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Icewind Dale II Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Icewind Dale II?
A: Icewind Dale™ II is the sequel to Black Isle Studios' AD&D computer roleplaying game, Icewind Dale. You don't need to have played the original Icewind Dale in order to play Icewind Dale II.

Q: Who is developing/publishing Icewind Dale II?
A: Icewind Dale II is being developed and published by Black Isle Studios, the role-playing games division of Interplay Entertainment Corp. The Icewind Dale II team consists of much of the core Icewind Dale team, most of whom also worked on the award-winning Fallout™, Fallout 2 and Planescape™: Torment™ CRPGs.

Q: What engine is Icewind Dale II using?
A: Icewind Dale II is using the modified version of the BioWare Infinity Engine™ that was used for Icewind Dale with improvements from Baldur's Gate™ II: Shadows of Amn™ and others developed by Black Isle Studios. The Infinity Engine is the core game engine that was developed by BioWare Corp. and used in the Baldur's Gate series and Planescape: Torment.

Q: Can I bring my characters from Icewind Dale?
A: No. Icewind Dale II takes place a generation after the events in the original Icewind Dale game.

Q: Can I play Icewind Dale II without playing Icewind Dale?
A: Absolutely. While the storylines are related, you do not need to have played the original Icewind Dale to enjoy Icewind Dale II.

Q: What does Icewind Dale II improve on from Icewind Dale?
A: We have added the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule set into the game. There are also a whole bunch of new areas available in Icewind Dale II, you'll also have a lot of new features, spells, items, interface mechanics, and special abilities available to you in Icewind Dale II. Here's a short list of what you can expect from Icewind Dale II:

Q: How many new areas will we have to explore?
A: Icewind Dale II begins in the town of Targos, one of the Ten-Towns of the Icewind Dale region. From there, adventurers can delve into the Underdark, visit the Cold Marshes, and return to Dragon's Eye... and these are only a few of the areas available in Icewind Dale II.

Q: How much playtime are we looking at in Icewind Dale II?
A: Playtime varies based upon a player's skill level, knowledge base and play style. There is no certain way for us to gauge how long it will take you to finish it. In terms of scope, Icewind Dale II is large. Larger than the original Icewind Dale and its expansion, Heart of Winter, combined. An improved Heart of Fury mode, a more challenging version of the game, also increases the playtime and replayability of Icewind Dale II.

Q: Can you get any NPCs to join your party in Icewind Dale II?
A: Like the original Icewind Dale, you won't have any NPCs joining your party. You'll be creating your entire party of up to six characters at the beginning of the game. You can also choose from a selection of pre-generated player characters provided with the game.

Q: Will we be able to use our characters or NPCs from Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale?
A: You cannot use characters or save games from Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword Coast™, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn or Planescape: Torment.

Q: Are there any new magic items?
A: Oh, yes - our resident itemsmiths have been quite industrious. Expect a bunch of new magic items scattered throughout Icewind Dale II, some of which are placed in specific areas or on specific creatures, others of which have been incorporated into the random treasure tables. So keep an eye out for them - once you get a hold of one, you won't be disappointed. Though your enemies might be.

Q: Are there any new spells?
A: There are over fifty new spells in Icewind Dale II. These spells have been equally divided between the druid, cleric, and wizard classes, so feel free to unleash your new arsenal of magic on your enemies. A few examples of the new spells include Delayed Blast Fireball, Negative Plane Protection, Reflected Image, and Wondrous Recall.

Q: Are there any new monsters?
A: Icewind Dale II introduces a plethora of new monsters to the series including Bugbears, Worg-riding goblins, and Driders. This is only a small sampling of the new creatures in the game.

Q: Can we play specialty priests in Icewind Dale II?
A: Yes, your Cleric can choose from nine different faiths, your Paladin will have the opportunity to select a faith and your Monk can select an order. These choices dictate which multi-class the Paladin or Monk can freely change to and still retain their status.

Q: What resolution does Icewind Dale II run in?
A: Icewind Dale II allows you to play in 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1600x1200, and 2048x1536 resolutions.

Q: What are the system requirements for Icewind Dale II?
A: Tentatively, these are the required and recommended specifications for Icewind Dale II:

Q: Can we meet any historical characters like Drizzt or Wulfgar in Icewind Dale II?
A: No. The game takes place before Drizzt is on the surface of Faerûn and Wulfgar hasn't been born yet.

Q: Are there any new Player Character races?
A: Icewind Dale II will be adding the Half-Orc as a playable new character race, and we are including sub-races, too. A few examples of the new sub-races are the Drow (aka Dark Elves), Gold Dwarves and Tieflings. The sub-races will grant racial advantages, but are kept in check with various disadvantages.

Q: Are there any new Player Character classes, or dual/multi-class combinations?
A: Yes. We are adding the Barbarian, Sorcerer and the Monk originally developed by BioWare for Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn as available classes. Multi-classing has also been converted to the 3E system so there are almost an infinite number of multi-class combinations: Ranger/Druids, Cleric/Bards, etc.

Q: How many CDs will Icewind Dale come on?
A: We are currently planning for Icewind Dale II to be on 2 CDs. This may change depending on resources and how much data we can fit on the CDs.

Q: Is there a level cap, and if so, what is it?
A: If you play in the improved Heart of Fury mode, you can reach as high as 30th level. This allows your characters to become REALLY powerful.

Q: Can we import customized portraits and voice sets in Icewind Dale II?
A: Yes. You can import portraits into Icewind Dale II in the same manner as Icewind Dale.

Q: Is Icewind Dale II as linear as Icewind Dale?
A: Icewind Dale II is as linear as the original Icewind Dale. Just like Icewind Dale, however, dialogue options and NPC reactions can change according to the speaker's race, alignment, class, gender, or ability scores. You can also play through Icewind Dale II multiple times and find many new and unique magic items.

Q: What's the story of Icewind Dale II?
A: The call has gone out across the Sword Coast; the Ten-Towns of Icewind Dale are paying handsomely for mercenaries, soldiers, and adventurers of all types to sail north and defend the town of Targos from the encroaching goblinoid hordes. An unknown power is attempting to force the Ten-Towns to bow to their will. It is up to you and your stalwart band of would-be heroes to find out who or what is behind this and stop them at all costs.

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