The first playable Prototype of Underworld Ascendant was released to backers at the Lore Seeker tier and higher on November 24th 2015. It was made available to all backers on December 21 via the purchase of Prototype Access.
The second playable Prototype of Underworld Ascendant was released to backers at the Lore Seeker tier and higher and to all backers who purchased Prototype Access on April 24th 2016. This added the the Prototype module, featuring the new art direction.
Spoiler Warning: This page contains spoilers for the playable prototype.
The Prototype is divided into three sections, each accessible from the main menu: Prototype, Playground and Arena.
In the prototype, you’re tasked by the Shambler Hivemind (via Aelita) with discovering what led the settlement of Seer Point, just outside the Dwarven outpost of Tharst, to become overrun by undead. Four story tablets detailing the events are hidden in randomized locations throughout the level, such as inside chests, in sarcophagi, on raised platforms, or behind objects. Runestones (a required component in formulas for spells) and bonus gold bar collectables can also be found, sometimes in spots that require careful thought and skill to reach.
This area is infested with a band of fierce skeleton warriors, who you can battle with a longsword, stealthily evade, or devise other clever ways to deal with them.
The prototype playground contains a short tutorial hallway, reminiscent of the original Thief game, in order to teach the player how to manipulate objects, climb ropes, and cast spells.
Afterword, the playground is available for the player to try out their skills and attempt to complete the challenges.
The only piece of equipment available in the prototype is a torch, which the player can pick up either in the tutorial hall, or in the playground area.
(Note that the torch is not needed to complete the prototype.)
The following skills are available in the prototype:
Fighter
Feather
You are only effected by half of gravity while descending in air.
Wall Slide
Breath Control
The fighter can go considerably longer without air (e.g. underwater, or when suffering a choking status) before suffering ill effects.
Invincibility
When damage would normally kill the fighter, there is a chance that instead he is restored to 50% of his normal health maximum.
Dragon Rush
When the fighter executes a Jump Kick, any target he hits is launched backwards with great force. Furthermore, they are treated as a projectile and can do damage to woever they may hit in their flight.
Leaf On Water
The fither may jump off the surface of bodies of water. Or lava.
Swim
Allows swimming without considerable difficulty.
Jump
Allows heroic jumping. Without this skill, the character's jump height is the relatively feeble one of a normal human being.
Double Jump
Once per jump, while still ascending or near the peak of a jump, the fighter may jump a second time in mid-air. How does this work? Who knows?
Wall Jump
The fighter can jump from nearby surfaces even if that surface is not currently supporting him.
Wall Run
Missile
Missile weapon shots and thrown objects fly faster (hence straighter), and do correspondingly more damage.
Sprint
Running speed is markedly higher (with corresponding increase in jumping distance).
Forced Entry
The fighter does bonus damage to inanimate objects such as chests and doors.
Lifting
The character can lift and carry objects in the world of greater weight than normal.
Armor Mastery
The character is not slowed by wearing heavy armor.
Whip Cut
Sword attacks are executed more quickly (i.e. faster animation).
Brawling
Brawling is so that you feel tough. Tdb.
Combination Punch
Jump Kick
Head Butt
Beast Master
This is the skill that allows the player to acquire companion creatures. These can provide moderate combat assistance.
Intimidate
When the fighter downs a foe in melee, other nearby foes may be induced to cower.
Axe / Mace
With this skill, these weapons can be cocked back before attacking, by holding down the attack key for a period of time. Such blows do bonus damage.
Swords
With this skill, swords have a chance to cause power cuts. Such blows do bonus damage and cause bleeding (a damage-over-time effect) in creatures that have blood.
Scalp Cut
Bleeding wounds to the head now also cause blindness.
Roll With Blow
Combat damage can be reduced when the fighter backpedals from the foe as their blow lands.
Counter-Strike
The fighter is eligible for a guided attack immediately after a foe strikes him in melee, even if he could not normally attack at that time (e.g. he were still finishing a previous attack motion).
Endurance
You gain +n health poins. More than one level of this skill is available.
Fast Recovery
A portion of all damage the fighter takes does into a pool of health that automatically recovers over time, faster than normal healing.
Attack
You gain a chance to do double damage in combat. More than one level of this skill is available.
Thief
Shady Partner
When the thief attacks a Surprised or unaware foe, his Shady Patron may appear and briefly fight with him. Only the thief himself can perceive the Shady Partner.
Climbing
Climb ropes faster.
Climb Mantel
You can mantel now.
Climb Traverse
You can climb on ledges now.
Ninja Rule
When you backstab a foe, all other foes will hesitate to attack you for a few seconds.
Evade Traps
Traps do the thief less damage.
Sabotage Traps
Traps do less damage to objects placed by the thief.
Bargain
NPCs give dacorable prices when bartering with the thief.
Gizmos
You just happen to have brought the very thing you need! Your inventory now contains a special pouch from which you can extract a variety of equipment, deducting the gold that you spent on that thing already. Don't think about it too hard.
Shady Patron
The thief gains a patron NPC. As the thief gains experience, he earns cash rewards which the patron will show up and deliver. (Note: If the patron is damaged by the thief, or would be slain by anything, he merely escapes in a puff of darkness, ready to show up again in the future.)
Backstab
Melee attacks do bonus damage when the foe is facing away from the attacker.
Ambush
Attacks do backstab damage vs. foes who are unaware of the thief.
Pounce
The thief does damage and possible knockdown when he lands on a foe from above. Falling damage that would otherwise have applied to the thief is reduced in this case.
Waylay
The thief's attacks have a +n% chance to critically hit (deal double damage) whenever their exposure meter is low.
Pick Locks
Without this skill, all lock picking puzzles contain extra hazards. Such extra hazards can make a lock impossible.
Mastermind's Escape
A blow in combat that would normally kill the thief has a chance to instead hide them, making all foes lose track and forcing exposure to zero for a brief period. (Ed.: "A chance" in this case might mean "almost always, except when this same thing has happened recently.")
Dash
When crouched, the thief can target a nearby location (note: using the "sprint" button, which otherwise wouldn't have a function in crouch mode) and move there quickly and invisibly. (Note: it takes time from the target to form, which means you can't use this to move faster than normal overall).
Lightning Dash
When the thief is hidden from all foes and executes a Dash towards one, time all but stops (except from the point of view of the thief himself). This effect lasts for a few seconds of the thief's own subjective time.
Night Vision
The thief has enhanced night vision while crouched.
Surprise
Foes may be stunned when they become quite suddenly aware of the presence of the nearby thief.
Stealth Sense
Activates a UI element showing how exposed to AI detection the character currently is.
Concealment
You get a permanent reduction in your exposure while crouching.
Scouting
Movement no longer increases exposure.
Hit And Run
Light recedes from the thief when they kill a foe in melee, making them less exposed for a period of time.
Daggers
Daggers are cool. Tbd.
Wizard
White Magic
Spells that heal or protect get a bonus to damage healed/prevented.
Time Magic
Spells with a duration get a bonus to duration.
Lore
1-3: This skill allows the wizard to identify the function of a magic item in his inventory. Different magic items require different levels of the skill to decipher.
Gesture Mastery
The wizard's spell casting animation executes faster.
Battle Magic
Spells that do damage get a bonus to damage dealt.
Arcane Regeneration
When the wizard has only an Uruz ("Heal") rune racked, a portion of the mana he recovers is converted into healing.
Familiar
The wizard gains a companion creature with its own associated rune rack. The familiar's spell is selectable as if it were an inventory item, and spells cast by the familiar draw from the wizard's own mana pool.
Focus Mastery
In addition to his personal rune rack, the wizard can rack a different set of runes for each wand and/or staff he holds. He can then switch among them by switching weapons. This replaces the normal function of the item (which can be restored by clearing its runes again).
Arcane Dash
When the wizard has only an Ehwaz ("travel") rune racked, running will drain his mana, but boost his movement speed.
Arcane Warrior
When the wizard has only a Thurisaz ("destroy") rune racked, and hits with a melee weapon, some of his mana is automatically converted into bonus arcane damage.
Arcane Defender
When the wizard has only an Algiz ("ward") rune racked, a portion of the damage he takes is converted into drain to his mana (if he has any).
Rune Mending
The wizard can restore burnt-out runes at Ley Lines, magical locations that require Mage Sight to perceive.
Rune Crafting
The wizard can copy his rune stones using the proper materials. Runes that you have crafted yourself are not subject to burnout.
Casting
This skill eliminates the risk of Afflictions when casting first-level spells, and qualifies the wizard to cast second-level spells by risking Afflictions. Each subsequent spell level is its own skill.
Mage Sight
allows the wizard to see magical energy (mana) in the world that is not visible to ordinary people. He can gather this mana merely by touching it.
Mana
This skill increases the wizard's maximum pool of available mana. More than one level of this skill is available.
Mana Instruments
This skill allows the wizard to power spells by means other than his personal mana pool, such as paying health points or using durability from a wand. Each possible mana instrument may be its own skill.
The Parkour Training section of the arena shows you how to use the Parkour skills introduced in the prototype. This includes sprinting (press Shift while moving), sliding (press Ctrl to crouch while sprinting), wall run (sprint toward a wall and jump while at ~30-degree angle), and wall jump (sprint straight toward a wall, jump, then jump when you hit it to spring away).
The Parkour Skate Park is a room where you can practice your parkour skills.
The Parkour Timed Run allows you to pit your skills in a timed challenge. The initial time to beat on the Parkour track was 00:56.
In this section, you can pick up a sword and defeat respawning automations. There are three attacks available: a light swing, an overhead swing, and a stab.
