YAUP | Helmets news

For the classic Gothic game formula developed by Piranha Bytes, helmets made their initial appearance in the third iteration of the franchise (and followed well into Risen and Arcania and ELEX), where they felt like a natural continuation for the "protections" system, and added another slot for worn armor elements. However, nowadays it is an open secret the original developers planned inclusion of helmets already in Gothic II, since almost all animations for human NPCs have the headgear slot rigged in. Yet somehow the helmets concept didn't make it into the final version of the game.

With the next version, helmets were restored and made a proper component of the game.

1. Medium Dragon Helmet.

2. Heavy Dragon Helmet.

3. Knight Helmet.

4. Opened/Closed Paladin Helmet.

- Medium Dragon Helmet (+10 Fire protection, +5 all others).
- Heavy Dragon Helmet (+15 Fire protection, +10 all others).
- Knight Helmet (+10 Magic protection, +5 all others).
- Opened/Closed Paladin Helmet (+15 Magic protection, +10 all others).

The four helmets above were the most obvious candidates for implementation, because their meshes and textures were already to be found in the game's files. Since they are considered parts of the individual sets of the game's four "final" armors, their high protection values are complementary for their matching armors' "helmetless" models. The player can detach a helmet from an armor themselves if their "Craft Armors" skill is high enough or via either Harad or Bennet, given their respective guild; the same goes to alternating between the opened and closed model of the paladin helm (Bennet can do that too but only at The Halls of Irdorath). Available as soon as each respective armor is obtained.

5. Leather Cap.

6. Bronze Half Helm.

7. Gray Iron Full Helm.

8. Meteoric Steel Royal Helm.

9. Helm of Resilience.

10. Helm of Evasion.

- Leather Cap (+1 Bludgeoning/Slashing/Piercing protections) {Strength required: 20} [50 gold].
- Bronze Half Helm (+2 Bludgeoning/Slashing/Piercing protections) {Strength required: 40} [300 gold].
- Gray Iron Full Helm (+3 Bludgeoning/Slashing/Piercing protections) {Strength required: 80} [800 gold].
- Meteoric Steel Royal Helm (+4 Bludgeoning/Slashing/Piercing protections) {Strength required: 125} [1150 gold].
- Helm of Resilience (reduces damage from falling) {Dexterity required: 40} [2000 gold].
- Helm of Evasion (reduces damage from melee attacks of all golems/trolls) {Dexterity required: 60} [3000 gold].

The six completely new helmets. The first four are purchasable from certain merchants in Khorinis, Jarkhendar, and the Valley of Mines starting the Chapter 1 or 2. The two others can be created with an armor worktable with the knowledge of how to craft armors (learned with certain teachers or books), the needed blueprints (found or bought), and required components (mostly leathers, skins, hides and so on, plus vials of tannin).

11. Hooded Fire Robe.

12. Hooded Improved Fire Robe.

The two exclusive hooded mage robes. The presence of hoods is cosmetic and they provide no additional protections, since mage robes are the weakest "guild" armors in the game for their respective tiers. The hooded versions of the robes can be obtained at any time in exchange for "unhooded" models and vice versa with Gorax (or with Vatras if taken to The Halls of Irdorath), if the player has no basic knowledge in the crafting armors skill. Both hooded and regular models were based on an updated fire robe model to eliminate minor graphical glitches.

13. Kahooli Circlet.

14. Banath Circlet.

15. Sarig Circlet.

16. Tith Circlet.

- Kahooli Circlet (+3 Strength bonus) {Max Mana required: 65} [7500 gold].
- Banath Circlet (+3 Dexterity bonus) {Max Mana required: 65} [7500 gold].
- Sarig Circlet (+12 max Mana bonus) {Max Mana required: 65} [7500 gold].
- Tith Circlet (+72 max Health bonus) {Max Mana required: 65} [7500 gold].

The four completely new circlets of attributes. All purchasable from certain merchants in Khorinis, Jarkhendar, and the Valley of Mines starting the Chapter 1 or 2.

Finally, the prices might be recognized as expensive and the provided protection/attribute scores or Strength/Mana requirements not too satisfying, but since v2.6 will also introduce shields, and both categories shall be available from the Chapter 1 or 2, the values supplied by new armor elements and accessories need to stay low, while keep the high prices, otherwise they would make the player overpowered too quickly (but some monsters had some of their protections and damage marginally raised anyway, to counter the possibility of a better equipped player). The general notion is to follow the first Risen, where helmets, jewelry, and shields were supplementary to main body armors.

To prevent visual glitching (and cheating/exploiting), full knight, paladin, and medium/heavy dragon armors won't be able to accommodate additional helmets nor circlets. Hooded fire robes won't accept helmets, but the player will be eligible to wear circlets with them.