Module 1 Patch 4: Solo Enhancements

=Overview=

=Release date= 14th June, 2006

=Module 1, patch 3 FINAL release notes= DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE(TM): Stormreach(TM) delivers the most exciting group-focused experiences available in online gaming today. Up till now the city has held dangers that are to difficult for a single player to overcome. An all new solo setting is being introduced to help DDO players navigate through content on their own, allowing them the time and space to learn about their characters, try strategies and face monsters for the first time on their own. Players will be able to play at their own pace without having to worry about finding others to group with. For the full article on the new solo play features click here.

Experience Table Adjustment
In conjunction with the new solo options for the Harbor, we have made some adjustments to the experience required to get from level 1-3. Advancing to level 2 will now require 5,000 experience points instead of 10,000, and advancing to level 3 will require 20,000 total experience points instead of 30,000, allowing you to visit the trainers even earlier.

As a result of this sliding experience, the experience point requirements for level 3-10 will be 10,000 points lower. The amount of experience required to move from level 3 to level 10 will remain the same, but will require less total experience, as a result of the changes made at levels 1 and 2. To balance this out for existing characters, all characters who are currently level 3 and above will see a one-time, 10,000 point, experience shift closer to their next level. Please note: this is NOT a gift of 10,000 xp, merely a shift however depending on your current xp total this may grant you a new level or rank.

Performance

 * We have fixed a graphics memory leak that caused performance to severely degrade over time, eventually causing instability or crashes. This should also help alleviate "hitching."
 * In a continued effort to help our dial-up players we made some further reductions to bandwidth usage. All players should see some benefit from this reduction.
 * We fixed a bug that sometimes caused players to crash while teleporting.

UI

 * You can now use punctuation in your Guild Message of the Day!!!!! Use all the commas, exclamation points, and questions marks you like!!!!!!!!!
 * We changed the text of the in-game help request for "Stuck" to reflect the best procedure to follow if you get stuck somewhere in-game. Previously the instructions directed players to log out of the game, which is not the best course of action. Instead you should submit a help request and wait for assistance.
 * We have added or corrected several focus orb images.

General

 * Starting characters now start with 3 starter healing potions and 3 potions of light repair.
 * Rogues now begin the game with a shortsword instead of a dagger.
 * In order to bring the stealth and invisibility systems closer to the D&D Core Rulebooks, we've redesigned how the systems work.
 * Monsters that think they have detected a hidden target will no longer unerringly home in on the stealthed character; rather they will rely on a "best guess" to target where they logically believe the character to be.
 * Invisibility, rather than being complete undetectability, now routes through the stealth system as Hide and Move Silently do. When using invisibility, you will now have to make a stealth check with a +20 bonus. Invisibility does not grant Move Silently, and so you are advised to activate stealth when you are invisible.
 * Both invisibility and stealth now contain detaunt elements when you are in a party. Opponents will prefer to attack targets that are visible, and if they cannot find you they will eventually give up, rather than omnisciently hunting you over long distances.
 * Read more about the Invisibility changes click here.
 * We have fixed several typos.
 * Fixed several stuck points throughout the world.

Vendors and NPCs

 * After months of pensively watching the citizens of Stormreach do their shopping at the Marketplace Bazaar Tent instead of at their shops, the jewelry brokers from the "Erstwhile Emporium" in House Phiarlan and the clothing brokers from the "Empty Hand" in House Jorasco have given in to the inevitable and relocated to the Marketplace Bazaar. They have leased their shops to local entrepreneurs who are hoping to make some money selling all kinds of non-magical consumable goods to House visitors.
 * Fixed some (now) incorrect quest dialogue to reflect the recent relocation of several harbor NPCs.
 * Scrag has become more sociable and less shy. He has acclimated to life in the big city and no longer becomes confused when more than one person attempts to talk to him at a time.
 * Sailor Calatin of Smuggler's Rest has taken a stroll down the dock. He can now be found next to the Rook's Gambit Tavern. He is now more centrally located so that you can choose to skip the class-specific tutorials and head directly to Stormreach if you want. However, we still recommend running through the class tutorials that can be found in the buildings behind the Rook's Gambit.

Items

 * Permanently damaged items will now reduce in value at a slower rate.
 * Haven't been able to find the perfect Bane/Greater Bane/Slaying arrow or bolt for the monster of your choice? Fret no more - we've quadrupled the types of bane arrows and bolts in the game! In addition, all Bane and Greater Bane missiles have now been added to the loot tables for chests. Previously these powerful missiles were only available from a few collectors. As a side effect, players will no longer find Slaying arrows that don't have killable monsters associated with them.
 * The barkeeps and tavern owners of Stormreach have decided to reward the Warforged for months of dedicated service to the city. They are now stocking vastly improved Warforged Oil (Drink) so that the Warforged's drinks have an effectiveness similar to non-oil drinks of equivalent cost.
 * A temporary magical disturbance was interfering with the effectiveness of the Brooch of Waterbreathing but the Artificers are pleased to announce that equilibrium has been found and the brooches should once again give their wearer 90 seconds worth of air.
 * The merchants of Object Desire in House Phiarlan have finally received a long back-ordered shipment of Hold Person scrolls. They are currently carrying a complete selection of level 3 Arcane Scrolls.
 * We changed the description of some resistance items to help clarify stacking. For example "of resistance" items do not stack with items that give a bonus to a specific category of saves (i.e. will saves).
 * There is the possibility that some items have been created that cast Fireshield. Fireshield has not been fully implemented into the game and does not return damage to enemies that attack a fireshielded character. These items will no longer be created, but Fireshield items already in existence will not be changed. Fireshield does reduce damage from fire while it is in effect.
 * Holy, Axiomatic, and Anarchic weapons no longer display the Immune message when a player of the correct alignment equips them.
 * The Brooch of Shielding and Raktu's Trifle will no longer display an alert icon for their Magic missile shielding effects.
 * Any new Docents of Filtration will be properly identified as docents.
 * Any new Thanatos Weave Robes will be properly identified as robes.

Quests

 * The Blackheart chieftains in the Jungles of Khyber have become worried about their recent heavy losses and ordered rest and resurrection shrines be erected at their camp to aid their soldiers.
 * The first kobold in Old Sully's Grog was finally awakened and chased out by the wily runty kobolds. Unfortunately, the runty kobold ordered to replace him on guard duty found the area quite comfortable, and promptly fell asleep.
 * A mysterious illness is plaguing the Conjured Spiders that live in Euphonia's training ground. They are listless and weak, and do not pose much of a threat to new adventurers as they once did.

Combat

 * We made some improvements to the combat feedback for critical hits. Effects triggered by a critical hit will now show up after the to-hit die roll in the combat chat tab. When you score a critical hit on a monster and it resists, you will now get a "Critical Hit Resisted!" message in the combat chat tab.
 * We have changed the tooltip description for the Power Attack feat to help clarify that this feat only applies to melee attacks. We have also changed the language of several additional tooltips to help make sure their meaning is clear as well.