Tomb of the Forbidden

Tomb of the Forbidden is the 2nd quest in the Litany of the Dead Part 3 story arcStory arcs are chains of quests that make up a story line. Completing everything in a story arc often yields a nice reward..
The first four quests can be completed in any order to unlock The Cursed Crypt.
Tomb of the Unhallowed • Tomb of the Forbidden • Tomb of the Blighted • Tomb of the Tormented • The Cursed Crypt

The Tomb of the Forbidden has been plunged into a deep freeze by a powerful, mysterious force.

Requires access to adventure pack
Definition: Adventure Pack
A list of all adventure packs
: The Necropolis, Part 3

Tomb of the Forbidden
Heroic level:	11
Epic level:	None
Duration:	Long
Heroic XP:	♣2,659Solo/Casual ♦4,660Normal ♥4,888Hard ♠5,116Elite
Epic XP:	N/A
Takes place in:	Tomb of the Forbidden
Bestowed by:	Dessenau
NPC contact:	Dessenau
Quest acquired in:	The Necropolis
Patron:	The Silver Flame
Base favor:	6
Purchase:	The Necropolis, Part 3 or VIP
Extreme Challenge:	No

Loading screen

Overview

Dessenau informed you of a mysterious cold that has plagued the Tomb of the Forbidden. You are to weather the climate and breach the three gates that keep Menetnashte locked up tight. Slay him and look for clues along the way to crack the mystery of the frozen tomb.

Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!

Objectives

Explore the tomb
Acquire the first gear
Breach the first gate
Explore beyond the first gate
Slay Aneirin
Acquire the second gear
Breach the second gate
Explore beyond the second gate
Acquire the key
Breach the third gate
Slay Menetnashte
(Optional) Retrieve the journal
— Bonus (20%): Heroic( ♣532 ♦932 ♥978 ♠1,023 )
(Optional) Retrieve the letter
— Bonus (20%): Heroic( ♣532 ♦932 ♥978 ♠1,023 )
(Optional) Retrieve the wanted poster
— Bonus (20%): Heroic( ♣532 ♦932 ♥978 ♠1,023 )
(Optional) Slay Tessa Vanderkliefe — Bonus (30%): Heroic( ♣798 ♦1,398 ♥1,466 ♠1,535 )

What to Expect

Requires extra player(s) or hireling(s) (mandatory: At two different points in the quest, pairs of levers that have to be pulled simultaneously)
Collapsible floor
Point of no return
Spawning/respawning monsters
Some slippery icy floors, that can knock you down

Known Traps

Trap DCs

One of which can't be disabled.
Some doors are trapped and cannot be disarmed, announced with the message: "(Disable Device) This particular trap will detonate when struck with significant force." If the door has a fire (red) mine on top of it, you should unlock the door instead of bashing it down (using Open Lock). If the door has two cold (blue) mines at the sides, you should bash this door down instead of unlocking it. Other ways of opening doors (like Fireball, Flame Turret, etc.) may work like bashing or unlocking depending on the effect.

Tips and Misc

Fire spells are a must-have. Cold protection and resistance is welcome.
The journal can be collected from the ground, as well as the letter. The wanted poster is near the locked chest.
You must split up your party twice, to pull levers simultaneously. On those occasions the doors deeper into the quest will open after you kill everything that spawns.
- The pair of levers to the first gate are visible above it, accessed via stairs to the sides. The pair of levers to the second gate are not visible, accessed via side passages that wind down on either side.
- Can be done with a hireling/pet:
  - Go to one lever, begin to pull it then back away to interrupt the action. There is an unlocking "click" on these levers (from using the gear) that you hear instantly when you first use the lever... then lever is actually "pulled". You need to unlock the lever ("You have unlocked the Lever." message appears on screen) and then immediately move (to interrupt the red action bar, so you do not pull it all the way down) for the hireling.
  - Order the hireling to stay near that lever then go to the other lever.
  - Highlight the hireling's lever, command the hireling to pull the lever and as soon as you see or hear the hireling's lever move, pull your lever.
  - Kill the monsters that spawned on your side, wait for the other door to open, kill the monsters that spawned on the hireling's side and then you can proceed further. The monsters for the second gate spawn slowly – don't hurry back to the gate, make sure you kill them all!
    - The side-doors open with time; unfortunately, it can be a fairly long time, approximately: 3-minutes for the first Gate set and 5-minutes for the second Gate set – so be patient! Possibly it's a quest mechanic to prevent an "unwinnable condition" if the party members behind the gate are defeated.
    - Second gate: The middle door only opens when both levers are pulled AND all the mobs (that spawned in both sides) are killed – sometimes there is a melee that didn't spawn first or wasn't seen, sometimes there's 1 archer that jumped through the wall and then. Even after waiting for over 30 minutes, the middle door won't open. DDO Forum Solution: Restart the quest.
In the first shrine room there is an arrow pointing up to a skull on the ceiling with the same arrow symbol. You need to hit the skull with a ranged weapon to proceed.
The door to the southwest chest (past the secret door) requires a Strength check to bash down (on Elite: 19:Fail; 23:Success). Hirelings may be used for this task if they decide to attack through the door. A fireball or Rogue Mechanic's Time Bomb will also work.
The key (frigid intricate key) to the locked door before the final room is obtained by shattering the frozen mind flayer statue in the shrine room down the other branch of the hallway.
The final room (to the northwest) requires a jump down, and has no return (except via Dimension Door, etc.) – use the shrine if you need to before this point.
- The boss will spawn when you get very near the sarcophagi by the two chests or try open the right-hand chest (and both will be locked until he is defeated).
- The floor isn't slippery on the stone floor where the two chests rest; additional mobs will likely spawn if you travel to the icy outskirts of the room.

Bonus XP

Aggression bonus: 72 or more monsters killed +10% Bonus.( ♣266 ♦466 ♥489 ♠512 )
Onslaught bonus: 93 or more monsters killed +15% Bonus.( ♣399 ♦699 ♥733 ♠767 )
Conquest bonus: 115 or more monsters killed +25% Bonus.( ♣665 ♦1,165 ♥1,222 ♠1,279 )
Tamper bonus: 3 or more traps disarmed +10% Bonus.( ♣266 ♦466 ♥489 ♠512 )
Neutralization bonus: 4 or more traps disarmed +20% Bonus.( ♣532 ♦932 ♥978 ♠1,023 )
Ingenious Debilitation bonus: 5 or more traps disarmed +30% Bonus.( ♣798 ♦1,398 ♥1,466 ♠1,535 )
Observance bonus: 1 or more secret door discovered +8% Bonus.( ♣213 ♦373 ♥391 ♠409 )
Mischief bonus: 41 or more breakables smashed +8% Bonus.( ♣213 ♦373 ♥391 ♠409 )
Vandal bonus: 54 or more breakables smashed +10% Bonus.( ♣266 ♦466 ♥489 ♠512 )

Loot

Chests: 4–5
- 1 Next to the 2nd gear
- An optional chest just past the 2nd split (not on map)
- 1 Locked behind 2 secret walls near frozen mindflayer
- 2 At the end
Collectables: 4
- Crude Altar near Red Gear
- Adventurer's pack near Journal
- Adventurer's pack near Letter
- Bookshelf near the frozen mindflayer
NPC rewards: Random item

Note: The Journal Entry, Official Document, and Official Letter are all Obsolete quest items

Monsters

Name ^{( picture )}	CR	Type	Race
Aneirin ^{( view • edit )}	♦16Normal ♠21Elite	Evil Outsider	Demon
Arcane Ooze ^{( view • edit )}	♦9Normal ♥11Hard ♠14Elite ●♦22Epic Normal ●♠46Epic Elite	Ooze	Arcane Ooze
Baby Glass Spider ^{( view • edit )}	♦1Normal ♥2Hard ♠5Elite OR From Egg: ♦1Normal ♥1Hard ♠1Elite;	Vermin	Spider
Cultist Sentry ^{( view • edit )}	♦11Normal ♥13Hard ♠16Elite	Elf	Elf
Fiendish Troll Enforcer ^{( view • edit )}	♦12Normal	Giant	Troll
Frostmarrow Evoker ^{( view • edit )}	♦14Normal ♥16Hard ♠19Elite	Undead	Skeleton
Frostmarrow Huntsman ^{( view • edit )}	♦13Normal ♥15Hard ♠18Elite	Undead	Skeleton
Frostmarrow Sellsword ^{( view • edit )}	♦12Normal ♥14Hard ♠17Elite	Undead	Skeleton
Frostmarrow Shambler ^{( view • edit )}	♦11Normal ♥13Hard ♠16Elite	Undead	Skeleton
Glacier Wolf ^{( view • edit )}	♦9Normal ♥11Hard ♠14Elite ●♥27Epic Hard	Magical Beast	Wolf
Hyaline Matriarch ^{( view • edit )}	♦8Normal ♠14Elite	Vermin	Spider
Ice Flenser ^{( view • edit )}	♦14Normal ♥16Hard ♠19Elite	Evil Outsider	Demon
Ice Mephit Warrior ^{( view • edit )}	♦12Normal ♥14Hard ♠17Elite ●♠34Epic Elite	Air Outsider	Mephit
Menetnashte ^{( view • edit )}	♦14Normal ♠19Elite	Undead	Mummy
Mummy Guardian ^{( view • edit )}	♦10Normal ♥12Hard ♠15Elite ●♦20Epic Normal ●♥28Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Undead	Mummy
Ogre Mage Cultist ^{( view • edit )}	♦12Normal ♥14Hard ♠17Elite	Giant	Ogre
Tessa Vanderkliefe ^{( view • edit )}	♠18Elite	Humanoid	Human
Undead Giant Rat ^{( view • edit )}	♦8Normal ♥10Hard ♠13Elite	Animal	Rat
Unholy Friar ^{( view • edit )}	♦11Normal ♥13Hard ♠16Elite	Humanoid	Human
Warrior Cultist ^{( view • edit )}	♦11Normal ♥13Hard ♠16Elite	Humanoid	Human