Expansion Spotlight: Gear Flexibility & Mana Regeneration 🧙

We've heard your feedback.

In our upcoming expansion for Mabon's Gamble, we're saying goodbye to stat requirements on gear.

The original idea was to promote alternate builds to AIEW. And to some degree it worked. But it really just created new meta builds (7 str wizard). And while designing this expansion, and looking forward to future expansions, we didn't like the idea of being locked into this design.

So! With the stat requirements gone, any character can now wear any armor. This means your AIEW can don plate armor if you choose. Buutttt, there's a catch.

In this new system, when your total armor rating (AR) exceeds 30, you'll suffer a mana regeneration penalty. A wizard in cloth with a piece or two of leather stays easily under this, and you'll enjoy all that juicy mana regen.

But maybe you want a little more defense, or a chainmail piece has a huge stat upgrade you want. Well, now you can do it, but you'll sacrifice some mana regeneration.

How much mana regeneration are we talking?? Great question! Without the penalty, you regen 40% of your base mana out of combat and 15% in combat. Past 30 AR that percentage is reduced by half of your AR. So if your AR is 50 that would reduce the tick by 25% (30% out of combat and 11.25% in combat).

With this change we hope promote freedom in how you build and gear your characters while still maintaining balance in gameplay. We're listening to player feedback and evolving the game to offer more creative options as you explore the expansion from levels 100 to 200.

Expansion Spotlight: Weapon Damage Modifiers ⚔️

In our upcoming expansion, we're shaking up the weapon damage modifiers to introduce more variety and strategic depth to your character builds. We're also squishing the weapon skills, we explained that here in an earlier blog post.

Here's what's changing for damage modifiers and why:

Current System:

• Club, Maul, Axe, 2-Handed Sword, Mace: Strength only

• Longsword: Strength + Intelligence

• Short Sword, Throwing Weapons: Dexterity only

• Dagger: Dexterity + splash Intelligence

• Unarmed: Dexterity + Endurance

  
  

New System:

• Club: Strength only

• Maul: Strength + Endurance

• Axe: Strength + splash Dexterity

• 2-Handed Sword: Strength + Dexterity

• Mace: Strength + Intelligence

• Longsword: Strength + Intelligence

• Short Sword: Dexterity + splash Strength

• Throwing Weapons: Dexterity only

• Dagger: Dexterity + splash Intelligence

• Unarmed: Dexterity + Endurance

Do two-stat weapons deal more damage than one-stat weapons?

No, two-stat weapons don't deal more damage. They are balanced to be on par with one-stat weapons.

Can you clarify "splash"?

A splash stat is a secondary stat that contributes less to the weapon's overall damage compared to the primary stat.

What about my ASGW!?

ASGW remains the top dog damage dealer with clubs, mauls and axes while still remaining very competitive with 2-handed swords. And with the new weapon skills, most ASGW will likely favor Heavy 2-Handers, which conveniently, is clubs and mauls.

What about my __ build?!

There's a 100% chance these changes are a buff to that build/archetype. These changes are being made specifically to bring up other builds.

Will I be able to respec?

Skills, yes. Everyone will have their skills reset and build points refunded on expansion launch day. Additionally, a Bauble of Respec will be available for sale in game. Stats however, no, we will not be launching that feature yet.

Why are you making these changes?

We want to encourage diverse builds and we want all the weapons to be viable options. The issue has always been it's not worth sacrificing any strength for more dodges or spell power because you end up being bad at two things instead of great at one.

And again, to be clear, ASGW is still the top melee damage dealer... but this change may help close the gap, where your unique build is not doing as much raw melee damage, but the sacrifice in damage is now closer in value to the gain in other things.

Expansion Spotlight: Crafting 🔨

Crafting is back, and it's better than ever! We're reintroducing and expanding our crafting system to include not just armorsmithing and weaponsmithing but also tailoring and leatherworking skills.

For those of you ready to forge and stitch, this expansion will feature Admantium for weapons and armor, Rock Troll Leather for leather, and Sprite Silk for cloth. Each expansion moving forward will introduce a new tier of materials.

Crafted weapons and gear will have random rolls for damage, stats and even color!

What do you need to craft?

* Base Materials: These are your bars, hides, and other such primary resources, found only in the wild or the darkest corners of dungeons.

* Store-Bought Items: Each crafting skill requires specific purchased items. Example, Tanning Oil is essential for leatherworking in this tier.

* Crafting Tool: From the classic Armorsmithing Hammer to the newly introduced Seamster Kit and Leatherworking Kit, you'll need the tool of your trade.

* Mana Crystals: Mana Crystals are back, baby! Obtain these by harvesting magical items. The rarer the item, the more crystals. Mana crystals are also droppable and tradable, making them a valuable resource for all.

Crafting in Mabon's Gamble is not just about creating gear; it's about creating possibilities. Whether you're a veteran crafter or new to the forge, the expansion brings new opportunities to innovate, experiment, and excel. Happy crafting!