co-op dungeon crawler baloney is one of those games that you can easily overlook, but if you run into the right people, they’ll wax lyrical about how it’s one of the best roguelikes out there. There’s a good reason for that. Barony was first released in 2015, and nearly 11 years later, it’s still going strong, and developer Turning Wheel’s latest update is one of the biggest in a while. It features a radical overhaul of the magic system with approximately 80 additional spells, word generation upgrades, and more crafting stations. All of this comes with new DLC that adds five additional races and five classes, and you can even get the base game for half the price right now.
The Barony 5.0 update is labeled “Instruments of Destruction Part One.” This was actually the first part of a major overhaul plan, as it had grown so large that the developers decided to cut it in half. This first drop focuses on gameplay and system improvements, and part two will add even more content in the form of weapons, armor, spells, enemies, traps, secrets, story, and another boss fight. That makes it the perfect time for newbies to jump into the current patch, as they can learn the basics alongside the existing player base and then prepare for the additions.
Magic has been completely reworked, with all spells grouped into three new archetypes. Sorcery includes “classic wizard” skills, including standard attacks, defenses, and practical magic. Thaumaturgy focuses on healing effects and enhancements, but there’s still time to “pour out your righteous wrath on evil spirits.” Mysticism can manipulate, control, and corrupt a target’s mind, body, and spirit, and even transform some enemies from within.
Each of these groups contains dozens of spells, with the previous approximately 30 spells significantly enhanced by approximately 80 new options. Classes that use magic have been revised to accommodate these new specializations, giving them a clearer feel for each other. This means that one adventurer is limited in learning all the spells, but even if they only practice one school, they will find that they can learn a similar amount.
But Turning Wheel didn’t stop there. We’ve tweaked Barony’s underlying RPG systems to make character classes feel more important. This includes adjusting how each core stat affects your build, and how roles such as Tank, Ambush, and Caster affect natural growth. “By the end of the game, you’ll notice a much clearer difference between the abilities of your class and those of classes with completely different specializations,” it explains.
The “Appraisal” skill has been renamed to “Lore” and now “in addition to enhancing the song, it also functions as a skill that informs the character’s familiarity with the item.” With this revised ability, cheap loot can be identified for no points, and by lore level 50 you can identify everything, albeit at a slower pace in some cases. The reason here is so that you don’t have to evaluate every item you find in order to level up, and can focus only on the ones you actually want to use.
Dungeons can now contain treasure rooms that promise valuable loot. Unless you have a member in your party who can meet the lockpicking requirements, you will need to find the corresponding key to get inside. You can also take a sneak peek at the door to get a hint as to whether it’s worth your time. There are also new cauldrons that can be used to cook potions, food, or basic provisions, as well as crafting tables that provide convenient places to do some crafting.
Turning Wheel has been working on upgrading the Barony’s biomes, and now Crystal Caverns and Mystic Citadel have received a dramatic overhaul. The former contains a pump room, kobold barracks, and an ancient puzzle room, while the latter contains larger halls, courtyards, statements, and plazas.
In addition to this massive free update, it adds Deserters and Disciples, Barony’s “most exciting DLC to date.” Five more monster races are introduced, each with a corresponding new class. Winning the game in one unlocks its signature class for use in all other races. Also, if you really like the look of your adventurer, you are free to use different adventurer looks as costumes without affecting gameplay.
From left to right in the image above are the Gremlin Sappers. The gremlins are strengthened by vandalism, but the shopkeeper refuses to do business with them. The Sapper is all about destruction using flails, flammable grease balls, and booby traps, and comes with a frying pan for cooking. Next up are the myconids, which can place mushroom traps that can weaken enemies or provide a useful food source. That class, the Hermit, uses debilitating spells and is joined by a pet duck that can distract enemies and catch fish.
Dryads grow magical leaves that can heal, produce nuts, and provide defensive thorns and roots. That class is the Scion, a master of all three schools of magic who recharges the Archon Scepter by sacrificing spells. The Salamander heats up as it rampages through its enemies, eventually turning into a glowing powerhouse capable of unleashing fiery breath. It is specialized as a paladin and can add holy light to enhance the claymore’s attacks or protect itself and its allies.
Last on the list is the Gnome Bard. Although gnomes cannot reach the physical peaks of other races, they have an innate taste for gold and can make jewelry. The Bard class comes with a variety of instruments to buff your party, as well as a rapier to jump into the action with agility when you need to get the job done yourself.
As with Barony’s other existing races and classes, more nuance is required if you want to dig deep into exactly what the strengths and weaknesses of each newcomer are. Suffice it to say that you’re definitely getting your money’s worth out of the package, and all DLC characters can be used in games with other players, whether you own the expansion or not.
The Barony 5.0 update and its Deserters and Disciples DLC are now live. The base game is 50% off on Steam until Thursday, February 12th. That means you’ll only pay $9.99 / £8.37. The DLC pack is 15% off during the same period, priced at $6.79 / £5.68. To take advantage of this sale during the sale period, please visit here.
Turning Wheel continues to work on Instruments of Disaster Part 2. This will be packed with even more benefits. In addition to the aforementioned variety of equipment, spells, and enemies, it also includes “the opportunity to explore the homeworld of gremlins, dryads, myconids, and salamanders.”
