Dungeons And Dragons Online: Weekly Development Activities (August 6, 2007)

UI Improvements

• There is a new option located under the Options->Gameplay tab that allows you to turn on the "Fellow Sticky Selection". Description: "Check to prevent 'Select Fellow' keys from toggling/clearing your target when selecting the same fellow."
• Sorting by quest name in the Adventure Compendium now ignores "The " at the beginning of the name. The Quest Journal will also function in the same way when sorting the Area tabs and the quest list.

Spells

• Focusing Chant now displays a proper icon when cast.
• The metamagic system in Dungeons and Dragons Online has undergone significant changes in Module 5.0: Accursed Ascension.
  • The biggest change that casters will discover is that each metamagic feat other than Heighten Spell now has a fixed spell point cost increase rather than multiplying the spell point cost of a spell as they did before Module 5.0. These surcharges are as follows:
    • Empower Spell: +15 SP

      Empower Healing Spell: +10 SP

      Enlarge Spell: +10 SP

      Eschew Materials: +2 SP

      Extend Spell: +10 SP

      Maximize Spell: +25 SP

      Quicken Spell: +10 SP

      Heighten Spell: Special (Changes base cost of your spell to that of your highest level spells)

      These cost increases are cumulative if multiple metamagic feats are active simultaneously, so a Quickened, Maximized, Enlarged Fireball would cost:

      20 (base) + 10 (Quicken) + 25 (Maximize) + 10 (Enlarge) = 65 Spell Points

      Improved Metamagic enhancements have all been changed to flat cost reductions on these surcharges. Sorcerer Improved Maximizing III, for instance, has become "Using the Maximize Spell feat costs you 9 fewer spell points." Wizard Improved Heightening II is now "Using the Heighten Spell feat costs you 2 fewer spell points per level of heightening."

Skills, Feats, & Abilities

• It is now possible to trade a feat for a feat which can be aquired multiple times when the player already has one. So players can now aquire Toughness as many times as they like through feet respec.
• Cure Wounds spells, including the Mass Cures, can no longer be Heightened as Clerics can already freely cast the higher level versions of those spells and are the ones most likely to use them as offensive spells against Undead. Note that the Heal spell is unaffected by this change as there are more circumstances under which you may wish to Heighten the spell.
• A Paladin's Aura of Courage will no longer cause various other spell effects to repeat over and over. The Aura of Courage bonus has also been changed to a Sacred Bonus to Will Saves vs. Fear, and as such, will stack with Morale effects.

Items

• Critical hit effects on weapons were preventing sneak attack damage from applying in certain rare circumstances. This has been fixed.

Monsters

• The fleeing rust monsters in Stromvauld's Mine will no longer trip over their own feet.
• Monsters that are hiding or invisible can no longer be tab (or `) selected unless a player can detect the monster using their Spot or Listen skills.
• Patrolling creatures should get stuck less often.
• Slimes telekinetically controlled by the Sorcerer/Wizard spell Ooze Puppet are now also telekinetically prevented from splitting. As such, you will no longer lose control of the slime due to splitting.

Quests

• Gianthold: Players should no longer fall through the Gianthold Tor bridge.