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Changes you might like to know concerning NWN 2 ALFA!

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:39 pm
by Veilan
Hey guys,

with our impending live launch, here's my attempt at putting together a quick reference list of what may be good knowledge concerning our deviations from the vanilla NWN 2 game! Rotku is doing a fine job piecing together proper documentation on the Wiki, and the Player Administration will release a sparkling brand new APM soon, but here's the quick rundown for the instant gratification crowd :D .

Let's just jump right into it:

Playable Races

The only races that are not (yet) free to pick from the start are planetouched - Aasimar, Tiefling, Genasi. These are pending Thangorn's Tiefling testing proposal and further Admin debate. It is likely they will be added at a later date.

Level Adjustment

Level enhanced races are supported, and will follow the NWN 2 vanilla system. Please bear in mind that the infrastructure to support them may not be in place on our first live server, Silverymoon, and also strongly consider sending in a bio for approval by the local DM team where you wish to play.

Core Classes

ALFA supports all core classes from the start, with two exceptions:

Favoured Souls are not available for the live start, but principally supported. It is our strong hope their adjustments, balance and story wise, will be finalised within the first week after live and then be cleared for creation.

Warlocks are not available for the live start, but principally supported. We hope to address all outstanding concerns once Favoured Souls have been released.

Spirit Shamans are available for the live start, but they may be subject to later changes in their features. So they are cleared for creation, but you would have to expect the possibility of later adjustments.

Of course, also keep in mind that ALFA expects strong roleplay for the core classes - a cleric must be within the permittable alignments of their deity, a druid has to follow a nature deity, and so on - luckily, NWN 2 already shuttles characters along the proper choices there :).

Prestige Classes

There is no complete list of adjustments and alterations to prestige classes yet, however, as they are not important for a live start, this is not going to delay our launch. When planning for a PrC, please let roleplaying concerns and the development of your character drive your decisions, aiming for one from the first level may not be in spirit with ALFA's approach for hardcore roleplaying.
That said, you can expect that Frenzied Berserkers and Red Dragon Disciples will not become available in ALFA.

Feats

ALFA altered the following feats:
  • Able Learner
    This feat is available at character level one only.
  • Circle Kick
    This feat is unavailable in ALFA.
  • Dash
    This feat is principally unavailable in ALFA, but due to technical limitations, can be selected at level 1. Characters that are created with it can expect to lose it, though (no, they're not going to get accused of trying to exploit anything - we're sorry we can't offer any clean technical solution at this point :().
  • Mind over Body
    In addition to its hit point benefits, this feat will give +1 armour class, in the form of an ooc no drop, no sell item the character will receive when leaving the start area.
  • Resistance to Energy (acid, cold, fire, lightning, sonic)
    All instances of this feat are unavailable in ALFA.
  • Toughness
    This feat is available at character level one only.
Skills

This is what we've done to skills so far:
  • Synergies
    Where ALFA uses its own coding to determine the result of a skill check, skill synergy boni apply. Sadly, we cannot yet make them available across the bank.
  • Heal
    ALFA's heal skill follows the 3.5 rules as best as we can. The NWN 2 instant hit point recovery kits will not be available - if you see them, please kindly inform your local DM team :).
  • Set Trap
    This skill is unavailable in ALFA. You can currently still take ranks in it pending a later fix, but you will not find traps to be used in conjunction with it - if you do, please kindly inform your local DM team ;).
  • Use Magic Device
    This skill works according to 3.5 rules for scroll activation.
We plan to eventually move to a skill system that is much closer to PnP - that means, we will have subsets of the knowledge and perform skills and such things. Existing characters will be allowed to reallocate skill points then, in a controlled fashion.

Animal Companions and Familiars

Currently we have no changes for these, but there may well be some further down the road.

Cleric available Domains and Domain Spell Lists

Same - none yet, but expect some in the future. Of course, remember - in ALFA, you are only supposed to select clerical domains that are actually supported by your deity.

Spells

Once again, due to the fixes Obsidian adopted from the wider community, ALFA has not yet rolled out any alterations of its own - there are certainly going to be some, however.

Fun

Is now mandatory.



So... I hope that satisfies at least some curiousity. I'll try to help with further questions as I can, of course.

Cheers,

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:44 pm
by Rotku
The APM should hopefully be released (containing this info) within the hour of ALFA going Live (assuming FIs approval, and my bus/train running to time...).

Thanks for putting that list together though, Veilan :)

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:00 pm
by Godpuppet
Cheers Veilan, this is actually quite useful info.

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:11 pm
by JaydeMoon
I refuse to have fun and there is no way that you can enforce this issue.

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:37 pm
by Veilan
JaydeMoon wrote:"JaydeMoon is not grumpy"
:shock:

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:18 am
by indio
Kickass effort.

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:35 am
by Dorn
Toughness
This feat is available at character level one only.


rangers still get at 3 tho?

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:13 am
by MShady
Why would toughness only be available at level 1? Also, what were the issues with energy resistances and circle kick?

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:40 am
by Veilan
Dorn wrote:Toughness
This feat is available at character level one only.


rangers still get at 3 tho?
Yes, same as clerics who pick the earth domain.

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:58 am
by Avaz
Great list, Veilan. Might wanna mention all crafting is out, too. At least, that's how I remember it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but... As an added debuff, there's not a single usuable crafting station in all of ALFA. At least none that I found. ;)

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:50 am
by Twin Axes
Surely things can be crafted under proper dm:age?

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:58 am
by Munmun
From what I hear, if you have the feats/skills/spells to make something you can contact a DM and work it out. Be prepared to pay the D&D gp and xp costs.

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:02 am
by Avaz
This kind of puts a damper on my crafting-as-a-profession PC, since he can't just make random mundane items and sell them like a vendor.

I understand it when it comes to the magic items that require spells to craft, but I'm simply referring to :

[weapon/armor mold] + [iron ingot] + [smithing hammer] = a way of life for some.

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:11 am
by AcadiusLost
NWN2 mundane and magical crafting are not supported. I've seen a workbench or two in the module, but there should be no molds, ingots, or other components ingame. For now, all crafting is handled via DMs, pending a balanced ALFAswide system.

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:08 am
by witch
ditto whats up with circlekick and toughness especially the latter? this isnt a level 1 only feat in D&D??