ATTN DEVS: The Haunting of Saltmarsh Iron Key/Silver Key Issue

[BlueLiger]

Just came across an issue with The Haunting of Saltmarsh mission.

After starting the quest and going through each unlocked door to and doing the puzzle etc. I found that I couldn't get to the Iron or Silver Keys without a rogue. Being a Dwarf Barbarian and going through the mission for this first time there was no warning that the mission may not be completable without a rogue hireling or ability to unlock doors.

Whilst I enjoy missions that change things up a bit each time you do them, having locations of compulsory quest required items locked (pun intended) behind certain skills doesn't make for an enjoyable first play through when you don't now what to expect.

Can the random Key locations be revised to make sure you can do the main story of this quest without needing a rogue or the ability to open locks.

[mikarddo]

Just came across an issue with The Haunting of Saltmarsh mission.

After starting the quest and going through each unlocked door to and doing the puzzle etc. I found that I couldn't get to the Iron or Silver Keys without a rogue. Being a Dwarf Barbarian and going through the mission for this first time there was no warning that the mission may not be completable without a rogue hireling or ability to unlock doors.

Whilst I enjoy missions that change things up a bit each time you do them, having locations of compulsory quest required items locked (pun intended) behind certain skills doesn't make for an enjoyable first play through when you don't now what to expect.

Can the random Key locations be revised to make sure you can do the main story of this quest without needing a rogue or the ability to open locks.

Which location of the iron key is it that you dont think you can reach without a rogue?
I havent seen one that I could not get to.

[BlueLiger]

Which location of the iron key is it that you dont think you can reach without a rogue?
I havent seen one that I could not get to.

As per the wiki https://ddowiki.com/page/The_Haunting_of_Saltmarsh

locked room above room with owl bear head

[mikarddo]

As per the wiki https://ddowiki.com/page/The_Haunting_of_Saltmarsh

locked room above room with owl bear head

As far as I recall - once you interact with the owl bear head you can jump up from that room using some boxes to the room above - thus bypassing the locked door.

[BlueLiger]

As far as I recall - once you interact with the owl bear head you can jump up from that room using some boxes to the room above - thus bypassing the locked door.

I'll be honest didn't even think of that due to no real hinting that would need to be the case, so will look at that next time I run it.

[Melkazar]

I ran into the same thing. Very frustrating. I figured the owlbear plaque was related somehow but missed it. Thanks for the tip.

Edit: yep, I must have been under a blindness spell. Took about two minutes to complete this way.

[BlueLiger]

Following up further on this. The narrator even states as you enter the room with the doll house, "from the doorway you can see a glint of metal coming from the fireplace" .

DEVS: you may want to make the place for the iron key permanent to match your scripting in game, as this will throw new players off every time. as makes the deign and narrative of the mission in consistent and poor story telling. Much like directions given in the quest Just Business by Narrator are wrong in conjunction with map layout.

[GeoffWatson]

Following up further on this. The narrator even states as you enter the room with the doll house, "from the doorway you can see a glint of metal coming from the fireplace" .

DEVS: you may want to make the place for the iron key permanent to match your scripting in game, as this will throw new players off every time. as makes the deign and narrative of the mission in consistent and poor story telling. Much like directions given in the quest Just Business by Narrator are wrong in conjunction with map layout.

The Iron Key is found with a Search action, like a secret door.
You don't need a Rogue to find it, my Sorcerer with no ranks in Search was able to find it.

[BlueLiger]

The Iron Key is found with a Search action, like a secret door.
You don't need a Rogue to find it, my Sorcerer with no ranks in Search was able to find it.

That's not the issue.

The issue is the key isn't where the narrator states it is all the time and I was unaware that there was a jump up the crates from one room to get to it. The fact that these don't match up with what is narrated and isn't a obvious work around from a mission perspective is bad design.

[SisAmethyst]

It is indeed puzzling that the iron key is at a random location, heck even the silver key location is random. It is indeed also not helping that the narration does not always fit the location, and yes the owlbear is very easy to miss. A narration more of the sorts of 'something is odd with this owlbear' would have maybe triggered my attention a bit more. Even then, when I first interacted on it I did not notice the secret door sliding up right above my head on the ceiling but I thought it is a wall next to the door upstairs that would open and went out without seeing it at first.

On the contrary, I do like the switches and doors being less obvious as on each run I stumbled on something new.

[Kasinata]

i seemed to have encountered a new issue where the iron key is clearly not dropping at all on most runs in any of the locations including that I unlock every door etc

2 out of 3 runs need to be recalled and reset due to this