(6+ hrs) Gameplay hours is a result of following the main adventure.
Hours will vary depending on how many side-quests you decide to take on while exploring the wood and surrounding region.
Number Players
1
Language
English
Level Range
3-7
Races
All
Tricks & Traps
Light
Roleplay
Medium
Hack & Slash
Medium
Classes
Wizard or Sorcerer continued from Almraiven.
Scope
Medium
DMNeeded
No DM Required
Single or Multiplayer
Single Player
Max Character Level
03
Max # Players
01
Min # Players
01
Min Character Level
03
Content Rating
Teen
Alignments
Wizard or Sorcerer continued from Almraiven.
Gameplay Hours
06
Description
NOTE: You must have played and completed Almraiven to play Shadewood - Meaning you need the required database files in your \NWN\Database directory. This is a continuation, not a stand alone adventure!
This module was created for a Wizard or Sorcerer of any sex and race that has completed Almraiven. It is a continuation of that adventure and is not a stand-alone module.
The adventure takes place within the nation of Calimshan in the Forest of Mir, Spider Swamp and Marching Mountains.
Shadewood is a full wilderness adventure and is the second and final installment of two modules.
-----
"The creak of branches catch your ear as you come to the boundary of the wood. Known to many as the Forest of Mir, the wood has grown out of control over the past few months.
The trail left behind in Almraiven has brought you here; a foul wood that has been attacking those along the Western Passage, or so the locals of Almraiven have said. Branches reaching a little too far, roots curling upward to entangle the passer-by and wandering spirits have been on the tongues of many.
It is here your investigation continues. What started as a simple investigation will end with the Auren Society of Weavers closing the pages of old and opening up a new chapter in the Arts of the Arcane.
Bring your skills Weaver, for you will need them all."
Posted by snowdog at 2012-08-07 15:14:30 Voted 8.00 on 08/07/12
Ok. Gave a another shot starting from beginning. Better this time, same frustrations, but eventually got past them. Also played under Windows and the transition crashes stopped. My Linux NWN never gave me issues before, but some odd interaction somewhere.
Another beautiful module to look at, but in the end I still feel you need to play this one with a walk-through to even see most of it.
Things like needing equip an item that is useless for a period of time to trigger a quest is ridiculous, I would never do this without reading it in a walk-through. I would be equipping items that have benefits.
Spell components get more annoying as time goes by. The weight alone adds up quick, and wizards are weak. I like the potion components, but spell components: Gak.
A 9.5 mod, -1.5 for the frustration elements.
Posted by snowdog at 2012-07-19 14:26:12 Voted 8.00 on 08/07/12
Wow, frustrating mod. Quitting for now. A drag after how fun Almraiven was.
Huge amounts of blockages everywhere making simply walking to a location a huge PITA. Click, blocked, click blocked, click blocked. Do this all over the place and be forced to backtrack around to get to a nearby point. Why make simply moving around such an exercise in frustration. The NWN pathfinding is bad enough at the best of times, but to stick blockers everywhere is just super annoying.
Hidden transitions are a PITA, especially since I crash out of NWN often in this Mod (only in this Mod) on a transition. So I step on a hidden transition, boom, staring at the desktop. Fun. Not.
Maps that keep returning to black, again more PITA if you are playing straight through and you want to remember what you explored.
Double so for Claustrophobic caves. Spent hours mapping every single exit and every random outcome, only to discover I was trapped, then read here that I need a piece of cloth in My Inventory? And that the order of going through the random gates changes the outcome.
It seems you need to do seemingly random/arbitrary things to get stuff to happen without any clues, or extremely subtle ones, Which might be fine if there were 100 pieces of junk in my inventory, which may or may not be related, or perhaps I am supposed to read 100 tombstones, because one of them somewhere might have a clue?
Almraiven had flow, purpose, people to interact with. This just feels random and frustrating.
Sounds like a variable was not set properly during the advancement of your quest. The 'Nothing happens' message will popup if you're not close enough to the bench OR have not been told to raise the dead by Aunt Aries when you use a Channel Potion to speak with her spirit. The variable bindquest is less than 50. So ...
If you could go into debugmode -
~DebugMode 1
dm_getmodulevarint bindquest
If the value is not 50, set it to such. We'll also force the variable check for the items -
Additionally, you can remove the items from the workbench and put them on the ground somewhere. Then spawn them in again to see if that fixes the problem.
Having the bugged save game would really help me debug this further though, even if any of the above solutions work. So fingers crossed in you being able to attach the file (perhaps a .rar or .zip to compress it if you're not doing that).
FP!
Posted by Freygon at 2011-12-19 08:56:02 Voted 10.00 on 12/18/11
Hi there! Thanks for the quick response!
I put both, rope and skull in the workbench by the tower bell. What I found interesting was that I could use the banshee skull even when there was nothing in the bench. As such, I couldn't quite follow your instructions because I lost the skull even when there was only one of the reagents in there. At one time I even got a 'Nothing happens' with skull and rope. Basically the animation plays but nothing happens.
Savefile was having trouble being attached to the email, I'll attempt it sometime later.
-Frey
First suggestion - you're placing these items on the BENCH by the TOWER BELL, not your laboratory workbench, correct?
Second suggestion - make sure there is only one Hemp Rope on the workbench - meaning it is not stacked with other Hemp Ropes in the inventory of the workbench.
You'll help me even more if you can send me your save game? You can get my e-mail from the shadewood.txt file in the Shadewood.rar file.
If you can't send it to me, I'll need you to do a few things for me.
Load your save game.
Remove either the HEMP ROPE or the GARGOYLE SKULL from the workbench - just make sure one or the other remains - and use the BANSHEE SKULL.
Do you receive the following messages?
"You're missing the rope or the skull!" [YES/NO]
Reload your save game.
Place 1 HEMP ROPE (not stacked with other ropes) and the GARGOYLE SKULL - use the BANSHEE SKULL.
Do you receive the below message?
"You've bound the required parts for the bell!" [YES/NO]
scylos and Moumi,
Thanks for the votes!
FP!
Posted by Freygon at 2011-12-18 09:03:08 Voted 10.00 on 12/18/11
Having a problem with the Awakening the Dead quest. I have the hemp rope, gargoyle skull and the banshee's skull. When I put the rope and the gargoyle skull on the workbench then use the banshee skull, I see myself casting the wail, but after that nothing happens. I still have the gargoyle skull and the rope in the workbench, pulling the lever does nothing and I lose the banshee skull. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or something is simply missing.
Otherwise, great module!
Posted by scylos at 2011-09-12 11:52:26 Voted 10.00 on 09/12/11
Ok, this is THE gem. Not for everybody, but if you are looking for a spellcaster's module, look no further!
Posted by Moumi at 2011-09-11 03:13:31 Voted 10.00 on 09/11/11
Hm I guess I'm blind. Found my ancient comments and vote just below. So I've voted twice (OMG did I cheat ?!)... whatever, I think this module really deserves it.
Posted by Moumi at 2011-09-11 03:09:14 Voted 10.00 on 09/11/11
Here I vote again for my previous vote has been erased. Best module ever (after Almraiven). I reaaaaaallyyyyyy loved Springskin and Mosswood in the Marching Mountains. :D
Sorry for the delay in responding - I just got back into the country from another trip.
The ladder leads up to the top of the tower and the waypoint is the jump spot for when you come back down. The rocks are simply blocking an old door that has no purpose.
Glad you enjoyed digging around. There's a good amount of interesting goodies to find with the shovel, even finding the first half of the poem spoken by Vincent Price in Michael Jackson's Thriller could be found.
Thanks for playing. As for P3, it's coming along but no date set.
FP!
Posted by Nelson The Geek at 2011-07-07 14:11:59 Voted 10.00 on 07/07/11
Finished over Independence Day weekend (unless there is more at the portal in the attic of the mansion, but according to "drhuh" there isn't).
All of my praise comments about Almraiven apply here. Depth of detail, lots to do, good plot, etc. etc.
(FYI - I suspect that the Spider Swamp map contains some mistakes, but nothing that cannot be gotten around.) Thanks for including it - without it I might have given up.
Thanks again for the tips. I suggest that the action sequence needed to find the lab might have been a *little* too subtle. Also, I solved the "colored pot" puzzle by pure luck.
Question: In the ruin where the sacrifice was made, there was also a ladder AND an arch blocked by rocks in which there was a waypoint. I had the idea to use the pickaxe, but nothing happened. So I guess that waypoint went nowhere?
Holy Easter Eggs! I had the idea to use the shovel near many of the gravestones, and though I often came up empty, it was worth it!
This mod is worthy of the highest rating. I cannot wait for Part 3! Any idea when?
Posted by Nelson The Geek at 2011-06-27 09:52:23 Voted 10.00 on 07/07/11
FP -
Words cannot express my gratitude for the speedy reply. Muchas gracis, merci beaucoup, spacibo vam, grazie, danke, domo arigato . . .
Sell sextant - fine. I depended on Hide/Move, which are good, but not enough. I could be wrong, but I recall Razormaul being hostile, or at least really rude, which is probably why my LE wizard killed him.
One of the very last things I did over the weekend was meet up with the spirit at the tower bell, so I have the ring, but I would probably *never* figured out the lab location.
Ditto for the cloak location. I'd already been there and cleared it out (or *thought I'd cleared it out) so it's not likely I would have gone back, or if I had, I probably would not have thought to use the pick. And there's another place that's blocked, so I gotta go back to the abandoned place with the ladder as well.
All you can do now with the sextant is sell it for dinars and nothing more as Colir has been killed. Casting invisibility on yourself would have allowed you to sneak into his chamber undetected.
Razormaul would have been the Trogs you would have stumbled on before arriving in Reedmire. Sounds like you killed him too but no worries! Just roll with it.
Ah ... the laboratory. Without this you won't be able to move forward at all, so ...
There's a spirit in Volothamp who hangs out by the Tower Bell, normally on the wooden landing. This spirit will give you a granite ring. Wear the ring in the cave behind the graves in Volothamp and move around near the dead-end. You'll get some text about the ring becoming warm and a conversation will fire allowing you to step through the illusion and to the hidden laboratory beyond.
The cloak was moved in the most recent update because the temple was cleansed of the evil. Lots of comments from players wondered why good priests would leave an evil cloak in a temple they just cleansed. It's now located in a chest within a Tomb in the Forgotten Cave (take the canoe from Volothamp down river to one area). Bring the pick axe with you (found in Volothamp). Enter the cave and find the broken bridge. Fix the bridge (3 ropes required). A cave in this area is blocked by rocks. Use the pick axe to break them down. Enter the cave. This is the tomb. Work your way through the tomb to find the cloak.
That should give you a good jolt forward with the main plot.
FP!
Posted by Nelson The Geek at 2011-06-27 04:42:25 Voted 10.00 on 07/07/11
OK, I seem to be stuck.
I chose Annex as my henchie. I found my way to Reedmire fairly easily. While searching for the other end of the swamp, Annex got killed - surprise. I accepted Colir's invitation, but decided to snoop before dinner and therefore had to kill everyone. I found the sextant later, but now I have no one to give it to. I never met Razormaul (?) so I got no quest to kill Colir. I have completed the children quest.
I have searched everywhere I can think of but I have not found a laboratory. I have three of the crystal shards. Needless to say, I cannot get past the spirit bound barrier in Volothamp. I did not find a cloak in the Temple, nor anywhere else (per the update notes). I have read the quest walkthrough and I believe I have done everything I can. I did manage to figure out the travel stones, which totally confused me for a long time.
Any suggestions? This mod is way too kewl to abandon.
Posted by Beerbaron72 at 2010-12-16 00:25:05 Voted 10.00
Fester, don't worry about these frustrated trolls... they're remained childrens in their brains, and your modules are GREATS!
Posted by Beerbaron72 at 2010-12-16 00:19:05 Voted 10.00
O tempora, o mores!
Telly-something, jeeper-something, how old are you? 6-7 years?
Have you something better to do in your life?
Have you a REAL life?
Bah!.....
Posted by Sir Eliloth at 2010-12-01 11:19:29 Voted 10.00 on 12/01/10
could a moderator remove the post below me. it is a shame
Thanks for the vote of confidence and for playing Shadewood.
ramar_arna,
Almraiven and Shadewood are designed differently and the city adventure has a lot more guidance and less puzzles than Shadewood. I'm a fan of Almraiven myself being the first module I've ever built, so it has that special place in my heart. :D
Glad to read you enjoyed the Spider Swamp when others have not. It's really meant to disorient and keep you on your toes with exploding acidic spores and continued slimes hunting you down. There is a secret though - it's just a big circle. ;)
Fate of the Auren is being completed using NWN and will complete the trilogy.
Thanks for voting and sticking around to vote. Appreciate the support.
Piriltott,
I must say, you're the first one who has come here claiming to have used up EVERY bonding agent made available in Shadewood. You might have to take a few substance abuse classes in the High Tower if Bakadah learns of your problem :D
Seriously though, what are you brewing that you've exhausted your resources? Although it's just one player, you now have me thinking enough certainly was not enough. There are bonding agents sprinkled through the module outside of Reedmire and your laboratory but they are rare indeed - Hagra's home has a few. Zoetia's lair as well from what I recall *sorry if these are spoilers*.
Anyhow, I don't want to ruin your fun as you may require bonding agents to move the plot forward in the future... so go into DebugMode.
I'm having the time of my life playing this, but I've run into a bit of a problem. I seem to have run out of bonding agent. There are no more to be bought unless the merchants gets a refill once in a while, and I've used every singel one in the laboratory. Am I stuck or is it possible to get more of them somewhere?
Posted by ramar_arna at 2010-09-16 07:17:30 Voted 9.00 on 09/16/10
Just finished this, quite some time after I finished Almraiven! Excellent module FP, I think I preferred Almraiven because of the amazing city you created for it, but this one was a great continuation of the story. I was forced to use the walkthrough on a few occasions (mainly on the Riddleworth Urm quest), but seemingly unlike many I did like the Spider Swamp and the challenge of trying to remember where I was and the direction I needed to take. Looking forward to the next chapter in the story - will that also use the NWN engine or something different, like the Dragon Age toolset?
Thanks for playing through Shadewood again and taking the time to comment and vote. Glad to know the Spider Swamp made you lose your mind somewhat, it's a great place to lose yourself in the first couple of times.
Fate of the Auren is quite a way away, it certainly will not be released this year I'm afraid.
Thanks again!
FP!
Posted by Moumi at 2010-08-24 06:48:28 Voted 10.00 on 09/11/11
Thanks for the help !
I just finished your module.
It's undoubtly a great work, I really enjoyed it. I'm waiting impatiently for Fate of the Auren !!
I vote 9 for your module since I didn't do it previously.
I would have given a 10 if I hadn't almost lost my mind in the spider swamp maze ;)
Anyway your two modules, Almraiven and Shadewood are the best I've ever played.
The atmosphere of Almraiven city was really pleasant whereas Shadewood was quite gloomy. I would be afraid at any time ! The two modules are very different and one can see you know how to create a unique module. Every detail was right, meaningful. I think I've already said what I thought about Almraiven and Shadewood but I'd like to compliment you again for Shadewood and precise what I think of it.
Your module was very rich, with adventure, puzzles, nices settings, a good amount of fear, perfect music... I found your module subtle, with a refined story, and a impressive meticuloussness.
I'd like to say more but I'm lacking english vocabulary to be more precise.
To conclude, your module was exaclty what I expected of an ideal module.
Congratulations :)
The deadwood cemetery had lots of undead that you had to kill to get inside the mausoleum. One of those undead has a gem.
Beneath the mausoleum is where you'll find the second gem. There's a hidden trap door in the mausoleum on the other side of the iron bar door near the back of the room.
These two gems are really eyes that need to go back to the statue sitting in front of a stone door also found beneath the mausoleum, which when opened, will lead you to Zoetia's home.
FP!
Posted by Moumi at 2010-08-23 08:38:28 Voted 10.00 on 09/11/11
Hi FP
I'm puzzled again. I absolutely can't find Zoetia's home. I've searched in the deadwood cemetery and I've only found a mausoleum with a dead tree inside. There's also an underground tomb under the cemetery grounds but inside I only found a small room isolated from the rest of the house by a large dark pit. Could you explain me exactly how do I get inside Zoetia's home please ??
Posted by Moumi at 2010-08-22 08:47:31 Voted 10.00 on 09/11/11
Yeaaaaaah I've found a way to bypass the bug. When the cutscene mode started I immediatly chose to ignore Colir and then it came back in normal game mode. Just after I spoke to Colir again and the conversation went normal and I was able to finish the quest.
Posted by Moumi at 2010-08-22 08:36:12 Voted 10.00 on 09/11/11
Hm no, my companion is Falis and I didn't go into Colir's private room at all.
I found the sextant only after receiving the quest from Colir.
Thanks for the information. So it looks like you were able to relate your tale to Colir about Marimba and the sextant, which is good but somewhere along the lines a variable was set that is firing the cutscene and when you say Farewell, you're still stuck.
Reload your game to the point before you move to speak to Colir.
My only other question is, did you find the sextant before being invited to Colir's ship and did not give it to him when you were eating at the table? Then perhaps left the ship and returned to give it to him eventually?
Another question. Is your companion Shayla Shay? If yes, did one of you go into Colir's private cabin?
If Shayla Shay is not your companion, did you go into Colir's private cabin at all? Where you invisible when you did so? Did your wake the sleeping cat on the rug?
I don't expect you to remember each detail, so changing the variable as noted above should fix your issue. I'm just trying to track down the route you took because there are so many different ways to explore Colir's events.
My guess is the cat was woken from its sleep but because you were invisible, the events of Colir's men attacking you never fired BUT the variable was set as if combat was initiated. If that's not the case, I have no idea off hand and would have to explore it more in detail.
Please let me know if you run into any other issues.
FP!
Posted by Moumi at 2010-08-22 07:01:15 Voted 10.00 on 09/11/11
I've gone through this bug again so I can tell you all the details :
when I enter Colir's ship, he is standing before his chair, on the right of the big table, next to a shelf. I approach him and then he comes to me and starts the conversation. The first sentence is indeed "Colir puffs away on his pipe". While saying this, he sits down on the chair before the banquet table. The conversation goes on, untill he invits me to go see him in Calimport one of these days. Then I end the conversation and I'm stuck. I'm like in a cutscene mode, with no menu, no options, no cursor.
The cutscene mode seems to begin when I approach Colir and from this moment I can't move.
Weird because it didn't happen the previous times I played this module.
Colir should not approach you at all. He should be sitting down now that you've met Colir and eaten on his ship. The the only cutscene that fires with Colir is when you sit down at his table for the first time.
Once you've gone through those particular introductions, the cutscene would end. The next time you return below deck, he would be sitting down.
When does this cutscene you're experiencing going off?
1 - When you approach Colir and the chair he's sitting on?
2 - When you first go below deck?
3 - When the conversation for Colir fires?
Also, what's the first line of the conversation? It should be,
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