia HQ in the Peninsula. Get the quill from Giles at the Moonstone Mask. Collect the Ceremonial Arrow, Shield, and Sword from Briley's building. Find tombs in the Aqueducts (Docks), Blacklake (talk to Punkin and the woman inside), and the Beggar's Nest graveyard.
Peninsula
XP Tip: Rescue civilians and escort them to the gate for 60-70 XP each. Burn plague victim corpse piles for 25 XP each.
The Tanglebrook Estate — Find the key under the welcome mat. Use the basement passage as a secret entrance into the prison.
The Prison Key — Enter the sewers south of the prison. Defeat the Gang Leader and his cronies to get the Prison Key for the front door.
Beggar's Nest
Missing Guard — Side Quest (50 XP). Captain Ergus tells you about his missing guard, Walters. Find him under the Warehouse after dealing with Drawl.
Aldo and Hector — Side Quest (100 XP). Aldo needs help with his wagon wheel. Find Hector in the Thomas Wheelwright Wagon Repair shop (southeast Beggar's Nest) and escort him back.
Undead Infestation — (200 XP, 500 gold, Amulet of Natural Armor +2). Venture under the Warehouse and fight Gulnan in the Warrens of the Damned beneath the graveyard. Pick up the Yuan-Ti heart (200 XP). Talk to Harben Ashensmith at the Shining Serpent afterward for the additional reward.
Find Krestal — Go into the barricaded home near the center. Fight zombies, go upstairs, and speak to Krestal. He tells you about the Sword Coast Boys and Drawl.
Find Jemanie / A Missing Brother — Side Quest (100 XP, Torin's Ring). Find Jemanie in a barricaded home on the far west side. Get his wardstone to enter the "Strange Building." Find Torin's corpse in the Warrens of the Damned and return his ring.
A Lost Soul — Side Quest (150 XP, 400 gold). Bertrand Penhold at the Temple of Helm asks you to find his brother Marcus's body. Return the staff (100 XP) and journal (50 XP). Alignment shifts 3 points good.
Hints of Conspiracy — Side Quest (50 XP, 250 gold). Kill the 4 Hired Thugs in south-center Beggar's Nest. Take the note to Aribeth, then to Fenthick.
Blacklake
Trouble in No-Man's-Land — Side Quest (100 XP). Cendran tells you about the half-orc Loxar. Kill him in a burnt-down building and return his head. Alignment shifts 3 points good.
Samuel's Rescue — Side Quest (225 XP, 300 gold). Thurin at the Board Laid Bare tells you about his lost soldier. Rescue Samuel from Meldanen's prison.
Blacklake: Unrest / Tensions Rising — (320 XP, Periapt of Wisdom +1). Formosa tells you about the sorcerer Meldanen. Get into his estate either by force or through Milly (the cleaning lady who has a portal in her back room). Get the Master Key from Meldanen (120 XP), free the dryad for the Lock of Dryad Hair (200 XP).
Docks
XP Tip: Burn the plague victim pyre for 25 XP. Buy a Bag of Holding from the guy in Twenty in a Quiver.
Kill the Bloodpirates on the west side and take a uniform. Wear it to the Seedy Tavern and speak with the Auctioneer to trade smuggler's coins for above-average items.
The Masterson Amulet — Side Quest (150 XP, 400 gold). Hemmel Masterson tells you he gave an amulet to Callik. Find Callik later and return the amulet.
Trouble in the District — (200 XP). Enter the Seedy Tavern and speak with Jalek the half-orc. Win the drinking contest (drink an Endurance potion first). Get the key to the back room, then venture to the Silver Sails Trading Post where you'll find Callik and Vengaul arguing. After the fight, pick up the Cockatrice Feather.
Henchman Tales (Level 6 Required)
- Linu's Tale (100 XP, Pendant of the Elf +1) — Find the Moonbow Chalice in a chest of drawers in Meldanen's Estate.
- Daelan's Tale (100 XP, Amulet of the Red Tiger Tribe +1) — Find his mother's brooch on the Bloodpirate ship in the Docks.
- Tomi's Tale (100 XP, Ring of the Rogue +1) — Find Official Documents in the bookcase at Thomas Wheelwright's shop in Beggar's Nest.
- Boddyknock's Tale (100 XP, Lantanese Ring +1) — Find a bread recipe in the southernmost barricaded home on the far west side of Beggar's Nest.
- Grimgnaw's Tale (100 XP, Amulet of the Long Death +1) — Find an identifiable ring in a house in Blacklake's No-Man's-Land, near the Gate Captain. Look for the house with a wagon by the door.
- Sharwyn's Tale (100 XP, Belt of the Performer +1) — Find the Celestial Elixir on the Alchemist's Apparatus in the Tanglebrook Estate (same floor, not basement).
Chapter 1 End: Helmite Temple
The Cure at Last — Oleff will speak with you in the Ritual Chamber. Go into the main room and speak with the "big 4." They begin the ceremony — enjoy the peace, as it doesn't last long. Enter the portal after the dust settles.
Helm's Hold
XP Tip: Enter via the main entrance. Find a corpse by the gate with a gem — place it in the altar inside the Hold to activate 4 constructs that will help you.
Sins of a Traitor — Speak with Dumal in the prison section. The Hold was infiltrated by spies. Make your way through the main temple, up the stairs, and confront Desther and his undead minions. Desther surrenders relatively early — talk to him to return to Neverwinter and begin Chapter 2.
A Devil's Deal — (750 XP). Chaohinon of the Void asks you to complete the Helmites' ritual. Find the Black Grimoire to activate the altar. Choose to banish the demon (375 XP). Later, find a Book of Helm and reinstate the Guardian of Helm. Choose your reward: insight into future events, an Elven Court Bow, a Ring of Elemental Resistance (15/- to all resists), or temporary incredible stat boosters. Another 375 XP regardless of choice.
Note: Chapters 2-4 were not completed in the original FAQ by Cheeta and Kyrexus.
