Well folks, I promised an update for January, and here it is. Unfortunately there isn't much to show graphics wise... I'm sure you most of you know the graphical capabilities of neverwinter nights 2 by now. I have however received a few more new areas from our builder so with any luck I'll be updating the screenshots here in a day or two. I will also post some older images which have been on the website for some time, for those few people who are planning on following the mods progress here, rather then through the site. In the mean time, I will be posting up some information on the mods features! Mind you, it's best to remember a big ‘under construction' sign in the background.
Introduction
Ex Scientia Vera is a fictional setting much resembling the Victorian era. Steam and clockwork contraptions and pseudo-science are everywhere. But beneath and unknown to the trappings of civilized people, dark and sinister things stalk the shadows. The occult and the mystical, though hidden from human eyes are dangerous indeed. The Cthulhu Mythos is very much active in this setting, as well as dangers from old legends, folklore and grimm fairy tales.
Combat
Skills
Based on Chaosium's BRS, though with some changes to fit the game's engine, combat will be simple and straight forward. Everything is a skill with a percentage value, where the percentage value represents chance of success. So, having a one handed, bladed weapon skill (sword) of 50%, gives you a 50% chance of striking a target effectively. Skills are grouped in to several categories, varying from combat, resource gathering, crafting, knowledge, science, even magic and so forth. Combat skills are a mix of weapon usage, techniques and different types of martial arts. Gaining experience in certain skills will also synergy up with other skills. Obviously, when bashing someone on the head with a sword... you probably know how to bash someone on the head with a club.
Stances
Armor absorbs damage, rather then auto evading blows. However a character can still try to dodge, parry or block incoming blows. These have been translated in to four standard stances:
Dodge Stance
A character focuses on dodging blows. Dodge skill gains a slight bonus while weapon skills receive a small penalty.
Defensive Stance
Requires a shield or some other defensive item. Focusing on blocking, the skill gains a slight bonus while weapon skills receive a small penalty. Blocking wears a shield down quickly however.
Parrying Stance
Must not wear heavy or obstructive armor and works only with specific weapons. Parrying skill gains a slight bonus, however when you fail to parry a blow, you are easier to hit.
Offensive Stance
Sacrificing precision and defence for recklessness, you focus your attacks on the targets weapons and armor instead. Sundering skill causes extra damage to shields and weapons.
Crafting
Crafting is mainly a thing of circumstance. As the setting plays out in a Victorian / steampunk era and 'magic' is a strange, occult and unknown thing, magical items will be rare, if not unique. Therefore the focus will lie on other things. A unique mining system, hunting and skinning, masonry, chemistry and metallurgy will mainly serve for resource gathering and assembly. Smithing, carpentry, tinkering, engineering and several of the other scientific skills will provide finished, usable items. Some of the crafting possibilities require in-game interaction, some are represented as a mini-game. Others are simple inventory checks and 'click-and-craft' choices.
Magic
Magic is a strong word. There are several different unrelated branches that could all be called magic and though some can be combined with others, most have entirely different sources and some aren't really magic at all... though are simply considered such because there isn't any better word for it.
Arcanism
In the same lines as the 'whizz-bang' type of magic (see Discworld) most of us are familiar with, Arcanism is very straight forward including the special effects, strange wavy gestures and mumbling nonsense. It is the wizards magic and is, in fact... no magic at all. It is a combination of a chemical process and philosophy, caused by an element called Aether which is unique too the world. Aether itself is produced by philosophical contradictive events. E.g. Lightning hitting the same spot twice... etc. Due too heavy and deep philosophical contemplations, Arcanists are able to 'cast spells' which is actually nothing more then a method of probability manipulation. However, the more unlikely an event, the more Aether is required.
Arcanism is a known form of science and more or less accepted, though practitioners are rare and most people would think about Arcanism the same way a common farmer thinks about quantum physics.
Occultism
No one knows where it comes from. No one knows what it is. And no one really knows how it works. However, when performing the occult, people often feel weaker, depressed and drained. Occultism is true magic, the kind that makes your flesh crawl and it's very, very dangerous. It doesn't bother much with special effects, though most occultist spells are very ritualistic, requiring sigils or circles painted on the ground and long lasting chants.
Game wise, as in Chaosium's PnP game, Occultism uses an MP / Mana system for most invocations and rituals. A lot of the spells come directly from the 6th edition rulebook and the Dark Ages and Dreamlands books.
Runes
Words of power have been around since early dawn. Runes in Kavera is an alphabet of an ancient, forgotten language. These words however carry power and many produce different occult effects. A person who knows these symbols can etch them in to surfaces and objects, though the words themselves require a sacrifice. Life energy, blood, sanity, magic... any number of things could be required to make them work.
Occultism has a few enchantment spells, though runes provide a more permanent solution to create enchanted items. Like Arcanism, Runes are unique to the setting.
Next update: Mad Science!
