Want to know how Pendragon works? Here is a good place to see what the policies are. This is from Jeff Hickman of the Camelot Herald and following the policies, I added the information about the last Pendragon patch, version 1.39a. We wanted to post a short message clarifying some issues about Pendragon, the Test Server. Hopefully this will clear up some issues that have arisen, and answer some questions about how we utilize the test server to make DAoC better for everyone. 1. We use ONLY the test server for testing. We do NOT ever test on the live servers. 2. We may do any number of things to characters on the test server, to help facilitate our testing. This includes bumping levels, giving skills, making items, and any number of other things that will help us to test certain aspects of the game. 3. There may be times when a character is increased in levels for testing purposes. When this happens, we will always try to de-level the character back to it’s original state, once the testing is complete. 4. We may at anytime ask others to help us with testing. If this interferes with anyone’s play time, please let us know and we will not bother you with special testing requests. 5. We have many employees from Mythic that play on the test server. These employee characters do not have any special abilities, powers, etc… They are exactly like all other characters on the server. However, we often use our employees to test on this server, and they may level, de-level, and have generally strange things happening to them. We will always make our best effort to return these characters to the exact way they were before testing with them. 6. If asked directly about being a Mythic Employee, we will answer directly with an affirmative, in hopes of preventing any misunderstandings. Hopefully, this will clear up any issues or concerns that have arisen about Pendragon and how we utilize it to make DAoC a better game. Thanks! -Jeff Additions to the present patch notes already on Pendragon: ==================================== Dark Age of Camelot Test version 1.39a Release Notes ==================================== - Mercenaries and Blademasters now get Dual Wield/Celtic Dual at 5th level and Shortbows at 10th. Previously, they got shortbows at 5th and Dual Wield at 10th - however, since Dual Wield is a defining skill of their class, the two skills have been swapped. Please note that existing Mercenaries and Blademasters between 5th and 10th level will be given Dual Wield, but will retain shortbows. This change is the first of a couple of additions that we will be giving to the Mercenaries and Blademasters over the next few versions. - Mercenaries now have the option of receiving a piercing weapons at 5th level upon joining the Guild of Shadows. - When a Berzerker or Shadowblade uses the Left Axe skill, the axe in his left hand should now properly check his Left Axe specialization rather than the specialization of the weapon itself (generally Axe) when determining damage. - When an Assassin class (i.e. Infiltrator, Shadowblade, Nightshade) attacks from a hidden position (i.e. when doing a critical strike backstab), the attack cannot be parried, evaded, blocked or bladeturned. Please note that the attacker can simply miss, however, which leaves a bladeturn active. - There was a bug in the Critical Strike combat style Leaper - it only allowed players to perform it after a parry. Since none of the Assassin characters get parry as a skill, then Leaper could never be performed. This has been fixed by changing some of the Critical Strike Styles: Leaper has been changed to work off a successful Hamstring. Rib Separation now works off a successful Leaper, and Ripper now works off a successful Rib Separation. This makes a powerful 4-style chain. - There was a bug in Midgard left-Axe wielding which permitted Berserkers and Shadowblades to put a 2-handed axe in their left hand. This has been fixed. You can no longer do this. - Some errors in collision detection around the edges of boundary walls near frontier keeps have been fixed. These errors were allowing players of other realms to "slip" past the frontier keeps. - When a player trains, he'll be granted all combat styles from previous levels which he may not have been awarded due to skill limitations (parry, evade, etc). This means that if you don't have a skill (such as parry) when you are eligible to receive a combat style that requires it, you will not be awarded it. However, as soon as you gain that skill, you can go back to your trainer, right click on him, and you will be awarded those styles you are now eligible for. - The troglodyte model has been updated and enhanced with a new skin. SPELL SYSTEM UPDATE - Spiritmasters should properly have the Protecting Spirit spell at level 19 in their Summoning list now. - Runemasters should properly have the Suppress Sight line starting at level 11. Previously this list was not being awarded properly. WORLD NOTES RvR Frontier Keeps: The guards patrolling in the frontiers have been given strict orders to attend to their patrol routes as opposed to aiding members of their realm with other concerns. Midgard Quests / NPCs: Quest: Price of Excellence and Quest: Ulfgar's Hammer: There was a bug that allowed players to get the Price of Excellence quest a second time when they went to upgrade their hammer. Players do not need to redo the entire Price of Excellence quest again to get the new hammer (just the Ulfgar's Hammer quest). If you received the Price of Excellence quest the second time, you must return to the drunken dwarf to remove it from your quest list. You will not get a hammer if both the Price of Excellence and Ulfgar's Hammer are pending. Albion Factions New factions have been added for the fellwoods, boogies, and grimwoods in the frontier of Albion. They have both allying and opposing factions throughout the area. Albion Monster Encounters: Lyonesse Additions: Warning to all explorers! We've just received word from a reliable source the sunken, dead land of Lyonesse has been stirring with supernatural activity. This source, who has been keeping a close eye on the tainted land, went so far as to describe creatures not previously documented. Among the creatures mentioned are pygmy goblins, smaller than the goblins found in the Black Mountains region, but much more savage, ruthless and have the tendency to swarm. Other creatures include the moorlich, bone snappers--gigantic shelled monsters known for eating whole men and their horses, the witherwood with their symbiotic woodeworms, and the telamon (lesser, medial, and greater)--giant supernatural creatures that seem bear the burden of guarding a road to some place lost long ago. Hibernia Monster Encounters: - In Silvermine mountains, Chieftain Dergal and his followers have decided to stop concealing themselves in trees before attacking. Midgard Objects: The ghastly axe that drops off of Moira the Quiet will now be less powerful and will now be called a screaming ghastly axe. The damage and delay were lowered 3 levels while the stats on the axe remain the same. The item was 5 levels higher than the monster that drops it, so it was not level appropriate. Existing ghastly axes will not be effected by this change.