NWN Neverwinter Nights (NWN & NWN2) Modules Thread

[ERYFKRAD]

I  think gunner's body adds some head variations.

 

[Sabotin]

I was gonna suggest looking through TheBarbarian's custom head pack, but all his stuff is gone from the vault? Anyway there's still a version on steam: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2149011509
There's a couple of heads in this pack [NSFW thumbnails]: https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/model/xaltars-head-underwear-packs

I don't think there's anything that improves all the heads, at most people redid a couple. There's this one making EE heads also: https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwnee/hakpak/original-hakpak/tjureds-hd-pack-head-adjustments

 

[Gargaune]

I  think gunner's body adds some head variations.

Nope, just had a skim through the files, no heads. His screenshots have custom heads, but it must be from a separate mod, possibly CEP.

On a side note, I went with Stonehammer's body mod in the end. Not as high-poly as Gunner's, but I think it fits a little better with the rest of the graphics because of that.

I was gonna suggest looking through TheBarbarian's custom head pack, but all his stuff is gone from the vault? Anyway there's still a version on steam: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2149011509
There's a couple of heads in this pack [NSFW thumbnails]: https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/model/xaltars-head-underwear-packs

Thanks! Don't think TheBarbarian's is my cup of tea, the originals look better to me, though Xaltar's has a couple of nice heads. I might mix a patch hak from those and the Tessellated ones at some point.

I wish Beamdog would let the EE Toolset load patch haks, would save me some folder maneuvers when testing stuff. Or, even better, just add subfolder support to the Override path, like NWN2 had.

I don't think there's anything that improves all the heads, at most people redid a couple. There's this one making EE heads also: https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwnee/hakpak/original-hakpak/tjureds-hd-pack-head-adjustments

Not using the HD pack, but holy Jesus, did some of its heads need the facelift.

 

[Maculo]

I was hoping to get some builder advice. I started Swordflight Chapter 3 with a level 17 paladin. I am not sure how to build it after level 20-21. While pure Paladin hasn't failed me so far, I wonder if it makes better sense to go sorcerer to build towards concealment and other OP spells. Or, is level 20/21 a little late to be making that switch?

What also prompts me to consider sorcerer is that there are certain encounters that felt way easier with my Grease Wizard playthrough due to concealment and other nuke spells. Hence, I think sorcerer spells would give a balanced toolkit.

 

[rogueknight333]

... Or, is level 20/21 a little late to be making that switch? ...

It is, Pal/Sorc should really have gone into Sorcerer levels earlier and taken a lot less than 20 Paladin levels for better spellcasting. As it is, it will be a very long time before you have enough caster levels to do much with it. It would still be playable of course, but probably a better option at this point would be to take one Sorcerer level, or a few to get a few minor buffs and utility spells, and then take Red Dragon Disciple levels, which would provide a lot of bonuses for a melee warrior. Ultimately aiming for something like, e.g., Pal 24/Sorc 6/RDD 10.

If you really want more casting power you could also consider taking some Cleric levels. As their spells are mostly buffs having the levels to maximize power and overcome spell resistance is less important, and you could also take domains offering powers that benefit from high Charisma or enhance your Paladin spells and powers as well.

Another class that complements Paladin well is Harper Scout, since it offers Tumble as a class skill and if taken in epic levels allows you to substitute Great Charisma feats (typically useful for Paladins) for the Favored Enemy feats this class offers. Unfortunately, the eclectic prerequisites for that class make it difficult to fit in if you did not plan to take it from the start. In general, taking some class offering Tumble as a class skill to max your AC would be very helpful. Bard, for skill dumps and expanded buffing, is also a good complement to Paladin if the module allows you to change alignments (which Swordflight does, but typically rather slowly, and it can be difficult to guarantee you have the alignment you want exactly when you need it to level up in the desired class).

 

[Maculo]

Thank you rogueknight333 for going into that level of detail. I don’t know much about Red Dragon Discipline, but I’ll look into that.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Something like Pal 8, Sorc 2, RDD 10 pre-epic (16BAB= 4 attacks), and then Sorc levels in epic, could work reasonably well. You lose 4 BAB compared to a paladin but gain +10 STR, a couple other stat increases incl. CHA, fire immunity, blind fight feat etc. You would mostly take arcane buffs or spells that don't allow for a save. Make sure to take Power Attack, Cleave for Divine Might and later Great cleave, improved critical (pre-req for the overwhelming/devastating critical in epic levels). You can take the pixie familiar, so you even have some moderate rogue abilities.

The same works with bard instead of Sorc, with a shittier spell list but bard song and tumble and UMD, if you could change alignment.

 

[Maculo]

Gentlemen, I went to reload my game and my character is in a permanent knockdown state. I tried loading an earlier save, but my character was likewise stuck flat on his back.

I tried DebugMode 1 and Debug_Mode 1, but none seem to actually enter me into debug mode.

Has anyone run across this?

 

[rogueknight333]

To enter Debug Mode you need to first hit the tilda key ("~") followed by typing and entering:

DebugMode 1

No idea why that would not work if you did the above correctly. In Debug Mode try using the "dm_heal" command to fix your character's condition.

 

[Maculo]

To enter Debug Mode you need to first hit the tilda key ("~") followed by typing and entering:

DebugMode 1

No idea why that would not work if you did the above correctly. In Debug Mode try using the "dm_heal" command to fix your character's condition.

I should have specified that I indeed hit "`" first and that I received the prompt that it is activated. I tried the "makesafe" and the cursor & "+", but neither worked. I will try dm_heal next.

Luckily, if I had to restart chapter 3 it wouldn't be the end of the world. I am just not excited to fight the rust monsters and those nasty dwarven ghost again.

Edit: dm_heal worked, thank you! Not today Rust Monsters!

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Gentlemen, I went to reload my game and my character is in a permanent knockdown state. I tried loading an earlier save, but my character was likewise stuck flat on his back.

I tried DebugMode 1 and Debug_Mode 1, but none seem to actually enter me into debug mode.

Has anyone run across this?

Maybe wait for him to sober up next time

 

[rogueknight333]

To expand a bit on the issue since I was short of time when first responding, reloading to find oneself in a kind of permanent knockdown state is a bug that occasionally crops up in NWN. I believe it is caused by saving the game with very low hit points. Since upon reloading bonuses from items are added after your character is loaded, if you are only being kept alive by a constitution bonus from an item or something of that nature then you can end up being considered sort-of dead upon a reload. If so it can be avoided by making sure to heal a bit before saving, though if necessary the dm_heal debug command can also fix the problem.

 

[Maculo]

That makes sense. I was limping back from the rust monster /dwarven dungeon, and I figured that would rest at the inn to heal rather than use portions/kits (16 gold vs. several hundred in consumables). When I reloaded the bug occurred.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I tested that "control party" option in NWN:EE from later patches yesterday and it at least allows you to select a henchman or two and "go here, or go there, use this or use that, or whack this Greater Giant Mole or whack that one". Better than nothing. Someone needs to integrate it into a cleaner, more streamlined mod. Pressing CTRL then SHIFT is cumbersome but at least it allows you all to attack and gang up on that Big Necomantic Baddie or Conjurer shaman throwing ferocious worgs and jaguars or undead minions at ya while they sit with a brew in hand in back. Currently playing Swordflight 2, btw. Good stuff. Keeps you on your toes. Pay attention, bros. Otherwise that goblin chieftain not much bigger than a day-after-Thanksgiving turd will make quick work of you and your 2 henchmen, like he did with me. Great AI on that sneaky little bastard by the way, the way he used invisibility and suddenly did some major whack-a-hero from behind.

 

[Gargaune]

I tested that "control party" option in NWN:EE from later patches yesterday and it at least allows you to select a henchman or two and "go here, or go there, use this or use that, or whack this Greater Giant Mole or whack that one". Better than nothing. Someone needs to integrate it into a cleaner, more streamlined mod. Pressing CTRL then SHIFT is cumbersome but at least it allows you all to attack and gang up on that Big Necomantic Baddie or Conjurer shaman throwing ferocious worgs and jaguars or undead minions at ya while they sit with a brew in hand in back. Currently playing Swordflight 2, btw. Good stuff. Keeps you on your toes. Pay attention, bros. Otherwise that goblin chieftain not much bigger than a day-after-Thanksgiving turd will make quick work of you and your 2 henchmen, like he did with me. Great AI on that sneaky little bastard by the way, the way he used invisibility and suddenly did some major whack-a-hero from behind.

Wait, what? I remember trying to get that thing to work when they first announced it and I couldn't. Imagine you're talking to someone who just downed half a pint of whiskey, can you give me the step-by-step to try it?

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I'm playing SF2 with a pure Paladine at lvl 10 about a third of the way through the module and he seems a bit squishy tbh not to mention his spell options are truly pathetic (used to playing a wizard, druid or sorcerer). Is it too late to multi-class and add some Harper Scout or Sorcerer? I plan to take him all the way through your 6 part saga. I just want a fun build instead of some weak pale paladin with the pope's staff up his ass.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I tested that "control party" option in NWN:EE from later patches yesterday and it at least allows you to select a henchman or two and "go here, or go there, use this or use that, or whack this Greater Giant Mole or whack that one". Better than nothing. Someone needs to integrate it into a cleaner, more streamlined mod. Pressing CTRL then SHIFT is cumbersome but at least it allows you all to attack and gang up on that Big Necomantic Baddie or Conjurer shaman throwing ferocious worgs and jaguars or undead minions at ya while they sit with a brew in hand in back. Currently playing Swordflight 2, btw. Good stuff. Keeps you on your toes. Pay attention, bros. Otherwise that goblin chieftain not much bigger than a day-after-Thanksgiving turd will make quick work of you and your 2 henchmen, like he did with me. Great AI on that sneaky little bastard by the way, the way he used invisibility and suddenly did some major whack-a-hero from behind.

Wait, what? I remember trying to get that thing to work when they first announced it and I couldn't. Imagine you're talking to someone who just downed half a pint of whiskey, can you give me the step-by-step to try it?

I haven't tested it extensively in a big battle yet but I thought you just held CTRL while clicking on a henchman (or dragged the box onto several) until you see the blue circle under them, then held SHIFT and clicked on something. I was at least able to have them attack and destroy a chest in unison this way. It doesn't work for you? Hmmm. Yes, must be the demon rum

Edited: Oh, by the way, you did enable that option in settings.tml, right? Change player-party-control = false to player-party-control = true.

 

[Gargaune]

I haven't tested it extensively in a big battle yet but I thought you just held CTRL while clicking on a henchman (or dragged the box onto several) until you see the blue circle under them, then held SHIFT and clicked on something. I was at least able to have them attack and destroy a chest in unison this way. It doesn't work for you? Hmmm. Yes, must be the demon rum

Edited: Oh, by the way, you did enable that option in settings.tml, right? Change player-party-control = false to player-party-control = true.

Thanks, just tried it and it works! I did have the setting enabled when I first gave it a go, but I think I was screwing up the CTRL/Shift thing and just gave up.

Now, this is pretty fantastic, really. It's not as sophisticated as Balkoth's Minion Controls, that automatically suspends active voice commands (follow/stand) and will even let henchmen open doors or pick stuff up, but just the ability to give henchmen locations and targets at the engine level, regardless of the module's scripting, is massive fucking incline for NWN!

This right here is one of the things that's hampered Beamdog, they come up with cool stuff like this, but don't take it all the way. Why stop at an obscure .ini setting? You know what left-clicking a henchman's portrait does right now? It makes a little "click" sound. That's it. Just saying there's some free GUI realestate, guys... Let's hope they roll this thing out as a standard feature with full UI integration with the coming patch, it would rocket right to the top of the EE's USPs.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

NWN with user-made content and modules is probably the rpg that gave me the most joy over the years and I'm happy to come back to it after a long absence with a first-rate series (Swordflight). I finally got NWN:EE working and looking great on my system (forcing HDR in Nvidia CP helps a LOT, everything is much brighter with excellent high contrast on my OLED TV... the default is dark and gloomy looking). I think the lack of VRR/G-sync was causing it to be a bit jittery on my old non-g-sync TV. However, not all is Willy Wonka-candy and ice cream in NWNland. Shadows are wonky and I can't believe Beamdog allowed that HD pack to be released since it causes stuttering on even the most powerful rigs. Given its popularity, I guess some people just aren't annoyed by low-frame rates and stuttering, especially in cRPGs (I think I remember Lilura playing NWN on a laptop at 15 FPS or something and she was perfectly happy). I've always been hypersensitive to micro-stutter though but now NWN:EE runs at a constant 60 FPS at 4K without a burp. Could never do that on Diamond on my rig, that's for sure. And that scaled UI is a gift from the gods.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Also wanted to mention that what started me on my recent NWN:EE kick was playing the first module I had played in years last week - the classic Bone Kenning I. However, the ending of that module was horribly unsatisfying in the extreme (I guess it was a cliffhanger and the author intended to immediately follow up with a sequel that never appeared). I mean, you defeat the evil queen at the end but now your grandfather is the new bad-ass bastard in town and he wants to take away your necromancy abode that you worked hard for and made minions? And if you challenge him, he's impossible to defeat since he's a thick boned 20 foot tall undead skeleton (is there really any other kind of skeleton?) that can one-shot you with a single smash of his cold dead giant hands? Not fun. But then I played Swordflight 1 and thought, "Now this is more like it! If I'm gonna die over and over and over again, I at least want the illusion of hope and success that I can win, not be smacked down by my grandad, FFS!"-

 

[Gargaune]

Jack Of Owls, dunno about TVs, but on my screen I've found that forcing V-sync in the nVidia Control Panel is an absolute must. Letting the EE run uncapped will have the GPU tilt at full RPM to churn out 400+ pointless FPS, whereas using the in-game frame limiter will generate significant stutter on camera zoom and rotation as well as outright impossible stutter when launching from the Toolset. Force V-sync, though, and everything's butter-smooth. And since we're talking nVidia Control Panel, you can also force Antialiasing in there, it'll generate a weird white outline around objects overlapping water if you have the Shiny shader enabled, but it works. Though I imagine you probably don't need it on some fancy 4K TV.

As for the HD Art Pack, I also noticed the game struggling with the high-resolution textures, momentarily choking when it had to load many of them at once in a scene. If you wanna use it, you should check out the Vault edition which features a bunch of fixes and also an optional "Low quality PLT" pack meant to reduce load. For my part, I'm sticking with the old assets, I kinda feel like the HD pack has a mix of ups and downs, artistically and also technically, it really bugs me that they scrambled some of the tint maps.

But yeah, I'm with you, I've still got a huge childhood fondness for NWN, it was my first real RPG, and objectively there's still nothing else even close in terms of tools and community content. The EE itself may have started out meekly, but it's come a long way since. I still have the DE on my hard drive, but I play exclusively on the EE now, it's got more than enough added value to recommend it.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Jack Of Owls, dunno about TVs, but on my screen I've found that forcing V-sync in the nVidia Control Panel is an absolute must. Letting the EE run uncapped will have the GPU tilt at full RPM to churn out 400+ pointless FPS, whereas using the in-game frame limiter will generate significant stutter on camera zoom and rotation as well as outright impossible stutter when launching from the Toolset. Force V-sync, though, and everything's butter-smooth. And since we're talking nVidia Control Panel, you can also force Antialiasing in there, it'll generate a weird white outline around objects overlapping water if you have the Shiny shader enabled, but it works. Though I imagine you probably don't need it on some fancy 4K TV.

As for the HD Art Pack, I also noticed the game struggling with the high-resolution textures, momentarily choking when it had to load many of them at once in a scene. If you wanna use it, you should check out the Vault edition which features a bunch of fixes and also an optional "Low quality PLT" pack meant to reduce load. For my part, I'm sticking with the old assets, I kinda feel like the HD pack has a mix of ups and downs, artistically and also technically, it really bugs me that they scrambled some of the tint maps.

But yeah, I'm with you, I've still got a huge childhood fondness for NWN, it was my first real RPG, and objectively there's still nothing else even close in terms of tools and community content. The EE itself may have started out meekly, but it's come a long way since. I still have the DE on my hard drive, but I play exclusively on the EE now, it's got more than enough added value to recommend it.

NWN and good modules are closest to a true PnP DnD experience with a good DM as I've come. I think. I was soloing and struggling in Swordflight 1 until I found a dwarf petrified into stone by some basilisks in the deep caverns of Dark Calimport. I used a stone into flesh potion on him, and though cranky, he was grateful enough to help me get out of that terrible place that seemed to have no exit but plenty of overpowering monsters and become my henchman (tbh can't say I enjoyed that mechanic of going through one exit only to be randomly popped into a different area of the cave because your character was "lost"; there should have been a Simon memory game or something to help you out instead of it being random with absolutely no control... DIRE SPIDERS!.... OMFG!). We were doing great until we ran into a hoard of Eyes (that look like mini-beholders the size of soccer balls) and my poor dwarf got swarmed and killed while I high tailed it the fuck out of there. To me that's a GREAT RPG adventure, even if it ended poorly for my little dwarf friend but at least I felt bad that I left him behind so that I could live.

 

[rogueknight333]

I'm playing SF2 with a pure Paladine at lvl 10 about a third of the way through the module and he seems a bit squishy tbh not to mention his spell options are truly pathetic (used to playing a wizard, druid or sorcerer). Is it too late to multi-class and add some Harper Scout or Sorcerer? I plan to take him all the way through your 6 part saga. I just want a fun build instead of some weak pale paladin with the pope's staff up his ass.

Multi-classing is certainly still possible, though as a rule it is better to plan a multi-class out from the start. This would be especially true with regard to Harper Scout, given the rather onerous pre-requisites. Multi-classing into something that allows Tumble skill dumps is recommended for warrior types. Paladins do have a few useful spells but suffer from a lack of slots, so if playing a dedicated Paladin I find that Craft Wand is often a useful feat.

... (tbh can't say I enjoyed that mechanic of going through one exit only to be randomly popped into a different area of the cave because your character was "lost"; there should have been a Simon memory game or something to help you out instead of it being random with absolutely no control... DIRE SPIDERS!.... OMFG!). We were doing great until we ran into a hoard of Eyes (that look like mini-beholders the size of soccer balls) and my poor dwarf got swarmed and killed while I high tailed it the fuck out of there. To me that's a GREAT RPG adventure, even if it ended poorly for my little dwarf friend but at least I felt bad that I left him behind so that I could live.

You can find your way back without randomness by succeeding at either a Wisdom or Intelligence check. In other words, your character is too stupid to succeed at a memory game. You might want to try finding your way back to wherever the dwarf went down when better prepared (and with a Raise scroll) as he can be useful later on in the module as well.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I'm playing SF2 with a pure Paladine at lvl 10 about a third of the way through the module and he seems a bit squishy tbh not to mention his spell options are truly pathetic (used to playing a wizard, druid or sorcerer). Is it too late to multi-class and add some Harper Scout or Sorcerer? I plan to take him all the way through your 6 part saga. I just want a fun build instead of some weak pale paladin with the pope's staff up his ass.

Multi-classing is certainly still possible, though as a rule it is better to plan a multi-class out from the start. This would be especially true with regard to Harper Scout, given the rather onerous pre-requisites. Multi-classing into something that allows Tumble skill dumps is recommended for warrior types. Paladins do have a few useful spells but suffer from a lack of slots, so if playing a dedicated Paladin I find that Craft Wand is often a useful feat.

... (tbh can't say I enjoyed that mechanic of going through one exit only to be randomly popped into a different area of the cave because your character was "lost"; there should have been a Simon memory game or something to help you out instead of it being random with absolutely no control... DIRE SPIDERS!.... OMFG!). We were doing great until we ran into a hoard of Eyes (that look like mini-beholders the size of soccer balls) and my poor dwarf got swarmed and killed while I high tailed it the fuck out of there. To me that's a GREAT RPG adventure, even if it ended poorly for my little dwarf friend but at least I felt bad that I left him behind so that I could live.

You can find your way back without randomness by succeeding at either a Wisdom or Intelligence check. In other words, your character is too stupid to succeed at a memory game. You might want to try finding your way back to wherever the dwarf went down when better prepared (and with a Raise scroll) as he can be useful later on in the module as well.

Never crafted before in NWN so maybe I'll continue with the pure paladine and just start crafting some wands. It burns me up to see all those magic scrolls I find in the module that I can't use so making my own magic devices could be fun. Yeah, I thought about going back for the dwarf but I assumed through conversation that he'd leave me just as soon as we got out of the dungeon but you seem to be implying that he'll still be around after that. Always could use another henchman seeing that it was so difficult to find them in the first part of the module. Thanks for telling me about that Wisdom and/or Intelligence check. I assumed it was just random getting lost in those caves and not an actual skill check. Maybe I can just be sure to pop a potion or two or wear an enchanted item to get those skills up before passing through a door.

 

[rogueknight333]

... Yeah, I thought about going back for the dwarf but I assumed through conversation that he'd leave me just as soon as we got out of the dungeon but you seem to be implying that he'll still be around after that...

He does leave once you get out of the underground caves region, but you will then encounter him again later in the module, if you reach that point.