The Starting Point - module building tutorials for beginners - and where to find them

Over the years The Vault accumulated tons of nice tutorials for newbies. Unfortunately, finding them is not so easy - so I’ve started this thread to make it easier.
Let’s start with the basic ones - using toolset.

Of course, you can start by browsing this old forum thread - guides collection: https://neverwintervault.org/forums/neverwinter-nights-1/nwn1-scripting/scripting-collections-guides-tutorials-list
but

  1. Some links are outdated
  2. I’d like to make some recommendations.

Go here: https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/other/nwn-university-document-help-pdf-reference-guide-tutorial-xls-collection.

Start with Toolset Manual by Builder’s Project (pdf format, basically every part of the toolset described, including things like changing area properties, setting encounters, creating conversations, starting and managing quests + most common “how to” - like automatic closing doors after some time).

Next, there’s also NWN Lexicon v.1.69 - there are tutorials “step by step” Robert Straughan Capture Glory - Writing a module + Celowin’s Tutorials

To all the old - timers - what would you recommend?

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Well first I’ll get this into the open. I dislike that page intensely (NwN University) because there are just too many files all thrown together. I end up having to use my browser’s text search to find anything and quite often that doesn’t work for the downloads. Let me make it clear it’s the page not the contents that I have issues with. It’s not even as though you can download it all in one.

OK rant over. So

The online lexicon
The offline lexicon
The Guide to Building Volume I – The Aurora Toolset Manual
The Guide To Building Volume II The Design Manual
Ancient Bioware PDF Tutorials
Just The FAQs, ma’am (Scripting FAQs)
Programming Special Items Using Tag-Based Scripts (via wayback machine)
Jassper’s Noobs Corner (via wayback machine)
TR’s Basics - Variables, Types and Functions (TBC)
TR’s Basics - Boolean Algebra
TR’s Basics - Decisions
TR’s Basics - Mostly Operators

LS-TK Script Generator (Lilac Soul’s Script Generator, updated for NWN 1.69)
ScriptEase [Edited Address - Scriptease is now on GitHub]

Module lists via Categories, etc.
NwN1 Standard Assets

Finally, I always saw this next one as a way for beginners to make a start in custom content creation -

TR’s Custom Shield Designs

That’s it for now. If I spend any more time on this…

TR

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Here’s another useful thing
“How to…” tutorials:

to be continued…

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Here is that list with almost all of the links restored.

Axe Murderer
Custom Content Mechanics - A Tutorial
How To Make Custom Familiars and Animal Companions
Scripting Tutorial: Learning to Write If-statements
Shape Changing and Appearance Altering Tutorial v1.0
Tutorial - Create Custom Animal Companions & Familiars

Ayath The Loafer
Ayath The Loafer and Nereng’s x2 ambient system - a tutorial - version 1.55
Dogsmeat v. 1.1 - a tutorial
Gladiator - A Tutorial
Making a Trap - the Hitchcock way
Sudden attack - a tutorial
The execution - a tutorial
The Pocket Hole - a tutorial
Wildfire - a tutorial

Various other peoples tutorials etc.
NWScript Functions Word Document
Bioware’s David Gaider’s Scripting Tutorial
Bosephus’s Secret Door Tutorial
Frank ‘Olorin’ Rizzi’s Sitting NPC
On NWScript and Debugging
NWN Script Event Reference
Bitwise Quests and Tasks V1.7
Beginning Basic Scripting Tutorial
NWN Scripting Guide ver 1.0
Custom Respawning Relocking Trap and Hidden Object System
Fireball Firing Ballistas Tutorial - Word97
SCRIPT FUNCTIONS NWN Part 1
SCRIPT FUNCTIONS NWN Part 2
X2 Switches info
Gallant Scripting Library
Faust’s Cutscene System inc. Tutorials
Gesalt’s Cutscene Scripting Tutorial (Original Site still up!)
Character Design
The Script Cookbook (via wayback machine)
Concept: Ultimate and crossmodule changes in all spellscripts

And a tool.
BioSearcher 1.69 (Windows 32 bit, Linux and Source code)

TR

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Another useful link. It’s mostly about creating custom content, but some of videos posted here could be helpful, when you want custom haks in your module.
https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/other/tos-custom-content-tutorials
Note: that was done for original NWN1, not NWN:EE, so some things might be different for the later.

Back in the days of the old BSN forums, I made a list of links the majority of which became broken when the ign vault died. I and the Migrate Wizard have gone through and reattached some of those links. Here is the Instructional manuals etc, part of it.

Merchant Tutorial by Justin Gattuso
NWN Aurora Toolset Help Guide - UPDATE by Reginald Silverleaf
NWN HoTU Toolset Manual by Dezmodian
Neverwinter Nights item creation guide by hsm
Selling It: A Non-Coder’s View on Packaging Your Content by Kaotiqua
*Starting Conditional Scripts Organized by ruelk
Neverwinter TimeTables by Kyndig
Trap Reference Spreadsheet by Chimneyfish
Riddles, Professions, Buildings and more by Scavenged from the web (Aristan)
Glossary of Archaic and Poetical Words for the Role-Player by gobbledygookie
Ye Builders Journal 1st collection by TBP
G.U.R.M.(Generic Universal Read Me) by Spirit_of_Monkey
Quest Template by Quillmaster
Design report for module development by Marc-André Volpers
NwN Module Production - Issue Focal Sheet by E_H_Bonner

The “*Starting Conditional Scripts Organized by ruelk” is actually the document that I converted to a pdf document and included in my “TR’s Basics - Variables, Types and Functions (TBC)” package. I have added an acknowledgement and a link on that project page.

Anyway, hope these are useful and that they are in the spirit of this thread.

TR

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Just remembered this most excellent tutorial -

Importing a Placeable into NwN - a WW2 Submarine by Randomdays

It is a fully illustrated, step by step set of instructions that to a large extent also works as a hands on introduction to gMax.

[3 years later]

Sorry the link is broken and it is not to be found on the wayback machine either.

TR

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