Ravenloft Beyond the Gate Quest Journal
I found myself in a world sliding ever closer to Ravenloft.
In a place called Stone Leigh I first encountered the pull of Ravenloft. It tempts me with power and quick advancement in exchange for a little of my soul. Others here that I see have succumbed to the temptation and the results are plain to see; evilness, madness and disfigurement.
By fair means or foul I have fought against the power of Ravenloft in Stone Leigh. Some of those most effected have been killed or banished. A would-be Lord has been destroyed. But the land still draws toward that nightmare realm and I have made enemies, one in particular: a dark witch called Silktong.
There is a Gate in Stone Leigh. They say it leads into the heart of Ravenloft. Evil seeps out of it and my enemy has escaped through it. I will not wait for her to return but shall chase her down and confront the powers on their own ground. I will travel Beyond the Gate.
Ravenloft Beyond the Gate
Creator’s: Firestarter
Expansions Needed: NWN 1.68 SoU and HotU
Setting: Ravenloft.
Gameplay Length: 30 hours.
Starting Level: Level 7-8.
Classes: All classes.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Any.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Notes
In this module the player has just finished Return to Ravenloft and finds themselves at the bottom of a dungeon complex called The Dark Well. Silktong’s history is revealed and the coven of witches that she manipulates must be confronted. Ultimately the player will decide the fate of Stone Leigh. Will it be freed from the clutches of Ravenloft or will you fight to become its Lord?
Tested Version: 12 Final
Journal
I found this module years ago but was NOT impressed at all! I didn’t like the level design of the first few areas nor did I like the encounters. Shame really because little did I know that years later I would not only play it to completion but immediately play it again with another character.
Shadowlords - Enter the Shadow - Part 5 - Quest Journal
The Shadowlord campaign concludes in this module. You have entered the mind of divinity, choosing to heal the wounds within, or corrupt it into madness. The choices you make here shall mark the face of Faerûn for all time.
Shadowlords - Enter the Shadow - Part 5
Creator’s: Adam Miller
Expansions Needed: NWN 1.61
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length: 3 hours.
Starting Level: Level 5-6.
Classes: All classes.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Any.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Notes
Note that if you’ve already downloaded the hak pack, you do not need to download it again.
Tested Version: 1.09
Journal
The final concluding part to the series is very interesting end to a well told story. Although the series has proven to many of it’s flaws, it is a series of old modules that have aged as best they can without being updated further to fix issues that many had with it. With this in mind aim to complete it for the value of the story alone and not the measure of loot that it offers (which while sometimes interesting isn’t all that good).
Once more there is the tricky combat but it is not as bad as Skull Gorge which could be downright nasty, the lack of a decent meatshield for some characters may prove too much of a challenge though if you have brought your character this far I see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to go all the way to the end.
Like the others it is a short adventure and can be shortened further if you are not too worried about exploring every inch of the areas presented, some combat can be avoided entirely, and there seems to be ample room for good or evil outcomes, the latter of which I have yet to test. The romances have proven to be buggy for some, I had no probs with Anera which I ran through the entire campaign with, however, romance options will be available to same sexes and wildly different races which the module loses in the PC’s immersion factor.
The next series by the same author which carries on any romances you may have had in Shadowlords is the Dreamcatcher series, I tried it once but came across a fatal inventory bug, I will however try again soon and if all goes well that will be the next series of modules to be reviewed.
Shadowlords - Stonemeet - Part 4 - Quest Journal
The journey continues at the site of the Battle of Bones. In your last adventure, you found a young man who appears more than he seems. Wizards struggle over his control, and you have come to the underground city of Stonemeet for answers.
Shadowlords - Stonemeet - Part 4
Creator’s: Adam Miller
Expansions Needed: NWN 1.61
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length:2-4 hours.
Starting Level: Level 4-5.
Classes: All classes.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Any.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Notes
Note that if you’ve already downloaded the hak pack, you do not need to download it again.
Tested Version: 1.08
Journal
Things are starting to hot up in this module and you are nearing the final showdown, the fate of your henchman and possibly the world at large is in your hands, can you lead an innocent to his destiny and avert a major cataclysm of the realms?
Although there are some that have mentioned that the final teleportation failed I had no such issues and I don’t recall a time where any script failed. There are dialogue errors though, NPC’s that you have completed quests for do not treat you as such, although, if you are running through this with the end in sight it could be argued that you no longer need to speak to them once you have what you need from them. A little polish would have gone a long way to making this a really remarkable module, which, although my favourite so far could have done with some more buffing nonetheless.
The level design is good, although a bit tedious to get around, most of it’s not needed though unless you want to piece together certain artifacts and complete a few more side quests. You pretty much only need the centre of Stonemeet and the entrance to the Witches Lair (mentioned in the spoiler section).
There’s some novel use of monsters in a friendly manner and the factions work pretty well, the only time I broke the factions was when I became confused and attacked a blue friendly, annoying but reload to a previous game solved the issue though and a good opportunity to get to know them but only mostly superficially.
Combat difficulty was less of an issue in this adventure, but don’t get me wrong, there’s still some dangerous opponents you may come across though if you choose you can just bypass majority of it.
Shadowlords - Skull Gorge - Part 3 - Quest Journal
The mystery that you discovered at Hill’s Edge leads you to Skull Gorge. It is here that the priestess of Cyric, Quincel, has gone in search of an artifact known as the Skull of Orn. Why she seeks this is unknown, but perhaps it is a part of the larger puzzle.
Shadowlords - Skull Gorge - Part 3
Creator’s: Adam Miller
Expansions Needed: NWN 1.61
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length:2-4 hours.
Starting Level: Level 3-4.
Classes: All classes.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Any, good makes more sense.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Notes
Note that if you’ve already downloaded the hak pack, you do not need to download it again.
Tested Version: 1.10
Journal
Things pick up pretty quickly in this adventure and it’s only minutes from starting to actively worrying about the health of your henchman or your health. In fact, if you check out the messages at the vault two things stick out the most, unbalanced combat and a buggy showdown and if you think the combat is hard during the game it gets even harder AFTER the showdown.
Shadowlords - Hills Edge - Part 2 - Quest Journal
In the previous module, it was discovered that unknown forces were pitting the Red Shield militia of Scornubel with Zhentarim troops. The sole purpose seems to have been the ready creation of corpses, which were transported to Hill’s Edge by a rogue known as Shrak. You have travelled back to Scornubel, with little more than the name Quincel left on a note, and a claim ticket for a warehouse in Hill’s Edge. After explaining the situation to Josura, you must continue on to this little town to investigate further.
Shadowlords - Part 2 - Hills Edge
Creator’s: Adam Miller
Expansions Needed: NWN 1.61
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length:3 hours.
Starting Level: Level 2-3.
Classes: All classes.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Any, good makes more sense though.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Notes
Make sure you download the associated hak pack. Note that this is the same as the previous Shadowlords module, so if you’ve downloaded it once, a second time isn’t necessary.
Tested Version: 1.12
Journal
The sidequests that are available are very minor and one that shouldn’t became so as events are implied but not enacted, or maybe I missed something. It was pretty easy to find out where the main plot line lead you so maybe I just jumped in a bit too quick without exploring absolutely every avenue.
This module still uses a fair bit of random loot like previous the modules though there are some interesting items to be found and you should be able to use some of them later on in the series, whether this has been implemented I don’t know yet.
This adventure does dip you into the world of +1 weapons and there is a chest that when opened may yield such an item if you have a weapon focus for a particular weapon, anything up to that level however can be handled by ordinary weapons, which is handy because depending on your class and henchman choice you may not be able to avoid certain fights.
The adventure is pretty short, shorter if you dive straight in and shouldn’t take very long to complete at all, there are some nasty fights, all of which made me glad I was using a fighter type character, how low level spellchuckers would fare I don’t know but I’m guessing they could be in for a bit of a challenge.
Apart from some challenging combat however there is very little here to challenge a player who has maybe played a fair few modules before hand and as I played I mostly had in mind the other modules in the series to come afterwards. There are a couple of puzzles but nothing too taxing and that is the general feel of the adventure as a whole.
Shadowlords - The Message - Part 1 - Quest Journal
Beginning in the trade town of Scornubel, a mystery begins in the town of Scornubel and leads to dangers far afield from civilized lands. In the first module of the Shadowlords, The Message, a vision by the high priestess of Lathander causes events to unfold. The party is asked to deliver a letter to Captain Preth of the Red Shields. He fights with Zhentarim invaders to the north, though Josura the high priestess suspects there is more behind the battle. The party must make their way to Captain Preth, though the road is difficult and uncertain.
Shadowlords - Part 1 - The Message
Creator’s: Adam Miller
Expansions Needed: NWN 1.61
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length: 2-4 hours.
Starting Level: Level 1-2.
Classes: All classes.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Quest options for good and evil characters.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Notes
None.
Tested Version: 1.20
Journal
This is a charming side step of an adventure, thought to be enjoyed it must be seen as the start of a campaign and not so much an adventure into itself. There are a fair few side quests for an adventure this size but if you chose to run through the module you could easily complete it within an hour.
The combat is probably the hardest thing you will have to face in this module, for some characters, being such a low level, one hit and it could be curtains for you. Fortunately there are a few henchmen you can choose to aid you in your quest although only one henchman (except for a brief time mentioned in the spoilers page) can be with you for the majority of the adventure.
I don’t think a single character could complete all of the adventure’s side quests, there are quests for those with a decent persuade skill, for small characters, druids and others and while none of them are particularly difficult some completionists may be left feeling a little frustrated.
The module is well balanced though and encounters have some room for scaling though not much, however, if you lack the ability to dish out damage and the henchman you chose keeps on dying then there is an option to miss most of the combat in the game.
Overall there’s some nice elements in this module that stand out but that they could have been fleshed out a bit more to make a “Let’s play it for the Story” kinda game to a memorable adventure for a starting character.
A Harper’s Tale - Part 3 - Selgaunt - Quest Journal
Now that the dragon cult is taken care of and the truth spell repaid, it’s time to find the one who was responsible for all of this in the first place. Be careful, though. You may wish you never found him!
A Harper’s Tale - Part 3 - Selgaunt
Creator’s: Dave Mason
Expansions Needed: SOU and HOTU
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length: 2-15 hours.
Starting Level: Level 13.
Classes: All classes except evil prestige classes.
Races: Story dictates Human, Elf, or Half-Elf only.
Alignment: Any non-evil.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Description
None.
Tested Version: 1.03
Journal
This is the final module in the Harper’s Tale series and it is pretty polished as you can notice general improvements throughout the module compared with the previous 2. And while some story elements are never answered (not that I found anyway), the main story does tie up what I thought was a loosely motivated main plot.
There’s plenty of variety to be had and the author has done his best to include as many elements as he could while still trying to make them fit inside what is, a relatively compact module. There is alot of room to manoeuvre though, you can do the sidequests in whatever order you want for the most part or they can be skipped entirely if you so choose.
There’s some good loot to be had too and many high magic items to be found or bought as well as a HOTU like smith who can upgrade weapons as well as various items that can increase your items abilities even further. There are of course the magical chests that appear if you have a good enough search skill to find them which often include runes that can turn ordinary items into magical ones, either to use or to sell for profit.
The combat can get pretty hard though and your plot henchman isn’t a very good meat shield, I played a mostly fighter type kind of character with a high AC and good amount of hit points and I came across groups or individuals that brought me to near death frequently, requiring some potions of heal to keep me ahead of my enemies. Spellcasters will be pleased to find out that resting is not restricted and that you often face your enemies in waves, not all at once. I did find that summons did not last long against some of the foes you will meet but I’m sure the seasoned spellchuckers of you out there will have little trouble for the most part.
Apart from a possible couple of frustrating parts (noted in the spoilers section) there is a lot to like about this charming module and the series as a whole. Sometimes the dialogue lets it down occasionally depending on personal taste but it is generally very good. The sidequests I thought were great and sometimes there was optional ways to complete missions or avoid some combat altogether.
I’d definitely give this module and the series a big thumbs up and they have a lot of replay factor in them and if you get stuck, check out the spoilers post.
A Harper’s Tale - Part 2 - Hooknose Crag - Quest Journal
After finding out the truth about the prisoner, your focus turns toward another adversary, one Albertus Magister of Selgaunt. Of course, life is what happens while you’re making plans. You still owe the Archenpriest for the truth spell, and he has a little favor to ask. It doesn’t sound like that big of a deal when he first tells you about it; a little investigation, that’s all… but you’ve learned that by helping the Harpers, you tend to get more than you bargained for…
A Harper’s Tale - Part 2 - Hooknose Crag
Creator’s: Dave Mason
Expansions Needed: SOU and HOTU
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length: 4-10 hours.
Starting Level: Level 11.
Classes: All classes except evil prestige classes.
Races: Story dictates Human, Elf, or Half-Elf. All other races will be imprisoned.
Alignment: Any non-evil. All evil characters will be imprisoned.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Description
None.
Tested Version: 1.10
Journal
This is a delightful little jaunt and relatively easy or hard depending on your character build and style of play. At it’s worst it is a game of attrition, giving little and asking for a whole lot more, at it’s easiest it is an easy trek to the inevitable end boss and then on to the 3rd and final chapter of the series.
Just before you start the adventure proper you are given the option to buy a magic rod that will allow you to teleport to a safe place to rest and maybe sell gear and/or restock, however, the initial cost is quite expensive and the cost of use is half as expensive to use each time! If you’ve came through looting everything in Part 1 - Escort Duty, then I guess the funds needed to use it will not be an issue.
There’s no respawn so save often but if your plot henchman dies then you can use resurrection scrolls etc to bring her/him back.
The loot isn’t as wild as Part 1 but there’s enough to get you through to the end while still making a profit and of course, some of what you find can often be combined with other items just like Part 1, there’s even an option for custom potions and weapons, though the weapon making didn’t work for me the one time I tried it and had to escape out of a frozen dialogue.
The MOB respawns are nowhere near as bad as Part 1 either, which is a pretty good thing as few drop a little and many drop nothing at all, however, on more than a couple occasions I noticed going to explore one end in the hope of finding a magical chest only to trigger a MOB respawn back where I came from and had to go back.
It would have been nice to have a bosses guarding certain keys, or that the mini bosses that were there had better loot but overall the adventure works well I think and removes the need to beat each level allowing you to concentrate on beating the whole thing and reach the end.
I’ve played before with a Fighter/Rogue without using the OHS and had very few problems except trying to keep my henchman alive, I guess summons and resting are much needed if you are a caster but the actual adventure seems more like filler than actually part of the story making the real story just 2 parts long.
It is nonetheless enjoyable though and worthwhile to play through at least once maybe again as a class you’re not used to playing as a challenge maybe and so on. I’ve played through it a few times now and would certainly be willing to play through it again 
A Harper’s Tale - Part 1 - Escort Duty - Quest Journal
As a relatively inexperienced adventurer, it comes as a bit of a shock that Calum has sent for you specifically. You cannot resist the call of this old friend, however… he saved your life many years ago, when you were hardly an adolescent. But he has become a Harper now, and seeks your help. Will you join him as a Harper, given the chance? What path will you follow?
A Harper’s Tale - Part 1 - Escort Duty
Creator’s: Dave Mason
Expansions Needed: SOU and HOTU
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length: 5-15 hours.
Starting Level: Level 8.
Classes: All classes tested and welcome (Rogues have the toughest time, but it can be done).
Races: Story dictates Human, Elf, or Half-Elf. All other races will be imprisoned.
Alignment: Any non-evil. All evil characters will be imprisoned.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Description
None.
Tested Version: 1.10
Journal
This is a wonderful short adventure You can if you wish play the prelude to this but it’s so ridiculously easy and you may just prefer to use a leveler tool to alter an existing character to level 8 or create a new one. If you still wish to play the prelude then by all means it’s not bad, just very easy.
If you are a looter, pack rat and/or completionist then this short module could take you a fair amount of time. There are quite a few easter eggs to be found and created, some are even repaired or combined (see spoilers post for more information).
I’m all 3 and it took me a good afternoon and evening to complete the game, the game can be finished much quicker though and although I was thorough looking for everything and using everything I had found the adventure is not so long that it gets tedious and you can even use items found in part 1 in part’s 2 and 3.
There’s some nice story elements to the adventure, or nice touches I should say, the basic plot is simple enough and it’s a mostly hack and slash affair with a large amount of secrets thrown in. Keeping your hencman alive should be your only worry and he/she comes well equipped (see spoilers post for more information).
I made about a million gold pieces in this adventure, short as it was and found some nice loot, even if I didn’t use the majority of it, I thoroughly enjoyed reading their descriptions, some of which hint at things soon to be seen in future parts, it really is a looters paradise, so if you love loot come into the adventure with plenty of magic bags of holding.
Overall I liked the adventure, as I did all 4 in the series, a good simple story and main quest, a few side quests, plenty of secrests to keep most people happy and if you have a looting personality then the constant respawns will be a joy too!
The Pool of Radiance - Quest Journal
Pool of Radiance a neverwinter nights module based on the SSI computer game ‘Pool of Radiance’. Which is based on the 1st Edition AD&D adventure module ‘Ruins of Adventure’.
The Pool of Radiance
Creator’s: Chris Fowler
Expansions Needed: SOU 1.61
Setting: Forgotten Realms.
Gameplay Length: 20 hours.
Starting Level: Level 1-10.
Classes: All Classes.
Races: All Races.
Link To Module Download at NWVault
Author’s Description
NOTE: There are two version in the mod file one for SOU and HOTU users and one for original game owners. Both are similar with a little more content in the SOU version. The Pool of Radiance mod being created using Bioware’s Aurora Toolkit for NeverWinter Nights is an adaption of 1st Edition AD&D rules to 3rd Edition AD&D rules, so certain modifications are nessesary during development. Readme Converted to PDF format by: Rob McConachie
Tested Version: 1.17a
Journal
I didn’t actually begin playing this version to begin with, I found a Special Edition version and began playing that, I knew it was a modified version of someone else’s module but I assumed the original was dated (well it is, but nothing like at the time the Special Edition was made) and that this version had improved on bugs and gameplay etc.
How WRONG I was, when a show stopping bug appeared near the end, forcing me to use the debug command to teleport past an obstacle I started looking for the original to compare with the Special Edition version and what a contrast.
The majority of bugs had been ironed out and the dialogue rewritten at some point and it was far better than the ‘Improved’ version, not just on a technical point but from a fun point, the SE version sported some horrid dialogue and some questionable content, not much but enough to spoil the entire game for me, if I wasn’t playing it with a mind to write this journal I would have trashed it pretty quickly.
However, SE aside back to the original and updated version (well, 2006 anyway)….
There’s some interesting area design going on, so much so that it sticks out compared to the string of modules I’ve already played so far. You might also be caught out looking for secret rooms that don’t exist as the creator didn’t always build the areas to the canvas size so to speak, some areas have a fair amount of blank space in the top down map.
Much of the module is hack and slash though and while the areas are pretty you don’t have to explore the majority of them unless random loot is REALLY your thing and there’s random loot aplenty. The MOBS have a tendency to respawn too, some people like the extra action, XP and loot, some however would prefer areas stay clear once they’ve been cleared.
It’s also pretty obvious that the missions are of the type, kill this, bring me that but they are as varied as they can be limitations aside. This also means that there is, yes, you guessed it, a fair amount of backtracking to do and as loathe as I am to do it, the game wasn’t so bad with it though it could have been improved in that area vastly.
There is a temple of Tyr though, so that if you die you have a place to respawn to, same with your henchmen but that does mean you have to walk all the way back to where you died to pick up your quest where you was so rudely and abruptly diverted from.
Overall it’s a good module, challenging to begin with if you start off at level 1 or 2 but enjoyable if you prefer to play a character a little more experienced, I certainly wouldn’t mind playing it again.