Steadfast Steward's Update Pt 2 - 1st Build Live

The second part of our Steadfast Steward’s update is here! This build is now testable on our public beta channels. For details on how to participate, check out this recent blog post!

Please note that this build is focused on completing the remaining work from this summer’s Steadfast Steward’s update and thus will not be as expansive. Specifically, this update is focused on the following areas:

• Finishing the 2 remaining hero reworks - Hellion and Leper

• Adding 2 more options to The Dam

• Minor fixes and improvements 

Due to the smaller scope, we expect to be on our public beta branches for only a couple weeks, while we ingest community feedback and iterate. This first build contains all the scheduled work for this update. Read on to see all of the changes.

HEROES

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

• 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 not usable if the Leper does not have any stress or 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, stacking up to 3 times

  • 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+ now grant 1 Strength when used

• Revenge and Revenge+ chance of granting Strength on turn start reduced from 100% to 75%

• Revenge and Revenge+ buffs do not stack

• 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

• Ruin and Ruin+ now generate Ruination tokens any time combat damage is taken over 2 turns, stacking up to 10 times

• Ruin now grants Ruin Has Come after 2 turns, causing the next successful hit to deal +15% DMG per Ruination token

• Ruin+ now grants Ruin Has Come+ after 2 turns, causing the next successful hit to deal +20% DMG per Ruination token

  • 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 easier to visually process via the token system instead of a buff that appears to vanish out from under you.

• Solemnity and Solemnity+ can no longer be activated if the Leper is both above the health threshold and has 0 stress

  • Dev Note: This prevents activating the skill when it will have no effect.

• 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 and Withstand+ buffs do not stack

• 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+ Block+ reduced to 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.

• Path Seal description has been rewritten

• Path seal now reflects the Combat Start: Blind information

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.

• Revenge is now a Path skill

• 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 down 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.

• Path seal now reflects the Combat Start: Blind information

• 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+ do not grant +3 SPD while active

• Revenge and Revenge+ grant 2 Strength when used

• 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

  • Dev Note: We wanted Revenge to better reflect the nature of the Poet, with Regen that can feed into Ruin or self-survival and the ability to inflict negative tokens back on his attackers. This version of Revenge grants a little more Strength up front since it has no continuous generation.

• 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 previous 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+ 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+ have a 75% chance to grant 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. A chance for continuous Taunt generation can keep focus on the Poet over time.

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-contained Leper.

• Path seal now reflects the Combat Start: Blind information

• 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 non-corpse target, he gains +1% Monarch's Oath permanently

• When the Monarch kills a lair boss, he gains +10% Monarch's Oath permanently

• Monarch's Oath stacks to +66%

• Monarch's Oath affects Chop, Purge, Ruin, and Solemnity

• 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 isn't about to become a dancing 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 9-15 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 and Purge+ launch ranks increased from 1 to 1 2

• Purge and Purge+ target ranks increased from 1 to 1 2

• Purge and Purge+ no longer apply Vulnerable

• Purge and Purge+ no longer apply Knockback 3

• Purge and Purge+ now ignore Dodge

• Purge and Purge+ destroy 2 positive tokens on the target

• Purge DMG remains pre-rework value of 2-4

• Purge has a 1% chance to steal all positive tokens from the target; this chance is increased by half the value of Monarch's Oath

• Purge+ DMG remains pre-rework value of 3-5

• Purge+ has a 1% chance to steal all positive tokens from the target; this chance is increased by the value of Monarch's Oath

• Purge+ no longer applies Combo

  • 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.

• Reflection is now a Path skill

• Reflection and Reflection+ target an adjacent ally

• Reflection and Reflection+ do not heal stress on this Path

• Reflection and Reflection+ copy any positive tokens on the Monarch to the targeted Hero

• Reflection has a cooldown of 2

• Reflection does not remove Weak, Vulnerable, or Combo from the Monarch

• Reflection+ has a cooldown of 1

• Reflection+ removes Weak, Blind, Vulnerable, and Combo from the Monarch

• Reflection+ does not grant any Debuff RES based on negative token 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+ do not share any of the effects used by the Wanderer version

• Ruin grants a Ruin Has Come token that lasts for 3 turns

• Ruin Has Come token grants bonus damage to non-Chop skills equal to Monarch's Oath

• Ruin Has Come token causes the Monarch to gain +1 stress per target hit

• Ruin+ grants a Ruin Has Come+ token

• Ruin Has Come+ token grants bonus damage to non-Chop skills equal to Monarch's Oath

• Ruin Has Come+ token causes the Monarch to gain +1 stress per target hit

• Ruin Has Come+ token grants Execution 1 to all Melee Skills

• Ruin+ additional buffs any adjacent allies with a DMG bonus equal to half of Monarch's Oath for 2 turns when used

  • 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 his allies.

• Solemnity is now a Path skill

• Solemnity heal reduced from 33% to 25%

• Solemnity gains a heal bonus equal to Monarch's Oath; this makes the heal ~33% at 33 Oath and ~42% at 66 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 Oath and ~66% at 66 Oath

  • Dev Note: It's only fair that another signature skill benefit from all the work the Monarch puts in to gain his power.

Leper Trinket 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%).

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.

• Winded DMG penalty changed from -33% to a flat -2 DMG per token

• Winded SPD penalty reduced from -3 to -2 per token

• Skills that grant Winded can no longer be used when Winded is maxed at 3 tokens

  • 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 winds up gutting 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 when using AoE skills.

• Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ can no longer be used if the Hellion has 3 Winded

• 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 apply 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.

• Bleed Out and Bleed Out+ can no longer be used if the Hellion has 3 Winded

  • Dev Note: Bleed Out has been slightly adjusted to abide by the new Winded properties and restrictions.

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ DMG buff vs. targets with Bleed adjusted from +30% (5 turns) to +30% (2 Turns)

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ DMG buff duration is now increased by +1 Turn per Winded removed by the skill

• Bloodlust+ now grants all Melee Skills Execution 2 (2 Turns)

• Bloodlust+ Execution buff duration is increased by +1 Turn per Winded removed by the skill

  • Dev Note: We decided that Execution vs. a target that's already suffering from a DOT wasn't sufficiently impactful, so the skill's mastery version now lets the Hellion slaughter with far greater indiscrimination.

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ cannot be used if the Hellion has 3 Winded

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ is now an AoE that targets ranks 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 apply 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 buff. 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 refreshing 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 thinking 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 are still valuable for reactivating it.

• If It Bleeds DMG reduced from 3-6 to 3-5

• If It Bleeds+ DMG increased from 3-6 to 4-6

  • Dev Note: DMG has been slightly adjusted in both directions to better reflect her new reach, new Winded penalties, and provide a little more mastery value. Further adjustments are forthcoming.

• Raucous Revelry and Raucous Revelry+ have had their self-heal threshold increased from 33% HP to 50% HP

• Raucous Revelry and Raucous Revelry+ can no longer be used if the Hellion has 3 Winded

• 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.

• 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)

  • 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+ heal 10% instead of scaling with Winded removed

• Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ do not grant a buff that heals the Hellion per hit

• Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ passively convert all Bleed, Blight, and Burn to Dodge+ when the Ravager hits Death's Door while the skill is equipped. This only triggers if the Ravager has an active DOT at the time.

• Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ passively disable the conversion effect for 3 Turns after it triggers

• Adrenaline Rush grants 1 Regen (3 Turns), increased by +1 Regen per Winded removed

• Adrenaline Rush+ grants 2 Regen (3 Turns), increased by +1 Regen 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!+ do not ignore Stealth

• Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ do not remove Stealth

• Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ do not apply Weak

• 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

• Barbaric YAWP!+ cooldown increased from 0 to 1

  • 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 Wanderer version

• Bloodlust is now a Path skill

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ do not share any effects with the Wanderer version

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ do not end your turn

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ deal 7 DMG to the Ravager, increased by +7 DMG per Winded removed. This DMG triggers 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 converted.

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ passively grant Execution 3 while the Ravager is on Death's Door

• Bloodlust converts all Winded into Dodge

• Bloodlust+ converts all Winded into Dodge+

  • 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 of where you were, particularly if paired with Adrenaline Rush's passive effect.

• Breakthrough is now a Path skill

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ target ranks remain 1 2 3 but this version of the skill is single target

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ move the Ravager forward 2

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ ignore Block

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ apply 1 Winded when used

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ remove all Block from the target

• Breakthrough+ prevents the target from gaining Block for 2 rounds

  • Dev Note: The Ravager keeps a variation of the former Breakthrough, allowing her to participate in dancing teams and break down a target's defense.

• 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 DMG reduced from 8-14 to 8-12

• Howling End+ DMG reduced from 10-18 to 10-14

• Howling End+ does not ignore Block

  • 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 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." No additional On CRIT effects were added to Bleed skills because the Berserker hits hard enough that CRITs already generate a great deal of value from their direct DMG, even when Winded.

• 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 -1 DMG and -1 Bleed Dealt

• This Path has a singular low-health buff that activates under 50% HP, granting +1 Bleed Duration Dealt

  • Dev Note: We wanted the Winded effect to more distinctly revolve around the Path identity, so it negatively impacts DMG to a lesser degree but disrupts Bleed as well. 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.

• Bleed Out is no longer a Path skill

• Bleed Out and Bleed Out+ no longer have an inherent +33% Bleed RES Pierce

• Bleed Out DMG reduced from 4-8 to 4-7 to match Wanderer

• Bleed Out CRIT reduced from 15% to 5% to match Wanderer

• Bleed Out+ DMG reduced from 6-9 to 5-8 to match Wanderer

• Bleed Out+ CRIT reduced from 20% to 10% to match Wanderer

  • Dev Note: Bleed Out no longer needed a version unique to this Path with other changes that were made.

• Bloodlust is now a Path skill

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ do not share any effects with the Wanderer version

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ remove all Winded

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ have a cooldown of 3 turns

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ do not end your turn

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ passively grant Gain On Crit: Ignore Winded (1 Turn)

• Bloodlust and Bloodlust+ disable this passive effect for 4 turns when used

• Bloodlust+ passively grants Turn Start: +3% CRIT per Bleed source on Enemies (1 Turn), up to +12% CRIT

• Bloodlust+ disables this passive effect for 3 turns when used

  • Dev Note: With this skill, the Berserker gains a little more control over her Winded state but the action economy of it comes at a price. The passive effect being drive by Bleed source, rather than a count of Bleeding enemies, means it retains value when fighting both groups or single targets such as bosses. Work with your team to maximize the bonus.

• Breakthrough is now a Path skill

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ target ranks changed from AoE 1 2 3 to AoE 2 3

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ apply 1 Winded when used instead of per target hit

• Breakthrough DMG reduced from 3-6 to 3-4

• Breakthrough applies 2 Bleed

• Breakthrough reduces Bleed RES on targets by 10% (3 Turns)

• Breakthrough+ DMG reduced from 4-8 to 4-5

• Breakthrough+ CRIT reduced from 10% to 5%

• Breakthrough+ applies 3 Bleed

• Breakthrough+ reduces Bleed, Blight, and Burn RES on targets by 10% (3 Turns)

• Howling End is now a Path skill

• Howling End and Howling End+ target ranks increased from 1 2 to 1 2 3 4

• Howling End and Howling End+ ignore DMG modifiers (buffs, tokens, etc) other than Winded

• Howling End and Howling End+ cannot CRIT

• Howling End and Howling End+ move the Berserker back 1

• Howling End and Howling End+ apply 1 Winded

• Howling End and Howling End+ require less than 3 Winded to use

• Howling End and Howling End+ DMG is increased by 50% of the remaining Bleed on the target. This does not remove the Bleed.

• Howling End DMG reduced from 8-14 to 4-8

• Howling End+ DMG reduced from 10-18 to 6-12

  • 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, applies Winded, and cannot interact with tokens. In the latter regard, it behaves like a DOT bomb.

• 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 and If It Bleeds+ launch ranks increased from 2 3 to 1 2 3 to match Wanderer

• If It Bleeds DMG reduced from 3-6 to 3-5 to match Wanderer

• If It Bleeds CRIT reduced from 15% to 5% to match Wanderer

• If It Bleeds+ DMG increased from 3-6 to 4-6 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 DMG reduced from 4-8 to 3-6

• Iron Swan applies 2 Bleed

• Iron Swan+ DMG reduced from 6-10 to 4-8

• Iron Swan+ applies 3 Bleed

• Iron Swan+ no longer applies Combo

  • Dev Note: The coveted and long awaited ability to Bleed Rank 4 outside of the Bounty Hunter. What more is there to say?

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 didn't intersect well. 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.

• Adrenaline Rush is now a Path skill

• Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ have no use limit

• Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ have a cooldown of 5

• Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ heal 10% instead of scaling per Winded

• Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ allow the Carcass to ignore the SPD penalty of Winded for 3 turns

• Adrenaline Rush and Adrenaline Rush+ remove all of the Winded after that buff expires instead of immediately

• Adrenaline Rush+ additionally allows the Carcass to ignore the "Self Winded is below 3" condition on skills for 3 turns

  • Dev Note: Adrenaline Rush lets the Carcass push herself harder when Winded, even using skills that would normally be blocked. She can continue to generate Block via her Path passive during that time and you can spend all of the Winded with Howling End or Bloodlust just before it's all removed anyways.

• Barbaric YAWP! is no longer a Path skill

• Barbaric YAWP! and Barbaric YAWP!+ no longer grant 2 Taunt

  • Dev Note: Barbaric YAWP! is a solid tanking skill in its own right, especially with changes made to Weak in recent patches. Between that and Toe to Toe no longer interfering with Winded on this Path, Barbaric YAWP! didn't feel like a skill that needed a unique Carcass version.

• Breakthrough is now a Path skill

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ are single target

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ have a cooldown of 1

• Breakthrough and Breakthrough+ remove all Winded if they hit a target

• 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+ 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.

• Howling End is now a Path skill

• Howling End and Howling End+ have no cooldown

• Howling End and Howling End+ remove all Winded when used

  • 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.

• Iron Swan is now a Path skill

• Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ move the Carcass back 1

• Iron Swan and Iron Swan+ Pull the target forward 2 ranks

• Iron Swan+ does not apply Combo

• 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.

• Toe to Toe is now a Path skill

• Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ apply 1 Taunt per Winded

• Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ do not remove Winded

• Toe to Toe and Toe to Toe+ do not apply Immobilize

• Toe to Toe cooldown increased from 1 to 2

• Toe to Toe+ does not ignore Winded

  • 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.

• 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 Trinket 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 Target: Ally: Apply Strength (95%) or Daze (5%). 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.

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

THE DAM

We have added a few more options to the Dam. Players can now play extended versions of Acts 1 and 2 (in order to unlock the extended version, you must first beat the Act). 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.

GAMEPLAY

• Updated Cultist trinket descriptions to clarify equip conditions.

• Applicable combat buffs from Trophies, Pets, Flames, and Alamanacs 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 

• 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)the Grand Slam achievement

• 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 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

• 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 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