The Black Hound Interview
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GB: You've recently decided to develop a Neverwinter Nights 2 module called The Black Hound. Does this new module represent some of the work you had done on Baldur's Gate III? What similarities and differences does it share with Jefferson? Josh: It bears a lot of similarities in the plot, setting, main characters and overall design goals. Looking back, I don't think all of the decisions I/we were making on TBH were good ones. I have changed some aspects for personal taste and scope issues, but the core of the game should feel very similar. Some of the more significant changes are a reduction of the game area (which was larger than BG2 during core development on TBH), a revision of the story to be less convoluted, and the shifting of some character roles in the story.
GB: What is the premise surrounding The Black Hound? What will the overall objective be for the player and what areas of the Forgotten Realms will we travel through along the way?
Josh: The Black Hound catches the central character in the wrong place at the wrong time. In this case, the wrong place is south of White Ford, Archendale and the wrong time is the night when a woman tracks down and kills a black hound. The protagonist is a witness to this strange event and becomes entangled with the woman, May Farrow, through association. Many people and groups want information on May and they believe that the protagonist can help them get what they want.
The player has a pretty broad long-term goal: find May Farrow and deal with her. This can be accomplished with or without factions in the area and it can be accomplished by helping or hindering May in various ways. There are also numerous side stories and faction plotlines that have nothing to do with May Farrow's plot directly. Over the course of the game, the protagonist is likely to visit many points of interest in Archendale, Deepingdale, and Battledale. For the Realms-impaired, these are three of the southernmost regions of the Dalelands. They sit north of Sembia, southwest of the Moonsea, and northeast of Cormyr.
GB: Just how ambitious is The Black Hound in terms of length and depth? Could it potentially become a premium module for Neverwinter Nights 2 or would you prefer to see it free for any NWN2 fan interested in it?
Josh: It's pretty ambitious because of its sheer size and the scope of some of the character interaction mechanics. That said, I think most of the things I'm trying to do are pretty straightforward from a technical perspective. To be blunt, there's just a lot of stuff to do.
I'd rather not make it a premium module. I'm going to make a significant number of rule changes for the campaign and the tone I'm taking with many of the characters pushes the boundaries of what's acceptable for a T-rated product. I don't want to compromise on either of those things, even if it means the perceived quality of the campaign suffers.
GB: Have you hammered down any of the module's specifics, such as which NWN2 classes/prestige classes will be allowed, the introduction of any new items or spells, a potential level cap, or the number of companions available to join the player's party?
Josh: All standard base classes will be allowed (which excludes the warlock) and no prestige classes will be allowed. Characters will be allowed to reach 8th level, though 1st level characters will start out with a boost to their starting hit points. Many spells will probably be cut to sharpen the focus of the game, though I will almost certainly add a few personal favorites. There will also be a large number of unique items, including art objects and other items with purely monetary value.
There are currently eight companions on the list, though a few float on and off of that list as my opinion changes on their roles in the story.
GB: Who are the primary NPCs we'll be dealing with in the module and what is their agenda in regard to the protagonist? Any chance we might see a cameo or two from previous BIS/Obsidian games?
Josh: The main antagonist of the story (though she is herself the object of a massive hunt) is a human woman named May Farrow. May is the leader of a group of bandits that has been selectively attacking merchant routes across the southern Dalelands. The Archenriders and other groups have had a great deal of difficulty tracking her. Even the elves of Deepingdale can't follow her far into the Darkwatch. In the months prior to the beginning of the game, May has become reckless. The Archenriders have almost captured her on several occasions due to her apparent obsession with hunting down a black hound. Her success in this endeavor is the event that draws the protagonist into her nasty world.
The other major NPCs tend to be faction leaders that will try to either woo or hinder the protagonist. Stellaga Brightstar, high priestess of the church of Lathander, has a special interest in May. The Red Wizards of Thay, the Sembian Silver Ravens, and even the Malarite People of the Black Blood are also watching her movements very closely. The relationship of each group to May should hopefully surprise a lot of players.
