Sealed in Amber question? (possible spoilers)

[MeliCat]

POST IS SPOILER

Not bugged I think.

The Lich says the portals are controlled by the levers in the 7 lever room

I pulled the one to the immediate Right of the teleporter when you go into it. That opened the teleporters in the far W chamber, one of which took me there and gave me the Objective (Reach the secret overlook).

One chest is locked but can be picked. Neither dropped Vistani tokens so I assume they don't drop nameds.

Yeah the 7th lever only - this is what she says as you first go in and now I understand the portals.

Couple of friends spent a couple of hours figuring out all the nitty gritty of this quest and what the initial NPCs information translates to throughout the quest.

[FlimsyFirewood]

I tested it and it worked, so I updated the quest walkthrough on the wiki: http://ddowiki.com/page/Sealed_in_Amber

Nicely done! Lots of good and accurate info there. Not everything, but what's there is spot-on.

You're missing the descriptions of the Dark Gifts but hey, nobody wants those, yeah?

[FuryFlash]

Yeah the 7th lever only - this is what she says as you first go in and now I understand the portals.

Couple of friends spent a couple of hours figuring out all the nitty gritty of this quest and what the initial NPCs information translates to throughout the quest.

I tried forever to open those archon portals! The problem is I pulled all of the seven levers. Do all of them do stuff or just one of them?

[MeliCat]

I tried forever to open those archon portals! The problem is I pulled all of the seven levers. Do all of them do stuff or just one of them?

Only one. That's why I wasn't seeing the portals - because I was pulling all of them.

[Rakehell]

Thanks to all you who posted tips here. Made my second play through of the quest much more enjoyable and logical. It is definitely a juicy, meaty quest with lots to it.

[Xyfiel]

Only one. That's why I wasn't seeing the portals - because I was pulling all of them.

After more testing tonight I believe the third lever from the right turns off the defenses, aka statue eyes. This fits with both what the Lich says and the Hooded One card.

Only two things left I am unsure of:
Locked chest, trigger likely bugged. Maybe tied to mimic on other side?
Can you actually become undead through some method. Not likely even if a temporary buff. I wouldn't put it past FF to have you kill someone in PVP on your friends list, drop an item to use(blood of loved one), and then get killed to become a vampire. Who would think of something crazy like that?

[Deathdefy]

After more testing tonight I believe the third lever from the right turns off the defenses, aka statue eyes. This fits with both what the Lich says and the Hooded One card.

Only two things left I am unsure of:
Locked chest, trigger likely bugged. Maybe tied to mimic on other side?
Can you actually become undead through some method. Not likely even if a temporary buff. I wouldn't put it past FF to have you kill someone in PVP on your friends list, drop an item to use(blood of loved one), and then get killed to become a vampire. Who would think of something crazy like that?

Right?! This is my question too re: turning undead (the small chest mystery is interesting too). I was thinking of getting a hireling killed. PVP friends makes sense too though.

Might mess around with this tonight. When I got that buff I started trying to think of quests where you kill a loved one but nothing sprang to mind... Faithful Departed maybe (I appreciate the mummies aren't our loved ones)?! That Desert Sands quest where you kill Wraith of Artok or whatever his name is (again not our loved one).

I don't know either. I hope there is something here though as that would be super cool. If it gave you a perma-Feat equal to the Pale Master Vampire Form Enhancement I would be over the moon but I admit that seems wildly unlikely.

Love this quest anyway. My highlight of the expansion by a mile; just all the detail like if you have a million buffs you auto-intimidate every few seconds ahaha.

EDIT: 'by a mile' solely because it's so awesome. I honestly have liked everything in the expansion save the start of Into the Mists and the Pies quest - and that's only because of the wisps.

[lifestaker]

Quest overview
1. approach and fallow kasimir
2. talk to Kasimir and Madam Eva
3. Use note on floor in front of Kasimir (Password #1)
4. Retrieve Symbol of Ravenkind

Optional objectives
1. Find password #2 (4 observed locations, 3 areas)
2. Find password #3 (4 observed locations, 3 areas)
3. Find password #4 (3¹ observed locations, plus Lich)
4. Draw Strahd’s attention (chest, must be done prior to completing the ‘finding vestige of Zhundun’ optional)
5. Find vestige of Zhundun for Kasimir (named item chest, requires 4th password)
6. Restore the Lich’s memory
7. Repair Shield Guardian
8. Reach overlook (2 chests, 1 locked)
9. Withstand Strahd's challenge

Additional things to do (some objective)
1. Kill Heinrich Stoltz (no chest)
2. Kill Baba Yana (chest now unlocks at her death¹)
3. Kill Lich (chest, kill Lich optional)
4. Kill werewolf (chest, Investigate the disturbance optional)
5. Kill Flying head (chest)
6. Kill skeleton (chest)
7. Kill Vilnius (no chest, but odd necklace drops for Shield Guardian Optional)

Total chests: 11. All optional.

• Strahd optional²(must be completed prior to Zhundun optional to get chest to spawn, named chest)
• Zhundun Optional (requires 4th password, Maverus, to get named chest)
• Destroy Lich (can be killed after healing him)
• Kill Helwa the Red, werewolf in west (spawns after exploring, and clearing west room, can spawn without optional quest objective posting)
• Kill Jakarion’s Fiery Vangence (spawns east room upstairs, commonly after killing Vilnius or activating Shield Guardian)
• Eastern Treasure room (requires third password or use of backdoor from Library)
• Western Treasure room (requires third password or jumping on floor above near coin related DM text, room with chest in ceiling)
• Kill Baba Yana, hag in/around eastern treasure room (requires killing of witches in lower east hallway, use of Castle Ravenloft’s drawbridge on replica located on upper west side, having library open and access to east treasure room. Chest located inside eastern chest room, near door¹)
• Kill Harkotha’s Vigilance, skeleton (break all sarcophagi in lower level, killing everything that comes out. Named spawns with chest on your way out after DM text about door closing)
• Overlook westside (access to overlook via pulling lever to the right of your zone in to lever room, teleportation granted via the bedroom in the west)
• Overlook eastside (locked chest, pickable)

Locations of Symbol, based off Madam Eva’s card reading

• Miser (1)– East treasure room
• Miser (2)- West treasure room
• Traitor – Upper east amber room
• Wizard – Library
• Raven - Castle Ravenloft replica on upper level, west
• Soldier – Located in Drama DDoor event¹
• Broken one – Lich’s study
• The Hooded One – room south of Lich's study (near teleport location)¹

Password random spawn locations
Password 2 “MRAK” (3 observed areas, grants access to study, alter, and east side amber rooms)

• Lowest level center, in front of a sarcophagus (has a few spots down here, but same area)
• Lower East, room with hidden door to Shield Guardian
• Upper West. This one is easy to miss. Requires access from lower west, use of glowing arch. Note is on stand in front of replica room.

Password 3 “ETHERNA” (3 observed, grants access to near everything else except direct library access)

• Upper East, Alter room (Vilnius spawn point)
• Upper East, room past alter, but prior to amber room at end of hall
• Lower West, either northern amber room (again, both rooms in same area)

Password 5 “MAVERUS” (4¹ observed locations, Lich optional¹, possible to acquire early)

• Lower west, southern most amber room.
• Upper west, on table of Castle Ravenloft replica.
• Upper east, northern most amber room.
• West side, bedroom area on far table.
• restoring the Lich and asking about library now grants use of the password and the XP for acquiring it¹

Short cuts

• Hidden door for Shield Guardian allows early access to bedroom
• Early reading of 4th password grants named item chest very early (3 minute loot run)
• Activating the teleport pad in bedroom allows early access to west treasure room
• Healing the Lich grants you the 4th Password for library access
• Early access to library grants early access to both treasure rooms
• Falling though floor in east grants early access to amber room below it
• Jumping with some form of leap of faith to or from center platform can save time

Minimum completion effort

• Miser (1) – Requires 2nd password, healing lich, and search
• Miser (2) - Requires 1st password, search
• Traitor – Requires 3rd password
• Wizard – Requires 2nd password, healing lich, and search
• Raven – Requires 3rd password
• Soldier – Requires 2nd password, healing lich, and search¹
• Broken one – Requires 2nd password
• Hooded – Requires 1st password, search¹

Of note issues:

• 4th password scroll does not always spawn. If you do not restore the Lich when scroll fails to spawn, then you will not be able to get the named loot chest, quest will still be able to be completed so long as card is not soldier. In well over 100 runs, I have had this happen only about 4 times. (Active issue as of U38-Fixed U40)
• Removed²

*Edit:
¹ = with U38 2 symbol locations were moved, 1 scroll location was removed, and Lich optional now grants 4th password on talking to the lich (prior would not reward xp for getting password, or allow full password access). In addition to these changes the hag chest now unlocks after she dies (chest located in east treasure room, near door).
² = U40 removed the possibility of making the quest incompatible by adding an additional Ddoor to the soldier symbol spawn after the ambush. This makes you no longer need to grab the symbol when you see it in the room, but rather can return later if not ready to finish the quest yet. In addition to this fix, the 'draw Strahd's attention' optional chest now can drop named loot.
U41.4= Added more then a few mobs everywhere inside the quest on higher difficulties. Players have a discussion about it here. Long/short of the thread being that this change will revert, and additional changes will be put in place to "fix" people doing the quest fast.

[Xyfiel]

Dark gifts received form amber sarcophagi
Wording:

• Dark gift of Savnok the Insrutible: Your Brilliance will only be matched by your Capacity for evil, it said.
• Dark gift of Seriach, the hell hound wisperer: a pair of contractually obligated hell hounds will fallow you into battle, it said. (Bug: Reaper spawned a pair of cr 11 hell hounds, if actively fighting or have offensive aoe in place the hounds will die instantly)
• Dark gift of Vaund the Evasive: you'll be better at something rather vague, it said.
• Dark gift of Yrrga, the Eye of shadows: You will know how meaningless existence is, it said.
• Dark gift of Zantras, the kingmaker: you won't take no for an answer, it said.
• Dark gift of Ferke, queen of poxes: Your wrath will make your foes envy the dead, it said.
• Dark gift of Khirad, the star of secrets: you'll see traps and opportunitues where others see nothing, it said.
• Dark gift of Delban, the star of ice and hate: ice and hate will be your allies, it said.
• Dark gift of Shami-Amourae, the lady of deliights: you will knoe what's good for you, it siad.
• Dark gift of Sykane, the soul hungerer: your ferocity in battle will feast on the souls of the slain, it said.
• Dark gift of Zrin-Hala, the howling storm: your fury will lash out at your foes with lightning and thunder, it said.
• Dark gift of Drizlask, the nine-eyed spider: you'll be as nimble as a spider, it said.
• Dark gift of Great Taar Haak, the five-headed destroyer: everyone will know their weakness and inferiority to you, it said.

Effects
One hour buff that lasts till death, and is not removed on quest entry (bug?)
Observed effects range from abnormal damage dice on attacks(negative damage seen often), to the ability to see the floors as if they were broken, and making you a hate magnet with no fail intimidate spamming.

Some of these I watched as they ran out tonight. Only listing what I observed.
Savnok: lost 2 USP, might be intelligence related.
Khirad: 5 spot, 10 search.
Delban: Cold spell power, didn't see how much.
Not listed above, Tarakamedes, something about chasms, 15 jump.

[Deathdefy]

Dark gifts received form amber sarcophagi
Wording:

• Dark gift of Savnok the Insrutible: Your Brilliance will only be matched by your Capacity for evil, it said. Unknown
• Dark gift of Seriach, the hell hound wisperer: a pair of contractually obligated hell hounds will fallow you into battle, it said. (Bug: Reaper spawned a pair of cr 11 hell hounds, if actively fighting or have offensive aoe in place the hounds will die instantly)
• Dark gift of Vaund the Evasive: you'll be better at something rather vague, it said. +10 tumble, +10 bluff
• Dark gift of Yrrga, the Eye of shadows: You will know how meaningless existence is, it said. Unknown
• Dark gift of Zantras, the kingmaker: you won't take no for an answer, it said. +4 Cha, +10 intimidate (for a total of +12 intimidate)
• Dark gift of Ferke, queen of poxes: Your wrath will make your foes envy the dead, it said. Acid spell power?
• Dark gift of Khirad, the star of secrets: you'll see traps and opportunitues where others see nothing, it said. +5 Spot,
  +10 Search
• Dark gift of Delban, the star of ice and hate: ice and hate will be your allies, it said. +15 Cold Spell Power
• Dark gift of Shami-Amourae, the lady of delights: you will knoe what's good for you, it said. +4 Wisdom
• Dark gift of Sykane, the soul hungerer: your ferocity in battle will feast on the souls of the slain, it said. Vampirism on melee attacks
• Dark gift of Zrin-Hala, the howling storm: your fury will lash out at your foes with lightning and thunder, it said.+15 Electrical Spell Power
• Dark gift of Drizlask, the nine-eyed spider: you'll be as nimble as a spider, it said. +4 Dex
• Dark gift of Great Taar Haak, the five-headed destroyer: everyone will know their weakness and inferiority to you, it said.+4 Str
• Dark gift of Tarakamedes, the Grave Wyrm - Wording - +15 Jump
• Dark gift of Dahlver-Nar, He of Many Teeth - Wording - Resurrect on death
• Dark gift of Norganas, the Finger of Oblivion - The force of your spells will match your personality, it said - Unknown
• Dark gift of Yog, the Invincible - You will be invincible, it said. - Unknown
• Dark gift of the Vampyr - You will know how to turn into a vampire lord, it said. - Unknown

Added a bit more. Still super curious about the Vampyr one.

While talking about this quest, if you get all the other sarcophagi prior to Zhaban, Strahd will have different dialogue to you, and you'll be attacked by the 4 vampire champions and all of the sins you fought one by one earlier. "Withstand Strahd's Challenge" grants +90% base xp (just over 5k on heroic) and a bonus chest (no tokens/nameds in bonus chest).

[DYWYPI]

That's a nice gesture FlimsyFirewood, that you've officially offered to provide us with the text for the "Dark Gifts" and that answer was: Yes, we'd like you to provide those 'Dark Gift' descriptions. :-D

[...] You're missing the descriptions of the Dark Gifts but hey, nobody wants those, yeah?

Ilya, are you related to a Wood Golem, and have increased vulnerability to fire and axes with such a handle as FlimsyFirewood?

Anyway if you are comfortable with editing the relevant DDO Wiki page http://ddowiki.com/page/Sealed_in_Amber feel free to post the "Dark Gift" description text within the DDO forum.

I haven't purchased Ravenloft but did briefly give limited feedback on 'Sealed in Amber' during Lammania.

[...] Sealed in Amber: a nice change from hack-and-slash, though there was an awful lot of doors... And with my faulty short-term memory I ended-up repeatedly going back to a door I'd just attempted. Of course one of the passwords; was a translation of the Russian word for "Amber", which was nice.

Because there were a lot of dark areas; I'd initially walked past the ladders about thrice before I could clearly see it was a ladder. I didn't get time to find the final password and I'm not sure if "Draw Strahd's attention" was just XP only, or if you got: 100/100 something else interesting happened.

There were plenty of Secret Doors (Secret Doors, never have a Spot DC higher than [Spot DC:1] anyway). I'd have liked to have seen more Traps or physical Locks; there were gold piles and intricately designed levers.
I really enjoyed the Amber resin block, Sarcophaguses and their "Gifts", that was a nice touch, and a lot of thought went into them. :D

During Lammania [Miser] I didn't get time to fully explore most of the dungeon thus never even met the Lich or the majority of the Optionals like activating the Golem. I did walk through a couple of solid walls during that time. Gifts [85/100] and just three passwords allowed me to Complete the quest. Yes, the Dark Gifts were cool, and being Assassin of course I accepted all of them, that I could absorb. ;-)

[FlimsyFirewood]

After more testing tonight I believe the third lever from the right turns off the defenses, aka statue eyes. This fits with both what the Lich says and the Hooded One card.

Only two things left I am unsure of:
Locked chest, trigger likely bugged. Maybe tied to mimic on other side?
Can you actually become undead through some method. Not likely even if a temporary buff. I wouldn't put it past FF to have you kill someone in PVP on your friends list, drop an item to use(blood of loved one), and then get killed to become a vampire. Who would think of something crazy like that?

Locked chest confirmed bugged, fixing it in a future patch.

The vampire transformation was on the agenda, but we ran out of time.

[FlimsyFirewood]

[*] Dark gift of Seriach, the hell hound wisperer: a pair of contractually obligated hell hounds will fallow you into battle, it said. (Bug: Reaper spawned a pair of cr 11 hell hounds, if actively fighting or have offensive aoe in place the hounds will die instantly)
One hour buff that lasts till death, and is not removed on quest entry (bug?)
Observed effects range from abnormal damage dice on attacks(negative damage seen often), to the ability to see the floors as if they were broken, and making you a hate magnet with no fail intimidate spamming.

Hellhounds will scale in a future patch, that's a bug.

Not removed on quest entry is a feature, WAI (some debuffs go away on quest exit by design, most do not).

Ability to see the floors as if they were broken? Whaaaaat? That's new. Can you elaborate?

[FlimsyFirewood]

That's a nice gesture FlimsyFirewood, that you've officially offered to provide us with the text for the "Dark Gifts" and that answer was: Yes, we'd like you to provide those 'Dark Gift' descriptions. :-D

I'm sure you would. Nope, not doing it.

But here's a freebie. Most of the bonuses they give are "profane" for the purpose of stacking with other things.

[lifestaker]

Ability to see the floors as if they were broken? Whaaaaat? That's new. Can you elaborate?

I assumed it was part of a buff. You're making me rethink it as a graphical error.

Elaboration: Running the quest back to back for over 6 hours (some afk times mixed in there). Quest completion times ranged from around 1 minute to just over an hour. During a few runs guild members came for loot. It was during one of these runs that I saw a guild member walking across the drop floor in the west, and the mimic floor. Both times it appeared to me as if they were walking on air, to them it was solid floor, until they jumped or otherwise caused the floor to break. This happened 3 times in total at those 2 locations across 3 nonconsecutive runs. Additionally in solo runs the floor would look broken prior to me even reaching the area to break the floor (commonly the west drop near elevator arch). With a long line of dark buffs across the screen, I assumed that they caused the variation in graphics, but could have been a bug from running 20+ runs back to back.

Regarding the WAI of the buffs. Is this subject to change? It reminds me of the alters in ToEE that were updated, to remove the buff on entering a new quest, after finding people using these unique quest buffs for other quests. Now mind you, dark buffs are weaker and more random then alters, but this presents an opportunity of "abuse" the same the alters did.

[FlimsyFirewood]

I assumed it was part of a buff. You're making me rethink it as a graphical error.

Elaboration: Running the quest back to back for over 6 hours (some afk times mixed in there). Quest completion times ranged from around 1 minute to just over an hour. During a few runs guild members came for loot. It was during one of these runs that I saw a guild member walking across the drop floor in the west, and the mimic floor. Both times it appeared to me as if they were walking on air, to them it was solid floor, until they jumped or otherwise caused the floor to break.

Woah.

Regarding the WAI of the buffs. Is this subject to change? It reminds me of the alters in ToEE that were updated, to remove the buff on entering a new quest, after finding people using these unique quest buffs for other quests. Now mind you, dark buffs are weaker and more random then alters, but this presents an opportunity of "abuse" the same the alters did.

Bring it.

[DYWYPI]

I wasn't particularly bothered about you listing the bonuses, i.e. (bestowed benefits) that's understandable you won't disclose that.

[...] But here's a freebie. Most of the bonuses they give are "profane" for the purpose of stacking with other things.

I was mostly meaning the "flavourful text" for the trapped slivers of pure evil, e.g. "I can't believe you found me, Vaund the Evasive. I must swiftly return to my amber cell, but first, would you like to take my gift? None shall ever find you thereafter. Or I could answer a question for you, I promise not to answer truthfully…."

Ah, I see... you've probably laced some of those Sarcophagi "Dark Gift" descriptions with too many DDO game clues anyway LOL.

Aside: was I meant to be able to walk through a couple of solid walls, or was that probably a bug? I don't mean the Secret doors or Portals. Somehow I could walk through what appeared to be solid wall in at least two places and get to other rooms. I wasn't killed (made undead) nor converted to an incorporeal entity to my knowledge via the gifts. The solution often turns out more beautiful than the puzzle.


So you come here seeking the ancient power source which brought Count Strahd Von Zarovich to where he stands. It is curious you are that interested in acquiring what he has. Are you trying to fight fire with fire? You must know this gift is not free to take, like so many others in this place. No, there is a price. The price is blood, flowing red and fresh from a recent kill.

But not just any blood. It must be the blood of one who loves or reveres you, slain by your hand. If you drink that blood the deal is sealed. Or else… your own blood shall suffice, as long as you're slain by hateful enemies. Only then shall you achieve the glory of immortality.


Anyway, I'm sure the story will unfold, and thanks for the feedback Ilya, it was appreciated you've taken time to personally respond. :-)

[lifestaker]

Woah.

Care to elaborate?

Bring it.

I personally don't care about the dark buff's, but I also didn't find the ToEE alters an issue. That was people on your team responding to other people's opinions about parties farming part 2 ToEE alter spawn for buffs prior to other quest.
Your team had to deal with it, so in thus you have the potential to have created a similar issue that could need to revisited at a later date when/if it gets presented as an issue.
The minor buffs are little in game impact, but disrupts the standard that people have grown use for 11 years. This proves no issue till it becomes one, then you might have to rethink them after learning how they are used. Just trying to keep you forward thinking, but to each there own.

[Mindos]

(NPC): Kasimir's Notes tells you, 'Diplomacy prevails when your values are upside down.

The walls can not hear you but the doors can.

Evil is what you do when you think noone is watching.

The first word of power is YANTAR.

Do not taunt the skulls.'

[Spadedragon]

(NPC): Kasimir's Notes tells you, 'Diplomacy prevails when your values are upside down.

The walls can not hear you but the doors can.

Evil is what you do when you think noone is watching.

The first word of power is YANTAR.

Do not taunt the skulls.'

Is that note telling you to use diplomacy on the upside down chest? where is the upside down chest in the quest?