Weapon Diversity Beta
RuneScape has a huge variety of weapons across every combat skill – from swords and axes, to staves, to swamp lizards. But isn’t it kind of weird that all of these weapons essentially behave the same?
Weapon Diversity is about fixing that weirdness, and making every weapon feel different. What if casting water spells left behind a little puddle of water? What if daggers were so sneaky they could sometimes hit twice?
We know that any big changes to RuneScape’s beloved combat system might be controversial, so that’s why we’ll be working closely with the community to develop changes that are positive for everybody.
The first step is the Weapon Diversity Beta, coming to a world near you!
How to Join the Weapon Diversity Beta
The beta will go live on June 4th, and run for a whole month.
Once the beta is live, this news post will be updated with a link you can click here, once its live sign in with your RuneScape account to start testing.
What to Expect
The beta will run for one month, and we’ll be collecting feedback and rolling out changes as we roll along. Please remember that right now nothing is set in stone – it all depends on your feedback.
In the beta, you’ll get to try out 16 different changes and their new effects:
Note: You’ll be able to try out tier 92 sample versions of weapons, these have been added as a trade option on Lady Deathknell at the Combat Academy, additionally you can create your own Combat Academy instance with her, allowing you to practice on your own set of training dummies!
Melee
Dagger
We want the dagger to feel sneaky. What’s sneakier than a chance to hit twice with every attack? Whilst dual-wielding, this applies to both main-hand and off-hand if there are daggers, meaning that it is possible to hit and then hit with both daggers at the same time.
- Effect breakdown – This means that when I hit with anything, there is a chance for the dagger to also attack the target but its “auto” damage. Whilst dual-wielding, this applies to both main-hand and off-hand if there are daggers, meaning that it is possible to hit and then hit with both daggers at the same time. The % chance will need to be playtested but there is a conservative 5% chance right now.
Spear
All bleed effects now last 50% longer
- Effect breakdown – this applies to Slaughter, Blood Tendrils, and Dismember.
Scimitar
While wielding a scimitar in the mainhand slot, 5% of damage given will be applied as a DoT that lasts for 7.2 seconds. While dual-wielding scimitars, the DoT is increased to 10%.
- Effect breakdown – When the player deals a critical hit with any type of attack, 10% of that damage is then taken as a damage over time effect on the target. Only 5% damage is applied if the player has one Scimitar equipped, 10% if they’re dual-wielding. For example, if I dealt a critical hit of 1,000 damage, a damage over time would then go on the target dealing 100 damage over 12 cycles, 25 damage each cycle. Any subsequent critical hits should refresh the damage over time duration and add the amount of damage to the pool to be dealt over the time period. For example, if I deal 1,000 damage critical hit, a DoT of 100 is then applied. After 7 cycles, I deal another 1,000 damage critical hit – the DoT is then refreshed to 12 cycles and would then deal 150 damage over 12 cycles.
2h Sword
The 2H sword’s new weapon effect will be to heal for a percentage of all critical hits, making it perfect for drawn out battles.
- Effect breakdown – 5% of your critical hit will be applied immediately as an instant heal to the player.
Mace
The mace weapon effect is perfect for those of you who’ve paid your dues and leveled prayer.
- Effect breakdown – While wielding a mace, 200% of your entire equipped prayer bonus is added to your strength bonus – while dual-wielding maces, this effect would stack to 300% of your prayer bonus.
Maul
Mauls aren’t known for their precision, and so the maul weapon effect will be increased base damage at the cost of base accuracy.
- Effect breakdown – +5 tiers of damage but -5 tiers of accuracy. For example, if it was a level 90 maul then it would have the accuracy of a level 85 weapon but would have the weapon damage of a tier 95.
Range
Shortbow
We really want to emphasize that the short bow is a short-range weapon – so in the beta, attacks made with a shortbow will deal more damage the closer you are to your target (measured in tiles).
- Effect breakdown – Shortbows actually deal 6% more damage but you get -1% damage for each tile distance between yourself and your target. (For example, if my target was 3 tiles away, I would be dealing 104% damage. If my target was in melee range, I would be dealing 106% damage. If my target was 7 tiles away, I would be dealing 100% damage)
Shieldbow
The shieldbow is a defensive weapon, so its weapon effect adds to its defensive capabilities rather than damage-dealing.
- Effect breakdown – Defence abilities cost 20% less adrenaline to use. (This means it only costs 40% adrenaline for defence thresholds or 80% adrenaline for Defence ultimate abilities).
1h Crossbow
Like the dagger, the 1h crossbow is a speedy, rogueish weapon – and so while using it, you’ll get the following:
- Effect breakdown – 2% chance whilst using a basic ability to use the same basic ability at the same time (or 1 tick after) which doesn’t generate adrenaline or incur a global cooldown on the actionbar.
2h Crossbow
On the other hand, the 2H Crossbow is unwieldy and heavy. We need it to feel that way in game. Standing still with a 2H crossbow equipped grants an accuracy buff that will remain as long as you are standing still, or will refresh after moving and standing still for another three seconds.
- Effect breakdown – After standing still for at least 3 seconds, gain a 5% accuracy buff which doesn’t have a timer. If you move, this buff now has a 5 second duration. If you stand still again for at least 3 seconds, the buff is refreshed.
Throwing knives
In this beta, throwing knives will have a lower base damage and accuracy – however, using them knocks 0.6 seconds from the global cooldown. They’re speedy, but weak!
- Effect breakdown – Minus 5 levels in weapon damage and accuracy but the global cooldown is now only 1.2 seconds rather than 1.8. (So a level 70 throwing knife would have level 65 accuracy but level 65 damage values)
Throwing axes
In real life, throwing axes are a high-intensity activity, and we wanted to reflect the excitement of landing the bullseye in game. Therefore, while using throwing axes you will gain more adrenaline on your basic attacks. You currently gain 2% adrenaline on an auto attack with your main-hand weapon and 1% with an offhand weapon. With throwing axes, this should be increased to 4% and 2%, respectively.
- Effect breakdown – You currently gain 2% adrenaline with an auto attack with your main-hand weapon and 1% with an offhand weapon. With throwing axes, this should be increased to 4% and 2%.
Magic
Air spells
When you have an air spell selected, every hit will increase your armour by 1%.
- Effect breakdown – When you hit with magic and have air as your selected spell, you’ll gain a stack which increases your total armour by 1%, this can stack up to 10% and lasts for 10 seconds.
Fire spells
While using any fire spell, there will be a small chance to activate an extra Combust ability, full details below!
- Effect breakdown – 5% chance whilst hitting with anything. The second Combust acts like the magic ability Combust but can be applied at the same time as a player’s Combust. What this means is that any other ability that effects Combust, like the Invention perk Lunging, also effects the second Combust. If the effect triggers again before the second Combust expires, it refreshes the duration back to full. The second Combust should have a different name and distinguishable debuff icon on the target.
Water spells
When dealing the killing blow with a water spell, a small globule of water will be left behind, full details below!
- Effect breakdown – When using a water spell as your selected spell, when you deliver the finishing blow, a water globule should spawn where the target died. When the player walks on to the tile where the water globule spawns, the globule is removed and the player is healed for 2% of their max health.
Earth spells
The earth spell effect is all about playing strategically!
- Effect breakdown – Whilst your target is stunned or bound, you will deal 20% more damage to them.
The Land Out of Time
The Land Out of Time – has lots of mysteries to unearth and we’ll be revealing more before its big launch this July!
As we get closer to the launch of our Summer update, we will update it with more information about the new story line that started with Desperate Times, info on the Land Out of Time itself (new areas, activities, skilling methods, monsters, etc) and probably other surprises too…
LootScape
Our live streams are always a great opportunity to grab some awesome in-game prizes. And we’ve done one particularly hefty update of the LootScape for you! We’ve added a bonanza package for your Player-Owned Farm, courtesy of Granny Potterington. In addition, we thought it would be time to bring back some player-favourite goodies: the skilling outfit piece, the Loots Cape and Nature’s Balance (main-hand sword override).
This June, each and every RuneScape stream watched will give you a random drop from one of the following:
Guaranteed:
- Between 10-100 Player-Owned Farm Beans
- A name re-roller or trait re-roller
- A random animal for their farm
- Guaranteed drop from Basic Drop Table (see below)
- View counter goes up on Orb
Chance based:
- A random skilling outfit piece (if unowned)
- Either Nature’s Balance or Loots Cape (if unowned)
Basic Drop Table: Prismatic small fallen star, Prismatic medium fallen star, Prismatic small lamp, Prismatic medium lamp, Spirit Ruby, Spirit Diamond, Advanced Pulse Core, Spring, Silverhawk down, Medium DG Token Box, Small DG Token Box, Uncut Dragonstone, Large Cash Bag, Medium Cash Bag or Small Cash Bag.