In fact, the game’s AI has never been adept at things like pathfinding or stalking the player in a pack without getting in the way of other enemies. (Unfortunately, this extends to your own familiars and companions, who are still unable to avoid walking headlong into traps and getting stuck behind doors.) It’s possible to use this to your advantage, though, as I did whenever I encountered a tough foe that also happened to move slowly. I’d just find an area big enough to run around in circles, keeping away from the enemy while shooting one or two arrows into him at a time. If I did it right, I could take him down without ever being hurt. This doesn’t mean I was abusing an exploit; in order for that technique to work, I had to spend points in the “tumble” skill, allowing me to avoid attacks of opportunity when the monster got close and giving me abilities that enabled me to shoot arrows faster. Furthermore, I had to pass up opportunities to buy skills that would’ve increased my ability to fight the creatures toe-to-toe. The difficulty in Underdark is, therefore, up to the player. If you prepare adequately for each battle and choose skills that complement your style of play, the game will be fairly easy. If you just wing it and click repeatedly on the bad guys, a la Diablo, you’ll find yourself screaming at the screen pretty often.

The actual difficulty settings haven’t changed since the original Neverwinter Nights. Rather than altering the number or toughness of your enemies, they focus on how strictly the D&D rules are adhered to. On the easier levels, the player character is immune to critical hits and other unpleasant rolls of the dice, while all the disadvantages of the game apply to monsters. The most challenging setting is known as D&D Hardcore Rules, which gives the player no breaks at all.​