The Steadfast Steward’s Update Part 2
The second part of our Steadfast Steward update is here! We wanted to thank everyone who took the time to test our beta builds this month. Your feedback has been instrumental in shaping this release.
Today's update focuses on reworking our two remaining heroes - Hellion and Leper. With this release, all of our heroes have been updated to the path system introduced in the 1.0 release of the game. We also added some new Dam options, for players looking to modify their expeditions. Finally, this update also includes a handful of updates to various heroes and enemies in an effort to address a number of odds and ends that have surfaced in the feedback from both Steadfast Steward’s Updates.
We'd like to thank all of those who participated in the public beta for this and all of our previous updates. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Read on for our full list of changes:
HEROES
FLAGELLANT
Wanderer
More! MORE! and More! MORE!+ cooldown increased from 1 to 2
More! MORE!+ Taunt increased from 2 to 3
Fixed an issue where Suffer's DOT removal effect could sometimes persist between fights
Fixed an issue where target Hero idled during Suffer and Suffer+
Maniac
Fixed an issue where target Hero idled during Lash's Gift and Lash's Gift+
Fixed an issue where Lash's Gift+ did not reflect that it could be used if the target only had Combo but no Negative tokens
Fixed an issue where using Lash's Gift to steal a Hunger token could sometimes result in the forced movement not occurring on the Flagellant's next turn
Exanimate
Acid Rain no longer gains increased Blight duration vs. Combo
Acid Rain and Acid Rain+ now gain 30% Blight RES Piercing vs. Combo
Punish no longer gains increased Blight duration vs. Combo
Punish and Punish+ now gain 30% Blight RES Piercing vs. Combo
Dev Note: This restores equivalent Combo interactions to the Wanderer equivalent of these skills at their mastered and unmastered state, while still benefitting from Exanimate's innate +Blight for low health.
Scourge
Deathless and Deathless+ can now be used when the target is already at full health
Lash's Gift has been reworked significantly
Lash’s Gift and Lash’s Gift+ launch ranks are 1 2
Lash’s Gift and Lash’s Gift+ are now tagged as a heal
Lash’s Gift and Lash’s Gift+ are now tagged as a stress heal
Lash’s Gift target ranks are self
Lash’s Gift+ target ranks are self or any ally
Lash’s Gift and Lash’s Gift+ require that the Flagellant have 5+ stress, regardless of target
Lash’s Gift and Lash’s Gift+ heal the target by 5% per point of stress the Flagellant has
Lash’s Gift and Lash’s Gift+ heal the Flagellant of 3 stress afterwards
Lash’s Gift and Lash’s Gift+ have a 10% chance to grant the target 2 CRIT tokens, increased by +30% per Toxic token on the Flagellant
Dev Note: Lash's Gift performed a very similar function to the upgraded Suffer, so it has been reworked to provide an additional outlet for the Scourge's stress for those who do not wish to risk the negative relationship aspect of Toxic. It also provides a great deal of firepower for those who are willing to steep themselves in his Toxic state.
Fixed an issue where target Hero idled during Suffer and Suffer+
GRAVE ROBBER
Wanderer
Poison Dart now increases the Blight from 2 (3 Turns) to 2 (5 Turns) on a CRIT
Poison Dart+ now increases the Blight from 4 (3 Turns) to 4 (5 Turns) on a CRIT
Dev Note: CRIT hits affecting the Blight on Poison Dart were a big part of the Combo incentive. The skill has been updated to reflect that and account for changes to how CRIT interacts with DOT durations.
Venomdrop
Thrown Dagger now applies Weak if the target has Blight when unmastered as well
Dev Note: The unmastered version of the skill was distinctly weaker than the Wanderer version for no benefit, so both versions now share the Venomdrop-specific styling of the skill and the mastery value remains in the increased DMG and CRIT.
HELLION
Wanderer
Dev Note: Adjustments have been made to Winded and a number of skills to improve the interactivity of the Hellion's unique token type, promoting more moment-to-moment decision making.
Updated her Crossroads descriptors to use “+Low Health Buffs” instead of “+Bloodlust”
Path Seal has been updated to reflect low health buffs
Winded DMG penalty changed from -33% to a flat -2 DMG per token
Winded SPD penalty reduced from -3 to -2 per token
Dev Note: Winded penalties were often so severe that even a single token could feel like it cratered the Hellion's capabilities. Switching to flat DMG causes the overall impact of the penalty to ramp up more smoothly over time without completely negating the Hellion's ability to deal damage (without the aid of Strength or Vulnerable tokens) at maximum Winded. It guts the min roll but you end up with a more interesting range of damage potential once tokens or her low health buffs get involved.
The Hellion's first +25% DMG buff threshold has been changed from under 50% HP to under 66% HP
The Hellion's second +25% DMG buff threshold has been changed from under 25% HP to under 33% HP
Low-health buff application trigger has been changed from Turn Start to Combat Damage
Low-health buff removal now occurs on Turn End
The Hellion's Wanderer Path seal has been updated to reflect these buffs
Dev Note: Thresholds have been adjusted to better suit the Hellion's overall health pool, while the timing and management of the buffs has been adjusted to reduce the frequency with which they appear to be applied. Changes to the application and removal timing now allow the buffs to better interact with certain Extra Action elements as well.
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ no longer require that the Hellion's HP be under 33% to use
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ buff has been adjusted from "On Attack: Heal 20% (3 Turns)" to "On Hit: Heal 15% (1 Turn)"
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ buff duration is now increased by +1 Turn per Winded removed by the skill
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ cooldown reduced from 3 to 0
Adrenaline Rush initial heal reduced from 20% to 5%
Adrenaline Rush initial heal is now increased by 100% per Winded removed for a maximum heal value of 20%
Adrenaline Rush+ initial heal reduced from 25% to 10%
Adrenaline Rush+ initial heal is now increased by 100% per Winded removed for a maximum heal value of 40%
Adrenaline Rush+ use limit increased from 2 to 3
Dev Note: Adrenaline Rush has been adjusted to remove some restrictions on its use. As the Hellion's current Winded count influences several aspects of the beneficial effects, we felt it would be better to leave the timing of activation more fully in player hands. The self-healing capability has been toned down slightly to account for the potential increase in duration, freedom of use, and general balance. It does, however, still heal per target hit when using AoE skills.
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ now apply 1 Winded per target hit instead of guaranteeing 1 Winded regardless of whether it hits or misses
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ now grant 1 Strength per target CRIT
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ now ignore Blind
Barbaric YAWP!+ Weak reduced from 2 to 1
Barbaric YAWP!+ cooldown reduced from 1 to 0
Barbaric YAWP!+ CRIT increased from 10% to 15%
Dev Note: With the recent changes to Weak damage calculations, 2x Weak to 2 targets is a bit much for all the skill has going on so it has been reduced to 1. Adjustments have been made to improve some of the skill's overall utility and availability.
Bloodlust has been fully reworked
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ launch ranks are 1 2 3 4
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ targets self only
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ now grant positive tokens based on how many Winded are being removed
Bloodlust+ now grants Execution 2 to Melee skills for 3 turns
Dev Note: Bloodlust has been revised to allow more flexible timing of use for benefits as well as more direct incorporation into the token system. The Execution option remains on mastery but has been strengthened.
Breakthrough has been fully reworked
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ target ranks increased to AoE 1 2 3
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ forward movement reduced from 2 to 1
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ no longer ignore Guard
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ no longer remove all Guard
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ now grant 1 Winded per target hit
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ no longer have a cooldown
Breakthrough+ no longer prevents the target from gaining Block for 2 rounds
Breakthrough+ DMG increased from 4-7 to 4-8
Breakthrough+ applies Combo on CRIT
Dev Note: Breakthrough has been reconstructed as a wide range area of effect skill capable of dealing significant damage when supported by Strength or the Hellion's low health buffs. It can help remove defensive tokens from a number of targets at once and very quickly cap the Hellion's Winded in order to fuel refresher skills like Adrenaline Rush.
Howling End and Howling End+ now require that the Hellion have 3 Winded
Howling End and Howling End+ ignore any DMG penalty from Winded tokens
Howling End and Howling End+ no longer apply Winded to the Hellion
Howling End and Howling End+ no longer move the Hellion Back 1
Howling End cooldown reduced from 3 to 2
Howling End+ once again ignores Block
Dev Note: Howling End has been adjusted to pack some of the armor piercing punch of early incarnations but in a way that requires a little more thought about how to interact with the Hellion's Winded kit instead of relying on Howling End as a round 1 delete key. As it both requires 3 Winded and does not remove them, skills or combat items that clear cooldown remain valuable for reactivating it.
If It Bleeds and If It Bleeds+ now increase the duration of any applied Bleed by 1 turn if the target has Combo
If It Bleeds DMG reduced from 3-6 to 3-5
If It Bleeds CRIT increased from 5% to 10%
If It Bleeds Bleed increased from 2 to 3
If It Bleeds DMG increased from 3-6 to 4-6
If It Bleeds+ CRIT increased from 10% to 15%
Dev Note: If It Bleeds has been adjusted to provide a better balance of overall value as well as some additional Combo interaction.
Raucous Revelry and Raucous Revelry+ have had their self-heal threshold increased from 33% HP to 50% HP
Raucous Revelry and Raucous Revelry+ cooldown increased from 1 to 2
Raucous Revelry heal increased from 20% to 25%
Raucous Revelry+ heal increased from 25% to 33%
Raucous Revelry+ no longer grants +10% Deathblow RES (3 Turns)
Raucous Revelry+ now removes Horror from all allies in addition to the Hellion
Raucous Revelry+ now heals all allies for an unconditional 2 health
Dev Note: Raucous Revelry has primarily been adjusted to improve the value of mastery via expanded ally effects. Overall skill utility has been improved to make it more worth the Winded token it inflicts.
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ now have a cooldown of 1
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ no longer grant Taunt
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ now convert any Winded tokens into Taunt tokens instead
Toe to Toe DMG increased from 2-4 to 3-5
Toe to Toe+ DMG increased from 3-5 to 4-6
Toe to Toe+ Immobilize increased from 1 to 2
Toe to Toe+ ignores any DMG penalty from Winded tokens
Dev Note: Toe to Toe has been updated to account for the new Winded DMG penalty as well as the philosophical changes to how skills interact with Winded. In terms of cooldown, the changes keep Toe to Toe in line with other Taunt-generating skills. Additionally, this makes the skill available in situations where you aren't explicitly Taunt-tanking but want a mobility / lockdown skill.
Move been increased from Forward 1, Back 0 to Forward 1, Back 1
Dev Note: This only felt fair, given the Hellion lacks any means of moving herself back a rank with the changes to Howling End.
Ravager
Dev Note: The Ravager has been re-envisioned in a way that was inspired by her self-harm via Bleeding. While she loses the increased HP and native rank 1 DMG buff, she has regained the use of her Bleed skills along with a number of new tricks to make her hit hardest when she's hurting most. She has also acquired access to defense-cracking skills and some defenses of her own that are not normally part of the Hellion kit.
Path seal has been updated to reflect new buffs and briefly describe Winded effects unique to this Path
This Path no longer has +20% max HP
This Path no longer gains +25% DMG in Rank 1
This Path no longer has a 25% chance to self-inflict 3 Bleed on Turn Start
This Path now uses a unique version of Winded that applies -2 DMG and -1 SPD
Additionally, this Winded applies 1 Bleed (3 Turns) per Winded on Round Start. This Bleed can be resisted.
Dev Note: Ravager Winded folds the old Path self-Bleed into a more interactive system and reduces the SPD penalty per Winded as an offset. The self-damage plays into some of her other skills but it can also be resisted for those who'd rather build not to deal with it.
This Path's low-health buff when under 33% HP has been changed from ‘+25% DMG’ to ‘Ignore Winded’
This Path now has Gain On Kill: Heal 25%. This effect does not apply when killing corpses.
This Path now ignores normal Death's Door penalties (Weak tokens, -3 SPD, Fatigue in Kingdoms)
Dev Note: The Ravager has acquired some ways to juggle her own survival while doing some of her best work at the lowest HP possible.
Adrenaline Rush is now a Path skill
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ launch ranks are 1 2 3 4
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ targets self only
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ heal 10%
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ remove all Winded
Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ passively grant 1 Stealth and remove all Bleed, Blight, and Burn when the Ravager enters Death’s Door. This can only occur once per battle.
Adrenaline Rush removes all Bleed
Adrenaline Rush increases Bleed RES by +10% per Winded removed for 3 turns
Adrenaline Rush grants 1 regen, increased by +1 per Winded removed
Adrenaline Rush+ removes all Bleed, Blight, and Burn
Adrenaline Rush+ increases Bleed, Blight, and Burn RES by +10% per Winded removed for 3 turns
Adrenaline Rush+ grants 2 regen, increased by +1 per Winded removed
Dev Note: Adrenaline Rush continues to be a way for the Hellion to safety net but this version is more about incremental protection rather than burst recovery, particularly since the Ravager doesn't always want to boost her health back up too high. It provides an additional passive layer of protection to facilitate fighting down to the very end.
Barbaric YAWP! is now a Path skill
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ launch ranks are 1 2
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ target ranks are AoE 1 2
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ have a cooldown of 1
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ ignore Dodge
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ remove all Dodge from targets
Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ apply 1 Winded when used instead of 1 Winded per target hit
Barbaric YAWP! deals 2-3 DMG
Barbaric YAWP! has a 25% chance to apply Combo, increased to 100% on CRIT
Barbaric YAWP!+ now deals 3-5 DMG
Barbaric YAWP!+ has a 33% chance of applying Combo, increased to 100% on CRIT
Barbaric YAWP!+ prevents targets from gaining Dodge for 2 rounds
Dev Note: Barbaric YAWP! allows the Ravager to tear down some critical defenses and prime a strong follow-up from allies. It's also the only variant of the skill that deals direct DMG, making it unique amongst Hellion play styles.
Bleed Out is no longer a Path skill
Dev Note: This skill only had reduced Bleed RES Piercing so it has been restored to the Wanderer version
Bloodlust is now a Path skill
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ launch ranks are 1 2 3 4
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ targets self only
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ have a cooldown of 2
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ do not share any effects with the Wanderer version
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ passively grant Execution 3 while the Ravager is on Death's Door
Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ do not end your turn when used
Bloodlust converts any Winded into Dodge
Bloodlust deals 5 DMG to the Ravager, increased by +5 DMG per Winded removed
Bloodlust+ converts any Winded into Dodge+
Bloodlust+ deals 7 DMG to the Ravager, increased by +7 DMG per Winded removed
DMG sustained from Bloodlust or Bloodlust+ will trigger any low-health buffs if the Ravager drops below their HP threshold. If the Ravager is already on Death's Door, this DMG will trigger a single Deathblow RES check regardless of how many Winded are being consumed.
Dev Note: For the folks that like to flirt with danger, Bloodlust offers an easily calculable way to quickly trigger low-health or Death's Door benefits while applying some self-defenses. A quick drop to Death's Door followed by an easy kill to trigger her Path's passive 25% heal can put you ahead.
Breakthrough is now a Path skill
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ launch ranks are 2 3 4
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ target ranks are AoE 3 4
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ require the Ravager to have less than 50% HP to use
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ deal +50% DMG on Death’s Door
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ move the Ravager forward 1
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ apply 1 Winded when used
Breakthrough deals 3-7 DMG with 5% CRIT
Breakthrough+ deals 4-9 DMG with 10% CRIT
Dev Note: The Ravager’s variation of Breakthrough allows them to strike at the back ranks for high damage. As the skill is only usable beneath 50% health, it is always benefitting from the +25% DMG low health buff that Ravager has as well.
Howling End is now a Path skill
Howling End and Howling End+ have no cooldown
Howling End and Howling End+ require the Ravager to have less than 50% HP to use
Howling End and Howling End+ do not require 3 Winded to use
Howling End and Howling End+ apply 1 Winded when used
Howling End and Howling End+ deal +50% DMG on Death's Door
Howling End deals 8-12 DMG with 10% CRIT
Howling End+ deals 10-14 DMG with 15% CRIT
Dev Note: Ravager's version of Howling End is tailor made to make the most of her worst situation, gaining a total bonus of +75% DMG on Death's Door when paired with her low-health buff.
If It Bleeds is no longer a Path skill
Dev Note: This skill only had reduced Bleed RES Piercing so it has been restored to the Wanderer version
Berserker
Dev Note: Berserker has been remodeled to fold some of her prior CRIT up into a more interactive mechanic and further evolve her Bleed identity beyond "these couple of Bleed skills CRIT often." Her positioning is more fluid and flexible now.
Path seal has been updated to reflect new buffs and briefly describe Winded effects unique to this Path
This Path no longer has -20% max HP
This Path no longer has +10% Deathblow RES
This Path now uses a unique version of Winded that applies -2 DMG and -10% Bleed RES Piercing
This Path's low-health buff when under 66% HP has been changed from ‘+25% DMG’ to ‘+10% CRIT’
This Path's low-health buff when under 33% HP has been changed from ‘+25% DMG’ to ‘+1 Bleed Duration Dealt’
This Path now ignores Winded for 1 turn whenever it lands a CRIT
Dev Note: We wanted the Winded effect to more distinctly revolve around the Path identity, so it negatively impacts Bleed chance. The SPD penalty has been removed since a slow DOT class tends to feel extra clunky. Similarly, the Berserker's low-health buff has been steered away from direct DMG and influences her Bleed instead. Her former CRIT bonus has been rolled up into the Path passives and scoring CRITs allows her to maintain momentum in combat.
Bleed Out and Bleed Out+ launch ranks increased from 1 to 1 2
Bleed Out and Bleed Out+ no longer have an inherent +33% Bleed RES Pierce
Bleed Out DMG reduced from 4-8 to 4-6
Bleed Out CRIT reduced from 15% to 5% to match Wanderer
Bleed Out+ DMG reduced from 6-9 to 5-7
Bleed Out+ CRIT reduced from 20% to 10% to match Wanderer
Dev Note: The Berserker’s version of Bleed Out exchanges some of the up-front DMG for better launch ranks, allowing for more flexible placement in parties as she moves around.
Breakthrough is now a Path skill
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ launch ranks are 2 3 4
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ target ranks are AoE 1 2
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ apply 1 Winded when used instead of per target hit
Breakthrough deals 3-5 DMG with 5% CRIT
Breakthrough applies 2 Bleed
Breakthrough+ deals 4-7 DMG with 10% CRIT
Breakthrough+ applies 3 Bleed
Dev Note: The Berserker’s version of Breakthrough allows her to reposition while dealing Bleed across the front lines, with a single point of overlap between the target ranks of If It Bleeds and Bleed Out.
Howling End is now a Path skill
Howling End and Howling End+ launch ranks are 1 2
Howling End and Howling End+ target ranks are 1 2 3 4
Howling End and Howling End+ have a cooldown of 2
Howling End and Howling End+ move the Berserker back 1
Howling End and Howling End+ grant 1 Winded
Howling End and Howling End+ DMG is increased by 50% of the remaining Bleed on the target
Howling End and Howling End+ remove Bleed from the target on a CRIT
Howling End deals 4-8 DMG with 5% CRIT
Howling End+ deals 6-12 DMG with 10% CRIT
Dev Note: The Berserker has received a wholly unique skill in the game, marrying standard direct DMG and a DOT bomb effect for a potentially devastating attack with incredible reach. While the skill benefits greatly from Bleed on a target, we opted not to make it a requirement for targeting given that Howling End has a lengthy cooldown and grants Winded.
If It Bleeds is no longer a Path skill
If It Bleeds and If It Bleeds+ no longer have an inherent +33% Bleed RES Pierce
If It Bleeds CRIT reduced from 15% to 5% to match Wanderer
If It Bleeds+ CRIT reduced from 20% to 10% to match Wanderer
Dev Note: If It Bleeds no longer needed a version unique to this Path with other changes that were made.
Iron Swan is now a Path skill
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ launch rank is 1
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ target rank is 4
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ move the Berserker back 1
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ pull the target forward 1
Iron Swan deals 3-6 DMG with 5% CRIT
Iron Swan applies 3 Bleed
Iron Swan+ deals 4-8 DMG with 10% CRIT
Iron Swan+ applies 4 Bleed
Iron Swan+ applies Combo on CRIT
Dev Note: The Berserker now has the ability to Bleed rank 4 from rank 1, adjusting her position and theirs to provide better synergy with other Bleed skills in her kit. Or you can always lock her down with Toe-to-Toe and keep swinging Bleed at the back rank.
Carcass
Dev Note: The Carcass has been adjusted to retain her unique method of tanking and self-abuse while cleaning up some troublesome points where her goals and skills intersected poorly. She has acquired a few new tricks and changes to Winded means that a Carcass running in full defense mode isn't necessarily completely gutted for damage.
This Path uses the same Winded token as Wanderer Hellion
This Path no longer gains Winded on Turn Start
Dev Note: Part of the overall Hellion experience is weighing and determining when it's in your best interests to generate Winded and the previous version of this Path made that decision for players by forcing a constant Winded state. We've opted to return that decision to player hands.
Chance of gaining Block per Winded on Turn End reduced from 75% to 66% each
This Path has a single low-health buff that activates under 33% HP, granting +20% Bleed, Blight, Burn, Stun, Move, and Debuff RES
Dev Note: The Carcass's Block generation has been very slightly toned down and her low-health buff has been adjusted to provide something more unique to her role, dramatically increasing her resistances when her health gets dangerously low.
Barbaric YAWP! And Barbaric YAWP!+ do not ignore or remove Stealth
Barbaric YAWP and Barbaric YAWP!+ now ignore Blind
Barbaric YAWP and Barbaric YAWP!+ now grant 1 Winded per target hit
Barbaric YAWP! And Barbaric YAWP!+ cooldown increased from 1 to 2
Barbaric YAWP! And Barbaric YAWP!+ apply an additional Weak on CRIT
Barbaric YAWP!+ CRIT increased from 10% to 15%
Barbaric YAWP!+ Weak reduced from 2 to 1
Dev Note: Barbaric YAWP! has been adjusted for Carcass to maintain much of its previous tanking power but in a design space better balanced to account for common Taunt cooldowns from competing Heroes as well as changes to the Weak token’s potency.
Breakthrough is now a Path skill
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ launch ranks are 2 3 4
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ target ranks are 1 2 3
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ have a cooldown of 2
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ ignore Winded
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ move the Carcass forward 1
Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ remove all Winded if they hit a target
Breakthrough deals 3-6 DMG with 5% CRIT
Breakthrough transfers up to 2 Winded to the target. These tokens have the full DMG and SPD penalty of normal but last for 2 turns.
Breakthrough+ deals 4-8% DMG with 10% CRIT
Breakthrough+ transfers up to 3 Winded to the target. These tokens have the full DMG and SPD penalty of normal but last for 2 turns.
Dev Note: It's time somebody else gets to enjoy the Hellion's unique token type, whether they want to or not. The short duration of the tokens is reflective of just how damaging they are to a target's power. As a skill that divests the Hellion of her Winded, it also gets to ignore any of the Winded DMG penalties.
Howling End is now a Path skill
Howling End and Howling End+ launch ranks are 1 2
Howling End and Howling End+ target ranks are 1 2
Howling End and Howling End+ have no cooldown
Howling End and Howling End+ require 3 Winded to use
Howling End and Howling End+ remove all Winded when used
Howling End and Howling End+ ignore Winded
Howling End deals 8-14 DMG with 10% CRIT
Howling End+ deals 10-18 DMG with 15% CRIT
Howling End+ ignores Block
Howling End+ converts any Block the Carcass has to Block+
Dev Note: Carcass Howling End is very similar to Wanderer, but adjusted to feel more appropriate to her play style. While the skill lacks a cooldown, it does remove all of the Carcass's Winded so you're trading defense generation for offense. The mastered version can shore her defenses up briefly while she works on recovering Winded for generation again.
Iron Swan is now a Path skill
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ launch ranks are 1
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ target ranks are 4
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ move the Carcass back 1
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ Pull the target 2 ranks
Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ grant a Speed token
Iron Swan deals 4-8 DMG with 5% CRIT
Iron Swan+ deals 6-10 DMG with 10% CRIT
Iron Swan+ ignores Guard
Iron Swan+ removes all Guard from the target
Dev Note: This version of Iron Swan allows the Carcass to reposition a little while disrupting the enemy backline and breaking Guard, leaving them exposed. The Speed token allows the Carcass to temporarily overcome her Winded SPD penalties for a repositioned follow-up.
Toe to Toe is now a Path skill
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ launch ranks are 1 2 3
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ target ranks are 1 2
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ move the Carcass forward 1
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ grant 1 Taunt per Winded but do not remove the Winded
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ grant 1 Winded when used
Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ do not apply Immobilize
Toe to Toe cooldown is 2
Toe to Toe DMG is 3-5 with 5% CRIT
Toe to Toe+ cooldown is 1
Toe to Toe+ DMG is 4-6 with 5% CRIT
Toe to Toe+ grants an additional Winded if the target it hits is Size 2 or larger
Dev Note: Previously, Toe to Toe worked against the Carcass by applying Taunt while removing the Winded she uses to generate Block. This version better matches the Carcass play style, maximizing the amount of Taunt gained when she's also generating the most Block. She no longer Immobilizes herself, allowing dance comps or other skills like Iron Swan to assist in repositioning for Breakthrough when she wants to offload her Winded onto a deserving target. It also offers a faster method of generating Winded in fights with large, singular targets such as bosses.
Wicked Hack is no longer a Path skill
Dev Note: Wicked Hack used to remove Block but it never felt like a particularly cohesive element of the Carcass experience, so it has been removed. That kind of defense-cracking is the new Ravager's domain.
Hellion Item Reworks
Bloodied Branch: Completely Reworked. Now has +2 Bleed Dealt when self HP is 33% or less, +25% DMG when self Bleeding, and Turn Start: Bleed 1 (3 Turns) when Rank is 4.
Empty Stein: Replaced Barbaric YAWP!: Gain Strength with Barbaric YAWP!: Apply -20% Debuff RES (3 Turns). Replaced +25% DMG when self Bleeding with Raucous Revelry: Gain Strength (95%) or Daze (5%) and When Stress Healed: +1% CRIT (1 Battle). Removed Gain On Bleed Resist: Gain Weak (25%).
Rotten Tomato: Completely Reworked. Now has +2 DMG when target has Combo, Target: Add 1 Weak when target Rank is 4, and Gain when Crit: Knockback 1.
War Paint: Completely Reworked. Now has Combat Start: Strength x2 when Rank is 1 / 2 and Combat Start: Taunt x2 when Rank is 3 / 4.
HIGHWAYMAN
Wanderer
Grapeshot Blast now grants 1 Strength if it CRITs a target
Grapeshot Blast+ now grants 1 Strength per target CRIT
Dev Note: A couple of small adjustments to strengthen Wanderer identity and provide another skill option to which you can feed your CRIT tokens for added effect.
Highway Robber+ CRIT increased from 5% to 10%
Open Vein Combo effect has been changed from 4 Bleed (3 Turns) to +100% Bleed Dealt
Open Vein+ Combo effect has been changed from 6 Bleed (3 Turns) to +100% Bleed Dealt
Dev Note: At its base, this results in Open Vein dealing the same amount of Bleed vs. Combo as it previously did. However, the bonus now applies to any additional sources of Bleed or Bleed modifiers that are applied to the skill, allowing it to remain more competitive against similar skills such as the Survivor's Searing Strike.
Sharpshot
Double Tap+ and Second Shot+ DMG reduced from 3-5 to 3-4
Pistol Shot DMG increased from 4-8 to 5-8
Dev Note: Some minor adjustments have been made to keep Double Tap and Pistol Shot from stepping on one another's toes quite so much. While Double Tap loses a single point of DMG off the top per shot, it still retains the added utility, gets to peel twice as many tokens from a target, and benefits twice per trinket/quirk DMG buff. Shaving the top DMG gives more of an edge back to Pistol Shot for singular, token-fueled strikes.
Yellowhand
Open Vein CRIT increased from 5% to 10%
Open Vein+ CRIT increased from 10% to 15%
Dev Note: Just a small buff since the Wanderer version also received an improvement.
LEPER
Wanderer
Dev Note: The Wanderer Leper has been updated to improve his older utility elements and better weigh some of the values in his naturally wide DMG ranges, particularly in regards to skills that risk self-Blind. Some minor adjustments have also been made to base RES values.
Chance of starting combat with 0-2 Blind with no RES roll has been changed to a guaranteed 1 Blind that rolls RES as normal
Wanderer seal now reflects the Combat Start: Blind information as well as notes that his self-Blinds are resistable
Base Move RES increased from 20% to 30%
Base Stun RES increased from 30% to 40%
Bash DMG increased from 2-4 to 3-7
Bash+ DMG increased from 3-5 to 5-9
Bash+ Immobilize applied to self increased from 1 to 2
Bash+ Immobilize applied to target increased from 1 to 2
Dev Note: DMG and utility have been improved. It still retains less average DMG than self-Blind skills since it doesn't have the same risk.
Break DMG increased from 4-7 to 5-9
Break+ DMG increased from 4-10 to 6-12
Break+ now prevents the target from gaining Block for 2 rounds
Dev Note: Break's DMG and utility have been improved to better reflect its nature as a potentially self-Blind skill as well as better match similar Token-negating abilities found on other Heroes.
Chop+ DMG increased from 6-16 to 8-16
Dev Note: Minimum DMG has been increased to provide a better overall average for your mastery point and better reflect the risk of self-Blind.
Hew DMG increased from 3-7 to 4-8
Hew+ DMG increased from 4-9 to 5-10
Dev Note: Average DMG values have been adjusted to keep Hew competitive with more recent AoE skill additions.
Intimidate now has a cooldown of 2
Intimidate DMG increased from 1-2 to 2-6
Intimidate+ now has a cooldown of 1
Intimidate+ DMG increased from 2-3 to 3-7
Dev Note: Intimidate has been adjusted to better match cooldowns on similar Taunts / Debuffs used by other Heroes. DMG has been improved to better match the overall nature of the Leper.
Purge DMG increased from 2-4 to 3-7
Purge+ DMG increased from 3-5 to 5-9
Dev Note: DMG values have been adjusted to better match the overall nature of the Leper.
Reflection and Reflection+ now remove all Weak and Vulnerable in addition to Blind and Combo
Reflection and Reflection+ are no longer usable if the Leper has neither stress nor a relevant token type to remove
Reflection+ stress heal reduced from 2 to 1
Reflection+ cooldown increased from 0 to 1
Reflection+ no longer grants +20% Debuff RES for 3 turns
Reflection+ now grants +10% Debuff RES for 3 turns per type of token it removes
Dev Note: Reflection has been reworked to provide broader utility and further differentiate itself from Solemnity as a support skill.
Revenge has been re-envisioned as a modal skill, granting offense at the cost of defense while active
Revenge and Revenge+ cooldown reduced from 3 to 2
Revenge and Revenge+ duration increased from 3 turns to 1 battle
Revenge and Revenge+ now prevent Block from being gained while active
Revenge and Revenge+ will turn off Withstand if it is active
Revenge and Revenge+ grant 1 Strength when used
Revenge and Revenge+ chance of granting Strength on turn start reduced from 100% to 75%
Revenge no longer applies 2 Vulnerable when used
Revenge now clears all Block when used
Revenge now clears all Weak when used
Revenge now grants +3 SPD while active
Revenge+ no longer applies 1 Vulnerable when used
Revenge+ no longer gives a chance to generate CRIT
Revenge+ will no longer end your turn when activated
Dev Note: Revenge has been reworked to enhance the risk/reward aspect, allowing the Leper to lean harder into outputting damage at a high defensive cost over a sustained period.
Ruin has been completely revised
Ruin and Ruin+ no longer have a cooldown of 3
Ruin and Ruin+ no longer have a use limit of 2
Ruin and Ruin+ can not be activated if the Leper has any Ruination tokens
Ruin and Ruin+ now grant 2 Ruination tokens when used
After use, any combat DMG (direct or DOT) taken over the next 2 turns will grant 1 additional Ruination token, stacking up to 10 times
After 2 turns, Ruin grants Ruin Has Come, causing the next successful hit to deal +15% DMG per Ruination token and consuming them
After 2 turns, Ruin+ grants Ruin Has Come+, causing the next successful hit to deal +20% DMG per Ruination token and consuming them
Dev Note: Ruin has been revised to better reflect its original intention of converting DMG taken into a powerful attack in a way that's clearer about its duration and timing. Ruin Has Come / Ruination tokens will remain until a successful hit is scored, so any stored power remains until used or the battle ends.
Solemnity and Solemnity+ can no longer be used if the Leper is both above 33% HP and has 0 stress
Dev Note: This prevents activating Solemnity when it will have no effect, primarily to make it slightly more clear that he's not below the health threshold in some situations.
Withstand and Withstand+ launch ranks changed from 1 2 3 to 1 2 3 4
Withstand and Withstand+ duration increased from 3 turns to 1 battle
Withstand and Withstand+ cooldown reduced from 3 to 2
Withstand and Withstand+ now clear all Strength when used
Withstand and Withstand+ now clear all Vulnerable when used
Withstand and Withstand+ now prevent Strength from being gained while active
Withstand and Withstand+ now debuff CRIT -100% while active
Withstand and Withstand+ will turn off Revenge if it is active
Withstand Bleed/Blight/Burn RES increased from 15% to 20%
Withstand Move RES increased from 15% to 20%
Withstand+ Bleed/Blight/Burn RES decreased from 25% to 20%
Withstand+ Move RES decreased from 25% to 20%
Withstand+ 2 Block+ reduced to 2 Block
Withstand+ will no longer end your turn when activated
Dev Note: Withstand has been revised to provide powerful tanking at a reduction to offense over a sustained period in a way unique to the Leper when compared to other Heroes.
Tempest
Dev Note: The Tempest has been revised to better reflect the Path's glass cannon risk/reward nature while expanding the viable skill options to more than Chop, even if Chop continues to remain a threat to the existence of anything in the front ranks.
Tempest Path seal now reflects the Combat Start: Blind information as well as notes that his self-Blinds are resistible
Path Seal flavor description has been rewritten
This Path no longer has +33% Debuff RES
This Path no longer has +100% Disease RES
This Path no longer has -25% Max HP
This Path no longer has -3 SPD
Dev Note: Negative tokens are a valuable part of the Tempest's mechanics now so there's little reason to keep improved Debuff RES or Disease RES. Similarly, his need to work with negative tokens and the self-damage from his heavy hitters negates the need for a base reduction in HP.
Break is now a Path skill
Break and Break+ deal 2 DMG to the Tempest per negative token he has, to a maximum of 10 DMG, on a successful hit
Break and Break+ additionally ignore Weak when the target has Combo
Break chance of Blind increased from 75% to 100%
Break deals +10% DMG per negative token on the Tempest
Break+ chance of Blind increased from 60% to 75%
Break+ deals +15% DMG per negative token on the Tempest
Chop and Chop+ deal 2 DMG to the Tempest per negative token he has, to a maximum of 10 DMG, on a successful hit
Chop and Chop+ additionally ignore Weak when the target has Combo
Chop DMG reduced from 7-15 to 6-12 to match Wanderer
Chop chance of Blind increased from 75% to 100%
Chop deals +10% DMG per negative token on the Tempest
Chop+ DMG reduced from 8-18 to 8-16 to match Wanderer
Chop+ chance of Blind increased from 60% to 75%
Chop+ deals +15% DMG per negative token on the Tempest
Hew and Hew+ deal 2 DMG to the Tempest per negative token he has, to a maximum of 10 DMG, on a successful hit
Hew and Hew+ additionally ignore Weak when the target has Combo
Hew chance of Blind increased from 75% to 100%
Hew deals +10% DMG per negative token on the Tempest
Hew+ chance of Blind increased from 60% to 75%
Hew+ deals +15% DMG per negative token on the Tempest
Dev Note: The 3 self-Blind skills -- Chop, Hew, and Break -- have all been updated to serve as core damage options for the Tempest. Their potentially higher DMG than Wanderer is offset by the increased risk of self-damage and a higher chance of self-Blind, though even that can feed back into their damage with the right support.
Revenge is now a Path skill
Revenge and Revenge+ behave as the Wanderer version, with the following exceptions:
Revenge and Revenge+ do not grant +3 SPD on this Path
Revenge and Revenge+ chance of Strength on turn start is reduced from 75% to 66%
Revenge and Revenge+ will convert 1 Strength into CRIT instead of granting Strength on turn start if the Tempest has max Strength tokens already
Revenge and Revenge+ will cause any CRITs the Tempest lands to clear all of his current negative tokens
Dev Note: Tempest's version of Revenge is designed to allow an alternate form of negative token cleansing than Reflection while helping to push those Chop hits to their limit. His original penalty to SPD has been folded into this version of Revenge, which lacks the increased SPD available on Wanderer.
Ruin is now a Path skill
Ruin and Ruin+ do not share any of the effects used by the Wanderer version
Ruin and Ruin+ steal all negative tokens from a targeted adjacent Hero
Ruin and Ruin+ do not end the Tempest's turn when used
Ruin has a cooldown of 1
Ruin has a use limit of 2
Ruin+ has no cooldown
Ruin+ has a use limit of 3
Dev Note: The Tempest's version of Ruin is intended to facilitate the changes in Tempest gameplay, allowing players to quickly pull negatives from an ally in order to fuel a bigger hit or centralize them on the Tempest for a quick Reflection cleanse. Pair with Revenge's CRIT token for the best of both worlds.
Poet
Dev Note: The Poet has retained its tank role but elements of it have been folded into Path-specific skills and it has been giving some regen options, rather than massive bulk healing, to better differentiate how it tanks compared to Wanderer.
Poet Path seal now reflects the Combat Start: Blind information as well as notes that his self-Blinds are resistible
This Path no longer has +50% Stun RES
This Path no longer has +50% Move RES
Bash is no longer a Path skill
Chop is no longer a Path skill
Hew is no longer a Path skill
Purge is no longer a Path skill
Dev Note: These skills were all receiving penalized DMG from the Poet Path and no benefits, so they have been removed.
Break DMG increased from 3-5 to 5-9 to match Wanderer
Break DMG+ increased from 4-7 to 6-12 to match Wanderer
Break+ does not prevent a target from gaining Block for 2 rounds, unlike Wanderer
Break+ now steals all Block and Block+ from the target instead of removing them
Break+ converts each stolen Block into 1 Regen (3 turns) if Revenge is active, since Revenge prevents gaining Block
Dev Note: We wanted to give the Poet an interesting take on Break that still accomplished the elimination of defenses on a target but in a way that better fit this Path.
Revenge is now a Path skill
Revenge and Revenge+ grant 2 Strength on use
Revenge and Revenge+ do not grant +3 SPD while active
Revenge and Revenge+ do not have a chance to grant Strength on turn start
Revenge and Revenge+ grant 2 Regen (3 turns) on killing blow while active
Revenge and Revenge+ have a chance to inflict Combo (33%) or Vulnerable (33%) on any attacker while active
Ruin is now a Path skill
Ruin and Ruin+ do not share any of the effects used by the Wanderer version
Ruin and Ruin+ have a use limit of 2
Ruin and Ruin+ turn off Revenge and Withstand when used
Ruin and Ruin+ convert all Block or Block+ to Strength
Ruin and Ruin+ convert each source of Regen to a CRIT token
Ruin+ prevents the Poet from gaining Weak for 2 rounds
Dev Note: Sometimes a poem turns out to be an epic, so we wanted to give the Poet a way to dish out the damage when it really counted. The mastered version prevents the Strength tokens from being canceled by any Weak tokens between his turns.
Solemnity heal reduced from 50% to 25%
Solemnity now includes 3 Regen (3 turns)
Solemnity+ heal reduced from 75% to 33%
Solemnity+ now applies 4 Regen (3 turns)
Dev Note: Solemnity as it previously existed was clearly Solemnity++ so it has been adjusted to better suit the Poet's regenerative nature.
Withstand is now a Path skill
Withstand and Withstand+ behave the same as Wanderer with the following exceptions:
Withstand and Withstand+ do not grant +20% Bleed/Blight/Burn RES while active
Withstand and Withstand+ Move RES increased from +20% to +40%
Withstand and Withstand+ grant +40% Stun RES while active
Withstand and Withstand+ give a 75% chance to generate Taunt on Turn Start while active
Dev Note: Withstand has been adjusted to fold in some of the Poet's previous innate RES bonuses, in addition to the small buff both of those values received at the base Wanderer level. Unlike other versions of Withstand, it can passively generate Taunt.
Monarch
Dev Note: It's no secret that the Monarch Path hasn't fulfilled its purpose since we introduced the ability to swap Paths mid-run, nor has it ever gelled with the nature of Kingdoms mode, so it has been re-envisioned in a way that functions with both of those things while still true to the original version's themes of "power at campaign's end" and being a slightly more supportive version of the normally self-oriented Leper.
Monarch Path seal now reflects the Combat Start: Blind information as well as notes that his self-Blinds are resistible
This Path no longer has -30% HP
This Path no longer grants +50% Max HP in combat vs. Cosmic creatures
This Path no longer grants +2 SPD in combat vs. Cosmic creatures
When the Monarch kills any target, he gains +1% Monarch's Oath permanently
When the Monarch kills any boss, he gains +3% Monarch’s Oath permanently
When the Monarch kills any lair boss, he gains +6% Monarch's Oath permanently
Monarch's Oath stacks to +66%
Monarch's Oath is applied to several of the Path skills
Move is now a Path skill
Move increased from Forward 1, Back 0 to Forward 2, Back 2
Dev Note: Positioning matters to the Monarch and the Leper will never become a dance class.
Bash is now a Path skill
Bash+ does not prime Combo
Bash+ now Stuns vs. Combo
Chop is now a Path skill
Chop and Chop+ deal bonus DMG equal to Monarch's Oath
Chop DMG reduced from 6-12 to 5-9 (or 8-15 at maximum Monarch's Oath)
Chop+ DMG reduced from 8-16 to 6-12 (or 10-20 at maximum Monarch's Oath)
Intimidate is no longer a Path skill
Dev Note: The Monarch has shifted more in favor of positive token interaction and manipulation rather than negative, so Intimidate has been restored to the Wanderer version accordingly.
Purge has been reworked for this Path
Purge and Purge+ launch ranks are 1 2
Purge and Purge+ target ranks are 1 2
Purge and Purge+ ignore Dodge
Purge and Purge+ clear all Corpses when used
Purge and Purge+ remove 2 positive tokens from the target
Purge and Purge+ have a 1% chance to steal all tokens from the target first
Purge DMG is 2-4 with 5% CRIT
Purge chance to steal is increased equal to half the value of Monarch’s Oath
Purge+ DMG is 3-5 with 5% CRIT
Purge+ chance to steal is increased equal to the value of Monarch’s Oath
Dev Note: More flexible ranks allow Purge to pair better with Reflection. In order to help keep the skill distinct from Break, which ignores Block, and separate it from non-damaging theft skills such as Highway Robbery, DMG on Purge has been kept lower and it does not ignore Block. Monarch’s Oath mechanics give it extremely high steal potential in late game, particularly when mastered.
Reflection is now a Path skill
Reflection and Reflection+ launch ranks are 1 2 3
Reflection and Reflection+ target an adjacent ally
Reflection and Reflection+ remove Blind from the Leper
Reflection and Reflection+ copy any positive tokens on the Monarch to the targeted Hero
Reflection has a cooldown of 2
Reflection+ has a cooldown of 1
Reflection+ removes Weak, Vulnerable, and Combo from the Monarch in addition to the base Blind removal
Dev Note: The Monarch has been given a version of Reflection that better suits his ability to support other Heroes, allowing him to share his benefits with those around him.
Ruin is now a Path skill
Ruin and Ruin+ launch ranks are 1 2 3
Ruin and Ruin+ target self
Ruin and Ruin+ cannot be used if the Leper is already under their effect
Ruin and Ruin+ do not share any of the effects used by the Wanderer version
Ruin grants a Ruin Has Come token that lasts for 3 turns with the following effects:
Monarch’s Oath applies as a DMG bonus to all non-Chop skills
The Leper takes 1 stress per target hit while this token is active
Ruin+ grants a Ruin Has Come+ token that lasts for 3 turns with the same effects but also grants Execution 1 to all Melee Skills for its duration
Ruin+ grants half of Monarch’s Oath as bonus DMG for 2 turns to adjacent allies at the time of use
Dev Note: Execution makes an appearance in the Leper's kit at long last, conditionally. Ruin offers a way to finish targets off more easily, building up more Monarch's Oath, while also expanding the DMG buff to other skills (and sometimes allies) to keep them competitive.
Solemnity is now a Path skill
Solemnity behaves the same as Wanderer Solemnity with the following exceptions:
Solemnity heal reduced from 33% to 25%
Solemnity gains a heal bonus equal to Monarch's Oath; this makes the heal ~33% at 33 Monarch’s Oath and ~42% at 66 Monarch’s Oath
Solemnity+ heal reduced from 50% to 40%
Solemnity+ gains a heal bonus equal to Monarch's Oath; this makes the heal ~53% at 33 Monarch’s Oath and ~66% at 66 Monarch’s Oath
Leper Item Reworks
A Simple Flower: Now provides both Heal 10% and Block+ when resisting a Stun, Daze, or Move. Now has Turn End: Ally Behind: Add 1 Positive Token.
Inevitable End: Completely reworked. Now has Turn Start: Forward 1, Turn End: +5% DMG (1 Battle) when last in turn order, and On Move: -1 SPD (1 Battle).
Uncommon Seashell: Replaced Apply On Hit: Intimidate Skills: Combo Token with Apply to Attacker When Crit: Stun. Replaced -10% DMG Received per Negative Token with When Healed: Gain Block (50%) or Block+ (25%).
OCCULTIST
Wanderer
Malediction+ text updated to reflect that any Debuff being resisted as part of the skill will result in the Unchecked Power refund.
Dev Note: Yes, this means that trinkets inflicting resisted debuffs when casting Malediction will refund the Unchecked Power. Enjoy.
Warlock
Malediction and Malediction+ enemy heal changed from 4 static health to 2 regen (2 Turns)
Malediction Hero heal chance increased from 33% to 75%
Malediction+ Hero heal chance increased from 66% to 100%
Dev Note: Regen spreads the equivalent former heal out over two turns, giving a greater allowance for following up to kill the target before it benefits from the heal and fixing some edge case behaviors with Death's Door. Hero chance has been increased to make it more viable at both tiers.
PLAGUE DOCTOR
Surgeon
Incision and Incision+ now have +30% Bleed RES Piercing vs. Combo
Physician
Emboldening Vapours and Emboldening Vapours+ are now single target
Emboldening Vapours now converts all of a random negative token type instead of only 1
Emboldening Vapours+ now converts all of 2 random negative token types
Emboldening Vapours+ no longer has a chance to convert Weak into CRIT
Dev Note: This change allows much more targeted application and prevents cases where the positive token generated is simply canceled out by another negative token type.
RUNAWAY
Survivor
Searing Strike and Searing Strike+ Apply On CRIT text updated for clarity and to match the style of wording used in Grave Robber's Poison Dart for the same effect
Fixed a tool tip text coloration issue with Searing Strike and Searing Strike+
VESTAL
Chaplain
Fixed an issue where using Mace Bash or Judgement at 2 Conviction against a target that has Riposte would result in the additional Conviction generated by Riposte's hit being incorrectly consumed by Mace Bash or Judgement
Dev Note: This only applies when using 2 Conviction. At 3 Conviction, any Conviction generated by the Riposte hit will simply collide with the currently maxed stack of tokens and fail to apply regardless.
THE DAM
We have added a few more options to the Dam. Players can now play extended versions of Confession 1 and 2 (in order to unlock the extended version, you must first beat the Confession). We have also added the option for Death to appear in battle when the Flagellant is not in your party. In order to unlock this, you need to have beaten Death and Act 5.
MONSTERS
Coven
Custode: Momentum launch ranks changed from 4 to 1 2 3 4
Custode: Momentum DMG adjusted from 5-8 to 6-9
Custode: Momentum regen reduced from 4 to 3
Custode: Smackdown now has a cooldown of 1
Custode: skill selection behaviors have been adjusted
Dev Note: Some adjustments have been made to the Custode to better allow her to utilize her stress and healing effects outside of starting in rank 4. Regen has been reduced to account for the increased availability of Momentum.
Cultists
Fixed an issue with Cultist Altar not correctly granting Worship in certain Confessions when using "Altar of X" skills
Fixed an issue with Cultist Altar having an increased chance to grant Block in higher tier Confessions instead of a chance to grant Block+
Cardinal is no longer classified as a “boss” in Kingdoms
Cherub now spawns with an additional Dodge+ token in Kingdoms
Deacon is no longer classified as a “boss” in Kingdoms
Herald: Clarion Call now reflects that it removes 2 positive tokens in the Academic View
Fanatics
Immolatist: Funeral Pyre chance of Strength increased from 25% to 33%
Her Ladyship: Funeral Pyre chance of Strength increased from 25% to 33%
Gaunts
Fixed an issue with a couple of mashes that only had 3 ranks worth of monsters instead of 4
Lost Battalion
Bishop: Purge the Unworthy now reflects that it removes all positive tokens in Academic View
Bishop: Purge the Unworthy now reflects that it prevents Dodge gain for 2 rounds in Academic View
Foot Soldier: Atrophic Cut now reflects that it prevents Block gain for 2 rounds in Academic View
Bullseye Barrett: Fixed an Academic View issue that made it appear as though Chosen Target had inaccurate launch and target ranks
Plague Eaters
Lord: Fleshy Backhand DMG increased from 6-9 to 8-11
Lord: Fleshy Backhand now better reflects its launch ranks in the Academic View
Lord: Tongue Lashing Strength increased from 1 to 2
Lord: Tongue Lashing now moves the target forward or backward based on the monster's preferred ranks
Lord: Tongue Lashing now has a cooldown of 1
SPOILERS
Confession of Cowardice Boss
Leper's Spectre will now always move forward 1 when attacking
ITEMS
Morbid Joke: Now has Self: +5% Resolute Chance per Positive Relationship and Self: +1 DMG per Negative Relationship.
Experimental Remedy: Heal 100% is now always guaranteed. The chance for cure disease and removing negative quirk is 50/50.
Pain Box: Chance for +1 Blight Dealt increased from 33% to 100%. Chance for +1 Blight Duration Dealt reduced from 33% to 25%. Chance for +33% Blight RES Piercing reduced from 33% to 15%.
Blade Oil: Now has Riposte Skills: +2 DMG
MISCELLANEOUS
Replaced “Heal” text with a heal icon (the former regen icon) for tooltips
Added a new Regen icon for tooltips and token tray
We now allow inventory to be opened during siege selection
Added “weak” tag to Fisherfolk Cabin Boy, Cultist Cherub, and Pillager Mongrel for narration purposes
Fixed a number of issues with skill mouseovers noting Strength tokens that were not present in the skill
Fixed an issue with Path seal skill ordering no longer being alphabetized
Fixed an issue with positive and negative token removal effects not always being random in regards to what tokens are removed
Increased priority of Daze and Stun removal effects to facilitate improved interactions with some other negative token removal effects and trinkets such as Junia's Head
Fix for Breacher quirk occasionally failing to move a Hero to rank 1 when the Ambush battle modifier occurs
Updated Cultist trinket descriptions to clarify equip conditions.
Fixed instances where we would apply battle stall penalties when the whole hero team is militia fighters
Applicable combat buffs from Trophies, Pets, Flames, and Almanacs will now appear on the character sheet.
Increased health threshold for Hellion's final Kingdom upgrade from 25% or less to 33% or less
Enabled highlights in previews for tokens that could be stolen or converted
Updated Kingdoms logic to prevent spawning kill contracts on inactive and/or boss regions
Confessions runs that skip straight from the first inn to the mountain will now count for achievement progress
If you have an anti-block debuff, you will no longer lose vulnerability tokens when trying to gain block. (And the same for any similar cases)
Disabled user control of Kingdom map, left click on hero portraits, and the pass day button when there is a siege to be resolved
Dev Note: We found many reports on PC due to players thinking they were softlocked on the Kingdom map when in reality they had sieges to resolve, but we allowed them to move off the sieges with m/kb where with gamepad we will focus attention to the Sieges.
FIXES
Updated Unity version in accordance with Unity Security Breach recommendations
Fixed an issue resulting in negative loot due to transferring items between different slots with differing stack size limits
Fixed a softlock in battle stall if your whole party is dead
Fixed an issue with Cultist Evangelist spawning with too much Block in Kingdoms
Fixed an issue with Cultist Altar applying too much regen in Kingdoms
Fixed an issue with the target of Wanderer AGAIN! idling during skill use
Fixed an issue when the turn order isn't changed after killing enemies via combat item follow up
Fixed game locking when attempting to enter combat at Oblivion Ingress encounters in Kingdoms
Fixed an issue when switching between Controller and Keyboard + Mouse resulting in input lost on active Siege
Fixed a Travelogue entry iss where multiple deliverables wouldn't be logically combined
Fixed some path descriptions that extended past screen border in path change panel
Fixed a softlock when abandoning an expedition before choosing a boss
Fixed a case where the lungs fight could get stuck if you saved the game with the lungs dead and the core still alive, and then loaded the game later. (The lungs are listed as proxies for the core, meaning that when the core dies, the lungs also die. However, the corpses were not listed as proxies. It turns out that when the actor converts to a corpse, it keeps the proxy data, but that data doesn't get saved. When you load a save, it gets the proxy data from the corpse asset so I marked the corpses as proxies for the core.)
Fixed an issue on the path comparison panel sometimes shows cooldown text on cooldown-less skill
When a damage range for a skill has a minimum value of 0 (eg this can happen if the hero is Winded), we no longer show the preview differently if the random number generator picks 0 damage. Also, if the random number generator picks 0 damage AND the skill is a Crit, the damage will be adjusted to the maximum value instead of staying at 0.
Path panel's affected skill order changes when confirming a path change
We now Load player collection, tutorials and narration jsons when switching profiles regardless of the previous profile state. This fixes the issue where modded profiles would not save tutorial/academic view and other game history properly.
Fixed duplicate region duration on character sheet buff description for Rhizanthella
Fixed missing green circles on certain skills which targets ally on the skill info tooltips
Remove/Hide Memories Section of Character Sheet in Kingdoms Mode
Updated UI logic for heal preview and effects with a chance to heal, now effects that are a chance to heal will no longer display as part of the skill preview
Fixed narration not playing when arriving at faction combat routes in the Sprawl, Sluice, Tangle, Shroud, and Foetor
Fixed an issue with the Initiative order skipping ahead and then back after skill use
Fixed incorrect Warlord encounter chance in later regions and Escalation 3
Gamepad - Sort Inventory when switching its sections
Gamepad - User can navigate on the Heroes at the Kingdom Hero Bar during active Siege
Gamepad - Allow controller item splitting to be split into a single slot
Fixed Bundle of Contracts incorrect buff duration found on the Hero Sheet Conditions tab
Fixed Kingdom Full Inventory tutorial that incorrectly stated that items cannot be sold anywhere
Fixed duplicate region duration on character sheet buff description for Rhizanthella
THE BINDING BLADE DLC
CRUSADER
Wanderer
Radiance and Radiance+ no longer require that skills be ranged to benefit from the Burn RES piercing buff
Radiance duration of Burn RES piercing buff reduced from 4 turns to 3 turns
Radiance now grants +2 SPD for 3 turns
Radiance now grants +2 DMG vs. targets with Burn for 3 turns
Radiance+ cooldown reduced from 4 to 3
Radiance+ regen increased from 3 to 4
Radiance+ regen duration increased from 3 turns to 4 turns
Radiance+ now grants +4 SPD for 4 turns
Radiance+ retains the 20% Burn RES piercing for 4 turns
Radiance+ no longer grants +30% DMG vs. targets with Burn for 4 turns
Radiance+ now grants +2 DMG vs. targets with Burn for 4 turns
Dev Note: Radiance has been revised to provide much of the value at base, with incremental gains and better turn economy through improved duration for mastery. Improved SPD allows the Crusader to set the DOTs up sooner and the +DMG buff has been changed to a static increase to better support low DMG, multi-hit skills such as Reap and Zealous Accusation while still retaining much of the benefit the previous value would have had for heavy hitters such as Smite.
Templar
Smite+ CRIT increased from 5% to 10% to match other versions of the skill
Banneret
Rallying Cry+ cooldown increased from 2 to 3
Rallying Cry+ Immobilize increased from 1 to 2
DUELIST
Wanderer
AGAIN!+ no longer removes her current stance
Fixed an issue with the target of AGAIN! idling during skill use
Fixed an issue with Ruthless Instruction+ Ignore Blind buff having weird stacking behavior. It now correctly removes and refreshes the buff instead.
Instructrice
Disengage DMG increased from 2-4 to 3-5
Disengage+ DMG increased from 3-5 to 4-6
Dev Note: This matches its damage to other variations of the same skill.
Ruthless Instruction and Ruthless Instruction+ can now self-target
Fixed an issue with Wanderer version of Aggressive Stance token appearing in Token Glossary while playing this Path
INHUMAN BONDAGE DLC
ABOMINATION
Wanderer
Beast's Bile and Beast's Bile+ now deal increased Blight amount and duration on CRIT
Ichor and Ichor+ now deal increased Blight amount and duration on CRIT
Dev Note: Adjustments being made to account for CRITs on a skill that has no DMG-benefit, given changes to how CRIT interacts with DOTs.
Unchained
Beast's Bile and Beast's Bile+ now increase the amount and duration of Blight dealt by +1 on CRIT
Dev Note: Adjustments being made to account for CRITs on a skill that has no DMG-benefit, given changes to how CRIT interacts with DOTs.
Fixed an issue with Transform appearing twice on the Path seal's skill list
Hey everyone! We've got another demo update out.
One of the main changes in this update is some major restructuring of the area around the first gear - I recently found a Youtube video where someone pulled off a skip by pogoing off a flying enemy and never learned how to use the gears. Then they used a secret shortcut to skip the next gear. It was kind of neat to see it was possible to finish the demo without using the gears, but if you don't learn how to use the gears, there's going to be problems! So I changed things to tutorialize the gears a bit better.
The player now gets trapped in a hole and is forced to learn how gears work
Fixed reset errors with the crab elevator
Fixed additional out of bounds issues
Minor tweaks and fixes
Removed the possibility to encounter battles with 3 enemies on the first 7 floors.
In preparation for harder enemies and bosses in ACT2 and ACT3 we have implemented the first step of our new system: The Berserker's sword - WRATH is now infused with Blood Lightning that deals 1 extra damage to targets. Players will be able to upgrade the abilities of WRATH in a future patch.
Added COPY and ETHEREAL upgrades to Exhaust cards.
Fixed how Blind Rage interacts with COPY upgrades.
Puncture with COPY now awards bonus damage to the extra card (from the first card and from any MIGHT).
Lightning strikes in storms make sounds again.
Brittle Crown got better grammar.
Fixed a crash sometimes happening with Necromancer's leapers.
Fixed a crash sometimes happening with Lightning Sphere.
Fixed a bug with Hands of the Damned not working correctly.
Fixed a bug that didn't count number of Frozen Orb casts for a perk.
Fixed a bug where Jellyfish boss attack could sometimes be not visible.
Added the Refinery to the Oil Usage Screen
Fixed the total calculation on the Oil Usage Screen
Fixed a bug that made the physics behave differently under low fps,
Fixed a bug where an additional second was displayed in the level selector total time,
Fixed a bug that allowed to click buttons through the credits and narrative images,
Set the correct font in some popups,
Other minor fixes
Three random crash bugs like while switching weapon and other unpredictable moments
Broken character sync after leaving the crane in multiplayer
Bullet impact FX did not fire when monster got finishing shot
Problems when switching between Scan-Ball and character both in single and multiplayer
Added camera zoom adjustment in graphics settings in case your character renders too small. Also suitable for video capture
Tweaked Big-Fly monster so it can be killed with two 9mm shots instead of three if you hit in the center (belly).
I'm still investigating critical desync problem some of you are experiencing in co-op.
Cheers,
Wookie
Hey everyone!
During the Next Fest, we had a successful doubling of our total wishlists on Steam, and a good portion of people who tried out the demo. Please share any feedback in our discussion board or our Discord!
What Moody's been up to:
Mostly marketing the game on various social media, and also doing some IRL playthroughs of the game with friends. Moody also livestreamed the entire demo.
Very minor issues were identified, and the muse continues to visit me as I see in-game events happen, inspiring me to add just one more challenge achievement for the post-campaign content this past Friday. Some of the most fun things to do in NHF's battle system are after you explore the main campaign!
In our Discord, we started a high score contest for the Endless Patrol mode, featured at the end of the demo. We even did a fun live stream with side-by-side competing, followed by a head-to-head match from the full game's multiplayer mode. (I won 😉!)
Short-term plans after release:
What's ahead after release is addressing any emerging issues that players may identify, including any issues that players may experience with their diverse sets of console controllers. If I hear enough reports, I'll likely update the controller library that I used for the game. And depending on the interest levels, I'd be very excited to add more content post-release, like extra rules for the multiplayer modes which recently came to mind.
Looking forward to hearing more from our players!
