Design Notes

December 13, 2019

Happening Now: our 2019 Holiday AC Bonus

Get up to 50% more FREE ACs!

NOW AVAILABLE: buy any Adventure package until January 6th and get up to 50% more FREE bonus AdventureCoins! If you're excited about the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday items, or are gearing up for all our December holiday items, now's the time to top up your ACs.

The bigger the AC package you buy, the more free AdventureCoins you'll get!

12000 AC pack: 6000 extra ACs (50% more ACs)

5000 AC pack: 2000 extra ACs (40% more ACs)

2000 AC pack: 500 extra ACs (25% more ACs)

900 AC pack: 100 extra ACs (11% more ACs)

* Note: bonus AdventureCoins are only available with AdventureCoin packages. The special bonus offer does not apply to membership packages.

Tags: Alina,

December 13, 2019

Frostval the 13th Featured Collection Chest

Friday the 13th + 2019 Frostval Collection + Quibble's Holiday Shop

Friday the 13th... AND FROSTVAL?! Two fan-favorite holidays converge into one this weekend! Our very own time-traveling sales moglin is BACK in Battleon with a shop full of dark, deadly, and ice-cold gear from the past, present, and future. And for all you holiday-loving heroes, our Frostval the 13th Featured Collection chest is here! Get all of Quibble's rare gear, including bank pets, the new Frostval Class, and a rare character page badge for 10,000 ACs! (30,000 ACs worth of gear)

This week, the Frostval the 13th Collection Chest unlocks over 45 items, including:

13th Holiday Quibble Pet (with a quest for the exclusive character page badge)
13th Holiday Quibble. 13th Horror-Day, and Paragon Bank Pets
13th Frostval Voltare ULTRAHAT
Frostedge Fae armor set (color-custom) and Snowborn Fae set (non-CC)
Festive Frostval Suit armor set (color-custom) and Gothic Frostval Suit armor set (non-CC)
Boreal Cavalier Deer Rider armor + accessories*
The 13th Claws Suit armor set (with click-to-transform armor)

Next week, the rest of our Frostval the 13th rare items will be added to your chest:

the Winter Spirit armor set
13th Krampus armor + helm (designed by Dage the Evil)
FrozenSoul Court armor (imported from our battlecard RPG, OverSoul)
the seasonal Frostval Monk class + armor set

Just want a couple of the items listed above? Apart from the exclusive pets, all of the gear contained inside the Frostval Collection chest will also be available to buy individually in Quibble's shop.

* These were originally created for the 2018 Frostval collection chest, but were not added last year. If you have the 2018 Frostval Collection chest, you will get these items for free!

Rare and Seasonal Gear Breakdown

Last year, we included several of our featured Frostval sets in the collection chest: the Festive Archer and the IceStorm Warlord. This year, those sets will be available directly in our seasonal Frostval shop next week, but will not be included in the collection chest.

Returning next week:

Festive Archer armor
2 Festive Archer helms
3 Festive Archer capes (wrap, bow, quiver)
Festive Archer bow
IceStorm Warlord armor
3 Frostbreath helms
3 IceStorm Archer's capes (wrap, quiver, combo)
Wings of Ice Wrap
IceStorm Back Blade + Auxiliary Daggers
IceStorm ShatterSpear
IceStorm Archer's Bow
IceStorm General's Blade
IceStorm Daggers
IceStorm Gryphon Pet

Tags: Alina,

December 13, 2019

Nightmare Before Frostval the 13th, Part 1

Part 1 of our 2019 Frostval + Friday the 13th Double Holiday Event is LIVE!

'Twas the nightmare before Frostval, and all through the town
the moglins were hurrying to bed themselves down.
Then Aurelio Voltaire had a most festive plan ta
bring from OUR world, that jolly elf, SANTA!

This weekend, log in and battle through Part 1 of our Frostval + Friday the 13th double holiday event! Join special guest Aurelio Voltaire, his sweet little companion, Hargoyle, and the moglins of Frostvale as you prepare to celebrate! But be careful, Hero -- the magic of Frostval is very powerful, and if it's tainted by the darkness of Friday the 13th, this might turn out to be a deadly holiday, indeed!

/join santy and talk to Aurelio Voltaire to begin your adventure:

Step 1: Gather the ingredients to help Aurelio Voltaire summon Santa Claus from the REAL world into Lore
Step 2: Help the moglins of Frostvale prepare for his arrival
Step 3: Find Santa Claus the warmest, reddest hat the Northlands has to offer so he feels at home
Step 4: CELEBRATE! ... I mean... MINIBOSS FIGHT!

Then return next Friday as we continue our Frostval the 13th adventure!

Nightmare before Frostval the 13th Rewards

the Northland Slasher armor set + pet
The Jailer's Shadow guard house items
Snow Crow pet
Select accessories from the 13th Claws Suit armor set
Adorably terrifying chibi pets

A RARE Crossover event?!

All of the item drops in this weekend's map are exclusive to the 2019 Frostval / Friday the 13th holiday event. Make sure you log in and grab the gear you want before the map leaves in January.

PS: We could not wake up Baby Noda from his pre-Frostval nap, so he'll arrive next week when we begin our 2019 Holi-Daily item drops!

Tags: Alina,

December 06, 2019

Frostval Returns for 2019

Battle through our returning seasonal events!

Frostval is a time of joy, hope, and... defending Lore from all the insane ice monsters that cannot stop attacking it?!?! Log in this weekend to battle through all our winter holiday events and unlock seasonal rewards!

/join Frostvale to begin battling through all the previous years of Frostval releases, then test your mettle (and metal!) against the biggest gifts of them all: Giefury and his darker, deadlier self, GieFURIOUS!

Giefurious appeared in Frostvale out of nowhere, slashing his ribbons about and muttering the number 13... 13... 13...

This year, in additional to Giefury's seasonal presents, Giefurious has NEW gifts for you:

Frostval Nutcracker armor (red variant)**
Giefurious armor set + pet
Giefurious House Guard
Festive Frostval Elf + Merry Frostvale Outfit armor set
Festive Battle Elf armor (member-only)
Blue Frosty-val Doge helm

FrostScythe also drops an version of his armor set, crafted by the incomparable Aranx just to help you celebrate Frostval!

* Giefury's name comes from the Old English noun "giefu" for "a giving, gift", which is related to the Old Norse word "gift, gipt" meaning "gift; good luck."

** Created just for you by AQW Community artist, Dominik!

ALL of the seasonal events from previous years will also return - that means you'll get to battle Kezeroth, Quetzal, and more... PLUS get all the holiday seasonal goodies that come with them!

Journey to Frostvale

Once again the Frost Moglins of Frostvale are opening the snow-covered gates of their town to all of Lore as they prepare for the merriest of all of Lore's holidays... Frostval! If this is your first year with AQW then you get to play through all of the previous adventures:

Save Frostvale,
Stop the Ice Symbiote infection
Watch a young Empress Gravelyn experience her first Frostval
Fight to survive as Kezeroth and Karok, ice giant brothers from another world, battle to take OURS
Somebody PLEASE think of the children! An icy ancient horror has kidnapped them, and they need your help.
and get SO MANY presents with the return of Tinsel's Seasonal Frostval Shop

Join us Next Week for... Frostval the 13th!

Aurelio Voltaire arrives in Frostvale as we begin our holiday celebration... but it wouldn't be Friday the 13th OR Frostval if something didn't go awry. In the coolest (hah, pun!) possible way so that YOU can save the day.

Plus...

Dual wield versions of the Black Friday Hollowborn weapons will become available (Monday)
The Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Harvest seasonal event rares leave (Friday)
Black Friday / Cyber Monday / WIoDA bonus choice period ends Friday

Late last month, we announced that if you used your WIoDA* to choose a rare item that was released during this year's Black Friday or Cyber Monday Shops**, you can write in to Player Support and choose to:

1) Keep your current prize, get the Black Friday variant for free, and get 100 free Treasure Potions OR

2) Keep your current prize, do not get the Black Friday variant for free, and get 500 free Treasure Potions

Contact Player Support at support.artix.com for more information or to make your selection by 11:59 PM on Friday the 13th.***

* Wicked item of donated awesomeness from the Wheel of Doom merge shop
** Like the Legion Flesh Ripper, Talons of Nulgath, etc
*** This only applies if you have already made your prize selection

Later this month...

Countdown to Frostval Holi-daily Item Hunt
The level cap raises
New seasonal Frostval Class
2019 Holiday Gift!

Tags: Alina,

December 06, 2019

Unlock the GlacialFrost Royalty Sets

Upgrade to unlock our newest exclusive gear sets!

Winter is here, and the elven tribes in the Northlands are ready to celebrate! Unlock all 28 items in the GlacialFrost Royalty armor set when you buy any AdventureCoin or Membership package of $10 USD or more.

Pack Details

Choose the GlacialFrost Royalty pack to unlock all 28 pieces of the set, including:

Brightfrost Elf armor set
Nightfrost Elf armor set
12 helms
4 capes
8 weapons
2 wyvern pets
Rep/XP/Gold/Class Points boosts added straight to your inventory
and a character page badge

Once you've chosen the GlacialFrost Royalty bonus set on the Account Manager page, log in and find the set's shop in the Other Achievements tab in your Book of Lore.

12000 AC or 12 month membership package rewards:

ALL the GlacialFrost Royalty gear
7 Rep/XP/Gold/Class Points boosts
10 Wheel of Doom Tickets (worth 2,000 ACs!)
and a character page badge

Boosts and Doom Tickets will be added directly to your inventory.

2k and 5k AC or 1, 3, or 6 month membership package rewards:

ALL the GlacialFrost Royalty gear
5 Rep/XP/Gold/Class Points boosts
and a character page badge

Upgrade to unlock your choice of exclusive bonuses

When you buy any AC or membership pack worth $10 USD or more, you'll be able to choose one of the following bonus sets:

GlacialFrost Royalty
Apocalyptic Werepyre armor sets
ShadowFlame DragonMage and Enchanged DragonMage
Galactic and Solar Pirate Commanders
Yami no Akuma / Hikari no Akuma and floating Guardians
Infernal Invoker / Enchanted Invoker / Legion Pyromancer
DoomDragon's Master mount/rider armors
Infinity Titan Class / Throne / House
Galactic Captain / Galactic Battle Pilot
Paragon Fiend / Legion Paragon Fiend Rider
Akiban Defender
Copper Void ChronoKnight
Golden Northlands Royalty

With our upgrade pack bonuses, you get even more options and choices in your rewards. Plus, each time you upgrade, you get to choose a new reward!

Important Details

ALL of the upgrade bonus gear for a set will be available when you buy an AC or membership pack worth $10 USD.
Each time you upgrade, you'll be able to choose another bonus set. If you've already unlocked all the available sets, once a new one releases, you'll be able to choose it immediately.

If you buy a 12,000 AC or 12 month membership pack, in addition to choosing an upgrade bonus set, you'll also get 7x Game Boosts, a character page badge, plus 10 Wheel of Doom Fortune Tickets (worth 2,000 ACs).

2019 Holiday AC Bonus: Get up to 50% More Free ACs

Get up to 50% more FREE bonus AdventureCoins when you buy any Adventure package until January 6th! If you're excited about all our 2019 holiday items, new gear in the Wheel of Doom, or our 2020 New Year's rare gear, now's the time to top up your ACs and get even more for free.

The bigger the AC package you buy, the more free AdventureCoins you'll get!

12000 AC pack: 6000 extra ACs (50% more ACs)

5000 AC pack: 2000 extra ACs (40% more ACs)

2000 AC pack: 500 extra ACs (25% more ACs)

900 AC pack: 100 extra ACs (11% more ACs)

* Note: bonus AdventureCoins are only available with AdventureCoin packages. The special bonus offer does not apply to membership packages.

Tags: Alina,

December 03, 2019

Underworld Chronomancer Class

The 2020 Calendar is here, and will remain forever epic!

It’s that TIME of year again... a new Calendar Class is here! When you get the 2020 Calendar from HeroMart, you'll unlock in-game rewards inside AQ3D, AdventureQuest, DragonFable, EpicDuel, and the Underworld Chronomancer Class / Armor set in AQWorlds.

The Underworld Chronomancer Class combines the core skills and hourglasses of the Timeless Chronomancer Class with three new, 2020 exclusive consumables:

the Timepiece of Inevitability
the Timepiece of Madness
the Timepiece of Pestilence

Currently, the Underworld Chronomancer has the same icons and animations as Corrupted Chronomancer (which were intended to be a part of the Timeless Chronomancer theme. Based on your feedback, we will update the icons and animations to be unique to the Underworld Chrono class.

Timeless Chronomancer Class?!

Last year's Corrupted Chronomancer Class and this year's UnderWorld Chronomancer Class showcase our new style of releasing Calendar/Chronomancer classes. Each of these classes, and future calendar classes, will have:

a core base of skills will return each year
a set of gameplay-altering items which will return from year to year
a set of unique gameplay-altering items (exclusive to that year's class) that affect your play style according to what you equip
All-new art and a new name

We call the core base of skills the Timeless Chronomancer Class. With the addition of the year-exclusive items, we can make an almost-endless array of variants, each with its own feel: the Corrupted Chronomancer, the Underworld Chronomancer, and many more to come!

The Timepieces that come with the 2020 UnderWorld Chronomancer Class can be used in conjunction with the returning Hourglass consumable items to alter the way the class plays.

Calendar Class Gameplay Recap

The new calendar classes are built around 6 unique class-only consumable items. These act as a (pseudo) sixth skill you can use to customize the class to your own style and needs. There are...

3 Hourglasses

These provide a base to your class. They either buff you in specific ways or provide complicated interactions to your skills. (These or other class items like them will return each year.)

3 Timepieces

These alter your skills with different gameplay elements.

Top off your stacks of Hourglasses and Timepieces by grabbing the pet in your Book of Lore 2020 Calendar badge shop.

Gameplay example:

Prepare before a fight by equipping and using an Hourglass. (Hourglasses last up to 2 hours or until you log out or die.)
Then, switch to a Timepiece to use during fights.
The Hourglass aura will remain, meaning you can mix and match any one Hourglass with any one Timepiece.**

Note: You can only have one Hourglass and one Timepiece active at a time. (Changing to a new one will end the affect from the previous Hourglass or Timepiece.)

Underworld Chronomancer Details

Recommended Enhancements: Lucky, Hybrid.

Underworld Chronomancers rely on Hourglasses and Timepieces they create using their Hourglass Pet (equipable items found in the Book of Lore) to manipulate and distort time itself.

Stats: Strength, Dexterity and Intellect.

Mana Regen: Gain mana from all hits landed in combat, and especially on critical hits. The amount depends on damage relative to *your own* HP total.

Abilities

Timeless Strike

Deals damage based on your weapon damage. Each of your skills gets an additional benefit from Hourglasses and Timepieces you equip in your consumables slot. Hourglasses and Timepieces can be obtained from the Hourglass pet in the Book of Lore.

Type: Physical
Mana Cost: 0
Cooldown: 2 seconds

Rank 1: Timeless Rift

Deals damage to your target and applies Temporal Rift to you. Temporal Rift stacks 4 times and is used by your other abilities.

Type: Physical/Magical
Mana Cost: 15
Cooldown: 4 seconds

Rank 2: Hourglass Reversal

Reverses time to heal you and up to 4 allies. Heal on you is increased by stacks of Temporal Rift and consumes those stacks.

Type: Physical/Magical
Mana Cost: 30
Cooldown: 16 seconds

Rank 3: Distortion Through Time

Applies Corruption Through Time. Corruption Through Time increases all damage you do by 20% for 10 seconds. Doesn’t stack.

Type: Physical/Magical
Mana Cost: 20
Cooldown: 6 seconds

Rank 4 Passive: SandskinDodge chance increased by 10%
Rank 4 Passive: Cosmic Energy Critical strike chance, Hit chance, and Haste increased by 7%

Rank 5: Temporal Collapse

Deals damage to your target based on the damage you've recently dealt while under the effects of Temporal Rift (in the past 10 seconds). Consumes Temporal Rift stacks.

Type: Magical
Mana Cost: 35
Cooldown: 20 seconds

Rank 10 Passive: Hands of FateStarting from Rank 1, you can equip Hourglasses and Timepieces as a consumable to enhance your other skills.

The Returning Hourglasses

Hourglass of Power
[Timeless Chronomancer Class]
For the next 2hrs your Hourglass Inversion skill now also increases most of your secondary stats a further 10% for 30 seconds. Doesn’t stack. This includes Damage Done, Haste, Critical Chance, Critical Damage, Hit Chance, Dodge Chance and Damage Reduction.

Note: This one is as straightforward as you can get. It’s a broad buff on everything you want. It doesn’t complicate things or add strategy. You just smash it and go.

Hourglass of Paradise
[Timeless Chronomancer Class]
For the next 2hrs, your Corruption Through Time skill now also toggles between several new buffs. You get a mana and heal over time, a reduction in damage taken by 40% and increased haste by 30%. Also, your crit chance and damage are reduced by 40%. These auras last 2hrs and toggle on and off each time you use Hourglass Inversion.

Note: Mix this with an offensive Timepiece to mitigate some of the Timepiece’s defensive weakness. Turn Paradise off right before your nuke for great sustain AND damage!

Hourglass of Transience
[Timeless Chronomancer Class]
For the next 2hrs, Corruption Through Time makes you Transient for 10s. Applies a growing DoT to you. Using it again applies Ephemeral for 5s. Buffs dodge & damage by 50%. Using Hourglass Inversion while Transient gives you Incorporeal for 10s. Increases END & Haste by 50% & removes Transient & Ephemeral. While Transient, Sand Rift applies Flow. Increases enemy damage taken by 8% for 5s, stacks to 3. While Stable, it instead applies Ebb for 8s. Gives a growing DoT

Note: This Hourglass lives up to its namesake- your life is quite temporary and chaotic. But, balance your resources, and you'll find it paying off handsomely.

Get Ephemeral and you'll be dishing out huge damage while being nearly invincible- but your stay will be quite temporary.

Stabilize yourself out and you'll act faster and gain health- but you'll lose your Temporal Rift stacks.

Try to strike a balance alternating between these two skills, and you'll be able to extract the item's full power- but don't get too greedy!

The Underworld Chronomancer Timepieces

Timepiece of Madness
[Underworld Chronomancer Class]
For the next 30 seconds, Timeless Strike applies Mad, increasing your outgoing damage by 5% for 3 seconds, stacks to 5. Upon reaching 5 stacks of Mad your next Timeless Strike consumes them and you become Eternal, increasing your Critical Strike Chance by 80% and reducing your outgoing damage by 30% for 2 seconds. Your Distortion Through Time Skill also applies Potential, increasing your Hit Chance by 20% for 20 seconds. Cooldown: 12 seconds

Note: A simple Timepiece that rewards you for consecutively hitting your opponent to ramp up your damage. As soon as you have Eternal, your chances of seeing those big orange numbers appear on Temporal Collapse are almost guaranteed. On top of that, Distortion Through Time now grants increased hit chance, allowing this to be more successful.

Timepiece of Inevitability
[Underworld Chronomancer Class]
For the next 10 seconds, Distortion Through Time also applies Inevitable Corruption, increasing your outgoing damage and Haste by 12% for 20 seconds. Using the Timepiece of Inevitability while Inevitable Corruption is active applies Snap to your opponent, dealing significant damage to them after a short delay. Cooldown: 20 seconds

Note: Another straightforward option, this Timepiece focuses on seamlessly adding extra damage so long as you can keep it refreshed often. In between your decimation-inducing finger-snaps, you get to enjoy a notable buff to both your outgoing damage and your haste, boosting the rest of your skills. This all culminates in an inevitable nuke from Temporal Collapse.

Timepiece of Pestilence
[Underworld Chronomancer Class]
For the next 10 seconds, Distortion Through Time also applies Infectious Air, increasing the amount of damage the enemy takes by 20% for 10 seconds, stacking to 3 but is consumed by Temporal Collapse. As you recover from the contaminating air, your incoming damage is increased by 100% for 10 seconds. Also applies a light DoT and Decay to your target for 10 seconds, preventing them from healing. Cooldown: 10 seconds

Note: Lastly a Timepiece that makes you and others gain damage exponentially through lowering your enemy’s defenses until you tear them down with your utter prowess. This Timepiece requires a bit of timing alone however benefits greatly when given haste buffs allowing you to stack your Infectious Air aura with ease. Make your enemy rot and make the world of Lore witness the true power of The Undead Legion!

Tags: Alina,