More Solo Content and New Zones in EverQuest II

Sony Online Entertainment continues to add additional content to the EverQuest II live game at no additional charge to its subscribers. Some of the new additions make it more fun for our solo players and small groups to play the game with changes to the experience gain. Yes, that's right: solo and small group experience gain has been boosted across the board. Loot drops are being increased for these soloers and small groups as well.

Sony Online has also added 8 new instanced areas for players to explore. These new areas also add the chances for additional minor boss encounters as well as access to new loot.

• For soloists and small groups, dozens of new quests and hundreds of new NPCs have been added all over the game world since launch. Expect the steady stream of additions like this to continue over the coming weeks and months.

• Players should see a significant boost in small group and solo experience across the board, allowing for advancement that is much more visible and feels much more satisfying.

• Brand new item rewards will be added for soloists and small-groupers. Additionally, some of the rewards that have been reserved solely for groups will also make their way, though more rarely, to the solo and small group encounters in the world.

• Group rewards have improved as well. The chances for some of the group-only ultra-rare drops have been increased.

• In the coming weeks, expect new dungeon instances to be made available for those who solo, duo, and trio.

Soloing and small grouping should be a way to advance at a satisfying rate. You should be able to earn good rewards that are exciting in their own right. Soloing and small grouping should also provide a chance at the great rewards that people might not expect in anything except the traditional six-person group.

Grouping will still provide the fastest overall experience gain, but the advantage won't be as drastic as it is today. Grouping will also provide better chances at the spectacular ultra-rare rewards.

Additional changes are listed below.

Headlines

• Heroic Opportunities have been revamped!

• Lots of new armor looks have been added!

• New adventure areas have been unearthed!

• First round of advanced solo encounters added for soloers and small groups!

• Vitality indicator added to your XP bar!

• DoT spells are now much more stackable!

• Tabbed chat windows make their long-awaited debut!

• See what your target is attacking with the new Implied Target window!

• Bankers now make change!

• Even more tradeskill bug fixes and improvements!

• Check out the more precise, informative AC value!

• New heritage quests: Golden Efreeti Boots and the Crown of King Tranix!

Heroic Opportunities

• Using a spell or art other than one needed to advance a starter chain will no longer break it.

• Once a chain has begun, it can be purposefully broken by using one of the archetype abilities that initiates a chain (Lucky Break, Arcane Augur, Divine Providence, and Fighting Chance).

• You now have 10 seconds to complete the Heroic Opportunity wheel instead of 30 seconds.

• Starter chains now properly report who broke the chain. It had been reporting that the last person to advance the chain was the one who broke it.

• Opportunity shift now has a much better chance of switching to a different opportunity.

• Heroic Opportunities have been given enhanced visual and sound effects.

• Players will receive a visual cue when an opportunity has been successfully completed.

• The duration of buff effects has increased from 3 minutes to 6 minutes.

• Heroic Opportunity effects now stack with class spell effects.

• All Heroic Opportunities that hit more than one target now have an area of effect radius of 25 meters.

• Removed the display ranking from Heroic Opportunity starters (Lucky Break, Arcane Augur, and Fighting Chance) since you can't upgrade them.

• The following new Heroic Opportunities have been added:

Fighter, Scout, Mage, Priest: Tears of Luclin - Deals high damage to the target of the player that completes the Heroic Opportunity.

Priest, Mage, Scout: Luminary Fate - Grants power regeneration over time.

Scout, Fighter, Priest: Capricious Strike - Deals high damage to the target of the player that completes the Heroic Opportunity.

Scout, Fighter, Mage Grand Proclamation - Increases the maximum power pool of all party members within range.

Fighter, Mage, Priest: Arcane Salvation - Grants power to party members near the character that completes the Heroic Opportunity.

Scout, Priest: Fervent Quickening - Increases defense by 10 and periodically grants power to the player that completes the Heroic Opportunity.

Scout, Fighter: Ardent Challenge - Increases strength and agility by 10.

Scout, Mage: Resonating Cascade - Grants minor power regeneration to the one who completes the Heroic Opportunity.

Priest, Mage: Celestial Bloom - Grants additional instant healing on the target of the priest who completes the Heroic Opportunity.

Fighter, Priest: Divine Nobility - Grants health regeneration over time to target of the priest who completes the Heroic Opportunity.

Fighter, Mage: Arcane Aegis - Grants increased protection against crushing and magic attacks.

• The following Heroic Opportunities now do increased damage:

Mage: Arcane Fury

Mage: Arcane Storm

Priest: Divine Judgement.

Fighter, Mage: Storm of Ancients

Fighter, Mage: Scholar's Insight

Fighter, Priest: Divine Blade

Mage, Priest: Suffocating Wrath (stifle effect was removed)

Mage, Scout: Arcane Trickery

Scout, Fighter: Luck's Bite

Scout, Fighter: Raging Sword

Scout, Priest: Piercing Faith

Scout, Priest: Divine Trickery

Fighter, Priest, Mage: Archaic Ruin

Fighter, Priest, Mage: Thunder Slash

Scout, Fighter, Mage: Soldier's Gambit

Scout, Fighter, Mage: Trinity Divide

Scout, Priest, Mage: Breaking Faith

Scout, Priest, Mage: Archaic Shackles

New Adventures Unearthed

• Doorways have been discovered in dangerous locations. Brave adventurers must defeat the nefarious forces that guard these entrances, after which access can be gained to the perils and treasures within. Expeditions report that these doorways may only be unsealed at certain times, so keep a watchful eye when exploring these dark lands!

The Thundering Steppes

- "A Pirate's Hidden Stash" is intended for groups in their low 20s.

- "The Rumbler Caves" is intended for groups in their mid-20s.

- "An Open Grave" is intended for groups in their high 20s and low 30s.

Zek, the Orcish Wastes

- "Tallon Hording Halls" is intended for groups in their low 30s.

- "Sullon Mines" is intended for groups in their mid-30s.

- "The Dark Den" is intended for groups in their high 30s and low 40s.

The Enchanted Lands

- "The Cave of Wonder" is intended for groups in their mid-30s.

- "Cavern of Tangled Weeds" is intended for groups in their high 30s and

low 40s.

Vitality

• Vitality is a feature which augments the amount of XP you receive as you adventure or craft items.

• All characters gain a chunk of Vitality every hour, on the hour, and keep accumulating it until the maximum amount is saved up. It takes a week of real time to go from being completely empty to completely full.

• Each time characters gain experience, they use up a portion of their Vitality and receive more experience than usual. When the character runs out of Vitality, he or she no longer receives bonus experience.

• There are two separate Vitality pools: one for adventure XP and one for tradeskill XP.

• Your experience bar now shows your current level on the left side and a Vitality gem on the right side.

• Mousing over the gem tells you when you have Vitality available.

• The XP bar now has an indicator mark showing how far into your current level you will receive a Vitality bonus.

• If your Vitality pool will last beyond your current XP bubble, the indicator will be on the top of the bar.

• If your Vitality pool will run out within your current XP bubble, the indicator will shift to the bottom of the bar to indicate how far on the blue line you will be receiving a Vitality bonus.

• If you have enough Vitality to last into the next level, an arrow will appear to the right of the gem.

• The Persona window displays gems next to both your adventuring and tradeskill experience bars.

Gameplay

• Clearer descriptions have been given to Traits and Tradition choices to better explain what they do.

• Encounters made up of multiple NPCs should no longer despawn while in the midst of combat with them.

• Using the eat/drink when hungry/thirsty option will now properly consume sustenance after recovering from a death.

• Characters can no longer access their shared bank while doing the Betrayal quest and a portion of the Bone Bladed Claymore quest.

• Personal status points will now carry over when you leave one guild and join another. Please note that you will not be able to spend your status points until you have joined a new guild.

• If a player visits a broker and attempts to purchase an item flagged as lore which they already possess, the buyer will be informed that they can't purchase another.

Quests

• Some items required to complete heritage quests have been moved from chests to standard corpse loot, thus allowing players who overmatch the encounter to complete these quests.

• The Lightbringer Wisp should now be seen more frequently.

• Those who have already completed certain quests should no longer cause triggered encounters to spawn.

• The Kleron Osana solo quest should now progress properly.

• Boss mobs in the Flowing Black Silk Sash quest can now be hit by more commonly available weapons. They have also been made more challenging.

• The final mace in the Screaming Mace heritage quest should remain long enough to allow everyone in the party to interact with it.

• Players should now be able to receive quests that were previously not offered if the player did not accept the prelude quest or if they deleted the quest itself. These quests should now be offered: Scattered Notes, A Paradise Dream World, A Tour of the Feerrott, and The Lost Idols of Modinthule.

• Several changes have been made to Gawar's behavior. He should no longer attack players who have completed certain quest stages.

• Bootstrutter's Guide to the Commonlands and Bootstrutter's Guide to Antonica can now be traded.

• The door to the menagerie in the Tobrin's Mystical Eyepatch quest will

now bring the entire group over if everyone is on the proper stage of the quest.

• Players should now have more time to speak to the rescued women in the quest for the Short Sword of the Ykesha.

• Boulden and Slaughtergrott will now grant players the Feerrott access quest at level 32.

• Several fixes were applied to the Whispers of Fortune quest.

• Players level 16 and above should now be able to complete the Welcome to Qeynos quest.

• The Famer's Ring quest can now be completed.

• The Ill-Fated Cleric's Journal can now be obtained from Agony every time.

• Noxhil V'sek in Nektulos Forest should now grant players the fourth quest in his series.

• Players on the Druid class quests should no longer get stuck between some plants in a Freeport Greenhouse.

• A reward will now be given when players complete the "Averus Part III" quest.

• "The Crossing of the Fanged Sea" quest should now be working correctly.

• The "Fur Lined Gloves" quest should now be working correctly.

• "Penance for Great Failure" should now be working correctly.

• "Penance for Complete Failure" should now be working correctly.

• "Antonica Creature Cataloging" will now require players to catalog "a thorn briar" instead of "a root strangler."

• "Creatures of the Creators Creature Cataloging" can now be completed.

• The "Enchanted Lands Creature Cataloging" quest should now be working correctly.

• "The Halls of the Dead" quest can now be completed.

• "Do or Die, Says Irizan" will no longer be offered again by Inquisitor Irizan once completed.

• The "Far Seas Requisition Special Contract #NF331" quest can now be completed.

• The "Far Seas Requisition Special Contract #NF409" quest can now be completed.

• The "Far Seas Requisition Special Contract #NF112" quest can now be completed.

• "The Curious Augur's Three Meanings of Life" quest can now be completed.

• Examining a "Chain of Daisies" will now grant players a quest.

• "Foomby's Stolen Goods" quest should now be working correctly.

• Examining a "Twitching Crab Claw" should now grant players a quest.

• "Casing the Joint" should now be working correctly.

• The guard dog in the "Becoming a Predator" quest will no longer pop through the floors of the zone.

• "Zizl's Message in a Bottle" quest will now state that a ring will be rewarded upon completion.

• Acidic Glands will now be removed from a players inventory once a quest is accepted from it.

• Fixed some locked encounter and quest journal issues in "Fighter Progression."

• The quest journal for "Coalition Cleanup Continued" has been modified slightly.

• Killing Undead Trolls and Ogres will now correctly update the quest journal in "Golem Research."

• Players who leave the instanced zone in "Passage to the Isle of Zek" quest will now be able to reenter after 15 minutes have elapsed.

• The "Lore and Legend: Evil Eye" quest should now be working correctly.

• "The Fleshbound Tome Speaks Again" quest will no longer spam players with "Your head begins to pound and you get a flashing vision of the fleshbound tome" upon entering Nektropos Castle.

• The "A Bitter Brew" quest will no longer crash the zone upon completion.

• The "Far Seas Requisition #NF0291-SCO" quest should now be updating properly.

• The " Far Seas Requisition Special Contract #NF331" quest should now be updating properly.

• Quest rewards in "Raising Private Doopy" should now have the appropriate con colors.

• The "Blood Ore Basher" quest should now be working correctly.

• The "Vale of the Shattering: Proof of Worth" quest should now be working correctly.

• The "Targok, Part II" quest can now be declined and accepted at a later time.

• The Queen Dyleena encounter will no longer break. Players attempting to complete "The Gates of Cauldron Hollow" quest should now be able to complete it.

• The journal for "Twergo's Plan" has been corrected.

• Executor Adept Sal'ynelle and Commissioner Venilos will now give players a coin reward through a window instead of directly depositing it onto the character.

• The "Fine Silks for Sale" quest can now be completed.

• Thana Rumblehoof will now despawn after she's completed her dialogue with the player.

• The "Front Yard Clean Up!" quest should be working correctly now.

• The "Forest Ruins Volunteer" quest should be working correctly now.

• The quest journal in "Resting Time" has been modified.

• The "Hot Parts" quest can now be completed by killing "a Cinderfoot Guard" in the zone.

• The "Efforts Repaid" quest will now grant a higher reward when completed.

• Rewards have been added to the following quests:

Far Seas Requisition ENC0457

Far Seas Requisition ENC0679

Far Seas Requisition ENC0699

Far Seas Requisition ENC0745

Far Seas Requisition ENC0825

Hail to the Derris Heroes

Hail to the Sullon Heroes

Hail to the Tallon Heroes

Hail to the Vallon Heroes

Mettle Testing

Short Range Patrol

The Tallon Plunder Chests

Keys for Hammer

Disrupting the Mining Operation

Utilitarian Desires of the Protectors

Utilitarian Desires of the Toilers

Utilitarian Desires of the Miners

Drodo's Goodies

The Curse of the Bloody Shank

A Menace to Berrybrook

Give the Key to the Glademaster

Give the Key to Captain Vulis

Case of the Missing Person

Case of the Poisoned Wine

The Mysterious Dagger

The Curious Augur's Three Meanings of Life

The Wanderer's Three Meanings of Life

A Message for Kitty

Reliving the Past

Desperately Seeking Butterflies!

Desperately Seeking Moths!

Desperately Seeking Ants!

Granville Restaurant, Nektulos Forest

Granville Restaurant, Thundering Steppes

Zones and Population

• A more challenging type of encounter is now available for soloers and small groups. This advanced solo content can be found in the Thundering Steppes, Nektulos Forest, and the Enchanted Lands. These solo encounters have an up arrow next to their name.

• Additional encounters have been added to the Commonlands and Nektulos Forest to support solo quests introduced in a previous update.

• Some bosses in Stormhold, Tower of the Drafling, Commonlands, and Maiden's Gulch have become more formidable.

• The reuse time of Feerrott boat bell has been slightly increased.

• Boss encounters now have a much greater chance to drop artifact quality items, rare tradeskill components, and additional spell scrolls.

• House pets should now wander more freely in five-room homes in Freeport and Qeynos.

• The sliding door in the dojo at Elddar Grove is now less likely to get stuck.

• Lava creeps and searing lurkers will now remain invisible until engaged in combat will no longer disappear shortly after spawning.

• Vengeful souls are now normal halfling size and wear more appropriate uniforms.

• Val'marr should now be more easily found in the Commonlands.

• The respawn rate of the farmers in the Commonlands has been adjusted.

• A centaur near the destroyed wagons in the Thundering Steppes has increased in size. Some badgers and wolves in that region will also be slightly larger.

• Lions and wolves in the Thundering Steppes have become more defensive of their territory.

• Fixed a door that was not working in the Obelisk of Lost Souls * Windstalker Rumbler is now more likely to be found.

• Venekor's breath now causes less damage, but will affect all adventurers in its range rather than a single group.

• The item needed to access the Vestibule in the Obelisk of Lost Souls can now be more readily obtained.

• Director Jasmine in Antonica will now respond to player hails.

• In Nektropos Castle, "an attendant of everling" has been renamed "an attendant of Everling."

• Stro D'proi will now respond to player hails.

• Mariner Guard Inget is now a female.

• Only one version of Merchant Elbow will now spawn in North Qeynos.

• In Wailing Caves, "a Lurid Creeper" is now aggressive to players.

• Only one version of Merchant Juvena will now spawn in West Freeport.

• NPCs named "a maus" have been renamed to "a rat."

Items

• The appearances of many types of armor have been updated to provide greater visual distinction to players. For example, crafted items of a certain armor type and level range should have a different look from dropped armor of that same type and level range.

• Shroud of the Manastone now has 12 slots instead of 4, and provides 14% weight reduction. In addition, players can now destroy the item if they wish.

• A canvas rug is no longer flagged as a wall item.

• An alder bookcase now has its proper appearance.

• Baked Crab now has the correct icon appearance.

• Nohil's Brace now has the correct icon appearance.

• Delacar's Axe Of Savagery now has the correct icon appearance.

• Earring of Disintegration will now equip into the ear slot.

• Faysteel Brigandine Wristguard will now equip in the wrist slot and now has the correct item appearance.

• Fighgut Ring should now have the correct icon appearance.

• A Satiation value can now been seen on Voleen's Sweetbread.

• Iron Assault now has the correct item appearance.

• Lava Forged Band now has the correct item appearance.

• Magma Linked Chainmail now has the correct item appearance.

• Seared Leather Tunic now has the correct item appearance.

• Sol Forged Banle now has the correct item appearance.

• Inspecting an old Darkblade dagger will remove it from inventory.

• Rubicite Forge Earring will now equip in the ear slot.

• Shaped Primative Elm Bookcase now has a value when sold to merchants.

• A Seared Bandolier now has the correct item appearance.

• Lava Forged Bangle now has the correct item appearance.

• Lava Forged Necklace now has the correct item appearance.

• Sol Forged Girdle now has the correct item appearance.

• Stinkhoop now has the correct item appearance.

• The Forgotten's Honor now has a necklace icon appearance.

• Gut Ripper now has the correct item appearance.

• Sol Forged Earrings now has the correct icon appearance.

• Assault Axes now have the correct icon appearance.

• "Blight of the Grave," "Caress of the Void," "Corrosive Kiss," "Erosive Goo," and "Necropolis Sludge" will now list the correct skill level and pricing.

• Nala Blunting will no longer call out to players.

• Ring of Tainted Souls and Necklace of Tainted Souls no longer have incorrect item icons.

• Fist Wraps will now improve your crushing skill.

• Iron Assault axe is now a one-handed weapon.

• Fixed chainmail armor sets to use the correct icon for the appropriate equipment slot.

Tradeskills

• Armorers can now refine metal bars to the fullest of their abilities using their own reaction arts.

• Changed all Armorer recipes for rings and plates to use the Metal Shaping technique with Metal Shaping events. Armorers using these recipes should now be able to create them in a forge and counter any of the events that appear.

• The pristine versions of crafted cestii now note that they are leather. Icon discrepancies between the final product and the recipe icon have been corrected.

• Lavastorm Robusta Beans and Everfrost Ice Beans are now harvested from culinary sources, not foresting ones.

• Ginseng and Turnips can now be harvested.

• Corrected a typo in a Pristine Ruckas Portrait.

• The recipe for Generic Rough Linen Pattern now requires Stromeir Paper.

• The recipes for Fir Greatstaff and Briarwood Greatstaff now require Fir Stave and Briarwood Stave, respectively.

• The quality level of Boiled Straps will now be factored into recipes that use it as a primary component.

• Players now receive a congratulatory message and bonus tradeskill experience the first time they make a new type of pristine item.

• The following culinary recipes should be much easier to refine: White Tea Leaf, Black Tea Leaf, Oolong Tea Leaf, Green Tea Leaf, Pu-erh Tea Leaf, Roasted Carrot, Roasted Sweet Onion, Roasted Cucumber, and Roasted Browncap Mushroom.

• The recipes for Teak Short Bow and Cedar Short Bow now require Rough Linen Bowstring and Strengthened Cord.

• The recipe for Cedar Greatstaff now requires Rough Linen Fletching and Fulginate Shod.

• The recipes for Oak Greatstaff and Briarwood Greatstaff now require Broadcloth Fletching and Feyiron Shod.

• The recipes for Oak Short Bow and Briarwood Short Bow now require Broadcloth Bowstring and Etched Cord.

• The recipe for Fir Greatstaff now requires Canvas Fletching and Carbonite Shard.

• The recipes for Fir Short Bow and Ash Short bow now require Canvas Bowstring and Boiled Cord.

• Examination of pouches made by tradeskills will now indicate that these are used to hold shurikens.

• Fixed the naming of Murky Shining Elixir, Clouded Shining Elixir, Shining Elixir, and Translucent Shining Elixir. Also fixed the effect that the potion provides.

• Fixed the misspelling of "prsitine" in "Pristine Canvas Rug," "Pristine Medium Quaint Maple Table," and "Pristine Small Ash Dining Table."

• The material type was missing from the names of a few furniture pieces, making it difficult to judge their rarity. Added fir to "Pristine Small Double Shelf," steel to "Pristine Sconce," and cedar to "Pristine Militia Double Shelf."

• Many morning star weapons that were displaying incorrectly now look like morning stars.

• Fixed the misspelling "curde" in "A Crude Ornate Linen Rug" and "A Crude Oval Ash Table."

• Changed the name of the recipe "Ash Oval Table" to "Oval Ash Table" to match the actual product being created.

• Adjusted all references to the item "cloth cloth" (currently "Cloth Thread") to "Cloth Swatch" to avoid a conflict with the existing item cloth thread. This includes the four quality levels of the item, and all the recipes that use it.

• Advanced Tailoring 41 had the following recipes added to it: Stretch of Augmented Leather, Linen Thread, Linen Cloth, Augmented Hide Plate, and Augmented Leather Strap.

• NPCs who assign tradeskill writs for the Ironforge Exchange and Coalition of Tradesfolke have relocated. Executor Adept Sal`ynelle and Merchant Elbow have moved from North Qeynos to a cellar behind the Ironforge Estate. Commissioner Venilos and Merchant Juvena moved from being out in the open to a cellar behind the Coalition of Tradesfolke building in the West Freeport.

• The recipe for Tin Sheets will now list the correct ingredients.

• The recipe for Engraved Leather Boots and Engraved Leather Bracers will now accept "Generic Broadcloth Pattern."

• The level 21 Alchemist recipe for Berserk has been renamed to Focus Rage to match the actual item produced.

• Corrected inconsistencies with the quality level and displayed level of Carbonite Plates.

• Talking to Matthias Zoe should no longer bug your tradeskill progression.

• Added Cream Cheese to tradeskill vendors.

• Fixed the failure kick out for orange juice. It should now create an aged orange.

• Added Granum Compound to the level 30 Alchemist recipe book.

• Armorer Essentials Volume 29 now teaches the recipes for Feyiron Plate and Feyiron Rings.

• The sell back values of tradeskill created beds should now be consistent.

• Adjusted the stats on crafted Rawhide Belt to grow across the quality produced.

• Adjusted the stats on crafted Rawhide Boots to grow across the quality produced.

• Adjusted the stats on crafted Rawhide Gloves to grow across the quality produced.

• Adjusted the stats on crafted Tin Short Sword to grow across the quality produced.

• Adjusted the stats on crafted Tin Rapier Gloves to grow across the quality produced.

• Adjusted the stats on crafted Tin Long Sword to grow across the quality produce

• Adjusted the icons on crafted Iron Crescent Axe.

• The Weaponsmith recipe for Carbonite Morning Star can now create an item at the pristine quality level.

• Weaponsmith Essentials Volume 28 will now teach the recipe for Carbonite Tulwar instead of Feyiron Tulwar.

• The Woodworker recipe for Ash Greatstaff now requires the appropriate components for creation.

• Advanced Tailor Volume 36 will now teach the recipes for Cloth Shawl and Engraved Leather Shoulder Pads.

• Corrected the value of many tradeskill items to be more consistent.

• The recipe for Cuirboilli Leather Skullcap now requires "Cuirboilli Hide Plate."

• Crafted shuriken pouches will now display the appropriate icon.

• The recipe for Architect's Sleeves now requires "Cloth Swatch" for creation.

• The stats on Threadbare Mitts are now consistent across quality levels.

• Artistry skills can now grow upon the use of reaction arts.

• The tradeskill window should no longer show an incorrect quantity number on the recipe.

• Armorer Essentials Volume 43 will now teach the recipe for Fulginate Chainmail Boots instead of Strengthened Leather Boots.

• Shaped Inventor Bloomer now has higher stats than the Crude version.

• Iron Crescent Axes will now craft properly.

Spells

• Damage-over-time spells are now much more likely to stack with other DoT spells, unless using the same spell template.

• If two spells of the same type are applied to a target (i.e. stuns),the second spell will no longer drop when the first one does.

• Kraylith's Curse of the Toad will now change players into a less vocal toad.

• Kraylith's Minor Familiar now summons a less vocal toad.

• The Apprentice IV version of Alin's Melodic Refrain will now upgrade the proper song.

• The Apprentice IV version of Elegant Blade will no longer place a new version of Elegant Blade in the knowledge book. It will now upgrade the proper ability.

• Piercing Shriek songs will no longer be interrupted by movement.

• Bloodlust now appears in the maintained window.

• The Apprentice IV version of Reek of Terror will now upgrade Reek of Terror instead of placing a new version in the knowledge book.

• Lucan's Pact now grants an undead form.

• Haruspex now has a chance to deal mental damage.

• Power Cleave is now available for purchase from merchants.

• Recklessness no longer gives an erroneous flavor text message.

• Woodone's Feral Blessing now shares a reuse timer with Blessing of the Wild.

• The text description for Grafe's Measured Strike has been modified.

• Te`Anara's Coursing Growth prose text now indicates that it increases Elemental and Arcane mitigations.

• Players choosing Woodone's Feral Blessing will now receive it instead of Blessing of the Wild.

• Bewilder and El`Arad's Befuddling Lights now share the same reuse timer.

• Updated Reek of Terror's prose text to indicate that it will sometimes cause attackers to flee when they strike the caster during combat.

• Updated Sonshaw's Orb of Abeyance text; a Thought Stone is required to cast this spell.

• Mrylokar's Unwelcoming Invitation will now lower mitigation.

• Mizzmog's Sallow Degradation will now lower stamina as the prose text states it will.

• Removed extraneous text from Daro's Sorrowful Dirge.

• Corrected the prose text of Death's Scent to indicate that it increases agility and disease.

• Removed extraneous text from Selo's Chords of Cessation.

• The Apprentice IV version of Fiery Fists has been corrected.

• The Apprentice IV version of Crush now upgrades properly.

• Tarkog's Oppressive Contrition should now be working correctly.

• Fixed the description of Infernal Pact.

• The Apprentice IV version of Amending Fate now upgrades the correct spell.

• Vivid Seal and Nostahla's Lucid Barrier now share the same reuse timer.

Combat Arts

• Deadly Shot should now be granted at the correct level.

• The text description for Lethal Resolve has been corrected.

• The text description for Moor has been corrected.

• The text description for Nestral's Relentless Advance has been corrected.

• Guardian's Topple spell has been corrected.

• Stalk can now be canceled in the effect window.

• The spell scroll for Rip Apprentice IV should now scribe the correct spell.

• The spell scroll for Tear Apprentice IV should now scribe the correct spell.

• The text description for Bloodlust has been corrected.

• Holly's Entangling Trap should now be working correctly.

• Power Cleave now requires a two-handed weapon.

• Phenzon's Ruthless Assault now requires a shield.

• The icon color for Zarn's Deadly Aura has been corrected.

• Maul should now be working correctly.

• Furious Counter has been renamed to Unbridled Fury.

• Rampage and Unbridled Fury should now be working correctly.

• Tani's Circular Flurry should now be working correctly.

• Desperate Rush will now be granted at level 44.

• Briteblade's Command should now be working correctly.

• Kisa's Ruinous Blast should now be working correctly.

• Fancy Footwork will now grant a higher parry skill when used.

• Pathfinding has been removed from Artisan Essentials Volume 5.

• Quick Strike has been fixed.

• The text description for Strangling Shot has been corrected.

Mechanics

• Huge differences (including buffs and debuffs) in stats such as Agility will no longer have as pronounced an effect in battle.

• The stat attributes of level 30 and higher NPCs have been increased.

Controls, Commands, and UI

• You can now combine multiple chat windows into a single window with subject tabs by dragging one window onto another. To separate the combined windows, drag one of the tabs to an open section of the screen.

• The /clearchat command will clear the visible contents of the chat window or current tab. Your log file will be unaffected.

• The /clearchatall command will clear the contents of all chat tabs.

• The way we calculate the AC value on the Persona window has been changed. The new number better reflects the overall defensive capabilities of your character, including armor, skills, stats, buffs, Parry, and Deflection. The defensive capabilities themselves have not changed, only the value that is displayed. For futher details, please refer to this post on our official forums.

http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=chars&message.id=2966

• You can now withdraw amounts of copper, silver, and gold that are larger than what you have in the bank as long as you don't exceed your total funds. For example, if you have 1 platinum, 0 gold, 10 silver, 20 copper in the bank, you can withdraw 90 silver. Afterward, you will have 0 platinum, 99 gold, 20 silver, 20 copper in the bank.

• You can now make notes next to the names on your Friends and Ignore lists.

• You can now add labels to your bags via the right click menu.

• Fixed a bug causing items with multiple buff stats from being occluded from searches by special type in the Broker/Market window.

• Dragging an equipped item onto an inventory bag should no longer bug the item.

• Fixed an issue caused by pasting in text with a partial link and receiving text with broken links.

• The examine window for recipe books now uses a single alphabetized column.

• Added a "Recipes" button to the tradeskill progess window.

• When completing a step of a quest, the Quest Journal text area should now expand to show what you've accomplished.

• The current and total status columns in the society UI have been combined into a single "Status"' column.

• Text entered following the /p command (for party) will be seen by your party members, just as with /g.

• The following characters can be used on the chat line in place of the corresponding slash command:

: = /emote

' = /say

! = /shout

@ = /guildsay

$ = /auction

# = /groupsay

Art

• Characters using the Gathering ability should no longer slide if they move before the animation is complete.

• Fixed the timing of the scimitar strike effect, as seen in Radiant Strike and other priest spells.

• Added result effects for Wrannstad's Flaming Wind, Sweltering Sands, Conflagration, and Jerzeel's Blazing Sky.

• Optimized sparkling swords in spells such as Bloom and Bloodlust.

• Orc skeleton LODs should now display properly.

Audio

• Footstep sounds made by someone wearing chain armor should no longer sound as if they are wearing plate.

• Creatures that would occasionally sound like human males should now sound like their own species.

• Qeynos tradeskill zones now have music in them.

• Distinct audio cues now play when characters on your friends list log in or out.

UI Files Updated

eq2ui_buttonstyles.xml

eq2ui_community.xml

eq2ui_examine.xml

eq2ui_FrameStyles.xml

eq2ui_gamedata.xml

eq2ui_mainhud.xml

eq2ui_mainhud_experience.xml

eq2ui_mainhud_guild.xml

eq2ui_mainhud_impliedtarget.xml

eq2ui_mainhud_mainchat.xml

eq2ui_mainhud_persona.xml

eq2ui_mainhud_society.xml

eq2ui_newcharscene.xml

eq2ui_popup_bugreport.xml

eq2ui_tradeskills.xml

eq2ui_gamedata.xml

eq2ui_progressbarStyles.xml

eq2ui_mainhud_persona.xml

images/VitVial_UI.tga

images/widgets02.dds