Welcome, daring readers of Grim Misadventures. Last time, we left you off with the backstory for one of Act 3’s prominent factions, Kymon’s Chosen. These religious zealots bring the wrath of their god to the enemies of Cairn, and you may just play a part in their righteous crusade. But you may be asking yourself, “what’s in it for me?” Why, dear adventurer, the satisfaction of making a difference in the world and assisting a group of classy people in their efforts to save it, of course. Oh, and loot… lots of loot.
Yes, the major draw in assisting the world’s factions will be in the access to their specialized wares. Do you want to aid the Black Legion and even look the part? You most certainly can. Should you earn their respect, the Legion’s selection of armor will be at your disposal. Similarly, you will be able to unlock rewards from all seven of Grim Dawn’s player factions.
But perhaps the equipment offered by the factions does not fit into your particular playstyle, or perhaps you have an item that grants you a skill that you do not wish to part with. The faction system has something for everyone. In addition to equipment, you will earn access to consumables, components, faction-specific blueprints and… something new! Faction rewards will feature a special new item-type that will open up yet another layer of customization onto an already deep system: Augments.
Augments
Augments come in the form of powders, meticulously crafted enchantments, tinctures and poisons used by the various factions of Cairn. The process to creating Augments is a carefully guarded secret so, with the exception of one quest reward in Act 3, you will have to earn access to them by working with factions. There are two sets of Augments, each intended for different items.
The first set is applied to Rings and Necklaces. You will have a choice of 35 different Magic and Rare-quality accessory Augments, which you can apply in any combination.
Accessory Augments
For those wondering what the Roman numeral “I” at the end indicates, there are three tiers of Augments, available on Grim Dawn’s three difficulties.
The second collection is applied to Weapons, Shields and Caster Off-hands. Two-handed weapons will have special “Potent” versions of Augments available that provide more stats. You will have a choice of 28 different Magic and Rare-quality weapon Augments.
Weapon Augments
As a special bonus, applying Augments to one-handed or two-handed weapons will also apply a glow effect onto that weapon. Items that already have a special effect, such as many Epic weapons, will not display this extra glow so as to avoid blurring their awesome visuals.
An item may have only one Augment on it at any given time, and applying a new Augment overwrites the old one (with a confirmation). Salvaging or Dismantling an Augmented item does not return the Augment. But do not fret. You can always buy extra copies from faction vendors.
Now that you know a little more about what factions have in store for you, what has you most excited for this upcoming major feature of Grim Dawn? Is it the faction-specific armors, the chance to delve deeper into Grim Dawn’s lore, or perhaps the brand-new Augments?
Make sure to come back on 12/22/2014 as we wrap up 2014’s development updates!
