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The Wizard's Apprentice Chapter II: The Talisman and the Eye
CURRENT PATCH VERSION:
v1.44
This is the sequel to The Wizard's Apprentice
FEATURES:
-18 gameplay hours
-Over 90,000 words of dialogue
-Become a 12-level spellcaster
-Epic Landscapes
-Intense Arena combat
-Scores of community-content custom monsters
-Original re-skinned monsters
-Colossal Battles with 50+ combatants
-Swimming!
-Dungeon, Wilderness, City, Ship, Cave settings
-Fully custom music
-Cameo appearances by members of the NWN2 community
-Fully Compatible with Kaedrin's
-Three companions, two of which are romanceable
-Sledding!
-Companion influence system
-Unique and original ways to influence the environment through spellcasting
-BASE jumping!
-Many spellcasting puzzles
-The Arcane Labrynth Minigame
-Dozens... nay SCORES of orcs to incinerate!
-A veritable littany of completely immature potty-humor!
-A few regrettable puns.
INSTALLATION:
1) Unzip the dowloaded archive.
2) You will find 3 folders and 3 files. They should be: The Wizard's Apprentice II, TWA Chapter 2, twa2_hak, twa2_patch, music, and TWAII readme info for players.
3) The Wizard's Apprentice II is the campaign folder. Place it in MyDocuments -> Neverwinter Nights 2 -> Campaigns.
4) TWA Chapter 2 is the module folder. Place it in MyDocuments -> Neverwinter Nights 2 -> modules.
5) twa2_hak and twa2_patch are both hak files. Place them in MyDocuments -> Neverwinter Nights 2 -> hak.
6) music is the folder containing all the custom music for the campaign. Copy the contents of the music folder into MyDocuments -> Neverwinter Nights 2 -> music.
7) TWAII readme is a text document with the basic information for The Wizard's Apprentice Chapter II.
8) Install most recent patch by deleting the file twa2_patch that comes with the main download and replacing with the most recent patch in your MyDocuments -> Neverwinter Nights 2 -> hak.
RECOMMENDED CLASSES:
This campaign was created with wizards in mind, however you may use sorcerers and bards may also work. Multi-classing will also work and there are a few items which a
Spellsword or Eldrich Knight may find useful.
THIS IS A SEQUEL:
This is a sequel to The Wizard's Apprentice. If you have not played The Wizard's Apprentice, I recommend that you do so before starting The Wizard's Apprentice Chapter II.
The Wizard's Apprentice Page
CHARACTER SELECTION:
It is ideal that you still have your character that you exported at the end of the first chapter. I recognize that this was some time ago, so there is an option in the game lobby to level a new character up to the appropriate level. You also will receive some important items from the first chapter to bring along for the second. If you do have to level up your character, it is important that you put the scrolls provided in your spellbook, or you may find the first few areas more difficulty than they are intended to be.
LEVELING:
The starting level is intended at midway through level 4. If you complete all quests and maximize your experience points, you will end at level 12. It is possible that if you do not completely explore all areas and complete all siedquests you will end at level 11.
DIFFICULTY SETTINGS:
I received many comments that The Wizard's Apprentice Chapter I was too difficult. I have tried to remedy this by providing companions and ample items to assist you in your quests. I recommend that players who are not confident in their wizarding abilities or who have little experience with playing a spellcasting class should play on easy or normal setting. More experienced players will probably find Hardcore setting more challenging and fun. During development, I balanced combat to be challenging on Hardcore settings, so if you find normal settings to be too easy, you may consider changing them.
TACTICS:
I have set up terrain and encounters so that tactics can make battles much easier. Spellcasters have access to spells which allow them to move unseen and approach enemies without their knowledge. Use these abilities as well as the terrain and anything you find in your environment to your advantage. Some battles may be very difficult to win if you do not use good tactics. A clever wizard always looks for an easier way to win a battle. There are several instances where there are assets that a clever wizard could use to his or her advantage. Of course there is always the hard way for you fireball-slingers out there.
ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION
I have taken great pains to make the environment more interactive. You will interact with your environment in ways you never have in NWN2. Pay close attention and you will find some pleasant and and very useful surprises.
**NOTE** Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm and Isaac's Greater Missile Storm will not damage placeables and will not work with the environmental objects the way other spells will. This is due to the way the spells were scripted, which is very complex and I decided it was too dangerous to modify the script as it could create bizarre bugs.
SPELL TARGETING
You can target a spell at your currently selected target only if your currently selected target is a creature, but not if it an inanimate object like a rock or a tree. To target a spell at an inanimate object you must select the spell first, then cast it at the object.
LOOT
Due to the nature of the plot, there will be times when you find an overwhelming amount of loot and other times in which it is more scarce. I recommend you hoarde your treasures for later use. Careful adventurers will find items to assist in carrying their treasures.
GRAPHICS SETTINGS:
There are two very large battles. If your machine bogs down during these battles, return to a prior save game and change your game settings to reduce the load on your processor. I recommend turning off all shadows, reducing textures, and reducing screen resolution. This should only be necessary for these two battles, if at all.
MAGIC USE:
I have developed several systems to make magic have a wider use:
-All conversation triggers take into account whether or not you are invisible or hidden. IF you are invisible you can usually choose to pass by, have the conversation, or attack with the advantage of surprise. There are a few plot-vital conversations which you will not be able to dodge this way, but there aren't many. With that said, invisibility is a very powerful spell in this module.
- Look for objects that are useable and on fire. You can cast grease on them for a minor fireball effect.
-Charm person, charm monster, dominate person will be useable in many conversations and will give you different outcomes. Try and have some of these scrolls on hand or spells memorized for use in conversations.
- If you dominate or charm an opponent, you can talk to them and get information from them. I recommend you try this if you like roleplay as it deepens your understanding of the plot. It will also reveal map points and give extra XP.
- There are puzzles and little extra tidbits that can be solved by magic. Be creative with your spell use and you should have some fun.
- Clairvoyance/Clairaudience has widended utility. It can be cast to give you very valuable insight into the area around you and on specific plot related things as well. If you prefer to play a school that is in opposition to divination, you can still acquire an item that allows you to cast the spell.
PLOT AND ROLEPLAY:
I have spent a lot of time going heavier on roleplay and plot for TWA2. There dozens of books, points of intest, and notes which will deepen your understanding of the plot. There are also lots of placeables to look at and read about which will deepen the plot for you.
AREA EXPLORATION:
I have included secrets and other points of interest in many of the areas. Some of them pertain to side-quests and some of them are just for fun. Dilligent explorers will be rewarded with experience points and loot. It is not necessary to explore every bit of every mat to successfully complete the game, however.
CRAFTING:
As with The Wizard's Apprentice Chapter I, there is minor crafting in Chapter II as long as you kept the components you found in Chapter I. If you are starting a new character, you will be provided with an appropriate set of components.
COMPANIONS:
There are three main companions that you will travel with throughout your journey and 8 minor companions that will accompany you on only a few quests. Try to keep them alive. They have important things to say. There are plenty of raise dead scrolls, so if a companion goes down, revive him, her, or it (you'll see) before moving on or you will miss content. How you treat your main companions influences their reputation toward you. Earning the loyalty of your companions will provide rewards and additional experience points along the course of your adventures.
Two companions are fully romanceable with conventional gender restrictions. Romance options in dialogue will be marked with lavender text. There is also a separate friendship reputation system. Romance and friendship will be tracked separately, therefore you can have a more dynamic relationship with your compaions. Romancing options are for roleplay purposes and will have little impact on other areas of gameplay other than dialogue. Reputation, however can bestow benefits. If you reach certain levels of reputation with your companions they may teach you additional skills or bestow useful gifts upon you.
WORLD MAP/AREA TRANSITIONING:
There isn't one, however after certain quests, you will be given the option to return to certain central areas to speed travel. I do not recommend that you take these options too frequently as you will probably miss content. However, if you are on your second or third play-through, if you are in a hurry, or if you grow impatient with the great distances of the northern wastelands, you may use these options for your comfort and convenience.
DEATH:
If you die, you say something clever, then fall to the ground. No respawn. If your companions are still alive, they can use a raise dead scroll on you or cast raise dead, if you all die, game over. Save a lot and be very cautious. Always have a final trick up your sleeve for sticky situations.
There are situations in which characters or companions will be spontaneously resurrected. This is to allow plot-critical conversations or important content to be experienced.
**NOTE: In some rare instances, the death screen may appear even though you still have party members alive. I have tried to correct this, but suspect it may still occur due to some unknown reason. If this happens, press ESC, then save your game under a new name (do not save over an old game, just in case) and then reload to that game. That will get rid of the death screen and allow you to continue adventuring.
SKILLS:
I recommend you max out your wizarding skills for maximum enjoyment. Also add in some conversation skills as much as possible for additional conversation options. Survival, spot, and listen skills are also important.
RESTING:
Your ability to rest in the wilderness without interruption is based on the highest survival skill in your party, so your character does not need to have a high survival skill, but one character in the party should. Resting in other areas is fairly intuitive with appropriate restrictions applied. Careful explorers will find safe havens to rest and refresh their spells in. There are also items that can refresh your spells withou resting, if you find them.
ROLEPLAY CHOICES:
Fighting is not always the best option. If you fight with everyone you meet, you will miss out on some very interesting and useful items. If you are carful with your decisions, you may find allies in unexpected places as well.
FOG OF WAR:
You have the option of using the fog of war in TWA2. Fog of war will black out any area of the map that has not yet been explored. TWA2 was made with fog of war in mind and the first part, where you have no map, will only make sense if you have fog of war installed. However, if you don't like it, you don't have to use it. Simply install the no_fow_twa2_hak instead of the standard one and you will have no fog of war.
FEEDBACK:
The Wizard's Apprentice Chapter II was a monumental effort that took well over one thousand hours of work. If you enjoyed it, please provide positive feedback. It was the positive feedback from The Wizard's Apprentice Chapter I that made it possible for me to finish this sequel. I have the third and final chapter planned and your feedback will help a great deal with my ability to finish it.
You can discuss the module and ask for help on the Bioware Social Forum Discussion Boards
CUSTOM CONTENT:
RWS Swimming
RWS Pocket Ship Interiors
RWS Grand Citadel
RWS Pocket Cathedral
RWS creatures
Zarathustra217 - Walkmesh helpers
Arpharazon - Arpharazon's Custom Creature Conversion Project
Lance Botelle :henchman crash fix, Fog of War,(Althéa Blog:��http://worldofalthea.blogspot.com/�� (Althéa Campaign Blog.)��)
black skydome
Eguintir Eligard - ice elemental skin and playtesting
ArtemisJ - Toril Globe VFX
Zpirit - zpirit's mushroom pack
MSpytkowski - EOC new speed trees.
botumys - botu_waterfall
Evil Edison - Evil Edison's Hill Giants and Gray Render
Pain's Monster Pack
VPJ - tridents pack
Dann J - Dragon breath and scripts
jestemwlodzimierz - mutant model
Hellfire - Skyring Placeables
CUSTOM MUSIC:
All of the music in The Wizard's Apprentice Chapter II is custom.
MUSIC CREDITS:
The Final Battle - Alexandre Guiraud Wizart
Blade of Blood - Alexandre Guiraud Wizart
Fairy Tale - Alexandre Guiraud Wizart
Irish Dance - Alexandre Guiraud Wizart
Chevalier - Alexandre Guiraud Wizart
An Hero is Born - Alexandre Guiraud Wizart
Titan - Alexandre Guiraud Wizart
Harp and Cello Fantasy No. 1 - Pal Zoltan Illes
Winter's Teeth - Pal Zoltan Illes
Bad Foresense - Pal Zoltan Illes
Tainted Vision - Pal Zoltan Illes
Solitude - Pal Zoltan Illes
Gremlins - Pierre Langer
South Sea - Pierre Langer
Pirate's Nest - Pierre Langer, Scott P. Schreer
Hidden Cove - Celestial Aeon Project
Dire News - Celestial Aeon Project
Stranger - Celestial Aeon Project
The Old Wizard - Celestial Aeon Project
Suspicion - Celestial Aeon Project
Far Away - Celestial Aeon Project
Breaking the Siege - Celestial Aeon Project
Challenge - Celestial Aeon Project
Threshold - Celestial Aeon Project
The Ancients - Celestial Aeon Project
Burn Them Down - Celestial Aeon Project
Hope for Rebirth - Celestial Aeon Project
Brooding - Patric James Slattery
Blood Deep - Patric James Slattery
Eerie Angel - Patric James Slattery
Mysterious Surroundings - Andrew Yurievich Oudot
Fangs - Tilman Sillescu,Chris William Woods, Scott P. Schreer
Holy Secrets - Tilman Sillescu
THANKS TO:
PJ156 for morale support, creative guidance, and a heroic amount of playtesting
Arkalezth, Alupinu, Eguintir Eligard, RJ Shae for excellent playtesting support
Knightmare, KaldorSilverwand, PainOfDungeonEternal, KevL, MasterChanger, Dann J - for answering many scripting and toolset question.
KNOWN BUGS:
These are bugs that have been reported and that I have been unable to reproduce, and therefore have not been able to fix. However, there are functions I have put in the game that can get you going again. They are as follows:
**SPOILIER WARNING**
I) There is one bug that a few people get after killing the arctic fell troll. A conversation is not firing and you will find yourself stuck in the cave. If this happens, do thi following:
1)Posess your character
2)Right-click your character
3)Open the console with the ` button
4)Type debugmode 1
5)Type rs debug_start_convo(2027_killed_arct_fell_troll)
6)Type debugmode 0 to turn off debug mode
7) Press the ` key to exit the console.
This should start a convo to get you going. If not, then type:
rs debug_start_convo(2027_resting_in_cave)
II) Some players have reported that the conversation with the devil doesn't start when you release it. I have been unable to reproduce this bug. Here is a solution:
1)Posess your character
2)Right-click your character
3)Open the console with the ` button
4)Type debugmode 1
5)Type rs debug_start_convo(2021_veloraxanath)
6)Type debugmode 0 to turn off debug mode
7) Press the ` key to exit the console.
III) One player reported that they are in the slaver ship and nothing is happening. If this happens to you:
1)Posess your character
2)Right-click your character
3)Open the console with the ` button
4)Type debugmode 1
5)Type rs debug_start_convo(2015_slaver_ambush)
6)Type debugmode 0 to turn off debug mode
7) Press the ` key to exit the console.
PATCH BUG FIXES:
Patch 1.1 fixes
-In the conversation with the devil veloraxinath, there was a mis-assigned node which could have caused bugs.
Patch 1.2 fixes
-Burlak fellaxe used to talk about finishing with barricades while in your party, now he says something more appropriate.
-If you missed the trigger for the convo before entering dragon's lair, sometimes the convo would fire on the way back out which was odd. Now the trigger is deleted in the convo where you meet the dragon.
-In eguintir eligard's convo about the familiar, made each node to give him an egg contain the name of what egg you were giving him.
-You could ask Heldag Lyngstad at the blacksmith about a ship even after you had been to the ship. This has been fixed.
-Beldarnak could not be leveled up as a barbarian, now he can.
-Fixed bug where sometimes the devil in the first dungeon would not start a convo with you when released.
-Attempted to fix bug where the arctic fell troll convo wouldn't fire after you killed it.
-Fixed a bug that allowed you to notice the ancient door in the cave without activating the dialogue options for the barbarians in the barbarian camp. Now it automatically activates the dialogue options without you having to click on the door.
Patch 1.3 fixes
-In some cases, if you failed your diplomacy check in the conversation after killing the Arctic Fell Troll, the conversation would break. Fixed this.
-In some cases if you used charm monster or dominate person scrolls in conversations, the scrolls were not consumed. This has been fixed.
-If you dominated the Weapon Master in the tower, every time you talked to her, you lost a dominate person scroll. This has been fixed.
-You could break the plot by using the rod of teleportation to teleport from the lower balcony of the tower of the dark seeker to the courtyard. Now you cannot.
-Added code to make sure the whole party is resurrected after encounter with slavers in area 205 so that the conversation fires properly.
-Added autosave after tournament.
-If you did not pick up the golem parts in the tower of the dark seeker, when the wizard Adolphus Findlepockets gives you the golem, it wan't leveled up. Now it is.
Patch 1.4 fixes
-You could break the plot by teleporting past a certain boulder in a certain cave. Now you cannot.
Patch 1.41 fixes
-If your inventory was full in the final battle, some items from the final boss were dropped on the ground and could not be recovered. Now if this happens, they are given to you in the final lobby area for export.
Patch 1.42 fixes
-If you reached level 13, the staff "The Winding River" or the dagger "The Winding River" did not operate properly. This has been fixed.
-The notes on the unfinished golem indicated a recipe for completing the golem. The instructions were misleading and had nothing to do with creating the golem. This was because during development I changed my mind about how you got the golem and forgot to change the notes in the notebook. It has been fixed now.
Patch 1.43 fixes
-The spellgem is a spell sequencer that you received in the tower for releasing the creatures Nardul and Facade. The spell sequencer never worked very well and would not accept certain spells. This patch removes it because it does not work.
Patch 1.44 fixes
-In the last patch, I removed the spellgem but some players mentioned that they liked it, so I put it back in.
Files
| Name | Type | Size | Downloads |
| Plot_Hints.rtf Submitted: 03-16-2012 / Last Updated: 04-16-2012 |
rtf | 1.54Kb | 1888 |
| ***SPOILER WARNING*** Some common plot questions answered.
|
|||
| TheWizards_Apprentice_Chapter_II_v_1_0.zip Submitted: 03-16-2012 / Last Updated: 03-17-2012 |
zip | 438.9Mb | 4796 |
| --
|
|||
| no_fow_twa2_hak.7z Submitted: 03-16-2012 / Last Updated: 04-24-2012 |
7z | 98.8Mb | 714 |
| This is a version of the file twa2_hak.hak which does not have the fog of war included. Use this version if you want to play without fog of war. Warning, there will be odd parts of the map and some plot inconsitencies if you play without fog of war. |
|||
| twa2_patch.hak Submitted: 03-16-2012 / Last Updated: 04-18-2012 |
hak | 1.8Mb | 3634 |
| Patch v1.44 - Current as of 4/18/2012
|
|||
| TWA_Chapter_2_for_mac_no_hak.zip Submitted: 03-16-2012 / Last Updated: |
zip | -- | 679 |
| No- Hak Mac version. Only use this version if you have a Mac and the game crashes to desktop on loading. Warning, some unusual bugs have been reported with this version, but the game is playable and you should be able to complete it. External Website Beyond Our Control
|
|||
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 twa2_patch.7z (1606) | 228.91 KB |
| plot_hints.7z (1235) | 958 bytes |
| no_fow_twa2_hak.7z (941) | 98.77 MB |
| thewizards_apprentice_chapter_ii_v_1_0.7z (1932) | 321.17 MB |
| twa_chapter_2_for_mac_no_hak.7z (533) | 253.02 MB |
Very good mod, best of the three, but a couple of minute glitch issues. Well worth to play all three
What was the script to skip the arcane labrybnth? It was posted in the comments at the old vault and noobish me has no idea how to access an archieved version of the site that might still have those comments.
Hi, Nixea-
I copied and pasted the instructions I found on an old copy of NWVault:
To bypass the arcane labrynth, do the following:
select your PC character by right clicking on it
open the debug console by pressing `
type: debugmode 1
type: rs debug_start_convo(213_won_labrynth)
press enter.
that should bypass the labrynth.
Hope this helps. Incidentally, I pulled up the old NWVauilt site using Wayback Machine. Here's the link for the page I found: https://web.archive.org/web/20130214024653/http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2ModulesEnglish.Detail&id=506&comment_page=4
As it happens, I've run into my own problem with the module- though it seems my issue comes quite a bit earlier.
In my wizard's quest to get home, I have tried both the path leading to the Ten-Towns, and the ship port. After escaping the ship and making my way ashore, I found myself dumped into a cavern with a variety of items, including an ancient door. However, I appear to be lacking a way out of the place.
I did find a small cave which is located on the same map as these caverns. Its entrance is located on the wilderness map, not far from the transfer point to the barbarian camp. However, I don't believe the exit in the small cavern is accessible to me in the bigger complex. Unfortunately, that means I have no idea how I'm supposed to get out of these caverns. (It's really weird, too, as I've located my point of entry using the Toolset. As nearly as I can tell, I should be able to exit this way as well- but this door is not active in my current game.) I'm wondering if I've missed a trigger of some sort (a conversation, perhaps?).
Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.
EDITED 1/8/15: Er, never mind. I just used the Toolset again. I discovered how to get to my projected exit- and what spell I should have memorized for this purpose. :)
I finally finished this one a few weeks ago, but I've just now found the time to leave my comments about the adventure.
A great module in general, and possibly the best NWN2 offering I've ever seen for a wizard, ever. (Oddly enough, I have tended to play almost warlocks exclsuively in NWN2; as such, actually getting the chance to take a wizard through an adventure was a nice change of pace for me. Conversely- as one player indicated in the comments for the adventure at the old NWVault- it would be interesting to see how a warlock would do playing through the adventure.)
While I did have trouble playing through parts of the adventure, most of my trouble stems from my great preference for walkthroughs to any modules I play. (I know, I know...) I managed to get around that somewhat by finally learning how to open the module in the toolset, using the "Open Directory" command. (Believe it or not, I believe this is the first set of modules I have played that uses the directory system.)
The adventure gave me a chance to try out some of the spells from my own Spell Pack as well. While many of the spells didn't add much to the equation, I found a few of them to be especially useful (especially those that offer damage reduction, like Lesser Flashes and Sporadic Visions.) As for the default spells within the game, I was especially impressed by the author's innovation with Clairaudience/Clairvoyance (allowing him to get information about the area and its inhabitants), which I suspect does not normally see a lot of use in the game.
Now, I will admit that the "fog of war" system in the first set of dungeons was incredibly well done... and it drove me completely batty. <LOL> Even so, I highly recommend anyone playing this module leaves the fog-of-war system enabled, at least during your first playthrough.
I enjoyed the companion influence system used in both the original campaign for NWN and MotB. Few modules since then have enabled such a system, at least to any meaningful degree. As such, I loved the influence system set forth in TWA2. I had to rely on blind luck for my influence gains (I wasn't about to hunt through the toolset for every single influence check); even so, I managed to have both companions at or near 100 by the end of the module for "like"- and the romance to 25 out of 25 as well.
I also enjoyed the third companion, the golem. One observation, though [SPOILER ALERT]:
I found it odd that for the planned ambush confrontation along the path to the Ten-Towns, the character was given four disguises, when clearly the golem will not be available by the time you can do this. As such, you really only need three disguises.
Overall, though: 10 out of 10, per the old NWVault guidelines.
I don't usually play wizards, but your module made it fun. Thank you for taking the time to make it and good work!
A great module, it's all in there, combat, puzzles,skillchecks, humour, a lot of lore.A lot of running, too, so i'll only give 9 points.
This is really the best chapter of the series!
Easily one of the best modules I've ever played, and the best of the trilogy. Playing as a Wizard has never been so enjoyable (and that's coming from a person who dosent play wizards usually).
Fantastic module !
This was a great series of mods. Chapters 1 and 2 were amazing. Chapter 3, while a bit short, was at least a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy put forth for your up-and-coming magic user. I particularly like the innovative use of spells, both in and out of combat. More modders should take note of this series of mods, as they exemplify hard work and ingenuity. Chapter 2 receieves a much deserved 10 stars from me. If interested, you can catch my LP of it on youtube (all 3 chapters completed). If you don't want to have the story spoiled, then I highly recommend you play this trilogy from start to finish.
Sadly, I must state that, while the modder claims you can sub in a sorc or bard for a traditional wizard, I found the bard route to be extremely difficult. At times, it may even be impossible to proceed as you may not have access to the spell(s) you may need to continue a quest. Still, a valiant attempt to make leveling a solo wizard fun. Thank you Matthiew for all your hard work.
don't know if anyone comes here any more but if they do i need help if anyone knows how to help that is. im stuck on the attack on the barbarian encampment only 1 elite tower guard is showing up i kill him and nothing else is happening so is there a way to fix that or move the game on to whatever happens after the attack is over?
Never had this problem. Maybe you' re standing too close to their spawn points...?
Best part of the Campaign, this is where you EXPLORE baby! Bring your haste spells, we're gonna run around for a while. :)
Also, the initial dungeon is one of the best dungeon crawls I have ever seen.
Masterpiece.
Greetings, I just started this after watching Brother Mutant's run through on YT. My riverwind staff does not upgrade at all. It is still a basic staff doing 1-6 and having no special abilities of any sort. Playing a Sun Elf Wizard/Eldritch Knight 5/2 currently. I hope you can help, this is otherwise a great mod so far.
What a great module! I usually do not like too much humor in my adventures, so I am glad that this part of the story is more "dark" (I had many good laughs tho - especially the Morten Harket (A-Ha) "Take on me dialouge" and the talking sword).
Not a single bug, and the fights were hard but manageable (hardcore d&d rules, "puppet mode").
Great story and great atmosphere - a must play!
I am really enjoying this module but have reached a problem at the Arcane Labyrinth. When my golem reaches the end of the course, the win conversation does not fire, I have tried running the workaround indicated above inside the labyrinth and also outside before triggering the lich. The script runs successfully but absolutely nothing happens.
Is there anything else I should be doing? Is there a debug command to make the jump to the library entrance?
Any assistance would be welcome. I've come too far to leave the module here.
This module has exceeded my expectations in both quality and length. It is well worth all the praise that it has received so far.
* Playing motivation: excellent
There is a lot going on: find your way back home, interesting side quests, puzzles, good fights and a few larger-scale battles… Very engaging!
* Story: very good
Despite of becoming quite clear in an early stage (towards the end of the starting dungeon), the story that has started in the first module and will end in the third one is interesting, well-thought, giving good sense to the whole sequence of events.
While the pace is almost too high in the initial phase, it becomes manageable once you get out of that dungeon. The large outdoor areas with their off-road opportunities, plus some independent side quests, give the module a non-linear flavour.
The companions are quite interesting, and will give you gifts once the influence is high enough. Heck, put that Belt of Morphing on the golem, and it will also become more interesting, at least for the eye!
* Area design: very good
There are lots of areas in this module, and most of them are done very nicely, but more than that, I have seen many innovative elements. I was very impressed with those sliding and falling cinematics!
The starting dungeon is worth highlighting as one of the most interesting dungeons on the Vault (in my view); however, I must confess that towards its end, I was really tired, probably subliminally influenced by the in-game lack of resting places, augmented by that irritating no-map anti-feature.
* Technical correctness: very good
Aside from the occasional walkmesh problems that I seem to encounter in most custom modules, everything worked well, including the problematic areas that the author mentions in his descriptions, until after defeating the “boss”; and just when I thought that I am through, a major issue, followed by a minor one, have struck me.
The major one was that I was simply stranded in that desert area, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. The Toolset was my only hope to get out of there, and while in there, I have seen that a conversation has not triggered on arrival (area 216), and I could not even force-trigger it with debug commands! The only thing that I could do was to force-jump the party to the next area (217). For a player less willing to put up with the Toolset, this issue would have been a clear show stopper, if this can be said for that stage when the show had almost reached its intended end anyway…
The next issue (the minor one) is actually party time for freebies: how many Robes of Archmagi do you want? Well, you have to click that many times on Aldanon; you will get one after each click!
Concluding, I have to say that this module (or batter said the whole trilogy) has made it into my personal Top Ten, so thank you, Matthew, for this masterpiece!
Unfortunately, I took a longer break before finishing it, so most of it isn't that fresh in mind anymore for writing an in-depth review. But I do remember that I liked it even better than the first one. It was a well rounded mix of combat, story, puzzles, use of skills and eye candy.
And it really managed to surprise me at times, like right at the end, when I thought: "Wait, where did all my stuff go? Am I supposed to export my character without half of my greedily collected stuff?", the scripted DM popped up and said: "Are you missing your greedily collected stuff? Here's your chance to take it back." :D The only downer is that it's in a chest, and I guess a filled bag of holding can't be put in a chest, so that one, along with its content, was gone for good. Still, better than nothing. :)