Year of the Dragon: Through May 28th, claim free Expansion Pack (excluding Vecna Unleashed) or a Greater Elixir of Discovery! Speak to Xatheral in the Hall of Heroes.
Known Issue: Xatheral has been temporarily disabled while we investigate a bug with Year of the Dragon gift delivery.DDO Forums edit

Game mechanicsNewbie guideIn developmentDDO StoreSocial Media


ChallengesClassesCollectablesCraftingEnhancementsEpic DestiniesFavorFeats

GlossaryItemsMapsMonstersPlacesQuestsRacesReincarnationSkillsSpells


Please create an account or log in to build a reputation and unlock more editing privileges, and then visit DDO wiki's IRC Chat/Discord if you need any help!

Horde of the Illithid Controller

From DDO wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Horde of the Illithid Controller is the 3rd quest in the Illithid Invasion story arcIcon tooltip.pngStory arcs  are chains of quests that make up a story line.
Completing everything in a story arc often yields a nice reward.
.
These quests can be completed in any order.
Pilgrims' Peril • Stolen Power • Horde of the Illithid Controller • Astral Ambush


A Mind Flayer Controller has taken control of monstrous troops from Droaam and is gathering them in a secret base on the Brelish border. You must confront the Controller stop its plan to create a mind-controlled army.

Illithid Invasion adpack icon.jpg
DDO Point icon.png Requires access to adventure pack: Illithid Invasion
Horde of the Illithid Controller
Heroic level: None
Epic level: 34
(considered Legendary)
Duration: medium
Heroic XP: N/A
Epic XP:  ♣19,562Solo/Casual ♦33,373Normal ♥34,143Hard ♠34,912Elite
Takes place in: Secret Border Base
Bestowed by: Tassinith
NPC contact: Tassinith
Quest acquired in: Sharn - Clifftop Tower District
Patron: The Twelve
Base favor: 9
Purchase: Free to Play
Extreme Challenge: Yes
M Horde of the Illithid Controller.png
Loading screen

Overview

An Illithid has established a Secret Border Base in order to gather an army of mind-controlled Droaam troops. Go there and destroy the Illithid Controller before it can use this army as a weapon.


Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!


Objectives

  • Speak With Borlum Darl
  • Open the Illithid's headquarters
  • Defeat the Illithid Controller
  • (Optional) Enter the Controller's gate without alerting the Giants — Bonus (15%): Epic( ♣2,934 ♦5,006 ♥5,121 ♠5,237 )
  • (Optional) Kill all the Giants (4) — Bonus (15%): Epic( ♣2,934 ♦5,006 ♥5,121 ♠5,237 )
  • (Optional) Slay Howling Wind the Air Elemental — Bonus (15%): Epic( ♣2,934 ♦5,006 ♥5,121 ♠5,237 )

Known Traps

Trap DCs

  • Pressure plates in front of small chest

Tips and Misc

  • The discovery of an Illithid invader in their territory has placed the generals of Droaam in a tricky situation. Politics between the various monstrous races make it difficult for them to stage an attack on their own territory without risking civil war. Their solution: adventurers.
  • The first thing you should be aware of here are the Giants. Three red-named Cloud Giants are patrolling the main ring of the quest, and one is guarding either of the towers in the south corners. You can score an optional for sneaking past all the giants, or killing all four.
    • All Droaam monsters in this quest have two enchantments: Mind Block, which makes them immune to Domination and similar spells, and Deaden Senses, which vastly reduces their field of vision but also increases their absorption of all damage.
  • To sneak past the giants:
    • Invisibility will not help here – the giants can see through it. You'll need to avoid getting within range of the Giants' morningstars to avoid setting them off.
    • You cannot sneak past the giant guarding a tower at the start, so go through the other one, pull the lever, loop round to the other tower via the large central area, and pull the lever in the guarded tower.
    • If you get spotted and want to carry on with the quest, a Dimension Door out of the fight will reset the giants to patrolling mode, allowing you to continue without the massive time and resource sink of taking them down. Alternatively, if you're a particularly durable character on a low difficulty setting, you may just be able to ignore the giants until you reach a gate they can't follow you through – the entrance to either gatehouse or the final boss door – or you could just try breaking line of sight with the giant for about 15 seconds; if a Giant can't see any players, it will quickly lose interest and return to its patrol route.
  • To kill the giants:
    • The giants are powerful fighters and also very durable, but you can make things easier by heading to the north section and pulling the two stiff levers near the Psionic Amplifier. This allows you to smash the Amplifier, which removes Mind Block and Deaden Senses from all Droaam enemies, and also causes them to start fighting each other.
  • The west side of the quest also contains a trapped and locked chest under a ramp, and a little extra western section containing a massive vibrating crate – if smashed, this releases Howling Wind, which can be slain for a bonus chest with cards from the Deck of Many Curses. (If fighting the elemental while trying to sneak past the Giants, note that the western Giant guard's pathing AI means he will sometimes look into this area's gate, and may spot you – try and stay close to an eastern wall.)
  • Once you pass through the gate unlocked with the levers in the gatehouses, the optional to sneak past the Giants completes if none of them have detected a player. At this point, should you wish, you can go back and kill them for the second optional without penalty.
  • Finally, head north and fight Malthakoor and his Mindflayer Guardians. The Guardians cannot be outright slain until Malthakoor is, but while one is conscious, Malthakoor absorbs 95% of all damage, so they should be beaten down whenever they get healed and stand up. (The shield will occasionally collapse on its own even if only one Guardian is currently out – make use of this opportunity to damage Malthakoor or this fight can drag on for ages.)

Bonus XP

  • Discreet bonus: ≥18 or fewer monsters killed +5% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
  • Aggression bonus: 19-28 or more monsters killed +10% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
  • Onslaught bonus: >35 or more monsters killed +15% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
  • Tamper bonus: 1 or more trap disarmed +10% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
  • Neutralization bonus: >2 or more traps disarmed +20% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
  • Mischief bonus: 14 or more breakables smashed +8% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
  • Vandal bonus: 19 or more breakables smashed +10% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
  • Ransack bonus: 23 or more breakables smashed +15% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )

Loot

  • Chests: 3
  • One locked under the ramp at the exit of the West guard tower, trapped
  • One for optional air elemental (contains cards, mainly otherworldly)
  • One end chest
  • Collectables:
    • Bookshelf — 1st floor of West guard towerIcon tooltip.pngAdventuring OratorioArchaic LogbookAncient TextPage Torn from a Research NotebookKhyber Prayer PamphletTome: Prophecies of Khyber
    • Crude Altar — 2nd floor of West guard towerIcon tooltip.pngAmber VialVial of Pure WaterVial of ContagionString of Prayer BeadsSmall Wooden IdolIcon of KhyberPage Torn from a Research NotebookKhyber Prayer PamphletTome: Prophecies of KhyberOrnate CharmAdventuring OratorioToken of the SpiderVial of Dragon's Blood InkArchaic LogbookPouch of Bone FragmentsAncient TextFlint KnifeBrass Censer
    • Crude Altar — East of jewelled gateIcon tooltip.pngAmber VialVial of Pure WaterVial of ContagionString of Prayer BeadsSmall Wooden IdolIcon of KhyberPage Torn from a Research NotebookKhyber Prayer PamphletTome: Prophecies of KhyberOrnate CharmAdventuring OratorioToken of the SpiderVial of Dragon's Blood InkArchaic LogbookPouch of Bone FragmentsAncient TextFlint KnifeBrass Censer
    • Cabinet — top of East guard towerIcon tooltip.pngAmber VialVial of Pure WaterVial of ContagionPage Torn from a Research NotebookKhyber Prayer PamphletTome: Prophecies of KhyberAdventuring OratorioVial of Dragon's Blood InkArchaic LogbookPouch of Bone FragmentsAncient TextBrass Censer
    • Adventurer's Pack — bottom of East guard towerIcon tooltip.pngAmber VialVial of Pure WaterVial of ContagionString of Prayer BeadsSmall Wooden IdolIcon of KhyberPage Torn from a Research NotebookKhyber Prayer PamphletTome: Prophecies of KhyberSweet WhitecapDeadly FeverblanchPale CreeperOrnate CharmShimmering Spore PodAdventuring OratorioToken of the SpiderVial of Dragon's Blood InkHairy Trumpet MushroomArchaic LogbookPouch of Bone FragmentsCrypt MothAncient TextFlint KnifeBrass Censer
    • Fungus — near the locked chestIcon tooltip.pngCrypt MothHairy Trumpet MushroomShimmering Spore PodSweet WhitecapDeadly FeverblanchPale Creeper
    • Rubble — near the air elementalIcon tooltip.pngAmber VialVial of Pure WaterVial of ContagionString of Prayer BeadsSmall Wooden IdolIcon of KhyberPage Torn from a Research NotebookKhyber Prayer PamphletTome: Prophecies of KhyberSweet WhitecapDeadly FeverblanchPale CreeperOrnate CharmShimmering Spore PodAdventuring OratorioToken of the SpiderVial of Dragon's Blood InkHairy Trumpet MushroomArchaic LogbookPouch of Bone FragmentsCrypt MothAncient TextFlint KnifeBrass Censer
    • Fungus — beneath the northern stiff leverIcon tooltip.pngCrypt MothHairy Trumpet MushroomShimmering Spore PodSweet WhitecapDeadly FeverblanchPale Creeper
    • Fungus — behind the first gate near altarIcon tooltip.pngCrypt MothHairy Trumpet MushroomShimmering Spore PodSweet WhitecapDeadly FeverblanchPale Creeper
  • NPC rewards: standard

Named Chest Drop

Last Edited Item Type Enhancements ML Bind Quests
Legendary Jar of Brain Essence
Legendary Jar of Brain Essence.png
(edit)
Trinket  32 Bound to Account on AcquireIcon tooltip.pngBound to Account on Acquire: This item is Bound to Account on Acquire Horde of the Illithid Controller, end chest
Legendary Ring of the Transformed Voice
Legendary Ring of the Transformed Voice.png
(edit)
Ring  32 Bound to Account on AcquireIcon tooltip.pngBound to Account on Acquire: This item is Bound to Account on Acquire Horde of the Illithid Controller, end chest
  • Update 66.0.1
  • 1 month and 22 days
  • BugTime
Legendary Pearl of Uncanny Prediction
Legendary Pearl of Uncanny Prediciton.png
(edit)
Trinket  32 Bound to Account on AcquireIcon tooltip.pngBound to Account on Acquire: This item is Bound to Account on Acquire Horde of the Illithid Controller, end chest
⇑   ⇑   Back to top   ⇑   ⇑

This quest may also drop the following augments:

Monsters

Name ( picture ) CR Type Race
Dominated Cloud Guard( view
Dominated Cloud Guard.png
 • edit )
 ♦37Epic Normal ♥41Epic Hard ♠46Epic Elite Giant Giant
Droaam Gnoll Ranger( view
Droaam Gnoll Ranger.png
 • edit )
 ♦34Epic Normal ♥38Epic Hard ♠43Epic Elite Gnoll Gnoll
Droaam Kobold Shaman( view
Droaam Kobold Shaman.png
 • edit )
 ♦34Epic Normal ♥38Epic Hard ♠43Epic Elite Reptilian Kobold
Droaam Ogre Crusher( view
Droaam Ogre Crusher.png
 • edit )
 ♦34Epic Normal ♥38Epic Hard ♠43Epic Elite Giant Ogre
Droaam Wererat Rogue( view
Droaam Wererat Rogue.png
 • edit )
 ♦34Epic Normal ♥38Epic Hard ♠43Epic Elite Monstrous Humanoid Wererat
Howling Wind( view
Howling Wind.png
 • edit )
 ♦37Epic Normal ♥41Epic Hard ♠46Epic Elite Elemental Air Elemental
Malthakoor( view
Malthakoor.png
 • edit )
 ♦37Epic Normal ♥41Epic Hard ♠46Epic Elite Aberration Mind Flayer
Mindflayer Guardian( view
Mindflayer Guardian.png
 • edit )
 ♦37Epic Normal ♥41Epic Hard ♠46Epic Elite Aberration Mind Flayer
Psionic Amplifier( view
Psionic Amplifier.png
 • edit )
 ♦37Epic Normal ♥41Epic Hard ♠46Epic Elite Construct Inanimate Object