Hearkenwold

[slowdive]

I've just started a new run on Hearkenwold - I haven't played it for a couple of years so there's a load of new content I haven't seen yet. Looking forward to it! Last time I took a party of dwarves, but this time I'm going for a more traditional mix.

Make sure to record it so we can watch

[Dorateen]

Is everything done manually in the conversion? Is KotC2 tile based or are the maps a single image?

I would say it is a manual process, with a lot of copy and pasting. Yes, the maps also use a single image. The dimensions of tiles are 64 x 64. If you recall, the IceBlink tilemap maker used those same dimensions and I produced 1024 x 1024 maps for each area. I am able to take those original map files and upload them into KotC2.

Pongo, thanks, and no pressure! I know time is limited when you have your own project you are working on. I hope you enjoy the new content.

[Pongo]

I'll be playing it slowly over a few weeks I think - its a nice break from working on Pescua! I've only just cleared out the goblins and started heading east to the tavern, so early days. I just hit level 2 - Prayer looks like a great addition for my cleric, I don't remember that from last time. Its nice to try out two weapon fighting as well!

[Dorateen]

Prayer looks like a great addition for my cleric, I don't remember that from last time. Its nice to try out two weapon fighting as well!

Yes, I added a number of new spells including Prayer. I perhaps should have made it available later, but then I guess the trade off is your character can only choose one spell on level up so you might pass on another selection to get a great spell like Prayer.

[cartons]

I've been itching to replay this over the holiday. Are we still expecting a definitive version to land within a few weeks, Dorateen?

[Dorateen]

I've been itching to replay this over the holiday. Are we still expecting a definitive version to land within a few weeks, Dorateen?

Hi cartons, the IceBlink version that is available now greatly expands the module. It advances the narrative past the events in Skardale and guild quests, and adds new wilderness locations. As well as using the weather effects system and the new spells.

What I'm looking to finish up in the next few weeks is the Knights of the Chalice version, which will include all this playable content.

[cartons]

Ah, thanks for clarifying! I'll go ahead and jump in.

[Dorateen]

I'll go ahead and jump in.

You should be able to copy the Hearkenwold saves folder into the newest module and continue with those characters, if you want. Unless you want to start with a new party.

[Dorateen]

Merry Christmas from Hearkenwold! Here is an animated gif showing the snow weather effect, just outside the Halls of Hamhock.



Starting to really come down out there. They better let us in.

[slowdive]

Saw that on the Codex, very festive indeed and I do hope they open those super cool golden doors for us! Maybe there is more of that gold inside that they could spare

[Dorateen]

January Update

It's a new year, and I've just posted the latest version of Hearkenwold for Knights of the Chalice 2 on the nexus page.

https://www.nexusmods.com/knightsofthechalice2/mods/5

This brings both modules now into alignment. And here are a couple of more screenshots showcasing higher level content.





Now the question becomes, where do I go from here with returning to the IceBlink engine. I've been giving the matter some thought, and while the obvious answer is to just keep building where the last update has left off, I also had the notion to rebuild the NWN2 module I made called "Edinmoor", and place it into the Hearkenwold campaign. It's an adventure designed for 7th to 9th level characters, if I recall, and I would have to make some adjustments to fit the custom setting. But the advantage is, the content would be able to be accessed by players at anytime as soon as they stumble across the associated areas. On the other hand, if I continue the main adventure arc, which I do have plans for, that represents content only available for players who have made it so far and reached that point. I also found that it feels a little linear to some degree, following the story branch. Where as an inclusion of Edinmoor into the campaign would just be more content as part of an open world. It also has the advantage of letting me work from a blueprint, a preexisting campaign that I have already finished, and would probably be something I can have out this year. But to continue the adventure into new areas, will likely take me longer, even though I have a rough outline about what I want to do.

So I haven't made a decision yet. I will most likely being fixing bugs over the next couple of weeks. But I think by the end of this month, I'll have a firm idea about the direction to take Hearkenwold. Of course, I would appreciate any feedback: would players want to have new adventure available sooner, which their party can tackle as soon as they are ready? Or would it be better to keep pushing the main narrative forward?

[slowdive]

Congrats on the KotC2 update! I for one would love to see Edinmoor incorporated into the Hearkenwold campaign so I would vote for that option. I remember well when it was released for NWN2 and I believe you had a turn-based version as well, right? I did create an import tool that imports a NWN2 module (also imports an IB module) into IBmini, but I need to update it to IBbasic format. I could probably do something similar to IB if there was enough interest, but I know that you prefer doing it manually as this allows you to do checks and review the content in detail.

[Dorateen]

Good memory, slowdive. I had been playing around with a turn-based mod for NWN2 and was attempting to use it in what would have been a sequel called "Sons of Edinmoor", but that project didn't get too far.

Another consideration is for the past few weeks I had been testing battles against much more powerful enemies, which can be brutal in KotC. It is fun, but I find 7th level encounters to be more of a sweet spot I enjoy for D&D. So I'd welcome the opportunity to go back to that scale of difficulty. I'm leaning closer to having a look at Edinmoor as a keep and surrounding areas that would be placed on the eastern fringes of Hearkenwold, near the mountains.

[Pongo]

Well done Dorateen! I'm always impressed with how quickly you make progress, given you're building in two separate engines.

I haven't caught up with the new content yet, but for what its worth I'd also vote for Edinmoor to build on the open world feel.

[Dorateen]

Thanks! Edinmoor it is, then. One final consideration for me was that the keep of Edinmoor functions as a settlement of sorts, with merchants to interact with and new leads for the player to follow, or not, if they choose.

[Dorateen]

I'm in the middle of a blizzard today, so I decided to upload a new video of Hearkenwold in Knights of the Chalice 2. This one is from the paladin guild adventure, where the party will run into a rival party of gnolls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ald_amEnrM

I will post an IceBlink update about the Edinmoor content next week.

[slowdive]

Great video! That was a tough battle and one of the nastier gnoll encounters I've seen. Stay safe in that blizzard and I hope the power stays on.

[Dorateen]

Thanks, slowdive. All good here.

The key to how that encounter plays out comes down to initiative and party positioning. Some of the gnolls can cast web and stinking cloud, and if they can get those off before the player has a chance to move, it is pretty much game over.

[Dorateen]

February Update

As promised, I've been busy working to convert the Edinmoor module I made for NWN2 into new content available in Hearkenwold. I had started building Edinmoor shortly after finishing the Storm of Zehir expansion, and one of main objectives was to dig into the new party chat style conversations. As I have been working through these dialogues and how they were constructed, some of them go fairly deep with branching options based on character attributes, and they can take encounters with NPCs into wild directions. I even started to wonder what I was thinking, when the first chat with a local merchant could cover a variety of topics.



The original Edinmoor adventure was designed for a 7th level party and finishing around level 9 or so. In Hearkenwold, it will be accessible much earlier, leaving it up to the player how far they want to investigate leads and if they can handle the dangers. For example, the wolves near Edinmoor are of the Dire variety.



Here is a first look inside the keep, also referred to as Edinmoor Court. The place is described by the locals as a "lyrical" hold, a settlement welcoming of artists and musicians. Of course, the hook for the adventure suggests something sinister has happened disrupting the peace.



Another merchant is a tailor who sells fine clothes. I've had to stock his inventory with suitable merchandise, although most adventurers would probably not be interested in the selection. Still, these outfits could be a viable alternative to wizard robes, until such characters find something better.



And one more screenshot, this has a couple of new enemies: Dark Dryads with the ability to cast barkskin, and entangle as well as sleep.



I will be trying to finish up by June in order to release the next version of Hearkenwold for IceBlink. I've got a few more dungeons and an outdoor area to build. Projecting to take about a month for each. As always, it is just an estimate, we will see how it goes.

[slowdive]

Looks like you are making great progress with Edinmoor already. I like the idea of lots of branching options as a player, but it is a ton of work as a builder My wizards will be happy with the robe selection there. I also like the idea of having the option to enter the Edimoor content a bit early, but I probably won't do that (just like I don't go down stairs in castle hearkenwold to visit that party )

[Pongo]

Looks great Dorateen! Looking forward to this. Those Dark Dryads look pretty nasty...

I just found the hook horrors on a fairly early map east of the castle - were they there in the last build? Wonder if I missed them. They made short work of my lvl3 party though ha, I'm not trying to get past them again until I have a few more levels under my belt...

[Dorateen]

Thanks Pongo! The hook horrors are part of maps that were added around the time I started on the guild quests, so it was a somewhat later build. Definitely an unpleasant surprise for a young party.

slowdive, hopefully it will be a risk reward type thing. There might be some early opportunities for characters to find interesting items, if they can survive.

[Dorateen]

March Update

I have been doing more work on bringing the Edinmoor adventure into the Hearkenwold campaign. I think I mentioned in the previous update, that the module was built around three dungeons, with outdoor locations between. Last month, I completed the first dungeon and now I am starting on some mountain wilderness maps. I don't think this will take much time, so I should be able to concentrate on the second dungeon later this month. However, it is the final culminating area of the game that will take the longest, so I still expect to finish by June.

I captured some new screenshots to share. The first is a battle with an enemy party, comprised of fighters and multiple spellcasters. To make this confrontation more tricky, the player characters begin up on a stage, and they will have to make their way down to get at the goons in the back.



When coming across a door with a potentially nasty surprise behind it, a party member with low constitution can express hesitation. This sort of thing is one of the ways individual character personalities can manifest themselves in a group, chiming in with little comments. And sometimes, the words of a nervous elf might just offer advance warning.



Finally, I've always enjoyed this exchange. It still makes me laugh. A dwarf merchant was attacked by treants, and he calls them "were-trees", like a shape shifting lycanthrope. Of course, our more learned wizard tries to correct him.

[slowdive]

June sounds great! The encounter looks tricky with getting off the stage in single file. Also, making some good use of attributes and the party chat is great fun. silver should work just fine on those were-trees, I'll try it out just to verify

[Pongo]

When coming across a door with a potentially nasty surprise behind it, a party member with low constitution can express hesitation. This sort of thing is one of the ways individual character personalities can manifest themselves in a group, chiming in with little comments. And sometimes, the words of a nervous elf might just offer advance warning.

Triggering convo options with low ability scores is a really nice touch! Having text that reacts to character weaknesses and not just their strengths definitely adds to the individual character personalities. Good stuff!

[Dorateen]

Thanks, Pongo. I think I have used Low Constitution the most as a way to simulate cowardly (or let's just say cautious) party members. In a few places, I have Low Intelligence options, because that's always fun. Oh, and lots of Low Charisma choices for characters who want to mouth off at NPCS or act generally unpleasant.

slowdive, Exactly! The party can still be targeted while they are up on the stage, so it might be risky to wait it out for the enemy to come to them.

[Dorateen]

Knights of the Chalice 2 releases officially on Steam and gog this Friday, March 25.

I have uploaded one more video to showcase the Hearkenwold adventure module. An encounter in the Dwarven Halls of Hamhock, when the party stumbles across a group of conspiring monsters.

https://youtu.be/MzrRohMFl1Y

[Dorateen]

April Update

I must have been motivated last month, because I was able to get a lot done in the recreation of Edinmoor as part of the Hearkenwold campaign. This includes two maps of mountain wilderness as well as the second dungeon featured in the adventure. I am starting on the concluding areas, but this will probably take some more time. I still aim to release the next version of the module by June, which gives me plenty of room for testing and tidying up loose ends.

This is a section of the tower known as the Soth Tarnel. It has been called a once mighty fortress that is now a tomb for the fallen defenders of a forgotten town. I also used the height mapping tool extensively, with some maps containing three layers. In the screenshot below, there is a sunken watery area, with stairs leading up and then another set of stairs approaching the door to the next level.



The party will have to contend with Frost Giants for the first time. Pretty beefy enemies, that can hit often for a lot of damage, in addition to having cold immunity. At least they are vulnerable to fire.



I thought this was pretty interesting. I created a trap that will cast Energy Drain if triggered, targeting the party for loss of spell points. Each character still gets a saving throw, but it could be a headache for clerics and wizards. Ideally, I would have liked to zap everyone's spell points like we have a gaPartyDamage script, but this works well enough.



And here is a view of the mountain area I mentioned above. Referred to as the Canyon of the Dead. Not exactly a tourist attraction.



As I have been doing with the previous module releases, once I finish Edinmoor and make it part of the Hearkenwold campaign in IceBlink, I will then resume copying everything over into the Knights of the Chalice 2 version. This will be like a stand-alone adventure, which a starting party could have the misfortune to stumble upon. Or the player could launch a saved game with mid-level characters and tackle the new content.

[slowdive]

Sounds like some great progress there! Are you using height maps for shading purposes or does it block movement as well? I haven't dug into that part of the code as of yet. I may need to have some toggles to use a more basic system or the more complex system as I try to debug some of the issues that are deeply rooted in the work Karl did and that I have a difficult time understanding and don't want to make worse

Frost giants, yeah! That should be fun... or not

I could add a "gaPartyEnergyDrain" script easy enough if you wanted that. It would just be changing the modifier in the "gaPartyDamage" to be "sp" instead of "hp". So copy/paste/edit kind of thing.

Looking forward to finding and exploring Edinmoor!

[Dorateen]

Thanks, slowdive! I like the shadow effect of the raised tiles, because on a 2d map, it helps distinguish walls from floors. However, the height mapping does have collision, and when you make bridges or balconies, players have to access those higher (or lower) tiles via a ramp or stairs. The one small glitch is that the height variance does not respect collision with regard to triggers placed on adjacent tiles. So you could be standing on a square of a higher height, and "bump" into the trigger on an adjacent tile even if it is a lower height. But keeping this in mind, I just avoid placing triggers next to the height map.

A gaPartySpellPointDrain would be perfect. Exactly like the damage script, except it would take a set amount of spell points, or random depending on the parameters, from all characters. I figured that would be simple.

[Pongo]

Looks great Dorateen, that's an impressive amount of progress! Soth Tarnel looks like it will be a fun challenge.

[Dorateen]

Thanks, Pongo. I was testing yesterday, and there are some fights I think can get pretty challenging. As is the nature of an open design, a big factor is the level of the party when they enter this area. No shame in characters finding themselves in over their heads and running off to come back later.

[Dorateen]

May Update

I am in the middle of finishing up the Edinmoor adventure, which will soon be incorporated into the Hearkenwold campaign. The final dungeon is being built, and if the party can escape, I'll have a few NPCs they can converse with and get some additional dialogue. At that point, it is just epilogue type stuff and testing, running through encounters from start to finish. I am planning to release the new version of the module by June.

Here, the characters get an explanation about the nature of the Anvil of Time:



This is a dungeon constructed of interconnected maps, and multiple levels. There are some unique features to the area, as the screenshot below shows.



Naturally, there is going to be some fighting. Although there are opportunities for the party to avoid combat, sometimes depending on choices they have made. But when diplomacy fails, you end up in a brawl with winged lizard-like monstrosities. I gave them enough spell points to cast a barkskin spell on their first turn (+4 AC) and then they attack four times per round.



Here is a look at a new type of ammunition, with a thematic flare. Because these arrows trigger an AoE spell upon hit, they are best used situationally so as not to catch other party members.



If everything goes according to schedule, the next post will be about the release of the module for download. Again, Edinmoor works as a stand alone adventure, which the player can stumble upon if they are launching a new game from the start. Or loading up an existing save, characters can try to tackle the new content as a diversion.

[Pongo]

Looks great! Good to hear you're still on track.

[Dorateen]

Thanks, Pongo! I'm working on the final level of the dungeon. Most of the conversations are finished. Just a few more fights/encounters, and I should be good to go.

[Dorateen]

June Update

I have a new version of Hearkenwold available to download. This now contains the Edinmoor adventure as part of the campaign.

https://neverwintervault.org/project/ic ... earkenwold

This still uses version 203 of IceBlink, so players with the engine already downloaded only need to copy and replace the Hearkenwold module folder from the new compressed file above. Saved games will carry over as well.

Edinmoor is optional side content the party can stumble upon whenever they wish, and should they choose to follow the threads of exploration. There is no overarching quest in the main campaign to visit Edinmoor, it is only tangentially connected to the rest of the story (At least on the surface level. There might be deeper implications down the road.) but a couple of NPCs who can be found elsewhere in Hearkenwold will make an appearance. Like this one:



I also made a change to the Amethyst Road, which runs through the Village of Hamhock and up to the Dwarven Halls. Using the excellent Dungeon Crawl Soup tiles made available, I swapped with this darker shade of purple.



Finally, as mentioned, starting a new game players will have to travel a bit to find Edinmoor, and should probably have a few levels under their belt. Those who have already ventured in Hearkenwold, a point of reference is the Slaughtered Lamb Tavern near the mountains, and moving directly west will open up the new maps.

Here is the updated world map that shows how additional overland areas connect.

[Pongo]

Good stuff! Its awesome to see how this is coming together. Look forward to continuing my playthough and now exploring Edinoor.

[slowdive]

Yeah for the June update and the new version of Hearkenwold. I guess I didn't get IB v204 done in time for the recent release, haha. Maybe IB v204 will be ready for the next release of Hearkenwold though which I assume will be some time after KotC2 receives the Hearkenwold update as well.

[Dorateen]

Thanks, Pongo and slowdive.

The moment build 204 becomes available and I have a chance to test it, I will release a new version of the module, even if it does not add any new content.

Right now, I am working on the KotC2 Edinmoor conversion, and plan to finish by end of summer. Then I will be working in IceBlink again with fresh ideas. I'll write more about it in July.

[Dorateen]

July Update

After the recent release of Edinmoor in Hearkenwold, I have been working on building this new content into the Knights of the Chalice 2 version of the module. I've got nearly all the maps loaded into the campaign. Now I just need to finish conversations, and encounters, which of course includes creating new creatures and items. Projection for release remains end of summer.

Here are two screenshots that show how Edinmoor Court appears in the KotC2 engine:





There was an update to Knights of the Chalice previously, which added an alternative dialogue interface. Rather than having NPC or narrative text on top, and Player responses on the bottom of the screen, this merges both into one text box, as shown in the first example.

I am using the token display of characters here, which is always an option for the player. The module is still designed with the original Knights of the Chalice sprites in mind, and this is toggled back with the option to display characters as animated sprites.

In June, someone did a very extensive playthrough of Hearkenwold and helped me with a lot of useful information. There will be fixes and improvements in the upcoming KotC2 release.

Finally, to return to this to IceBlink, I have given thought about where I will take the adventure in the fall. One of the objectives will be to continue the main arc, with the party pursuing leads that were introduced if they had made it to a certain cliffhanger encounter. However, I was looking at the map, and I would also like to expand the outdoor areas along the River Astar. This will likely require the party to gain access to a boat, and there already exists a boatman NPC who can help the heroes from Hearkenwold. Of course, they will probably have to do something for him first.

But that will be for another day, and another update.

[slowdive]

Looks and sounds great! It also sounds like you are making good progress and maybe slightly ahead of projected schedule. I like the new conversation layout. Is it a module setting or a player setting for choosing the convo layout?

[Dorateen]

The conversation layout is an option in the main menu, under Display Options. It can be toggled between the two by the player, at any point during the game. It also affects the big image narration screen as well.

Regarding progress, if I wanted to be optimistic, I think I could finish by the end of August. But some of the branching conversations are quite long (KotC2 does not have the feature to link to previous nodes, like IceBlink or Neverwinter Nights) and I want to leave enough time to complete everything. If I go three weeks into September, it's still the end of summer!

[Dorateen]

August Update

I am in the middle of finishing up the Edinmoor conversion into the Knights of the Chalice 2 engine, and just uploaded a new video to give a peek at some of the upcoming content. Here, the party is making their way through a Villa/Estate of a minstrel, and run into some of his unfriendly associates. The battle did not go well on account of the enemy spellcasters getting their turn before our cleric could silence them or even finish them off. Still, our paladin was able to pull out a win as the sole survivor, but the casualties were high.

I would have re-fought this encounter, however I think it serves as a good demonstration of what the enemy AI is capable of, if not kept in check.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxY0MVKqe9U

In addition to new content for Hearkenwold, the Knights of the Chalice 2 engine has been getting numerous changes by way of class upgrades to Barbarians, Rogues and Monks. These have been incorporated into the module, so in the next version, enemies of such class types will be tougher.
Here are a couple of screens from elsewhere in the module showing barbarian bugbears that now have access to "Spirit Animals" (a feature that grants different special abilities) and have a sonic breath weapon.





Finally, one of the puzzles that appears in the Augury of Chaos module is a type of coded message. The kind where you have to figure out what letter of the alphabet a rune represents, and try to solve it. Sometimes the player gets a couple of words as a starting point, and you can work it out from there. I was able make use of this in the upcoming Ednmoor adventure, where a particular document was written in code. It will be up to the player to figure out the message.



Edinmoor should be complete in the next few weeks, although I still need to do some testing. And there are other fixes or improvements to the Hearkenwold module I am adding after receiving great feedback from players. So I am still aiming for an end of August release, but if it happens to slip into early September, that still counts as summer!

[slowdive]

Looking great! That was a funny video. The casters were not messing around

[Dorateen]

Thanks, slowdive. I should mention that of course, all this content is in the IceBlink version of the module already. It is interesting that the IceBlink counterpart of the mages also have web, stinking cloud and fireball in their spell selection. Or at least they should. I will make sure to check that.

[Pongo]

Loved the video! Those spell casters were proper nasty. I enjoy all the race/class specific convo options you add in as well, helps set a good tone for the adventure.

[Dorateen]

Thank you, Pongo, I appreciate the feedback. I think the different character dialogue choices are a big part of the experience. Some times, they are just one-off comments, which help give a little personality to a party member. And in more drawn-out conversations, these options can lead to varied responses.

[Dorateen]

September Update

I just released a new version of Hearkenwold for Knights of the Chalice 2, which now includes the Edinmoor adventure. I also took the opportunity to make a lot of fixes and improvements based on feedback I have received. If anyone is has KotC2, the module can be downloaded here:

https://www.nexusmods.com/knightsofthechalice2/mods/5

A couple of screenshots featuring new interactions with NPCs.





At this point, I am ready to go back to working Iceblink. As I alluded to earlier, I need to continue the main adventure arc, which is definitely for higher level characters. And I will also add some other content as part of the larger map. I'm not certain how much I will get done this month, but hope to make at least a start, and have something to show in the next update.

[slowdive]

Sounds great! I have been doing some coding on the weekends as time permits and streaming coding sessions on Sunday afternoons when I can. So some progress on my end, but slow

[Dorateen]

I have been doing some coding on the weekends as time permits and streaming coding sessions on Sunday afternoons when I can.

I caught some of the coding stream on youtube. Always interesting to see. It's a good idea, I've often wondered what it would be like to make a video of building a module, the sort of under the hood work that goes on in producing content.

[Pongo]

Dorateen, I'm always impressed by how quickly you get content done, especially as I don't imagine copying the convos over is straightforward - this is looking great!

[Dorateen]

Thanks! Regarding conversations, the text itself is a simple matter of copy/pasting from one program to the other. But there are some things that require manual input, such as the conditionals for characters like [Intelligence] or [Dwarf] need to be inserted by hand, then there are variables needing to be set for those lines. So it isn't that straightforward.

But I can mention something funny and a little embarrassing: as I was finishing up the Edinmoor conversion, I just learned in the KotC2 editor there are commands to Create Label and GoTo Label, which are used to call back and reference lines in a conversation, especially long ones. I guess this is standard for coding, but I did not realize these commands existed, and they will make things a whole lot easier going forward!

[zach_holbrook]

But I can mention something funny and a little embarrassing: as I was finishing up the Edinmoor conversion, I just learned in the KotC2 editor there are commands to Create Label and GoTo Label, which are used to call back and reference lines in a conversation, especially long ones. I guess this is standard for coding, but I did not realize these commands existed, and they will make things a whole lot easier going forward!

Nice... I'd be lost without conversation links!

[Dorateen]

October Update

I have a big update to share, as I've started work on the continuation of the Hearkenwold module in IceBlink.

In planning out the next version to be released, I have three primary objectives:

1. I need to continue the main adventure past the climactic encounter the module presently builds up to.
2. I want to include a river adventure, with new maps along the River Astar.
3. I want to include a Psionicist themed adventure.

Advancing the central narrative will take me the longest to complete. It also means content for higher level characters, likely in the 10th and 11th level range. And of course, only players who have gone this far will even see how everything unfolds. It requires a bit more motivation to build in this direction.

In the meantime, I have been designing the river maps and encounters. These are more suitable to mid-level parties, and can be reached much sooner. The catch is, they need to discover a way to traverse these waters. Already in Hearkenwold there is a boatman, probably a good person to speak to.



Now here is something I am excited about. I was playing around with the scripts to toggle the party token on the adventuring map. If the player is able to secure the boatman's services, and then choose to hop on the river, the token will be switched to a little river boat to move around the water squares. I love it! Here is an animated gif to give a preview:



I have to mention, it is not exactly a smooth ride. Not all the water tiles are accessible, because those that border land need to remain unwalkable, like a buffer. The entering and exiting the river is conversation/script driven so it is not a seamless transition. This means there is a little bumping around the map as you move in a given direction. On the other hand, it also fits in with a rough wild river, requiring a boatman's help in the first place.

And I must not forget, where there are river adventures, there are bound to be sahuagin:



For the past month, I have been setting up encounters and NPCs, which the party will get to meet as they explore the region around the River Astar. There is a little bit more to do in these areas, but I'm going to start on the Pscionist adventure in October. In Hearkenwold, Psionicists are creepy individuals who manipulate people's minds, so I am going for a horror atmosphere.

The idea to include this content actually came last year, with the release of Knights of the Chalice 2, which has its own dedicated Psionicist class (three to be exact) and the suggestion I include some kind of special guild content for these characters. Right now, I have them lumped in with arcane spell casters. But I did take that inspiration, and even make reference elsewhere in Hearkenwold to a seventh guild that was cast out because of their mind experiments. In the next version of the module in IceBlink, the party will visit a location and perhaps meet such a mentalist, who can offer an alternative path for wizard characters.

Finally, I mentioned the continuation of the overarching story arc will by far take me the longest. I do have design ideas sketched out, but it is a bit more free form. I'd like to be able to start this last part by the end of the year and going into next. If the past release schedule is any indication, I should have the new content included in the module by next summer.

[Dorateen]

November Update

For the past few weeks, I have been working on the new Psionicist adventure that will be built into the Hearkenwold campaign. I had hoped to have this knocked out in a month, but I fell a little behind schedule. The plan is to finish up this month and then I will return to the wilderness content I had been designing around the river areas. All of this should be completed by the end of the year. That will give me a fresh start in 2023 to begin the continuation of the main adventure arc, pushing the party deeper into the mess they've gotten involved in, should they make it that far.

Here is one of the new outdoor maps. I like the height mapping used to create a crag surrounded by water.



As I mentioned, previously, the Psionic adventure will serve as an alternate guild quest for wizards in IceBlink, and has more of an atmosphere of horror. It should be disturbing at the least.

[slowdive]

This looks great and haunting. Will you be adding new psionic spells/traits?

[Dorateen]

Will you be adding new psionic spells/traits?

Thanks! Unfortunately, at this time, I had not planned on new psionic spells or traits, although given the release schedule, I can probably work something in. I have to give that some thought. In the gameworld, Psionicists are wizards who have more of a focus in mental manipulation. In fact, there is already an order called the Mages of the Mind. So these would be individuals who take that particular study to the extreme.

In Knights of the Chalice 2, however, there is a dedicated Psionicist class, which plays different than traditional wizards, complete with their own specialized spellbook. Instead of selecting spells, they have a pool of power points to work with. It is really this adaptation, which led to some interest in creating an adventure tailored to these characters. Since IceBlink already uses a spell point system, it is not as easy to differentiate with other mages/clerics, at least in regards of mechanics.

[slowdive]

It should be interesting however you are able to fit it in to the story and within the restrictions of the engine. Looking forward to it.

[Dorateen]

December Update

For this month’s update, I decided to write a retrospective covering the ten years I’ve been working on Hearkenwold.

Part 1: Design Blueprint

This module is a project that goes back to the earliest Alpha build immediately following the successful Kickstarter for the Iceblink engine and toolset in November of 2012. I was very interested in the idea of a 2D/Old school platform for making party-based computer role-playing games (with turn-based combat!). So of course I wanted to jump right in and start working with the program, but what to build?

From the most basic level, the concept I had was about a group of friends or companions who would be staying as guests at a Castle. In fact, I originally called the project Castle Hearkenwold, before going with just the one name. And by “guests”, I meant the characters would be seeking shelter at the fortress after fleeing a horrific attack. That would serve as the hook for this adventure.

I should mention that at this time, I had been reading the 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons supplement called “Monsters of the Nentir Vale”. This is where I first encountered the name Harkenwold, although I would change to the more archaic spelling. The name resonated with me, and felt like it fit the medieval atmosphere I would be going for. This adventure would have no connection with the 4th edition content, it was simply the name as a starting point that would take on a life of its own. The same can be said of Kelton Manor, the feudal location that was the site of the attack, which was derived from Kalton Manor, again the spelling modified to something I thought sounded better.

Also around this time, I had a copy of the Pathfinder resource text called “NPC Codex”. This would prove to be in invaluable source of ideas for characters and adventures. For example, Corwyn Klas was the name of a sample first level fighter known as a superstitious mercenary. I would take the creative liberty of altering the name to Corwyn Khas, and made him into a grizzled commander of knights at the Castle, while keeping the superstitious personality trait.

And here it is important to recognize what Hearkenwold represents: a home brewed dungeons & dragons style campaign, where players could take a party of adventurers through an expanding game world and freely engage with a variety of content. Thus I had a library of role-playing resources available to add breadth and depth to the setting. At its core, the module serves as a kaleidoscope of separate adventures, woven together by an underlying thread. The Halls of Hamhock, the assorted guild quests, even the recently included Edinmoor, are all stand-alone adventures that could be fit into a greater backdrop.

Regarding that backdrop, or the background narrative, for this I went to a fantasy novel I had written while in college. It would become another cornerstone design principle for the module; that I would create a role-playing scenario set in the fictional world I had created. But rather than use the device of linear storytelling, the player would be given a great deal of agency to explore the world and follow up content in whatever sequence they wish. This is to underscore, the story exists as a stage, something part of the scenery, but not forcing the player down a particular road. Also a core element of the group dynamic is the use of the “party chat” style conversations that would be implemented into IceBlink. Inspired by the NWN2 expansion Storm of Zehir, this interface allows dialogue options to be flagged by conditionals such as race, class, ability scores, etc. displaying for only those characters accordingly.

To circle around again, I had made reference to both Pathfinder and 4th edition material. However, the vast amount of detail regarding locations, lore, characters and events, history and even cosmology, comes from the original fiction I authored many years ago. One NPC the party meets early is the Abbot Thespar Wordsmith, a religious authority figure who rules the city of Khyn. While he has some inspiration based on Claude Frollo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the character also has echoes of Silas Barnaby from March of the Wooden Soldiers. Thespar Wordsmith was written to be a staunch legalist, a miser for power who uses the law to secure his control in the Kingdom. I think the module truly picks up once the player reaches Relmfur and surrounding areas, and the conflict with Skardale. Those dramatic episodes bring the weight of the foundational fiction to the adventure.

[Dorateen]

Part 2: Early Stages of Development

Looking back at the actual construction of the module, the IceBlink engine has undergone many changes and versions over the past decade. Hearkenwold was started before we even had a tilemap maker, and when tile and token sizes were 50 x 50. Without many art assets to work with, I had opened up Paint Shop Pro and began playing with some of the built-in graphics. I already knew about the Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures (FRUA) hub, that would eventually become the source of almost all things art related, but at first I was only going to use the character icons. I did not even know about transparency and alpha channels at the end of 2012, although I would quickly learn how to use the .png optimizer to make proper images for IceBlink. I also had a library of fantasy and D&D pictures, which would serve for portraits.

I created the first map for Castle Hearkenwold using a 16 x 16 grid. This is because the computer RPGs I grew up with and loved often implemented uniform 16 x 16 maps. I wanted to recreate that sense of exploring a screen, searching for an exit to move onto the next connecting screen. Pool of Radiance is built this way, with the city of Phlan consisting of “blocks” or areas, which the party clears as they explore. Dungeons too, were all designed on 16 x 16 maps. Later on, the game Dark Sun: Shattered lands would feature areas that were connected by traveling from one screen to the next, not seamlessly, but by finding specific exit/entry points on the map. This approach appealed to me, and is what I have used for Hearkenwold. It makes for somewhat smaller, compact maps that can be filled with lots of content, and then stitched together to form a more massive world.

I also picked a marble border from the Paint Shop artwork, and used this as an overlay on the first map I designed. The idea was to replicate the stylistic frames that often divided the adventuring screen as part of the GUI in older computer games. Unfortunately, I did not factor in that the marble border in Hearkenwold took up 2 tiles on each side, thus rendering maps to 12 x 12 in practice. Still, those dimensions allows for a lot of content density on any given map and each one is a piece of a much larger puzzle.

The later development of the IceBlink tilemap maker was a big breakthrough for me. It allowed maps to be designed in this program first, and then imported into the actual toolset. It was from here that I started to move toward using all tiles from the FRUA (Gold Box style) catalogue, helping to create a little more artistic cohesion. As of right now, all the wall and floor tiles in Hearkenwold come from FRUA, with only a few exceptions, including some from Dungeon Crawl Soup, which also mesh pretty well with the 2d graphics. The IceBlink engine would get further refined to include “height mapping”, and animated props, even weather effects. All of this is now present in the current version of the module.

Initially, the first Alpha release of Hearkenwold was made up of three maps of the castle’s ground floor, and a few surrounding outdoor maps, including a goblin cave. The first quest of the central narrative was in place, but did not go much further. From there, I was looking to expand the map of the game world to the east. I was working from a hand-drawn map I had designed for the fiction I mentioned earlier, and the module would have the player starting in the northwest corner. The intention at this point was to add more “side-quests”, so the idea of optional content around a main story arc could start to take shape. More NPCs began to populate the slowly growing world, new monsters and a couple of new cave locations.

A year and a half after starting this project, I released a new demo, which now featured area music. I had received big help with the generous contribution from Islet Sound, who composed tracks that I would use throughout the module in wilderness areas and castles, and the familiar deep underground bass for any dangerous dungeons. Personally, I also selected a track to use in a couple of key locations, “Pat a Pan”, which is a medieval instrumental carol and has a nice adventurous flare to it. From there, I began putting together the city of Khyn and surrounding areas. When the next version of the module was released, it included a new music track by Islet Sound for the city.

Afterward, I began work on the Asherim content, a distant desert land that would later expand into a broader adventure, accessible to Paladin characters seeking guild membership. But the introductory areas were part of an abduction divergence, which would sidetrack the party. I recall at the time thinking this felt like an expansion to the module as it represented a new adventure isolated from the main quest. Of course, it would all come together as the campaign continued to grow. It was during this time that a new version of the engine was released called IceBlink 2 for the PC, while the Android version was in development. IceBlink 2 was a big step forward, bringing the module closer to its present form in terms of presentation and mechanics.

Kelton Manor followed, an important point in the narrative as its destruction was the catalyst for the entire adventure, and here the player would at last have a chance to visit this location of haunted ruins. By the end of September 2016, I was able to release an updated Hearkenwold for IceBlink 2, which included the Asherim and Kelton Manor content as well as other new scenarios. I had done a full playthrough of all the content at this time to test the new spells, character traits and leveling systems.

[Dorateen]

(First two parts of this retrospective are on the previous page.)

Part 3: The Last Five Years and Beyond

Starting the new year in 2017, I prepared to work on what I would call Chapter III of the module. This would include the Fortress Relmfur and surrounding outdoor areas, as well as the city of Skardale. The content would emerge as a focal point of the adventure, making the investigation of Kelton Manor essentially a hook, leading up to more important events. How the party would reach this point, and how they resolve the conflict, would be left up to the player. It would be a very large update and add the Dwarven Village as well, as a prelude to the Mountain Halls, releasing in June of 2018.

Naturally, the next step would be to work on the Halls of Hamhock adventure. This was the first of several older NWN2 projects I had started or completed, which would find inclusion as part of the Hearkenwold campaign. Other examples are Broken Vessels and Places Deep that would be used as separate guild adventures, and the most recent Edinmoor. Interestingly, while going through the dwarven halls is optional for the player, there is quite a bit of lore tied up in this location. Bits of the game world’s history would be presented in pieces throughout the module, and this was one of those depositories. I would have a new version available halfway through 2019.

I then started on the guild quests, which were class specific, so there would be six in total. Working on one at a time, I would release subsequent updates to the module as each was finished. Beginning with the Cleric quest, followed by Ranger, and then the Thief adventure to kick off 2020. This was followed by the Paladin quest and a return to Asherim, while the guild mission for Fighters required new outdoor maps for the Ephghan Plains. Finally, by the end of August, I would have the Wizards guild adventure in place. These separate quests tailored to each player class would be critical to the ongoing continuation of the module. Another key design principle that went back to early development was the idea of one of the characters needing to fulfill conditions in order to meet the King of Hearkenwold and advance the main story arc.

Thus, the next module update I would make would do just that: allowing the party to join the royal council, as long as one guild member is present. And then taking the adventure past the events in Skardale, which would lead to a climactic confrontation. However, this would only open up a new path for the heroes who would be at a higher level by this time, should they choose to take up the challenge. At the moment, this is as far as the Hearkenwold campaign has reached.

Yet there would be still one more version released back in June of this year. Edinmoor is now part of the game world, providing some additional content to test players. It should be mentioned that throughout the development of the module, I had made partial conversions into the Dungeon Craft editor and the Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures construction kit. And of course, a thorough fully complete port as a Knights of the Chalice 2 adventure module. These escapades into different toolsets would often give me ideas that I would later incorporate into the definitive IceBlink version of Hearkenwold.

Moving forward, I am right now in the process of building new content, which will further the adventures of the party. As I wrapped up a Psionic-focused dungeon, it is something that will exist as a random location waiting to be explored, or an optional guild for wizards to join, while even tying into the main quest. There should be an update available later in the New Year.

Here are a couple of screenshots to end with, showing some interesting reading material the characters might discover. The stanza shown is one part of the poem.

[Dorateen]

If anyone is interested, I have uploaded a video of Hearkenwold from the Knights of the Chalice 2 version. This encounter comes from the recent Edinmoor adventure, also present in the IceBlink module.

Here, the battle map uses a Fog terrain feature that limits movement. Notably, the tactical five foot step is disabled, making it a big risk to move away from level draining undead. Our party's ranger took a beating here, reduced to 1 hit point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NqQ18rqWEg

[slowdive]

I really enjoyed reading the history, development, and inspirations for Hearkenwold. Some of it I was already aware of, but some I had not heard before so it was an amazing read. Thank you for the write up and for sharing it with us! It is crazy to think that it has been 10 years already, it seems like it was almost yesterday

[Dorateen]

Thanks! I probably should have gone more into some of the different gaming influences, but I think I rambled on long enough. I'm glad you enjoyed the read. Ten years have gone by fast! Looking forward to the next...

[Dorateen]

Happy New Year from Hearkenwold

I did more work on the Psionicist adventure, as well as river encounters, during the last month. I've almost finished both, but there are still some details I will need to return to. One thing I added is a new location the player can find, if the party choses to get off the boat and explore along the shores of the river. I enjoy off the track diversions like this, that are divorced from the main campaign, just something that characters can discover on their own. There are some references to previous content, as the place is still firmly grounded in the gameworld. But it will be an optional area of interest for the characters.

One of the creatures that will be encountered elsewhere are a race of interdimensional bounty hunters. I try to avoid using uniquely Dungeons & Dragons monsters, but sometimes it is unavoidable given the material's strong influence. Here, I hyphenated them as Gith-Yanki, and they have their own lore as part of the Hearkenwold campaign.



Here is a narration scene used as the party is sailing along the River Astar.



And, as mentioned, if the player decides to pull into shore, then there is a chance of running into danger, such as river trolls. A character with high intelligence will point out that they are also known as Scrags.



Another encounter has the party battle a number of different monsters, including Drowned Zombies. Their first action is to release a noxious stench in the form of a stinking cloud, which makes this a challenging fight.



Now, into the new year, I must continue the main adventure path. Unlike the content talked about above, that can be reached really at any point in the game, the latter stage stuff obviously requires the player to have made a significant amount of progress. I also need to design encounters that will be appropriate for characters that will have completed some or possibly all of the guild quests. In the testing I have done, I am pushing 11th level. Although it is likely characters would stay around this range due to the way the experience table grows exponentially.

I have a starting point to work with, a not-so-friendly desert town. From there, the party will finally have a chance to continue their overarching mission. The target I have set for release is by June, but if I am realistic, I think some time during the summer is a reasonable expectation. All of this content will be available in the next version of the module.

[Dorateen]

I posted a new video from the Hearkenwold version in Knights of the Chalice 2. The latest update introduced a new feature, an additional combat maneuver that lets you attempt to throw an enemy. But first you have to make a successful grapple check. And then that character has to succeed a second check in order to throw. It took me a few tries, but our paladin was able to throw a bugbear to its death down a chasm, at the end of the battle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJJ6j7zD5mY

[cartons]

Love the off-the-beaten path content!

I first encountered the Gith back in BG2, which opened up the universe of D&D planes to me. Hope to learn more about the inter-planeary lore you've developed for your world.

I should also mark it down every time I catch an old hymn reference, hah!

[Dorateen]

Thanks, cartons! Just a quick summary of how I am handling the Gith in Hearkenwold, they are half human/half demons from another dimension. Full demons use them as bounty hunters, and on rare occasions will send them into the world for some nefarious mission.

And yes, those scrags are a real piece of work. Good catch. I further expanded their taunt with a reference to Mystery Science Theatre 3K's "row your MURDER ashore", which itself is a riff on "Michael, Row your Boat Ashore".

[cartons]

And yes, those scrags are a real piece of work. Good catch. I further expanded their taunt with a reference to Mystery Science Theatre 3K's "row your MURDER ashore", which itself is a riff on "Michael, Row your Boat Ashore".

A man of taste and sophistication!

[Dorateen]

February Update

For the next part of the Hearkenwold campaign, I wanted to create the destination of a desert town called Sinestra. This is actually referenced vaguely, much earlier in the module, if the party has visited the Asherim content. One of the NPCs makes reference to a trading town with caravans. This is that town. It is always exciting to build that connectivity with previous areas or concepts.

However, the town itself is not that friendly. Another reason I found the idea of continuing the adventure from Sinestra appealing is because of the contrast of a heroic party (or at least considerably successful by this point) with an atmosphere of distrust and contempt. In other words, this town won't exactly welcome noble characters as such.

The map itself is laid out with buildings on the sandy dune tiles. Some buildings can be entered to open up larger maps to explore. Here are a few new screenshots.









I am going back now to finish up the Psionicist adventure I started at the end of last year. I want to get this out of the way so I can turn all the focus on higher level areas beyond Sinestra. Although I still need to wrap up one location along the river, which I might get to in the next few weeks. Regardless, I want to have the module ready by the end of June. This means I will probably go as far as I can with the main adventure stuff and release what I have. This update will already contain a lot, so no sense dragging it out over the summer.

[Pongo]

Just catching up - I really enjoyed reading the retrospective a couple of pages back Dorateen! This really has been an impressive endeavor.

Also excited for Sinestra. I've always had a thing for desert adventures.

[Dorateen]

Thanks! Great to hear back from you. There is shaping up to be quite a bit of desert content, as this is an area the party has to contend with. It is fun working on thematic locations like this one.

[Dorateen]

I have the next monthly update for Hearkenwold coming out this weekend. But in the meantime, I just uploaded a new video for the Knights of the Chalice 2 version. The most recent build 1.57 added weather effects (rain, leaves falling, snow, etc.) and water animations. These elements are showcased as the party explores the map around a lake, and fights an Aboleth in the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmV57Ulsd-8

[Dorateen]

March Update

Last month was short but I was still able to finish off that Psionic adventure, which I had started at the end of last year. What I like about this particular content is that it serves dual purposes. The location could be somewhere for the party to explore, fight monsters and find treasure with the Guildmaster himself treated as an enemy. Or the characters might choose to ally with him, and join his exiled association. If so, it will open up a task just like the other guilds. And a wizard party member can return to learn their title based on current level.



In addition, I completed a new cave dungeon that can be found while exploring along the river. Here is one potential problem the party might need to overcome. Note, a halfling could have been a way to circumvent this obstacle, but he doesn't seem happy about it.







Here is a screenshot showing a battle with some Dire Rats. These are more advanced rats, and have the AI behavior to target characters with the worst armor class. They also have a chance to cause disease upon a successful hit.



The good news, with this stuff out of the way, I can concentrate fully one the rest of the campaign over the next few months. I will be looking to finish up around June, holding to the release schedule I had intended.

[Dorateen]

April Update

Last month, I continued with an area that is designed for higher level characters, awaiting players who are able to follow the main adventure path this far. I do enjoy world building and expanding the larger game map, and can now introduce a region called The Wild Plateau. Its more scholarly name is Hathgar Wiles, which has been translated as "Wild Highlands". This is an unwelcoming environment that starts just south of the elven Serion Forest. A chain of mountains marches along the east side of the plateau, one so fearsome even the elves dare not name it. Even more inhospitable, a cluster of volcanos rise at the other of the plateau, known as the Daemon Cones.





The region is the stage for warring factions of creatures including Mountain Lions. And the party is likely cross these blood thirsty beasts.



There are also Pyro Snakes to contend with, an entirely different hazard for wandering characters. I recall first seeing these monsters in the Gold Box game Pools of Darkness. Here they make another appearance, although toughened up to challenge a more advanced party. Note that a ranger has the conversation option to correctly identify the creature as well as warn there will be extra fire damage when hit.





I still have encounters to finish on these maps, and also as part of a cave system attached to the area. Something I have not talked about much, there is a broader, deeper narrative that is part of the Hearkenwold campaign, events taking place in the background. Some clues about the characters involved and the source of all this strife have been scattered throughout the module. But here, this is one of those looming moments where things get shaken up a bit. It is satisfying to see these treads of the underlying story come together.

However, in the meantime, I am going to spend the next few weeks starting a separate boat adventure. It is a multi-deck sailing vessel, which will be an alternative path for the player to explore. More on the later!

[Dorateen]

May Update

If nautical nonsense be something you wish, then this should be a good update.

I have completed work on a new location/adventure that will involve a voyage aboard The Crimson Cutlass. A mighty sailing vessel that can be found docked along the shores of the Sea of Venum. If an experienced party has progressed through the Hearkenwold campaign this far, they will just need to figure out a way to board this ship. Whether or not that is a good idea, will be up to the player to decide.



The maps I created for the ship itself combine abstract design with following a reasonable schematic for a boat's layout. So there are multiple decks and sections to visit, as well as a soaring crows nest. When above deck, the weather effects will persist and you can watch the waves rolling by.



Here is an example of using a "first person" backdrop image when the player is presented with some narration text. In these places, rather than just transition the party up and down the decks, I think it helps orientate the player and ground them in the setting, which is a ship in this case.



Sailors are a superstitious lot, aren't they.



Here's some equipment the party can be find. Might be helpful along this voyage.



I don't want to give away if bad things will happen while on the Crimson Cutlass, but this is a role-playing game, so naturally some adversity should be expected. Specifically, in the form of a band of sahuagin marauders. These aquatic creatures make their appearance for the first time in the upcoming Hearkenwold release, and they are featured in several of the new areas. However, to keep things interesting, there are different enemy types that include sahuagin rangers, priestess and the large four-armed baron with four attacks.



Over the next few weeks, I need to finish the Plateau caves I had started previously, as well as the last remaining parts of the desert town Sinestra. This is likely going to take me into June. But if I can get everything done and run through all the new content, then I should be able to post the updated module at the start of summer. Perfect time to hit the water.

[cartons]

I'll be there, cap'n!

[Dorateen]

I'll be there, cap'n!

Aye, hopefully the journey will meet expectations. I'm just finishing a few last things in the module, and aiming for a mid to late June release.

[Dorateen]

June Update

I should have the updated module ready in a couple of weeks. A few final things to take care of, and play through for testing. In the meantime, here is a video of the party sailing on the River Astar. The characters have already aquired a suitable boat, and the video picks up with the party on the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBLx-x4UMq4

Note, the encounter, can be avoided with a successful dc check.

The new content will include dozens of new maps, new creatures, both foes and friends to meet.

[Dorateen]

I have just posted the lates version of the Hearkenwold module, now available to download. The file can be found here:

https://neverwintervault.org/project/ic ... earkenwold

As always, if anyone has an existing saved game in progress, the Hearkenwold saves folder can be copied over and placed in the new saves folder. This is still using build 203 of the IceBlink engine, so for those who have been working with the latest build, only the module folder need be copied from the compressed file.

There are three primary purposes for this update as follows:

• Continues the main adventure, introducing a new desert town called Sinestra
  Adds a Psionic themed adventure, which also functions as an alternate guild quest for wizard player characters
  New wilderness locations introduced along the River Astar with associated conten

t

Altogether there are dozens of new maps, enemies and items that further expands the campaign.





I have also updated the world map. Empty white spaces have been replaced with a general terrain tiles, which represents what can realistically be expected to find in those areas. The framed, more detailed squares are the actual playable areas in game, including the new locations introduced in this update. The plan has always been to eventually fill the entire map with explorable content.

[Dorateen]

I have just posted the latest version of the Hearkenwold module, now available to download. The file can be found here:

https://neverwintervault.org/project/ic ... earkenwold

As always, if anyone has an existing saved game in progress, the Hearkenwold saves folder can be copied over and placed in the new saves folder. This is still using build 203 of the IceBlink engine, so for those who have been working with the latest build, only the module folder need be copied from the compressed file.

There are three primary purposes for this update as follows:

• Continues the main adventure, introducing a new desert town called Sinestra

• Adds a Psionic themed adventure, which also functions as an alternate guild quest for wizard player characters

• New wilderness locations introduced along the River Astar with associated content

Altogether there are dozens of new maps, enemies and items that further expands the campaign.





I have also updated the world map. Empty white spaces have been replaced with a general terrain tiles, which represents what can realistically be expected to find in those areas. The framed, more detailed squares are the actual playable areas in game, including the new locations introduced in this update. The plan has always been to eventually fill the entire map with explorable content.

[Dorateen]

July Update

I am back working in the Knights of the Chalice 2 Module Editor, for the purpose of converting the most recent IceBlink content into that module. Looking back, I see that I did previously post progress in the other toolset here, and hopefully this should only take me about three months to complete.

Here are a few locations that I have started on. And of course, these are all presently available as part of the IceBlink campaign.





This is a view of Edinmoor Keep. In the KotC2 version, there are now streaming banners to add to the pageantry of this court.



What's cool so far, is that it looks like we will be able to get a toggle working, through script commands, to change the Party Leader's token into the river boat, when moving on the water. In Iceblink, this was very easy as there exists a script to change the image used for the selected character on the adventuring screen, back and forth. It will require some additional commands in KotC2 to get it working as intended, but we are getting there.

After I conclude this conversion, I will be back to working in the IceBlink toolset as more adventures await the characters from Hearkenwold.

[slowdive]

Looking great so far in KotC2. It is great that you were able to get a token swap working for the boat! The streaming banners look great too.

[Dorateen]

It's always great to get a little more animated props. Like how in IceBlink we have waves for water tiles, and also flame.

[Dorateen]

August Update

I have been continuing work on converting the most recent Hearkenwold content in IceBlink, into the Knights of the Chalice 2 engine. One of the new areas that I have gone on about is allowing the party to travel the River Astar by boat. This would mean switching the party leader into a boat token while they are on the water. In IceBlink, there was already a simple toggle to make this change. But for Kotc2, I had help from the developer to create new script commands that would change the Party Leader into the boat token, and then back to the character's original token when returning to land. To further complicate things, KotC2 allows the player to display characters as animated sprites. We have implemented an override function just for an instance like this, when I need the player to be represented by a token, and then it switched back to a sprite. All told, there is a lot more scripting involved, but it now works the same as in IceBlink.

Here is a video to demonstrate what happens when the party sails on the river and goes back onto land, only to run into an angry elf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv4FEQEmAxQ

Another difference between IceBlink and Knights of the Chalice, is the presentation of NPC conversations and text interactions. In IceBlink, we have a separate interface that is switched to, so the main adventuring map is never seen during these interactions. It is very convenient for times when an NPC was not required to be physically placed in the game world. For example, in the city of Skardale, the player clicks on the many different homes throughout that location, and is taken to the conversation screen with the occupant. But In KotC2, this abstract approach could be a little jarring. So I am going through the citizen dialogues and now using the large display image to occupy most of the screen, with the text box below. Here are a couple of examples to show what I mean:





It's definitely more stylistic, and helps ease the player back into the game after talking with these NPCs.

Anyway, I've got more work to do this month, and I should probably have the module conversion complete by the end of September. If all goes well, I can be working on the continuation of Hearkenwold in Iceblink this fall.

[Dorateen]

September Update

I am trying to finish up the most recent Hearkenwold conversion into the Knights of the Chalice 2 module.

I only have a couple of areas remaining to work on: the boat adventure aboard the Crimson Cutlass, and content on the region known as the Wild Plateau. There are some loose ends to tie up, and I will need to test everything. In the meantime, here is an example of one of the encounters in Sinestra. The map uses a fog terrain feature that limits mobility and targeting. It is a battle against fifteen kobolds, which includes spell casters, so they probably shouldn't be taken too lightly.





And this is a kindly old granny the party can find in the forest.



All of the above content is present in the IceBlink version of the campaign. I think I can have the Kotc2 version updated by the end of the month, or early October, which is what I had projected. Then I will write more about the next stages for the ongoing adventure.

[Articulatemis]

Can you message me the Lost Guardians sponsor name? I came across the NPC while doing the main quest but didn't realize that he would disappear after the dialogue, or that I would need to manually note his name to gain entry in the guild.

[Dorateen]

Can you message me the Lost Guardians sponsor name?

Hey Articulatemis,

I sent a message to you with the information.

Just a head's up, later on, I did include a couple of places in the module where the sponsor names are listed. I recognize that players might have missed the name from the initial dialogue.

Hope you are enjoying the module and thanks for playing!

[Dorateen]

October Update

I was able to release the updated version of Hearkenwold as an Adventure Module for Knights of the Chalice 2, at the end of last week. If anyone is interested playing the campaign for KotC2, it is available here:

https://www.nexusmods.com/knightsofthechalice2/mods/5

Here is a screenshot from the module.



For fun, I wanted to share the same scene as it plays out in the IceBlink engine:





Again, a difference in how the two versions are presented, in IceBlink conversations switch to a separate interface with the NPC portrait and the party characters selectable along the bottom of the screen. While KotC2 has a text box placed over the still visible adventuring map. Also note, in Iceblink, character responses for the dwarf and elf are only available by clicking on that party member. So there is no additional tag needed before the response. In Kotc2, these dialogue options (which do get different reactions from the Elf Captain, respectively) are more like a list that displays only if those characters are present in the party. I have maintained in doing this conversion project, that I love the combat and mechanics of KotC2, but I think IceBlink handles conversation interactions better.

One of the benefits of porting the module over is I can catch little things like typos that I missed the first time working in the IceBlink toolset. I have corrected a few of these that popped up.

Now, moving forward with the Hearkenwold campaign. The most recent update advances the main adventure path, and references the town of Saldanus as a desired destination. For the next content, I will be working on this location. Saldanus is an independent city-state outside the Kingdom of Astaria, where Hearkenwold begins. It is positioned on the coast, and its rumored riches make it a valuable target. There is quite a bit of history, which I won't go into just yet, but a local legend tells of the town's founding much like a Babel-esq story of hubris and powerful mages who would build a city that could reach the heavens. How much of this myth plays into the city's presents fortunes will have to be discovered.

This month, I am starting on the city maps. It will be laid out similar to Skardale, which was comprised of nine interconnecting maps. However, Saldanus is not exactly a place for the party to linger and shop and talk to a lot of NPCs. They will arrive at a tumultuous time, and there will be quite of bit of opportunity for fighting. Rather than trying to save the population, though, it is more likely the party just needs to get through the volatile streets.

I should be able to post some preliminary images as part of the next update.

[Dorateen]

As a special treat for Halloween, I have a new video of Hearkenwold from Knights of the Chalice 2, that shows a haunting encounter aboard a sailing vessel. Recently, we had new sound effects added for sea waves and wood creaking, which fit perfectly with this location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpijmChtkas&t=99s

Also, the most recent update to KotC2 will allow the water animations to be resized. I can finally go back and adjust those on the maps that had water tiles.

This weekend, I will be making a post about new content being worked on in the IceBlink module.

[Dorateen]

November Update

As I mentioned previously, I am working on a new location in the IceBlink engine as a continuation of the Hearkenwold campaign. This is the port city of Saldanus, known for its rich resources and wealth. Anyone who has played through the module in its present form all the way to the end, will know the significance of the town. However, there are a few NPC interactions that have already alluded to the city.

Saldanus also has a founding fable, which tells how it was originally raised by powerful wizards seeking to reach the heavens. That is why it is constructed in the form of stepped tiers, leading up from sea level like a giant staircase. I'll share a snippet of the lore, likely to be discovered somewhere while exploring.

The third step, a level soaring one hundred and fifty feet above the sea, took the Folk but ten years to finish; just one decade until the last arches were raised and the eternal ascension continued. Then the Enchanters strode forward to celebrate their glory. Before them stretched the wide world blazing red in the glow of the setting sun. Nothing stirred down in the open land between the horizons, nothing that could hinder their boundless dreams. Very soon the mysteries of the universe would be theirs, secrets, which they alone could relish. Behind the Enchanted Ones, the Folk danced and feasted for on the morrow they would begin work on the next level. After that, a new plateau would be reached and then another; forever and ever without end. Each step following another, climbing, reaching, soaring, ascending... grasping for a higher reality that was only beyond the lip of the Next Step.

That was when the mountains fell. 

Now this of course is only folklore and legend. It will be up to the party to discover if there are any grains of truth, or not. In the meantime, here is a glimpse of part of the city. One of the features of the map is that the elevated tiles representing building walls and roofs and be accessed and walked on.



Here is a descriptive narration as the party transitions between the different tiers.



And finally, this screen shows some combat with a half dozen black pudding. These dangerous blobs crawled out from the sewers. Nasty! It's also a tough fight, because the monstrous oozes are affected by very little and they can potentially paralyze a character on a successful hit.



Speaking of the sewers, there will be a sprawling network of levels beneath the town as well. So while Saldanus will be the primary focus of the next update, it is a big city and will contain a lot of content to explore.

If everything follows the same release schedule as the past couple of years, I hope to have a new version of the module ready by June.

[Dorateen]

December Update

Heading into the end of another year, I am continuing the work on Saldanus, the city adventure that will be the focus of the next version of the module. At the moment, I am setting up encounters outside on the streets of town, which the party can freely wander and engage with. The intention is to balance content here for a party with level ten characters. Based on recent feedback from players who went through the Knights of the Chalice 2 version, 10th level seems to be where the current adventure leads to. That tracks pretty well with IceBlink, where the test party I am running has a level ten thief.

One of the things I like was a new encounter that gives the player a chance to pick up an Efreet bottle. This bottle can then be used to summon a mini-efreet as an ally in future battles. Where this comes in handy is the black pudding encounter I mentioned previously, against monsters who are resistant to almost all forms of damage... except fire. Because exploration of the city is non-linear, they party may or may not have this item at the time. On the other hand, if a player is having trouble with the black puddings, the efreet bottle will serve as a possible help to overcome the challenge, if it can be found.

Here is a screenshot of the fight with the efreet.



And here is a later battle with Hill Giants, showing the summoned efreet. He's a little smaller since PC tokens have to be sized 100 x 100. But our new buddy here does cast fireball and flame fingers, which is nice. The bottle itself has 5 charges.



Finally, here is a more seasonal screenshot showing the weather effect of snow falling. Saldanus is a northern clime location, so there will be intermittent snow showers while outside.



After the encounters are set up outdoors, I am going to move into the buildings that are available for the party to enter. I am looking finish up with the underground sewer level, that will likely span the same amount of the exterior city maps. All told, Saldanus is going to introduce dozens of new explorable maps. I'm still planning to complete everything by June.

[Dorateen]

I was stuck indoors yesterday due to stormy weather, and decided to record another video from Hearkenwold in the Knights of the Chalice 2 engine. This shows an encounter with orcs at a desert oasis. Dorateen had a bit of a rough time in this battle, but got the last laugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AS0JS5zD8c&t=54s

The scenario is part of the Asherim content that can also be found in the IceBlink module.

[Dorateen]

January Update

It is a New Year for Hearkenwold, and I am continuing work in the coastal city of Saldanus, with expectation of releasing updated versions of the module for both IceBlink and Knights of the Chalice 2, later in 2024.

By now, the party is probably thinking why did they even come to this place. Hopefully there will be enough points of interest as the characters further their exploration. One such location is a multi-level bell tower. This is what I have spent the past couple of weeks on. I plan to finish up this area and start building other interior maps for the rest of the month. I'd estimate that these buildings will occupy the first quarter, before turning attention to an expansive sewer level.

Here's a screenshot taken from the belfry.



Previously, I talked about the target level for this content being around 10th level. The test party I'm running does have a level ten thief, and other players have reported reaching that level as well, in the KotC2 version. Interestingly, IceBlink uses an AD&D style staggered leveling system where different classes advance faster or slower than others. The thief I mentioned of course is the fastest to reach level 10. So in IceBlink here, I've actually got a mix of 8th and 9th level characters as well. But I think it is a decent measure of ability when crafting encounters.

I do want to challenge such experienced parties, so here is one optional fight for the characters to stumble across. It is a "wave" encounter with Lightning Bugs. Three monsters appear at the start of combat, and then three more arrive in Round 2. If the battle continues, another three appear at the start of Round 3. This can get quickly out of hand, and the party will need to take every bit a precaution and a little bit of luck to survive. Imagine the ignominy of dying to Lighting Bugs.

Here is a screen of the encounter set up:



And here is the start of Round 2, where three more bugs show up, and half the party is unconscious and bleeding. Not good.



The purpose of this fight, again, is to provide a challenge to test more advanced characters. The idea being, what doesn't kill them, will make them stronger. I want to make Saldanus a worthy destination for the party, as it also advances the main adventure.

[Dorateen]

February Update

During this short month I am working on the interior locations in the city of Saldanus. This is going to be the module's focus in the next version of the Hearkenwold campaign. Last time, I talked about a bell tower. And here is an inn available for the party to visit. It is called The Glittering Fountain, with carpeting awash in the color of the sea and mountain streams.



Unfortunately for the party, there is a chance they can run into some unpleasant people. The enemy types in this encounter include fighters, magic-users and clerics. The map is also an example of a closer "zoomed in" look at what was the lobby area when the battle started.



Elsewhere, I have been adding new tiles to the combat maps that take place upon building rooftops. The entry narration describes the tiles as an imbricate style, those with an overlapping wavy appearance.



These tiles will be seen when the party climbs on top of a roof, and if they are lucky enough to get attacked up there. Maybe by manticores and their wizard riders. The screen below demonstrates the red tiles along the perimeter, while I kept the main area of the battle map the lighter shade of squares because it would be easier to view during combat.



After spending the next few weeks on the indoor maps, I'm going to turn attention toward the sewer level that is planned. Since it will sprawl the same number of maps of the city, this will likely take me most of the spring to complete. I am hoping to have the module with Saldanus as a location ready by the end of June.

[Dorateen]

March Update

This year seems to be flying by fast. It's another month, and I am about to begin work on a sprawling sewer system constructed underneath the city of Saldanus. The adventure is the next destination of the Hearkenwold campaign, which I am hoping to have ready for a new release by the end of June. Last month, I was still setting up encounters inside the various buildings that are accessible. Here is one example of the party using magic to bypass an obstacle. Brute force is also an option, but mages seem to like a more refined approach.





The dialogue option to choose either a fireball or flame fingers would only appear for a character who has those spells available. I like how this further individualizes the members of the party.

Here are a couple of combat screenshots. The first is with a wizard and his minotaur bodyguard, who also brought along a couple of gorgons. The gorgons have a hold spell used to simulate their petrifying breath attack. And the second battle is with a pair of weretigers, a new enemy appearing in the module for the first time. These creatures can cause disease on a successful hit.





Somewhat of a short update, but I plan to have more to share next month. The sewers will be using a new tileset, and should be a location filled with interesting things to discover. Not necessarily a pleasant experience. If I can finish those areas by the end of April, I will still be going back to previous content to complete any areas left open. I would very much like to stick with the early summer release schedule.

[Dorateen]

April Update

I am excited to share some work on the Saldanus Sewers, which will be an extensive area that complements the city's multi-map exploration. It's interesting that I had not yet included any sewer maps anywhere in the Hearkenwold module, since it is a pretty standard environment encountered in most cRPGs. But now this will be a new thematic location for the adventure.

Here are some screenshots:



The green rock walls are a new tile, and I use the green water squares to represent the slimy waters. There is also a dark green floor tile, but I went with the lighter stonework because of easier visibility and also to provide some contrast. Lore wise, Saldanus is an old and elegant city, so I can envision the original architecture would have been more pleasing. But now hundreds of years later, the area is marked with traps and secret doors to discover.



There will be lots of nasty critters to fight too, including vampiric crocodiles. What is going on down in the sewers, anyway?



This part opens to a large whirlpool waiting to suck the characters into who knows where. IceBlink comes with a height mapper in the toolset, allowing tiles to be raised or lower. Here, a spiral depression is created two levels deep, with a dark hole in the center.



I am planning to finish the sewers this month. I just need to add the remaining encounters. Then in May, I will return to areas of the city that were left uncompleted. I would still like to be testing everything by June, and release the updated version of the module later that month.

[Dorateen]

May Update

So close, I'm almost there. I spent last month working on the Saldanus sewers, which will be a sprawling dungeon of interconnected maps. I only have a few last encounters to finish, but I also need to return to areas in the city above. Hopefully everything for this adventure will be completed by the end of June.

Some more screenshots. To begin with, the party will discover secret passageways as they explore the tunnels. In this instance, our thief notices something funny about an adjacent wall.



Wandering into the control center of the sewer complex. Always an opportunity to break stuff.



There will be strange or unexpected things found down here, like some valuable artwork.



And here is a battle with an enemy party that includes an elven vampire.



She has high initiative and was able to act first, using her turn to cast a summons spell, and plant a skeleton right between our wizard and cleric. Because characters casting while next to enemies causes an attack of opportunity, this is rather inconvenient.

I should have the sewers finished early in May, but I am going to be working on the remaining content at the same time. In this way, I plan to have everything tied together over the next several weeks. This should still give me enough time to run through the entire Saldanus adventure, and make the updated module available on schedule.

[Dorateen]

June Update

The next version of the Hearkenwold campaign is almost ready, I am hoping to have the module available to download by the end of this month. With the focus of the adventure turning toward the city of Sadanus, I've wrapped up the sewers and now I am finishing work on the last interior map locations. These will be buildings the party can enter and get into all sorts of trouble.

Here is one house that contains an unsettling discovery.



In another house, the party meets this threatening wizard.



A couple of screenshots from the following battle. This content is being designed for higher level characters, so enemies will hit hard and often target spellcasters or weaker characters. Our cleric was already knocked unconscious in the first round. Then the enemy wizard cast a stinking cloud, while our wizard counters with a fireball. Things get messy from there.





I read a message a from a few weeks ago, that there was some trouble getting IceBlink or the Hearkenwold module to run. If anyone has technical issues or bugs to report from the current version downloaded from the neverwintervault, please let me know. This would be a good time to make fixes or correct problems, in anticipation of a new module file going up soon.

[Dorateen]

July Update

Just a quick post, to mention the release schedule for the next version of Hearkenwold is going to be pushed back a little. Had some things come up last month that took me away from time in the toolset. The module is still very much near completion. But I am also going to start working on the conversion to the Knights of Chalice 2 module. I think between the two, I can still have the IceBlink version ready later this month.

As soon as I have the file ready to download, I'll be making another post.

[Dorateen]

March 2025 Update

First update of the new year, and I think I have some good news. I have been steadily working to finish up the new content that will continue the Hearkenwold campaign. At the same time, since last July, I have been converting the new content into the Knights of the Chalice 2 engine. This has caused a longer delay than I would have liked, but I am approaching the end.

I think I can have the module updated by the end of this month, possibly releasing in April at the latest. Here are some new screenshots to share.

The maps for the city of Saldanus now include the red imbricate tiles to represent the roofs of buildings. I had posted last year that these were only shown along the edges of combat maps for roof battles accordingly. But I think it is good to feature on the exploration map as well.



This battle introduces a new monster type: the Pheonix Harpy. They are much more dangerous than the regular harpies who join them. The party will need to have adequate fire protection, or deal with the Pheonix variant quickly.



Here is a fight with five gargoyles, including four mages that are set up in the corners of the map. Meanwhile, an assassin seeks to make things difficult for party. With smart tactics, the heroes of Hearkenwold might prevail.



Hopefully I will be making an announcement soon about the updated module available to download.

[Dorateen]

It has been for a while since I updated the Hearkenwold campaign. I finally finished the city of Saldanus, which is the next destination for continuing the adventure. The content is designed to test higher level characters, and the new module file is available to download here:

https://neverwintervault.org/project/ic ... earkenwold

This is still using the latest build 203 of the IceBlink engine. The compressed folder includes the full IceBlink and the Hearkenwold module. If a player already has been running build 203, then really you need only copy the Hearkenwold folder and place it in the modules folder. Existing saves are compatible, so a player can pick up again and access the new areas.

Here are some screenshots from Saldanus:





Also, there is a big fix I needed to make to the Gust of Wind spell. The reflex saving throw was not being applied correctly, giving enemies no save at all. Now it functions as intended. Also, I changed the area of effect to a three square straight line. Here is an example of our party's wizard casting Gust of Wind at a couple of dumb duergar. The warrior makes his saving throw, but the sergeant was not as lucky and receives the prone condition for two rounds.





From here, I am going to be working on a new dungeon that I will insert into the module. I'll have more information in a following update post. The idea is to include some higher level content that the player could access as a side adventure, since Saldanus was part of advancing the narrative. I don't think it will take me long, and then I will return to continuing the events of the main campaign.

[Dorateen]

May Update

More like end of May update, but the good news is I am nearing completion of new content that will soon be added to the module.

I am working on a new location, an infernal Salamander Temple. The area is annexed to an already existing dungeon. Anyone who has played the module far enough, will likely know where to find it. Otherwise, this is new content waiting to be discovered.

It is entirely under the category of side-quests, which I think is the life pulse of a computer role-playing game, fleshing out the gameworld and providing more rabbit holes for the party to fall down. In this case, since the last update was for higher level characters but only reached by following the central narrative, the Salamander Temple is meant for an advanced party, however the location can be reached at any time. As long as the characters are strong enough to survive.

Here are a couple of screenshots:





In the above battle screen, a pair of salamanders are joined by their Azer buddies, those fire-based creatures that look like dwarves, but they're not dwarves. Still pretty tough, and can be dangerous when they gang up on a character in greater number.

This area goes quite deep, and right now I am putting together the lowest levels. I think I can finish the whole dungeon and release the updated module by the end of June. After that, the next work will be on continuing the main adventure again.

[Dorateen]

August Update

I have a new version of the Hearkenwold campaign available to download, build 203.5

https://neverwintervault.org/project/ic ... earkenwold

As before, this includes the latest version of IceBlink 203. Anyone who has already been using this build need only copy over the module folder.

Appropriate for the end of summer, the purpose of this update is to add a new multi-level dungeon to the adventure, the Salamander Temple. The area is annexed to an existing location. Players who have reached this far, will probably have an idea where the entrance is. Otherwise, it is now waiting to be discovered. Content is designed for a party of 8th level characters, but it is certainly possible to visit earlier, if looking for a challenge.

Here are some screenshots:







I'm going to be recreating this dungeon in the Knights of the Chalice 2 version of Hearkenwold. When I return to work in IceBlink, the next stage will be continuing the adventure where the party can finally reach the Wizard Towers.