Rounding out my “other” category, I asked Ryan:
- Are there any new animated effects (like the fear animation)?
- There are no new visual effects. Fear has a skull icon that appears over the head of the victim briefly and the recipient also ends up with an orange-ish cloud effect on them.
- Is undead armor in for Pale Masters?
- The stat bonus for boneskin is in but it won’t be represented visually.
- Is a quarterstaff considered a two-handed or a double weapon?
- It is a two-handed weapon.
- Are there quarterstaffs for halflings and gnomes?[ul][li] No but there is a feat called Monkey Grip that allows characters to wield weapons one size larger than normal though with penalties. [/ul][li]Are there different speeds per race?[ul][li]No. [/ul][li]Will UMD see any changes in terms of when and how often the skill checks are made as compared to its implementation in NWN 1?[ul][li]Not on equipment though the interface has changed.[/i] [/ul]
One of the last things on my list was an assigned task to find out all of the included classes, races and PrCs. ***Editor’s Note: These were the races, classes and PrCs that were on the build I saw that day. It has been pointed out that perhaps this is not an all-inclusive list. I will not make an assumption either way.*** (Minor spoiler in the PrC list!)
| Races | Base Classes | Prestige Classes |
| [font size=”2″]Dwarf
Elf
Gnome
Halfling
Half-Elf Half-Orc Human Plane Touched
|
Barbarian Bard Cleric Druid (added per dev post) Fighter Monk Paladin Ranger Rogue Sorcerer Warlock Wizard |
Arcane Archer Arcane Trickster Assassin Blackguard Divine Champion Duelist Dwarven Defender Eldritch Knight Frenzied Berserker Harper Agent Neverwinter Nine: This PrC is made available if a character’s reputation is high enough with Lord Nasher. Ryan called this one a “hyper-bodyguard”. Pale Master Red Dragon Disciple Sacred Fist Shadow Thief of Amn Shadow Dancer War Priest Weapons Master |
I also asked Ryan about the length of the campaign. He told us that they had had one of their testers go straight through the game, skipping all but the essential dialog and not taking any side quests. According to Ryan, he basically ran through the game and even avoided a lot of fights. By this “power gamer’s” account, it took over twenty-five hours. That sounds pretty beefy all in all. It’s worth noting, however, that this was ONE person’s experience and is in no way indicative of what the game can be lengthwise for those who explore every nook and cranny. The “number of hours” in this case, is a very subjective term.
By this time, the day had run its course and it was time to head for the airport and my flight. Ryan and Shane walked us to the door, shook hands with us and sent us on our way. Sitting at the airport, I had a chance to go over my notes and try to come to some conclusions about the visit in general. Regurgitating the facts would be easy, I determined. But trying to get a feeling across was going to be more difficult. Regardless, I have tried. Monday will bring that attempt.
