Category Archives: Staff Announcements
Blacksmiths Fjord Bundle
The Blacksmith’s Fjord Bundle is the second new bundle of 2021, and we are excited to explore it with you! This Grizzleheim-themed bundle is available at Gamestop and comes with the following items:
- Blacksmith’s Fjord Castle
- Permanent Fjord Dragon Mount
- Forge Goblin Pet
- Forgemaster’s Gear
- Forgemaster’s Sword
- 1-month prepaid membership or 5,000 crowns
Blacksmith's fjord house
The Blacksmith’s Fjord is a beautiful piece of Grizzleheim you can call your own. This serene retreat sits right on the river with a tower to keep watch over your home away from home. The docks bring a beautiful light to the endless fishing available in this home. We found the Steelhead Doodlefish and seasonal fish. We can’t help but wonder what other fish will show themselves here? Let us know what you find!
To the side of the docks, you will find your very own watchtower lined with shields. You can touch the sky! Well, almost, but you are getting a better view of the waterfalls and endless scenery.
Beside your castle, you will find the hard-at-work water wheel, supplying the power and energy needed to keep the famous Grizzleheim forges up and running.
Let’s venture inside and see what else awaits us!
Stunning vaulted ceilings greet you when you walk through the doors. You can tell the previous owners built this place to last; the exposed beams were carved with such care. You will also find an excellent themed bank to store all of your gear and items.
Venturing down the halls of this home, we find the main attraction, the Blacksmith’s Forge. This fiery furnace, powered with the help of the water wheel, will get the job done. Walk up and interact with it to get a pleasant daily surprise. Who knows, you might get some Amber, a valuable reagent used for many Spell Card recipes. Walk upstairs, and you will find the great hall where you and your guests can feast and swap tales.
If you look around, you might find some hidden secrets lying within.
The Gear
The kit consists of the Forgemaster’s Helm, Forgemaster’s Smock, and Forgemaster’s Boots. Each piece gives one Grizzleheim Lore spell. In addition, the Helm offers Hammer of Thor, the Smock gives Grendel’s Amends, and the Boots have Ratatoskr’s Spin. The Boots are especially high in Damage, Resistance, and Health at all tiers. They are a great option for any Life Wizard, especially with the Ratatoskr’s Spin card. The Helm is high in offensive stats and adds some pierce the boots do not have. The Smock follows in the same pattern as most bundle robes. It offers a defensive build with high Health, Resistance, Critical Block, and Outgoing Healing, which combines well with the Grendel’s Amends card.
The Wand
The Forgemaster’s Sword is one of our favorite pieces of this bundle. The beautiful Norse-style blade is fresh from the forge! Glowing bright and engraved with magical runes, it makes a fantastic stitch piece for any Wizard.
Not only is it stunning, but the stats on this wand are also notable. It is common for bundle wands to have mid-level stats, and the new Forgemaster’s Sword is no exception until level 100. I chose to redeem mine at that level, which gave me 42 Critical Rating, 11% Damage, one Power Pip, and 13 Shadow Rating. It makes for a significant and timely upgrade from your Sky Iron Hasta. Even the level 110 and 120 tiers of this sword are as impressive.
While it still has decent stats at lower levels, it may not be the best choice since it doesn’t surpass the Sky Iron Hasta’s damage until level 100. This Wand comes with attack cards for Myth, Life, and Storm. The Forgemaster’s Sword also has a May-cast Chromatic Blast spell at levels 100 – 140. Chromatic Blast gives a Universal +5% damage per pip blade to the caster. This May cast provides the wand with the potential strategy of countering Wards in exchange for an extra blade.
The Pet
Made from cinder and smoke, with a heart of fire is the Forge Goblin pet. The first-generation talent pool contains zero common talents, six uncommon, two rare, one ultra-rare, and one epic talent. This gives our fiery friend a total pedigree score of fifty-two.
The Forge Goblin gives one Shatter Card at Teen and another at Ancient. Its first-generation stats are as follows:
- 250 Strength
- 195 Intellect
- 200 Agility
- 235 Will
- 185 Power
These are impressive stats for a first-generation pet. If you’re looking for a starting point for your hatch or a unique pet to use, this could be the one. When it comes to training, this pet likes Death school snacks and Meal type snacks. When I raised the Forge Goblin to Mega, it manifested; Attentive, Death-Shot, Death Dealer, Death Assailant, and Forceful. What did yours get? Given the talents we’ve seen, this pet seems like it could make a great Death starter pet.
The Mount
The permanent Fjord Dragon mount is a single-rider, 40% speed boost mount. This blue and green dragon slithers gracefully through the air. Its wings resemble spring leaves, the perfect complement to any green stitch. But, don’t let its stoic stare scare you! This fierce, elegant dragon is here to help you traverse the Spiral.
In Conclusion
This concludes our review of the Blacksmith’s Fjord Bundle. It’s a unique addition to the Grizzleheim-themed homes and items.
The Forgemaster’s Gear gear will help you in your adventures through the Spiral. This bundle’s wand at high tiers adds more variety when deciding what you will use while questing. This bundle brings cool-looking gear that packs a punch of damage and resistance. The Forge Goblin pet is an excellent addition to any Death collection. The Fjord Dragon is a unique mount that will stand out. We are impressed.
We hope this helps you decide if this is the right bundle for you. We look forward to seeing what you create. Tell us what you think of the Forgemaster’s Bundle in the comments below.
See you around the Spiral!
Proud of our Community
Ravenwood is excited to celebrate Pride month this June with our community!
We are proud of the diverse group of people that make Ravenwood Community one of the kindest, most supportive communities around.
Ravenwood vows always to be a safe place, an ally, and a home away from home for all of our Wiz-fam. When you need a friend or a soft place to land, we are here, wands ready, Feints in hand.
Join us all month long as we celebrate friends, celebrate family, and celebrate Pride. Be proud of who you are. Join our Discord server to get involved with the community and participate in events and giveaways. Every Wizard is welcome whoever, however, and wherever they are.
Over the Rainbow Contest
In honor of PRIDE 2021, we invite you to join us in acknowledging the hardships the LGBTQIA community has overcome that brought us to where we are today. To be free to celebrate life with our community and be PROUD of who we are.
The Ravenwood Community stands for positivity, inclusion, and support. It is our goal to create a haven for every Wizard. A place to feel welcome. A place for everyone to express themselves without fear. We are PROUD supporters, and we are proud to present this month’s Over the Rainbow Contest.
We want you to use your imagination to create a PRIDE-themed in-game item. It could be a housing item, a teleport effect, a mount, or even a spell. If you can dream it, you can enter it in our 2021 Pride contest.
Please post your entry in the Ravenwood Community Discord contest channel, our official Ravenwood Community Facebook Group, or by tagging @RW_Academy101 on Twitter. One entry per person, multiple entries will be disqualified.
The contest closes on June 30th. Winners will be announced by July 7th. The Ravenwood Community Staff team will choose the winners by vote, and the winners will receive:
First place: Fantastic Fairytale Bundle and a Large Housing Rainbow
Second place: 5000 Crowns and a Majestic Unicorn Mount
Third place: A Majestic Unicorn Mount
Every qualified entry will be entered into a separate drawing for a Rainbow Teleport effect!
We can’t wait to slide down the rainbow and see all of your Pride2021 dreams for the Spiral come alive.
Congrats to the winners!
First Place
First place goes to La Vie En Rose#9574. Check out their thoughtful twist on the classic Charmers Mystical Flute here!!
Second Place
Second place goes to Scion of house Cringe#4758 for their creative and colorful Pride Bundle!
Third Place
Third place goes to Kyle Storm for their unique spell ideas!!
There were so many amazing entries that we had a hard time choosing! Every one of the entries was full of heart and creativity. You can see them at our Community Discord here. Thanks to our generous sponsors at KingsIsle, instead of one runner-up drawing, every runner-up that did not win an official prize will receive a Rainbow Teleport Effect!
Thank you to everyone that entered for helping to make our community a beautiful, colorful, kind place to be, and thanks for being part of Ravenwood Community.
Home Sweet Home Contest
With Spring comes new beginnings, sunshine, flowers, warmer days, and a fresh start. Speaking of a fresh start… pack up the moving truck! This Spring, Ravenwood Academy’s contest is all about Housing.
We want you to use your decoration imagination. Tell us about one potential furniture item you would like to see from anywhere in the Spiral, take a screenshot and post it in our Official Channel to enter!
Please post your entry in the Ravenwood Community Discord, our official Ravenwood Community Facebook Group, or by tagging @RW_Academy101 on Twitter. One entry per person, dual entries will be disqualified.
This contest closes on May 17th, 2021, and winners will be announced by May 31st. Winners will be chosen by vote of the Ravenwood Community Staff and will receive:
First Place: A Heavenly Palace Bundle and a Charmers Mystical Flute
Second Place: A Doomsday Krok Gauntlet and a Charmers Mystical Flute
Third Place: An Empyrean Airship and a Charmers Mystical Flute
All qualifying entries will be posted in the Ravenwood Community Contest Channel and entered into a random drawing for 5000 Crowns
What will you find to put in your Home Sweet Home?
If you have any questions, please reach out to any Ravenwood Community Staff member.
FAQ
– Entries must be from any public area of the Spiral. Screenshots cannot come from any area already considered housing or include any current housing items.
– Wallpaper, paintings, trees, potted plants, or any other item that might be considered housing or decoration will qualify you for entry.
Congrats Winners!!!
Thank you to everyone that participated in the contest. Check out the winning entries below and let us know what you think. If you are a winner, I will contact you soon with your prize. We are so glad you made Ravenwood Academy part of your Home Sweet Home!
1st Place Faelle#4079
For me, the answer came without a doubt. I invite you all to take a moment and enter my humble home.
Remove all distractions, turn the music on without the other sounds, and close your eyes. This music you are listening to, so mystic and ethereal, is what I image being the real song of creation, what is keeping the spiral together. I could listen to it as a meditative guide. Nature is where I am at peace, and this place is built around it, and not against it. The schools are both protected by Bartleby, and their architecture makes them feel like part of the decor, like they always belonged there. Ravenwood feels vast, only cluttered by foliage, vines and elemental effects, which is my perfect aesthetic. You can almost feel the warmth of the soft sunbeams peaking through the canopy.
If I could visit a place in the spiral, it would undoubtedly be Ravenwood.
2nd place Dragonkiller258#0265
Located in Maulwurf von Trap’s Musicology Office at the Arcanum, the music note lights would make a great addition to any music enthusiast’s house!
3rd place QueenAttitude50#7154
The Wild in Avalon has to be my special place as it reminds me of special times I had with my step dad growing up. I absolutely loved all of Avalon but The Wild was my favorite. If I’m ever having a bad day, I come here in game. I love the toadstool houses, I enjoy mushroom hunting in real life and I went with my stepdad growing up, it was a time I will always remember. So the mushrooms feel like home to me because it reminds me of those times. Sometimes we need to just stop and smell the roses, in the crazy hectic lives we live. I come here and just pause the outside world and stay here for a little while. Being outside, I love the open area here.
Random Drawing Winner Pinkified#2478
2021 Spell Audit Showcase
This Spring, Wizard101 is bringing quality of life changes to the Spiral. Check out the updated all-one-enemy spells from the Spring 2021 Test Realm. Watch as Ravenwood Academy showcases the changes to: Sandstorm, Ra, Deer Knight, Scarecrow, Meteor Strike, Fire Dragon, Rain of Fire, Blizzard, Frost Giant, Forest Lord, Rebirth, Humongofrog, Orthrus, Mystic Colossus, Tempest, Storm Lord, and Sirens.
What do you think of the changes? Love ’em or hate ’em, let us know what you think at the Test Realm discussion on Discord, or in the comments below.
The Great Potato Takeover
This April Fools Day 2021, KingsIsle and Wizard101 delighted the Spiral with a mount to be remembered. The new Couch Potato.
Wizards of every school and level came together to celebrate The Great Potato Takeover all weekend long. Potato parties continue to sprout up all over the Spiral. Baked, mashed, or fried, we advise you to join the spud side before this epic mount leaves (maybe forever) on April 29th, 2021.
These photos were taken at the scene, submit your photos of the event directly on Social media or by emailing [email protected]. This page will be updated as coverage continues all weekend at Ravenwood Academy.
Meet Angelica Windspar
A sister joins the team!
We have an exciting addition to the Housing Tours office! Angelica Windspar has decided to join her sisters Myrella and Eliza. I do believe that “everything housing” is their family motto. I wish they’d offer stock options, as they do booming business! Angelica’s a crafty cat and brings some fabulous new recipes for our crafting pleasure. Attractive and functional, I’m sure you will enjoy their uses.
Angelicas Recipe Book
Angelica was kind enough to let me peek in her crafting recipe book. Here are the beautiful things I saw that she brought to Housing Tours. Useful housing items, invisible housing blocks, and even a new apartment! She has an exciting variety of new treasures to suit any Wizard.
So without further ado, let’s check out what she has to offer!
As with some other crafting recipes, there are badges you must get to buy the recipe. You can earn the badges by visiting and voting on different castles. Here are the ones I have found :
Castle Tourist-Vote on 10 castles
Castle Auditor-Vote on 100 castles
Castle Inspector-(Vote on 1000 castles?)
Castle Assessor-Unknown
All the new recipes need reagents that can be easily acquired except for one. In this update, a new reagent was introduced; they’re called “Blueprint Tokens.” One known way of getting them is through The Spiral Scene housing tours event. KI has also mentioned they may become available from other sources in the future, like the Scroll of Fortune.
Babbage Basset
No more running to Marleybone for your Castle Magic needs. You can craft your very own Babbage Basset to have in your castle. Very convenient, to say the least!
6 new banks
A great time-saver is the new bank item that you can place anywhere in your castle, for your convenience. With six versions available, I’m sure you will find one to suit your style.
New housing blocks
Angelica has something special for all the housing fanatics. Recipes for invisible housing blocks! As a fanatic myself, I can think of some fantastic and incredible ways to use them.
I can’t wait to see what you all create with them!
Spiral Door
If you have ever wished you could have a Spiral Door elsewhere in your castle, your wishes have been granted. Craft this and place it wherever your heart desires.
I’ll definitely be placing them all around my castles.
a new apartment!
Woohoo! Looky here! Last but not least, we have a new craftable apartment!
Your fabulous new apartment will be located across from the Fairegrounds in the Commons. What a lively place for a home! It’s the same basic style as the craftable one from Derrick Blaze at the Team-Up Kiosk. This recipe calls for A LOT of Blueprint Tokens, so I sure do hope they aren’t too hard to get. With such a great location, though, it will be well worth the effort.
Thanks for Reading!
Well, there you have it. All the new recipes are available at the Housing Tours office in the Commons. I think they are a great addition to the game. You can bet I’ll be utilizing most if not all of them. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Will you be crafting them? Have you thought of a clever use for a new item? Let us know in the comments below or the housing channel at Ravenwood Community! See you there.
Contest Winners
The winners of our December contests have been announced! Congrats to the following amazing members of the Ravenwood Community!
Winter Stitch
Magical Coloring
Thank you so much for all the amazing entries. They were a joy to see all Winter long. Follow the links to see many more entries in the Community. I wish I could give prizes to them all. You guys are amazing. If you are a winner, watch your Pm’s and Dm’s for a message from me soon. Please keep your eyes on our social media channels for our next community contest or giveaway, and thanks for being part of the Ravenwood Community.
Critical Changes Explained
The New Critcal System Explained
Hello Wizards, Nathan Shadowbringer, and Scot Moonshade here! We’re going to explain the recent changes to Critical and Block. Today’s article will revisit the previous age’s Critical and delve into the new system. We will examine the formulas to calculate your Critical Chance and damage multiplier. Critical has undergone a lot of change in recent years, and this update brings a new era of Critical! Critical and Block were once a percentage-point based system. Now it’s changed to a dynamic framework involving both Critical and Block.
Disclaimer!
Before we begin, we need to make a quick disclaimer. According to Ratbeard’s Karamelle PvP Update #2, Critical in PvP is not calculated the same as in PvE. The formulas we used do not work for calculating Critical or Block in PVP. All the information below applies to PVE only. With that said, let’s get started!
Old Versus New
Before the 2020 Fall Update, Critical was well… more critical. There was a chance to critical and a chance to block—the Critical stat based itself on how high your rating was in the respective category. Landing a Critical would ensure that your attack would do twice the damage (or 1.33 times damage in PvP). The problem with the old system was that achieving a high Critical Rating was easier than Block. It was making Block obsolete compared to Critical. With the new changes, it’s more balanced.
The following variables represent the corresponding data sets:
c = Critical rating
b = Block rating
l = Level / 100, where l ≤ 1.
The changes to Critical involve two new formulas. Both equations depend on the attacker’s Critical and the defender’s Block. The first formula determines your Critical chance. Note that Critical chance and Block chance must always add to 100%. For example, if you have a Critical chance of 90%, your opponent would still have a 10% chance to Block.
If your attack doesn’t Critical, or if the enemy blocks, the calculation ends there. In this scenario, the second formula isn’t necessary. But, if you do land a Critical hit, then the second equation runs. This determines the Critical Multiplier. This formula relies on the attacker’s Critical and the defender’s Block. Further examples are available in KI Developer Ratbeard’s Dev Diary.
Critical heals also use the Critical Chance formula. But they’re based on your Critical Rating and the Block of the person you are healing. The only difference is, they cannot Block a heal but instead can “resist.” The higher your Block, the less you’ll get from a critical heal. Fortunately, the schools that have more Block also tend to lean towards a tank-type playstyle. Tank builds have more Health and Resistance, so they can afford to lose some of that incoming healing from the Critical. Regardless, the amount of extra healing uses the same critical multiplier formula. Remember, it’s still impossible to block a critical heal!
Spell Alterations
Another important note to these changes is the way Vengeance and Conviction work. Vengeance is an Astral spell that increases your Critical chance by 20% for four rounds. This bonus only affects your chance to Critical. It doesn’t affect the enemy’s Block or your damage multiplier. Conviction increases your stun resistance by 90% and Block chance by 20% for four rounds. This 20% increase only affects the possibility to block a Critical. It doesn’t affect the enemy’s chance to critical, nor does it lower the multiplier.
Charts and Calculations
There are a few basic formulas that can roughly estimate Critical and Block ratings. These formulas are interchangeable, and most involve moving numbers and variables around. The following equation presented removes the need for complex fractions. Here are two general procedures for determining Critical chance:
Much like the Critical percentage formula, the damage ratio also follows a function. In this case, the damage multiplier is equal to 2 – 3 * Block / (Critical + 3 * Block). See the formula below.
Here is an estimate of your Critical Chance against mobs with ninety block (blue) and two hundred-forty block (red). The green line at the top represents the Critical Chance soft cap at ninety-five percent.
Using these formulas, you can now find optimal Critical numbers for mobs and bosses. Karamelle mobs have around 90 Block while Karamelle bosses have at most 240 Block. Except for the final boss, it would seem.
What Does this Mean?
It’s important to remember that everything we’ve shown you is subject to change. Critical and Block in PvP are calculated differently than PvE.
Using these numbers, you can find your optimal amount of Critical; 570 Critical will get you up to 95% Critical against most mobs. Using the formula for Critical Multiplier, we suggest 630 Critical as a good general goal. This way, against monsters with 90 Block, you’ll Critical 95% of the time and get a 1.7 multiplier against them.
As we enter the “Third-Age” of Critical, there’s potential for more diverse character builds. An example of this could be full-damage pets as opposed to pets that have Critical and damage. These changes also give new life to the may-cast Vengeance talent. This update creates better balance and a more dynamic flow between Critical and Block, allowing players to customize stats to their unique play-style. Thanks for reading; we hope this helps you understand the changes and how they affect your Wizard. If you have questions, you can always find us around the community. That’s all for now, until next time, we’ll see you in the Spiral.
-Nathan Shadowbringer & Scot Moonshade
Pet Trainer Bundle
Burrow your way to adventure with the fantastic Pet Trainer Bundle for Wizard101! This excellent addition to the Spiral brings you a faithful companion and gear to help you on your adventures! For $29.00 at Gamestop, you get a fantastic gear set, speedy mount, cute pet, and some unique housing items!
The Pet Trainer Bundle includes:
– Pet Burrow Teleporter
– Pet Door Teleporter
– Fur Wheeler Mount
– Pup Prodigy Pet
– Pet Trainer Attire
– Pawzooka Weapon
– One Month of Wizard101 Membership or 5000 Crowns
Doors & Burrows
Exclusive to this new bundle are the Pet Burrows and Pet Door teleporters. These special teleporters add more ways to play as your pet, allowing you to travel anywhere your little heart desires! Wizards are too big to fit! You’ll have to become one with your furry friend to venture through!
The Burrow will blend in with the nature outside of your castle, meanwhile, the door compliments any home interior. These teleporters are only usable while playing as your pet and are too small for Wizards to fit. Once you’re at home, set up the Teleporter while decorating your house. When chosen, a circle will appear that you’ll have to place; this is where you’ll get teleported to. After you’ve selected the location, you may choose the Teleporter again and place it.
With these teleporters, you can open up new possibilities for one-of-a-kind party games with your pets. You can create discrete hidden entrances to your other castles or secret passages to the best hiding places for Hide-and-Seek. They also make a great addition to any maze!
Hamster Power!
Next up, we’re going to take a look at one of the cutest mounts, the Fur Wheeler! Horse power is a thing of the past, because this new mount is full of energy. Why? It’s powered by none other than the Ravenwood Hamster! This mount will have you zooming around the Spiral with its +40% speed. All your friends are going to be jealous when they see you doing wheelies and tricks on this board.
A Wizard's Best Friend
You also get a furry and faithful companion with this bundle! The Pup Prodigy Pet will be by your side through everything Wizard101 has to offer. Equipped with his glasses and a calculator, this is one smart pup. He’s a Balance School pet, equipped with an Accurate spell card as a baby. So you’ll never miss that dire hit to save your tail.
First-generation Pup Prodigies have a Pedigree Score of fifty-six and the following stats:
- Strength: 210
- Intellect: 240
- Agility: 210
- Will: 190
- Power: 200
First-generation talents can include; Big Energy, which pairs with the Bundle’s gear set. Lively, that will increase Incoming Healing, an excellent thing for any maycast pet. Next, there’s Balance Assailant, granting a bonus to your Balance Critical Rating. Finally, there’s May Cast Balance Blade, which gives your pet a chance to help you by casting a universal blade. These are only a select few talents this pet can get.
Once you train this prodigy to Adult, you also gain another card: Disarm. This card removes one positive charm from your opponent. This pet lends itself well to expanding your energy reserves given its base Talent pool. Making the Pup Prodigy an excellent choice to take Fishing or Gardening. This pet would also make a decent Support pet or May Cast Heal pet.
Got to Train 'Em All
Moving on, we have the Pet Trainer Gear. This is by far the best energy set you can get in the game and the best part? You don’t have to struggle opening tons of packs for it! This outfit is ready for anything with all the tools needed to train your magical menagerie. You’ll definitely want this outfit the next time you’re at the Pet Pavilion. But why stop there? With all the Energy this outfit grants, you’ll have no problem tending your garden or going fishing!
The higher tiers of this outfit also offer a variety of Animus extraction cards. So this set may come in handy if you’re out gathering Animus!
This set provides the same amount of Energy as the Yule Logger Gear, and Light Elf sets. Both are heralded as the best Energy gear sets you can get, but they’re also seasonal items. Which means the there’s a limited window to get them each year. The beauty of the Pet Trainer Attire is that it’s guaranteed. Meaning you won’t have to spend countless Crowns opening packs or wait an entire year to get the best Energy set.
When it comes to this bundle’s style, I must say I’m impressed with the look. The Pawzooka is one of the more unique looking wands in the game. With a crosshair for insane accuracy and extra tennis balls, you’ll always be ready to play fetch.
The stats aren’t particularly glorious, as this set focuses on Energy. The lowest tier has 2% damage, a nice boost for first level wizards. The max tier option has 3% Peirce, +85 Critical, 8% damage, and 245 pip conversion. Not the ideal choice for combat at high levels, but the gear makes up for it with its fabulous look.