The Endless Saga Overview
Today, we're releasing our first major update - Chapter I: The Endless Saga! Let's take a quick peek at our updated roadmap, then dive into what The Endless Saga has in store!
The content of this first Chapter was heavily influenced by community feedback over the last month since launch, as well as discussion in the few weeks since we dropped our first Interlude Patch: Duels & Demise.
Looking at the roadmap above, you'll see we also moved an extra Spell to this update - so we're adding both a new Spender Spell and Movement Spell!
In addition to the major features of Chapter I, we've made sure to hit some special extra content pieces - including a much-requested "Apply Previous Bindings" button and a rework of the Yellow Signature Spell.
We're eager to see how you fare against the Torn in Chapter I: The Endless Saga - so let's get started!
Endless - Face the Appendices
It's time to test the true might of Ink!
Once unlocked (after your first game with Bindings), you'll be able to Face the Appendices when defeating a boss at the end of a Tome!
You and your fellow Scribes will be presented a difficult choice: pick 1 of 3 Appendices - randomly rolled groupings of Bindings! Beat the next three Chapters (2 standard, 1 Boss), then pick from additional Appendices and keep the run alive - if you can!
Prestige - Become Ascendant
When all the Ink has been researched - the cycle of Scribes will continue! Reaching Ink Level 30 unlocks the ability to Ascend - granting a new cosmetic and emblem to show your status as Ascendant.
You'll then get to start your Scribe journey anew! You'll keep Cosmetics, Gildings, and Codex progress. We've also added the Lifetime Quillmarks tracker in the Codex for all Scribes, regardless of Ascendant status.
New Spell - Blossom
Blossom is our first melee Spender Spell - coming fresh off the heels of Foil and a lot of feedback of "now let us blast the area around us".
Blossom spends 2 Mana to create a field of flowers, dealing a burst of damage to nearby foes in an area centered on the caster.
New Spell - Ghostwrite
Ghostwrite, our first new movement Spell, allows Scribes to become incorporeal for a brief moment - taking reduced damaged and knockback effects.
A Rework and Some Quality of Life Features
With this new Chapter, we're reworking how Yellow's Signature Spell behaves. It will now guarantee ALL your spells Flourish for the next 3s, as well as adding an extra 50% extra damage on top of the existing Flourish bonus. We think this will be an easier iteration to get good, predictable value from!
We have a few Quality of Life features we're sneaking into this update as well: an "Apply Previous Bindings" button, The Codex Lifetime Quillmark Tracker, and a clearer sequence when auto-reviving!
New Pages & Balance
The Endless Saga introduces new Pages of Power: a selection of new pages for the two new spells - as well a several pages related to movement spells and invoking signature inks.
Balance and Tuning wise, we've adjusted the way defensive damage reduction is calculated - and have also brought Varnish down a bit in overall effectiveness. Additionally, with the introduction of Endless, some effects that could previously scale indefinitely now have caps.
We've adjusted Inscriptions to accommodate these changes overall, as well as adjusting two of Blue's first row options.
Our sincerest thanks to you all for your continued feedback; knowing what is important to you is important to us.
See you in the Library - and the Endless Appendices beyond!
- The Vellum Team
Chapter I: The Endless Saga - Full Patch Notes
Features + General
Endless Appendices
-- At the end of a Tome, Scribes can choose to delve into the Appendices to continue the fight against the Torn - but face increasingly dangerous choices.
Ascendant Prestige System
-- At Ink Level 30, Scribes can become Ascendant - restarting their Scribe journey and awarding a new cosmetic and emblem. Scribes keep their Cosmetics, Gildings, and Codex progress when Ascending, but will reset all other progress.
Blossom
-- Cost: 2 Mana
-- Damage: 75
-- Call forth a Meadow of flowers to thrash nearby enemies.
Ghostwrite
-- Cooldown: 4s
-- Take on a Spectral Form for 0.85s, gaining increased mobility and immunity to damage and knockback effects.
Yellow Signature Spell rework
-- Enlighten your Spells for 3s, making them all Flourish and deal +50% Bonus Damage.
- Lifetime Quillmarks Tracker is now available in the Codex
- There is now an "Apply Previous Bindings" button when setting up Tomes
- Movement keys are now able to be customized
- The Last Stand mechanic now has a limited number of times it can be used in Solo play (still iterating on this - let us know how it feels!)
- Scriptorium Revives have a new UI icon and visual sequence when activated in combat
- When reviving, there is now an additional immunity period (extended by Ink Level bonuses)
Balance and Tuning
- Cooldown reductions now respect minimum cooldowns
- Torn Page: Takedown is now capped at 10s
- Torn Boss: Golgor will no longer hit nearby Scribes with multiple sword projectiles at once
- Torn Elite: Mummy's tethering ability can now be broken via line of sight
- Tome Mechanic: Waves Upon Rock now stacks up to 500
- Status Effect: Varnish is now capped at 65 (was 80)
- Red Signature Ink now properly leeches for 5% of damage taken by Tethered foes
- Blue Inscription: Wicking now displays a 15% chance of double Blot damage
- Blue Inscription: Contagious gives Blot damage a 10% to Spread
- Page of Power: Mana Back Guarantee now has adjusted clarity and rarity
- Page of Power: Genesis now activates on hit, not damage done
- Page of Power: Oversharer explosions will no longer crit
- Page of Power: Undertow now affects Bosses correctly
- Page of Power: Shared Pain now deals damage split amongst all tethered foes
- Page of Power: Block Quote now lasts for 1s (was 2s)
- Page of Power: Blood Shield effectiveness reduced while above 200 Barrier
- Page of Power: Barred now tagged as "trade-off" (will not drop from Elites/Bonus Objectives)
- Page of Power: Aftermath detonates after 1s (was 1.5s)
- Page of Power: Writer's Flock is now capped at 200% bonus damage
- Page of Power: Ephemeral Rush will now infuse Movement Spells with effects from Signature Ink Mana if they deal damage
- Page of Power: Torn Asunder now has an upper limit of 50,000 (was uncapped)
- Page of Power: Plot Armor now has an upper limit of 30s (was uncapped)
Aesthetic
- The Library's Spell selection book now shows damage numbers
- The Library's Spell selection book is now decorated appropriately
- Floating Combat Text is now more organized
- Cryosleep Pods and Restorative Waters have improved healing effects
- Added extra VFX on select Book cosmetics
- Sound mix adjustments to the Library
- Sound Effect improvements to Rattlespikes, Huntsman, Lizards, and Spiders
- Physical status effects on Dire Zombies should now be more visible
- Binding: Amorphous now shows the 'applies to boss' icons on all applicable Torn Pages
- Torn Page: Dogwalk visibility improvements
- Torn Bosses: Golgor & Harvest have visibility improvements for several abilities
Minor Adjustments + Fixes
- Yellow Signature Ink should now properly behave when used with low-cooldown Generator Spells
- Green Signature Ink should now properly behave with multiple Green Scribes in the same game
- Scribes should no longer find themselves in a strange Tome called "Fast Test"
- Torn Boss: The Council should no longer refuse to summon more Elites
- Torn Boss: Harvest's Death Winds will now dissipate after being defeated
- Torn Boss: Harvest has performance improvements
- Fixed several status effect icons to match their source Pages
- Fixed floating combat text rendering through geometry
- Leaving during chapter transition should no longer break the camera
- Fixed an issue with Scriptorium audio persisting when closing
- Various fixes for errant teleports/bonus objective spawns
- Various typo and text fixes