Co8 New Content: Welkwood Bog

[Gaear]

What is it? A bog near the border of Welkwood Forest, east of Hommlet, where a nefarious band of undead is rumored to be up to no good.

Author: Gaear

Featured in modpacks: 6.1.0 NC, 7.8.0 NC

New maps: 4 outdoor, 2 indoor

Quests: (1) 'Welkwood Bog'

New NPCs: Mathel, Kwerd, Captain Asaph

Designed for: a party of low level adventurers

Availability: story state 0 - the start of the game

Images:

[taltamir]

pretty cool... sounds perfect for a sun domain cleric

[Spider Dwarf]

Originally Posted by Gaear

What is it? A bog near the border of Welkwood Forest, east of Hommlet, where a nefarious band of undead is rumored to be up to no good.
Availability: story state 0 - the start of the game

Oh boy!, oh boy!, does it load up in my 5.7.2 'El Maestro? And just how do I get it for my toy box and get it installed? I thoroughly enjoy squashin' skeletons—they makes my gruel for breakfast!

[Gaear]

No-go for 5.7, but it will be in 5.8 NC next week ...

[Spider Dwarf]

No-go for 5.7, but it will be in 5.8 NC next week ...

Heeheehee!

[GuardianAngel82]

A WHOLE WEEK? :cartman:

[Spider Dwarf]

All this makes me wish I had not lost that hard drive that had some of my goodies on it. I had recreated from memory a couple of things from my youth now long gone. One of them was a village and cavern system along the lines of what I had discussed in another posting.

I had taken and created all the maps, etc. in one of my computer programs and was trying to learn how to do it for Baldur's Gate. Since my world from the day was placed not too distant from Hommlet it would have really have come into play now as an add-on. I would have paid money to get it translated into an add-on seeing as I couldn't program a save my rumpus spell. I tried in BG and it was a fiasco and I even lost several of my game saves.

[taltamir]

a week? that soon?

man and I just started a whole new 5.7.2 game yesterday...
I guess I will hold off on it until 5.8 arrives then.

[Gaear]

Helpful hint: You can now involve Elmo in matters-Welkwood. (In beta this was not allowed.) So if you get in over your head, or if you don't even want to chance it without, Elmo can help.

[EdCon]

Thoroughly enjoying the Bog. I liked the interesting encounters (and one had me chasing off to Homlett to try and figure it out . Also cool, for style points, was the way the goblins seem to backflip/stand up out of no where, martial arts style.

I'm curios-is the bad guy supposed to be classed as human or undead in the engine? In that fight he started laughing, then fell asleep...next time I will be more sporting and not target him right away

-EdCon

[Gaear]

Maybe he's a sleepy undead with a sense of humor.

I think his proto is about half-undead, half-human actually. Not strictly RAW I suppose, but I didn't want him to be just another lurching zombie.

[taltamir]

the description given did specify that his transformation was a failed one.

[taltamir]

whats the deal with all the naked women called "ripple conceal dummy" that get up and fight me whenever I throw an AoO on the kobolds? (specifically, web).

well actually, get up, stand there, and do nothing. But be "in combat" with me and have to be killed

ok i figured it out, they are to cause the ripples in the water... duh..
they give too much XP, and they shouldn't be killable / go hostile / be visible...

if you scan with a web spell you see them all over the place though (move the web around and look for red circles)..

anyways, when I found mathal his conversation forced me to give him an ultimatum (leave or I will kill you)... There should be an option to just attack him without making him the offer (Sure he refuses, but it should be possible to not make the offer)

[Gaear]

There was an outcry for more naked women to fight in the game, and this was our answer.

Actually, please just ignore them for now if you will/can. They are in effect the 'ripples' that appear from time to time in stagnant water in the bog, because the particle system 'light' ripples don't work. They operate similar to the area description boxes, really ... which do not participate in battles, so obviously I screwed something up there. Sorry.

Most invisible objects in ToEE that do other things (generic spawners, etc.) take the internal form of naked women for some strange reason. (Actually they are the first model type on the list, I believe.)

[EdCon]

Naked women make the ripples in water...sounds like either a bad movie plot or a very interesting mythological story...though it begs the question what kind of Pack the Circle of 8 had to make, to gain the power to bind naked women to their program and force them to make the water all ripply and sparkley...and what other effects they cause :D

I pity those who have to make due with the non-NC versions now

[EdCon]

Minor bug: If you save the game after the patrol event happens it crashed to the desktop, but, oddly enough, does create a workable and loadable saved game.

Happened two games in a row, saving right after the disappearance.

Followup: Tried saving after the giant disappearance, same results (usable save but crashed to desktop when saving).


-EC

[Gaear]

Yeah, that one has been there since day 1 with Welkwood, just as you describe. It has to do with the portals (doors) on those maps. If you take them away, the crashes go away.

Just don't save there for now I guess, as we have to have the portals.

[Spider Dwarf]

Bug report.

1. Went in and allowed Capt. ???? to join the party. <g>
2. Went down one level, thru the hall way after the surprise <g> and then thru the door.
3. Did the part where Capt. ??? disappears and the splatted the little red buggers. Went back to town after walking back to the exit.
4. Came back and fought the Liche <g> and his buddies.
5. Could not disarm trap and it blew up twice killing my rogue. Reloaded, same results. Third time I just went ahead and opened the chest, took the damage, went on.
6. Could not go back to town to rest and unload to Brother Smythe, exit door missing.
7. Saved and used other door in opening screen, got creamed by big party I was not invited to.
8. Reloaded. Came at uninvited party members from other way. Used tactics at choke point. Creamed 'em!
9. Saved. Went back to exit, it is not there.
10. Get me outta here! <g>

P.S. I never did see the naked ladies but did see the round splash ripples.

[Edit] Never mind! I've been up too many hours, DUHH!

It was a very enjoyable addition to the game. The tea party was one I would not like to go to that often.

[General Ghoul]

I'm confused, how do I get there now, its not on my world map?

[Necroticpus]

Talk to Brother Smythe. He may have something different to tell you.

[z9dragon]

Um, I'm not sure this is a glitch, but when I go to welkwood, and I find the Guards from Verbobonc, I get the captain on my team, and he asks to go back to Homlet, and talk the the Badger captain (I forget his name). So I do this, but when I get to Homlet, the guard captains disappears, and is no longer in my party, or back at welkwood. Is this supposed to happen?

EDIT: oops, I forgot to add, I'm using the latest version, 5.8.0 NC

[Acrux]

Muwahahahahah

That sounds very...mysterious...doesn't it?

[Gaear]

It's almost like someone doesn't want you hanging around there and is trying to get you to leave!

Maybe Renton (the militia captain guy) would know what's up ...?

[nyarlathotep]

Mathel is NOT undead, targeted him with a "Disrupt undead" and when it did hit, it just said "Target is not undead".

[Racin]

Originally Posted by nyarlathotep

Mathel is NOT undead, targeted him with a "Disrupt undead" and when it did hit, it just said "Target is not undead".

The fact that he is not undead also means that you can put him to sleep with a sleep spell and steal his equipment before killing him. Much better than killing him straight away, unless there is some other way of getting his items after you kill him.

[sirchet]

Originally Posted by nyarlathotep

Mathel is NOT undead, targeted him with a "Disrupt undead" and when it did hit, it just said "Target is not undead".

The very well written story of this supposed Lich explains he is only about one half undead.

The bog worked perfectly for me, no crashes, well balanced combat and a rather uneasy, almost scary atmosphere.

Excellent job, Thank You Gaear and Co8.

btw ... just recently figured out what the Circle of Eight actually is, now I can't watch the opening cinematics without wondering which one of the robe characters on the cliff is Gaear and which one is Ted.


PS ... Click the yellow text for an in-depth explanation, (according to the wiki that is).

[GuardianAngel82]

Actually, they are the brains BEHIND the Circle of Eight. Watch the video carefully...

No wait...not brains...Beholders.

[Gaear]

Mathel is going to be made completely undead so people don't flip out about it, story notwithstanding.

[Gaear]

Welkwood Bog feedback sought for 5.9:

Is the trap/lock on Mathel's chest more reasonable?
Are you able to save on WB maps without crashing?

[mmonagle]

I just finished WB and have a few comments about it:

1) I saved and loaded from every map in WB and encountered no problems what so ever.

2) Mathel's chest was pickable for my rogue at his low level (2). If you could leave it as it is, I for one, will be happy.

3) I noticed an interesting development with Mathel's items last time and confirmed it this time. (I might get yelled at for revealing this). When you first kill Mathel, he explodes and his remains burn in flames. If you pass a few hours, the flames die out and nothing remains. However, if you pass enough time where the bodies of the creatures in the bog disappear (like a day), you now find a little pile of items where Mathel's body was. The stuff is fairly standard except the ring of protection +2 that he apparently had. It is a great find for a low level wizard (or any character for that matter). If its supposed to be there, great! Just remember to go back and look for it. If not, don't tell Gaear.