Smolder, Fire Elemental Idol

[Sarzor]

So, just as a quick question, but does this rare ever show up in Searing Heights or is he well, just really rare?

I've run through to 750 kills dozens upon dozens of times, including a number of recent runs where I invisi-ran to the fire cave, and have *never* seen him. Mostly, I just wanted to see if it was showing for anyone else and I was having bad luck. As an extra bit of information, sometimes there is other enemies in the cave, sometimes not. I know the other cave-based rares have a bit where there's no other enemies in the cave if they are there (i.e. - No quickfeet if Guck is up). Maybe I'm just missing some silly trick to get him to show.

And yes, I know wilderness isn't the best xp, but it lends itself to 10-15 minute blocks which personal life often dictates.

[Cauthey]

So, just as a quick question, but does this rare ever show up in Searing Heights or is he well, just really rare?

I've run through to 750 kills dozens upon dozens of times, including a number of recent runs where I invisi-ran to the fire cave, and have *never* seen him. Mostly, I just wanted to see if it was showing for anyone else and I was having bad luck. As an extra bit of information, sometimes there is other enemies in the cave, sometimes not. I know the other cave-based rares have a bit where there's no other enemies in the cave if they are there (i.e. - No quickfeet if Guck is up). Maybe I'm just missing some silly trick to get him to show.

And yes, I know wilderness isn't the best xp, but it lends itself to 10-15 minute blocks which personal life often dictates.

I hear ya on regulating yourself to slayer areas. I love to sneak in play every chance I can get. But, for much of the content you want to run, you have to commit for a 1-2 hour block or better. When you might have to drop the game real quick, soloing wilderness areas is about your only option.

He does show up occasionally. Just like any other rare... he's "RARE." :p I, too, was on a stint with one of my characters where I was determined to find him. I would fight my way all the way out there, and he was never there.

Then finally one day, there he was!

I've had similar experiences with the halfling kidnapped by the Orcs in Cerelean Hills. I was almost certain that little female dog was bugged out. Then, finally, he showed up.

They're all just rare. Sometimes, more rare than other times.

[cdr]

Congratulations on posting the weekly thread about Smolder :)

He's the rarest of the rare - only the foolish or the insane go after him.

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

Is ? Found her during my very first run into that cave ... Never been there after that, because of role-playing reasons. My character decided not to kill an "living idol" again ...

Edit : From the shape she looked like being female to me - and, as a role-player, I thought that she'd have a distinct prsonality ...

Second Edit : With her, the term "smoldering kisses" gets a new meaning ... ;)

[Superspeed_Hi5]

Ill take trying to find Smolder over the Den Mother out in the desert any day of the week. But yea just rare. I usually got her about 1 in 4 runs.

[brian14]

Is ? Found her during my very first run into that cave ... Never been there after that, because of role-playing reasons. My character decided not to kill an "living idol" again ...

You are really, really lucky. Out all my character only one ever saw Smolder, and only once.


Edit : From the shape she looked like being female to me - and, as a role-player, I thought that she'd have a distinct prsonality ...
All fire and water elementals have female shape. I only noticed when water elementals got introduced (Update 6?). Fire elementals are kind of hard to see clearly.

[FrancisP.Fancypants]

I usually take 3 or 4 slayers run to get all the rares, outside of the sometimes "sticky" one or two that never want to show up. Never had trouble with Smolder though, although I don't always run that area on every toon.

[FranOhmsford]

Cerulean Hills - The Halfling and the Quickfoot have been the worst for me - 30+ characters and 90% of the time these turn up last.

Searing Heights - Definitely Smolder - Same story as Cerulean.

Sorrowdusk - This is probably a tie between Kremen {Troll} and Thanolin {Spectre}. Both have taken till past 1000 slayer to find on different characters.

Sands - Thirsty and Stinkpelt - Both ridiculously rare though I've had Thirsty pop on the first run {never seen him again though with that toon}. Stinkpelt however is almost religiously the last one I find.

[Jaid314]

All fire and water elementals have female shape. I only noticed when water elementals got introduced (Update 6?). Fire elementals are kind of hard to see clearly.

fairly certain air elementals do as well, underneath that whirlwind cover. try throwing barkskin or stoneskin on one, makes it a lot more visible.

[AZgreentea]

I feel your pain. He is the last one for my wilderness only to grab before she moves on to Sorrowdusk. I had the same problem with Lacerator in 3BC, but at least I could run to that one without encountering any mobs. Worse, the drow on this map all have See Invisibility.

[Sarzor]

Ahh, he's really the only rare I have issues with. Sorrowdusk, the troll in the north cave sometimes eludes me, but not for long. Just Smolder.... Just thought after at least dozens of lives and completions on each one, I'd have seen him if he exists.

Well, there's always next life!

[Gremmlynn]

Ahh, he's really the only rare I have issues with. Sorrowdusk, the troll in the north cave sometimes eludes me, but not for long. Just Smolder.... Just thought after at least dozens of lives and completions on each one, I'd have seen him if he exists.

Well, there's always next life!Um, you are going up top, jumping across the lava falls and around the corner I hope as that's where she spawns (the same spot as the rust monster rare in Ataraxia, as they use a slightly altered version of the same cave, though the climb is different due to the alterations).

Also, there is a tell. If a fire elemental is present below the falls she should be up. If Drow or nothing, she wont be in my experience (also similar to that cave on Ataraxia -Another rusty; yes, trolls; no).

[brian14]

fairly certain air elementals do as well, underneath that whirlwind cover. try throwing barkskin or stoneskin on one, makes it a lot more visible.
I have. They do not look remotely human -- basically an inverted cone shape.

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

I wondered if "wilderness lore" helps a bit there ? But I'm not sure at all, since I've never seen any *real* effects of that ...

http://ddowiki.com/page/Wilderness_Lore

Quote from that entry :


Currently it has no known impacts on gameplay.

I think findiung rare encounters would make a good idea/occation to actually implement it ...

[AZgreentea]

Um, you are going up top, jumping across the lava falls and around the corner I hope as that's where she spawns (the same spot as the rust monster rare in Ataraxia, as they use a slightly altered version of the same cave, though the climb is different due to the alterations).

Also, there is a tell. If a fire elemental is present below the falls she should be up. If Drow or nothing, she wont be in my experience (also similar to that cave on Ataraxia -Another rusty; yes, trolls; no).
So you enter the caves at the bottom of the falls. When you enter you climb the ladder. Then you head into the back to the "steps". Then you jump across the gap and head into a second "cave" like area in the back with another lava fall.


That should be where Smoulder is, right? Otherwise one or two fire mephits will spawn there instead.

[katz]

I have. They do not look remotely human -- basically an inverted cone shape.

you can see a humanoid shape when they die, as the cone of winds dissipates. to me they look blocky.. male-ish.

[AZgreentea]

I finally got Smoulder this morning. Gremlynn was right about the tell. When I got to the top of the ladder there was two mephits and an elemental in the first area waiting to greet me.

[KraahgDaAxe]

Ill take trying to find Smolder over the Den Mother out in the desert any day of the week. But yea just rare. I usually got her about 1 in 4 runs.

The Den Mother is far more common then Smolder. She pops frequently. I had done easily over 50 runs of Searing Heights across multiple toons and lives and have only seen Smolder once. I was so surprised he was there it actually took me a second to kill him.

Another "rare" rare are the zombies in Eerie Forest.

Kraahg