Swordflight: more Chapter 2 commentary

The scope of Swordflight Chapter Two is impressive in its breadth and depth, allowing you to explore several districts of Calimport - including the dark undercity located deep beneath its sewers - all packed with quests, puzzles, reactivity, challenging combat and a story steeped in lore (example of lore). We're talking about 200+ well-designed areas and 215,000 words of quality dialogue: a magnum opus.

Veterans of classic RPGs - such as Fallout, Arcanum and the Baldur's Gate series - will nod in approval at the quest density offered by the hub of Calimport and the freedom with which they may be undertaken as the city is explored. Rogueknight 333's presentation of Calimport is reminiscent of BG2's Athkatla, or Tarant of Arcanum.

At a certain point the City Gates will open up to the player, thereby granting access to the far-flung Forest of Mir and Marching Mountains, both of which consist of several areas in themselves, ranging from villages and strongholds to wilderness areas and deadly dungeons.

I was a little surprised that these non-Calimshan "Throne of Bhaal" locales were chosen, my expectation having been that Swordflight would focus more sharply on the Kingdom of Calimshan and grace me with a true desert epic, but whatevs: I still thoroughly enjoyed exploration in those regions (forest, mountain, swamp), finding their area arrangement to unfold intriguingly and spur me on to keep playing. Of course, the variable and tough combat encounters (relative to other modules) were also rather effective at keeping me alert and engaged; so yes, I found the module somewhat addictive, as I always felt there was something interesting to discover - or fight - just around the corner.

The character I took through Swordflight was a female Neutral Evil Human Rogue / Fighter whom I managed to role-play to the point of Malefactor; later losing that perfect title due to my own inconsistencies in dialogue. She initially ventured into the underworld, joined the thieves guild and succeeded in completing the burglary and assassination missions for Rajar; also becoming a regular informant to a Khachar agent as the main quest progressed. I can't remember having any outstanding combat or role-playing issues with this build; it was solid enough from start to finish though I didn't complete every single quest.

My final weapon was the Savage Scimitar +3 (Keen, Str +1, Con +1, Will +1, Electrical +1d4, AC dodge -1) which I enchanted with the Blazing Blades' +2 twice-per-day ability of Flame Weapon (10), an awesome buff against many enemies but especially against trolls, a formidable enemy in Swordflight, encountered later in great number, who find it particularly disagreeable since they're vulnerable to fire. 

Before Savage I settled with the Laughing and Shimmering Blade +2 scimitars for on-hit Confusion and Cold +1d4, respectively. Perhaps I could have found superior wields, but, for the most part, those blades seemed up to the task of shredding the monsters to ribbons, and in short order (providing I was suitably buffed up, of course). 

I found armor selection to be a little unusual and limited, though I admit not really nosing things out all that thoroughly - so take that with a grain of salt (this is a huge module, and I don't consult Rogueknight 333's detailed guide unless I'm totally stuck). 

From what I recall, my progression was from Full Plate to Full Plate +1; and then, having supplied the dwarven smith with precious metals found outside of Calimport, to Masterwork Full Plate +2 (all saves +1). 

Finally, having jumped through hoops to gain exclusive access to Gadarn's Garb & Gear, I upgraded to my final suit: the Great Druid's Armor +4 (Greater Cat's Grace [11] 1/day, Greater Endurance [11] 1/day). Very rewarding. Also late-game, I kept the Consuming Fire Robes +3 (Elemental Shield [12] 2/day) on-switch for the valuable pre-buff.

Water and Fire Elementals, the former with DC-20 Drown ability

Shield-wise, I mainly equipped myself with a succession of tower shields ending with the Masterwork Tower Shield +3 (Cha +2), which I chose over the Shield of Strength (Str +3) for no other reasons than "+AC, and I like the look of it." 

After I brought him the seeds of a desert plant, the gardener was kind enough to reward me with a Helm of Haste (perma-Haste); and somewhere along the line I found or bought the following: Gauntlets of Ogre Power (Str +2), Belt of Frost Giant Strength (Str +4), Mantle of Wisdom +2 (Wis +2), Holy Symbol +3 (AC nat +3), Hardiness of the Wild +3 (Con +3, AC dodg +3), Ring of the Royal Will +3 (AC def +3, Will saves +3) and Ring of Resistance +2 (all saves +2). 

I didn't really find any cloaks, amulets or rings to write home about, but again, that's probably my own fault rather than the module not hosting any. 

These are the items I had on switch for their particular buffing abilities: Bracers of the Bull (Bull's Strength [10] 1/day [used it a lot when I didn't have companions]), Mage Killer's Shield (all saves +1, SR 24, Globe of Invulnerability [11] 1/day, Spell Mantle [17] 1/day), Cowl of Mental Protection (Clarity [3] 1/day, Lesser Mind Blank [9] 2/day), Mac-Fuirmidh Cithern (Mage Armor [2] 1/day).

Aranea, Lizardfolk and Troll pack

So it seems to me Swordflight somewhat offsets the increased difficulty of combat encounters by including powerful items - for which I've learned to generally be on the lookout since playing HotU. Players who merely sell off such items might be in for a tougher time. 

I also valued potions which I haven't seen in official content or other modules, such as the rare Elixir of Regeneration (Regeneration [13]), Enhanced Potion of Speed (Haste [10]) and other helpful concoctions such as the Potion of Death Ward (7) which I wish graced my inventory as I faced the Aranea in the Goblin Fortress with their sixteen conjured Water Elementals, all with DC-20 Drown ability. 

The other negative status effect to be wary of is petrification from Basilisk gaze and Gorgon breath. Short of buffing Fortitude saves or throwing in a decoy, I'm not sure if reliable protection exists in Swordflight (or NWN, for that matter) against petrification (in Baldur's Gate the player had access to 100% protection scrolls, spells and potions). 

Swordflight combat can be tough; new players are advised to adventure with a party in the more challenging regional areas where number, variety and difficulty of enemies is increased.

Beetlemania!

Companion-wise, Swordflight has no shortage of supply. I briefly adventured with Chelys the Aasimar Blackguard and Barazh the Dwarven Defender within Calimport itself (though not both together), later bumping into them again at the City Gates' Desert Dragon tavern when the plot sufficiently progressed, at which point I rubbed my hands together as I formed an all-evil crew comprising of Chelys and Barazh and topped off by Zagash the Terrible, an amusing Lich who stalks the earth emanating a permanent fear aura. 

Give or take a level, Chelys and Barazh leveled with me from eighth to fifteenth; but Zagash, by design, just is fifteenth level, no more, no less.

The evil crew were a riot, actually; the banter and interjections didn't seem annoying or forced as in some other modules, or the drivel inflicted on the public through BG2 banter packs and NPC mods; instead, they seemed natural and concise in randomly remarking, conversing together, and expressing approval or disapproval of my actions.

Forming a party is subject to mutually exclusive alignments; the Crusader Gnoll Cleric will not join if the Lich is alongside you, for example.

Party makeup is sort of "chop n change" throughout the adventure due to plot-based reasons and the individual wills of the companions, so don't expect to keep one party the whole time. I adventured with no less than eight different companions over the course of Chapter Two; it kept things fresh in dialogue and on the battlefield.

Behold! The all evil crew! Mwahaha!

My fave companion in combat was Zagush, whose above-mentioned fear aura caused many enemies to flee in terror, at which point they were sneak attacked to death by Chelys and I. So satisfying, but arguably OP once you improve at manipulating the Lich's position relative to a pack of enemies; and also I was no longer daunted by the prospect of resting in areas in which ambushed enemies would instantly succumb to fear. I didn't abuse this... much... but at that point the Exp from berserker and shaman kills was pretty juicy.

The horrified Hill Giants are now easy pickings

Overall, I found Swordflight to be well-balanced in all facets and polished pretty much to perfection, finding only three typos and one or two oversights. Rogueknight 333 is right in saying Swordflight is "heavy" in regards to role-play, traps n tricks, combat and dialogue: it is, and it does indeed offer "something for everyone", like all great epics, which this is shaping up to be. The intriguing thing is that this is only Chapter Two, the third chapter being currently in the works and the series projected to six or seven chapters, all told.

Entrance to Galhadr Estate

Neverwinter Nights	Swordflight Chapter 3	Buried Ruins 2	Thieves' Guild	Mazar's Golems
Swordflight	Swordflight Alignment	Buried Ruins 3	Goblinoid Army	Precious Metals
Rogueknight Interview	Swordflight Walkthrough	Buried Ruins 4	Orc Army	Hammer & Anvil
Swordflight Chapter 1	Shifting Sands Inn	Calimport	Dragon Cult	Bloody Blades
Swordflight Chapter 2	Buried Ruins 1	Zataroth	Aranea Base	Zagash the Terrible