PC Gamer - UK (2021-12)

F

ighter.Rogue.Healer.Mage.Thisisthe

archetypicalrole-playingparty,the

quadrumviratethatguaranteesagood

timenomatterthesetting.Itisbalanced,

broad,andallowsyoutoseeasmuchof

thespectrumofadventuringaspossible–bruteforcing

yourwayintotombs,deactivatingtheirtraps,and

parsingthestrangescrollsfoundwithin.

OK,soyoudeviatefromthenormoccasionally;maybe

you’vegotacoupleofslotsleftoverandpickabardfor

comicrelief,oramonk,becauseyou’rekeentolearnthe

combatfunctionofasmoothlyshavedhead.Butwhen

wasthelasttimeyoudelvedintoadungeonwitha

properlywonkyline-up?WhatwasthelastRPGyou

completedwith,forinstance,sixwizards?

IcewindDaleIIisthesnow-tippedhillonwhichI’ve

chosentodie.Ithasnodeveloper-madecompanions,so

you’refreetobuildanentirepartyfromscratchrightat

thebeginningofthegame.FromGOG.comIdownload

notonlythegame,butalsothefullmanualandBookof

Spells.I’mgoingtoneedthem.

Next,though,comesthebackstory.IcewindDaleIIis

setintheForgottenRealms,andthemostfamousmages

inFaerûnaretheRedWizardsofThay.Hailingfromthe

UnapproachableEast,theyarethenotoriouslybad-

naturedrulingclassofapopulousandcruelcountry

builtonslavery.

WhentheRedWizardshaveappearedinothergames,

they’vegenerallyhadredringsencirclingtheirfeetto

markthemoutasenemies.Theydon’texactlyhelp

themselveswhenitcomestopublicrelations:theseare

thetypesyoufindholdingdarkritualsinthemiddleof

thewoods,orbelligerentlypursuingvulnerablewomen

withinnatemagicalabilitiesinordertodissectandstudy

them.Theirmostnotablevideogameemissary–the

haughtyBaldur’sGatecompanionEdwin–wouldhave

beenvoted‘mostlikelytofatallyturnonhisownparty’

whenleavingwizardschool.

Butwe’regoingtoturnthemintoprotagonists.Our

groupistobeamixtureofresearchersandimperialists

• theformersiftingtheSpineoftheWorldforarcane
  treasuresthatcouldbolsterThay’spower,andthelatter
  scoutingtheDale’sdefencesasthepreludetoan

invasion.Ifanybodyasks,though,they’resimple

merchantsandarcheologists.

INTHEWEEDS

Traditionally,theThayancouncilhadarepresentative

fromeveryD&Dschoolofmagic,sowe’lltrytodothe

samewithourparty.UpfrontareWhambamMamand

ThrulOvvshytt,aconjurerandtransmuterrespectively.

Inclosecombatterms,wizardsareessentiallyPhD

studentsinpyjamas–butthesetwocompensatefor

theirweedyphysiqueswithsummonedweaponsand

physicaltransformation.

They’rebackedupbytworangedspecialists.One,an

oldandbeardedevokernamedZzimerfram,willbringthe

magicmissilesandlightningbolts.Theother,whogoesby

IchadadBod,isanenchantertrainedinmind

manipulation–perfectforgoblincrowdcontrol.

ThepartyisroundedoutbyKulAnthurrgangg,an

illusionistIhopecanstandinforarogue,andSzass

Quatch,anecromancer.TheRedWizardsdon’teverleave

thehousewithoutanecromancer.That’sjustpartand

parcelofbeingevil.

ThesixofthemsetsailuptheSwordCoastfrom

Luskan,answeringthecallforadventurerstocounter

goblinattacksintheTenTowns.Bythetimetheyget

there,however,therearejustninetownsremaining–

Bremenisburning,andmostofthemercenariessentto

helphavebeenslaughteredontheirshipsduringan

ambush.Unfortunately,thatincludestheescortof

fearsomeThayangladiators,clerics,andknightsthat

shouldhavekeptourwizardsoutofharm’swayonce

theyalightedinIcewindDale.Ourpyjamapartywill

havetofendforitself.

Tobeginwith,thatgoesratherwell.Againstthe

scrimshaw-and-snowbackdropofthetownofTargos,

thebrightyellowgoblinsstandoutamile.Everytime

onesidlesintoview,Islamthe

spacebartopausetheaction,then

leisurelyperusemyparty’smenuof

preparedspells.Anicedagger?

Don’tmindifIdo.Chromaticorb?

Wouldberudenotto.

Quickly,though,thewellofmana

runsdry.Morethanonce,wehaveto

trudgebacktotheshipwerodeinon

andsheepishlyaskthecaptainifhe

mindsushavinganapbeneathhis

boards.Targosburnstotheground

whiletheRedWizardsgettheir

headsdownfortherecommended

eighthours,replenishingtheirspell

bankintheprocess.

BEWARE-HOUSE

Alocalsoldier,Brogan,tellsusa

goblinforcehasseizedawarehouse

atthedocks,whichpiquesthe

interestoftheparty.Ifweclearit,

THESEARETHETYPESYOU

FINDHOLDINGDARKRITUALS

INTHEMIDDLEOFTHEWOODS

EXTRA LIFE

NOW PLAYING I UPDATE I MOD SPOTLIGHT I HOW TO I DIARY (^) I WHY I LOVE I REINSTALL I M U S T P L A Y
THERULES

1. Build the whole
   party out of a single
   spellcastingclass.


2. Pursue magical
   power in the name of
   theRedWizards.


3. Don’t take any crap
   from fighters. They’re
   no longer needed.

There’s no more

wintry game

than this.