Seventh Edition - November 2011

RE-RUN: WoD Herald - Who wants to participate?

If anyone is interested in writing an article for the Herald, message me with your topic, and if it sounds fun, I'll invite you to wow me with your compositional competence!

Simply message me, Jasvyr, in WoD on Caledonii or Aberon to give it a shot! (No guarantee an article will be run, of course...the big guys upstairs have to approve and all...)

As always, happy dungeoneering!


Ravenfort Fair in Full Swing!

Sign up for everything!  As usual, this year for the Ravenfort Fair, we celebrate in numerous exciting ways!

1. Balloon Popping!  Throw, shoot, or blast those balloons to win your prize!
2. Fortune Telling!  Pick a number, any number!  Madame Uniana can tell your future with her magic tarot cards, and the ebst part is, you get to keep one (or two)!
3. Golem Bouts!  Buff your rock-monster and watch him pound another rock monster into the ground!  Winner-take-all!
4. Good-Old-Fashioned Fighting!  What better way to celebrate than to beat each other into unrecognizable pulps?  Sign up for the tournaments!

All interested can sign up for the events in the Tavern > Forums > Royal Marketplace > Ravenfort Fair.

You can sign up for the tournaments in the Arena.

Good luck, and have fun!


RE-RUN - Intra-Clan Leagues

What better way to show the close bond you've developed with your clan-mates than to brutally assault them on a semi-regular basis?

Sign up for a clan-league now with Hasta!


Caledonii League Run-Down - Groups - 2000

Believe it or not, The Heretics have done it again!  With Ignis breaking 300 consistently on cross-position magic attacks, they just couldn't be stopped, even by the Lucky XIII!  It seems no one can take the crown from this dominant group!

Rounding out the upper division, Lucky XIII and OOG's Revenge performed extremely well, beating out the rest of the competition.

Since The Twelve Warriors moved up into the top division, the top spot went back to Valor Friends, and The Body Snatchers maintained their second-place position yet again.

Congratulations to all our participants!


New World - WoD Revision

In a rare appearance to us little folk, the game administrator of the .net servers, Code_Red, (also known as Darkblade) has agreed to an interview regarding the up-and-coming changes we can expect in the next world in WoD!

Keep in mind, not all the changes are listed here, and anything that IS listed here may end up being revised, so nothing is totally set in stone just yet.

All the same, enjoy the interview, and hopefully you are all as excited about the potential the new world has as I am!

WH:  So, a new world (or reset) is going to drop sooner or later. Which is it? Sooner or later? What kind of general time frame can we expect on seeing the new digs?

DB:  I would love to say sooner, but we all remember what happened with the Caledonii launch, and I would like to avoid having that happen again if at all humanly possible. I want to personally make sure that this next world is solid and everything is in place and working before the players flood in.

WH:  This world is going to be rife with overdue changes, balancing, and some major overhauls. What are the biggest changes?

DB:  Where to begin... Overdue changes? I think that the fame titles and medal updates are significant. When you gain fame titles, you will be able to choose between the standard medals that we have all seen over the years, but now there will be racial and class based medals as well. These will push some of the crucial skills or abilities that pertain directly to your hero. This should give people a reason to actually want to gain fame. Recruiting, voting, etc for extra fame will finally have a good incentive bonus to it for the player, aside from the player base growth.

We will also see the addition of some new classes and races, and a change to how these are played in general. Also finally making its way into the game will be backpacks. The standard backpacks will directly influence how many pocket slots a player has. These standard backpacks are indestructable. Other unique packs will allow players to use the pack itself as a limited usage item for their trade skills. These packs will not be exempt from damage. Discovering just what is out there should really heat up the markets and trade forums or the "offers" area of the market.

WH:  So, class changes, huh? What's the goal here, and what will these changes look like? Will the builds we know and love disappear?

Some races and classes will be changed. There will now be 4 "free" classes, and 2 new premium races, as well as quite a few newer premium classes. Some builds, even those I myself am known for, will be replaced by new ones. The knife combat Juggler for example will fade into legend, and be replaced by the knife combat Rogue.

WH:  Can you break down one of the larger changes in more detail? For example, what can we expect the mage class to look like now?

DB:  There will be a few different types of mages now in fact. The free to play mage class will now be the Mages Apprentice class. These will have most of the features that the mage class has been known for in the past. Then there are 2 different premium mage classes. The mage, and the seer. Each of these is unique in its own way. For example the mage will focus on fire, ice and energy based attacks, but will also have some new options for spellcasting from scrolls. The seer will be somewhat similar, but will have a bit more power in elemental based magery.

WH:  What about races? Who's changing, why, and how?

DB:  The races themselves will not change too much, they will be joined by the new Sha-Jin and Half-Orc races.

WH:  Anything completely new?

DB:  Aside from the backpacks, there will be some restrictions on which classes can use certain types of weaponry or armor.

WH:  Just to put all this stuff into perspective for our readers, how much time and effort went into all these changes? Do the designers get a decent paycheck at the end of all this?

DB:  Tell me more of this.. "pay" of which thou speaketh... Seriously though, this has all been work done freely by designers on their own free time. The only thing we can do to say thank you is reward them with free premium time, or a monthly sapphire bonus. This sapphire bonus is not limited to designers though. As most players know, Textmasters, Greasemonkey Coders and other players who help the community in general also receive decent sapphire rewards for their time and efforts.

WH:  Any closing comments, anything else you'd like to mention about the changes that I've missed?

DB:  I would love to discuss the changes in length, but I think with the new information made available, there will be a lot of new questions to answer soon. I would like the new players as well as the old players to have a new sense of discovery with the new systems and changes being put into place.


The Herald Wants YOU!

Got an interesting build you'd like to share?  An idea you want to get out there?  Too much bundled up creativity and no outlet?  The Herald is looking for interviewees.  To sign up, send a message to Jasvyr and shout your glorious information to the world (figuratively...there's no yelling allowed in journalism...)!!!  Seriously, message me in game, I want to interview you (assuming you have something even REMOTELY interesting to say)!

Sixth Edition - October 2011

Herald's Sixth Run - Who wants to participate?

Well, sixth issue, pretty much business as usual now.  It's been a half a year since I started running the Herald, and now it's time to expand!  If anyone is interested in writing an article for the Herald, message me with your topic, and if it sounds fun, I'll invite you to wow me with your compositional competence!

Simply message me, Jasvyr, in WoD on Caledonii or Aberon to give it a shot! (No guarantee an article will be run, of course...the big guys upstairs have to approve and all...)

As always, happy dungeoneering!


Upcoming - Nemean Festival

Heroes, prepare yourselves!  The Nemean Festival is up and coming!  Expect it in the next month or so, with unique items and equipment, and potentially some awesome hero-on-hero competition, provided by your friendly local Colosseum Administrator!

Details are forthcoming!


RE-RUN - Intra-Clan Leagues

Do it.  You know you want to!  Who's the best one on one fighter in your clan?  My clan knows.  Does yours?

I promise, it's easy to run and worth the time.


Caledonii League Run-Down - Groups - 2000

It's official, The Heretics are at the top of the groups league!  This time, though, the Warriors of Kesmet didn't participate in the league, so there's a certain air of conspiracy completely-made-up-by-the-author-of-this-article* amongst the groups.

Once again The Heretics dominated the top league, not even dropping a single match against the top groups in Caledonii!  Yet again, quite the tour de force by the group, with strong performances by Ignis and Finmall

The second division of the groups league saw a small change-up of the leaderboard, with The Twelve Warriors taking the top spot from Valor Friends, and The Body Snatchers maintaining their second-place position.

Congratulations to all our participants!

*ADJECTIVES ADDED IN FOR ACCURACY BY WoD STAFF


Winning Every Duel Ever

Please enjoy this interview with Dwargon of The Heretics. While some newer players or lower level players may not know him, those of us who have been around since the start of the world know him as "that guy who always beats me at duels".  Lots to learn from him here!

WH: First of all, what made you think of building your knight? Social attacks aren't always what people think of when talking about a knight.

D: It all started with my old rager barbarian and how helpless he was against debuffers, not to mention the item damage he received in dungeons. I wanted to make a unique, universal defensive build that could challenge anyone. I chose Order of Lion knight because he had everything i needed. Talent: Gallant helps against opponents with high social defense, but i don't have to use it very often. Talent: Steadfast is very important, majority of duelists are melee attackers and this is one of the best defensive skills against them. I used it in my first pre-round until just recently. Talent: Convincing Smile is my cherry on the top. A very strong debuff that i use as my first action. Another reason why I chose a knight is a good selection of items. Seal of the General of Nahkpur, brass brush and many others allow me to raise my social skills to high levels; he also has a good selection of armors for both defense and offense, but they aren't exactly suited for this build. I'm using several pieces with maluses to Dodge Blow and initiative. The last reason was that I like unique builds and I haven't seen many social knights around. In fact, I think that I'm still the only Order of Lion knight on Caledonii.

WH: Your knight is designed, more or less, to shut down the opponent entirely. Is that sort of build possible with other classes?

D: I think it's doable with many other classes, definitely with those that have Throw Net. There are also very strong items for skills like Amulet of Weakness or Ancient Wisdom (offensive) - amulet of agony/bone staff of the troll shaman being the best examples, but it's generally harder to make an effective build with focus on those skills. You need to be fast enough to debuff your opponent and strong enough to withstand or avoid a few hits. That's often the hardest part.

WH: How do you balance your emphasis on strong social attacks with being effective in a dungeon (for readers who might not be aware, many enemies in dungeons are immune to social attacks, limiting a social build's use to a group in dungeons)? What skills do you use that translate in both places?

D: Before i joined my group i told them what kind of knight i want to play. It's best to clear thing out at the beginning, it's not a good thing to pour hundreds of thousands of EP into social and defense skills when everyone expects you to raise leadership skills. It also helped that i played a second pure support hero in the group.
At the beginning i thought that there would be a few dungeons where I could be useful with my social attacks, but in reality, those skills were totally useless. At least that was the case with my build. I'm also a decent attacker, so with a poison coated Skalantie the dusk blade in my hands and a lecture from our scholar in my head, it's almost a sin not to attack. Dead monsters can't kill you, not to mention that debuffs must hit first and you need to be really fast which is not my case. Most common monsters aren't worth the trouble and when it counts, they are either immune or have such high social defense that even mockery bard would have a hard time. Of course I also have a few skills to help my group. Captain is always above master rank as i use it in duels against armored opponents and archers. It's my default pre-round skill in dungeons. I also raised Field Marshall and Vassals Loyalty when needed. With bonuses from items and other skills, they can be on a decent level without going past the master rank.

WH: I've started to see some people finally able to challenge you in duels recently; it seems your debuffs help, but don't COMPLETELY shut down opponents anymore. Do you see a natural fall-off for debuffs in the game currently, or did you just change your build around?

D: My opponents got better. While I have to spend my EP in many different areas, fast attack builds just have to concentrate on attack and initiative, plus some decent hp. It's only natural that they act first and often score a hit. My gear is heavily focused on melee defense, so it's not THAT uncommon that I dodge the first hit, but they have the upper hand there. If they can take me down with two hits, it's problematic for me and that's the case here. They have quite a high damage so they just need to get a lucky second shot - either by getting a very high attack roll or a very low defense roll on my side. The same can also happen with initiative. Mostly I get to act before their second action, but sometimes they get two actions before i can even debuff them and that's trouble. If I get to my second action, it's over. It's still probably possible to hit me, but I've never lost a duel versus a melee opponent when I got that far. The following debuffs and buffs on my side are just to make sure they don't have even the slightest chance to hit me. So the duel is usually decided after our second actions. I wondered why I constantly beat them before, even though their builds should have won at least some of the duels. That's what's happening now, the differences in our rolls got bigger and I'm starting to lose some of the duels, but that's how it should be. I think I still have the upper hand, not to mention they have problems against many builds that I can deal with. And then there are archers and ranged hunters. I have to knock them out before they defeat me and it isn't that easy, even with Alawins ring of agility. I also have to prepare for a duel against them so it's normal to lose some of these duels too every now and then.

WH: What other interesting, and potentially rare, builds are there out there? Any other ways players can take a fresh approach to an old class and try to make it new and exciting?

D: I think there are still many unique duel builds out there that can be deadly in the right hands. There are many new combinations thanks to the new grafting system and the reworked classes could also offer new options in the next world. You can make a similar debuffing build to mine with a brawling gladiator or a juggler. Especially juggler can be very versatile as he has access to many strong skills, items and debuffs. I've been thinking about one for the next world - dexterity based with focus on Use Throwing Weapons and nets. People usualy go for agility with this build so it could be interesting. Another build i've been thinking about is a Demosan priest. I did some math on his skills and he could be a real killing machine at higher levels, although you'll have to sacrifice defense, especially against ranged opponents, which also means nets. So he probably won't be as versatile as other builds and his damage won't be that great, which is also a problem against armored opponents.  But, he could be very fast, maybe even the fastest, with a good amount of HP and actions. Then there's the drifter. Not many people play him, but he can be made into an excellent duelist. A duel bard is also a very unique and versatile class with good buffs, debuffs and healing. He can be fun to play in the right hands. When making these builds, it's important to know what you're doing. Plan your skills, find suitable items and make some basic calculations to see what you can expect at the end. It's not a good thing to blindly build your hero as you go, not knowing what skill or items you want to use only to find out that you're useless or that you can't raise even half the skills you wanted.

The Herald Wants YOU!

Got an interesting build you'd like to share?  An idea you want to get out there?  Too much bundled up creativity and no outlet?  The Herald is looking for interviewees.  To sign up, send a message to Jasvyr and shout your glorious information to the world (figuratively...there's no yelling allowed in journalism...)!!!  Seriously, message me in game, I want to interview you (assuming you have something even REMOTELY interesting to say)!

Fifth Edition - September 2011

Herald's Fifth Run - Home Stretch on Caledonii

 So, here we are, in the fifth edition of the Herald.  Seems like less than a year ago I started this fledgling enterprise with nothing but the pen in my hand and the glimmer in my eye.

And now for a non sequitur.  Caledonii has been an interesting world from the start, and many of the high level groups are approaching end-of-game status in level and gear, including dungeon completion.  Keep in mind, there will be a new world (or world reset) sooner or later, but it is a little ways off, so keep on enjoying Caledonii for a bit longer.  A little patience goes a long way, and it will essentially be a time to try new and exciting builds (to you) with new and exciting classes (to you) after you hit the cap and feel there's nothing going on.

Happy dungeoneering!


RE-RUN - Intra-Clan Leagues

These leagues are still available for all clans that may want one.  Duel each other internally, and determine who the best clan duelist is!  Keep the clan together by keeping it all in the clan.  Beat up on those you hold most dear, and let them beat up on you in return!

Speaking from personal experience, these are good fun, easy to run, and a great way to keep your clan involved and active internally.


Tournament of Barbroxu Comes to an End!

Congratulations to all who participated, and be sure to make good use of the consumables given to all as a participation prize!

The overall winner of the tournament (featuring only barbarians...class-ist...) was Radialis, with xGlider as our runner-up.

The winners of "Running with the Herd" were xGlider and Mysteria@Aberon on Caledonii and Aberon, respectively.  Their slightly smashed losing counter-parts were Ragnor and Sophia@Aberon, again Caledonii and Aberon respectively.

The exalted Champion of Barbroxu is gifted the stunning battle axe with the blessing of Barbroxu as a reward.

Winners of "Running with the Herd" each got an exquisite horned helmet with caribou antlers, while the first to fall each got the amazing honor of being flat as a pancake.


Story Telling, Not Just for Woodlanders Anymore!

Entrants into the "Running with the Herd" competition can write up a story of the events as they unfolded for a guarantee of some sapphires, with a chance to win more!

Simply send your SERIOUS attempt at telling the events of the competition (specifying which run you are commentating on as there were a couple) and send it to Akako Chung.


Caledonii League Run-Down - Groups - 2000

Call me crazy, but I think The Heretics are now the team to beat!  To be fair, many of the Warriors of Kesmet are busy doing crazy things like running the game, and the same can be said for some members of other groups, but this has gotten to be a norm almost over night (or over the last three months, whichever you prefer, loyal readers).

This month, we saw absolute domination by The Heretics, as they lost ZERO matches.  Those of you with other gaming experience will know, we call that an "ACE!"  Well played.  As we've come to expect, they dropped the hammer on Warriors of Kesmet with a phial of high quality magical potion, another strong performance by Ignis, and some clean-up by Dwargon,  Vizzini and Salad Fingers.

The second division of the groups league was lead by Valor Friends, The Body Snatchers second, and  The Twelve Warriors third.

Congratulations to all our participants!


WoD: New to Me

Please enjoy this interview with Diablo1985 of Ice Cold and Sweet.  He's a new player to WoD as of the Caledonii start, and can share some thoughts about his early experience so far.

WH: So, you're new to WoD this world, right? How did you hear about WoD?

D: I found WoD in January this year by "googling". I've played some online games before and I wanted something new.

WH: How has your experience been so far?

D: Most of the online games are based on strategy or RPG (build a character). At a first look, I put WoD in the 2nd category. Everything changed when I was acquainted by Quillmonkey to join Ice Cold and Sweet. I thought it was all for fame to be a member of a group, but I realized is the essence of WoD. I'm looking at my minis now and they cant overpass dungeons suggested for half their level. No matter how good you are, the resources to develop your character could only come from a group.


WH: I see Blackruby and Tacheron are both in your group. How instrumental in your group's success have they been, being very experienced players? Do you think your group would have made it if it was made up of all new players?

D: My biggest luck was to join Ice Cold and Sweet. Alongside Blackruby and Tacheron we have Quillmonkey - the founder, the brother and one friend of Tacheron and Peak who played a lot on french server. We're pretty much like the musketeers - one for all and all for one. The forum is a very useful tool; there we can discuss pretty much all: merchandising, schedulers, wish lists, strategies....u name it. Alongside the relationships in the group that makes it very solid we have the Written Constitution of Ice Cold and Sweet, another major piece of the group's backbone. Tacheron is the merchant and also you can say is the account since he pays us a salary at each level because all the drops goes to TV or GS. I made mistakes, bending the rules....because I like empirical methods, by practice, and sometimes I wanted more coins for example. Although I'm 26 years old I felt like the teenager that needs to steal the car late at night and meet his girlfriend; translated in WoD, selling my stuff for some coins to develop a skill I thought I need it. But Tacheron and Quillmonkey were like my parents blaming (criticizing) for my actions, but after all they supported me with advices and always found a way to cool things down. I think that's our group strong point because we can understand each other and guide ourselves on a good path avoiding the dark side of human nature (the ones with power and knowledge tend to mock the others). Could we have made it with new players ? I say maybe, the only difference is the time to get used to, or as Quill (Quillmonkey) said: "WoD has quite a steep learning curve and it is difficult to get your head round some things".

WH: What things would have improved your early experience with WoD? In your experience, what things can players do to make the environment more welcoming for new players?

D: I always wanted to become better. I'm a Virgo after all and I like to help the ones I trust or care . Someone said: "Learn, learn and learn". I say :"Read, read and read'. Ain't that hard. The reports contains a lot of information about what could you improve on your character. Reading the items descriptions helps you choose one more adequate and reading the skills list helps you building your hero as you wish. I thought a rage roundhouser cant survive, but that's what I am and I'm satisfied with my achievements both in dungeons and in the Arena. And don't forget to analyze your group and see how much they can support your actions. What would've helped me in the beginning ? More coins and/or the items I wanted; I was changing my wishlist at least weakly annoying Tacheron. First you see a blue candy: wooow..., then a red one with stars : wwwooooowww.......something like that, we all have a child inside. Anyway, the thing I suggest for any group / clan is to have a smooth and running Forum and to share the information, after all is the Age of Information .

WH: Are you going to keep playing in the next world? If so, what has you hooked? Going to get a premium account, or stay free-to-play?

D: I really want a premium account, maybe in the next world. What get me hooked ? Don't know, maybe the fact we all need to work together for achievements. To really think as a part of a group is different and if you don't, don't expect much from this game. An example to clarify: if my primary goal is to be the main attacker that means I wont be running after defense items, leaving them for the tank; the idea is to know how to make, lets say sacrifices.


The Herald Wants YOU!

Got an interesting build you'd like to share?  An idea you want to get out there?  Too much bundled up creativity and no outlet?  The Herald is looking for interviewees.  To sign up, send a message to Jasvyr and shout your glorious information to the world (figuratively...there's no yelling allowed in journalism...)!!!

Fourth Edition - August 2011

 RE-RUN - Intra-Clan Leagues

These leagues are still available for all clans that may want one.  Duel each other internally, and determine who the best clan duelist is!  Keep the clan together by keeping it all in the clan.  Beat up on those you hold most dear, and let them beat up on you in return!


RE-RUN - Tell a Tale over Tea

FREE SAPPHIRES!!!  Do I really need to say more?!  Join the Tea Party every Sunday by registering here, and then write up a short story depicting the battle!  See winners' entries from the last round by going here, hopefully that will jog your creative memory!

ALL WHO ENTER SERIOUS ENTRIES GET SAPPPHIRES!  WIN THE CONTEST AND GET BONUS SAPPHIRES!

(while this is a great opportunity for free sapphires, the stories have to actually be serious and have some effort put in, not just throwing something together just to get the sapphires, we want your creativity!)


Tell a Tale over Tea's First Winner Announced

In other news, congratulations to last Tea Party's winner: Yours Truly!   It seems the pen is mightier than the sword (or axe, or magic, or blunderbuss...you get the idea) after all!  Excellent entries from Shadowice and DarkRuan also won 10 sapphires each.

Come now, none of you stalwart adventurers wants a shot at the bonus sapphires for taking my literary crown?  Bring your best maneuvers to the fight, and your best pens to the after party!  Win Sapphires!


Caledonii League Run-Down - Groups - 2000

 Well, loyal readers, it has happened again.  The Heretics have once again taken the top group sub-league by storm, this time beating out Lucky XIII by the margin of one half of a win.  In the deciding match, our champions used surprise maneuver of stacking the right side, keeping their secret weapon, Ignis alive in order to blast the opponents, dealing nearly double the next most damaging attacker yet again.

The real shocker (pardon the pun) came in the duel between the runners up (Lucky XIII) actually ended their match with OOG's Revenge in a DRAW!  That's right folks, legendary tank Suzie actually managed to successfully defend against FOUR of the of the second place group's heroes, striking down one, nearly bringing down a second, and I believe, given enough time, potentially winning!

Torrential Reigns rounded out the top three in the top sub-league.  The Twelve Warrios, Senatus Redux, and The Body Snatchers took the top three spots in the second sub-league.


Designs on Design, Round Two


Great news, heroes!  The next and final part of the epic Kargash Peak quest is being released a week from today!  This new and exciting re-visitation of the beloved quest line will finally wrap up all the hard questing heroes in Caledonii have been doing since the world opened.

Along with the release of the final part of the quest, the old "boss items" have been updated for Caledonii.

These exciting new battles are designed for level 30+ groups.

Happy questing!



Shock and Awe, with Ignis


Please enjoy this  brief interview with Ignis of The Heretics, potentially the single most devastating group and clan duelist Caledonii will ever have!


WoD Herald: Wow. You rock in group and clan duels. What's the secret?

Ignis: It is hard to say.  My build is focused on initiative,which is good for duels.  I am the only mage of my group, so I can get most mage's unique items, and my group and clan both have some great strategists for duels.


WH: Most of the high damage mages go fire. Why are you using electrical storm instead?

I: Actually I have played all kinds of mages and realized that energy is really better than fire.  The main reason is Talent: Art of Offensive Magery.  It gives quite a large bonus to both attack and damage roll, and secondly, the damage attribute is str, so its damage can be push by Experimental Strength. Besides Electrical Storm hits two more targets than fire rain, which is also importmant in group/clan duel.  So,Electrical Storm hits more has more attack roll and does more damage.


The advange of fire is that you can use something like The fire amulet of Haron the Dark to do more damage,but those item have limited use and most effective when cri hit.


WH: Obviously, you have lots of pretty sweet items, and all the best enchanting a hero could ask for. Were you successful in duels before you got to that point, or was there sort of a "breaking point" for the power of your build?

I: I can't say it for sure.  It is true some pieces of equipment (like cloak of eternal darkness,Gulgoltogh's girdle of penance and Golden Ring with a Black Diamond) are very powerful and will make a big difference in both duel and dungeon.  The enchanting gives me more initiative and a higher attack roll.  Those are important, but I am also very confident in my build =D.


WH: You don't use a premium account, and therefore no premium classes. How much does this affect your game play? Are you better at mages, for example, because that's all you play?

I: Oh, I have played wod for years (most in .org though), and have played almost all classes, but true, mage is always my favorite.  I am also considering playing a Gladiator and an ice mage in next world :).


WH: I noticed in duel reports that your group doesn't really even buff you that much. Aside of the initiative buff from Captain and the aswadi drum, the only non-defensive buff on you was from use device (self). Just how powerful is that skill?

It is VERY powerful.  With Gnomish talisman of energy you can get a rare initiative bonus and even an extra action.  As a mage, you can't expect more from a pre-round skill, especially since AoP is no longer in this world.  There are also some good devices like Use Device (Group), Schepwinkle's glowing ball, sulfur press.  The other racial skill Deploy Traps is also very powerful in duels.

Actually I think that gnomes of this world are a little too powerful, at least for caster classes.  The racial attack and defence bonus is good, the racial skill is very powerful (especially compared to other races), even the pocket enlarger item tool box is also great (it only require equip one device item and +3 extra pocket space, which means you can wear one powerful device and two other good pocket items, while elves have to wear 3 weak glyphs).  I was a Tiram-Ag Elf mage before, but after I analyzed all races carefully, I converted to gnome immediately.


WH: Any other comments on your build, and how others can duplicate your success?

I: The key skill of my build is Talent: Art of Offensive Magery.  I do think it is the best talent: attack roll, skill level damage, you've got all you want.  I'd strongly suggest all mages (including fire and ice) choose the Sorcerer Warlock/Sorceress Witch subclass, even the attack bonus alone is good enough, and the other two talent skills are also not bad.  On the other hand, energy is only powerful enough with Talent: Art of Offensive Magery.  So,I suggest all mages who want to be enegrymage use fire before lvl 29, then use 2-3 reset points to convert to energy when you get Talent: Art of Offensive Magery and ring of liquid copper.


The Herald Wants YOU!

Got an interesting build you'd like to share?  An idea you want to get out there?  Too much bundled up creativity and no outlet?  The Herald is looking for interviewees.  To sign up, send a message to Jasvyr and shout your glorious information to the world (figuratively...there's no yelling allowed in journalism...)!!!

Third Edition - July 2011

Can't Stop the Herald!

Despite some largely-exaggerated* and more-than-likely-fictitious* attempts to end the running of this month's issue of the Herald, I, your loyal servant, daring adventurer, and life-risking journalist, have delivered.

Please, do not fret about my health or well-being, as simply reading over the exciting news and ongoing developments in the World of Dungeons contained herein gives me the strength to continue my own epic battle with possibly imagined* difficulties and the undoubtedly untrue* conspiracy to thwart the release of yet another breath-taking rendition of your beloved newsletter.

*ADJECTIVES ADDED IN FOR ACCURACY BY WoD STAFF


Caledonii Arena News - Intra-Clan Leagues!

Straight from the hazardous smoke-filled basement of *cough* heralded inventor extraordinaire and Colosseum administrator, Hasta, comes a new and exciting way to keep your clan active, lively, and most of all, brutally murdering each other!

Have your clan-leader sign up for an all-new intra-clan league with Hasta, and you can freely bash in the heads of all those you consider your closest WoD friends! Anyone can manage the league in the clan, but the details can be found here!


Tea Party Prize-Fest, Every Two Weeks

Itching for some sapphires, dungeoneers? Well, here's your chance, every other week! Simply sign up for the exciting Sunday Afternoon Tea Party League and write an epic re-telling of the party as you saw it! Write your retelling of either the Tea Party on Sunday the 24th, or Sunday the 31st, and submit it in a WoD PM to Akako Chung by Friday the 5th of August to be entered.

ALL participants will receive 10 sapphires, and one lucky winner gets TRIPLE that amount. After all, what good is a battle without an masterful story to back it up? And don't worry, yours truly won't be entering, so you'll all have a chance to win. After all, my calling is here at the Herald, not on the fields of war!


Caledonii League Run-down - Groups - 2000

As usual, we had an exciting turnout in the groups league this time around in Caledonii. Read on for the gory details.

In the premier league, we saw the Heretics win in a surprising upset, actually taking BOTH matches from the Warriors of Kesmet. Famed sorceress Ignis unanimously gets "MVP" accolades, having dealt over four times as much damage as the next most productive combatant. And people say girls can't compete! After some quality buffing by both groups' trancing shamans, she let loose the her fabled Electrical Storm and dominated any and all who stood in her path. The same tactic brought the Warriors down in both rounds. It seems our resident witch is quite simply a force to be reckoned with.

OOG's Revenge tied up the X-Men in sub-division two, and The Body Snatchers and Senatus Redux shared the honors in the third grouping.

Congratulations to all who participated, the group league is certainly a great source of enjoyment and competition for all!

RAGE! with Shub-Niggurath

Barbarians are a frequently played but seldom mastered class, being a base class in WoD.  That in mind, the Herald sought out an expert in the field (of battle, right?) to help our readers better understand how to best play this readily available monster of a class.  So, without further ado:

WH: You've been seen with some unorthodox builds. Can you describe them?

SN:
Raging Barb with 14 actions
A Raging Barb is nothing special however you can make it special. Darkruan has been skilled that way that I could transform him into a 14 actions monster with the following steps:

-    Bring Reaction to 20 which gives +2 actions
-    Bring Raging Boar to 20 which gives +3 actions when used
-    Get main hand and off-hand hatred weapon for +2 actions
-    Wear rage items for up to +7 actions:
o    simple ring with the curse of rage
o    ring with the curse of rage
o    good ring with the curse of rage
o    blessed ring with the curse of rage
o    blessed bandana with the curse of rage
o    blessed totem with the curse of rage
o    blessed bracelet with the curse of rage

The main downturn and that is why this built is not recommended is the negative HP regeneration as well as the defence rolls who seldom are above 0. To give you a feeling of what the group healer would need to do: wearing the above 7 rage items give you a negative regeneration of -54 at level 20. At level 25 that is -68. I had quartz hatred weapons but still a problem of around -40 negative regeneration remains. You are heavily dependant on the group.

Thrower Barb
A Barbarian using throwing weapons is also nothing special but I found it pretty attractive. You are also able to use some rage equipment to get more actions.

First task is to get the boomerang of return, otherwise the thrower built is hardly possible. There are also nice unique throwing weapons like:

Groka's magical throwing axe
assassin's iceblade
flying longhorn
Harietta's throwing axe of anti-magic
acidic fragment
blackthorn

A thrower barb is fast as he focuses on Agility. Still the built of a thrower barb is not that special. But it differs from the image of an axe-wielding maniac screaming like hell when attacking the enemy. Maybe that is what I like about it.

Others
There are other ways of playing Barbs but either they are just normal in WoD or can only be played at higher levels. Roundhouse is a good example. There are many roundhouse barbs in WoD and the main advantage is of course hitting multiple enemies at once. Combine RH with a Raging Barb however and you will get a mass melee attacker which clears the battlefield after the ranged attackers hit the spot. Just to give you an example how devastating this can be:

Initiative 73
Action 3 of 10     Shub-Niggurath attacks (Roundhouse/248/6 MP,ornated quartz dwarven axe of hatred)   
Drow Warrior5 (Use Polearms/83): critical success - struck down
49 [+12] cutting damage
Drow Warrior2 (Use Polearms/89): critical success - struck down
41 [+12] cutting damage
Drow Warrior7 (Use Polearms/87): critical success - struck down
47 [+12] cutting damage
Drow Warrior4 (Use Polearms/87): critical success - struck down
42 [+12] cutting damage
Drow Warrior6 (Use Polearms/98): critical success - struck down
52 [+12] cutting damage
Drow Warrior1 (Use Polearms/110): critical success - struck down
38 [+12] cutting damage
Drow Warrior8 (Use Polearms/88): critical success - struck down
49 [+12] cutting damage
Drow Warrior3 (Use Polearms/88): critical success - struck down
44 [+12] cutting damage

If we assume an average done damage of 45 per hit, that makes 362 damage per action. 10 actions mean 3620 total damage if we further assume that there are enough enemies.
The most crucial point is the mana support of your group. If you have 10 actions, probably because you also have raging boar at level 20, it means that apart from the 60 MP needed for roundhouse, you need at least 20 MP for the use of raging boar. And to regenerate 80 or at least 60 MP per round is nearly impossible. Like healing a Rager who wears 7 rage items at once. Still an impressive way to go.

Also a HP meat shield is a fun build, you just need many items which increase the amount of HP your hero has. If I remember correctly, there were Barbarians with around 600 HP. As I did not go this way for several years now, I do not know how this built currently can be managed. Just don’t know what kind of items here in Caledonii make this built possible.

There are also other builds but they mainly are based on the rager with using different skills.
The only type of Dwarf I have not played yet - and I don’t regret it - is a blocker.  Why? Well, maybe I just like wielding axes.

WH: What unique skills/characteristics make barbarians so versatile? We've all seen the two standard builds: raging barbarian and roundhouse barbarian, but you've seen success with a couple other builds. What makes this possible?

SN: Attacking with axes (or other weapons) is not the only thing a Barbarian can do. Battle cry makes it possible to debuff the enemies melee attackers and slow them down. And it is a Barbarian speciality.
There are of course other social attacks in WoD but the image in your head of a mighty Barbarian screaming their battle cry into the faces of the tiny enemies is the one I like best.

At higher levels Summoning the Ancients might be a great addition to your built. It is not Barbarian only but fits into the greater picture. I liked using it in my WoD-past. Summoning a helper like Shamans do everyday now is a nice way of protecting yourself or the group.

There are many other skills available for a Barbarian. Some might say it is a boring built but it can be interesting when you explore the limits set only by your imagination. Sounds like nonsense? Maybe you are right.

WH: You've become quite successful in the arena lately. How do you prepare for duels on DarkRuan? On Shub-Niggurath?

SN: I do not prepare in a special way for duels. That counts for all of my heroes I just invite comrades and group members. Also the town crier and the arena forums are a good way to attract some worthy opponents. I mainly issue a challenge when I want to test something new, like new equipment or the use of certain skills.

Success maybe comes from the nice items I find together with my group and our merchant who is able to acquire some in trade. As I have played Barbarians for a long time now, there is not much room to improve my skilling I would assume.

I can only recommend to everyone to participate in the duelling leagues. Be it skill or class leagues or group leagues. You can only improve your own heroes, your group and the game.

WH: We've noticed you branching out a little bit into some other classes, particularly a drifter and a gladiator. Why experiment? Are you moving away from barbarians, or just figuring out how best to beat up on "lesser classes"?

SN: After years of playing the same class and race combination, I realized that WoD has more to offer than just Barbarian Hill-Dwarfs. The main reason I created a Mag-Mor Elf Drifter a few months ago was that I wanted to see if there is a class/race combination I would like better than my usual hero.

Those who helped me with the drifter built know that I was struggling with it. It was not my first ranged hero, but my first hero belonging to the – what I call them – consumable classes.  Restocking with black powder and bullets was not the only thing making it hard for me. My group those days might remember I sometimes found myself with empty pockets in front of a hungry troll, just being able to wield my tiny saber at it.

I was also irritated that I had to reset my skills/attributes as I was changing from single shot to master shot. I do not criticize the game or the way the classes are made, I just wasn’t able to play the Drifter as I was able to play a Barbarian. Maybe I was frustrated of the outcome or just needed something else, but I converted my drifter into a Gladiator.

With support of my groups, I was able to equip him with some basic items and began to study the dungeon reports. I liked what I saw and currently am a level 13 brawling Dinturan Gladiator. Still I am not sure if I would create a Gladiator again. The next class for me to test would be a knight maybe. But I also have no experience with this type of hero.

But that still does not answer the question. The main reason – as already stated – was to create something new. Maybe I was just bored by the Barbarian Hill-Dwarf. But other classes and races made me understand the game better. It is a good thing that WoD offers a variety of classes and races, there is something for everyone.

But still the one and only class and race combination I would play if someone would force me to choose one until the rest of my WoD-life, would be a Barbarian Hill-Dwarf. The most basic but most interesting combination of them all.

WH: Thanks for your time!

Second Edition - June 2011

Herald Runs Again; Now with more Insight!

The Herald, as it continues, will be more focused on providing insight into the mystical World of Dungeons.  This issue features some tremendously tractable and totally tip-top trading tips, courtesy of Memento!  But first, we'll take a brief look at some planned design change/improvements on the slate for the next world, and review the exciting chat event that was held this past month.  So read the usual League Run-Down, but don't miss these exciting new interview articles, sure to help you step up your game!



Caledonii League Run-Down: Groups - 2000 Season 10

This time around, the mighty Warriors of Kesmet met no resistance as they plowed their way through the heralded Sub-League 1, even with their hardy juggler extraordinaire, Silver Wing II, standing idle throughout the fights.  The Heretics similarly beat up on Lucky XIII and The Gang of Non-Clever, with Lucky XIII taking both matches from The Gang, leaving is with a symmetrical 6-0, 4-2, 2-4, 0-6 standings table.

The much expanded Sub-League 2 saw parallel domination by Torrential Reigns, with X-Men and OOG's Revenge tied up in second with 8-4 records.  However, X-Men didn't show up for a few matches, and lost some points as a result, placing them in third.

Sub-League 3 was won handily by Order of the Dark Blade, followed closely by Senatus Redux, whose only losses came to the first place group.  The Twelve Warriors also just lost to the groups ahead of them in the standings, placing them securely in third in the low-level sub-league this round.



Designs on Design

A few quick notes on some design plans, according to Cathar from the design team:

First off, we can expect some quality restructuring of the current dungeon list.  Per Cathar, we can expect there to be a more even distribution of dungeons across the level span, including both regular and appointment dungeons.

Secondly, dungeon rewards rework!  Finally, dungeons will offer rewards that look a bit more friendly based on their difficulty level.  This should make dungeon progression that much easier and more rewarding.

Last, the design team is hard at work and the next part of the Kargash quest should be ready for a run some time very soon.

Stay tuned for more design updates in the July Edition!



Sha-Jin Chat Event a Great Success

You may all remember details from a chat event coming out in thee last edition of the Herald.  Well, the event was held as planned, and those fortunate enough to participate certainly got their money's worth (it was free, after all).  The event even included an exciting visit from the Sha-Jin Ambassador himself, who gave a series of questions regarding Sha-Jin culture to those standing by, rewarding correct answers with many gifts!  Further, he gave all those who participated several helpings of rice wine and chop suey!

The biggest winners of the evening were Dwargon (walked away with 12 haiku total), shadowice (8 haiku), Goldmoon (4 haiku), Mtsouy (4 haiku), Edwin (2 haiku), and Ragnor (1 haiku).

Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to everyone who participated!



Trade Talk with Memento

Memento was kind enough to spare some time for us in this issue.  Please enjoy this interview, chock-full of wonderful information and some quality insight into the trading world present in WoD.

WH: What are the group and clan benefits to having a strong trader in the group? I understand that more money is naturally nice, but many of the powerful items are unique drops, so groups aren't willing to trade them.

Memento: Different groups consists of different kinds of heroes with different kinds of builds. There aren't many unique drops that EVERY group needs for themselves. Some groups don't have a barbarian, some don't have a bard and so on. The trick is to be on the lookout for class-unique drops and groups that don't have that class with them. There are roughly 3 things you can do:
-You can check lot of treasure-vault posts (in the Adventurer's Riches section of the forums) and see if it shows up somewhere.
-You can keep a wishlist up to date and make sure people look at it.
-You can contact other merchants when their group is nearing the level of a certain dungeon and ask them to contact you when the item drops.

But besides that you just need enough money to buy skills, consumables, and non-unique items that tend to break a lot.

WH: Where should a would-be trader spend most of their time? Personal trades, the marketplace, or auctions? Does it require a mix of all three?

Memento: A merchant will be doing all 3 but if you want to get the good stuff you need to be doing personal trades. Almost every serious merchant out there has enough cash so almost all trades are items for items and you need to find and negotiate those deals.

WH: What items tend to be the most useful for a group? Rare consumables have great uses, especially in duels, but strong gear makes dungeons easier. Where does a good trader place his/her focus on getting items for their group?

Memento: You need to look at the group as a whole. In the earlier levels you need to get decent equipment for your blocker as soon as possible. After that priority goes to crucial equipment for dungeons first. Things that come to mind are: good weapons for your melee, a good instrument for your bard, a good gun/xbow for you archer and so on.
Good duelling equipment is nice but not a priority (at least it isn't for me).
For consumables you should always try to get the best consumables you can for the heroes that need them. It is very handy if you can get a ongoing deal going here. For instance all you sulfur for all the ice crystals of another group and then swap every week or so.

WH: Quite simply, how do you MAKE money in trading? Naturally you want to get items that are useful, but how do you also manage to get some gold out of it?

Memento: The easiest money is to just keep your TV nice and tidy and FP/market/auction things you have outgrown and sell them to lower groups.
I think only a very few merchants have making money as a goal in itself. The goal should be to get good stuff and money is only a minor part of that.
If you really want to make money you can try to buy low and sell high but that will take a LOT of time and a lot of market-browsing.

WH: Any final, closing tips or tricks you'd like to share with the community? Something that might help a newer player looking to be a group merchant?

Memento: I think if you want to be a good merchant you should always try to be fair. If you sell stuff on the market: put a price on it you think it is actually worth. Don't put a price on it you hope some idiot might accidentally pay for it.
If someone want an item from your TV, same thing: ask a fair price or trade.
If you want something from another TV: offer a decent price. If you think something is worth 10k don't go bidding 2k and hope the other person is new to the trading thing. Just offer 10k and get it over with.

Being known as a fair trader will give some benefits:
- people with rare items will actually come and offer it to you because they will get a good return.
- if you make an offer and the other party doesn't really know the price they will more often trust your judgement and accept the deal.

And last: try not to be too slow. If you get a mail: answer it asap or send a quick message you will get to it later. When bargaining don't wait a few days for every step or the other party will move on.

WH: Thanks for your time!

Memento: You're welcome. I hope this was something like you had in mind.

Indeed it was.  Many thanks to Memento for his help!

First Edition - May 2011

Return of the Herald Greeted with Enthusiasm by Readers

Maybe a bold prediction, but according to Jasvyr, the new starry-eyed editor of the WoD Herald, "There's no way readers won't be entirely enthused with our revamp and renewal of the once-loved newsletter.  Readers can come here to find results of major events, news and exciting goings-on, and a monthly highlight of one or more leagues taking place in the arena.  There's basically no reason to read any other source of news in the entire world.  Everything you could want is right here."  Again, a bold claim, but "we" here at the Herald feel strongly you'll agree after the newest edition of the, er..."heralded" newsletter.


World of Dungeons Chat Events Upcoming!

Two exciting chat events will be held in the next several weeks. Tune into the WoD Chat to participate!

26 May 2011 at 2400 GMT.
29 May 2011 at 1200 GMT.

Both events are sure to be worth your while, so mark your calendars!


Tournament Recap - Exotic Warfare

Caledonii saw a riveting tournament, with "The Sky Painters", made up of Hugin and Neverwho winning EIGHT consecutive fights against other super-buffed fighters to win the tournament.

On Aberon, the "Softies" reigned supreme, escaping elimination with one loss, but still beating out all other combatants in what must have been glorious fashion, naturally.

Congratulations to all our winners, and all our participants!


Caledonii League Run-Down: Groups - 2000 Season 8

Sub-league 1 saw the prototypical powerhouse Warriors of Kesmet, led by the legendary Mistress of the Forest Cathar, top the league once again.  However, in a surprise move, using some surprise positioning tactics, Lucky XIII was able to take BOTH rounds from the Warriors, landing themselves in third, just behind Gang of Non-Clever.  In fourth were The Heretics, and Tomatoes vs Zombies brought up the rear in the elite sub-league of the Groups League.

Sub-league 2 was dominated by Mission Possible, who lost only one match to OOG's Revenge, where a strong first action from Jovan tipped the scales.  OOG's Revenge finished second, The Stampede got third but dissolved after competition, and The Conclave of Shadows, Valor Friends, and Torrential Reigns rounded out the second sub-league.

Sub-league 3 saw an under-leveled combatant nearly sweep the field.  With a level disadvantage of three compared to the next lowest participant group, the X-Men beat up on every group in sub-league, losing only one match to The Roving Rebels, who were able to bring down one of X-Men's two penetration archers before he could even fire.  The Roving Rebels finished second over The Body Snatchers, The Twelve Warriors, Caledoniias Amethyst Dawn, and Adventurers and Co..


Sha-Jin Festival Ends: New Poet Laureates Named!

As the Sha-Jin Festival has come to a close, many groups have sought the famed riches of the Emperor, and even perhaps protected a fleeing sailor along the way.  In spite of the myriad exotic weaponry found by countless ambitious adventurers, the real news was the annual Haiku and Banner competitions.  The Haiku competition saw over 50 participants try their hands at this exotic Asian poetry, and the Banner competition received three extremely well put-together works of art.

It is with great pleasure (and permission) that I announce the winners of the famed Haiku competition:

Haiku:  A special congratulations to lord_folken and Tacheron, whose haiku were the top two picks by the judges.  Below is a list of the 15 haiku to be welcomed into Caledonii, all chosen from hero suggestions.  All 15 heroes chosen will be given copies of their own haiku, and all 51 heroes who submitted haiku will be given a medal: Sha-Jin Haiku.  If you are one of those 51, please send a trade to squalor to receive your prize.

Below is a list of the 15 new haiku:

Haiku: the gambling choice
Haiku: the dead awaken
Haiku: I am but a wall
Haiku: Salt of the earth
Haiku: have courage!
Haiku: Alchemal Potion
Haiku: Become Poets
Haiku: Ready your mugs!
Haiku: Debts Paid to my Axe
Haiku: Ignorance is Bliss
Haiku: No Glory in Death
Haiku: Snake and Man
Haiku: The hunter awaits
Haiku: Silent Snowflakes Fall
Haiku: Act Fast or Die

Congratulations to psilocybe, tacheron, zakail, ibid, lord_folken, yazoo, shao'sa'vire, skunj, iknowwhoiam, adonies, tomy, pronell, haysoos, beart, triptrix for contributing the 15 haiku selected.

The Banner competition saw three amazing contributions, and those brilliant works of art will be displayed in the following items:

Sha-Jin Banner of the Red Monkey
Sha-Jin Banner of the White Rhino
Sha-Jin Banner of the Spirits


Class Forums Seek New Life, New Leadership, New Participants

Here at WoD, we have an amazing resource for builds, skills, gear, and even a laugh or two.  Unfortunately, this gold mine of information, encouragement, and maybe even a helping hand with items, has run dry from a lack of participation.

The leadership at WoD is seeking new, energetic, young minds to moderate, and most of all encourage participation in, the class forums present in the Tavern.

The Hall of heroes, as it is known to those who frequent its silent depths, has individual forums for each and every class in the known world (of dungeons).  Interested parties need only apply to Cathar to join the pseudo-elite ranks of forum moderators to help WoD grow, and provide refuge and aid to young, growing members of your class.