Thanks to Kebia of Oggok for
acquainting me with the Sundered Splitpaw: Delving zone!
If you've chosen to pre-order the adventure pack, the Splitpaw Saga
access quest is available to you. In it you'll
find not just the key to get you into the upcoming SS zone, but also a
scalable (meaning the mobs and experience adjust to your level or your
group's average level) instance which can be soloed or duo'ed for a
gain of about 10% exp total for a half an hour's work (this is for
levels 41-50, at lower levels its likely more!).
Note that a "Captive Audience" zone is also available by getting a proc
hit from a Splitpaw Abductor. If you're in your 20s or 30s, just fight
the mob and go easy. If you're in your late 30s, early 40s, or
50, sit down in front of the mob, yes sit down while fighting, to get
sent to Captive Audience. In the jail area, you'll find boxes and
planks, and an NPC with instructions on how to place them. Place
them close to the cage on the outside toward the left, then, once
inside, they can be moved in the cage with you. I beleive 3 boxes were
enough to get up there. Your only goal is to work back to the
terraporter to escape.
(Thanks Aphi of Oggok!)
To enter the zone, you must first /claim and examine a "darkened
shard," then work your way past the late 20's mobs guarding each
gnollish terraporter (boney arch structure adorned with crystals) in
the Thundering Steppes. There are four terra porter
locations, here's two:
-
**Tower 2 Terraporter: next to Tower 2 (check your map!) in northern
TS.
**Double crater terraporter: not far from T2 at location
+707, -404.
Note that if you're 30 or below
you should approach these locations with caution, as they're guarded
with late 20's mobs.
Required level: 20 Max level 50.
Once
you've retrieved the second half of the shard you /claim'ed, you'll be
able to repeat the quest.
Before you begin, it's important to know the types of gnolls you'll be
encountering. Knowledge is power, and knowledge will help you save
power if you can recognize which gnolls are the mez, the healer, and
the fighter. Why flail away at the fighter only to have him healed by
the priest gnoll, while the coercer stifles your casting / combat
abilities? Knock out the mages and healers first, then the fighter.
Here are the basic gnoll types
you'll be fighting, by first word of their name (e.g. "a Rosch
mal deceiver" is a mage):
-
Rosch - mage (important: deceivers are coercers, see below)
Nisch - priest (healer)
Lteth - scout
Tesch - fighter
For more detailed information on subclasses names, visit this
href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=splitsaga&message.id=882&query.id=92326#M882"
target="_blank" class="postlink">SOE forum thread.
Fighting your way through the
Sundered Splitpaw zone:
I personally know of a scout, priest, and warrior class that have
soloed the zone with success; it can be done, but you'll have to fight
smart, especially if you're a "squishy" like my healer. The hints and
tips apply whether you're solo or grouped, however.
A few hints and tips:
-
**Clear all roaming single mobs
before taking on the groups: you won't be able to afford much in the
way of adds!
**Buff / Vitae / Ward to full
before each encounter: once combat begins, there's a good chance
you'll be silenced.
**When fighting groups:
-
**Pull them into a safe,
open area.
The zone still has serious pathing issues, and you might not be able to
target the mobs effectively in the few tight corridors throughout the
zone. They will, however, be able to target you! Mobs have
been known to disappear into walls too.
**Take out the coercer type
(Rosch mal deceiver) and the illusionist type (Rosch mal sycophant)
gnolls first!
The deceivers stifle, which is very uncomfortable, especially if you're
nothing like a pure melee class. Sycophants charm you, which is worse
in that when charmed, the mobs will stop attacking you. This breaks the
enounter, and you won't get exp or loot when the charm breaks and
you're again under attack. Note: some folks say that the enchanter
types will only use damage spells if you leave them till last, I
haven't found this to work though. Feel free to give it a shot if our
method doesn't work for you though.[br]
**Next, the healers (Nisch):
These won't be able to do much for the enchanter gnolls if you kill
them quickly, and you want to take them out before they can patch up
the tank and scout units.[/li]
**Third, the scouts (Lteth)
and leftover mages (other Rosch) Get rid of that DPS!
**Finally, the fighters.
(Tesch)
**You'll encounter movable
chests which work exactly like placing house items.
This is required info to complete the final step of the zone. Once
you've killed the named mob deep inside the zone, he'll drop a key for
a chest located atop a steep platform. This chest includes the darkened
shard you'll need to fuse your half to to gain Splitpaw access. To get
to the chest: place one box about 5 meters from the base of the chest
platform. Stack two boxes stairstepped atop one another, then stairstep
these (together) atop the one you first placed. There's a fourth box if
you need it, but if this halfling can make it up there with three boxes
anyone can. Open the chest with the key (or whomever looted it must do
so), then examine the chest for the quest update! Note: this won't
complete the quest, you'll have to live with it in your quest journal
until the release of the Splitpaw Saga.
Congratulations! You're
ready to enter the Splitpaw's domain in southwest Thundering Steppes ("A Gnoll Cave" on your map)!
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