Co-op dungeon crawler Barony is one of those games you could easily have missed, yet stumble into the right crowd of people and they’ll wax lyrical about how it’s one of the best roguelikes around. There’s good reason for that; first launched in 2015, Barony is still going strong nearly eleven years on, and developer Turning Wheel’s latest update is one of its biggest in a long while. It features fundamental overhauls to the magic system with around 80 additional spells, upgrades to its word generation, and more crafting stations. All of that is accompanied by a new DLC that introduces five extra races and five classes to the mix, and you can grab the base game half off right now too.
The Barony 5.0 update is labeled “Instruments of Destruction Part One.” That’s because it’s actually the first part of a bigger planned overhaul that grew so large in size the developer decided to chop it in half. This initial drop focuses more on gameplay and system improvements, with Part Two planned to add much more substance in the form of weapons, armor, spells, enemies, traps, secrets, story, and another boss fight. That makes the current patch the ideal time to jump in if you’re new, because you can learn the fundamentals alongside the existing player base and then be ready for the extras.
Magic has been totally reworked and now groups all spells into three new archetypes. Sorcery involves “classic wizard” skills including standard attack, defense, and utility magic. Thaumaturgy focuses on restorative effects and enhancements, though it still has time for “pouring out righteous wrath upon evil spirits.” Mysticism manipulates, controls, and corrupts your target’s mind, body, and spirit, and is even capable of transforming some foes from within.
Each of these groups includes dozens of spells, with the previous count of roughly 30 bolstered dramatically by approximately 80 new options. Classes that use magic have been revised to fit these new specializations, which should make them feel more distinct from one another. While that does mean you’ll be limited from learning every single spell on one adventurer, you’ll find a similar quantity available, even if you practice just one of the schools.
Turning Wheel hasn’t stopped there, however; it’s been tweaking Barony’s underlying RPG systems to make character classes feel more consequential. That includes adjustments to how each of the core stats affect your build, and to how roles such as tank, ambusher, and caster affect your natural growth. “By the end of the game, you should now notice much starker differences between your class’s competencies compared to those who specialize very differently,” it explains.
The ‘appraisal’ skill has been renamed to ‘lore,’ letting it “serve double-duty as a skill that both empowers song, but also informs your character’s familiarity with items.” Inexpensive loot can be appraised with no points in this revised ability, and by lore level 50 you’ll be able to discern them all, albeit at a slow pace for some. The reasoning here is so you aren’t forced to appraise every single item you find in order to level, and can instead focus only on things that you might actually want to use.
Dungeons can now include treasure rooms that promise valuable loot inside. You’ll need to find the corresponding key to get in, unless you have a member of your party capable of matching the lockpicking requirement. You’ll also be able to sneak a peek through the door to get a hint at whether it’s worth your time. Also scattered across the environments are new cauldrons where you can cook up potions, food, or basic rations, and workbenches that offer a handy place to do some tinkering.
Turning Wheel has been working its way through upgrading Barony’s biomes, and this time it’s the Crystal Caves and Mystic Citadel that have been dramatically overhauled. The former boasts pumphouses, kobold barracks, and ancient puzzle rooms, while the latter now includes grander halls, courtyards, statements, and plazas.
Alongside this huge free update comes Barony’s “most exciting DLC yet,” Deserters and Disciples. It introduces five more monster races, each of which comes with a corresponding new class. Once you’ve beaten the game with one, you’ll unlock that signature class for use on all the other races. You’re also free to use the various adventurer appearances as a costume without impacting your gameplay, if you really like the look of any of them.
Starting from the left in the image above, we have the Gremlin Sapper. Gremlins get a boost from vandalizing, but shopkeepers refuse to trade with them. The Sapper is all about destruction using flails, flammable greaseballs, and booby traps, and comes with a Frypan for cooking. Next is the Myconid, capable of planting mushroom traps that can weaken enemies or provide a useful source of food. Its class, the Hermit, utilizes debilitating spells and is joined by a pet duck that can distract foes and catch fish.
The Dryad grows magical foliage that can heal, produce nuts, or offer defensive thorns and roots. Its class is the Scion, a master of all three magical schools that recharges its Archon Scepter by sacrificing spells. The Salamander gets hotter as it rampages through foes, eventually becoming a radiant powerhouse that can unleash flaming breath. It specializes as a Paladin, capable of adding holy light to boost its claymore’s strikes or to protect itself and its allies.
Last but not least on the list is the Gnome Bard. Gnomes can’t reach the physical peak of other races, but have a natural nose for gold and are capable of fashioning jewels. The Bard class comes with a selection of musical instruments that provide buffs to the party, and a rapier to leap nimbly into the action for those times when you need to get the job done yourself.
As with Barony’s other existing races and classes, there’s a whole lot more nuance at play if you want to dig in deep on exactly what the strengths and weaknesses of each of the newcomers are. Suffice to say that you’ll certainly get your money’s worth from the package, and your DLC characters can all be used in games with other players regardless of whether or not they own the expansion.
The Barony 5.0 update and its Deserters and Disciples DLC are live now. The base game is 50% off on Steam until Thursday February 12, meaning you’ll pay just $9.99 / £8.37. The DLC pack is 15% off for the same period, priced at $6.79 / £5.68. Head here to take advantage of the deal while it lasts.
Turning Wheel is continuing to work on Instruments of Destruction Part Two, which will be packed with even more goodies. Along with the various gear, spells, and opponents mentioned earlier, it’ll also include “the opportunity to explore the Gremlin, Dryad, Myconid, and Salamander homelands.”
Barony,IndieBarony,Indie#Deep #dungeoncrawling #roguelike #Barony #launches #massive #free #update #DLC #classes1769951891
