Introduction
What is this?
Avernum: Escape from the Pit is the remake of Avernum.
What's Avernum?
Avernum is the remake of Exile.
What's oh shut up already
Right. Exile: Escape from the Pit was the first RPG produced by Spiderweb Software, way back in 1995. It had a lot in common with the early Ultima games: top-down view, large open world, nonlinear structure, action-point-based combat, et cetera. Berryjon already did a fantastic LP of it. Exile 1 did so well that Jeff Vogel (a.k.a. Spiderweb Software) made it into the first game of a trilogy. Exile III in particular is considered a classic of the genre by many.
By the time he finished the trilogy, though, technology had left his games looking decidedly old-fashioned. So he remade them into the Avernum series, which was simply Exile in a different engine, with updated graphics, more fleshed-out writing, and a couple of new sidequests. Then he tacked on a second trilogy, Avernums 4-6, which were okay but didn't achieve the first trilogy's success. Then he made the Geneforge series, which is a completely different setting.
But technology being what it is, nowadays Avernums 1-3 are also looking pretty elderly, so he's remaking them again, without bothering to change the names much so it's extra-confusing. This LP will be of the first game in the re-re-made trilogy: Avernum: Escape from the Pit. It's pretty good! And it's available for PC, Mac, and tablet, so there's a pretty broad range of supported platforms.
That's nice and all, but what's the game about?
I'll let the intro "cutscene" do the explaining for me.
So in short, you've been dumped into a penal colony; have fun!
Sounds awesome, how can I play?
The game has a huge free demo that you can get from Spiderweb Software's website. There's at least several hours' worth of gameplay in there. If you decide you want the rest of the game (and you should), then it's also available on their website, on Steam, on Good Old Games, on the Apple Store (for iOS tablets), etc. The sequel, Avernum 2: Crystal Souls, is also available, and presumably Avernum 3: Ruined World will be out sometime in the next year or two.
How's this going to work?
This is a screenshot LP. Updated the games may be, but they're still oldschool RPGs, so there's really not much in the way of eyecandy here. After the first update, I'll solicit suggestions for party members, who we'll be stuck with for the rest of the game.
And now that that tedious business is done with, let's get started!
Updates
Welcome to Avernum!
Prologue: The Beginnings of Greatness
Bonus Update 1: Character Creation
Update 1: Under Fort Avernum
Update 2: Fort Avernum
Update 3: Forts Duvno and Bandit
Update 4: The Batcave
Update 5: Goblin Caves and Silvar
Update 6: The Obligatory Sewer Level; Cotra
Cats and Lizards
Update 7: The Underground Fort
Update 8: Fort Dranlon and Slith Temple
Update 9: Upper Slith Temple
Update 10: Island Fort, Swamp Town
Update 10, Part 2: Island Fort; Swamp Town
Update 11: Eastern Gallery Mop-Up
Update 12: Formello
Update 13: Formello et al
Update 14: Nephilim Fort
Giant Intelligent Friendly Talking WHAT?
Update 15: Formello Environs; Motrax's Cave
Update 16: Ancient Crypt; Fort Draco
Update 17: The GIFTS
Update 18: Aranea City; Northern Mop-Up
Mages are Morons
Update 19: Mertis
Update 20: The Spiral Pit
Update 21: Tower of the Magi
Update 21, Part 2: Tower of the Magi
Update 22: Solberg's Tower
Update 23: Slith Fortifications; Fort Emerald
Update 24: Crypt of Drath Level 1
Update 25: Crypt of Drath Level 2
Update 26: Crypt of Drath Level 3
Update 27: Adze-Haakai
Update 28: Ogre Caves
Interlude: Learning to Fly
Update 29: Foul Cavern
Update 30: Waterfall Warren and Stagnant Tunnels
The Great Cave
Update 31: Almaria
Update 32: The Castle
Update 33: Avoiding Civilization
Update 34: Shattered Fort and Gnass
Update 35: Blosk
Update 36: Gremlin's Gold
Update 37: Fort Remote
Update 38: Slith Castle
Update 39: Aftermath
Update 40: Patrick's Tower
The Abyss
Update 41: Shattered Fort Part 2; Dharmon
Update 42: Fort Saffron; Bandit Keep
Update 43: Ruined Bandit Lair; Fort Spire
Update 44: The Return of Drath (also, Gremlin Cave)
Update 45: Spire
Update 46: Erika's Tower
Update 47: Ruined Fort
Update 48: Erika Environs, Blocked Tunnel, Sulfur Caverns
Update 49: Lair of Khoth
Update 50: Bargha
Update 51: Giant Castle
Update 51b: Emergency Patch Update
Update 52: Pyrog's Lair
The Second Demon War
Update 53: Skarragath
Update 54: Prison of Grah-Hoth
Update 55: The Burning Reaches
Update 56: Fortress of Grah-Hoth
Update 57: Denouement and Intermission
Up the River
Update 58: Slith Fortress
Update 59: River Headlands
Update 60: Lost Bahssikava
Update 61: Aranea Cave
Update 62: Freehold of Kyass
Update 63: Strange Cave
Update 64: Freeholdin'
Last Steps
Update 65: The Honeycomb; Athron's Cave
Update 66: Northern Waters
Vengeance
Update 67: Preparations
Update 68: The Approach
Update 69: The Royal Spire
One Last Loose End
Update 70: Remote Caves and Pit of the Drake
Update 71: Remote Caves and Tower of Sulfras
Update 72: The Final Gauntlet
Awesome fan stuff!
NullBlack shows us Elly's healing magic in action:
And now that Kane and One-Eye are in on the action, NullBlack shows us how a lawyer's healing spells work!
Being the party healer isn't all fun and games...
...but sometimes you just get to cut loose!
One-Eye's decided that the rest of the party needs some tutoring.
Elly compares notes with Willow from Chokes' Paper Sorceror Let's Play.
And I get taken to task over my loose use of the term "literally". Really, I deserve it. Keep the punishment coming.
