The Academy for Modding Excellence is pleased to announce the finalists for the NWN2 2010-2011 Debut Author Award!

Kamal (for Path of Evil)

“Villains have to start somewhere.” This is the motto of Path of Evil, where you play the unusual role of the villain of the story, from the humble begginings to the rise in power, until you become a serious menace to the realms.

Path of Evil is a huge sandbox module where you can do evil deeds while you explore the whole map of Faerun. Unlike in many other modules, you are the one who creates the story, always a step forward of the heroes who are trying to stop you. It also allows the player to be evil in an intelligent and manipulative way, rather than the usual psychopatic, mass-murderous one.

Matt Rieder (for The Wizard’s Apprentice)

As its name implies, the first installment in Matt Rieder’s acclaimed trilogy narrates – often in a Python-esque style – the story of a young wizard student and his/her early adventure days. Class-specific as it is, the module features a good deal of wizard-related content, as well as challenging combat and an increasingly complicated plot.

Shaughn78 (for Risen Hero)

Risen Hero is a story-driven module that carries the protagonist on a journey of self-discovery, from a mysterious beginning to an epic ending against a world-shattering threat. All along the way, the player has the opportunity to recruit an unusually high number of companions, as well as completing quests through stealth, smooth talking, or in many other different ways, making this one of the most replayable modules of its year.

Congratulations to all the finalists!