Neverwinter News

Neverwinter: Jewel of the North brings the MMO closer to its DnD inspiration

Neverwinter's new module, Jewel of the North, has now landed on PC, with new content and changes in tow, such as a new Bard class and overhauled levelling system among others. For example, Cryptic Studios is streamlining Neverwinter's levelling system, bringing it down from 80 to 20 - an opportunity the devs saw "to bring the game closer to its D&D roots". We spoke to lead designer Randy Mosiondz about the new module, who told us this increased harmony marks something positive for the MMO - that "any alignment between Neverwinter and its tabletop inspiration that bring[s] it closer together is a good thing".

The way the new, streamlined levelling system works hinges on a feature called the Adventure Log. This does away with the XP bar (yep, that'll be gone when you fire up the new module), and instead of racking up XP from beating bosses and completing quests as in traditional MMOs, you'll instead progress through milestones.

The system is derived from Dungeons & Dragons' fifth edition and based on "larger adventures" based across various zones, all of which have been fine-tuned to offer a more "concise narrative experience". These all give out a certain number of levels up until the new cap of 20 when completed.

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Sharandar Episode 3: The Odious Court Now Live

Episode 3: The Odious Court is now live! Etrien the Bard has returned to her ancient home, bringing news of further disruptions in the Mended Grove that could threaten the very existence of Sharander itself. It is now up to you, the heroes of Neverwinter, to once again protect the lands of the Fey!

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Uncover the final pieces to this story and make a decisive stand against corrupting forces and those that wield them! The Odious Court not only brings a conclusion to the Sharandar storyline, but will also introduce the Vault of Stars: Twisted Denizens dungeon hard mode on June 22!

Neverwinter: Sharandar Now Live!

Neverwinter: Sharandar is now live with its first episode: The Iron Tooth! Experience the exciting storyline starting today on PC and March 16 on Console!

Feature Highlights

New Zone: Sharandar

It’s been several years since the adventurers of Neverwinter clashed against the forces of Malabog, and during the relative stability, the landscape and architecture of the Feywild has changed. However, not all is peaceful. There are new enemies and challenges to face.

Sharandar requires a level of 80 and an item level of 40,000 to enter. However, during the first two weeks, players with any item level can play, and they’ll be scaled up to 40,000. As long as you complete the intro quest within the first two weeks, you’ll have access regardless of item level!

New Storyline: The Iron Tooth

The fey crossing—a bridge of sorts, that connected Faerûn to the Feywild—has recently been severed, preventing passage. Travelers who had returned from Sharandar speak of a feeling of unease. Though the defeat of Malabog brought peace for a time, a new evil stirs.

Reconnect with the Iliyanbruen envoys in Protector’s Enclave to find out how to restore the fey crossing, and assist in the adventures beyond.

This is the first episode of the new Sharandar campaign; more episodes will be released in the future.

New Campaign: Sharandar

With the new zone and new storyline comes a new campaign! This campaign will use a flow similar to the Redeemed Citadel, involving a weekly haul and a single progression path. More campaigns and more zones will unlock with the release of future episodes of the Sharandar storyline.

New Dungeon: The Vault of Stars

Clash against the members of the Gloaming Court as you uncover ancient secrets of the unseelie fey. Three new bosses await, with a new array of powerful rewards!

The Vault of Stars unlocks two weeks after the release of Sharandar.

Why Neverwinter: Sharandar is revamping a classic zone

Update - February 9, 2021: The Neverwinter: Sharandar release date has been pushed back to February 16 on PC. You can read the dev post with details here.

Neverwinter developer Cryptic Studios has announced that the free MMO's next expansion will take players back to the days of Neverwinter's past - to the mystical land of Sharandar. First introduced in the game's first post-launch module Fury of the Feywild, it's a place of pure fantasy idyll, but in the coming module, a new threat has emerged that needs to be struck down. Sharandar won't be quite as long-time fans remember it.

As recently revealed, Neverwinter's next expansion will feature a "completely revamped and re-visualised" Sharandar. Rumours whisper of an "ancient fey being" and bands of Malabog the Fomorian King's scattered minions looking to conquer Sharandar and claim its arcane secrets.

There'll be new places to explore, such as a brand-new Sharandar social hub, the Ruins of Malabog adventure zone, and the Vault of Stars dungeon. This is on top of the new story content and overhaul of the terrain when the Neverwinter: Sharandar release date rolls around. To get a taste of this new version of Sharandar, we spoke to Neverwinter lead designer Randy Mosiondz.

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Neverwinter gets a three-episode return to mythical Sharandar in its next module

One of the best MMORPGs on PC is getting a hefty new expansion soon. Neverwinter, Cryptic Studios' Dungeons & Dragons-style MMO, is taking players back to a place from days of Neverwinter past in Sharandar, the title's next module. This time around, though, the devs are mixing things up, introducing a three-episode module, a "completely revamped and re-visualised" Sharandar, as well as a bunch of new story and gameplay content for fans to sink their teeth into.

Neverwinter: Sharandar kicks off with Episode One: The Iron Tooth on February 9 for PC players (March 9 for our pals on consoles). If you're a long-time Neverwinter fan, you'll likely recognise where you'll be headed - the mystical region of Sharandar, which was introduced in the free MMORPG's first module, is the episodic expansion's setting, though it won't be exactly as you'll remember.

"While the areas will roughly follow the footprint of the older Sharandar area, it will look a lot different," as lead designer Randy Mosiondz tells us in an interview. "Our artists spent a lot of time re-envisioning the look of the environment and monsters, to great effect. You'll still see the new Sharandar hub, but it has been completely re-done, some of the old character models have been updated, and there are completely new characters for the new storyline."

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