Welcome to the first full Episode of Season 3! The list of changes, improvements, new features, new items and more is longer than Hurk's sword, and we're going into as many of the changes as we can below. So get ready, sharpen your swords, and prepare to embark on Vindictus' newest chapter!
Episode 1
In case you missed it, Episode 1 of Season 3 is here! The mysterious peaks of Ben Chenner beckon our heroes, and you'll need to keep your wits about you if you want to uncover the secrets of the mountain... and you might want to bring a few friends to watch your back.
Characters that have completed the final part of Season 3, Episode 0, "The Forgotten Ones" will be able to pick up the first quest in the new chain from Ceara in the Mercenary Headquarters in Colhen. Take charge, enjoy the fights, and get ready to take on Vindictus' newest boss...
New Raid Boss: Regina
Behold, Regina, Queen of the Elves! Whatever is happening on the slopes of Ben Chenner has seeped into this powerful sorceress, and now she's out for blood. Characters above Level 80 will be able to take her on with the newest Raid Mission, "Garden of Tears".
Warriors would be best served keeping an eye on her sword and her wings for the fight, as her speed can easily send even the mightiest fighters reeling. That said, her spells are also extremely potent, summoning missiles of light to pursue and batter around her foes. And beware when she takes to the skies, because she has a nasty habit of swooping down on her foes and sending them to a very early grave.
Beware the corruption of the land, however. The darkness of the world has a more physical effect here, and once it seeps into the clearing you'll have to be careful where you stand. Too much of the darkness, it could be your end. These aren't all of Regina's secrets, of course. You'll need your wits about you as you face off against the Queen of the Elves, but the prizes, they're going to be more than worth it.
Level Cap Increase and New Weapons and Armor
An entire new season of content is opening up for everyone, and with it comes an increase in the level cap. All characters will now be able to reach Level 90! Among the benefits you'll get from reaching the newest level cap are new Ability Ranks for weapons and armors, allowing up to Rank 5 for all Armor Proficiency and Weapon Mastery Abilities, and to go with that the new Regina Weapons and Armor sets!
But the Regina items aren't just new piece of metal to throw on. This time, there's a twist to the equipment...
Composite Item System
Those that manage to defeat Regina, or open our new Season 3 Battle Boxes, will see a different sort of equipment reward. Instead of simply getting a new weapon or piece of armor, once you defeat Regina you'll receive some of her enchanted Feathers. These are usable in a number of new crafting schematics with Dianann, a new crafter in the Magician's Shop in Rocheste.
With the right Feather, a few Legendary Shards that drop from the other bosses in Episode 1 and a decent pile of gold, you'll be able to craft yourself a powerful new item, ready to use in combat. Different Feathers and Shards have different attributes and stats, some with powerful, unique abilities, and combine together to give the weapon or armor it's stats.
Each Feather is specialized with a specific item slot, and serves as the core for the Regina Armor set, but you're bound to be getting more Feathers and Legendary Shards than you can use. For 2,000 Gold, Dianann will be willing to Dismantle your unwanted Feathers or Shards, giving you a Legendary Shard Remnant.
For 5 Legendary Shard Fragments, you'll be able to get a random Legendary Shard from the Royal Army Recruits, in either Colhen or Rocheste. You can also two new items for Seals of Bravery, Heroic Power Seal and Heroic Legendary Shard, that reward random Regina Feathers and Legendary Shards. Along with defeating Episode 1 Bosses, you'll be able to get a wide variety of powerful Shards andmake your gear is as powerful as possible, perfectly tuned towards your abilities... once you slot them in, of course.
Once you have a completed item, and you want to replace one of its components with a new, more powerful Shard or Feather, you'll be able to do so via the Replacement Composite screen, where for some gold, and a variety of other components, you'll be able to replace a chosen Shard or Feather with your new one. All other stats, including Enhance Level, Enchant Rank and other quality effects will remain, making it a significant discount over replacing the whole item.
And all of the above is only scratching the surface of this new feature. You'll have to defeat Regina to get your first Composite recipes, but once you do, you'll have a wealth of potential gear open up for you!
Skill Awakening
Dianann isn't so merciful on this poor update post, however, because she has even more to offer you! In addition to the Composite system above, she's launching the Skill Awakening system, allowing all characters above Level 80 improve and customize their favorite abilities with powerful enhancements.
On the slopes of Ben Chenner, monsters are now dropping new items called Waking Stones. These stones contain the potential to alter your skills in a variety of ways, including reduced cooldowns, increased damages, longer duration and more. Just take the Waking Stone to Dianann and slot it into one of your existing skills.
Success is not guaranteed, however. You'll need to fuel the process with Erg stones, be it new powerful Erg Crystals dedicated to only this process or the common crystals that drop in nearly every dungeon, increasing the odds up to 40%. If the process succeeds, your skill will be empowered with the desired Stone... for a time.
As you use your newly empowered skill, the power will eventually fade, reducing the Skill's power down to its natural strength once all the magic runs out. Dianann is ready and willing to help you out with that too. Just select "Restore Awakening", find the expended ability and pick a Waking Stone you don't need and use it to restore the drained skill.
There's plenty of potential skill enhancements to play with, so try them out for yourself and get the most out of your abilities!
Heaven and Hell Sales
There's plenty of new items on sale, too! New packages, new Inner Armors, new Hairstyles, and two new Outfitters, one formed from the darkest depths, the other descending from the light of the heavens. Check out the Heaven and Hell Sales post for more details!
Race to 90 Events
We're also putting on some limited time events for your enjoyment, including one-time-only chance at making your mark on Vindictus: Can you be the first to hit Level 90? Check out that event, and many, many more, in the Race to 90 Events post!
Other Changes
The launch of Season 3 Episode 1 has led to a massive number of changes that, in any other month, would be the highlights. We don't want to understate the significance of these changes, but we'd like to get you onto Ben Chenner sometime this month, so here's a quick blow-by-blow of these additional changes.
Professional Expertise Tier
Want to make your gear the good old fashioned way? The Weaponsmithing, Armorsmithing, Tailoring and Goldsmithing professions have been extended with brand new crafting recipes, all available to craft starting at Proficiency 370 for all four skills. Be sure to visit your trainer to purchase the "Professional Story Scroll" once you hit 350 Proficiency.
Drop Improvements
We've gone back and given the drop rates of a large number of bosses an improvement. First, all bosses that drop items needed to complete a Story quest have the drop chances of those items significantly improved, reducing the number of runs you'll need to complete your task.
Second, we've increased the drop rate on many critical items needed to craft items between levels 60 and 80, to make it easier to gear up as you approach Season 3!
Bug Fixes and Other Changes
- Moved the Road to Level 85 Event Shop to the Events tab
- Fixed an issue where players were unable to log into certain characters on their account
- Issue was caused by temporary inner armors expiring with an enchant on itÂ
Known Issues
- Kai clips into the background in the Create New Character menu
-- The Vindictus Team --
