Hello everyone! Here's another big update for KotC 2.

In addition to bug fixes, speed and AI improvements, the new version adds the following new options and features: Custom Spell Sound Effects, Monster Injury Status Display, Feint Expanded Information Tooltip, Increased or Decreased Combat Experience Point Awards, Stop Condition for the Auto Recasting of Healing Spells, Inventory Screen Search Function, Spellbook Search Function, and Deactivated Focus on Party Members when moving out of combat.

Today, I've got the new Isometric Cities Symbol Set for Campaign Cartographer 3+, from ProFantasy Software. It's a great tool for creating cool city maps with isometric castles, houses, etc. Some images can be found here. Be sure to email ProFantasy quickly if you'd like a pre-release offer. You'll find their email address from their website.

I'll post a new Kickstarter update soon. Afterwards, I expect to be working on the Iconised Combat-Actions Menu and a few other features I'd like to implement.

If you find any bugs in KotC 2 version 1.52, please drop me a line at enquiries@heroicfantasygames.com so that I can fix the game quickly. A saved game would be very useful, too. Thank you!!

List of changes in Knights of the Chalice 2 Version 1.52

• Fixed a bug that would occur when you fight the Giant Spiders in the Mysterious Cave and at least one of the kids takes enough damage to go below -10 Hit Points. In the following dialogue, there would be a glow effect, and the game would freeze after selecting a dialogue option.
  
• Fixed a bug with the spell Mass Hideous Laughter not applying the -4 penalty on Difficulty Class when the target's type is different from the caster's type.
  
• Given the feat Wild Shape Mastery to enemy Druids and Storm Warriors in Augury of Chaos and the Tutorial Adventure. Also given the feat Improved Bull Rush to Giant Spider Queen Shiwang in Augury of Chaos. Also removed the Reach special ability of the smaller Giant Spider in the group of Giant Spider Queen Shiwang.
  
• Improved the tooltip when selecting a target for a Feint combat manoeuvre. The game will now indicate the target's Dexterity bonus to Armour Class, or if the target has already lost its Dex bonus to AC, the game will let you know about that, as well as the cause. If you have the Sneak Attack ability, the game will also let you know if the target is already vulnerable to your Sneak Attack damage (due to Flanking or some other condition) and it will tell you if the creature is immune to Critical Hits. That way, you'll have all the information you need to select a target for Feint properly.
  
• The AI will no longer attempt a Feint if the target does not have a Dexterity bonus to Armour Class, or if they're already vulnerable to a Sneak Attack. Also fixed some other AI issues with the Feint combat manoeuvre.
  
• Removed a redundant line in the Combat Log when someone uses the Feint combat action. Also, in the Effects & Conditions tab of the Character Sheet, right clicking on 'Condition: Feint' will now open the help entry for Feint.
  
• Improved the AI when the enemy uses the Ready Versus Spell combat action and it has magic scrolls or spell-like abilities.
  
• You can now have custom spells that make use of custom sound effects. Any wav files contained within the Sounds folder of a module will be available to select in the Spell Editor when editing a spell. The Spell Previewer will use the custom sounds and you can also listen to them by clicking on the buttons of the Spell Editor.
  
• Added a new option in the Game Options screen, under 'Difficulty', allowing you to display the injury status of enemies instead of their Hit Points. I find it more interesting to play with this option. Seeing a creature drop to the 'Almost Dead' status seems to be more rewarding, somehow.
  
• Added a new option in the Game Options screen, under 'Difficulty', allowing you to adjust Combat Experience Point Awards. You can reduce the awards by up to 30%, or increase them by up to 30%. However, you shouldn't increase the awards if you're trying to unlock Archmage Mode achievements.
  
• Added a new option in the Game Options screen, under 'Gameplay', allowing you to set a Stop Condition for the Auto Recasting of Healing Spells. You can let the game stop recasting after the target character has recovered 95%, 90%, 85% or 80% of his or her Hit Points, or once the target could not be healed for the expected healing amount of a single spell use, or once the target could not be healed for the maximum healing amount of a single spell use. You can use any of these options to avoid wasting a spell slot / wand charge / magic scroll / potion on a character that's nearly back to full health. Credit goes to Fred for suggesting this cool option to me! Thank you so much Fred!!
  
• Added a new option in the Game Options screen, under 'Display', allowing you to specify whether items inside containers should be included in the Party Items box, in the Inventory Screen. Previously, you could set this option through the Inventory Screen by clicking on the round button in the top-right corner of the Party Items box. You can still do that, but now the setting will be saved so that you don't have to click on the button every time you restart the game.
  
• Added a new option in the Game Options screen, under 'Display', allowing you to deactivate the focus of the game view on the party when moving out of combat. Please note: this only applies to movement resulting from a single click to go somewhere. Movement by pressing a mouse button and keeping it pushed, or by pressing a numpad key and keeping it pushed, will still focus the view on the party.
  
• Added a duplicate 'Full Screen Mode' option in the Game Options screen under 'Display'. The same option is already available under 'Gameplay' but people might look for it under Display, so it's best to have it under both Display and Gameplay.
  
• Added the Inventory Screen Search Function. Simply type in the name of an item and the game will look for it within the Party Items box. If it's not there, the game will also look within the backpack items of the current character. You can also press the up and down arrow keys to find the previous match or next match within the Party Items box.
  
• Added the Spellbook Search Function in the Character Sheet when displaying the character's arcane, divine or psionic spellbook. Simply type in the name of a spell or psionic power and the game will look for it. If there is a match, the spellbook will switch to the correct spell level. Please note: searching for a spell in the arcane spellbook will only go through arcane spells (not divine spells or psionic powers). Likewise for the divine and psionic spellbooks. Also, you can press the up and down arrow keys to look for the previous match or next match. Finally, you can press Return to cast the spell or manifest the psionic power.
  
• Fixed some issues in the Inventory Screen when displaying the inventory of NPCs. Also fixed some issues with using items while trading or while a script is being executed.
  
• Fixed auto-recasting for the Bard spell 'Healing Song'. It wasn't working because earlier I called that spell 'Sonnet of Solace'.
  
• Fixed a text display issue in the tabs of the Character Sheet and the Game Options screen (as well as the tabs of the Creature Properties screen in the Module Editor).
  
• Fixed some issues with out-of-combat movement by pressing the left mouse button and keeping it pushed, or by clicking to go somewhere.
  
• Corrected the position of the Spell Quickbar when the option to display the Combat Log in combat is turned off.
  
• Updated the in-game help entry about Controls Outside Combat with information on the Local Map Screen and the auto recasting of healing spells. Also clarified the description of the Conviction ability of the Death Knight in the in-game help entry for the Death Knight. The saving throw bonus does not depend on having an Intelligence ability score above 10.
  
• The game will now save the current tab of the Game Options screen when you close the screen.
  
• Added some code to accelerate gameplay in combat.
  

Thank You For Your Awesome Support, Valorous Knights of the Realm! Rejoice!! ^_^