Gameplay Tips

Although NWN is quite an old game, it is very deep and some of the gameplay might not be obvious to newer players. Here’s a collection of useful tips to get you started:

To get the game into Full Screen mode, press Alt-Tab. This can be handy if the Options screen or other text seems too small to read easily.

Since the game was designed for older monitors, the default Resolution and UI settings are very low. Turn them up to max level on newer systems.

If you are using a modern computer & graphics card you should be able to easily run the game in Best Quality mode. If you have an older computer and find that your screen is a little jerky, try one of the lower quality modes.


Left click on an object (including yourself) to target it. Left click on the ground to run to that spot.

Hold down the TAB key to highlight any items you can interact with.

Right click on something (including yourself) to bring up the Radial Menu. You can access any Action or Spell you know via this menu.

Middle Click or hold down CONTROL to control your camera and see around you better. If you find this difficult you can also press O for the Options screen, go to Controls and try either Chase Camera or Driving Camera modes.

Page Down  and Page Up control the height of the camera above your character. It’s advisable to use Page Down to lower it a bit, because the default setting is very high. Lowering the camera gives a much more immersive feeling to the game.

You can zoom in and out using the Scroll Wheel. It can be very useful to zoom in a little during a battle so you have a better view of your enemies.


Press C to bring up your Character sheet. It has 3 tabs along the top which you can use to access your Skills and Feats.

You have a Hotbar at the bottom of your screen for quick access to commonly used items, actions, and spells. Hold down CONTROL or SHIFT to access other Hotbars – you have 3 in total. Right click on a Hotbar slot to add a Radial Menu Action or Spell to it. Activate a Hotbar slot by left-clicking on it, or pressing one of the Function keys F1-F12.

Press I to bring up your Inventory. You can drag items from your Inventory to the Hotbars at the bottom of the screen so you can access them quickly – great for switching weapons, drinking potions etc.

Press P to bring up the Party screen. You will see all of the other players on the server listed, and can invite them to your party if you wish. You can have up to 6 players in your party. Note that if you select Dislike next to a character you become Hostile to them, and can attack them, but only in special areas of the server such as the Arena. You cannot attack other players, or be attacked by them, in most areas of the world.


When you first enter the server you will find yourself in the Inn Between Worlds, which acts as a lobby where players can wait for their friends. You will find two teleporters there. The first one takes you into your starting area in the game world.  Beginning characters start in Montsegur Village in France.

The second teleporter takes you directly to the leader of your party. So if you want to join a party and adventure with them, it’s best to do that while you are still in the lobby area. If you don’t know anyone on the server, feel free to Shout a message and say hello to everyone. Simply click on the bottom left of your screen where it says Talk, and change that to Shout (do change it back later when you join a party, otherwise everyone on the server will hear all your of conversations).


Hidden Tradition’s difficulty is set for D&D Hardcore Rules and stores in the starter areas will only sell a limited amount of very basic gear – because they are small local village stores, not full service armourers. This means that adventuring here may more difficult than you are used to, so be wary as you play and don’t just run directly at enemies without thinking, because you will probably just die horribly. Think carefully about your strategy before combat, and use any spells you have to buff you and your friends – like Protection from Alignment (Evil) or Barkskin. In particular, note that Area of Effect spells will damage your own Party as well as enemies, so mages should be careful when casting those Fireball spells! There are various henchmen you can hire to accompany you, so if you are alone it is strongly advised to get one of those in your party. Try the Au Pays Cathares Inn in Montsegur Village.