TGDB.net - Game news, cheats, solutions, walkthroughs, trainers, saved games and much more!

NEVERWINTER NIGHTS- OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN GUIDE
By: HitNRunI95
www.leesux.com
rpg.leesux.com
hitnruni95@hotmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
***********************************
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GameFAQs.com, and should not be published in any case.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.
***********************************
Real Disclaimer: This is my first guide, so bear with me.
***********************************
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.
***********************************
Update 7/8/02: Finished Penninsula District. Guide now at 20 pages in
MS Word.
***********************************
Update 7/12/02: Finished Beggar's Nest. Guide now at 23 pages in MS
Word.
***********************************
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.
***********************************
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