Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Release 125 goes live April 25th at 10:30 AM CDT.
Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 125 (R125), we offer days with frog and troll.
For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.
News Announcements
Community Updates
Scottie Recreates His Elegant Wooden Lion Chair
[From a Forum Post by Scott Jones]
Salutations!
I’d meant to post this a bit earlier, but alas life seems to get in the way (honestly, I’ve had my nose pressed onto FAR TOO many different grindstones, and it’s been difficult juggling everything)! But I’ve been wanting to create THIS particular item for quite some time! Back in the days when a lot of local player events were going on in Austin, I was honored to host quite a number of our players at my own humble home! As a result, they were able to get a gander at some of the interesting artifacts that fill my house, and especially some of my favorite relics of furniture, costumery, and other decorations that I’ve always enjoyed taking to SCA encampments and wearing when attending medieval and renaissance fairs both near and far! One type of furniture I have always treasured (and which is often commented upon by guests) is my late medieval-styled, lion-headed, wooden folding chair …of which I was lucky enough to acquire three!
Mine are not true historical artifacts, but instead the result of some really good work (I believe coming out of India, at the time) which was being sold at a place called Pier 1 Imports long, long ago, back in the late 80’s, when I first joined the SCA! You can still find chairs like this being sold from time to time, but CERTAINLY not at the insanely low prices I got mine for when Pier 1 decided they were done carrying them, and sold them all of for the stultifying price of $15 EACH!!!!! The design is based on one of the MANY different styles of these chairs, such as the Sedia Savonarola, which was a late medieval folding chair that originated in Northern Italy and became popular during the 15th and 16th century! Certainly go check out such chairs online to see the plethora of styles that existed!
Read of my work and see the result in my forum post.
Anyway, when all was said and done I was really happy with the outcome, and I’m hoping you enjoyed my little creative journey I took making something for you fine folks that I’ve been wanting to make for quite a while! As always, I’m not exactly sure how the “powers that be” will be making it available to you all, but I do know that it should be coming your way fairly soon! Thanks again for your interest in my endeavors!
Scottie ^_^
Release 125 Patch Notes
Below are a list of the updates that are live as of Release 125 in the game of Shroud of the Avatar! R125 is a content month. Polish, additional improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R126 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 125!
Crafting, Decoration, Gear, & Inventory Item Changes:
Combat & Skill Changes:
User Interface, Store Information, Inky, & Lua Changes:
World and Quest Changes:
Player-Owned Town Changes:
Player-Owned Dungeon and Basement Changes:
Latest News and Q&A in the April Livestream
The post-release Community Livestream is Friday, April 26th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and other members of the development team for a 1-hour community livestream!
To enter the prize drawings, type “leaf April behind” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.
Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4PM CT!
Members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team stream on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the channel on follow for notifications so you can join us right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!
Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over on
Facebook at Войдите на Facebook and on Discord at Join the Shroud of the Avatar Discord Server!.
Sales and Bonus Events
Spring is here and in full bloom! From April 25th through end-of-day May 1st, we celebrate Beltane:
Release 125 Subscriber Login Rewards
Everyone should sit and read to their plants. It’s good for them! Toward that end, the Rewards Program login items for Release 125 are a Nimrond’s Elegant Wooden Lion Chair, a Blank Ornate Street Lamp with Sign, and a set of Sparse Foalfoot Flowering Pavers!
Subscribers to the Rewards Program must log in during Release 125 to receive these special login items.
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
May Login Reward
Cakes and ale for May Day! (Bring your own ale.) Each account that logs in during the month of May will receive a one-time gift of a Mixed-Berry Tort Cake with a Confection Stand.
Crown Store Updates
New in the crown store for today’s release:
The chess and checkers sets below aren’t new, but they now deliver in prepacked bags for easy regifting rather than as a loose assortment of individual pieces.
…and for May 1st:
…and for May 10th:
…and in a patch after release:
The Spring Equinox store items are available until Sunday May 5th:
List of Spring Equinox items:
Although there are not currently enough items to make a whole new category for them, a few St. Patrick’s Day items can be found in other categories (Wearables and Outdoor Decorations) through Monday May 6th:
List of St. Patrick’s Day items:
To celebrate his birthday, the Darkstarr Rares store items will be available through Monday May 27th:
List of Darkstarr items:
The Summer Seasonal store items will be available from Friday May 24th through Monday September 23rd:
List of Summer Seasonal items:
Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!
The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was relaunched.
The Brigade has been up and running and the volunteers (Alley Oop, Echondas, Flair Minamoto, and Justyn) are in a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to clean up the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums.
Every month, a considerable amount of development time will be spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels!
In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Much improvement has been noticed by the development team and we’re so very excited to see the program’s continued success!
The development team would also like to thank all of those who take time to participate in QA Testing Directives. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs can be identified and fixed prior to content going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives.
Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing and bug rewards are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows:
If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, sign up and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravalox in the main Bug/Feedback forums.
Streaming Program
Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar can participate in a program to showcase the game and be rewarded for their efforts. Any Streamer who wishes to be included in the Streaming Program can contact Laney via in-game mail with their Character Name and Twitch Channel information. If you have already signed up for the program in the past, fear not: you’re on the list and you don’t need to reapply.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must adhere to our Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Rules while Streaming Shroud of the Avatar.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must stream at least 10 hours of Shroud of the Avatar ACTIVE game play to remain in the program with reward accrual.
Streamers will receive a one-time digital reward of in-game items after meeting the program’s requirements: Streamer’s Cloak, Streamer’s Camera, and the LIVESTREAMING title.
Rules:
Monthly Streaming Bundles:
On the 1st of each month, qualifying streamers will be eligible to receive 50 Streaming Bundles. Bundles will be sent out to Streamers via in-game mail.
A few things you need to know:
Other Items of Note:
Upcoming Release Dates
Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums. The upcoming 2024 Release Schedule is as follows:
Community Events & Resources
Greetings event holders and event attendees! So many fun and exciting events are available in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to get out there and participate, make some new friends, perhaps make some great emote, recipe, or gear trades, or get some adventuring and role-playing into your mix! Here are spotlighted events or updated community resources that we’ve noticed popping up lately on the official forums.
Recurring Events:
Community Calendars:
Community Event Resources: Here are some fantastic resources for tracking down community events or posting your own events. Become involved! Create! Explore! Make friends! But most of all, have fun!
So many options to stay tuned-in with fellow community members. Please take advantage of all these wonderful options. Happy adventures, Avatars!
Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
Chris Spears’ daughter Maxine has, for a school project, opened a webstore of various items printed with her artwork. Go have a look Inside a Kid’s Mind!
Project to Support: Avatar Relics
Community member Shawn Butts has opened a Shroud of the Avatar merchandise store with Catnip Games’ approval. Visit for pins, mugs, shirts, posters, and more here.
Project to Support: Shard RPG
Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad.
So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG!
Project to Support: Embers Adrift!
Help support one of our team members’ other projects, Embers Adrift! Check out their official trailer here.
Resources: Players Helping Players
The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.
Continue reading...
Release 125 goes live April 25th at 10:30 AM CDT.
Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 125 (R125), we offer days with frog and troll.
For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.
News Announcements
- Scottie Recreates His Elegant Wooden Lion Chair
- Release 125 Patch Notes
- Latest News and Q&A in the April Livestream
- Sales and Bonus Events
- Release 125 Subscriber Login Rewards
- May Login Rewards
- Crown Store Updates
- Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
- Streaming Program
- Upcoming Release Dates
Community Updates
- Community Events & Resources
- Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
- Project to Support: Avatar Relics
- Project to Support: Shard RPG
- Project to Support: Embers Adrift
- Resources: Players Helping Players
Scottie Recreates His Elegant Wooden Lion Chair
[From a Forum Post by Scott Jones]
Salutations!
I’d meant to post this a bit earlier, but alas life seems to get in the way (honestly, I’ve had my nose pressed onto FAR TOO many different grindstones, and it’s been difficult juggling everything)! But I’ve been wanting to create THIS particular item for quite some time! Back in the days when a lot of local player events were going on in Austin, I was honored to host quite a number of our players at my own humble home! As a result, they were able to get a gander at some of the interesting artifacts that fill my house, and especially some of my favorite relics of furniture, costumery, and other decorations that I’ve always enjoyed taking to SCA encampments and wearing when attending medieval and renaissance fairs both near and far! One type of furniture I have always treasured (and which is often commented upon by guests) is my late medieval-styled, lion-headed, wooden folding chair …of which I was lucky enough to acquire three!
Mine are not true historical artifacts, but instead the result of some really good work (I believe coming out of India, at the time) which was being sold at a place called Pier 1 Imports long, long ago, back in the late 80’s, when I first joined the SCA! You can still find chairs like this being sold from time to time, but CERTAINLY not at the insanely low prices I got mine for when Pier 1 decided they were done carrying them, and sold them all of for the stultifying price of $15 EACH!!!!! The design is based on one of the MANY different styles of these chairs, such as the Sedia Savonarola, which was a late medieval folding chair that originated in Northern Italy and became popular during the 15th and 16th century! Certainly go check out such chairs online to see the plethora of styles that existed!
Read of my work and see the result in my forum post.
Anyway, when all was said and done I was really happy with the outcome, and I’m hoping you enjoyed my little creative journey I took making something for you fine folks that I’ve been wanting to make for quite a while! As always, I’m not exactly sure how the “powers that be” will be making it available to you all, but I do know that it should be coming your way fairly soon! Thanks again for your interest in my endeavors!
Scottie ^_^
Release 125 Patch Notes
Below are a list of the updates that are live as of Release 125 in the game of Shroud of the Avatar! R125 is a content month. Polish, additional improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R126 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 125!
Crafting, Decoration, Gear, & Inventory Item Changes:
- Made Cushioned Seat chair and recipe, to be found on decoration merchants on the Perennial Coast. SOTA-72023
- Made a reteachable recipe for clay blocks from combining small balls of clay and added it to carpentry recipe merchants. SOTA-70264
- Mounted Plesiosauri will no longer interfere with the spawning and navigation of pets, NPCs, or players attempting to use furniture in their vicinity. SOTA-69248
- The various Fancy Toilets will no longer interfere with the spawning and navigation of pets, NPCs, or players attempting to use furniture in their vicinity. SOTA-71937
- Increased available scaling on Confection Platter and Stand.
- Removed the inoperable dye slots from the Shogun Chair and Stool.
- Made Small Nightstands stackable in inventory.
- Fixed floating nest spawners. You’d think the eggs would be enough…
Combat & Skill Changes:
Made the small non-hostile frogs tameable. SOTA-71497- All wyverns in the Well of Aldur are now tameable. SOTA-72025
- Changed the descriptions of Voice Training and Pick Pockets skills to indicate that they are not currently active. SOTA-72028
User Interface, Store Information, Inky, & Lua Changes:
- Made food and drinks that are not subsequent ingredients in other recipes not show as valid ingredients on crafting stations. SOTA-71929
- Corrected large icons for Royal Sun Crystal Chandelier, Fancy Vase C, Fancy Vase D, Fancy Vase E, Spike Trap, Wooden Storage Chest with Copper Bands, Wooden Storage Chest with Gold Bands, Ornate Tavern Counter B, Egg Hunt Cloak 2024, Floating Water Lantern, and Silver & Gold Lepus Mask. SOTA-71974, SOTA-71993, SOTA-72008, SOTA-72010
- Removed visible outlines in the mannequin icons.
- Changed the Egg Hunt 2024 Cloak description. SOTA-71993
- Fixed typos in choose-one dye bag descriptions.
- Removed the loading screen tip about pickpocketing.
- Corrected the spelling of reversible in three UI windows.
- Fixed a typo in the dark gothic bedroom set store description.
World and Quest Changes:
- The Arch Lapin will go dormant and the Luminous Atavist will return on May 16th.
- Aether Dragons, Aether Liches, and Aether Corpions will awake in their respective stomping grounds as the two-tailed comet comes within range of the world on May 27th.
- Added [REDACTED] to [REDACTED]. SOTA-72004
- Fixed a shader issue for swamp water plants.
- Ardoris: Fixed typos in “harmony” and “spirit talker” responses for Shaaria Barista. SOTA-71987
- Blood Bay: Moved the Town Crier teleport destination locations up off the shoreline and into the Judge’s Watch and Scoundrel’s Hold towns. Added unlockable teleporter scroll locations for Scoundrel’s Hold Dock and Isle of Bones Dock. Fixed “Scoundrel’s Hold” typo in teleporter boats within Novia. SOTA-72003
- Blood Bay: An invisible teleporter boat along the eastern shore is now visible again. SOTA-72002
- Grusk: Fixed a typo in the “Offer Help to Kortreek Again” journal update from Kortreek the Magic Merchant. SOTA-72014
- Grusk: Fixed a typo in one of Vishpop the Lighthouse Keeper’s journal updates. SOTA-72013
- The Rise: Fixed a data issue that was causing errors and, sometimes, NPCs to not spawn. SOTA-71999
- Shaminian Hills: Corrected the nameplate of a mislabeled elf mage. SOTA-72000
- South Fetid Swamp: Fixed a stuck spot. SOTA-71996
- Upper Tears: Fixed a stuck spot in ruins within the water. SOTA-72001
Player-Owned Town Changes:
- Ocllo: Added a new hamlet east of Noreach.
- Sionann: Upgraded to Metropolis.
Player-Owned Dungeon and Basement Changes:
- Made totems above the first tier salvagable (at a loss) at a smithing station for totems of lower tiers. SOTA-71919
- Elf, kobold, spider, and troll totems, and the slots they fit in, now look like themselves, not liches. SOTA-66044
- Corrected elf totem display direction for the Rise Library with Spawns.
- Recategorized eleven dungeon pieces that were not showing in the dungeons and blueprints inventory category. SOTA-71995
Latest News and Q&A in the April Livestream
The post-release Community Livestream is Friday, April 26th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and other members of the development team for a 1-hour community livestream!
To enter the prize drawings, type “leaf April behind” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.
Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4PM CT!
Members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team stream on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the channel on follow for notifications so you can join us right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!
Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over on
Facebook at Войдите на Facebook and on Discord at Join the Shroud of the Avatar Discord Server!.
Sales and Bonus Events
Spring is here and in full bloom! From April 25th through end-of-day May 1st, we celebrate Beltane:
- Crown Store sales will be 30% off.
- Crowns of the Obsidians will be 20% off.
Release 125 Subscriber Login Rewards
Everyone should sit and read to their plants. It’s good for them! Toward that end, the Rewards Program login items for Release 125 are a Nimrond’s Elegant Wooden Lion Chair, a Blank Ornate Street Lamp with Sign, and a set of Sparse Foalfoot Flowering Pavers!
Subscribers to the Rewards Program must log in during Release 125 to receive these special login items.
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month- Monthly Login Reward Items (about 3 per month)
- Exclusive Title every 3 months
- 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith
- 6 Months: Keeper of the Word
- 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow
- 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame
- 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath
- 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge
- 21 Months: Keeper of the Bond
- 24 Months: Keeper of the Promise
- 27 Months: Keeper of the Covenant
- 30 Months: Keeper of Countless Devotions
- 33 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Three Corpions
- 36 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Six Serpents
- 39 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Nine Tulips
- 42 Months: Keeper of Forty-Two Roses
- 45 Months: Keeper of Forty-Five Lilies
- 48 Months: Keeper of Forty-Eight Daisies
- 51 Months: Keeper of Fifty-One Staves
- 54 Months: Keeper of Fifty-Four Daggers
- 57 Months: Keeper of Fifty-Seven Arrows
- 60 Months: Keeper of Sixty Swords
- 63 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Three Coins
- 66 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Six Gems
- 69 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Nine Jewels
- 72 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Two Goblets
- 75 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Five Rings
- 78 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Eight Amulets
- Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months
- Pick any three of these 7 Obsidian Potions every month:
- Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity
- Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance
- Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills
- Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills
- Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage
- Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills
- Potion of Stamina: Decreases focus use from sprinting
- While subscribed to the rewards program, players also receive these special bonuses:
- Obsidian Potions are significantly more powerful!
- 24 Additional Deck Slots!
May Login Reward
Cakes and ale for May Day! (Bring your own ale.) Each account that logs in during the month of May will receive a one-time gift of a Mixed-Berry Tort Cake with a Confection Stand.
Crown Store Updates
New in the crown store for today’s release:
- Animal Spawner, Frog (Choose One)
This choose-one bag contains a red, a green, and a blue toadstool, but whichever you pick, the frog it spawns is green.
- Sign (Choose One)
This choose-one bag contains nine more choose-one bags, dividing all the available signs by material and placement.
- Foalfoot Flowering Paver Set
- Small Very Sparse Foalfoot Flowering Pavers
- Foalfoot Paver Set
- Sparse Foalfoot Paver Set
- Small Very Sparse Foalfoot Pavers
The chess and checkers sets below aren’t new, but they now deliver in prepacked bags for easy regifting rather than as a loose assortment of individual pieces.
- Chess Set
- Tabletop Chess Set
- Checkers Set
- Tabletop Checkers Set
…and for May 1st:
- Mixed-Berry Tort Cake
…and for May 10th:
- Nimrond’s Elegant Wooden Lion Chair 2-Pack
- Blank Ornate Street Lamp with Sign 6-Pack
- Sparse Foalfoot Flowering Paver Set
…and in a patch after release:
- Antique Broom Decoration Pet
The Spring Equinox store items are available until Sunday May 5th:
List of Spring Equinox items:
- Brown Bunny Ears & Slippers Set
- Bunny Ears & Slippers Set
- Decorative Dyeable Egg Pack
- Flower Crown
- Lepus Mask 2017
- Lepus Mask 2018
- Silver & Gold Lepus Mask
- White Lepus Mask
- Rabbit Tailed Bodice Ensemble
- Replenishing Confetti Eggs Basket 2016
- Replenishing Confetti Eggs Basket 2017
- Replenishing Confetti Eggs Basket 2018
- Replenishing Confetti Eggs Basket 2019
- Spring Fountain w/ Floating Candles
Although there are not currently enough items to make a whole new category for them, a few St. Patrick’s Day items can be found in other categories (Wearables and Outdoor Decorations) through Monday May 6th:
List of St. Patrick’s Day items:
- Garden Leprechaun
- Leprechaun Bowler Hat
- Leprechaun Bowler Hat with Shamrock
- Leprechaun Hat
- Pot o’ Gold
To celebrate his birthday, the Darkstarr Rares store items will be available through Monday May 27th:
List of Darkstarr items:
- Darkstarr Basement Entrance Eternal Pattern
- Darkstarr Chaos Throne
- Darkstarr Chaos Throne (Reverse Colors)
- Darkstarr Clock Tower
- Darkstarr Clock Tower (Reverse Colors)
- Darkstarr Fur Collared Cloak
- Darkstarr Pavers
- Darkstarr Shield
- Darkstarr Shield Pattern Pack
- Lord British vs Darkstarr Battle Banner
- Mosh Emote
The Summer Seasonal store items will be available from Friday May 24th through Monday September 23rd:
List of Summer Seasonal items:
- Firedancer Outfit
- Fire Dance Emote
- Fire Dance Cross Emote
- Flame Scimitar
- Flame Shield
- Flame Stained Glass Table Lamp 3-Pack
- Flaming Bagpipes
- Hula Emote
- Island Spear
- Island Flower Crown
- Island Dress
Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!
The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was relaunched.
The Brigade has been up and running and the volunteers (Alley Oop, Echondas, Flair Minamoto, and Justyn) are in a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to clean up the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums.
Every month, a considerable amount of development time will be spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels!
In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Much improvement has been noticed by the development team and we’re so very excited to see the program’s continued success!
The development team would also like to thank all of those who take time to participate in QA Testing Directives. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs can be identified and fixed prior to content going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives.
Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing and bug rewards are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows:
- Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter”
- Single Ant Cloak
- Lady Bug Backpack
- Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids”
- Ant Farm
- Insect Leg Table
- Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles”
- Bug Painting B
- Bug Sprayer and /bugspray Emote
- Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths”
- Butterfly Chair
- Corpion Chair (Pictured Below)
- Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies”
- Hacked Oracle Flyer
- Giant Butterfly Pet (Blue)
- Butterfly Mask
- Dragonfly pet
- Fairy Wings
- Monarch Butterfly Pet
- Dragonfly Wings
- Hacked Oracle Crawler
- Blue Butterfly VFX
- Orange Fireflies VFX
- Orange Butterfly VFX
- Autumn Fairy Wings
- Green Fireflies VFX
- Landing Flies 3-pack
- Blue Fireflies
- Mounted Ladybug Specimen
- Mounted Rhinoceros Beetle Specimen
- Mounted Firebug Specimen
- Mounted Diving Bug Specimen
- Mounted Asian Ladybug Specimen
- Swallowtail Butterfly Pet
- Mounted Potato Beetle
- Silver Bug Sprayer
- Mounted Dung Beetle Specimen
- Mounted Hissing Cockroach Specimen
- Mounted Maybug Specimen
- Mounted Stag Beetle Specimen
- Mounted Flower Beetle Specimen
If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, sign up and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravalox in the main Bug/Feedback forums.
Streaming Program
Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar can participate in a program to showcase the game and be rewarded for their efforts. Any Streamer who wishes to be included in the Streaming Program can contact Laney via in-game mail with their Character Name and Twitch Channel information. If you have already signed up for the program in the past, fear not: you’re on the list and you don’t need to reapply.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must adhere to our Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Rules while Streaming Shroud of the Avatar.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must stream at least 10 hours of Shroud of the Avatar ACTIVE game play to remain in the program with reward accrual.
Streamers will receive a one-time digital reward of in-game items after meeting the program’s requirements: Streamer’s Cloak, Streamer’s Camera, and the LIVESTREAMING title.
Rules:
- To qualify for Streaming Rewards, each streamer must continue to meet the minimum requirements for 60 days after application.
- To accrue additional rewards, Streamers must stream SotA a minimum of 10 hours per month, tallied on the 1st day of each month, to remain in the program.
Monthly Streaming Bundles:
On the 1st of each month, qualifying streamers will be eligible to receive 50 Streaming Bundles. Bundles will be sent out to Streamers via in-game mail.
A few things you need to know:
- Streaming Bundles are intended to be given away to stream viewers, not consumed by the streamer.
- Streamers are not allowed to put paywalls in place for the Streaming Bundles. (For example, giving away Streaming Bundles once the stream reaches a certain number of bits, subscriptions, or donations).
Other Items of Note:
- Streamers in the program will be included in the SotAbot StreamPop function, appearing in the player-streaming channel in Discord.
- An optional fan graphics kit is available to the participating streamers as well as all players of Shroud of the Avatar, which includes graphics, overlays and other material.
- Streamers must be actively playing the game during their streams. Being away from the keyboard (AFK) for short periods is acceptable. If Twitch indicates the streamer is playing SotA but they are streaming other content or a timeout/login screen, they risk being removed from the program.
Upcoming Release Dates
Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums. The upcoming 2024 Release Schedule is as follows:
- This Release 125 – April 25 (Content)
- Release 126 – May 30 (Quality of Life)
- Release 127 – June 27 (Quality of Life)
Community Events & Resources
Greetings event holders and event attendees! So many fun and exciting events are available in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to get out there and participate, make some new friends, perhaps make some great emote, recipe, or gear trades, or get some adventuring and role-playing into your mix! Here are spotlighted events or updated community resources that we’ve noticed popping up lately on the official forums.
Recurring Events:
- Lightbringer Isle Auction: This newly-resumed auction will be held by Hemnu Lightbringer every Wednesday at 2000 EST / 1900 CST / 0100 BST / 2400 UTC.
- The Nebula Time Trials are intended as a fun competition amongst players, but also a way for players to compare builds, playstyles, learn from one another and just generally have fun together. Each trial will consist of a challenge along the lines of “kill this mob” or “complete this quest” and while prizes will be awarded based on completion time, everyone who enters will receive something. Check this main post for links to the individual trials as they occur.
- Monthly Release Fishing Contests: This is a rotating, multi-location contest sponsored and organised by Rajazel, The Town Museum and its Governor Diablotine.
- Trash to Treasure Dropped Items Turn-In: Introducing Trash to Treasure 2.0! Some unscrupulous fella has been flooding all of New Britannia with junk: Headdresses, Wings, Backpacks, assorted miscellany of every sort. It’s time to clean this trash up and so a bounty has been placed on all gear crafted by Coswald Dirthmire that is turned in each contest period!
- Mad Splatter Tea Party: One Sunday of each month, Lily Byrd hosts a tea party in her back garden at her home in Jade Valley. There are drinks and eats, there is sometimes music, there are often party games with prizes, and sometimes they just sit and talk about life in Novia. All are welcome to join but this is a role playing event tea party: please come as your avatar!
Community Calendars:
- Avatars Radio Calendar: Just when are all those talented DJ’s and streamers broadcasting? Don’t just guess, check out there very helpful calendar! Never again will you wonder when’s the best time to tune in!
- NBNN Calendar: This calendar provides a great schedule for NBNN and WRFB programing as well as many other community events. If you’re a fan of the Laz & Jack show or even if you’re hoping to catch them in action for the first time, this is the calendar for you!
Community Event Resources: Here are some fantastic resources for tracking down community events or posting your own events. Become involved! Create! Explore! Make friends! But most of all, have fun!
- One-Time Community Events Forum: Sometimes events happen only a single time, so you’ll not want to miss out on these events as they occur. Check out the forums routinely to spot these!
- Recurring Community Events Forum: Some events occur on weekly or monthly schedules which are a great way to routinely meet up with friends and to make new ones. Be sure to check this forum frequently for new events or time changes to existing ones.
- Player Event Trophies and Special Item Requests: Would you like to request a special trophy or renamed item for a player event you’ve created? Head on over to this thread to see what’s available and to obtain more information about request procedures.
- Player Radio Station Forum: If you want to check out the latest and greatest from our in-game radio stations, go to the radio stations forum! If you’re a DJ, be sure to advertise your time slot and venue in this forum.
- Player Livestreams & Videos Forum: If you’re searching for a Shroud Streamer to watch, head on over to the streamer forum! If you are a live streamer for Shroud of the Avatar, be sure to advertise your Shroud stream by posting in this forum.
- Town Directory Forum: Want to find a town to live in or get your town listed in the directory, head over to the forums and check it out!
- Guild Directory Forum: Looking for a guild or want to get yours posted in the guild directory? Head on over to the forums and check it out!
- Fire Lotus Tavern: This wondrous role-playing and story writing forum is the spot to be if you love fan fiction and role-play.
- Community Resources: Looking for links to community and official resources for Shroud of the Avatar? Well look no further. On this page you’ll find links to a plethora of helpful resources created by the dev team or the community.
So many options to stay tuned-in with fellow community members. Please take advantage of all these wonderful options. Happy adventures, Avatars!
Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
Chris Spears’ daughter Maxine has, for a school project, opened a webstore of various items printed with her artwork. Go have a look Inside a Kid’s Mind!
Project to Support: Avatar Relics
Community member Shawn Butts has opened a Shroud of the Avatar merchandise store with Catnip Games’ approval. Visit for pins, mugs, shirts, posters, and more here.
Project to Support: Shard RPG
Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad.
- Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals.
- Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts books! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character!
- Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah!
So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG!
Project to Support: Embers Adrift!
Help support one of our team members’ other projects, Embers Adrift! Check out their official trailer here.
Resources: Players Helping Players
The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.
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