We’re currently doing a quick stress test (and stream!) of the Haunted Cemetery revamp that will be releasing next week. Though many of the changes will be quickly apparent in just a run or two, I wanted to lay out a more thorough changelog for those interested in knowing all the finer details.

I say “mostly” comprehensive because this will still intentionally gloss over more minor technical changes that have little relevance to the visible player experience, otherwise this post would be three times as long with a bunch of super tiny polish specifications that I don’t think anybody wants to read. Exact damage values for projectile changes will not be listed either (because frankly there’s just way too many). Also, I’m probably just plain going to miss a few minor things. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

General

Going into this rework, there were four main goals: Improving the dungeon’s pacing, increase its difficulty curve, slightly expand its content, and revise the loot. The first of these is perhaps the dungeon’s worst quality to many people, as the sluggish pacing can make the dungeon way too much of a chore to be appealing, for loot or even just for fun. A few major changes have been made to improve this.

The most obvious change is that all rounds have been merged into a single continuous map. Rather than going through portals, the northern gate of each round will open upon completion, akin to the Secluded Thicket. The decorative areas previously out of reach can now be walked on to transition between rounds (though you can only teleport outside if the gates are already open).

Being in the middle of a transition segment as the gates close will automatically teleport you into the next arena, so you don’t need to worry about being left behind unless you linger in the previous arena quite a bit (there’s a delay before the gates open and before they close again anyway). Furthermore, Skuld now only gives her world famous intermission speeches in the first round. After that, each round will flow immediately into the next to keep the pace and pressure going.

This ties into the second goal, which is that the dungeon as a whole takes on a steeper difficulty curve. Unlike before where the challenge level remained pretty flat, each round is now meant to be more demanding than the next. While round 1 is still quite doable even for a fresh level 20 character looking for a potion or two, things may get pretty intense by round 5 if you aren’t maxed (and even maxed characters can’t be too careless). A portal of cowardice is provided at the south gate after each round if you want to “cash out.”

Regarding the new content, certain community members who have dug deep into this game’s cut content may be familiar with a round of the Haunted Cemetery that got scrapped for time. The enemies, while mostly just using incomplete placeholder attacks/stats, were still functional, and a rough map existed as well. This round has been restored with brand new behaviors and a boss.

This new round comes between round 2 and what was formerly round 3. The new progression is as follows.

Round 1: Proving Grounds

Round 2: Gates

Round 3: Crypt [NEW]

Round 4: Graves

Round 5: Final Rest

Note that round 3 uses what used to be the map for Graves, and vice versa. This is because the enemy behaviors seemed to work better in each other’s maps, as well as the fact that the Grave Caretaker’s new behavior relies on a more symmetrical arena layout (covered later).

Enemies

Note: All enemies and bosses now have HP scaling at the traditional rate of 20% per player. Any base HP and DEF stats that are not stated here have not been changed from their original values.

Round 1: Proving Grounds

Reanimated Remains

One of countless weak adventurers who fell quickly to Skuld’s trials. His strength is representative of this level of achievement. That’s not even a sword, it’s a glow stick.



These basic guys remain largely the same. The only key difference is that they are now more responsive to context. If a Forest Troll exists, they have a chance of choosing to protect them for a short while rather than working independently. Additionally, when they spawn in the Troll Matriarch fight, they will surround the boss rather than chasing as usual.

Forest Troll

Somebody once told him the world was going to roll him. So, like the forward-thinking troll he is, he took appropriate action by moving to a safer habitat than a swamp.



HP: 5000 -> 2500

DEF: 50 -> 35

Initially very similar, this monster now has a secondary phase that activates after taking some damage where he moves much more slowly, but shoots slow radial shots rather than a single targeted shot. He will revert back to his normal mode after some time if he is not already killed.

Troll Pathfinder

The very fact that trolls need pathfinders to navigate their way around a well-mown arena less than a quarter the size of a football field tells you all you need to know about troll intelligence.



HP: 3000 -> 1750

One of the few monsters who went completely unchanged aside from compatibility changes. Since I have nothing of value to say here, I’d just like to point out that he should be more careful holding an open flame when he has a nose as long as his arm.

Round 2: Gates

Apparition

Having spent most of his afterlife living in the shadow (or lack thereof) of the more notable Haunting Spectre, the Apparition has really tried to step up his game. Emphasis on “tried.”



HP: 3500 -> 2500

Rather than just shooting an incredibly basic single shot forward, Apparitions now randomly flip between two states. The first is quite similar to his old basic behavior, but with more substantial damage. The alternative behavior is a two-way spiral. While not nearly as hard-hitting, it can serve to create a bit more havoc in a battle mostly against very controllable monsters.

Haunting Spectre

Has taken a decisive victory in the annual “Most Obnoxious Monster” competition five years in a row. No small feat when competing against the likes of Urgles and Vampire Bats.



HP: 4000 -> 2000

These royal pains are now only required to use their infamous invulnerability tactic a single time, with a much more generous delay between uses. Additionally, they use this brief period more strategically than before. Rather than just sitting in place to waste your time, they’ll quickly circle behind you during this window of opportunity. Combined with a considerable HP nerf, they’re much less troublesome to dispatch, especially as a team.

Possessed Child

Once a flower girl in the Ghost Bride’s ceremony, she now takes responsibility for tending to the graveyard’s scattered flowers. The only other option was the Grave Caretaker, and he doesn’t exactly have a green thumb.



Though they act the exact same way in combat, they now are capable of healing a few nearby allies. Though the heals aren’t strong or frequent enough that they cannot be beaten with sustained DPS, you’d be wise to take them out first so they can’t continue to heal others. Also, if you somehow manage to defeat the Ghost Bride with one or both of the prespawned Possessed Children still alive, they’ll self-destruct instead of lingering.

Round 3: Crypt

Grave Spider

Believe it or not, he’s arachnophobic.



The first member of the brand new creepy crew making their debut in this tomb. Not the tankiest, but they can hit quite hard. They’ll alternate between swirling in place with a slow triple shot and moving faster with a wider spread that doesn’t hit quite as hard.

Risen Mummy

After spending the past half a century groaning about a lost coin, he’s finally ready to move on with his afterlife.



Deceptively powerful! Risen Mummies start as rushers, similar to the Risen Brawlers of round 4. They’ll shoot very short range projectiles that deal light damage and inflict Slowed. However, as they take damage, their chase speed will progressively weaken. Inversely, their damage output will increase dramatically, somewhat similarly to the Crusher Abominations from the Mad Lab. You’ll need to zig zag to get out of their slowing grip. If you get more than one into a high-level rage at the same time, they’ll start to dish out pain even against maxed characters. Be smart if you’re using a piercing weapon!

Vengeful Vampire

As a former apprentice of Lord Ruthven, he is proficient in bat-summoning techniques. But a disagreement over how those bats should be utilized eventually lead to his exile from Ruthven’s manor.



The weakest source of damage output in the Crypts round, but he compensates by wielding the dreaded confusion status effect. Not much of an issue in isolation, but if you get slammed with one of their bat waves while trying to escape a Risen Mummy’s grasp, things may go from bad to worse. If you’re not strong enough to take out the mummies quickly, it’s sometimes smarter to take out these vampires before buffing the mummies so you can’t get combo’d.

Round 4: Graves

Risen Warrior

A proud warrior from an era long forgotten, back when wearing a helmet and a shield at the same time wasn’t considered blasphemous.



HP: 2500 -> 4000

DEF: 20 -> 35

Very minimal changes here, though like most enemies in these later rounds, he has seen a more dramatic damage increase.

Risen Brawler

The Risen Brawler scoffs at the Risen Warrior’s fighting style. “You call that close range?” he boasts. “I’ll show you what melee combat looks like!” Look where that got him.



HP: 2500 -> 4000

Still the powerhouse he always has been. Though he does lower individual shot damage than the Risen Warrior, getting hit by all three at once will add up a lot more. Even though he’s the second tankiest monster in this round, eliminating them first is usually the best decision.

Risen Archer

How did he manage to acquire a Thousand Shot so many years before the weapon was discovered, you ask? Nepotism. He’s the Puppet Master’s sixth-fourth-second-fifth cousin, thrice removed.



HP: 2000-> 3000

DEF: 20 -> 10

Here’s a guy who got an upgrade. Similar to the Archer Puppet, his spread shot now inflicts Slowed while his less frequent direct bolt (the Thousand Shot projectile) inflicts a dangerous Paralyze. This makes the Risen Brawlers and Warriors much more lethal, as they’ll likely be able to get off a free hit in this time.

Risen Mage

The Risen Mage’s very existence alongside his other zombified allies indicates he is either an incredibly skilled healer or an absolutely terrible one.



DEF: 20 -> 5

The only enemy who got objectively weaker. He’s less durable than before and deals the same irrelevant amount of damage as he used to. They’re healers first and foremost, and should only be prioritized if you seriously lack DPS.

Round 5: Final Rest

Classic Ghost

An adamant believer in the classics. Everything new is bad and life was better back when younger ghouls weren’t trying to shake things up. All the other ghosts just think he’s annoying.



HP: 1000 -> 1500

Still no damage dealer, but they now inflict Curse, serving a similar role as the Poltergeists in the Cursed Library. If you have the speed to keep up with their floaty movement patterns, it might be worth targeting them first to stop the damage amplification.

Zombie Hulk

This absolute unit’s presence commands authority. The earth trembles as he moves, all other zombies freeze when he enters a room. But behind that burly exterior is a zombie who just wants to be loved.



HP: 3000 -> 5000

DEF: 13 -> 25

Now beefier than ever and with the ability to inflict Slowed, these ones are a serious threat. They’re hard to take out first, but only one of their attacks involves chasing, so you can usually mitigate them by focusing on a different quadrant of the arena.

Werewolf

The raw power of Halloween spirit is enough to keep a perpetual full moon above the Haunted Cemetery. There could be a perfectly normal guy behind the Werewolf, but we’ll never know.



Not nearly as swoll durable as the Zombie Hulk, but far more of a powerhouse. Not only do they organize their cubs for coordinated attacks and protection, but their own attacks are no laughing matter. Aside from just a damage increase, they also have one brand new behavior with a stretched wave attack. Like many monster phases in this dungeon, the selection is randomized and switches sporadically to keep things varied.

Werewolf Cub

Come in threes, or six packs with a coupon. Known to fill in for the “Awooo” background singers in the Monster Mash.



HP: 550-> 1200

Mostly the same as before, alternating between protecting their master and trying to rush you. They now have a bonus double shot attack that they’ll only use in very close range, which can cause damage to add up a lot faster if you get careless.

Blue Zombie

Corpses blued by the ethereal magic that flows the most thoroughly in the center of the Haunted Cemetery. Not tall enough to ride most roller coasters.



Now that Skuld learned how to fight back, these guys are a serious factor in the fight. After the single initial spawn per grave at the start of the fight, they’ll only rise if you get near their tombstone. You’ll want to moderate your movement and focus on zone control to keep these guys at bay, especially if you don’t have a piercing weapon and want to minimize the horde density. If you try to run circles around the arena, you’ll eventually pay the price due to all the zombie spawns you’ll set off. Be warned, they’ll try to grab you if you walk over them as they rise up (telegraphed by a particle effect of displaced dirt), which will briefly inflict Slowed. Not ideal if you’re trying to be mobile!

Bosses

Troll Matriarch

A vengeful mother who has assumed the local trolls to be her children in her hysteria. Could do with a hair stylist.



HP: 15000 -> 9000

DEF: 20-> 15

Still the same general fight progression, but with a bit more pizzazz now. For starters, her violet shots inflict Hallucinating, which can be deceptive in her second phase where she spawns minions. The flow of Reanimated Remains spawns is slower than before, but she also starts with a single Forest Troll and two Troll Pathfinders that must be defeated as well to progress. With the continual barrage of exploding mushrooms and tweaked shot pattern, you’ll want to stay on the move if you’re unmaxed.

After the minion spawns are overcome, she’ll now permanently transition to a rage phase and cannot repeat the minion spawns. Additionally, any remaining Deadly Mushrooms will now forcibly go to their detonation state when the Troll Matriarch dies to ensure the map is cleared.

Ghost Bride

She spent MONTHS picking out that gown! And yet, her betrayer… a familiar face, perhaps?



HP: 20000 -> 15000

By far the most similar boss to her previous version. Aside from some slightly more advanced cleaver attack patterns as the fight progresses (and overall getting more aggressive), she mainly just received a polishing treatment. She retreats to the Fate and Glory statues faster to ensure she always matches well visually, she’s immune to slow/paralyze, and she will appear from the statues when they die, rather than the spot they originated from.

Pumpkin King

Everyone hail to the pumpkin song! But don’t even think about calling him Jack.



Although he’s capable of double dagger attacks and firing novas of pumpkin seeds, he relies on his Jack-o’-lantern minions to do most of his bidding. You’ll need to eliminate his first wave of pumpkins before he becomes vulnerable, after which he’ll start tossing more of them freely. Try not to let him ram you when he gets mad!

Grave Caretaker

There was a rather uncomfortable incident a few years back where his Forgotten Souls were horribly abused by a rogue group of adventurers. But don’t bring it up, he really doesn’t like talking about it.



Probably the most immediately noticeable boss change. No longer does he just aimlessly waddle around! Instead, his behavior pattern is reminiscent of Avalon in the sense that he moves around to designated spots throughout the arena. He’ll leave a stationary trail of armor breaking flame stars, as well as occasionally shoot out a specter that Petrifies. Both are very easy to avoid, but you’ll pay dearly if you do get hit.

On the upside, his Forgotten Souls no longer instantly explode to land cheap shots! They’ll now remain still and quickly blink before detonating, so you should no longer have instances where they seemingly teleport on top of you and burst within a millisecond. Just do NOT let yourself get armor broken, petrified, and sat on all at once.

Ghost of Skuld

Master of the afterlife, esteemed ruler of the Haunted Cemetery, and now a begrudging roommate of the Pumpkin Master. Things have been a little tense.



The perennial pinata is back with a vengeance! As mentioned in the Blue Zombie details above, Skuld’s fight is all about judicious movement. Her attacks are still largely the same with only a few new additions, but without getting too technical, her phase selections are now arranged in a way that ensures the fight will play out to its fullest without just needlessly dragging it on. The biggest source of danger is the increasing pressure put on by the growing zombie apocalypse (again, described in further detail in the Blue Zombie’s section).

However! Skuld has a brand new trick up her sleeve. At low health, she will go invulnerable and begin to summon all existing Flying Flame Skulls back to her (hint: use this time to cut down the Blue Zombie presence while Skuld isn’t attacking, you’ll thank yourself later). After a few moments, they will fuse, causing Skuld herself to transform into a larger skull and begin chasing you. This phase has its own series of attacks with a few more activating as she reaches critical HP. The most important is the return of her paralyzing novas, which are telegraphed by her briefly stopping her direct pursuit. Don’t be fooled, this is the time to hide, not chase back. Though the phase is much more manageable with decently maxed speed, even slow characters can get by with some tight movements.

Loot

The Haunted Cemetery has perhaps been one of the unluckiest dungeons in the face of gradual power creep. Both of its white bag drops had become largely obsolete, the rogue ST set only has one item of any real merit, and the amulet… well, it’ll always have quite a history to it.

A few key actions have been taken: Loot drops have been redistributed throughout the dungeon, Plague and Resu have both been adjusted, the ST set has been overhauled (old versions remain as legacy items, new versions drop), and a brand new UT wand has been added to complete the UT “set” of wand -> poison -> heavy armor -> ring. The Snake Pit would be so proud.

Distribution

Previously, each non-final boss dropped guaranteed speed with a non-guaranteed chance at wisdom, as well as the amulet. The ST set was irregularly placed around the last few bosses, and Skuld herself could drop vitality instead of wisdom, in addition to the two white bag items. Not a bad system, but piling most of the meaningful loot onto Skuld left the rest of the dungeon feeling like a time waster. An important goal in this rework has been to make each individual round feel equivalent to the value of running a typical godlands dungeon, this way the overall longer length is more viable.

In this version, drops have been evenly spread between every round’s boss, with Skuld offering a second chance at every drop in the dungeon (yes, this does mean that the cumulative drop rates are higher than before). Furthermore, the non-guaranteed potion drops vary between each boss, turning this more into a variety dungeon for making progress towards many different stats. Key drops are listed below.

Troll Matriarch:

Potion of Speed [G]

Potion of Wisdom

Amulet of Dispersion

Spectral Ring of Horrors

Ghost Bride:

Potion of Speed [G]

Potion of Vitality

Resurrected Warrior’s Armor

Mantle of Skuld

Pumpkin King:

Potion of Speed [G]

Potion of Dexterity

Plague Poison

Ghastly Drape

Grave Caretaker:

Potion of Speed [G]

Potion of Attack

Soul’s Guidance

Etherite Dagger

Ghost of Skuld:

Potion of Speed [G]

Potion of Defense

Soul’s Guidance

Plague Poison

Resurrected Warrior’s Armor

Amulet of Dispersion

Etherite Dagger

Ghastly Drape

Mantle of Skuld

Spectral Ring of Horrors

Items

Plague Poison



The changes here are nothing too outlandish. It’s now about even with a T6 poison’s mana efficiency, with the key trade off being a longer duration and more sluggish throw time in exchange for greater range. An effective room clearer and not too shabby on bosses either, though if you’re up against something that isn’t always vulnerable, you may still want to use a quicker poison to ensure you get something out of it.

Resurrected Warrior’s Armor



Much more generous with its wisdom, but this armor now sports a proc effect as well. When hit, you’ll briefly lose 10 wisdom, effectively sending you back down to the stats this armor formerly had. Best used with abilities that can be used outside the line of fire (i.e. not knights).

Soul’s Guidance



The newcomer to the Haunted Cemetery loot pool is certainly a unique option. On its own, it’s just a slight alternative to a typical tiered wand that isn’t as easy to shoot. However, its proc effect offers a chance to spawn an ally when hit, dealing both instant and gradual damage to monsters and even being capable of cursing monsters in rare cases.

Etherite Dagger



No changes other than the description (all of which were changed).

Ghastly Drape



Rather than being arguably the most redundant ability in the game, this cloak now allows you to harness Skuld’s signature paralyzing waves for yourself! This marks the first time the rogue is able to directly inflict an effect that benefits a group, even if it is through a rather unconventional method.

Mantle of Skuld



To play into the magic emphasis throughout this set, this previously laughable armor is now a serviceable alternative to Harlequin.

Spectral Ring of Horrors



Finishing the set is a ring which… well okay, it’s still not a showstopper on its own, but combined with the new set bonuses it can be worth completing the set. Having multiple set pieces will not only further boost your magic stats, but also aid the rogue’s DPS stats which are largely absent in the set’s direct stat bonuses. Wearing the whole thing will top it off with a solid HP boost to help make up for the armor and ring.

Halloween Haunted Cemetery

The Halloween Haunted Cemetery has always been a bit of a misfit. To help it feel more integrated, the dungeon no longer exists independently. Instead, during Halloween events, the Pumpkin Master will be guaranteed to appear after defeating Skuld. His fight has been touched up, and he now serves as an optional bonus boss while the event is active.

When Halloween events are not active, you still may be able to fight him. Before Skuld’s betrayal line (spoiler alert?), there is a slim chance of her briefly going vulnerable, allowing you to strike first. This will instigate a different reaction from Skuld, and more importantly, cause the Pumpkin Master to appear after the fight just like during Halloween.

As announced a little while ago, all Halloween Haunted Cemetery keys still in existence have been converted to normal Haunted Cemetery keys.

Miscellaneous

Skuld has an animation for appearing and disappearing, rather than just popping in and out of existence all the time.

Skuld is now properly centered in each arena instead of being slightly misaligned to the left.

Skuld now has distinct dialogue to warn of the first boss round against the Troll Matriarch.

All bosses now have quest markers and count as god kills.

All enemies now have backup behaviors when no player is detected (so that they don’t become lifeless statues when cloaked).

Decorative hay bales have been added to the first arena and the outskirts of the last, in addition to two cauldrons in the first.

Tree distribution has been tinkered with so that each round looks more seamlessly attached.

The evil tree has been terminated (and possibly replaced with something more cheeky).

Guill’s lines for the Haunted Cemetery portal have been adjusted.

The Realm Eye has also received some related changes.

A secret or two may have been added.

I hope you all enjoy this revised version of the Haunted Cemetery! It’s been a privilege to get to work on this rather peculiar godlands dungeon.