Lets Play: Neverwinter Nights

[Sir Pinkleton]

I also vote wizard, Neutral (or chaotic if it comes to a tie) Evil, any gender, aaand I dunno, anything with an elf persuasion? I like gnomes myself, but I think an elf might work better.
Name... depends on the Gender. Male: Destructicon or Napalm. Female: Black Widow or Suzy (I'm obviously not awesome with names).

[synkr0nized]

Personally, I feel a "proper start" would have offered some background about the game/lore, the world it is set in, and the game controls or screen layout and gotten that good and out of the way. Something more than just the title screen and "maek charactur nao". Barring that, what are the options for each category? What might their impact be on the created character's growth and capabilities as the game progresses?

Not everyone has played the game or even had exposure to the table-top games it builds on, and despite the information being available on the Internet or other places it greatly improves the LP to catalog it.

Play a human ranger. Everyone seems to go with a melee or powerful mage character in these things (or maybe it's just the ones I've come across); I'd like to see something a little different. Chaotic good: set the stats as you see fit. The name? Hiro if male, Y.T. if female. (*Edit* Yeah, "Hiro" should be a sword fighter, but screw it.)

[Rokrin]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

Personally, I feel a "proper start" would have offered some background about the game/lore, the world it is set in, and the game controls or screen layout and gotten that good and out of the way. Something more than just the title screen and "maek charactur nao". Barring that, what are the options for each category? What might their impact be on the created character's growth and capabilities as the game progresses?

Honestly there's not a lot of background up until your character is actually being made. One of the pitfalls of the game but then it tailors the background to your character.

[Meister]

Not very well.

Since I do know the game, I'm gonna vote for a human rogue who tries to talk his way out of everything. But I gotta agree that anyone who doesn't know NWN or D&D seriously needs some background on what classes, races etc. are available and what that means for gameplay. I mean, I see Race, Class and Abilities? Okay, make an African upper middle class guy who has the abilities to fly and to shoot lasers from his nose. And his package should be enormous.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

I'm assuming the races are just standard players handbook type races. Otherwise velociraptor bard!

But I vote CE Elven Rogue with ridiculously high charisma and high int to max out on skills. You must speak all languages in the game. Imperative.

[Kim]

In the same vein as Synk's questions, as I'd like to know everything she asked to about races and such, will you be using any of the expansions or are you just rolling with the regular version.

[phil_]

If you're using the expansions, roll wizard, learn Issac's Greater Missile Swarm, win the game. Otherwise, roll straight fighter and struggle like a wave against the shore.

[Sam, the Nanti-SARRMM]

I don't have Neverwinter Nights, but I have Neverwinter Nights 2. Does that count?

[Kerensky287]

Originally Posted by Sam, the Nanti-SARRMM

I don't have Neverwinter Nights, but I have Neverwinter Nights 2. Does that count?

I... don't see how that's related.

Anyway, I don't know whether this is all based on DnD, or what edition, or whatever, so I'm just going to make suggestions based on if it was Baldur's Gate.

Be a Paladin. Gender does not matter. Name does not matter. And that's all the customization you get.

[Azisien]

Okay. Neverwinter Nights is a real-time movement, turn-based combat fantasy game based on a modified 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons. This can be contrasted to those with Neverwinter Nights 2, as the games bear many similarities, except NWN2 uses modified 3.5E rules.

Like D&D, in Neverwinter Nights you can pretty much customize your character down to what colour their teeth is as, level by level, you gain skill points, feats (which range from passive bonuses to active combat attacks), and ability increases. There are six abilities that govern many of your character's statistics:

Strength (Weapon damage, mostly, and often your accuracy as well)
Dexterity (Dodging ability, and weapon accuracy if you so choose)
Constitution (Affects HP gains per level, ability to resist poisons/diseases)
Intelligence (Number of skill points per level, boosts to many skills in general, key casting ability of the Wizard)
Wisdom (Ability to resist many spell effects, key casting ability of the Cleric and Druid, important also for Monks and Paladins)
Charisma (How sauve you are, essentially. Affects skills mostly, but is key ability for Sorcerers and important for Paladins).

Well, actually, every single god damn ability is important for Paladins which is possibly why they suck. I think the only thing you can avoid as a Paladin is Dexterity since that's hindered anyway by Heavy Armor.

Basic Class choices in NWN:

Barbarian: Angry, warrior dude.
Bard: Universally accepted laughable D&D class, often with lute.
Cleric: Healer dude.
Druid: Tree hugger dude.
Fighter: Calmer, overpowered warrior dude.
Monk: Fast face-puncher dude.
Paladin: Holy Smiter of Evil dude.
Ranger: ...Legolas, but shittier.
Rogue: Sneaky backstab dude.
Sorcerer: Horrible burning fire everywhere dude.
Wizard: Calmer, wider spell selection of burning fire everywhere dude.

Human: I'll leave it up to your imagination. No ability bonuses, but an extra feat at level 1 (very nice in itself).
Dwarf: Stout gruff warrior types. Good tanks. Constitution bonus, charisma loss
Elf: Skinny tree people, get ridiciulously good racial bonuses. Dexterity bonus, constitution loss.
Gnome: Like a shitty halfling, honestly. I forget their boosts, damn.
Half-Orc: ugly green orc+human = half-orc. Gets strength bonus, charisma AND intelligence loss.
Halfling: The altitude-challenged race Major Blood likes. Dexterity bonus, strength loss.

There are advanced classes unlocked by fulfilling certain requirements, though they are only introduced by expansion packs and Major hasn't confirmed if he has the expansions yet.

I'll leave the lore to Major since its his LP. For more information about D&D, you can visit this System Reference Document or find another at your leisure, it generally applies to NWN too. NWN just has less overall stuff.

Also after summarizing all that, my second build suggestion is an Evil Druid bent on destroying civilization to defend the poor misunderstood trees.