Easter Eggs and Puns in DDO

[redspecter23]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but if you read the book on the pedestal near the teleporter in Lava Caves, you'll find it was written by Dorris the Explorer. It's unknown whether or not she travels with a monkey or is constantly having her stuff stolen by a weasel type thing.

[devlkiller0]

I do not know if this has been posted but in the quest Delirium there is a hidden Thaarak Hound optional named Ruul and it sounds a lot like the demon thingy "Zuul" from Ghostbusters.

[Vengeance777]

I do not know if this has been posted but in the quest Delirium there is a hidden Thaarak Hound optional named Ruul and it sounds a lot like the demon thingy "Zuul" from Ghostbusters.

Hah its in the Icebox (refrigerator) too. Nice catch.

[Malshier]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but if you read the book on the pedestal near the teleporter in Lava Caves, you'll find it was written by Dorris the Explorer. It's unknown whether or not she travels with a monkey or is constantly having her stuff stolen by a weasel type thing.

Might also refer to Dorris from one of the Lordsmarch quests.

[DanteEnFuego]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but if you read the book on the pedestal near the teleporter in Lava Caves, you'll find it was written by Dorris the Explorer. It's unknown whether or not she travels with a monkey or is constantly having her stuff stolen by a weasel type thing.

Dunno, was the message bilingual with a subtle political message?

[Therigar]

A Burg, as far as I know it from Germany, is often built on hills and mountains. That obviously gives it an advantage over enemies attacking the Burg. The word "burg" can sometimes be used for fortifications as well, usually, because a Burg often *is* some sort of an fortification (on a mountain or hill).

Although this is a bit of a resurrected thread, I did read all the way through it.

Lots of interesting observations concerning the game -- both obvious references and fun speculations.

Regarding burg and berg it is important to know that these are two different things. The one spelled with the U is used to identify a stronghold or fort. The one spelled with the E is used to identify a mountain.

In English the two are pronounced very much the same way and so can easily be confused. It is even possible to think that they are the same word -- just spelled differently.

In German the two are pronounced differently -- even if we don't always hear the differences with our English attuned ears.

One of my favorite easter eggs is the bunny hat that you can buy from the DDO store. Get one and then equip a club.

I understand there are a few other items that revel special abilities when the right gear combo is in place.

[SaneDitto]

The mimic... if you play nethack or other rogue-likes you will certainly encounter one. It turns out in nethack when you meet one, you get the same exclamation as in Acute Delirium ("A mimic!") and when you destroy it, it may drop a Scroll of Yum Yum and yum-yum is just the words it speaks while devouring Belashyrra's scepter.

"Yum Yum" could also refer to one of Nethack's random names you get from unidentified scrolls (you initially see them as "a scroll labeled YUM YUM" or something).


EDIT: Also, Haxxoraxx the Mind Flayer in Acute Delirium is probably a reference to its plot armour. You can attack it while chasing it, but you can't kill it. Hence...hax.

[katz]

found a new one while running VON3 the other day...

[DanteEnFuego]

found a new one while running VON3 the other day...

Nice work!

[SaneDitto]

Oh, just remembered one.

Roll a monk, or a monk splash. Find a nice vest monk-y outfit. Bonus points if outfit shows a lot of skin. Level and get the Whirlwind Attack feat (requires Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, and Combat Expertise), then use it while unarmed.

(Bonus: Whirlwind Attack is actually more effective that way; you hit the enemy four times as opposed to once with a weapon!)

[Fuzzycheetah]

Neihoden in Fear factory could also be a reference to Nidhogg from Norse mythology. Nidhogg is the serpent/dragon that gnaws at the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil. Some interpretation of the story says that the arrival of Nidhogg heralds the coming of Ragnarok = the end of the world.
See what I just did there....?
dooooom!

[Fuzzycheetah]

[QUOTE=yawumpus;4356432]Nobody's mentioned the hirelings:

...
Grommisk Axehead (??? Grummish? can't place this one).
...
QUOTE]

could be Gruumsh, orc deity from pnp D&D ?

[Vengeance777]

In Partycrasher's the wolves in the Illusionarium are chewing on a real corpse and the frozen statues drop loot implying they aren't decorations.

House Phiarlan's secret business is Espionage. Makes you wonder.

[brian14]

Oh, just remembered one.

Roll a monk, or a monk splash. Find a nice vest monk-y outfit. Bonus points if outfit shows a lot of skin. Level and get the Whirlwind Attack feat (requires Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, and Combat Expertise), then use it while unarmed.

(Bonus: Whirlwind Attack is actually more effective that way; you hit the enemy four times as opposed to once with a weapon!)

Where is the Easter Egg in that?

[SaneDitto]

Where is the Easter Egg in that?

The Easter Egg's in Whirlwind Attack. Unarmed, centered, and possessing the "Unarmed Strike" feat, you perform a Hurricane Kick that strikes everything four times.


EDIT: And while we're on the subject of Street Fighter, a bugbear's casting animation is a Hadouken.

[captain1z]

Zombie on korthos island in the slayer area

"swollow your soul, swollow your soul"

Obviously a line from Evil Dead.

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

I always answer to those lines : "No, you won't."

[Qezuzu]

Ponies? In my DDO? It's more likely than you think.

Nightmare is a reference to Nightmare Moon. NMM was originally Princess Luna, who controls the movement of the Moon in the universe of My Little Pony, before she became bitter and corrupted, turning into the evil Nightmare Moon. She was then banished to the moon by her sister, and became spiritually imprisoned within it for a thousand years before she could be cleansed of evil.

Celestia is a reference to Princess Celestia. She controls the Sun, i.e. the brightest star of the day, and is Princess Luna's sister. The description also contains the phrase "This Magnificent Bastard". It's a shame it doesn't have banishing on it; there's a running joke that, whenever Celestia encounters an annoying problem (like a misbehaving sibling), she sends it to the moon.

Twilight is a reference to Twilight Sparkle. She's the apprentice of Celestia, and being studious is her defining characteristic and main source of income. And she literally is the Element of Magic.

There are a lot of references in the new content. The Slavemaster at the end of House of Broken Chains says "One does not simply walk out of Sschindlyrn", a reference to "One does not simply walk into Mordor" from Lord of the Rings. The boss wolf in Murder by Night says "My name is *something*, you killed my pack. Prepare to die", a reference to The Princess Bride. I'm told the bosses' name is also an anagram of the character from The Princess Bride.

[DougGlyndwyr]

Gilles Stonehurler in the Anvilfire Inn appears to be channeling his inner Cream (Born Under A Bad Sign) with the quote "If it wasn't for bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all".

[Stev69]

In Irestone inlet Mad Anne Rackham is possibly a ref to "Calico" Jack Rackham a pirate and one of his crew members Anne Bonny, yep they used to get it awwwwwn,