Hey Dorateen! Great module, but mannnn, I feel like a fool, I did NOT read the readme before playing!! And somehow I have a bunch of options turned on that I definitely did NOT want, such as a feat every level, Ability point every 2 levels I guess, I dunno, it's a bunch of junk because I didn't know that that wasn't the way your module was supposed to be played, and plus I didn't even know that wasn't how the game itself was supposed to play (maybe I changed these options in the past for some reason, or was messing around with them, I'm not sure. But I never changed them back to Normal and totally forgot they existed!!) So I'm really ticked at myself for letting this slip, mainly because I'm having a BLAST with your module and I'm close to 40 episodes deep in it already!! But I really really want/wanted the 'full' experience man. Is there any way to edit my characters to be 'normal' again?? Or edit my save or something? Please let me know. Also I do not show this module off well, I'm really sorry bro your work deserves a heck of a lot better than what I showed. Should have used the tokens from the jump not 30 episodes in finally switching over. Very foolish and ignorant stuff on my part, so I apologize early on that. So yeah, any way to save this run or would I need to literally start over for the balance to be 'right' ?? Please tell me there's a way to save this, haha. Anyway, GREAT module, I can't recommend it enough, it's a literal FULL GAME and feels as such and just, super impressed bro, loving it. But yeah let me know, peace Dorateen!! :)
P.S. It will all be coming to YouTube soon so feel free to check it out. Maybe there's some enjoyment in it for you and others but just know that I'm deeply sorry for not reading that dang readme first. Cheers man.
P.P.S. Spent a half hour with the north cave in the desert canyon's Troll riddle, can I have more of a hint or maybe spoiler on that one, if I should even continue playing? Thanks!
There is a respec option, but I think it is only for changing feats or stat/spell selections, not reducing them. The difficulty settings are very configurable, and something Pierre added later to the game, after I started building the module for KnotC2. So in addition to switching between easy, normal and hard, there are options that can be further refined such as the amount of feats and how often characters can raise a stat. This is adaptive, and can be changed in the middle of a game and will take effect if you keep playing.
The troll riddle might be a little obscure. It is a phrase for something counterfeit, which people believe is real. Even if you don't get the riddle, there is an alternative resolution to the trolls that could be beneficial.
Ok so, I switched the options back and will go forward from here. Maybe I can put the difficulty on Hard as well to make up for the extra feats and such?? Also, I knew the riddle's answer was something like that, haha! I actually guessed 'forgery', 'fraud/fraudulent', 'fake' and so on, because that is the only thing that really made sense. Now I see it's an obscure word, okay cool I'll try more. Thanks Dorateen! :)
Hey again @Dorateen. Big problem this time, I accidentally saved with a dead character. Is there any way to raise them other than the one option in S******e as outlined in your readme?? Maybe I can reload a previous save I guess, or some way in the character files to raise? Thanks!
Edit - Nevermind! All good now, reloaded a previous save.
That's good to hear. Do you have a cleric or a bishop in your party? There are a few raise dead options scattered throughout the module, but the easiest is back at the castle, as long as you have one of those classes (or as long as they are not the one who died.)
Hey @Dorateen, quick question. Is the exit north of the map where Creighton the Dwarf helps you climb the rocks, is that path bugged in my game?? Because it's lit up but I can't head up that way, so I'm wondering why that is, if maybe it's just unfinished or an actual bug and I'm supposed to be able to exit north there. Cheers!
That path ends with the basilisk battle. I think I used the mountain transition icon just to trigger that encounter, but it does not lead anywhere else.
In the castle, click on the blue altar in the shrine and your bishop character should have a dialogue option to pray for a miracle. Also, a quick tip, you can press the Tab key and it will highlight all the objects you can interact with on a map. It's a good check in case you think you might have missed something.
Yep, got both of those tips now, awesome that it's free raise dead so I don't have to worry about losing my mage or something, other than missing out on xp which is a fair penalty for sure. And Tab is awesome too I definitely found some stuff using that now, around episode 37-ish haha. Thanks again man, really looking forward to each new session with your module!
Hey @Dorateen, how to remove Negative Levels (no spoilers please, but a hint would help.) I'm thinking maybe there's potions or such later on that help, I only have one potion though and my whole party has at least one Negative Level. Thanks! Oh also, what is the difficulty setting for Negative Levels as well, in the options menu I mean. Cheers!
There are the potions, which you mentioned, and it is a spell available later on. Otherwise you can try the altar at the castle. I'm not sure about difficulty setting in the options, I wasn't aware of any option that would disable level draining.
I could be wrong then, but I thought I saw something regarding Negative Levels in the options. Don't have the game open right now to check. Awesome that the altar fixes things, good stuff!
I think that refers to something introduced later... Negative Levels for enemies. This had to do with adjusting Augury of Chaos, to make it less difficult by lowering the challenge rating for monsters. This wouldn't apply to Hearkenwold.
Hey @Dorateen ! Quick thing. I've been noticing what appear to be slight bugs in how some items work, dunno maybe I am also just misunderstanding their usage, but for example:
Electric Shield is 2 AC with a enchantment of +1 AC, yet it only seems to give my Bishop +2 AC, even with all other gear off etc.. Topaz Shard is supposed to give +1 melee & ranged Attack rolls, yet doesn't seem to in my case. Weird.
There have been a few others noticed over time, but you'll have to keep watching the LP to see those as I've now forgotten which they were. Cheers tho, hope if they are bugs they can be fixed quick for the remainder of this playthrough maybe! Cheers man!
Thanks! I will have to look into those items. A couple of possibilities: either I did not apply the enchantment correctly, and I will need to fix. Or, depending on the type of enchantment, not all bonuses will stack. But I will test and fix any bugs. Appreciate the head's up!
No problem sir! I think I may have found others in previous 'episodes' of my LP, but you'll have to wait for those to come out and if you do watch them, you may see the issue(s). Not pressuring you to watch or anything, feel free tto do what you like, I'll try and see if I can catch any other odd enchantments like that and will let you know. Cheers Dorateen!
P.S. By the way man, I must comment on your approach and follow-through with this mod, your work is incredible sun! Like, I am floored by how much content there is, of course all of it being quality, as well as the overall map i.e. world size, some of which I'm sure I haven't even uncovered yet! Your dedication here is truly remarkable and as far as I can tell this mod puts you up there with *anybody* who has crafted a masterpiece module for any RPG, in terms of delivering a full "user module" aka total overhaul mod from start to finish. You've outdone yourself sir and KotC2's engine is a supremely great fit imo. So there you have it man, keep up the great work and I look forward to playing more! By the way I've put like, 35+ hours into your module so far and I still have TONS of stuff to do! Crazy! :)
Thank you very much! The KotC2 combat engine is amazing, which is why I wanted to give it a try for Hearkenwold. But the focus of the module remains on nonlinear exploration. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
For sure man! The non-linear exploration is a *fantastic* aspect of the mod, definitely. One of my favorite aspects as well. And the itemization and loot is awesome too! And of course the leveling up and KotC2 side of things. It's the total package for anyone who wants a Gold Box Enhanced type of experience imo. Good amount of challenge and combat is wicked fun as you go along.
1 - The Frost Dragon just east of the skullduggery tavern only gives 60 EXP upon defeat?? That seems absurdly low given the challenge level/rating. It does drop a Frost Dragon Scale but, yeah, you might want to revise that one I feel!
2 - Please let a party talk to the healer next to the altar of Hearkenwold and if you don't have a Bishop/Cleric available, she should be able to Raise Dead imo. I just defeated the Frost Dragon but on it's last breath it killed my Bishop so now I can't continue or raise her from the dead. I also have a Champion and Paladin, those two might be allowed to pray for a miracle too, no??
Bit of a bummer there as now I have to fight it again and it was very lucky to beat it. Well here goes. Hope the feedback helps! :)
I will check out the numbers, thanks. Later on, there is an alternative way to raise dead, but I don't want to give spoilers. Also some NPCs you can meet even later can raise dead party members. That doesn't help your Bishop now, but it is something to look for in further exploration.
Hey Dorateen! Still wandering away and having a blast! Quick note, the Fancy Shirt from Skardale says 1 AC, but gives no bonus that I can make out? Hmm, maybe it's conflicting with something? Doing some measurements now will let you know! ... Okay so, tried moving some bits about like the Bracers Of Armor (which say +4 Force Armor but only seem to give 3), an Elven Cloak, Ring Of Protection, all those items boni stack but the shirt still gives nothing. Also somehow ended up going from 19 to 23 with the Pierced Heart Shield, surely some feat or something is at work there. But yeah just a heads up. Will post more as I find them!
Thanks for the tip about the shirt. I will check out the bonus type and see if there is a conflict. The pierced heart shield is a powerful tower shield so it's possible there is a +4 AC increase, but again, I will test the item. Appreciate the feedback and hearing about your experience with the module.
edit: I just tested the fancy shirt. The base item is a standard robe, that will give +1 AC, but you might have armor enchantments from other items that override this bonus, which is why you might not see it increase. The shirt also gives +5 reflex saving throws and +1 charisma, so those are additional advantages from equipping the item.
Have you done the boat yet? If you are in the area near the desert, there was that town with the Admiral in it. You should talk to him about joining his crew.
If you go back to the Dwarf Village, on the map outside when you exit, there is a small cave in the lower right corner. You can take that and follow the maps all the way down until you get back to the town that had the portal. After speaking to the Admiral, the map with boat is just to the west.
Yes, that door only opens once you've been to those maps down there. Then it's a way to return to the earlier areas of the game, or go back. Thanks again for playing!
So first off having tons of fun in this mod. Second I went to the witch village and they asked for help with crops. Talked to the farmer at the castle. None of the dialogues seem to do anything? Maybe he's not the solution, and I need to talk to someone else but I don't know.
Thank you for playing. The crops that you mentioned, is it the problem with the crows he was talking about, or just needing to grow crops? For that, you will have to find a farmer somewhere else, and just mention the village needs help growing crops.
It was about the crops, so the farmer at the castle isn't the right one then. I found a centaur that would help with animals now. Also while I got your attention, where can I find a dang shovel. I have two spots so far that need one lol.
A shovel will come in pretty handy. The quickest one to find, is back in that village, behind the barn. There should be a spot that looks like barrels to click on. You can also use the TAB key to highlight interactable objects on a map. It will open a container, and you should find a shovel.
Yes, you have it right about the farmer at the Castle. It's not much, but just an opportunity to have some reactivity between meeting the characters.
I just finished the mod (current content). Overall: Great content, a lot of gameplay, nice fights, especially early ones.
Balance feedback (imho). Early game: 1. In my opinion, there are missing weapons for some character classes at the very beginning. Additional equipment such as clubs, slings and quarterstaffs would be great. 2. In the first city - Khyn - a shop with basic equipment would be useful. Nothing out of the ordinary - basic armor and non-exotic types of non-magical weapons.
Mid and Late game: 1. Once you reach level 5, many fights become too easy, especially if you have a psion or warlock in your party. Their area of effect "spells", with a feat that allows to cast them without endangering party members decimate 90% of the enemies. 2. There is nothing to do with the money until you reach the Scardale, but after that, your entire balance of combat goes horribly awry. You can buy 6 peaces of very cheap glass armor, which for many characters is the best armor available. Light armor: Ac+8, Max dex bonus +5, bonus movement +10, +5 reflex throws is this is unbelievably good, especially for lower level characters. 3.Even worse you can also buy very large quantities of potion increasing stats +1 for just 200 gold. After selling the excess equipment, you can easily buy 50, maybe even 80 pieces. Suddenly, every character can have a dexterity of at least 20, AC at least 30, good initiative, and reflex saving throws to boot. Want 100hp on your squishy mage? No problem, just buy enough constitution potions for him, you get high contentration for free. Not to mention what excessive potions of CHA, INT and WIS can do for your spellcasters.
Possible solutions: 1. Restricting "free" campsites to 1 rest, especially lategame. Other then that, if the rest was only possible in inns (for $$$) or at campsites, but costing 1 "camping kit" available for purchase in large amount, players would have something to do with their money and force them to manage resources. Tactics: defeat 3 groups by unloading the entire high level spellbook, go back 2 screens, rest at the campsite, repeat wouldn't be so effective and free at the same time. 2.Glass armor - I think only one piece should be available, much more expensive and possibly much weaker. 3.Stat potions: they are very cheap, powerfull and unlimited. Maybe limiting them to just a few of a given type and raising the price to at least 1000 would help?
Minor issues: 1. Non magical chainmail is way overpriced - 1000 2. A teleproter on one of the maps could be assigned not only to single classes, but to a group of classes, such as in case of guilds. 3. Lack of non magical equipment and low level spells for purchase, there is very little reason to purchase anything in the early game. 4. Gain of experience pace. At first it's too fast imho (lvl 3-8), after gaining lvl 9 it's a grind. 5. Some guilds have no title for lvl 10 characters.
I wrote about the parts that I consider somewhat problematic, but I don't want you to think that I think this way about the entire mod. It's great, I'm looking forward to the next adventures.
Thank you for the great feedback and for playing through the module! I will go back using your list as a reference, and make some adjustments. No question, balance is the one thing that is difficult to get right. And there are a few exploits, which can give a player a huge advantage. I will fix those issues.
I am working on new content right now, and along with other feedback, I am trying to balance the fights for 10th level characters for a decent challenge.
I'm in the Dwarven mine at the door of the temple where I'm supposed to use the 4 gems to enter, but can't figure out how to use the gems to open the door. What do I need to do?
I just tested it, when you have all four gemstones, then when you click on the temple door, a dwarf will run up to you and tell you about the king. After this, the door will unlock and you can click on the marble door to enter the temple.
Make sure you have all 4 gemstones in your party's inventory. It is possible to miss collecting them from the chests after defeating each guardian. Or a gem might have dropped on the ground if inventory is full. But if you have all four gemstones, then when you try the temple door you should get that interaction with a dwarf soldier, which will lead to the door opening.
I think I may be missing the Amethyst Wardstone, but have no idea where to find it. I have a stone in my inventory called "Amethyst" but the other three stones I have say the type of stone + "Wardstone", so I think the one I have isn't the Amethyst Wardstone but a regular amethyst. Not sure what I missed and why I can't find the Amethyst Wardstone. EDIT: Nevermind, I found it :) BTW, Hearkstone is great. I've really enjoyed it.
I had finished this mod once but I was thinking of maybe playing through it again since I enjoyed it quite a bit. I see there have been many updates. Has any new story content been added recently or are they mostly just game play related updates? I haven't been able to find release notes anywhere. Thanks!
I had made two updates that added story content to the module since I originally released it. One continues the main adventure, after you have done the city Skardale and the guild quest, plus it adds a new cave dungeon called the Khrystos Caves. Then last September, I added a new adventure called Edinmoor, which would be suitable for characters around 7th level.
Right now I am working on more content that I will add to the module later this year.
I wish i could make my own story/mod but i don't have any idea how to use this editor like i can't even seem to be able to make a new map since i can't find how to place map tile art.
Knights of the Chalice 2 uses premade maps. So you would have to find a map online that you could use, or you could make your own map in another program. These are then imported into the module to use for an area.
In the village that has the sickness, the map to the east with the farmer and the barn. Look right behind the barn, there should be a spot to click on to open a container.
I talked to Pierre about this, and he said that players can make mage knights and paladins with the new feats, it should not be a problem. The only thing is, I did not update any enemy Mage Knights or paladins (not that many) so they will not have the new feats. But it should be fine for players.
I'm playing on version 1.43, it seems any battle crashes the game, which includes goblin battle, barbarian battle and frog battle in the beginning. The mod now is unplayable.
I just uploaded a new version that should be compatible with the latest version 1.43 of KotC2. Just be aware, I am about 2 weeks away from an official release of this module, and there is some content now that is not complete. Anything that has to do with "Edinmoor", I would stay away from for now, until the next version is posted at the end of this month or early September.
I did download the previous version 1.28 and was able to fight those battles without crashing. However, it is possible the newest class changes to Barbarians, Rogues and Monks could have broken something on the player side that I was not aware of. Anyway, this version now has the latest feats and spells for the upgraded classes.
72 comments
P.S. It will all be coming to YouTube soon so feel free to check it out. Maybe there's some enjoyment in it for you and others but just know that I'm deeply sorry for not reading that dang readme first. Cheers man.
P.P.S. Spent a half hour with the north cave in the desert canyon's Troll riddle, can I have more of a hint or maybe spoiler on that one, if I should even continue playing? Thanks!
There is a respec option, but I think it is only for changing feats or stat/spell selections, not reducing them. The difficulty settings are very configurable, and something Pierre added later to the game, after I started building the module for KnotC2. So in addition to switching between easy, normal and hard, there are options that can be further refined such as the amount of feats and how often characters can raise a stat. This is adaptive, and can be changed in the middle of a game and will take effect if you keep playing.
The troll riddle might be a little obscure. It is a phrase for something counterfeit, which people believe is real. Even if you don't get the riddle, there is an alternative resolution to the trolls that could be beneficial.
Edit - Nevermind! All good now, reloaded a previous save.
In the castle, click on the blue altar in the shrine and your bishop character should have a dialogue option to pray for a miracle. Also, a quick tip, you can press the Tab key and it will highlight all the objects you can interact with on a map. It's a good check in case you think you might have missed something.
Electric Shield is 2 AC with a enchantment of +1 AC, yet it only seems to give my Bishop +2 AC, even with all other gear off etc..
Topaz Shard is supposed to give +1 melee & ranged Attack rolls, yet doesn't seem to in my case. Weird.
There have been a few others noticed over time, but you'll have to keep watching the LP to see those as I've now forgotten which they were. Cheers tho, hope if they are bugs they can be fixed quick for the remainder of this playthrough maybe! Cheers man!
P.S. By the way man, I must comment on your approach and follow-through with this mod, your work is incredible sun! Like, I am floored by how much content there is, of course all of it being quality, as well as the overall map i.e. world size, some of which I'm sure I haven't even uncovered yet! Your dedication here is truly remarkable and as far as I can tell this mod puts you up there with *anybody* who has crafted a masterpiece module for any RPG, in terms of delivering a full "user module" aka total overhaul mod from start to finish. You've outdone yourself sir and KotC2's engine is a supremely great fit imo. So there you have it man, keep up the great work and I look forward to playing more! By the way I've put like, 35+ hours into your module so far and I still have TONS of stuff to do! Crazy! :)
1 - The Frost Dragon just east of the skullduggery tavern only gives 60 EXP upon defeat?? That seems absurdly low given the challenge level/rating. It does drop a Frost Dragon Scale but, yeah, you might want to revise that one I feel!
2 - Please let a party talk to the healer next to the altar of Hearkenwold and if you don't have a Bishop/Cleric available, she should be able to Raise Dead imo. I just defeated the Frost Dragon but on it's last breath it killed my Bishop so now I can't continue or raise her from the dead. I also have a Champion and Paladin, those two might be allowed to pray for a miracle too, no??
Bit of a bummer there as now I have to fight it again and it was very lucky to beat it. Well here goes. Hope the feedback helps! :)
edit: I just tested the fancy shirt. The base item is a standard robe, that will give +1 AC, but you might have armor enchantments from other items that override this bonus, which is why you might not see it increase. The shirt also gives +5 reflex saving throws and +1 charisma, so those are additional advantages from equipping the item.
Thank you for playing. The crops that you mentioned, is it the problem with the crows he was talking about, or just needing to grow crops? For that, you will have to find a farmer somewhere else, and just mention the village needs help growing crops.
Yes, you have it right about the farmer at the Castle. It's not much, but just an opportunity to have some reactivity between meeting the characters.
Overall: Great content, a lot of gameplay, nice fights, especially early ones.
Balance feedback (imho).
Early game:
1. In my opinion, there are missing weapons for some character classes at the very beginning. Additional equipment such as clubs, slings and quarterstaffs would be great.
2. In the first city - Khyn - a shop with basic equipment would be useful. Nothing out of the ordinary - basic armor and non-exotic types of non-magical weapons.
Mid and Late game:
1. Once you reach level 5, many fights become too easy, especially if you have a psion or warlock in your party. Their area of effect "spells", with a feat that allows to cast them without endangering party members decimate 90% of the enemies.
2. There is nothing to do with the money until you reach the Scardale, but after that, your entire balance of combat goes horribly awry.
You can buy 6 peaces of very cheap glass armor, which for many characters is the best armor available.
Light armor: Ac+8, Max dex bonus +5, bonus movement +10, +5 reflex throws is this is unbelievably good, especially for lower level characters.
3.Even worse you can also buy very large quantities of potion increasing stats +1 for just 200 gold. After selling the excess equipment, you can easily buy 50, maybe even 80 pieces.
Suddenly, every character can have a dexterity of at least 20, AC at least 30, good initiative, and reflex saving throws to boot. Want 100hp on your squishy mage? No problem, just buy enough constitution potions for him, you get high contentration for free.
Not to mention what excessive potions of CHA, INT and WIS can do for your spellcasters.
Possible solutions:
1. Restricting "free" campsites to 1 rest, especially lategame.
Other then that, if the rest was only possible in inns (for $$$) or at campsites, but costing 1 "camping kit" available for purchase in large amount, players would have something to do with their money and force them to manage resources.
Tactics: defeat 3 groups by unloading the entire high level spellbook, go back 2 screens, rest at the campsite, repeat wouldn't be so effective and free at the same time.
2.Glass armor - I think only one piece should be available, much more expensive and possibly much weaker.
3.Stat potions: they are very cheap, powerfull and unlimited.
Maybe limiting them to just a few of a given type and raising the price to at least 1000 would help?
Minor issues:
1. Non magical chainmail is way overpriced - 1000
2. A teleproter on one of the maps could be assigned not only to single classes, but to a group of classes, such as in case of guilds.
3. Lack of non magical equipment and low level spells for purchase, there is very little reason to purchase anything in the early game.
4. Gain of experience pace. At first it's too fast imho (lvl 3-8), after gaining lvl 9 it's a grind.
5. Some guilds have no title for lvl 10 characters.
I wrote about the parts that I consider somewhat problematic, but I don't want you to think that I think this way about the entire mod.
It's great, I'm looking forward to the next adventures.
Regards
Thank you for the great feedback and for playing through the module! I will go back using your list as a reference, and make some adjustments. No question, balance is the one thing that is difficult to get right. And there are a few exploits, which can give a player a huge advantage. I will fix those issues.
I am working on new content right now, and along with other feedback, I am trying to balance the fights for 10th level characters for a decent challenge.
Make sure you have all 4 gemstones in your party's inventory. It is possible to miss collecting them from the chests after defeating each guardian. Or a gem might have dropped on the ground if inventory is full. But if you have all four gemstones, then when you try the temple door you should get that interaction with a dwarf soldier, which will lead to the door opening.
I had made two updates that added story content to the module since I originally released it. One continues the main adventure, after you have done the city Skardale and the guild quest, plus it adds a new cave dungeon called the Khrystos Caves. Then last September, I added a new adventure called Edinmoor, which would be suitable for characters around 7th level.
Right now I am working on more content that I will add to the module later this year.
Thanks!
Theres some things that need to be dug up and im already level 8 and havent found one. Anyone know where?
Is this version compatible with the upgrades made to Mage Knights and Paladins in the last patch?
I talked to Pierre about this, and he said that players can make mage knights and paladins with the new feats, it should not be a problem. The only thing is, I did not update any enemy Mage Knights or paladins (not that many) so they will not have the new feats. But it should be fine for players.
I just uploaded a new version that should be compatible with the latest version 1.43 of KotC2. Just be aware, I am about 2 weeks away from an official release of this module, and there is some content now that is not complete. Anything that has to do with "Edinmoor", I would stay away from for now, until the next version is posted at the end of this month or early September.
I did download the previous version 1.28 and was able to fight those battles without crashing. However, it is possible the newest class changes to Barbarians, Rogues and Monks could have broken something on the player side that I was not aware of. Anyway, this version now has the latest feats and spells for the upgraded classes.