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Crystal Cove

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"Crystal Cove" is the actual challenge itself. For an overview of the event as a whole, how to qualify to enter the event and the loot available, etc., see Treasure of Crystal Cove.


Crystal Cove
Level Range: 1-39
Duration: Fixed time limit
20 minutes
Base XP Range: 160-17760
Takes place in: Crystal Cove
Challenge entrance(s) in: Smuggler's Rest
Patron: None
Free to Play: Yes
Group Difficulty: Easy
Solo Difficulty: Easy
5 Star Difficulty: Average
Crystal Cove map (legend)
Loading screen

Overview

This is a crystal collection challenge. For a share of the profit, you lead, help and protect members of the Kobold Union while they mine dragonshard crystals from Two-Toed Tobias' lost hoard.


Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!


Star Objectives

  • Collect 100 crystals
  • (Optional) Collect 300 crystals above your Quota
  • (Optional) Keep all Kobolds alive
  • (Optional) Send Kobolds through teleporters 120 times
  • (Optional) Slay 120 monsters

Note: You must complete the first star objective to receive experience & rewards from this Challenge.

Known Traps

Exploding purple crystals

Tips and Misc

Crystal Cove is a Dungeon that can be accessed from Euphonia Teles' ship in Smuggler's Rest. The major goal in this dungeon is to guide and protect the Kobolds, who in turn follow specified paths to collect crystals of three kinds.

  • Green crystals are the basic unit of currency in this challenge.
  • Purple crystals are worth 10 green crystals. They are unstable: if left uncollected, in time they tend to give off smoke and then explode.
  • The blue progenitor crystal (Epic 21+ challenge level only) is worth 100 green crystals. It is too big to fit through a Kobold teleporter or dimension door. It will always be located in one of two known (and far) positions, and it will be visible on the map from the start.

In a fixed amount of time (20 minutes) a total of 100 crystals have to be collected. While collecting those crystals, equipment and more Kobold Workers can be bought, using up some of the collected crystals. If the time runs out before those 100 crystals are collected, the quota is failed and the instance will terminate without reward (and you will have lost your compass); if more than 100 crystals are collected, you are awarded 70% of your total score in Green Dragonshards. Several enemies will spawn that hurt your Kobolds, so you have to defeat them. Killing enemies will net you additional gems needed for the upgrade process. Orange- and red-named enemies will spawn as randomly as regular enemies and may grant you items (incense torches, healing torches, barrels, etc.) as you kill them.

Quest completion also gives XP, based on the level of the chosen instance. See Challenges for full details of how Challenge XP works. Crystal Cove differs from other Challenges in that it has different bonus XP values for stars: the first time star bonuses are +75% for star 1, +112.5% for star 2, +150% for star 3, +168.75% for star 4, +187.5% for star 5, and +225% for star 6. The repeat star bonuses are +18.75% each.

Like other challenges, your score is increased or decreased if you run the challenge under or over leveled. If the challenge level is the same level as the highest level member of your party, then crystals give points in a one to one ratio (Green crystals give 1 point, Purple crystals give 10, and Progenitor crystals give 100). For each level the challenge is above the highest level member of your party, your score is increased by 10% (up to a maximum of 50% at 5 levels above the highest level member). If the highest level member is one level above the challenge level, you will receive a 15% penalty to your score. At two levels above, a 30% penalty. At three levels above, a 50% penalty. At four levels above, a 70% penalty. At five or more levels above, a 90% penalty.

If you run with players 3 levels above you, there is no penalty to your score. But at 4 levels above you and for each level difference beyond, your score will be halved. (At 4 levels above you, you will receive 1/2 of your normal score. At 5 you will receive 1/4, at 6 you will receive 1/8, etc.)

Do not finish out or click the exit at the beginning of the quest area to exit when you have completed. Wait for the quest to bestow your Green Dragonshards and kick you out, or you won't get any Green Dragonshards.

The path the Kobolds are following is marked via a chain of incense torches. Torches can be picked up by clicking on them, and placed by using them from your inventory or hotbar. A red or purple line shows between each correctly-linked torch. Purple lines are from Kobold Healing torches, red lines are normal torches. The torches need to be placed close enough to link them together and wide enough to not slow the Kobolds down, as Kobolds usually stop at each torch to look around to see if there is something to pickup in the area. Workers will pick up the crystals and put them in the barrel(s) on their back and then walk back to the entrance. Kobold teleporters can be purchased and placed near the crystals, so that Kobolds can quickly teleport back to home base to turn in crystals (Dimension Door works as well). Kobolds still need a torch path to walk from home base back to the crystals.

Be careful with buying more torches, extra carrying barrels, and workers to assist you as you may not be able to collect enough crystals to finish the mission. Also beware to never let the Foreman die or you won't be able to buy new resources.

Tip: At the cave entrance close to the exit portal, there are 2 free incense torches.

Dead Kobolds can be replaced if you bring the Kobold Soul stones to the Foreman. Again, be careful: buying a new kobold worker costs one crystal, while resurrecting a worker costs 2 crystals for the first one and a cumulative +1 for each additional resurrection. (Efficiency idea: use a Worker Requisition to increase the maximum worker count, then buy more workers instead of having to pay the cost to resurrect.)

There are only two shrines in the Crystal Cove. The first shrine is fixed, always spawning near the quest entrance, while the second shrine can spawn at any of 5 places (the NE, SE, SW or NW corner or in the southern part of the map).

The 100-crystal quota is kind of a hard limit, both upward and downward. A pair of examples follow.

  • Suppose your crystal count is at 91 crystals and a Kobold Worker brings in the progenitor crystal. The crystal count will rise to 100 and no more, wasting the equivalent of 91 green crystals from the progenitor crystal. After that, the count will resume regularly. It is strongly suggested to bring in the progenitor crystal only after reaching your quota.
  • Suppose your crystal count is at 101 crystals (meaning you've just reached your quota). If you try to buy a healing torch, you won't be able to, since you only have 1 crystal available (nobody messes with the Union's quota!). In order to buy that healing torch, you will have to wait for the next 2 crystals to come in.

Before entering the Quest you will be handed out the Kobold Mining Union Rulebook.

Requisition Forms increase the maximum amount of an item you can buy from Foreman Wee Yip Yip; moreover, the Kobold Teleporter Requisition Form also gives you a Teleporter for free.

Requisition Form
Kobold Union goods and services
Item
Crystal Cost
Starting Max
Max after Requisition Form
Incense Torch 1 10 20
Healing Torch 3 no max no max (form not available)
Kobold Worker 1 5 10
Worker BarrelIcon tooltip.pngadds additional carrying capacity (up to 5) 1 10 60
Kobold Teleporter 5 2 3 (including 1 granted by the form)

Non-named enemies are both static and mobile.

  • Skeletons and zombies are static, guarding intersections and clearings; they will chase you if they spot you, though.
  • Hobgoblins are mobile, spawning throughout the cove, but mostly on top of Kobolds and your party members.
  • Orange- and red-named monsters are mobile, too.
  • Jack Jibbers tends to spawn shortly after you reach your quota, usually coming from West of the "main square".
  • Azarelle's party spawns immediately after progenitor crystal pick-up, right on top of it.

Chances are good that the Kobold Worker picking up the progenitor crystal will choose one of the worst possible routes back to the Foreman. Better to get to know those routes and clear them of mobs before the pick-up, or it will panic and stop right in their middle. The Kobold Worker will be slowed down by the progenitor crystal's weight, and it will be hunted down by more than the regular share of enemies (starting with Azarelle's party), so it's a good idea to assign a heavy escort to it and possibly buff it (Haste, Stoneskin, Resist Energy ect.).

If Foreman Wee Yip Yip yells "Incoming!" it means that monsters are attacking the central chamber. If you happen to be far away at this time, this usually leads to at least a few kobold deaths unless you have a Pirate's Port. Drinking a Pirate's Port will instantly teleport your character back to the Port Cask near the Kobold Foreman at the challenge entrance. You can purchase Pirate's Port from the DDO Store using the Port Cask interface.

Update 17 reward ratio:

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelStar (Contribs • Message• SteelStar) Source

String exceeds 1,000 character limit for automatic parsing of {{BB code}}, passing quote through:
The original Reward formula for the Cove went like this:
- Kobold Union kept the first 100 Crystals you get as payment for their efforts
- You got Dragonshards at a 1:1 ratio with whatever Crystals you got past the first 100.

This meant if you collected exactly 100 Crystals during a Cove run, you would walk away with zero Dragonshards (since the Kobold Union kept everything up to your Quota).

The new Reward Formula works like Challenges, and goes like this:
- You get Dragonshards equal to 70% of your Score (the Kobold Union takes 30% for their efforts). You get one Point for each Crystal (purples are worth 10, Randomly spawned giant blue crystals (Epic levels only?) are worth more (Please verify value) but can't go through the teleporter.)

This means if you collect exactly 100 Crystals during your Cove Run, you will walk away with 70 Dragonshards instead.

This math assumes the character levels of your entire party are the same as the CR you are running the Cove at; running the Cove above or below your level can influence your Score, the same way it does in Challenges. That, combined with removing the Crystal cap, means the Cove should be giving more Dragonshards per run than in previous years.

Challenge Duration

Fixed, 20 minutes. One single extension to 21 minutes possible using One Minute Of Time.

Loot

  • Chests: None

Monsters

Name ( picture ) CR Type Race
Azarelle( view
Azarelle.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 5 Orc Half-Orc
Dragonmarked Ex-Pirate( view
Dragonmarked Ex-Pirate.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 2 Undead Spectre
Drunken Sorcerer Pirate Aroomba( view
Drunken Sorcerer Pirate Aroomba.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 2 Goblinoid Bugbear
Ex-Pirate Boatswain( view
Ex-Pirate Boatswain.png
 • edit )
Challenge Level Undead Zombie
Ex-Pirate Skeleton( view
Ex-Pirate Skeleton.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level Undead Skeleton
Gregoir The Mighty( view
Gregoir The Mighty.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 4 Monstrous Humanoid Minotaur
Hobgoblin Opportunist( view
Hobgoblin Opportunist.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 1 Goblinoid Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin Raider( view
Hobgoblin Raider.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 1 Goblinoid Hobgoblin
Jack Jibbers( view
Jack Jibbers.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 5 Undead Wraith
Johansen Brigg( view
Johansen Brigg.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 1 Undead Spectre
Mutinous First Mate Shakra( view
Mutinous First Mate Shakra.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level + 3 Goblinoid Bugbear
Skeletal Archer Ex-Pirate( view
Skeletal Archer Ex-Pirate.jpg
 • edit )
Challenge Level Undead Skeleton