Yes, the forcefield surrounding the tower is the main one that needs to be lowered. The one in the owlbear cave is just where it extended underground. I should go back and make that disappear too, but there is nothing else there behind it.
Easy come, easy go.
Why not put something there so that the "oh yeah, I forgot about that" has adequate closure?
That is a fun idea. Something like that I would add in the next update. It's a nice bit of reactivity if the player thinks to go back and check the area.
Update #82: KotC 2 1.70 Adds Modular Dwarf Sprites & Updates Character Creation + Tips for Dall-E 3!
Hello everyone! In the past month, we had two updates for KotC 2. The updates fixed various bugs, revamped the Character-Creation interface to make it easier to create new characters quickly, and introduced new modular Dwarf sprites which reflect the body, hair, armour, and weapons of the character.
In addition, new tokens for Dwarves can now be created automatically by the game based on the character's face and hair.
I've also had a chance to discuss a bunch of improvements for the Paladin class with a number of people. Thank you for all the suggestions I've received! These improvements should be coming soon, as well as a few new interesting feats for all of the classes.
On the graphics front, next I'd like to work on new sprites for Giant Snakes, Giant Frogs, Mariliths, and Evil Eyes.
Speaking of Mariliths and graphics, I've just tested image creation using the Dall-E 3 text-to-image AI. It was suggested to me by Kyle. Thank you, Kyle!
Dall-E 3 is available through ChatGPT Plus and also for free through Copilot. It produces images in the format 1024x1024 (square format) or 1792x1024 (landscape format).
Here's a tip for Copilot users who don't live in the US: under Settings, switch your Country/Region to United States - English in order to get extra image-creation features, including the option to recreate an image in landscape format.
For a story image of the Battle at the Gate of Gleegold Keep in Augury of Chaos, I tried various prompts and I reworked the best images with Photoshop to improve coherence. Please feel free to comment, which image do you prefer?
For people creating modules based on top-down graphics, I also wanted to suggest this video from TheAIWizard showing how AI may help in the creation of background graphics.
Dall-E 3 can also help with isometric graphics. For example, I made the following dungeon really quickly based on five images of an empty dungeon room and one of a cave entrance.
If you create a separate KotC 2 map for each room, you don't even have to do work in Photoshop, because then you don't need to assemble all of the rooms into a dungeon.
Now, let's review the changes brought by the latest KotC 2 versions, 1.70 and 1.69.
List of changes in KotC 2 version 1.70
- New Feats: Added two new feats for Dwarves: 'Giant Hunter' and 'Shieldbearer'.
- Graphics: Added modular Dwarf sprites, complete with a selection of beards, Dwarven armour, and Dwarven shields and weapons, including magical ones! Potentially, you could also use the Dwarf sprites for a Half-Giant character, by setting the character's height above 100%.
- User Interface: Reworked the Character-Creation Interface so that the first choice you make is the character's race, and selecting a race/subrace/gender will automatically set the character's physical appearance to something appropriate for that race. That way, you no longer have to spend time configuring the appearance of a character if you just want to create a new character without worrying about what he or she looks like.
- Enemy AI: Enemy archers won't use 'Rapid Shot' when they don't have enough arrows left to benefit from it.
- Bug Fix: Fixed a bug when changing the name of a weapon or armour in the inventory screen. The item would disappear after changing the name.
- Bug Fix: Psychic Healers of level 1 that have the feat Healing Focus will now be able to activate the power Cell Division. The game wasn't taking into account your feats when checking the caster level of a psionic power. Thank you so much Kyle for the bug report!
- Bug Fix: When launching a new module starting on a map containing no activable zones at all, there was still a source of crashes. This is now fixed. Thank you Kyle for the heads-up!
- Bug Fix: Fixed an issue with ambient sound sources associated with a hidden activable zone.
- Bug Fix: Fixed a source of crashes when an enemy character with multiple ranged attacks only has one arrow left in his ammunition slot and starts his round using a full attack to shoot. The game would crash after processing the first shooting attack, due to an empty ammunition slot. Thank you so much Steve for letting me know about this bug!
- Bug Fix: Fixed a bug concerning the energy damage reductions of characters when swapping items in the inventory screen. This was a potential source of crashes and memory corruption.
- Pre-generated Characters: The Dwarf pre-generated characters, Griswack and Belissaria, now have a Dwarf sprite, and the Drake pre-generated characters, Haphel and Cromwall, now have a wing sprite.
- Augury of Chaos: Changed the sprite of the Blackfire Shield from 'acid' to 'flaming'.
- Help Files: In the Help Entries for the conditions 'Enlarged' and 'Reduced', added a line indicating that the change in damage rolls does not apply to your Natural Weapons (claws, bite, etc). Also improved the formatting for the Help Entries of the Feats Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting and Overrun.
List of changes in KotC 2 version 1.69
- Bug Fix: Fixed a bug that could occur when changing the name of a character, especially the name of the party leader. This could result in scripted sequences not getting launched after the change.
- Bug Fix: Fixed a player-character movement bug that could occur out of combat after certain dialogue sequences, with a character entering a walking loop.
- Bug Fix: Fixed a display bug introduced in version 1.68 due to the new sprites, which could result in some enemy sprites disappearing intermittently.
- Augury of Chaos: Tweaked a dialogue script in the Low Sewers (when you find something strange about a stone pillar).
- Editor: In the Script Editor, added an option to turn on and off a map's Rain Sound Effect.
- Editor: In the Script Editor, added an option to play OGG voice files using the Play Sound script command. The OGG files should be placed in the 'Sounds' folder of the module's folder.
- User Interface: In various character-creation screens, right clicking on the Character Skills box will now open the help screen.
Next Steps for Knights of the Chalice 2
The next development steps are the following:
If you have any feedback, suggestions or bug reports, please feel free to let me know here, in the Forums, or by email at enquiries@heroicfantasygames.com. I appreciate it!
- Continue work on the encounters, monsters & scenario of the upcoming KotC 2 module.
- Work on sprites from 3D models, new story images & a possible upgrade of spell icons.
- Work on voice effects for Critical Hits & monsters, and some voiceovers.
- Implement new features such as new monster abilities, subraces, feats, familiars, items.
- Fix any remaining issues mentioned on Steam, GOG, heroicfantasygames.com, or by email.
Thank You For Your Steadfast Support, Brave Heroes of the Realm!! Take care
Any race that can get 20 str should be ok (Human Northerner/Mul, Half-Giant, Drake, male Dwarf Blackforge*). Supposedly Mantis can too. Never tried one. You can't get wrong with a Human for basically anything. Even more so if you play with the least amounts of feats per level (1 every 4 levels?). Half-Giant if you want the best grappler - grappling is important. As to weapons, it really depends on the rest of your team. I had one character with a reach weapon, additional range easily makes up for lost damage in my opinion but not everyone agrees. It also depends how many melee guys you plan in the party.What is best race and weapon combo for Fighter?? I've seen people say it's Mantis with many weapons??
BTW I fixed my KoTC 2 and now I can finally play it.
I think Blackforge was there from the start. But I went with a Mountain dwarf. Had a base strength of 18. You can always reach 20 and beyond through items.
Yes, the original closed doors upon first reaching the city created a greater fog of war, which is black, making it harder to differentiate from the black streets.
I did confirm with Pierre that the module is not bundled with Augury of Chaos. So the latest version is always the one that's up on the Nexus page. I think it's a small enough community, I can get the mod file to anyone who is interested.
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1233530/announcements/detail/4165345869841765385
Knights of the Chalice 2 Version 1.72
Hello everyone! Version 1.72 of Knights of the Chalice 2 is here! It fixes a bunch of bugs and adds new feats for the Paladin and Gladiator, the Lay On Hands and Scare Undead abilities of the Paladin, the Paladin's Oath, and new sound effects for spells.
Note to module creators: you'll need to paste the file Modules/Augury of Chaos/Spells.sml into your module folder in order to allow Paladins to use Lay On Hands and Scare Undead. Alternatively, if your module has custom spells, please open your spell list in the Module Editor, click on import to import the file Modules/Augury of Chaos/Spells.sml, and then import Lay On Hands and Scare Undead into your Spells.sml file. Thank you!
Added the Paladin's Oath. You select an Oath at level 1 and receive unique benefits at level 1 and level 11. You can choose between the Oath of the Defender, Oath of the Hospitaler, Oath of the Avenger, Oath of Devotion, Oath against Undeath, Oath against Fiends, and Oath against Dragons.
Added the Paladin abilities Lay On Hands and Scare Undead. A big Thank You to everyone who contributed ideas and suggestions for the Paladin!
Added the Paladin feats Extra Lay On Hands, Improved Lay On Hands, Improved Scare Undead, Fervent Faith, Widened Protection.
Augury of Chaos: reviewed the Paladin NPCs to give them the new Paladin abilities. Also updated the pre-generated Paladin player characters.
Added the new Gladiator feat Superior Throw Creature.
Fixed a bug with the Mage Knight's feat Improved Enhance Ability.
Fixed a bug with the Paladin's feat Mystic Shield. Thank you for the bug report Christiano!
Added new sound effects for the spells Boulder Strike, Fireball, Lay On Hands, Scare Undead.
Fixed bugs with the script commands "Give HPs" and "Set HPs". Thank you so much kai for the heads-up!
Fixed a bug with party items that have charges not getting replenished when the party rests, if the item was stored in a container.
Added missing text in the help entry for Halted.
Fixed an error concerning Reach Weapons in the help entry for Weapon Groups.
Fixed a display bug in the Module Editor, in the equipment page of the Creature Editor, when right clicking on an item and bag items were displayed.
Fixed some issues in the inventory screen when your backpack is full, or when using Spiked Gauntlets.
Corrected an error in the text of the help entry for the Light Weapon Restriction of the Mantis, and added a link to it in the entry for the Mantis.
Added a tooltip information bubble in the Effects interface of the Creature Editor, saying that only permanent effects can be added in this screen (rounds-based conditions can be given through a pre-battle script). Thank you Kyle for the heads-up!
The alignment Lawful Good will be automatically selected when creating a Paladin.
Fixed some issues in the character-creation interface when choosing a class specialisation option and then clicking cancel (the selected option wasn't getting reset).
Fixed a bug in the character-creation interface where the Hit Points of a newly-created character would be displayed as "uninjured" in the character sheet, rather than the actual number of HPs.
Please don't hesitate to email me at enquiries@heroicfantasygames.com if you find any bugs and annoyances, so that I can fix the game quickly. A saved game may be very helpful, too.
Thank You For Your Stalwart Support, Valiant Paladins of the Realm! Rejoice
