What is good strategy for Reaver's Fate?

[brian14]

In 4 years of playing DDO, I never ran Reaver's Fate. I got interested in it few days ago, mainly in order to get Dreamspitter for my new Acrobat. I have a level 21 bard/ranger, so I figured I may be able to solo a level 14 raid. I practiced the puzzle and watched this solo run. Seemed straightforward enough -- wear down Stormreaver while he lights up the orbs, then kill him, fly to the ceiling and throw the spike-covered tunnel, turn the lever, fly back out, fly to the puzzle, solve puzzle.

Reality proved to be harder.

My first attempt seemed smooth enough at first. Couple times got dangerously low on HP when hitting the ceiling, but I killed Stormreaver. Flew to the lever, then apparently took a wrong turn on the way back and ended up in an oubliette of sorts. Then found that my Fly spell apparently has run out. Cannot jump up to the entrance into that miserable pit -- nothing to do but exit. Well, at least I did not die.

Talked to my guildmates, and one FvS 22 agreed to help me. We beat down on Stormreaver, when suddenly my friend hits the ceiling spikes and dies. A minute or so later I hit the ceiling, lose half my HP, try to heal. Not fast enough -- also dead.

Third attempt. Now there are six of us, levels range from 16 to 22. I am first one to die. This time having no reason to recall right away, I take stock of my surroundings and realize I am right near the lever. Two more people die and pop in next to me before Stormreaver is dead. Party member flies up the tunnel, finds us, collects the stones, pulls the lever. Suddenly all three of us are down on the main floor, still dead. "You are out of range of your soulstone." Before anyone can figure out what to do, we rubberband back to the lever room.

Few more tries show that every time lever is pulled, all dead people go to the floor for 10 seconds. So the guy on the lever pulls it yet again, FvS sends me a Raise Dead. I click "Accept", find myself alive... a second later I am dead again. Wha...? ...then I see that everyone is dead. We ran out of time and Stormreaver's doomsday device went off.

So, what is the proper strategy? Also, are lever and/or puzzle accessible while Stormreaver is still alive? Is it possible for one person to fly to the lever and for another to the puzzle before Stormreaver is dead or before the orbs are lit?

[fool101]

A few things.

Generally, when you die in that raid, you remain dead until the end. In my experience, most attempts to rescue dead party member wind up with more dead party members. I don't know why, it is just difficult to find the time/scenario when it works to raise people.

The lever needs to be pulled before the Stormreaver dies. I believe the barrier stays up otherwise.

The puzzle room isn't opened until the Stormreaver dies (and lever pulled).

To avoid damage from anti-gravity, stay along the outer walls. The ceiling isn't as high there and there are no spikes. When falling, it is best to position yourself along one of the pillars. As you fall, run into the pillar and often you take little/no damage. Just avoid the entrance room (you can get shot out into the middle of the spikes if he reverses gravity in that room).

There is some luck involved in that raid. You need to have enough DPS to quickly bring his health down, but you still need to wait for him to light all the orbs, which can be frustrating at times. If you still need to pull lever or he needs to light orbs, just leave him around 10% (or more) health to ensure you don't accidentally kill him early.

edit: I haven't run this raid in a year or two so I am probably forgetting something.

[TeacherSyn]

I think the challenge on this one going solo is a matter of time, not DPS or strategy.

You'll need enough DPS to eventually kill the 'Reaver (charging the orbs as you do so) while having enough speed to get to the switch above, return from it (surviving the spikes throughout) and keeping enough time for solving the puzzle.

Then there's the matter of the air elementals throwing you off as a solo player as you complete the puzzle.

My thoughts are that you really need a good DPS team, a puzzle expert, and a good evasive character for the levers. A Monk is ideal since their Abundant Step can accelerate to the switch and return, perhaps even having enough time to rescue any dead in the penalty box. A Favored Soul with "wings" or someone with Cannith Boots of Propulsion could also have a last-second edge to get to the switch and return.

Finally, you need at least one other to keep the air elementals off the puzzle solver.

You can short-man this raid well enough so long as these essential bases are covered.

[Propane]

A few points-

Flying leads to two levers - with back facing enterence (how you zone in)

- go left to pull switch to drop wall - need to do to get to puzzle.
- go right to pull switch - drops soul stonese to main level - you get raised from down below (the puller may stay there and drop others if needed)

There are several solvers out there for the puzzle - also check Master Mind game.

Do not fight - stand near center of room - Stormreaver will anti gravity you into the ceiling spikes.
Do not hang out in "cove" you enter the main chamber - it will suck your SP dry-

Do Sheild block in front of Stormreaver (if you have enought HP) and get 3 charges - it will regen your SP = get a way after 3rd charege - another charge resets back to 1

Good Luck!

[danotmano1998]

Soloing this raid would be a real challenge, due to the time constraints as you've discovered, OP.

Typical tactics:

1. Run to a corner of the room and stay there. Avoid the center for reasons posted above.
2. Beat on Reaver until he's nearly dead.
3. If not all orbs are lit by now, let Reaver beat on you until they are. DON'T KILL HIM.
4. If all orbs are lit, someone gets fly and pulls the lever.
5. Kill Reaver
6. One person solves puzzle while another pulls trash/kites/kills/whatever.

This raid would be great for 3...
The person who has to fly and get the lever usually ends up stuck as fly runs out. You have to be very quick and time things just right or you'll run into the situations you described above, OP. That person pikes the rest of the raid.
Having 2 in the end room allows one person to focus on the important part, the puzzle.

It's all about timing.


Good luck OP!

[brian14]

The person who has to fly and get the lever usually ends up stuck as fly runs out. You have to be very quick and time things just right or you'll run into the situations you described above, OP. That person pikes the rest of the raid.

How does he get the end chest? Or does he miss out on it?

[Miow]

We four manned this raid on elite at level on tuesday.

1. Have two puzzle solvers, if one of you go up to pull the lever and get stuck there you have a backup.
2. Stand against the wall between the entrance and puzzle room entrance, used to be able to mitigate falling dmg by hugging the corners didn't seem to work.
3. All the blue bars should try to get a charge.
4. Have enough dps to beat(prep) him down when the time comes, with the buff they gave his hp a while back this can be hard solo.
5. Don't ignore the air eles kill them asap they knock you back and the wrong moment your spiked.
6. I don't use a solver so when i solve it's quick and much quicker when you have someone to pull the lever for you.
7. Have an adequate amount of hp if you have aggro his disintegrate can one shot you.
8. Communication

[Frogger1234]

The puzzle solver can actually die if you have good communications. In this case, the puzzle solver types the puzzle settings and someone sets the puzzle, pulls the lever and types back the number of black and white indicators. Not as fast as being there, but it can work. I actually did this once, but it took a minute or two to convince someone in the party to work the puzzle.

I soloed normal once with my level 20 cleric for the 20th completion reward list (no one was joining the lfm and I was impatient). It took 2 tries. The first time the bomb went off just before I could pull the lever on the solution. I got lucky the second time, that solution didn't take too many guesses to figure out. You have to stay alive while beating down the Reaver, wait for all the orbs to be lit, get fly, go to the lever (the west one) and back before fly runs out, finish off the Reaver, and then solve the puzzle and deal with the air elementals.

[danotmano1998]

How does he get the end chest? Or does he miss out on it?

Good question!

The 2 times I have been the guy that went for the lever, I ended up dead on the spikes trying to get back and when the quest was completed was ported back out into the main room where I was rezzed.

That's actually funny, because I've run this raid so many times I am on autopilot in there and never really paid attention to what happened to the "lever puller". Next time I run it, I will pay more attention.

Come to think of it, this would be a fun experiment on guild night.. See how many people it takes to do the job. 3 is what I would feel comfortable with.

[Frogger1234]

How does he get the end chest? Or does he miss out on it?

You get the end chest. I've pulled the lever a few times, and you get ported out once the puzzle is solved.

[danotmano1998]

You get the end chest. I've pulled the lever a few times, and you get ported out once the puzzle is solved.

Thanks for that clarification, I thought that was the case, but wasn't positive.

[aristarchus1000]

I am fairly certain that the barrier below the lever disappears after the puzzle is complete, allowing the lever puller to drop down and loot at the end.

[Ivan_Milic]

I am fairly certain that the barrier below the lever disappears after the puzzle is complete, allowing the lever puller to drop down and loot at the end.

Yea, this is true, barrier disappears and you can go down.