I'm at chapter 7 in the room with the water dragon's body and and I can't continue. I kill the enemies that appear and the dialogue cutscene starts, it progresses as normal until I make my first dialogue choice, the water dragon replies and then the cutscene abruptly ends.

I know from YouTube playthroughs, online guides and from when I played this on Xbox that this cutscene is supposed to go on much longer, it's also readily apparent something is wrong as without this conversation playing out in its entirety it's impossible to continue the game any further. I've found a couple of instances of other people having this problem:

www.gamefaqs.com/boards/932971-jade-empire-special-edition/55808679

steamcommunity.com/app/7110/discussions/0/359543951722542701

No matter how I approach this scenario it always ends the same, I've even completely reinstalled my game but it didn't help.

This is what's contained in my logs folder of my Jade Empire install:

====================================================
D3D Error Log - Jade Empire
Compile Time: Jan 23 2007 12:55:19
Run Time: 10/05/2016 15:07
====================================================
WinMain.cpp SET #3!!!
CExoFile(English\dialog.tlk): FAILED: The system cannot find the path specified.


CExoFile(dialogF.tlk): FAILED: The system cannot find the file specified.


Setting FullScreen Mode: 1920x1080xD3DFMT_X8R8G8B8xD3DFMT_D24S8x60Hz

Created HAL Device. Texture Mem = 220MB

WinMain.cpp SET #1!!!
CCampaign::LoadCampaignData - STARTED
Loaded Difficulty: 1
CCampaign::LoadCampaignData - FINISHED
Setting MRU SAVE: Save 111 - 27h 55min - level 25
******
CCampaign::SetActiveArea:
Area:j08_throne RRS:J08_THRONE
******
ON_DEAD: Fading out Headless bodies!
ON_DEAD: Fading out Headless bodies!
Leave Kiosk on Potential Reboot - Shutdown


I'm really hoping someone knows how to fix this, it sucks being so close to the end and not being able to finish my first PC playthrough.

I'm getting the same problem.

I can't seem to find a solution other than to load a save far back enough that the bug hasn't hit you. Problem is, I have no idea where the bug came from, how to avoid it, or where it was.
I know this is a really old game but I still love it and want to continue. I don't think I could stand going back ten plus hours just to maybe not hit a game breaking bug.

If you send me your savegamr instead, and point what conversation causes the problem, may be I can tweak the conversation to forced playing.

Here is the save.
Right after I finish the battle, starts a cutscene with Water Dragon.
After I choose any dialog line, the Water Dragon replies and then the conversation stops.
I have no opions to save the Water Dragon or taint her power with blood. The Water Dragon doesn't talk any more, and there is no way to leave this room.
Thanks for trying to help )

I am sorry, I still can't find the link to download your savefile

Hello again. I am sorry, I noticed your post so late.

Here is the link to the save file (on dropbox): I hope, now you will be able to download it.

Thanks again ))

It's like your savegame is corrupted. Do you use any savegame editor tool in the game before this point to get romance with both girls or something else?

You can push your way through, by forcing the dialog go further by making the conditional script j08_c_sfnorom1.ncs being TRUE.

If you have nss script compiler, then create a nss file named j08_c_sfnorom1.nss like this:

Int StartingConditional()
{
return TRUE;
}

Compile and put the ncs file into the override folder.
Continue the game, and delete the ncs file, as you will not need it again for uncorrupted savefiles.

If you re not familiar with the compiler, just use JEFindres tool to extract j00_c_true.ncs, rename it to j08_c_sfnorom1.ncs and put it into override folder.

I tested by choose 'you blame master li for....' line with the forced fix above and succeded to continue your saved game.

After our first reply to Water Dragon, the game give us some branches of the dialog continuation, and all of them have their own precondition to be activated. The preconditions are about the romantic options our character has completed. Somehow, there is possibility that all preconditions will be false and it will make the dialog will be ended before the game provides the cutscene that let the player choosing the action he/she will do about thr body of Waterdragon.

I need to know, from those who have experience it, do you use the savegame editor. Before this point? If you don't, what romantic option you took? Dawnstar only, Sky only, Princes only, two of them, or three of them?
It's look like if you have more than 1 romantic option activated, you could experience this deadlock.
If the deadlock can be occured by normal playing (without save editor at any point before) than it's a bug and I can just edit the dialog tree to address s the issue.

I am sorry for triple post in a row, but I have posted the mod to address the issue once at all.
https://www.nexusmods.com/jadeempire/mods/63

You are a genius.
I've just try your mod from nexus and it works like a charm. Now I am able to continue past this dialog.
Thank you very much for your help.

Your guess is correct. I had used mods that allow the female player to romance Dawn Star and Princess.