Play Release 119!


Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Release 119 goes live October 26th at 10:30 AM CDT.

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 119 (R119), we offer treasure for the coffers, treasure for the mind, and a nice place to go back to when you’re done gathering them.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.


News Announcements

Community Updates

 


Find a Treasure Map and Set Off for Adventure

In the coming days, you may find a mysterious map along your travels: perhaps on an enemy, in a chest, listed on a player vendor, or given to you by some kind and/or baffled guild-mate. Junior Treasure Hunters across Novia all know to go to Selleck, to be found along the Port Harmony docks, to learn about seeking what it leads to! There’s a guy who really knows where his shovel is. He’ll make sure you know how to use one before sending you out with some helpful hints. There may be valuables ne’er seen before! There may be guardians to battle! It’s a good thing that explorer’s shovel is a weapon…

This first round added to the game includes decrepit maps that will lead you into low-tier zones accessible to players of every level and blood-stained maps that will lead you into zones frequented by players hunting other players. Be sure you trust your party members!

 


Be Transported to a New Tutorial Encounter

Helpful Automatons now have an inventory-themed tutorial they can provide to any Avatar.

The tutorial is a series of one-on-one lessons in a solo scene which any Helpful Automaton can teleport you to upon request. It’s primarily informational, but there are some basic activities which shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. If needed, though, a teleporter at the site will allow you to return to town at any time, even before the tutorial is concluded, and you can always return to the tutorial scene and continue where you left off. Students who complete the tutorial are given a reward.

Helpful Automatons can be found in Soltown, Castle Atos, Kingsport, Port Harmony, and other NPC towns around the world, and more units will be added to other cities over time.

 


Build Diverse Neighborhoods with New Row Markers

Home, home of the strange…

An unclaimed row lot in a player-owned town has always displayed a two-story wood-and-plaster row home, which doesn’t make for much visual variety until residents start claiming them and replacing them with other homes. From now on, however, Governors and Stewards can place an assortment of alternative row markers which display one of eleven additional two-story home options, allowing themed neighborhoods or a lively cacophony! These homes retain their variant appearances when claimed, giving the resident access to a variety of home styles they’d otherwise have to purchase. They may still wish to purchase their own, as none of these markers are for taller homes with more space.

Most of these homes are normally available in the Crown Store and the associated new markers are priced accordingly, but a few homes whose stand-alone versions have been available for in-game-gold are also to be had in the Crown Store for a minor price so any Governor should be able to create some variety.

See the full set below!

 


Release 119 Patch Notes

Below are a list of the updates that are live as of Release 119 in the game of Shroud of the Avatar! R119 is a content month. Polish, additional improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R120 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 119!

Crafting, Decoration, Gear, & Inventory Item Changes:

  • Added the ability to upgrade a POT Castle Lot Deed to a be a POT Castle Tax Free Water Lot Deed. SOTA-71730
  • Adjusted some of the floor deco surfaces for the plain and golden variants of the Kobold Four-Story Great Hall City Home. SOTA-71732
  • Fixed frog goliaths not giving meticulous collection XP.
  • Salvage/combination of Daemon Tridents and salvage of Ice Hammers of Jotungrund, Shards of Night, Halberds of the Sun, and Xen Penetrators will no longer output a pattern per weapon for common and uncommon variants. SOTA-71707
  • Enabled dying the fabric cushion on the craftable Arched Wooden Armchair. SOTA-70431
  • The Magical Broom Pet will no longer be visually shouting at avatars. SOTA-58540
  • Added new icon to the Shard of Night. SOTA-71717
  • Corrected icon for book Theme for Rabbling.
  • Removed pink artifacts in icon for Fiona Fitzowen’s lute.
  • Removed pink background from icon for Pristine Patriarch Bear Head.

User Interface, Store Information, Inky, & Lua Changes:

  • The prices for POT NPC Buildings have been adjusted: buildings with special functionality are now 1200 COTOs and all others are 800 COTOs.
  • Fixed typos in 130 store descriptions.

World and Quest Changes:

  • Overworlds: All roving NPCs will now respect Spawn Protection and wait until it’s gone before pulling the Avatar into a random encounter. This includes dogs, sheep, and stags. SOTA-66405
  • Seasonal Monsters: Pumpkin Head is packing it in for the year and Krampus will return to East Sanctus Forest and some Snowy Mountain Road Encounters on November 16th.
  • Desert Encounter: The Luminous Atavist will no longer appear out-of-season. SOTA-71726
  • Swamp Road Encounters: Added tiny frogs and poison dart frogs. A frog goliath might also spawn. SOTA-71570
  • Multiple Scenes: Reworked the sounds for all junction transformers used in kobold creations, placed in scenes as well as part of player deco, like moon towers, windmills, trolley stations, weather and time machines, and elevators. Also, shutting off both transformers in moon towers will turn off the moon tower completely.
  • Manor of Mystery and Tutorial Encounter: Adjusted sound effects for the Teleporter Pads and corrected their cloth accessories to be Return-to-Previous-Location purple. SOTA-71339
  • Blood Bay: Adjusted LODs on several rock types. Added and updated steam and lava sounds. Added waterfall sounds to a waterfall at a ruin. SOTA-40523
  • Blood River Forest: Tweaked the whirlpool VFX. SOTA-64690
  • Blood River Outskirts: Fixed typos in Captain Bearfield’s responses.
  • Brave Coast: Added more spawn location alternatives and ankhs throughout the scene. SOTA-71681
  • Brookside: None of the four wells should be protected by the anti-theft system any longer.
  • Castle Atos: Added ambient light options.
  • East Vauban Foothills: Added tiny frogs and poison dart frogs. SOTA-71570
  • Far Hinterlands: Added tiny frogs and poison dart frogs. SOTA-71570
  • Grannus Colossus: Added tiny frogs. SOTA-71570
  • Greymark Forest: Added tiny frogs and poison dart frogs. SOTA-71570
  • Grusk: The five daily versions of Kortreek’s kite platform quest now have separate initial journal entries, with better directions for finding the platforms. SOTA-70489
  • Jotungrund: Reverted scene worldbuilding and navmesh to its R117 state.
  • Lost Vale: Blocked off the end of a hallway in the Fall of the Epitaph area. SOTA-71731
  • Manor of Mystery: If you have completed his Inoperable Kobold Cloud Cannon quest, the High Magus will now accept an Inoperable Kobold Tesla Rifle even if you have a second Inoperable Kobold Cloud Cannon in your inventory. SOTA-71714
  • Naryad Moors: Added tiny frogs and poison dart frogs. SOTA-71570
  • Necropolis Barrens: Replaced a tree with odd collision that allowed players to slide up the sides. SOTA-71725
  • Paladis Shardfall: Added tiny frogs. SOTA-71570
  • Port Harmony: Removed grass poking through a planter. Moved several rubble piles to the ground.
  • Port Harmony: Updated the logic for Selleck’s treasure chest so avatars can get extra chances to dig it up if they wait too long to recover the trinket inside.
  • Port Harmony: Treasure Hunter Selleck now gives a proper response for the “lemon” keyword (as do the Junior Treasure Hunters.) SOTA-71719
  • Port Harmony: Fixed typos in Treasure Hunter Selleck’s responses, journals, and quest item. SOTA-71715
  • Rhun Ruins: Added tiny frogs and poison dart frogs. SOTA-71570
  • Spindelskog: Added tiny frogs. SOTA-71570
  • Tenebris Harbor: Added tiny frogs and poison dart frogs. A frog goliath might also spawn. SOTA-71570
  • Well of Aldur: Added extra randomization to the wyvern wave battle, which now includes additional large and huge wyverns of not-seen-before colors. Adjusted the loot for most wave enemies prior to the final wave. SOTA-71713

Player-Owned Town Changes:

  • Arx Draconis Lowlands: Upgraded to City from Town.

 


Latest News and Q&A October Livestream

The post-release Community Livestream is Friday, October 27th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and other members of the development team for a 1-hour community livestream!

To enter the prize drawings, type “prank or present!” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.

Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4PM CT!

Members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team stream on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the channel on follow for notifications so you can join us right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!

Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/shroudoftheavatarofficial and on Discord at https://discord.gg/shroudoftheavatar.

 


Sales and Bonus Events

To observe Samhain, until end-of-day November 6th:

  • XP will be doubled.
  • Crown Store sales will be 30% off.
  • Crowns of the Obsidians will be 20% off.

 


Release 119 Subscriber Login Rewards

Use these lights to guide your visitors and these gift boxes to bait them into a trap: the Rewards Program login items for Release 119 are a pair of Spooky Urns with Blue Flame and a set of three Cat-Themed Square Halloween 2023 Gift Boxes!

Subscribers to the Rewards Program must log in during Release 119 to receive these special login items.

The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:

  • 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month
  • Monthly Login Reward Items (about 3 per month)
  • Exclusive Title every 3 months
    • 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith
    • 6 Months: Keeper of the Word
    • 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow
    • 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame
    • 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath
    • 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge
    • 21 Months: Keeper of the Bond
    • 24 Months: Keeper of the Promise
    • 27 Months: Keeper of the Covenant
    • 30 Months: Keeper of Countless Devotions
    • 33 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Three Corpions
    • 36 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Six Serpents
    • 39 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Nine Tulips
    • 42 Months: Keeper of Forty-Two Roses
    • 45 Months: Keeper of Forty-Five Lilies
    • 48 Months: Keeper of Forty-Eight Daisies
    • 51 Months: Keeper of Fifty-One Staves
    • 54 Months: Keeper of Fifty-Four Daggers
    • 57 Months: Keeper of Fifty-Seven Arrows
    • 60 Months: Keeper of Sixty Swords
    • 63 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Three Coins
    • 66 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Six Gems
    • 69 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Nine Jewels
    • 72 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Two Goblets
    • 75 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Five Rings
    • 78 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Eight Amulets
  • Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months
  • Pick any three of these 7 Obsidian Potions every month:
    • Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity
    • Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance
    • Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills
    • Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills
    • Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage
    • Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills
    • Potion of Stamina: Decreases focus use from sprinting
  • While subscribed to the rewards program, players also receive these special bonuses:
    • Obsidian Potions are significantly more powerful!
    • 24 Additional Deck Slots!

 


November Login Reward

Share your treats! Well, at least keep them in a nice container. Each account that logs in during the month of November will receive a one-time gift of a Small Rectangle Pumpkin Halloween 2023 Gift Box!

 


Crown Store Updates

New in the crown store for today’s release:

  • Row Property Marker (Blue Tile)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Blue Tile)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Blue Tile)
  • Row Property Marker (Elven w/ Left Alcove)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Elven w/ Left Alcove)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Elven w/ Left Alcove)
  • Row Property Marker (Elven w/ Right Alcove)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Elven w/ Right Alcove)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Elven w/ Right Alcove)
  • Row Property Marker (Kobold w/ Left Alcove)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Kobold w/ Left Alcove)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Kobold w/ Left Alcove)
  • Row Property Marker (Kobold w/ Right Alcove)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Kobold w/ Right Alcove)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Kobold w/ Right Alcove)
  • Row Property Marker (Obsidian)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Obsidian)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Obsidian)
  • Row Property Marker (Shogun)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Shogun)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Shogun)
  • Row Property Marker (Viking)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Viking)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Viking)
  • Row Property Marker (Shingle-Roof)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Shingle-Roof)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Shingle-Roof)
  • Row Property Marker (Stucco w/ Left Alcove)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Stucco w/ Left Alcove)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Stucco w/ Left Alcove)
  • Row Property Marker (Stucco w/ Right Alcove)
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Stucco w/ Right Alcove)
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Stucco w/ Right Alcove)
  • Variety 12-Pack of Row Property Markers
    One each Elven Left Alcove, Elven Right Alcove, Kobold Left Alcove, and Kobold Right Alcove and two each Blue Tile, Obsidian, Shogun, and Viking
  • Variety 24-Pack of Row Property Markers
    Two each Elven Left Alcove, Elven Right Alcove, Kobold Left Alcove, and Kobold Right Alcove and four each Blue Tile, Obsidian, Shogun, and Viking
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Stucco w/ Mixed Alcoves)
    Six each Stucco Left Alcove and Stucco Right Alcove
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Stucco w/ Mixed Alcoves)
    Twelve each Stucco Left Alcove and Stucco Right Alcove
  • 12-Pack of Row Property Markers (Shingle-Roof and Stucco)
    Three each Stucco Left Alcove and Stucco Right Alcove and six Shingle-Roof
  • 24-Pack of Row Property Markers (Shingle-Roof and Stucco)
    Six each Stucco Left Alcove and Stucco Right Alcove and twelve Shingle-Roof

…And some POT improvements that aren’t Row Markers:

  • New You Pavilion Bundle
    This bundle comes with a POT NPC Building and one each of male and female New You Beautician POT NPCs. An NPC is needed for the New You functionality.
  • Player-Owned Town Iron Signpost
  • Player-Owned Town Kobold Signpost

…And some things that aren’t POT improvements:

  • Painting Display Stand
    Paintings and books dragged on to these new types of display stands will snap into an angled position for ease of viewing.
  • Tabletop Painting Display Stand
  • Book Display Stand
  • Dark Gothic Furniture Mega Set
  • Dark Gothic Furniture Dining Set
  • Dark Gothic Furniture Bedroom Set
  • Dark Gothic Queen Size Bed
  • Dark Gothic Standing Mirror
  • Dark Gothic Padded Dining Chair 2-Pack
  • Purple Fireflies
  • Black Tiki Demon Mask
  • Black Flaming Tiki Demon Mask
  • Flaming Tiki Demon Mask
  • Pale Flaming Tiki Demon Mask
  • Ghost Themed Round Halloween 2023 Gift Box 3-Pack
  • Pumpkin Themed Rectangle Halloween 2023 Gift Box 3-Pack

…and for November 10th:

  • Cat Themed Square Halloween 2023 Gift Box 3-Pack
  • Spooky Urn with Blue Flame

The Spooky Seasonal store items (apart from this year’s new additions, which will be available throughout R119) are available until Monday November 6th:

List of Spooky Seasonal items:
  • Day of the Dead Mask
  • Day of the Dead Mask with Top Hat
  • Day of the Dead Mask with Veil
  • Day of the Dead Colorful Mask
  • Day of the Dead Colorful Mask with Top Hat
  • Day of the Dead Colorful Mask with Veil
  • Day of the Dead Mask 6-Pack
  • Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2015
  • Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2015
  • Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2015
  • Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2016
  • Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2016
  • Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2016
  • Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2017
  • Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2017
  • Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2017
  • Jack O’ Lantern Mask 2018
  • Jack O’ Lantern Glowing Mask 2018
  • Jack O’ Lantern 6-Pack 2018
  • Rotten Jack O’ Lantern Mask
  • Pale Scarecrown Mask
  • Blood Spurting Headless Mask
  • Ornate Scythe
  • Ornate Scythe Pattern Pack
  • Ornate Spider Legs Cloak
  • Spider Web Cloak
  • Woven Spider Web Cloak
  • Breathe Spiders Emote
  • Juggle Jack O’ Lanterns Emote
  • Juggle Severed Arms Emote
  • Juggle Severed Heads Emote
  • Juggle Zombie Arms Emote
  • Juggle Zombie Heads Emote
  • Puke Blood Emote
  • Rain Spiders Emote
  • Dead Tree with Spider Webs 6-Pack
  • Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance
  • Giant Lich Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance
  • Ornate Giant Grim Reaper Statue with Magic Portal Dungeon Entrance
  • Undead Specimen Vats Set
  • Zombie Cat
  • Zombie Dog
  • Zombie Raven

 


Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!

The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was relaunched.

The Brigade has been up and running and the volunteers (Alley Oop, Echondas, Flair Minamoto, and Justyn) are in a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to clean up the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums.

Every month, a considerable amount of development time will be spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels!

In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Much improvement has been noticed by the development team and we’re so very excited to see the program’s continued success!

The development team would also like to thank all of those who take time to participate in QA Testing Directives. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs can be identified and fixed prior to content going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives.

Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing and bug rewards are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows:

  • Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter”
  • Single Ant Cloak
  • Lady Bug Backpack
  • Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids”
  • Ant Farm
  • Insect Leg Table
  • Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles”
  • Bug Painting B
  • Bug Sprayer and /bugspray Emote
  • Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths”
  • Butterfly Chair
  • Corpion Chair (Pictured Below)
  • Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies”
  • Hacked Oracle Flyer
  • Giant Butterfly Pet (Blue)
  • Butterfly Mask
  • Dragonfly pet
  • Fairy Wings
  • Monarch Butterfly Pet
  • Dragonfly Wings
  • Hacked Oracle Crawler
  • Blue Butterfly VFX
  • Orange Fireflies VFX
  • Orange Butterfly VFX
  • Autumn Fairy Wings
  • Green Fireflies VFX
  • Landing Flies 3-pack
  • Blue Fireflies
  • Mounted Ladybug Specimen
  • Mounted Rhinoceros Beetle Specimen
  • Mounted Firebug Specimen
  • Mounted Diving Bug Specimen
  • Mounted Asian Ladybug Specimen
  • Swallowtail Butterfly Pet
  • Mounted Potato Beetle
  • Silver Bug Sprayer
  • Mounted Dung Beetle Specimen
  • Mounted Hissing Cockroach Specimen
  • Mounted Maybug Specimen
  • Mounted Stag Beetle Specimen
  • Mounted Flower Beetle Specimen

If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, sign up and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravalox in the main Bug/Feedback forums.

 


Streaming Program

Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar can participate in a program to showcase the game and be rewarded for their efforts. Any Streamer who wishes to be included in the Streaming Program can contact Laney via in-game mail with their Character Name and Twitch Channel information. If you have already signed up for the program in the past, fear not: you’re on the list and you don’t need to reapply.

Streaming Rewards Program participants must adhere to our Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Rules while Streaming Shroud of the Avatar.

Streaming Rewards Program participants must stream at least 10 hours of Shroud of the Avatar ACTIVE game play to remain in the program with reward accrual.

Streamers will receive a one-time digital reward of in-game items after meeting the program’s requirements: Streamer’s Cloak, Streamer’s Camera, and the LIVESTREAMING title.

Rules:

  • To qualify for Streaming Rewards, each streamer must continue to meet the minimum requirements for 60 days after application.
  • To accrue additional rewards, Streamers must stream SotA a minimum of 10 hours per month, tallied on the 1st day of each month, to remain in the program.

Monthly Streaming Bundles:

On the 1st of each month, qualifying streamers will be eligible to receive 50 Streaming Bundles. Bundles will be sent out to Streamers via in-game mail.

A few things you need to know:

  • Streaming Bundles are intended to be given away to stream viewers, not consumed by the streamer.
  • Streamers are not allowed to put paywalls in place for the Streaming Bundles. (For example, giving away Streaming Bundles once the stream reaches a certain number of bits, subscriptions, or donations).

Other Items of Note:

  • Streamers in the program will be included in the SotAbot StreamPop function, appearing in the player-streaming channel in Discord.
  • An optional fan graphics kit is available to the participating streamers as well as all players of Shroud of the Avatar, which includes graphics, overlays and other material.
  • Streamers must be actively playing the game during their streams. Being away from the keyboard (AFK) for short periods is acceptable. If Twitch indicates the streamer is playing SotA but they are streaming other content or a timeout/login screen, they risk being removed from the program.

 


Upcoming Release Dates

Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums. The upcoming 2023 Release Schedule is as follows:

  • This Release 119 – October 26 (Content)
  • Release 120 – November 16 (Polish)
  • Release 121 – December 14 (Polish)

 


Community Events & Resources

Greetings event holders and event attendees! So many fun and exciting events are available in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to get out there and participate, make some new friends, perhaps make some great emote, recipe, or gear trades, or get some adventuring and role-playing into your mix! Here are spotlighted events or updated community resources that we’ve noticed popping up lately on the official forums.

Recurring Events:

  • Lightbringer Isle Auction: This newly-resumed auction will be held by Hemnu Lightbringer every Wednesday at 2000 EST / 1900 CST / 0100 BST / 2400 UTC.
  • The Nebula Time Trials are intended as a fun competition amongst players, but also a way for players to compare builds, playstyles, learn from one another and just generally have fun together. Each trial will consist of a challenge along the lines of “kill this mob” or “complete this quest” and while prizes will be awarded based on completion time, everyone who enters will receive something. Check this main post for links to the individual trials as they occur.
  • Monthly Release Fishing Contests: This will be a rotating, multi-location contest sponsored and organised by Rajazel, The Town Museum and its Governor Diablotine.
  • Trash to Treasure Dropped Items Turn-In: Introducing Trash to Treasure 2.0! Some unscrupulous fella has been flooding all of New Britannia with junk: Headdresses, Wings, Backpacks, assorted miscellany of every sort. It’s time to clean this trash up and so a bounty has been placed on all gear crafted by Coswald Dirthmire that is turned in each contest period!
  • Mad Splatter Tea Party: One Sunday of each month, Lily Byrd hosts a tea party in her back garden at her home in Jade Valley. There are drinks and eats, there is sometimes music, there are often party games with prizes, and sometimes they just sit and talk about life in Novia. All are welcome to join but this is a role playing event tea party: please come as your avatar!

Community Calendars:

  • Avatars-Virtue Radio Calendar: Just when are all those talented DJ’s and streamers broadcasting? Don’t just guess, check out there very helpful calendar! Never again will you wonder when’s the best time to tune in!
  • NBNN Calendar: This calendar provides a great schedule for NBNN and WRFB programing as well as many other community events. If you’re a fan of the Laz & Jack show or even if you’re hoping to catch them in action for the first time, this is the calendar for you!

Community Event Resources: Here are some fantastic resources for tracking down community events or posting your own events. Become involved! Create! Explore! Make friends! But most of all, have fun!

  • One-Time Community Events Forum: Sometimes events happen only a single time, so you’ll not want to miss out on these events as they occur. Check out the forums routinely to spot these!
  • Recurring Community Events Forum: Some events occur on weekly or monthly schedules which are a great way to routinely meet up with friends and to make new ones. Be sure to check this forum frequently for new events or time changes to existing ones.
  • Player Event Trophies and Special Item Requests: Would you like to request a special trophy or renamed item for a player event you’ve created? Head on over to this thread to see what’s available and to obtain more information about request procedures.
  • Player Radio Station Forum: If you want to check out the latest and greatest from our in-game radio stations, go to the radio stations forum! If you’re a DJ, be sure to advertise your time slot and venue in this forum.
  • Player Livestreams & Videos Forum: If you’re searching for a Shroud Streamer to watch, head on over to the streamer forum! If you are a live streamer for Shroud of the Avatar, be sure to advertise your Shroud stream by posting in this forum.
  • Town Directory Forum: Want to find a town to live in or get your town listed in the directory, head over to the forums and check it out!
  • Guild Directory Forum: Looking for a guild or want to get yours posted in the guild directory? Head on over to the forums and check it out!
  • Fire Lotus Tavern: This wondrous role-playing and story writing forum is the spot to be if you love fan fiction and role-play.
  • Community Resources: Looking for links to community and official resources for Shroud of the Avatar? Well look no further. On this page you’ll find links to a plethora of helpful resources created by the dev team or the community.

So many options to stay tuned-in with fellow community members. Please take advantage of all these wonderful options. Happy adventures, Avatars!

 


Project to Support: Avatar Relics

Community member Shawn Butts has opened a Shroud of the Avatar merchandise store with Catnip Games’ approval. Visit for pins, mugs, shirts, posters, and more here.

 


Project to Support: Shard RPG

Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad.

  • Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals.
  • Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts books! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character!
  • Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah!

So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG!

 


Project to Support: Embers Adrift!

Help support one of our team members’ other projects, Embers Adrift! Check out their official trailer here.

 


Project to Support: Avatar Express

 

[Forum post by Vladamir Begemot]

I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site.

If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening.

You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no commitment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like.

Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immediate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game.

It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts!

So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us!

 


Resources: Players Helping Players

The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.

Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.