Update #17: A Closer Look at Adventure Maps, Part Two!
A Closer Look at Adventure Maps, Part Two
Hello everyone! In this update, we will have a look at five more Adventure Maps: Dark Forest of the Giant Spiders, Ancient Temple of the Followers of Sunnathar, Monster-Infested City Sewers, Ruined Fortress atop Fire Mountain and Bloody Arenas of the Slave Gladiators. Enjoy!
Dark Forest of the Giant Spiders
Ancient Temple of the Followers of Sunnathar
Monster-Infested City Sewers
Ruined Fortress atop Fire Mountain
Bloody Arenas of the Slave Gladiators
Some Links to Pioneer Valley Games Artwork
Since I mentioned PVG in the previous update and I'm planning to use at least some of their artwork in KotC 2 Adventure Modules, I'm adding to this update some links presenting PVG animations and images. Feel free to post comments!
Social Goals Report and Links
- Link to PVG videos showing the movement animation of sprites
- Link to PVG's art gallery
- Link to the PVG Water Elemental
- Link to the PVG Winged Angel
- Link to beach and ship artwork
- Link to the PVG Dwarf
- Link to the PVG Elven Archer
- Link to the PVG Musketeer
- Link to a picture with several huge monsters
- Some pictures from the Infernus resource pack
- Link to the PVG Rock Golem, Ettin and Orc
While progress is now stalling on the Youtube, Facebook and Instagram goals, we're getting closer to the next Social Goal for Twitter followers, and the number of Kickstarter backers is increasing.
All of the following links can be used to help us reach the next Social Goals and further increase awareness of the KotC 2 Kickstarter campaign among CRPG lovers:
Next Knights of the Chalice 2 Update
- Like us on Facebook!
- Follow us on Twitter!
- Subscribe to our Youtube Channel!
- Follow us on Instagram!
- Share on Facebook the KotC 2 Features page and Screenshots page!
- Share on Facebook the KotC 1 Features page and Screenshots page!
The next non-video update about KotC 2 will be published tomorrow! It will present a few of the most important tools in the KotC 2 Adventure-Creation Editor.
Thank You for Supporting the Campaign! Please Keep Spreading the Word, Dauntless Knights! ^^
Can I unlock tiers if I donate through the Codex ? Its not altogether clear what tiers I can unlock, if any ...
Update #18: The Three Workhorses of the KotC 2 Adventure-Creation Editor!
Greetings, Heroes of the Land! Today's update focuses on the KotC 2 integrated toolset. You can use the toolset to create New Adventure Modules or modify existing ones. We will now review three of the most important tools in the KotC 2 editor: the Creature Wizard, the Activable Zone and the Script Editor.
The KotC 2 Creature Wizard
The Creature Wizard allows you to create new monsters and NPCs easily. Simply select the creature’s race, class, level and any weapons used and the Creature Wizard will add the new creature to the module’s list of creatures instantly!
Mousing over the ‘Create’ button will display a tooltip indicating the Challenge Rating and Hit Dice of the creature that you’re about to create. After using the Creature Wizard, you can open the inventory screen of the new creature to make sure it has the right items.
You can also open the creature's Character Sheet to adjust the creature's feats, ability scores, immunities, natural weapons, special abilities, spells and artificial intelligence.
The KotC 2 Activable Zone
Activable Zones are rectangles that you can set in the map editor. They may be used to create objects that the player can examine and/or interact with, such as a gate, door, ladder, secret passage, stairway, pit, pool, fountain, pillar, table, bookcase, statue, sarcophagus, treasure chest or lever.
Activable Zones can also be used to add non-interactive graphic elements to the adventure map, such as trees, pentagrams, torchlight effects, crawling bugs, animated butterflies and so on. Finally, Activable Zones may be used to add localised sound sources to the map, such as water or wind sounds. You can place this type of Activable Zone on your map easily using the Map Editor's menu.
You can connect to any Activable Zone a Script, which is launched when the player clicks on the Zone. You can also associate two PNG images. The first image is the normal appearance of the object. The second image is the appearance of the object when the player mouses over the Zone.
Activable Zones can be set to be Hidden or Visible in-game using scripts. They can also contain items for the player to discover and collect. This allows you to create cupboards, drawers and treasure chests containing things like gold coins, keys, scrolls or any other items. You can resize, copy and paste Activable Zones in the Map Editor.
The KotC 2 Script Editor
Finally, the Script Editor is an essential part of the KotC 2 toolset. You can use this editor to modify or create the adventure's scripts. Scripts are lists of instructions.
Scripts allow you to display story images, create dialogues and puzzles and set up special combat situations. You control the flow of the adventure with scripts.
As in the picture below, dialogues can have as many possible answers as you want. The player can also be asked to type his reply; this can be useful if you would like to pose a riddle to the player or create a keyword-based dialogue system as in Wizardry 8.
Scripts may be triggered in various ways. A script may be triggered when the party walks on a particular square. For example, the party leader steps on a hidden pressure plate, setting off a mechanism that collapses the floor.
A script may be triggered when the player starts a dialogue, when a monster is slain, when the player clicks on an Activable Zone, or when the player uses an item that has an associated script. For example, coded messages may have an associated script that displays the game's decoding interface and checks whether the player has successfully decoded the message.
You can use a script to set the position of the party on any of the module's adventure maps. To do this, you just add a ‘Set Position’ command to your script and then click on the map square where you want the party to appear. You never have to worry about the coordinates of the target position.
Similarly, if a script instruction requires the name of a monster or character, you can just click on the creature in the list of creatures or on the adventure map. You don't have to remember the exact name of the creature. Finally, if a script instruction requires the name of an item, you can just click on the item in the module's list of items.
Social Goals Report and Links
Today we're making good progress on most of the Social Goals! We're also getting very close to the campaign's Third Stretch Goal. Thank You, Bold Warriors! Let's Keep It Up!
All of the following links can be used to help us reach the next Social Goals and further increase awareness of the KotC 2 Kickstarter campaign among CRPG lovers:
Next Knights of the Chalice 2 Update
- Like us on Facebook!
- Follow us on Twitter!
- Subscribe to our Youtube Channel!
- Follow us on Instagram!
- Share on Facebook the KotC 2 Features page and Screenshots page!
- Share on Facebook the KotC 1 Features page and Screenshots page!
The next non-video update about KotC 2 will be published tomorrow! It will focus on the next three companions. The first three companions were presented earlier.
Thank You for Supporting the Campaign! Please Keep Spreading the Word, Puissant Mages!! ^^
I think it's best to allow characters and monsters to climb out by spending extra movement points, so I normally set inter-square ladders around the pits.
As Rpguy said, you get the same rewards by pledging through the RPG Codex fundraiser as you would if you were pledging through the KS page. Please just use Google to convert the tier amounts into US dollars. Cheers!
Thank you for the feedback CyberWhale!
Thank you for the feedback Jinn! I'll decide later on exactly what I'm going to use from PVG. PVG, like the Dundjinni forums, has a lot of environmental artwork. PVG also has a number of sprites with modular elements, meaning you can select the weapons, hair style and other things. Anyway, we'll see what's best for the game.
Yes, you can in KotC 2.
All the colour options from KotC 1 are there, for the KotC 1 sprites.
Yup, as mentioned by the others.
Update #19: The Next Three Companions!
Additional excerpts from the Vaults of Loremaster Geldaron.
The story of Stuwarth
Gargoyles are such interesting creatures, aren't they? They spend the vast majority of their life like statues, stuck in place. Who knows what goes around in their minds during that time? They are not sleeping after all, but ready to pounce given the chance.
Whether guardians, spies or mere monsters in ancient ruins, gargoyles are a common enough creature. Normally they are passive beasts, content to wait. Still, this is not universally true. I was once accosted by a particularly greedy gargoyle, as I was digging through some rubble. I mistook it for a statue at first, and so approached carelessly, impressed by the craftsmanship.
It took me by the throat and demanded me to give it all of my gems. I told it I had none, and apologised profusely, instead offering gold, spells, arcane secrets, anything to spare my life. The creature released its hold on my throat and instead scoffed, telling me to go away.
Intrigued, I asked it why it tried to rob me. It told me that it ate gems. I asked it why. It could not give me a proper answer: merely that it felt the right thing to do. I felt sorry for the poor brigand of a gargoyle and told it a few places where it could obtain jewels and the like, suggesting that it find some adventurous souls to cooperate with.
Apparently the creature was very dumb, for it looked at me with a wide smile, saying it had never thought about it. It flew away before I had the chance to say goodbye. The point of this story is the following. The thing that goes around a gargoyle's mind when it's stuck in place? Absolutely nothing.
- Special Skills: [Gargoyle Stealth], which includes stealthy movement and hiding, [Gemology], which includes gem detection and gem appraisal, and [Flying] which allows you to fly over chasms.
- Full Attack includes two Claw attacks, a Bite attack and a Gore attack.
- Stone-Creature Damage Reduction. Darkvision.
- Can be improved by consuming valuable rocks.
- Fighter Class.
The story of Salacious the Sage
One of the more bizarre stories I've heard tells of a group of secretive sorcerers who thought to jam all the knowledge of the universe inside a single skull. You don't need me to tell you how insane this was.
Predictably, the end result was catastrophic. Their laboratory erupted in a magical cataclysm that transwarped souls all around. Originally the skull was intended to be a magic item wieldable by the leader of the group, but due to the accident the skull itself gained a personality.
Indeed, it is said that he truly holds all the knowledge of the universe. The problem is that he is also quite insane. This story was told to an apprentice of mine by the skull itself. Supposedly anyway: I still can't be sure whether it was a joke on my student's part or not.
Famous Quote: “Salam to you, Strong warriors! I am Salacious the Sage, a Skull of Science Shaped by Secretive Sorcerers. Seize the Science of all Specialties and Stuff it into a Skull. That's a Skull of Science. Search and Seek, Solutions I Spill! Surely, you Stand and Stare in Stupendous Stupefaction!?”
- Special Skills: [Knowledge], which includes the knowledge of legends, heroes, famous warriors and artifacts, and [Small Size], which allows a creature to gain access to narrow tunnels.
- Cannot be Tripped or Fall Prone. Cannot wear Armour or Boots.
- Can equip gems in the eye sockets to receive benefits.
- Damage Reduction similar to that of Skeletons.
- Blue Wizard Class.
The story of Asharzaelle
The Cathedral of Palanthias at Crossroad Castle has a very interesting rumour, or a legend I suppose. It is said that one night a demoness tried to infiltrate the structure to steal a holy artifact.
Where the story gets interesting is that supposedly Palanthias himself appeared in some form in front of the creature. At first He was going to smite her down, but even the Gods can be surprised. Though evil, the succubus was not irrevocably so, unlike the rest of her kind.
Palanthias, in His divine wisdom, gave the boon of morality to the demoness and it is said that she became a Sacred Paladin afterwards. That is where the story ends, though, so what ultimately happened to her remains a mystery.
Special Thanks to Tiavals for writing the awesome stories above. ^^
- Special Skills: [Flying] which allows you to fly over chasms and avoid the effect of spells such as Web and Entangle, and [Religion], which includes the knowledge of gods, demons and the planes.
- Spell-Like Abilities Dominate Person and Enervation.
- Damage Reduction bypassed by Cold Iron weapons.
- Spell Resistance. Energy Damage Reduction.
- Paladin Class.
Social Goals Report and Links
While the increase in the number of backers has slowed down tremendously, we're getting very close to the Next Social Goals for Twitter, Youtube and Facebook. We still have 17 Days to go, so Let's Keep It Up, Valiant Heroes! A Bold Warrior Fears Nothing!!
All of the following links can be used to help us reach the next Social Goals and further increase awareness of the Knights of the Chalice 2 Kickstarter campaign among CRPG lovers:
You can also do the following:
- Like us on Facebook!
- Follow us on Twitter!
- Subscribe to our Youtube Channel!
- Follow us on Instagram!
- Share on Facebook the KotC 2 Features page and Screenshots page!
- Share on Facebook the KotC 1 Features page and Screenshots page
Next Update About Knights of the Chalice 2
- Join our mailing list by registering on HeroicFantasyGames.com forums!
- Join us on Discord by following the Discord Invite Link!
- Feel Free to download the promo pack for KotC 2 containing images, GIFs and text!
- Feel Free to Keep Spreading the Word to your friends and on Reddit, Discord, Steam forums, GOG forums, Skype, Zoom, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Kickstarter, gaming news websites, indie game developer forums, CRPG forums, D&D forums and Pathfinder forums!
The next non-video update about KotC 2 will be published on 16 June. It will focus on the tactics that your fearless party can use to defeat enemy spellcasters.
Thank You, Loyal Knights And Valorous Paladins! You Are The Heroes Of Mindrel!
I backed it, didn't read squat.
