Update 28 Release Notes

=Update 28 Release Notes= Welcome to the Update 28 info and release notes page!

Of Special Note:
Thwart the plans of the Devil General in our newest Adventure Pack "The Devil's Gambit"! Defend Stormreach's centers of magical power from destruction at the hands of a Green Slaad in all new quests!

Available for level 14 Heroic and Level 30 Epic! An NPC to teleport characters to three of the quests, and an NPC for a fourth quest, can be found in the Eberron Hall of Heroes.

This adventure pack is free to VIPs!

See what else is new to DDO with Update 28 in the DDO Store by clicking here!

Combat:

 * Items and abilities which decrease the time for Smite Evil charges to regenerate now work properly.

Cosmetics:

 * Glamered Weapon Auras now work with the following items:
 * Greataxe of the Chained Soldier
 * Epic Greataxe of the Chained Soldier
 * Terror
 * Mirrors of Glamering should no longer be able to be used on any quest-specific items that are destroyed upon quest exit.

Enhancements:

 * Spellsinger's Song of Arcane Might now properly adds +1 Caster Level in all cases.
 * Swashbuckler's Blow by Blow now adds its proper critical threat range benefit across all three tiers.


 * Ranger Deepwood Stalker has received numerous changes:
 * Core Abilities:
 * Advanced Sneak Attack (4th Core) nowgrants a +1 Competence Bonus to Critical Threat Range with equipped weapons (does not work with shields or unarmed.)
 * Mark of the Hunted: Activate to expend a use of Animal Empathy. Your target gains -25% Fortification, -10 Armor Class, -10 Spell Resistance, and suffers a -4 penalty to add ability scores for three minutes. Passive: 10% Fortification Bypass and +2 Damage when attacking Favored Enemies.
 * Horizon Shot now passively adds +20 Melee and Ranged Power, 10% Fortification Bypass, and a total of +3 Sneak Attack Dice.
 * Each core ability after the first one grants an extra use of Animal Empathy.
 * Tier One:
 * Favored Defense now costs 1/1/1 Action Point, is no longer a multi-selector, and instead gives the following benefits against Favored Enemies: +2/4/6 Armor Class and +1/2/3 Saving Throws
 * Tendon Cut's bonus damage has been increased to +1/2/3[W].
 * Tier Two:
 * Favored Defense has been combined into the previous Favored Defense, and is now removed.
 * Faster Sneaking now costs 1/1/1 AP.
 * Improved Weapon Finesse: You can now use your Dexterity modifier for damage when wielding bows, thrown, and melee weapons with which you can use your Dexterity modifier to hit. The Weapon Finesse feat is not required to take this enhancement.
 * Action Boost now costs 1/1/1 AP, and boosts Melee and Ranged Power by 30. Skill Boost remains unchanged.
 * Survivalist: (2 AP) Gain 10 hit points. While wearing light armor you gain 3 Physical Resistance Rating.
 * Tier Three:
 * Favored Accuracy has been removed, and replaced with Favored Hunter: 1/1/1 AP. You gain +1/2/3 to-hit and damage against Favored Enemies.
 * Thrill of the Hunt: 1/1/1 AP. You gain +1/2/3 damage for six seconds after damaging an opponent under 50% health.
 * Survivalist: 2 AP. Gain 20 hit points. While wearing light armor you gain 4 Physical Resistance Rating.
 * Tier Four:
 * Favored Damage is combined with Tier Three Favored Hunter.
 * Hunter's Mercy: Merciful Shot now works if the target is below 50% health. The bane damage scales with 100% Ranged Power. Merciful Strike now works if the target is below 50% health. The bane damage scales with 100% Melee Power. This enhancement grants both the melee and ranged benefits when taken.
 * Leg Shot now also does +2[W] damage.
 * Survivalist: 2 AP. Gain 30 hit points. While wearing light armor you gain 5 Physical Resistance Rating.
 * Killer's stacks are now reduced one at a time. (NOTE: This also applies to the Rogue version of this ability.)
 * Tier Five:
 * Head Shots: Ranged and Melee Attack. +5[W] attack that is automatically considered a critical threat, and blinds an opponent for six seconds on a failed Fortitude Saving Throw of 10/14/18 + Ranger Level + Tactical Feat bonuses + Dexterity Bonus. 12 second cooldown.
 * Strikes Like Lightning: Gain 10% Double Strike and 20% Double Shot.
 * Improved Archer's Focus now also grants +5 Melee Power and +5 Ranged Power.


 * Ranger Tempest has received numerous changes:
 * Core Abilities:
 * Shield of Whirling Steel: While dual wielding, gain +2 Shield Bonus to Armor Class, Physical Resistance Rating, and Magical Resistance Rating. This increases by +1 for each additional Tempest Core Ability you acquire. In addition, if you are a level 1 character, gain the Two Weapon Fighting feat until you reach character level 2 (which is granted permanently when you take a second Ranger level.)
 * Graceful Death: You can use your Dexterity modifier for damage with light melee weapons.
 * Deflect Arrows: You gain the benefits of the Deflect Arrows feat while dual wielding, knocking aside one incoming projectile that would have struck you every six seconds. +1 Competence Bonus to Critical Damage Multiplier while dual wielding weapons.
 * Whirlwind: +5 Incorporeality (stacking), +5% Melee Doublestrike when dual wielding, +10% stacking chance to make off-hand attacks when dual wielding.
 * Dervish: Passive: Gain +4 Dexterity, +10 Melee Power, Physical Resistance Rating, and Magical Resistance Rating while wearing light or no armor. You now have a 25% chance to Doublestrike with your off-hand wearing when dual-wielding.
 * Tier One:
 * Improved Defense: (1/1/1 AP) Grants +1/2/3 Armor Class, Physical Resistance Raing, and Magical Resistance Rating. If you possess Deflect Arrows it can trigger once every 4/3/2 seconds.
 * Acrobatic: +1/2/3 Balance, Jump, and Tumble. At level 3, gain +1 Reflex Saving Throws.
 * Tier Two:
 * Action Boost now costs 1/1/1 AP.
 * Tier Three:
 * Critical Accuracy has been removed, and combined with Critical Mastery.
 * Critical Mastery: (1/1/1 AP) +1/2/3 bonus to critical damage and to confirm critical hits.
 * Storm Dancer: (2 AP) Toggle: While on, gain 15% absorption to electrical damage. Your melee attacks do an additional 1d6 lightning damage. This damage scales with 100% Melee Power.
 * Tier Four:
 * Elaborate Parry: For the next 6/12/18 seconds, you gain Dodge, Maximum Dodge, and Maximum Dexterity Bonus to light armor, equal to your Dexterity Modifier. 90 second cooldown.
 * Critical Damage is removed (as it was combined with Tier Three Critical Mastery.)
 * Storm Tempest: (2 AP) Passive: Upgrades Storm Dancer electrical damage absorption to 30%, and upgrades melee attacks to deal 2d6 electrical damage.
 * Tier Five:
 * Multi-Selector:
 * A Thousand Cuts: Melee Dual-Wielding Attack. Deals +1/3/5[W] damage. Gain +10/20/30 Doublestrike and +10/20/30 Melee Power for 15 seconds. Cooldown of 90 seconds.
 * Many Cuts: +2/3/4% Doublestrike, +2/3/4 Melee Power.
 * Dual Perfection: (2 AP) Your off-hand weapon now adds your full attribute damage modifier.
 * Whirling Blades: (2 AP) +3 to-hit and damage when dual wielding.

Epic Destinies:

 * Ability score enhancements now appear separately for all destinies, so a player can use multiple of them as Twists of Fate.

Feats:

 * Archer's Focus now adds 3 Ranged Power per stack instead of 2% damage to missile damage.

Hirelings:

 * Stand Your Ground will now remain persistent through most commands (except for Follow Me, Teleport To Me, and Guard Target.) Hirelings will no longer move toward their master after interacting with a lever, if they have been ordered to Stand their Ground.
 * Hirelings now show alerts when players "spam" an interact button, and for when pathing fails during a target interaction.
 * Players are now alerted when a hireling cannot use a rest shrine (because they have already used it, for example.)
 * Ranged weapons have been added to many ranger and rogue hirelings, who will predominantly use them when Standing their Ground in aggressive mode while an enemy is outside of melee range:
 * Rangers: Tarlov Snowtrack (level 23)
 * Rogues: Sullivan Tiehl (Level 20), Reaver (Level 14), Istrin Teken'ar (Level 11), Olivia Whurgan (Level 7), Talonia (Level 4)
 * For clarity, these are the descriptions for hireling commands:
 * Stand Ground
 * Stand Ground commands the hireling to remain in the general area. The hireling will still engage creatures in combat, but should not stray too far from their standard unless directed to do so. Three commands will automatically dismiss the Stand Ground directive:
 * Follow Me
 * Guard Target
 * Teleport to me
 * Follow Me
 * The hireling will follow you and in engage in combat as they see fit. This command completely removes any previous stand ground directives, and is synonymous with the Guard Target when the hireling's master is selected.
 * Teleport to Me
 * The hireling will abandon any current activity and teleport to your location. This command removes the stand ground directive. There is a short cooldown after teleportation before the hireling can take another action.
 * Aggressive Stance
 * Hirelings will aggressively seek combat. If the hireling is in possession of ranged weapons, they may be used to attack creatures within range.
 * Defensive Stance
 * Any creature not registering as a threat to the hireling will not be attacked. Spell casters will typically buff their master, whereas melee classes will typically wait to be engaged. Each hireling will act differently in this situation depending on their personality. When guarding a target, the hireling might not attack an enemy unless the enemy directly attacks the guarded target or the hireling.
 * Passive Stance
 * Hirelings will refrain from most movement and combat of any kind. In passive mode, hirelings will consider using rest shrines that are nearby.
 * Interact with Target
 * Commands a hireling to interact with a selected object, such as a lever or a rest shrine. This will override a stand ground directive, but will not dismiss the directive completely.
 * Guard Target
 * Commands the hireling to actively guard a selected target. This command will completely remove the stand ground directive because it would be a conflicting order otherwise. Telling a hireling to guard yourself is effectively the same thing as the Follow Me command.
 * Attack Target
 * Commands the hireling to attack a selected target, moving to it if required. This command will temporarily override a stand ground directive, but will not dismiss the directive completely.

Items:

 * Temple of Elemental Evil Greater Acidic/Electrifying/Fiery/Freezing Blast weapons now do their proper damage.
 * Mabar Festival of Endless Night ingredients have had their names and descriptions updated to note their deprecated state.
 * The Sword of Tesyus is no longer able to be used with a Mirror of Glamering, as the item is a quest-only item and not meant to appear outside of the dungeon.

Quests and Adventure Areas:

 * Spell Ward traps can now be disabled more reliably when a character is very close to them.
 * Monster autoscaling for level 30 quests has been removed, and monster stats for level 30 quests have been manually adjusted. This applies to any CR 30 quest (Level 28 quests on Elite, for example.)

UI:

 * Fixed an issue that caused the mouse wheel to get stuck in First-Person View when interacting with a bag.
 * Poison Resistance is now listed correctly in the combat chat log.

Known Issues:
Known Issues are now available. Click here to read them.

Source: https://www.ddo.com/en/update-28-release-notes