Dungeons & Dragons Online Update 9 Preview

Ten Ton Hammer has cranked out a preview of Dungeons & Dragons Online’s next major content update, which will include a full-fledged crafting system, a series of Xoriat-based quests, and more.

Skilled crafters can also create shards, which act as sellable blueprints so that lesser crafters can make more advanced items . An offshoot of the barter system will be used to suggest recipes for items in your possession. Iain noted that the first stage will allow players to create items through level 150, and Turbine will roll out crafting changes slowly and carefully to fine tune the impact on the player economy.

Coming in April, Update 9 is a four-part storyline involving Xoriat, the plane of madness. Erik noted that Turbine was given free rein by Wizards of the Coast and Atari to realize the (grotesquely insane) elements of the Xoriat-based creatures, and the result was a mad Mindflayer (artist) and his meticulously fleshcrafted menagerie of Frankensteined creatures. The Mindflayer, in fact, acts as DM for the dungeon, and wants you to succeed and see all of his creations.

These creations have something to do with the missing persons reports circulating in the Stormeach Chronicle, in fact, but they’re not the only creatures you’ll find. Some classic Xoriat monsters more mindflayers and beholders (a new variant chaos beholders) will join the Turbine-created (Taken) creatures in obstructing your path to the Mindflayer’s (fashion show) (complete with catwalk Erik jokingly explained that this must be his Spring Fashions show).

I really hope I find the time to jump back into the game this year. I just have too many projects sidetracking me.