In Neverwinter Nights 2 , players will also have the ability to select and control companion actions, including guiding their spell selections, attacks and other special abilities. Players can also simply allow each companion’s advanced artificial intelligence to take over, which will ensure an appropriate response to any given situation. In addition, each companion in Neverwinter Nights 2 has also been designed to fill both a role-playing personality role as well as a specific class support role. No matter what class a player chooses to start with, the selection of available companions will allow players to balance out their party to reflect the style of play they prefer.

Some of the first companions players will come across in Neverwinter Nights 2 include:

Khelgar Ironfist (Chaotic Good, Dwarf, Fighter) -- Khelgar is a good-natured dwarf with a love of the finer things in life. He’s strong and tough, even by dwarf standards, and developed a fearsome reputation as a brawler. Khelgar is heading to the city of Neverwinter , to find a monastic order that has opened their doors to anyone who wishes to learn…Khelgar is going to make them rue that policy quickly.

Neeshka (Neutral, Tiefling, Rogue) -- Part demon and part human, Neeshka has had a tough life. She has been raised most of her life as a ward of the Church of Helm , and from childhood to today she’s been in one sort of trouble or another. Tieflings are often noble figures who fight to redeem themselves despite people’s initial prejudices. However, Neeshka doesn’t have a heart of gold, or some inner core of virtue, she’s just trouble at heart. She’s a cute sort of trouble, though. She fuels the perception of Tieflings as worrisome imps good for nothing but headaches.

Elanee (Neutral Good, Wood Elf, Druid) -- A child of the forest and sometimes fickle– Elanee is a wood elf druid who watches over the Mere of Dead Men. Elanee is not quite of this world, and is more at home in the realm of forests and mires than she ever will be in civilization. She has tremendous courage and a fiery temper, as well. She views the world with a strange newness – which is at odds with her often wise counsel. She also sees deeper into people than they suspect.

The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than two million copies worldwide, is translated into 10 languages, sold in more than 40 countries and features one of the largest and most active fan communities in all of gaming. To date, fans of the franchise, which includes Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide™ and Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark™, have created nearly 4,000 modifications to the original game using the award-winning Aurora Toolset, the groundbreaking software included with the full game that allows players to create their own universes, quests and storylines. A new and improved toolset will be included with the release of Neverwinter Nights 2 .

Neverwinter Nights 2 is scheduled for release in September 2006. More information about Neverwinter Nights 2 can be found at www.nwn2.com, which includes user forums, project news, development updates and more.