July 2007

Game Update 37 – Notes

stargrace July 31, 2007 1Comment

HIGHLIGHTS

• · You can now sell items on the broker with more than one character.
• · Emerald Halls is now a persistent instance raid zone! See below for details.
• · You can now buy back items you most recently sold to NPC merchants!
• · Items that offer or are needed by quests will now display that information.
• · Achievement points spent are no longer locked to a single tree. When you respec, you will be able to spend them on either tree (up to 50 per tree).
• · Crafters now gain tradeskill experience from completing tradeskill writs.

GENERAL

• · Nektulos Forest content has been touched up to be more playable.
• · Harvesting and Adornment application will be immediately interrupted by taking any damage when in combat.
• · Content in Antonica has been touched up to be more playable.
• · Combat music should now terminate properly when fighting and zoning.
• · Tinkered pets should no longer be useable against players in PvP.
• · Brigand Thugs will now more consistently attack their target
• · You may only buy language books if you don’t already know the language.
• · Casting skill debuffs will have improved results against NPC targets.
• · Human males who visit their local barber will discover that hairstyles once reserved for alternate appearances are now available!
• · Rumors regarding a series of attacks on both ships belonging to the cities of Qeynos and Freeport have residents in Qeynos Harbor and East Freeport abuzz with excitement. Numerous sailors and other individuals have gathered around to exchange stories and speculations about these events.
• · The residents of the Scale Yard are all astir with the news of Iksar ships being sighted. Speak with the residents there to find out what they believe.
• · If someone finishes harvesting the same node before you do, you will stop harvesting immediately.
• · Shrub type harvest nodes can now yield a rare root! Other harvesting changes should result in pelts being a bit more plentiful than meats, and yield only one type of imbue harvest item per level range instead of four.

BROKER

• · You can now sell items on the broker with more than one character!
• · All characters on an account can list items for sale at the same time.
• · Items remain listed as long as you log in with any of your characters at least once every 7 days.
• · Each character will need to maintain their own broker boxes.

ITEMS

• · The 7 piece Troubador’s Fascination set bonus will now add aggression.
• · The Staff of Light, Lucanic Staff and Soulfire Staff now have a one-handed appearance.
• · The Lucanic Longsword and Soulfire Longsword now have a two-handed appearance.
• · Djinn Bracelet of the Sky: Carpet of the Djinn Master will no longer deactivate once the ward has been depleted.
• · The effectiveness of Burning Deathfist Arrows has been reduced.
• · Stat/Resist bonuses from equipping an item will be removed when the item is in a disarmed state.
• · The bosses that drop Legendary and Fabled armor-set pieces in Echoes of Faydwer are now aware of which set pieces characters in the group/raid currently possess. These bosses will only drop an armor-set piece that someone attending needs. As long as you have the item either equipped, in inventory, or bank, you are counted as “possessing” the item.

TRAVEL

• · Griffon travel services are now being offered in the Butcherblock Mountains. Mount stations can be found near the docks, Greater Faydark and Lesser Faydark.
• · Horse rentals are now available in the Greater Faydark to reduce your travel time. Hitching posts can be found near the Old Kelethin Acorn lift, Crushbone Keep and the Butcherblock Mountains.
• · Citizens of Neriak may now use the power of the Sea Gate to travel to the Nektulos Forest and Thundering Steppes docks. Check it out at the Neriak docks.

ZONES

Emerald Halls

• · Your raid force can now clear part of The Emerald Halls, leave, and then come back later to pick up where you left off.
• · There is no longer a “failure” timer. You will be locked to an instance for 5 days once you kill any mob. You can reset your timer after 5 days and enter a different instance, or you can choose to continue in the same instance for up to 9 days total.
• · The “Zone Reuse Window” now has two tabs:
• · “Lockout” for zones with traditional lockout timers.
• · “Persistent” for persistent zones like The Emerald Halls.

Thundering Steppes

• · The industrious Gigglegibber Gamblin’ Game vendors have taken up real estate closer to the end of the docks in the Thundering Steppes for your convenience.

Darklight Wood

• · The Gigglegibbers have finally made it into Darklight Wood. They have set up shop in the Wanderlust Fair.
• · Questline, “Stones of our Fathers”, has been added to Darklight Wood for players of level 18 and above. Talk to Thadus Flintwrit at the Wanderlust Faire.

Nektulos

• · The old Bear Caves respawn point has been moved to the entrance to Darklight Woods.

West Freeport

• · Broker Mallium in West Freeport now fences items from Neriak.

QUESTS

• · Explorers in the Feerrott have found some dark and fearful creatures, and are looking for your help.
• · Alchemist Janicia in the Fools Gold in Rivervale is in need of assistance from a very high level alchemist …
• · More quests in Antonica, Nektulos, and The Bloodline Chronicles now grant Achievement Experience.
• · The Stormhammer epic quest has been modified in places that were adding frustration more than challenge.
• · Items now show in their tooltip and examine windows if they offer or update a quest
• · Items that offer a quest are implicitly LORE, NO-TRADE, NO-VALUE, NO-SACRIFICE and NO-TRANSMUTE
• · The first time you complete a repeatable quest it will now grant achievement experience.
• · Quests that come from an item will be removed if that item is destroyed (with confirmation).
• · Quest Rewards that have not yet been accepted (and have no item selection to choose) and have been available for more than 5 minutes will be automatically accepted upon zoning or logging in.
• · Language quests are slightly different to help clean up unwanted “garbage” loot and excess inventory litter.
• · The items that start language quests will only drop as loot if you’re not already on the quest.
• · The items that update language quests will only drop as loot if you need them for the language quest.
• · You no longer need to examine the dropped items to get the updates for the quest. It happens automatically when you loot the item.
• · ‘Studied’ versions of the language objects will no longer appear in game. If you have any you may sell them to NPC vendors.
• · Language quests started from NPC item drops will now scale to your level.
• · The behavior of Fix The Broken Item quests have improved in usability:
• · Broken Items will no longer drop from NPCs if you already have the item or are already on the quest.
• · The popup tooltip on the quest starter now shows that the item gives a quest.
• · You no longer have to examine the item after each step.
• · Due to the changes, if you were already on one of these quests, the quest will reset to the beginning.
• · “History of the Runnyeye Goblins, Vol. I”: This quest no longer requires brewers, lackeys, and servants, and now instead requires: any runnyeye goblin, Gorehorn pitmasters, and clay remnants.
• · “History of the Runnyeye Goblins, Vol. II” The portion of this quest that used to require “a Runnyeye apprentice” now requires any Runnyeye goblin.
• · Quests in the Claymore and Infiltrating lines in the Sanctum of the Scaleborn as well as Barren Skies and Palace of the Awakened that targeted rare named mobs have been modified to also update on their place holders. A couple quests have been modified to target new mobs in the same rooms to accommodate these changes.
• · The Bowels of the Bonemire quest, in the Claymore quest line, been modified to update on the new place holder mobs as well as the original named mobs that were required for the quest.
• · “Breaking of the Pact”: The portions of this quest that once asked for “a drowned footsoldier” will now accept drowned soldiers of any type.
• · “Winter Comes”: The portions of this quest that once asked for “a Sabertooth tracker” will now also accept “a Sabertooth scout” and “a Sabertooth hunter.”
• · “The Three Keys – The Second:” The portions of this quest that once asked for “a young timber badger” will now accept any badger. The portions of this quest that once asked for “a weald wolf” will now accept any wolf. The portions of this quest that once asked for “a young antelope” will now accept any antelope.
• · “The Three Keys – The Third”: The portions of this quest that once asked for “an undead worker” will now also accept “an undead farmer,” “an undead caretaker,” and “an undead settler.” The portions of this quest that asked for “a flesh scavenger” will now also accept “a corpse feeder” and “a carrion gorger.” The portions of this quest that asked for “a roaming dead” will now update on killing lions.

The following quests have had a number of their targets changed to mobs or mob-types that are more readily available:

Permafrost:
“The Age of Cataclysms”
“The Age of Destiny”
“The Age of Monuments”
“The Age of Scale”
“The Age of Turmoil”
“Ship’s Log – Bountiful Mane”
“Bronsin”
“The Chilling Terror”
“Destroyer’s Folly”
“The Felling of the Ice Wyrm”
“Greshvoule”
“The Ice Queen”
“The Kromise”
“The Lady and the Scamp”
“Lost Treasures of the North”
“Preacher Story – Thex’Ka V”
“Preacher Story – Thex’Ka IV”
“Preacher Story – Thex’Ka III”
“Watcher of the Mauls Theriig”
“The Words of Freedom”

Rivervale
“Adventures of Jorbo and Mappy”
“Words to Remember – by Mother Deasie”
“Leatherfoot Brigade Field Training Guide”

Varsoon
“The Varsoon Collection, Volume 1 – Varsoon and the Combine Era”
“The Varsoon Collection, Volume 2 – The Quest for Immortality”
“The Varsoon Collection, Volume 3 – The Gift of Immortality”
“The Varsoon Collection, Volume 4 – The House of Varsoon”
“The Varsoon Collection, Volume 5 – The War of Plagues”

Obelisk of Lost Souls
“The Shadows of Lonesome Hollow”
“Remembrances – Prime”
“Remembrances – Norrath”
“Termble Clankerbang Findings Vol. 98”
“Remembrances – DyzAz”
“Remembrances – Tel’riia’mil’an’ane’ie”
“Remembrances – Nyalla-Phon”
“Remembrances – Berrox”

Blackburrow:
The Sabertooth Miner’s Guide, Part One
The Sabertooth Miner’s Guide, Part Two
The Great Flood

The Temple of Cazic-Thule:
“How to Serve Mortals – Slow Thoughts”
“How to Serve Mortals – Flowing Thoughts”
“The Amygamalion – The Dulling”
“The Amygamalion – The Form”
“The Amygamalion – The Four That Are We”
“The Pirate Queen and the Nightmare Creature”
“The Pirate Queen and the Heart”
“The Pirate Queen and the Map”
“The Pirate Queen and the Seafury Buccaneers”
“The Pirate Queen and the Temple”

ACHIEVEMENTS

• · You can now respec your achievements and spend the points in another tree.
• · All second row achievement abilities in the class tree no longer share reuse timers with each other.
• · Subclass Achievements have been tuned for desirability and balance.
• · Please speak to any of the <Achievement Counsel> NPCs in order to receive a card with five charges of subclass achievement respecs. Aelia Naeni in Greater Faydark, Nexa L’Dur in North Freeport, Wynia Vethe in South Qeynos, and Tria L’Belk in Neriak may all present you with the card.

Assassin

• · Enhance: Murderous Focus: Also increases duration by 3 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Deft Defense: Also increases bonuses by additional 4% per rank.
• · Enhance: Ignorant Bliss Poison: Increased hate reduction effect from 6% to 10% per rank.
• · Getaway: Improved reuse speed from 90s to 45s.
• · Enhance: Attribute Poison: Increased attribute reduction from 5% to 8% per rank.
• · Enhance: Apply Poison: Increased trigger percentage from 1% to 1.5% per rank. Increases damage of poison by 3% per rank
• · Frontload: Increased duration from 15s to 24s. Additional poison damage is dealt by any poison that is triggered.

Bard

• · Agility 5 – Vanishing Act: Stealth affect now properly allows the use of stealthed combat arts.

Berserker

• · Enhance: Screaming Rage: Reduced bonus from 6% to 5% per rank.
• · Berserk: Increased bonuses when this Berserk is in effect.

Bruiser

• · Enhance: Heavy Scarring: Also improves reuse speed by 6 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Close Mind: No longer requires both Stone Deaf and Heavy Scarring achievements. Improved reuse speed from 5 to 7 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Intervene, Intercept, Intercede: Also grants a temporary damage absorption bonus to your target by 3% per rank.
• · Enhance: Impose: Also reduces resistability by 1% per rank.
• · Enhance: Brag: Also reduces resistability by 1% per rank.
• · Soak Hit: Whenever you are the target of an Intervene ability, you receive a temporary damage absorption bonus of 9%.
• · Drag: Reduced duration from 5 to 4 seconds.
• · Alternate: Shiftiness: Increased detaunt effectiveness.
• · Evade: Renamed Control Hate: If Shiftiness is active, it reduces a hate position. Otherwise, it increases a hate position with an enemy.
• · Retribution of Stone: Increased trigger percentage from 20% to 25%. Damage by all ripostes are increased by 35%.

Brigand

• · Enhance: Circular Strike: Also increases hit chance by 3% per rank.
• · Enhance: Ruse: Also increases damage by 4% per rank.
• · Enhance: Cuss: Improved reuse speed bonus from 1 to 1.5 seconds per rank. Also improves resistibility reduction by 3% per rank.
• · Enhance: Beg for Mercy: Increases mitigations of target from 3% to 5% per rank.
• · Honor Among Thieves: Improved reuse speed from 45 to 30 seconds. Increased power gain from 25% to 50%.
• · Tenure: Reduced duration bonus from 15% to 12%. No longer affects any DoT durations.
• · Enhance: Evade: Instead of hate amount, it improves reuse speed by 1.5 seconds per rank and its recovery speed by 20% per rank.
• · Enhance: Stay Low: Improved reuse speed bonus from 3 to 4 seconds per rank.
• · Safehouse: Instead it now triggers during an event that would have caused death and instead places the Brigand into bleeding and reduces hate with that enemy. When this happens, a 5 minute timer preventing Safehouse from being recast is applied.

Coercer

• · Enhance: Dispel Magic: Improves casting and reuse speed as well.
• · Thought Snap: Improved reuse speed from 3 minutes to 90 seconds.
• · Tashiana: Increased duration from 10 to 13 seconds.
• · Coercive Healing: No longer increases power cost of heals.

Conjurer

• · Enhance: Vehement Stone: Improves reuse speed by 12 per rank. Ranks cost 1 achievement point each.
• · Enhance: Minion’s Intervention: Improved reuse speed bonus from 15 to 18 seconds per rank, increases amount healed by 20% per rank.
• · Enhance: Fireshield: Increased bonuses from 6% to 9% per rank.
• · Enhance: Fire Seed: Increased trigger percent bonus from 1% to 2% per rank.
• · Enhance: Elemental Vestment: Increased duration from 1 to 2 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Blazing Presence: Also improves reuse speed.
• · Enhance: Splinter of Essence: Improved reuse speed from 2 to 3 seconds per rank.
• · Stoneskins: Increased duration from 30 to 60 seconds, increased stoneskin trigger count from 1 to 2.
• · Unabate: Reduced bonuses from 20% to 15% each.
• · Cure Elemental: Reduced point cost from 3 to 2. Improved reuse speed from 10 to 4 seconds.

Defiler

• · Enhance: Curse of Shielding: Also increased triggered ward amount by 4% per rank.
• · Enhance: Distill Soul: Increased trigger percent bonus from 4% to 6% per rank.
• · Enhance: Dread Invective: Increased trigger percentage from 1% to 2% per rank.
• · Enhance: Primordian Terror: Improved resistance reduction from 3% to 5% per rank.
• · Curseweaving: Also increases curse durations by 5%.
• · Hexation: Now Toggles. Improved trigger percent reduction from 30% to 50%. Improved reuse speed from 90 seconds to 2 seconds. Duration increased from 36 seconds to 1 minute. It drains power overtime instead of a single large cost.
• · Soul Ward: Can only be cast while in combat.

Dirge

• · Enhance: Sapping Shot: Improved reuse speed from 1.5 to 2 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Lanet’s Excruciating Scream: Improved reuse speed from 1.5 to 2 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Garsin’s Funeral March: Improved reuse speed from 2 to 3 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Wail of Woe: Improved percentage from 4% to 8% per rank.
• · Enhance: Elegy at Death’s Door: Restoration amount is 2% per rank from 3%, Reuse improved by 2 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Elegy of Awakening: Also improves restoration amount by 2% per rank.
• · Enhance: Oration of Sacrifice: Also increases amount healed by 4% per rank, and health cost is reduced by 4% per rank.
• · Confront Fear: Increased Reuse speed from 60s to 45s. Health and Power regeneration now work in combat.
• · Luck of the Dirge: Reduced bonus from 25% to 20%.
• · Magnetic Note: Increased reuse speed from 90 to 60s. Duration increased from 5 to 6 seconds. Can only be used if an enemy is already in combat. Its triggered effect uses Aggression skill adjustments, and it is resisted less often.

Fury

• · Enhance: Feral Tenacity: Improved reuse speed bonus from 40 to 60 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Hibernation: Increased heal trigger from 10% to 15%.
• · Pact of Nature: no longer mentions that your Salve lines of spells are disabled. Salve spell granted is slightly more power efficient than before.
• · Enhance: Fae Fire: Fixed casting speed bonus to properly improve by 0.2 seconds per rank.
• · Kudzu: Has a 25% to also root the target with each hostile spell.
• · Energy Vortex: Reduced bonuses from 50% to 40%.

Guardian

• · Double Attack: Reduced bonus from 10% to 9%.
• · Cripple: Increased Riposte reduction from 35% to 60%.
• · Got Your Back: Increased radius from 10m to 25m. Increased duration from 12 to 15s.
• · Block: Increased duration from 10 to 15s.

Illusionist

• · Illuminate: Increased duration to 20 seconds.
• · Time Compression: Reduced casting speed bonus from 25% to 20%, recovery speed from 50% to 40%.
• · Split Personality: Forces ally to taunt. Pet taunts are more effective, and it taunts the entire encounter throughout the duration.
• · Enhance: Phase: Increased bonus from 5 to 8 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Illusory Allies: Increased bonus from 7 to 10 seconds per rank.

Inquisitor

• · Devotee’s Repentance: Increased damage bonus from 7% to 9% per rank.
• · Enhance: Zealotry: Penalties ignore item triggered effects.
• · Enhance: Imprison: Improved resistibility reduction from 4% to 5% per rank.
• · Enhance: Fearful Conversion: Improved reuse speed bonus from 1.5 seconds to 3 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Heretic’s Demise: Increased damage bonus from 7% to 10% per rank.
• · Enhance: Retaliation: Also increases damage by 10% per rank.
• · Enhance: Verdict: Increased duration from 5 to 10 seconds in which Verdict is allowed to trigger.
• · Punishment: Applies hate increase to enemy’s target only each time an effect is

Monk

• · Alternate: Mongoose Stance: can be cast on a raid ally.
• · Enhance: Beckon: Also reduces resistibility by 1% per rank.
• · Enhance: Stare: Also reduces resistibility by 1% per rank.
• · Alternate: Mongoose Stance: Increased detaunt effectiveness.
• · Enhance: Dragonbreath: Reduced reuse speed bonus from 5 to 4 seconds per rank (but reuse speed of original ability was improved).
• · Evade – Renamed Evade Check: Non-fighters in your group have their hate reduced with the encounter. If Dragon Stance is not active, your hate is also reduced with your encounter.
• · Enhance: Will of the Void I: Reduced cost to 2 points instead of 3.
• · Enhance: Stone Stance: Increased spell mitigation bonus from 4% to 6% per rank. Also improves reuse speed by 6 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Outward Calm: Also increases duration by 3 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Tsunami: Increased reuse speed bonus from 7 to 8 seconds per rank.
• · Master’s Evasion – Renamed Superior Riposte: Ripostes the next attack or reflects the next spell. Increased duration by 5 seconds.
• · Enhance Jabs: Instead of 20% casting speed bonus per rank, it improves both casting and recovery speed by 15% per rank.

Mystic

• · Enhance: Resurrection Efficiency: Improved power reduction from 8% to 12% per rank.
• · Spirit Dance: Increased resurrection amount from 15% to 40%. Improved reuse speed from 2 minutes to 90 seconds. Increased radius to 30m.
• · Enhance: Cures, Fading Spirit, Ancient Balm: All ward amounts have been increased by 20%.
• · Immunization: Improved reuse speed from 3 to 2 minutes.
• · Weapon Mastery: Also increases effectiveness of Summoned Spirit Companion (single down arrow instead of double down arrow).

Necromancer

• · Enhance: Splintered Heart: Improved reuse speed from 2 to 3 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Dispel Magic: Reduced point cost from 3 to 2.
• · Enhance: Revivication: Increased bonus from 2% to 3% per rank (or 20% of its original value per rank).
• · Enhance: Consumption: Increased bonus from 4 to 6 seconds per rank.
• · Blood Pact: Drains health and power half as fast as it did before.
• · Lifeburn: Decreased lifeburn damage/health ratio from 5:1 to 4:1.
• · Enhance: Fear: Also increases duration by 1 second per rank.
• · Tainted Heals: Increased pet heal amount from 13% to 18%.

Paladin

• · Enhance: Intervene: Increased reuse speed from 2 to 3 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Elixir of Resuscitation: Also improves restoration amount by 3% per rank.
• · Cure Spells: For each impairment removed, hate by enemies near the paladin is increased.
• · Enhance: Castigate: Also increases radius by 1 per rank.

Ranger

• · Enhance: Hawk Dive: Also improves reuse speed by 6 seconds per rank.
• · Befriend Animal: Increased effectiveness of charmed animal.
• · Enhance: Lunge: Increased duration bonus from 0.4 to 0.5 seconds per rank.
• · Hook Arrow: Improved reuse speed from 2 minutes to 90 seconds.
• · Enhance: Thorny Trap: Increased reuse speed bonus from 6 to 8 seconds per rank. Also improves casting speed by 0.4 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Survival Instincts: Also increases bonuses by additional 4% per rank.
• · Enhance: Fettering Poison: also increases snare amount by 3%.
• · Enhance: Ancillery Poison: Increased skill reduction bonus from 4% to 7% per rank, resist bonus from 3% to 5% per rank. Also improves reductions in defense, deflection, and parry skills.
• · Conservation: Duration of potions are doubled. All potions consumed are 20% more effective than before.
• · Double Arrow: Reduced ranged doubleattack bonus from 10% to 8%.

Shadowknight

• · Alternate: Siphon Armament: can be cast on a raid fighter.
• · Enhance: Cleave Flesh: Increased wisdom reduction amount from 10% to 12% per rank.
• · Enhance: Despoiling Mists: Improved reuse speed bonus from 3 to 6 seconds per rank.
• · Alternate: Siphon Armament: Increased mitigation gained by 33% more than before. Can now be cast on a raid ally.
• · Pools of Blood: Increased bleed pool amount by 60% more than before.
• · Reaver: Reduced health returned from 2.5% to 2%.

Swashbuckler

• · Enhance: Flamboyant Strike: Increased bonus from 6% to 8% per rank.
• · Enhance: Quick Flurry: Increased resistibility penalty from 10 to 13%.
• · Enhance: Offensive Poisons: Increased debuff bonus from 3% to 5% per rank.
• · Enhance: Turgur Poison: Increased bonus from 1 to 2 per rank.
• · Enhance: Mental Poisons: Increased drain amount from 5% to 8% per rank.
• · Potency: Increased trigger chance bonus from 5% to 7%.
• · Enhance: Avoid Notice: Increased trigger percent from 1% to 2% per rank.
• · Reach: Reduced bonus from being able to attack at 10m to 9m.
• · Slightly lowered the proc amount on Swashbuckler Potency.

Templar

• · Blessing: Reduced bonus from 25% to 20%.
• · Mana Cure: Can be cast on a raid ally. Cure effect is applied to the Templar’s group.
• · Enhance: Sign of Pacification: Improved resistibility reduction from 3% to 5% per rank.
• · Enhance: Soothe: Hate reduction applies to all your non-fighter allies. Hate amount reduced to compensate. Also improves casting speed by 0.1 seconds per rank.
• · Overconfidence: Improved reuse speed from 3 minutes to 2 minutes. Increased duration from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Improved casting speed from 1 second to 0.5 seconds. Reduced trigger count to 1, but effect will not reduce trigger count unless enemy strikes a non-fighter ally.

Troubador

• · Kian’s Destructive Anthem: Increased Wisdom Reduction from 7% to 10% per rank.
• · Demoralization: Fixed debuffs to properly stack their effects with each Demoralizer ability active. Increased miss chance from 3% to 5% per rank.
• · Sonic Interference: Increased effect from 25% to 30%. Removed effect that increased durations from this spell.
• · Enahance: Breathtaking Bellow: Improved percentage from 4% to 7% per rank.
• · Harmonization: Increased effect from 7% to 10%.

Warden

• · Nature Walk: Changed minor knockback immunity to snare mitigation of 50%.
• · Enhance: Cures, Verdant Sigh: Increased hits allowed from 3 to 4.
• · Enhance: Resurrections: Reduced bonus from 4% to 3% per rank. Also increases all of the resurrection bonuses that follow the resurrection by 5% per rank.
• · Reformation: Death prevention spells also restore 30% more health than before.
• · Shatter Infections: Cure effect now triggers when an ally’s health drops below 50% of their maximum health instead of 25%. Increased duration from 30 seconds to 90. Triggered cure is twice as effective.

Warlock

• · Enhance: Concussive: Also improves casting speed by 0.1 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Nullmail: Also improves reuse speed by 20 seconds per rank. Increased duration bonus from 1 to 1.5 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Interference: Also increases detaunt amount by 7% per rank.
• · Enhance: Curse of Darkness: Also improves casting speed by 0.2 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Venomous Grasp: Increased trigger percent bonus from 1% to 2% per rank.
• · Enhance: Boon of the Dark: Increased trigger percent bonus from 1% to 2% per rank.
• · Enhance: Poisonous Veil: Increased trigger percent bonus from 2% to 3% per rank.
• · Enhance: Abhorrent Gift: Increased duration from 2 to 3 seconds per rank.
• · Enhance: Netherous Realm: Also improves casting speed by 0.2 seconds per rank.
• · Propogation: Increased bonus from 3% to 4%.
• · Aftershock: Reduced trigger percentage from 50% to 40%.
• · Enhance: Dispel Magic: Reduced point cost from 3 to 2.
• · Enhance: Curse of Null: Improved casting speed by 0.2 seconds per rank. Increased debuff amount from 7 to 8% per rank.
• · Volatility: Improved reuse speed from 10 seconds to 5 seconds. Improved casting speed from 1.5 to 1. Now targets an encounter. Casting range reduced from 50 to 35 meters.
• · Vacuous: Increased taunts/detaunts from 15% to 25%.

Wizard

• · Spell Reach: Increased range by 1.
• · Enhance: Surge of flames: Increased duration bonus from 2 to 4 seconds per rank.
• · Fireshape: Increased duration from 25 to 30 seconds.
• · Enhance: Frostbound Gift: Increased duration bonus from 1 to 2 seconds per rank.
• · Iceshape: Increased duration from 20 to 24 seconds.
• · Enhance Concussive: Also improves casting speed by 0.2 seconds per rank.
• · Manaburn: Decreased manaburn damage/power ratio from 5:1 to 4:1.

SPELLS

• · Both Adept I and Master I versions of Conjurer’s Signet and Conjuror’s Mark now have a chance to drop.
• · Offering of Armament can be cast on a raid ally.
• · Fighter ability lines that start at level 18 that grant avoidance to a group ally are now castable on any raid ally. This affects the following abilities:
• · Guardian: Stand Firm
• · Berserker: Reckless Aide
• · Paladin: Ancient Pledge
• · Shadowknight: Evasive Tactics
• · Monk: Martial Order
• · Bruiser: Staggering Stance
• · Crusader: Offering of Armament can be cast on a raid ally.
• · Some Fighter group buffs were enhanced:
• · Paladin – Vigor of Trust: Increases Wisdom, removed Strength (moved to Blessing spells), and increases Healing of all spells.
• · Shadowknight – Contract from Below: Increases Stamina, removed Strength, and increases Damage of all spells.
• · Monk – Swiftness: It also increases casting speed.
• · Bruiser – Brutality: It also increases taunt and detaunt amounts.
• · Paladin – Blessing of the Penitent: Also increases the Paladin’s Strength.
• · Modified effectiveness on certain hate increase/reduction/transfer abilities on scout classes and coercers. This makes all achievements that modify hate more worthwhile, and places slightly more responsibility on predators/rogues in controlling their aggro generation.
• · Assassin – Shadows: Reduced percentage
• · Ranger – Reconnoiter: Reduced percentage
• · Swashbuckler – Swarthy Distraction: Reduced percentage
• · Brigand – Confound Adversaries: Increased trigger percentage. Doubled hate reduction amount, but removed hate position decrease.
• · Dirge – Hyran’s Angry Sonata: Lower level bonuses are higher than before, but its highest level upgrade bonuses are slightly reduced.
• · Troubador – Alin’s Serene Serenade: Its highest level upgrade bonuses are reduced by 3%.
• · Coercer – Smirking Demeanor: Reduced hate increase component, but added a hate transfer component. This allows it provide additional hate transfer bonuses, even when the hate increase percentage cap is reached.

Bruiser

• · Intimidate: Properly shares a reuse timer with Instill Doubt, as is described by its examine information.

Monk

• · Increased the reuse speed of Dragonbreath from 90 to 75 seconds and increased the damage slightly.

Necromancers

• · Revivication is now affected by spell scroll quality.

Paladin

• · Castigate now also deals some damage if there aren’t any hostile effects dispelled.

Scouts

• · Evade: Increased range from 10m to 35.

Warden

• Tranquility now heals if there aren’t any hostile effects dispelled. The heal amount was increased.

TRADESKILLS

• · Crafted deity altars are no longer flagged “Lore”.
• · Wuoshi’s Molted Scale, Bark of Growth, and Seed of Growth are no longer flagged Lore.
• · Imbue type harvests are now known simply as “material” instead of four separate types (“flower”, “stone”, “tooth”, “scale”), simplifying bank space usage logistics. Existing flowers, teeth, and scales will not be renamed but can still be used.
• · Crafters now gain tradeskill experience from completing tradeskill writs.
• · Crafters who have respec’ed their crafting class and wish to exchange their crafting tool from the Village of Shin quests can now speak to Rai Faela Nurwin near the Village of Shin brokers.
• · The following tinker-made items are now tradable: gnomish flotation device, spring-loaded gnomish stilts, goggles of the bats, gnomish diving goggles, gnomish shades, full spectrum goggles, gnomish anti camo goggles.
• · The Dark Bargainers have noticed a business opportunity and moved to fill it! Neriak now has its own tradeskill faction and faction merchant.
• · Carpenters have removed the following recipes from their recipe books, as they are identical in appearance to other existing items: Maple Gnome Chair, Gnome thinking chair, Gukta ironwood shelf, Ornate bedside table, Burlap painting, Elegant bone chair, Fir trophy box, Ruckas rug, Bone shelf.
• · Tradeskill writs now award Dark Bargainer faction to Neriak citizens.
• · Tradeskill faction merchants will now sell in-home crafting stations to crafters whose efforts have sufficiently impressed them.
• · Kindling merchants not working inside the tradeskill societies are now stocking a wider inventory of recipe ingredients including cream cheese, cocoa, and sugar.
• · The Norrathian Carpenters’ Guild has quietly retired the recipe for the Twisted Oak Table due to lack of demand (existing twisted oak tables will be unaffected).
• · The horned leather backpack recipe is now level 63.
• · Grandmaster’s Elixir of Second Sight will no longer be removed when you zone.
• · The recipe for the teak oval table is now correctly named.
• · An intrepid band of single-minded interior decorators has ventured deep into what remains of the Misty Thicket, and returned bringing yet more furnishing ideas to the cities of Norrath.
• · Carpenters have discovered Steamfont hot springs heating technology! The carpenter-crafted moonstone pools now look slightly more desirable than the quested versions with similar appearance…
• · Jewelers across Norrath have discovered how to make pristine quality handcrafted and mastercrafted rings accept adornments!

PVP

• · You can no longer evac charmed players.
• · Regenerative wards will no longer refresh until you fight back in PvP.
• · Food and drink should not force you into PvP combat.
• · Fixed an issue allowing players to be attacked in Kelethin.
• · Deity charms can now have a greater chance of being resisted by players.
• · Evil Players who die in the Witches’ Cove will now have respawn options.

UI

• · You can now re-purchase your 10 most recently sold items at the same price.
• · No time limit!
• · Even after logging out or zoning!
• · The drop-down box to select players in leader-only loot is now smart about LORE items and items that start or update quests. Only eligible players will appear in the drop-down box.
• · Loot windows will hide items that are LORE that you already have or quest items that you don’t need/can’t use
• · Tooltips that would otherwise be empty will now show any item description text.
• · Paperdoll screenshots (created with Shift-Printscreen by default) should once again contain an image of your paperdoll.
• · The intro movie will only play once when the game is installed. There is a new ‘View Intro’ button at the character select screen to allow viewing of the intro movie.
• · Examine windows that previously showed text under the icon should no longer do so.

Goudia hits 59, and the update is today! *squeels*

stargrace July 31, 2007 3Comments

Goudia hits 59, thwacking away at various mobs in TT, working the basket quests.. too bad she’s out now

The little Ratonga stopped and stood still a moment. She tilted her head to the side, a huge grin spread out on her face. She clasped her hands to her chest. Stood on her toes. Opened her mouth, and let out an earth shattering shriek. It could have pierced glass it was that loud.

HHHhheeeerrrreeee little swoop serpent! Let me cut cut cut, gonna jab jab jab! Hhhheeeeeeerrreeee little swoop serpent! Let me thwack thwack thwack let me hack hack hack!

She danced over the grass nimble as could be, tucking her tail around her waist as she passed over the small stream, careful not to get it wet. Goudia loved her job. Loved singing as she did her job, and the shinies that accumulated in her pockets after each session of work was rewarding in itself.

So as you can see above, Goudia finally hit level 59. The troubador is a lot of fun to play, I really would like to experience raids playing a scout class. It would be the first time I’ve ever played one, though she is almost exactly like playing an illusionist I find. She has PoTM now, which gives a proc for every spell cast for 20 seconds. I find myself petitioning to get her mystical orb of the invoker back (which the GM’s helped with, thank you very much, it was appreciated) and looking for proc gear. She’s going to have to do her bone-clasped girdle HQ shortly, and I’m looking forward to it. Who would have known the little Ratonga could be so much fun! I have no dreams of betraying back to dirge, though I believe I will make another bard and level up a dirge eventually. I would like to get into raids with her, but we’ll see how that goes.

The game is down for patching right now, go figure. I’m excited! Very excited. New furniture items. Revamped class aa (though there are down sides to this) and multiple characters selling. I’m excited.. I spent most of last night harvesting in preparation for writs now giving tradeskill experience, and for all of the new items. I’m sure I’ll post update notes once I can see them.

Do you Remember Tarton’s Wheel?

stargrace July 29, 2007 1Comment

This item used to be amazing when level 50 was the cap, I found it today stashed in Dasie’s bank

You can find the walk through for the item posted above here if you’re one of those people who enjoy doing quests for sentimental value, or if you’re adventuring along looking for something to do, or heck you’re just looking for a spiffy new item to play with. Back when level 50 was the cap this item was amazing, and it was also difficult to get. Back when Obelisk of Lost Souls required access to every floor, back when the script for Nektropos Castle was hard to remember. Ahh. Miss those days.

1. Purchase an emerald gem from Merchant Dondl Fuzzlecutter in Baubbleshire or Merchant Vlepo in Temple Street (61.47, 4.11, 66.28) and keep that gem in your inventory.
2. Examine a chest on the Thundering Steppes docks (-565, -14, -490).
3. Find 10 rods all over Norrath. The rods have respawn timers, so the items to get them may not always be clicky.
   • Azia: -540, -153, -1170 a chest underwater in The Commonlands (north and slightly west of the Freeport griffon station, just off the top of the map).
   • Beza: -1882, -29, -491 on second floor of building in Windstalker Village in Antonica (scroll on desk).
   • Caza: -475, -22, +231 in Thundering Steppes (small lump of meteorite underwater in crater north of RoV entrance).
   • Dena: -241, -4, +223, under the Bridge in Nektulos Forest at the Commonlands exit .
   • Ena: at -57, +4, +5 in Ruins of Varsoon, a large wheel on the platform where Alchemist Pindula is found.
   • Fana: at -223, -11, -132 is the stump and anvil inside Middlehill’s General Store in Rivervale
   • Geza: -281.78, -4, 447.76 in Feerrott in a rock among the ruins beside Greenblood River, near where Bouncer Prud spawns.
   • Heda: +210, -14, +22 on a table in Lord Everlings laboratory in Nektropos Castle.
   • Izah: at +33, +594, +332 the throne in Obelisk of Lost Souls (room with three shadowed men around a fire).
   • Jaka: at -53, -24, -330 in Miragul’s Menagerie in a clump of candles in the room with the big cube in the middle.

The item isn’t of any use now of course, and the fact that it’s no-value means you can’t even sell to vendor. I wish there was an option to have a majority of legendary items turned into housing items. Not that we really need any more with all of the little trinkets you can get in game but it’s a quaint thought.

Stuff… and more stuff!

stargrace July 28, 2007 2Comments

Stargrace hanging out in Qeynos Harbor, a popular spot on off days

Runningscared, a healer who was by the broker, randomly gave Stargrace a rose as she window shopped. It was very sweet, as I’d never met them before. They said that it looked like she could use a smile. I suppose the wood elf does look a little down some days. It’s not often that I play her any more. I have been arranging a few more things in her home though. When the new update goes in (supposedly Tuesday) I’ll be crafting a lot of furniture for it I’ve no doubt. Plus Misako’s house will finally get some attention.

Goudia and a few others hit Mines of Meldrath last night, and the dagger that I’ve been pinning for since she was level 47 dropped.

The fabled 2h staff also dropped for Xoolander, and he hit level 50 which is always a good thing. Goudia is about 50% into her level now. she was out of vitality which always makes things difficult. I decided last night after a huge round of insomnia (I hate it when that happens, stay up all night worrying over stupid stuff from the day) to work tinkering on the little troubador as well. She’s only got a skill level of 50 so far, but it’s a lot of fun. I figure it will come in handy as time goes on. I certainly love having it available on Stargrace. I’ve been contemplating another alt, or rather, who to level next. I really do enjoy questing and I know that there is a lot of content out there that I’ve missed. I haven’t finished off the Steamfont quests, nor have I done any of the quests in Butcherblock. I left The Inquisition, nothing much needs to be said about that. It was too much drama that I did not want to deal with, and shouldn’t have to deal with. No one else pays my subscription after all. I am sort of tired of getting the “you’re letting them win” tells, when only a few select folks even understand the situation, but all in all I feel better having left. I do of course wish them the best in their future endeavors. I really liked a lot of the people and will continue to keep in touch and all that good stuff.

The guild has hit level 11 and part way through, I’m loving the extra bank slots and looking forward to even more. They’re filled with rares and transmuted items for now, as I have a storage character set up for L&L pieces. Gothun added a fury to his collection of alts, even though he still seems dissatisfied with the game in general. I’ve been reading some Dragonlance books, finished the Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, and I’m going to take a break to read the new Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After that, I’ll go back to reading Dragons of the Highlord Skies. I’m not sure which character I want to work up next, I think I already mentioned that. It will probably be a mixture. Ishbel (the coercer) is sitting at level 38. There’s also Satia, my swashbuckler, who is level 6.. Then there’s Qutey, my fae monk, I think she’s currently level 23 or perhaps 24. All of them are a lot of fun, so we’ll see how it goes.

Are you ready for GU37?

stargrace July 27, 2007 3Comments

I’ve got Stargrace stacked with sales crates, if they don’t sell, I’ll just use them myself

Last night was Deathtoll, even though I am utterly bored of the zone, Goudia (the now 56 troubador) managed to snag herself a relic chain breastplate. It’s a funny thing to be able to deck out my alts with random raid loot that no one else wants. Misako would have won herself a new pretty as well, as dominance dropped, however I forgot to actually zone her into DT, and the poor girl does not have access. Transmuted instead. Oh well.

I played Arysh for the first portion of the raid. It was nice to play the fury again. She’s the best geared of all my characters with her DT access complete, as well as MoA, Claymore, and Godking. She’s also got her Ring of the Four Winds from the Fallen Dynasty adventure pack. I loved playing her in the past, but as more and more guilds requested that the fury dps, I became a little disgruntled. I realize that healers can both dps and heal, but it is just not an easy thing for me to grasp or to have any want in doing.

I played Stargrace for the second portion of the raid. Oh. My. Gawd. She was 2nd on the dps list for the majority of the fights she was in. She out parsed the wizard and scouts quite frequently. Lader (conjuror) gave her some issues on a few fights but it still felt great to be up that high as my illusionist. Sort of crappy for the rest of the raid though, she should not be able to out parse them so easily. She was 3rd a few fights, parsing around 1.2-2k and I missed playing her. There’s just really no need or reason to on a raid now though. Illusionists are pretty much everywhere. I think that I personally helped the parse go up though, as other classes started to try a bit more once I’d joined the group. Motivation is a wonderful thing. Though maybe I’m speaking too highly of myself here.

Anyhow, as you can see by the screen shot above, Stargrace is well equipped for the new GU37 once it comes live. I’ve bought all the rough ebony that I could find cheaper then 70g and made it into sales crates, priced for 2p. If they don’t sell, I’ll ues them for my own characters since I’ll be taking advantage of the new change (I’ve always dreamed of my characters being able to sell individually and making their “own” money) and if they do sell, then I’ve made over 1p profit per container. I’m eager for the update, every day that I exp I’m forced to send all of the goodies to one of my two seller characters. It’s a huge pain and I’d rather just be able to sell from the get-go with the alts.

And no, I have not forgotten about the 24 new furniture items coming into game at that point either. I expect I’ll be quite busy crafting before too long. Looking forward to it as well might I add. I’m also looking forward to being able to get Goudia a few tradeskill levels by grinding writs for exp. Weaponsmith only gets 2-3 recipes a level and it’s very frustrating compared to a class like a sage or an alchemist.

More rambling later.