A Study in Sable

Sir Ebermund was savagely attacked while visiting Sable Manor, ancestral home of Lord Sable. It's up to you to discover who or what is behind the assault.

A Study in Sable
Heroic level:	None
Epic level:	26
Duration:	long
Heroic XP:	N/A
Epic XP:	♣13,194Solo/Casual ♦22,629Normal ♥23,267Hard ♠23,905Elite
Takes place in:	Sable Manor
Bestowed by:	Winne Harker
NPC contact:	Winne Harker
Quest acquired in:	Eveningstar
Patron:	Purple Dragon Knights
Base favor:	9
Purchase:	Free to Play
Extreme Challenge:	No

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Overview

Sir Ebermund Harker was brutally attacked the first night of his stay at Sable Manor. Help the Purple Dragon Knight find out what lied behind his attack!

Talk to Ebermund's niece, Winne Harker near the Lonesome Tankard Inn in Eveningstar.

See also http://www.ddo.com/en/articles/study-study-sable Dev Diary: A Study In "A Study In Sable"

Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!

Objectives

Speak with Sir Ebermund
Try to determine the vampire's current thrall (4 times, once for each guest/day)
Explore the hedge maze
Explore the wine cellar
Explore the attic
Explore the west chambers
(Optional) Save one of the guests — Bonus (5%): Epic( ♣660 ♦1,131 ♥1,163 ♠1,195 )
(Optional) Save two of the guests — Bonus (10%): Epic( ♣1,319 ♦2,263 ♥2,327 ♠2,391 )
(Optional) Save three of the guests — Bonus (15%): Epic( ♣1,979 ♦3,394 ♥3,490 ♠3,586 )
(Optional) Save all four of the guests — Bonus (20%): Epic( ♣2,639 ♦4,526 ♥4,653 ♠4,781 )
(Optional) Defeat Willem the Werewolf — Bonus (11%): Epic( ♣1,451 ♦2,489 ♥2,559 ♠2,630 )
(Optional) Defeat Wollstonecraft the Flesh Golem — Bonus (11%): Epic( ♣1,451 ♦2,489 ♥2,559 ♠2,630 )
(Optional) Read all of Lucille's journals — Bonus (12%): Epic( ♣1,583 ♦2,715 ♥2,792 ♠2,869 )

Known Traps

Trap DCs

Pressure plate(s) on the roof near Wollstonecraft
Spell Ward in the Cellar

Summoning glyphs in West Chambers

Tips and Misc

Map of the hedge maze.

This quest can be somewhat long, but it revolves around only a few key steps to complete all the objectives: Find the 4 guest items, each day/night find the Area item then save a guest (4 times total), then fight the final boss.
Acid resist is useful to have for the cellar region, and shield/nightshield for magic missile immunity is useful through the whole adventure. Dimension door is useful to return quickly from each zone.
Before talking to Ebermund the first time, search the mansion for each of the four guest items (possible locations in the guest list below; note that the amulet might be behind the secret door in the library)
- The guest items are items that will distract a specific guest enough to break a possible enthrallment. If you uncover a thrall, then by showing them the distracting item, you can neutralize them.
- The guest items can all be found without opening any of the 4 areas (wing/attic/maze/cellar). If you searched the mansion and haven't found them all, keep searching.
- The items can't be traded, but you can give them to another character by dropping them on the floor (drag and drop out of inventory). Caution: Do not drop an item on a sloped surface such as stairs or on the upper floors or the item may end up inside the surface and unreachable.
Head to the conservatory in the northeast and talk to Ebermund, (this will advance the quest to day and open a random area out of four possible ones: the attic, the hedge maze, the west chambers or the wine cellar, with a brief initial message mentioning sounds coming from the area in question to indicate which one opened).
Head to the new area and kill the new pack of vampires. Find the area item and the optional journal in each place. The locations, items and common enemies are noted by area below.
- The area items are items that can be used to detect vampire thralls in general. The Gem of Revelation reveals the true nature of a thrall. Scrap's Chew Toy will summon Scrap the dog and the thrall will show its teeth in response. The Orb of Sunlight will make the vampire thrall show signs of pain. The captured rat will make the thrall eat it.
  - After identifying the thrall, do not try to convince them to leave the vampire without using the guest item as they will immediately run away and you will not be able to use the guest item to save them
- Once you use an area item, you can't use it again. If the guest you used it on was not a thrall, you wasted the item. Even if you know someone is a vampire (when night of day 2 – or 4th period – arrives everyone is), without an area item you cannot prove it and thus cannot prevent the thrall from joining its master.
With each new area opened, one of four NPCs will randomly become the thrall of Lord Sable. To complete the optional 'save the guests' objective (with an extra end chest if you save all four), you must first determine who the new thrall is (by looking at each guest's initial dialogue and comparing it to their current dialogue; only the thrall's dialogue should have changed), show them the area item you just found, and then show them their specific guest item that you collected earlier. This information and each day and night location is found below for each guest.
Any guest you do not correctly free will be an enemy you have to face in the final boss battle.
After you show a guest any area item/guest item (whether or not the guest is the correct thrall for that day), return to Ebermund to advance the quest to night. A new random area will open up and a new guest will become a thrall.
- If you didn't find the previous thrall, the guest that was previously a thrall will remain a thrall in addition to the new thrall. So your chances of identifying at least one thrall are 100% since at the 4th period (night of day 2) everyone will be a thrall.
As before, retrieve the area item, identify the new thrall, show him the new area item you just found (through dialogue), and give him his guest item.
When you have completed this for all four areas/thralls (day and night alternates), head to the crypt by the hedge shrine for the final boss fight.
The werewolf optional is at the shack in the hedge maze. The werewolf appears only during the night (2nd and 4th period). Even if the maze opens during the day, you can come back later or just before you jump down for the boss fight.
The final battle is against the vampire Lord Sable (silver/metalline suggested). He will be accompanied by other vampires, as well as any guest thralls you didn't save earlier; he also at one point will summon a small group of vampiric rats to fight you.
Watch out for his AoE force damage spell which has a knockdown. It seems to be a trip attack, using the best of your STR/DEX to save. Note he has a quick tell before doing this attack: he will grip the pommel of his sword with both hands immediately prior to executing it. If you are blocking, he cannot knock you down.
Several times on every difficulty, when you get Lord Sable close to death he will cast Dark Discorporation but of a form that will be immune to damage, and he will then reappear with a notable portion of his health restored (slightly less after each regeneration).
- Destroying any of the pillars inside the room creates a ray of light. Fighting Lord Sable inside the ray weakens him, greatly speeding up the fight and most importantly BLOCKS his ability to transform into bats and regenerate. To ensure most of the room is covered in this regeneration-blocking light you should aim to destroy all three pillars; this is pretty much mandatory to be able to actually kill him.

Area list (Edit)

One of the four areas below opens each time you talk to Ebermund to advance the quest. The item listed will always be in that area, but has several spawn points in its specific area.
If an area item is shown to the right thrall, you can follow it up through dialogue to save the guest with the proper guest item.
Caution – You can give the area item to a guest who isn't a thrall. This will prevent you from earning the optional XP for that thrall and the extra chest you get for choosing all four thralls correctly. The quest tracker will direct you to Ebermund to advance the quest to the next day/night normally afterwards.

Attic	Location: Ascending stairs in the northwest part of the second floor. Item: Gem of Revelation – in one of the rooms. Enemies: Animated Weapon, Animated Book (Optional, always spawns – use the lever to activate him) Wollstonecraft, the Flesh Golem – on the roof, with chest.
Hedge Maze	Location: South from great hall on the first floor. Item: Scrap's Chew Toy – southwest part of maze (can be found easier by pressing `Q` to show nearby interactables). Enemies: Animated Topiary Lion, Wood Woad. (Optional, always spawns, but only at night – return after nightfall if you're here during daytime) Groundskeeper Willem, the Werewolf – in the southeast corner, with chest.
West Chambers	Location: Northwest hallway on the first floor. Item: Orb of Sunlight – in one of the rooms Enemies: Summoned Dretch, Guardian Gargoyle.
Wine cellar	Location: Stairs leading down from the kitchen in the southeast part of the first floor Item: Rat trap – can be inside or outside of rooms; must use with the rat in the crypt (near hedge shrine) before being used on guest Enemies: Cellar Spirit, Cellar Spider. Spell ward trap located in east room

Guest list

Below are the day/night locations, the guest item required to save the guest, the two possible spawn locations of the item, and the dialogue that you first see that indicates a guest is the thrall.
You can only give each guest item to its proper guest, so you don't have to worry about giving the wrong item to the wrong guest.

Alyk Glenweir – Harper elf	Day: By the fireplace in the great hall Night: Second floor, center room on west side Guest item: Strong Sleeping Drought – master bedroom; shelf on stairs from kitchen to wine cellar Thrall dialogue: 'The voice it calls to me! So clear, so strong so commanding.' Alyk previously complained that the voice would not let him "sleep" (he is an elf) and he wanted to make it stop.
Dareon Krenner – Wizard	Day: Library (middle room on east side of first floor) Night: Second bedroom from the top on the northwest side of the second floor Guest item: Mystic Maze – table in the Conservatory; table beside hedge maze shrine Thrall dialogue: 'It's so quiet here, so peaceful, I could just stay here forever without a thought in my mind.'
Flora Raynard – Collector	Day: The landing between floors 1 and 2 Night: Southeast bedroom on the second floor Guest item: Amulet of the Medusa – shelf behind secret door leading from library to master bedroom; chest in northwest bedroom on second floor Thrall dialogue: Day: 'So many valuables, they must not be disturbed.' or 'So many fine possessions, gathered over centuries! They must not be disturbed! Night: 'We should not prowl about the house at night.' Flora is an art thief and both of her thrall dialogues directly contradict her character.
Sir Chadrus Thruling – Knight	Day: outside northwest hallway of the first floor Night: Second bedroom from the bottom on the southeast side of the second floor Guest item: Hunter's Map – table near the stairs to the attic; table in library Thrall dialogue: 'How grand it will be to see the master of the house.' Sir Chadrus was previously impatient to meet the host and then go on a deer hunt. The change of his vocabulary ("grand" and "master") also indicates he's a thrall.

Locations of Lucille's journals (optional)

On top of bookcase in the library
On table in northwest bedroom on second floor
In the master bedroom (room on second floor with the shrine)
In the crypt by the hedge maze shrine
On a table along any of the hallways on the second floor
West chambers (random location)
Hedge maze (random; usually west side)
Cellar (random location)
Attic (random location)
Outside door to final boss at bottom of crypt

Bonus XP

Neutralization bonus: 3 or more traps disarmed +20% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
Observance bonus: 1 or more secret door discovered +8% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
Mischief bonus: 40 or more breakables smashed +8% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
Vandal bonus: 51 or more breakables smashed +10% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
Ransack bonus: 63 or more breakables smashed +15% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )

Loot

Chests: ♦ 4 /Normal ♥ 4 /Hard ♠ 4Elite
- 1 optional for defeating Willem the Werewolf
- 1 optional for defeating Wollstonecraft the Flesh Golem
- 1 optional for saving all four of the guests
- 1 for defeating Lord Sable
Collectables:
- First Adventurer's Pack in the hedge maze
- Second Adventurer's Pack in the hedge maze
- Rubble in the west chambers
- Cabinet in the west chambers
- Reagents Cabinet in Attic
- Adventurer's Pack by Wollstonecraft
- Fungus in wine cellar
- Bones in wine cellar
NPC rewards: Standard

Named Chest Drop

Golem's Heart - Blue Augment - UnboundUnbound: This item is Unbound, and may take permanent damage. - End chest (Epic Elite)

ML28: 2% chance on your being hit to heal you for 20 to 120 Hit Points and deal 50 to 300 Electric damage to your surrounding enemies.

Last Edited	Item	Type	Enhancements	ML	Bind	Quests
Update 56.3.1 1 year, 5 months, and 25 days PurpleSerpent	Hunter's Slayer (Level 24) ^(edit)	Great Sword	SilverSilver: A complex process involving metallurgy and alchemy can bond silver to a weapon made of steel so that it bypasses the damage reduction of creatures such as devils and vampires. Silver weapons have 2 points lower hardness then equivalent steel weapons, and as such aren't quite as durable. , Alchemical +7 Enhancement Bonus+7 Enhancement Bonus: +7 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. KeenKeen: Passive: The base critical threat range of this weapon is doubled. This does not stack with Improved Critical feat. Vorpal Strikes by this weapon also bypass all Fortification. Bane of the UnnaturalBane of the Unnatural: This bane weapon excels at attacking more than on type of subtype of creature. Against aberrations, monstrous humanoids, and the undead, this weapon deals an extra 2 to 12 points of damage against the foe. Orange Augment Slot: EmptyOrange Augments Named: Category:Orange augments Yellow Augments Named: Category:Yellow augments Deathblock Elemental Resistance: +5 to +45 Immunity: Fear, Blindness Movement: Feather Falling, Striding: +10% to +30%, Swiftness +5% to +15%, Underwater Action Proof Against Disease, Poison: +2 to +10 Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus (Enhancement bonus) Spell points (Enhancement bonus): +19 to +294 Damage: +1 to +11 Spell penetration: +1 to +9 Red Augments Named: Category:Red augments DR bypass: Alignment, Material Elemental damage: +1d6 to +9d6 Spell Power (Enhancement bonus): +38 to +153 Colorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20 Colorless Augment Slot: EmptyColorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20	24	Bound to Character on EquipBound to Character on Equip: This item is Bound to Character on Equip	A Study in Sable, End chest (Epic Normal)
Update 56.3.1 1 year, 5 months, and 25 days PurpleSerpent	Hunter's Slayer (Level 25) ^(edit)	Great Sword	SilverSilver: A complex process involving metallurgy and alchemy can bond silver to a weapon made of steel so that it bypasses the damage reduction of creatures such as devils and vampires. Silver weapons have 2 points lower hardness then equivalent steel weapons, and as such aren't quite as durable. , Alchemical +8 Enhancement Bonus+8 Enhancement Bonus: +8 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. KeenKeen: Passive: The base critical threat range of this weapon is doubled. This does not stack with Improved Critical feat. Vorpal Strikes by this weapon also bypass all Fortification. Greater Bane of the UnnaturalGreater Bane of the Unnatural: This bane weapon excels at attacking more than on type of subtype of creature. Against aberrations, monstrous humanoids, and the undead, this weapon deals an extra 3 to 18 points of damage against the foe. Orange Augment Slot: EmptyOrange Augments Named: Category:Orange augments Yellow Augments Named: Category:Yellow augments Deathblock Elemental Resistance: +5 to +45 Immunity: Fear, Blindness Movement: Feather Falling, Striding: +10% to +30%, Swiftness +5% to +15%, Underwater Action Proof Against Disease, Poison: +2 to +10 Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus (Enhancement bonus) Spell points (Enhancement bonus): +19 to +294 Damage: +1 to +11 Spell penetration: +1 to +9 Red Augments Named: Category:Red augments DR bypass: Alignment, Material Elemental damage: +1d6 to +9d6 Spell Power (Enhancement bonus): +38 to +153 Colorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20 Colorless Augment Slot: EmptyColorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20	25	Bound to Character on EquipBound to Character on Equip: This item is Bound to Character on Equip	A Study in Sable, End chest (Epic Hard)
Update 56.3.1 1 year, 5 months, and 25 days PurpleSerpent	Hunter's Slayer (Level 26) ^(edit)	Great Sword	SilverSilver: A complex process involving metallurgy and alchemy can bond silver to a weapon made of steel so that it bypasses the damage reduction of creatures such as devils and vampires. Silver weapons have 2 points lower hardness then equivalent steel weapons, and as such aren't quite as durable. , Alchemical +8 Enhancement Bonus+8 Enhancement Bonus: +8 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. KeenKeen: Passive: The base critical threat range of this weapon is doubled. This does not stack with Improved Critical feat. Vorpal Strikes by this weapon also bypass all Fortification. Greater Bane of the UnnaturalGreater Bane of the Unnatural: This bane weapon excels at attacking more than on type of subtype of creature. Against aberrations, monstrous humanoids, and the undead, this weapon deals an extra 3 to 18 points of damage against the foe. Orange Augment Slot: EmptyOrange Augments Named: Category:Orange augments Yellow Augments Named: Category:Yellow augments Deathblock Elemental Resistance: +5 to +45 Immunity: Fear, Blindness Movement: Feather Falling, Striding: +10% to +30%, Swiftness +5% to +15%, Underwater Action Proof Against Disease, Poison: +2 to +10 Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus (Enhancement bonus) Spell points (Enhancement bonus): +19 to +294 Damage: +1 to +11 Spell penetration: +1 to +9 Red Augments Named: Category:Red augments DR bypass: Alignment, Material Elemental damage: +1d6 to +9d6 Spell Power (Enhancement bonus): +38 to +153 Colorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20 Colorless Augment Slot: EmptyColorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20	26	Bound to Character on EquipBound to Character on Equip: This item is Bound to Character on Equip	A Study in Sable, End chest (Epic Elite)

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Monsters

Name ^{( picture )}	CR	Type	Race
Alyk Glenweir ^{( view • edit )}	●♦30Epic Normal	Elf	Elf
Animated Book ^{( view • edit )}	●♦18Epic Normal ●♥18Epic Hard	Construct	Animated Object
Animated Morningstar ^{( view • edit )}	●♥30Epic Hard	Construct	Animated Object
Animated Object ^{( view • edit )}	♠25Elite ●♥26Epic Hard	Construct	Animated Object
Animated Topiary Lion ^{( view • edit )}	●♦28Epic Normal ●♥29Epic Hard	Plant	Lion
Animated Weapon ^{( view • edit )}	●♥29Epic Hard	Construct	Animated Object
Cellar Spider ^{( view • edit )}	●♦28Epic Normal ●♥32Epic Hard	Vermin	Spider
Cellar Spirit ^{( view • edit )}	●♦28Epic Normal ●♥32Epic Hard	Undead	Wraith
Crypt Rat ^{( view • edit )}	●♦28Epic Normal ●♥29Epic Hard	Animal	Rat
Dareon Krenner ^{( view • edit )}	●♦30Epic Normal ●♥31Epic Hard	Humanoid	Human
Flora Reynard ^{( view • edit )}	●♦30Epic Normal	Humanoid	Human
Greater Fire Mephit ^{( view • edit )}	●♥32Epic Hard	Fire Outsider	Mephit
Guardian Gargoyle ^{( view • edit )}	●♦28Epic Normal ●♥32Epic Hard	Monstrous Humanoid	Gargoyle
Lesser Vampire Spawn ^{( view • edit )}	●♦28Epic Normal ●♥29Epic Hard	Undead	Vampire
Lord Sable ^{( view • edit )}	●♦31Epic Normal ●♥32Epic Hard ●♠68Epic Elite	Undead	Vampire
Pillar (Study in Sable) ^{( view • edit )}	0	Construct	Inanimate Object
Sir Chadrus Thurling ^{( view • edit )}	●♦30Epic Normal	Humanoid	Human
Summoned Dretch ^{( view • edit )}	●♦28Epic Normal ●♥29/32Epic Hard	Evil Outsider	Demon
Vampire Spawn Mystic ^{( view • edit )}	●♦28Epic Normal ●♥29Epic Hard	Undead	Vampire
Vampire Spawn Sentinel ^{( view • edit )}	●♦29Epic Normal ●♥33Epic Hard	Undead	Vampire
Willem ^{( view • edit )}	●♥32Epic Hard ●♠68Epic Elite	Monstrous Humanoid	Werewolf
Wollstonecraft ^{( view • edit )}	●♦31Epic Normal ●♥32Epic Hard ●♠68Epic Elite	Construct	Golem
Wood Woad ^{( view • edit )}	●♥30Epic Hard	Plant	Wood Woad