Reviews for Baldecaran's Modules (The Cave of Songs+Honor Among Thieves)
xiaoleiwen
Member Posts: 199
Finished the first one and hopefully, I can get through the rest. Also, just realized I never posted my reviews for SOU + HOTU from a few years ago, and now I’ve lost the draft 
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The Cave of Songs
When you play the first module from an author famous for writing some of the best stories in NWN, you'd probably expect a story-rich experience, though maybe with a few rough edges. But to my surprise, after leaving the beginner’s inn, I found myself wandering through dark, ominous and large open areas, getting mauled by ferocious bears left and right, with almost no story or NPCs in sight. Instead, you get occasional notes hinting at where to go and a few NPCs trying to kill you. Honestly, it felt more like exploring the wilderness in early Baldur’s Gate 1 or even a Souls-like game.
Anyhow, the atmosphere the author creates is excellent, and the exploration ended up being way more enjoyable than I expected. Still, I can guess some people might want to skip this module if they’re expecting more story than action-heavy gameplay. At least in the early game, the writing of the occasional dialogue and notes scattered around doesn’t really hint at the epic storytelling you’d expect from the renowned creator of the Prophet Saga.
Thankfully, I stuck with it. Once you hit a certain point with an unexpected encounter, the story starts kicking in. From there, the experience becomes progressively more story-rich, just as I’d hoped. Venturing deeper into the mystery and piecing together the notes and journals scattered around was as satisfying as any well-written CRPG quest. The story isn’t super mind-blowing, but it’s quite unexpected and pretty well-crafted. It also hints at some of the deeper themes that I guess the author will likely explore in their next modules, especially in the Prophet Saga. Some of the questions posed by a certain NPC definitely carry the vibe of Planescape Torment, one of the best-written CRPGs. I enjoy how this particular tale revolves around the tragedy of obsession with
Overall, it’s a solid short story that I don’t regret playing.
Now, for the companion- you only get one , and he's not as fleshed out as what you’d expect from a BioWare or Obsidian CRPG. While he has some location-based banter and dialogue interjections, their main purpose feels more like a tool for delivering lore rather than developing a distinct personality. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for a short module, but don’t expect deep companion dynamics here.
As for the gameplay, the early game is slightly challenging, while the late game is very easy— at least for my Fighter 3/Rogue 2 build. I enjoyed the sense of exploration, but only until my henchman eventually ran out of arrows and he couldn’t switch to a melee weapon. Instead, he just stood there repeating “out of ammo,” becoming a liability that did nothing but die during ambushes or boss fights. That was frustrating during certain encounters. He also completely ignored all of my instructions— no healing the player, no standing ground, nothing. It felt very limited compared to the henchmen in the vanilla modules.
In short, this is a great atmospheric module with a decent story and enjoyable exploration. If you’re willing to push through a slow start from level 1, it’s definitely still worth your time.
Story Experience: 7.5
Companion: 6.5
General Gameplay: 7.0
Groping in the dark
Companion
Companion- location awareness
Heavy Spoiler:
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Honor Among Thieves
Before diving into the details, here’s a TL;DR review: this is the best thieves’ guild content I’ve ever played in any CRPG. It makes the guilds in The Elder Scrolls series feel shallow in comparison.
When I first started this module, the first impression wasn’t that good. And after reaching the first city, I was a little disappointed. Most NPCs didn’t have walls of dialogue packed with history, lore, or personal backstories like you’d expect from a professionally made CRPG. The big city felt a bit shallow, and I thought, well, it’s a player-made module, so maybe I shouldn’t expect too much.
However, end up I was wrong. Everything changed after I joined the thieves’ guild. From there, the game offers around 22 uniquely and cleverly designed "fetch quests" split into three main categories— spying, thieving, and assassination. These quests turn the city into an incredibly fun playground for a rogue PC. As you progress, the story gradually reveals more lore, character backstories, and most importantly- hints about the main quest, which builds up anticipation for what’s to come, and it makes every side quest feel meaningful because some of them are somehow connected to the larger plot.
What’s even better is how the side quests and and the order in which you complete them can affect the main quest. Doing certain side quests first (or skipping them) opens up different variations, role-playing opportunities, and routes in the main storyline. I found myself always save-scumming just to see the differences, and I was never disappointed. The author clearly put a lot of effort into writing for different paths, which makes me excited to replay it someday and make completely different choices.
For example, right after joining the guild, you’re immediately given with a choice: role-play as a duplicitous thief and betray your original purpose. And another example, if you manage to complete some side quests before returning to the main quest, a certain truth is revealed earlier, allowing you to react in a way that surprises your quest giver. It’s a clever touch that makes you feel smart and is super satisfying from a role-playing perspective. Later, some endgame options will definitely tempt you to back up a save and try something “dangerous” just to see what happens and I wasn’t disappointed, even if I reloaded afterward, because I got to experience outcomes I’ve never seen in any other CRPG that I played before.
The main story itself is also very cleverly written. It’s not overly convoluted or groundbreaking, but the storytelling and pacing are fantastic. The author always reveals just enough to keep you hooked without spilling all the secrets too early. Every time you think you’re close to uncovering the truth, sometimes you are— but other times, you’re hit with an unexpected surprise instead. The twists are well-timed and keep the story engaging from start to finish.
The gameplay in this module is also excellent, thanks to the possibility to play smart when completing the spying, thieving, and assassination side quests. Whether it’s through choosing different routes, making role-playing choices in dialogue, or fully utilizing the mechanics of a rogue character, this module delivers a satisfying and engaging experience. There’s so much you can do, like luring guard dogs away with meat, using traps to turn the tables on powerful enemies by luring them into hurting themselves instead of the player, or locking enemies in a room to avoid combat. Honestly, I didn’t know some of these mechanics were possible in NWN until I played this module. A lot of the heist quests, in particular, feel epic and incredibly satisfying thanks to their clever and unique design.
This is hands-down the best NWN module I’ve played so far, and now I’m even more excited for the upcoming Prophet Saga!
Story Experience: 8.0
General Gameplay: 8.5
Screenshots:
Heavy Spoiler
----
The Cave of Songs
When you play the first module from an author famous for writing some of the best stories in NWN, you'd probably expect a story-rich experience, though maybe with a few rough edges. But to my surprise, after leaving the beginner’s inn, I found myself wandering through dark, ominous and large open areas, getting mauled by ferocious bears left and right, with almost no story or NPCs in sight. Instead, you get occasional notes hinting at where to go and a few NPCs trying to kill you. Honestly, it felt more like exploring the wilderness in early Baldur’s Gate 1 or even a Souls-like game.
Anyhow, the atmosphere the author creates is excellent, and the exploration ended up being way more enjoyable than I expected. Still, I can guess some people might want to skip this module if they’re expecting more story than action-heavy gameplay. At least in the early game, the writing of the occasional dialogue and notes scattered around doesn’t really hint at the epic storytelling you’d expect from the renowned creator of the Prophet Saga.
Thankfully, I stuck with it. Once you hit a certain point with an unexpected encounter, the story starts kicking in. From there, the experience becomes progressively more story-rich, just as I’d hoped. Venturing deeper into the mystery and piecing together the notes and journals scattered around was as satisfying as any well-written CRPG quest. The story isn’t super mind-blowing, but it’s quite unexpected and pretty well-crafted. It also hints at some of the deeper themes that I guess the author will likely explore in their next modules, especially in the Prophet Saga. Some of the questions posed by a certain NPC definitely carry the vibe of Planescape Torment, one of the best-written CRPGs. I enjoy how this particular tale revolves around the tragedy of obsession with
mortality
, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness when leaving a certain NPC behind during the endgame.Overall, it’s a solid short story that I don’t regret playing.
Now, for the companion- you only get one , and he's not as fleshed out as what you’d expect from a BioWare or Obsidian CRPG. While he has some location-based banter and dialogue interjections, their main purpose feels more like a tool for delivering lore rather than developing a distinct personality. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for a short module, but don’t expect deep companion dynamics here.
As for the gameplay, the early game is slightly challenging, while the late game is very easy— at least for my Fighter 3/Rogue 2 build. I enjoyed the sense of exploration, but only until my henchman eventually ran out of arrows and he couldn’t switch to a melee weapon. Instead, he just stood there repeating “out of ammo,” becoming a liability that did nothing but die during ambushes or boss fights. That was frustrating during certain encounters. He also completely ignored all of my instructions— no healing the player, no standing ground, nothing. It felt very limited compared to the henchmen in the vanilla modules.
In short, this is a great atmospheric module with a decent story and enjoyable exploration. If you’re willing to push through a slow start from level 1, it’s definitely still worth your time.
Story Experience: 7.5
Companion: 6.5
General Gameplay: 7.0
Groping in the dark
Companion
Companion- location awareness
Heavy Spoiler:
Cool End game NPC, cool sword:
If you are willing to backtrack during the end game, you can get extra experience and additional dialogues:
A short quest with some sad dialogues you might miss if you leave the area too quickly:
Moral of the story:
If you are willing to backtrack during the end game, you can get extra experience and additional dialogues:
A short quest with some sad dialogues you might miss if you leave the area too quickly:
Moral of the story:
----
Honor Among Thieves
Before diving into the details, here’s a TL;DR review: this is the best thieves’ guild content I’ve ever played in any CRPG. It makes the guilds in The Elder Scrolls series feel shallow in comparison.
When I first started this module, the first impression wasn’t that good. And after reaching the first city, I was a little disappointed. Most NPCs didn’t have walls of dialogue packed with history, lore, or personal backstories like you’d expect from a professionally made CRPG. The big city felt a bit shallow, and I thought, well, it’s a player-made module, so maybe I shouldn’t expect too much.
However, end up I was wrong. Everything changed after I joined the thieves’ guild. From there, the game offers around 22 uniquely and cleverly designed "fetch quests" split into three main categories— spying, thieving, and assassination. These quests turn the city into an incredibly fun playground for a rogue PC. As you progress, the story gradually reveals more lore, character backstories, and most importantly- hints about the main quest, which builds up anticipation for what’s to come, and it makes every side quest feel meaningful because some of them are somehow connected to the larger plot.
What’s even better is how the side quests and and the order in which you complete them can affect the main quest. Doing certain side quests first (or skipping them) opens up different variations, role-playing opportunities, and routes in the main storyline. I found myself always save-scumming just to see the differences, and I was never disappointed. The author clearly put a lot of effort into writing for different paths, which makes me excited to replay it someday and make completely different choices.
For example, right after joining the guild, you’re immediately given with a choice: role-play as a duplicitous thief and betray your original purpose. And another example, if you manage to complete some side quests before returning to the main quest, a certain truth is revealed earlier, allowing you to react in a way that surprises your quest giver. It’s a clever touch that makes you feel smart and is super satisfying from a role-playing perspective. Later, some endgame options will definitely tempt you to back up a save and try something “dangerous” just to see what happens and I wasn’t disappointed, even if I reloaded afterward, because I got to experience outcomes I’ve never seen in any other CRPG that I played before.
The main story itself is also very cleverly written. It’s not overly convoluted or groundbreaking, but the storytelling and pacing are fantastic. The author always reveals just enough to keep you hooked without spilling all the secrets too early. Every time you think you’re close to uncovering the truth, sometimes you are— but other times, you’re hit with an unexpected surprise instead. The twists are well-timed and keep the story engaging from start to finish.
The gameplay in this module is also excellent, thanks to the possibility to play smart when completing the spying, thieving, and assassination side quests. Whether it’s through choosing different routes, making role-playing choices in dialogue, or fully utilizing the mechanics of a rogue character, this module delivers a satisfying and engaging experience. There’s so much you can do, like luring guard dogs away with meat, using traps to turn the tables on powerful enemies by luring them into hurting themselves instead of the player, or locking enemies in a room to avoid combat. Honestly, I didn’t know some of these mechanics were possible in NWN until I played this module. A lot of the heist quests, in particular, feel epic and incredibly satisfying thanks to their clever and unique design.
This is hands-down the best NWN module I’ve played so far, and now I’m even more excited for the upcoming Prophet Saga!
Story Experience: 8.0
General Gameplay: 8.5
Screenshots:
Thieving, spying, and assasination!
I can't kill you, but the trap device sure can!
Here, doggies! Some meat for you!
Hehe, let me just lock you up!
Hilarious details during your infiltration mission
Items description is full of original lore as well
I can't kill you, but the trap device sure can!
Here, doggies! Some meat for you!
Hehe, let me just lock you up!
Hilarious details during your infiltration mission
Items description is full of original lore as well
Heavy Spoiler
It looks like some quests have follow-ups in Prophet Saga.
Certain powerful follower has unique lines if you try to lead him into deadly traps.
Never experienced this in any CRPG, and you still lose two slots even if you export your character to another module like Prophet Saga.
Certain powerful follower has unique lines if you try to lead him into deadly traps.
Never experienced this in any CRPG, and you still lose two slots even if you export your character to another module like Prophet Saga.
Post edited by xiaoleiwen on
0
Comments
That said, you should register over on the Vault and copy your review there on the module page. For posterity's sake, if nothing else - there appears to be an awful lot of spam hereabouts as of late, and I've had plenty of experience with company-owned fori shutting down on short notice under such circs. And future players are more likely to see it there, anyway.
I appreciate your suggestion, I got an account but just forgot my log-in information, and it was an older user name that I no longer used. Generally, I still prefer posting on a forum because I like posting screenshots as well.
I guess I can backup this on the G3 thread temporarily, at least until I find a better place.
Game breaking
- Derent won't leave when you are supposed to follow him.
Non- game breaking
- cannot complete the first beetle side quest because the npc won't initiate the talk after killing the beetle.
- the first follower won't help you in fights, they just stand still.
Reported on the PRC server, so may get fixed in future version (if any)