Features
This is a low magic (+3), low level (capped at level 12) action server. As far as I'm aware, there doesn't appear to be a low level action server that's not burdened with RP rules. Expect challenging encounters, good mechanics, and to use all that you have in order to survive in this server. With lax rules, metagamers, powergamers, and even roleplayers, etc. are all welcome with open arms.
This persistent world is set around Neverwinter and the surrounding areas, mainly around the Wailing Death, but re-imagined as a grand adventure. Similar to the original campaign, you are a new recruit attending the Adventurer's Academy, who is then tasked to restore order to the districts of Neverwinter before anything else. Later on, you will be given a mission to venture outside of Neverwinter to dangerous places such as the Mere of Dead Men, the Underdark, etc. in order to find a cure and save Neverwinter from peril.
Here are some of the areas in the server:
The Cloaktower
Neverwinter Rural
Beggar's Nest
There is a random events engine very similar to Skyrim. You may encounter fellow militia recruits trying to push back enemy forces, a traveling merchant on the High Road, an adventurer looking to team up, or even a grizzly bear ambush near Neverwinter Woods.
I have designed it specifically in mind to be as close to vanilla as possible, with a few minor tweaks and changes to maintain balance. There are also no hakpaks or files that are required to download before playing. Players should be able to get into the server and start playing immediately without having to do a ton of upfront reading.
This server is very heavily inspired from a server in 1.69 called "3 Towns". The encounters in this server are based off of that, as you will encounter challenging parties of melee warriors, ranged archers, and even spellcasting mages that you will have to deal with in your adventure. In places of great danger, you may need to not only be stocked up with potions, healing kits, and perhaps henchman or two, but also resort to tactics such as pulling enemies one by one or preventing their friends from getting line of sight and coming to their aid. Ranged attackers will try to keep their distance and kite their enemies, while casters may try to crowd control or stun the enemy so their friends can overpower them. Let's not forget the enemy healers that patch up their friends.
Not only that, but there also resting ambushes, though rangers and druids can help reduce the chance of that.
There is also a morale system, where injured or dying enemies can call for help, request healing, or even flee in terror as the battle goes in favor of their foes.
Henchman are free to recruit. Unlike pretty much all servers that have henchman though, they have a few things to say and can banter/comment, making them more fleshed out. These comments can be location specific or even based on their status, such as being in a safe town, a goblin cave, or under the effects of poison and disease. Most of these are voiced.
All skills and abilities should be useful in this server. Here are a few examples:
- Appraise and Charisma directly affects merchant prices.
- Persuade can be used in many services and situations to either reduce a price or convince an NPC to join you.
- Wisdom has an influence on the amount of XP gained.
- Pick pocket can be used on most creatures.
More info here.
Roleplay isn't enforced, though it is allowed and encouraged if you enjoy that. If you like the mechanics and feel of a roleplay server (low magic, low level cap) but do not enjoy being weighed down by all the rules, in-character requirements, or a lengthy application process, then this is definitely the server for you!
The loot in this server has been heavily balanced and modified. Now, a lot of servers use completely random items with affixes and prefixes. In fact, those servers tend to use it for all of their items. I do not believe in using that, as all you get is an item without much meaning or story. With randomly generated items, you will never get close to a weapon that fine-tuned and hand-tailored. As such, I have faithfully re-created items from classics such Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, and other cRPG classics with their matching description and flavor text.
They have also been created and tweaked in mind with maintaining a balance in the server and making all classes be useful, so you won't get a Golden Circlet with mind-immunity, but one with improved saving throws vs. mind affecting spells. There's over 600+ of these unique items.
Since the server is balanced for level 12, the maximum enhancement bonus is +3 and has the goal of low magic. You will not encounter items with immunities here, nor item properties that can invalidate a class, such as permanent Haste, True Seeing, Improved Evasion, etc. I also do not believe in nerfing specific item types such as scimitars, rapiers, and scythes, which can be overpowered for a weaponmaster. Instead, I have opted to make them more rare and have versions/item properties that are not as good as say, a bastard sword or a club.
There's a more in-depth page you can look at here.
The source code for this project is available, unlike 99% of the current PWs. I would like to be very transparent to whoever wants to play here, and allow people to modify or even host their own version of this PW, following the license of course. Anyone is free to request features or do improvements to the server. I hope one day there would be a lot of people contributing to this project, so we can all enjoy a PW that is built and maintained by a community, not a private entity or owner.