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First Strike

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First Strike is the 1st quest in the Assault on Splinterskull story arcIcon tooltip.pngStory arcs  are chains of quests that make up a story line.
Completing everything in a story arc often yields a nice reward.
.
First Strike • The Hobgoblins' Captives • Yarkuch's War-plans • Whisperdoom's Spawn • The Deadly Package: The Stronghold Key • The Deadly Package: Agent of the Darguul • Doom of the Witch-doctor: The Way to Zulkash • Doom of the Witch-doctor: Zulkash, Herald of Woe • The Last Move: The Way to Yarkuch • The Last Move: Yarkuch's Last Stand


On behalf of Chief Ungurz, you strike into the depths of Splinterskull. The peace of Darguun will be bought with blood.

Tangleroot Gorge adpack icon.jpg
DDO Point icon.png Requires access to adventure pack: Tangleroot Gorge
First Strike
Heroic level: 3
Epic level: None
Duration: Medium
Heroic XP:  ♣429Solo/Casual ♦772Normal ♥828Hard ♠884Elite
Epic XP: N/A
Takes place in: Outer Splinterskull Fortress
Bestowed by: Chief Ungurz
NPC contact: Chief Ungurz
Quest acquired in: Tangleroot Gorge
Patron: House Phiarlan
Base favor: 3
Purchase: Tangleroot Gorge or VIP
Extreme Challenge: No
M first strike.png
Loading screen

Overview

Enter the fortress of Splinterskull and kill twenty of Chief Yarkuch's hobgoblins.


Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!


Objectives

  • Slay 20 Hobgoblin Guards
  • (Optional) Slay Blademaster Chagg — Bonus (10%): Heroic( ♣43 ♦77 ♥83 ♠88 )

What to Expect

  • Traps (fixed)
  • Spawning/respawning monsters
  • Ability check (optional; 16 Strength required to open a door)
  • Locked doors (optional)

Known Traps

Spot and Search DCs for Traps
Disable Device and Open Lock DCs

  • Skill DCs and pictures of all traps, control panel locations, and locked doors can be found in the above links by hovering over the description text.
  • Spike trap in the western storeroom, in the corner beyond the door; control panel is on the western wall
  • Electrical trap in the small room off the throne room; control panel is just inside the door on the north wall
  • Blade trap (on both walls) down the corridor past the second shrine; control panel is on the north wall
  • Spinning blade trap further down the corridor; control panel is on the south wall immediately after the blade trap

Tips and Misc

  • Get comfortable with this area. You'll be spending a lot of time here doing this chain...
  • All hobgoblins (not just the guards) count towards the 20.
  • Blademaster Chagg can appear in one of three locations: the throne room, the eastern cell block, or the western cell block.
  • At the center of the eastern cell block is a pit with three Night Scorpions in it. There is a door that requires 16 STR to open with a chest on the other side.
  • The storerooms are located off the cell blocks; in this quest they're locked, but you get a key to them in the next quest and they remain unlocked after that.
  • The entire Outer Splinterskull Fortress is explorable, despite the DM warning that "it may be too dangerous to go on."
  • The various chests all refill at each stage of the quest; however, the same chest in different stages counts as the "same" chest for purposes of the chest ransack counter – if you run Tangleroot once, then again on a higher difficulty, you will find the loot substantially reduced.
  • In order to get any of the bonuses besides discreet, you must be stealthy. Don't kill *any* of the hobgoblins you don't have to.
  • It is possible (but not at all worth it) to achieve a bonus for monsters killed by farming the three spiders in the northeastern spider cave.

Bonus XP

  • Discreet bonus: 24 or fewer monsters killed +5% Bonus.( ♣21 ♦39 ♥41 ♠44 )
  • Aggression bonus: 61 or more monsters killed +10% Bonus.( ♣43 ♦77 ♥83 ♠88 )
  • Onslaught bonus: 80 or more monsters killed +15% Bonus.( ♣64 ♦116 ♥124 ♠133 )
  • Conquest bonus: 98 or more monsters killed +25% Bonus.( ♣107 ♦193 ♥207 ♠221 )
  • Tamper bonus: 2 or more traps disarmed +10% Bonus.( ♣43 ♦77 ♥83 ♠88 )
  • Neutralization bonus: 3 or more traps disarmed +20% Bonus.( ♣86 ♦154 ♥166 ♠177 )
  • Ingenious Debilitation bonus: 4 or more traps disarmed +30% Bonus.( ♣129 ♦232 ♥248 ♠265 )
  • Mischief bonus: 52 or more breakables smashed +8% Bonus.( ♣34 ♦62 ♥66 ♠71 )
  • Vandal bonus: 68 or more breakables smashed +10% Bonus.( ♣43 ♦77 ♥83 ♠88 )
  • Ransack bonus: 84 or more breakables smashed +15% Bonus.( ♣64 ♦116 ♥124 ♠133 )
Notes: The devious and insidious cunning bonuses are unobtainable due to the 20 required kills.

Loot

  • Chests: Five (last three are the same ones in all Outer Fortress quests)
    • One in the western storeroom, behind a locked door
    • One in the eastern storeroom, behind a locked door
    • One in the room past the scorpion pit in the eastern cell block (requires 16 STR)
    • One behind the locked door in the central chamber
    • One on the lookout ledge down the inner corridor past the second shrine
  • Collectables:
    • Mushroom down the South-west tunnel
    • Adventurer's Pack down the South-east tunnel
    • Bookshelf in the alcove as you first enter the stronghold proper
    • Adventurer's Pack in the spider pit in the western cell block
    • Cabinet in the central chamber
    • Mushroom just before the second shrine
    • Mushroom on the lookout ledge
    • Mushroom down the North-west tunnel around the loop
    • Mushroom down the South tunnel around the loop
  • NPC rewards: None

Monsters

Name ( picture ) CR Type Race
Black Widow( view
Black Widow.png
 • edit )
 ♦2Normal ♥4Hard ♠7Elite Vermin Spider
Blademaster Chagg( view
Blademaster Chagg.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦4Normal ♥6Hard ♠10Elite Goblinoid Hobgoblin
Brown Spider Prince( view
Brown Spider Prince.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦5Normal ♥8Hard ♠10Elite Vermin Spider
Brown Spider( view
Brown Spider.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦1Normal ♥3Hard ♠6Elite Vermin Spider
Darkfang Spider( view
Darkfang Spider.png
 • edit )
 ♦5Normal ♥7Hard ♠10Elite Vermin Spider
Gray Ooze( view
Gray Ooze.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦4Normal ♥6Hard ♠9Elite Ooze Gray Ooze
Hobgoblin Cleric( view
Hobgoblin Cleric.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦3Normal ♥5Hard ♠8Elite Goblinoid Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin Guard( view
Hobgoblin Guard.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦2Normal ♥4Hard ♠7Elite Goblinoid Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin Infiltrator( view
Hobgoblin Infiltrator.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦2Normal ♥4Hard ♠7Elite Goblinoid Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin Patrol Leader( view
Hobgoblin Patrol Leader.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦3Normal ♥5Hard ♠8Elite Goblinoid Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin Slayer( view
Hobgoblin Slayer.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦4Normal ♥6Hard ♠9Elite Goblinoid Hobgoblin
Lesser Gray Ooze( view
Lesser Gray Ooze.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦2Normal ♥4Hard ♠6Elite Ooze Gray Ooze
Night Scorpion( view
Night Scorpion.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦4Normal ♥6Hard ♠10Elite Vermin Scorpion
Wolf( view
Wolf.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦1Normal ♥2Hard ♠5Elite Animal Wolf
Worg( view
Worg.jpg
 • edit )
 ♦2Normal ♥4Hard ♠7Elite Magical Beast Wolf

External Links