31

General Discussion / Re: Should Quest Areas Be Opened

« on: October 30, 2019, 08:33:24 am »

Some things that are coming in and will slowly be rolled out as time permits. These things will be added to existing quests and exploration areas as well as the new ones.

-Movement skills for traversing difficult areas (think climb checks, balance checks, jump checks, escape checks (for getting through tight spots)) We have some now, but there is an extensive update to add that will add a lot more interesting functionality)

- Descriptive Skill Trigger. These are invisible triggers that can roll any skill check, any ability check rolled blind so the player does not know the DC. (If you fail a check, you do not even know that a check occurred) On a success, they can either give a descriptive text (detail depending on what you rolled), reveal an object, item or creature as well as give out XP.

-The new rnd loot generation system will let us add a chance of a 'boss' creature spawning. These bosses will have a rnd chance to spawn a special magical item on death. These will only appear in exploration areas or overland areas.

In regards to something that caught my eye here:

Posted by: Briar_Rose
you'd like to continue your story by fighting undead in a crypt.... oh, but look, I can't because some random NPC says he doesn't need my help. Why would that stop me from destroying undead though? Then again, life is just hard for a PC that doesn't want to wander around and kill things for fun.

I'm not sure exactly what you want. You don't want to wander around and kill things for fun, but opening up quest areas will let you in to kill stuff... Also, you said that you don't want to go out and kill goblins just because they are there, but you want to go in and kill wasps because they are there.

Is what you want an NPC to go and tell you do things? That is, if an NPC directs you to an exploration area and tells you to kill things, then you will do it? Because we can definitely aid NPCs that ask you to go do things that are not part of the quest system.

Overall, the quest system is designed to be the way it is to control the story and make sure that it is a challenge for the level of the players. It is there as a means to replicate the DnD feel of a DM run story. To have people in it that are outside the level range enter defeats the purpose of the system. To put this into PnP confines, as a DM you are not going to try and run an adventure for your 1st level players that are made for levels 10 - 16 and your not going to run an adventure for your players who are level 10+ that is made for level 1s. It would not be fun for the players.

So to compensate for this we add in areas for you to make up your own stories about (exploration areas) where you can gather your friends and go and see if you can find the 'Lost Sword of Destiny!' even if you know there is no such thing. You never know, a DM might take notice and actually create more of a story for you while you are doing it.

When I jump on to DM (and do not have a specific quest to run) the first thing I do is jump to players out and about to see what they are up to. Then into quest areas that have players in them and then finally to people in player hub areas to hand out RP XP. If you are out and about then there is more of a chance that I will run something off the cuff that could lead to something much more involved down the track.

Anyway, I will end this with my personal opinion (which may or may not be that of other team members): Scripted quests should remain as they are for the reasons I stated above but also because it will take a lot of time and effort to change it. Time and effort that would be better spent working on new and fun things for players.

32

Netherese Library / Re: Research: Powering of the smaller Mythallars

« on: October 16, 2019, 10:08:05 pm »

I think, my dear, you are confused about what exactly a Mythallar is. A Mythallar is not charged up like a power source that stores some form of magical energy like the shards that you mention.
A Mythallar is a conduit between us and the raw, untamed magic of the universe. There are no larger or smaller ones, they are the same size; a perfect sphear of radiant light with soft shadows that play across the surface.

33

Netherese Library / Re: Research: Powering of the smaller Mythallars

« on: October 16, 2019, 06:57:38 am »

What do you mean by " smaller mythallar" exactly?

34

Netherese Library / Re: Research:Powerful Vampires

« on: October 07, 2019, 12:00:55 pm »

After reading many books and tails about the blood drinking undead there seems to be many contradictions about how best to combat these horrific creations. There are ones that seem to be somewhat agreed on however, though the efectivness differs between tales. Garlic, running water, silver, wooden stakes and holy water are ment to ether harm, drive off or even incapacitate the creatures.

35

Netherese Library / Re: Research: a plane of grey

« on: October 07, 2019, 11:39:07 am »

It seems safe to say that, after reading a few primer books, such a landscape would not be out of place in the evil and tortured realm of the lower planes.

36

Netherese Library / Re: Research: Planar Connections

« on: September 24, 2019, 11:44:27 am »

The hafling does not get much help from the staff (at best they treat her like a child at worst with contempt and disdain) and worse yet there are no leaders high enough for her to reach the top shelves (it seems spell casting is not permitted here as well if mage hand is attempted). Still, the determined halfling does find some information on creatures that seem to exist in 2 planes at once, the most notable being the specter.
"The Ethereal Plane is the home of ghosts, wraiths and other spectral entities. They float amid the mists, hungrily eyeing the warm energy of those who still live." Apparently they can exist on both planes at once

37

General Discussion / Re: Increase magic item levels -- Please read and respond.

« on: September 19, 2019, 08:17:41 am »

Just to clarify. +5 gear does not mean only flat +5 things but it means gear with the value of, or near, something that is +5.

EG: a +5 sword is about 48100 gold in value.
a +3 sword with +5 v (whatever) is about the same value
and a sword that is +3 with Divine 1d4 Damage, Fire 1d4 Damage, Massive Crit 3 and Bless 1 Use/Day is about the same value

38

New Features / Spell Change 'Find Traps -- Zahn’s Find Snares'

« on: January 14, 2019, 02:56:24 am »

Find Traps -- Zahn’s Find Snares
Changed so the spell only finds traps, not disarms them as well.

39

General Discussion / Re: Hello everyone :)

« on: January 14, 2019, 02:40:48 am »

Sorry to tell you that this is using the new NWN:EE (Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition). You can only join if you have a copy of the enhanced edition wich you can get either on Steam, directly from Beamdog website or from GoG (https://www.gog.com/game/neverwinter_nights_enhanced_edition_pack).

40

Feedback and Bugs / Re: The death penalty destroys fun.

« on: January 12, 2019, 11:20:18 pm »

The team will be discussing the issue in our forums to see if we can come up with something the is still significant, but not fun breaking.

41

Netherese Library / Re: Research: Menner and Blackthorne

« on: December 21, 2018, 08:18:16 am »

The Brothers Menner
Once upon a time, long ago, lived two brothers, knights of the land under their father's rule.
A boar lays waste to a country, and the brothers set out to kill it, with the prize being a princess's hand in marriage.
The younger meets a dwarf who gives him a spear, and with it, he kills the boar.
Carrying the body off, the victor meets his older brother, who had joined with others to drink.
The older brother lures him into the Frog and Toad, gives him drink, and learns of the younger brother's adventure.
They then set out to deliver the body of the boar to their Father, but on passing a bridge, the older kills the younger and buries his body beneath it.
He takes the boar himself and marries the princess as his prize.
One day a shepherd sees a bone under the bridge and uses it to make a mouthpiece for a horn, which sings of the brother's fate:

"Ah! Dear shepherd, you are blowing your horn

With one of my bones, which night and morn

Lie still unburied, beneath the wave

Where I was thrown in a sandy grave.

I killed the wild boar, and my brother slew me,

And gained the princess by pretending 'twas he."

The shepherd takes this marvel to the Father, who has the bridge examined, and the bones of the deceased brother are found.
The older brother is not able to deny his actions and is burnt alive as punishment.
The younger brother's bones are reburied in a beautiful grave

42

Netherese Library / Re: Research: Menner and Blackthorne

« on: December 20, 2018, 01:05:19 am »

The librarian reluctantly hands you a fable about 2 knights named Menner. "It is an old children tale" you are told, "One read to children to warn against greed and envy. Did you want to read it?"

43

Netherese Library / Re: Laws of the Valstiir Enclave

« on: December 20, 2018, 12:30:33 am »

*Amendment: Extra-Planar creatures refers to those of the upper and lower plains and alien extraplanar creature including, but not limited to, Imps, Quasits, Demons, Devils, Solars, Archons.

44

Netherese Library / Re: Laws of the Valstiir Enclave

« on: December 18, 2018, 05:39:02 am »

The 1st Amelioration
The act of creating, animating, summoning or control of undead outside of the confines of the Arcanist Guild will henceforth be illegal under Enclave Law and will be regarded as Espionage against the Enclave. Those who are found guilty of such will be sentenced to a public flogging. A secondary offense will be met with the death penalty. Should the individual be shown to have connections with the Cult of Roz'Dha he death penalty will be immediate.

The 2nd Amelioration
The act of summoning, consorting, aligning with or control of any extraplanar creature outside of the confines of the Arcanist Guild will henceforth be illegal under Enclave Law and will be regarded as Espionage against the Enclave. Those who are found guilty of such will be sentenced to a public flogging. A secondary offense will be met with the death penalty. Should the individual be shown to have connections with the Cult of Roz'Dha he death penalty will be immediate.

The 3rd Amelioration
Sorcerors, also known as Blood Casters or Blood Mages , though found not to be inherently dangerous are still an aberration of the land. They are to be watched and evaluated at all times. If deemed necessary, through evidence provided, a Sorcerer may be detained by the Arcanist Guild and subject to experimentation.


The 4th Amelioration
Acquisition of and use of pact powers will be treated seen as a breaking of the 2nd Amelioration and will be treated as such.

45

Netherese Library / Re: {Nether Scrolls...}

« on: December 16, 2018, 02:24:59 pm »

The Nether Scrolls and the Great Lost

Across the entire Empire, there is one symbol of power, influence and unity that can be said to be one of the two key pillars upon which the Netheril Empire is built upon. Where Iouloum may be the heart and brain of the Empire, the Nether Scrolls are the soul of the empire. But though Iouloum is perhaps the greatest Arcanist of the empire, if not for the Nether Scrolls everything about the Empire might never have become so, and we would be as limited as the elves and other inferior magical races and nations.


The Nether Scrolls, are a set of 100 golden scrolls, detailing the very nature of magic. Studies into the creation and authors of these scrolls have offered few results, but scholars all agree that whoever made them were very advanced magically. They were also, from artifacts found near the scrolls to have possessed four legs rather than two. They were discovered in a series of ruins in the Far Horn's Forest in the year 326, which would be later given the starting date for the Era named for this very discovery; The Nether Age.


The scrolls though totaling in 100, are actually two sets of 50, one older looking and the other newer looking. The contents divided into five chapters, each consisting of ten scrolls. The scrolls are made not from paper but gold, or platinum and made like flexible paper; a feat that has driven a number of metal workers and arcanists mad trying to replicate. What is perhaps the greatest achievement of the scrolls is that despite their small size, they contain more knowledge then what an ordinary object of their size could hold. Each time a scroll is read, new knowledge appeared and once a reader has gained significant knowledge and understanding of the chapter, the scroll provides additional knowledge and information. In short, the scrolls are a limitless fountain of arcane knowledge and it is speculated that even Iouloum, living as long as he has so far,  would only learn a portion of what the scrolls contain.


The five chapters of the scrolls are as followed:



Arcanus Fundare: Foundations of Magic.



This chapter gives insight about fundamental magic, giving a reader magical skill matching or surpassing true masters, but no additional base power.



Magicus Creare: Spells of Creation.



This chapter details the creation of magical items.



Major Creare: Major Creation.



This chapter also details magical item creation but focuses on constructs such as golems.



Plauns Mechanus: Studies of the Planes



This chapter deals with the planes and how to planar travel without ill effects from the planes environments.



Ars Factum: Of the Creation of Artifacts


The contents of these scrolls are, unfortunately unknown. Though it can be wisely suggested it involves the creation of magical artifacts as the title states. These scrolls, however, require some sort of key, or other items in order to access the knowledge within. Currently, there are twenty-five funded expeditions to search for the key,  such as in the same ruins where the Nether Scrolls were founded and in other spots where ruins showing similarities to the ruins where the scrolls were found. Also, a number of Archmages have invested great wealth and power to find other ways to open the scrolls and they claim it is only a matter of time before these last ten scrolls are opened and their knowledge added to the Empires.


The Nether Scrolls are indeed the greatest magical artifact of the empire, and the very cause for the empires rise to glory and as the single most powerful nation in all the world. And so it is no wonder that some would seek to steal them. In the year 764 during the Mythallar Era, a complete set of the Nether scrolls, all 50 of the newer-looking set, were stolen. Luckily the two sets were separated to assure that one copy would be safe, but to this day there is no hint or idea of who or what it was that stole the scrolls. The vaults that contained them were locked, alarmed, trapped and sealed, to the best of the empires magical ability. Yet despite this the scrolls were none the less removed without setting off the alarms, unsealing the vault or activating the traps.


This loss of one of our nations national treasures, caused and still does cause, an uproar in the arcanist community. Many arcanists and patriotic members of the empire, work to uncover the truth of the culprits or to track down and find the lost scrolls. In fact, a large number of Archmages have put forth a reward for any information regarding the stolen Nether Scroll set that currently stands at 100,000,000 pieces of coin and a noble title; a reward that still to this day has not yet be claimed.


The remaining Nether Scrolls are now kept under tighter guard than ever before, with a vow by all arcanists and archmages to never let such a theft happen again. These scrolls are one of the pillars of the empire, and if we were to lose these last scrolls we would lose a critical pillar of our empire.