20 things that will help you survive hardcore league season iv

[Dark_Lord_Mary]

My Adventure.AI YouTube Channel has a new Hardcore League IV playlist:

The first video: 20 things that will help you survive Hardcore League Season IV

https://youtu.be/p8IUy4XByHM

Featuring 'how to' for the DDO Hardcore League Event.

I have experience participating in all 4 of the Hardcore League Events, running my guild Death Smile and going for the goals myself, I have learned certain tips and tricks to do quests that can scare off or stump some players, which I will share with you during the series.

Tailored towards beginners and players new to the event.

1. Have a plan - know your goals. What reward are you going for?

2. Buy healing potions and have more than 1 way to self heal. Carry all your potions, especially remove fear to counter the champion 'Valaara's Legs' fear effect that will kill you if not removed with remove fear.

3. Join a guild and get ship buffs

4. Know the quest you are running by watching a YouTube guide before you run it.

5. always quest with a trapper and stay behind them.

6. Put your money and valuables in the bank so if you die you don't lose everything

7. Always wear feather fall

8. Have a source of water-breathing

9. Get fire resist

10. Get acid resist - Mimics put an acid DOT on you.

11. When questing alone do not open chests unless you can kill the mimics quickly

12. Mimics are killing most people, don't underestimate them.

13. Don't go exploring the guild ship and find the danger room.

14. Get your house P buffs and adventure with resists

15. Get all your immunities - Death block, death ward, disease immune, fear immune

16. Always carry a ranged weapon

17. Do not run to a chest at the end of a quest - once the quest ends exit. Life over loot.

18. Do not run off on your own because you solo on the live server - stay with your group.

19. Quest for favor 4 levels over base level. So at 5 do your lvl 1s, lvl 6 do your lvl 2, etc.

20. Do not play your main if there is a lot of lag, make a loot farming toon alt and play on that until the lag subsides.

PS - this is a guide based on my experience. I'm sure there are things I've missed or forgot. Please feel free to add them in the comments below!

[Mindos]

I've heard conflicting reports (some say only remove fear pots work) if it works against the champ death, but you can get remove fear for 30 mins from the House J vendor with enough favor

[Marshal_Lannes]

And some more...

21. If you're VIP, you can make a character each week automatically at level 2. Save your gold roll and all 7 silver rolls and put them in your bank. Even with bad rolling, this will be enough to get you to 2. So in theory, you can have 12 L2 characters if you need them.

22. If you have iconics, use them. They start out with 32 points instead of 28 and if you make it to L15 you get all your named gear that comes with the class.

23. Make sure you have your max amount of gold stored in the bank so your new character doesn't start broke.

24. If you aren't greedy, you can make a decent amount of money on the AH. Stat items will sell. So will deadly and sheltering and caster sticks along with ML weapons 4 through about 8. That means don't put them up for 20K. I'm taking 1-2K and buyout at 3 to 9K depending on level.

25. At L9 or 10, run Into the Mists on casual to get your free Ravenloft weapon. This is likely better than anything you're using and may end up being your weapon up to 20 (if you make it that far).

26. Getting 5000 favor is really (really) hard. For most, it's an unrealistic goal. If you accept you'll only get 1750 favor then you can start doing quests on H/N after L10 or so.

27. Slow down! It's easy to get caught up in zooming around if you're in a strong party. Resist the urge. You get no bonus points for running ahead in a PUG. If someone else is acting like an action hero, let them. Follow along, collect your XP/favor and stay alive.

28. Temp HP spells are golden. These are almost afterthoughts on regular servers, but here they are among the best spells you can have. You know about Blood Tribute, but things like Aid and Virtue provide often life-saving benefits.

29. Understand the enhancement tree. Get HP boosts over DPS. Understand you are working with a 28 or 32 point build with possibly substandard attribute items. So for example, is getting Divine Might really worth it when 1/2 your Charisma is only giving you 2 more points of damage? Or are those APs better spent in defense?

30. Don't press your luck. HC is not conducive to marathon gaming sessions. You are most fresh and on point doing one or two quest chains then logging out and playing your HC alt going over to the main server. Long sessions make you sloppy and or/forget the danger you are constantly in with no safety net.

[Amorais]

Great tips!

I'd also add, as a 4 season vet

1. If your not enjoying it - STOP. It's not worth getting frustrated and angry for a game.
2. My tactic with Mimic's is to always assume the chest will turn. So I first check I have an escape route, second plant my hire on aggressive mode next to the chest, third start opening the chest but turned toward your escape route. The second I open the chest even if it doesn't turn, run like hell down your designated escape route. Your hire should give you enough time time get away and - who knows - they may even kill it, as a happened to me yesterday with my 4th level cleric hire - WTG Maloren! If it doesn't turn then go back and loot.
3. Never assume invulnerability, no matter how uber your build
4. Use speed buffs for escape but not for exploring your dungeon. Nothing worse than getting fried by a trap because your running at mach 3
5. Get a second freebie account. You can pike them and have a ready to go toon should your main guy get slotted.
6. Just remember, even if your main guy gets to the great graveyard in the sky, you will still see them again for a tearful reunion on another server, ready to play again if you liked them or got them to a decent level

[Sylvado]

Great tips!
2. My tactic with Mimic's is to always assume the chest will turn. So I first check I have an escape route, second plant my hire on aggressive mode next to the chest, third start opening the chest but turned toward your escape route. The second I open the chest even if it doesn't turn, run like hell down your designated escape route. Your hire should give you enough time time get away and - who knows - they may even kill it, as a happened to me yesterday with my 4th level cleric hire - WTG Maloren! If it doesn't turn then go back and loot.

This. I solo because although I am on a lot I am usually working at the same time and may need to exit out at any time so committing to a group is difficult. I have opened every chest by moving my pet and hire to the chest and backing up and ranging. I will usually get caught in the sticky attack but clear of the slobber. Only once did I lose my hire and pet and that was from ticks after the minic was down.

[RavenStormclaw]

This. I solo because although I am on a lot I am usually working at the same time and may need to exit out at any time so committing to a group is difficult. I have opened every chest by moving my pet and hire to the chest and backing up and ranging. I will usually get caught in the sticky attack but clear of the slobber. Only once did I lose my hire and pet and that was from ticks after the minic was down.

This.. for sure this! My pets and hirelings are expendable but I am not. I solo a lot as well and have never backed down from a chest.

i will add one if you are a charisma, intel or wisdom build expend 10 AP in Feydark illuionist for greater color spray. I have never had a mimic save against it yet. Lock them down and kill with impunity. Also great general crowd control.

[brian14]

If someone else is acting like an action hero, let them.

They are finding traps for you

[Marshal_Lannes]

They are finding traps for you

Nah. These are the main server 37 life guys speeding away. I've outlived a lot of them. Remember you get no bonus points for leading the kill count.

Or...

you can make a character, take the boat to Harbor, talk to Baudry Cartamon, and run first two quests on Elite. The second one has no enemies, and in the first one you can just hide in a corner for 5 minutes and it will complete. Kobolds will not aggro on you as long as you do not attack them. I am not entirely certain, but I think this will get you to level 2.

For non-VIPs, that's an option although u do have to kill the kobolds. For VIPs, you can save yourself the annoyance of box smashing and get to level 2 in like, 5 clicks. Your choice (shrug).

[Dark_Lord_Mary]

And some more...

21. If you're VIP, you can make a character each week automatically at level 2. Save your gold roll and all 7 silver rolls and put them in your bank. Even with bad rolling, this will be enough to get you to 2. So in theory, you can have 12 L2 characters if you need them.

Nice - yeah great advice for VIPS - the previous 3 were much easier with a season pass and all the free gold rolls

[brian14]

21. If you're VIP, you can make a character each week automatically at level 2. Save your gold roll and all 7 silver rolls and put them in your bank. Even with bad rolling, this will be enough to get you to 2. So in theory, you can have 12 L2 characters if you need them.

Or...

you can make a character, take the boat to Harbor, talk to Baudry Cartamon, and run first two quests on Elite. The second one has no enemies, and in the first one you can just hide in a corner for 5 minutes and it will complete. Kobolds will not aggro on you as long as you do not attack them. I am not entirely certain, but I think this will get you to level 2.

[RavenStormclaw]

Or...

you can make a character, take the boat to Harbor, talk to Baudry Cartamon, and run first two quests on Elite. The second one has no enemies, and in the first one you can just hide in a corner for 5 minutes and it will complete. Kobolds will not aggro on you as long as you do not attack them. I am not entirely certain, but I think this will get you to level 2.

Just FYI gotta kill 10 kobolds in the first quest. However that is easy once they start hitting the crate they won't aggro on you. Just plunk away with a crossbow. As to level 2. It will if you have a lesser or better tome of learning or a pot running. If not.. then no it won't.

[Mindos]

Just FYI gotta kill 10 kobolds in the first quest. However that is easy once they start hitting the crate they won't aggro on you. Just plunk away with a crossbow. As to level 2. It will if you have a lesser or better tome of learning or a pot running. If not.. then no it won't.

Hmmm, can you kill them at the end after they are snared?

[Dark_Lord_Mary]

I've heard conflicting reports (some say only remove fear pots work) if it works against the champ death, but you can get remove fear for 30 mins from the House J vendor with enough favor

Nice ! yeah I forgot about the House J buffs

[voxson5]

If in doubt, recall out

[DYWYPI]

Mindos, the 5-minute timer in 'Protect Baudry's Interests' is just the duration for the how long the Kobolds spawn. You DO NOT need to protect the Crate or kill any Kobolds until after the timer has run down... There are plenty enough Kobolds caught by the web traps to still allow you to achieve the 10 kills, by slaying the ones that get caught in the traps. Those are the main reasons the quest doesn't have a Reaper mode version - you can just wander around the edge of the room smashing vases or stand in a corner for 5 minutes then kill the helpless critters.

[askrj1]

If in doubt, recall out

If in doubt, alt+F4.

Mindos, the 5-minute timer in 'Protect Baudry's Interests' is just the duration for the how long the Kobolds spawn. You DO NOT need to protect the Crate or kill any Kobolds until after the timer has run down... There are plenty enough Kobolds caught by the web traps to still allow you to achieve the 10 kills, by slaying the ones that get caught in the traps. Those are the main reasons the quest doesn't have a Reaper mode version - you can just wander around the edge of the room smashing vases or stand in a corner for 5 minutes then kill the helpless critters.

If you want to be REALLY safe smash everything first, then start, then wait until the timer is over and kill the snared kobolds.

[Mindos]

If in doubt, alt+F4.



If you want to be REALLY safe smash everything first, then start, then wait until the timer is over and kill the snared kobolds.

I think doing nothing is best. I also think if you kill the kobolds, eventually shamans will spawn and zap you and kill you with lightning. Why risk it.

[Amorais]

Don't forget to do the crafting tutorial as well. 500 free xp, +1 crafted mace, couple of shards and crafting boosts or a speed boost clicky for no risk. When done there, go to the twelve and get your free small ingredients bag.

[Marshal_Lannes]

31. Regardless of what class you are, if you make it to 1750 favor, take the +2 CON tome.

[askrj1]

I think doing nothing is best. I also think if you kill the kobolds, eventually shamans will spawn and zap you and kill you with lightning. Why risk it.

The kobolds don't spawn until you talk to the NPC. If the 15% XP from breakables is of any value to you breaking them ahead of talking is totally safe. You can then retreat to hiding at the entrance after starting the timer.