Madstone Crater Help!

[Algeva]

Hey there,

Looking for some advice on tactics for getting through the "Crystal breaking dance bits" in Madstone Crater. I'm trying to solo this with a 13/2 Pal/Rog and am finding I can't keep the minators off the giant long enough for the giant to complete his dance...

Have tried to use wands of suggestion and charm monster but due to low caster level of wands they don't really land very often...

I know Flesh to Stone is good spell but as a Pali I don't have that...

Any ideas would be most welcome as I'm trying to avoid calling in Sorc/Wiz support!!

Thanks
A.

[Club'in]

Not sure this would work, but I'm assuming you have a decent UMD.

Invis yourself. Buff the giant: invis, displacement, stoneskin, resist electricity (at least on normal, the caster on the ledge above seems to like lightning spells), solid fog on the giant, spam with a cure serious wand, keep his buffs up, see what happens

Also, I've noticed that the mobs range him from further away than they used to, watch for incoming arrows, and try to track those guys down for a charm monster attempt. Don't spend too long on that, though, since you'll need to be healing the giant. Save your lay on hands for a good heal burst after you've left the giants side for too long.

Good luck.

[Zharfie]

find an invisibility wand and use that on the giant

[pasterqb]

Invis Wand on Giant.

Charms do not work IIRC they have some effect or atleast minotaurs do.

Skellies can block some ramps on part 2.

But i doubt it is soloable for a melee. If you make it past the first breaking you will not make it past the second and third. You need Range DPS also so bring a thrower.

[Impaqt]

Invis Giant, Use a Summon, Use Intim to pull aggro off giant if he gets some.

Probably one of the harder quests to solo on a melee based toon.

[Khanyth]

Don't solo?

Making new friends is fun!

[stoopid_cowboy]

Don't solo

This ^^

Would take half the time with half the headache.

yuda

[slothinator]

I tried soloing this quest also, and hit the same issue. It is just to difficult on a melee toon. What server do you play on?

[Bargol]

I soloed this on my WF barb.....its tough, time intensive and really not worth the hassle. You need tons of clickies....especially invis clickies to use on the giant.

This quest is one would make more sense just to group with others.

[Delt]

He's has rog in there, so likely has umd. Invis the giants -- only the second seer is going to be a pain, but grab a few aoe scrolls of anything to place on the paths up (or get good at ranging to guys below quickly to bug em out). Make sure the magi up top is focused on you. Everythng else should be cake (ie: invis the 3rd giant then leave him alone -- he will be fine and you can deal with the minos).

[EKKM]

Very hard for a melee. It may be possible but would cost a lot and take a while.

Also, good luck in Prison of the Planes and Crucible - neither are easy to solo on a melee.

[LordPiglet]

Invis Wand on Giant.

Charms do not work IIRC they have some effect or atleast minotaurs do.

Skellies can block some ramps on part 2.

But i doubt it is soloable for a melee. If you make it past the first breaking you will not make it past the second and third. You need Range DPS also so bring a thrower.

It's easily solo'd on a melee with umd for invis, or invis clickies

[Algeva]

Thanks for all the responses! Was hoping for one or two but thanks shows how good the DDO community is!

I'll give it a go with invis and pick up some AOE scrolls/wands - my umd is around 26 at the moment so should be ok...

I normally do stuff solo as tend to be only have small windows of time to play, an hour here and there - I tend to get bored or not have the time to wait to put groups together and also like the challenge of solo (sometimes with hireling is needed)

wish me luck! :-)

Thanks
A.

[Club'in]

Well, if you have no qualms about using a hireling, try bringing in a cleric. One of the tool bar options says "Guard this character" (or some such). I'm pretty sure you can highlight the giant, and then hit that command for your hireling. Invis the hireling as well as the giant, and you can probably roam around killing stuff while the giant does his thing.

[Shade]

eh the way I solve every quest works fine for here solo too:

Hit it with my axe. I kill all the minotaurs continously before they get anywhere near the giant.

I don't think invis has any effect except on the final one as there are archers that will not see him, as the minotaru enemies have a special pathing AI that sends them right for him no matter what.

So aside from an invis clicky/wand/hireling on the last guy, you just DPS.

DPS like mad.

May be impossible for a pally rog mix tho. I dunno. Easy enough on a dwarf ftr or barb, even with minimal gear. The odd trip and stun helps.

Or yea.. put up an lfm. Madstone is a group quest.

[Algeva]

typical... Just at the first of the crystal dance bits and server down!!

*sigh*

[Teharahma]

Invis giant, camp spawnpoints, in p2 guard top and let the 2 skellies block the way.

[LOOON375]

It was hard for two players, but I got it with three.

I would never try to solo it with any toon.

[Algeva]

Ok going to give up trying to solo this. Getting way too frustrated!!

Seem to be able to hold out for ages then something gets through and the dance starts over again!
Just have to duo it with a nice sorc/wiz with Flesh to stone. :-)

Thanks for all the hints and tips though. Most appriciated.

A.

[Kinerd]

Well, if you have no qualms about using a hireling, try bringing in a cleric. One of the tool bar options says "Guard this character" (or some such). I'm pretty sure you can highlight the giant, and then hit that command for your hireling. Invis the hireling as well as the giant, and you can probably roam around killing stuff while the giant does his thing.

I've never seen my hireling actually cast a healing spell when instructed as you describe to guard a target. Others may have better luck than I, though, hirelings and I generally don't speak the same language.

eh the way I solve every quest works fine for here solo too:

Hit it with my axe. I kill all the minotaurs continously before they get anywhere near the giant.

I don't think invis has any effect except on the final one as there are archers that will not see him, as the minotaru enemies have a special pathing AI that sends them right for him no matter what.

So aside from an invis clicky/wand/hireling on the last guy, you just DPS.

DPS like mad.

May be impossible for a pally rog mix tho. I dunno. Easy enough on a dwarf ftr or barb, even with minimal gear. The odd trip and stun helps.

Or yea.. put up an lfm. Madstone is a group quest.

The second and third seers have ogre magi in ranged spots. Left alone they will break the ritual by hitting the seer with lightning. I don't know if the ritual time scales with difficulty, but last night on normal a 3 minute invis. clicky was just long enough to prevent magi aggro.