Welcome! I want to take a moment to welcome the new Barony fans! Thanks so much for taking a dive into the dungeons, and for your interest in what more we have in store for you in our next major update. It's been a ton of fun watching the new adventurers pour in during the Steam
Welcome!
I want to take a moment to welcome the new Barony fans! Thanks so much for taking a dive into the dungeons, and for your interest in what more we have in store for you in our next major update. It's been a ton of fun watching the new adventurers pour in during the Steam Summer sale. So, a hearty welcome to you from the Barony community!
If you're new here and want to find people to talk about and play Barony with, join our Discord!
IOD:Part 2 Equipment Dev Diary
Looking forward to using new weapons and armor in the upcoming Instruments of Destruction: Part 2 (FREE) expansion? Check out our Dev Diary about it and amplify your hype:
Note, of course, the Instruments of Destruction: Part 2 Update is a work-in-progress so some stats or behaviors you see in the video may be tuned differently on release!
New Equipment Materials!
We're eager to make your Barony runs feel more and more unique and memorable, and that includes what kinds of equipment you seek and equip as you explore. Whether it's dropped by foes, found in treasure chests, or purchased in shops, we expect Instruments of Destruction: Part 2 to bring a lot more variety to your adventuring kit!
Light Armors
A lot of adventurers already forego heavier Iron, Steel, and Crystal armors to keep their overall carry-weight down and their speed up. New lighter armors are an especially wise choice for low STR classes who are easily weighed down, but are still looking for some specific defensive benefits.
Melee Weapons
New weapon materials may motivate you to keep different material types of weapon around for different reasons! You'll get a bit more value out of your class's preferred weapon type when facing a foe who might otherwise be resilient against its strikes.
Ranged Weapons
Adventurers who survive better away from the front lines also have some great new options. Two new missile weapons and special ammo types add more tactical variety. Bones offer a more abundant, but disposable kind of throwing weapon, while plumbata and darts offer specialized debuffs that could change the outcome of a fight.
Shields
These new shields reward expertly timed blocking. The bone shield knocks foes back, the silver punishes foes with a divine gleam, and the blackiron shield lowers the enemy's defenses. They may not offer the absolute highest AC, but they may help you put an end to fights sooner thanks to their retaliatory benefits.
Heavy Armors
Salamanders have crafted specialized armor for all of their warriors. The silver set is reserved for stalwart defenders, the immovable object. The blackIron set was produced for their conquering army, the irresistible force. Though not quite as protective as crystal armor, the passive benefits will likely be worth it for many stronger fighters.
Even More Items?
We've gotta leave SOME stuff for you to discover for yourself! But we're excited to add a few more item variants to the pool which provide enchantments on top of their standard equipment values. Adventurers have been putting the "Eat My Hat" update's masks and headgear to good use, and we think more specialized equipment is a ton of fun, so we know you'll adapt well to these new goodies that are on the way.
We are excited to see how all the new items we've talked about today will impact your runs!
Of course, there are yet more features we're excited to reveal coming in Instruments of Destruction: Part 2! We'll be hard at work getting ready to show and shop more of that.
New player? ... And you already want more Barony NOW!?
Grab the Perfect Party Bundle. The cost of any items you already own are subtracted from the total, and this bundle provides a 10% discount on our DLC! There's plenty more to master!
We have a merch shop now where we sell a sticker, a shirt, and a hat. I'm wearing the shirt as I type this. It's great! Some dude came up to me at the airport and he was like "Whoa you like Barony?" And I was like "DO I EVER?!" He beat the game as the ninja class once, and we met because I was wearing a Barony shirt. Is that a great story or what?
A shirt with a voxel duck on it? Just what you've always wanted! You can buy it!
Let's dive right in to this dev diary-style video where I talk a bit about what kinds of new places you can look forward to exploring in Instruments of Destruction Part 2! New Biomes! As the video covers, we've got two new major biomes to explore, both of which reside in the myst
Let's dive right in to this dev diary-style video where I talk a bit about what kinds of new places you can look forward to exploring in Instruments of Destruction Part 2!
As the video covers, we've got two new major biomes to explore, both of which reside in the mysterious realm of the Eternals.
The first is the Ancient Fortress, the long-abandoned battleground where Dryads, Myconids and Gremlins fight over territory.
Second is the Eternals' Keep, a securely guarded castle where the enigmatic Salamanders still live and keep their customs.
New Secret Levels!
Both of these new zones bring two new secret levels each. But we're also revisiting some of the classic biomes, which we felt deserved some new secrets as well. You can look forward to exploring new secret areas in the Underworld, Hell, Crystal Caves, and the Citadel for a total of 10 all-new secret levels!
Depending on the path through the dungeons you like to take, you'll be able to explore as many, or as few of these new locations as you like.
New Music!
Each new location comes complete with new puzzles, traps, treasure, and challenges, in addition to brand new music by composer Garrett Williamson. Our updated soundtrack will offer an additional 45 minutes of new music!
More to Come!
We hope you enjoyed this taste of what's coming in our new locations. We have another teaser on the way, so keep an eye out for our next announcement as we work toward the completion of the free Instruments of Destruction: Part 2 update.
1 MILLION Sold on STEAM ! We're very excited to report that Barony has now sold more than 1 MILLION units of the base game alone on Steam! While Barony has been out for 11 years now, about 75% of Barony adventurers have joined the party since 2023 when we released the Quality of
1 MILLION Sold on STEAM!
We're very excited to report that Barony has now sold more than 1 MILLION units of the base game alone on Steam! While Barony has been out for 11 years now, about 75% of Barony adventurers have joined the party since 2023 when we released the Quality of Death update!
We want to offer a huge THANK YOU, both to the 250k of you who have just begun adventuring in the last ONE YEAR, and our die-hard champions who have been with us since the beginning. Your questing has made it possible for us to keep pouring our passion into the project.
If you love to go adventuring in Barony, I'll take this moment to encourage you to leave us a review!
90% Discount during the Steam Summer Sale!
The timing of us getting through the 1 Million threshold is just right to celebrate during the Steam Summer sale. For the duration of the site-wide sale, Barony has been discounted to an irresistible90% off! Now is the perfect time to drag a friend (perhaps kicking and screaming) into the deadly dungeons with you. Buy a ton of gift copies and shower them on your loved ones! Scatter them among your enemies! Make a Steam account for your cats and buy them a copy!
This is a special event discount for Barony, so hop in while it's here!
For the first time, we're offering an avenue to get Barony's DLC discounted with the Perfect Party Bundle! The bundle includes the base game and all 3 DLCs, all at a permanent 10% discount.
The Perfect Party Bundle is a "complete the collection" style of bundle, so you'll get that additional discount no matter how many pieces of the bundle you already own, with the cost of what you already own removed from the final sale price. A perfect chance to finally fill out your Barony roster of adventurers!
As a little treat, we've put together a Steam startup video for you die-hard dungeon-delvers so that you can die before your game system even fully boots! This is great for Steam Deck [and future Steam Machine] owners, and will also play when you enter Big Picture mode.
In January of this year we released the Deserters & Disciples DLC alongside the free Instruments of Destruction: Part 1 major update, and many of you are patiently awaiting the arrival of Instruments of Destruction: Part 2. This week we're ready to share a bit more of what is in store for you. We're hard at work and are excited to whet your appetite for dungeon crawling with some new juicy details!
This patch is compatible for Crossplay with the V5.0.2 update available now on Switch. Gameplay General: Tinkering Craftables reduced 10 Tinkering skill items requirement to 0 Lowered Iron/Bronze Treasure Room Tinkering requirement for lockpicking from 45 to 40 for early game roo
This patch is compatible for Crossplay with the V5.0.2 update available now on Switch.
Gameplay General:
Tinkering Craftables reduced 10 Tinkering skill items requirement to 0
Lowered Iron/Bronze Treasure Room Tinkering requirement for lockpicking from 45 to 40 for early game rooms
Sinks/fountains now drop identified potions when bottling them
Workbenches/Cauldrons are now highlighted on the minimap in light blue circles when the tiles are discovered on the map
Generated Spellbooks now alternate between Magic skills when generating in Shops/Chests/Floor to assist variety
E.g 3 spellbooks on the floor in 1 level, or in 1 Chest, or in 1 Shop will be Sorcery, then Mysticism, then Thaumaturgy starting randomly
Shops/Chests/Floor generate independently of each other, so still may spawn the same school as their first item
Previous floors are not taken into account for next level's generation
Lowered frequency of Readable Books spawned in floor generation, 50% re-rolling to a different item category if picked
Deserters & Disciples:
Bard Instruments: Lowered scaling of stat bonuses, Bard's starting bonuses unchanged
Bard Instruments: Now consume % Max MP per play cycle (If previously was 3 MP per cycle now is 3% Max MP etc). Minimum cost 1 MP / cycle, lowered MP costs than previous in early game
Fix Instrument "Next Stat Bonus" on tooltip being off by 1 CHR
Bard's Rapier Critical Damage bonus reduced from +50% to +25%
Fix description for Gnome not mentioning extra gold found in breakables
Gremlin can now gain Vandal points when armor breaks by effects of Destroy Armor and cursed Repair scrolls
Gremlin increased Vandal points gained on Boss stages
Sapper's Frypan now can quick access Cook menu by defending and pressing Use (Not Attack like the tinkering kit, in case it interferes with using as a shield)
Updated tooltip details to mention this
Fix Gremlin description resistances not listing all resists
Gremlin Vandal tooltip updated to mention all melee damage increases, not just breakables
Fix Deface spell targets leaving unpathable tiles when destroyed
Fix Deface spell on Cauldron leaving behind light field
Salamander's Breathe Fire tooltip added notes on how MP cost changes (+1 MP per 50 Max MP, 2x cost when below 40% Max MP)
Fix Salamander's Breathe Fire debuff not awarding additional MP on kill correctly for players 3/4
Fix Salamander Stone effect not mentioning immune to all damage, not just melee
Fix tooltip for Salamander to mention 35% effective hunger rate, not 25%
Fix Dryad Growth not increasing received Fire spell damage beyond 1 stage
Deserters & Disciples race neutrality to humans etc now allows walking through them
Max Leadership Deserters & Disciples races can recruit Insectoid/Goatman/Goblins correctly
Spells/Items:
Abundance spell now costs MP per proc, fixed level ups not occurring
Divine Zeal spell lowered PWR scaling
Envenom Weapon spell fix poison duration being longer than intended and slowing levelling progress
Overcharge spell can now provide skill level ups when casting reduced MP cost spells
Booby Trap spell fix not dealing 2x damage to mimics when slippery
Blood Waves spell fix tooltip displayed damage calculation, reduce INT multiplier from 4 to 3
Donation spell no longer targets breakables over pits as the items fall and despawn
Increased Fire Sprite spell attack speed from 3x normal enemy delay to 2x
Sleep from Magic Traps no longer reapplies to players until the existing Sleep effect ends
Earth Sprites can now path through Germinate Shrubs instead of attempting to break it
Fix spell tooltips not updating when MP cost changes
Off-hand Instruments/Mage Foci/Dark Icons/Holy Symbols no longer provide AC effectiveness as though you are blocking with a shield when playing/casting
Fix Magic Foci/Holy Symbol/Dark Icons not displaying their +PWR % to spell schools, incorrectly displaying skill bonus
Infected Branch Bow Spores now count as being cast by magicstaff vs normal spellcasting for levelling Mysticism
Enemies:
Shadow enemy "Mimic Other" effect now increases the Shadow's STR and DEX if the target's modified stats are higher. 20% of the stat difference is added to the Shadow each mimic attempt.
NPCs with Rapiers no longer receive DEX penalty on light attacks
Monsters that spawned with a leader that died can now be recruited (E.g rats following Algernon, goatman pairs)
Controls:
'Hotbar Quickcast' is now an option under Controls, separate per player and keyboard/gamepad
Attempts to cast a spell without needing to Ready the spell first
Holding ALT while selecting a spell when enabled will instead Ready the spell to be cast using the default F/LB binding
ALT modifier on keyboard can be rebound, see "Alternate Item Use Modifier" in the bindings list
Added a Controls option for "Mouse Events Limit" to limit the amount of mouse motion registered per game frame to avoid large camera swings
Default value is Unlimited
When set, if there is a abnormal stutter in-game it will process only up to the defined number of events and reduce disorientation caused by many queued motion events
At 60 FPS, typical 1000Hz mice will return 16-17 motion events (Set to around 18), 144 FPS 6-7 motion events (Set to the minimum of 10). Formula is approx 1000 / FPS.
Use command /debug_mouse_motion true and set the Controls setting to below Unlimited to check in-game the number of mouse movements captured, particularly for higher Hz mice as that will multiply the amount of events received compared to standard 1000Hz
Bugfixes/Other:
Improved Server performance with Client inventories, clients using items no longer create lingering vacant items on the server slowing iteration/save/load speed
Previously a change to backstabs meant that moving monsters with a target were ineligible, now a moving target is eligible for backstab events, but only receives flanking DMG bonuses
Cure Ailment no longer "cures" blindness from blindfolds for spell levelling purposes
Liches no longer kill non-human player NPC allies on death
Items when degrading re-roll their appearance to fix instances where duplicate "Equipped" hand icon would appear
Fix Parry Tank achievement tracking
Fix Skillsheet text for "Spells able to advance current magic skill" to "Spells ideal to advance" to match spell levelling changes
Fix torch duplication bug
Fix gravestones in the Castle being impassable if player is stuck inside
Fix Mimics being able to spawn in Gold Treasure Rooms within the Ruins
Fix keys within the Minotaur Maze/Mystic Library not generating with the same quality as other keys for stacking
Fix Insectoid wearing Ring of Resolve losing Max MP when leveling up
Fix monsters picking up items with light fields (orbs etc) not clearing lights when picked up
Fix "Short Shorts" achievement not working correctly for duplicate character races
Fix "Confessor" achievement awarding when not using Dominate
Fix Steam Rich Presence for Mechanist class listed as "Machinist"
Fix Blindfold -10 PER not calculating correctly on the tooltip when Cursed
Fix some new spells incorrectly labelled as "Projectile" on the tooltip
Fix Summon Earth Sprite, Forge Jewel, Spellbook of Spores not listed in the Compendium
Fix inaccessible cloak listed in the Compendium
Fix incorrect bridge models inside a Citadel room
Fix thrown "hit by" message being incorrect after processing a potion effect
Fix memory leak unloading/loading holiday themes, and unloading mods that modify .vox models
Fix Booby Trap not listed in Compendium
Fix a key not generating for a Swamp Treasure Room with a Silver Lock
Fix double sound effect playing with Deface spell cast
V5.0.1 Changelog (Windows date 03/02/26, Mac/Linux date 02/02/26) Fixed Achievements being disabled on Mac Fixed desyncs between Windows + Mac/Linux in Cockatrice Lair Swimming: Base swimming speed has increased from 50% to 62.5% (Pre IOD Swimming skill of 25) normal movement spe
V5.0.1 Changelog (Windows date 03/02/26, Mac/Linux date 02/02/26)
Fixed Achievements being disabled on Mac
Fixed desyncs between Windows + Mac/Linux in Cockatrice Lair
Swimming:
Base swimming speed has increased from 50% to 62.5% (Pre IOD Swimming skill of 25) normal movement speed
Humans/Rat Form swimming speed is now 75% (Pre IOD Swimming skill of 50) normal movement speed
Spell Levelling:
Spells now use a less random RNG system for levelling, less likely for unlucky strings of levelling events to fail
Spells now have no hard-cap on skill levelling, every 20 levels you are above the spell tier slows levelling events by 4x
Holding ALT while selecting a spell will quick-cast it without the need for equipping (ALT + hotbar number keys / middle click / right click with inventory open in spells list / hotbar)
Appraisal:
Appraisal Fast Time reduced from 10 seconds to 5 seconds
Appraisal now automatically switches to lower-time items when available
Manually appraising will lock appraisal onto the desired item, white bordered progress will be shown instead of yellow
To unlock the item, use the appraisal hotkey again
Added a message on floor descent when all items appraisal progress is advanced by 25%-50% through skill level
Other:
Scion rescaled Scepter recharge from 20% per Tier to 5%
Increased Sigil/Divine Fortress levelling events
Preserve spell fix sustain mana cost being incorrect with tooltip, preserving Magic Reflection items costs 2x MP
Fix player head models for clients spawning as the default human male head on level respawn
Fix Marigold item not displaying in the Compendium masks section
Fix Dryad/Myconid leaderboard scores not submitting their Growth foliage status
Fix Spirit Weapon and Spores causing Spirit to aggro caster
Fix Lore skills page incorrect time reduction calculations
Fix Grease spell not awarding skill ups
Fix One Who Knocks achievement triggering when parrying
Co-op dungeon crawler Barony is one of those games you could easily have missed, yet stumble into the right crowd of people and they'll wax lyrical about how it's one of the best roguelikes around. There's good reason for that; first launched in 2015, Barony is still going strong
Co-op dungeon crawler Barony is one of those games you could easily have missed, yet stumble into the right crowd of people and they'll wax lyrical about how it's one of the best roguelikes around. There's good reason for that; first launched in 2015, Barony is still going strong nearly eleven years on, and developer Turning Wheel's latest update is one of its biggest in a long while. It features fundamental overhauls to the magic system with around 80 additional spells, upgrades to its word generation, and more crafting stations. All of that is accompanied by a new DLC that introduces five extra races and five classes to the mix, and you can grab the base game half off right now too.
It shows just how vast PC gaming has become that I had not heard of Barony until now, despite it being over a decade old and attracting thousands of players every day. After a wobbly start in 2015, the cooperative dungeon crawler has grown steadily in popularity over its lifespan
It shows just how vast PC gaming has become that I had not heard of Barony until now, despite it being over a decade old and attracting thousands of players every day. After a wobbly start in 2015, the cooperative dungeon crawler has grown steadily in popularity over its lifespan, and in the last 12 months has received more players than ever... Read more.
Summary of hotfixes/changes since V5.0.0 release, Mac/Linux builds still to come: Known issues: Game files are showing as modded on Mac, achievements disabled Desync in Cockatrice Lair for Linux/Mac with Windows players 31/01/26 Part 3 (Windows): Fixed Auto Appraisal not taking i
Summary of hotfixes/changes since V5.0.0 release, Mac/Linux builds still to come:
Known issues:
Game files are showing as modded on Mac, achievements disabled
Desync in Cockatrice Lair for Linux/Mac with Windows players
31/01/26 Part 3 (Windows):
Fixed Auto Appraisal not taking into account previous appraisal progression when determining the next item to appraise with the shortest time
31/01/26 Part 2 (Windows):
Fixed Hot Tub Time Machine achievement tracking
Fixed multiplayer client retaining equipment from last run after game restart
31/01/26 (Windows):
Deserters and Disciples races -20% stat penalties now only apply after reaching 5 in the stat
Deface spell now works correctly on Cauldron/Workbench, updated drop tables to include more items for Sinks/Graves
Reduced Crossbow + Swift Ammo reduction from 50% to 25%
Tutorials for Appraisal and Magic have been updated
Fixed Music/Sound mod loading from crashing
Fixed enemies with rooted status receiving 'backstab' damage, as they are still in combat
Fixed collision with grease puddles and spells cancelling impact on enemies
Fixed short races with "Disable Monster Abilities" heights not adjusting correctly
Fixed Salamander + purple hood model position
Fixed class-exclusive spells not displaying on skills page "Able to level skills from" list
Fixed spellbook "Dungeon Floor" display not matching new spellbook spawning behavior
Fixed Bolder Boulder achievement triggering on allies/self
Fixed Earth Sprite being impassable by some players
Fixed Mysterious Merchant being impassable by non-human players
30/01/26 (Windows):
Added a new branch 4.3.2 to rollback to for crossplay with other platforms that don't yet have the update
Fixed crash on shopkeeper spawn
Fixed Sanctuary tooltip
Fixed Bard Instrument Tier text tooltips not matching displayed effects (Tier I/II etc)
Fixed Slippery status effect tooltip
Fixed Earth Sprite not being commandable by clients
In late 2025 we decided to split the enormous “Instruments of Destruction” update into two parts, allowing us to get the new “ Deserters & Disciples” DLC to you as soon as possible, as much of that content is dependent on major game overhauls we were working on. While that wa
In late 2025 we decided to split the enormous “Instruments of Destruction” update into two parts, allowing us to get the new “Deserters & Disciples” DLC to you as soon as possible, as much of that content is dependent on major game overhauls we were working on. While that was still an enormous undertaking, the wait is now over! We’re proud to announce that part one of the FREEInstruments of Destruction update, and the Deserters & Disciples DLC, are now both LIVE!
If you’re here for the DLC, you can just go buy it now!
Naturally there’s a LOT to discuss, so let’s start with the free stuff! You can also go view the changelist on our blog with that link if you prefer, and you can get a quicker summary with our “Instruments of Destruction: Part 1” release trailer below.
“Instruments of Destruction: Part 1” includes many additions and overhauls that make each Barony adventure more dynamic and interesting, providing for totally new playstyles, improving the viability of some existing ways to play, and adding a little quality-of-life along the way. It also includes a bunch of fixes and tweaks to make your dungeon experience more fun and engaging!
If that sounds exciting to you then read on, champion!
Overhauled Magic System
The largest aspect of this update is a massive overhaul to Barony’s magic system, introducing the Barony world’s three primary schools of magic.
New Schools
“Instruments of Destruction: Part 1” replaces the Magic, Casting, and Swimming skills with three new skills which govern all spells:
Sorcery
The school most familiar to the classic wizard archetype, Sorcery features very direct effects. Those disciplined in this skill will have an easy time learning attack spells, in addition to straightforward but powerful defensive and utility magic. Manipulation of material forces, and writing exceptions to natural law, is the academic obsession for followers of this school.
Sorcery spells become more powerful based greatly on the caster’s INT stat.
Thaumaturgy
Commonly practiced by devout adventurers, Thaumaturgy is best known for its restorative effects unavailable to other schools. Enhancements to one’s self and followers makes for practical adventuring, in addition to spells that reveal hidden knowledge. But not all these spells are so benign, with some highly effective at pouring out righteous wrath upon evil spirits.
Thaumaturgy spells are more powerful based on the caster’s INT + CON stats.
Mysticism
The control of a target’s mind, body, and spirit is the purview of Mysticism. Manipulation of the mind, and corruption of the flesh from the inside out, are useful against foes in combat. Mystics are also able to beseech spirits that lie inside of all things, allowing them to alter them physically, sometimes with transformative results. Though often less direct than other schools, the practice is no less powerful.
Mysticism spells are more powerful based on the caster’s INT + CHR stats.
Each new skill governs dozens of spells, increasing the original count of ~30 spells by about +80. So while adventurers will no longer be able to learn every spell with a single magic skill, they now have a similar quantity of spells available to them, even if they only practice one school of magic!
Touched by Magic
A new way to cast is introduced by the new spell additions. Called “Touch” spells, some lock onto applicable targets while others can be cast directly on the environment. Once you cast the spell, it’s held in your hand where it stays until you release it. Simply use the attack button to send the spell to your target!
Grimoire Management
For adventurers who get the opportunity to practice multiple schools of magic, this button on the top left of the spell list can help quickly identify which spells belong to which schools, allowing for magic apprentices to manage their training more conveniently.
Tiers of Magic Training
All spells are available to casters at increasing tiers of proficiency. The growth potential offered by any one spell is now tied to the expertise required to learn it. Once a magic-user reaches a certain tier of mastery within a magic skill, simpler spells will no longer improve your ability! While those spells may still be useful, and many grow in power with the caster’s PWR meta-stat, practitioners of magic should expect to swap out their spells with more difficult ones to continue building on their magic abilities.
Easily spot which spells are good for your ability level with the new “+” indicator visible on the top right corner of applicable spell icons.
Class Divides
Many classes have received some small revisions, making them specialized in the magic skill which appeals to their playstyles. In practice, this means the Healer and Wizard are capable of casting very different spells from one another, and now both bring something special to the party when they join forces!
One revision includes the Arcanist. Now specialized in Sorcery, this class has lost the Light Thaumaturgy spell, but has access to the Sorcery spell Windgate in return.
Given opportunity and practice, any adventurer may still become competent in any magic skill.
Enhanced Dungeon Generation
While our largest additions to level design are waiting for “Instruments of Destruction: Part 2” this expansion brings a few major improvements of its own!
Treasure Rooms
Usually protected by an indestructible Iron Door, adventurers may now discover vaults throughout Barony’s dungeons. The treasure concealed within is secured by Wall Locks.Hidden somewhere on the same floor, often in chests, on tables, or inside breakables, a key which matches the material of the lock waits to be found! With the proper key, treasure rooms welcome adventurers to partake of the bounty on offer.
Rarity, Security, and Value
The value of treasures found within treasure rooms increases based on the security of the room itself. Iron Locks and Iron Keys are the most common, and are pickable with the proper skill and tools, though they hide less valuable treasures. As the difficulty of picking these locks increases with the depth of the dungeon, so to does the value of the treasure stored within, but iron treasure rooms rarely employ any other kinds of security measures but are (probably) the only ones that may be trapped!
Bronze, Silver, and Gold-sealed treasure rooms are heralded by colored dungeon lighting and will, at most, appear once per dungeon floor. Magically warded gates, unpickable locks, and unbreakable walls may thwart greedy thieves, particularly at deeper levels. Higher rarity treasure rooms have the most impassable security measures. GoldLocks, for example, are never pickable.
Informed Investment
Like their wooden counterparts, iron doors permit curious adventurers to peer through their grates AND sneaking a peek at what treasure hides within. Perhaps the key is best saved for another time!
Rolling Stones
The Mystic Orbs are no longer squirrelled away in secret levels, and now instead appear reliably in their own treasure rooms on certain floors. Watch for their eerie, colorful glow and seek out their corresponding key to claim them from their new cages!
Crystal Caves and Mystic Citadel Enhancements
Way back before Quality of Death, we began a project to enhance the level design of every one of Barony’s dungeon biomes with at least 5x more variety. Since then, we’ve shipped updates to the Mines, Swamp, Labyrinth, Ruins, plus even the Underworld and Hell. But the levels which, perhaps, needed it most were the Crystal Caves and the Mystic Citadel. Finally their time has come and the enhancement project is complete!
Crystal Caves
Pumphouses, kobold barracks, security spawners, and the occasional ancient trap or puzzle room will now offer variety to your exploration through the gleaming tunnels.
Mystic Citadel
Grander halls, courtyards, staterooms, and plazas bring some contrast to the tight industrial corridors of the magicians’ campus. The Archmagisters have had some new banners hung all over the walls as well!
Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?!
You may spot new rooms with buttons, or perhaps old rooms with buttons where levers were previously used. Throwing or firing a projectile at a button will set’em off! That’s cool right?
New Utility Stations
For those with alchemy and tinkering skills, or just cluttered inventories, there’s useful new furnishings appearing in the dungeons to make your delving just a bit more productive.
Workbench
The tinkering kit is great, but being that only the Mechanist class starts with it, and it’s both rare and expensive early on in the dungeons, it can be tough for other classes with tinkering skill to get by with what they need. The workbench is here for you!
The workbench features all the same functionality as the tinkering kit except that it’s stationary and unbreakable. Perfect for rogues who just want to keep a few lockpicks, noisemakers, and bear traps handy.
Lockpicking chests and certain spells can produce scrap for adventurers, so these stations provide a way to make use of that junk when you don’t have a kit!
Cauldrons
Cauldrons are big iron bowls that you can dump stuff into when you want to heat it up. In Barony, they have two modes. The first is the same as the alembic!
Unbreakable Alchemy
The cauldron allows more adventurers to do occasional brewing when they don’t have the portable alembic. Professional alchemists also benefit from the cauldron, brewing more caustic mixtures without endangering the durability of their precious alembics.
Cooking and Rations
The cauldron’s second mode is cooking! But it’s not all boeuf bourguignon and souffles. In the dungeons, you cook to survive. Cooking is as simple as taking two edible ingredients and mashing them up together, creating an unholy puck of nutrition called a ration.
As long as it’s not cursed, all food cooks into the same quality of rations which stack together. While they’re not as appetizing as fresh quality food, even mouldy bits are rendered harmless by cooking. So not only will you be able to consolidate your inventory, you’ll also be able to make more of your food safely edible, thanks to the cauldron!
Those wearing the proper hat, or have the Alchemy skill to do it are miraculously capable of making rations that are just as appetizing as fresh food!
Flavored Rations
Once you have a stack of rations, they can be further combined with potions, creating a flavored ration. Each potion confers one of six possible flavorings. This produces fewer rations to eat, but each flavor provides its own buff. Yum!
Slop and Grease Balls
When cooking, rations can be combined with water, creating a repulsive blob of no remaining nutritional value. This can, however, be thrown at enemies to blind and upset them.
By combining a ration with a towel in a cooking vessel, you can make a bunch of gross grease balls. Hitting a creature with one of these directly makes them greasy, causing them to drop their weapon next time they try to attack!
The grease balls also leave a trail of slippery grease. Enemies standing atop the grease will be knocked back by your melee attacks. Sources of fire, like a campfire, wall-mounted torch, or even a flaming projectile can set greasy floors ablaze, along with anyone standing on top of them!
RPG System Improvements
One of the important objectives of this update is to make your dungeon runs feel more different from one another. In the case of RPG mechanics, that meant making more things matter in the long term.
Appraisal Has Become Lore
Making way for the addition of musical instruments to the game, the appraisal skill has been renamed to lore. This allows it to serve double-duty as a skill that both empowers song, but also informs your character’s familiarity with items!
At the same time, some new changes are coming your way with item appraising, making it both less punishing at low levels, while helping it stay more meaningful at higher levels.
Very inexpensive items can now be appraised even with 0 skill in lore. By lore level 50, you will be able to appraise all items, though some will take a long time! After 50, items must be of a certain value to increase your lore skill. Appraisal speeds increase as you continue to grow beyond 50.
When descending dungeon floors, all items in your inventory advance their Appraisal time by 25%.
As a result of these changes, it’s no longer useful to pick up and appraise literally every item you find, but rather, things you actually want to use! This means you shouldn’t have to spend as much time managing your inventory. It also means that as you find items which actually are of value to you, manually selecting which items to appraise may become a higher priority.
Consequential Character Classes!
For exhaustive details, check out the changelist, but we’ll talk about the broad strokes briefly here. A combination of class and stat-based differentiators have been carefully constructed to make characters play a bit more differently from one another.
Tanks have substantially greater HP growth than other classes
Ambushers have substantially greater RGN growth than other classes
Casters have substantially greater MP growth than other classes
Strength now influences melee attack damage somewhat less
Dexterity now contributes more to ranged weapon damage
Intelligence now contributes to natural magic resistance
Perception now provides piercing shots to ranged attacks, and touch spell distance
Charisma now provides HP/MP restoration on levelup and advancing floors
By the end of the game, you should now notice much starker differences between your class’s competencies compared to those who specialize very differently. Meanwhile generalist classes still have a reliable blend suited to their strengths.
Live to Achieve!
You didn’t really expect us to add this much stuff to the game and NOT add a bunch of achievements, did you? With “Instruments of Destruction: Part 1” and “Deserters & Disciples” DLC achievements both added to the game, that’s close to +70 Achievements to earn as you explore all these new features.
As always, they’re relentlessly stupid, but also fully integrated into the Compendium and award Lore Points for your research! We hope you enjoy earning them as much as we enjoy making them. Also this means Barony has reached 300 achievements now. YAY!
That about wraps it up for "Instruments of Destruction: Part 1". There’s certainly more details to discover as you play, but we also invite you to read through the changelist on our blog as you please! With that done, let’s talk about our exciting new DLC.
Deserters & Disciples DLC
This is our most exciting DLC yet, and we know we’re providing some characters that you’re really excited about. We’re also introducing some oddballs that we think you’re going to have a blast with. Check out the “Deserters & Disciples” DLC trailer below if you haven’t seen it yet for bombastic gameplay video that shows off each class.
Like our previous DLC, each new race comes with a signature class. Humans are able to play as that class as well, and once you finish the game as that race, you’ll be able to play their signature class as any other DLC race you own. But this time, we’re offering 5 races & classes instead of 4!
Read on to explore all the details about each race and class:
The Salamander
Serving as loyal protectors from another realm, the Salamanders are strangers to the human world, but they are known from ancient legends as noble and intelligent, but fierce creatures. Humans respect, but perhaps fear them!
Their hearts are filled with an inner-fire which is used to power their magic, called Fervor (FR).
Fervor behaves like MP, but it can only regenerate to 50% on its own.
Taking actions such as slaying foes grants additional FR which can increase it beyond 50%.
Salamanders can breathe fire, igniting anything in front of them in at the cost of FR.
Igniting enemies with fire breath also restores some FR.
When they are filled with Fervor (75%+), breathing fire causes them to erupt with radiant glory!
While radiant, Salamanders levitate and have increased speed and PWR.
The next spell cast after becoming radiant costs no FR!
When low on Fervor, Salamanders become even more steadfast, cooling with stone-like flesh.
While stony, Salamanders have improved defenses, but move slowly.
For a few seconds after becoming stony, the Salamander is invulnerable to attack!
Salamanders hunger at an increased rate compared to humans!
The Paladin
Unfailingly dedicated to the service of the Eternals, Paladins are skilled and durable swordsmen with enough training in thaumaturgy magic to wield it with righteous fury.
Paladins come equipped with the deadly steel claymore and chain armor.
The claymore’s critical strikes sweep in a front-facing horizontal arc, dealing damage to any foes there.
The claymore’s heavy blade can parry physical attacks, which can help push the Paladin out of reach as it deflects the strike.
Chain armor weighs more than leather, but provides additional resistance to swords and axes.
Paladins also carry with them a Holy Symbol of Sanctuary, which they can use to cast in their off-hand.
Holy Symbols increase the duration of their protective spell while channeling, applying when released.
The protective duration of the Holy Symbol builds more quickly as the Paladin’s CHR improves.
Sanctuary provides a defensive bonus to any friendlies in the area when the spell is cast.
The Holy Symbol increases the Paladin’s Thaumaturgy PWR and emits white light while held.
The Paladin knows the Divine Zeal spell, which is sustained by ongoing magic cost.
Divine Zeal adds Smite damage to the Paladin’s physical attacks.
Smite is deadly versus undead and demonic enemies.
The Paladin carries Holy Water, which can be used to heal, or thrown at evil foes for damage.
The Dryad
Dryads are known to exist across the realms as indiscriminate protectors of the natural order, particularly among the trees. While poorly understood by humans, the wise do not pick fights with them.
Dryads naturally grow foliage as they pursue their work, which enhances their magical energies.
Foliage occupies the head equipment slot but provides additional magic PWR.
Equipping a helmet or hat will destroy foliage and prevent growth until it is removed!
Some Dryads are short, while others are tall!
Short Dryads may grow foliage more rapidly when watered.
Dryads can use magic to cover their body with thorns, damaging foes who strike them in melee.
Dryads have the ability to germinate, creating a healing shrub that drops nutritious nuts, but reduces the size of their foliage by 1 stage.
The shrub can inherit the Dryad’s thorns, if they are active.
The Dryad’s body is woody, and is weak to fire, axes, and swords.
With the personality of a stump, the Dryad is less likely to develop Charisma.
The Scion
Raised with uncompromising academic training, the burden of a family’s accomplishments and hopes lies with the Scion. The inheritor of great privilege, but with high expectations, and no martial prowess.
Unlike all other spellcasters, the Scion is equally skilled in all spell schools.
Dedication to knowledge has prepared the Scion to learn a wider array of spells than anyone.
Scions will have to adapt their strategies to the spells they find.
Inheritance has given the Scion the Archon Scepter, which fires powerful blasts of transcendent magical power.
The Scepter can be recharged by surrendering memorized spells.
The Scion wields a Dark Icon of Void Rifts as a last line of defense.
The Icon is wielded in the off-hand and its effect increases in duration as the spell is channeled, applying the Void Rift when released.
The Void Rift phases afflicted targets into the void, where their bodies remain in stasis for a time.
The Earth Sprite spell provides the Scion with a physical guardian, coaxed by Mysticism.
The Earth Sprite enters by falling through earthen ceilings, crushing those it lands upon.
Scions use Sorcery to cast Telekinesis, allowing them to interact with objects afar.
Telekinesis can be used to drag the Earth Sprite through fights, causing damage to everyone it touches on its path.
The Scion knows the Blessed Meals ritual from Thaumaturgy, granting Nourishment to anyone nearby who eats during the duration.
Nourishment increases RGN more as more hunger is restored.
Scions carry two Silver Keys.
The Myconid
Myconids are so rarely seen that some scholars have denied their very existence. Their isolated ways make them elusive, even more so because they seem only to dwell among the decaying areas of Dryad-protected forests. Being that they keep to themselves, Humans consider them more an astonishing curiosity, rather than a threat.
Myconids have the ability to release spores when struck, slowing and poisoning nearby foes.
Myconids grow foliage as they advance, which improves their defensive abilities.
Foliage occupies the head equipment slot but provides additional AC and physical resistances, and makes the Spores ability more potent.
Equipping a helmet or hat will destroy foliage and prevent growth until it is removed!
Myconids may be energized by consuming rot.
Some Myconids are short, while others are tall!
Short Myconids are more likely to benefit from rot.
Myconids have the ability to germinate, creating an edible mushroom, which also has its own means of self-defense.
Germinated mushrooms burst with toxic spores, and are more powerful depending on the Myconid’s foliage size.
The Myconid’s body is dense and spongy, but quite vulnerable to blades.
With its stumpy limbs, Myconids are less likely to develop Dexterity.
The Hermit
Hermits are accustomed to living alone, spending their time to commune with spirits and cosmic energy. Ascetic isolation is interrupted by wild ducks with surprising frequency, who claim Hermits as their mates for life, and may occasionally lead them into adventure. Hermits take special pride in crafting a shillelagh over months or years, which they wield with efficiency to defend themselves and their beloved ducks.
The Hermit’s Duck is wielded in the off-hand and can be thrown at foes to distract them, allowing the Hermit to move in for melee attacks.
Ducks are incredibly deft and dodge all kinds of harm.
All Ducks have names, but few are privileged to know what they are.
Hermits use the Deep Shade spell via Mysticism to create darkness that only they can see through, keeping them hidden.
Using Mysticism to cast the Project Spirit spell, Hermits can take the form of a Fowl Spirit to explore without exposing themselves to harm.
Followers can be commanded by the Fowl Spirit, and it can quack to distract foes!
While projecting, the Hermit’s body sits asleep and vulnerable.
The clubbed end of the Hermit’s unbreakable shillelagh is filled with a dense, and magically reactive metal.
Enemies struck by the shillelagh take more damage based on how many negative status effects they are under!
Hermits are novice Sorcerers, and use the Magicians’ Bubble spell to protect them from the next source of harm they face.
The smoking pipe is never far from a Hermit’s reach, which they use to calm their mind in preparation to use magic.
The Gremlin
Gremlins are rumored to have demonic lineage, originally serving the armies of Hell! Since then, they’ve been left to fend for themselves in an unwinnable war. Their chaotic nature makes them unmanageable for even the most vicious devils. Humans know better than to turn their back on these violent and destructive creatures.
All gremlins are short, and hated by almost everything.
Goblins will tolerate, but not follow a Gremlin.
Vandals by nature, Gremlins increase in speed, ferocity, and energy the more senseless destruction they wreak.
Gremlins can dismantle furnishings that others cannot using their innate Deface ability, which can sometimes yield surprises in the rubble.
Defacing furnishings also feeds their vandalizing desires.
At home in dank tunnels, Gremlins can see better in the dark while skulking about.
Though slippery and good at deflecting some kinds of damage, Gremlin flesh is supple and less likely to develop Constitution.
The Sapper
The untold heroes of many castle sieges, Sappers work many isolated hours in the dark in the attempt to undermine sturdy foundations with destructive technique. Though not hardened for close confrontations, Sappers are soldiers nonetheless, and have many tricks to bring down tough targets.
Sappers know a secret Sorcery technique called Booby Trap which allows them to prime explosive onto breakable objects.
When detonated, the item erupts in a fiery explosion, harming nearby foes!
The Sapper wears a shawl that leaves the arms free to nimbly place touch spells at further distance.
Often cut off from supply lines, Sappers keep a trusty Frypan on hand to prepare their own rations.
The Frypan grants access to portable Cooking!
It is very durable and can be used as a shield, in a pinch.
Sappers always have some old food supplies and towels on hand.
Using these supplies, Sappers can create Grease Balls!
Sappers wear Cleats, making their footsteps sturdy, even when walking in slippery grease.
Cleats permit the Sapper to hold fast, greatly diminishing the effect of knockback forces used against them.
The Sapper’s steel flail allows them to rapidly fend off foes at a distance, whirling the chain overhead.
Foes standing in Grease are easily knocked away by the flail’s repeated strikes!
After building up momentum, the flail unleashes a crushing critical strike.
With a few Bolas on hand, Sappers can tangle advancing foes, holding them still while the Sapper makes the next move!
The Gnome
Not all Gnomes are overcome with the same violent greed that has befallen those in the Devils’ Bastion! Humans can recognize a Gnomish outsider, and won’t attack an adventuring Gnome on sight, though they are still not well-trusted. Gnomes entering Hamlet don’t expect to make friends easily. After all, everyone knows they’re still only here for the gold. They’re just not as violently greedy about it.
When blinded, Gnomes can sense gold, as though it shines out at them from the darkness.
Gnomes are energized by their wealth, making them restore magic power more quickly when holding more gold!
With a spiritual connection to gold, Gnomes have the ability to forge a jewel using Mysticism, using their coins in the process.
This ability allows Gnomes to turn even worthless glass into an item of great value.
Valuable gems add their own value to the jewel.
Jewels are alluring to intelligent creatures, allowing Gnomes to buy the loyalty of anyone who’s willing to take their jewel, even hostile Gnomes.
More hardened creatures from deeper in the dungeons demand higher-value jewels.
With short limbs lacking in leverage, Gnomes are less likely to develop Strength.
While the reason is unknown, Trolls find Gnomes endearing, and won’t destroy them on sight.
The Bard
The jolly minstrel! The best bards tell true tales of the adventures they share with a heroic party. While on a gloomy quest, a little levity goes a long way. The Bard brings that, plus a swift blade.
The Bard wields a masterfully crafted rapier.
It’s actually a fencing sabre, but “rapier” sounds fancier, so that’s what the Bard calls it.
It is made from the finest metal and won’t break!
A successful parry with the rapier can deflect attacks while dealing a riposte strike!
Attack power from the rapier is determined by Dexterity instead of strength!
Bard songs enchant those who hear them, continuing to fill the air even after the instrument is no longer being played.
Each moment of the song requires a bit of magic energy from the musician.
As the song’s quality improves, the power of its effects improve, and the soundscape becomes richer!
More Charismatic musicians, and those with greater Lore skill, are able to build up powerful melodies more quickly, which linger for more time.
The Bard always carries two musical instruments.
The Flute’s melody enhances the party’s Dexterity.
The Lyre’s accompaniment improves vision in the dark, and offers magic resistance.
Adaptable to any ensemble, the Bard starts with the Mysticism spell, Alter Instrument, which transforms an instrument into any other!
Some gold is consumed in the transformation process.
Remaining instruments include the Drum, the Horn, and the Lute, each offering their own sound and enhancement!
Here's that store page link again if you missed it!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to all the new features and content that are now available for you in Barony!
There’s still more in the works in “Instruments of Destruction: Part 2” which includes a lot more content. Everything from weapons and armor, to spells, to terrifying new enemies, traps, secret areas, new story, and a new bossfight — All o’that and more is still coming to Barony. You’ll get the opportunity to explore where the Gremlin, Dryad, Myconid, and Salamander homelands, and discover what that has to do with Hamlet! We're excited to expand your adventures even further.
In the meantime, we hope you love “Instruments of Destruction: Part 1” and the “Deserters & Disciples" DLC.
It's almost time! The Deserters and Disciples DLC for Barony is nearing release! As we make the final preparations for launch, head over to the Deserters & Disciples store page and click that Wishlist button so you'll be updated the moment all of the new characters launch. Vi
It's almost time! The Deserters and Disciples DLC for Barony is nearing release! As we make the final preparations for launch, head over to the Deserters & Disciples store page and click that Wishlist button so you'll be updated the moment all of the new characters launch.
Gnomes have a nose for gold, which also inspires their magical potential. However, they won't get as physically mighty as other races. While they're distrusted by everyone, their ability to fashion jewels may help to make friends!
Meanwhile, the Bard plays magical music to enhance the party with instruments that each provide a different inspirational buff. The deadly rapier allows them to parry and riposte with expert finesse!
This concludes the revelation of all characters included with the Deserters & Disciples DLC!
We hope you're as excited as we are to take on these new roles, as well as mix-n-match with the game's existing races & classes.
2025 Release Delayed to January 2026
Part 1 of the Instruments of Destruction update, which includes many features that Deserters & Disciples depends upon, has turned out to be a very ambitious effort for us! Despite splitting Instruments of Destruction into two updates, this first part still requires a little more time to wrap up, particularly for a healthy beta test phase.
We want to offer our sincerest apologies for not making our 2025 release, and for not getting this news to you sooner! We've been grinding until the very end of the year, and while things are in a good state, it's important to us to make sure what we ship is as good as it can be, and that means we need a little more time for public testing!
We're now tracking a January release for Part 1, and the simultaneous DLC release. The additional weeks will ensure that the new content is the absolute best it can be.
Today: DLC 3 Wishlist page goes live! Beta testing on Instruments of Destruction begins.
Late January: Instruments of Destruction + Deserters & Disciples DLC simultaneous release
Early 2026: Instruments of Destruction Part 2 (new areas, monsters, equipment, etc)
As a reminder, Instruments of Destruction is free for all players! But it also includes many new major features and a lot of content which Deserters & Disciples classes are dependent on:
Three overhauled magic skills
Dozens of new spells for each magic skill
New equipment
Cooking!
Lock & Key treasure rooms!
Innumerable balance tweaks and bugfixes
If you've been waiting eagerly to participate in Part 1 of the Instruments of Destruction update Beta, join our Discord and check our Announcements for instructions of how to participate!
Thank You!
We greatly appreciate your patience and continued support!
If you missed anything, please take a look at our previous reveals for Deserters & Disciples and Instruments of Destruction at the links below:
We're back again with a hot new character reveal for Barony's Deserters and Disciples DLC. It's time to introduce the Salamander Paladin! Barold Jenkins provides all of the incredible details about the fiery nature of Salamanders and the powerful holy magic that Paladins wield. T
We're back again with a hot new character reveal for Barony's Deserters and Disciples DLC. It's time to introduce the Salamander Paladin!
Barold Jenkins provides all of the incredible details about the fiery nature of Salamanders and the powerful holy magic that Paladins wield. Take a look at the video below to learn more!
The Salamander's heart blazes with magical fire, getting hotter as they rampage! When cold, they are stony and tough. A hot salamander burns bright with glorious radiance. Watch out for flaming breath! The Paladin can add holy light to their claymore's powerful strikes, perfect for banishing undead and demonic foes. Their Sanctuary Symbol can be used to protect themselves and allies before a fight.
The Salamander / Paladin combo is perfect for players who like to support allies with incredible defensive abilities while still bringing the heat to combat.
That's four classes and races revealed for Deserters & Disciples! We have more to share with you before we release Part 1 of the Instruments of Destruction update, so keep your eyes peeled for that. If you're interested in Beta testing Instruments of Destruction Part 1, now would be a good time to join our Discord where we'll provide instructions on how to participate!
Want to get up to date on all the latest information regarding the Instruments of Destruction free update, and the Deserters & Disciples DLC? Check out everything we've released so far:
It's time to reveal another exciting new race and class that will be a part of the Deserters & Disciples DLC. Introducing the Myconid Hermit! Join Barold Jenkins as he explains the strengths and skills of this unique new creature and its signature class, and learn a little ab
It's time to reveal another exciting new race and class that will be a part of the Deserters & Disciples DLC. Introducing the Myconid Hermit!
Join Barold Jenkins as he explains the strengths and skills of this unique new creature and its signature class, and learn a little about the beloved pet that Hermits bring with them everywhere they go. Take a look at the video below to learn more!
Myconids grow a defensive cap that can be used to plant mushroom traps, doubling as a fungal food source! The mushrooms' toxic spores help weaken enemies for a decisive takedown (or escape)! And Hermits use debilitating spells on enemies to empower their homemade shillelagh, taking down foes with a mystical bonk! Their beloved duck pet is always nearby, distracting enemies and even diving for fish!
We are extremely excited for you to get your hands on fresh new playstyles offered by the races and classes in our upcoming DLC.
The Myconid/Hermit combo is perfect for adventurers who love to control the flow of battle and assist allies with useful buffs and items. Oh, and especially if you like ducks!
We've revealed three new races and classes for the Deserters and Disciples DLC, and there's still more to come, so stay tuned!
Want to get up to date on all the latest information regarding the Instruments of Destruction free update, and the Deserters & Disciples DLC? Check out everything we've released so far:
We're proud to present you another episode of "Making Barony". This time, Josiah conjures up arcane details for upcoming revisions to the magic system for Barony. In addition, we have some developments to share about the release plan for the Deserters & Disciples DLC, and the
We're proud to present you another episode of "Making Barony". This time, Josiah conjures up arcane details for upcoming revisions to the magic system for Barony. In addition, we have some developments to share about the release plan for the Deserters & Disciples DLC, and the Instruments of Destruction major free update that you won't want to miss.
For more information about Barony's upcoming schools of magic, how it'll impact both DLC and vanilla classes, and our development timeline, check out the video dev diary below!
Magic has always been a fundamental component of Barony. With Instruments of Destruction, we're excited to offer even more to your magic-slinging heroes!
More reveals are coming about the Deserters & Disciples DLC, and the Instruments of Destruction free update, so stay tuned for those exciting announcements.
If you missed our previous preview of the Dryad Scion, check that out here.
Everyone's favorite Bard, Barold Jenkins, has yet another reveal in store for the upcoming Deserters & Disciples DLC! This time he roots out the awesome magical powers of the Dryad Scion! The Dryad can direct the forces of nature with plant-based abilities to bolster herself,
Everyone's favorite Bard, Barold Jenkins, has yet another reveal in store for the upcoming Deserters & Disciples DLC!
This time he roots out the awesome magical powers of the Dryad Scion!
The Dryad can direct the forces of nature with plant-based abilities to bolster herself, provide for teammates, and hinder foes. Meanwhile, Scions are born with silver keys in their mouths. Proudly boasting their academic training in all schools of magic, Scions are prepared to take on the dungeons with their wits, plus a few wondrous items they've inherited.
We are extremely excited for you to get your hands on fresh new playstyles offered by the races and classes in our upcoming DLC.
The Dryad/Scion combo is perfect for adventurers who love being a dedicated magic specialist like the Wizard or Healer, but prefer having a broad spellbook of utilities to problem-solve with.
This is only the second reveal for the Deserters and Disciples DLC, and we have plenty more to show off, so stay tuned for more teasers in the near future!
Up to date on all the latest information regarding the Instruments of Destruction free update, and the Deserters & Disciples DLC? Check out everything we've released so far:
Instruments of Destruction Free Update reveal: Cooking
In this latest entry of our ongoing series "Making Barony", we take the lid off Cooking, a new feature coming to the Instruments of Destruction update. Whether you're using the frypan item (which the recently announced Sapper class starts with) or you find a cauldron (one of many
In this latest entry of our ongoing series "Making Barony", we take the lid off Cooking, a new feature coming to the Instruments of Destruction update.
Whether you're using the frypan item (which the recently announced Sapper class starts with) or you find a cauldron (one of many new in-world stations) somewhere in the game, you'll be able to combine different items with varying results!
Once again, join Josiah as he goes into detail on this significant addition coming to the Barony via the free Instruments of Destruction update.
We love adding tools to your adventuring toolbelt as you brave the depths of Barony's dungeons, with new classes helping you learn (and helping us showcase) those new features.
We'll be back again soon with more to say about the Deserters & Disciples DLC, and the Instruments of Destruction free update coming to Barony!
If you missed our previous preview of the Gremlin Sapper check that out here. And if you missed the first Instruments of Destruction dev diary reveal, check that out here.
Barold Jenkins is back with a special teaser for the upcoming Deserters and Disciples character and race expansion due out later this year! He unveils the Gremlin Sapper, dastardly little beasts capable of untold destruction with their Deface spell, ability to booby trap objects,
Barold Jenkins is back with a special teaser for the upcoming Deserters and Disciples character and race expansion due out later this year!
He unveils the Gremlin Sapper, dastardly little beasts capable of untold destruction with their Deface spell, ability to booby trap objects, and powerful spinning flail.
We're excited to finally be ready to show you the first race and class featured in the Deserters & Disciples DLC as you await its release.
As we continue to build hype we'll be teasing each race & class preceding the DLC's eventual drop.
When we polled our community about which races they'd be excited to play as in Barony, Gremlin came in DEAD LAST. So naturally they're the first race we announced that we're adding to the game. You're welcome!
Anyway, if the Gremlin is first, you can only imagine what we have in store next. Stay tuned for our next update teasers!
We've hinted at what's in store for Barony since our 10th Anniversary in June, but now, the newest episodes of our Making Barony video series will delve deeper into the incredible new features coming to the adventure later this year. In the first episode, we pull back the curtain
We've hinted at what's in store for Barony since our 10th Anniversary in June, but now, the newest episodes of our Making Barony video series will delve deeper into the incredible new features coming to the adventure later this year.
In the first episode, we pull back the curtain on the massive update titled Instruments of Destruction. Filled with new environments, items, weapons, and enemies, this expansion will forever change how you play Barony!
Join Josiah as he walks you through the origins of the expansion and how it adds excitement, fun, and danger to Baron Herx's deadly domain.
Barony launched just over ten years ago, and since then, we here at Turning Wheel Games have continued to expand the game and make it accessible to as many fans as possible. And now, we've broadened that access even more. We are proud to announce that Barony is available to play
Barony launched just over ten years ago, and since then, we here at Turning Wheel Games have continued to expand the game and make it accessible to as many fans as possible. And now, we've broadened that access even more. We are proud to announce that Barony is available to play through NVIDIA's GeForce NOW game streaming platform!
What is GeForce NOW?
For those of you who might not know, NVIDIA's GeForce NOW gives you the ability to stream games on a device without having to be connected to the computer you bought the game on.
Own Barony through Steam? With GeForce NOW, you can play it on your tablet as long as you have a compatible controller, an internet connection, and a GeForce NOW account. If you're curious to learn more about how GeForce NOW works, head here for all of the details!
How Does it Work?
Once you've created your GeForce NOW account, the next step is to link a game platform account, like Steam, to the service. This will allow you to play your games through NVIDIA's servers.
When you launch Barony through the service, you're actually not playing a local version of the game. Instead, GeForce NOW will stream a copy of the game to the device you're using from their own servers.
Keep in mind that the service has multiple subscription tiers, and the paid subscriptions offer more features than free accounts. Depending on your membership, you'll wait in a queue, which will give you access to their server copy of the game, and when it's your turn, you'll launch into Barony as if it were running locally on your device.
The advantage of this is that you don't need to have a local copy of the game handy when you want to play. No matter where you are, or what compatible device you're using, as long as you have broadband internet access, you'll still be able to enjoy Barony and all of its dungeon crawling adventures.
What Devices Support the Service?
NVIDIA provides a handy list of devices that GeForce NOW is compatible with, and you can review that here.
Though not mentioned on that page, we here at Turning Wheel have personally verified that GeForce NOW works on Xbox One X (that's right, from way back in 2017). So it seems quite likely that you'll get it to work on your more modern version of the console as well. For it to work, you'll need a web browser installed that's capable of running the GeForce NOW service. On Xbox, that is Edge. Additionally, there are a few extra steps required to get the whole thing set up. There are several videos floating around the internet that will help you get started, and we didn't have too much trouble once we got past some of the more finicky steps.
We've also verified that the game runs great on the newest versions of the iPad. The setup for these devices is relatively painless, and we were able to get it working in a couple of minutes. Take a look at the screenshots below to see Barony in action on the iPad Air.
Final Thoughts
Something to know is that any stats you achieve or achievements you unlock will be tied to the service that you purchased the game through. For instance, if you bought the game on Steam, any achievements you unlock will be a Steam achievement only.
With all of that in mind, GeForce NOW is a great way to play Barony on a bunch of different platforms if you don't have access to your primary gaming device when that need for a Barony fix hits. And on a personal level, we're delighted that people can enjoy the game on many more platforms thanks to the convenience of GeForce NOW!
June marked the 10th anniversary of Barony's launch on Steam and to commemorate the occasion I wanted to write a personal thank you letter to Gabe Newell and Valve Corporation expressing our sincere gratitude for the success we've achieved on Steam over the past decade. Barony wa
June marked the 10th anniversary of Barony's launch on Steam and to commemorate the occasion I wanted to write a personal thank you letter to Gabe Newell and Valve Corporation expressing our sincere gratitude for the success we've achieved on Steam over the past decade.
Barony was in rough shape when it first launched to Steam in June 2015. At that time, the Steam Greenlight program was the path to getting published, and during our first week, Barony was passed over quickly by users who saw no appeal in our undeveloped and unpolished art. In so many words, our game looked bad, and many players assumed it would play only as well as it looked. However, I was convinced that if the Steam community tried my game or at least saw it in action, they would find the fun in it. Fortunately, I found my audience when a small group of streamers on Twitch discovered Barony and agreed to play it together. It was this audience that provided enough votes for the game to be accepted onto Steam, and over the next two months, I prepared the game for its original release on June 23rd, 2015.
Despite the help, release day forced me to face some hard realities. Barony sold about 1400 copies worldwide in its first 24 hours, netting roughly 30k over the following two weeks. Sales fell quickly until we were moving fewer than 1,000 units a month. While this still would have provided reasonable income for a single developer, the reality was that even in this nascent state, Barony had been brought to bear by a team of talented young developers which could hardly be sustained under a single developer's salary. After years of toiling together, we were demoralized. It seemed unrealistic to expect anything greater to come out of our project.
In the years before Steam, this way of looking at the life-cycle of a video game was fairly realistic. The games I personally grew up with tended to age very quickly against the tide of increasingly impressive competitors. And as video game technology advanced rapidly, one year's best seller was always expected to become next year's bargain. The idea of supporting a game several years after release was essentially unheard of, at least for commercial video games. So this is how I expected things to go for us as well.
What I didn't understand or expect was that Steam had already begun to transform the marketplace into a platform that would continually drive new players to discover our game as long as we continued to update it. Even though we never received attention from the gaming media, never won a publishing deal, and never spent a dollar on advertising, our audience and our income did not shrink to nothing, but instead grew slowly and steadily over the following several years. Eventually, our very small team of 3 developers had pooled enough funds to deliver a large update which dramatically overhauled Barony's appearance. This free "Quality of Death" update, delivered years late to a game which by most metrics could hardly support itself, was the watershed moment that transformed our personal fortunes almost overnight. We went from working part-time on this product through evenings and weekends, to quitting our old jobs to focus on our studio, expanding our team and taking full control of our careers.
Today, Barony is a big success for a small and independent team, having frequently reached the top 10 games in its category and giving us the bandwidth to continue feeding our community with new content while we develop our next major product that we hope to introduce to our fans soon.
None of this would have been possible if Steam hadn't rewarded our dedication and effort by driving new players to our game, day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. As I look back on the past ten years, I am astounded we made it this far on a plan as vague as "build a good video game and it will sell itself." At the start of our journey I didn't have a clue what it could take to get my game in front of potential customers, but Steam obviated this for us so completely that all we had to do was focus on making a good game, and the customers would come.
For a penniless college drop out from the Midwest USA, Steam offered an opportunity unlike anything that had ever come before it. In so many words, it transformed my life, the lives of my teammates and all of our families as well. So on behalf of us all I wanted to acknowledge the part that Gabe Newell and his company have played in our success and offer our sincere thanks for making it all possible. To me, it is patently obvious that Gabe and the rest of the folks at Valve care deeply about games, game developers, and the entire gaming community. So I am hopeful that their leadership in this industry continues for a long time to come, as I look forward to the fruits of our future collaboration together.
While we've just added Proximity Chat, things have been otherwise rather quiet for us. That's because we've been working on the largest content update in Barony's history. Join us for a sneak peak with the following teaser video. Update Teaser Did you notice anything in particula
While we've just added Proximity Chat, things have been otherwise rather quiet for us. That's because we've been working on the largest content update in Barony's history.
Join us for a sneak peak with the following teaser video.
Did you notice anything in particular you're excited about?
Free Content is Coming
Much of what we've been delivering over the last few years has been in fulfillment of promises we made in our Nintendo Switch Kickstarter campaign.
This next update follows suit!
Where does this strange portal lead?
Important promises are being fulfilled as part of the next major free content update including:
New areas to explore which also offer alternate paths
The Stretch Goal for a new Bossfight
The 3rd Barony DLC
We remain committed to delivering content updates that don't fracture our community, prioritizing your ability to play Barony with anyone else who owns the game. That means it's important to us to give the majority of this work to you FOR FREE so that everyone can access the essential new features.
More to Explore
First and foremost new areas game that will provide alternate paths through the dungeon. If you choose wisely, these paths will lead you to a brand new boss fight unlike anything you've seen in Barony to date!
These spaces are more than window dressing though. The locations will add to the story and lore of the Barony world. Dedicated adventurers may glean more insight into the origins of the ancient magic that permeates every corner of Hamlet, and the powers that seek to control it!
But You Want to Pay Us?
We're flattered that so many of you have expressed a desire to pay us for more content! To that end, we do have new paid DLC on the way. Still, major content and features are being added to support the DLC, which will bring exciting new features for every Barony player.
If you were with us during the previous DLC launches, you'll know what a big impact this can make on the game! Tinkering, Ammo, and Alchemy are examples of a few features that were added for the sake of making awesome DLC. It's good for everyone!
New DLC
For the paid portion of the content update, we're leaning into our pattern with even more races & classes. The title of that DLC is now finally revealed as "Deserters & Disciples".
Like the Myths & Outcasts and Legends & Pariahs updates, the Deserters & Disciples DLC expansion creates whole new ways to adventure, bringing new abilities, spells, and other alternate ways to play to mix up your Barony party.
Over the coming weeks, we'll reveal more details about what kinds of races and classes we'll be offering. In the meantime, we welcome you to speculate.
We're betting that some of our choices will blow your mind!
Stay Tuned...
This is just a taste of what we have in store for you this year, but there is so much more to uncover! More teasers will premiere as we progress on development, so keep your eyes on our Steam announcements and our social media accounts for updates!
