Dawnsbury Days 4.23 (visuals, redesigns, skill feats, ...)

Welcome to some very long patch notes! Let's go over the main features and changes first, and then you can read the full patch notes below.

Features:

• Main menu background. The main menu now has an animated background that shows the Dawnsbury Four heroically overlooking their hometown instead of showing a blank green screen.

  

• Variant color scheme: Parchment color scheme. In Settings->Video, you can now switch to a grey-brown "parchment" color scheme instead of using the default bright yellow-green color scheme:

  

  You may find the parchment color scheme easier on the eyes as it uses less bright colors. Further, it keeps a bit more to the fantasy aesthetic by mimicking what a book, wood or old paper might look like.

  Steam post image I am interested in feedback: If you try out the new color scheme and let me know whether you like it or not, or what you like or don't like about it, and whether you prefer it to the default scheme, I would love to know. Further, you can update the color scheme yourselves by editing the file ParchmentColorScheme.txt in the game's data folder. If you do come up with a scheme you think looks even better than the one the game has now, and you're willing to donate it to me, please let me know! (I'm "dawnsbury" on Discord, or you can send me an email at dawnsbury@gmail.com) Or, if you're a graphic designer and think you could contribute to Dawnsbury Days looking even better, please get in touch with me as well. I would be interested in talking to you!

• Variant rule: Skill feats. In Settings->House rules, you can now enable the skill feats rule, which grants your characters a skill feat at every even level (rogues and strategists get one at every level).

  Steam post image We also added a number of new skill feats, especially at level 7, so you have more of a selection when using this option. I'm keeping it as a variant non-default rule because Dawnsbury Days is still a combat-focused game, skill feats often provide only barely relevant trinket effects and their impact in battle may be small enough that you may find it not worth the time you spend selecting them. But, if you're interested in more tabletop fidelity or a more complete character, it is now an option!

• Reaction redesign. In some cases, when multiple reactions are available to you, such as if there are multiple effects allowing you to reduce incoming damage, you will now see all such options at the same time and you can choose among them.

  Steam post image For example, if you have a shield raised up, you have an ancestry damage-reduction reaction and you wield a magical staff with deflect critical hit, you will be able to choose from among these options when you're taking damage instead of them being offered one-by-one in multiple sequential yes-or-no dialog boxes. Most effects still use the classic reaction box, but if this proves useful, more effects may switch to this new system over time.

• Spell preparation screen redesign. When you prepare spells for prepared casters, they now appear in columns by level. This is important especially for the upcoming Four-Leaf Clover expansion where you get level 6+ spells and in the existing views, the spells became a bit too tiny. Steam post image At higher levels, it still can look a little scrunched-up, but I think, makes use of space much better than before:

  

• Specific magic items. You can now buy or acquire specific magic items such as cloister robe or holy avenger. These items have unique effects, but can't be enhanced with property runes. More specific magic items will be added in future updates. Steam post image Fundamental runes are still present as "real" runes on specific magic items and you can upgrade them or take them off and use them on your own items.

Character content:

• Spells: shatter

• Skill feats: Skill Training, Battle Cry, Battle Prayer, Bizarre Magic, Bon Mot, Calm and Centered, Disturbing Knowledge, Evangelize, Numb to Death, Paragon Battle Medicine, Quick Recognition, Sacred Defense, Scare to Death

• New items: holy avenger, lesser cloister robe, moderate cloister robe, greater cloister robe

Rules fidelity (can cause existing builds to become invalid):

• Archetype (Duelist): Disarming Stance is now a level 8 feat for duelists rather than a level 6 feat.

Balancing:

• Rules (Staunch bleeding, reversal!): Dawnsbury Days will now allow you to use your Medicine skill to attempt to end bleeding on yourself. Reasoning: A strict reading of the rules would suggest that you can't attempt to perform first aid yourself, because you can only administer first aid on adjacent creature and not on yourself. This makes sense for Stabilize, because you can't take actions while unconscious. It makes less sense for stopping bleeding where you should probably be able to stop bleeding on yourself. I see no major issues in allowing this, it makes to me that you should be able to attempt to stop bleeding yourself (people in real life do that), and several reported your inability do this as a possible bug.

• Tactics: Enemies will now value sickening you a bit less than, and will more often prepare to deal more damage instead.

Modding:

• AddedCheatAdded cheat option "Choose d20 results". If you use it, you will be asked each time the target makes a d20 roll and you'll be able to choose what number comes up. This is intended to help modders test effects that only happen on a specific result.
• AddedModdingAdded [c]ItemRenaming.CreateRenameModification[/c].
• AddedModdingAdded the NuGet package [c]Microsoft.VisualStudio.Threading.Analyzers[/c] into the default mod project file. This contains analyzers that help prevent the use of async where async is not permitted. I recommend all modders add this package to their project files.
• FixedModdingFixed wrong link in Steam Workshop Uploader readme.

• Modding: In [c]CombatActionExecution.CheckForAttackFizzle[/c], the list of QEffects is now .ToListed() so you can add QEffects during this.

• Modding: Made [c]Creature.StepOrStrideAsync[/c] methods public.

• Modding: Made [c]StrikeRules.DeterminePrimaryWeaponDamageKind[/c] public.

• Modding: You can now refer to items using in-line links: [c]{link:ItemTechnicalName}[/c], e.g. [c]{link:MinorHealingPotion}[/c]. This will pop up that item's stat block (in character builder only).

• Modding: [c]Counteracting.DetermineSuccessChance[/c] now uses CounteractLevel instead of SpellLevel.

Story mode:

• AdjustedEncounters (S7E1)Changed the battle music.

User interface:

• Items (magical staves): The rules description of magical staves now appears after proficiency information.

• Items (armor): Armor stat blocks now display item bonuses to AC and saves appropriately.

Rules fidelity:

• Classes (Fighter): You can no longer use Combat Grab to grapple creatures two or more size categories above you (unless you have Titan Wrestler or such).

• FixedClasses (Kineticist)Fixed that Weapon Infusion counted two squares diagonally as 15 feet rather than as 10 feet.
• FixedClasses (Kineticist)Fixed that you could invoke Volcanic Escape or Calcifying Sand in response to your overflow impulse already taking effect, and thus use two overflow actions per turn.
• AddedClasses (Kineticist)You can now only take the Consume Power feat if you're a metal kineticist. (Existing characters can keep Consume Power indefinitely. This change will only affect new characters.)
• FixedHazardsFixed that you could knock objects prone.
• FixedHazardsFixed that you could target objects with combat maneuvers.

Bugfixes:

• FixedArchetypes (Wrestler)Fixed that Wrestler didn't give you a bonus to Fortitude DC against being Swallowed whole.
• FixedClasses (Fighter)Fixed that you could double-grab a creature with a Grapple followed by a Combat Grab.
• FixedClasses (Kineticist)Fixed a rare rules system crash involving Timber Sentinel and certain modded content.
• FixedClasses (Kineticist)Fixed that Siphoning Weapon caused you to gain life even on a miss.
• FixedClasses (Kineticist)Fixed that Thermal Nimbus didn't affect animal companions and summoned creatures.
• AddedClasses (Magus)Fixed a regression introduced in 4.21 where Devastating Spellstrike, Distracting Spellstrike and Spell Swipe didn't appear in the action bar anymore.
• FixedClasses (Magus)Fixed that you could provoke impossible attacks of opportunity when casting cone or line spells at range using a combination of Expansive Spellstrike and Starlit Span magus.
• FixedClasses (Monk)Fixed that the game didn't update your bottom bar in the middle of Winding Flow.
• FixedClasses (Rogue)Fixed that the Thief rogue applied its Dexterity bonus to thrown weapon damage instead of only to melee weapon damage.
• FixedClasses (Wizard)Fixed that Guided Strike applied to non-attack rolls.
• FixedClasses (Wizard)Fixed that the Evocation wizard's elemental storm spell damaged allies.
• FixedClasses (prepared spellcasters)Fixed that if you had Cantrip Expansion from both your base class and an archetype, you couldn't have different cantrips per class.
• FixedCrashesFixed a rare race condition that would sometimes crash the game if the game attempted to load a music track and play a sound effect at the same time.
• FixedCutscenesFixed that sometimes characters didn't wake up for important cutscenes.
• FixedFamiliarsFixed that if you had Cantrip Connection for two prepared spellcasting classes, you couldn't use a different cantrip for each.

• General feats: Canny Acumen now grants mastery in the chosen defense at level 17.

• AddedInventoryFixed a regression introduced in 4.21 where if you had 13 or more items on the same hero as a combat ended, the 13th item would become inaccessible (the 14th and later items would be placed into the party inventory). If your save is currently affected by this, after you next win any encounter, your inventory will fix itself.
• FixedItems (magical staves)Fixed that you couldn't charge staves that were in your bag of holding or gloves of storing.
• FixedItems (nicknames)Fixed that custom names that included a comma were truncated to the name before the first comma.

• Monsters (Brimorak): Now has smoke vision.

• Monsters (Fire Mephit): Now has smoke vision.

• FixedRules (squeezing)Fixed that creatures unable to move about, such as hazards or plants, would sometimes attempt to squeeze.
• FixedRulesFixed that in rare situations, you could take persistent damage at end of your turn even if you already ceased to exist due to exiting the battlefield earlier that turn, such as if you're an animal companion who died.
• FixedSpells (Chroma Leach)Fixed that the spell attempted to prevent all actions, not just move actions.
• FixedSpells (Synesthesia)Fixed that the spell gave an 80% failure chance to concentrate actions, nost just a 20% failure chance.
• FixedSpells (True Strike)Fixed that True Strike applied to non-attack rolls such as Demoralize.
• FixedStory modeFixed wrong description of save game files on some level up stops.
• FixedTextFixed typos in some stat blocks.

• User interface: Regripping a two-hand-capable weapon in your inventory didn't immediately refresh your damage line in your stat block.

Character content (beyond the level cap):

• New archetype feats: Master Alchemy, Juggernaut's Fortitude, Diverse Armor Expert, Expert Cleric Spellcasting, Master Cleric Spellcasting, Expert Druid Spellcasting, Master Druid Spellcasting, Dueling Riposte, Expert Eldritch Archer Spellcasting, Master Eldritch Archer Spellcasting, Diverse Weapon Expert, Add Element, Expert Kinetic Control, Expert Magus Spellcasting, Master Magus Spellcasting, Perfection's Path, Expert Oracle Spellcasting, Master Oracle Spellcasting, Expert Psychic Spellcasting, Master Psychic Spellcasting, Master Spotter, Evasiveness, Uncanny Dodge, Expert Sorcerer Spellcasting, Master Sorcerer Spellcasting, Expert Wizard Spellcasting, Master Wizard Spellcasting

• New feats: Divine Reflexes, Clever Counterspell, Dueling Riposte, Elastic Mutagen

• New items: demon mask (greater), boots of elvenkind (greater), alchemist goggles (standard, greater, and major), cloak of elvenkind (greater), ring of swimming, eye of fortune, ring of the ram (greater), horseshoes ofspeed (standard, greater), rod of negation, rune of greater disrupting, dragon's breath potions (various...), purple worm venom, greater boots of bounding, greater and major mutagens (all energy mutagens, juggernaut, drakeheart, quicksilver, bestial)

Rules fidelity (beyond the level cap):

• Archetypes (Magus): Basic Magus Spellcasting now grants a 3rd-level spell slot at level 10.

The Four-Leaf Clover (spoilers!):

• AddedFour-Leaf CloverAdded chapter 11: The Frozen North.

• Mansion: You can now build improvements to the Mansion and benefit from them.

• New mansion scenes: "In Scarlet's shadow" and "The best magic item is..."