Knights of the Chalice II - Development Update

Combat Engine, New Subraces, New Classes, New Class Features

Hello, turn-based RPG fans!

Between questions of health, nutrition, sports and a fridge breaking down on me, in the last few days my attention has constantly been diverted away from the good stuff, which is KotC 2 development.

Nevertheless, here is the promised update with lots of new screenshots and new design pages for your consumption.

Regarding combat, as I mentioned recently, I have finally implemented the most basic actions: moving in combat, taking a five-foot step, ending one's turn, delaying, standard attack, full attack, charge attack and attack of opportunity.

My plan is to continue implementing combat actions one by one, fixing bugs as I go. Today, while preparing this update, I harvested a good number of fresh bugs that I will have to correct first.

After that, I will focus on ranged attacks, opening the inventory in combat, grapple, bull rush, the other combat manoeuvers, the basic spells, ready versus spell, ready to counterspell, using a magic item in combat, using a class or racial power in combat, and using a spell-like ability. Spells, their interface and their graphical implementation will of course be a big part of the job. Afterwards comes the artificial intelligence. […]

New Subraces, new Classes, Skills

Now let's talk a bit about design stuff. I've been thinking that it would not be too hard to create subraces, so I created the design for a whole lot of them, as well as the new Half-Salamander race. You can read about subraces and races in the associated web pages. The Subrace page is brand new. It also provides class recommendations for each subrace.

I have also been designing eight new classes. Most of them are hybrid classes - I did not want to create new spell books or spell systems.

A proper class illustration will be created for each new class. On that subject, I have finally uploaded to the web pages the new class illustrations from the graphic designer Roman. The illustrations include a brand new one for the Ranger, as Roman wanted to create a picture of a higher quality than the previous one.

The new classes are the following (click on the class name to open the corresponding Class web page):

Samurai - a high-BAB combatant, master of the single-sword style
Gladiator - a high-BAB combatant with blinding strike and wide weapon knowledge
Bishop - a medium-BAB cleric benefiting from additional domain powers
Warlock - a low-BAB wizard who can also use psionic powers
Psychic Healer - a low-BAB psionicist who can also use cleric spells
Champion - a high-BAB combatant who has access to cleric spells
Mage Knight - a high-BAB combatant who has access to wizard spells
Storm Warrior - a high-BAB combatant who has access to druid spells

[…]

Click to expand...

hairyscotsman2 said:

At least some of these classes look more interesting than early D&D. I hope they don't repeat their poor encounter design choices.
That dragon that was almost guaranteed to wipe the party early unless you made the non-intuitive choice of allowing an obviously evil NPC escape, who would reveal the location of a scripted arrow of dragon slaying. If any GM pulled "and all you had to do to avoid the TPK you just had was let the person I made obviously evil just walk away" at a table, I'd have walked. And I did, never played again. Luckily an enthused friend gave me a run on theirs, so it didn't cost me. I'll definitely be awaiting full reviews before paying.

Click to expand...

Humanity has risen! said:

Hahahaha wow these new graphics suck. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the original pixel art. As far as I'm concerned he could make new games in the pixel art style forever.

I hope he got over his prima donna behavior because it was sad to see. He made a Dune 2 clone with 10 levels that was more limited than Dune 2 in some ways (!) and then complained about nobody wanting to buy it. Then GOG wanted to sell Knights of the Chalice and not his horrid Dune 2 clone and he complained too.

This is sad because otherwise he is a brilliant designer. Although he does look like he is taking his own sweet time if he is just implementing very basic moves.

Click to expand...

hairyscotsman2 said:

That dragon that was almost guaranteed to wipe the party early unless you made the non-intuitive choice of allowing an obviously evil NPC escape, who would reveal the location of a scripted arrow of dragon slaying. If any GM pulled "and all you had to do to avoid the TPK you just had was let the person I made obviously evil just walk away" at a table, I'd have walked.

Click to expand...

Hastar said:

You can be kobalds in this game? I am making a full party of them and getting revenge on all you bastards that have killed my people by the millions

Click to expand...