This post is written by Mia, our gameplay designer. Hello there! Two weeks ago we mentioned there will be some new abilities coming to The Hand of Merlin, today wed like to tell you a little more about them! There are at least a dozen new abilities (not counting the upgraded versions) coming to the game, warriors gaining the most since they needed a few more abilities in their pool to match the Rangers and Mystics. These warrior abilities which were missing will be readily available in the ability pool right away, the other abilities however will need to be unlocked! By saving worlds (winning) youll begin to unlock new relics and new abilities. This will allow further exploration of combinations and synergies, different builds and strategies. For every hero that survives the final battle, youll have a 66% chance of unlocking a new skill for their role, the other 33% is getting a new relic unlock. Should you for example already have all the mystic skills unlocked, instead youll have a guaranteed relic unlock (unless youve already unlocked everything, that is). You can unlock abilities on any difficulty, so if you'll be in a hurry Easy Mode is an option as well. All of this is susceptible to change if we see that its not as rewarding as we thought it would be. Some of these unlockable abilities are: Warrior - Hook Disrupt and pull your enemies to your warrior. Set up combos with your rangers or drag them through fire. Theres numerous ways to use it, offensively and defensively.
Ranger - Partner Up The new abilities of the rangers play around teamwork, and Partner Up is a great example of this. Designate another hero as your rangers Partner, whenever your Partner is attacked the Ranger will shoot at the attacker in revenge.
Mystic - Incense Most of the new mystic abilities are heavy on support duty. Incense is an aura which applies a debuff to all enemies in its radius, lowering their accuracy and evasion. Thisll help your rangers nail those Quick Draw shots and your warriors to evade attacks. Each upgrade of these abilities adds another function to it, giving you more ways to strategize. Were still ironing out some of the new abilities, as well as having our VFX artist hard at work trying to make them all look good as well. Its a work in progress, but were quite happy with how these new abilities act and interact with each other and the old abilities. If youre curious and want to know more before the update itself is out, feel free to poke up on our Discord server where we might share more. Mia

[ 2022-04-13 11:19:42 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/