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There are 5 main difficulty settings (4 available in singleplayer), although modules may add their own twists. See Game Options for how these are configured.

These only affect singleplayer difficulty, or if hosting a game yourself. Servers set the difficulty when you join them. Of course the server needs to set a relevant value in it's settings.tml file.

The default difficulty is Easy. It is recommended for more experienced players to play on D&D Hardcore Rules which allows critical hits and attacks of opportunity.

Just PCs?

What are PCs? In regards to the game engine it is likely any henchmen of the PCs are affected as if they were PCs, while anything else is an NPC. Certainly that is how the scripted changes to effects in nw_i0_spells.nss work.

Very Easy

Note "Very Easy" is listed in the dialog.tlk file but not in game, and is GAME_DIFFICUTLY_VERY_EASY but only available as a server difficulty or changable in DM mode. It likely provides a quick way to have a deathless "story mode" time in the module. Note the spelling mistakes and "not quite right" sentences in the below table are directly from the dialog.tlk file.

Difficulty Settings

Difficulty Level	PvP	Critical Hits	Attacks of Opportunity	PC damage	NPC Damage	Death	Sleep	Domination and Charm	Hold, Paralyze and Stun	Confusion	Fear
Very Easy	Single Player: No PvP (Fireballs and other area effect spells will not harm party members) Multi Player: As per server setting	No critical hits on PCs	No attacks of opportunity on players using ranged weapons No attacks of opportunity on players using potions	PC does a minimum of 100% of damage	NPC does a maximum 25% of damage	Players cannot die	Sleep effectss on players last for a short duration	Domination and Charm effects will daze a player	Hold, Paralyze and Stun effects will daze a player	Confusion effects will daze a player	Fears effects will cause a -2 penalty to hit
Easy	Single Player: No PvP (Fireballs and other area effect spells will not harm party members) Multi Player: As per server setting	No critical hits on PCs	No attacks of opportunity on players using ranged weapons No attacks of opportunity on players using potions	PC does a minimum of 50% of damage	NPC does a maximum 50% of damage	Players can die	Sleep effects on players last for a short duration	Domination and Charm effects on players cause daze	Hold, Paralyze and Stun effects will daze a player	Confusion effects on players function normally	Fears effects will cause a -4 penalty to hit
Normal	Single Player: No PvP (Fireballs and other area effect spells will not harm party members) Multi Player: As per server setting	No critical hits on PCs	No attacks of opportunity on players using ranged weapons No attacks of opportunity on players using potions	PC damages normally	NPC damages normally	Players can die	Sleep effects on players last for a short duration	Domination and Charm effects on players cause daze	Hold, Paralyze and Stun effects on players last for a short duration	Confusion effects on players function normally	Fears effects on players function normally
D&D Hardcore Rules	Single Player: Full PvP (Fireballs and other area effect spells will hurt party members) Multi Player: As per server setting	Critical hits on PCs	Attacks of opportunity on players using ranged weapons Attacks of opportunity on players using potions	PC damages normally	NPC damages normally	Players can die	Sleep effects on players function normally	Domination and Charm effects on players cause daze	Hold, Paralyze and Stun effects on players function normally	Confusion effects on players function normally	Fears effects on players function normally
Very Difficult	Single Player: Full PvP (Fireballs and other area effect spells will hurt party members) Multi Player: As per server setting	Critical hits on PCs	Attacks of opportunity on players using ranged weapons Attacks of opportunity on players using potions	PC damages normally	NPC's do 200% damage	Players can die	Sleep effects on players function normally	Domination and Charm effects on players cause daze	Hold, Paralyze and Stun effects on players function normally	Confusion effects on players function normally	Fears effects on players function normally

Scripted Versus Engine Changes

Note some of the above effects are not due to engine changes but are from script changes.

Engine Changes

PvP - Overrides the PvP settings in the module if on Easy and Normal. Hardcore and Very Difficult respect the modules area PvP settings.
Critical Hits - Hardcoded for all engine functions returning a critical (eg; TouchAttackRanged) and the engine combat system
Attacks of Opportunity - Alters Attacks of Opportunity firing
PC Damage - Changes how the EffectDamage function and basic combat damage applies
NPC Damage - Changes how the EffectDamage function and basic combat damage applies
Death - Changes if the player can die, ie go below 1 HP. PCs set to not die are effectively immortal as per the SetImmortal

Scripted Changes

Sleep - see nw_i0_spells.nss
Domination and Charm - See nw_i0_spells.nss GetScaledEffect
- Note that Domination and Charm act oddly if applied to a PC or henchmen - usually by not applying at all - which is why they are scripted to be different. Obviously there are no "On Hit: Dominate" effects on weapons so it's only scripts (spells) that apply this.
Hold, Paralyze and Stun - See nw_i0_spells.nss GetScaledEffect for the effects being swapped out and GetScaledDuration for the duration changes. Very Easy/Easy is 25% duration, Normal is 50% duration. This is not consistently used however.
Confusion - No changes made, but would be a scripted change
Fear - See nw_i0_spells.nss GetScaledEffect although it is bugged since EffectAttackDecrease should use a positive number.

Other Scripted Changes Not In Table

These instances in scripts of difficulty settings being checked outside of the above table notes:

Default module load - UMD for scrolls - x3_mod_def_load.nss - on Hardcore or Very Difficult and additional UMD check is enforced on scrolls. Game has to be set to these difficulties when the module is first loaded, not after, to be in effect.
Petrification - x0_i0_spells.nss - Used for various spells / abilities that do EffectPetrify. Normal and below does 6 seconds per "nPower" integer (usually hit dice or caster level). Hardcore and higher petrifies them permanently and pops up the death panel.
Beholder petrify - x2_s1_beholdray.nss - Similar to the normal petrification function. Normal and below 6 seconds duration per hit dice. Hardcore and higher petrifies them permanently and pops up the death panel.
Hag Evil Eye - nw_s2_evileye.nss - Does a scaling duration of 25% very easy, 50% easy, 100% normal, 150% hardcore and 200% very difficult. 100% is challenge rating * 3 * 6.0 seconds (Eg CR 5 = 15 rounds duration)
Ochre Jelly splits - nw_i0_ochrejelly.nss - Normal and above will spawn the smallest jellies on death of a medium jelly, while Easy and Very Easy will just spawn the medium jellies when the largest is killed, and no further jellies.
Curing spells maximised - nw_i0_spells.nss - If on Very Easy, Easy, Normal it will take the maximised roll for curing if the target is a PC. If the spell is already maximised, it adds a bonus amount of healing. See spellsCure function. (Note if the PC is undead, it would increase the damage done to them too - example: being polymorphed)
Infestation of Maggots - x2_s0_infestmag.nss - Will apply death (magical damage equal to current hitpoints) if constitution is at 3 when constitution ability damage would be applied, on hardcore or higher.
Shadow Hit - x2_s1_shadow.nss - Does strength damage. If the damage that would be inflicted would take them to 0 or lower, it kills them with damage on hardcore or higher.
Mindflayer Suck Brain - x2_s1_suckbrain.nss - You get a save against the effect on Normal or lower, but no save on Hardcore or higher.
Demilich Paralyzing Touch - x2_s3_demitouch.nss - Duration is 2 rounds by default, 1 round if very easy, 3 rounds if hardcore and 5 rounds if very difficult.
Dracolich Paralyzing Touch - x2_s3_dractouch.nss - Duration is 2 rounds by default, 1 round if very easy, 4 rounds if hardcore and 5 rounds if very difficult.

Removed Difficulty Options

Previous to Hordes of the Underdark and epic levels there was an option called Massive Damage - where you would have a DC 15 fortitude save to not die if you took 50 points of damage at once, would be only on Hardcore and Very Difficult. Interestingly the game still defines the hardcoded string (2385) and it could be coded back in by using OnDamage events on creatures.