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I sympathise with the frustration of the HP rolling system sometimes. It is however a hard coded aspect of NWN. As Tailr said, the choices are between maximum for everyone, or random.

A middle-of-the-road average system would be fine from my personal perspective, but it's just seemingly not possible to implement. So of the two systems we have to choose from, we've chosen randomness.

It can really suck sometimes if you get entirely too unlucky and end up substantially below the average (though this isn't as common as you might think). There are many ways you could attempt to roleplay that frailty in-game though. Old war wounds, or the result of various traumas, etc. If it's something you do well, it's entirely possible a DM might take notice of it and give you something to even the playing field a bit.

Meanwhile, the Red Guild has issued the following:

The Red Guild shall always be a Guild of action and boldness. To this end:

In response to the Delgado Massacre, we offer more than empty platitudes. Director Gould personally sponsors:

3,000 gold to whomsoever locates the hidden forward camp of the Orog menace.

5,000 gold and a treasure from the fabled Serpent's Horde to whomsoever returns the Orog known as 'The Herald' to face justice for his crimes.

Sanctuary is not as weak as these Black cowards presume. Let us show these monsters that we will not be bowed.

Good hunting, Sanctuary

[Director Crane]

A speech by Director Crane was delivered last dark. While it offered fairly sincere platitudes to the people of the Housing Vault following the Delgado Massacre, the attempted assassination of Director Crane by his own Prefect Jasmine has almost overshadowed the substance of his words - and has become the subject or much bemused debate by Citizens.

Also well known is that once the speech was over, Director Crane took several questions from the gathered adventurers and Citizens. Whilst initially presenting a confident air, Director Crane was eventually challenged by a burly Worminger named Borivik Straynogo

The man is understood to have made an impassioned plea for the justice he was promised over the massacre - which is said to have resulted in the loss of both his wife and only son. Specifically, he challenged Director Crane for not going further the punish the Citizens and Adventurers responsible for losing their rings to the Orog horde, and making the attack on his family possible. "Safety, Security, Sanctuary" were promised and denied, according to the man - and it is well known that Director Crane did, for once in his life, struggle to find the right words.

Borivik and his fellow Wormingers eventually departed, unsatisfied, but with some veiled threats of further action should the city of Sanctuary ignore their calls.

Director Crane has meanwhile retreated to his manse once more, reportedly surrounding himself in sympathetic flocks of his most ardent supporters and preparing to appoint a new Prefect.

I'm sure it might make a lot of sense from a storytelling perspective.

Utterly undesirable from a balance / OOC perspective though. I think it's safe to say they'll never be making a return in their original form, since we have shackles / blackout now to deal with players that are unwilling to roleplay being subdued and captured.

As the services of the fallen during what is coming to be known as 'The Delgado Massacre' conclude this dark, public sentiment is slowly shifting from somber and mournful to agitated and incensed.  

The final death count stands at 19. Whilst it is somewhat less than originally reported - it is seemingly still sufficient for few denizens of The Housing Vaults not to have known at least one of the victims in passing.

The Beetle & Baby has become a hotbed of discussion about the circumstances of the raid. Whilst 'The Herald', the Orog that spearheaded the assault, has been spitefully condemned for the senseless brutality of the attack - far more scorn is piled upon the names of those Sancturian notables that were found to have lost their Rings of Sanctuary to this monster - and thereby made the attack possible to begin with.

Citizens begin to wonder if their safety is starting to be ignored by the brash and bold Adventurers of the city, who have consistently failed to take the proper precautions in their travels. More vocal are those calling for justice and harsh reprimand for those found to be responsible for losing their ring through carelessness - and in particular retribution against those responsible for this particular breach.

Elsewhere, one of Director Crane's assistants has offered up the following notices around the city:

Citizens of Sanctuary,

Director Edgin Crane will be making a brief announcement in The House of Governance at this time regarding the recent tragedy. All Citizens are invited to attend and hear his words.

[Ordinant Rallic DessSergeant DalleyWatcher FaerliamsPrefect Jasmine]

The first casualties of War have come to the safe and serene streets of Sanctuary herself at last.

Earlier this dark, the sirens of alarm situated in The Housing Vaults were raised in a terrifying cacophony or urgent desire. By the time Watchers and other defenders had arrived to answer the call however, there was little left to be done.

Rumours remain hazy as to precisely what occurred, but most witnesses claim that a terrifying Orog leading a small band of humans and at least one gnome or halfling undertook a brazen and lightning fast assault on the streets of the Housing Vault. As many as four Watchers were slain, in addition to some two dozen of the Housing Vault's Residents.

Delgado Flats was also breached during the fighting. Within, a heroic Watcher was no match for the furious and bloodthirsty attack that spared neither women or children. Of greatest note are the whispers that several Rings of Sanctuary were found upon the bloodstained floor belonging to notable members of Sancturian society:

Ordinant Rallic Dess
Sergeant Dalley
Watcher Faerliams
Prefect Jasmine

Upon the lips of Black Guildsmen and mourners alike are the same urgent questions:

How did this Orog obtain the means to Breach the Shield, and will those responsible for making this tragedy possible be held to account?

[Sabra Ur]

Following the events at The Temple of Vera, it is widely known that a profound melee broke out amongst the rubble of the ruined structure. It is whispered that the notorious bandit Sabra Ur, also known as Black Sabra, allowing with a menagerie of cohorts and companions â€" among them Carie Welten, of the ‘Dunwarren Militia’ - attempted to overcome the contingent of Sancturians present following the Ritual.

Panicked Sendings by Director Larskul for reinforcements might have initially suggested the warriors of Sanctuary braved poorly â€" however, it is now widely circulated that Black Sabra was captured during the fighting.

A mere half a bell later, panic once again gripped Sanctuary as a profound explosion rocked the cavern. The location of the blast â€" the abandoned Barracks, more recently home to a company of dwarves â€" had seemingly been set ablaze through use of an incendiary device. As the masses of adventurers rushed to render aid however, it became clear the blast was merely a diversion. Simultaneously an attack was launched on the House of Governance. It is widely understood that the attack itself resulted in no initial casualties, but that both Civil Servant First Class Spithiwick Nurb and a Herald of Sanctuary was taken â€" along with a Watcher, now identified as Watcher Yengrin. Negotiations were then said to have begun for an exchange of hostages, whom were said to have been kept within The Cathedral of Ascension in Lower Sanctuary for the duration.

What is not widely known is what happened next. Rumours persist that Black Sabra may have been given a summary trial behind closed doors before execution. Other Watchers claim she was never conveyed to their care. Many Citizens â€" most of them Black of affiliation â€" claim that she was in-fact taken to the private quarters of Director Larskul, for a foul magical sacrifice in the name of her fickle Goddess of Weavery.

Whatever the reason: When news was relayed via the Sending system of Black Sabra’s death while in custody of Sanctuary, the dissidents below are said to have responded with the murder of captive Watcher Yengrin and, later, the Herald herself. Civil Servant First Class Spithiwick Nurb is understood to have escaped the carnage somehow.

A macabre exchange is said to have occurred then â€" the corpses of Watcher Yengrin and the Herald in exchange for the remains of Black Sabra.

Many residents of Sanctuary are shocked and aghast at the sudden escalation of hostilities with those below. Infrequent robbery now teeters towards something closer to a minor revolt. That both parties exchanged corpses rather than prisoners is perhaps a testament to the deteriorating state of affairs between the two settlements.

The Herald is said to have returned to her duties â€" though shaken and subdued. Spithiwick Nurb remains uncharacteristically terse and taciturn over the issue, refusing to relive the ordeal if asked. Watcher Yengrin meanwhile has been laid to rest at The Mausoleum.

Public opinion remains divided. Some guildsman from both factions are overtly petitioning the Civil Service for a posthumous granting of The Shield of Sanctuary to Watcher Yengrin for his brave if failed defence of the Herald’s office during the dissident assault. Others instead focus on the issue of Justice, hoping that the Watchers and Warders of Sanctuary can identify, track down and bring to trial those responsible. Another significant faction questions the treatment of Sabra following her Capture. They question the utility of her death, and wonder aloud if the fallen Watcher might not still live if not for the ‘rash action’.

Though with the Red Storm looming, and Orog of The Khaganate still marshalling to assault Sanctuary, it seems the events of this previous dark are sure to be only a minor diversion from the profound events to come.

Me at a recent LARP event. Made the costume myself! :cool:

I never considered it over powered, IMO, because I knew that Clerics could cast such a spell, and always assumed that wizards could polymorph into an Umberhulk and have True Seeing at level 7 as well... (Which seemed balanced since Clerics could cast the spell.)

The spell as cast by clerics or wizards only provides See Invisibility and Immunity to Illusion Spells. This is documented in our mechanics changes thread.

Umberhulk form also only provides a +10 bonus to spot. This is also documented!

It may be worth going back and looking at the ooze theme again.  Possibly off-setting the granting of real true seeing with a steep movement speed penalty perhaps; or just removing it all together on the lower level conjurations to avoid undedicated conjurers using cheap consumable ooze summon items as detection tools.

This evening a brutal scene played out in the docks. In the dead of night tiny assassins were said to have made their way to the tanners shop, wherein they butchered both the proprieter himself and three local hunters. Many citizens speak with disgust and fear at the scene within. The tanner himself appeared to have been partially digested by one of the attackers and regurgitated bit by bit.

The Sons of Sabbath boast at having slain one of the Stargazer killers, though lament that its conspirators managed to spirit away the body before they could secure it.

Some citizens in the docks now speak fearfully of the local savages, and and demand for the fine pelts of the jungle cats has dropped somewhat in the settlement.

However, a few citizens in the docks remark that the Stygians never allowed such things to happen. More than a few proclaim that, "At least those mercs knew how to keep the savages in line." - though few are bold enough to do so in earshot of the Sons.

I understand it's been tweaked to be more realistic, but it deprives druids of their best (only) offensive spells.

I disagree. Druids now have arguably the most powerful offensive spell available.

Since druids can't summon clouds or change the weather to suit this spell, it's kinda sad not to be able to use it more.

On a side note, i was doing harpies (exterior?), and it was raining by the quest giver, but not in the QA, so the spell didn't work. i'm not good at weather effects, but shouldn't it be the same in exterior areas, be it normal or QA?

This sounds more like a bug than a suggestion. We'll look into it though!

STR - 9
DEX - 10
CON - 9
INT - 11
WIS - 8
CHA - 6

This sub-par creature still lords over you all however. How cool is that!?

This would probably require giving every dwarf the Exotic Weapon Proficiency Feat for free. I can't see any other way of doing it sadly.

As that is the case I'm afraid it's not going to happen!

HerDarkMajesties here.

It's been a wild ride these past couple of years. Returning during the Mistlocke chapter of EfU under what would later become the worst kept secret identity ever, I found myself quite taken with the mysteries and secrets of the setting. I enjoyed very much delving into them; and later, seeing my first setting change when we moved towards EfU: Revelations.

I’ve also spent some time getting to know this new Chapter in the saga, but I feel now that I’d really like to turn my attention back towards helping you guys and girl tell your stories. Therefore: Please don’t hesitate to come bug me on #EfU with your requests and needs.

There’s not much more to say really. I look forward to seeing you all in-game.