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Rune KnightsNewsThe Primal Update
In-game event

The Primal Update

Rune Knights · published 23 Sep 2023, 02:11 UTC

All newsPlayers around this dateRead on Steam

NEW

  • New Boss - Verdant Terror: This new plant-themed boss will always spawn on Forest maps, and has a chance to spawn in Arena and Invasions.Dev note: This boss is very different from existing bosses and will likely need some tweaking. It utilizes large crowd control effects, area denial, poison, and a unique lash attack that pulls the target. Please send any feedback on this boss to me in Discord and good luck.
  • Neutral Dodge now initiates a quick backstep with fewer i-frames and faster recovery.
  • Improved Two-Handed Melee Heavy Attack animation timings.
  • New Starting Weapon Loadout - Primal: Start with two Focuses that utilize the new Primal Generator and Spender skills.

SKILL TAGS

  • Primal - Skills that generate or spend Primal Charge.
  • Transformation - Skills that transform your character or are granted by a transformation.

Primal Skills


All Primal skills are either Primal Charge generators or spenders. Spender skills have no weapon requirements as these are powered by your accumulated Primal Charge. Primal Charge can only be gained while in combat and caps at 100 stacks. Generators can roll randomly on gear, but Spenders must be purchased from the Skill Merchant.

Transformation Skills


Gain "Animus Lock" for three seconds after entering a transformation: "The rush of feral instincts from your recent transformation demands you hold onto this form. Cannot change form."

Instant cast spells may be cast while transformed, as long as your normal form meets the weapon requirements for the skill. This includes most buffs, Shouts, Entanglements, Auras, Toggles like Bladecrest and Bloodrage, Blinks, Consecration, Flame Dash, Phase Shift, and probably a few more. Visiting the Skill Merchant while transformed and pressing the "Current Usable" button will show you all skills usable while transformed with your current equipment. Traps cannot be cast while transformed.

NEW SKILLS

Bear Form


Transformation, Primal
Toggle. While active, you are a bear. Gain 50% Total Damage, 30% Damage Reduction, and generate 500% more Threat, but lose the ability to Dodge. Gain Animus Lock for three seconds after casting, disabling your ability to change form again.
Cost: 30 Mana/second while in combat

Bear Form Abilities:

Swipe


Melee, Strike, Transformation, Primal
Swipe with your powerful claws. Hits grant 10 Primal Charge.

Maul


Melee, Strike, Transformation, Primal
Viciously maul enemies with your claws, dealing 180% combined weapon damage and bleeding all targets for the same amount. Grants one stack of Grizzly Wrath for each target hit. Grizzly Wrath increases Total Damage by 10% per stack for 15 seconds. Additional stacks do not reset duration. All stacks are lost when exiting Bear Form.
Primal Charge Cost: 20
Stamina Cost: 150

Ursine Slam


Area Effect, Transformation, Primal
Slam the ground with your claws, dealing 150% Combined Weapon Damage to all nearby targets.
Stamina Cost: 150
Primal Charge Cost: 25
Cooldown: 8 seconds

Ironhide


Transformation, Primal
Gain one stack of Ironhide. While you have Ironhide, incoming attacks will consume one stack to block the attack, as with a shield. Uses your equipped shield if you have one, and otherwise reduces incoming damage by 25%. Successful blocks generate 15 Primal Charge and return 50% of the incoming damage to the attacker. All stacks are lost when exiting Bear Form, if your block is ever broken, or by attempting to Dodge Roll. Max 5 stacks.
Mana Cost: 30
Cooldown: 1 second

Wolf Form


Transformation, Primal
Toggle. While active, you are a werewolf with increased attack speed. Gain Animus Lock for three seconds after casting, disabling your ability to change form again.
Cost: 30 Mana/second while in combat

Wolf Form Abilities:

Swipe


Melee, Strike, Transformation, Primal
Swipe with your powerful claws. Hits grant 10 Primal Charge.

Feral Slash


Melee, Strike, Transformation, Primal
Swipe viciously, dealing 175% combined weapon damage. On hit, gain 30% Attack Speed for 3 seconds.
Primal Charge Cost: 50
Stamina Cost: 150

Wolf Rush


Melee, Mobility, Transformation, Primal
Quickly dash forward. On colliding with an enemy, attack for 150% combined weapon damage. Generates 10 Primal Charge per target hit. Can interrupt current action.
Stamina Cost: 75
Cooldown: 4 seconds

Lycan Howl


Transformation, Shout
Let forth a frightening howl, hindering all nearby enemies, reducing their attack and movement speed by 25% for 3 seconds.
Mana Cost: 125
Cooldown: 8 seconds

OTHER NEW SKILLS

Sporebolt


Spell, Projectile, Area Effect, Primal
Cast a poisonous seed pod that deals 20% Spell Damage and creates a toxic area on impact that inflicts targets with 1 stack of Poison per second. Poison deals 10% Spell Damage per second per stack. Max 20 stacks. Generates 10 Primal Charge.
Mana Cost: 75

Thornbolt


Spell, Projectile, Primal
Cast a viciously thorned seed pod that deals 125% Spell Damage. Generates 8 Primal Charge.
Mana Cost: 50

Insect Swarm


Spell, Projectile, Area Effect, Primal
Summon a swarm of insects upon your foes, dealing 40% combined weapon damage to all targets in its path. Generates 4 Primal Charge on cast and 2 Primal Charge per target hit.
Mana Cost: 45

Twister


Spell, Projectile, Area Effect, Primal
Cast out a twister that deals 60% Spell Damage to all targets hit. Generates 5 Primal Charge on cast and 2 Primal Charge for each enemy hit.
Mana Cost: 100

Shillelagh


For 6 seconds, all Melee Hits generate 4 Primal Charge. Instant cast.
Mana Cost: 150
Cooldown: 8 seconds

Storm Cyclone


Spell, Area Effect, Primal
Call up a powerful lightning-infused cyclone for 5 seconds that chases nearby enemies and deals 120% Combined Weapon Damage to all nearby targets each second.
Primal Charge Cost: 30
Mana Cost: 150

Razorleaf Tree


Spell, Area Effect, Primal
Conjure the dreaded Razorleaf Tree. The tree decays over 7 seconds, shedding its wicked Razorleaves and dealing 70% Combined Weapon Damage per second to all targets in a large area.
Primal Charge Cost: 40
Mana Cost: 140

Thorn Torrent


Channeling, Spell, Projectile, Primal
Channel to continuously cast a stream of thorns that deal 40% Combined Weapon Damage each. Thorn fire rate is affected by attack and cast speed.
Primal Charge Cost: 2
Mana Cost: 20/Missile
Base Fire Rate: 5 Missiles/second

New Moon


Spell, Projectile, Primal
Cast a beam of celestial energy that deals 120% Combined Weapon Damage and applies a 30% Chill to the target for 3 seconds. Once cast, you empower this skill to become Half Moon.
Primal Charge Cost: 10
Mana Cost: 50

Half Moon


Spell, Projectile, Area Effect, Primal
Cast down a wide beam of celestial energy that deals 120% Combined Weapon Damage and 50% of the damage to nearby targets. Inflicts all targets with a 30% Chill for 3 seconds. Once cast, you empower this skill to become Full Moon.
Primal Charge Cost: 20
Mana Cost: 100

Full Moon


Spell, Projectile, Area Effect, Primal
Call down the full power of the Full Moon to deal 130% Combined Weapon Damage and apply a 30% Chill for 3 seconds to all targets in a large area. This skill becomes New Moon after use.
Primal Charge Cost: 30
Mana Cost: 150

Dawnray


Spell, Projectile, Primal
Cast a beam of solar energy that deals 175% Combined Weapon Damage and empowers this skill to become Solarflare.
Primal Charge Cost: 10
Mana Cost: 50

Solarflare


Spell, Projectile, Area Effect, Primal
Cast down a wide beam of solar energy that deals 190% Combined Weapon Damage and 50% of the damage to nearby targets and empowers this skill to become Supernova.
Primal Charge Cost: 20
Mana Cost: 100

Supernova


Spell, Projectile, Area Effect, Primal
Call down the full power of the Sun to deal 210% Combined Weapon Damage to all targets in a large area. This skill becomes Dawnray after use.
Primal Charge Cost: 30
Mana Cost: 150

Summon Elderwood Sentinel


Minion, Summon, Pact, Primal
Summon an Elderwood Sentinel to fight for you. The Sentinel pulls in enemies from afar and roots them before slamming down and dealing damage to nearby targets. Hold Skill Modifier (default: Left Alt) while casting to dismiss.
Pact Effect
Melee Hits generate 2 Primal Charge. Melee Hits from Minions contribute to their Master's Primal Charge.
Stats
- Base Health: 325
- HP/Level: 15
- Base Damage: 70
- Base Resilience: 60
- Base Resilience Damage: 6

Summon Treant


Minion, Summon, Primal
Summon a Treant to fight for you. Hold Skill Modifier (default: Left Alt) while casting to dismiss. Generates 15 Primal Charge.
Skill Details
- Mana Cost: 150
- Cooldown: 5s
- Max Summons: 4
Stats
- Base Health: 160
- HP/Level: 2.6
- Base Damage: 68.5
- Base Resilience: 28
- Base Resilience Damage: 1.275

Summon Frost Wolf


Minion, Summon, Primal
Summon a Frost Wolf that delivers a powerful cone of cold. Hold Skill Modifier (default: Left Alt) while casting to dismiss.
Skill Details
- Primal Charge Cost: 30
- Mana Cost: 200
- Cooldown: 8s
- Max Summons: 2
Stats
- Base Health: 325
- HP/Level: 5.3
- Base Damage: 140
- Base Resilience: 58.5
- Base Resilience Damage: 2.6

SKILL CHANGES

Thorns Aura


Primal tag added.
Now deals Resilience Damage.
Now generates 5 Primal Charge on block and 8 Primal Charge on parry.

Call Lightning Rework


Area Effect tag removed.
Primal tag added.
Cooldown removed.
Weapon requirements removed.
Primal Charge Cost: 0 -> 35

Old
Call down lightning that deals 300% spell damage to a large area after a short delay.

New
Calls down lightning after a short delay that deals 200% combined weapon damage and chains to up to 4 total targets.

Spectral Claw Rework


Primal tag added
Cooldown: 2s -> 0.5s
Mana Cost: 75 -> 60
Stamina Cost: 75 -> 60

Old
Cleave enemies with a Spectral Claw for 400% combined weapon damage spread among all enemies hit. Inflicts 2 Hits on each target.

New
Cleave enemies with a Spectral Claw for 110% combined weapon damage. Generates 5 Primal Charge per target hit.

BALANCE

Spell Effect: Rooted


Now breaks when the target takes damage.
No longer affects bosses.

SKILLS

Ruthless Charge


Damage: 200% -> 150% Combined Weapon Damage

TALENTS

Intimidating


Damage increase: 10% -> 15%

Menace


Damage increase: 10% -> 15%

Familiar


Damage Multiplier: 50% -> 30%
Familiar now adapts its color based on your spells.

IMPROVED


Your minions will now teleport to you when you become dismounted by entering combat.

FIXED


Fixed Meteor not responding to volume settings.
Fixed a bug where legendary items from The Gambler could not roll with influence.
Fixed a bug where Circle of Influence would not apply to items from The Gambler.
Fixed Act 1 Boss AI glitching out.
Fixed bad spawns on Fort Ironhold (and probably every map).
Fixed E key mounting.
Fixed some collision debug visualizations being visible.
Fixed being able to mount while meditating.

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