Icewind Dale 2 Forum Update

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(Originally posted by TBR)

J.E. and Chad Nicholas check in with us this time.

J.E. Sawyer, Lead Designer

On the strange phenomenon known as "release date Tetris": There are basically four parties involved in this situation: the developers (BIS), the publisher (IPLY), the distributor (Vivendi Universal), and the retailer. The developers tell the publisher when they estimate the game will be done. The publishers (hopefully) pass this information on to the distributors. The distributors then play Release Date Tetris with their own titles and competing titles, optimizing for maximum profit and minimum risk. The retailers and the distributors play tug of war over who gets what, when -- and at what price. Retailers often shift their dates for effect, or based on something that any individual in any one of the three other parties might have said, implied, hinted, or not said, implied, or hinted at all.

Ghostwise halflings and snares: Ghostwise halflings get the ability to set a natural snare once a day. It takes the form of a little floating skull marker (it looks like Skull Trap). When a creature hits the skull marker, it affects the creature as a single-target Entangle spell.

I got the idea for his facepaint from the Guarani king in The Mission:

I thought that the ghostwise halflings, living in a brutal environment, might be more likely to worship Urogalan, the halfling god of the earth and the dead. So, I asked Vance to add white teeth to the black facepaint. The idea was that this particular ghostwise halfling was a tribal hunter. His facepaint is his way of letting his prey know that its death was not random or for sport, but fulfilling a greater role in the jungle.

Or maybe he's just creepy. Whatever works.

However, the Entangle effect only lasts about five rounds though, and still allows a save. It's pretty useful, but not overpowering, IMO.

Ghostwise halfling male portrait: here

Wild elf female portrait: here

Chad Nicholas, Scriptor

Protection from evil: I don't know about Holy Word vs. Unholy Word, but as for Protection From Evil, evil aligned casters can cast the spell, and should cast the spell before summoning creatures that don't like to be summoned.

Rage: Rage doesn't offer any immunites. That's a BG2/2Ed thing. Rage in IwD2 follows 3E ROOLZ.