Update 73 Release Notes

Here are the release notes for Update 73: Tavern Tales, released on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025.

Of Special Note:

A new series of quests debuts!

Tavern Tales is a Quest Bundle that features new quests which debut over time! Tavern Tales is FREE to VIPs and available in the DDO Store. Each of the three quests in the Quest Bundle is available to purchase separately in the DDO Store, and you can get a discount by purchasing the full Quest Bundle. These quests remain available after their debut. 

Free and Available Now:

Dinosaur Crisis - A horde of dinosaurs gather outside Stormreach! What's behind this sinister development? Venture into the jungle to find out—and face the Ettin, a brand-new monster making its debut in DDO! This creature was chosen by the community during our 2024 PAX East panel, and now it’s ready to challenge adventurers in this all-new quest. Speak with Regina Vencyl in the Stormreach Harbor to begin. Dinosaur Crisis is level 13 on Heroic difficulty and level 28 on Epic difficulty.

The Tavern Tales Quest Bundle Debuts April 16th:

Toil and Trouble - Strange things are happening in The King's Forest! Villagers blame a local hag, but it's up to you to discover the far more sinister truth. Speak with Jarra Morand in Eveningstar, near the gate to the King's Forest, to get started. Toil and Trouble will be level 5 on Heroic difficulty and level 28 on Epic difficulty.

Debuts April 30th:

Covered Culvert - City workers have discovered a previously unexplored section in the Sunken Sewers. There's just one problem: the sewer is infested with swarms of deadly vermin, and it's up to you to sort things out. Speak with Burton Furst in the Marketplace by the Steam Tunnels, next to Wayfinder Dael. Covered Culvert will be level 4 on Heroic difficulty and level 35 on Legendary difficulty. 

Debuts May 14th:

Sleeping with the Fishes - Things are getting tense in the Stormreach Fish Market as local Sahuagin struggle with the Kobold Union for control. Bring order to the chaos in an adventure with multiple possible endings! Speak with Aramond d'Lyrandar in the Lower Harbor near where you arrive from Korthos Island to get started. Sleeping with the Fishes will be level 3 on Heroic difficulty and level 35 on Legendary difficulty.

News and Notes:

General changes

• Fixed display issues with the Echoes of the Black Rose supporter pack helm cosmetic for Dragonborn and Elves.
• Fixed an issue where part of the special effects on the Echoes of the Black Rose supporter pack mace were not displaying.
• Fall of the Night Brigade: Fix issues where if a player teleported to their soul stone in certain parts of the dungeons while dead, their game client would get stuck and hang.
• Den of Vipers Raid:
  • The Teleport Blocker effect Domain of Dread will now remove itself on players who exit the quest by recall or lost connection.
  • A pit located against the north wall outside of the temple has been fixed.
  • There is now an exit waypoint at the start of the raid.
  • The shadow demons no longer have empty titles.
  • The hydra's head and circle mechanics have had their logic improved to prevent getting stuck.
  • Hydra heads that drop after they've already had their spirits sealed in the circle will fade quickly with action text feedback and cause the boss to burn its stump.
  • Hydra no longer drop more than one head at a time to prevent logic breaking when massive damage per second is applied. The hydra's regeneration will keep its Hit Points above the next head threshhold until you resolve the current head.
• Thieves tools in the DDO Store should now be visible for classes other than rogue.
• VFX Cosmetics such as wings, eyes will no longer appear when in rat form.
• Frogo's hat will no longer float over him if he's in rat form.
• Quest: Kind of Big Deal - Adjusted Height of 2nd Trap Box.
• Endless Fusillade is now spelled correctly in all places it is referenced. 
• In the quest 'The Evil We Know', the portal leading into the Chamber of the Shadow now properly teleport you into the Chamber of the Shadow.
• Fixed a typo in the dialog of the Year of the Dragon claim NPC.
• Tweak to fire beetles to not use fireball until epic difficulty unless they are oversized.
• Fixed a graphical issue in the Character creation flow with some buttons being partially cut off.
• Quest: Best Laid Plans - Several changes have been made to the quest for performance and in response to feedback:
  • Reduced Number of Breakables, and reduced Required number of breakables, for performance reasons
  • Reduced Number of Tacticians in several waves
  • Slowed Speed of Constructs
  • Reduced Number of Monsters in certain wave encounters.
  • Updated Monster Count for Conquest Bonus to account for the above changes in Monsters in combat waves.
• It will no longer be possible to use XP stones on the Heart of Wind (the airship you start on as a new character). This is to prevent confusion with using XP stones before you speak with the NPC during veteran status. The stones will operate normally once you leave the Heart of Wind.
• The Patron Coffer NPC is now able to talk with more than one person at once.
• The Optional chests in Threats Old and New and Den of Vipers now drop ingredients 100% of the time.
• Dragon Lord:
  • Draconic Conviction and Might in Order Rank 2 and 3 can now be taken properly.
• Monk, Dragon Disciple, & Grandmaster of Flowers
  • Clear Your Mind Rank 2 and 3 can now be taken properly.
  • Dragon Disciples now properly adjust their Maximum Spell Points with their Wisdom.
  • Grandmaster of Flowers' Core 4 (Dark Version) now properly lets you take Dismissing Strike.
  • Greater Hand of Healing now properly removes Blindness, Curses, and Diseases.
  • Touch of Death's description now correctly states that it deals Poison damage.
  • Fire-based Dragon Disciple spells now properly ignite targets that can be ignited.
  • Cold-based Dragon Disciple spells now properly extinguish targets that can be extinguished.
  • Ninja Spy's No Mercy now costs 1AP/Rank.
  • Grandmaster of Flowers' Core 4 versions of Stunning Blow and Stunning Fist now deal 1d10 per character level.
  • Grandmaster of Flowers' Core 4 versions of Stunning Fist now use the highest of your STR/DEX/WIS modifier for their DC.
  • Grandmaster of Flowers' Core 4 now correctly states that you must have the Stunning Blow and/or Stunning Fist feats to get their respective upgraded versions.
  • Grandmaster of Flowers' Core 4 now correctly uses the name of the Path abilities it simulates.
  • Dragon Disciples can now properly take Spell Focus: Conjuration and Spell Focus: Transmutation with Monk Bonus Feat slots
  • Draconic Devastation's Fear component now applies properly
  • Henshin Mystic's Elemental Words: Static Charge now properly applies Sonic vulnerability
  • Henshin Mystic's Kata abilities now have tooltip text stating that they require you to be Centered.
  • Shadow Double's bonuses now stack with other sources.
  • Dragon Disciples can now properly take Improved Mental Toughness if they have 10 levels in the class (enough to cast 3rd level spells).
  • Dragon Disciples can now properly take Cast on the Run and Heighten if they have 6 levels in the class (enough to cast 2nd level spells).
  • Fixed a display issue with prerequisites on Monk attack+damage lines.
  • Kata of Ice and Kata of Dark Stars have had their cooldowns corrected to the intended values.
  • Dragon Disciple's Flawless Breathing - for real this time - now properly applies its Spell Critical portion.
  • Dragon Disciple's Way of the Mighty Dragon III now gives the correct caster level bonus to Lesser Draconic Burst.
  • Dragon Disciple's Channel the Enlightened Dragon and Channel the Raging Dragon now have 9 second cooldowns.
  • Fixed several Monk and Dragon Disciple skills where the class level required did not match the tree level it was in.
• Fixed keymapping for HENCHMAN_BAR5_KEY5. If you have keybindings set for "Hireling Bar 5, Slot 4" or "Hireling Bar 5, Slot 5" please double check your Key Mappings in the Options panel.