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 style="font-style: italic;">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.

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style="font-style: italic;">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.

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style="font-style: italic;">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.

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style="font-style: italic;">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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