Black Abbot

Type: Undead (List)

Race: Lich (List)

Monster Manual classification: Lich

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Boss: Purple Named - Powerful Boss

CR:  ♦24Normal ♥26Hard ♠29Elite

Attack: 

• Attack Bonus: Fairly minimal; he's a spellcaster
• Attack Damage: Very minimal as he mainly casts spells. However, like any lich, his melee attacks can paralyze. Use remove curse or remove paralysis to remove it.
• Special Abilities - See below
• Spells Known - Save DC 25-28 (Depending on spell level, doesn't use heighten)
  • Chain Lightning
  • Delayed Blast Fireball
  • Disintegrate
  • Greater Dispel Magic
  • Greater Shout
  • Horrid Wilting
  • Otiluke's Freezing Sphere
  • Symbol of Weakness
  • Telekinesis
  • Waves of Fatigue
• The Mark of Death abilities
  • Energy Burst: DC 53 / 59 / 90 (DDO Forums ^{ARCHIVE ME!})
  • Circle of Death
    

Special Qualities: 

• HP:  ♦135,000Normal ♥209,000Hard ♠303,000Elite (U12 data ^{ARCHIVE ME!})
• AC:  ♦44Normal ♥49Hard ♠55Elite
• DR: Bludgeon+Magic  ♦/20Normal ♥/30Hard ♠/40Elite
• Fortification: 100%
• Saves: Reflex Save: ~20. Fort save: ~15 (these probably went up in U12 on hard/elite)
• Resists/Immunities: Immunity to Cold and Electric
  • Mantle of Invulnerability blocks 4th level and lower spells, along with sometimes negating other higher level spells (such as Sunburst, as the blindness component is tagged as a 2nd level spell (source ^{ARCHIVE ME!}), and Greater Shout) - 1 hour duration which he refreshes when he retreats and if it expires.
• Spell Resistance:  ♦20Normal ♥25Hard ♠30Elite
• Intimidate DC: Doesn't matter. His aggro is completely random.
• Feats: Maximize, Enlarge, Quicken (All difficulties). Elite Only: Evasion, Empower

Habitats: 

• Ascension Chamber
• The Mark of Death — CR:  ●♦33Epic Normal ●♥37Epic Hard ●♠59Epic Elite

Description: The Black Abbot is the raid boss controlling The Necropolis area, eventually encountered in the Ascension Chamber raid. The Abbot was a male human before becoming a Lich.

Special Abilities

• The Black Abbot has 4 different special abilities. He will only start to use these the 2nd time you fight him, after he regenerates. One immediately after he comes down (he comes down after 5 minutes 35 seconds (his Mantle of Invulnerability will be at 54:25 remaining exactly), regardless of if you completed the puzzles or not yet), then an additional one every 15 seconds. Which one he selects is random. He is nice enough to give you a warning that he about to perform one though - read what he says to learn which one.
  • The Inferno "I call forth the inferno!" This is by far his most devastating special attack. Capable of very quickly killing an entire raid group as it does massive fire damage over time, along with a secondary component that very quickly drains spell points. The correct/recommended strategy to survive this is to create ice islands and jump on them for the duration of the inferno (about 6 seconds: though the graphic will appear to last much longer, it's safe to return after 6 seconds)
  • Phase Wraiths "What you can't see..." He will summon 4 hex death phase wraiths. These are extremely powerful wraiths unlike you've ever seen.. Because you can't see them, not without the aid of the goggles you get in the phase tile puzzle. You also can't damage them without the goggles, except via wall of fire. So use it frequently no matter what, as they are extremely dangerous, dealing heavy damage and draining spell points on each hit.
  • Encasement "Engulf and encase!" The Black Abbot selects 1 random party member or summon, and fully encases them and anyone at their location in rock. This renders you completely helpless and deals damage over time. The only ways to free an encased party member are:
    1. Three hits with the boulders you found in the Asteroids Puzzle. The party member can be healed normally and kept alive if you wish. These do have a limited duration now however, they expire after about 5 minutes.
    2. Allowing the party member to die, and then their ghost can jump out of the rock pile and get resurrected.
    3. Being airborne when hit with encasement will cause the party member to 'slip out' of the encasement.
    4. The Abbot's Telekinesis effect may toss the player out of the encasement.
  • Mordenkainen's Disjunction "Lets see how you do without your toys." This works per the spell Mordenkainen's Disjunction though he has a very high DC for it, and will most likely disable most if not all of your equipment. However it only effects 1 randomly selected party member, and the effect will eventually wear-off (examine the affected item to see the timer).

Spell Damage

As a level 24/26 caster using Maximize, (However most of his spells cap at CL20) the Black Abbot does around 2 * 20 d3+60 (80-120) =~ 200 damage average with most of his spells. The exception is Disintegrate, which is 40d3+120 (160-240) *2 = 320-480 damage. His casting is INT based, like a wizard.

Spell Damage (Elite)

As a level 29 caster using Maximize and Empower, (However most of his spells cap at CL20) the Black Abbot does around 2.5 * 20 d3+60 (80-120) =~100x 2.5 = 250 damage average with most of his spells. The exception is Disintegrate, which is 40d3+120 (160-240) *2.5 = 400-600 damage.

Recommended Attacks to use against him

• Spells (If he's nearly dead and you have plenty of SP, he has quite a lot of hitpoints):
  • Black Dragon Bolt (Most efficient arcane spell, especially hard or elite)
  • Meteor Swarm (Can match Black Dragon Bolt effectiveness if backed up by a very high evocation DC)
  • Disintegrate (Due to his low fort save, this is fairly effective)
  • Divine Punishment
  • Mass Heal (Centered on the Abbot to heal the party as well, most efficient use of SP)
  • Delayed Blast Fireball
  • Acid Fog (Low acid damage however the -4 AC penalty will really help some party members, especially if there have been deaths)
  • Ruin
• Weapons:
  • Best possible: Green Steel Blunt with Holy/Good Burst/Good Blast/Greater Disruption or Wraps of Endless Light (Level 20)
  • Epic Hammer of Life
  • Blunt Epic Mournlode weapons
  • Bonesplitter
  • Epic Fury of the Flame
  • Other blunt weapons/wraps with: Holy/Holy Burst/Disruption/Greater Undead Bane
• Other (ranged):
  • (Epic) Bow of the Silver Flame
  • (Epic) Silver Slinger
  • Greatbow of the Scrag (Sub-optimal, but has Blunted Ammunition)
  • Boulders from Asteroids puzzle if you have many to spare (Save some for encasements)

Appearances as an NPC

The Black Abbot is directly linked to the whole Necropolis storyline, and make some appearances in the game outside of his raids. Those are listed below in chronological order.

The Bloody Crypt

The Black Abbot's projection can be seen talking to Brother Salasso in his private room. Once you drop the barriers, you can heard the final words of this conversation:

• Brother Salasso: My lord, the illumination of the sacred text is complete. This chapter of the Great Work is ready to be bound with the others.
• Black Abbot: You have served me well Brother, but I sense a disturbance within your crypt. Attend to it quickly so I may begin my ascension!
• Brother Salasso: At once Master.

Once you defeat Salasso, the Abbot will banter back:

• Black Abbot: Salasso you fool! How could you lose to such insects!
• Black Abbot: Very well mortals. The day is yours but my time is coming. There will be a reckoning.

The Keeper's Sanctuary

The Black Abbot sent a letter to Annelisa Hdar, that you can read once you kill her:

My Dearest A -

You have outdone yourself, yet again. Blackhand proved a most capable servant to our cause and I shall not forget your service. Those self-righteous fools dare strike out against us. I can only laugh at their pathetic attempts at my destruction. The witch-hunter now knows the truth of the matter: all who oppose our cause must die, and in death join my legions. My servants gather and my power grows as the Dead Time draws near.

Shadow draws a veil across the land. My rise to ascension begins. May you fare well in the storm to come.

The Black Abbott

Orchard of the Macabre (epic)

You can find 12 journals around the Orchard written by the Abbot himself, telling what happened after his presumed destruction at the Ascension Chamber.