26 September 2022 Patch

The following patch was deployed on 26 September 2022 for Darkest Dungeon II.

## Build 0.16.38304 Experimental - Altar of Hope

### Gameplay

* HERO STATS balanced to account for the numerous Altar of Hope buffs available on each hero's advancement track
* Monsters and bosses with multiple standard actions (not including Start Round / End Round skills) will now roll their additional actions at a stacking initiative penalty in order to decrease, but not eliminate, the chances of multiple actions in a row
* INN CHANGES: Inns now vary in how much they heal. Reintroduction of stitching kit as an Inn item
* ITEM LOOT FIXES: there were some spreadsheet offsets, leading to incorrect supply item loot quantities. This should be fixed and it should be harder to get offset again
* CONFESSION BOSS BATTLE MODIFIER: when facing the end boss(es), heroes will now face a substantial Deathblow Resist penalty. This allows us to keep the fights challenging and deadly without it involving endless hero-death-door-juggling
* REMOVED Loathing restoration from Guardian fights because they are not optional
* VALLEY: swapped order of StoryAssist and Hoarder for all narration configurations
* VALLEY: changed order of Assist Encounter and Hoarder, since what you get at the Assist location may influence your shopping choices
* VALLEY ASSIST ENCOUNTER: now the player will have a choice between different loot options, instead of always getting food. Also restores full torch now since the placement of this encounter within the Valley changed
* ORDAINMENT: monsters in the first region past the Valley now will never be Ordained. Monsters in the final region before the Mountain will be Ordained 90% of the time (was 80%)
* REGION MUTATORS: Added two new ones: "Blood and Hope" and "Peace and Hope" (candle generation chance boosts at certain locations)
* Changed "Secret, Safe" region goal to be "fight less than 6 road battles" since previously it was sometimes impossible
* REGION GOAL REWARDS: added Candles into the mix!
* Stealth Tokens can now stack to a maximum of 2 and are consumed at a rate of 1 per turn, regardless of action taken unless otherwise noted on a skill
* Adjusted color of Daze/Stun text/tokens to better reflect their role as negative tokens
* Discarding items no longer rewards anything

### General

* Fixed an issue where Heroes would never want to head towards Oblivion's Ingress at a crossroad
* Base Deathblow Resistance has been reduced to 60% from 75%
* HP, SPD, RES base values have been adjusted down on many Heroes

### Grave Robber

* Shadow Fade now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1
* Shadow Fade+ now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1
* Shadow Fade now has a 2 round cooldown
* Shadow Fade+ now has a 2 round cooldown
* Dead of Night+ now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1

### Hellion

* Howling End cooldown increased to 3 from 1
* Howling End+ cooldown increased to 2 from 1

### Man-at-Arms

* Retribution now has a 1 round cooldown
* Retribution+ now has a 1 round cooldown
* Strategic Withdrawal now has a 1 round cooldown
* Strategic Withdrawal+ now has a 1 round cooldown

### Runaway

* Run and Hide now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1
* Run and Hide+ now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1
* Run and Hide cooldown increased to 2 from 1
* Run and Hide+ cooldown increased to 2 from 1

### Grave Robber

* Deadeye: Ranged DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
* Deadeye: Melee DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%
* Nightsworn: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -25%
* Nightsworn: Lunge/Pirouette DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
* Venomdrop: Ranged DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%
* Venomdrop: Flashing Daggers Blight increased to 2 from 1
* Venomdrop: Flashing Daggers+ Blight increased to 4 from 2

### Hellion

* Berserker: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
* Berserker: Deathblow Resist bonus reduced from +20% to +10%
* Ravager: HP bonus reduced to +20% from +33%
* Ravager: Rank 1 DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
* Ravager: Turn Start Bleed effect can now be resisted

### Highwayman

* Rogue: Rank 1 DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
* Rogue: Rank 3 DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%
* Sharpshot: Ranged DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
* Sharpshot: Melee DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%

### Jester

* Soloist: DMG bonus reduced to +20% from +33%
* Soloist: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
* Virtuoso: HP bonus reduced to +20% from +33%
* Virtuoso: Bleed/Blight/Burn RES penalty reduced to -20% from -33%

### Leper

* Poet: Self-heal bonus reduced to +50% from +100%
* Poet: Stun/Move RES bonuses reduced to +50% from +100%
* Tempest: Chop DMG bonus reduced to +33% from +50%
* Tempest: HP penalty reduced to -25% from -33%

### Man-at-Arms

* Vanguard: DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
* Vanguard: Burn/Blight/Bleed RES penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
* Bulwark: DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%
* Sergeant: DMG penalty reduced to -20% from -33%

### Occultist

* Aspirant: Melee DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
* Aspirant: Anamnesis DMG bonus reduced to +125% from +150%
* Warlock: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
* Warlock: Ranged DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%

### Plague Doctor

* Alchemist: Bleed/Blight/Burn RES bonus reduced to +20% from +33%
* Alchemist: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
* Surgeon: HP bonus reduced to +25% from +33%
* Surgeon: Melee DMG bonus reduced to +50% from +100%

### Runaway

* Arsonist: DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -33%
* Arsonist: Turn Start Burn DOT can now be resisted
* Survivor: Added a -20% penalty to Burn chance

### Oblivion's Rampart

* Battles are now a single fight instead of 2 waves
* Biome 1 is now a Cultist mash with a guaranteed Altar
* Biome 2 is now either a Deacon or Cardinal mash with a guaranteed Altar
* Biome 3 is now an Exemplar and an Altar

### Mountain Fights

* Oblivion's Ingress 1 is now a random Deacon mash instead of an Exemplar
* Oblivion's Ingress 2 is now a random Cardinal mash instead of a Deacon + Cardinal

### Cultists

* "Out of position" attacks (Brisk Bedevilment, Rush Judgement, Disharmony) have a slightly reduced chance of granting Worship
* Herald: First Trumpet damage reduced to 3-5 from 3-7
* Herald: Inversion self-move reduced to back 1 from back 2
* Herald: Clarion Call launch ranks changed to 3 4 from 1 2 3 4
* Herald: Clarion Call stress reduced to 2 from 2-3
* Herald: Clarion Call can no longer CRIT
* Herald: Harmonious End has been replaced with Disharmony, a front ranks attack
* Exemplar: Exultation CRIT rate reduced to 5% from 10%
* Exemplar: DMG range of Exultation reduced to 10-20 from 15-25
* Exemplar: DMG range of The Fall reduced to 10-16 from 10-20
* Exemplar: Stun RES reduced to 60% from 75%

### Fanatics

* Her Ladyship: Combustion skill now correctly deals 200% of remaining Burn DOT on the target

### The Shroud

* Fog stress chance reduced to 33% from 66%
* Fog Blind chance reduced to 75% from 100%

### Fisherfolk

* Bosun: Heave Ho CRIT reduced to 10% from 15%
* Bosun: Heave Ho DMG reduced to 3-6 from 3-7
* Bosun: Spearfishing DMG reduced to 2-5 from 3-6
* Bosun: Sodden Rigging cooldown increased to 2 from 1
* Cabin Boy: Unstable Incubation now heals slightly less
* Cabin Boy: Spawning Grounds stress reduced to 2 from 3
* Captain: Fixed an issue where All Hands on Deck could target corpses
* Docker: Debuff RES reduced to 20% from 30%
* Docker: Make Way no longer has a 25% chance to deal an additional point of stress
* Docker: dramatically reduced the likelihood that he will use Make Way on his first action
* Fish Monger: Whetstone now has a 50% chance to grant Dodge or Dodge+ instead of 100% Dodge+
* The Hull Keeper: Heave Ho DMG range adjusted to 4-8 from 6-7
* The Hull Keeper: Sodden Rigging stress reduced to 1-2 from 2

### Lost Battalion

* Bullseye Barrett's "Marked for Death" skill has been renamed to "Chosen Target"

### BOSSES

* Fanatic Librarian
* Book Stacks now spawn in a varied range of conditions instead of all being full
* CRIT hits from any skill now apply Burn 3 to the target
* HP increased to 116 from 101
* Ignited Librarian's HP increased to 140 from 125
* SPD increased to 4 from 2
* Ignited Librarian's SPD increased to 6 from 4
* Burnout DMG increased to 4-8 from 2-4
* Burnout now applies Burn 2
* Mandatory Reading DMG increased to 4-8 from 3-6
* Mandatory Reading CRIT rate increased to 10% from 5%
* Mandatory Reading now deals 1 Stress damage guaranteed instead of a 50% chance
* Smokestack launch ranks changed to 2 3 4 from 3 4
* Smokestack target ranks changed to 1 2 3 4 from 3 4
* Smokestack no longer deals damage
* Smokestack now inflicts 1 Vulnerable in addition to existing effects
* Smokestack CRIT rate increased to 20% from 5%
* Categorize now ignores Dodge and Stealth
* Categorize can no longer unintentionally consume a CRIT token on the Librarian
* Burning Bright now ignores Stealth

### Leviathan

* Eyes of the Storm now ignores Blind, Dodge, and Stealth
* Eyes of the Storm now targets only the 2 Heroes that will receive the Call of the Deep token instead of all Heroes
* Eye of the Storm now shares the same  Ignores as Eyes of the Storm
* Fixed an issue where Eye of the Storm could consume a CRIT token on Leviathan unnecessarily

### The Seething Sigh

* Fixed an issue where a Damaged Lung could be cleared by untargeted corpse clearing skills like Magnesium Rain
* Updated description of the Breath token for clarity
* Sundering Exhalation no longer occurs if there are no Breath tokens left at the end of the round
* Sundering Exhalation now deals increased stress damage; 2 for Shallow Breath, 3 for Deep Breath
* Damage required to break a Breath token has been reduced to 12 (front) and 9 (back) from 20 and 15
* Sundering Exhalation's single Breath token damage increased to 10-20 from 6-9
* Sundering Exhalation's double Breath token damage increased to 20-30 from 15-30
* Main body HP reduced to 280 from 350

### General Item Changes

* Stagecoach Upgrades have been renamed Stagecoach Equipment
* Item tags have been added to select items
* Combat items, Inn items, and Stagecoach Equipment tooltip color for item type has been updated to match the item frame
* "Caltrops" combat item has been renamed "Crow's Feet"
* Added signature inn items for each hero, after they have been fully upgrade on their altar tracks

### Stagecoach Equipment

* Tooltips for Stagecoach Equipment that produce items have been updated for consistency
* Tinker's Bench: Now produces Noisemaker and Pyrotechnic Dazzler
* Mortar and Pestle: No longer produces Nightshade Concoction
* Alchemical Gear: Now produces Chalk Dust and Nightshade Concoction. No longer produces Pyrotechnic Dazzler and Healing Salve
* Merchants Guild Seal: Now lists price reduction for Inn and Combat items instead of consumable items

### Trinkets

* 1 new trinket has been added to each region (excluding The Sluice)
* Oblivion Rampart rewards now guarantee a Dark Impulse in the first region
* Thrilling Tablet: Now sold by The Hoarder

### MISC FIXES

* Fixed an issue at The Academic's Study where Trinket reward glyphs were appearing on the enemy side during a choice.
* Creature Den: fixed an issue with a story choice implying that it would Blind enemies when it would actually Daze them
* Hero Shrine: fixed an issue where loading into the Jester's Violinist duel could cause the fight's steps to get out of order
* Tutorial edit: hero replacement tutorial clarified so player understands that multiple heroes can be replaced at any given Inn, as long as those heroes are unlocked on the player's profile
* Added new idle poses for all heroes for the crossroads and character sheets
* Added polish to various region environments assets and presentation
* Numerous text edits and typo fixes throughout

### Additional Notes

You can read all the notes, including the above, here:

https://www.darkestdungeon.com/news/darkest-dungeon-ii-the-altar-of-hope

BE ADVISED:

This update is a wholesale rework of the fundamental underpinnings of Darkest Dungeon II’s metagame & progression.  Your current Hope score will be reset, resulting in a wipe of item unlocks & hero availability.  Any in-progress expeditions will also be reset.

Hero backstory progress & associated skill unlocks, as well as Confession boss unlocks will be preserved.

You will be awarded 20 Candles of Hope to expedite your exposure to the Altar of Hope.

The Altar of Hope Update introduces a massive new progression system to Darkest Dungeon II which allows you to invest in upgrades, perks, and unlocks that suit your play style and strategy.

On your Expeditions, you will collect Candles of Hope by completing objectives, progressing through areas, and defeating evils along the way.  In true Darkest Dungeon fashion, the best results come from daring deeds. You’ll also need to choose when to take a safer path.

The best rewards can be gained by making it all the way to the Confession boss. Of course, this is not always possible. Fortunately, Candles can be earned with incremental successes as well.

* Cashing out: If you choose to, you can end any Expedition gracefully at any Inn. You'll keep whatever Candles you have earned so far on that journey.
* Risking it: If you choose to push on past the Inn, be aware that a mid-region party wipe or abandoned Expedition will penalize your total Candles earned. It’s always better to make it to the next Inn.
* The Pinnacle: If you reach the Mountain, you will keep every Candle you've earned that Expedition even if you fall. You have no reason not to face your failures...

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to press forward after a moment’s sanctuary at the Inn should be something that weighs heavily when tending to your party and surveying what challenges lie ahead. There is no shame in ending your Expedition here, carrying your Candles home, and spending them on upgrades at the Altar. It is crucial to recollect more of what has been forgotten to the darkness. Eventually, you will find yourself making it farther and farther on each journey, until you ultimately reach the Mountain.

For more information on the Altar of Hope, refer to this BLOG POST:

https://www.darkestdungeon.com/news/from-beyond-the-altar-of-hope

### A New Ally, The Bounty Hunter

Unlike the core group of adventurers who rally at the Crossroads, the Bounty Hunter wanders from Inn to Inn, in search of his next job.  If you are lucky enough to stumble upon him, and are willing to pay the price, he will replace one of your active heroes for the duration of the next region.

A consummate professional, the Bounty Hunter will not gain or lose affinity with the party.  He is here to do his job, and has no interest in fostering friendships, or petty bickering.  He is still vulnerable to stress, however, as any sane person should be.

For more information on the Bounty Hunter, refer to this BLOG POST:

https://www.darkestdungeon.com/news/from-beyond-bounty-hunter