Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

by Garrett Fuller

Do you remember playing high level Dungeons and Dragons at the dinner table surrounded by a group of your friends? Remember staring at the dungeon master as he threw powerful devils and demons at your party? Those were the good ol’ days, right?

If you thought fighting devils and demons was your idea of a good time, the developers at Turbine have just come up with a module that may be right up your alley. Welcome to Module Six for Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach. This rough and tumble update – dubbed the Thirteenth Eclipse - will push players through one of the most intricate raids to date and will require players to use their brains and gaming skills to complete these intricate missions. Thankfully, the rewards are certainly worth the risk; you’ll find (and make!) loot that is as of yet unparalleled in this online game. Throw in a cool story line that follows the Eberron mythos and you have the makings of some exciting content for old and new players alike.

DDO's Module Six will feature many new weapons, items, and features.

In our run through the game, Cody “Micajah” Bye and I were lucky enough to play through the higher level areas on immortal mode, if we hadn’t had that option turned on it would have been a night full of death and destruction. We entered into the “open air” zone of The Vale of Twilight to start the session and got to see the lush landscape that players can look forward to exploring. The rolling hills and rivers create a beautiful back drop to do some hunting.

However this land is not all waterfalls and butterflies. The corruption of devils is in the air, and players will soon find out that monsters roaming the zone aren’t simple push-overs. These are creatures of your nightmares, and it shows.  

The primary purpose of Turbine’s demonstration was for Cody and I to see The Shroud first hand. This high level raid dungeon gives players a new opportunity to take group dynamics to another level. With giant Bearded Devils and Orthons running around, causing havoc and teleporting all over the place, the raid is fast paced and vicious.

Players start in an area nicknamed “The Gauntlet”; this is the first of the five zones in the raid. The job of the party is to destroy portals that have devils coming through them. The encounter relies on players actually being aware of their time limit, as if they allow certain creatures to stay alive too long they’ll lose the entire raid. The players will need to work quickly to avoid losing, you have to attack the portal as well as crowd control the monsters coming out. If you fail to stem the tide of creatures bursting forth, you will lose the encounter and thus the raid ends. So keep in mind your group has to work as a strong team on the specific roles.

Once you finish closing out all the portals and making your way through the gauntlet you will come to the end of your first encounter. This is your chance to check out the new Eldritch Device which allows you to craft items in the game. The animations of the chest are almost a tribute to some older games, with a set of fangs closing on your items as you activate the device. Once the process is completed you will have a brand new weapon or armor that is forged from the powers of the other items that you’ll find in the raid encounter. This is a great set up and certainly gives players a due reward for making their way through the harsh encounters.

The Shroud is the name of the raid dungeon in Module Six.

Once you have crafted to your heart’s content, it will be time for the next stage of the raid. When you appear in the next area, you’ll find yourself locked into a cell. You’ll need to use your mind as you break out of your cell using a light puzzle on the floor. Not the best at puzzles? There is a timer that will allow you to escape if you cannot figure out the pattern, but if all the players finish the puzzle in time, they’ll get an extra chest.

Once the seal is broken, you’ll find yourself running around a maze with whirling blades flying through the air. Get to the center and link up with your party to finally exit the zone. Combat – especially in raids – is never nice and solving puzzles gives the players a break from the harsh encounters they faced in the opening gauntlet stage. However if you linger too long in the maze you will eventually see a prismatic wall coming your way. Yes, a prismatic wall! Think you can survive it? Has anyone or anything in D&D ever survived a prismatic anything? My bet is on the wall. Dare if you wish, and good luck in your attempt.  

In the next phase of the raid, your party will again be thrown into a combat encounter but this time you’ll be fighting against the devilish lieutenants of the Pit Fiend himself. This fight is tough because it warrants crowd control of lesser monsters, splitting up the bosses, and working in the best areas that provide healing. Always look for waterfalls and butterflies in these fights, they will help. Fighting the lieutenants is a great encounter for players and keeps combat fast paced, but everyone is waiting for that final boss: the Pit Fiend.

As the ultimate devil (short of joining the ranks of Asmodeus and Mephistopheles), the Pit Fiend would be an awesome boss at the end of any raid. With the thirteen moons of Eberron set for their eclipse, the Vale of Twilight is set for a change in power which all depends on who stands in the Shroud at the time of the eclipse. Who better than a Pit Fiend to make this push for power? Players will be forced to go right into combat when the fourth stage of the raid starts. Once you clear out the rabble, the Pit Fiend appears in all his hellish glory. Laughter and fireballs ensue as he rips apart your party. Still, the journey is not over yet. Once you drop him, there is one more stage to conquer.

Passing into the world of the dead to pursue the Pit Fiend, you will eventually come to the final stage of the raid. The devilish foe is back again, but this time he has his lieutenants with him. The fight continues on and you can finally end this fight before the eclipse grants everlasting power to the pit fiend and his minions.

You don't need to guess whose feet those are - it's a Pit Fiend!

Once the lieutenants are defeated you will now face the pit fiend on stronger terms. And you thought the first round was tough? The final encounter of this raid is unforgiving, but in D&D the risk is worth the reward. The dungeon ends with more loot and crafting for players to make some seriously strong items.

If you successfully navigate the raid, you will have survived devilish minions, the gauntlet, a prismatic wall, and even two run-ins with a Pit Fiend. Module Six is tough – there’s no doubt about that - but it gives the high level players something to look forward to and work on with great content and intense encounters. Testing out the crafting system is also something new for players without forcing them to take hours grinding out a crafting skill. It definitely is player friendly.

There are other enhancements to Module Six which players will enjoy, especially the death penalty no longer impacting your XP. I can hear the cheers now. Overall, Dungeons & Dragons Online remains a very fun game. If you have not tried it, the fast paced combat interface and small group content really are some of the best examples in MMOGs. Good luck in The Shroud; hopefully no Pit Fiends will haunt your dreams.

See you all in Module Seven!

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Are you excited to experience the new raid dungeon in Module Six? Do you think the raid will be an awesome experience? Let us know on the forums! 

Ten Ton Hammer is your unofficial source for Dungeons and Dragons Online news and articles!