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Kiss of Fate
Built by codepoetz@canada.com
version 1.06
(Requires "GreyRock.hak" version 1.00)
October 31, 2003
=================================================================================
= Player Notes =
=================================================================================
System Requirements:
You must have NWN patch level 1.31 (or higher) installed, otherwise this module
will not work. See your player's manual for details on how to get and apply the
game patches. I have play-tested this module using both NWN and SOU.
Installation:
Copy the hak-pack, "GreyRock.hak," into your NWN/hak directory and copy the module
file, "Kiss of Fate.mod," into your NWN/modules directory. Copy the *.bmu files
into your NWN/music directory, and copy the *.bic files into your NWN/localvault
directory. Finally, run the NWN game and select "New Game," and "Other Modules,"
and "Kiss of Fate."
The Game:
This module is a story about love and consequence. Set in the troubled times
immediately after the end of the NWN Official Campaign, this dramatic tale
reveals more about some of the central characters in the NWN Official Campaign,
including an Elven Paladin named Aribeth. Your actions will determine the fate
of these unique characters. This game opens with a series of quests to track
an escaped prisoner and to learn about a few powerful magic artifacts. You will
need all of your investigative and diplomatic skills to track the prisoner.
Later in the game, you will find several areas where you must employ a variety of
unique combat strategies to survive. Mastering the new "Ogi-Yun" magic system
will be key to enjoying the combat-oriented sections of this module. Along your
journey you will encounter new and deadly monsters, and meet a wide variety of
interesting NPCs with realistic motivations and responses to your actions. Two
original songs are included in the Hak to help set the mood; I use the word
"song" because these are original vocal performances instead of the usual
computer-generated background music.
If you enjoy reading interesting dialogs, role-playing, interacting with unique
NPCs, solving puzzles, and planning careful combat strategies you'll probably
enjoy this game. If you are looking for a simple combat-oriented module
with a single objective and simple story ("head into the dungeon and beat on the
boss monster until it dies") you should play a different module. Also, if you
are looking for an easy game that doesn't involve much thinking, you should try
a different module.
=================================================================================
= Character Notes =
=================================================================================
The Ogi-Yun Masters:
You are a young Initiate of the Secret Order of the Ogi-Yun Masters. These
reclusive wizards are highly sought after for their vast knowledge, for their
subtle diplomatic skills, and occasionally, for their immense power. They are
experts at solving difficult and often delicate problems for Kings and Queens.
All Initiates begin their rigorous training as Rogues or Monks to harden themselves
against the perils of their profession. They also study the professions of
diplomacy and criminal investigation. Later, they learn the secret arts of the
Ogi-Yun -- Powerful arcane Summoning Rituals. The Ogi-Yun Order strives to
maintain the balance and the neutrality of the Realms, and they are greatly
respected and feared by most. A young Ogi-Yun Initiate with the right knowledge
and ritual ingredients is a daunting foe capable of Summoning hideously powerful
creatures and disappearing into the shadows to watch you die. Although the Ogi-Yun
are a secret order, their equipment is very valuable and is often traded by
smugglers and by some merchants.
Skill Checks:
This game features numerous skill checks made in conversations and while moving
through areas, so you should select your skills carefully when leveling-up. The
provided character is well-rounded in these respects, so you have a good base to
build on. Some of the skill checks used in this game include: listen, threaten,
spot, persuade, bluff, stonecraft, climbing, spellcraft, lore, insight, and
pick-pocket.
Characters:
Although I recommend playing this game with the provided character
(Rogue 2 / Wizard 4), you can use any male character. To use the full set of
Ogi-Yun, you should play a wizard. There are numerous options available only
to theives, so a rogue/wizard is an excellent choice. Since there are several
very involved romances, I had to limit the game to male characters. There are
"good" and "evil" paths in the game and there are over a dozen different endings
based on your actions throughout the game, so choose your path wisely. It is
possible to play the module with any class if you really hate playing wizards.
Combat:
There is hard combat in this game, however, most of the "boss" encounters can be
avoided through role-playing. Of course, if you wish to fight, that is always an
option! As an Ogi-Yun master, you can Summon a Balor to crush your foes when you
get really upset. Of course, you'll have to find the right items needed to summon
a Balor, but that's part of the fun!
=================================================================================
= NWN Rule Changes =
=================================================================================
I have added three new magic systems to NWN.
* Alchemy : Using an alchemist's lab you can prepare powerful magic items by
combining every-day items with special alchemical powders.
* Rituals : Using arcane magic rituals, you can summon powerful creatures.
* Fate : By equiping special items, you can roll to avoid Death.
Alchemy:
Alchemy is a type of science that allows you to combine every-day items such as
torches and empty bottles with special alchemical powders to craft powerful magic
items such as Sun Rods and Thunder Arrows. You will need to find the correct
ingredients, and a functioning Alchemist Lab. The correct recipes can be found
in various books and through careful experimentation.
Summoning Rituals:
I've always imagined Summoners as extremely powerful and deadly wizards who
have mastered a series of arcane magic rituals to bind powerful creatures to
their will. The standard NWN Summoning rules leave a lot to be desired (badgers!),
so I wrote some custom extensions to the basic rules. Try them out, and let me
know what you think!
Ogi-Yun cards store the spirits of summoned creatures for later use. There are
two ways to use an Ogi-Yun card. You can stash it inside your Ogi-Yun Box or you
can Use it. If you Use it, the creature will be released and will fight as your
ally for a period of time. Instead, if you keep the Card in your Ogi-Yun Box, you
can use a normal Summoning spell to summon that creature -- just like learning a
new spell, except you are learning how to summon new creatures. Of course, you
must be able to cast the appropriate level of summoning spell for the creature
bound to the Card (you can't summon a Balor with a first level spell). If your
Ogi-Yun Box contains more than one Card of a given spell level, one of the Cards
will be selected randomly when you cast a spell. Over the course of the Game, you
may learn how to create your own Ogi-Yun Cards by capturing the spirits of
different creatures and binding them to Blank Ogi-Yun cards.
If you use an Ogi-Yun card to summon a creature whose level exceeds your spell
ability, you must roll for Arcane Spell Failure. The consequences of failing this
roll vary from minor to extreme, depending on how far you are stretching your
arcane abilities. For example, Filla, a fourth level wizard tries to Use an Ogi-Yun
card enscribed with the image of a Ancient Red Dragon (spell level 9). Since she
can only cast first/second level spells (spell level 2), she must roll for Arcane
Failure. The roll is DC10 vs the sum of d20 + max(SpellCraft, Use Magic Device) +
Intelligence Bonus + Ritual Score. Her odds aren't too bad, but failure will
certainly end her life, and probably the lives of her companions. On the other hand,
if she succeeds, she will have an Ancient Red Dragon as a pet for a short while!
Of course, finding a Red Dragon Ogi-Yun card won't be easy!
You can add special powers to your summoned creatures by performing arcane rituals
prior to casting a Summoning spell. Simply place the correct ritual items in your
Ritual Box, and use a Ritual Blade to draw blood from your hand. The ritual effects
will last for a few minutes -- long enough to cast your summoning spell. The Ritual
Blade is consumed when the Ritual begins, and the Ritual items are consumed when the
creature is summoned. An enhanced creature will glow red, so you can immediately see
if your ritual was successful. Different ritual items provide different effects, and
you can use {2 + your Ritual Score} items per ritual. If your Ritual Box contains
more than the allowed number of items, only the first few will be used. Even using
a Ritual Blade without any Ritual Items will provide a significant enhancement to
your summoned creature.
For example: Place a Bodak's Tooth in your Ritual Box. Next, use the special power
on a Ritual Blade. You will see a protective shimmering blue ring appear at your feet,
and suffer a small amount of damage (from the bleeding). Now cast a Summoning spell
such as Summon Creature I (or use a Ogi-Yun Card, a scroll, or a wand). The Blade
and the Tooth are destroyed, and your Summoned Creature gains an attack bonus! Try
combining several different ritual items with different ritual blades to acheive
different effects. Your Ritual Score equals the Bonus on the Ritual Blade plus any
Ritual bonuses from magic items that you may have. Note that the Ritual effects
might "wear off" before the Summoned Creature is released.
You can use the special Magnifying Glass item on the Ogi-Yun Box, Ogi-Yun Cards,
and the Ritual Box to learn more. You may also find various Books and Scrolls that
will help you learn new Summoning Rituals. You can test the properties of a potential
Ritual Item by placing it in your Ritual Box and using the Magnifying Glass on the
Ritual Box (Look at the Message window to see a summary of the Ritual Items in the
Box).
Ogi-Yun Strategies:
There are two basic strategies for using Ogi-Yun cards and Ritual items. The most
basic strategy is to dump every Ogi-Yun card and every Ritual item that you find
into the appropriate box. This adds some interesting randomness to your basic
Summoning spells. Or, you can keep your Cards and Ritual items in your appropriate
sacks, and shift the best card/items into your boxes when needed. Both are effective,
however, the later allows you to carefully select the "best" creature for a
particular encounter or area. For example, you could summon a creature with fire
attacks when fighting a mummy (most mummies are vulnerable to fire). Likewise,
you can compensate for weaknesses in your Summoned creatures by using the
appropriate ritual items. For example, you can buff a simple Imp into a fearsome
foe by using ritual items that increase the Imp's armour class, hitpoints, attack
and damage rolls. If you are facing creature's with fear attacks, look for a
ritual item that provides immunity to fear.
=================================================================================
= General Hints (no spoilers) =
=================================================================================
Try to keep your henchman alive at all times. If he/she dies, use the Godstone
to pick him/her up as soon as possible. The henchmen in this game are a major
part of the story, and they can't move the story along if they are dead!
Summon your familiar and use your Ogi-Yun powers to keep creatures around. Your
summoning spells are extremely powerful when used correctly. Search dead corpses
for ritual items to enhance your summoning spells. Use the magnifying glass to
learn if these items have any special powers.
Some tips on inventory management. You can move items between inventory "panes"
by dragging the item onto the inventory "tab". You can move items directly into
a container in your inventory by dragging the item onto the container when you
pick it up.
You are probably playing a wizard. You can fight some types of creatures in
melee, but you'll want to avoid melee in many fights. Your bow and dagger
attack bonuses are linked to your Dexterity, so look for spells and potions to
give you a boost in combat.
You can use the Godstone to return to the Master for healing when you are not
in combat. Stock-up on healing potions for combat.
=================================================================================
= FAQ (no spoilers) =
=================================================================================
Q: My entire inventory just vanished!
A: Don't panic. Just save your game, quit NWN, start NWN and reload your game.
Q: I can't get out of the Sea Wolf hold!
A: Try opening and closing the door again. Try using the Godstone and then
opening the door. If that fails, walk around.
Q: Aribeth won't follow me.
A: Just ask her why she isn't following you. Then ask her to join up again.
=================================================================================
= Backstory =
=================================================================================
Hand of Fate Plot Points:
This game follows the events in "The Hand of Fate" and takes place immediately
after the end of the NWN Official Campaign. So, you may wish to complete the
Official Campaign, and possibly "The Hand of Fate" before playing this module. It
is not necessary to do so, however. If you do not want to play "The Hand of Fate"
right now, here is a very quick summary of some of the relevant plot points.
These will all be included in your Journal entries at the start of the game.
Through powerful divination magic, the evil Necromancer Maugrim learned that he
would perish at the hands of "The Hero of Neverwinter." Rather than despair, he
prepared for his eventual transformation into a undead Lich. He hatched a plan to
strike out against Neverwinter City by raising a mighty army of the undead from
Neverwinter's many fallen soldiers.
But who could begin Maugrim's transformation into a Lich? It must be someone who
hates Neverwinter as much as Maugrim does. As you may recall, Fenthick was
executed, perhaps unjustly, by Lord Nasher of Neverwinter. Knowing this, Maugrim
raised Fenthick from the dead, and Fenthick prepared Maugrim's cold corpse for
eventual transformation into a Lich. Now Fenthick has moved towards his former
lover Aribeth, who is still shaken by Fenthick's death. Aribeth, of course, is
in Nasher's cells awaiting her trial for betraying the armies of Neverwinter
during their recent war with Luskan. But what does Maugrim want with Aribeth?
=================================================================================
= Credits =
=================================================================================
This module features two original songs (piano / flute / soprano). Both songs were
arranged for this game, and were recorded by the talented sound engineers at
Pebble Studios; I encourage you to stop and listen to the vocals since they may
give you clues about the adventure. One of the songs is in Italian, the other
is in English.
Thanks to gyrfalcon for letting me use her wonderful "Winter of Faith" picture,
which captures Aribeth's troubled emotional state at the start of this adventure.
Many thanks to all of the talented artists who contributed portraits and custom
clothing haks, or scripting content to this module. I've tried to list them all
here, but may have missed someone.
* Portraits: gyrfalcon (Val, Emil), oldsalty (bleeding), swanhilde (tasha),
tymz (savna)
* Scripting: scrotok (corpses), gestalt (camera)
* Hacks: lisa (skirts), dupac (heads), ari (heads), kaldais (cloaks)
=================================================================================
= Additional Notes =
=================================================================================
Fate and Fey:
The English word "faery" is derived from the Latin "fatum," meaning destiny or
enchantment. This relates to the Greek notion of the three Fates, women who cut,
measure, and spin the threads of life. As the Romans expanded through northern
Europe, "fatum" developed into the French "fee" and subsequently into the English
word "fey."
=================================================================================
= SPOILERS! =
=================================================================================
This game features a number of realistic puzzles. I encourage you to try to
solve them; however, here are a few hints in case you get stuck somewhere. There
are often multiple solutions to each "puzzle" and I only offer one or two hints
here.
Where do I find a Sun Rod?
- There's an Alchemical Lab in Namfoodle's basement; look for nearby books.
How do I enter the Old City Hall?
- Disguise yourself as a Storm Sailor; there's a uniform in Val's basement.
You must also learn the name of a Storm Sailor from Serena, but she won't
tell you about it until you've spoken with Val.
How do I get out of jail?
- Pry one of the heavy iron bars loose and use it to crack the cell wall.
Where do I find Serena's Grey Rock Stone?
- Down the well. But you'll need climbing boots from Finn in Old City Hall.
How do I distract Grimswald?
- Get the dwarf drunk enough to fight the elf; or burn the ale barrel.
How do I get off the first level of Sylea?
- Visit the Binding Chamber upstairs and talk with the Bleeding Lady.
How do I convince Rory to skip town?
- Bribe him, or destroy his cargo.
How do I get out of the cave?
- Eva from the Grey Rock comes to wrap the world in thralls.
How do I kill Maugrim!
- With much difficulty. There are several ways NOT to kill him.
If you want to kill him, my favourite ways are to summon a dragon, or
to let Aribeth's tears fall to the ground.
Is it possible to save Aribeth in Nasher's trial?
- Yes. :-)
=================================================================================
= Known Bugs =
=================================================================================
- Sea Wolf Hold door at Grey Rock area transition sometimes doesn't work?
Try opening and closing the door, or using the Godstone. If that doesn't work,
just walk around the hold.
- Aribeth wanders off into infinity along the North Road / Mourne Estate?
Just ignore it ... it passes quickly.
- Henchmen don't level with you. Bioware's LevelUpHenchman function isn't happy
unless you level them from level 1, and they start at level 6 or 7. Not a big
deal anyways, so it's not worth fixing.
- You can capture a soul even if you don't use the spirit knife by using the
knife and then using a wand or spell to kill the creature. I don't think I can
fix this given the current event module in NWN.
- Aribeth sometimes refuses to follow you. I don't kow what is causing this,
but there is a conversation option that fixes it ... just ask her why she
isn't following you.
=================================================================================
= Change Log =
=================================================================================
* Version 1.00 (July 21, 2003)
- Initial Public Release after far too much play-testing.
* Version 1.01 (July 30, 2003)
- Defect: Val's map pin wouldn't show up after entering her house
- Defect: Added check for keg destroyed before using trapdoor in Grim's Inn
- Defect: Tasha wouldn't use her ranged weapon since she couldn't identify them
- Robust: changed Eva/Savna cut-scene to not use ActionBeginConversation()
- Robust: Gave Val her key in case she dies somehow?
- Robust: Made the outside door on SW ship auto-close onEnter
- Gameplay: Lowered Grimswald's level a little since players are fighting him!
- Gameplay: Added feature to manage henchman inventory
* Version 1.02 (August 06, 2003)
- Defect: SeaDoor script didn't check for nDavosPlotLevel == 15; endless loop
- Gameplay: Adjusted Fenthick/Aribeth convo to explain the undead thing better
* Version 1.03 (August 16, 2003)
- Defect: Made the outside door on SW ship auto-close onEnter (really this time!)
- Defect: Savna's door was autolocking wrong so it was possible to get locked in
- Defect: Dryad/Nymph were removed from some GR encounters; they are not hostile
- Gameplay: Aribeth has a conversation trigger shortly after maugrim dies
- Gameplay: Added Loviatar convo options to DeVille and Adella
- Gameplay: Sharbo will now take the skull in Grimswalds
- Gameplay: Adjusted Nasher's convo to explain why Maugrim is still alive
- Gameplay: Adjusted all convos to allow "I have more questions for you"
- Gameplay: Added a few more bags of holding to help with inventory management
- Visuals: Added some cute flags on the two ships
- Visuals: Added some cute flags in the Hall of Justice
- Visuals: Added some wave screen shake effects on the boats
- Visuals: Added description text for the Orb of Sorrows
- Robust: Gend sometimes didn't appear in the Inn after Blood recovered?
- Robust: Strange Aribeth faction problem; reset factions in spirit cave?
* Version 1.04 (August 30, 2003)
- Defect: Fixed secret door issue with SOU because Bioware didn't fix it in 1.31
- Defect: Allow Gnomes and Halflings to solve the jail door puzzle
- Defect: Removed an old Ogi-Yun card with the wrong tag (in the lower catacombs)
- Gameplay: Removed some high-level scrolls from Sharbo's shops
- Gameplay: Made sign names = descriptions
- Gameplay: Made Maugrim immune to death magic to dodge Bioware spell issue (Weird)
- Gameplay: Gave Fenthick undead properties
- Gameplay: Added Sharwyn as an NPC and a copy of the Godswar book
- Gameplay: Added a magic longsword since some people are playing fighter types
- Gameplay: Added loopbacks to the Master's dialog
- Gameplay: Rebuilt the module under NWN1.31 to fix the odd summon/stat issue
- Text: Fixed a few spelling errors
- Text: Expanded some of Aribeth's dialog
- Visuals: Added some cute flags in Neverwinter Castle and Old City Hall
- Visuals: Added some electrical VFX in Namfoodle's Basement
- Visuals: Added some placeables in Sylea Binding Chamber
- Visuals: Added some placeables in Sylea and the Catacombs
- Robust: Added a trigger in the SeaWolf in case that darn door doesn't work
* Version 1.05 (October 3, 2003)
- Gameplay: Added more Aribeth dialog prior to the Fenthick scene (romance)
- Visuals: Added description text for Bloodrush herb
- Visuals: Mentioned the Spirit Knife in the Ogi-Yun card description text
- Visuals: Minor changes to "Escaped Prisoner" journal (both Fenthick and Maugrim)
- Defect: Added dialog when PC lies to Nasher, but hasn't said bye to Aribeth yet
- Robust: Added dialog option to "reset" Aribeth (stuck henchman)
* Version 1.06 (October 31, 2003)
- Performance: Replaced two area heartbeats with placeable heartbeats
- Text: Added a custom convo branch for when Aribeth is "reset" by the PC
- Text: Added Aribeth/Nahser exchange if PC takes her back too soon
- Text: Added some sexy back-and-forth convo between Tasha and Sharwyn
- Gameplay: Added a new NPC: Xanthar who gives a quest and info about Ogi-Yun
- Gameplay: Tasha now offers a hint about finding the blind woman
- Gameplay: Added a quest to go into Val's basement (easier to find SS uniform)
- Gameplay: Sharbo now offers a hint about finding the blind woman
- Gameplay: Tweaked Maugrim's spells, hitpoints, AC, and saves (much harder fight)
- Gameplay: Made most of the Sylea monsters harder to defeat
- Gameplay: Added two new custom undead (Dark Shadow, Lost Soul)
- Gameplay: Aribeth warns PC if he tries to leave Grims Pit without finding Blood
- Gameplay: Added a few more high level Ogi Cards (Frost Giant!)
- Gameplay: Added a magic mace and a magic quarterstaff
- Defect: Refusing to drink Serena's tea shouldn't end the convo
- Defect: One Davos convo branch missing at_davos02 to set nDavosPlotLevel to 15
- Defect: Call DetermineCombatRound() for summoned creatures when Maugrim goes hostile
- Defect: Removed XP exploit in jail break scene
- Robust: Duplicated the Aribeth "bye bye" trigger from M.E. to N.R. in case missed
- Robust: Make sure Aribeth really vanishes when cloned
- Visuals: Changed the Ghost Death VFX