Happy 13th Birthday DDO!

Dungeons and Dragon Online turned 13 yesterday! It was really cool to sit back and watch as Jerry Snook aka Cordovan played pretty much all day on Twitch yesterday with his DDO Community. He'd go into a typically peaceful town area and unleash hordes of monsters upon the players and then dump tons of party loot down on the ground for them to pick up. (If you're looking for a special 13th anniversary reward for DDO, check out this clipped highlight from the stream. )

Double Dragons!

It kind of reminded me of when I would unleash the turret bosses in the skyways of Pirate101. 

Anyway, as some of you know, I used to write quite a bit about DDO in my past.  There are a few posts here on The Friendly Necromancer Blog, but at some point I decided to splinter DDO discussion off and make a DDO exclusive blog called the Stormreach Sentinel. I even wrote about playing DDO for Beckett's Online Gamer Magazine back in the day.

gotta love when the magazine crease goes right down the middle of your character's face.

Needless to say, I like the game. Unfortunately I'm pulled in so many different directions that I don't get to visit that particular world as much any more, but I still have a Necromancer I'd like to level a bit more.

Currently they have their anniversary event running, so you too can go battle against the Developers in an Epic Anniversary Party dungeon crawl.

Severlin had a really hot head when we crossed paths

It's really great to see this MMO still kicking around, and I'm incredibly happy that Standing Stone games took up the mantle of responsibility when Turbine stepped out of the MMO picture. Congrats to them for sticking with it and making this a really fun game.

Happy Dueling.

Daily Blogging this week? Why not!? Let's catch up...

Hello all! I received a challenge from the one and only Emy Anemsalok . . . Community Manager extraordinaire . . . to join in the #oneweekdailyblogging challenge that she and her cohorts dreamed up. Whew, it can be tough to blog these days for me, but I always enjoy a challenge (and I really loved Blaughust last year, so consider this my warm up I guess lol).

With that, my friends, why don't I catch you up on all things Tom.


1- YouTube! If you didn't know, I have a (kinda) weekly playthrough of Wizard101 going with my buddy Morgrim aka The Art of Warlord.  We're deep into Mooshu now and in a couple of episodes I predict we'll be in Dragonspyre.


2- Work!  Work has been incredibly taxing lately. I lost my cohorts Leala and Julia :( and I've been scrambling a bit ever since, but I'm starting to find a new groove that I hope carries on to bigger and better things . . . like maybe a new KI Live next week?

3- Book 15!  What the what?  I thought for sure "Where's Book 15 of Pirate101?" would be etched on my tombstone, but you know what . . . the team pulled it off and I can't wait to really get my feet wet in the content.  I will be taking Thomas (my witchdoctor) and Pedro (my Privateer) through a 2-boxed adventure into Valencia 2. woot!

4- Other gaming! I know it's hard to believe that I play other games than Wizard101 and Pirate101, but I do.  I've preached it before, but it's good to be a well-rounded gamer.

Just recently I've been playing Legend of Zelda Windwaker.  Said what?  That old game?!  Yup!  It's one of the only Legend of Zelda games I've never really played much of, so I decided to give it some time.  I was sailing around this morning placing pearls from the first three dungeons.

I've also been playing a lot of Dungeons and Dragons Online.

I know you've heard me talk about this game before, and if you didn't know, I have a blog dedicated to this game called the Stormreach Sentinel.  I debated killing that blog and just blogging about my adventures over here on TFN, but IDK, I kind of like how everything is neatly compartmentalized to one game over there.

In fact, I've made 16 blog posts on my Stormreach Sentinel blog since March.  I'm playing a necromancer (of course) and have been having a blast.  You know what stopped me in my tracks though?

5- Physical Therapy!  I've been going to physical therapy about twice a week to work on my leg muscles.  That left leg of mine really atrophied after being held straight for 3 months and I've got a lot of work to get it back into shape.  I've been doing a hour or so of exercises every day, and it really kind of killed a lot of my extra blogging time in the mornings.

All of that, coupled with a fantastic trip to Disney World / Universal Studios last week has kind of taken a lot of my attention away from my old TFN blog here.

Hopefully this daily blogging gig this week will help kick start me a bit.

Happy Dueling!

#Blaugust Day 20 -- My Top Memorable Locations in #DDO

Yesterday I was talking memories from DCUO, but today I'm talking memories from DDO! It's a lot of D's and O's, but much much different . . . Dungeons and Dragons Online.  EPIC!  It's been a long time since I put my little halfling feet into the world of Eberron, So long, in fact, that it took me a good while to patch this game up into a playable state, but it was still safely sitting on my computer just waiting for a time when lightning would strike.

Like that! (That's coming from me, not toward me FYI)

DDO used to be my Sunday Night group's game before DCUO . . . about 3 years ago. Unlike DCUO, I actually did write a nice-sized compendium of my adventures there.

Anyway, three years is a long time, friends! In fact, I was playing DDO before I got my job working for KingsIsle, so let's tax my inner cortex, shake off the cobwebs from the DDO portion of my brain, and see what falls out.  Shall we? Onward to the memories!

~~

- Staging spot for the Kobol excavation missions in Cannith.

Before the world of DDO went delving into the Forgotten Realms, one of my last memories of really playing this game was when I was hitting the Cannith Challenge Missions over and over for experience, loot, and challenge. They were grindy little instances that were short enough you could complete a couple on lunch time, and for a sorcerer who liked to solo things, and stay one step ahead of the rest of the group, they were perfect!

Plus there was a giant ghost dragon you could fight if you were super crazy! (I was super crazy)

~~

- The bridge leading to Remembrance Plaza from Lordsmarch Bank in the Marketplace.

There's nothing particularly neat about this bridge other than its view.  It wasn't like I spent a lot of time hanging out on this bridge just passing the time or anything -- it's just a place that comes to mind for me when I'm thinking about DDO . . . um, did I happen to mention it has a really cool view? Onward!

~~

- Risia Ice Games Ramp in the Harbor.

I had to go to my old DDO blog for this picture.  The Ice Games is when the normally sunshine-filled Harbor goes all Frozone on you, and there's this big, terrible ice ramp where you can rent a pair of ice skates and fulfill your Olympic dreams. I must have made that jump hundreds of times. Such dreams.

~~

- Gianthold. Yeah, our little group spent far far too long in Gianthold for me to ever forget it.

I remember kiting around giants through Firewalls for hours, and our group had THEE WORST time with a particular instance called Gianthold Tor. We were getting our butts toasted by three dragons for what seemed like two months. *Shudders* But what a cool way to get your butt toasted! Dragons, Giants, and purple rock textures for miles!

~~

- The Crazy beholder instance, AKA The Reign of Madness. Um, so the only picture I have of this currently is one from my old blog where I must have been in a kind of a strange mood and photo shopped Barbara Streisand into all of the pictures. You can read the blog post here. *scratches head*

If you love beholders in D&D, you'll love this instance . . . and I happen to be one of those that think Beholders are pretty freaking amazing. How could I ever forget being transported into the belly of one.

~~

- The Waterworks . . . Yup, it's the kobold sewer instance way back at the beginning of the game.

From the first time you wander into the instance and hear the dungeon master say, "The strong smell of sewage permeates the air around you," you know it's going to be a good time.  And by good time, I'm talking about traps, kobolds, and miles and miles of dreary sewer.

In fact, the very location I'm standing in is a recreation of the very first screenshot I ever saw of the game.  My buddy Tony had jumped into DDO when it was new and sent me a screenshot to show me what it looked like . . . I'm standing in that same spot. Good times. I'm glad he shared it with me.

~~

- Smuggler's Rest . . . the Pirate event. This picture actually comes from the Press Release about the Smuggler's Rest unveiling for the fifth anniversary of DDO.

I ran around a lot in this instance in search of a really awful banana-yellow pirate hat that I wore proudly for several month's afterward . . . what was I thinking?

- Bogwater Tavern

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villiany . . . Actually it seems like one of the nicer pubs! It's open air with plenty of nice NPCs around and even a small amphitheater.  Hmm, maybe it was just the bouncer that made me always think this place was sleezy. For some reason it's always stuck in my mind.

~~

- The Eveningstar -- Wait, are you sure this isn't LOTRO?

Well, it could be LOTRO! It's made by the same company after all, right? I still have content here that I've never seen, and I think that's why it's in my head today. I wanted to explore this area . . . I really did, but my group of friends was ready to move on, and I wasn't in the mood to stick it out alone. My character is still level 20, and this world made the levels in DDO go up to 25.  Maybe someday I'll get to fully check it out . . . it'd be nice. (Too many games, too little time)

~~

- The Den of Obscurity.

What I remember about this instance was that it was like running a maze in the dark, and it was the definition of insanity. I pull the picture above from my blog post about it. This instance kind of lives on in my nightmares. I think if I ended up in Hell . . . it'd be running this dungeon over and over for all eternity.

~~

- The Cerulean Hills -- It's that open area off to the side of town. Remember that spot? I do!

Well I decided to stop in last night and revisit this place that was haunting my memories. Sure enough, it was still the same ol' Cerulean Hills that I remembered. Bugbears and Orcs a plenty jumping out of you from behind bushes and around unseen corners! The giant walls of Stormreach in the background like a big comfortable line of security. It's pretty too! I can see why it stuck in my mind for so long.

~~

. . . and that's my "first" ten memorable locations of DDO. I wrote them all down before entering the game again, and the same thing happened to me like it did when I explored DCUO the other night . . . a flood of memories and places came back to me. WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF LOLTH AND THE SPIDER WEB BRIDGES?! Why didn't I think of this bridge, or this rock, or this mailbox? Why didn't I think of the Butcher's Path?  . . . All good questions! It's just what came to mind first. :)

I'm happy I logged into DDO and took another look around. What a great game and what a lot of good memories! 

Happy Dueling

~~

This post is part of the Blaugust challenge -- Thanks to Belghast from Tales of the Aggronaut for hosting. 

Press Release for DDO's Fifth Anniversary Event

Heya all,

I know we mostly talk Wizard101 around these parts, but as most of you know, Dungeons and Dragons has a special place for me. Skip this post if you're not interested. :)

I've managed to land myself on the press release list for DDO, and so I thought I'd share MY VERY FIRST press release from these fine folks.

Check it out!

~~~~~~begin cut and paste~~~~~~

Turbine celebrates fifth anniversary of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE®: eBERRON UNLIMITED™

Turbine, Inc. today launched the latest content update to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Eberron Unlimited™ (DDO Unlimited), recently named the Most Innovative MMO of the Decade*. DDO Unlimited’s newest update introduces a special two-part in-game event, new cosmetic items and a special gift for all players.

DDO’s 5th Anniversary Event:

To Celebrate DDOs 5th year in service, all players will be invited to travel back to the first port visited by early travelers of Stormreach – Smuggler’s Rest – and assist Euphonia in a treasure map hunt. Successful server wide completion of the first phase will unlock passage to Crystal Cove for a limited time.

· Smugglers Rest (All Levels)

Players from years past will recognize some of this besieged harbor, now overrun with eager pirates searching for pieces to a strewn pirate map. Adventurers can barter with Euphonia for rewards and access to the treasure of Crystal Cove – but they must all work together to open passage there. Players will explore the region, fight various Pirate-type monsters and collect dropped treasure. On occasion, a treasure map will appear revealing a hidden chest …but beware of nearby pirates.

· Crystal Cove (All Levels)

Crystal Cove is a hidden mine full of crystals for the taking. Players, solo or party, will protect and manage a team of Kobold miners that will collect the valuable minerals for you. Players will manage resources such as barrels, torches and a team of kobolds while protecting them from invading pirates. Most resources will cost crystals or can be purchased in the DDO Store. Once the crystal collection quota is met, everything else will be distributed as profit to the player party and can be traded with Euphonia for powerful goods. Crystal Cove will offer players to select from levels 1 to 25 to set their party difficulty and scale rewards appropriately.


Special Player Gift

Players who visit Sailor Calatin in the Harbor and sail to Smuggler’s Rest will receive a new pirate hat that provides players with better luck playing DDO including the special 5th Anniversary event in Smugglers Rest & Crystal Cove. Pirate hats will be distributed based on amount of time played and relative accomplishments, based on character. Players will also receive free Traveler Tokens and Blessings of the Traveler to join in the Marketplace Scavenger Hunt live event.

~~~~~end cut and paste~~~~~~

OK, so this is actually pretty fun. I logged on last night and ran through the special preview of the event they had. I didn't get to stay too long, but I did manage to pick up a new hat for my Sorcerer, Mr. Gleek Wondertwin to you.

Here's a pretty cool picture of a warforged wearing a pirate hat similar to the one I got.


Gleek doesn't look nearly as burly with his hat. LOL. Actually, it kind of looks like an empty fruit bowl on this fella here.

Happy Dueling!

Reincarnation in Wizard101?

In the game Dungeons and Dragons Online there is an option to reincarnate your character so you can choose a new build if you messed up and you don't like your choices. Here's a link to read all about it if you're interested.

In Wizard101 we have the ability to pretty much do the same thing. We buy back our training points from Mr. Lincoln and we can re-train all our secondary spells points in whatever we'd like.

But there is something exciting at the end of the rainbow in DDO that we don't have. In DDO there is an option for greater levels of reincarnation where you can add additional abilities to your character. Here's a quick quote to get you thinking in the right direction (just read it with Wizard101 in mind).

"True Reincarnation allows you a fresh start as a more powerful character. You must start at level 1 again, and it requires a little more XP to level from that point on, but you gain several attributes and may change more about your character than the other types of Reincarnation. It is an excellent choice if:


■ You’d like to upgrade a 28 point build to have more ability points
■ You’d like to change your race
■ You’d like to completely redo your character, including what class they are
■ You like prestige and recognition for your accomplishments
■ You’d like to gain extra perks for your character"

First of all, if this idea was to be introduced into Wizard101, it wouldn't be called reincarnation. I'm guessing that's too political in nature and since there's really no death (only defeat), it wouldn't really work out. For us it would have to be an option once you hit Legendary to "Invigorate your learning." It would be an opportunity to become a level 1 wizard again and return to school all over again.

Imagine if you got to start over, but based on your previous class you now had access to a special spell or two that only those who had "invigorated" could train? The first thing that comes to mind are the mutate spells, but I'm imagining the ability to create an epic version of a level 48 spell would just put it over the top: Epic Skeletal Dragon!!

Imagine gaining a couple extra training points for your decision as well!

Imagine getting the ability to visit the salon. Since it's a new you at school, you'd get to change your hair and starter clothes.

Imagine getting access to a special badge only available to those who have "invigorated."

Imagine getting to start over at Level one so you can play your character with a new friend that you've brought into the game without having to make a new character!

You know, it would totally take the sting away from when they release a world that isn't level 60+, and as an invigorated character, you'd want to explore it because yeah . . . maybe you'd need the experience from a Grizzleheim or a Candyland to make up for the extra experience needed as an "invigorated" character.

Personally I think it would be the most exciting thing to happen to this game in a long time. I think KingsIsle would keep all their old playerbase active and playing through different levels of their game.

Honestly, if this were available, done properly, and had a decent price tag, I'd jump on it faster than you can say "Merle's your uncle."

Happy Dueling!

Crafting the Winter's Wrath (DDO)

This post is about Dungeons and Dragons Online.

In DDO there is an adventure pack called the Sentinel's of Stormreach, and in various chests of the missions in Sentinel's of Stormreach there are items you loot that you can combine to craft a weapon or a piece of armor that is slightly above the average quest reward.

All of this information can be found over on the DDO Wiki page here.

I gotta say that unraveling the unraveling enchantments wiki page took a little bit for me. I'm a sorcerer who works off of the Charisma score, not intelligence, after all, but it was enough for me to ascertain that the first thing I needed to do was collect the sigils of the goat, lion, and dragon. Those didn't drop like candy like I was hoping, unfortunately. Between the Sunday night static group runs and some soloing, it took a few times running the Bargain of Blood, Black Loch, Storm the Beaches, and Spies in the House quests to get all three. Luckily that wiki page really points you in the right direction.


Sure enough, yesterday, I got my last sigil to drop and finally had all three sigils. WOOT WOOT!

At that point it appeared that all that was left was obtaining the Splintered Winter's Wrath and doing the combine. As the wiki page stated, "Items with the 'Unraveling Enchantments' attribute are found in the The Tide Turns end chest and the quest chain reward list." To me that meant I needed to do that Tide Turns quest and GET MY LOOT!

The static group had that mission unlocked up to hard, and since I'm an insane soloing Sorcerer type, I thought I'd give it a shot with a Cleric henchman in tow. This ended badly on the very final fight since . . . well . . . my cleric and I both ran out of mana. I'd still like to solo this just to say I did, but at that point, there, hovering around as a defeated ghost, it occurred to me that . . . Hey, I wonder if this Splintered Winter's Wrath wand is in the auction house?

:)

You can see where I'm going with this . . . it *was* in the auction house. In fact I bought one for 900 plat, which seemed to be a bargain compared to the others up for sale.

WHEW. Now I had all my components, and I was ready for my final combine, which again was slightly confusing. I mean, I was left wondering, "Wait? Does the final combine happen in the Tide Turns instance or does it happen out in the House Deneith City Area?" Because all it tells you on that wiki page is "Combine this item in 'Visbane's Folly' atop Sentinel's Tower in House Deneith Enclave . . ."


The answer was, as it turns out, yup, in the House Deneith City area there is a little grassy ramp that leads up to the top of the Sentinel's Tower. It's just kind of hidden off to the east of the tower.

I did my combine . . .


And I got my upgraded weapon.


Whew.

Sadly, after all that work, the stats look great in pixels, but color me a little unimpressed in practice. HAHA. The damage output seems a little weak, but it is nice to add another eternal wand to my collection and at least it seems it's one of the only AoE attacks from an eternal wand before 20th level. It'll also be good to swap in this wand if I'm casting any lower level cold spells for a little boost to damage.


It's cool lookin' and looks like you could roast two hotdogs at once with it. WOOHOO! I'll keep it. :) (plus it appears at max level you can upgrade this thing even MORE and make it truly Epic)

Happy Dueling!