EdwinP

I would like to see an Xaurip encounter area based on the first Hobbit movie's goblin lair scenes. The PCs are in large cavern of rope bridges and winding passages where they are pursued by a large army of Xaurips (and wandering Xaurips). In this cavern system they cannot rest. The use of potions, food and stealth is key to their survival. Athletics skill will open up opportunities for "individual" PC characters to climb to upper or lower paths, swing on ropes across chasms and start a large boulder rolling or collapse a bridge. Think of it as a single level encounter area, that is four times the size of an average dungeon level. Winding paths lead to upper and lower levels on the same map, in a maze of passages.

Knowledge of gaming aids you in bargaining with merchants and bluffing; convincing others that your statements are the truth. Each level of advantage in gaming increases the selling price of an item by 5%. Every 3 levels of gaming provides a -1 penalty to the NPC's perception skill, allowing the PC characters statement to be accepted as truth.

I agree that enchanting can be improved. As the OP suggested let there be a greater variety and combinations of enchantment recipes and weapon enchantment limits. I suggest: As stated above, the PCs can discover recipes for new enchantments. Perhaps the recipe for an enchantment is in a book. Read the book and the enchantment recipe is available. Restoring the Stronghold's laboratory AND library AND curio shop AND botanical gardens (4 improvements) provides a percentage chance to discover a randomly selected enchantment recipe every month. Some enchantment recipes appear based on the Lore Stat. Higher Lore = more enchantment recipes are available Link knowledge of some enchantments recipes to Spell knowledge. Know the spell and have sufficient lore then the enchantment is available. Don't know the spell and the enchantment is not available. Perhaps, each level in Lore (or each level above 5) makes a new random enchantment recipe available. A party with 10 levels in lore would have access to 10 ( 5 if it was limited to each level above 5) additional enchantments. You could make a new random enchantment available for every 2 levels in lore. The game would have 50 randomly selectable enchantments. Thus each game is different. You might discover Enchantment 3 at Level 4, at Level 10 or never. Quests to steal knowledge of an enchantment from a noble, a library or a wizard. Example 1: A wizard that knows the spell "Fleet Feet" can cast an enchantment that increases the speed of a weapon. A party that does not have this spell would need to discover a book with the recipe for this enchantment. Example 2: A party that has 14 levels in lore has access to 7 additional enchantments (if a new enchantment recipe is available for every 2 levels in lore). Example 3: A PC with Lore Level 8 has access to 3 additional enchantments (if a new enchantment recipe is available for each level above 5) Example: 4: The PC starts out knowing no secondary damage or weapon slaying enchantment recipes. This part of the enchantment screen is blank until the recipes are discovered. These recipes become available based on lore level, spell knowledge, discovering them in a book or hiring a companion that knows a recipe(s). Example 5: Beneath the Hall of Revealed Mysteries there is a vault that contains a book of enchantment recipes. Elaborate traps, puzzles and guardian creatures protect the vault. Can the PCs penetrate the Hall, solve its traps and puzzles to acquire this tome and escape from the hall alive and undetected to learn the enchantments within the book? Player enchanted magic items would be rarer if a Crafting skill level (New Skill) was required to enchant an item. A higher crafting skill would be required for more powerful and more complex enchantments. Unlike a level requirement; which is passive, a crafting level requirement would require the player to dedicate skill points to Crafting, instead of another skill. This idea reflects the fact that crafting is a learned skill. Whereas many PC characters can learn to perform the basic enchantments (level 1 to 4), only highly skilled crafters can execute the most powerful enchantments. Example: Damaging 1 requires Crafting 1, Fine requires Crafting 4, Burning Lash requires Crafting 5, Slaying requires crafting 6, Exceptional requires crafting 8, Superb requires crafting 12. Some backgrounds (Scientist, Scholar) may provide a crafting skill bonus. PCs can construct a party with a crafter or choose to rely on finding magic items. Build a party around a crafter and you will have a PC that is weak in other areas. Build a party without a PC crafter and you limit access to some enchantments. Two different play experiences. Idea: With a laboratory, library, curio shop and botanical gardens built you can hire a crafter to work at the Stronghold at a wage rate of 200cp (not the normal 10 or 20). This hireling crafter can enchant items; if you know the recipe, when you return to the Stronghold OR hiring a crafter provides a +2 crafting bonus after resting.

I find the max level just right. Increasing it would only make the late game encounters too easy.

Nice touch. I wonder if the developers will add a NPC Librarian to the library room? The librarian could be another source of quests Librarian - "My Lord we are missing the Book of xxxxx. Acquiring it would complete your collection" Librarian - "My Lord, your book of Lexor contains clues to the location of the lost city of the Dwarves"

In addition to illustrations of the Pantheon, I would like to see the journal expanded to include an section on deities. Information would be added based on PC choices (for Priests or Paladins), the discovery of books about the deities, encounters with NPCs and the Lore level for a Priest or Paladin PC character. This knowledge may impact dialogs with NPCs. When rebuilding the Stronghold's chapel you should be able to choose which deity it is dedicated too, and have an option to purchase a statue of the selected deity for the chapel. Building a statue increases the chance for the stronghold to attract Clerical and Paladin hirelings of that deity. The choice of the chapel deity may impact dialogs with other NPCs as the PC's fame grows. Build a chapel to Wael (patron deity of the dishonest) and your reception by some NPCs in Defiance may be affected. For example, the House of Doemenel may be more receptive. In fact, I could see the designers adding a quest, based on the chapel deity. Select deity Wael an you receive quest A from the chapel priest, select deity Magran and you receive quest B from the chapel priest.

The mechanics of Athletics and Fatigue (Minor, Major, Critical) are well thought out. Fatigue effects have a major effect on a character's accuracy, defense and hit points. That said, I often find myself wishing the in-game implantation used Athletics and Fatigue checks more often as I rarely encounter its effects with a few points in the Athletics skill. Example: Climb the Wall at the Castle or Swim through the Sewers (Act I) After completing this activity I would have liked to see party members fatigued based on their level of athletics And/OR by assigning a higher fatigue penalty in the script to this action. Athletic Skill: 0 and your wizard has critical fatigue, and is about ready to collapse after struggling to swim through the sewers. Athletic Skill: 2 (1 to 2), your PC has major fatigue and sore muscles. Athletic Skill: 4, (3 to 4) your Chanter has minor fatigue Athletic Skill: 6, (5+) Elder has no fatigue after swimming through the sewers or climbing the wall. Likewise, descend on a rope and grappling hook and you may find some members of your party fatigued from the descent. Climbing a high cliff (Act II) would have higher skill checks (I.e. Bandits await on the mountain path a head, your party can proceed forward to engage them or climb the cliffs to avoid them). Athletic Skill 2 (0 to 2), your wizard is critically fatigued after climbing the mountain side. Athletic Skill 4 (3 to 5), your PC has major fatigue after scaling the mountain. Athletic Skill 7 (6 to 8 ), your chanter has minor fatigue Athletic Skill: 10 (9+), Elder has no fatigue after climbing a mountain side Notes: Minor Fatigue = -10 Accuracy, -5 all defenses, 90% Endurance Major Fatigue = -25 Accuracy, -12 all defenses, 75% endurance Critical Fatigue = -50 Accuracy, - 25 all defenses, 50% endurance The in-game of benefits from higher skill levels would increase the value of continued specialization in Athletics and provide a valid reason for continued advancement in this skill. It would also increase the value of potions that temporarily reduce fatigue (Goldrot Chew).

I agree that most skills beyond 5 barely change the game play. I would like to see higher level Skill stats have a greater impact on the game play. Example: If you have Lore 8, it should occasionally open up the opportunity to a new conversation stream that totally changes the encounter, allow the PC to open an otherwise unreadable book of spells or read decipher a scroll that makes a new enchantment or a new spell available. Perhaps, Lore 8 allows a wizard to select necromantic spells (summon skeleton, summon zombie, etc.) when he levels up. Without Lore 8 those necromantic spell options are not displayed. Likewise, let a high ranking in Athletics provide the character more options. Perhaps, it unlocks new talents, provides an option to climb an otherwise unclimbable cliff face, or move across a fast flowing river. If you have to swim through a sewer or climb a tall cliff, let this activity critically fatigue those with no athletic skill and have no effect on exceptionally athletically skilled characters. If an encounter is waiting on the other side or at the top of the cliff, this could have a major impact on the battle. (and greatly increase the value of fatigue reducing potions) Example: Climb High Cliff Face No Athletic Skill = Critical Fatigue (-50 accuracy, -25 defenses, -50% endurance) Athletic Skill 3-5 = Major Fatigue (-25 accuracy, -12 defenses, -25% endurance) Athletic Skill 6-8 = Minor Fatigue (-10 accuracy, -5 defenses, -10% endurance) Athletic Skill 9+ = No Fatigue That would provide player characters a reason to specialize in a skill, instead of becoming knowledgeable in many and a master of non.

I see lore and history as two separate skill areas. Whereas Lore focuses on occult, esoteric topics and creatures. History's focus is history, personalities, politics and geography. Two different paths of study. Lore represents a character's accumulated miscellaneous knowledge and trivia, often of occult or esoteric topics. In combat, it helps characters learn about enemy defenses and capabilities. Each time a character attacks an enemy, their Lore skill helps contribute to revealing their defenses and, for common enemies, filling in their Bestiary entries.

A new skill with the potential to add to the RPG experience be: History. History reflects a study of the of the personalities, history and geography of the realms. This skill would open up new conversation options (as who else would know that Lord X likes Y or hates Z). Each level in this skill would add 3 items of knowledge to the player's journal; randomly selected from a library of 100 items. The knowledge might be as simple as information about a realm, its lord, directions to a long abandoned castle, directions to a wizard's tower or the location of a long lost temple. A character skilled in history receives a bonus journal entry for every book found. Who studies history? Treasure hunters and those that want to influence the nobles of the land. Example 1: Journal Entry: Wizard Cafmes tower was besieged by forces of Defiance in the war and left in ruins 100 years ago. Its location is said to be atop a cliff to the North East of Dyrford Village. (unlocks route to new encounter area) Example 2: Journal Entry: Lord Masrt of the Knights owns is a collector of books and ancient tomes for his library. (Hint that offering a rare book would secure his aid if you encounter him)

I like Tumbleweed's suggestion that 1) crafting / enchanting should be a separate skill and 2) the party should be affect by encumbrance.

I agree with TMZuk that crafting is too easy and makes the treasure you find boring. How to fix it? First, I would look at having the PCs discover; via a lore or crafting skill check, tome, or trading knowledge with a wizard, how to perform a specific enchantment. Enchantments do not appear in the enchantment list until they are unlocked. This would make enchantments more valued Example: You must find a tome about the Spirit Slaying enchantment to unlock this enchantment and have it appear in the list of Slaying enchantments. Example: Burn Proofed requires Lore 8 stat OR the discovery of a Recipe Tome to be unlocked. Second, I would look at adding a new skill: Crafting. Enchanting armor or weapons requires a specified Crafting skill level. You can make a PC highly skilled in crafting, but this would come at the cost of forgoing other skill stats for this character. For players that forsake crafting, discovering magical weapons or raising the cash to purchase them would become more important. Which is more important - Athletics, Crafting, Lore, Mechanics, Stealth or Survival? Skill: Crafting allows characters of sufficient skill to enchant armor and weapons. Higher levels of crafting allow for more powerful enchantments, if they have been unlocked. Skill: Mechanics allows characters to open locks, find & disable traps, place traps, activate and disable machines

For Lore, may I suggest: 1. Higher levels of lore can open up otherwise unreadable books & tomes to unlock new quests and access to new encounter areas (example: a tome reveals the location of a long forgotten abandoned keep or temple, aka the pirate map X marks the spot quest). If you don't have the required lore the PCs can seek out a librarian or a sage to translate the book. This would provide another reason for rebuilding the library at the stronghold as the librarian can attract a librarian/sage for the PCs to hire, in addition to the lore bonus. 2. A successful lore stat check can unlock books that contain instructions for new enchantments for arms, weapons and clothing. These new enchantments have a minimum lore requirement. 3. A successful lore stat check can reveal hidden text in a tome. Fail Lore Check: Lord Sailing entered a race to recover from a tipped Pass Lore Check: Lord Sailing entered a race to recover money from a tipped (Secret) 4. Each point in lore adds a random entry to the players journal. The game has 100 lore related journal entries. Adding a point of lore adds one of these entries to the player's journal. Example: Entry on how to slay a spirit, Entry on a new enchantment (Enchant a Helmet, that adds an enchantment option to a helmet), Knowledge about a Personality, Knowledge about a Deity, etc. The large number of possible random entries helps to make each game different.

I would like to see investments in Survival have a bigger impact on game play; other than increasing the duration of food and potions. As the game is now, I can pretty much ignore it. My suggestions would include: 1. More NPC wilderness related questions, where a high survival skill stat opens up more conversation options. 2. A wilderness related quest where this skill has a major impact. 3. Survival skill affects random encounters when traveling from one wilderness encounter map to another. A successful skill check provides the party with an option to avoid a random wilderness encounter or to accept the encounter. A failed skill check results in an encounter where the party may be ambushed. Trolls are ahead, do you wish to sneak past them? A caravan under attack is ahead, do you wish to sneak past them? A patrol of Knights are ahead, do you wish to sneak past them? 4. In wilderness maps a Survival skill check can automatically alert the party to the type of creatures that inhabit an area. A higher survival skill rank reflects a greater knowledge of animal signs & tracks. Those are the tracks of trolls (Survival 5) I see fresh signs of Ogres (Survival 5) Those are wolf tracks (Survival 3) Those are bear tracks (Survival 4) It is unnaturally quiet, there must be something big and dangerous in the area. 5. A successful survival skill check automatically reveals climbable paths, crossable river fords or hidden cavern entrances when traversing wilderness encounter areas. When walking along a river, a passable ford is highlighted in the water (Survival 5) When walking along a mountain path, a climbable route is highlighted. This route may require a grappling hook or strong athletics to climb. When walling along a cliff edge a descendible route is highlighted. This route may require a grappling hook or strong athletics to descend. While walking along a boulder strewn cliff face a narrow opening to a cavern is detected among the rocks. (Survival 6) The addition of some or all of these changes would make investing in this skill more interesting and impactful.

I would like to see PC actions/Inactions have a major effect on the NPCs and their storyline. Example: If you Complete Quest X for Lord YY, Lord YY gains 1 level and an ice wizard as an advisor. This makes Lord YY stronger.I second, the request for new areas done very well. I would like to encounter new terrain - such as swamps, narrow mountain paths, jungles and deserts with monsters specific to that terrain. Example: Giant scorpions that emerge from the desert sands and a Pyramid with ancient tunnels guarded by mummies. Example: A map with a maze of narrow mountain paths with rope bridges and the option, for athletic PCs to climb to bypass the path and climb to a level path. I would like to see more use of the athletic skill. Swim across a water obstacle if athletics is greater than X. In swamp terrain your off trail movement rate is faster if your athletics is x or higher. Scale the side of a mountain, instead of following the long narrow path up if your athletic skill is high enough (on a mountain trail encounter, allows some PCs to approach from the front while others; with athletic skill, climb the cliff to attack from behind. More use of the lore skill. Example, some books are only readable if your lore skill is high enough or you hire a sage to translate it for you. I would like to see lore open up more conversation options. Lore should open up encounter areas on the map, without a prerequisite encounter. Example: Lore 5 opens up knowledge of the Stronghold area without having to encounter Elder. Perhaps a higher lore adds new entries to your cyclopedia or journal with knowledge about a specific noble. As another poster suggested let books reveal new quests or new encounter areas if they can be read or if all three parts of the book are found. The use of survival skill seems to be limited. I would like to see survival skill impact the chance for a random encounter when traveling from one area to another. Perhaps a high survival skill provides the PC party with an option to avoid a wilderness encounter, a low survival skill has the PC party being ambushed by bandits/creatures while traveling. Though I like the simplicity of the enchantment process, perhaps a crafting skill should be considered as I am finding that PCs often become Jacks of All Trades. With a crafting skill requirement, they can enchant a weapon if they are skilled in crafting. This would make finding magical weapons more valued, while allowing the player to craft weapons for his needs - if a PC has the skill. Finding a book on a lost art or learning a new craft from a teacher/skilled craftsman can open up more items (weapon types) and enchantments for the knowledgeable crafter to craft.

Wall of Ice (Level 4) Non combat - Creates a narrow ice bridge 60 feet long per caster level and lasts until PC characters leave the map. Useful for crossing rivers, moats or ravines in a single column. A 6th level caster can create a 60 foot long ice bridge. A 12th level caster can create a 120 foot long ice bridge. Combat - Creates a wall of ice that can absorb X points of damage lasts for x seconds. Useful for blocking attackers. Raise Dead Minor (Level 3) (Necromancy) Combat - Brings humanoid creature slain in battle back to life as slow moving zombies. Limited to number of humanoids slain during current battleSummon Skeletons Minor (Level 3) Necromancy Summons Skeletons. Requires bones present on map or in quick items. Summons 1 skeleton per bone on map or in PCs Quick Items.Raise Dead Major (Level 4) (Necromancy) Combat - Brings slain humanoid creature slain in battle back to life with DR10. Limited to number of humanoids slain during current battle.Summon Skeletons Major (Level 4) (Necromancy) Summons Skeletons with DR 10 and Magic Resistance +20. Summons 1 skeleton per bone in PCs Quick Items

I like your suggestion regarding books giving quests if you read them and collecting books for your library.

I would like to see a traditional keep rescue encounter in an expansion. 1. An Order of Knights has a keep blocking a mountain pass, besieged by an army of creatures lead by an evil wizard. Catapults and Giants fling giant rocks towards the opposing side. ------- Good Path - PCs are called upon to help defend the keep and if they arrive in time they can fight alongside the defenders and uncover the spies within the keep. ------------------------------- If PCs arrive late or ignore the quest, the keep falls to the enemy. The keep is partially in ruins (new map) and populated by monsters with a few survivors imprisoned in the dungeons below. The Evil Wizards gains 2 levels. ------- Evil Path - PCs are called to aid in the assault on the keep, They can sneak in and drop the drawbridge to let in the attackers. Consequences - If the keep falls, Evil Wizards army attacks other lands in the Pillars of Eternity until the PCs stop them. If the Keep holds, the PCs can venture beyond it to the Wizard's Tower.

I like the encounters, the fact that experience is based on completing quests and that the player is free to explore the world in whatever order they want. 1) I too would like to see more changes based on the actions of my PC. Example: If I help Lord Raedric and slay Klosec, let him assign me more quests and let the ruined temple of Ethros be rebuilt into a Temple of Berath. If Lord Raedric is slain have new NPCs appear in the Gilded Vale. Example: If I choose to build a chapel at the Stronghold, let me select the deity of the chapel and let the chapel attract NPCs worshippers. As I rebuild the stronghold let more NPCs appear in it - i.e. workers, maids, cooks, servants, etc - so that it seems more alive and when battle is impending let them flee to safety while the PCs and their hirelings deal with the threat. Example: Let monsters attack a village and reduce it to ruins, unless my PCs can stop them. Example: 2 lords are conspiring against each other. Which one does the PCs aid and that is the effect of that aid? 2) In addition to more planned encounter sites/dungeons, I would like to a chance for random encounters when traveling from one location to another. Your survival skill should affect the chance to accept or avoid these encounters. Example: 20% chance of a random encounter on each trip - If an encounter occurs the highest survival skill determines whether: PCs can elect to avoid the encounter , PCs surprise the creatures or 2) the creatures surprise the PCs. Let the encounter occur on a random map - it may be a forest, swamp, mountain pass, bridge, isolated farmhouse in ruins, etc. The encounters may be with creatures or other travelers. Example: Random Encounter ------- Survival Check Pass ----------------- Avoid Encounter ----------------- Accept Encounter - PCs surprise Creatures ------- Survival Check Fail ----------------- Encounter Occurs - Creatures surprise PCs 3) More creatures. I would like to see more creatures such as Goblins and Orcs. Give me a quest to clear out an Orc stronghold or track down the source of Giant and Ogre attacks.

Agreed there are minor map changing events. But no major changes that really impacts the player when they see it - a WOW moment. Returning to a once prosperous village to see it in ruins; if they ignored or failed a quest, would have a major impact on the players perception of how their actions affect the world around them. Donating 3000 coin towards the rebuilding of the Temple in the Gilded Vale and returning to the Vale to see a new temple populated with NPC priests & quests would be another wow moment.

I would like to see a player's actions and in-actions have a dramatic effect on the world around them. Example: Player visits a village and learns about a threat to the village. (Map 1) Path 1 Result: Player defeats the Evil Threat - Village map does not change, over time new NPCs appear in Village (Map 1 with additional NPCs) Path 2 Result: Player ignores the Evil Threat - When the PCs return to the village they encounter a village in ruins populated by............................ (Map 2 of village in Ruins) Example: Mountain Temple with Crystal Ball of Warmth (Shangri-La) In a valley among the snow covered mountains lies a village with a perpetually warm climate. The climate results from the magical effects of a crystal housed in a temple. Should the crystal be removed from the valley, the land will become covered by snow and ice and the snow creatures from the mountains above will descend upon it. Most NPCs will flee the snow and ice covered village. Path 1: Players stop thieves from stealing the crystal ball. (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) An NPC approaches the Players with a Quest - Guard the temple of my village against thieves and bandits. 1.1 Success - No changes to the map > Triggers Quest to find those behind the attempted theft (Bandits > FROST GIANTS) 1.2 Failure - The crystal is stolen and the map is covered in snow and ice, new monsters appear > Triggers Quest to find those that stole the crystal > (Bandits > FROST GIANTS) -----1.21 Stolen Crystal is recovered and returned - Original Map is restored, no snow and ice Path 2: Players are hired to steal the crystal ball. An NPC offers to pay a handsome reward if the PCs acquire a crystal ball for him from a village within x days. If the PCs decline or fail to complete the quest within x days, the NPC will hire someone else. What will the PCs do? Accept the job, do nothing, warn the temple or acquire the crystal for themselves? 2.1 Success - The crystal is stolen and the map becomes covered in snow and ice, new monsters appear -----2.11 PCs are hired to undo the damage they did (Bandits > FROST GIANTS). If they recover the crystal from the NPC they sold it to and return it the original map will be restored, no snow and ice. -----2.12 PC decline a quest to retrieve the crystal they stole, and the temple hires Assassins to deal with them. The village remains covered in snow and ice. 2.2 Failure - PCs fail in their attempted theft and escape, the map does not change -----2.11 The temple hires assassins to track those that attempted to rob the temple If the PCs acquire the crystal for themselves (an action that covers the village in snow and ice), they will have both the temple priests and the NPC's henchmen on their tail. Naturally, if the Crystal is stolen and the PCs do not retrieve it this triggers Frost Giant Attack on a Village Thus a path where the PCs actions can cause a village to turn to ice and snow or another to become a map of ruins and burnt buildings 1. If the Crystal is stolen Village X Map turns to Ice and Snow 2. If the Crystal is recovered the Village X Map above, returns to normal 3. If the Crystal is not recovered within x days, this triggers a Frost Giant Attack on Village Y after the PCs hear news of rampaging giants. Quest to stop the Giant raids, protect the village and find the lair of the Frost Giants. 4. If the Crystal is not recovered and the Frost Giants Successfully Attacked Village Y (were not stopped/defeated by the PCs), the Village Y map is changed to become a village in Ruins and NPCs in nearby settlements tell stories of the Giant Attack on Village Y. Requires: Village X Map (Normal), Village X Map (Ice and snow covered), Village Y Map, Village Y Map (in Ruins)

What if a priest character could rebuild the Temple in the Gilded Vale after defeating Lord Raedric or slaying Kolsc? You slay the evil lord and the new Lord Kolsc grants you permission to rebuild the Temple of Ethos or any deity of good. Slay the rebellious Kolsc and Lord Raedric grants permission to build a temple dedicated to any god, except Eothas. - Temple of Eothas attracts Priests and Paladins as hirelings - Temple of Magran attracts Priests and Warriors (armorer and weapon smith temple improvement available) - Temple of Abydon attracts Priests and Knights of the Crucible - Temple of Galawain attracts Priests and Rangers (Bow smith temple improvement available) There are over 20 rooms and the temple proper to be improved (by purchased improvements, aka the Stronghold). Each improvement increases the renown of the temple. This attracts more worshipers and increases the Temple's income from worshiper donations. The temple attracts hirelings that worship the deity of this temple. Your reputation as a follower of the Deity's principles affect the level attracted priests and paladins that you hire and also affect the income generated from the temple worshipers. Stray far from the path of the selected deity, temple prestige declines, temple income will drops and hired priests and paladins will leave the service of your temple. Temple prestige also affects the chance for the temple being mentioned in conversations with other NPCs. The prestige of the temple affects the numbers of NPC worshipers that appear in the main temple area. A temple with little prestige will be empty, while a temple of renown will be crowded with NPC worshipers. When trouble appears and at night these worshipers leave the temple grounds. As the temple's prestige increases it attracts worshipers of the deity seeking assistance, and requests from higher ups in the temple hierarchy to accept quests in the name of the temple. Decline these quests or fail to complete them and the prestige of the temple declines, along with the donations contributed by worshipers. A high temple prestige may attract new merchants and NPCs to the Gilded Vale. The temple also attracts rogues and bandits tempted by the donations and rumored treasures that lie within the temple. Improving the temple's security is important. This DLC would include: Gilded Vale with Rebuilt Temple and purchasable temple Improvements, New NPCs, New Priest Spells, New Temple Related Quests, New Monsters, New Quest Maps, New Deity Reputation Checks.

As mentioned above, the Stronghold needs to seem alive. As the Stronghold is repaired the player should encounter low level NPCs - workers, cooks, maids and servants and local farmers. I would like to see more quests focused around the stronghold and see it mentioned in conversations with other NPCs. As the Stronghold is repaired more people are attracted to it, the chances of it being mentioned increase. It may attract the attention of a lord that seeks to add it to his realm or become the target of an assault from a hostile fraction in Defiance. This could lead to a major battle. The player could prepare for it by purchasing scorpions & catapults and hiring low level mercenaries. And what type of troops will you hire: Swordsmen or Archers. A few experienced troops or green troops. Perhaps, you as Lord are asked to pass judgment on a dispute and the solution affects your reputation. Do you let a bribe or the defendants / plaintiff's position affect your ruling? Set taxes low and you attract more people, set taxes high you encourages unrest, set them too high and people will leave. Its a fine line between being judged weak, just or harsh. If you do not want to manage your Stronghold, let the personality of a hired Castellan , determine its taxes, improvements and justice rendered. Perhaps the player as Lord of the Stronghold decides to establish an order of warriors, a school of wizards, a school for Monks, temple to one of the gods or the base of a thieves' guild. This too could affect the stronghold, its NPCs, its reputation and the quests received at the Stronghold. A thieves guild may attract offers to purchase stolen goods, acquire (steal) selected items for purchase by others or slay enemies of clients. Fencing items stolen from powerful lords comes with great risks and great rewards. Hirelings attracted to this stronghold would tend to favor rogues and fighters. Perhaps the player decides to turn the Stronghold into a Temple for one of the deities,such as Eothras. Temple specific improvements could be available - such as a statue to the deity. The more temple specific improvements you have the more worshipers who are attracted to the temple and the more you collect in donations. This temple would be more likely to attract hirelings who are priests of the deity and paladins who are warriors for this deity. Quests would revolve around dealing with threats to the deities followers and rendering aid to worshipers of the deity.

These days you can't make money selling users a single game through a retailer - unless its a best seller. You need to offer a product that gives you a constant stream of income - either via a monthly feee (i.e. WOW) or a constant stream of expansions that are so low priced that a fan of the game finds it hard not to purchase it. From what I am reading the new Dragon Age Origins business model is to follow the game release with a constrant stream (i.e. monthly) of add-on adventures and enhancements that players can purchase directly from Bioware (EA). The improved toolset will allow their design experts to turn out these high quality enhancements at a minimal cost. This makes perfect sense, a $40 game of which Bioware receives $20 (50%) from retailers can easily become a $100 game of which Bioware receives $20 + $60 in addons. If they later offer a subscription model for these add-ons they will have a guaranteed stream of income for a specific period of time. They are doing what Atari should have done with NWN2 and TOEE. Release a constant stream of direct purchase updates to increase the lifetime value of the product. Take TOEE (Temple of Elemental Evil) for example, here you had a game with the best turn D&D based tactical combat engine of the time. There were no expansions or add-ons (other than the free and idependently developed Keep on the Borderlands by CO8.oRG). The game died, and they did not maximize its potential income. It would have been a relatively inexpensive matter to offer a TOEE subscription package that offered new content monthly to the core package (new classes, spells, NPCs, magical items, races, creatures, quests and adventures) that utilized the existing locations and added new adventure locations for say $9.95 a month - thats about $120 a year - the price of 3 games. If sales did not meet profit projections they could have stopped the subscriptions.

Is there any payoff to charging in the Front? In fact, it will be most difficult to do it this way; unless the players are smart and don't rush in. So far my plan includes; a. Smart Way - Wearing a Cloak of the Order you bluff your way past the guards and archers at the gate. Of course, you need to obtain a cloak of the order first and wear it. Of course, wearing it in the sight of the wrong people will provoke them into attacking you / arresting you. (i.e. strolling about Wheaton Town or visiting the Druidic Grove wearing a cloak declaring yourself to be a member of an evil sect is not a good idea). b. Achieve a really evil reputation and you are allowed passage into the Castle via the Front Gates to see the High Priest of the Order who will give you quests that threaten Wheaton. Of course, if you are this evil the forces of good will attack you on sight and once in the Castle you learn that the Priests ultimately intend to open a portal to the planes of the Undead. Such actions will threaten all lives, even your own as you learn from a talkative priest that some adventurers (that sound like you) will be sacrificed on the altar after they complete their tasks. The problem is that now, being of really evil reputation, you can't call on the forces of good to help you stop them. c. Smart Way - invisibility d. Brute Force Way 1 - You approach the gate while the shift if being changed and encounter twice the number of guards and a wizard is atop the battlements. e. Brute Force Way 2 - You recruit the wrong people as companions and they turn on you while you are attacking the Castle Gates. (The Temple has spies in Wheaton - will probably have to ask the scripting forum at Bioware how to randomize which companion town guard character in Wheaton is a Spy, as it should ideally change from game to game - I.e. in game 1 Ratyar is the spy, and in Game 2 Giblert is the spy). f. Brute Force Way 3 - You approach the gate during the day to face archers atop the battlements and guards at the gate. g. Brute Force Way 4 - The gates are open and unguarded, however, it is a trap to lure travelers and adventurers into an ambush (if they don't send someone forward to scout the way ahead first).