This post is written by Mat, our gameplay designer. Hey! Its time for a new major patch, and with it, some new toys for you to play with! When we were planning on what to do during Early Access, we knew that we had to focus a lot on replayability. New alternate maps, new enemies, new skills and new heroes! With the addition of passives, picking the correct hero for your playstyle is an important part of The Hand of Merlin experience. For that reason, were proud to present our newest addition to the hero roster:
Our new warrior is Tariq al-Ash'ab, a berber mercenary. Tariq embodies fancy footwork, and with his Bladedancer passive, he becomes stronger for each nearby enemy. He carries the Cleave ability for a similar purpose, and even sports decent speed and evasion. With some healing support or access to good armor, he can be one of the heaviest hitters in your warband!
For the new ranger, we bring you Alain the White, a mysterious prince. A decent speed and even some evasion, Alain attempts to be a more utility-oriented ranger, with his Fey passive punishing enemies that miss, and the new Decoy skill, that summons an inanimate target to draw enemy fire.
Finally, Isabel de Orreaga is our new mystic. This tough hermit carries heavier defensive attributes than most of her class, and sports the Campaign Surgeon passive, which makes every healing also come with a few stacks of the Keen status effect, increasing the damage of the next attack. To capitalize on that, she has the new Blight ability, an alternative way of healing. When targeting a foe with this ability, all your allies that damage the target are healed for a bit of armor. Each new hero is an attempt to expand what it means to increase each classs design space and with it, offer new ways to approach character building. Utility rangers, tanky mystics and warriors that dont need to circle the battlefield too much, all with new abilities and passives to play with. And dont worry: even though Tariq is using an old one, we added the Berserkers Rage ability to the Warriors Pool. A single-target version of Warcry that grows as you deal damage, it will do wonders to validate AoE-oriented builds with Cleave, Charge, and Slam. Let us know what you think of the new heroes, and which powerful builds you can come up with in our Discord server! Mat

[ 2021-07-28 11:02:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Hand of Merlin is a turn-based rogue-lite RPG in which Arthurian legend clashes with cosmic horror. Recruit a company of up to three mortal heroes and guide them in spirit on a desperate journey from Albion to Jerusalem. Explore a richly-imagined medieval setting on the brink of apocalypse. Trade with merchants, improve your heroes and unearth ancient relics. Search for the lost fragments of your soul, scattered across the multiverse - and save as many worlds as you can.


Enjoy a compelling story inspired by Arthurian legend, the Matter of France, and the history of Al-Andalus - with an unusual twist. Make choices in interactive encounters that change every time you play. Written by Jonas Kyratzes (The Talos Principle, Serious Sam 4) and Verena Kyratzes (The Lands of Dream, Serious Sam 4).


Master the tactics of squad-based and turn-based combat to conquer both human and demonic foes. Your enemies will be tough and ruthless; make use of cover, set up ambushes and coordinated attacks, harness synergies between different Hero classes and skills.




Carve a path across the lands of Albion, Marca Hispanica and Al-Andalus. Will you take a dangerous route, risking life and limb in pursuit of a legendary relic? Or will you choose a safer path? Plan and prepare. Negotiate, barter, fight. Tackle challenges. Suffer losses. Recruit new Heroes. Earn Gold, Supplies and Renown. Be careful: your choices are permanent, as is death. But don't tarry - evil never rests.


Use Renown to level up your Heroes, and choose between a randomized set of new skills or improved attributes. But choose wisely! Select skills with great synergy and balance your party for the road ahead.




As you jump from one parallel dimension to the next, history is reshaped. Different kings rule the land, changing the encounters, characters, and events. No two worlds are ever quite the same, and each journey will be unique. And should your heroes fall, remember: defeat is not the end, only a new beginning.


Seek out towns to improve your arms and armor, or stumble upon hermit artisans in the wild. With every day that passes, the world plunges deeper into darkness, and you will need all the equipment gold can buy.


From a peasant's humble luck charm to the legendary sword wielded by Arthur himself, items imbued with magical power are scattered about the world. Some you will be able to purchase from merchants and collectors, but others will have to be earned through acts of heroism - or displays of wit.



Rain thunder and brimstone upon your foes! Seek out and gather Soulstones to restore your power and unlock new Spells. Even if defeated, your spirit will retain all of your collected arcane knowledge as you jump into the next dimension.


There are as many worlds as there are stars in the sky. In each stands Camelot; in each there is a Grail. But there is only one Merlin, and his eternal burden is to stand against the horror from beyond. Each world that is saved is saved forever; each world that is lost is lost for good.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/600610/The_Hand_of_Merlin/