Avendar: The Crucible of Legends

November 22, 2025

As perhaps a small palliative for recent server problems, we are ready to bring you a new version of swordmaster, and a small-ish change to barbarian.

We hope everyone enjoys these changes! Please let us know if you run into anything too weird.

Swordmasters

Several swordmaster skills and forms have new functionality. All helpfiles have been updated to reflect changes, probably, but here is a summary of the changes.

Swordmasters no longer receive: dual wield, feint, offhand parry, reversal of fortune, stunning blow

Swordmasters now receive: retreat, kick, hand to hand

• Versatility
  • No longer a passive effect.
  • Now is activated with use of the commands versatility one or versatility two
  • Now learned at level 4 (down from 40).
• Favored Blade
  • No longer a passive effect.
  • Now is activated with the use of the command favoredblade
  • Now learned at level 21 (down from 46).
• Sasem Technique
  • New skill. Learned at level 13.
  • Begin accumulating charges with the command technique charge.
  • If you leave combat, you will lose your charges.
  • You may execute an attack at any time with the command technique.
  • The attack you perform is different based on the number of charges used.
• Blindfighting
  • No changes. Learned at level 31.
• Cross
  • No longer knocks down.
  • Is negated by retaliation.
  • No longer needs a weapon to use.
  • Penalizes the target’s skill% and hitroll.
  • Swordmasters specifically have a Grace check to also lag when they cross.
• Disarm
  • Now learned at 23 (up from 14).
• Grip
  • Disarm protection effect greatly enhanced.
• Grace
  • Now learned at level 2 (up from 1).
• Meditative strike
  • Now learned at level 35 (up from 10).
  • Chance to do an additional attack with two-sword versatility active.
• Offhand disarm
  • Now learned at level 29 (up from 20).
• Form of the Bear
  • Minimum mana cost is now 45 (up from 35).
  • Now can decapitate foes.
• Form of the Boar
  • Minimum mana cost is now 15 (up from 5).
  • Now has a chance to lunge your opponents as well.
• Form of the Bull
  • Minimum mana cost is now 15 (up from 10).
• Form of the Cat
  • Minimum mana cost is now 55 (up from 35).
• Form of the Crab
  • No longer requires the use of two swords.
• Form of the Dragon
  • Now learned at level 36 (up from 34).
  • Minimum mana cost is now 40 (up from 20).
• Form of the Eagle
  • Minimum mana cost is now 50 (up from 30).
  • Attempts the eagle jab every round. Skill% chance to automiss. One-sword versatility swordmasters skip that chance, but the attack can still miss.
  • Now learned at level 34 (up from 26).
• Form of the Mockingbird
  • Now learned at level 14 (down from 30).
  • Minimum mana cost is now 30 (up from 5).
  • Can heal the swordmaster.
• Form of the Mongoose
  • Now learned at level 26 (up from 14).
  • Minimum mana cost is now 35 (up from 20).
• Form of the Monkey
  • Minimum mana cost is now 35 (up from 5).
  • Now also applies the vital strike effect (increased lag on actions) and a hitroll debuff on enemies.
• Form of the Reed
  • Minimum mana cost is now 40 (up from 20).
• Form of the Rose
  • Now learned at level 12 (down from 36).
  • Minimum mana cost is now 5 (down from 15).
  • Skill% chance each round to restore mana.
  • Two-sword versatility will also trigger riposte on fend.
• Form of the Serpent
  • Minimum mana cost is now 10 (up from 5).
• Form of the Spider
  • Minimum mana cost is now 40 (up from 20).
  • Deals mana damage instead of move damage.
  • In addition, now feints the opponent at skill%/2 chance.
• Form of the Viper
  • Minimum mana cost is now 30 (up from 20).
  • No longer a stacking debuff, now applies once based on level.
  • Form of the Wasp
  • Debuff duration now scales with either character level or weapon level, whichever is greater.
• Dodge
  • Now learned at level 8 (up from 4).
• Enhanced damage
  • Now learned at level 10 (up from 2).
• Form of the Whirlwind
  • Now performs 1-2 attacks on all enemies fighting the swordmaster.

Barbarian

We want to cement that Barbarian is a DPS and not a tank. We also want them to be able to have more choices in weapon, which the current implementation of hew prevents.

Barbarian no longer receives: cross, grip, hew

Barbarian now receives: dual wield, slaughter

• Slaughter
  • A replacement for hew that functions identically except it is fully weapon agnostic.
  • Just grab the biggest rock you can and smash a dude in the face.

Earth Templar

• Devotion
  • Has had its functionality updated to work like new favored blade.
  • No longer has a chance to grant +damroll to a weapon.