The Cursed Crypt

''Maldetto's powers focus on mind control and destroying his enemies will. Given time, he can break through even the strongest of minds.'' {{Quest
 * name     = The Cursed Crypt
 * adpack   = The Necropolis, Part 3
 * level    = 12
 * duration = Very Long
 * solo     = 3900
 * normal   = 6819
 * hard     = 7140
 * elite    = 7460
 * loc      = The Cursed Crypt
 * npc      = Sir Pythias the Radiant
 * zone     = The Necropolis
 * patron   = The Silver Flame
 * favor    = 7
 * mappic   = M The Cursed Crypt 2.png
 * maplegend = yes
 * loadingpic= L Cursed Crypt.jpg
 * overview = With the four mummy guardians laid to rest, the gates to the cursed crypt have opened.  Sir Pythias the Radiant has asked you to enter the crypt and defeat the brother of curse, a vampire named Maldetto.  He warned you however, that the Silver Flame already launched an assault on the cursed crypt, and it was an unparalleled failure.  Maldetto excels at mind control and breaking the will of his opponents.  Defeat him and bring back the Black Prophecy.
 * You (or at least one person in your group) have to have all of 4 Litany of the Dead Part 3 pre-quests completed to open this quest instance. It is popular among players to have one of their alt characters remain flagged for this quest as permanent "opener", to upgrade their Silver Flame or Emerald Claw necklace whenever they want.
 * objective_1     = Speak to the survivor
 * objective_2     = Find the jeweled key
 * objective_3     = Destroy Maldetto's projections (Kill 2)
 * objective_4     = Darken the skulls
 * objective_5     = Defeat Maldetto
 * objective_6     = Acquire The Black Prophecy
 * objective_7     = Investigate the East altar
 * objective_8     = Defeat the Brimstone Gatekeeper
 * objective_9     = Open the spectre's prison
 * objective_10    = Defeat the Brimstone Gatekeeper to free the spectres
 * objective_11    = Investigate the West altar
 * objective_12    = Defeat the Brimstone Gatekeeper
 * objective_13    = Access the second floor
 * objective_14    = Kill no more than five Silver Flame
 * objective_15    = Do not linger in the crypt (60 minutes limit)
 * optional_1      = Rescue the 5 Silver Flame Officers
 * opt_percent_1   = 10
 * optional_2      = Speak to the Silver Flame Commander
 * opt_percent_2   = 5
 * optional_3      = Defeat Maldetto without killing a single Silver Flame
 * opt_percent_3   = 40
 * expect=
 * Traps (fixed)
 * Collapsible floors
 * Point of no return
 * Overlapping floors
 * Timed quest (60 minutes)
 * Spawning/respawning monsters
 * Randomly placed quest item (mandatory: Key)
 * Randomly placed NPCs (optional: 5 Silver Flame Officers)
 * Quest failure (if more than 4 Silver Flame are killed or if the Black Prophecy is not picked up before the time runs out)
 * Requires extra player(s)/hireling(s) or Haste and Feather Fall (2 levers have to be pulled almost simultaneously to allow access through a fast closing door)
 * Lockout from altar once final fight starts (very important for any wishing to upgrade their Silver Flame item!)
 * traps = Falling floors, Spikes, Grease, Force, Acid pool
 * misc =
 * Healing Maldetto kills him quickly (which helps out those who cannot crowd control the Silver Flame mobs around him).
 * Invisibility works to get him to come alone initially when you approach his altar. (May be less effective with the new aggro changes.)
 * Note that a big chunk of this quest's experience comes from not killing a single Silver Flame member.

Walkthrough


This quest is timed - you have 60 minutes to complete it from the time the first person steps in, so be sure everyone is ready and steps in together. Be sure everyone (who wants to upgrade one) has their Silver Flame or Emerald Claw necklace (available in the lower camp) before they hop in. Skeletal wizards use Ray of Enfeeblement, Lightning Bolt and Firewall, so electric and fire resist, and (lesser) Restoration potions/spells are helpful. You will face some incorporeal creatures, so ghost touch helps, and lots of skeletons, so bring your bludgeon weapons, as appropriate.

If you avoid killing any of the Silver Flame agents, you can speak to the captain at the end (by that shrine) to get an extra chest. Flesh to Stone is great crowd control against the Silver Flame agents, as they are immune to mind affecting spells. Silver Flame agents are only encountered in the cells (but not the central cell-halls), and at the 3 fights against Maldetto and his "projections". Even if you don't want the chest, killing more than 5 Silver Flame agents fails the quest, so it is advised that no pets or monsters be summoned, and that hirelings are turned to "passive" in these areas, since they will attack any enemy they see, including Silver Flame. Also be careful of using any area-of-effect spell or weapon (and even guard items can kill them over time).

Lower Level - find the key
Move in and clear out the large entry hall. Head west first - just push left and down. You will get to a closed gate, and a spectre will pop up out of the floor, telling you it is going to help you. Two ghosties fly slowly off; follow the west one first. It will open the gate up the hall to head further in. (The other ghost will be doing the same on the east side of the crypt.) Clear out the halls on this side, approaching any altars you find and defeating the ambush, until you reach a large room full of small cells. The map is not symmetrical, but the concept is basically the same on the other side. Both sides also have shrines. Your goal is to find a jeweled key in a chest that is in a random cell on one side or the other. You will not be able to see the chest without opening the door. There is also a loot chest in one of the cells, which you can scope from outside. In some of the cells are prisoners being tortured, whom you can free for optional XP. In other cells are bad guys, who you can kill. In a few cells are Silver Flame guys who have been mentally enslaved. Be careful not to kill them. They are immune to mind affecting abilities and spells, though Web will slow them down. Once you find the jeweled key, head back to where you first met the ghost, in the room due west of the quest entrance. You can now go into the closed gate there, and free all the ghosts.

Lower Level - defeat Maldetto's 2 projections
Your two ghost buddies are sticking around. Travel back both northwest (just because its closer, and this is timed), then northeast. (In the large eastern room, the northeast door leads onward.) At the end of each hall you will find your ghost, who will teleport you through the gate (walk into the ghost) to an image of Maldetto the Vampire. The vampire is standing on an altar with Silver Flame adherents grovelling at his feet. The job is to kill the vampire without killing the Silver Flame guys. If you can get to him and encircle him right off the bat, it helps to begin the battle well. The Silver Flame guys will be curing him, casting Cometfall on you, and trying to beat you up. Direct damage spells like Magic Missile work well, since they can't hit the Silver Flame guys. Firewall and other Area of Effect spells and attacks (like Cleave) can be very bad in this regard. It is possible to "body-pull" the Maldetto's projections by slowly sneaking directly towards him. When he speaks, stealthily retreat and you can avoid activating the Silver Flame. It is advisable to have only necessary individuals enter his room, and all but the one pulling him hide behind the pillars on the far side of the room from him. When everyone is hidden behind the pillars he will come to you and you can fight him (Heal, other cure wounds spells, and light based spells work great) without having to worry not to kill the Silver Flame. Once you drop him on one side, head to the other side and repeat the process. This will open up the way forward from the first main chamber, up to the second level.

Upper Level - overview
The ramp up is trapped, be prepared. Clear out the top area. You will see a blocked way down with three lit skulls. In order to unlight the skulls you must head up the ramps. There are 3 chambers and an optional chest on the top level. The hallways to the far side chambers, and the hall with the chest, will have collapsing floors. It is possible to prevent the falling of the floors by disarming them - there is a trapbox for each. The whole floor in front of the chest will fall out, once again, avoidable by disarming it. It is time consuming to try to get over to it. If you fall, you will land in a small holding cell. Defeat the minions or survive long enough and the floor will fall out again to the halls below where the shrines are.

Upper Level - 3 altars
Once you make it to a side chamber, you will see a catwalk going over a glowing green floor. You can fall through the green, even though the skeletons don't. The catwalks have force traps, so be careful. For all three, you must get to the end of the rampway, fighting spectral Lost Souls, defeat the brimstone skeleton guardian, and use the altar.

(Note: It takes a very good Jump score to get back up from the eastern catwalks. Although a bit slower, it may be necessary to drop down and then run back up the ramps. Note also that the voice-over refers to this as "the western altar".)

The the center/bottom area is slightly different than the two side areas. There is no collapsing floor, but there are two levers along the rampway. The levers must be pulled at roughly the same time* to lower the gate with the altar and the warden. The gate will close shortly after opening. You can pull the guardian out first, dispatch him, then open it again to hit the altar.

(* With Haste and Feather Fall, and/or a good Jump, it is possible for one person to throw both of these levers and make it to the chamber with the skeleton warden. See video. It can be done more easily with a hireling or pet throwing the far lever.)

Once all three altars are lit, the skulls are dark and the way down is open. There is also a new shrine that appears next to the drop down.

End Fight
Down into the last chamber, where the vampire awaits with four more of his devout Silver Flame followers. Once you engage the vampire below, the path will seal behind you, and stays sealed, even after the fight! Make sure everyone has come down before starting things. This version of the vamp is meaner than his two aspects. The best way to defeat Maldetto and avoid the Silver Flame is to rest then buff everyone before dropping down. When everyone is buffed, everyone enters sneak mode and has feather fall on, then drops down through the south-east corner of the hole, and when you enter the larger room below continue to "fly" south-east so that you land in the dark corner in the south-east part of the room, still in sneak mode. Some ghosts will come attack you right away, kill them while staying in the corner. When they are dead, it is again possible to body-pull Maldetto and have the Silver Flame remain dormant. Kill him using the same methods as you used on his projections. Up to you. There is a shrine in the southwest corner if you need it. After defeating him, grab the book from the altar before time runs out. This stops the timer and then you can use the altar to upgrade your necklaces.

Also, a small room opens up in the south-west corner with a shrine. If you were good, and didn't kill any Silver Flame folk, talk to the Commander in the room here, and he will give you a bonus chest.

Upgrading your "trinket"
Note: As mentioned above, you must enter the final chamber before the final fight starts - you will not be able to access the altar if you do not!

The altar will do a single upgrade, no matter what stage you are currently at, to a maximum of the third upgrade. (The final "upgrade" is after defeating the Black Abbot in the Ascension Chamber, and not everyone recommends that upgrade).

Another nice walkthrough is available. Monster Information Named Monsters: }}
 * aggression      = 102
 * onslaught       = 132
 * tamper          = 4
 * neutralization  = 5
 * ingenious       = 6
 * chest = 4
 * 1 randomly placed in 1 room, in either the west or east cloister
 * 1 at top floor behind falling floor trap
 * 1 at the end (contains named loot)
 * 1 additional for 0 Silver Flame kills
 * collectable = 8, all on the bottom floor
 * West Wing
 * Cabinet in the first northeast cell
 * Bookshelf in the second northeast cell
 * Cabinet in the second southeast cell
 * Bookshelf & Cabinet in the room with the spirit trapped within rings
 * East Wing
 * Adventurer's Pack in the southwest cell
 * Cabinet in the northwest cell
 * Bookshelf in the northeast cell
 * npcreward = Standard
 * unique   = yes
 * external        =
 * monsters =
 * Black Wolves
 * Brimstone Butchers
 * Brimstone Servitors
 * Eternal Hunters
 * Eternal Warriors
 * Eternal Wizards
 * Lost Souls
 * Maldetto Devotees
 * Maldetto Disciples
 * Maldetto Thralls
 * Twisted Souls
 * Brimstone Gate Keeper - Red-named skeleton
 * Maldetto - Red-named vampire; end boss
 * Silver Flame Elite Templar - Named human
 * Silver Flame Friar - Named human
 * Silver Flame Paladin - Named human
 * Silver Flame Scout - Named halfling
 * Silver Flame Soldier - Named human
 * Silver Flame War Priest - Named human
 * Silver Flame Warrior - Named human