Mindflayer Masterminds (Whispering Caverns: The Sept - Birthing Pools)

theratwarlock

Not sure where to put this as it isn't quite a bug but it's certainly not right, either, and doesn't seem there is any place for "feedback" for mobs and the like.

The Mindflayer Masterminds that are located in the Sept at the Birthing Pool area do obscene amounts of damage. Note these are not the same as the mindflayer masterminds elsewhere in the Core. I have watched at least 5 different players wipe to these guys over, and over, and over - usually within a matter of seconds before even one or two powers can be activated; wizard, rogue, fighter, makes no difference -- we are all trying to get the same quest done. (Poison a birthing pool.) The big purple rays come out and bam - dead - I feel that this really needs to be looked at - it's one thing to be a challenge, but I think this is simply out of whack. The other mindflayer mastermind groups - the ones around the crystals - were not anywhere near as deadly.

marevayave

I agree. I have just reached this quest. There is the mastermind and 4 or so of those ugly worm things. They burn my health down so fast I might as well have no health to begin with. I have wiped within moments to these mobs. It doesn't help that my companion is rank 15 (ie: level 30) because the rank-up tomes are not in game yet. I leap into stealth and whack away, using Bait and Switch and Shadow Strike to refill my stealth bar twice. I can get one, maybe two of the worm things dead, and then I'm dead. The moment I drop out of stealth they jump down my throat and I'm toast. I don't have time (or the ability, because they seem to either do ranged attacks or have a skill to jump where I am) to wait for Shadow Strike to cooldown so that I can re-enter stealth. This is unreal, and those silly injury kits are starting to run up a high bill as I continue to attempt to complete this quest.

This quest is not marked as being other than a solo quest. Perhaps if our standard companions could be upgraded with the tomes it would be a different story (and indeed, I hope it WILL make it a different story). But currently, this is just plain ridiculous. I'm not actually sure it is the mastermind. His attack is bad, of course, but I am usually able to dodge out of the way. What seems to get me most is the combined attacks of the worms. On their own, fine, but that many at once? -.-

*timewarp*

I can confirm that it seems to be the worms, not the mastermind. I faced up against the little cluster of 5 or so worms that runs around (only worms, no other enemies). Each of them does about 2k+ damage with one strike. There are 5 of them. They do not seem to have a large cooldown on their attacks. Therefore, in the span of 1-2 seconds, I go from 22k HP to 12k HP. Give me another 1-2 seconds and I can pop a health potion, the best of which only gives 8.5k HP back. So now I may be sitting at around 20k HP. But here comes their next wave of attacks, and I'm down to 10k HP. A moment later, more attacks. In all, less than 10 seconds and I'm dead. With stealth I can take them down of course. Add in the mastermind? Yeah, good luck. Spending half my time dodging his blows (my Bait and Switch attracts attention) wastes a lot of my stealth advantage. If I have my good daily skill ready to use, I can prolong my stealth by quite a bit, but that daily skill should not be required to take on these mobs.

I was finally able to encounter the pools AFTER someone else had killed the mobs. I am willing to bet that person had either been in a group or had a better companion (ie: one from the Zen market or whatever that is actually of an appropriate rank/level). Gah, just glad to be done with that quest...

subtitles1

Ive died so many times during this stupid quest chain... those stupid brain dogs freakin' HURT. These are way too difficult to kill.

kallmeitrobbe

i am kind of happy to notice that it's not my stupidity that drives me nuts on this one. well, maybe someone can tell the trick, cause i really get tired of this. and i am usually playing at times when no other players are around...

powereddjinn

It's not easy but I've done it as a CW, DC & TR
There are tricks to it, and those 'dogs' dying very fast is part of it, as has been pointed out the hit like trucks...

The patch on the test server is addressing some level 55-60 balance so you might want to look at that.

cbnia

This quest is completely and utterly insane. It is impossible as a solo quest, I am a hunter / ranger and can't even get close to the birthing pool. Very very annoyed !!!!!!

arabatur

I had no trouble whatsoever when leveling my HR. Positioning and use of encounter powers is key though. Maybe a change of tactics might help. With exception to the GF, I have had no real issues with that part of the quest chain.

twinstripeuk

This IS difficult, but perfectly possible to do solo and with a 'vanilla' companion at level 15 (although you'll likely have to revive them at the end).

Firstly, DON'T go to either of the two pools to the right - you'll likely pick up mob aggro from all directions, trapping you and killing you REALLY quickly. Instead choose the single pool ahead and to the left, picking off the patrolling Ustilagor ('brain dog') pack and the two patrolling Illithid mindflayers as you go. This not only reduces your chances of getting surrounded, but also allows you to fill your daily meter (which you'll need).

Get ready to use any AOE you have and when you hit the Mastermind, hit it HARD (from a distance if possible). AOE the Ustilagor pack and other mindflayers (which will have jumped in to mob you) and dodge/jump/glide the hell out of there! Gulp the biggest health potion you have and then concentrate on the Mastermind, but KEEP MOVING while you do. Don't get target fixated though - if anything gets between you and the Mastermind, hit it and move.

If you have anything that will incapacitate or stun, use it because it'll buy you vital seconds for evasion/healing.

Did this with TC, SW and CW, the latter being the hardest because he's a complete glass cannon. it took three attempts for the first two and EIGHT for the last one. If it's any consolation, once you've done this, the boss in the following quest is easy in comparison, as the numbers are fewer and the opponents (although they hit HARD) are a lot slower. Use the same tactics and you'll be back in Protectors Enclave getting praised by Sergeant Knox in no time,

thefabricant

The quest should be left as is, I have done the whispering caverns with all my toons upon reaching 60 in green gear and I have had no problems. So what if is somewhat challenging, its no harder then soloing 5 man content, which is also possible. Therefore, the difficulty should be left as is.

mstromley

With a level 80 Wizard, those dogs take me down to near death with one attack. If I throw everything I have, I can kill two of them, but the rest kill me before I can use a health potion due to the cool down timer. It might be easier with a lower level character, but apparently the enemies now scale with you, making the game impossible for those that level faster than the game was designed for (max VIP and XP stones). I don't know what I can do