BoLS logo Tabletop, RPGs & Pop Culture
Advertisement

D&D: Solasta, Crown Of The Magister Launches Winter Update, Adds Massive New Quest

4 Minute Read
Dec 17 2020

Solasta: Crown of the Magister, the most accurate 5th Edition video game, has just released their major winter update and added hours of new gameplay.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister is absolutely the game to grab if you’re hungry for more 5th Edition D&D. It’s the perfect dose of that sweet sweet 5th Edition combat–it’s got everything by the book and then some. As well it should, as Solasta is built on the 5.1 SRD rules, which means they have full access to the basic rules of D&D but can’t use proprietary content like Mind Flayers or certain archetypes.

The good news for you, though, is that means they’ve had to fill in the gaps with their own content. So you’ll find your own backgrounds, archetypes, and more awaiting you. And with the latest update, the Major Winter update, which is more descriptive of the size of the update than the title of an upcoming Bucky Barnes movie, the team behind Solasta: Crown of the Magister has opened up hours of exploration in the game.

Advertisement

Solasta is still in early access (as is the other 5th Edition game right now), but that just means the game is still in-design. And the team behind the game, Tactical Adventures, have been pretty open about giving players the ability to help design the world of their game. So far players have developed their own magic items to be included in the game, voted on monsters, and a few other surprises as well. If you’d like to have a hand in the outcome of this game, it’s currently on sale at a 20% discount on Steam.

This update is fairly substantive, here’s a look at a few of the new changes, courtesy of Tactical Adventures:

  • An entire new Questline is unlocked after Mardracht’s tea party (which may or may not involve tea). Tactical Adventures does not condone violence against the elderly.
    • Upon returning to the World Map, a new location should now become available.
  • Many new magic items have been added to the game, because magic is cool and you know it. And no we won’t spoil which ones.
  • You can now hide during combat! Wooh for sneaky dastardly deeds, chivalry is for dumdums with negative intelligence modifier. That’s not me, that’s what the Rogue said.
    • Hiding requires you to break line of sight with all enemies before doing so
    • Creatures can see in a 180 degree arc in front of them, instantly revealing you if you step into their vision range (no Stealth Check)
    • Otherwise, you will have to roll a Stealth Check under the following conditions: Ending your turn too close to an enemy (distance depends on many factors, such as your Stealth score and armor type), or taking an action such as attacking or casting a spell.
    • Note that Hiding in Combat is a very contested rule on Tabletop, so we invite you to give us feedback if you think the current system can be improved.
  • Because hiding isn’t enough, you can now also apply poison to your weapon. Hey, say what you want but a win’s a win.
  • Several new spells have been added to the spell list. You ready? Pass without trace, See invisibility, Animal Friendship, Find traps, Calm emotions and Protection from poison. What do you mean that’s lame? Oh sorry Larry, I forgot you only take spells that deal damage because that’s all you care about. Well not every spell can be a fireball, Larry.
  • Two new homebrew cantrips have been added to combat darkness more effectively: Shine, which lights up an enemy like a candle from afar for a solid minute – and Sparkle, which is quite literally “I cast magic missile at the darkness” (okay, difference being you still need to target interactable objects such as wall sconces to light them up).
  • Many new Hair / Eyes / Skin Colors have been added to the Character Creator
  • Each Ancestry now has access to new additional faces in the Character Creator, on top of the old ones. NPCs also got a facelift in the process.
  • Several new monsters have been added to Solasta. You will encounter them in the new locations of the Winter Update, but you may also run into them during Random Encounters.
  • The Scavenger Faction is now up and running! Simply go to them whenever you drop by Caer Cyflen, and they’ll send their best to go loot the areas you cleared (including random encounters). We will further develop the Scavengers in the future, but don’t hesitate to ask for their services already and tell us what you think!

But that’s just the first taste. This is probably the first D&D game I’ve seen which features actual traveling rules:

Advertisement

If you wanted the complete experience, it really is all here. Right down to casting Goodberry or Create Food to make sure your party has enough food to eat while you’re traveling along the way. The encounters I’ve played through are fairly complex, with a greater emphasis on mobility than you might expect from your typical 5th Edition campaign. It’s definitely worth checking out!

Check out Solasta: Crown of the Magister

Happy Adventuring!

Avatar
Author: J.R. Zambrano
Advertisement
  • D&D Monster Spotlight: Rocs Rock