| Items | Crafting | Collectables | Quests | Challenges | Maps | Monsters | Places | Favor Races | Classes | Enhancements | Epic Destinies | Feats | Skills | Spells | Glossary We are testing a new skin!
 Vector  |
| Please create an account or log in to build a reputation and unlock more editing privileges, and then visit DDO wiki's IRC Chat if you need any help! |
Madstone Crater
 Requires access to adventure pack: Ruins of Gianthold
|
The power of the Madstone Crater has driven the Storm's Heart brigade insane. Will you be able to survive it's power?
| Madstone Crater | |
| Heroic level: | 14 |
| Epic level: | None |
| Duration: | Very Long |
| Heroic XP: | ♣3,823 Solo/Casual Normal Hard Elite |
| Epic XP: | N/A |
| Takes place in: | Madstone Crater |
| NPC contact: | Blaze ar'Rhind |
| Quest acquired in: | Gianthold |
| Patron: | Agents of Argonnessen |
| Base favor: | 8 |
| Free to Play: | No |
| Extreme Challenge: | No |
 | |
Overview
Blaze, leader of the Storm's Heart Brigade told you the following, 'We've got a major problem, solve it (character class), I let you into the Storm's Heart Brigade. There's a large crater far to the south, called the Madstone Crater. Whatever is inside that place is driving my brigade insane. I've sent several score of troops inside, but none have come back out. They're probably dead, or worse. So what do you say? Up for the challenge?'
- Completing the quest will make you a member of the Storm's Heart Brigade and you will be able to teleport out of Gianthold using the second Port option. This is one of three Brigades you must join in order to qualify for the Reaver's Fate Raid.
Spoiler Warning: Information below this point can be considered spoiler material!
Objectives
- Speak to Blaze, Captain of the Storm's Heart Brigade
- Rescue the first seer
- Rescue the second seer
- Rescue the third seer
- Defeat the first Seer's Giant Skeleton Guards
- Meet the seer at the first crystal and start the shattering
- Defend the seer until first crystal is shattered
- Defeat the second Seer's Giant Skeleton Guards
- Meet the seer at the second crystal and start the shattering
- Defend the seer until second crystal is shattered
- Defeat the third Seer's Giant Skeleton Guards
- Meet the seer at the third crystal and start the shattering
- Defend the seer until third crystal is shattered
- Speak to Blaze to open the central pathway
- Defeat the Master of the Madstone
- Return to Blaze and tell him of your victory
- (Optional) Clear the entrance field: (25% of base XP)
- (Optional) Defeat fifty infected Storm's Heart: (25% of base XP)
- (Optional) Slay 6 Ancient Enchanters: (25% of base XP)
What to Expect
- Chaos orb
- Spawning/respawning monsters
Known Traps
None
Tips and Misc
Walkthrough (largely thanks to Lost Leader)
A few good spells to have are Flesh to Stone, Solid Fog, Cloudkill, Invisibility, Web, Charm Monster and weapons such as paralyzers, disruptors, and wounders.
Stepping in will bring you to the first killing field. You have two options here. First is to clear out the front yard here, or second is to quickly pull a U turn to the right, and deal with this place later. It is usually wiser to clear this out first, until you know the dungeon well.
It is a tough fight, wave after wave of bad guys. Creatures that are made insane by the Madstone, such as the minotaurs, are immune to mind affecting spells. Solid fog, paralyzers and web to slow them down, cloud kill and wounding weapons to drain con work well. Or just good old hack 'n' slash. The ogre magi will cast cone of cold and chain lightning, as well as symbol of pain.
Once the entrance is clear, you can move into the cave ahead. This cave has a shrine and an optional hall with a treasure chest. The hall is locked, but it can be picked, or the key is out in the lava shallows through the next cave exit. There are skeletons down the hall. When fighting skeletal enchanters, have your casters stay back and use webs. If you get aggro, the enchanters will cast madstone rage on you, which will prevent you from casting spells.
Head back out to the beginning entrance. Use the other cave there to start on the way up. In the cave, free the giant shaman. He will attack you, but kill the enchanter controlling him to free him. He will move out to help you destroy a crystal that is amplifying the madstone's power. Head through the cave to the open area to catch up to him. Once you catch up to him, talk to him to start the madstone crystal breaking dance. You must protect him while he dances, or you will have to start over. Casting Invisibility on him helps a lot. A wave of minotaurs will come out of the gate behind you and attack him. You can heal him. Every mino you kill will spawn another. An option is to have the caster turn them to stone and leave them as statues as long as possible. This prevents respawn. Once the crystal is broken, head through the cave that was on the lower ramp. Clear it out, save the second giant, grab the chest in the enchanter's room. Catch up to the giant at the second crystal. Before talking to him, give him cold and electric resists. Now get the dance going. Watch out for the ogre magi on the top ledge, protect the giant from the things coming up the four ramps. (A cloudkill at the bottom of each ramp, before you start the process, bottles up badguys down below.)
Once this crystal is shattered, move in to the next cave. Work your way through and free the third seer. Catch up to him at the top of the next open area. Again give him resists, add displacement and blur if you have them. Position your melees at the side ramp but not where they can get knocked off, keep a caster with charms or cloudkill up top, as well as a healer for the giant. Start the dance.
Charm as many on the top shelf as you can, to have them fight one another. Use solid fog and cloud kill in the rampway, to assist the melees. Once the third crystal is shattered, jump down to the lava river to the south. The gate to the very first cave with the optional undead chest is there. Head up to the beginning and speak to Blaze.
Blaze tells you the gate to the madstone is now open, now you just have to fight your way up to it. Clear the path of the final infected soldiers, and get ready to run up the spire. Cast Death Ward and any other spells you like for fighting in Xoriat balls, because you are going to get hit by this one. Sprint to the top and fight the Madstone Wizard, a huge skeletal enchanter. Many times he will have a spell immunity on that will protect him from most level IV and lower spells, so watch his inspection screen and see what defenses he has.
When you defeat him, grab your loot. There is a chance at unique loot, and 1d3 Ancient Giant Relics. Head back to Blaze to complete the quest.
- The Seers can be protected by brute force, but it can be difficult. The seers are healable and unkillable and that makes the encounters much easier.
- Bonus XP:
- Aggression bonus: 72 monsters killed
- Onslaught bonus: 95 monsters killed
- Conquest bonus: 140 monsters killed
Loot
- Chests: 3
- 1 in the second Seer room
- 1 behind a locked door in the cave to the left of the entrance (the door can also be opened by key, the key is found in shallow lava near the third crystal)
- 1 at the end for killing the Ancient Warlock (Giant Skeleton)
- NPC rewards: Blaze rewards you with a randomly generated item.
Named Loot
- Ancient Band - Ring: Heavy FortificationHeavy Fortification: This suit of armor or shield produces a magical force that protects vital areas of the wearer much more effectively. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the wearer, there is a 100% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally., +3 Protection (End chest)
- Axe of Adaxus - +5 Battleaxe: SlicingSlicing: This weapon is incredibly sharp and will do an additional 1d4 damage to targets that are vulnerable to bleeding., Improved Fire ResistanceImproved Fire Resistance: This property absorbs the first 20 points of fire damage per attack that the wearer would normally take. (End chest) [ML:12]
- Crystalline Scepter - +3 Club: Spellcasting Implement +9Spellcasting Implement +9:Provides a +9 Implement bonus to wearer's universal Spell Power., Combustion +78Combustion +78: Provides a +78 Equipment bonus to wearer's Fire Spell Power., Evocation Focus [ML:12]
- Girdle of Giant's Brawn - Belt: Strength +6 Strength +6: This item gives the wearer the power of Ogre Strength, granting a +6 enhancement bonus to Strength., Wisdom -3 Wisdom -3: This item makes the wearer foolish, granting -3 Wisdom., Intelligence -3 Intelligence -3: This item makes the wearer slow-witted, granting -3 Intelligence.
- Iron Beads - Necklace: Magnetism +72Magnetism +72: Provides a +72 Equipment bonus to wearer's Electricity Spell Power., Lightning Lore Lightning Lore: Your Electricity spells gain additional 6% chance to make critical hits and their critical multiplier increase by 0.25x
- Steady Handed Armbands - Bracers: Dexterity +3 Dexterity +3: This item makes the wearer more nimble and dexterous, granting a +3 enhancement bonus to Dexterity., +1 Competence bonus to hit (End chest)
Monsters
- Blackheart Fiend-Bloods
- Blackheart Warmongers
- Giant Skeleton Barbarians
- Giant Skeleton Warriors
- Infected Minotaurs
- Infected Ogres
- Infected Trolls
- Runetusk Berserkers
- Runetusk Rangers
- Runetusk War-Mages
- Storm Heart Seers - Do not kill them, or the quest fail.
Named Monsters:
- Ancient Warlock - Red-named giant skeleton; end boss
- Giant Skeleton Enchanters - Optional orange-named giant skeletons (6 total)
Root > DDO game guides > Maps > Quests with maps
Root > DDO library > Quests > Pay to Play quests
Root > DDO library > Quests > Quests by duration > Very long quests
Root > DDO library > Quests > Quests by level > Level 14 quests
Root > DDO library > Quests > Quests by location > Gianthold quests
Root > DDO library > Quests > Quests by name
Root > DDO library > Quests > Quests by patron > Agents of Argonnessen patron quests
