Dear video game news providers and influencers,

Here is the latest update on the status of Knights of the Chalice and KotC 2. As previously indicated, KotC 1 is scheduled to be launched on the Steam platform this Friday (23 August). The Steam version of the game's free demo / tutorial will be released around the same time. The game's store page on Steam can be found at https://store.steampowered.com/app/1083760/Knights_of_the_Chalice/.

On the occasion of the Steam launch, I recently updated the game to version 1.34. The new version fixes a number of bugs and gameplay issues and it adds the option to launch the demo / tutorial from the full game (simply click 'Demo').

Knights of the Chalice is a party-based RPG with turn-based combat for Windows. KotC 1 uses the OGL 3.5, the ruleset at the root of Dungeons and Dragons 3.5. In KotC 1, create four Adventurers and embark on a bold journey to save the Land from Slavers, Demons, Dragons and other Evil Forces, as your Heroic Party progresses all the way from level 1 to level 20.

KotC 1 Features:

• Turn-based, party-based tactical combat similar to that found in the old Dark Sun Shattered Lands game made by SSI and in Troika's Temple of Elemental Evil.
• User-friendly interface. Launch a charge, full-attack or coup-de-grace with a single click - the computer will automatically look for the best option available.
• Well-developed artificial intelligence. Enemies act as a group and use special actions like Grapple or Charge and tactics like taking a five-foot step before casting Maximised Fireball.
• Omnipresent help files and clear in-game feedback (a feature also found in Temple of Elemental Evil) on the results of each dice roll, saving throw, attack roll, modifiers, etc.
• 175 magic spells, most of which were taken from, or inspired by, Wizard of the Coast's open game content. The list of spells is available from http://www.heroicfantasygames.com/ListofSpells.htm.
• Craft your own weapons and apply enchantments like Wounding, Speed, Flaming Burst and Keen. The lists of weapon enchantments and feats can be found on the developer's website.
• Multiple-choice dialogue allowing you to resolve situations in unexpected ways.
• A large campaign largely inspired by the classic Dungeons & Dragons modules Scourge of the Slave Lords and Against the Giants.
• Enjoy collecting 100 Steam achievements designed to challenge the best tacticians.
• Free Demo / Tutorial: this is a unique adventure. The Steam version of the free demo has 17 achievements.

Concerning the sequel, Knights of the Chalice 2, I recently completed a website update that will be needed to send the game to Kickstarter backers. Once I finish testing the website update, I'll be able to focus on the Kickstarter page. Once that's done, I will inform you about the Kickstarter launch date. The Kickstarter video can be found at https://youtu.be/P7D5mhcLQH0.

The upcoming Kickstarter campaign will support the creation of future KotC 2 adventure modules. The first KotC 2 adventure module, Augury of Chaos, and the KotC 2 module and campaign editor will be released to backers as soon as the campaign ends. In KotC 2: Augury of Chaos, your Heroic Party confronts a group of Evil Fanatics allied with various Demons and Fiendish Dragons. Following the Kickstarter, the game is planned to be released on the developer's website, http://www.heroicfantasygames.com, and on Steam. A Mac OS version is also likely to be released.

In response to player feedback about the token-based graphics style of KotC 2, I am planning to expand the engine so that it will allow the use of animated sprites in future adventures modules. The idea here is to allow both tokens and animated sprites to be used for the game's player characters, NPCs and monsters. A number of people have expressed a preference for the sprite-based graphics style employed in KotC 1.

KotC 2 Features:

• Turn-based, party-based tactical combat similar to that found in the old Dark Sun Shattered Lands game made by SSI and in Troika's Temple of Elemental Evil.
• User-friendly interface. Launch a charge, full-attack or coup-de-grace with a single click - the computer will automatically look for the best option available. Out of combat, move the party with a single click or by keeping the mouse button pushed. Also see the KotC 1 How to Play webpage for more information.
• A well-developed artificial intelligence. Enemies act as a group and can use special actions like Grapple or Charge and tactics like taking a Five-Foot step before casting Maximised Fireball.
• Omnipresent help files and clear in-game feedback (a feature also found in Temple of Elemental Evil) on the results of each dice roll, saving throw, attack roll, modifiers and so on.
• More than 700 Spells and Psionic Powers (see the list of Wizard spells). The game also features 22 Classes, 10 Races, 36 Subraces, 478 Feats, 41 Cleric Domains, 71 Weapon enchantments and 51 Armour and Shield enchantments. Click here for more information about the Classes, Feats and other topics.
• With the right materials and sufficient gold and experience points, craft your own weapons and apply enchantments like Wounding, Speed, Flaming Burst and Keen (see the complete list).
• Multiple-choice dialogue options offering real choices and real in-game consequences to the player. Use your party's unique skills and consider your own preferences and playing style in order to resolve situations in the most suitable manner.
• Enjoy a variety of engrossing puzzles and riddles. Use your intuition and logical thinking to decrypt mysterious coded messages. The game's cryptography interface, inspired by Broken Sword Shadow of the Templars, makes decoding a captivating activity. Do not worry about the difficulty of puzzles and riddles though, as the game frequently provides Hints designed to help you resolve this type of challenge.
• KotC 2 Augury of Chaos allows you to create your level-1 characters and take them all the way to level 21 or so. There is no limit on character level.
• Use the powerful integrated toolset to create new modules and campaigns easily. Easily swap monster tokens or create new ones. Create new monsters, new dialogues and new maps easily.
• Enjoy fast Saved-Game loading and saving and various game options designed to accelerate gameplay. Enjoy various convenience features, such as the Saved-Game preview image display, Tab key press to highlight objects that may be interacted with, or the Inventory Screen highlighting of spell scrolls that may be learned by a character.

Thank you for reading!

Best regards, Pierre Begue​