In Neverwinter Nights 2, these are the first of about a dozen memorable non-player characters you can recruit to accompany and assist you on a sweeping epic adventure that you begin as a humble commoner from the unremarkable village of West Harbor, which lies within a monster-ridden swamp. Like the other residents, you're hardier than most folk, but when you're sent to the titular city in search of a mysterious relic, the trials that lie ahead will sorely test your mettle. To overcome the evil forces threatening the Forgotten Realms, you will have to build yourself up into a mighty champion, and even then, you'll still need help from your companions, whom you must choose wisely. To increase our wisdom about the game, we had the opportunity to question Senior Designer Tony Evans, Programmer Brock Heinz and QA's Andrea Bobick.
Jonric: As a Neverwinter Nights 2 player, what is your favorite type of character, and what's particularly notable about it? In addition, are there any others you haven't tried yet but would like to?
Tony Evans: I always play female characters, and I typically name them after my wife so she feels better about it when I am up until the wee hours of the morning playing games... "But honey... you are trapped in Bonegnasher Lair! I have to get you out before I can come to bed."
My favorite boss is Tholapsyx, a Red Dragon... She has many devastating abilities, not the least of which is a breath attack that can flame-broil your entire party. Players can feel really proud if they manage to slay this dragon.My favorite race / class combination is an Aasimar Monk. I like the racial traits and bonuses of playing an Aasimar. I favor Monks because they whoop butt without the aid of fancy, shmancy armor and weapons. And with abilities like Adamantine Ki Strike and Perfect Self, high level Monks are so awesome they could take on the King of Shadows naked... not that Obsidian endorses nakedness in Neverwinter Nights 2, or any mods that may be used to make characters in the game naked. ;-)
I am somewhat of a class purist, meaning I usually stick to the same class as I level up. So, I haven't much delved into prestige classes or multi-classing. One of these days, I'm going to make the leap and play the diametric opposite of my goodie two shoes Lawful Monk, an Assassin.
Brock Heinz: I wish I knew what my favorite character build is! I've started the game over four or five times, progressed through maybe a third of it, and decided it would be fun to start over as a different character type. My current character is an Aasimar Paladin / Sorcerer / Eldrich Knight. I thought this character would make a fun, tough, versatile adventurer, but I'm realizing that the Effective Character Level and multi-class penalties will keep him pretty gimped for a while.
It just doesn't make sense to multi-class one of the core casting classes if you actually want your character to be a strong spellcaster, and races that have level adjustment keep you from getting to those powerful upper level spells very quickly. Even if you manage to have a powerful character by the end of the game, you'll struggle through some of the earlier parts.
Andrea Bobick: The race and class I have enjoyed the most would have to be the Human Paladin. I'm a social creature, and always prefer talking my way through situations as opposed to charging in with sword brandished. However, I also like kicking butt from time to time, armed with a two-handed weapon for combat, and protected by awesome looking armor and a divine aura. The Paladin was great for getting the best of both worlds. Besides, I just couldn't bear committing all those evil acts as a Shadow Thief, although I would like to try my hand out as a Druid for their Wild Shapes and spells.
Jonric: What are one or two of your favorite regular enemies in the game, as well as a couple of bosses? In each case, what's especially enjoyable about encountering and defeating it?
Tony Evans: Readers beware! Here thar be spoilers...
For non-boss enemies, I like the Bladelings and Githyanki that you encounter in Act 1. They look and act very different from the typical creatures that fans of the Forgotten Realms have come to know and love.
My favorite boss is Tholapsyx, a Red Dragon that you may encounter in Act 3. She is possibly the most difficult boss fight in Neverwinter Nights 2. She has many devastating abilities, not the least of which is a breath attack that can flame-broil your entire party. Players can feel really proud if they manage to slay this dragon.
My second favorite bosses are the Shadow Reavers, the fearsome generals of the King of Shadows' army. Each has their own strengths, but they all share the same weakness.
Brock Heinz: I think the fights that have Succubi are a lot of fun. If you can face one alone, they aren't too tough, but in groups, they become much more powerful than the sum of their parts.
I couldn't have gotten very far into the game without dual Rings of Regeneration and Re's Redemption. Just seeing the lightening fly every time I landed a hit with the latter was pure eye candy.My favorite boss fight has to be the showdown with Black Garius. This battle is a great D&D slugfest, where you're outnumbered by enemies who are more powerful than you are. You've got to be a bit clever to win this fight, and come up with a strategy that really exploits the strengths of the party that you have at that time.
Andrea Bobick: This sounds really lame, but I got a lot of guilty pleasure throwing myself into swarms of low-level creatures and then watching a score of Great Cleave hits fill the screen. I highly recommend Mephits and/or Goblins.
As for a boss type enemy, I could never stand that Sydney Natale, and nothing was more satisfying than the witch getting her comeuppance - dealt by me and the mercenary I bribed away from her.
Jonric: What do you consider to be your favorite magical items or spells in Neverwinter Nights 2, and what factors make them stand out from the many others in the game?
Tony Evans: More spoilers dead ahead!
My favorite magical item is the Silver Sword of Gith, which begins as a bunch of strange shards that you must scour the Sword Coast to collect. Eventually, you will learn how to make the blade whole again, at which point it becomes an immensely powerful weapon with never before seen special abilities.
My second favorite magical item is another special weapon, the Hammer of Ironfist. Khelgar can gain this somewhere in Act 3. The Hammer of Ironfist gains power with every swing, and when fully charged, its power can be released to devastate all the enemies surrounding the wielder.
Brock Heinz: I think my favorite spells in NWN2 are the Warlock's Eldrich Invocations. Being able to mix and match different effects with different shapes is a really fun mechanic. When you're leveling up, you can pick shapes that fit your play style. For instance, if you like to stay out of the action, Eldrich Doom is a great way to take out groups of bad guys, but if you like to go toe to toe with your enemies, Eldrich Cone can be devasting. Combining that with different Eldrich Essences gives you an Invocation for every occasion!
Andrea Bobick: I couldn't have gotten very far into the game without dual Rings of Regeneration and Re's Redemption. Just seeing the lightening fly every time I landed a hit with the latter was pure eye candy. That's probably why I always overdo it on the chain lightening. Not to mention that Wall of Flames.
It's rather difficult, perhaps even impossible, to overdo it in terms of learning about the games we cover from getting information from the people who work on them. In this case, we're certainly pleased that we received the opportunity to ask Tony Evans, Brock Heinz and Andrea Bobick about some of the significant elements in Obsidian Entertainment's well-received RPG. And of course, we'd like to thank them for agreeing to share their thoughts with us on these three interesting topics.