Lamannia Release Notes: Enhancements Alpha

Lamannia Release Notes: Enhancements Alpha (Last Updated 4-11-2013)
Welcome to the Lamannia Release Notes for Dungeons & Dragons Online! These release notes were posted on Thursday, April 11th, 2013. These notes are subject to changes and additions... lots and lots of changes and additions.

News & Notes
This Lamannia preview includes features that are in very early stages of development or still in the planning stages. Please be sure to review Lamannia announcements and release note updates for instructions on preview around specific features.

New Bug Reporting Tool
The bug reporting tool has been updated on Lamannia! Additionally we will be adding in-game surveys during the Lamannia preview in addition to our forum feedback threads.

Enhancements Alpha
DDO's Enhancement system is being revamped. Some of these changes will address/clean up UI concerns. Some will enable new forms of gameplay and decisions that improve the character building experience. The new design will allow us to more easily add new enhancement trees in the future.

Please note: The Enhancement revamp is being previewed with the current Lamannia builds but is not intended for release in the next patch/update. The Enhancements system touches many aspects of the game, and will therefore require a lot of early review and feedback from our players. As a result, Enhancements will undergo multiple trips to the Lamannnia preview environment before it will be ready to be include in the live game services. Thanks for your patience and for participating in our alpha preview of Enhancements!

Goals

 * The Enhancement system revamp is intended to:
 * Make it easier to see what enhancements are available, both for your current level and to plan for character building as you level up.
 * Help increase character differentiation through distinct character builds.
 * Improve the development flow and presentation so we can add enhancements and better display those changes to you.
 * Make it easier for us to implement class trees with complete Prestige Enhancement (PrE) lines and further expand character build options.

Key Changes

 * There are many new enhancements.
 * You can now access multiple PREs from one class.
 * Some classes have access to brand new PREs.
 * Some existing PREs have been combined together. For instance, Spellsinger and Virtuoso have been combined, as have Hunter of the Dead and Knight of the Chalice.
 * Enhancements are now grouped into trees.
 * Most trees are themed around a Prestige Class (PRE) and are selectable by having at least one level of a specific related character class. For instance, Monks automatically gain access to Shintao, Ninja Spy, and Henshin Mystic.
 * Each race has access to a corresponding racial tree as well.
 * Each character can spend Action Points (AP) on their racial tree and up to three class trees at one time.
 * Choosing enhancements is much faster. You can see all of your options immediately. You don't have to refresh your options each time you take a new enhancement. The UI itself reacts much more quickly.
 * Your enhancements are now split into Active/Passive groupings on your character sheet, making it easy to find enhancements for putting on your hotbars.
 * High Class level requirements for enhancements have mostly been removed, particularly in those cases where taking the same enhancement multiple times is allowed.
 * Deity choice for religious classes has been transformed into feats chosen at level 1, rather than being part of enhancements.
 * Most enhancements now cost 2 AP per rank. Virtually no enhancements cost more than 2 AP for a single rank.
 * Enhancement costs do not increase with increased ranks, unlike some older enhancements that had costs of 2+4+6.
 * Artificers may now select Bastard Sword or Dwarven Waraxe proficiency as class bonus feats.

Spellcraft
While this is still currently in the design/development stage, you may notice the pre-alpha version of this new feature appearing in the character sheets and character creation process. Spellcraft will be a new skill, along with spellpower changes to Heal, Repair, and Perform. We're adding Spellcraft as another source of spellpower, and another option for building during character creation and advancement. Some casting classes have traditionally had less meaningful choices when taking skills.

Spellcraft is being previewed with the current Lamannia builds but is not intended for release with the next patch/update. Please feel free to enjoy this very early look at the new skill.

Key Changes

 * Your Heal skill total modifier is added to your Positive and Negative Spellpower.
 * Your Repair skill total modifier is added to your Repair and Rust Spellpower.
 * Your Perform skill total modifier is added to your Sonic Spellpower.
 * Spellcraft is a new Intelligence based skill. Your Spellcraft total modifier is added to every other type of Spellpower (everything except Positive, Negative, Repair, Rust, and Sonic).
 * Spellcraft is a class skill for these classes: Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Favored Soul, Sorcerer, Wizard.
 * Spellcraft is a trainable cross-class skill for other classes (similar to skills such as Balance).

Incapacitation
Incapacitation has been updated for all characters. Once you are Incapacitated and successfully stabilize, a twenty second timer begins. If you are still alive after twenty seconds and have not been healed in that time, you regain 20% of your maximum hitpoints and are no longer Incapacitated.

Known Issues
Known issues are now available, click here!