The SoC Update - 11.14.2023
A rework and update of one of the iconic expansions for Ashen Empires - Sands of Creation. This content has been due for an update to bring it in line with the rest of the game experience. We focused on improving map design and item stats/drops to help more groups progress through content. A new NPC - the Shadow Dragon - and additional hunting grounds, updated Dragon caves, and more exits/entrances throughout should make it more varied and dynamic.
Other work to note in this update are with Faction Dungeons and the Broken Finger dungeon. These, too, needed a bit of an update to fit them for PvP settings and for overall ease of use.
A more detailed patch notes especially regarding specific item changes can be found on our Discord server:
https://discord.gg/VUvMj8z9
Happy Hunting!
Map/Encounters
New Area: Dragon Coast
- Added New Dragon Coast with heavier spawns of younger dragons meant as a group challenge
- New dragon type Shadow Dragon, small chance to spawn on New Dragon Coast, also spawn on Nithhogr level
- One way entrance to new Dragon coast through Fire Elemental Cave
Updated Area: Dragon Caves
- Added extra loops in Dragon Caves, modified flow so it's less linear in nature with some less direct routes/side loops, added escape portals (one per level, one-way) back to previous level at various locations
- Dragon Eggs now have colors reflective of their parent dragon
Updated Area: Vinteruul’s Fortress
- Warlord Vinteruul spawning mechanic has been readjusted, is now a summoned spawn using Talazarian Emblem, still requires quest in order to spawn
- Vinteruul now leashed to his room, similar to dragon bosses
- RNG on clicking horns and statue removed, this will be a single click per step, and he will spawn (statue will disappear for 10 minutes and may then be spawned again if you have the proper item)
- The Lich Prince has moved into the Lotorian Dungeon with Warlord Vinteruul
- Added Talazarian Blood Cleric spawns around Lich Prince's new room and above in Vinteruul's castle
- Secret exit/entrances added to this fortress
- Fix for being unable to progress on Lotorian faction quest if not on PVE server
- Added 5 new items to Warlord Vinteruul
Updated Area: Broken Finger Dungeon
- Trigger spawn chances added/adjusted (similar to Asterion) for bosses
- Broken Finger Dungeon changed to not require a party for entry/access to full dungeon (you may still need a friend or two to survive!)
- BFD pass countdown timer should suspend when player leaves the dungeon now (only uses when you are in hunting)
Passages, Escapes, Tunnels
- Added underground passage between Redwake and Rahura
- Removed evil spawn gate on Khafra island
- Added alternative passage from Rahura Water Elemental Cave to cross river to area before the gatekeeper; no longer a single bridge as a chokepoint
- Portal from Fire Elemental Cave (Khafra) to SE corner of New Dragon Coast, one-way, use at your own risk
- Added entrance/exits to Horned One (neutral faction dungeon) on charred island and dunk’s dungeon
- Added entrance and/or exits in Ghost of Lotor (talazarian faction dungeon) on Salamander and Crypt levels
Spawns
- Increased amount of caimans to spawn (min/max limits)
- Added Desert Giant Noble as a rare spawn in Desert Giant spawns (split spawn)
- Added more dedicated Desert Giant Noble spawn locations
- Added Titan Scorpion spawns southeast of Rahura across the river
- Added/increased Titan Scorpion spawns in Blacktail's lair
- Increased chance of Sandsting spawning instead of placeholder
- Faster respawn for Lava Mold, randomized, no longer drops magical items
- Fixed several encounters that were despawning during an SI due to a config issue
- Fixed some mountains where creatures could spawn inside and get trapped (Josody/RT, TR/Snow Elves)
- Faster respawn timers and better randomized timers for:
NPCs
- Ancient Crystal Wyverns and Mannabrottur are now tied to expansion flags, if Tides of Fate is disabled they will drop nothing
- Dragon NPC resistance adjusts (each dragon now has one magery resist that they are weaker against)
- BFD/Talazarian/Lotorian dungeon creature difficulty slightly increased by scaling hitpoints upwards to better match Asterion Minos
- Caimans changed to land creatures
- New Item Summoned Followers - Blood Cleric, Crypt Guardian
- Vessel of Isos now has 0 hitpoint regen and does not damage player
- Removed Valinor Orb Reset limits
- Removed Bonesnarl killcount limit
- Town Guardian reduced to solo/duo difficulty, he's now basically a difficult guard
- Minor mechanics adjustments to Sir Lancel (Attack Range, Pounce), Crypt Protector Hobensnarl (Ethereal), High Priest Volsey (New Spells), Krank Bruut (Teleport), Der Schlaechter (Knockback), The Lich Prince (New Spells)
- Artonian Hassassin removed Disease resistance
- Adjusted Dragon Heal to have a low/medium/high replenish amount instead of just low/high, resulting in less chance of a high 50% heal
- Sand Golem, Desert Giant, Desert Giant Noble all lost their MIND (resistance)
- Sand Golem gained 50% Nature and 80% Soul resistance
- Guards in SoC received some survival training
- Set type of crabs to be vermin instead of sea creatures (if swim type, sea creature, if land, not a sea creature)
- Added reindeer to animal group for DTM counts
- Removed solo tag from Small Skeleton
- Removed social tag from Minos since they have no allied types
Loot Tables
- Removed generic Mainlands loot tables from many SoC creatures, added their respective SoC table in some cases as it was missing
- Adjusted boss tables in BFD and Faction dungeons to reflect their shorter respawn times, removed useless items (Mainlands tables)
- Removed generic Mainlands loot tables from all Faction Dungeon creatures (excluding Salamanders/Basilisks area of Talazarian cave)
- Removed generic Mainlands loot tables from BFD creatures
- Claws of Overwhelming Darkness and Virulent Axe removed from tables used in SoC/Faction Dungeons, instead added to ToF/110 bosses
- Scroll of the Ancients no longer drops from Ghost of Lotor I
- Amulet of the Dark Mage removed from Nithhogr and added to Young Dragon tables
- Faction dungeon creatures have a chance to drop all pieces of armor sets within the dungeons, mini bosses drop at a much higher rate
- Neutral dungeon rates reduced considerably on Level 1 for legacy Horned One items
- Ghost of Lotor I and Warlord Vinteruul have new powerful items as a rare drop
- Raised rates for Rune Armor on hell monsters
- Added Rune Armor loot table to Lord Tserith
- Slight increase to Fresh Mead rates in Frieda Dungeon
- Increased Beekeeper rare table on Queen and Warriors, reduced common tables inversely
- Slightly increased Caiman Teeth drop count to 1-2 at a time
- Sand Wurms are still just as annoying, but now drop Mystic Orbs and Magic Skinning Knife in their new loot table
- Added new items to Warlord Vinteruul and Ghost of Lotor
Spells
- Adjusted buff spells to have increased rune charge costs per cast but significantly lower fail chances if player has appropriate skill requirement
- Nullify changed to a 1 rune spell and reduced cast difficulty substantially
- Slightly reduced 8 slot spell damage boost from Northern Cleric's Staff, Northern Wizard's Staff, Staff of Prismatic Waves
- Reduced Int modifier on Ice Bolt and capped damage at 450
- Added purple (A3) color to claw/exposure messages when they wear off for more visibility
- 6 New Scrolls that can cast a variety of class and tier based spells; these are on a trial basis for now and available through events
Crafting
- Dragonian Skinning Knife requirement reduced to 80 Skinning raised level req to 105, removed orb requirements, NEW ART!
- Blue Dragon Leather Set Bonus - Reduced Crafting Time Sewing/Weaving 25%, allows crafting as if using a Runespire
- Gold Dragon Leather Set Bonus - Reduced Crafting Time Leatherworking/Tanning 25%, allows crafting as if using a Runespire
- Green Dragon Leather Set Bonus - Reduced Crafting Time Carpentry/Milling 25%, allows crafting as if using a Runespire
- Red Dragon Leather Set Bonus - Reduced Crafting Time Forging/Smelting 25%, allows crafting as if using a Runespire
- Adjusted drop rates of lvl 100 craft materials up some (tangled, spectral, full metal)
- Removed skinnable corpse from Greater Kudo
- Tradeskill Taskmasters now require Tides of Fate expansion enabled on the server
- Apple Pie Slice tooltip said +2 Stam Regen (is +1)
- Changed minimum Skinning skill level requirement on Wyverns (55), Salamanders (65), Dragons (80)
- Adjusted cost of vellum/scrolls and inks down
- Marked scrolls as books, set up scroll case to hold books
- Added scroll case and scholar’s trunk for carpentry at level 43 and 8 enchanted heartwood and level 69 and 15 enchanted greater heartwood respec. to craft; holds books and scrolls (quest scrolls, return scrolls, demon scrolls, identification scrolls)
- Lobster Traps used from land have smaller distance to prevent player from placing it where they cannot retrieve it
- NPC Basil in Parian will sell you a sharp shovel for 100 black pearls if you have completed required quest stage
- Sharp Shovel now requires quest stage completion to use (the stage it is obtained originally)
Items
- Re-enabled and adjusted Scroll of the Demon Horde - now Scroll of Foul Creatures; also drops outside of ToF; will continue to expand on this idea
- Item expansion flag changed for Soothsayer, AQB and HotAG from ToF to SoC
- Complete rework of Dragon Leather sets, now better match their parent dragon resistances,
- Complete rework of Spore Crusted set, now grants hitpoint regeneration on each piece (req Level 100, 45 DEX, 30 CON)
- Complete rework of Scavenger Bone set, now useful for mages (req Level 100, 70 INT, 30 CON)
- Corrected item hitpoints for Salamander Skin Leggings
- Titan Hide set slightly reduced in overall stats to reflect its challenge to obtain
- Large Gold Coin drop from Desert Giant Nobles made stackable to be kinder to your inventory slots
- Leather Collar/Chain Collar/Iron Collar not marked as Jewelry for purposes of fitting into jewelry case
- Corrected tooltip on dagger of fleeting thoughts (+15 Dodge/Crit Hit)
- Adjusted some SoC quest reward items based on quest difficulty/level
- Add several new weapon proc effects
- Level requirement reduced on variety of gear
- Orb/Resists adjusted on variety of gear
- Please see Discord for detailed item adjusts: https://discord.gg/VUvMj8z9
Events
- New Event: The Gauntlet!
- Make your way unarmed and without aid through a maze of increasingly deadly creatures (no equipment, no backpack, no buffs, no followers).
- Entry at this time is free with a manual GM reward; will be automated in future with enough play/feedback from the community.
- When the event is on, head to Parian South Weapons shop to speak with NPC Armsmaster to enter. A deck, signs and banners marks this event area.
- 1 player in event at a time, Limit of 10 minutes in event, ntry restricted to level 50 only
- New GM tools to help GM run events be more enjoyable: Item Degrade and BP drop; also for emergencies when server is misbehaving
Quests
- New Quest and Gear: Crystal Knight (Farstead Keep) inspired by DC creatures
- You may obtain any pieces by trading with the Crystal Knight who will list item level and stat requirements
- Quest gives limited quantity of Runes of Shalox; these can also be found naturally hunting in TR at uncommon rates from variety of mobs
- Increased range to allow quest update when killing Termigon queen for Varios quest
- Fix for print in rock troll quest - says you have to be level 15, should be 65 (checks correctly just tells player wrong number)
- Excluded a few CK creatures (wolverine pack leaders, mystic crawlers)
- Reduced faction quest switch wait time and neutral faction garden of sitting on one's bottom time to 10 min
PVP & Reputation
- Feats now count as attacks for combat rule purposes (will make you wanted, slow both players)
- Added level bias to alignment gain >=5 levels.
- New NPC Alinus in Parian to give one time reputation forgiveness from >6500 -> 6500 (alignment # can be checked with lvl 1 mind spell “Runesight”)
- Reputation loss when going wanted changed from 250 > 5 points
- Wanted timer is 5 minutes and refreshes when any criminal action is performed
- Looting items results in loss of 50 rep per item (no per item loss previously)
- Helpful spells (healing, heal over time) cast on wanted player will cause you to become wanted as well
- Please see Discord for complete pvp ruleset write up
- Players cannot mark a stolen item as no drop using token store product; if you have stolen items stuck in bp please summon a GM/page or make a ticket
The Junk Drawer
- Removed leadership check of 100 from wild camel (should be 70)
- Cooldown of Spawn Increase of 30 min
- 1 free Mainlands Orb reset available now in Josody (speak to Lady Esler)
- Changed chances on ancient wyverns to give mix of immaculate wyv hide (unchanged rate) sinew (decreased rate from previous) and other hides (added to this skinning table)
- Construction expansion check on Surveyor Tool. If not enabled on server, will be unable to use.