“A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm."

- William Shakespeare.

Arelith has had a fishing system since the days of yore and while it was a neat feature back when it was first implemented. By the time NWN:EE emerged it had not aged well and the cry was growing louder for fishing to be reworked. Seeing this need, team member DM Starfish decided it was time to bring new life to this forlorn mechanic.

The old fishing system consisted of holding a fishing rod and a conversation with the fishing spot. One could reliably hit a combination of keys with the odd click thrown in to mindlessly catch any of three types of fish, the odd magic ring or some junk. Sometimes your line would break and sometimes your rod would snap. Not many enjoyed it.

The new system boasts three tiers of fishing rod, each one increasing in strength and style. To accompany the rods there are five types of fish hook, three of which are crafted and two which are magical and only found as treasure. One may then attach bait to their hooked rod in the form of bugs which can be collected with a special bug jar or they may seek the services of a cook in order to prepare various sizes of bait. The bigger fish prefer bigger bait though there are some exceptions.

Forty new species of fish were added and areas with existing fishing locations were categorised into one of sixteen different biomes. Biomes are comprised of location (Lake, river, beach, ocean and swamp) and temperature (Warm, temperate, cold and underdark). The fish fall into one of four size categories which are small, medium, large and huge. The crowning achievement for every fisherman or woman is to catch a megalodon or a gargantuan isopod which are both huge and both found in deep ocean, one above and one beneath. Both creatures of the deep often consume foolhardy adventurers and as such they often contain treasures as well as being able to be broken down for valuable parts.

Which brings us to the next feature of the fishing overhaul, fish gutting. Using a gutting knife or a butcher’s cleaver, one may cut up their catch into more manageable pieces. Meats, hides, special ingredients, bones and guts are all things that can be gathered. And in turn these ingredients can be used to craft new food items, potions, a new poison and some curious accessories.

However the life of a fisherman isn’t always smooth sailing as they can often be accosted local wildlife seeking an easy meal, roaming monsters or the occasional haunted artifact.

There are plans to add spear fishing for those that want to take the fight to the fish instead of waiting around on the shore although this poses it’s own, often dangerous, challenges. Rumours have also spread of a crazed gnome wanting to explore the lightless expanse of the deepest ocean trenches… Who knows what horrors or wonders may be found in the Hadal Depths?

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