Update 1.0.9.7 Notes

While the team is full steam ahead working on the Treasures Below Expansion, Update 1.0.9.7 brings a series of meaningful improvements that continue to shape and define the experience in RavenQuest. From clearer Archetype identities to better-aligned PvP penalties and smoother crafting mechanics, every tweak pushes us further toward a more polished and rewarding adventure.

In this patch, the Protection Archetype sees a boost to its tanking identity, while Archery gets a faster, sharper edge with improvements to Quick Fire. We are also refining how PvP infamy and unjustified deaths work, aiming to strike a fairer balance between risk and consequence. On the crafting side, we’ve eased the labor costs of several key abilities, while tuning others for better long-term balance.

With every stride, we thunder toward the epic Treasures Below launch!

While the balance changes are limited this time around, they are nonetheless important as we continue to strive towards strengthening the identities of the Archetypes in-game. With this update, we are looking to give a little love to the Archery and Protection Archetypes, beefing up the tank potential of Protection while emphasizing the DPS role of Archery!

Devout Protector (Protection)

We have made adjustments to Devout Protector to further define its identity as a defensive option and ensure it properly rewards shield usage while maintaining balance in overall damage output:

• Damage reduction increased from 10% → 15% when equipped with a shield and melee weapon.
• Damage reduction increased from 6% → 9% when equipped with a shield and ranged weapon.
• Added new effect that reduces the damage dealt while equipped with a shield and melee weapon by 8%, and reduces the damage dealt while equipped with a shield and ranged weapon by 5%.
• New Description: Receive 15% less damage when equipped with any shield and a melee weapon, but deal 8% less damage. Receive 9% less damage when equipped with any shield and a ranged weapon, but deal 5% less damage.

Quick Fire (Archery)

To give Quick Fire more impact and a stronger fantasy of rapid-fire archery, we’ve increased its base effectiveness and maintained its strong synergy with Aether builds:

• Arrows fired increased from 3 → 4.
• New Description: Shoots 4 arrows, each one dealing 45% weapon power damage for 1 second. Increased damage dealt by 6% weapon power damage per 10 Aether consumed.

Unjustified Death and Infamy

Over the past few weeks, we've gathered extensive feedback from both PvP enthusiasts and players who prefer a more peaceful experience. To reduce friction between these playstyles and encourage more thrilling (but fair) encounters, we are implementing the following changes:

• Unjustified Deaths on Normal Channels will now result in a flat fee of 1 Silver, similar to how deaths are handled on the Plunder Channel. This change greatly reduces the frustration of accidental or forced PvP encounters.
• The Skull duration for killers has been increased from 3 to 5 minutes, giving victims more time to track down their aggressor and exact revenge without suffering penalties. This should help foster a more dynamic and engaging PvP environment.

Additionally, we are refining how Infamy scaling works:

• Instead of large effect increases every 1,000 Infamy, the scaling now occurs every 500 Infamy, allowing for smoother progression.
• The maximum Death Debt penalty at 4,000 Infamy has been reduced from 250% → 200%, slightly easing the burden for highly infamous players while maintaining the system’s integrity.

These changes aim to create a better balance between risk and reward, while supporting both competitive and casual playstyles.

Crafting

The following skills have become significantly more efficient, making them more accessible and cost-effective to use:

• New Tools: Labor decreased from 50 → 20;
• Steady Hand: Labor decreased from 50 → 20;
• Firm Grip: Labor decreased from 50 → 20;
• Touch of Salt: Labor decreased from 50 → 20;
• Stabilize Mixture: Labor decreased from 50 → 20.

Additionally, to ensure overall system balance, we've made the following Labor and effectiveness adjustments to other skills:

• Master Synthesis: Labor increased from 20 → 25;
• Artisan Synthesis: Durability loss increased from 1 → 2; Labor increased from 25 → 35;
• Smither's Synthesis: Labor increased from 30 → 50;
• Master Touch: Labor increased from 20 → 25;
• Artisan Touch: Durability loss increased from 1 → 2; Labor increased from 25 → 35;
• Precision Touch: Labor increased from 30 → 50;
• Master Shine: Labor increased from 20 → 25;
• Artisan Shine: Labor increased from 25 → 35;
• Carpenter's Shine: Labor increased from 30 → 50;
• All Mend skills (Apprentice's Mend, Expert's Mend, Master's Mend, Artisan's Mend, Focused Mend): Worsening Condition values increased.

We will continue monitoring feedback and performance closely to ensure a balanced and engaging experience for all professions.

Breeding

• Added a helpful tooltip when hovering over an empty Neststring slot to clarify its purpose.
• Updated the sound effect that plays when confirming the start of the Breeding process for a more polished experience.
• The "Raised by" information on Moas now properly capitalizes player names in both the Inventory tooltip and the Transport UI.

Miscellaneous

• Ethereal Essence can no longer be sold to Vendor NPCs.
• Royal Water Pumps now have consistent descriptions across the action bar tooltip and Transport UI. This is a visual update only, with no gameplay impact.
• Health and Mana Potions are now locked behind the Legacy Level rather than Effective Level. This means that even when the Effective Level is scaled down (such as in certain activities or zones), players will still be able to use any potions they had access to before the scaling was applied.

• Bloodlust is now healing as intended.
• Vendor NPCs are now paying the intended price for the item Warhog Tusk.
• Transcendent Health and Mana Potions now properly respect the shared cooldown system.
• Softcrust Bun now correctly displays its associated image in the Buff Conditions UI when consumed.
• Max Health is now correctly calculated upon login, with bonuses like the Plate Set being applied in the correct order.
• Players can now properly retry Task 7 of the "(47) A Trapper's Last Days" quest if they fail to capture the Coldstone Fox, allowing them to continue their progress.
• Fishing skills no longer disappear from the action bar after reconnecting during the Fishing Minigame.
• Fixed an issue that blocked the Event Reel Big Fish from being activated.
• Fixed an issue where chat messages would occasionally duplicate after disappearing from the chat window.
• Fixed an issue on Open World Land where placing crops would unexpectedly cause the player to exit House Mode UI.
• Fixed an issue where Mixed Potions (restoring both Health and Mana) were not applying instant healing as intended.

Tell us what you think about the Update 1.0.9.7: Join the discussion in our Tavern on Discord and share your thoughts!