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Created by
Jasperre, last updated by BlakBat on Sept 30, 2025
11 minute read
The loadhints.2da file references what is shown when loading screens are going on for a player.
There is some functionality that Bioware used to include campaign-specific (ie Wailing Death, SoU and HotU) hints in this file while not letting them hints apply to usual modules. Thanks Bioware! 
Usage
The easiest way to use this file is not modify it if you're running a basic campaign. It essentially will provide basic hints to new players on how the game works. Since Bioware coded it so all their campaign specific stuff is marked, none of that will appear.
However if you do replace the loading hints with more flavourful ones, consider just recreating the file from scratch. There is no real benefit to keeping any of the ones marked CAMPAIGNONLY
SetTlkOverride Option
Like how you can set a specific load screen via. scripting (and in the area properties) you can also potentially set something for the load hint too.
Conceptually (untested) you'd;
Have this 2da file with 1 single load hint. This would point to a generic sounding or even blank load hint TLK string, eg:
2DA V2.0
LABEL HINT CAMPAIGNONLY
0 OnlyHint 1500000 0
Then you'd run some code each time a transition is made. If you can capture all JumpToLocation calls and also the generic movement script (NW_G0_Transition) then you could modify it before the jump is done:
SetTlkOverride(1500000, "Loading hint change!"); AssignCommand(oPlayer, JumpToLocation(lDestination));
Worth a shot! Means per-area specific load screen descriptions or hints that change as the game goes on.
2da Columns
| Column | Example Contents | Valid Values | Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LABEL | DeadHen | Any text string | Human readable note, not used by the game |
| HINT | 68700 | TLK string reference | TLK String to show. There is likely a length limit - worth experimenting and updating here. Probably can include coloured text especially if SetTlkOverride is used. |
| CAMPAIGNONLY | 1 | 0 - Generic hint 1 - Wailing Death 2 - Shadows of Ulrentide 3 - Hordes of the Underdark | Generic hints are what modders want to use. |
2da Contents
2DA V2.0
LABEL HINT CAMPAIGNONLY
0 Hint1 67053 0
1 Hint2 67054 1
2 Hint3 67055 0
3 Hint3 67653 0
4 Hint3 67655 1
5 Hint3 67656 1
6 Hint3 67657 0
7 Hint3 67658 0
8 Hint3 67659 0
9 Hint3 67660 0
10 Hint3 67661 0
11 Hint3 67662 1
12 Hint3 67663 0
13 Hint3 67664 0
14 Hint3 67665 1
15 Hint3 67666 1
16 Hint3 67667 1
17 Hint3 67668 0
18 Hint3 67669 1
19 Hint3 67670 1
20 Hint3 67671 0
21 Hint3 67672 0
22 Hint3 67673 1
23 Hint3 67707 1
24 Hint 68481 0
25 Hint 68486 0
26 Qbar2Wp 45 0
27 DeadHen 68700 1
28 Hint 40109 0
29 Hint 40112 0
30 Hint 40113 2
31 Hint 40114 1
32 Hint 40115 2
33 Hint 40116 2
34 Hint 40117 2
35 Hint 40118 2
36 Hint 40119 2
37 Hint 40120 2
38 Hint 40121 2
39 Hint 40122 2
40 Hint 40123 2
41 Hint 40124 2
42 Hint 40125 2
43 Hint 40126 2
44 Hint 40127 2
45 Hint 40128 2
46 Hint 40129 2
47 Hint 40130 2
48 Hint 40131 2
49 Hint 40132 2
50 Hint 40133 2
51 Hint 40134 2
52 Hint 40135 2
53 Hint 40136 2
54 Hint 40137 2
55 Hint 40545 2
56 RestHint 40552 2
57 HealingHint 40575 2
58 DeathHint 40576 2
59 WeaponHint 40580 2
60 HenchEquipHint 76393 2
61 RaiseDead 83458 3
62 CraftFeatHint 83613 1
63 ContinualLight 83786 0
64 UseHenches 85567 3
65 RestHint2 85569 3
66 PowerAttack 85575 3
67 PaleMaster1 85703 3
68 PaleMaster2 85704 3
69 Wounding 85765 0
70 Geography101 86778 3
71 spellcasting 86871 3
72 lowac 86872 3
73 shapeshift 86873 3
74 lightgems 86874 3
75 useRelic 86881 3
76 PoolOfsouls 86882 3
77 Rest 86883 3
78 AC30 86884 3
79 Armor 86885 3
80 SpellMantle 86886 0
81 InvisiblityCounter 86887 3
82 UseProperWeapons 86888 3
83 IllithidBrainSuck 86889 3
84 AlchemistsFire 100938 0
85 WeaponFinesse 110100 3
86 StoresAndShifter 110118 0
2da Contents with dialog
2DA V2.0
LABEL HINT DIALOG
0 Hint1 67053 "Saving the game while in conversation will not break a plot, but is considered the same as escaping from conversation. Some NPCs will be angered at this."
1 Hint2 67054 "Your henchman might give you items; do not drop or sell them! You may need them later."
2 Hint3 67055 "Magic Bags are extremely useful items that will allow a character to carry more weight than they could otherwise."
3 Hint3 67653 "If you use missile weapons, don't forget to stock up on ammunition before you go adventuring."
4 Hint3 67655 "The Stone of Recall is a useful way to get back to the core areas to shop, heal, or end nearby quests."
5 Hint3 67656 "Choose henchmen, animal companions, or familiars that complement your abilities. Ex. Strong fighters need someone that can find traps, heal, or cast spells. "
6 Hint3 67657 "You have an additional 24 quickslots that can be accessed by holding the CTRL or SHIFT keys."
7 Hint3 67658 "Remember that you can keep your own notes in the journal. "
8 Hint3 67659 "Choose the Point Blank Shot feat if you want to use a ranged weapon in close combat; or, switch to a melee weapon."
9 Hint3 67660 "Area maps have notes to draw your attention to points of interest. You can add your own map notes as well."
10 Hint3 67661 "If you find the game to be too difficult or too easy, try changing the difficulty in the Game Options page."
11 Hint3 67662 "Different types of stores sell different items. If you don't find what you want at one store, check other stores as well."
12 Hint3 67663 "You can pause the game at any time by pressing the spacebar so you can strategically choose your next few actions in safety."
13 Hint3 67664 "Poison and disease don't do hit point damage, but lower ability scores instead."
14 Hint3 67665 "If you are in need of healing, then remember to return to the Temple of Tyr, where healing is free."
15 Hint3 67666 "While using the Stone of Recall is free, returning to where you were will cost some gold. Still, it is cheaper than dying."
16 Hint3 67667 "Misplaced plot items can be recovered in any Temple of Tyr. Important lost items will reappear in the temple divining pool."
17 Hint3 67668 "You can use the radial menu off the chat window to set the different levels of feedback available in the game."
18 Hint3 67669 "If you join an existing multi-player game, your journal will lack entries given for quests already begun. Your party can tell you what you need to do."
19 Hint3 67670 "The difficulty setting assumes you will hire a henchman. The game may be too difficult to beat without one."
20 Hint3 67671 "It costs 100 gold to have an item identified. Several items in the game give you a bonus to your Lore skill to identify items for free."
21 Hint3 67672 "Clerics don't have to memorize basic healing spells in advance. If dragged directly from spellbook to quickbar, such spells can be cast spontaneously by sacrificing a memorized spell of equal level."
22 Hint3 67673 "There are components, such as adamantite, that can be used to create magic items in wizard labs and by certain blacksmiths."
23 Hint3 67707 "There are certain areas in the game where death is permanent and you cannot respawn."
24 Hint 68481 "Sorcerers and bards may unlearn spells when gaining a level to get rid of a disliked spell in favor of a better one."
25 Hint 68486 "Remember, rogues and bards get the Use Magic Device skill which allows them to use powerful magic items, such as wands and spell scrolls."
26 Qbar2Wp 45 "You can setup a quickbar slot for two-weapon fighting. Simply drag the right hand weapon onto an empty quickbar slot and then drag the left hand weapon (or shield) overtop of it. Pressing this button will swap both items into your hands."
27 DeadHen 68700 "If dead, your henchman will always respawn back at the Temple of Tyr, even if you do not."
28 Hint 40109 "You can switch between camera modes in game with the '*' key."
29 Hint 40112 "Press the 'v' key to access your character's voicechat and quickly give commands to your companions."
30 Hint 40113 "In some areas you may only rest when inside a secure room, with the door closed."
31 Hint 40114 "Henchmen inventory control is not supported in the original Neverwinter Nights campaign. Look for it in Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark!"
32 Hint 40115 "Area effect spells will never harm commoners or other neutral creatures."
33 Hint 40116 "Scrolls of stone to flesh are invaluable as you travel through the lands of Shadows of Undrentide."
34 Hint 40117 "If an enemy has been turned to stone, bash them and their treasure will drop to the ground."
35 Hint 40118 "Mystra's ring will only function in Chapter 1. After that you must brave the dangers without Drogan's assistance."
36 Hint 40119 "You now have control of your henchmen's inventory. If you don't like the weapons or armor they are using, give them better ones."
37 Hint 40120 "You can put your henchman's inventory button on your quickbar by selecting the Assign Command option."
38 Hint 40121 "Many magical items in the game have mysterious uses. Right-click on an item to see if it has any special powers."
39 Hint 40122 "The game automatically saves before some dangerous encounters. If you have been defeated, reload the autosave and try a different tactic."
40 Hint 40123 "If your henchman falls in battle, use a healing kit on them or drag a potion to them and their health will be restored."
41 Hint 40124 "Build trap kits with the Craft Trap skill and such items as acid flasks, holy water and tanglefoot bags!"
42 Hint 40125 "Caltrops are useful when fighting groups of weaker enemies."
43 Hint 40126 "Many a foul dungeon is darker than despair. Be prepared! Many merchants sell magical rings of light to foil the darkness."
44 Hint 40127 "The prestige class, Arcane Archer, requires at least one level in an arcane spellcasting class. Combined with a ranger's skills, this makes a potent ranged adversary."
45 Hint 40128 "The prestige class, Harper Scout, greatly extends the usefulness of the bard class."
46 Hint 40129 "Evil and cunning rogues often find great benefit in becoming assassins."
47 Hint 40130 "The temptation of power has corrupted many a warrior, transforming them into the brutal Blackguard."
48 Hint 40131 "With a variety of talents, the Shadowdancer is one of the more versatile prestige classes."
49 Hint 40132 "Though your character requires no food or water to survive, monsters do. They eat adventurers."
50 Hint 40133 "Characters with high appraise scores can often get better prices from merchants."
51 Hint 40134 "Extra information can be gained by watching for tracks in soft terrain."
52 Hint 40135 "Rangers and druids may find a special boon if they take the time to converse with the more gentle creatures of the world."
53 Hint 40136 "Many of the new feats are only available at first level, so choose carefully."
54 Hint 40137 "The tumbling skill allows your character to avoid attacks of opportunity when running around during combat."
55 Hint 40545 "To truly enjoy the powerful new items unveiled in Shadows of Undrentide make sure that the item level restrictions for your game are turned off."
56 RestHint 40552 "In hardcore difficulty mode or higher it is difficult to rest in several of the dungeons. To rest, you must find a safe room and close the door to keep the monsters out."
57 HealingHint 40575 "You may only use healing potions on henchmen if they are still members of your party. If they have left your service, healing kits can be used to heal them."
58 DeathHint 40576 "When players die, they can only be returned to life by use of a Raise Dead or Resurrection spell."
59 WeaponHint 40580 "Hang onto any magical weapons you find -- you never know when you will confront a creature that is immune to normal weapons."
60 HenchEquipHint 76393 "Henchmen only move between the chapters with the correct equipment, if they are currently hired by a player."
61 RaiseDead 83458 "Purchase scrolls of Raise Dead to raise characters you find slain as you explore the Underdark. These scrolls are also useful to bring back dead henchmen."
62 CraftFeatHint 83613 "Item Creation Feats are not available in the original NWN Campaign or Shadows of Undrentide. Look for them in Hordes of the Underdark."
63 ContinualLight 83786 "Cast Continual Flame on an equipped item and it will glow brightly forever."
64 UseHenches 85567 "Your henchmen can prepare themselves and the rest of your party before combat. Just talk to them and discuss tactics with them. You'll find difficult battles become easier with a little preparation."
65 RestHint2 85569 "Whenever you hire on a new henchman you should rest, so that they can replenish their spells and special abilities."
66 PowerAttack 85575 "If you are having trouble damaging your opponents, try using power attack. This mode increases the damage you do with each hit."
67 PaleMaster1 85703 "Pale Masters continue to gain spell uses per day. A wizard who becomes a pale master should purchase or find scrolls to memorize spells for these new spell slots."
68 PaleMaster2 85704 "A Pale Master/Monk is a potent adversary."
69 Wounding 85765 "Some weapons have the Wounding item property on them. Once a character is wounded by one of these weapons they will continue to take damage until they have been healed by potion, spell or healing kit."
70 Geography101 86778 "Faerun is a huge continent located on the world of Toril."
71 spellcasting 86871 "Spellcasting henchmen, like Deekin, can be used to buff up the entire party before a difficult battle. Just talk to them."
72 lowac 86872 "A low armor class means certain death. Make sure you and your henchmen have high armor classes by using rings of protections, amulets of natural armor and defensive spells. "
73 shapeshift 86873 "When you shapeshift, review your cast spell menu. Forms such as elementals and mind-flayers have access to some special powers."
74 lightgems 86874 "Use light gems to give your magical items the ability to glow brightly."
75 useRelic 86881 "Use the Relic of the Reaper to place binding locations that you can teleport to. This makes moving around easier, but each binding consumes a Rogue Stone. "
76 PoolOfsouls 86882 "Look in the Pool of Lost Souls in the Reaper's realm for items left or dropped by henchmen who are no longer with you."
77 Rest 86883 "After hiring a henchman or gaining a level you should rest, to refresh yours and theirs abilities."
78 AC30 86884 "If you have less than AC 30, you are going to die in combat. Often."
79 Armor 86885 "Your henchmen may look cute in their skivvies, but please put armor on them. They will live longer."
80 SpellMantle 86886 "Spell Mantle and similar spells are useful in that they make you virtually untouchable by enemy spell-casters."
81 InvisiblityCounter 86887 "The enemy will use invisibility to hide themselves and buff up. Be prepared to counter them with Dispel Magic, See Invisibility or True Seeing."
82 UseProperWeapons 86888 "Your henchmen have a variety of abilities. Please consult their character sheets to view the list of their current skills and feats, so that you may equip them with the weapons that they will use most effectively."
83 IllithidBrainSuck 86889 "Wearing a helmet when fighting Illithids will make it harder for them to use their deadly Extract Brain attack."
84 AlchemistsFire 1009388 "Remember that you can use alchemist's fire on your melee weapons to add fire damage to your attacks for a short duration."
85 WeaponFinesse 1101000 "Rogues, or other characters with high dexterity, should take the Weapon Finesse feat and use light weapons, such as short swords and daggers. They are not well suited to using strength based attacks."
86 StoresAndShifter 1101188 "Remember that you can not sell items while you are shapeshifted. You need to return to your character's normal form in order to interact with stores."