Dungeons & Dragons Online Update 41 Released

Officially titled Update 41: The Khorvaire Shipment, the team at Standing Stone Games has brought us yet another content-filled patch for their venerable MMORPG, Dungeons & Dragons Online. This time around, they’ve added a new F2P adventure, introduced new spells and updated old ones, adjusted the endgame raid scene, revised the Bard class mechanics, reworked the Eldritch Knight enhancement tree, and more. The notes, as usual:

Of Special Note:

Lost at Sea

A ship carrying important cargo has sunk off the coast of Stormreach, and you’ve been hired to assist a Warforged salvage company recover the cargo and to deal with any threats that arise. Your group will dive down to find the wreckage and search for clues. The quest is level 15 on Heroic and level 32 on Legendary. The NPC is named Issabet Tremont, and is located in the Harbor. This quest is FREE to play!

News and Notes:

Classes

• Bard Songs are being improved! These changes will reduce the time it takes for a Bard to buff the party, improve mechanics, and streamline game performance.
• Bards no longer sing their songs individually, and will instead have their songs consolidated into a singular feat – Bardic Inspiration.
  • Bardic Inspiration will include all Single-Target Bard Songs, and all area of effect Bard Songs will now constantly pulse from their location in a Ballad.
  • Bardic Ballad becomes active at level 1, and contains Inspire Courage at the start. Bards gain Bardic Inspiration at Bard level 3, which contains Inspire Competence. Active Bard Songs that would be granted are instead changed to passive feats that display their effects and how they are applied.
  • Inspire Courage now grants a Music bonus to Attack, Damage, saves versus Fear, and Universal Spell Power. These start at a base of +1 Attack, Damage, Saves vs Fear, and three Universal Spell Power.
  • Inspire Competence now grants a +4 Music bonus to all Skills.
  • Inspire Greatness now grants a Music bonus to Physical Resistance Rating and Healing Amplification, as well as 20 temporary hit points.
  • Inspire Heroics will give a +4 Music bonus to all saves, +4 Music bonus to Armor Class, and +4% Music bonus to Dodge.
  • The Ballad:
    • At Bard level 1, with 3 ranks in Perform, all players in the Ballad receive the benefits of Inspire Courage.
    • At Bard level 9 with 12 ranks in Perform, all players in the Ballad receive the benefits of Inspire Greatness.
    • Arcane Shield Chant is now part of the Ballad, providing 2/4/6 to Elemental Resistance.
    • Ironskin Chant is now part of the Ballad, providing DR 2/4/6 and adds 2/4/6 to the Physical Resistance Rating granted from Inspire Greatness.
    • Reckless Chant is now part of the Ballad, providing 2/4/6 Doublestrike, Doubleshot, and adds 2/4/6 to the Universal Spell Power of Inspire Courage.
    • Expeditious Chant is now part of the Ballad, providing a 5/10/15% Action Boost bonus to Movement Speed.
    • Chant of Power is now part of the Ballad, providing a 2/4/6% melee and ranged damage and spell critical chance for all spells.
    • Inspire Excellence is now part of the Ballad, providing a +2 Music bonus to each ability score.
  • Bardic Inspiration:
    • After a brief animation and some music, this single Song will apply all of the previously available single target songs, and the shorter Spellsinger songs, to one ally (or yourself) at the same time. This costs one Bard Song.
    • The duration is now one minute, plus 30 seconds per Bard level. Abilities that ride along with a Bard Song (such as Frolic from Song of Freedom), have its durations changed to match your Bard song. Effects and abilities that increase your Bard Song duration increase both the base Bard song effects in your Bardic Inspiration as well as anything else that comes with it.
    • At Bard level 3, with 6 ranks of perform, this will include Inspire Competence.
    • At Bard level 15, with 18 ranks in Perform, this will include Inspire Heroics.
    • Spell Song Vigor is now part of this song, restoring spell points over time.
    • Sustaining Song is now part of this song, restoring health.
    • Music of the Dead adds to this, applying a negative energy heal to undead characters.
    • Music of the Makers applies a Repair heal to Constructs and Living Constructs, and all scale with Positive, Negative, and Repair spell power.
    • Spell Song Trance is now part of this song, granting a +1 Music bonus to all DCs, and a 10% Music bonus spell discount.
    • Song of Arcane Might is now part of this song, granting +1 Music bonus to caster levels.
    • The Song Fragments from Fatesinger now apply when you use your Bardic Inspiration, and are otherwise unchanged.
  • There is now a general feat available to Bards level 12 and above with 15 trained ranks in Perform called Improved Bardic Music. This feat adds +1 to all Skills when Inspire Greatness is used, and grants an additional +1 to Armor Class, Dodge, and all saves when Inspire Heroics is used.
  • Bards at level 8 are automatically granted Soothing Song, an active feat that heals all allies in a large area and costs one Bard Song.
  • Fatesinger will only providee the older activated Song version of Inspire Courage, not the Aria or Bardic Inspiration. Fatesingers’ ride-along buffs will trigger on both your Bardic Inspiration and the Fatesinger Inspire Courage. Some Fatesinger abilities will scale your Bard Songs in new ways:
    • O Fortuna: +1/2/3 Physical Resistance Rating from Inspire Greatness, +1/2/3 personal Fortification and reflex saving throws.
    • Allure: +3/6/9 Universal Spell Power from Inspire Courage, +2/4/6 to Perform, Haggle, and Bluff. +1 Song.
    • Tailwind: +0/0/1 Damage from Inspire Courage, +1/2/3 competence to damage for missile weapons.
    • Lucidity: +0/0/1 Attack from Inspire Courage, +2/4/6 Concentration/Diplomacy, +1/2/3 UMD, +1 Song.
  • Warchanter’s 12th level Core Fighting Spirit now reads: +10 hit points, +1 Damage from Inspire Courage. Your Inspire Greatness now uses your Charisma score for its Temporary hit points, doubled in Epic levels.
  • Warchanter’s 18th level Core Victory Song now reads: The range of your Bardic Aria is doubled. You have +20 hit points, and a Base Attack Bonus equal to your character level.
  • The Warchanter Capstone now reads: You have +25 hit points, +2 Charisma, and +2 Constitution. You can expend a Bard Song to scream the songs of your frozen ancestors, forcing enemies in an area to make a Fortitude saving throw versus Freeze, or be slowed significantly.

Enhancements

• Eldritch Knight has been improved:
  • Core 1: Eldritch Strike: Melee Cleave Attack. +1[W]. If this attack hits, your weapon also releases a blast of magical energy, dealing an additional 1 to 2 Force Damage per character level to all nearby foes.(Activation Cost: 0 Spell Points Cooldown: 12 seconds)
    • You gain proficiency with Simple Weapons.
    • Every Core Ability in the Eldritch Knight tree grants you +10 Max hit points.
  • Core 2: Spellsword (you get all four of the following toggles, 5 spell points to activate). Passive: +2% Doublestrike, +10 Universal Spell Power. You gain proficiency in Light Armor and Martial Weapons.
    • Corrosive: Charge your equipped weapon with magical Acid, causing it to deal an additional 1d6 (element) damage on hit. You gain an additional Spellsword Die every 3 (wizard/sorcerer) levels (at 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18). This damage scales with Acid Spell Power. While active, your Eldritch Strike deals 1-2 additional Acid damage per Character Level which scales with Acid Spell Power. While this is enabled, your weapon and shield attacks have Ghost Touch.
    • Flaming: As above, with fire.
    • Frost: As above, with cold.
    • Shock: As above, with electric.
  • Core 3: Melee weapons are considered Spellcasting Implements in your hands. You gain the Quick Draw feat.
    • -15% Arcane Spell Failure from equipped Armor and Shields
    • +2% Doublestrike
    • +10 Universal Spell Power
  • Core 4: Subtle Force: You gain the benefits of the Deflect Arrows feat, knocking aside one incoming projectile that would have struck you every 6 seconds.
    • -20% Arcane Spell Failure from equipped Armor and Shields
    • +6 Resistance to Acid, Cold, Electric, Fire, and Sonic
    • +10 Universal Spell Power
    • +2% Doublestrike
    • Your Spellsword Dice are now d8s (instead of their original d6s).
  • Core 5: Subtle Force II: +5% Stacking Incorporeality. Your Deflect Arrows now triggers every 2 seconds.
    • +10 Universal Spell Power
    • +2% Doublestrike
    • Your Spellsword Dice are now d10s (replacing the previous d8s).
  • Core 6: Eldritch Blade:
    • Your Eldritch Strike now grants you a Power Charge. When you have 5 Power Charges, they are removed, and you gain Eldritch Power. Eldritch Power: +10% melee damage, +4d6 Spellsword Dice, +3d4 Force Damage on Hit (this scales with Force spell power), +25 Universal Spell Power, +15 Physical Resistance Rating, +40 Magical Resistance Rating. Duration 30 seconds.
    • Passive: +1 Spellsword Die.
    • +2 (Intelligence/Charisma)
    • +2 Constitution
    • +10 Universal Spell Power
    • +2% Doublestrike
    • Your Spellsword Dice are now d12s (replacing the previous d10s).
  • Tier 1:
    • Improved Mage Armor: (unchanged) Spell Like Ability: Mage Armor. (Activation Cost: 8/6/4 Spell Points). In addition, while you are under the effect of the Mage Armor spell, you gain a +3%/+6%/+10% Exceptional Bonus to Armor Class.
    • Arcane Siphon: Melee Attack: +1/2/3[W]. On hit: Gain +10/20/30 Universal Spell Power for 20 seconds. 12 second cooldown.
    • Item Defense: (unchanged) You have a 25%/50%/75% chance to negate potential item wear.
    • Toughness: (unchanged) +5/10/15 Max hit points.
    • Battlemage (unchanged) +1/+2/+3 Concentration, Intimidate, and Spellcraft.
  • Tier 2:
    • Improved Shield: Spell Like Ability: Shield (Activation Cost: 8/6/4 Spell points). In addition, while you are under the effect of the Shield spell, you gain +3/+6/+10 Exceptional Bonus to Physical Resistance Rating.
    • Mystic Wards: +3/6/10 Magical Resistance Rating.
    • Action Boost: Spell Power: Activate to gain a +10/+20/+30 Action Boost bonus to Spell Power for 20 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
    • Shield Training: (unchanged) Passive: You gain proficiency with all shields except Tower Shields, and your Arcane Spell Failure chance from equipped shields is reduced by 5%.
    • Wand & Scroll Mastery: (unchanged) +25%/+50%/+75% effectiveness from your wands, scrolls, and other items that cast spells, and +1/+2/+3 to the save DC of your offensive wands. Taking Wand and Scroll Mastery in one enhancement tree will block its availability in other enhancement trees.
  • Tier 3:
    • Arcane Barrier: (Now 1 Rank): Passive: When your hit points drop below 50% of maximum, you are immediately protected by an Arcane Barrier that reduces all incoming damage by 25% for the next 20 seconds. This effect may only trigger once every 90 seconds.
    • Eldritch Accuracy: You get (INT/CHA) to hit with weapons and shield bashes.
    • Synergetic Magic: While you have Action Boost: Spell Power active, you also get the benefits of Action Boost: Power (+10/20/30 Action Boost bonus to Melee Power and Ranged Power for 20 seconds.)
    • Critical Mastery: +1/2/3 to confirm critical hits and critical hit damage (before weapon multipliers)
    • Ability Score Multiselctor: (unchanged) +1 STR/DEX/(INT or CHA)
  • Tier 4:
    • Knight’s Transformation: Toggle: While this is turned on, all your spells and SLAs that are affected by Metamagics have their range reduced to touch range. You cannot enable the Enlarge Metamagic while this is active. You gain +30 Universal Spell Power, +3% Spell Critical Damage, +5 to Hit with Weapons, and +3% Doublestrike. Your Base Attack Bonus equals your Character Level.
    • Improved Offhand: Multiselector:
      • Shield Striking: (unchanged) On Hit: +5%/+10%/+15% chance to proc an immediate Shield Bash attack with an equipped shield. Every six seconds while you have a shield equipped, you gain Temporary hit points equal to the enhancement bonus of your equipped shield.
      • Orb Saves: +1/2/3 to saving throws and +3/6/10 Universal Spell Power while holding an Orb.
    • Force’s Point: When you cast a spell, you gain a stack of Force’s Point: Martial (+1 To-Hit and Damage). This stacks up to 5 times. When you hit with a melee weapon, you gain a stack of Force’s Point: Magical (+2 Universal Spell Power). This stacks up to 10 times. Stacks last for 12 seconds each. You may only gain each effect once per second.
    • Armored Arcana: You gain proficiency in Medium Armor, and suffer no Arcane Spell Failure from Light or Medium Armor.
    • Ability Score Multiselector: (unchanged) +1 STR/DEX/(INT or CHA).
  • Tier 5:
    • Improved Knight’s Transformation: If you have Knight’s Transformation active, you also gain +1 Competence Bonus to Critical Multiplier with Melee Weapons, +3 to Damage with Weapons, and the Mobile Spellcasting feat, allowing you to move more quickly while casting.
    • Knight’s Magic: Multiselector:
      • Knight Striker: If you have Knight’s Transformation active, you also gain +2 to Evocation DCs, +2 to Conjuration DCs, and +20 Melee Power.
      • Knight Controller: If you have Knight’s Transformation active, you also gain +2 to Enchantment DCs, +2 to Illusion DCs, +4 Spell Penetration, and +20 Melee Power.
    • Force’s Edge: When you cast a spell, you gain +1 Competence Bonus to Critical Threat Range for 12 seconds. When you make a Melee Attack, you gain +5% Spell Critical Chance for 12 seconds.
    • Radiant Forcefield: Spell Like Ability: Radiant Forcefield (Activation Cost: 30 Spell Points. Cooldown: 3 minutes.)
    • Eldritch Tempest: Activate: Perform a spinning melee attack, dealing weapon damage +5[W] to all nearby enemies and knocking them prone for 1 second and Slowing them by 50% for 6 seconds. This attack has +10 to Critical Threat Range and +3 to Critical Multiplier. (Activation Cost: 25/20/15 Spell points. Cooldown: 60/45/30 seconds). If any foes are struck by Eldritch Tempest, your weapon also releases an explosion of magical force, dealing an additional 1d6 Force damage per character level to all nearby enemies. This additional force damage is affected by your spell power. (now 1 Action Point per rank)
  • Renegade Mastermaker’s Kinetic Discharge can now be used while moving.
  • Renegade Mastermaker’s Shielding Construct and Warding Construct now require the right amount of Artificer levels.
  • Aasimar’s Protector Stance no longer drops on death.
  • Dual-dagger Vistani Knife Fighters now use a shorter animation for Cleave and several other AOE special attacks to make the attacks take the same amount of time as other combat styles.
  • The Arcane Warrior Feat’s buffs now last 12 seconds per stack (previously 6).
  • Each stack of Arcane Warrior: Magical now grants +2 Universal Spell Power (previously 1).
  • Warchanter’s capstone is now +2 Charisma instead of +2 Strength.

Epic Destinies

• Shadowdancer’s Meld Into Darkness is now much less likely to be interrupted.

Items

• A number of changes have been made to raid loot:
  • All level 28 and 29 raid loot is now organized into three separate tiers, and raiding gear stats have been increased in some places to match appropriate values. Players with current Legendary raid loot can turn into their old loot into new versions by using Threads of Fate.
  • Threads of Fate are a new endgame raid currency that is used for a variety of things at cap. Threads of Fate appear in the end chests of at-cap raids regardless of tier. Threads of Fate are Bound to Account on Acquire.
  • Raid Runes have been added to all at-level-cap raids. This means that raid runes will be awarded instead of a 20th completion reward list. This includes The Mark of Death, Temple of the Deathwyrm, Fire on Thunder Peak, and Defiler of the Just.
    • Temple of the Deathwyrm and Fire on Thunder Peak now have Thunderforged Crafting materials as rewards in addition to their selection of raid loot.
    • The Mark of Death includes appropriate amounts of Masterwork Tapestry Shreds.
    • Killing Time’s raid rune selection now also includes Schism Shards.
  • Tome drops have been standardized for each tier of raiding.
  • Tier 3 raids can now have a chance to award +1 Racial Action Point Tomes, which are identical in functionality to the tomes found in the Ultimate Fan Bundle of the Ravenloft expansion.
  • Here is how it will work:
    • Tier 1: Defiler of the Just, Fire on Thunder Peak, Temple of the Deathwyrm, The Mark of Death
      • All named raid loot is now minimum level 26
      • Awards +6 Ability Tomes and +5 to +6 Ability Upgrade Tomes
    • Tier 2: Legendary Hound of Xoriat, Legendary Shroud, Legendary Tempest’s Spine, Riding the Storm Out
      • All named raid loot is now minimum level 27.
      • Legendary Greensteel’s minimum level and overall crafting system remains unchanged.
      • Awards +7 Ability Tomes and +6 to +7 Ability Upgrade Tomes
    • Tier 3: Killing Time, Old Baba’s Hut, The Curse of Strahd
      • All named raid loot is now minimum level 28
      • Awards +8 Ability Tomes, +7 to +8 Ability Upgrade Tomes, +1 Racial Action Point Tomes
  • Threads of Fate are currently used for several distinct purposes:
    • New Filigree that are part of two individual Sentient Set Bonuses.
    • Adding Mythic bonuses to the White Plume Mountain raid-level items (Wave, Whelm, Blackrazor, Frostrazor, and Angdrelve – as well as their alternate slot variants).
    • Reacquiring raid loot that has already been earned to update it to higher power levels
    • Sparks of Memory
    • Unique cosmetic crown
    • High-tier remnant tomes
    • Double click Threads of Fate while they are in your inventory to see the full list!
  • New scrolls are now available based on the new spells listed below in the release notes.
  • Collectibles now sort themselves based on Tier and Rarity in your Red Collectibles Bags.
  • Siberys Dragonshards now contain their Feat-Respec level ranges in their tooltips.
  • Mysterious Remnants, Raid Runes, and Threads of Fate no longer ask if they’d like to be picked up when you loot them in chests.
  • A new suite of wintry cosmetics are now available in Daily Dice!
  • Soulrazor now breaks Crystal damage reduction properly.
  • Prowess’ 5 Piece Set is now: Whenever you activate an Action Boost, gain +50 Melee Power for 10 seconds.
  • The Enlightened Step’s 5 Piece Set is now: +5% Doublestrike and Doubleshot.
  • Several raid items now have their proper Orange borders.
  • Some Festivult cookies are now doing different things, and the Jester is arriving soon.
  • Orbs can now be found in random loot and are Cannith craftable. They gain Orb Bonuses instead of Enhancement Bonuses, as named Orbs do. They use the Shield list of craftable effects, including Spell Power, but also have the option of Spell Focus in the Prefix slot, as well as Insightful Spell Power, Insightful Spell Focus, or Spell Lore in the Suffix List.
  • Hearts of Wood from the DDO Store are now Bound to Account. Already-purchased hearts will have the new binding status.

Quests and other Adventure Areas

• The bats at the bat cave in the Vale of Twilight now properly spawn in the cave.

Spells

• New Wizard and Sorcerer spells are now available at level 1: Fire Bolt, Freezing Bolt, Acid Bolt, and Electric Bolt. Each fires a single-target bolt that does 1d6+2 damage of the appropriate element per Caster Level, to a maximum Caster Level of 10. These new spells cost 2 spell points each at their base, and have a 4.5 second cooldown (3.5 seconds for Sorcerers) shared among all four spells.
• New Wizard and Sorcerer spells are now available at level 9:
  • Iceberg: Single Target Evocation Spell that does 1d6+27 per Caster Level damage, Reflex save for half damage. Maximum Caster Level 20. Costs 40 spell points. 12 second cooldown for Wizards, 9 second cooldown for Sorcerers.
  • Acid Well: Acid bursts forth from the ground in an area of effect. This area Conjuration spell does 1d6+18 damage per Caster Level, Reflex saving throw for half damage. Maximum Caster Level of 20. Costs 40 spell points. 12 second cooldown for Wizards, 9 second cooldown for Sorcerers.
  • Thunderstrike: A large lightning bolt strikes a single target. This single-target Evocation Spell does 1d6+27 points of damage per Caster Level, with a Reflex saving throw for half damage. Maximum Caster Level of 20. Costs 40 spell points. 12 second cooldown for Wizards, 9 second cooldown for Sorcerers.
• The following spells have been upgraded:
  • Level 1:
    • Acid Spray is now 1d6+1 damage per Caster level.
    • Burning Hands is now 1d6+1 damage per Caster level.
    • Shocking Grasp is now 1d6+1 damage per Caster level.
  • Level 2:
    • Scorch is now 1d6+2 damage per Caster Level.
    • Snowball Swarm is now 1d6+2 damage per Caster Level.
  • Level 3:
    • Acid Blast is now 1d6+3 damage per Caster Level.
    • Fireball is now 1d6+3 damage per Caster Level.
    • Lightning Bolt is now 1d6+3 damage per Caster Level.
  • Level 4:
    • Fire Trap is now 1d6+4 damage per Caster Level.
    • Negative Energy Burst is now 1d6+4 damage per Caster Level.
  • Level 5:
    • Ball Lightning is now 1d6+5 damage per Caster Level.
    • Cone of Cold is now 1d6+5 damage per Caster Level.
  • Level 6:
    • Chain Lightning is now 1d6+6 damage per Caster Level.
    • Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere is now 1d6+6 damage per Caster Level.
    • Necrotic Ray is now 1d6+12 damage per Caster Level.
  • Level 7:
    • Delayed Blast Fireball is now 1d6+7 damage per Caster Level.
  • Level 8:
    • Polar Ray is now 1d6+8 damage per Caster Level.
  • Level 9:
    • Meteor Swarm now deals 1d3+1 Fire damage per Caster Level and 1d2+1 Bludgeoning damage per Caster Level on each meteor. It has a maximum Caster Level of 20.