Neverwinter Connections now has a dedicated NWN:EE cloud server available for checkout by DMs and gaming groups for their online sessions. It will appear as "NWC Public Server" on the Beamdog list.

To reserve it, use this link to message NWC admin with the following:

1. An attachment with a copy of the module (zip or 7zip compression preferred, but not required).
2. Links to any hak or other custom content files required by the mod (other than CEP). (Neverwinter Vault download page links are preferred.)
3. A link to the scheduled session on the NWC events calendar, which should include the expected time duration in its description.

Please send a request at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled game, which should guarantee that NWC admin will see it.

If you need any special server settings (most importantly, setting it to local vault instead of the default server vault), please include that info in the message. NWC can also transfer over existing server vault characters, if the players' folders are provided. For general questions about connecting to a server or the specific settings available, see the NWC Multiplayer Connection and Hosting Guide.

Once the reservation is confirmed, the requester will receive a message on the main Neverwinter Connections site with the server's player and DM passwords.

NWC is making the server available in order to support DMs interested in running campaigns or individual modules, along with multiplayer groups without a DM. For those looking to get started, here are some recommended campaigns and modules:

• DM-Friendly modules
• Multiplayer modules (no DM required)

If you are interested in building your own campaign or multiplayer mod, the DMFI Multiplayer Starter Mod for NWN:EE may be helpful.

The revised DM-Friendly Initiative (DMFI) guide to DMing in a Persistent World Environment is now available for download on Neverwinter Vault. It includes sections on the unique challenges and opportunities involved in DMing on PWs, along with offering some proven techniques for things like increasing player engagement and avoiding DM burnout. The guide also highlights how PWs can promote their content on the NWC Persistent World Announcements forum.

Download link: https://neverwintervault.org/article/reference/dming-persistent-world-environment

NWC periodically will post screenshots from games scheduled on the site. To share yours, you can post the screenshot in the NWC Discord #screenshots channel, along with a link to the game in the events calendar.

Today's is from the Westgate Campaign.

A new feature of the site is Dungeon Master (DM) certification and ranks. It is intended to provide recognition for people who choose to DM using the site as a platform for scheduling their games, as well as help reward new DMs for taking the plunge into DMing.

Three "ranks" will now be visible for DMs on their member profiles:

• Certified DM (one campaign session/module successfully completed)
• Experienced DM (5 sessions/modules completed)
• Veteran DM (10+ sessions/modules completed)

Both persistent world (PW)-hosted DM'd sessions and individual DM's campaigns/modules are eligible. That means DMs on PWs who schedule their regular campaign-type sessions on the NWC events calendar can receive credit, as well as individual DMs who are running their own campaigns or DM'ing a "one-shot" module.

For a scheduled session/module to be recognized, the DM and player roster should be listed on the Neverwinter Connections events calendar. Players who attend should then post in the comments section after they complete the session, to validate that it in fact occurred. A link to the event(s) should then be sent to site admin by the DM.

Co-DMing a session can count for certification, as long as each DM actually did significant DMing in the game.

Grandfathering certifications for DMs who were active on the former NWC site (2002-2012) will be done on request. If necessary, proof of previously running DM'd games on the old NWC site can be provided via a Wayback Machine profile link. (For example: Carlo One's old NWC profile.)

Additional details and background are on the NWC DM forum:

http://nwncampaigns.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1057

NWC periodically will post screenshots from games scheduled on the site. To share yours, you can post the screenshot in the NWC Discord #screenshots channel, along with a link to the game in the events calendar.

Today's is from The Pillaging of Waycrest.

The back end hosting for this site will be shifting to a new server setup on Monday, April 8. The NeverwinterConnections.org domain will be pointed to the new host as soon as possible, but there may be a period of time while it points to an admin server message in the interim.

With more people expressing interest in creating their own campaigns, NWC has published a new guide to the process, Creating and Running a Neverwinter Nights Campaign. It walks through how to approach creating a campaign and also offers methods of customizing and using pre-built campaigns as a DM. It then goes into what is necessary to organize, prepare and run successful campaign sessions over the long term. Finally, it links many valuable resources for campaign builders and DMs throughout.

Contents

I. Choosing your campaign theme and setting
II. Building your campaign
III. Organizing play
IV. Running the campaign
V. Conclusion: a revolution in gaming

Click here for the guide download page

Thanks to some feedback in the NWC Discord, the NWC Forums appearance has been adjusted to reduce confusion and highlight the active content.

The link in the top menu of this site takes you directly to the NWC Forums section within the NWN Campaigns site. However, after the registration process was complete, people were finding themselves redirected to the main NWN Campaigns page, which displayed a lot of other legacy / unused forums and didn't show the NWC forums until you scrolled down. The fix was moving the Neverwinter Connections section to the top, with the individual campaign forums beneath that.

Also a reminder that any group running a game on Neverwinter Connections can request their own campaign forum by following this link.