Sneaking Around in Blockade Buster

[ForgettableNPC]

I just went through Blockade Buster and sank all three ships without raising an alarm on any of the ships.
(I didn't choose to assassinate the Captains, though, would've caused too much commotion)

I feel very accomplished today.
(But I hate wary Kobolds now more than ever)
(Also the fact that interacting with the controls breaks your invisibility and sneak when the Kobold is right next to the dang thing)

But the game gave me a Treasure Chest at the raft for my troubles!

[TeacherSyn]

I just went through Blockade Buster and sank all three ships without raising an alarm on any of the ships.
(I didn't choose to assassinate the Captains, though, would've caused too much commotion)

I feel very accomplished today.
(But I hate wary Kobolds now more than ever)
(Also the fact that interacting with the controls breaks your invisibility and sneak when the Kobold is right next to the dang thing)

But the game gave me a Treasure Chest at the raft for my troubles!

The Sacred Council of the DDO Ninja and Trapmasters Local #721 offers congratulations to you. The kobolds are no mean group to keep from raising the alarm.

[Gargalarg]

Congrats,

I have never been able to do it and never even heard of anyone being able to do that optional,

That must have required much skill and patience.

Ninja's FTW!

[Saekee]

Congratz! I think I managed that once since the Kobolds are tough to stop. What was your build? An assassin? Ninja? Level? I assume you did this on elite?

[Habreno]

Congrats! Should award an insane amount of XP and if it doesn't, well, we'll have to complain to Turbine.

[ForgettableNPC]

Congrats,

I have never been able to do it and never even heard of anyone being able to do that optional,

That must have required much skill and patience.

Ninja's FTW!

Mostly Patience, really.

Congratz! I think I managed that once since the Kobolds are tough to stop. What was your build? An assassin? Ninja? Level? I assume you did this on elite?

Yes, but I was a Pure Rogue Mechanic, but was using a Scroll of Camouflage, under Greater Heroism effect, full Ship Buffs, Ghostly Item, and using a few Potions of Invisibility as well as having a Hide & Move Silently +13 Item (Ring of Shadows lv 14 does enough). I was lv 15 when I did it on Elite.

Congrats! Should award an insane amount of XP and if it doesn't, well, we'll have to complain to Turbine.

It gives a surprisingly decent amount of XP considering they give you XP per ship destroyed without raising an alarm AND another optional for getting all three ships without raising an alarm.

[Saekee]

Yes, but I was a Pure Rogue Mechanic, but was using a Scroll of Camouflage, under Greater Heroism effect, full Ship Buffs, Ghostly Item, and using a few Potions of Invisibility as well as having a Hide & Move Silently +13 Item (Ring of Shadows lv 14 does enough). I was lv 15 when I did it on Elite.

Great prep. So the spell Camouflage stacks with the gear? I did not know that. I always struggle to stop the kobolds from ringing the gongs--with a repeater I imagine you just picked them off as they ran for it? Since their attention is on the gong, you would get the sneak attack damage? I imagine also that as a mechanic, you were able to place some nice traps by the gong. What was your approach?

I figure either an assassin that slowly assassinates all of them or a rogue mechanic--those are the two that can do it without raising an alarm. I have only done this once in all my tries. I can stealth through with my ninja but usually one kobold on one of the ships gets past me. . .the brat. . .

[ForgettableNPC]

Great prep. So the spell Camouflage stacks with the gear? I did not know that. I always struggle to stop the kobolds from ringing the gongs--with a repeater I imagine you just picked them off as they ran for it? Since their attention is on the gong, you would get the sneak attack damage? I imagine also that as a mechanic, you were able to place some nice traps by the gong. What was your approach?

I figure either an assassin that slowly assassinates all of them or a rogue mechanic--those are the two that can do it without raising an alarm. I have only done this once in all my tries. I can stealth through with my ninja but usually one kobold on one of the ships gets past me. . .the brat. . .

Yes, Camouflage is a circumstance bonus while Hide from items is a Competence bonus, so they stack.

If you have Pass Without Trace available to you, that will also stack with Competence bonus as it is an Enhancement Bonus, if I remember correctly.


With Kobolds, I mostly just sneaked my way to the controls, interact, go in sneak mode again quickly, make the Remote Detonator, unlock the doors, and run for the Mine Deployment Door as fast as I could.

For some reason, it might've been just my stupid luck, but they didn't ring the bell then and there, even when the rednamed Kobolds spotted me.

Maybe they go for the bells if one of them is right next to one, not too sure on that part.

[Saekee]

Yes, Camouflage is a circumstance bonus while Hide from items is a Competence bonus, so they stack.

If you have Pass Without Trace available to you, that will also stack with Competence bonus as it is an Enhancement Bonus, if I remember correctly.


With Kobolds, I mostly just sneaked my way to the controls, interact, go in sneak mode again quickly, make the Remote Detonator, unlock the doors, and run for the Mine Deployment Door as fast as I could.

For some reason, it might've been just my stupid luck, but they didn't ring the bell then and there, even when the rednamed Kobolds spotted me.

Maybe they go for the bells if one of them is right next to one, not too sure on that part.

great point--I checked it out after I posted and saw this as well. . .learn something new every day in this game. . .

Your tactic explains my failures--I always killed the named kobold for its treasure, which then created a messy situation for the alarm.

[ForgettableNPC]

great point--I checked it out after I posted and saw this as well. . .learn something new every day in this game. . .

Your tactic explains my failures--I always killed the named kobold for its treasure, which then created a messy situation for the alarm.

You also need a lot of luck, too, since the crests spawn around 3 different places each ship and they can also spawn right next to the sleeping Captains (Except for Carnage, whose Captain will be awake)

Even though they're both important, the ability to hide will be more valuable than the ability to move silently, because if they do happen to hear you move and wake up, they still need to spot you to turn hostile (I think, don't call me on it, but it's a safer bet to keep both skills maxed out as much as possible).

[ForgettableNPC]

Ooh, neat, I just noticed that this thread got featured in the DDOWiki

http://ddowiki.com/page/Blockade_Buster#See_also

[Archangel666]

Just as confirmation, Pass Without Traces, does indeed stack, much the same as Camouflage.

I've done the same thing on my Ranger a year or so ago.

It's a nice change of pace.

Shame we don't have more quests like this.

[Saekee]

Ooh, neat, I just noticed that this thread got featured in the DDOWiki

http://ddowiki.com/page/Blockade_Buster#See_also

Sweet! Spencerien just posted a similar run with video too

[TeacherSyn]

Sweet! Spencerien just posted a similar run with video too

Thanks, Saekee. You'll find that video here on my YouTube channel for blog/guide videos.

In summary, the Rogue Assassin seems to be the perfect class for this. High H/MS, options for invisibility, trapping to slow/stop the kobolds, sufficient INT and Rogue skills to do anything with the mine controls, especially detonators...it's all good.

Ninja Spies come a close second. They can paralyze or mute and (at level 15) make assassination-style kills as a prelude to attack. If they've trained INT for Combat Expertise, they'll likely have enough INT to make a mine bay exit. They would be superior in captain's cabin fights, which I avoided while alone as a Rogue.

I didn't mention Bards and I should've in hindsight. The Swashbuckler's Coup de Grace might be the best way to neutralize the kobolds with its assassinate move. One Fascinate to hold them all, slay the boss, loot chest, and work the mine bay controls. It's a question of sufficient INT to leave via the bays, but otherwise a Bard could own the place.

[ForgettableNPC]

Thanks, Saekee. You'll find that video here on my YouTube channel for blog/guide videos.

In summary, the Rogue Assassin seems to be the perfect class for this. High H/MS, options for invisibility, trapping to slow/stop the kobolds, sufficient INT and Rogue skills to do anything with the mine controls, especially detonators...it's all good.

Ninja Spies come a close second. They can paralyze or mute and (at level 15) make assassination-style kills as a prelude to attack. If they've trained INT for Combat Expertise, they'll likely have enough INT to make a mine bay exit. They would be superior in captain's cabin fights, which I avoided while alone as a Rogue.

I didn't mention Bards and I should've in hindsight. The Swashbuckler's Coup de Grace might be the best way to neutralize the kobolds with its assassinate move. One Fascinate to hold them all, slay the boss, loot chest, and work the mine bay controls. It's a question of sufficient INT to leave via the bays, but otherwise a Bard could own the place.

Those Kobolds are a pain, though, I only managed to do it myself because I was lucky enough in that they didn't ring the alarm while I made my escape.

[FAQ]

Very nice! Gratz.

On my rogue life I also went with sneak method there. As an assassin, because interacting with the panel would break stealth, the best approach IMO is to assassinate all the kobolds when they're out of sight of the others. It takes patience, positioning and sometimes noisemakers, but doable

[TeacherSyn]

Very nice! Gratz.

On my rogue life I also went with sneak method there. As an assassin, because interacting with the panel would break stealth, the best approach IMO is to assassinate all the kobolds when they're out of sight of the others. It takes patience, positioning and sometimes noisemakers, but doable

As noted in the video, I targeted the orange-named with Assassinate but, curiously, none of the other kobolds charged the alarm at all, leaving me free to smack them dead. I wonder if that is because of the aggro/attention changes of U22/23. In a couple of points, I'm out in the open, killing the kobolds. None of them charge the alarm then, as well, which is odd.

[ForgettableNPC]

As noted in the video, I targeted the orange-named with Assassinate but, curiously, none of the other kobolds charged the alarm at all, leaving me free to smack them dead. I wonder if that is because of the aggro/attention changes of U22/23. In a couple of points, I'm out in the open, killing the kobolds. None of them charge the alarm then, as well, which is odd.

Well, hey, if they want to not alert the entire rest of the ship and get killed off one by one, their choice.

Very nice! Gratz.

On my rogue life I also went with sneak method there. As an assassin, because interacting with the panel would break stealth, the best approach IMO is to assassinate all the kobolds when they're out of sight of the others. It takes patience, positioning and sometimes noisemakers, but doable

It was more difficult for me since I wasn't an Assassin. But using Noisemakers was amusing, though the range on the Noisemaker is not as large as it would seem and the noise was very underwhelming, I kinda expected a loud ringing noise rather than, say, clinking gear noises.

I think this will also be doable with a Sneak-focused Ranger since they can cast Pass Without Trace AND Camouflage, as long as you time the detonation countdown right.

[FAQ]

It was more difficult for me since I wasn't an Assassin. But using Noisemakers was amusing, though the range on the Noisemaker is not as large as it would seem and the noise was very underwhelming, I kinda expected a loud ringing noise rather than, say, clinking gear noises.

I think this will also be doable with a Sneak-focused Ranger since they can cast Pass Without Trace AND Camouflage, as long as you time the detonation countdown right.

Yeah, without assassinate stealthing it is even more impressive. I tried it on my ranger life, but at the time I didn't realize that interacting with the console would break stealth, so I screwed up and kobolds rang the alarm. Kobolds always hate you

[ForgettableNPC]

Yeah, without assassinate stealthing it is even more impressive. I tried it on my ranger life, but at the time I didn't realize that interacting with the console would break stealth, so I screwed up and kobolds rang the alarm. Kobolds always hate you

Kobolds remember Waterworks.