Swordflight NWN

Swordflight for Neverwinter Nights

Developed by Rogueknight333 the award-winning Swordflight (2008-2022) is an ambitious series of NWN modules built for BioWare's cRPG of 2002, Neverwinter Nights.

Set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting familiar to all, Swordflight is notable for its reactive questing, explorative aspect, and traditional/old-school approach to puzzles, dungeoneering and combat encounters.

Swordflight offers something for everyone. One can enjoy its dialogues, characterizations, Realmslore and storytelling just as much as they can its combat encounters, dungeon-delving and resource management.

As of 2026 Swordflight is 18 years in the making. When the final chapter comes out Swordflight is likely to become the greatest digital role-playing campaign of all-time; nothing will even come close to its breath and depth.

Swordflight	Release	Level Range	Hours	Quests	Zones	Companions
Chapter 1	2008	1-5	12	19	21	1
Chapter 2	2012	5-17	50	80	215	10
Chapter 3	2016	17-25	30	47	160	7
Chapter 4	2018	25-33	35	20	104	2
Chapter 5	2022	32-34	35	36	130	5
Chapter 6	tba	tba	tba	tba	tba	tba
Totals (1-5)	15 years	1-34	162	202	630	25

Swordflight is well-rounded in that it places a sensible degree of emphasis on the various aspects of cRPGs that make them distinctive from other genre. It does not mainly throw words at you like Planescape: Torment, and it does not mainly throw monsters at you like Icewind Dale. Instead, it could be said that it pays homage to Baldur's Gate which is the middleground that fans of the genre have grown to appreciate. Swordflight is also not without humor, parody and other light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek moments.

---

Whether you are looking for builds, walkthroughs, histories, criticism or technical articles on computer games, Lilura1 has had you covered for 12 years and counting as of 2026. Enjoy my epic long-form write-ups: up to 39,000 words with a single click.

Computer Game History | Computer Game Reviews | Amiga Reviews

---

Swordflight's itemization, dungeons and encounters are impeccably balanced and yet still interesting. 

That in itself is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates a deep understanding of D&D rules and NWN mechanics.

Chapters 2-5 also employ custom content in the form of tilesets, placeables and monsters.

Swordflight is highly replayable because it supports -- and is reactive to -- varied NWN builds and playstyles. Play what you like and how you like: more than most cRPGs out there, you will feel like your character matters within the gameworld.

18 years in the making, and with one chapter still to come, the total gameplay hours for the series currently stands at a whopping 160, depending on playstyle and cRPG experience.

In Best cRPGs 2026 Liluran commentary ranked the Swordflight campaign 3rd, behind only genre-defining masterpieces:

One of the startling things about Swordflight is that it isn't turn-based or big on party-based tactics, yet it gives me a more authentic D&D experience than cRPGs that are. This is due to its traditional principles of design that have been honed much sharper than tradition itself managed.

Swordflight Chapter 1

Released in 2008 Chapter 1 of Swordflight introduces the player to Rogueknight 333's refined game design principles, such as reactivity, resource management and dungeon strategy. When I first played it I was surprised by how eerily similar it felt to tabletop/PnP gaming. As well, I was humbled by its attention to resource management and rest restrictions.

As a disciple of Fallout, Arcanum and Baldur's Gate, I didn't know campaigns could be so balanced and yet still maintain the interest levels. In fact, I found myself reassessing what constitutes good cRPG design -- and that, a full 20 years after I first played the classics from Interplay, BioWare and Black Isle Studios.

Once I got over the initial shock Swordflight won me over.

This introductory adventure takes first level characters to about fifth. It features one companion (Zarala), 19 quests, 24 areas and takes about 12 hours to complete. The highlight of Chapter One is its polished multi-level dungeon crawl (the Buried Ruins), which features traps, puzzles and many combat encounters.

Swordflight Chapter 2

Released in 2012 Chapter 2 of Swordflight is widely regarded as the best Chapter in the series. This is primarily due to its massive size and scope along with its non-linear questing and open-ended exploration of the city of Calimport, the dungeons beneath it, and its varied wilderness outskirts. 

Reminiscent of Baldur's Gate city Chapter Two sports 50 reactive quests, 200 areas, 200,000 words of text, several companions and an approximate level range of 5-17. This massive adventure takes about 80 hours to beat, depending on playstyle. Chapter Two is the best NWN module on the Aurora platform, and one of the best cRPG campaigns ever.

It is a masterpiece of cRPG campaign design.

Swordflight Chapter 3

Released in 2016 Chapter 3 of Swordflight starts the player off on the high seas en route to the city of Zazesspur. Chapter 3 features divergent racial paths and epic combat encounters in the form of sub-bosses and massive mobs.

While not as large as the second installment, this module still offers 47 quests, 160 areas, several companions and about 30 hours of gameplay within a level range of 17-25. That is to say, it's still huge and better than any non-Swordflight module.

Swordflight Chapter 4

Released in 2018 Chapter 4 of Swordflight is an epic march through the Underdark. Characters start off at about 25th and end at around 33rd. This module, which pits the player against myriad denizens of the Underdark, offers two companions, 20 significant quests, 100 areas and about 35 hours of gameplay. Again, while not as good as Chapter 2 the 4th chapter still stands as one of the best modules for NWN.

The meat and potatoes of Chapter 4 is accessed from an Underdark market hub. The vast majority of the quests can be taken in any order, and exploration is largely non-linear.

The western caverns constitute a non-trivial lead-up to the hub. Once in the hub, the north leads to an Illithid Stronghold, the south to Beholder Warrens and the east to Azoophun's Kuo Toa Stronghold. There are many other regions such as Xerxkatun's lairs (a lich) and the Planes as well as random areas packed with Underdark monsters which are drawn randomly from preset pools.

Swordflight's Underdark is truly vast, dark and foreboding. You can't tell from the map screencapped above because I turned off area lighting in the toolset (otherwise, we wouldn't be able to see much).

Cool new monsters, Kuo Toa:

An upgrade to elemental summons:

Swordflight Chapter 5

Swordflight Chapter 5 was released in October of 2022. The fifth installment features 36 quests, 130 zones and 5 companions, making it the third largest Swordflight module to date. Back in May 2022 the module seemed polished when I completed a playtest, so I would assume the uploaded release squished any of the nasty bugs (if indeed there were any to begin with).

When I have the time I'd like to comment on the module more. But for now, I can just say that fans of the series won't be disappointed with this latest installment -- especially if they are also Baldur's Gate fans!

Don't forget to comment on, vote for and report any bugs in C.5 on the Vault!

Swordflight Chapter 6

Swordflight Chapter 6 is planned, but its release date is as yet unknown.

***

Swordflight Mod Compatibility

Make sure you're running Swordflight from a pristine 1.69 CR NWN installation. Popular mods such as CPP, PRC, ACAP, Tony K's and Project Q can cause issues, so I don't recommend installing them.

Note also that Enhanced GUI is NOT compatible with the respawn menu in Swordflight; the game crashes immediately upon our death. In short, I would advise against employing mods of any kind unless you know exactly what you are doing.

I personally run Swordflight with ACAP and NW Shader, without issue.

Swordflight Legacy Commentary

The following Swordflight articles constitute my legacy commentary of Swordflight; that is, my older commentary and first impressions that were published in 2015-16.

Legacy article I (the first article I published about Swordflight, back in March of 2015):

Swordflight: Chapter 1 and 2 commentary

Realmslore, reactivity, resource management, rest restrictions under the supreme Vancian magic system, build-based itemization, replayability, quest density, non-linearity, meat-grinder dungeons, tactical combat: This is Swordflight for BioWare's Neverwinter Nights, and it's peerless.

Basic Campaign Information

Note: The info in this old section has since been neatly tabled and updated (see beginning of this article).

Chapter One | 2008 | lvls 1-5 | 12 hours | 19 quests |  21 zones | 1 companion

A difficult and very well polished multi-level dungeon (Buried Ruins).

Chapter Two | 2012 | lvls 5-17 | 50 hours | 80 quests | 215 zones | 10 companions
Non-linear exploration of a quest-dense urban hub (Calimport).

Chapter Three | 2016 | 17-25 | 30 hours | 47 quests | 160 zones | 7 companions
Divergent racial paths and epic combat encounters.

Chapter Four | 2018 | 25-33 | 35 hours | 20 quests |  104 zones | 2 companions
March through the Underdark. It is full of dungeon crawling and battles against monsters with special powers. - Rogueknight 333.

Totals: lvls 1-33 | 160 hours | 166 quests | 500 zones |  17 companions
(Level ranges and chapter lengths are approximations.)

Subject to revision, the series is projected to span six or seven chapters in total.

Judging by the experience point bombs given in Chapter Three, it's pretty likely this series is going to take your character all the way to fortieth level, which is rarely seen in the arena of single-player epics on the NWN platform (27th in HotU and 37th in Aielund Saga).

I'm interested in seeing how Rogueknight 333 tailors combat scenarios to godly NWN Builds. I mean, even Chapter 2's combat scenarios felt epic, and Chapters 3 and 4 served up some truly monstrous mobs. It's sort of daunting when you think about what 5-7 might have in store for us...

Make sure you're running Swordflight from a pristine 1.69 CR install. NWN Mods such as CPP, PRC, ACP, Tony K's and Project Q cause issues, so I don't recommend installing them (and nor does the author). Make sure you're running Swordflight from a pristine 1.69 CR install. Note also that Enhanced GUI is not compatible with the respawn menu in Swordflight; the game crashes immediately upon our death.

Barrow brawl! Empowered Wights, Zombie Warriors, Skeleton Sentinels and a Bone Golem:

Rogueknight 333's Swordflight is shaping up to be an epic, eventually six-part series for the Neverwinter Nights platform. Uniquely, the series is centered in the merchant kingdom of Calimshan, located in the far south-west of Faerûn; famous for its desert ambience and Arabian Nights flavor (magic carpets), and renowned in Realmslore for its exotic markets and once being the site of an ancient empire of genies. 

Well-known characters like Regis and Artemis Entreri popped into my mind when I discovered Swordflight is mostly set in Calimport (the capital city of Calimshan). Those characters are from a novel, partially set in Calimport, that I read in my youth: The Halfling's Gem. So the region in which Swordflight is set is quite rich and refreshing, as it hasn't really been deeply explored in official Infinity Engine or Aurora/Electron content over the years, at least to my knowledge. I think the closest BioWare came was the Forest of Mir and Marching Mountains in ToB, both of which border Calimshan to the north.

Beginning with the second installment (Chapter 2) Swordflight implements the CTP Babylon tileset, which succeeds in bringing that Ottoman Empire / Arabian look & feel to NWN.

I was pleased to read that Swordflight is balanced for D&D Hardcore Rules and wisely implements severe rest restrictions, without which the player can simply "rest spam" - that is, throw themselves recklessly into a fight, inflict massive damage (but also take lots in return), rest afterwards to heal themselves completely, then just repeat over and over until game's end. Or in the case of spellcasters, simply empty their spellbook on the hordes, rest to replenish spell slots, then repeat again and again! This abuse has always been a huge problem cRPGs that employ the Vancian magic system, at least since Baldur's Gate, where it really got out of hand.

You may recall that resting was instant in BG2, healed the player of even poison and disease, and rarely resulted in ambushes, which were a weak deterrent in Infinity Engine cRPGs, anyway, since ambushing enemies were walk-overs. In contrast, on-rest ambushes in Swordflight are resource-draining and punishing: players will realize very quickly that resting in dungeons seething with undead is a big no-no.

Swordflight's strict resting rules means the player has to think carefully about their tactics in battles and overall area strategy, casting spells and using the limited items wisely. That's called resource management, a concept with which many professional game designers are unfamiliar or reluctant to employ.

Looted items that usually serve no purpose other than to clog your inventory suddenly become vital and sought-after consumables that keep you on your feet and fighting during the many challenging encounters thrown at you. Stuff like potions, spell scrolls, wands and even custom items designed to protect against and/or cure specific negative statuses (e.g the Undead Ward discs in Chapter One).

Paying attention to whatever you loot sort of helps, this isn't the Original Campaign of one million receptacles containing "confetti loot" that you absent-mindedly click on and only sell off when you can't loot anymore because your inventory and Bags of Holding are packed full of useless garbage. Most items you find in Swordflight actually do serve a purpose, and compulsively hoarding them means you're probably not gonna breeze through the deserts and dungeons which make up a large part of the first chapter.

Reiterating, Swordflight doesn't just require fight-by-fight tactics, its dungeons demand resource management and overall strategizing. Paying attention to the itemization and scouting ahead to learn about your environment is key. Charge in and die, it's that simple. You'll be pleased to know this high standard is upheld in Chapter Two.

Questing in the Docks may lead you to undersea adventure... I got in over my head, literally:

There is much to say about Swordflight, and it's almost wholly positive from where I'm standing. It features a high degree of non-linearity (starting with the second entry, which raises the bar significantly), solid writing, interesting questing and puzzles, alignment repercussions for actions and weighty dialogue choices, multiple quest solutions, secrets doors, a strong sense of resource management, deadly traps and tooth-and-nail fights.

The documentation is also impressive: an informative, lengthy readme and a walkthrough that goes into great depth, which players should only consult when they're genuinely stuck, of course. I'm currently halfway through Swordflight Chapter Two and hope to post more on this "hardcore, oldskool-style" series in the near future.

Try to resist the following two temptations, if you can: to skip Chapter One; to start Chapter One above first level. I was tempted to do the former, and I'm glad I didn't, as the second chapter references the first; and also it's more rewarding to continue on with the same character and items/gold, for which you fought so hard during the first installment.

Think you're gonna just walk all over this bugbear? Think again!

Assassins of Dark Calimport, Ogre Mage Orkaz, Blazing Axe orc high shaman and archer hero:

Wagu the Wererat

This is just an example of an early quest for first level scrubs. I've posted it as an afterthought to this review because I had the pics handy in preparation for a possible recounting (which, 4 years after posting this, I began: Swordflight Guide).

It appears to be your typical "KEEL DAH RATZ" quest, but it turns out to be a potentially lethal encounter that includes a moral consideration, lore on lycanthropes and multiple solutions.

The quest is acquired from the innkeeper of the Shifting Sands.

 

Having dropped down to the basement and exterminated the rats (no mean feat), an angry wererat steps out of the shadows to confront the player.

Back upstairs in the common room, a peaceful solution to the vermin problem is sought from the innkeeper.

And succeeds!

Legacy article II (the second article I published about Swordflight):

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. We're talking about 200+ well-designed areas and 215,000 words of quality dialogue: a magnum opus.

Veterans of classic cRPGs - such as Fallout, Arcanum and Baldur's Gate - 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:

Legacy article III:

Swordflight Alignment

A large portion of my two-part coverage of Swordflight consisted of general remarks and a focus on its peerless itemization and resource management, perhaps at the expense of its on-par dialogue and role-playing aspects. Hopefully, this post will go some way to addressing that inadequacy. What follows mainly refers to Swordflight Chapter 1; the series currently being replayed by me -- as a Paladin of Tyr -- in anticipation for Swordflight Chapter 3, upcoming!

Alignment is dynamic in NWN; that is, depending on your actions and dialogue choices, alignment shifts between the two dimensions of Good & Evil (morals) and Law & Chaos (ethics). Alignment shifts are a form of cRPG Reactivity. Unlike the official campaigns and most community-made content, Swordflight is reactive as it pertains to alignment. For example, my Paladin began the campaign at Lawful (85) Good (85) on the alignment scale, and by the time she was ready to leave the Shifting Sands Inn and embark on her adventure as a caravan guard, her alignment had already shifted +5 Lawful and +7 Good.

Now, in order to achieve this I had to actually role-play my character and pay attention to the dialogue. I felt compelled to be principled, honest, compassionate and self-sacrificing; and not to engage in theft (that would shift me towards Evil), say silly things to people, or kill non-hostile creatures (both of which would shift me towards Chaotic).

By the end of Chapter One, my Paladin had attained Lawful (95) and Good (100). So yeah, with the morals maxed and the ethics close to it, I will likely attain "purity" and the Crusader honorific before I step out of Galhadr Estate into the city of Calimport (in Planescape: Torment it was also easier to max Good than Lawful).

But what happens when I'm maxed? Well, I still receive a minor experience point bonus for reinforcing perfect dimensions.

The rest of this post is given over to a breakdown of my alignment shifts (Lawful & Good), listed in the order in which they occurred (I make no claims that I have covered them all but I have been fairly thorough).

Many's the time you will notice a parodying tone, one which has caused some players to conclude that parts of the dialogue are cliché. Swordflight being a homage to traditional cRPGs, this is actually done on purpose. You will also note the tongue-in-cheek explanatory messages, like, for example:

• "You have compassion even for monsters"
• "For extraordinary concern for property rights"
• "For your hatred of Evil"

Taken in the context of the actual dialogue response (and animations), I found these quite amusing!

While alignment is more important to a Paladin than other classes (I would become "Fallen" if I failed to uphold the LG outlook on life), in my first run of the campaign I also felt encouraged to role-play my Rogue to the point of Malefactor, so I think Swordflight succeeds in making alignment meaningful enough for those who desire to role-play their character.

The breakdown:

Glebur Swiftaxe is one of the seasoned adventurers boozing up at the Shifting Sands Inn. The extended dialogue segment with his adventuring party is (necessarily) "tutorial-ish" in tone; and here is my first level scrub stating her position...

The adventuring party pointed me to a few patrons in need of assistance, one of whom is Haldin Khadash, a wizard who needs a stolen tome recovered...

The tome is recovered and the monetary reward declined, in true Paladin style.

Salud Sherad, innkeeper of the Shifting Sands, gives you what appears to be your typical "KEEL DAH RATZ" quest but it turns out to be a potentially lethal encounter that includes a moral consideration, lore on lycanthropes and multiple solutions. Here, my Paladin returns from having spoken to a wererat, hoping to find a peaceful solution to its problem...

Back down in the basement with the elixir in hand, I return to Wagu the Wererat and attempt to persuade him to quaff it. This dialogue is quoted in full because it's such a tough persuasion check to pass - yet is quite satisfying if it succeeds...

 

I once again decline the monetary reward.

Gaduish Sherkal is a noble half-orc who, after a certain violent incident, is doubting whether he should continue his attempt to civilize goblinoid slaves...

Now on the streets outside the inn, my Paladin encounters a Belligerent Drunk who demands some chump change...

Bunglo Bofmer is a halfling rescued by me from the sewers beneath the inn...

Once the above quests have been completed, Zarala Galhadr may finally be recruited as a companion. The highlighted response results in Good +1.

Having been accidentally shot in the back and (seemingly) killed by Zarala during a bandit raid on Saman Waladi's caravan convoy, I awaken on the Plane of Air, where a Strange Elemental Being gifts me the Orb of Life and tasks me with protecting my Air Genasi companion...

Back in the Calim Desert, somewhere between Calimport and Memnon, a priest of Oghma gives me a lead on where the bandits took Saman and Zarala...

The bandits are tracked across the desert; and deep in the bandit caves, a shrine is found...

Having slain the bandit chief and looted his corpse for the key to the dungeon, I free Zarala from her captivity...

Zarala's alignment scale starts at Chaotic (0) Neutral (50) but she may also be influenced by the PC to shift towards Good (or Evil) on a few occasions. This seems to be an innovation of Swordlflight that I have not seen in other NWN modules; though I have seen (one-off and permanent) player-affected companion alignment changes in Baldur's Gate 2 (Viconia & Sarevok). However, the influence is gradual, malleable and makes more sense in Swordflight: it is made clear that Zarala is bright but also youthful and innocent; and therefore, impressionable.

I was able to influence Zarala three times in Swordflight Chapter One:

1.) Delving to the third level of the Buried Ruins, a second shrine of evil is located... Note the reciprocal effect at work, here: as my character influences Zarala's beliefs, her agreement then reinforces mine, in turn. 

Particularly intelligent or wise PCs may be able to reason with Zarala more thoroughly, resulting in extra experience points and influence. Thanks to Rogueknight 333 for reminding me of this!

2.) The duo escapes the Buried Ruins and find themselves back in the Calim Desert. However, in order to reach the caravan camp to consult with Kadath they must first penetrate Asabi Caves, in which they encounter a non-hostile orc...

3.) Also in the Asabi Caves an Asabi Mother expresses concern for her eggs...

In future installments I would like to see solid consequences in Zarala's outlook based on how the PC has influenced her; and, perhaps some kind of grand event that checks her alignment and is modified accordingly. It would make sense for a PC to be able to greatly influence a similarly-aligned companion in a key moment (as Charname is able to do with Balthazar in Ascension BG2).

Anyway, continuing on:

En route back to the Buried Ruins (after consulting with Kadath), the duo is waylaid by a Strange Monk...

Delving to the fourth level and deepest point of the Buried Ruins, the duo encounter the formidable Ramurg, a Mummy Warlord whose passivity is not to be tested lightly.

Note the flavor check on the PC's deity ("Paladin of Tyr"). For this to appear you will need to type in a deity name during chargen; otherwise, it will come up blank! Thanks to Rogueknight 333 for instructions on how to add a deity, post-chargen.

If the Persuade check succeeded I would have been able to "turn" Ramurg. Turn undead dialogue checks crop up more in Chapter Two, allowing you to also break necromantic wards and shatter phylacteries! How cool is that?

On the verge of conquering the infamous Buried Ruins, a foe that is completely out of our league threatens to end our adventure...

The first Chapter all but over, my Paladin returns to camp and gifts Roigo Zedan the Necromantic Manual, found in the Spider Caves (I could have delivered this much earlier, but whatevs).

Swordflight Chapter Two introduces another consequence to alignment, one that occurs when you pray at the altar to a deity. In the below pic, my Crusader and pious Paladin of Tyr prays to her God of Justice to receive a 1 point shift towards Good and Lawful plus an experience point bonus based on her "degree of goodness and lawfulness" (already attained). This worship may be attempted at each "level-up" but subsequent experience point boosts are not guaranteed. While its affect on power progression is minimal, in a tough campaign like Swordflight every lil' advantage counts; and aside from that it's simply a nice touch.

 .

Legacy article IV:

Swordflight Chapter 3 Review

Ok, this first lot of screencaps recap the events of the first two chapters of Swordflight for BioWare's Neverwinter Nights; the second lot sets the scene for the initial events of the current one.

Our Story so far:

Chapter III begins:

Pirate hunting:

 

Aboard the Sword of Valkur:

.

Above: Initial dialogue with Zarala, belowdecks.

Below: Dialogue with the Captain on the decks.

Minotaur pirate isle:

Ok, that should be enough to whet your appetite!

Size & Scope.

Swordflight Chapter Three is shorter than the second chapter but still much longer than the first. It starts off linear, then goes non-linear for its quest-dense urban hub (Zazesspur), then goes linear again for its "major racial paths" (see Reactivity section).

This installment takes you across varied environments such as pirate isles, minotaur mazes, the City of Zazesspur (and the ancient dwarven ruins buried deep beneath it), the frozen wastelands of Cania, forests, countrysides, fortresses, ancients tombs etc. So yeah, it's all there.

Zazesspur Docks

I counted approx. 50 quests, 150 areas, over 600 custom items and quite a few custom bosses, too, like the Dwarven Doomknight and the Minotaur King, pictured below.

cRPG Reactivity. It's Swordflight! - so, highly reactive to your character. Race, class, alignment, feats and skills are checked at regular intervals; f.e, Playing a survivalist? Expect woodcraft, tracking, and animal empathy checks. Playing a holy warrior? Expect to detect evil wherever you go, and break necromantic wards with Turn Undead.

Most notably, there are two major racial paths that begin at a certain point in the main quest: one for gnomes, halflings and dwarves; the other for humans, elves, half-elves and half-orcs. The areas, dungeons, quests and companions associated with these paths are completely different to one another.

Difficulty. You hit epic levels in this one and start to kick some ass as a result. But the mobs are massive and their ranks are non-trivial, so they will tear you a new one if you're not buffed or being mindful. I played with a character that didn't have equipment from the first two installments; twice I got a lump in my throat because I forgot to bring consumable wards, and backtracking was out because I was deep down and stuck. So yeah, don't delve any dungeon without a solid supply.

To reiterate, it depends on your build, but as a general rule of thumb you really don't want to be exploring without potions of Death Ward, Freedom, Lesser Mind Blank, Resist Elements and Speed (Enhanced).

Also, Potion of Cure Severe Wounds is a new addition, replenishing fewer hit points than Heal but more than Cure Critical. Invigoration runes, undead wards, scrolls of Raise Dead and the Scabbard of Enhancement won't go astray, either.

A typical on-rest ambush

• Custom Content Employment. Swordflight is known for its inclusion of custom content and this installment is no exception.
• Custom creatures (SwordflightB.hak): Cornugon by Magma, Displacer Beast by DM_Shade, Gelugon by Jupp & h20rat, Glabrezu by Schazzwozzer, Marilith by Lord of Worms (2011 CCC), Otyugh by ShadowM, Rust Monster by Fenmarel & Brent Anderson, Undead Umber Hulk & Undead Hook Horror by Plush Hyena of Doom, Yuan-Ti Abomination by Diademus.
• Custom Placeables (SwordflightB.hak): Pirate Flag Placeables by Dark Defiance (2010 CCC), Snow Mogul Placeables by Vibrant Penumbra (2011 CCC).
• Custom Tilesets: Seasonal Forest from the Lord of Worms Tilesets and Dwarven Halls & CTP Loadscreens from CTP Common.

Examples of area design:

Walkthrough. There is also a 94 page walkthrough written by the author, available as a separate download. I didn't have access to it during my playtesting, proving that it's possible to get through this Chapter without one.

As usual, most of my issues center around the Aurora Engine upon which my fave modules are built. I find the companion AI really quite annoying; and Swordflight exacerbates the issues due to its increased difficulty.

Pathing can also pose a problem in that, under a RTwP combat system, one can never be sure if, when they click a target/destination, they can actually reach it without bouncing off a placeable or other combat unit (losing costly seconds in combat).

To be fair, the latter issue is true of even Infinity Engine cRPGs, which people praise to the heavens. 

The author is aware of both of these issues; nevertheless, it was decided that Aurora was the most suitable platform on which to build his campaign - and I agree with that evaluation. The engine is mostly great.

But I've always wished Troika's ToEE shipped with an Aurora-like toolset, and wasn't so bug-plagued. Then, who knows, we could have been playing the likes of Swordflight as a turn-based tactical cRPG. Imagine that? One can dream..

I was hoping for more custom content employment - especially regarding ship interiors and the marketplace tileset - but the ones that were available on the Vault did not suit the author's purposes.

More visual variation in the ranks of enemies would have been nice, too. Do all bandits have to be in uniform and in same style, same color? I just think it would be nice to mix things up a bit (this is not a criticism of their combat abilities, which are indeed varied enough).

This is not so much a criticism as it is a warning: you will need a decent PC to run this. The areas are huge and so are the mobs. Also, if you have framerate issues try turning off Shiny Water.

End of Review.

Swordflight Chapter 3 vids:

Swordflight Chapter Three combat scenario - Weapon Master vs. Priest of Malar: Big bursty damage of Scythe crits saved my ass here, against a priest who unleashes spells if you don't get in his face and smack him down first. Then he shapeshifts, but yeah, another big crit. Improved Invisibility is mandatory for concealment. This is not as EZ as it looks. Sometimes werecats train on Zarala, too. Not good. Again, I was lucky.

• Swordflight Chapter 3 combat scenario - Weapon Master vs. Bandit Commander: Had to quaff two valuable Healing potions. It's better to be safe than sorry because the bandit commander wielding a keen scimitar, making him a crit machine. He healed himself once, which is what he always does. Zarala is fighting with fists lol, but she is irrelevant in this situation, anyway. The Dire Bear is a squishy meatshield for this encounter but it's better than nothing. The archers are rated EZ but, as you can see, they are decent marksmen, and it was satisfying to chase them down at the end.

The rest of this post contains random pics from Chapter 3. They were added four years after the above review. I found them sitting in my drafts.

Most of Chapter III takes place in and around the city of Zazesspur, to the north of Calimport. Zazesspur is Chapter III's quest-dense urban hub. 

Bandit Fortress:

Mega monster mob:

Arcane duel: My Gnome Illusionist taking on a Gnome Lich - in his lab.

Why am I conducting an incursion into the dungeon-lab of a gnome-lich - am I crazy? Well, yes. But I needed something from that lab, namely this:

Zeko Tazoc is the boss of the race-specific quest for gnomes. The lab is built on a "steamworks" tileset that features steam effects and moving engine placeables. It's quite colorful and equally deadly.

Zeko has decked the place out with devious hazards. He doesn't just drop a ton of rocks on intruders from the ceiling like the ogres do, he wants to make us suffer and die slowly. To that end, there are corridors and chambers that will burn us and melt us...

And spheres that bombard us with magic:

Basically, Zeko wants intruders who somehow survive the ordeal to be on their last legs as they limp into his sanctum. And then, of course, he's a lich with a phylactery. In Swordflight II and III we encounter four liches all of whom have a phylactery: Zagash, Ilkuzeram, Illithilich (an Alhoon) and Zeko.

Custom items yielded:

A nice Illusionist-flavored staff (since gnomes are naturally gifted in the illusion school):

Familiar upgrade:

Unique enemies:

The Elemental Plane of Air plays a pivotal role in the Swordflight Series:

A talk with Hamad in Chapter I:

Now, Zarala does not actually adventure with us in Chapter II though she features prominently and is a quest-giving anchor for the Chapter along with Hamad. The revelation that Zarala is an ancestor of the great djinni, Zefad, I reserve for another post.

What is interesting is that the above dialogue with Hamad has some reactivity in Chapter II: if we tell him about what happened in the Plane of Air in Chapter I, he will look into it and offer us a quest at the beginning of Chapter II. Otherwise, we miss out.

In Chapter III there is an incursion by the forces of Azghulkar upon the Plane of Air.

The magical crystal orb is located in the south of the map:

Zarala, being a descendent of the djinni Zefad, is able to manipulate the orb instinctively. This results in what I call "an experience point bomb":

At the end of Chapter III:

/End of Legacy commentary.

Swordflight Quest List

I have listed the quests in order to show how many there are. Have fun checking them off as you play and replay the series.

Swordflight Chapter 1 Quests

1. Adventurers Wanted
2. Caravan Guard
3. Desert Ruins
4. Door to Lower Ruins
5. Gaduish's Slaves
6. Ghost in the Ruins
7. Missing Brooch
8. Mysterious Protector
9. Quirixea
10. Rajar
11. Rats
12. Resting Safely
13. Restitution for Damage
14. Searching for Water
15. Searching the Sewers: Bunglo
16. Searching the Sewers: Tarshal's Treasure
17. The Tome of Zataroth
18. Veteran's Advice
19. Zarala

Swordflight Chapter 2 Quests

1. Amateur Smithing
2. Animal Control
3. Barazh
4. Basement Investigation
5. Bats in the Attic
6. Blimfin's Machine
7. Bounty Hunt: Darkshadow Assassins
8. Bounty Hunt: Mejalash Sebar
9. Bounty Hunt: Nadchar Neneb
10. Chelys
11. Collapsed Basement in the Slums
12. Dryads under Duress
13. Dwarves Unwelcome
14. Enhancement Rune
15. Fetching Oaken Planks
16. Find a Seagull Feather
17. Gadaran's Garb & Gear
18. Galhadr Guard
19. Goblins of the Forest of Mir
20. Hamad's Quests: Assisting Kalomas
21. Hamad's Quests: Consuming Fire Order
22. Hamad's Quests: Humanoid Armies
23. Hamad's Quests: Meet with Radazal
24. Hamad's Quests: Temple of Ilmater
25. Hamad's Quests: The Sword of Zefad
26. Hamad's Quests: To the Spider Swamp
27. Haunted House
28. Hidden Treasure in the Sewers
29. Hrangarak and Gunkruzelle
30. Imp Infestation
31. Kelem Ishadin
32. Magical Reagents
33. Master Iram's Training
34. Mazar's Golems
35. Missing Tools
36. Nasirak's Quests: Defeat the Titans
37. Nasirak's Quests: Mysterious Disappearances
38. Nasirak's Quests: Search for Kelem Ishadin
39. Our Story So Far
40. Package for Bamot Harojan
41. Poems of the Rathac Mar
42. Querzat's Hideout
43. Revenant's Ring
44. Ring of Tyr
45. Sacrificing a Slave to Shar
46. Sahuagin Beneath the Docks: Aranea Letter
47. Sahuagin Beneath the Docks: Corpse's Necklace
48. Saman's Shipment
49. Searching for Aladar Hasin
50. Seeds from a Desert Plant
51. Seginda's Ring
52. Shadow on the Wilderness
53. Shakam's Gloves
54. Sharks in the Basement
55. Siege of Fort Akhaz
56. Smithy Materials
57. Snajagh
58. Spying for Olim Khachar
59. Talu
60. Tavern Performance
61. Temple of Selune
62. The Cult Book
63. The Zekar Tower's Planar Trap
64. Thieves' Guild
65. Thieves' Guild Quests: Assassinate Kam Saitef
66. Thieves' Guild Quests: Assassinate Sarojal
67. Thieves' Guild Quests: Assassinate Naruaz
68. Thieves' Guild Quests: Healing Chalice
69. Thieves' Guild Quests: Magical Cloth
70. Thieves' Guild Quests: Serkhad Scarab
71. Thieving Servant
72. Troll Hunt
73. Tyrrans in the Sewers
74. Undersea Artifact
75. Wererat Trap
76. Wererats and Trolls
77. Wererats in the Sewers
78. Zagash
79. Zarala's Quests: Find a Martial Instructor
80. Zarala's Quests: Journey to Candlekeep
81. Zarala's Quests: Letter to Inas Senkhar
82. Zarala's Quests: Letter to Kadzia
83. Zarala's Quests: Sword Lore
84. Zarala's Quests: The Lightning Lute
85. Zataroth's Hidden Laboratory

Swordflight Chapter 3 Quests

1. A Book for Candlekeep
2. Ancient Dwarven Puzzle
3. Ancient Elven Tower
4. Ancient Tomb Puzzle
5. Assassination of Veric Arnsar
6. Bandits and Broadfoots
7. Bardic Performance
8. Battle on the Plane of Air
9. Beetle Infestation
10. Bounty Hunting
11. Celestial Crime
12. Cursed Dwarven Ruin
13. Dark Knights
14. Dryads in Distress
15. Dwarven Ghosts
16. Find Ben Kenemen
17. Fire Giants to the East
18. Halfling Vampire
19. Haunted Village?
20. Helping Out
21. Lost Dog
22. Lost Toy
23. Magical Reagents
24. Mercenaries vs. Monsters
25. Missing Papers
26. More Pirate Hunting
27. Our Story So Far
28. Pirate Hunting
29. Pirate Treasure
30. Portal at a Price
31. Rats in the Basement?
32. Red Wizard Elimination
33. Restitution for Damages
34. Ronar Raythan's Debts
35. Secret Door in the Sewers
36. Subterranean Serpents
37. Summoning Lore
38. Temple Tithe
39. The Dark Orb
40. Trouble on the Wave Runner
41. Troubles at a Roadside Inn
42. Upgrading the Lightning Lute
43. Warehouse Clearing
44. Zekar's Assassins
45. Zemquin's Machines
46. Zorak's Revenge

Swordflight Chapter 4 Quests

1. Abyssal Portal: Duergar Mine
2. Abyssal Portal: Grey Watcher's Quest
3. Abyssal Portal: Lost Shrine
4. Abyssal Trap
5. Assembling Storm Thrower
6. Crafting Anvil
7. Defiled Shrine
8. Drider stealing Holy Symbols: Eilistraee
9. Drider stealing Holy Symbols: Lolth
10. Escaping the Underdark
11. Escaping the Underdark: Map Route
12. Escaping the Underdark: Planar Path
13. Hidden Stronghold
14. Kuo Toa Key
15. Maghaurezh's Beholder Band
16. Magical Reagents
17. Mercenary for the Duergar
18. Mysterious Merchant
19. Orb for the Kuo Toa
20. Our Story So Far, Part 1
21. Our Story So Far, Part 2
22. Planar Disturbances
23. Planar War: Slaying Valendur
24. Planar War: Slaying Vartakor
25. Puzzle Clues
26. Reagents for Research
27. Rescuing Zarala
28. Ruined Svirfneblin Town
29. Schnabar's Arm
30. Schnella Shadowsneaker
31. Searching for Svirfneblin
32. Summoning Lore
33. The Elder Brain
34. Trapped in Illusions
35. Xerxatun's coded message?
36. Xerxatun's Lairs

Swordflight Chapter 5 Quests

1. Abyssal Portal: Orcus' Realm
2. Abyssal Portal: Yeenoghu's Realm
3. Alchemical Machine
4. Bounty Hunt: Daer'Ragh
5. Bounty Hunt: Gra'azha'ukul
6. Bounty Hunt: Kadigar
7. Bounty Hunt: Laguron
8. Bounty Hunt: Shadow Thieves
9. Bounty Hunt: Tughaur
10. Bounty Hunt: Werewolf Raiders
11. Fey Factions
12. Ghostly Reader
13. Gorzhun's Treasure Vault
14. Gund and the Goblins
15. Harper Plot
16. Idol of Kozah
17. Journey to Candlekeep
18. Magical Reagents
19. Missing Deva
20. Orb of Sathras
21. Our Story So Far, Part 1
22. Our Story So Far, Part 2
23. Planar Prison
24. Reforging the Sword
25. Return to Calimport
26. Rift Raphen's Cards
27. Tarakondazum's Locks
28. Tarakondazum's Prisoner
29. Tazakar's Challenge
30. The Blackguard's Throne
31. The Master of Slimes
32. Tomb of Dezhakor the Swift
33. Tomb of Gorzhun the Terrible
34. Tomb of Narzhan the Mighty
35. Tome of Necromancy
36. Vitiare the Pickpocket

***

cRPG Blog	Swordflight NWN	Snow Hunt NWN
Neverwinter Nights 1	Hordes of the Underdark	Cave of Songs NWN
Neverwinter Nights 1 Best Builds	Aielund Saga NWN	Defense of Fort Tremagne NWN
Neverwinter Nights 1 Spells	Bastard of Kosigan NWN	Cormyrean Nights NWN
Best Neverwinter Nights Mods	Bone Kenning NWN	Siege of Shadowdale NWN
Best Neverwinter Nights Modules	Sapphire Star NWN	Crimson Tides of Tethyr NWN
Darkness Over Daggerford NWN	Orcs: Awakening of Arak-Hur	Tyrants of the Moonsea NWN