Dungeons & Dragons Online Update 36: Duel For the Underdark Released

With Update 36: Duel For the Underdark, Standing Stone Games has brought us one of the more substantial content releases for Dungeons & Dragons Online, or at least as far as quarterly content releases go. The update is packed with a new five-quest The Mines of Tethyamar adventure pack, significant changes to the Artificer class, many enhancement changes, revisions to some of the game’s older loot, and more. From the full release notes:

Of Special Note:

The Mines of Tethyamar

Dwarves have uncovered riches in a long lost outpost in the Underdark. They urge you to join them; help them take on the deadly drow threatening their excavation, and you can share in the spoils! Their offer seems too good to be true. Yet who can resist the promise of the Jewels of Ardor? Claim your share of the fortune in the new adventure pack, “The Mines of Tethyamar” (free to VIPs)! Level 15 on Heroic and 31 on Legendary. Five new quests and a new public area available. You can reach the Tethyamar Mining Outpost by speaking with Arman Argentine to the west of the town square in Eveningstar. The Quest Arc can be accessed by speaking to the Asta the Deep Minded, located outside the tavern within the Tethyamar Mining Outpost.

News and Notes:

Airships

• Several Airship amenities that did not have descriptions now do.
• The Airship Captain Anceia now remembers where the Hall of Heroes is.
• The Shrine to the Devourer amenity now gives its correct Acid and Cold Spell Power.
• Sully’s Old Grog now has a proper mouse-over tooltip.

Artificer

• Rune Arm’s cooldown has been improved by 30%.
• Rune Arm’s Charge Decay while moving has been reduced by 50%.
• There is no longer a penalty to movement speed while charging a Rune Arm.
• Artificers now get Warhammer and Light Hammer proficiencies.
• Improved Critical: Bludgeoning has been added to the Artificer Class Feat list.
• Artificer Admixture spells now fire straight down if the caster has themselves hard-targeted.
• Rune Arm shots now scale with 100% Spell Power.
• Rune Arm weapon imbues now scale with 200% Melee or Ranged Power (whichever is higher).
• Homing on Rune Arms now works at about the same angles you can shoot a crossbow and still hit your target.
• Cannonball Shot now uses homing.
• Cannonball Shot is now a much smaller projectile.

Classes

• Warlocks now receive Eldritch Blast base dice feats at levels four, eight, twelve, sixteen, and twenty (for a total of 6d6 at level 20) instead of their previous progression. Characters have been adjusted to match this new progression.
• The Epic Eldritch Blast feat now grants 3d6 to Eldritch Blast.
• The Epic Arcane Eldritch Blast Destiny Feat now grants 4d6 to Eldritch Blast.
• Eldritch Burst’s additional light damage is now 1d6.
• Spirit Blast’s additional light damage is now 4d6.
• Spiritual Retribution’s light damage on all Eldritch Blasts is now 1d4/2d4/3d4.
• Veteran Status 4 and 7 rogues and artificers now start with a Trouble Shooter’s Set.

Combat

• Common persistent spells, such as Ice Storm, Acid Fod, and Glitter Dust, will now display a red circle visible to players when cast by an enemy to better understand their borders.
• Pressure plate traps will no longer hit those that set them off twice.
• Fixed an issue where monks with equipped handwraps were not able to damage enemies while moving or in stealth.
• The party scaling curve for Warlocks has been adjusted to better reflect their contribution strength.

Enhancements

• Fighter’s Swift Defense and Paladin’s Swift Defense now properly state that they are Action Boost bonuses to Movement Speed.
• Arcane Archer Toggle Imbues now remove their effects whenever the character is wielding something other than a Shortbow or Longbow. The effects return when you return to wielding those items.
• Shadow Arrows now properly applies its passive critical multiplier.
• Devour the Soul’s DC description has been updated to match its effect.
• Fighter and Vanguard Shield Rush now benefit from abilities which add to DCs.
• Deep Gnome’s Phantasmal Killer SLA description has been updated to no longer use the term SLA.
• Gnome’s Color Spray no longer adds DR to targets that it dazes.
• Tempest and Deepwood Stalker abilities that apply effects while in light or no armor now apply more consistently, including on Warforged.
• Tempest active abilities that claim to be Melee Dual Wielding Attacks now actually require you to be dual-wielding.
• The Critical bonuses granted in Tempest now apply more reliably.
• Warlock enhancement trees now have their correct icons.
• Know the Angles now has its proper icon, and its description has been improved.
• The Spell Point Value at the end of Enlightened Spirit’s Resist Energy SLA has been corrected.
• Half-elf Artificer Dilettante’s Rank two now states that it does not allow you to use Rune Arms.
• Fixed incorrect values displaying in the Harper Agent tree:
  • Magical Endurance: Changed tooltip from 30/30/40 to 30/60/100.
  • Harper Enchantment: Added caveat that the +1 applies to man and off-hand weapons, but does not work with shields.
  • Traveler’s Toughness: Changed tooltip from +5 Max HP at all ranks to 5/10/15.
  • Strategic Combat I and II: Added caveat that this ability does work with handwraps, but not with shields.
• Spellsinger’s Spellsong Vigor now has its duration listing in the tooltip.
• Artificer Battle Engineer
  • Core Changes:
    • Core 2 gets +1 Stable Charge Tier in addition to everything it already does.
    • Core 4 gets +1 Stable Charge Tier in addition to everything it already does.
    • Core 5 gets +15 Physical Resistance Rating and Magical Resistance Rating addition to everything it already does.
    • Core 6 gets +2 Intelligence (for a total of +4 INT), +1 Competence bonus to Critical Multiplier with Crossbows, Bastard Swords, Dwarven Axes, Light Hammers, Warhammers, and Morningstars.
  • Tier 1:
    • Weapon Training has a third line added for Light Hammers, Warhammers, and Morningstars.
    • Field Scrapper has been added. It provides +1/2/3 to Sunder DCs.
    • Thaumaturgical Conduits has been moved to Tier 1 from Tier 2.
  • Tier 2:
    • Weapon Training has been added for Light Hammers, Warhammers, and Morningstars.
    • Wrack Construct now matches the Mechanic’s version.
    • Caustic Strike has been added. It provides +1/2/3 [ w ] damage (.5/1/1.5 for Crossbows), adds 3d6 Acid damage, and 10d6 Rust damage. This damage scales with Melee or Ranged power. Ranged variant requires a crossbow. 6 second cooldown.
    • Extra Action Boost has been moved to Tier 2 from Tier 3.
  • Tier 3:
    • Weapon Training has been added for Light Hammers, Warhammers, and Morningstars.
    • Disable Construct now matches the Mechanic’s version.
    • Shatter Defenses has been added. Provides 1/2/3 [ w ] for Melee and .5/1/1.5 [ w ] for Crossbows, procs Improved Sunder. DC 14+INT Modifier+Sunder bonuses. Ranged variant requires a crossbow. 10 second cooldown, shared with Sunder.
  • Tier 4:
    • Weapon Training has been added for Light Hammers, Warhammers, and Morningstars.
    • Battle Mastery’s Fusillade now lasts for 18 seconds.
    • Agility Engine has been added, that provides 3/6/10% Doublestrike and Doubleshot while wearing a Rune Arm.
  • Tier 5:
    • NEW: Reconstructed Armaments: +1 Competence bonus to Critical Threat Range with your chosen weapon line.
    • NEW: Thunder-Shock Weapon: +3 [ w ] Melee or 1.5 [ w ] Crossbow, 3d6 Electric Damage which scales with Melee or Ranged Power. Procs Trip, DC 14+INT modifier+Sunder bonuses. Ranged variant requires a crossbow. 12 second cooldown, shares a cooldown with Trip.
    • NEW: Unlock Potential: +20 Melee and Ranged Power while wielding a Rune Arm.
    • Tactical Mobility: 10% Action Boost bonus to Movement Speed.

Epic Destinies

• Stay Frosty’s tooltip has been updated to match its effect.
• Divine Crusader’s Celestial Champion Crit Threat now persists through zone transfers, and no longer excludes handwraps.
• The Core enhancements in Legendary Dreadnaught and Shadowdancer now properly reflect Melee and Ranged Power gained per Epic Destiny level.
• Tooltips in Fatesinger have had their descriptions and flavor text improved.
• Fury of the Wild’s Ward Against Weird ability is now a Primal Bonus to Spell Resistance, and has new values of 5/30/60.
• Magister’s Call Kindred Spirit summoning spells now fail if you try to cast them under level 20.

Feats

• Artificer, Bard, Barbarian, and Monk-specific class feats now have a category in the Feats panel.
• All proficiencies now appear under one Proficiencies feat.
• Monk active form strikes now have their correct icon.
• Hellball’s description now matches in both the Intelligence and Charisma descriptions.
• Metal damage-type Epic Feats now persist through zone transfers.
• The Epic Past Life Feat Doubleshot now gives only its intended benefit.
• The feats for White and Purple Reaper Eyes no longer disappear on logout.
• Burst of Glacial Wrath’s freezing effect is no longer considered to be a mind-altering effect.

Items

• When equipping items, the higher of Minimum Level and Absolute Minimum Level is now taken.
• All Rune Arms now have Absolute Minimum Levels equal (or near, in the case of Craftable Rune Arms) to the Minimum Level they appear. This prevents situations where Rune Arms could lose their Minimum Level.
• Masterful Craftsmanship Weapons from Wheloon and the Storm Horns are no longer Craftable.
• Certain non-Crafting-keyed copies of the Wheloon and Storm Horns Masterful Craftsmanship Weapons and Accessories that had lost their Minimum Level have been restored to either Minimum Level 14 or 26, depending on their effects.
• The tooltip for an item with Greensteel Augments now show their name and description.
• Several raid items now have their proper orange border.
• Several non-raid items now have their border updated to blue.
• Heroic and Racial Reincarnation Hearts have been renamed to avoid confusion. They are now named Heroic True Heart of Wood and Heroic True Heart of Blood.
• Random loot’s descriptions have been improved. Numerous descriptions have been re-typed to avoid vagueness or other issues.
• The Pet Rock is now a Boulder instead of a Bowler. Well, it may still Bowl, but it does so as a Boulder.
• Heroic and Legendary Bracers of the Sun and Moon now work correctly.
• The majority of item-based sources of Spell Resistance have had their values reduced.
• The trade-in recipes for Tempest Runes no longer show an ingredient description for Xoriat Runes.
• Items that are supposed to drop on leaving an adventure now properly do so.
• Fixed issues with several throwing axes that prevented them from working with Improved Precise Shot.
• The Sharn Syndicate has had its loot improved. The loot is now as follows:
  • Nicked Light Hammer – +2, 2d6 Electric, +4 Shatter, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Repeating Light Crossbow – +2, 2d6 Cold, +2 Double Shot, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Quarterstaff – +2, 2d6 Force, + 4 Vertigo, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Scimitar – +2, 2d6 Acid, +5 Attack, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Heavy Mace – +2, 2d6 Force, + 4 Stunning DC, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Kama – +2, 2d6 Electric, +3 Tendon Slice, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Longsword – +2, 2d6 Cold, +1 Parrying , +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Greatsword – +2, 2d6 Sonic, +4 Shatter, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Longbow – +2, 2d6 Electric, +3 Seeker, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Shortsword – +2, 2d6 Acid, +2 Deception, +3 Deadly
  • Nicked Orb – Potency, + 1 Spell Focus Mastery, +60 Wizardry
  • Runic Trinket – +60 Wizardry, +1 Spell Focus Mastery, +17 Insightful Universal Spell Power
  • Corsair’s Cap – Waterbreathing x3 per Day, Cold Resistance, +6 Swim Skill
  • Bellow’s Ring – +6 Intimidate Skill, +12 Incite (Aggro), +12 False Life
  • Kwan’s Band – +3 Wisdom, +6 Concentration, +60 Wizardry
• Heroic Red Fens items and set bonuses have been updated:
  • Boots of the Mire: Marshwalker, Balance +10, Underwater Action
  • Bracers of the Claw: Vulkoor’s Might, Constitution +5, Fortification +70%
  • Elder’s Cap: Elder’s Knowledge, Intelligence +5, Concentration +10
  • Elder’s Focus: Elder’s Knowledge, Efficient Metamagic – Extend I, Power IV, Spell points +60
  • Gloves of the Claw: Vulkoor’s Might, Strength +5, Intimidate +7
  • Necklace of Venom: Vulkoor’s Cunning, Proof Against poison +6, False Life +17
  • Raven’s Sight: Raven’s Eye, Wisdom +5, Reflex Save +4
  • Raven’s Talons: Raven’s Eye, Dexterity +5, Bluff +10
  • Ring of the Mire: Marshwalker, Spearblock III, Fortitude Save 4, Feather Falling
  • Ring of Venom: Vulkoor’s Cunning, Dexterity +5, Sneak Attack Bonus +2
  • Sacred Band: Diving Blessing, Wisdom +5, Lesser Turning, Healing +10
  • Sacred Helm: Divine Blessing, Deathblock, Eternal Faith, Absorb Negative Energy 5x Day
  • Shaman’s Band: Shaman’s Fury, Spell Penetration II, Spell Points +60
  • Shaman’s beads: Shaman’s Fury, Charisma +5, Evocation Focus II
  • Siren’s Belt: Siren’s Ward, Armor Bonus +5, Proof Against Disease +6
  • Siren’s Charm: Siren’s Ward, Constitution +5, Sonic Resistance +18
  • The rune arm Titan’s Fist now gives +6 Intelligence.

Monsters

• Purple Worms are now immune to knock down effects.
• Champion damage-over-time effects now look like the element they are associated with.
• Monsters will now take the distance of their targets into account, with closer targets more likely to be targeted compared to currently on live.
• If a monster kills or loses their primary target, they will now aggro correctly on who has the most hate next, instead of the closest target.
• Monsters with the ability to see stealthed characters will now display an angry red eye icon to anyone observing them in stealth.
• Fixed an issue where monsters who phase out of combat sometimes reappeared as a Champion.

Quests and Adventure Areas

• Public areas and Taverns no longer report that they are regenerating XP debt.
• Epic Inferno of the Damned, Epic Desecrated Temple of Vol, Epic Fleshmaker’s Laboratory, Epic Ghosts of Perdition, Search and Rescue, Memoirs of an Illusory Larcener, and Good Intentions can now be shared normally.
• Inferno of the Damned’s portals now have scaling hit point values depending on difficulty, in part to avoid a “double teleport” glitch.
• Mask of Deception’s Arms Master now properly rolls Bluff, instead of Intimidate.
• To Curse the Sky’s “Investigate the Giant Device” optional no longer gives XP. The quest now gives approximately 20% more Base XP.
• Text and Typos:
  • Corrected NPC dialogue in The Newcomers to correctly spell Dunalenthea
  • Corrected name of Orc Chieftain in The Slave Pits of the Undercity
  • Feryl Cay’Vorim in Belly of the Beast no longer asks for the wrong DC in his dialogue.
  • In House of the Rusted Blades, Teblyn Dun’Robar no longer calls for his warrios.
• Fixed names and dialogue of the following NPCs:
  • The Corpse NPCs in Stromvauld’s Mine
  • The Magic Mouth in Tower of Frost
  • The Portal to Khyber in the Eveningstar Cavern
  • The Storm Horns Transporter
  • Villis Magra in The Twelve Tower
  • ToEE Optional Rust Monster name corrected from Bladebreaker to Brightbane
• Several typos fixed in the DM and/or Optional text of the following quests:
  • Acute Delirium
  • Belly of the Beast
  • Beyond the Rift
  • Black and Blue
  • The Chronoscope
  • Creeping Death
  • Diplomatic Impunity
  • Epic Inferno of the Damned
  • Information is Key
  • The Last Stand
  • Memoirs of an Illusionary Larcener
  • The Newcomers
  • Overgrowth
  • The Portal Opens
  • Precious Cargo
  • The Reaver’s Fate
  • Reclaiming Memories
  • Sane Asylum
  • Sleeping Dust
  • Spinner of Shadows
  • Subversion
  • What Goes Up
• Fixed the DM voice versus DM text discrepencies in the following quests:
  • Fall of Truth
  • Impossible Demands
• NPC dialogue for What Goes Up fixing corrected, no longer includes /n (changed to backslash n)
• Moved a spider so it is no longer under the landscape in Caught in the Web.
• Loading screens have been fixed in Ascension Chamber, Litany of the Dead, Three Barrel COve, Vision of Destruction, and The Underdark.
• Fixed incomplete Optional Objective descriptions in the Seal of Shan-to-Kor.
• Xy’zzy’s Ward is now the same on both Heroic and Legendary Hound of Xoriat, and no longer expires.
• Old and inactive quest objectives from Redemption no longer display.
• The Drow Optional in Search and Rescue now has a working one-way door.
• Some geometry has been improved in Lines of Supply.
• Fixed a ladder bug in Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords.
• Levers in Offering of Blood have been moved to be seen more easily, and to make them more accessible.
• The trap boxes in Recovering the Lost Tome and Creeping Death have been rotated so they open visibly.
• Fixed a stuck spot in the Anniversary Dungeon.
• Inquisitor Gnomon’s text now matches his voice in Lords of Dust.
• The Optional Objective “Talk your way past Pelree Cay-Vorym” in In The Belly of the Best no longer grants bonus XP. The base XP of the dungeon has been raised.
• The Optionals “Slay Login Yapow” and “Slay Rhonita Hourd” in The Shadow Crypt no longer grant bonus XP. The base XP of the dungeon has been raised.
• The XP on Dead Girl’s Spellbook has been raised, and the quest is now marked as Very Long in the quest UI.

Races

• Drow and Deep Gnome’s Spell Resistance is now a flat 6, and now stacks with other sources of Spell Resistance. Drow enhancements that increase Spell Resistance stack with all sources as well.

Spells

• Displacement now properly states that it can only be used on Self.
• Lightning Sphere now has a functional saving throw for both monsters and player casters.

UI

• Skills in the Character Sheet and level up panel now sort differently. On the Character Sheet, Skills with assigned ranks sort to the top, skills without assigned ranks sort to the bottom, and skills sort by name within those groups. In the Level Up Skill Panel, Skills with assigned ranks that are class skills sort to the top, skills with assigned ranks that are cross class are next, skills with no assigned ranks that are class skills follow, then finally skills that have no assigned ranks and are also cross-class are listed. Skills sort by name within these categories.
• Guild Buffs can now be hidden on-screen. This option can be found in Options > UI called Hide Guild Buffs.
• Fixed a typo when an Airship invitation teleportation fails.
• Numerous minor typos corrected.
• The /raid completions command now properly shows completions for newer raids.
• Poison damage that lowers Wisdom on-hit has been renamed from Wisdom to Bewildering.