TOPIC: 2027 Ultra Rares

Thank you for all your help getting these URs finalized!

truedungeon.com/files/UltraRare27a.jpg

Changes:

Changed the +2 Cosmic Mace to a Hammer

Tweaked the power for the Ioun Stone Amethyst Sphere. For VTD, the IS power works for you if the ones-digit in your to-hit roll matches that of either the Cleric, Druid or Paladin's ones-digit to-hit roll.

+3 Voidbane Cannon

Just to simplify the math, let's say the stunning shot averages to half damage. HIstorical comp might be +2 Boom Stick, a popular enough token for the humor value. That token averages a bit under 8 damage. This averages over 12.5 damage and has +1 to hit. Enchanter's Whetstone really screwed UR weapon design, but that seems like a lot. Even if subtracted 4 from every result and decreased top end to 30 damage, would consider this vastly superior numerically to Boom Stick as null results on Boom Stick actually are far worse than losing damage wheel bonus. This never fails to deal missile damage bonus if it hits. Anything remotely resembling balance to that token would involve average damage being under Boom Stick's, likely by a lot, especially if going to get +1 to hit.

Now, I don't expect any effort to balance against old UR weapons. Numerous old UR weapons are trash. The +1 Voidbane Rifle averages a bit more than 6 damage a hit (meaningless drawback), up to 7+ with EW added in. Seems like a pretty big jump between 7ish and nearly 13, then an additional +1 to hit.

As a relic Voidbane Cannon would seem kind of powerful. Oh, we have a recent relic to comp against. +3 Fellbane Crossbow averages a bit more than 7 damage but also has an ability that theoretically makes it far deadlier than that. What do we approximate +15 damage against various monster types? One third of the time it will matter? Probably not half the time, certainly across multiple seasons. If say one third, then average damage is not far off, being over 12 in both cases but under 13. To hit is the same. So, this UR comps well to 2026 relic.

Now, how much does being Stunned matter? Well, if it happens on an attack round that doesn't kill monster, then not so good. OTOH, hitting for 40 + missile damage bonus makes good progress on there not being a round in which Stunned will matter.

Speaking of comps ...

Boots of the Plague

Someone might point out that Boots of the Four Winds only gives +6 damage (one assumes have Eldritch set if have this token), though it's a messy comp as this is more limited in a few ways.

More relevant comp seems to be Boots of the East Wind. Same rarity, for one thing. Now, Plague does more damage and affects multiple attack forms but has a drawback and poison is supposed to be a drawback even if it almost never matters. Might be able to argue that East Wind transmutes into something better, yet that something better doesn't do any more damage than Plague.

Kind of a shrug.

Now, 2026 has an UR feet damage increasing token. It has more versatility than Winds boots, making it a strict upgrade in isolation. It's +3 to damage. 2026, +3 damage feet. Then, 2027 +6 damage feet with one meaningful drawback. Seems like a significant gap.

Mask of Gaunt Luck

Seems like a pretty wide gap between +3 saves and trivial drawback to all of the masks below UR. Even +2 saves -5 HP seems a vast gap to lower rarity masks. The Epic may only be like relic power these days with power inflation unless consider face to be similar to back in how affect saves, but just this UR comes across already as relic power.

I feel like Natasha's Nightcap should not be restricted on the rarity of potion type. You'll see more use for +10 Potions that way.

I'd recommend not including "new slot" text on all the new mask tokens. Whether people are interested in the new slot is up for debate, but if it is introduced we can just assume the item is a mask slot based on its name, the same way people can infer boots go in the boots slot.

The Ioun Stone Amethyst Sphere is going to be hard for DM's to arbitrate, and will not have any effect in VTD. I suggest that the +3 HP (+5 for Fighters) occur if both the user and Cleric or Druid hit. (not necessarily in the same hit box) The players can control it's use. Still only once per room. Alternately, it could require the user, Cleric and Druid all hit in the same round. With healing, the Cleric and Druid do not both attack on every round, so it would be a less common occurrence.

If there was ever a year to consider reprinting the cabal set, with a theme of ancient magics, this would seem to be the year

I again feel the need to say the damage wheels on the UR weapons feel unbalanced on the high side.

ICL laid out the case for the +3 Voidbane Cannon above.

For the Spirit Pet Owl, while I encourage access to Spirit Pets, it’s really a not good feeling to make a UR that much better than recent four star transmutes, and also that much better than previous appreciation tokens. Spirit Pets are fun and theme. And now between Heart of Fafnir, Gloves of Spirit Handling, and whatever comes in the future, this should really be toned down on the damage wheel. I do like the multiple hits effect making it interesting, though.

I think it would be fair to allow Paladins to have both powers on Tobin's Cosmic ring. This ring seems comparable to Ring of the Drake. Paladins are the softest hitting melee classes by a mile so 2 damage wouldn't upset class balance.

Regarding the Tobin's "does not stack with AoG" does that mean it does stack w/ Ava's? Or does it not stack with any similar effect?

Matt wrote: Regarding the Tobin's "does not stack with AoG" does that mean it does stack w/ Ava's? Or does it not stack with any similar effect?

I was assuming Ava’s, being now the weakest legendary, would still stack its twice/game

Similar feedback to before for me.

- I'd rather that Spirit Pet Owl was different to Spirit Pet Red Dragon rather than strictly better, e.g. drop its damage wheel and give it a one-round damage prevention ability when used.

- Crypt Cloak feels like it has too many drawbacks (-2 saves, back slot item). I appreciate that drawbacks are a theme for 2027, maybe make it -1 to saves instead of -2? I guess that with Kvothe's Bloodless this gives you complete DR coverage, but using a back slot and taking a large penalty to saves is a large price to pay.

- Is the self-inflicted 2 damage from Boots of the Plague typed as Poison or Eldritch?

- Guiding Gauntlets is directly better than the 2018 Gloves of Greater Archery, I'd suggest changing to only spell damage.

- Natasha's Nightcap feels very similar to all the other tokens which give a means of using a potion without using an action. I'd suggest this UR space be instead used on a different type of token, if a slotless token is still desirable then maybe a slotless Spirit Pet bonus.

- I like the changes to Ioun Stone Amethyst Sphere, it would be good to clarify how this would work in VTD where it can be hard to tell what other classes have slid.

Should the Charm or Awareness be reprinted if there's a Relic that uses the same effect?