¶ Revised General Mechanical Changes for Haze in NWN
In Haze, a modification of Neverwinter Nights (NWN), we've introduced several core changes that impact the game mechanics. These alterations are crucial for an enhanced gameplay experience but do not fit into other specific categories. Below is a comprehensive list of these changes.
¶ 🛡️ Damage Reduction (DR)
In Haze, the Damage Reduction (DR) mechanics have been modified. Unlike the standard NWN system where Attack Bonus (AB) can overcome DR, Haze requires a full enhancement bonus on a weapon.
- Example: To pierce a ghost's DR of 10/+1, a weapon with a minimum of +1 enhancement bonus is necessary.
¶ 🧿 Damage Immunity (DI)
In Haze, the Damage Immunity (DI) mechanic has been changed from the standard rules. In normal NWN, immunity to a damage type can reach 100% (full negation), and individual sources stack with no ceiling. On Haze, immunity to any single damage type is hard-capped at 75%, no matter how many items, spells, or songs you layer on, the most you can ever ignore from one damage type is 75% of it. (This does not count Damage Reduction or Damage Resist, as those are applied separately.)
How it works
- All of your immunity sources for a given damage type are added together as normal, then the total is capped at 75% before it's applied.
- The cap is applied per damage type (Slashing, Fire, Cold, etc.), so stacking immunities to different types is fine, each is just individually limited to 75%.
- Anything above 75% is simply wasted. There's no benefit to stacking past the cap, so you're free to spend those buff slots elsewhere.
- The cap applies to players only, creature and NPC immunities are unchanged. Damage vulnerabilities (negative immunity) are also unaffected.
Example
You're in full Iron gear granting 55% immunity to Slashing. An ally casts an enhanced Talfen's Shield on you for another 50%, and a bard sings Kal'ahn'dur's Call for a further 20%. That's 125% on paper — but the cap kicks in, and you take Slashing damage as though you had exactly 75% immunity. The extra 50% does nothing.
¶ 
Gold
In Haze, the standard currency is the copper coin. These coins circulate throughout the world and can be found as loot, earned through trade with merchants or other players, or forged by blacksmiths using copper ingots.
- Coins minted from silver or gold ingots are automatically converted into copper coins for balance and simplicity.
- Carrying 500 or more coins begins to impose a weight penalty — at a rate of 2 lbs per 50 coins.
- You can store coins in a persistent chest to reduce carry weight. Every 60 coins stored occupies 1 chest slot, up to the chest’s storage limit.
¶ 
Invisibility
In Haze, invisibility has been modified so that it can break under conditions in addition to the conditions it breaks in the base game.
- Any hostile action taken by a summon, henchman, animal companion, or similar controlled creature is now treated as a hostile action by the master, causing the master’s invisibility to break.
- Collecting from Nodes (Chiseling, Shoveling, Harvesting Knife, etc...) or Picking Flora will now break invisibility
- While invisible, if you are not stealthing, enemies can still hear you, and will begin pathing towards you in attempts to detect you. You should travel with caution even while invisible.
¶ 
Fear
In Haze, fear has two different functions, whether applied to a player or a creature.
- When Applied to a Player:
- The player does not lose control of their character, but suffers a -10 AC, -10 AB, 50% Spell Failure and will trigger an AoO on any attack attempt made. Encouraging the player to remove themselves from the combat, but not making them run haphazardly in a random direction, as base NWN fear is prone to do.
- When Applied to an NPC/Creature:
- The creature will attempt to run away, and not take attacks, if the enemy is damaged while feared they are given a saving throw to break the fear effect of DC 30-DamageTaken, an additional -4 is taken if the enemy is entangled.
¶ 💀 Poison (item) 💀
In Haze, poison application items have been modified so that:
- Poison lasts for 1 turn before wearing off, and can be applied to any non-bludgeoning piercing or slashing melee weapon, or stack of three piercing or slashing ammunition.
- When the chararacter strikes with poison on a melee weapon, it applies to all attacks within that round before being removed.
- Damage for poison uses the modified rules discussed under damage types.
¶ 🛡️ Shields
The shield mechanics in Haze have been revised. Instead of using 'Shield Proficiency,' shield usage is determined by your armor proficiency:
- Small Shields and Bucklers: Require light armor proficiency.
- Large Shields: Require medium armor proficiency.
- Tower Shields: Require heavy armor proficiency.
¶ 
Damage Types
Haze adds (currently) 5 custom damage types.
- Psychic: Is ignored if the target is immune to mind spells
- Poison: Is ignored if the target is immune to poison, otherwise a fortitude save is rolled for half damage.
- Force: Nothing can prevent this damage type.
- Disease: Is ignored if the target is immune to diseases, otherwise a fortitude save is rolled for half damage.
- Bleed: This damage is used for a non-resistable damage type during the bleedout process.
¶ 
Grappled
In Haze, some enemies may be able to initiate a grapple against you, for various reasons, the formula used is below.
- Grapple Check: BAB + (Strength OR Dexterity) Modifier + Size Modifier + (Modified Discipline (minus Strength Bonus)/5, rounded down)
- Size Modifiers
- Huge +8
- Large +4
- Medium --
- Small -4
- Tiny -8
¶ ⚔️ Creature Combat Abilities ⚔️
Many creatures in Haze have special combat maneuvers adapted from D&D 3.5e. These are mostly monster abilities you'll face as a player rather than gain yourself — this section is a quick overview of what each one does, so you know what's coming and how to respond. The combat log will announce them as they happen.
¶ Grapple & Improved Grab
Some creatures can grab and physically restrain you in melee. When one lands a grab, it tests its hold against you; larger, stronger creatures are better at grabbing, and a creature can't hold prey much bigger than itself.
While grabbed, you're pinned: you can't move and you're easier to hit, though you can still fight back. The hold is re-tested each round, so you have a chance to wrestle free — and because the creature has to stay near you to keep its grip, drawing it off (or moving it away) ends the grapple.
¶ 
Constrict
A constrict is a grapple that crushes. Once a constrictor has hold of you, it squeezes for automatic damage every round it keeps the grip. The bigger and stronger the creature, the harder the crush — so a large serpent is far more dangerous in its coils than a small one. Break the grapple to stop the damage.
¶ 
Latch
Small parasites — stirges, leeches, and the like — can latch onto you. While attached, the creature clings on and slowly drains your health as it feeds (dealing raw bleeding damage). You can try to pull it off each round, but a latched creature clings stubbornly, so it may take a few attempts to shake loose. All bleed damage the creature does to you, is transferred to the creature through temporary hit points.
If a creature is latched and you succeed the grapple check to remove the latched creature, the creature is "dazed" for 1 round after being pulled off.
¶ 
Swallow Whole
Some large creatures can swallow your character whole. This only works if the creature is bigger than you, isn't already holding someone inside, and wins its grab — but once you're swallowed, you're in real trouble:
- You're moved into the creature's stomach, a sealed interior space.
- You take acid damage over time and can't cast magic of any kind.
- You can fight your way out by attacking the stomach lining from the inside, and the creature being hurt from outside can knock you off your feet.
- When the creature dies, you're expelled — so allies finishing it off will free you.
- If you log out while swallowed, your character dies. No exceptions.
¶ 
Pounce
Predators with Pounce charge and leap at their prey from a distance, closing the gap in a single bound. On landing they tear in with a full flurry of attacks (and a Rake, if they have one) instead of the single swing a normal charge allows — so a pouncing beast hits hard the moment it reaches you.
¶ 
Rake
Creatures with Rake lash out with extra claw attacks — usually when they pounce onto a victim or have one held. A creature that has you grappled rakes you every round you stay in its grip, so being pinned by a raking beast is especially punishing.
¶ 
Trample
Large creatures with Trample can run straight through smaller foes, crushing anyone in their path as they charge. A quick dodge (a successful Reflex save) softens the blow, but you generally don't want to be standing in front of a charging beast.
¶ 
Burrow
Burrowing creatures can dig underground to reposition or set up an ambush, then erupt from the earth. While submerged they can't be targeted, and both digging in and bursting out throw up a violent spray of earth that can damage and knock down nearby creatures.
¶ 
Flight
Flying creatures can take to the air to cross terrain, break away from melee, or reposition for another pass. Letting one disengage from melee gives your group a free swing as it lifts off.
¶ 
Multiattack
Natural creatures in Haze attack with all of their natural weapons rather than NWN's usual single attack — so a clawing, biting beast may strike several times in a round. Its follow-up attacks land less reliably than its first, and creatures with the Multiattack feat are notably more accurate with those extra strikes.
¶ 🛡️ AC Calculation Feats
In Haze, we have added several feats that modify natural AC calculations for different classes, it is important to remember that none of these calculations stack, so if you end up with more than one of these AC calculation feats, you will receive the benefit of only one.
The list of feats at this time:
¶ 
Metamagic
Metamagic has had the level adjustments changed on Haze due to the low-level nature of our server:
- Quicken/Maximize Now use a spell slot 2 levels higher than the spell level, meaning a level 1 spell will require a level 3 spell slot.
- Empower/Still Use a spell slot 1 level higher than the spell level, meaning a level 1 spell will require a level 2 spell slot.
- Extend/Silent Use a spell slot EQUAL to the spell level, meaning a level 1 spell can be extended or cast with the silent metamagic, using the same level as the base spell, the only cost is having the appropriate feat.
¶ 🗣️ Whispers
Haze introduces a custom system for whispers and listening. If someone whispers within your talk range, you perform a Listen Check, influenced by distance and other factors, to potentially overhear the whisper. This system allows for eavesdropping on distant conversations, giving you the chance to hear information not meant for you.
¶ 👂 Status Effects & Hearing
Status effects impacting hearing are more realistic in Haze:
- Hearing Impairment: If afflicted, you won't see any messages from others, except for emotes.
- Blindness: You'll only see text messages, not emotes, unless they are performed within a 2.5m radius of your character.
¶ 
Max Carry Weight
Haze modifies the carry weight system of NWN:
- Instead of just inventory slots, there's a maximum carry weight limit of twice your character's capacity.
- Exceeding this limit results in damage, penalties to Armor Class (AC), Attack Bonus (AB), and increased Spell Failure, reflecting the difficulty of attacking, defending, or casting spells while overburdened.
- Carry Weight (Encumbrance) has been modified to the following by Strength:
|
|
|
¶ 
Max Ranged Weapon Range
The max distance of ranged weapons has been modified on Haze.
| Weapon Type | Max | MaxPassive | Preferred |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Throwing | 15.0 | 10.0 | 14.0 |
| Medium Throwing | 15.0 | 10.0 | 14.0 |
| Large Throwing | 20.0 | 15.0 | 19.0 |
| Shortbow | 20.0 | 15.0 | 19.0 |
| Longbow | 25.0 | 20.0 | 24.0 |
| Small Ranged | 17.5 | 15.0 | 17.0 |
| Light Ranged | 25.0 | 20.0 | 24.0 |
| Heavy Ranged | 30.0 | 25.0 | 29.0 |
- Max The maximum attack distance. Default is 40.0f.
- MaxPassive The maximum passive attack distance. Default is 20.0f. Used by the engine to determine a new nearby target when needed.
- Preferred The preferred attack distance. Default was 30.0f for ranged weapons.
Range Modifier There is a custom item property referred to as "Range Modifier" that can increase/decrease this value. See Item Property Changes
¶ 
Fire Bombs & Acid Bombs
Anyone directly hit by this grenade-like weapon will suffer 10d6 1 points of fire/acid damage. Everyone in the huge (6.67 meter radius) area of effect (including the original target) also suffers 1 6d6 point of fire/acid damage. After exploding, a cloud is created at the targeted location that causes 4d6 points of fire/acid damage each round for 5 rounds to all creatures within the cloud's large (5 meter radius) area of effect.
¶ 
Extra Ranged Damage Type
When this item property is added to ammunition on Haze, it replaces the damage type of the ammunition, it does not add it as an additional type.
¶ 🥋 Monk AC Bonus
The Monk AC bonus in Haze is prevented if you:
- Equip armor (including anything with a Base AC value).
- Equip anything with Damage Immunity percent for physical damage types (Piercing, Bludgeoning, Slashing).
- This usually includes metal helmets, bracers, boots, etc.
¶ 🌿 Druid Metal Equipment
Druids in Haze:
- Cannot cast spells while wearing any metal items, except for ammunition and jewelry.
- If they continue wearing metal items, they may gain the 'Fallen Druid' status, preventing spellcasting until corrected.
¶ 🐺 Companions
Haze offers various ways to gain and control up to 5 Companions that follow you on your adventures, including:
- Summons, Animal Companions, Familiars, Undead Followers, and Pack Animals.
Note: Use the !v command to communicate as your Companion in ways that make sense in-character (IC). For multiple Companions, use !v and target a specific one. Please use this feature responsibly.
¶ 🏃 Kiting
Most creatures have a base movement speed slower than the player, to allow options to actually flee.
If kiting is detected, enemy speed gradually increases until they outrun you, making fleeing impossible and removing your ability to kite. However, you should not formulate strategies that deny enemies from attacking based on running away whilst you and/or others kill it.
Do not use terrain in a way to trick AI, if you are seen abusing pathfinding to confuse AI, you may be punished. This includes realizing that an enemy is too large to fit between a terrain feature and just running back and forth between that terrain feature causing the AI to keep running longwise around to try to get to you.
¶ Some Examples what is okay:
A player/group actually running, to attempt to disengage the encounter and flee.
A backline being targeted, running to lead it back to the melee so to try and get it to re-engage someone else.
¶ Few Examples of What is NOT okay:
Multiple players shooting a monster with ranged from different directions, Whomever it chases after runs away, allowing others to shoot it without it attacking. When it changes targets, the newly targeted character runs away, continuing the cycle of attack denial.
Purposefully luring larger enemies towards narrow, hard to pass terrain gaps, leaving it unable to reach/approach whilst you attack it from ranged.
¶ 🧠 Domination
In Haze, domination is not absolute:
- Every time an enemy is injured, the dominating creature must make a check to maintain control.
- This applies to Animal Empathy for Druids/Rangers and Concentration for Arcane Casters (Enchantment Specialization).
¶ 🎒 Backpacks
Backpacks in Haze:
- Occupy the cloak slot and offer varying weight reduction when worn (from 20% to 80%, depending on the craftable tier).
- To gain the benefits, backpacks must be equipped.
¶ 
Swarms
Swarm Creature types in Haze:
- Take 100% less physical damage from Slashing, and Piercing
- Take 75% less damage from Bludgeoning
- Generally have 3 or more attacks per round
- Take 200% damage from any area of effect spell
¶ 😱 Near Death Experience (Effect)
While under the Near Death Experience Condition, players will receive:
- -10 AC, -10 AB, -20% Movement Speed and 50% Spell Failure.
You retain control of your character and are encouraged to run away from combat. To enforce this, if you attack while in this state, you will broadcast an Attack of Opportunity (AoO) to all enemies around you.
¶ 
Traps
The below traps all have crafting recipes at the time of editing this wiki page:
| Type | Strength | Target | Damage | Special | Save | DC | Detect DC | Set DC | Disarm DC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| spike | wooden | single creature | 1d6 piercing | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 10 | 15 |
| ↓ | minor | single creature | 2d6 piercing | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| ↓ | average | single creature | 3d6 piercing | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| ↓ | strong | single creature | 5d6 piercing | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 25 | 30 |
| ↓ | deadly | single creature | 8d6 piercing | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| acid splash | minor | 5 ft radius | 2d4 acid | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| ↓ | average | 5 ft radius | 3d4 acid | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| ↓ | strong | 10 ft radius | 5d4 acid | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 25 | 30 |
| ↓ | deadly | 10 ft radius | 8d4 acid | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| fire | minor | 5 ft radius | 2d4 fire | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| ↓ | average | 5 ft radius | 3d4 fire | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| ↓ | strong | 10 ft radius | 5d4 fire | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 25 | 30 |
| ↓ | deadly | 10 ft radius | 8d4 fire | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| sonic | minor | 10 ft radius | 2d4 sonic | stun, 2 rounds | will | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| ↓ | average | 10 ft radius | 3d4 sonic | ↓ | will | 15 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| ↓ | strong | 10 ft radius | 5d4 sonic | ↓ | will | 15 | 15 | 25 | 30 |
| ↓ | deadly | 10 ft radius | 8d4 sonic | ↓ | will | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| tangle | minor | 5 ft radius | - | slow, 2 rounds | reflex | 12 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| ↓ | average | 5 ft radius | - | ↓ | reflex | 15 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| ↓ | strong | 5 ft radius | - | entangle, 2 rounds | reflex | 12 | 15 | 25 | 30 |
| ↓ | deadly | 5 ft radius | - | ↓ | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| gas | minor | 5 ft radius | 2d4 poison per round | DC changes by hit dice & feats | fortitude | varies | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| ↓ | average | 5 ft radius | 3d4 poison per round | ↓ | fortitude | varies | 20 | 20 | 25 |
| ↓ | strong | 5 ft radius | 5d4 poison per round | ↓ | fortitude | varies | 25 | 25 | 30 |
| ↓ | deadly | 5 ft radius | 8d4 poison per round | ↓ | fortitude | varies | 30 | 30 | 35 |
The below traps are not craftable at the time of writing this wiki, but are used in dungeons and other locations
| Type | Strength | Target | Damage | Special | Save | DC | Detect DC | Set DC | Disarm DC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| acid blob | minor | single creature | 2d4 acid | paralysis, 2 rounds | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | average | single creature | 3d4 acid | paralysis, 3 rounds | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | strong | single creature | 5d4 acid | paralysis, 4 rounds | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | deadly | single creature | 8d4 acid | paralysis, 5 rounds | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| frost | minor | single creature | 2d4 cold | paralysis, 1 round | fortitude | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | average | single creature | 3d4 cold | paralysis, 2 rounds | fortitude | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | strong | single creature | 5d4 cold | paralysis, 3 rounds | fortitude | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | deadly | single creature | 8d4 cold | paralysis, 4 rounds | fortitude | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| negative | minor | single creature | 2d4 negative | -1 strength | fortitude | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | average | single creature | 3d4 negative | -1 strength | fortitude | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | strong | single creature | 5d4 negative | -2 strength | fortitude | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| ↓ | deadly | single creature | 8d4 negative | -1 level | fortitude | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
| electrical | minor | 4 creatures, 15 ft radius | 2d4 electrical | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| ↓ | average | 5 creatures, 15 ft radius | 3d4 electrical | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| ↓ | strong | 6 creatures, 15 ft radius | 5d4 electrical | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 25 | 30 |
| ↓ | deadly | 7 creatures, 15 ft radius | 8d4 electrical | - | reflex | 15 | 15 | 30 | 35 |
¶ Weapon Reach
The effective ranges of some melee weapons in Haze have been altered.
| Weapon | Vanilla Range | New Range |
|---|---|---|
| Halberd | 1.7 | 2.3 |
| Greatsword | 1.8 | 2.0 |
| Quarterstaff | 1.6 | 2.3 |
| Scythe | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Shortspear | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| Trident | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| Whip | 1.7 | 3.2 |
¶ Weapon Changes
| Weapon | Change |
|---|---|
| Trident | Changed to 1-handed, x3 Crit Modifier |
| Dagger | Changed to 19-20/x3 Crit Modifier |