History VideoGame / DungeonsAndDragonsOnline

* FiveRaces: Eight, actually: Humans, Elves, Halflings, Dwarves, Warforged, Drow ([[OurElvesAreBetter which are like other elves, but with more stat boosts]]), [[HalfHumanHybrid half-orcs]] and [[HalfHumanHybrid half-elves]].

* OurElvesAreBetter: Playing a drow for any non-melee-combat-specialized class is what you might call optimized, since they receive more bonus stats than they lose (all other races' stats balance out).

** There's a new raid featuring three weapons named [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Nightmare, the Fallen Moon, Celestia, Brightest Star of Day, and Twilight, Element of Magic]].

* AllMonksKnowKungFu: The Monk class can follow two prestige paths, both a type of WarriorMonk where you are a Whirling Dervish of punching destruction or a serious bane to undead or extra-planar creatures with some Cleric abilities. The Monks have it cool by using KiAttacks and not spellpoints (mana) to power their elemental and special attacks.

* KamehameHadoken: An Epic Destiny for epic players in the new expansion, Menace of the Underdark, allows powerful ranged KiAttacks. Later updates also allow a new Monk class tree, the Henshin Mystic, to weaponize ki this way (albeit not as dramatically as Son Goku).

* OxygenMeter: Used when you swim. Wearing an amulet or ring of Underwater Action gives you SuperNotDrowningSkills.

** Unfortunate players may often find their chest loot filled with [[UselessItem Underwater Action items that are racially restricted to Warforged.]] Thankfully, players now have access to an ItemCrafting area to crunch these things into a fine powder.
*** Or just have a high enough Use Magical Device score to ignore the racial restriction.

* CastFromHitPoints: The BigBad of the new Sharn saga is Lucian Vaunt, an [[SnakeOilSalesman entrepeneur with great vision]] who wants to put labor saving {{Magitek}} devices into the hands of the common people. The devices actually do work, however the DarkSecret that Vaunt doesn't want anyone to find out is that because all magic spells need a PowerSource to work, thus his devices have to be powered by ''something''. One of his underlings discovers that the devices use necromancy to [[PowerAtAPrice draw power from the lifeforce]] of their users - which will slowly kill off all of Vaunt's customers.

* CastFromHitPoints: The BigBad of the new Sharn saga is Lucian Vaunt, an [[SnakeOilSalesman entrepeneur with great vision]] who wants to put labor saving Magitek devices into the hands of the common people. The devices actually do work, however the DarkSecret that Vaunt doesn't want anyone to find out is that because all magic spells need a PowerSource to work, thus his devices have to be powered by ''something''. One of his underlings discovers that the devices use necromancy to [[PowerAtAPrice draw power from the lifeforce]] of their users - which will slowly kill off all of Vaunt's customers.

* FakeBalance: Rogues get the shallow end of the DPS pool. Sure, sneak attack can do some massive damage, but it doesn't catch up to a fighter's damage output until about level 12, and even then it doesn't work against undead, elementals, oozes, constucts, an enemy with a Fortification (depending on how much it gives) item, or other human players in 1-on-1 PvP.

* EliteMooks: There seems to be a couple of these in every major dungeon. Commonly referred to by the players as "nameds," or "named monsters" [[CaptainObvious because they have a name]] and a treasure box.

* OneHitKill: Any of the dozen or so death effect spells, like [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Finger of Death, Destruction, and Implosion]]. The Grandmaster of Flowers epic destiny also has the power "Everything is Nothing," which allows you to quite literally ''rip your enemies out of the multiverse'', [[CaptainObvious killing them instantly]]. Should the save be made, they still take 1000 points of damage, and must save ''again'' in order to reduce that damage to 500. Bosses can't be blown out of reality, but they do take the damage.

As of June 2012, an ExpansionPack was released that introduced epic levels and allows players to adventure in the ForgottenRealms. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing indeed.

* {{Magitek}}: The cranes in Stormreach Harbor in Ebberon, for instance. Also pretty much every light source in the game, except the sun and a few fire pits.

* PowerCreep: The game is 12 years old and has multiple expansions so this is inevitable. Because the level range of the game hasn't changed significantly, this has manifested mainly in the loot (both random and unique) getting more and more powerful over time compared to older items at the same level. This is most obvious in the case of extremely old adventure packs and quest chains that haven't been revisited or touched up - The unique end rewards for Halls of Shan-To-Kor (one of the oldest packs) were competitive or superior at the time the pack was released and were intended for level 3-5 players, but are now seriously outclassed by items acquired ''on the tutorial island'' as random drops.

* PowerCreep: The game is 11 years old and has multiple expansions so this is inevitable. Because the level range of the game hasn't changed significantly, this has manifested mainly in the loot (both random and unique) getting more and more powerful over time compared to older items at the same level. This is most obvious in the case of extremely old adventure packs and quest chains that haven't been revisited or touched up - The unique end rewards for Halls of Shan-To-Kor (one of the oldest packs) were competitive or superior at the time the pack was released and were intended for level 3-5 players, but are now seriously outclassed by items acquired ''on the tutorial island'' as random drops.

* WalkOnWater: Before late 2012, you could become a Monk, choose the Path of Inevitable Dominion (dark) path, choose the right enhancements and eventually gain the ability to focus your ki to walk (well, ''run'', really) on water (''and'' lava, but you might still take damage). Your [[TheDestroyer Remo Williams and Master Chiun dreams come true]]. But now, that ability has been lost to major game changes.

* UnwinnableByMistake: It's possible to enter certain quests unaware that you don't have what you need to finish them. Locked doors or unsurvivable traps are the most common form of this but there are others:
** "The Missing Party" requires at least two people to solve a lever puzzle. If you've gone in solo and forgot to bring a hireling it's impossible to finish.

* GenreSavvy: In many newer quests, some of your character's possible dialogue is written as though spoken by a hack-and-slash gamer, such as telling a villain to [[ShutUpHannibal stop monologuing about his evil plan]] and start fighting, or complaining about annoying gameplay.
-->'''Player Character:''' Are you going to [[LeeroyJenkins charge at the first monster you see]] and [[SuicidalOverconfidence cast magic missile]] at it?
--> '''Foreman Wee Yip Yip:''' Are you bonkers?! Kobold Foreman Wee Yip Yip not get promoted to Foreman for being a hero! This kobold a lover, kobold no fighter! Kobold like his job and his life and his family very, very much. Kobold stay right here. And if scary things come knockin' Kobold squeal and run around like a little girl, like any sensible Kobold should!

* TheUndead: They tend to be GoddamnBats to rogues, because a +5 Holy Shortsword of Disruption is a mite costly at lower levels (and can't be used anyway until [[TookALevelInBadass you're MUCH higher in character level]]). On the other hand, they are loveable for wizards, especially if you have Command Undead (LV2 Necromancy specialisation spell) to turn them into your temporarily allies. Bonus point for Skeletal Knight summon for Wizard class.

* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Fred, the resident EldritchAbomination brain-eater/feat retrainer.