Year 4 Champion Guide: Shaka, the Tiefling Warlock
Last Updated: Initial Post
This is a stand-alone information guide for this Champion that will be updated as necessary for use during Events or when doing a Time Gate.
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#Year 4 Champion - Shaka, the Tiefling Warlock
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Source: The Rivals of Waterdeep streams as played by Shareef Jackson
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Arrival Event: The Running
You can read their original Champion Spotlight here.
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Slot 9
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Good with: Rivals of Waterdeep; Everyone
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Affiliation: Rivals of Waterdeep - D'hani, Gazrick, Kent, Selise, Shaka, Virgil
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Eligible for Mirt, Vajra, Strahd, Zariel
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Time Gate Priority: Average
| Race | Class | Alignment | Gender | Age | Role(s) | Overwhelm Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiefling | Warlock (Celestial) | Neutral Good | Male (He / Him) | 29 | Support / Healing | 5 |
| Strength | Dexterity | Constitution | Intelligence | Wisdom | Charisma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 16 |
Bio: As a member of Rivals of Waterdeep, Shaka is always looking for the latest adventure and the latest puzzle. His party has encountered mysteries and foes throughout Waterdeep, Candlekeep, Icewind Dale, and Avernus. Their base of operations is located in the Trollskull Manor in Waterdeep where a brain in a jar named Brian stands watch.
Basic Attack: Eldritch Blast — A beam of crackling green shoots towards an enemy, dealing damage.
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Base Attack Type: Magical
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Base Attack Speed: 4.8 seconds
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Self-DPS Buff: 5.42e15%
Ultimate: Shaka has two different options for his Ultimate depending on which Specialization you choose for him. See Specializations below.
- Base Ultimate Cooldown Time: 360 seconds
##Interesting Abilities
A Celestial Puzzle: Shaka attempts to solve a celestial puzzle with the potential for great rewards. Four random slots in the formation are assigned a random tag. For each Champion in those slots that match the slot's tag, Shaka buffs the party by 150%, stacking multiplicatively. The total effect is buffed by 20% for each other Rivals of Waterdeep Champion in the formation.
- 3.85e08% after upgrades; Supported by an Item & Feats
Gaar's Note: While you want to build around this ability where possible, don't destroy your formation with lesser Champion options to make it happen.
Celestial Resistance: Shaka adds 10 temporary hit-points to the entire party when changing areas. This is increased by 25% for each A Celestial Puzzle slot that is filled properly, stacking additively (i.e.. +100% with 4 slots filled properly).
- (currently bugged, so still 10) after upgrades; Supported by an Item & Feats
Feast or Famine: Shaka increases the effect of A Celestial Puzzle by 20% for each puzzle slot he's adjacent to, stacking multiplicatively. Buffs apply to the post-stack value.
- (currently bugged to be based on formation slots) after upgrades; Supported by an Item & Feats
Gaar's Note: This ability informs your choice of placement for Shaka in your formation, but not enough to force it.
Global DPS Buff: 2.09e07%
##Specialization Choice 1
Sunday Edition: A fifth slot in the formation is assigned a random tag and can be matched to further increase A Celestial Puzzle.
Gaar's Note: This is going to be the best option if you can make it work due to the added multiplier it provides.
Better Luck Next Time: The slots chosen for A Celestial Puzzle are rerolled. Note that the rerolled slots and tags are consistent for the adventure, so you can't use Potions of Specialization to repeatedly reroll for different slots (if you do respec and pick the other spec will swap back to the original slots/tags).
Gaar's Note: This generally isn't worth it. If you truly want a reroll, just start the adventure over.
##Specialization Choice 2
Blinding Wall of Light: Unlocks the Blinding Wall of Light ultimate, which pushes enemies back and then appears near the formation and causes enemies that pass through it to miss with most of their attacks.
Gaar's Note: This is a more defensive Ultimate for your formation; both pushing enemies away for a moment, then giving them a chance to miss on attacks.
Disintegrating Wall of Light: Unlocks the Disintegrating Wall of Light ultimate, which appears close to where enemies spawn and can cause enemies that pass through it to instantly be killed; enemies not killed take additional damage for the next little while.
Gaar's Note: This is a more offensive Ultimate focusing on killing instantly or debuffing enemies that aren't killed. It can sometimes one-shot armored bosses if your BUD is high enough, so keep that in your back pocket and time it for right before the boss spawns and see what happens.
##Equipment
| White | Green | Blue | Purple | Gild Priority | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 1: Increases the damage of all Champions | 10% | 65% | 120% | 230% | 2 |
| Slot 2: Increases the damage of all Champions | 10% | 65% | 120% | 230% | 2 |
| Slot 3: Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability | 25% | 87.5% | 150% | 275% | 1 |
| Slot 4: Increases the effect of Shaka's Celestial Resistance ability | 10% | 30% | 50% | 100% | 2 |
| Slot 5: Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability | 25% | 87.5% | 150% | 275% | 2 |
| Slot 6: Reduces the cooldown on Shaka's Ultimate Attack | 9s | 18s | 36s | 90s | 3 |
##Legendary Effects
- Increases the damage of all Champions by 10% for each Champion in the formation
- Increases the damage of all Male Champions by 125%
- Increases the damage of all Tiefling Champions by 150%
- Increases the damage of all Champions with a CHA score of 13 or higher by 150%
- Increases the damage of all Champions with a CON score of 11 or higher by 100%
- Increases the damage of all Magic Champions by 150%
Gaar's Note: Find more information on the Legendary system here.
##Feats
Here is the info for when you can unlock each Feat Slot:
| Feat Slot | Unlocked at Level | Rough Cost |
|---|---|---|
| First | 260 | e22 |
| Second | 945 | e42 |
| Third | 1755 | e66 |
| Fourth | 2755 | e95 |
Gaar's Note: Currently, you will need to level this Champion past their current upgrade softcap which will require you changing the blue update indicator from UPG to one of the numbered options.
Here is the info on what Feats are available for this Champion:
| Obtained | Recommended | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Selfless | Increases the damage of all Champions by 10% | |
| Default | Ready for Anything | Increases the effect of Shaka's Celestial Resistance ability by 15% | |
| 12,500 Gems | Inspiring Leader | Increases the damage of all Champions by 25% | |
| 50,000 Gems | Pushing | Puzzle Master | An additional slot in the formation is assigned a random tag and can be matched to further increase A Celestial Puzzle |
| Regular Gold Chest | Puzzle Savant | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 40% | |
| 50,000 Gems | Pushing | Game Master | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 80% |
| Regular Gold Chest | Survivability | Kagoya's Blessing | Increases the effect of Shaka's Celestial Resistance ability by 30% |
| 12,500 Gems | Celestial Positioning | Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability by 40% | |
| 50,000 Gems | Situational | Emergency Measures | Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability by 80% |
| 12,500 Gems | Nrakk | Observant | Increases the Wisdom score of Shaka by 1 |
##Level Upgrades
Gaar's Note: Level Cost is the cost to go from your current level to the stated level. It is not a cumulative total. However, since we're dealing with very large numbers, it's in the ballpark.
| Level | Level Cost | Upgrade Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.00e13 | Add to Formation |
| 25 | 2.91e15 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 200% |
| 50 | 1.60e16 | A Celestial Puzzle |
| 65 | 3.46e16 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 100% |
| 75 | 5.25e16 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 100 | 4.73e17 | Celestial Resistance |
| 110 | 5.60e17 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 100% |
| 125 | 2.00e18 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 140 | 5.53e18 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 200% |
| 150 | 8.39e18 | Feast or Famine |
| 160 | 1.65e19 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 200 | 4.69e20 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 225 | 2.23e21 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 240 | 4.80e21 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 250 | 7.28e21 | Specialization Choice 1 |
| 280 | 9.79e22 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 290 | 1.09e23 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
| 300 | 2.14e23 | Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability by 100% |
| 320 | 1.25e24 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 365 | 3.38e25 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 400 | 3.43e26 | Specialization Choice 2 |
| 410 | 3.66e26 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 425 | 1.31e27 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 200% |
| 445 | 5.89e27 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
| 455 | 7.69e27 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 490 | 1.51e29 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 500 | 1.61e29 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 560 | 1.87e31 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 600 | 2.66e32 | Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability by 100% |
| 615 | 5.01e32 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 675 | 4.48e34 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
| 685 | 4.41e34 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 730 | 1.79e36 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 200% |
| 750 | 5.40e36 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 800 | 2.07e38 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 200% |
| 830 | 1.42e39 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 890 | 9.30e40 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 900 | 9.15e40 | Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability by 100% |
| 925 | 8.24e41 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
| 955 | 6.68e42 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1000 | 1.54e44 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1010 | 1.56e44 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 200% |
| 1060 | 9.04e45 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1070 | 9.05e45 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 1135 | 1.48e48 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1175 | 2.09e49 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
| 1200 | 9.92e49 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1210 | 1.18e50 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 1265 | 9.65e51 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1275 | 9.56e51 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 200% |
| 1300 | 8.61e52 | Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability by 100% |
| 1355 | 4.25e54 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1425 | 4.93e56 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
| 1445 | 1.43e57 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1480 | 1.86e58 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 1545 | 1.65e60 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1555 | 1.61e60 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 200% |
| 1620 | 2.64e62 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 1665 | 5.34e63 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 200% |
| 1675 | 5.42e63 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
| 1750 | 1.75e66 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 1760 | 1.70e66 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 100% |
| 1775 | 6.10e66 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 100% |
| 1800 | 4.23e67 | Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability by 100% |
| 1890 | 2.28e70 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 100% |
| 1915 | 1.01e71 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 100% |
| 1925 | 1.20e71 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
softcap upgrade - September 15th, 2021
| Level | Level Cost | Upgrade Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.37e72 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 100% |
| 1990 | 1.73e73 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 2020 | 1.31e74 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 200% |
| 2050 | 1.00e75 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 100% |
| 2080 | 7.61e75 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 2160 | 1.96e78 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 100% |
| 2170 | 1.90e78 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
softcap upgrade - June 1st, 2022
| Level | Level Cost | Upgrade Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 2220 | 1.10e80 | Increases the effect of Shaka's Feast or Famine ability by 100% |
| 2260 | 1.59e81 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 100% |
| 2300 | 2.38e82 | Increases the effect of Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability by 100% |
| 2340 | 3.57e83 | Increases the damage of all Champions by 200% |
| 2410 | 4.32e85 | Increases the damage of Shaka by 100% |
| 2420 | 4.22e85 | Increase the effect of Celestial Resistance by 70% |
Current max upgrade level is 2420
#Formation & Mission Information
Once you complete the first mission, three Variants and a Free Play show up. It uses a formation that holds 10 Champions. It has a Champ-specific format that I've done my best to re-create below.
| Back Column | 3rd Column | 2nd Column | Front Column |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | |||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 |
New Player Formation & Specializations:
While I recommend learning to build your own formations, here's a set of starter formations for brand new players to use while they get the hang of things. Anyone with other options should check that link for how to figure out how to make the best of them. You can also ask for help in the #formations channel in the official Discord.
| Back Column | 3rd Column | 2nd Column | Front Column |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitch - Charismatic | |||
| Minsc - Fey | Bruenor - Battle Master | ||
| Calliope - College of Valor | Nayeli - Oath of Devotion | ||
| NA | Celeste - War Domain | ||
| Asharra - Dwarves & Elves | NA | ||
| Jarlaxle - Leader of Bregan D'aerthe |
This formation is for the first couple of runs where you're just not going to get enough Gold to get everyone on the field, let alone level people up into their power curves. At this point, Jarlaxle is focusing on being your Primary DPS while everyone else is set up to support him.
The following formation is for once your Hitch starts doing more damage than your Jarlaxle. You can find this out by pulling Asharra out of the formation and swapping Jarlaxle and Hitch around to see whose damage is better. If Hitch is higher, next run change Asharra's Spec to buff Hitch instead.
| Back Column | 3rd Column | 2nd Column | Front Column |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarlaxle - Leader of Bregan D'aerthe | |||
| Makos - Dark Blessing | Bruenor - Battle Master | ||
| Calliope - College of Valor | Nayeli - Oath of Devotion | ||
| Minsc - Fey | Celeste - War Domain | ||
| Asharra - (Swap) | Tyril - Wild Shape | ||
| Hitch - Charismatic |
This formation should get you through the Event as a new player. If you have other options or think a different DPS is geared better, try it out and see what happens! Swapping DPS around like this can help you figure out what works best for you with your specific items.
These are the rough Favor values you need to reach to make a Variant say Difficulty: Easy. Keep in mind that this is just a generic rating system and some Variants may be harder than others, even with Favor in this range.
| Variant | Favor Level (Normal) | Favor Level (Scientific Notation) |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | 20,000 | ~2e04 |
| 125 | 15,000,000 | ~1.5e07 |
| 175 | 150,000,000 | ~1.5e08 |
##Initial Adventure: The Grandfather Acorn (Shaka)
Cost: 25 Leaves
Complete: Level 50
Reward: Shaka + whatever Rillifane's Favor you earned
Info: No restrictions.
##First Variant: The Web Was On The Wall
Cost: 250 Leaves
Complete: Area 75
Reward: Gold Shaka Chest & whatever Rillifane's Favor you earned
Info: Giant Spiders appear in each area. Whenever a Champion destroys a Giant Spider, they become webbed (stunned) for 3 seconds. Gold Find is reduced by 99%.
Gaar's Notes: This one will be problematic if your Tank can't handle enemies stacking on it while your DPS is stunned. Due to the Gold Find reduction, waiting until you have the Favor shown on the chart above for the second variant will make this a walk in the park.
##Second Variant: Shaka's Puzzle
Cost: 625 Leaves
Complete: Area 125
Reward: Gold Shaka Chest & whatever Rillifane's Favor you earned
Info: Shaka starts in the formation, he can be moved. Only Shaka and the Champions who match the tag for their slot from Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle ability can deal damage; Shaka's A Celestial Puzzle starts out unlocked.
Gaar's Notes: This is all about learning how to use Shaka. You'll need to build a party around putting your DPS in one of his marked slots.
##Third Variant: Lolth's Blessing
Cost: 1,250 Leaves
Complete: Area 175
Reward: Gold Shaka Chest & whatever Rillifane's Favor you earned
Info: A Drow Wizard spawns in each area, with the Blessing of Lolth: 8 armored hit points that must be cleared before they can be killed. While the Drow Wizard is alive, all Drow enemies deal 300% additional damage and move 100% faster.
Gaar's Notes: I hate the Blessing of Lolth. 8 armored segments are worse than 50 since the health gets divided by the number of segments to determine the threshold for removal. Make sure you have at least the Favor shown in the chart above before attempting.
##Free Play
Cost: 500 - 2500 Leaves (Cost scales based on how many you do to a max of 2500)
Complete: Area 50 to earn a random Shaka chest
Reward: See above + whatever Rillifane's Favor you earned
Info: No restrictions.
#Achievements
Gaar's Note: All of these achievements can be earned at any time, not just during their Event, except where noted.
Recruit Shaka - 1%
Recruit Shaka, the Tiefling Warlock
Acorn Acquisition - 1%
Complete all three variants of the "The Grandfather Acorn (Shaka)" adventure. (This achievement can be earned via Time Gates.)
Collection Complete - 1%
Obtain a piece of gear for each of Shaka's six equipment slots. (Event Champ gear does not come from regular Silver/Gold Chests. You can earn Event Champ gear from their specific Event Chests, Time Gates, qualifying Patron Chests, and other limited-time Chests as noted.)
Subterfuge Stopped - 1%
Complete area 175 in any "The Grandfather Acorn" free play. (This achievement can only be earned during the The Running Event, but it can be earned in any Champion's free play.)
Make 'em Glow - 1%
Complete 1000 total areas with at least 4 A Celestial Puzzle slots matching the Champion in that slot.
Gaar's Note: No way around it... You're gonna have to do this manually because Shaka's puzzle is different every time you start a run. You can grind this out or just let it accrue slowly over time. Up to you.
Posted Apr 19, 2023, 8:43 PM UTC