The Hounds are Hunting...

[C-Dog]

<voice over>

It's in the trees!
It's coming!

A most dangerous game indeed...

I've seen early ~90% of the deaths from various "Fey Hunt Hounds" -

• Fey Brilliant Hunt Hound
• Fey Decay Hunt Hound
• Fey Fire Hunt Hound
• Fey Frost Hunt Hound
• Fey Kinetic Hunt Hound

Type: Magical Beast
Race: Wolf

In starting Heroics, the Hounds give a debuff to all(?) party members, "+20% elemental damage, stacks up to 20x". However, starting with quest-level-equalent 7 quests (Lvl 5 on Elite/Reaper, Level 7 on Normal, etc), this changes to a stacking Damage-Over-Time effect, which (under some circumstances) can quickly add up to absurd DPS totals.


Something is indeed hunting the hunters.

[C-Dog]

(I'll try to gather all reported info into this post and the mirror Wiki article...)

Reported behavior:

Hounds can appear in both quests and wilds, including the Solo quests in The Harbor, starting at Level 1. It seems there is a timer (~5 minutes?) before the first appears. starting when the first party member enters the quest/wilderness.

There is a "howl" that all can hear that announces their imminent arrival. Some short time later (observed as short as ~5 seconds before the Hound appears, but perhaps occasionally also much longer?) a random(?)* party member becomes "hunted". For a second or three there is a blue arrow pointing down at the target, and they receives a debuff "Target of the Hunt", visible in their de/buff bar at the top of the screen.

(* Several times, the "last" party member was observed to be targeted, someone who had fallen behind the main group or had entered late - but it's not clear if that was a factor in the target selection.

* It has been observed that a "lowest level" party member gets targeted. If an NPC is lower level, it can be attacked after a player is initially the target, but NPC's are not the initial target of a Hound. This behavior has not been completely analyzed.)

In any quest* or Wilderness, Hounds spawn up out of the ground, and "on the trail" of their target, i.e. where that character has recently been (or where they currently are if they have stopped long enough at the wrong time) before beginning the chase. This can include spawning in water (tho' it's not been reported that they attack in water). They can "wait" (for an unknown time, but at least a minute) outside a Wilderness quest entrance after targeted party members have entered.

(* This includes previously "non-combat" quests such as Baudry 1 & 2, etc. It appears nowhere is safe.)

Hunting Hounds are strong and tough, but they are not particularly fast - they can be kited fairly easily (observed w/ standard +25% run boost from Anger's Step). However, they will teleport to their target if it is "too far" away, similar to some Reapers. (Note - when they do t-port, there is a short "pause" before they become active again, allowing the target to gain some small distance on the 'Hound before it attacks/chases again.)

It's very possible to have Champion Hounds, which only makes them worse (red named cannot be crowd-controled, etc.) Unlike normal monster champions, this starts in Level 1 quests. Champ Hounds can drop rems (rem chests have not (yet?) been reported).

It's possible to pull the aggro off the original target.

Any party member can receive an appropriate "elemental" debuff, one or more stacks of ''X Vulnerability, +20% damage'' - and it stacks 20x!

Estimated cooldown between hunts ~5-10 minutes (unconfirmed). Finishing a quest does not stop this timer. It's 100% confirmed that Hounds can spawn after a quest is finished - do not dawdle at the end chest - get your loot and get out!

(more info as it comes in... )

---

Suggested Tactics:

1) Stay with the herd - er, stay with the group! Strength in numbers. Do not zerg ahead, and definitely do not fall behind or go off on your own!

2) Keep your head on a swivel - keep looking behind the group, anywhere you've been, especially right after you hear The Howl.

3) Apparently(?), these things do not scale with party size - do not solo, try to quest only with a (nearly) full party.

4) Treat the hound as a dangerous Champion or Reaper - kill it first!

5) If you hear a howl, let the party know. If you are Hunted, let the party know!

6) If you observe party members who do not "help" Hunted members - it's your call what action to take, but consider your options.

7) If your build starts off weak at Level 1 (or you just want to get stronger before risking hounds), you can do the quick Solo quests in The Harbor. If you dawdle, a Hound can spawn in those Solo quests, but if you do the quest efficiently it seems you're out before that can trigger. You can easily get Level 2 this way (with just a little repetition), and it's possible to get 3 (with a lot more).

8) The Hunt timer keeps ticking after a quest is finished. Get your loot and get out!

Good luck!

[Mindos]

(Advice): [Titus] seems like SSG have gone out of their way to ensure everyone doesn't make it this time

I wanted the hounds to be "chat bugs" bubbles floating around.

[Jerevth]

You'll hear a howl and get a blue arrow over your toon. That fades in a second but you have an icon in the debuff bar indicating that you are being tracked by the Hunt.

I've been hit three times, survived all three attempts, but I noticed that they will always appear on your trail (Where you've been) and they appear around twenty to thirty seconds (Guessing) after you get the howl/notice.

They apparently hunt anyone level 1 and up; no safe levels, and they will find you in quest and in wildernesses.

I felt like there was a ten minute interval between attacks, but I was solely in the Borderlands prepping a horse, gear and enhancements.

Each hound applies a debuff based on its type- Brilliant applies electricity vulnerability, for instance.

May the odds be in your favor.

[Mindos]

You'll hear a howl and get a blue arrow over your toon. That fades in a second but you have an icon in the debuff bar indicating that you are being tracked by the Hunt.

Does this debuff bar icon show if you have "hide permanent buffs" checked?

[Jerevth]

Not sure, I had to log off and adult.
I did have "hide guild buffs" selected, though, and it still showed.

Side note: Surviving a hound attack gets you nothing more than the ability to keep playing the toon. (No xp, no treasure)

[fatherpirate]

some drop remies

[Dark_Lord_Mary]

These hounds have already killed dozens of players and the server just opened.

Many many people are complaining that they are way too powerful, being stronger than reapers,
and appearing in normal zones and slayer wilderness zones, killing people before they even had a chance to run.

Now I'm all for new mechanics, but this seems a bit strong to have reaper powered mobs killing players on normal and in slayer zones

There will be a minority voice that says 'its hardcore, good' but I disagree - many people come here and are new to the game or the event and many get frustrated by this sort of overpowered early death - SSG nerfed all the low level traps because they used to be instakill for the same reason - people don't even know they need to run and they're dead to these things.

Certainly different if you're in an elite or reaper quest - but on normal? In a slayer zone? On korthos? seems like the balancing is not correct and they are too powerful - i mean why not just make reapers spawn in public zones and just signal the end of times?

I mean these hounds are spawning underwater - is that correct?

[Epicsoul]

These hounds have already killed dozens of players and the server just opened.

Many many people are complaining that they are way too powerful, being stronger than reapers,
and appearing in normal zones and slayer wilderness zones, killing people before they even had a chance to run.

Now I'm all for new mechanics, but this seems a bit strong to have reaper powered mobs killing players on normal and in slayer zones

There will be a minority voice that says 'its hardcore, good' but I disagree - many people come here and are new to the game or the event and many get frustrated by this sort of overpowered early death - SSG nerfed all the low level traps because they used to be instakill for the same reason - people don't even know they need to run and they're dead to these things.

Certainly different if you're in an elite or reaper quest - but on normal? In a slayer zone? On korthos? seems like the balancing is not correct and they are too powerful - i mean why not just make reapers spawn in public zones and just signal the end of times?

I can agree to an extent. Removing them from spawning in normal or wilderness zones might be a good solution. But I think they should definitely remain in hard+ content.

[LokiFrost20882]

Certainly different if you're in an elite or reaper quest - but on normal? In a slayer zone? On korthos? seems like the balancing is not correct and they are too powerful - i mean why not just make reapers spawn in public zones and just signal the end of times?

Agreed

(Goldroll + Lokibot, Death Smile', HCL)

[Zuldar]

An important note about the debuffs is that they drop 1 stack at a time, so be vary careful if the mobs in the dungeon do the same damage type as the vulnerability.

[C-Dog]

Many many people are complaining that they are way too powerful, being stronger than reapers,...
...seems like the balancing is not correct and they are too powerful ...

Disagree.

I killed 2 solo, one each as Level 1 and Level 2, with an arti w/ PBS (only) and the Ember repeater. Not a "weak" build, but nothing special.

...killing people before they even had a chance to run.

Not true. I observed one spawning next to one of our party members while we were paused - there was def "time to run" if the player was observant.

What is not allowed is a chance to go afk or stop paying attention.

but on normal? In a slayer zone? On korthos?...
... There will be a minority voice that says 'its hardcore, good' but I disagree - many people come here and are new to the game or the event and many get frustrated by this sort of overpowered early death

Yes - no easy street, no kiddies' pool, no "perfectly safe" way to level.

We've seen people give the "advice" to simply run Easy/Hard and farm Slayers and limp to 20 for that reward - very doable (previously). But now, even that is "Hard Core", and that's (literally) the name of the game).

And truly "new" players are not funneled to HC - it's a decision they choose to make, and (one would hope, after all the discussion) an informed one.


Bottom line - stay alert, or risk getting dead. Just that simple. :/

[fatherpirate]

Many will complain because it crimps their DOO style.
too bad so sad.

This is not Average Core league
or
Slightly difficult league

This is likely the first REAL

HARDCORE LEAGUE

it is hard ... for good players
really hard if your not good.

maybe players will finally earn the awards this time.

It everyone can do it, it is not hardcore.

I LOVE this one !
YES !
Make it REALLY HARD!

[brian14]

I killed 2 solo, one each as Level 1 and Level 2, with an arti w/ PBS (only) and the Ember repeater. Not a "weak" build, but nothing special.

What is PBS?

[Shaamis]

What is PBS?

Point Blank Shot,

100% absolutely necessary feat for a ranged Arti

[Epicsoul]

Yes - no easy street, no kiddies' pool, no "perfectly safe" way to level.

We've seen people give the "advice" to simply run Easy/Hard and farm Slayers and limp to 20 for that reward - very doable (previously). But now, even that is "Hard Core", and that's (literally) the name of the game).

And truly "new" players are not funneled to HC - it's a decision they choose to make, and (one would hope, after all the discussion) an informed one.


Bottom line - stay alert, or risk getting dead. Just that simple. :/

You've changed my mind. I agree with you.

[Redgob]

TBH, it's completely lame. And not because hounds are difficult, that's fine. +2 levels instead of +4? Fine. The problem is that hounds happen completely randomly. You are playing alone and need to open the door? Answer a phone? Or worse yet, need a bio break? Forget it.

Here are some great marketing ideas for SSG straight from guild chat: "Adult diapers for DDO Points!", "Special promotion for a raid bucket!"

It turned all quests into my most hated ones where I can't take a break for any reason, like OOB or Spinner. And even there in worst case I can use dd and continue later.

Additionally, it killed play styles different to the one and only preferred party play. Solo with a buff bot? Nope. Bot dead after a few hounds. So be happy if you have many friends or a static group, you'll probably hardly notice a difference. The rest of us? Who cares.

Disappointing.

[Amorais]

You have to build your toon to counter them. I think I got lucky with an Aasimar 2HF Pally. I do a fair bit of damage and can LOH myself to cure that damage spike so 3 hounds down so far. Though I did get 50 dmg from one of them in one hit - which seems more than a little over the top for a normal level dungeon - even on HCL.

[Dark_Lord_Mary]

i can report numerous people in game and in discord who have died to the hounds in slayer zones and normal quests are upset and have decided not to participate.

So is that the intention of this event ? to make it so elitist only the 100 on the leaderboard can enjoy it?

I thought, perhaps wrongly, that this was a game wide event open to everyone?

Having reaper strength mobs spawn at level 1 in solo/normal/slayer zones and kill players who are purposefully choosing easy content seems incorrectly balanced, no matter what event or server it is.

And I honestly dont care who disagrees, so save it. I am intending to be rhetorical, not conversational -

this is my 6th event running at 1000+ person guild - i know a lot of players across the spectrum of skill and I can tell you after 5 hours of hounds murdering everyone the consensus is the hound strength presently is tweaked too high

[TartanKane]

i can report numerous people in game and in discord who have died to the hounds in slayer zones and normal quests are upset and have decided not to participate.

So is that the intention of this event ? to make it so elitist only the 100 on the leaderboard can enjoy it?

I thought, perhaps wrongly, that this was a game wide event open to everyone?

Having reaper strength mobs spawn at level 1 in solo/normal/slayer zones and kill players who are purposefully choosing easy content seems incorrectly balanced, no matter what event or server it is.

And I honestly dont care who disagrees, so save it. I am intending to be rhetorical, not conversational -

this is my 6th event running at 1000+ person guild - i know a lot of players across the spectrum of skill and I can tell you after 5 hours of hounds murdering everyone the consensus is the hound strength presently is tweaked too high

I think that it is a good thing that hounds spawn at all difficulties. But those hounds should scale with difficulty level. So a normal hound should be pretty easy to kill. Also, hounds should not be able to attack under water. C'mon.