Tales of the Unknown: The Bard�s Tale
A Complete Remake
· 23 Years of daydreaming
· 18 Months and 1000 hours of development
· Hundreds of hours of playtesting
· 6 Dungeons
· 1 Town
· At least 45 hours of game play
· A dozen henchmen and one to four players - that's you!
In 1985, Tales of the Unknown: The Bard�s Tale was released for 8-bit computer systems like the Apple 2 and the Commodore 64. But for two decades, the streets of Skara Brae have fallen silent. Now, thanks to the Aurora Toolset, Bioware�s Neverwinter Nights and eighteen months of development, you can finally hear the rest of The Bard�s Tale.
Ever wondered what Roscoe�s last name is? How did Garth come to own his equipment shoppe? Why is Kyleran sitting alone in his tower, apparently besieged by monsters, while the town wastes? And most of all � why is Mangar waging war against the town of Skara Brae?
Finally, the answers to all these questions and many more have been found.
Come relive the mystery and the adventure of The Bard�s Tale, as you�ve never seen it before. And don�t forget to pick up a Flame Horn if you can find one!
Please look over the PlayerReadMe and for those of you interested in writing Neverwinter Nights modules, have a look at the MODerReadMe.
There is no hak pak for this module. You will need NWN, SoU and HOTU to play or the Platinum edition. You will also need patch level 1.68 or later.
Files:
· ReadMe.zip � contains all of the readme files (Player and MODer)
· Tales of the Unknown � The Bard�s Tale.zip � the module in ZIP format
· Tales of the Unknown � The Bard�s Tale.rar � the module in RAR format
If you find problems, please don�t hesitate to let me know about them, either here in the vault, or at [email protected].
NOTE: You do NOT have to be a Bard to play, you can play ANY class you like.
NOTE: I have added a FAQ and Buglist to the available files. I will update these as often as possible as new information becomes available.
NOTE: Please bear in mind this is a remake of a very old game and therefore leans heavily toward �hack n� slash�. Role-playing and character/NPC development is all new material to the game.
List of frequenty asked questions, Change log and Bugs for The Bard's Tale. Check back often with this file as new bugs are identified and new questions are answered.
Updated: 17 September 2010
Posted by Evie at 2012-02-15 20:06:46 Voted 9.00 on 02/15/12
Great conversion, I played the old game and really enjoyed this remake!
Posted by keyofrassilon at 2011-02-26 13:59:31 Voted 9.00 on 02/26/11
Would have been a 10 if it werent for the poor treasure placement... NWN treasure is very sad dont ever ever use it in a module... script your own in one single generic script and base it on an area how high the trwasure will be... nothing pissed me off more than to kill 3 anchient dragons and disable traps and unlock to find an empty chest sheesh! Other bugs and what not like the henchman could have had better hanfling & considering the OHS system was around that should have been used as it allows you to tell your henchmen not to attack on sight! Most of the henchmen were pussies anyways and i ditched them... a 20 Armor class or lower against a horde of mage beholders and a horde of dragons is also poor planning... Balance was way off... Im speaking mostly of mangars fortress... It was absurd and completely too hard for even a 20th level party... Maybe a 30th lol... Other than that I did have fun playing it and it was alot like the original... I found the puzzles to be more difficult in the original but not much can be done about that in NWN... Thanks for all the work & effort... Wish someone did the other 2....
Posted by kingius at 2010-10-29 07:16:44 Voted 8.50 on 10/29/10
Very good module, with some neat items and twists, but to a purist myself, I'd prefer any changes made to the original game to improve it. There's still scope for someone to do a remake that removes all magic items from shops, switches them out for mithril, adamantite and diamond (not forgetting the unique items like Kael's Axe). While I'm nitpicking, the original dungeons were much more puzzley than these remade ones and were arguably a more difficult opponent than any faced in battle. Still, it was a fun experience and I think the author has largely succeeded in making a more modern version of the original classic.
Posted by TarotRedhand at 2010-09-26 15:20:37 Voted 10.00 on 09/26/10
No need to thank me, rather I should be thanking you for persevering until we found a solution that allowed me to continue with the mod. Because of this I'd award you a 10+ if I could.
I updated the module because of a serious bug in Harkyn�s Castle. Evidently it was possible for Harkyn�s throne to be destroyed in the big fight with Grey Slaads. If this happened, then it would be impossible to progress further. The fix was a simple one, but since I have moved on to patch level 1.69 for Neverwinter Nights, versions of the module beginning with 1.7.0.1 now require patch level 1.69. Since this has been out for more than a year, I feel confident no one will have a problem with this change.
Many thanks to TarotRedhand for finding this mistake, and many thanks to everyone for still taking a look at The Bard�s Tale for Neverwinter Nights.
_________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Posted by AardvarkOz at 2010-09-11 06:42:08 Voted 9.50 on 09/11/10
What an awesome mod! My wife and I just finished playing it as a multi-player (Human Paladin (lvl 19 by the end), Elf "gunship" (Rogue 7 Ftr 6 Wiz 6)). There was so much to it! I'm guessing some of the content that seemed a bit random to us was from the original game (such as the samurai statue - fun though). We did find it hard to locate the central temple map for a while. Nonetheless a great mod and we were sorry when it came to an end.
I'd like to express our deep appreciation for all the work you put into this and for creating such a fun experience.
We'd love to see a follow up!
Posted by Auran Blakgard at 2010-06-28 07:51:32 Voted 9.00 on 06/28/10
Just finished this mod....LOVED IT!
The mod ended with a "teaser" to a sequel. Any idea when we might see it?
Thanks for the kind words, Blahpers. It�s been a while since anyone posted their experiences with this mod. As someone who perhaps played the original game, I am most interested in your observations of this module as they reflect on going to the trouble of producing other modules based on the Bard�s Tale 2, and the Bard�s Tale 3. This module represents a tremendous level of effort (for one person) and the next game (the Bard�s Tale 2, The Destiny Knight) is significantly larger than the first one.
_________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Posted by blahpers at 2010-04-03 23:09:45 Voted 10.00 on 04/03/10
Excellent mod all around. Had no trouble merging in PRC 3.3h rc1 either, and my dragonfire adept is happily running around setting everything alight. This mod brings back so many memories.
Only suggestion is to add some descriptions to the various NPCs that are bereft of them. Really, that's all I've got. In an ocean of mediocre mods, this one's a gem.
Hi Neilski,
There are two (2) or three (3) sewer workers you can rescue on level 1 or level 2 of the sewers (I can�t remember off the top of my head which level) and on level 3 of the sewers you can rescue Roscoe�s Son from Orcs.
Your primary purpose in the Sewers is to learn the name of the Mad God so you can enter the Catacombs of the Mad God later on.
Hope this helps.
_________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Where os the fellas in the wine cellar you have to rescue? Trawled through many times - and down to the sewers - no joy. Am I missing something? great mod!!
No problem regarding the Stone, I was just hoping out loud. As it turns out, I started the Wine Cellar quest and then the Sewers, so I see what you mean about 'easy access' already - excellent!
Hi. Thanks for the kind words about the remake. It was a long time coming and I'm glad I could call it finished.
As to the Stone of Recall you mention�the bad news is: No. There is no stone of recall in the mod. On the upside, however, you can have a large number of henchmen (starting with Sir Grady) to load up with stuff on your behalf as well as your own inventory. So feel free to begin loading them up with things including magic bags, when you can find them, to help with the weight problem.
Now about that first dungeon level, you could probably give it a whack at level two or three, depending on your character class. A mage might want to wait until level three to be safe. Also, make sure you let you henchman do the hand-to-hand fighting for you, early on. If they fall in battle, they will come back to life as soon as the fighting is over. You, on the other hand, won�t, so make use of that.
Also, I tried to make more exits, at least early on, from dungeon levels back to the town than were in the original game. You will find them as you go along. So no, you won�t have to slog your way back through the early dungeon levels to town to unload your booty. Later though, when you have hopefully bought some magic bags (or found some) and have more henchmen, those easy exits back to the surface aren�t available. So you�ll have to work harder to carry all the heavy stuff.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy or at least let me know about missing or broken stuff. Quite a few people have played through and had no trouble, but it�s still possible that I�ve missed some things.
_________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
I'm just starting to play this MOD and have a few questions/comments:
First of all, a huge THANK YOU to Agmorion for all the hard work that went into creating this Classic remake! (I remember playing it a million years ago on my C64 and never quite finished.)
Since so much thought & care went into trying to recreate the feel of the original game, is there anything like a "Recall Stone" in your new version, or is it still endless lonnnng hauls back & forth to buy & sell goodies?
Also, I'm still in the early "wandering around town, mapping, trying all doors, etc" stage and wondering what Level is recommended before trying the first dungeon?
I have been working on a crafting system modeled very closely on the NWN2 official system - so far so good. In the interest of testing it out, I have integrated it into the original campaign modules and have been playing through the original campaign.
It is my intention to add this crafting system to The Bard�s Tale as my final upgrade to it. If there are any additional issues found that need addressing, please let me know and I�ll get to them as well.
My ultimate goal of proceeding with the remaining Bard�s Tale modules (The Destiny Knight, and The Thief of Fate) is currently on hold. But I still hope to get to them in time. I�ve considered using the Dragon Age toolkit (after playing the official campaign first, of course) to build the remaining modules, just to keep them up to date, but who knows.
_________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Posted by Steve_Savicki at 2009-11-01 12:47:59 Voted 10.00
Congrats on Hall of Fame status!
Will this module get any more updates? _________________________ Steve's Characters - please don't forget to vote on them if you play them.
Ah yes. The Bebelith (spider) has a special attack that "removes" each party member's armor. I forgot about that. A friend reminded me about it when I relayed your issue to them.
The giant spiders you're talking about are called Bebilith. They are actually deamons with the "Rend Armor" special attack. This is actually by design. Sorry. _________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Posted by General Fear at 2009-10-19 17:55:50 Voted 9.00 on 10/14/09
At the moment, it happend when a VERY large spider fired a web on me. Then I was naked. No armor. Same thing happened to my peons.
I played multiplayer with a friend. It seemed to happend more at random than spider webs.
Hmmm. Does this happen during combat, after combat, only when a henchman dies? Can you be a little more specific?
I assure you, forced nudity isn't intentional!!! Yikes! _________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Posted by General Fear at 2009-10-17 18:26:53 Voted 9.00 on 10/14/09
Thanks for the response.
I have a question. I noticed that on occasion, the armor of my character and my team comes off. We are naked no armor. I don't remember this happening to me in any other adventure.
Is that intentional. Or is there something wrong with the game?
The priest wants you to speak the name of the Mad God. You cannot answer correctly until you have found the clue (in an earlier dungeon) that reveals the real name of the Mad God. I prefer not to leave direct spoilers in the thread but, well, what the heck.
***** Spoiler Alert ******
The module's been out for a while now. You can also kill the priest or successfully pick his pocket to retrieve a portal stone, which will allow you to activate the portal near the priest so you can enter the catacombs of the Mad God.
The portal is against the back wall next to the priest. Once you "use unique power" of the portal stone, you should be able to click on the portal (near the flame) to activate it.
The proper way to deal with this as from the original game and documented in the original Bard's Tale Clue Book was to find the name of the Mad God in the sewers. Thereafter a fourth response to the priest's question becomes available with the real name of the Mad God. _________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Posted by General Fear at 2009-10-14 15:51:57 Voted 9.00 on 10/14/09
I am trying to get into the Mad Dog temple. I talk to the main priest. I am givin' 3 options. Non open the portal. Then I tried killing the main priest. That did not automatically open the portal.
Hey there, nice to know you still drop by! And, no, I actually don't like respawning points in modules unless they are justified by the plot (you know, an open portal to Limbo allows an unlimited number of slaads to go through UNTIL you close it, etc.) I think respawning monsters are unprofessional nowadays as a creative choice. but also understand vintage game adaptations usually stay faithful on this particular, and so I can't blame the author.
Anyway, thanks for answering, I will give The Bard's tale a whirl!
Hi. Glad you're interested in the mod. As to your question, the module only implements respawning monsters in a couple of levels near the end. I hope this will not be a problem and if you were looking for more respawning earlier in the game I hope you will not be too disappointed. I do still watch the thread and try to be as helpful as I can.
Let me know if there are other questions I can answer.
Have fun! _________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Hi, I'm interested in playing this module, but I would like to know if it uses respawning monsters on a regular basis. Hope the author, or a community member who has already played this, could tell me.
I haven�t posted in a while, but your dilemma seems too peculiar to overlook. Brian the Fist in a potential henchman for your group and should NOT be hostile when you approach him. You are, in fact, rescuing him from the dark priests. I suggest you back up to a saved game and try again, because he has never been hostile to me or anyone else I can think of in recent memory.
If the problem persists, you could zip up your save-game and send it to me to look at. I might be able to determine what�s going on there. Let me know what happens.
Agmorion the black
_________________________ Agmorion the Black
Perseverance in all things...
Good module but I have one complaint - on level one of the Mad God's dungeon I encountered a room containing a character called "Brian the Fist". He is located inside a pentagram and when my party opens the door, a group of priests attack but are easily beaten. Then when Brian the Fist is approached he turns into some kind of an evil fighter who cannot be beaten. Not even my most powerful weapons (+6) can deliver any damage. I thought there might be some link to his invincibility and the items in the room (an altar, chests and bookcases) but to no avail. What's going on? Could this be a bug?
seekwhence
Posted by olivier_leroux at 2009-08-13 16:25:25 Voted 9.00 on 08/13/09
High magic 'Monty Haul' hack 'n' slash dungeon crawl. If any of these words make you shudder, you better stay away from this mod. I have to admit, I really enjoyed it.
It's so huge I am actually surprised I managed to finish it (my cleric turned epic at the end), especially considering, I'm usually not a fan of hack 'n' slash mods. But I think it's well done. I played it in stages, whenever I needed a break from heavy dialogue-oriented or puzzle mods or from hardcore difficulty combat in other games, and it was actually relaxing because it's quite easy in normal mode (that's a pro in my book, not a contra). It was fun feeling powerful for once, leading a band of five (!) companions into rooms full of golems, mighty undead, fiends, elementals and dragons and then shred them all to pieces (the opponents, not the companions). :D
Henchmen are automatically resurrected after the fight, so one thing less to worry about. What made the game just a little bit tedious sometimes was the sheer amount of magical items which forced me to go back to town every once in a while and sell all that stuff that cluttered my inventory (I doubt any of my other PCs will ever get this rich with any other mod). But maybe that's more of an attitude problem, I could have left the stuff lying on the floor instead of greedily picking up everything with a little worth, I didn't really need all the money.
Now that I'm done describing characteristics of the game that might scare off more serious D&D players (not me though, obviously), let me add that a lot of work has gone into the game, and just because it might not be to everyone's taste doesn't mean it's no quality product. The journal entries and dialogues are well written. Each of the 5+ (maybe 8?) available henchmen has their own story to tell and even though I've never played the original Bard's Tale games I don't believe they had such detailed character background. Great job and kudos for all the time invested to make this so much fun!
EDIT: I should note that I played the version before the last bugfixes were applied and before the treasure was cut down a bit. I even defeated the horrible Black Slaad (which I read has lost its cast in the mod now), possibly at lvl 18 or 19. :)
Posted by olivier_leroux at 2009-08-13 16:14:57 Voted 9.00 on 08/13/09
* SPOILER *
I was able to bypass the obstacle you set in front of the entrance to the last room, without solving the "three altars" puzzle. It's possible to squeeze yourself past the rocks on the right side. Anyway, I was glad to find this bug because a moment before that, I thought it had all been in vain, since I think I only found the circle, not the other two shapes. Phew! :)
Site
at 2012-02-15 20:06:46
at 2010-09-18 10:53:08
