2021 Spell Audit Showcase

Posted on April 6, 2021April 6, 2021 by Ravynlea

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.

Pip Wizardry 2020

Posted on July 22, 2020November 4, 2020 by Ravenwood Community Guest Author

Pip Wizardry 2020!

Hello Wizards, this is Nathan Shadowbringer here to help you calculate the actual damage of spells per pip!

This article will be updated if spell changes happen down the line. Eventually, I plan for this list to include even Loremaster and crafted spells.

We will start with the highest Pip spells, and works our way down to the lowest ones. You will notice some of the spells are not a whole number. Why is that, you ask? Currently, Shadow-enhanced spells that use Shadow and standard Pips – have been changing. In the summer 2020 Test Realm, KI has confirmed that one Shadow Pip now equals 3.6 pips. This number is subject to change.

Before the 2020 Summer Update, Shadow enhanced spells had severe damage compared to non-shadow-enhanced spells. These spells went through changes to balance them. Shadow Pips previously never had an absolute value, but now they do thanks to the new spell changes! They are still powerful, but now within reason to normal spells of a similar rank.

Calculating Damage Per Pip

First, if the spell has a damage range, we must find the average damage. For example, let’s take the spell Storm Owl. Storm Owl is a ten Pip spell, that can do anywhere between 1330 – 1470 damage. Which, on average, is about 1400. I would divide 1400 by 10 to get the spell’s loss per Pip or DPP. Storm Owl would come out to be 140 DPP.

This can be represented by the formula: (damage)/(x-y).

Here you would take the spell’s average damage (based upon the values on the card), and divide it by the difference of its Pip cost (represented by the letter x) and its utility Pip cost (represented by the letter y) which we’ll get to in a moment.

So the math for Storm Owl would look like this:

(damage)/(x-y)

(1400)/(10-0)

1400/10

= 140

It seems simple, right? Not always. To get a spell’s true DPP, we have to factor in Pip reductions, and damage multipliers.

What Are Pip Reductions?

A Pip reduction is something factored into a spell’s DPP calculation. These reductions happen when a spell has an added effect or utility attached to it. When calculating DPP, some Pips may get subtracted.

For example, one type of Pip reduction is the scion condition. Scion spells cost 11 pips, and do x2 damage if a particular condition is met depending on the spell. Because Scion spells can do x2 damage, reducing their initial damage. Their base damage is around the damage of a ten Pip spell. See where I’m going with this?

The Scion Condition results in -1 Pip when calculating damage per pip. Yet, the Scion condition is not the only Pip reduction. There are, in fact, many more.

Types of Pip Reduction

The following list contains the types of Pip reductions along with how many Pips they reduce.

Special: 10% Pierce blade: -0 Pips
Rusulka’s Wrath blade/weakness: -0.5 Pips
800 Absorb: -1 Pip
Disarm: -1 Pip
Guiding Light: -1 Pip
Infection: -1 Pip
Pierce: -1 Pip
Remove 2 pips: -1 Pip
Scion Condition: -1 Pip
Steal 1 pip: -1 Pip
Stun: -1 Pip
Summon minion: -1 Pip
Trap: -1 Pip
Tower shield: -1 Pip

Bubble change: -2 Pips
Double Disarm: -2 Pips
Double stun: -2 Pips
Gain 1 pip: -2 Pips
Plague: -2 Pips
Pierce before hit: -2 Pips
Smokescreen (40% accuracy debuff to all enemies): -2 Pips
Spirit Shield + Elemental Shield: -2 Pips
Stun all: -2 Pips
45% Weakness: -2 Pips
AOE 45% Weakness -3 Pips

What This Means

These Pip reductions may NOT all be accurate, because determining the number of Pips a utility takes away is tricky. KI developer Mattnetic has said some utilities may cost less and others more. The issue is finding out which ones. Most pip reductions appear to be -1 one Pip, with AOE utilities such as Plague counting as -2. One for the utility, and one for the AOE effect. However, that still leave some loose ends, so allow me to to tie those up right now.

Because all King Artorius spells to get a 10% Pierce charm, the Pierce charm is not counted as a utility. Thus, every King Artorius spell gets it for free.

Rusalka’s Wrath gives either a 30% storm blade or a 30% Storm Weakness to the caster. Considering it has a chance to positively and negatively affect the caster, it was given 0.5 pips instead of 1.

Because the typical bubble would cost two pips, the Pip reduction is counted as two Pips.

Calculating the Pip reduction for an 800 Absorb was difficult. The actual Absorb spell is three pips for a 400 Absorb; therefore, wouldn’t it be counted as six Pips for an 800 Absorb? If so, then the DPP of Hungry Caterpillar would be extremely high. But that wouldn’t be, right? Would it? These things can be quite challenging.

What Are Damage Multipliers?

You factor in a damage multiplier after you calculate a Pip reduction. For example, a standard damage multiplier is an AOE, or area of effect. An AOE spell is when a spell hits all enemies. Let’s take the spell, Glowbug Squall. This spell is an AOE, and it does 940 damage to all enemies. It costs five regular Pips and one shadow Pip. A Shadow Pip currently equals 3.6 Pips; therefore, Glowbug Squall would be 8.6 Pips in total.

AOE spells have their damage multiplied by 0.75, or 3/4. To account for this spell being an AOE, we get the inverse of 3/4 and multiply by 4/3. Instead of dividing 940 by 8.6, we would multiply 940 by 4/3 first to get 1253.3. Now, we divide by 8.6. Finally, this makes the DPP of the spell Glowbug Squall 145.7.

Calculating Drain DPP

Calculating the damage multiplier for drains was difficult. Thanks to the new spell, Ship of Fools, we can now figure it. Ship of Fools has two routes you can go and upgrade using spellements. One is damage, and the other is a drain.

We can now accurately compare drain damage to typical damage. For example, the final tier of Ship of Fools. We found drains to suffer a 0.88% damage dropoff compared to pure damage. The final drain tier for Ship of Fools deals 330 damage. The final pure damage tier for ship of fools deals 375 damage. 330/375 is 22/25, 0.88, or 88%.

This rate stays consistent for each upgrade of Ship of Fools. Therefore, before we calculate a drain spell’s DPP, we have to multiply its damage by the inverse of 22/25, which would be 25/22, to find the true DPP.

Calculating DOT DPP

One more type of damage multiplier is “damage over time” or DOT. These spells have initial damage, and then the damage dealt over three rounds. Because this damage takes longer to deal, the damage is 25% higher than the average spell—DOT’s damage multiplies by 1.25. So, to find DPP of spells with DOT’s divide by 1.25 to get the final DPP value.

X rank spells like Tempest and Snowball Barrage are not affected by the AOE multiplier. Because they already have their damage per Pip value listed on the card.

What do the Devs say?

The first chart here is from Ratbeard’s Dev Dairy, it shows the individual base DPP for each school of magic. In addition to the new and old DPP for each school’s Shadow-enhanced spells.

With the damage per pip chart below, you will start to notice things with some spells above rank 7. The damage per pip curve caps off at eight Pips. It does not increase further. To account for this, rank eight spells and above get utility for cheaper then what a rank seven or lower would. They get these utilities at a 50% discount, compared to a rank seven or below spell.

There is one utility that does not get this discount, the Scion Condition, which remains at -1 Pip, not -0.5. The discounted utilities are bolded on the chart.

Another thing to note is rank seven spells DO NOT get penalized for being an AOE. They are purposefully over the damage curve. None of the things mentioned above apply to Shadow enhanced spells.

Formulas: (x = number of Pips and y = utility Pip cost)

AOE: [(damage)(4/3)] / (x – y)

DOT: [(damage)(0.8)] / (x – y)

Drain: [(damage)(25/22)] / (x – y)

If you’re interested in learning more about DPP you can check out Ratbeard’s Dev Dairy on the subject with this link! https://www.wizard101.com/game/dev-diary/spell-balance-audit

Final Notes

Moving forward the it’s important to keep this information in mind:

One Shadow Pip equals 3.6 pips
Storm base DPP is 125
Fire base DPP is 100
Myth base DPP is 90
Death and Balance base DPP is 85
Life and Ice base DPP is 83
DOTs have a damage multiplier of 1.25
Rank 7 spells are intentionally above the curve in DPP (no x4/3 AOE multiplier when calculating DPP)
DPP scales slowly as spells start to cost more Pips
Shadow enhanced spells have a higher DPP compared to regular spells.

We hope this article helps you to understand the logic behind the recent changes to the game and how they will help balance things going forward. Personally, I am excited to see what new spells will be possible now.

Thanks For Reading!

Special thanks to Shawn Fire and Dustin from the Ravenwood Community Discord for assisting me in the many calculations throughout this article. I would also like to thank KI developer Ratbeard for responding to my questions about DPP so quickly, he was extremely helpful! And, thank all of you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did writing it. If you did, please check out the other guides and information Ravenwood Academy has to offer. Let us know what you think and what your calculations find in the comments below, or at the Ravenwood Community!!

Castle Magic Update!

Posted on November 4, 2019November 5, 2019 by Sarai Willowbreeze

If you are an absolute nut about Castle Magic, you will be delighted with the new spells that KI has added! Each of the 7 schools have new “Effect” spells available. Some of the most loved spells in the game will be available when Test Realm goes live. No shadow spells at this time, (dad-gummit), but we can always hope for the next update. There is even 3 new “Utility” spells, one of which allows you to basically turn-off access to your PvP ring in your castle, if there is one.

So without further ado, *drum roll please*, let’s take a look at what is being introduced!

New Utility and Action spells

We’ll start off with the first “Utility” spell that is being added. If you have a PvP Ring in your castle, it effectively “turns off” access to it. I could see this being useful for those large parties we like to have, helping to keep your party organized and on schedule. Just as you can control when a housing game is played, you can now control when PvP is activated.

The last one, is a wonderful addition to Utility spells. This one will allow you to make something that appears solid, more ghostly. Whether it’s a housing item, a pet, or a monstrology creature, you will be able to give it a shadowy appearance.

The second one we have, allows us to change the appearance of an item from shadowy, to solid. This will come in handy for the DS monstrology creatures that are ghostly looking. You can now give them a more solid look.

Next we’ll will take a look at the only “Action” spell that is being added. This one allows you to use castle magic to port all visitors in your castle to one spot. I could see a lot of fun being had with this one! When activated you could port everyone to a tricky place, or simply somewhere crazy.

Effect Spells by School

Each of the 7 original schools have new spells being added. They are the higher level spells that can be found in most level 130 decks. Some are rare spells normally found in packs and by farming Loremaster. Each one of them will create your favorite spell in your castle! I’ll break them down school by school for you here.

Balance

Gaze of Fate
Loremaster
Nested Fury
Samoorai
Savage Paw

Death

Call of Khrulhu
Deer Knight Attack
Headless Horseman
Winged Sorrow

Fire

Brimstone Revenant
Burning Rampage
Fire from Above
Krampus
Raging Bull

Ice

Abominable Weaver
Angry Snowpig
Handsome Fomori
Snowball Barrage
Snowball Strike
Winter Moon

Life

Goat Monk
Hungry Caterpillar
Luminous Weaver
Pigsie
Sacred Charge
Wings of Fate

Myth

Athena Battle Sight
Keeper of the Flame
Mystic Colossus
Ninja Pigs
Witches House Call

Storm

Catalan Attack
Catch of the Day
Glowbug Squall
Queen Calypso
Rusalka’s Wrath

For those of you just getting started with Castle Magic here are some great tutorials, by Mofodo, to get you on your way.

Conclusion

So there you have it! All the fabulous new additons to Castle Magic spells. I’m very excited for it to be released live and can’t wait to bring these spells to my castles. I already have some great ideas for Headless Horseman and Krampus! Are you excited for the new spells? Let me know in the comments!

I cannot wait to see how all you wonderfully creative Wizards use them!

Test Realm is Here!

Posted on July 11, 2019October 27, 2019 by Sarai Willowbreeze

Here we are again, time for one of the most exciting “events” of the year! That’s right, test realm has gone live! This is our time, as members, to see what is coming up in the Spiral and be a part of bringing the updates to live realm. With our help, KI can polish up a new addition to the Spiral. If you’ve never tried test realm, I highly recommend you download it and give it a try!

You can download it here:

https://www.wizard101.com/game/game-preview

Wizard City revamp is complete!

The last remaining part of Wizard City to be renovated was Crab Alley. Well, with this test realm, they have finished it! It still follows the lead from Triton Avenue in regards to “storminess”, but has a much deeper and richer texture than ever before. As with the rest of Wizard City, the creatures are more enhanced with better details. Well done KI! This entire revamping has been an amazing additon to the game.

Npc's have moved

The Photomancy advisor, Annie Shutterbug, is no longer hanging out by the Library. She can now be found in Golem Court, where our next NPC used to be.

The Registrar, Mr Lincoln will now be located in Ravenwood. Quite appropriate as you will see next in this article.

New NPC

We now have a Resident Advisor for new incoming wizards, named Abby K. Doodle. She’s a wonderful young lady that escorts you around Wizard City, introducing you to the many fun activities available to enjoy. She also makes sure to introduce you to the main NPC’s you need to know of. This is a wonderful addition that will definitely make things easier for new Wizards.

We meet Abby K. Doodle in Merle Ambroses office, and she invites us to come along with her on a tour of Wizard City. We start in the Commons, where we are introduced to Lucky Hookline, Zeke, and Eloise Merryweather. They, in turn, explain what they have to offer for game play.

After that, she takes us to Golem Court, where we meet Annie Shutterbug and Farley and find out what ways they can help us on our journey.

She doesn’t stop there, though. Next, we head on over to the Shopping District, where Abby tells us about all of the different shops there and the types of items they carry. We, at last, end up in Olde Town where we learn about the Bazaar and meet Elik Silverfist. Eudora Tangletree says hello as well, and introduces you to the idea of crafting in Wizard101.

Wizards will receive a badge for going on the tour with her, but it is currently un-named in test realm as of publish.

Meeting the Professors

Another great change for new Wizards is the way you get to meet the Professors for the first time. After completing Unicorn Way, Merle Ambrose sends you to Mr. Lincoln at Ravenwood to register. Surprise, surprise, all the Professors are right there! They stand together to welcome you to the Spiral. They take turns introducing themselves, then your school Professor teleports you to the school. Cool, huh?!

So much easier than having to run to each school to meet them!

Harold Argleston

Harold Argleston, the Librarian, has added some extra spells to his inventory. No, sorry, not new spells, but ones that can be hard to find. The cards that have been added are: Balance Blade, Nature’s Wrath, Sandstorm, Blizzard, Stormzilla, Hex, and each school’s Traps.

Woohoo for the Balance Blades and Hex!

Quick Sell Changes

They have changed up the Quick Sell process and you can now sell your pets and crown items for gold! I love this, as I dislike having to just trash items or pets that I do not want or need when I don’t have the time to go all the way to the Shopping District to sell them. The Quick Sell button has moved and is now located on the lower left hand side of your tome. Because of the ability to actually sell a Crowns item, they have implemented an extra “Are you sure you want to sell these items”, verification. This helps us to make sure we aren’t accidentally selling something we truly want or need.

One last little thing, before finishing this off. I noticed while starting off with a new Wizard, that there was a new healing spell attached to the wand that Merle Ambrose gave me. I personally have never seen it before. It was called “Heartbeat”. A 1 pip spell that delivers 245 health. I do not know whether it is a new spell they are adding in but it seems that way.

That concludes this walk through of the new updates coming that are on Test Realm right now. What do you think of the new changes? Let us know your thoughts on these fabulous changes coming to Wizard 101!