Darkness Over Daggerford Walkthrough Guide, Neverwinter Nights

Darkness Over Daggerford Walkthrough

Darkness Over Daggerford is a NWN module for BioWare's cRPG Definition of 2002, Neverwinter Nights 1.

Ossian's award-winning Darkness Over Daggerford (2006) is a Forgotten Realms module strongly influenced by the Baldur's Gate series, what with its world map system, explorative aspect and companion banter along with its large number of side quests, player stronghold and references to the the lore of Bhaal. 

Darkness Over Daggerford is a solid entry in the line of traditional adventures for Neverwinter Nights, in which arena I would place it below the Aielund Saga and perhaps on par with Crimson Tides of Tethyr - both of which I consider inferior to Swordflight.

DoD was supposed to be released as a commercial Premium Module, but Atari scrapped the program during its development. Not to be discouraged, Ossian completed the module and published it on IGN's Neverwinter Vault, free to download for all members - and the community rejoiced!

As it pertains to custom soundtrack, the "Daggerford" theme has soothing brass and soft drumming interspersed with cello (the latter of which takes the prize: wow). That track is probably my fave custom track for NWN. The low-key tracks are also well-chosen and composed: "Rural" theme features banjo strumming and cello. The music was composed by David John and the solo cello performed by Alfred James.

In this module the player assumes the role of an adventurer investigating the suspicious death of Duke Pwyll Greatshout, in and around the city of Daggerford. The introduction is presented as a slideshow in sepia tone, similar to the Original Campaign; but, for the purposes of this recounting and the reader's convenience, I've condensed its contents into a single pic.

The city of Daggerford, by night

Darkness Over Daggerford Walkthrough Index

• Best Builds Neverwinter Nights
• Part I: Introduction, Trade Way North, The City of Daggerford, Notes on the Campaign.
• Part II: Daggerford Docks, Side Questing & Exploring, Lifting the Lockdown.
• Part III: Lockdown Lifted: The Overworld, Western Farmlands.
• Part IV: Eastern Farmlands, Daggerford Graveyard.
• Part V: Gillian's Hill & The Rest of the Campaign
• Darkness Over Daggerford Item Codes
• Darkness Over Daggerford Enhanced Edition Review

Darkness Over Daggerford Race & Class Considerations

• Most players are going to go with Human race though Dwarf, Elf and Half-Elf are also good choices. Gnomes, Halflings and Half-Orcs are not as popular but make for great Illusionists, Rogues and Barbarians.
• The best class for Darkness Over Daggerford is Wizard. I recommend NOT being Fighter or Rogue as the two companions already adequately fill those roles: Purfbin Doogrick and Raegan Brunegar.

Darkness Over Daggerford Prelude

Falias Emberthumb's Caravan Wagon

You begin the adventure resting inside a caravan wagon, having been hired as a guard by Falias Emberthumb, a portly halfling merchant traveling south along the Trade Way to Daggerford, from Waterdeep. Falias steps inside to announce that the wagon has stopped because a fallen tree has blocked the road; also, that your good friend and companion on this journey, Talarenne, is waiting for you just outside.

 

If you're not already, the module bumps you up to eighth level and supplies you with starting equipment tailored to your class, as per the OC. Loot your traveler's trunk for better tailored treasures. If you have the weapon focus feat then the trunk should also hold a +1 weapon for the one you have focus in. Otherwise, it may default to Short Sword +1 and Club +1. Note that there may be two pages to the chest's inventory.

Once you're leveled, equipped and ready for battle, step out of the wagon and onto the road, into the darkness and pouring rain.

Note that spellcasters are not given the opportunity to rest in order to memorize their spells. This is simply unfair and could have been worked around, quite easily.

Trade Way North

We have stopped in what amounts to a swamp! Three ox-drawn caravan wagons are parked on the road, guarded by spear-wielders. Your light-hearted chat with Talarenne is cut short as she senses something is wrong - an ambush! It seems they used the age-old "fallen tree" tactic to stop the caravan... but who are they?

Bandits, of course! - but a step up from the average in that these ones are adept in sorcery. Talarenne is magically whisked away (kidnapped) as the bandits encircle the caravan in a coordinated attack (Quest: Talarenne).

Assist the caravan crew in fighting off the eight bandits. Two capable allies will be fighting alongside you: Raegan and Amara. Prioritize the bandit leader and attempt to land the killing blow: she's an experience point bomb (+1212 Exp!) Slay the rest as you like. Be wary of their poisoned projectiles and disabling spells such as Daze, both of which can wreak havoc at this early stage.

(bandit leader +1212 Exp, bandit mage +97 Exp, bandit archer x3 +65 Exp ea, bandit blade x3 +65 Exp)

The only corpse worth looting is that of the bandit leader who drops the valuable short sword, Starfire (+1, +1d6 fire, on-hit Flare [1]). I sold this to the dwarf smithy in Daggerford for over 6,000 GP.

Darkness Over Daggerford Companions

Depending on player character NWN Build, one of two companions will now be available for recruitment: 

• Raegen Brunegar
• Purfbin Doogrick

Both Henchmen are always one level behind the PC's level, as is normal in NWN.

In the city of Daggerford, you may recruit your second companion (or both, if you overlooked the companion on the Trade Way North) for a party of three adventurers. Note that you will receive fewer experience points for kills if you adventure with companions, summons or familiars, as per NWN's party size penalty rules. Quest experience points are unaffected, so I wasn't too bothered by this. Playing solo means you miss out on their flavor comments, interjections and personal story, so I don't recommend it.

. 

Speak with Amara Leontyne, who it turns out is also bound for Daggerford and just happened to be passing through as the fight broke out. We'll meet up with her again in the city.

The diminutive merchant will now reappear and reward you for saving his shipment of ladies' gowns (Completed Quest: The Story So Far, 100 GP, +500 Exp). It seems Falias avoided battle by virtue of his magical cloak that grants him invisibility. Delay your departure and pick pocket the cloak from him, if you can: Falias' Cloak of Invisibility (Invisibility [3] five charges) (+50 Exp).

Skilled builds may examine the ground by the caravan wagons using Spellcraft, Search and Lore. You will learn that powerful wizardry - some kind of Binding spell - was used to whisk away your friend, Talarenne. But how could mere bandits have cast that?

 .

Well, let's find out! Wind your way to the northeast to find the abandoned camp of the bandits. Loot the leather knapsack for a crumpled note, revealing that Amara was actually the target of the ambush (not Talarenne) and that the bandits used a Scroll of Binding, pre-made by someone highly versed in the arcane arts, to transport the target into a "Binding Prison". Examine the empty ale barrow to learn it's the property of Black Stone Inn, of Daggerford.

Ok, when you're ready to continue the journey to Daggerford, speak again to Falias.

THE CITY OF DAGGERFORD

Some nice tileset design here:

"The outlook is golden!" - Matagar Bugo, Baron of Daggerford.

Note the music that plays in the city: wow.

My approach to Daggerford city is to hammer out the plot critical path to a certain point while gathering side quests along the way. Most of the side quests branch out to Daggerford's surrounds and therefore have to be put on hold until the lockdown on the city gates is lifted and the player gains access to the world map.

Red: hostile encounters

You will arrive at Daggerford's caravan gate with no further hitch - and just before the city is placed under lockdown! (i.e, nobody may enter or exit the gates.) The relieved Falias will thank you again for services rendered and offer to supply you with fine clothing, if you need it. Then, he trundles off to his wagon parked in the marketplace.

Amara will then request you meet her at the Chateau Elite Inn, just across the road.

However, the inn has a strict dress code and the door guard won't let you in, dressed as you are in adventuring gear.

Note the wall-mounted signs; truly a splendid idea as they stand out and assist in navigation.

Head over to the marketplace and Falias will gladly give you something classy to slip on.

You will now gain admittance to the opulent inn.

Note: The door guard doesn't seem to care that I'm brandishing a sword and that Raegen remains decked in armor. The cook will let you in through the back door if you pass 100 GP through the hatch.

Chateau Elite Inn

Members of high society gossip in the common room. Quintessa will give you a free sample of her perfume that bestows a temporary +1 bonus to Charisma. Further applications actually stack to a total bonus of +12. I would have thought wearing too much perfume would drop your charisma, but whatevs.

If you can, endure the long flavor conversation with the snobby Pemberton couple.

Amara Leontyne is waiting for you in the master suite down the hall. It seems the bandits were after her, not Talarenne: a case of mistaken identity. Amara drops her cover to reveal herself as Astriel Shalyn, an agent investigating the suspicious death of Duke Greatshout for the Lords' Alliance of Waterdeep (Quest: Amara Leontyne). Needing to maintain her cover, she requests that you be her eyes and ears in Daggerford. 

First up, she requests you look into the reasons for the city's lockdown (remember, the town gates have been locked and nobody is permitted to enter or exit them) (Quest: Detained in Daggerford). 

In the meantime, she intends to mingle with the merchant patrons here at the inn, hoping to learn more about Matagar Buto, who she says in an entrepreneur from Waterdeep with a shady past. Astriel will offer you 500 GP and half of that upfront, but she might cough up double that if you persuade her.

Take your leave and step out onto the street where a farmer will approach you and request you meet with Hevesar Dimpet, a spokesman for the troubled farmers who is staying in the Happy Cow Tavern (Quest: There be Trouble Down on the Farm). I'm laying this quest aside, for now.

Ok, so. Who is going to know why the city is in lockdown? The town militia, of course! March over to the barracks in the northwest for an audience with the captain.

Daggerford Barracks

There are actually two captains stationed here, in separate offices: Captain Frederick of the militia and Captain Dratharion of the Griffon Mercenary Company. Odd..

Also curious about the reason for the lockdown, Frederick requests that you spy on Dratharion (Quest: Play the Spy for Captain Frederick).

Question Dratharion in his office. The insolent captain will reveal that the lockdown is in place due to an escaped prisoner by the name of Wikkers, and that it was ordered by Matagar Buto himself, the Baron of Daggerford.

Report back to Frederick and tell him what you have learned from the sell-sword. (Completed Quest: Play the Spy for Captain Frederick , +150 Exp). The militia captain will now request you survey the wild elves camped in the Lonely Barrens, who are causing problems for the farmers  (Quest: Border Dispute). Again, I lay this quest aside.

Loot the cabinets and chests in the barracks for random treasures ranging from knick-knacks to magical items (OL DCs 7-18). One of the chests holds a valuable static treasure: the Longbite (+2 greatsword, Keen, on-hit unique power level 1). The sword can be sold for upwards of 9,000 GP.

 .
Return to Astriel to report your findings (Completed Quest: Detained in Daggerford, +501 Exp). She knows Wikkers as a spy for the Iron Throne, referencing further what took place in Baldur's Gate city, all those years ago.

While you were gone Astriel has been mingling with the merchants of the inn and has learned that cargo is being off-loaded in the Docks in full view of authorities, without being inspected and levied. Your task is to find out the nature of the cargo by searching for records in the offices of the Mariners' Alliance (Quest: Strange Cargo).

March over to the Mariner's Alliance building in the north.

Mariners' Alliance

Speak with the guard named Taffy standing in front of the locked door that leads down to the basement. You will need to get creative if you can't bluff or intimidate him for the key. It seems his weakness is alcohol but Fillian's Brew doesn't hit him hard enough: this blockhead requires Harbor Bottom whiskey, no less.

Head over to the Black Stone Inn in search of the whiskey.

Black Stone Inn

Companion note: This is where Purfbin Doogrick will be if you haven't recruited him yet. Likewise, Raegen Brunegar is at the Happy Cow Tavern.

Sailors and Mariners are boozing up in here like there's no tomorrow. As you grope your way through cigar smoke in search of the bar, you will be pick pocketed by a young man, Davey, who is desperate to help his father pay off a loan shark by the name of Vlad (Quest: An Uncommon Criminal). I lay this quest aside. Note: Flavor conversation with Black Bill O'Shaughnessy.

Purchase a bottle of Harbor Bottom from the "regular brews" menu offered by the drunken innkeep, Gildamesh (-5 GP).

You will spy a seedy looking character standing in the corner: Stran. This roguish vendor will sell you some Knockout Drops with which to spike the whiskey (-4 GP).

Why is a drug cheaper than booze?

Choice items: Greater Mask of Persuasion (Cha +2, Persuade +5, Concentration +1), Rogue Links (Hide +6, Move Silently +6), Amulet of Natural Armor +3, Ring of Protection +3, Bracers of Dexterity +3, traps.

Unlike Vladmyr of Stop Hole Abbey, Stran's wares are accessible to non-Rogues/Monks. However, he lacks the monk robes. Choice items from other Daggerford vendors are detailed in the next post.

Return to the Mariners' Alliance and hand Taffy the Tainted Harbor Bottom Whiskey. He will greedily chug it down and be knocked out cold, dropping the Key to the Mariners' Alliance Door.

Note: You could have also simply slain him for the key. In order to spike the whiskey, you must first right-click on the Knock Out Drop, use its special ability, and then click on the whiskey.

Descend the spiral staircase to the basement.

Mariners' Alliance Basement

Eavesdrop on the conversation coming from the room behind the door.

Step inside to find four hostile mariners in need of a smackdown.

(mariner x2, +43 Exp ea, mariner x2, +65 Exp ea)

Procure the shipping records from the cabinet. You will learn that the Barracuda, a ship currently docked in Daggerford, is frequently shipping arms and armor to an unmentioned destination.

The armoire in the storage room holds static treasure: Gloves of Appraisal (Appraise +3), Cape of Winter (Cold resist 10/-, all saves +2), Healer's Kit +3, Glittering Necklace (DT DC-25, OL DC-25).

Ok, we're done with this place!

As you leave the Alliance building Griffon mercs will surround you and forcibly escort you to the Castle for audience with the Baron.

Daggerford Castle

With a thinly veiled threat Matagar Buto warns you not to meddle in his affairs.

Upon being released you will find yourself outside the Castle. Ignore the warning and head to the Docks in search of the Barracuda.

Coming up in Darkness Over Daggerford - Part II: The trio continue their investigation in Daggerford Docks and explore the city itself in greater detail, finding a variety of secrets and snapping up a load of side quests.

Darkness Over Daggerford Features

This section contains ongoing notes and observations on the adventure, and is therefore a work in progress and subject to revision.

Darkness Over Daggerford Aesthetics

The custom visuals are of very high quality; basically, as good as it gets on the Aurora engine. Lighting is better than most modules. The brickwork is gorgeous. Placeable density is also impressive, though it can hinder your movement at times. The area design is polished, built from tilesets that allow for hills and undulating terrain. The custom music is memorable. Ambience is also superior to most other NWN campaigns: you will hear such things as the pitter-patter of rain outside, and the fireplace crackling. There are lots of incidental VOs puncutating dialogue as well. It's all very charming, actually.

Darkness Over Daggerford Resting

Resting in the city is restricted to inns and unmarked buildings that have been cleared of denizens, but Stupid Thing: the module actually forces the party to rest once per 36 hours (about 1 hour of real-time), otherwise you will incur cumulative ability score penalties! The party members will constantly yawn and their shoulders will slump in indication of this status. Realistic? Yes. Annoying and unnecessary? Hell, yes. While this reflects Baldur's Gate, at least resting in the IE RPGs was instant (there was no progress bar to "wait out").

Darkness Over Daggerford Wealth

There is tons of cash-flow during the adventure and itemization is overly generous. I hope you're not playing this for tactical combat and strategic resource management. This isn't in the same ballpark as Swordflight. The party's pockets bulged with 76,000 GP upon hitting the World Map.

Darkness Over Daggerford Treasure

Treasure is a mix of static (i.e., hand-placed and always there, no matter what), randomized and tailored (that is, to class and feats). Be on the lookout for items with spell-like special abilities, they sell for a small fortune.

Darkness Over Daggerford Merchants

Vendors are stocked up on powerful items. Take for example the Greater belts of Swordsman, Brawler and Archer (DR 20/- against slashing, bludgeoning and piercing, respectively). These are obscenely OP items that imbalanced the OC, four years prior, and so I would have thought it wise to leave them out.

Darkness Over Daggerford Social Skills

The implementation of social skills in dialogue (Persuasion, Bluff, Intimidate) is almost entirely limited to flavor, and resolving a conflict non-violently does not seem to reward experience points as it does if you just slay the NPC, outright.

Darkness Over Daggerford Waylays

Areas of the campaign are navigated by means of a world map, similar to the one used in the Infinity Engine cRPGs.

As per Baldur's Gate these waylays are themed (four themes, ten different zones) and can be deadly; for example:

• Two trolls and two shaman.
• Two ogre berserkers and two ogre magi (661 XP for the ogre berserker at 9th level).
• Seven Gargoyles and three Harpies. 
• Five Lizardfolk savages (swamp).
• Eight gypsies of fighter, rogue and mage types. You start on a bridge and they have you boxed in from both ends.
• (The above were encountered at PC Level 9)
• Aftermath of a caravan raid. Party is pitted against seven human bandits led by their chief (875 XP @ lvl 10). Caravan and chief are not lootable.
• Swamp. Seven lizardfolk savages and two chiefs.

Also as per Baldur's Gate, you may simply flee the scene by reaching the transition point. Reloading in the waylay zone repeats the script and adds more enemies to fight (it seems to only repeat once).

Darkness Over Daggerford Respawn

Respawn comes with significant experience point and gold penalties - based on level and wealth - that most players won't accept; so, it does not discourage reloading on death.

Darkness Over Daggerford Henchmen

Two Henchmen are offered in the early stages of the campaign: a stock-standard Fighter (Raegen Brunegar) and a stock-standard Rogue (Purfbin Doogrick). Therefore, I recommend the player choose an arcane or divine build to complement the party and add variety to the game-play. Companions will offer flavor comments, interjections and their own stories as you level up, but they're very, very basic.

• It seems the NWN party size penalty does not factor in DoD, at least as regards companions (familiars and summons do penalize, however). 
• Companions will turn aggro if you "friendly fire" them, but you can easily order them to stop attacking you (right-click -> Stand Your Ground).
• I just reached the second banter and there seems to be an "Influence" system at work. I'm not sure how consequential it is, though.

Darkness Over Daggerford Cutscenes

The module often employs cutscenes or locks the camera at a certain angle with only dialogue being selectable by the player. These are primitive, over-used and add nothing to the atmosphere or immersion - indeed, quite the opposite. There is no need to take control of the camera and character from the player for such simple segments that can be scripted in real-time. I mean, wow: A halfling steps into a wagon - MUST HAVE CUTSCENE. Really, now? The Aielund Saga is a good example of how to script segments in real-time, adding to the immersion instead of breaking it.

Moreover, there are two other problems brought on by cutscenes: first, they break your stealth and can cause the enemy to get the jump on the party and that's simply unfair (this happens a lot!); second, Ossian were not thorough in preventing the player from trying to skip cutscenes with the Esc-key, so that if the player hits Esc it can cause awful bugs to manifest, such as the area repeatedly reloading, over and over, for example. So yeah, cutscenes: I can't stand them.

Note: Some real-time scripting is implemented, and done well. And, to be fair, the non-dialogue cutscenes are skippable and don't seem to cause bugs.

Darkness Over Daggerford Writing

At times the cRPG writing is great, at times so-so, and at other times quite funny. Or at least, I think so. Much work has gone into writing the descriptions and journal entries. Looted books and journals are particularly well done and the lore-filled descriptions of the antique exhibits and gravestones are a highlight. The dialogue is often upbeat and most players are gonna come away smiling after each quest.

Darkness Over Daggerford Quests

This module offers almost sixty quests, a few of which are directly influenced by Baldur's Gate. Some of the quests are fairly interesting and mildly amusing, whereas others are downright forgettable and so brief and basic that I wondered why they even bothered their ass to make journal entries for them. A criticism has been leveled that the side quests take the steam out of things and many of them are not related to the main plot (interwoven). While true, this was also the case in Baldur's Gate.

Darkness Over Daggerford Weapon Forging

Components can be found and delivered to Derval Ironeater of Daggerford forge. He will forge custom weapons from them:

Broken Ice Blade Hilt: Found on the corpse of Loru, in the Mill Cave in the Eastern Farmlands.
Broken Ice Blade: ?
= Hoarfrost Blade (longsword, EB +2, +4 vs. Outsiders, Endure Elements, +1d4 Cold).
It is believed the hero Scaldulin pulled this blade from the heart of a glacier and later used its powers to slay a legion of demons in the Battle of the Thousand Dead. The blade was also responsible for severing the hand of the lich, Scaroth the Warped, during the razing of Blackmoor. However, the blade is best known for being plunged into the heart of the solar, Arazium, during Scaldulin's fall from grace and eventual transformation into a death knight. ks_weapon_4

Glowing Flail Shaft: Found on a searchable table in Torleth's Treasures at Gillian's Hill.

Glowing Flail Head: Found on the corpse of Daxiong in the crypt, also at Gillian's Hill.
= Last Rest (Light Flail, EB +2, +1d6 vs. Undead, holy).
This flail belonged to a priestess named Felina Tatch, whose one goal in life was to release undead souls from the torment that binds them to the Material Plane. Felina's extreme devotion to this task eventually caused her to run afoul of the vampire Milikaia who slew the priestess and subjugated her will. Not long afterwards, Felina was seen wandering the graveyard near her hometown where, oddly enough, she resumed her quest to hunt down and destroy the living dead. The fate of the vampire Milikaia is unknown. ks_weapon_8

Black Hammer Head: Found in a locked receptacle in the Stronghold tower of Liam's Hold.

Black Hammer Shaft: ?
= The Black Hammer (warhammer, EB +2, Darkvision, +1d4 Acid)
Created from the horn of an ancient black dragon, the head of this hammer continually excretes a caustic acid. The Black Hammer, as it came to be known, was favored by a priestess of Bhaal named Niaal Sortan. In addition to its obvious uses in battle, the weapon served as a makeshift torture device for the priestess' many late-night rampages. It was during one of these nocturnal excursions that Niaal was slain by a group of rangers waiting in ambush. However, due to the splash damage from the weapon's head, all received wounds so grave that no one survived the battle. ks_weapon_15

Yes, I read this far. Please take me to Part II: Daggerford Docks.

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