Update 1 Patch 1 Official

Release Notes: Update 1 Patch 1

Welcome to the Release Notes for Dungeons & Dragons Online! These release notes were posted Monday, November 16th 2009.

News & Notes

Of Special Note:

True Reincarnation

We're pleased to announce a new feature for our more seasoned DDO players: True Reincarnation! A true reincarnation lets the player recreate a more powerful character and change anything about them (except for the name and gender), including their class and race. Tapping into memories of their former selves, true reincarnated characters will receive additional build points to spend in character generation as well as unique bonuses in the form of access to Past Life Feats. Each True generation will also be physically larger than previous generations (you're welcome Halflings!). True reincarnation allows players to relive their journey through Stormreach. Characters will keep no experience or favor upon creation, will start at level 1, and require more experience to progress through each level. True reincarnation grants 2 bonus build points for every true reincarnation, and are always base 32 point, even if the character was initially created as a 28 point.

When you reincarnate, your character will become taller, you'll have a special status icon on your name, and you'll begin your "new life" in Stormreach with extra ability points! You may True Reincarnate a character up to two times, for a total of 36 points. You will also be given access to a "past life" feat, where influences of your previous character class can aid you in your new life/profession.

A character must be level 20 to True Reincarnate, and must speak with Kruz the reincarnation trainer in House Jorasco. Kruz requires a True Druidic Heart of Wood to perform a reincarnation. True Druidic Hearts of Wood can be purchased in the DDO Store, or earned by collecting epic tokens in the new Epic difficulty dungeons. Misty, the apprentice of the Twelve, will offer True Druidic Hearts of Wood in exchange for 20 epic dungeon tokens.

NOTE: True Reincarnation will start your character in the Korthos experience. It is not possible to use veteran status while reincarnating. Please also note that reincarnation will remove any tomes, level sigils, buffs, raid flags, exclusive hair styles/colors, quest progression, or other effects applied to your character. Only equipment is kept. Your equipment is waiting for you in your bank in a special reincarnation cache. Items taken out of the reincarnation cache cannot be put back in. You may skip the Korthos experience by speaking with Jeets or the first mate on the dock in the village. To learn more about True Reincarnation, click here!

Epic Item Fixes

• Numerous epic items have been upgraded or fixed. For a limited time you can place your epic items and a Scroll of Dispel Magic in an Altar of Epic Rituals, and activate the Eldritch Device to replace the item with the newer model. Note that this will clear any augment crystals in the item and remove any other Eldritch Rituals that have been performed upon it.
• In a future update, the component cost to clear augment crystals will be changed from a Scroll of Dispel Magic to Epic Dungeon Tokens, but it is temporarily lower to allow upgrades of early items.
• CAUTION: Items that are "exclusive" should NOT be placed in the stone of change for these rituals, as it will destroy the item. This includes the following exclusive items: Stinkpelt's Hide, Bow of the Elements (Air), Tinder, Ring of Spell Storing, Dusk Heart, Axe of the Chained Soldier, Robe of Fire. Please see the known issues for more information.

New in the DDO Store

Hair Styles

It is now possible to change your character's hair style thanks to the magic of hair style tonics! Whether you're looking to make your hair shorter, longer, or specially styled, hair style tonics will change your character's hair right in the game. Exclusive styles, found only in the DDO Store, are available for male and female characters. All available hair products can be found in the Cosmetics category of the DDO Store!

Double Duty Reversion Tonic

Why purchase a hair style reversal tonic and hair color reversion tonic separately when you can use a single tonic instead! If you'd like to return to your original hair color and/or style, we now offer three types of Hair Reversal Tonics in the DDO Store! Using the tonics you may:

• Reverse your hair color to the original color your character had at character creation with hair dye reversion tonic!
• Reverse your hair style to the original style your character had at character creation with hair style reversion tonic!
• Reverse both the color and style to the original your character had at character creation with new double duty reversion tonic!

So try new looks, live more boldly, and dare to be different, because with a reversion tonic you can always change it back!

Hireling Folders

Running out of room for your Hireling contracts? Stocking up on contracts before you head out for adventure? Hireling Contracts Folders are now available for all your contract storage needs! These special containers come in multiple sizes and can hold contracts in stacks based on the size of the folder.

• A small folder can hold up to two types of Hirelings in stacks of 10.
• A medium folder can hold up to four types of Hirelings in stacks of 10.
• A large folder can hold up to eight types of Hirelings in stacks of 10.
• A huge folder can hold up to twelve types of Hirelings in stacks of 15.

When you're ready to use your hireling(s), pull out the contract from the folder and activate it. Once activated, a Hireling contract cannot be returned to the folder. You may move contracts in and out of the folder so long as they have not been activated. Contract folders are bound to character and able to be stored in your regular character bank. To purchase Hireling Contracts Folders visit the Gear & Equipment category of the DDO Store.

DDO Store Changes

• The DDO Store includes an all new display for Turbine Point bundles! you can now see how many bonus points you receive with your bundle purchase!
• Improvements have been made to the search feature to return more accurate results. Please see the known issues list for any outstanding search issues.

Quest & Adventure Area Changes

The Shroud Raid

• The Shroud is back, and... Shroudier than ever! (i.e. it is no longer possible to become stuck in the quest with no way to finish it).

I Dream of Jeets

• Fixed a bug that prevented some monsters from being targetable using the mouse button.

The Mindsunder

• Enemies near the start of The Mindsuner quest now aggro properly.
• Due to problems with thieves, the Dar Qat Trade Mission in this quest is now less likely to store extremely valuable items near the entrance.
• It is no longer possible to destroy The Mindsunder before beginning the battle with Torkaar.

Reaver's Reach

• Players whose guest passes have expired will now be able to exit the underwater fortress. We hope you enjoyed your stay!

Chamber of Raiyum

• Fixed a perch issue with the Sarcophagus in each of the end boss rooms.
• You must now complete the quest in Chamber of Raiyum before you can open the epic chest at the end of the quest.

Tower of Despair

• Removed undesirable perch spot in the Tower of Despair.

Offering of Blood

• Respawn rates of some of the Drow chasers has been toned down slightly on Epic Difficulty.

The Inspired Quarter

• Questgiver Carthay Cave in the Inspired Quarter will no longer become overwhelmed by mass amounts of people, and is ready to give the quest to anybody he speaks with.

Scorpion Monastery

• Scorpion Monastery's gravity effects have been fixed.

Demon Sands

• You must now complete the quest in Offering of Blood on epic difficulty to get your epic end reward chest.

Come Out and Slay

• Fixed a text error involving the small chests.

Cabal of One

• To show his appreciation, Gardak will now go through his door if you let him live.

General Quest Changes

• On Epic Difficulty, any creatures that attack with arrows, bolts, javelins, or throwing rocks are now using proper epic strength ammunition and will do, on average, much more damage with their ranged attacks. You've been warned.
• Epic chests may be epic, but they must still obey the laws of ransack.
• Lockania, who gives the Dragonmark quest, has left the Harbor and found a new home in the Marketplace.
• The following quests are no longer shareable
  • Sorjek's crafting quests
  • The Dragon Armor quests in Giant Hold Tor
  • The Bronze Token Quests in Demon Sands

Skills, Feats, and Abilities

Wizards

• Wizards can now select Mental Toughness, Improved Mental Toughness, and Spell Focus feats in place of metamagic feats at levels 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20. This ensures that they cannot end up in a situation where they are unable to select a class feat at level-up.

Barbarians

• The Frenzied Berserker II Supreme Cleave ability now applies weapon effects as intended to secondary targets.

Favored Souls

• Favored Souls will use their Favored Soul level for Spell Resistance calculations.

Spells

• Implosion's FX have returned!

Items

• All tomes now possess appropriate minimum levels. (+1 Level 3, +2 Level 7, +3 Level 11, +4 Level 15, +5 Level 19)
• If you used a no-minimum level tome prior to the patch, you will now properly receive the full benefits of that tome.
• Seeker items have been retroactively restored to their pre-Update 1 state. (+8 and +10 instead of +7 and +8)

Other Changes

• As a representative of the Twelve, Misty has taken lessons in basic economics and eaten an Int tome. (Being a Sorcerer, Int was a dump stat and she had a little bit of trouble with elementary math and the value of objects.)