Neverwinter Nights is classic role playing game for PC. it’s set in the Forgotten Realms world and operates with similar rules to the famous Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) tabletop game. Released in 2002, it’s continued relevance today is based primarily on it’s developer toolset, which allows server owners to create custom persistent worlds. Many also think it correctly applied D&D rule set in a computer setting.
While many modern RPGs have suffered due to monetary inserts like Pay-to-Win gameplay and Lootpacks, a lot of fans thought a game like Neverwinter Nights would be lost forever, however the company Beamdog retooled the game and brought it back as the Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. Now it’s easier to play than ever!
A persistent world (PW) is one that operates when your anyone else is not on it. Badlands is a persistent world in that sense. Someone is likely playing right now, doing quests or engaging in PvP battles. Factions are invading others. Players are trading items. These things go on without you being there. Badlands does reset though every 8 hours for performance optimization.
Badlands is an “Action” based server, for lack of a better term. Player vs. Player (PvP) is emphasized. through factions, tournaments, battle royale, and competitive character building. A strong Player vs. Monster (PvM) element also exists on the game, as many items require you to defeat computer generated bosses and minions. You are not required to Roleplay on Badlands.
Badlands is not a Roleplay server. You can freely use your chat channels to discuss anything you wish, barring extreme harassment or inappropriate content. There is quite a bit of discussion about modifying and balancing the game, and players are encouraged to give their opinions on the matter to make the game dynamic and fun.
First you need to have a compatible personal computer (PC) to play on. Neverwinter Nights can be installed on Windows, Max, Linux and Chromebooks (with mods). Neverwinter Nights does not require a lot of processing power from modern computers. So don’t worry too much about that.
Android and XBox versions exist, but they do not support Badlands at this time.
You can purchase the game directly from Beamdog, or buy on the Steam or GOG platforms.
Once you have the game installed, change your graphics settings around a bit to make them work. Then, find Badlands and log in!
There are really two main sources of information on Neverwinter Nights. The game’s rules, and the servers customization of them.
The saying “you have to learn to rules to break them” is somewhat accurate for Badlands and Neverwinter Nights in general. A great place to start is the NWN Wiki. Here you can find the default rules for every class, feat, skill, spell, and other information.
If you’re not feeling ready for multiplayer, give the original campaign (single player) a spin. You can learn the game in a stress free environment at your own pace.
After learning the basic rules, you can look at the server modifications. There are many server modifications on Badlands, most of them with the intent of making the game more balanced and fun. Do not be discouraged if you don’t know them! Part of the fun is learning the rules and adapting your characters as these change.
They do. Our server owner, mods and players work together in consensus to make changes to bring about a higher quality of game play. Badlands has a generous policy of saving you Experience Points (XP) and Gold Pieces (GP) so you can rebuild a character if changes are made. Rule changes are posted immediately on Discord, and then appear (in good time) on our Google Docs information sheets.
Always remember that changes to the game, while sometimes frustrating, are needed to ensure the game remains dynamic. Do not overcommit gear and resources to a character if you think a change is going to happen,. Participate in discussions!
Badlands has a group of Factions that own a master keep, and compete for lesser keeps. However, you don’t need to join a faction to play. Nor do factions strictly associate with only other faction members. Veterans on the server are happy to help new people get started. The “mixed teams’ vibe goes further in tournament play, where faction members intermingle in team challenges. If you’re new, just introduce yourself and begin learning the game!
Chrome OS requires the installation of Linux to play. See above.
Android, Xbox and Playstation do not currently support Badlands.
Experience Points (XP) and Gold Pieces (GP) can be deposited or withdrawn from the banking system using a crafted Amulet. Right click on the amulet and use it’s special power to access the bank.
Gold Pieces (GP) are lost when you are killed in game. It’s wise to bank your gold regularly,.
Experience Points (XP) are automatically banked when you delete a character. You can bank anything over 800,000 per character (the maximum level aka level 40). There are few situations where you can lose XP, usually involving putting XP in a special item called a Soul Gem. Some items require large amount of XP to be held on character to work properly.
Moving items from character to character is facilities using the storage system. Right click on the “Player Tools” item your character comes with to access to the storage system.
Many players eventually make a “storage toon” to hold their stuff and give things away to other players. It acts as a specialized character to sort your gear for changes, new builds or trade.
There are two types of gear in Badlands: crafted items and quested/dropped items.
Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Crafted gear is not as strong at first, but is far easier to optimize for specific attributes. Crafted gear can eventually become very powerful with special (and expensive) sockets.
Quested/Dropped gear is often very powerful with qualities crafted gear does not have, but it can have attributes that are undesirable or not needed. It’s more difficult to optimize and use. Some quested gear is near universal, some is only useful to one particular type of character.
Generally players have a mixture of crafted gear and quested/dropped gear on their characters. Every character is different in Neverwinter Nights, so every character will require different gear. This poses an interesting dynamic for players.
As a note to players who’ve played before, Badlands does not use the Craft Weapon, Armor etc skills. The server employs a custom crafting system.
Items consist of potions, scrolls, custom magical devices, traps, poisons, special items, quest items, and much more. They’re all here and it’s complex! As a general rule of thumb: potions are fast, scrolls are long, magical devices can be reused,
An Items google document is routinely update with as many of the in-game items as possible.
Traps are available on Badlands. They are the bane of new and old players alike. Some players use specialized trappers that can craft super traps or stack traps in a variety of locations. While often a menace, they can be used against bosses and in PvP to your advantage. Be careful when on well travelled roads and ask for help. There are items and skills which can negate trap usage.
Badlands primarily uses Healkits as a method of healing. As such, the heal skill can be important to your survival and is usually a place people dump extra skill points. Only certain classes can cast healing spells, which do not act as the original game was designed. There are no heal potions. In layman’s term, healing is not something you can just spam (most of the time)
Yes. Your characters alignment can potentially restrict other access to other classes. There is no Paladin Bard Assassin for example. As this character would be illegal.
All characters stop at level 40.
Please see the Rules document.
Nothing is required besides the Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. However, the server does use a few override files to allow Harper Scout to have access to Use Magic Device. This is helpful with certain builds. Download the ZIP file here and extract (unzip) the files into your “override” folder.