Secret Tunnels

[Merteuil]

So I just started playing Nether Resurrection and I'm playing as Celts and approximately halfway through the goblin fort at the begging of the game. I'm noticing the Matt P guide references a lot of hidden tunnels and the such that I can't seem to find. Some of them have what the guide suggest are really important items for me to have (i.e. the second sylak key), among simple gear that I definitely want. What should I be doing to find all these tunnels?

[Alorael at Large]

You can walk right through some walls. The brute-force method of finding them is trying to walk into every wall. If you check the map for areas that are black and unexplored you can make better guesses at where the secret passages are. As you play you'll get a feel for their likely locations.

 

—Alorael, who will let you know, in case it's relevant, that Jeff uses this system for all the Exiles, Nethergate, and Avernum 1-3. In other games he largely got rid of wall-bashing in favor of buttons you have to find and press to open passages.

[Merteuil]

It is indeed relevant, thank you. A for the initial method, that sounds horrible, terribly horrible and frightening Are their more efficient methods? Spells I can cast or maps i can look at?

[Triumph]

There is a spell you'll get that reveal parts of the map.

[Randomizer]

There are spells to reveal nearby map sections. For maps the hint books and some games have links from this site to others with maps.

 

Head banging into walls is something older members are use to from their Exile days and other games like the early Might and Magic.

[Merteuil]

I didn't start in Might and Magic until the Mandate of Heaven and by that point there was always some sort of give-away regarding secret tunnels. Regardless I suppose I can make an effort of sort with the head-banging, it seems the information on this forum for Nethergate is a lot less than for the other games here. Lastly, what is that spell called?

[Randomizer]

Piercing Sight

[Merteuil]

Ah, I just realized I had that spell after starting over and make some custom characters. Which is going fantastically, and it's a lot more fun killing these goblins when I can loot all the things. Also just got Beast Ceremony, which is lovely in ways I don't fully comprehend. Also discovered I can actually use lamps. Very important.

[Merteuil]

Don't really want to make topic after topic for every question I have, so I'm just going to use this. How do I get past the force field things? The Matt P guide suggests only Romans can but for some reason that seems unlike?

[Triumph]

You'll need to clarify a little: where exactly are you?

[Merteuil]

I'm a celt, and having more or less finished the goblin mines to an excruciating percentage of completion, I'm very frustrated by these glowing cubes that look to represent force fields.

[Tyranicus]

Don't really want to make topic after topic for every question I have, so I'm just going to use this. How do I get past the force field things? The Matt P guide suggests only Romans can but for some reason that seems unlike?

 

There are several small areas that can be accessed by Roman or Celt parties only.

[Triumph]

Aha, aha. Yeah, you'll probably need to come back later. You can use a consumable item called a piercing crystal, or cast the Break Barrier spell. You will acquire such things later on.

 

Edit: yes, there are quite a number of small areas that only side can access, but those are usually indicated by some sort of special encounter pop-up message that describes an obstacle. The cubical crystalline flickering barriers are usually just run of the mill magic barriers.

[Randomizer]

Some force field barriers can be passed if you don't mind taking damage.

[Merteuil]

*le gasp* Are you suggesting I subject my poor party to more harm than the excruciating amounts I already do? Thank you for all the information though, very helpful Anywho, on to my next question. How big exactly is the demo? When will I know I'm approaching the end?

[Randomizer]

The Demo is about 20% of the game map, but you are restricted in that you can't go west over the bridge and can't enter the other side's starting point in the demo. You are near the end after you visit the Ruined Hall, but you can explore the rest of the area before and after doing that.

[Merteuil]

Cool thanks, I'm in Galag-tav (or something like that) at the moment. I accidentally saved instead of hit load after summoning a very unpleasant troupe and now I'm contemplating how to work my way out of that. I can use the editor to bring the two dead folks back to life and not affect my save any other way right? That would put me in the same position I'd be in if I hadn't accidentally hit save.

[Alorael at Large]

You can make such limited changes with the editor, sure.

 

—Alorael, who will go back to the barrier comments above. Nethergate has a fair number of areas that you can't get to when you first reach them. Come back when you have Break Barrier, the appropriate key, or in a couple of notable cases the ability to jump down giant cliffs without dying.

[Merteuil]

What kind of level cap should I be looking forward to? I'm 9ish now i believe and in my explorations at the roman fort upon being attacked I made a pretty darn good stand before they took me down. Same for explorations around Annwyn. If I had to guess most of my weakness resides in lack of proper spells and maybe some choice inventory pieces. If you're curious I've just been captured by the crones.

 

Thank you for answering my question, too late to go back now but it's good knowing that the minor change I made didn't alter the game in any other ways, messing up the difficulty.

[Jerakeen]

Don't worry - Annwyn is for later, and you're not supposed to be able to take out the Romans in their stronghold. If there's a level cap, I don't think it's possible to hit it. You should be in the low to mid twenties by the end of the game, with a party of four. More spells and better gear can be found and purchased as you go along. There's not that much in the demo area, though, iirc.

[Ishad Nha]

You will have enough levels to finish the game. Even if there were a level cap, I am not sure there is, you would be high enough level to win any fights at all.