Category: Hunting and Combat Topic: Wehnimer’s Landing Hunting Areas
Date: 04/06/2018 01:19 PM CDT
From: SIMU-WYROM
Subj: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
I have a question for anyone who still hunts here or enjoys going here for whatever reason. Is anyone interested in hunting the greater vruul in the special summoning chamber or chapel? They have some older mechanics that cause them to stick around…indefinitely. Usually this means I have to go in there and delete them all once the game starts seeing some performance issues.
I’m a huge fan of the Brokenlands, and it’s one of my favorite areas in the game. I really don’t like the idea of changing the mechanics of these spawn points, but I’m curious of what you, the players, think about the greater vruul here.
As of this post, I’m getting rid of over 100 of them.
Wyrom, PM
Date: 04/06/2018 01:30 PM CDT
From: KRAKII
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
If it were possible to hunt them–as a reliable number of creatures genned, kind of like Ghoul Masters in the gully used to be–then yes, I would be. However, given the impossibility of even walking into the door without being annihilated by the built-up swarm, no.
Now, if you were to turn <that one room> into a small <3-10 room complex> and let them roam that area… then even a big crowd wouldn’t be all that terribly bad.
.
But with FvF mechanics in place? No thanks.
Date: 04/06/2018 01:53 PM CDT
From: VANKRASN39
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
I always liked the idea to upgrade the area to cap
Date: 04/06/2018 02:02 PM CDT
From: UBERWENCH
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
Strongly seconding the upgrade to cap. Strongly.
Date: 04/06/2018 04:05 PM CDT
From: KHARIZ555
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
Ohh, yes, capped Vruul would be awesome. The landing having capped hunting (no Confluence, Sunfist, and Bandits don’t count because you can get those anywhere) would be awesome, and the broken lands and Sheruvian stuff (and Vruul, yes) just seems to be the perfect sort of place for that. It always seems like it was always meant to be mean and hard (and at one point it was). I bet some folks could come up with some cool new puzzles in addition to the old ones.
Date: 04/06/2018 09:02 PM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
I actually did hunt them when I was in that level range, I would use the temporal rift to bypass the doors. I was able to take the entire room single handed with a like level sorcerer, and it was still much safer than the Red Forest. (It would just be a death trap if they were not Level 75 roltons.) The thing was that the greater vruul generate very slowly, so I would have to let the room build back up for a few days, and then hunt other things in between them. I just have not been doing it lately.
The problem with Summoning Chamber vruul is that you do not get experience for killing them, though I think I did get XP for an animated one that decayed outside that room. There was nothing wrong with the ones in the Chapel. I would fry twice killing all of them in the Chapel, and get zero in the Summoning Chamber. I’m outside the level range to test that now, but it seemed like it had something to do with the room. My pure speculation was maybe it was some relic of when enchanting worked differently.
<<I really don’t like the idea of changing the mechanics of these spawn points, but I’m curious of what you, the players, think about the greater vruul here.>>
There is something nostalgic and vicious about accidentally walking into a room filled with dozens of these things. But if they were changed so they were not identical to lesser vruul with higher numbers (neglecting that their buffs have always worn off when they build up for a long time), I would like to see the greater vruul be flying creatures. In their I.C.E. lore the larger ones can pick up victims and fly off with them. Without the FvF swarm aspect they’re too easy for Level 75. I’m sure Voln types could use an undead.
If they showed up in the lesser vruul area again as an environmental hazard every once in a while, they could zoom down the stairs and drop them in the bone pit, or fly out the eye-shaped windows with them (which would give an excuse to show the outside of the shrine having a huge demonic face, which I think is probably implied.)
I would love to see at least a capped extension with high level vruul and other unnatural abominations. As long as a capped vruul isn’t just completely and totally anti-magical like the Vvrael. Though I would also acknowledge that the whole area would make more sense changed up to the level cap. Right now we have “liches” that are only Level 28, which made sense at the time but not now. Ki-lin could be made similarly capped, maybe a little more common. I’m just reluctant to outright change things that old. I would strongly prefer it to stay consistent with the “other plane of existence” concept and not “just the surface of Lornon.” Those creatures could be made “extraplanar.”
I wandered around this area with my sorcerer once when he was about level 70 just to see what everyone was talking about…. I understand it’s difficult to get a good idea what it’s like hunting a place when you’ve leveled past any real danger it might possess, so I’ll try to temper my comments here with that in mind.
Aesthetically, it’s a great place that I could see being a favorite of place of mine to hunt with characters of that level if it wasn’t such a long trek to get to/from (and maybe it’s not so bad once you get used to it).
From a design standpoint, it could very much use updates to modern standards. Having critters that are 30 levels apart sharing an area (hooded figures, monks, initiates, and harbs were the most numerous of what I saw while there) is never a good idea (at least not now with groups that have similar level differences being punished when hunting). Anyone trying to hunt the lower end has no real chance against the higher level critters while those trying to hunt the upper end have to waste time and resources on the more numerous critters they can’t even learn from (in this respect, it actually reminds me of a more extreme version of the Troll Lair in RR…which drives me nuts to this day when I have to take characters there).
That said, while I can see the urge to make the Monastary a capped area, I don’t think that’s the best solution. Rather I think that updating whatever mechanics are so old they broke to restore their original function and expanding the area to allow the critters in the 30-40’s and those in the 50-60’s to be segregated would be better. This would allow the gen rate on the upper level critters to be boosted and make it a more viable hunting area across a greater number of levels. Even if they were allowed to wander between there areas if there are folk hunting in both, it would be a huge improvement.
As far as the summoning chamber goes… I get the nostalgia, honestly, but when it gets to the point that GMs have to go in regularly to clean it out cause it’s instantly deadly to most players and no one can learn from killing anything there, it needs to be fixed. By all means preserve the intended functions of the room, but fix it.
Starchitin
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
Date: 04/07/2018 05:20 AM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
The greater vruul also have some bugs. They will keep clawing at you without arms (I think) and the sorcerer Pain (711) spell does way less damage to them that it should. They look 5 feet tall like lesser vruul, though appear “large” instead of “medium”, and oddly the lesser and greater vruul skins bundle. It might make more sense for it to be a “vruul claw” or “vruul wing” for one of them. Incidentally, some of those uncommon spawns in the Chapel/Chamber are buggy, like Sheruvian warlocks do not attack.
The occasional high level creature wandering through as an environmental hazard did not bother me much. The south and east sides of the monastery do not have the hooded figures, and the harbingers/steed are infrequent. But you do basically have to just run and wait for someone to come kill them, that is not really ideal these days. They can still be there hours later. I would be conflicted about just changing what is already there to be capped. Maybe shift it all up by 30 or 40 levels and add a capped expansion.
What I would really like to see with the Sheruvian Monastery is that hidden teleportation system working again and the greater vruul moving between areas with it. I do not know what would have to be involved with fixing it. I know it was made well before we had the three separate Mana Control skills. I wish the dome had more functionality.
– Xorus’ player
(Aside: They’re on Tsoran’s map, but I have not seen Elder Vruul, Banshees, or the Large Black Cat except as an ambient script. The last two at least I think were supposed to spawn in the Elder’s Chamber. The cook’s assistants oddly cast spells while the warlocks and priests do not. Elder vruul maybe were just an invasion creature once?)
Date: 04/07/2018 05:21 AM CDT
From: VEYTHORNE
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
If work is going to go into an area, why not make it count?
Make it a capped hunting area and revamp all the creatures.
Date: 04/07/2018 06:47 AM CDT
From: DAID
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
>As of this post, I’m getting rid of over 100 of them.
What the…?
I never hunted much in the Broken Lands overall. Sad but true. Then again I only have one character over level 70 (who is now capped).
I’m also in favor of making something in the Broken Lands capped.
Date: 04/07/2018 07:55 AM CDT
From: CLUNK24963
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
Make it accessible through the indentation in Melgorehn’s monolith.
Actually … random (or controlled) transport to Arkati shrines might be even more interesting …
… dependent upon shrine gem, of course.
Clunk
(Buy your swords at CBD weapons in Zul Logoth.)
Date: 04/07/2018 08:58 AM CDT
From: KRAKII
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
I made sure to put “a Sheruvian harbinger” in some incredibly annoying color highlight that I could not possibly miss, because those suckers were spellcasters. I was not nearly so worried about the nightmare steeds that they some times rode in on, even though those were only 8-10 levels lower. Still, I agree with you over–and posted about–how much of a “reaming waiting to happen” it is for a 65th level creature to be out wandering around a 40th level hunting area.
Now, with all that said… mostly the monk & initiates were the eastern and southern arms of the complex, and initiates were up to the north with the entrance. (I’m hard pressed to think of a figure that I ever saw come through to the ‘T’ intersection.) And nothing ever frickin’ generated over to the west, so I gave up on even going there. (I did see a cook. Once. And a cat. Once.)
.
So convert those nice N/S cells into a barracks, and stables. Cooks in the barracks kitches, harbingers in the barracks, steeds in the stables, and some moving around to mix.
And then keep the harbingers OUT of the monk/initiate areas….
Date: 04/07/2018 09:09 AM CDT
From: KRAKII
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
“and initiates were up to the north with the entrance.” — Me
This should say, “hooded figures”.
Date: 04/07/2018 11:32 PM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
<<So convert those nice N/S cells into a barracks, and stables. Cooks in the barracks kitches, harbingers in the barracks, steeds in the stables, and some moving around to mix.>>
My guess would be that the harbingers on nightmare steeds are supposed to be arriving there through the monoliths or some other rifting notion. Maybe even from Darkstone Castle. Another concept I had was the dark fog under the castle could become treated as a dormant gateway leading to a mirror universe Darkstone Castle where Sheru did come through and wrecked the lands. The premise would be “hand-wave, hand-wave, the mana storm over the castle and the unstable portal that never healed.”
The Sheruvian harbingers / nightmare steeds would be freely traveling between worlds, then this other side would be capped and have horrific nightmarish creatures and major flying vruul and demons. Then if you wanted to be really crazy, this could bleed through into a capped Broken Lands region. The mana storm already has a BL-like ambient.
– Xorus’ player
Date: 04/08/2018 01:20 PM CDT
From: KRAKII
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
Reading your post made me go all Byakhee and Mi-go, from Cthulhu… 🙂
Date: 04/08/2018 07:51 PM CDT
From: INFARED
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
I go in there on occasion for nostalgia and to mow down a whole room of Vruul, its enjoyable. Maybe if the summoning chamber was not locked and caused a wicked poison or disease more people would go in there to take care of those Vruul that are stacking up?
Date: 04/08/2018 09:55 PM CDT
From: MAARIKAI
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
Another vote for making the area capped! That would be so great.
I loved hunting vruul and all of Broken Lands when I was at that level.
Date: 04/09/2018 01:52 PM CDT
From: SHAELETHE
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
The locked doors are the only reason I don’t hunt there.
Date: 04/10/2018 08:31 AM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
For what it’s worth with the locked door(s):
>incant 403
As you focus on the Lock Pick Enhancement spell, ripples of ethereal energy flow down your arms and into your fingers…
Your spell is ready.
You gesture.
A scintillating light surrounds your hands.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
>prep 407
You tilt your head slightly and stare straight ahead as you murmur under your breath…
Your spell is ready.
>cast door
You gesture at some enruned black vaalin doors.
You hear a soft click from the doors and it suddenly flies open.
The scintillating light fades from your hands.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
The door lock is -750 with no trap on the Chapel. You can get in there with the Minor Elemental circle spells, though I do not know how many ranks it would be at level. I am not getting a message for trap or lock being corroded from my water lore on the summoning chamber door. So I’m guessing that room is closed closed at the moment.
just tried to bash the door there and ended up with disease 49per round yikes lol
Date: 04/27/2018 12:19 AM CDT
From: RUDIE
Subj: Re: Brokenland: Summoning Chambers
I’d hunt there more if I could get into the rooms. Clerics, sadly, can’t open the doors. (well, not without silly training for a cleric). Vruul are my all-time favorite creatures, and the Broken Lands my all-time favorite hunting area. Sad that all my mains are well out of that range. I had a lot of fun hunting Rencelas there from 40-50 or so.
