Neverwinter Nights 2: Nightsinger's Bane

Food, Drink & Foraging

Neverwinter NightsThis section contains a description of the Foraging, Food & Hydration Systems we've implemented in NX4 - Nightsinger's Bane.

Below We will cover the mechanics for requiring food to rest, the inner workings of the Hydration Meter, and how the Survival Skill has been expanded to accommodate these changes.

Justification:

We believe the introduction of ration requirement will improve game-play and increase immersion in several important ways:

1): We feel the introduction of Food and Thirst mechanics will help balance the game's spell casters. As the Neverwinter Nights 2 series stands, magic users are encouraged to populate their spell lists with the strongest destructive or debilitating magic, and then unleash "maximum hell" in every encounter. There is no need to conserve or pace themselves, as the party can simply rest at no cost immediately following combat. Using Meteor Swarm on every pack of kobolds is not just encouraged - it's optimal.

2): There is no need for Vanican casters balance utility and combat magic. Players can simply add or remove non-combat spells as desired, and rest to gain the needed spell. This situation is very destructive to class balance, as a Vanican caster can, on a rest, recite spells that nullify every class except the cleric.

3): We see the addition of provisioning systems as an opportunity to round out neglected character skills. For example, Survival has little use in the combat dominated world of Neverinwter Nights 2. However, when the ability can be used to scavenge food, drink and expensive spell components, it's suddenly worth considering - as opposed to simply tossing a few extra ranks in Tumbling, Healing, Use Magic Device, or Concentration.

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(See the Material Spell Components Page for other overlapping justifications).

 

Hydration System:

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All players and NPC's will occasionally need to drink to maintain their Hydration Bar. This gauge is similar in function to the Sprit Meter from NX2: MotB. The player can collapse and expand the bar with the button in the right-hand corner of the panel.

The Hydration Bar decreases 2% every in game hour, (10 minutes). At 75% the player begins accruing small penalties to their stats. As the bar further decreases, the severity of the debuffs increase exponentially. When the gauge reaches 0%, the character dies of dehydration, (a process taking a bit over two in game days with nothing to drink).

Drinking Water, Wine, Ale or Spirits will increase the Hydration bar. These items can be purchased from Inns, Taverns, General Stores and foraged with the Survival Skill in the wilderness. Additionally, Rhea Corvianna's Kitchen potentially sells magical drinks, and it's possible to discover an enchanted Waterskin which creates enough water in a day for one person.

We've created several scenarios in NX4 where the player will need to forage for water to survive, and in some of the nastier dungeons, such as the AP2: ToH, there are traps and monsters that attack by dehydrating the characters.

The spell Raise Dead will add 10% to a dead player's Hydration Meter, while Resurrection will restore it by 50%. (This is to account for player death by dehydration, and to stop infinite death-loops).

 

Ration Management System:

Food Items are required in order to rest. When a player attempts to sleep, their inventory is checked for a food item. If none are detected in the direct inventory, bags and pouches are searched. If the player has no food items, they are not allowed to rest outside of an Inn or their personal beds.

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Food can be purchased from Inns, General Stores, Inns, Taverns and foraged with the Survival Skill. Additionally, Rhea Corvianna's Kitchen potentially sells food with potent mystic effects if the player completes her quest line. Finally, it is possible to acquire a Murlynd Spoon and a Bountiful Bag of Goodberries, each of which will feed one person for a day.

 

Hydration & Food Related Magical Devices:

This section deals with enchanted items that allow the player to slightly "break" the food and hydration system. These objects generate food and water daily, freeing a character or two from the need to eat and drink.

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These objects are gated behind some of the game's most difficult content, or decisions with appreciable costs - making them unavailable until late game.

Enchanted Waterskin
Description: Made from supple goat hide, this waterskin is enchanted to resist wear and grime, appearing as though it were newly made. A round emblem is embroidered on both sides of the flask, depicting eight wizards standing in a circle, each casting different magical spells.

This waterskin refills itself, making it one of the most boring - yet highly practical - mystical items an explorer can invest in. Twice per day the flask opens a small portal to the elemental plane of water, magically regenerating its contents.

Powers:
    • Power 1: Recover's 25% of Hydration Meter, 2x/Day

Bountiful Bag of Goodberries
Description: This supple buckskin pouch will, on command, create a small handful of magical berries each day. The user may elect to eat the "Goodberries," which provide an entire day's nourishment, or use them to heal 4 points of damage. Only Druids can command the magic of this pouch.

Powers:
    • Power 1: Create 1 Goodberry 1x/Day
    • Power 2: +2 Survival
    • Power 3: Useable by Druids
    • Power 4: Useable by Neutral Alignment Group

Murlynd's Spoon
Description: This roughly carved wooden spoon is actually a potent magical item. When placed in an empty bowl, cup, or dish, the vessel fills with a thick, pasty porridge - with a taste and texture not unlike wet cardboard. Despite the food's appearance, it's as nourishing as a full meal.

The utensil can generate food once each day.

Powers:
    • Power 1: Create 1 Bowl of Gruel 1x/Day


 

Foraging - Making Survival Count:

Characters with high degrees of "Survival" can harvest resources points available in many zones. The areas are displayed as interactive objects, and they check Survival Skill via a dialog tree before allowing players to extract valuables. The resources points can contain spell components, food, drink, crafting materials and other useful objects - which can save money and potentially lives if the party is dying of thirst.

Each resource point can be harvested once per visit, and they reset when the players exit and re-enter the zone. The quantity and quality of the objects found is dependent on the player's Survival Skill investment.

Mechanics:
- When the player interacts with a resource point, they are presented with a list of options based on their Survival Skill. The scale starts at 1 and goes as high as 33. The player is free to choose any option in between their minimum and maximum value. (This allows the character to chose a specific outcome if the highest tier is not desirable).

- Resource points are always a highlight-able object or area within a wilderness or cavern zone. Some examples include streams, trees, tracks and patches of flowers.

- Game Hunting is unique in that it spawns creatures from the Huntable Animals Faction at random points throughout the zone. When these beasts are killed, they will drop a pelt and edible meat.

- Resource points re-spawn along with zone random encounters when players leave and return to an area.

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Types of Resource Points:
- Food: Gather fruits and vegetables.
- Game: Game animals spawn nearby.
- Water: Discover potable water.
- Tools: Create useful tools.
- Poisons: Discover lethal poisons.
- Spell Components: Gather material spell components.

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Huntable Animals:
(The type of animal spawned is dependant on zone characteristics).

- Badger
- Bird
- Blue Bird
- Boar
- Brown Bear 		- Green Bird
- Green Snake
- Highland Snake
- Rabbit
- Rat 		- Stag
- Weasel
- Wolf
- Wolverine
- *Unicorn

Note: There are alignment and story consequences to felling a unicorn, although their meat, pelt and horn are powerful items.

Survival Skill Food Gathering Values:
(Amount of food harvested increments by point investment).
    • Survival Skill 1: 1 Carrot
    • Survival Skill 2: 1 Potato
    • Survival Skill 4: 1 Turnip, 1 Pear
    • Survival Skill 6: 1 Corn, 1 Orange
    • Survival Skill 8: 1 Apple, 1 Grapes, 1 Strawberry
    • Survival Skill 12: 1 Fish, 1 Carrot, 1 Potato
    • Survival Skill 16: 1 Corn, 1 Fish, 1 Pear, 1 Strawberry
    • Survival Skill 22: 1 Turnip, 1 Orange, 1 Potato, 1 Egg
    • Survival Skill 28: 2 Fish, 1 Apple, 1 Pear, 1 Egg
    • Survival Skill 33+: 2 Corn, 2 Strawberry, 2 Grapes

Survival Skill Game Hunting Values:
(Amount of animals Spawned increments by point investment).
    • Survival Skill 1: 1 Animal
    • Survival Skill 2: 1 Animal
    • Survival Skill 4: 2 Animals
    • Survival Skill 6: 2 Animals
    • Survival Skill 8: 3 Animals
    • Survival Skill 12: 3 Animals
    • Survival Skill 16: 4 Animals
    • Survival Skill 22: 4 Animals
    • Survival Skill 28: 5 Animals
    • Survival Skill 33+: 6 Animals

Survival Skill Tool Creation Values:
(Tool Types Created increments by point investment).
    • Survival Skill 1: 50 Normal Bullets
    • Survival Skill 2: 50 Normal Bolts
    • Survival Skill 4: 50 Normal Arrows
    • Survival Skill 6: Ritual Kit
    • Survival Skill 8: 5x Vampire Stakes
    • Survival Skill 12: 3x Rope
    • Survival Skill 16: 5x Healing Kit +3
    • Survival Skill 22: 5x Healing Kit +4
    • Survival Skill 28: 5x Healing Kit +5
    • Survival Skill 33+: Hierophant's Ritual Kit

Survival Skill Component Harvesting Values:
(Number of components harvested increments by point investment).
    • Survival Skill 1: 3x Level 0 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 2: 3x Level 1 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 4: 3x Level 2 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 6: 3x Level 3 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 8: 3x Level 4 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 12: 3x Level 5 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 16: 3x Level 6 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 22: 3x Level 7 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 28: 3x Level 8 Material Components
    • Survival Skill 33+: 3x Level 9 Material Components

Survival Skill Poison Brewing Values:
(Amount of food harvested increments by point investment).
    • Survival Skill 1: 3x Giant Bee Venom - Average
    • Survival Skill 2: 3x Giant Centipede Venom - Average
    • Survival Skill 4: 3x Giant Scorpion Venom - Average
    • Survival Skill 6: 3x Giant Bee Venom - Strong
    • Survival Skill 8: 3x Giant Centipede Venom - Strong
    • Survival Skill 12: 3x Giant Scorpion Venom - Strong
    • Survival Skill 16: 3x Giant Bee Venom - Deadly
    • Survival Skill 22: 3x Giant Centipede Venom - Deadly
    • Survival Skill 28: 3x Giant Scorpion Venom - Deadly
    • Survival Skill 33+: 1x Black Lotus Extract

Survival Skill Water Finding Values:
(Amount of water discovered increments by point investment).
    • Survival Skill 1: 1x Waterskin
    • Survival Skill 2: 1x Waterskin
    • Survival Skill 4: 2x Waterskins
    • Survival Skill 6: 2x Waterskins
    • Survival Skill 8: 3x Waterskins
    • Survival Skill 12: 3x Waterskins
    • Survival Skill 16: 4x Waterskins
    • Survival Skill 22: 4x Waterskins
    • Survival Skill 28: 5x Waterskins
    • Survival Skill 33+: 6x Waterskins


 

Rhea Corvianna's Kitchen

As the story progresses, the player will have the opportunity to rescue Rhea Corvianna. She will take up residence in the Crossroad Keep Kitchen, and is capable of producing many wonderful food items that also produce spell-like effects, though at a high cost.

In order to populate her store, the player will need to hunt down legendary ingredients in their travels. Each one recovered and returned to Rhea will unlock a new item in her shop.

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Once the party has explored Granite Hold and the Underdark, they will rescue Rhea Corvianna - the self-styled "Gourmandomancer of Waterdeep." This eccentric woman has "pioneered" a fusion of gourmet cooking, alchemy and magical enchantments. Her cuisine is not only fit for a king's table, but imparts various magical effects when eaten. Mechanically, it can be used like normal food to rest, or it can be consumed as an item or a potion, casting a magic spell when used.

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Freeing Rhea from The Kaiser's dungeons, the party will discover she's taken over the CK Kitchen, and the brash woman throws a fit over the keep's poor quality cooking ingredients. "I can only make mundane slop - barely fit for swine!" However, the party will have opportunities to collect rare ingredients as they travel, which, when brought to Rhea, will allow the enchantress to cook "The Legendary Dishes of Old Empires" - truly magical foods providing mystic effects when consumed.

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When speaking with her, she will offer hints on where to locate the rare ingredients. (If the players are vigilant, they will turn up many of her items before she's even encountered). Once these objects have been recovered, Rhea will craft legendary dishes and sell them through her store.

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Illefarn Travel Rations
Magical Effect: 80% Weight Reduction
Ingredient: None
Ingredient Location: None, default food.
Stack Size: 100

These sweet, flakey pastries remain fresh for months. Amazingly, only a few mouthfuls of will sustain a grown adult for a day of hard travel.

Note: These rations are Rhea's default merchandise, and no legendary ingredients are necessary to purchase them. They are superior to mundane food, as they stack in groups of 100 instead of ten, and have reduced weight.

Luiric Caviar
Magical Effect: Casts Rejuvenation Cocoon
Ingredient: Sturgeon eggs
Ingredient Location: Unicorn Run, 35 Survival to discover.
Stack Size: 10

Salt cured Sturgeon eggs, served chilled in a small dish.

Halruaan Filet Mignon
Magical Effect: Casts Greater Stoneskin
Ingredient: Halruaan Beef
Ingredient Location: Granite Hold West Tower, Floor 2.
Stack Size: 10

Especially tender cuts of the tenderloin marinated in a sweet sauce and wrapped in maple cured bacon.

Mulhorandi Prosciutto
Magical Effect: Casts Greater Spell Mantle
Ingredient: Wild Boar Meat
Ingredient Location: Awarded after killing Sorachi in The Lost Peaks.
Stack Size: 10

This slices of dry-cured ham that is dusted with sea-salt, rolled in exotic spices and then carefully pressed for many weeks.

Imaskari Foie Gras
Magical Effect: Casts Ethereal Visage
Ingredient: Snowdonia Hawkweed
Ingredient Location: Mirabar Tundra, 35 Survival to discover.
Stack Size: 10

A pan seared goose liver, marinated in an herb sauce and served over a bead of spinach.

Lantanna Escargot
Magical Effect: Casts Elemental Shield
Ingredient: A Jar of Lantan Snails
Ingredient Location: CK Crafting Center - Listen to Jan Jansen's entire story.
Stack Size: 10

Large snails, slowly sauteed in butter and a multitude of exotic spices.

Wa Karasumi
Magical Effect: Casts Greater Visage of the Deity
Ingredient: Mullet Roe
Ingredient Location: For sale at the Tavern in Daggerford.
Stack Size: 10

A the meat from a mullet roe is spiced and salted and carefully dried in the sun to create a chewy delicacy.

Netherese Black Truffle Souffle
Magical Effect: Casts Shadowshield
Ingredient: Black Truffles
Ingredient Location: Host Tower Sewer, under a beam of sunlight in the SE corner.
Stack Size: 10

Quail egg souffle drizzled with a black truffle cream sauce.

Chessentan Green Turtle Soup
Magical Effect: Casts Tortiose Shell
Ingredient: Pouch of Saffron
Ingredient Location: Red Cliffs Area, requires 35 survival to discover.
Stack Size: 10

A savory broth with a hint of saffron, fresh parsley and delicate cuts of green turtle, boiled to perfection.

Delzoun Marzipan
Magical Effect: Protection from Spells
Ingredient: Jar of Preserved Golden Honey
Ingredient Location: Illefarn Artificer's Ruins
Stack Size: 10

A small sweet confection, shaped into delicate flowers, made from sugar, honey and almond paste.

Coramshan Champagne
Magical Effect: Completely Restores the Drinker's Hydration
Ingredient: Crate of Coramshan Grapes
Ingredient Location: Purchasable from a shop in Mirabar.
Stack Size: 10

A carbonated sparkling wine made from plump black grapes. It has a decidedly sweet flavor and its bubbles tickle the nose while drinking it.

Shou Curry
Magical Effect: Casts Battletide
Ingredient: Pouch of Shou Curry
Ingredient Location: The Whalebones - Pirate's Lair, Steal from Captain Blessed.
Stack Size: 10

A rich, yet mild curry, served with beef, star anise and dusted with cinnamon.

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STORY POINT - The Truth of the Matter:
Rhea was an integral part of The Kaiser's plot to take over Neverwinter. He abducted the enchantress from Waterdeep, and was forcing her to manufacture a mystic seasoning which is simultaneously rendering Nasher highly susceptible to suggestion and leeching away his vigor. The concoction is nigh-undetectable and highly resistant to priestly magic, allowing the evil warlord to effectively usurp control of the city and slowly kill off its ruler. To outside observers, Nasher simply appears to be growing confused and feeble due to advancing age.

While Rhea cannot craft an antidote, (only time and rest will heal her potent malady), freeing her will effectively end The Kaiser's access to her poison, throwing a wrench in his plot to take over Neverwinter with an air of legitimacy. Once she's established herself at Crossroad Keep, she will provide aid at various points in the campaign - mostly to avenge her captivity in Granite Hold. Brash, proud and spiteful to a fault, if there is one thing Rhea knows how to do it's hold a GRUDGE - and she has a very large score to settle with the man who held her prisoner.