Combat, Dramatic, Puzzles, Roleplay, Various Settings
Scope
Medium
Content
Teen
TricksTraps
Medium
Roleplay
Medium
HackSlash
Light
LevelMin
01
LevelMax
01
Gameplay Hours
04
Categories
Single-player adventure
Patch
1.22
NWN2Game
NWN2
Description
A mysterious stranger arrives in Dantris Town, nestled at the heart of a lush mountain valley. Moving with the sole purpose of acquiring an elusive relic, the stranger agrees to investigate a string of disappearances in exchange for the artifact. When the mission ventures into the heart of an ancient hidden fortress, it soon becomes clear that there is much more to this quiet valley than meets the eye. Quick wits and a competent blade will be needed to keep the would-be hero from joining the list of the vanished. (Manta's Pulse is a single-player adventure for Neverwinter Nights 2. No expansion packs are needed to play the module) (NOTE: It is recommended that you bring in a level 1 character, as PC's higher than level 1 will be automatically set to 1, with the default package for his/her class. Items and gear cannot be brought in.)
Posted by Stoneseer at 2011-01-20 08:37:06 Voted 8.25 on 01/20/11
I quite enjoyed this module. Not too combat heavy and encourages the player to think. There was only one combination I could not figure out.
SPOILERS START
I could not figure out the combination for the uninteresting rock behind the temple, simply because I did not find a clue. It is stated to be irrelevant to the plot however, so I guess it is not a big deal even if it is frustrating.
For those who cannot find Dalia, you are given a fairly good clue: she disappeared into a tree.
REALLY BIG SPOILER
Can only find her if you take certain plot paths that she is a central part of. One way is to talk to the guy in the temple after finishing the lab dungeon and exchange info. You will find her in the area this path unlocks. I have not tested other ways, but there may be some. I find the reward she gives makes the battle with the big bad too easy, but it is up to the individual player if they wish to use the equipment or not.
END REALLY BIG SPOILER
I liked the option for multiple endings, but I feel that one needs to be fleshed out as the player is told nothing after obtaining it.
END OF SPOILERS
The only other thing that I feel could use a little work is the introduction to the module. I have found no information as to why your character is seeking the relic or as to how the PC was singled out for this mission, if you represent (for example if you represent an agency responsible for special acquisitions on behalf of clients or some such). Perhaps I just missed it.
All in all an excellent module. I did not notice any glitches, the story was fairly self contained and self supporting and had the potential to immerse a player.
I would recommend this for any player who does not want a generic hack-and-slash experience like I feel the OC and a number of other modules offer. 8.25/10
Posted by walkercubed at 2010-11-24 17:08:30 Voted 1.00 on 11/24/10
The puzzles make this unplayable. A hint file or walkthrough would have been nice.
I've been enjoying the game, but I'm starting to go nuts and really need some help! I'm stuck in the place the dryad sends you where you keep teleporting. Every time I try to "set" the statues I get stuck in one of the tiny rooms with both gates locked! Can somebody please tell me what I have to do to continue? So far I've met the painting demon, met the trio, have been to the cave, and smashed a bookcase. But no matter what I do I keep ending up with the small rooms and with the statues! Help me please!!!
Thanks,
Karen :)
Posted by Spidercat at 2009-12-14 07:14:00 Voted 8.50 on 12/14/09
Nice mod, I enjoyed the puzzles. Refreshing that combat wasn't near impossible, for once. Is it normal that there wasn't any pin on the map? Even when I met the guy in the temple who told me he knew someone who could help me and he'd put a pin on my map, well no pin and I never found this person. I never found Dalia either. All in all, a very nice roleplay & replayable module nonetheless. Thank you for sharing.
PS : Oooh the gazebo... lmao
I finished ... kind'a. I can't score it yet, however, since there seems to be a game-stopping bug. When fighting the Big Bad at what is probably the end, the game keeps jumping straight to closing credits.
The fight doesn't last long enough for me to determine how to defeat him. My druid's badger runs off after one guy and my druid usually smacks another one for no effect. On round two with someone else, the druid tends to do damage. Sometimes there's a round three (with or without damage) but -- most often -- everyone vanishes and it jumps to the rolling of credits.
If that is fixed, I would recommend this to anyone who loves riddles, say try it to anyone who doesn't care, and warn away anyone who detests them. My score (if the end is fixed) won't reflect my dislike of riddles since I won't take off points for something of purely personal taste.
Aside from the bug: This module has some great points to it. The poacher mission had some marvelous options I've not yet seen in a module. Several of the original items (practically a necessity in my book -- even if only a colorful description) are quite interesting. The overall plot works quite well. Other things could use some work. The ring, while pretty much needed at the end, is slightly uber for the level range. The traps ... I'll leave alone. There should be more clues telling you that talking to the robed guy would be a good idea because the council seems to be the more logical choice. Dalia(?), the book girl, is nowhere to be found as far as I can tell. The one clue seems to point to the grove, but she wasn't there.
The riddles of the inner ring just felt kind of "flat". There were some interesting characters in the dungeon, but everything else (aside from the actual riddle) was just trial and error and reload.
****Spoiler*****
I saw that someone else was having a problem with the massive trap chamber. Just click statue and run with finger on "z" key. Not much else.
****End Spoiler****
Much of the above may sound negative, but I actually liked the module and think it shows great promise. A fix of a bug, a few extra clues, and a tweak here or there would make it a solid 8. I'd play it again if a revision pops up and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's next work.
Hmm � just came back after a long hiatus and � to my amazement � actually saw THREE new mods out. First off, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I haven�t finished yet, but I know I will have an extremely difficult time settling on a score. So far, my feelings are mixed. Anything with a quick homage to Phil Foglio and Dixie deserves a high mark. I loved the poachers and Andrea Faust � both seemed simple but were so much more than the norm (�You see red� � �I hack away�). The original items have been interesting as well. Seeing my druid running around with a boar-killer and burning piece of wood is quite amusing. The cloak may be a wee bit powerful for her level, though.
On the other hand, there are different fingers. Riddles. ARRRGGHHH! I just never liked the concept. �Gee, let�s secure something by giving keys to a percentage of the random population!� Also, despite the earlier homage, I�ve never liked the idea of the �insta-kill� trap. I�m thinking of the serious one here. It would seem more fair if a high hit point character at full hit points who makes his/her saving throw could survive with one to three hit points left. The result would still be an �Arrrghh!� 99% of the time, but it would not have the bitter taste that �take 150 in damage� does.
The auto-saves are � strange. After having so many of them (every transition, I believe), I got complacent and neglected to do so in the dungeon. That was my fault, but definitely adds to the �Arrrghh� factor of the insta-kill. I had to take a break and switch to another of the three mods for a while. Once I finish this one, though, I will definitely return with a score.
Again � and I cannot stress this enough � thank you for all your hard work on putting this module together.
As below stuck in the nodes. Have deactivated traps (ie crossed over them without being killed) and transported back to first room. The room with the sarcophagi etc. When I use crystal in that room I bounce back to middleof same room. Tried it 5 or 6 times with the same result. I think I have an autosave prior to going to temple and speaking to cleric and then to dryad. Hopefully will be able to go back to lab and mix concoction.
I'm back, with no success. Thought I had deactivated all 5 nodes including the trapped cavern area, but to no effect - just keep bouncing around the rooms. Would love to finish but not sure how.
any advice?
thanks.
I'm in the same place as you are Valdemarka, Need to find a way around the traps. Was just checking here in case I missed something. Great mod but the inner circle is a bit frustrating. I'll be back to vote.
Definitely an interesting module. I enjoyed the puzzles and riddles although the chest in the woods forced me to google. Hated that. :) I went and talked to the guy in the temple after killing the Dr. and getting all of stuff out of her room and got the location of the dryad in the Northern Woods. Had no trouble with anything until I got to the cave room with the traps. Playing a FS and had no way of disabling the traps. Not sure if I'm missing something but it was a bit frustrating. The traps were a bit of an issue in the Dr.'s dungeon as well.
Overall, I've enjoyed the module so far. I just can't finish it until I get out of the Inner Ring.
Posted by Deedlit at 2009-05-04 15:48:10 Voted 8.00 on 05/04/09
Very peculiar module,requires some detective skills here and there and has nice undeground sense of humor (I loved the gazebo,brang back memories of good old rp days...eheh)
It's very difficult to rate this,because on one hand,on a technical side it's very professional:everything goes smoothly,I haven't seen a single bug or mispelling and has very nifty scripting as far as I can tell,not to mention you can solve quests in different ways,which is always a plus to me;on the other hand,there were many confusing things (at least to me) and,even if Mr Aun was a worthy companion and I honestly found him amusing other than useful,interaction was non existent....
***possible spoilers***
Many things were left in the void for me.....for example,I never found Dalia to give her her books,my only clue was she disappeared near a tree but I never spotted anything.
I found a couple of girls in the lab dungeon (Angela and Milly),but never had a chance to help them (just tied the first and left the second alone,after dealing with the doctor I didn't find any of the two anymore,they kinda disappeared...).
In the same lab dungeon,after defeating the doctor,I think I was supposed to find the concotion in the chest near the bed,but never found anything of the sort....
The end itself was a bit confusing....the only ending that made a bit of sense was leaving LaMothe alive and going away from Dantris,because that had some sort of description....instead,when I decided to duel with LaMothe and managed to kill him,it just ended abrupetdly that way,with the ending movie firing up....was a bit disappointing.
As for the other ending branch,never found it,even if I saved the bear and never killed any deer;I just had the dryad appear to me and teaching me how to harden my skin.
Finally,another minor annoyance was dying everytime I made some "mistake" and having to reload: made me feel kinda stupid (more than usual) :P but I guess it made sense since how you made this.
********************************
Anyway,still a solid 8,since it's so well made,thanks a lot for uploading this :)
And please post a walkthrough for us dimwitted *giggles*
Definitely some fine-looking areas, particularly the woodlands. The village area itself could really use a "useless" NPCs or three to illustrate it's not completely devoid of life yet, though.
The story and single real side quest is really quite interesting, but a bit hit and miss in terms of a player actually figuring all of it out. Ranger/druid characters have a definite edge here in terms of how they'd be RP'd, and the module description really suggests going rogue or wizard with a mercenary attitude.
The loot is rather over the top for a module that is likely finished as a level 4 (equivalent). I do understand it's good for the flavor being aimed for (though that kingdom isn't FR canon, is it?) and one power item is quite possibly necessary for HP-low classes to survive the last fight. Still, several of those items are level 10ish and that's a bit much. Would have to dump all but 2 or 3 to ever play that character in a L4 module and keep it balanced...
Combat in the module itself ist rather well-balanced, though I imagine some people hereabouts would call it too easy because you can survive with a more RP and less power build, too. Easy fix for that: don't use the good gear.
BTW, the module didn't automatically export the character for me or offer a reasonable chance to do so manually once the last fight is over. This might be due to program version (I have both addons installed), so I'm not sure if I should critizize that.
Posted by Winwood at 2009-04-18 11:56:20 Voted 6.75 on 04/18/09
Deserves a Look.
Posted by Rondo_GE at 2009-04-16 01:25:59 Voted 8.50 on 04/16/09
A very good solidly crafted module.
SPOILERS
I sort of played it straight although as a druid I cold have played it either way. Once you talk to the councilwoman about the problem your options are slim (or so it seemed). The path appears to be set.
The ending was a bit abrupt and you never really found out what was going on here. Loose ends that might have worked better as part of a series but as a stand alone mod, as it seems to be, it left me a tab flat.
I'm not much for riddles and puzzles but I found the ones here engaging enough, after all whats a D&D style adventure without a riddle or puzzle or two?
Thank you sir.
Posted by resistorman at 2009-04-06 18:57:04 Voted 8.00 on 04/06/09
Thanks, Wyrin! I didn't anticipate that the Reset function would nuke the feats. I'll put in a warning, and keep the function from running if the incoming PC is already within the allowed level range.
eb52t, I think you found something that was cut, and then somehow uncut from the game. There is another ending to the module, one that can be sealed off from you based on your early decisions. You have to save the bear, and don't kill any deer in the Wilds. This will unlock a quest chain that will take you to a dungeon that cannot be reached otherwise. As for Dalia, let's just say that she's not much of a homebody.
I've intentionally withheld the walk-through, because the unsullied game play experience is very important to me. I wanted to get some feedback on the difficulty, and see if people were getting stuck in particular spots.
Posted by hilltop2012 at 2009-04-05 12:38:27 Voted 8.75 on 04/05/09
I really enjoyed this Module. The story was very good. I had to Google the riddles becuase I'm not very good at them. But I really liked what you have to go thru to get your loot. Very unique.
Some of the one line convo's were really funny :)
Great work!
Rs
Posted by eb52t at 2009-04-04 17:54:57 Voted 8.75 on 04/04/09
Ok, I replayed the ending twice more - once without talking to the girl in the cells a second time, so that I head manually out of the caves and walk back into town. This leads to similar ending as what I wrote earlier, but without references to the girl.
The other ending that I played was also manually walking back out of the caves but going, as Lamothe wanted, straight to him. This created a fairly normal ending.
Some other stuff I would like to know:
How is Dalia's quest completed? I found the back door to her house unlocked, but opening it does not reveal an entry point (ie, nothing to click that would allow me to enter the house). I also wandered about the Northern Wilds for a while, but found nothing.
All in all, quite a solid and engaging module, with few bugs. Nicely polished, with a few points of excellent humor =) _________________________ Timmmeahhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Posted by sirchet at 2009-04-04 14:01:27 Voted 8.75 on 04/04/09
I thoroughly enjoyed playing through your adventure.
The puzzles were not to difficult, or to easy.
The combat seemed balanced enough, as long as I used my head and the terrain.
I really liked the way that everything worked flawlessly, WELL DONE!
Often we misjudge just how much work goes into building an adventure, or even a scene in an adventure, (for those who don't know... about two hours of building equals a minute of game time).
The ending movie was a great touch, adding a bit of polish to something that already sparkled.
Thanks for putting this together and sharing it with us. _________________________ Help is good when asked for,
Better when needed.
Posted by eb52t at 2009-04-04 11:21:47 Voted 8.75 on 04/04/09
I think I finished playing it, though I might have skipped a plot point somewhere.
In regards to the riddles, if you are really stuck, you can just type the key words from the question into Google and the first few results should have the answers for you, as these are apparently rather common riddles. That's what I did, anyway =P
Anyways, the suspected plot skip was when I talked to the young girl in the cells. After talking to her the first time and promising to find a cure, I went and killed the Doctor and her mobile suit (I think the health points for the Hands are too much - any time spent hacking away at them is time that the Doctor can spend hacking at you; and being a low level character, it doesn't take much to kill you). After taking care of that, I found the documents and evidences, so went back to the young girl's cell and talked to her. From there, the conversation suggested that she can be sent to the jungle, even though I have yet to read anything suggesting that as an option - the convo then shot us straight to the Council Hall and I talked to the councilwoman. From the way she talked, it seems like she was expecting me to go look for her sister, yet I did not receive any such request before I headed into the mountains.
you use the command ResetCreatureLeveForXP on client enter - this does mean that all feat, cleric domain etc choices will be reset completely - so players end up being forced along the default package routes for their character class. I've modified the ga_give_kletter script myself so I can continue, but I can see this putting a few people off. Maybe just put in a warning in the module description..?
looks interesting so far _________________________ Wyrin
10 - A Masterpiece, Genuinely Groundbreaking 9 - Outstanding, a Must Have 8 - Excellent, Recommended to Anyone 7 - Very Good, Deserves a Look 6 - Good, Qualified Recommendation 5 - Fair, Solid yet Unremarkable 4 - Some Merit, Requires Improvements 3 - Poor Execution, Potential Unrealized 2 - Very Little Appeal 1 - Not Recommended to Anyone
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