~ The Shadow Compendium ~

 ~ With the release of the second half of Khrysalis KingsIsle brought forth a new kind of wand. These wands are only obtainable as either a drop from Morganthe herself or they must be crafted. To craft one of these wands requires a lot of rare reagents and TC. Plus in order to purchase the recipes your wizard must have a really high crafting rank and your wizard must complete the quests in the Palace of Fangs in the Hive. These wands all though beautiful in design seem to be lacking in stats. And thus I ask, "Are these wands really worth it?" ~

~ Umbra’s Extended Post Note ~

 
 ~ ‘Allo readers of young and old. Upon clicking the “Read More” icon you were transferred here to another page so that you could view one of our Extend Posts. So read on and I hope you enjoy what you read! ~

 

 

 

 

 

~ Are They Really Worth It? ~

 ~ Currently many wizards that I've talked too have stated that they only craft these wands for their looks. And I see their reasoning as to why. The wands themselves have terrible stats and the may-cast effect that distinguishes them from other wands only occurs if the spell card that comes with the wand is used, and even if the spell card is used there's still a 50% chance, more or less, that the may-cast effect will kick in. And on top of that after having worked so hard to craft the wand it's tagged with the infamous "No-Trade". ~

~ Questions and Concepts ~

 ~ Now, after reading all of this information how do you feel about shadow-forged wands? Do you have a fancy for their designs? Do you use them the way they are or do you stitch a wand with other stats to it? Lastly, are there any types of wands that you'd like to see in the future for spell casting? For example, would you like to have a guitar or an amulet to cast a spell?  ~

 ~ Anyways, enough questions. Now I'd like to present my ideal concept on how KingsIsle could improve these wands. ~

1) Give the wands a +100 (School-specified) Critical Rating stat boost.

2) Give the wands a +50 Universal Block Rating stat boost.

3) Give the wands a 5% Universal or School Pierce stat boost.

4) Make the wands have a 45% may cast chance without the usage of the item cards that come with it.

5) Lastly, remove the No-Trade tag.

 ~ With these changes I feel like they're more suitable for an Exalted wizard. And I also feel that many wizards in the future will begin to craft more often just to obtain these wands. Now it's time I talk about something on the same subject but at the same time it wont be. ~

~ Memories of Enemies ~

 

 ~ Recently KingsIsle asked if high level wizards would go back and fight olde bosses that dwell in lower level worlds if they made them more of a suitable challenge for the higher level wizards. And personally I sort of have a fancy for this idea. The only thing that's keeping me from having a huge fancy for this idea 100% is the fact that I'm not sure if fighting these bosses would be worth my time. I mean, if KingsIsle doesn't give them unique drops for my wizard than I don't see a point of me fighting them. ~

 ~ Thus I propose yet another idea. I believe that KingsIsle should go back to the unique bosses of the Spiral. Such as Ptolemos and Sir Malory and give them new drops based on their looks. So for instance if I were to go back and fight Meowiarty I should expect that I have a chance of getting his coat as a drop with decent stats for my wizard. This concept is sort of based off of what Pirate101 has with their bosses that drop unique attire and such. ~

 ~ But why stop there? What if KingsIsle also gave some of these bosses shadow-forged wands? What I mean is that certain bosses like Balor the Broken Fang, Ptolemos, Malistaire the Undying would all drop their weapons and wands which we could then use. And they'd all have the characteristics of a shadow-forged wand. ~

 ~ And now the final question is, if this does happen where would KingsIsle place all of these bosses? And this is once again where one of my ideas come into play. ~

~ Designing a Dungeon ~

 ~ For quite sometime after reading Duelist101's post about the Great Spyre I visualized a dungeon with the same concept. And here's what it is:

The Dungeon itself isn't so much of a Dungeon as it is an area. Basically it's a huge labyrinth or maze somewhere in the Spiral that can be accessed by a teleporter in some World in the Spiral. The labyrinth itself would have NO MAP whatsoever, no arrow leading you in a certain direction, and it would have no quests thus leaving you to explore on your own. Of course since it's an area you'll be amongst friends and allies but that's about it. As well throughout the halls of the maze there would be various ranked monsters for gold farming, testing out spells, or just for the enjoyment of dueling. ~

 ~ Now here's where the "Enchanted" bosses come into play. In the maze structure there would be empty rooms where a random boss would spawn open to the public without a sigil. The boss wouldn't

have any minions but she/he would be able to cheat. And as well they'd have an increased amount of health and more spells in their repertoire thus making them a more formidable threat against the higher leveled wizards. ~

 ~ In conclusion at the very start of the maze where the teleporter is and at select points around the maze there could be hubs. The center of the hub would be a hot spring which mana and health whisps spawn from. And around the hot spring a Bazaar vendor, Eloise, and teleporter would be placed. ~

~ Concepts of Shadow-Forged Wands ~

 ~ Now to conclude this post I'd like to showcase a few concepts of the shadow-forged weapons that I had in mind. The idea is have these wands dropped for Exalted+ wizards by these "Enchanted" bosses. Lastly. Below are images of characters throughout the Spiral. In each of their hands they hold a wand of some sort, this wand is the ideal look for each of the wands that I created below. ~

~ 100+ Shadow-Forged Wands ~

  
Sea of Crying Storms
  
+ 1 Power Pip
+ 160 Storm Critical Rating
+ 40 Universal Block Rating
+ 6% Storm Pierce
May Cast "Storm Lord"
Gives 2 "Astraphobia" Item Cards

Location: Tempus StormFist








Wreathed Woodland Staff

+ 1 Power Pip
+100 Life Critical Rating
+ 50 Universal Block Rating
+ 35% Outgoing Healing 
+15% Incoming Healing
May Cast "Hamadryad"
Gives 2 "Sanctuary" Item Cards

Location: Lord Bramble

 

Blazing Heart of Lost Friendships

+ 1 Power Pip

+ 150 Fire Critical Rating

+ 50 Universal Critical Rating 

+5% Fire Pierce

May Cast "Fire Dragon"

Gives 2 "Detonate" Item Cards

Location: Malistaire Drake

Watchful Eye of the Undead Haunts

+ 1 Power Pip

+ 130 Death Critical Rating

+ 70 Uniersal Block Rating

+ 3% Death Pierce  

May Cast "Skeletal Dragon"  

Gives 2 "Poison" Item Cards

Location: Malistaire the Undying

 
Lost Wand of the Cunning Thief

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 140 Myth Critcal Rating
+ 60 Universal Block Rating
+ 4% Myth Pierce
May Cast "Humongofrog"
Gives 2 "Euryale" Item Cards (Rank VI Myth: Euryale: Summons a Minion of Myth)

Location: Meowiarty

 

 

 

Frozen Forged Hammer of the Everwinter

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 110 Ice Critical Rating
+ 90 Universal Block Rating
+ 2% Ice Pierce  
May Cast "Frost Giant"  
Gives 2 "Katabatic Wind" Item Cards

Location: Nordri

 

Poetry of Unspoken History

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 95 Balance Critical Rating
+ 95 Universal Block Rating
+ 3% Balance Pierce
May Cast "Mana Burn"
Gives 2 "Power Play" Item Cards

Location: Taylor Coleridge

 

 

~ 115+ Shadow-Forged Wands ~

Divine Guardian's Purging Tears


+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 180 Storm Critical Rating
+ 70 Universal Block Rating
+ 15% Universal Pierc
May Cast "Tempest"  (1-6 Pip(s) Rating, No Critical)
May Cast " Enfeeble"
Gives 2 "Purge" Item Cards (Rank III Storm: Purge: Removes All Negative Charms on a Single Target)
 
Location: Black Annie 






Hunter's Memory of the Apocalypse


+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 120 Life Critical Rating
+ 130 Universal Block Rating
+ 7% Universal Pierce
May Cast "Angel's Trumpet" (Deals 600 Life Damage to All Enemies Over a Period of 3 Rounds and Leaves a Life Trap (25%) on All Enemies)
May Cast "Life Fuel"
Gives 2 "Gnomes!" Item Cards

Location: Blighted Yaxche 




 
Honey Crowned Jewel

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 170 Fire Critical Rating
+ 80 Universal Block Rating
+ 14% Universal Pierce
May Cast "Inferno" (Detonates all DOTs on a Single Target Dealing 100% Fire Damage)
May Cast "Bladestorm" (+40%)
Gives 2 Meteor Strike Item Cards

Location: Broodmother

Mace of Stolen Souls 

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 110 Death Critical Rating
+ 140 Universal Block Rating
+ 7% Universal Pierce
May Cast "Scarecrow"
May Cast "Witch Hunter" (Witch Hunter: Steals 150 Health From a Single Target Over a Period of 3 Rounds)
Gives 2 "Beguile" Item Cards
 
Location: Olaf Ironchains

Valiant Sword of the Twisted

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 160 Myth Critical Rating
+ 90 Universal Block Rating
+ 12% Universal Pierce
May Cast "Myth Centaur"
May Cast "Basilisk"
Gives 2 Sandman Item Cards (Rank III Myth: Sandman: Gives 600 Health to Self-Only)

Location: Pendragon

Cursed Relic of Chilled Night

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 115 Ice Critical Rating
+ 135 Universal Block Rating
+ 4% Universal Pierce
May Cast "Wraith"
May Cast "Hypothermia" (Casts a -40% Charm and Deals 400 Ice Damage to a Single Target)
Gives 2 "Snow Angel" Item Cards

Location: Jotun

 






Bane of Heroes 

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 125 Balance Critical Rating
+ 125 Universal Block Rating
+ 9% Universal Pierce
May Cast "Plague"
May Cast "Weakness" (-40%)
Gives 2 "Universal Dispel" Item Cards (Rank II Sun Spell: Dispel Next Outgoing Spell Regardless of School)

Location: Ponce de Gibbon

~ 130+ Shadow-Forged Wands ~

Celestial Streamer of Constellations


+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 135 Universal Critical Rating
+ 60 Universal Block Rating
+ 4% Star Pierce (Balance)
May Cast "Configuration (Configuration: + 20% Universal Damage, +20% Universal Resistance, + 20% Outgoing Healing)
Gives 2 Bladestorm Item Cards


Location: Astraeus

Desires of the Cold Dead Moon

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip
+ 100 Universal Critical Rating
+ 55 Universal Block Rating
+ 3% Moon Pierce (Ice, Myth, Death)
May Cast "Shift Ptolemos" (Shift Ptolemos: 450 Moon Damage, + Moon Blades (Ice, Myth, Death), + Sun Shields (Fire, Storm, Life))
Gives 2 Mass Feint Item Cards

Location: Ptolemos

 

Sacred Flame of the Amber Sun

+ 1 Power Pip
+ 1 Pip

+ 150 Universal Critical Rating

+ 65 Universal Block Rating

+ 5% Sun Pierce (Fire, Storm, Life)

May Cast "Solar Flare" (Solar Flare: Adds +350 Universal Damage to the next outgoing attack) 

Gives 1 Colossal Item Card

Gives 1 Extraordinary

Location: Mithraya





Whispering Song of the Shadow Choir
  

+ 1 Shadow Pip
+ 1 Power Pip

+ 20% Universal Damage

+ 30% Universal Resistance

+ 100 Universal Critical

May Cast "Shadow Shrike"

Gives 2 "Shadow Shield" 1 Pip Item Cards (Shadow Shield:-85% Incoming Shadow Damage or Backlash Damage)

Location: Morganthe 



~ Well, that's all for now. I hope you liked my ideas and if not please, tell me in the comments below. Until then, see you in the Spiral. ~