Strike Back

Strike Back is the 4th quest in The Mines of Tethyamar 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 Desire in the Dark.
Third Time's a Charm • Graveyard Shift • Records of the Past • Strike Back • Desire in the Dark

The Drow of Sschindylryn are launching attacks against the Dwarves from a fortified stronghold nearby.

Requires access to adventure pack Definition: Adventure Pack A list of all adventure packs : The Mines of Tethyamar

Strike Back
Heroic level:	15
Epic level:	31 (considered Legendary)
Duration:	Medium
Heroic XP:	♣3,217Solo/Casual ♦5,591Normal ♥5,820Hard ♠6,048Elite
Epic XP:	♣15,429Solo/Casual ♦26,368Normal ♥27,020Hard ♠27,672Elite
Takes place in:	Drow Stronghold
Bestowed by:	Gunhild the Watchful
NPC contact:	Gunhild the Watchful
Quest acquired in:	Tethyamar Mining Outpost
Patron:	The Harpers
Base favor:	5
Purchase:	The Mines of Tethyamar or VIP
Extreme Challenge:	No

Loading screen

Overview

The Drow of Schindylryn keep interfering with the Dwarves' mining expeditions in Tethyamar. Now that Gunhild has located their Outpost, it is time to take the fight to them!
Infiltrate the Drow outpost and kill Priestess Argith so they will stop harming the Dwarves.

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Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!

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Objectives

• Defeat the Drow High Priestess
• Find a way inside the Drow stronghold
• (Optional) Save the Dwarves from slavery — Bonus (20%): Heroic( ♣643 ♦1,118 ♥1,164 ♠1,210 ) Legendary( ♣3,086 ♦5,274 ♥5,404 ♠5,534 )
• (Optional) Keep every Dwarf alive. — Bonus (20%): Heroic( ♣643 ♦1,118 ♥1,164 ♠1,210 ) Legendary( ♣3,086 ♦5,274 ♥5,404 ♠5,534 )
• (Optional) Clear the way and help the slaves escape. — Bonus (35%): Heroic( ♣1,126 ♦1,957 ♥2,037 ♠2,117 ) Legendary( ♣5,400 ♦9,229 ♥9,457 ♠9,685 )
• (Optional) Slay Bulbossmos. — Bonus (10%): Heroic( ♣322 ♦559 ♥582 ♠605 ) Legendary( ♣1,543 ♦2,637 ♥2,702 ♠2,767 )

What to Expect

• Respawning mobs

Known Traps

Trap DCs

• Three Spell Wards on the bridge; can be disabled by speaking to Lieutenant Rauva and convincing her you belong there.
• Another spell ward in the cavern beyond.
• Another spell ward inside the fortress; can be skirted by sticking to the east and south wall.

Tips and Misc

Before the stronghold

• East of the entrance are some Umber Hulks. Killing them awards a letter regarding "The Black Network" that guarantees safe passage into the fortress (see below), and a collectable.
• North of the entrance is an optional slave master waiting to be killed for some XP.
  • Killing the slavemaster will free the dwarves; however, the rest of the drow need to also be killed to complete the optional.

Entering the stronghold

• There are multiple ways to enter the stronghold
  • Ring the bell and chat with the drow. This will disable the traps on the bridge and in the entryway of the stronghold without giving a Disarming traps bonus. Additionally, NPCs along this route will go inactive temporarily. Note that they still need to be killed to complete the "Save the Dwarves from Slavery" optional.
    • If you find the letter with the Umber Hulks, informing her that you're from the Black Network will automatically succeed.
  • Just charge through the bridge. Not recommended unless you have a strong party, including somebody to disable the traps.
  • There's a cave in the northern section of the tar field.
    • The rusty door at the end requires Strength check to open it directly; requiring a Minimum Strength value of 50 to open (it shows the actual Minimum Strength value required on the Gate itself, if focused upon). However, a Lever right next to it seems to work if your Strength check is 25. Those two Strength check values are static and don't change regardless of Heroic/Epic difficulty.
    • Sneaking in this way requires at least one character to do some jumping up to ledges to get up the shaft; there's a lever at the top to drop the ladder for those more gravitationally-inclined.
    • Bulbossmos may appear in the southern section.
    • If your entire party is stealthy enough, this option may be ideal for a quick completion.

Through the barracks

• If you can open locks, you don't need to open any of the doors in the barracks, except the locked one leading west.

• If you cannot open locks, you need to search for the several metallic keys: Iron (randomly in the barracks, the eastern storage room, or Ildan Argith's chamber) for the Slave Quarters, Silver (south-east barracks) for the first door west to the 'Training Yard' (which can be bypassed by the secret doors to Ildan Argith), and Gold (with Captain Zyn) for the final door west.
• After talking to the leader of the slaves, any drow patrolling the corridors as well as the bridge will show up as red marks on your map.

• All the breakables you need for ransack are in the two storage rooms off the northern corridor.
• The cave tunnel from the tar field leads up to the central room off the northern hallway in this area. Any character can lower the ladder via the lever here, however, opening the gate at the bottom still requires the same Strength DC check no matter which side you open that from.
• In the western storage room is a secret door; behind it is a corridor, guarded by phase spiders, that leads to shrines and Ildan Argith's chamber. The secret door between his chamber and the hallway is much easier to search out than the one from the storage room.
• Note that the drow patrolling the corridors are very single-minded; if you're in a room as they walk by, they won't even notice you, even if you're not sneaking.
• Gold Key is in Captain Zyn's chest

Officer quarters

• Again, head straight west if you can open locks; if you can't, you need to take a detour north.
  • If you're coming from Ildan Argith's chamber, you can just head straight to the door – no need even for sneaking. Be sure to open the door from off to the side, however, as there are drow just beyond. If you don't fight until you're inside the corridor, the drow inside the large room will not aggro on you.

End fight

• High priestess Talice has recruited some spiders (phasing on higher difficulties).
• She can drain your levels, so be sure to bring Death Ward.
• She will teleport around, making the fight difficult for melee characters. The number of Phase spiders spawning during the fight seems to be fixed now; the best method may be to head up to the ledge above her portal and range her.

• The end-chest spawns at the resurrection shrine, where you first saw Talice.

Sarah & Anders

• Sarah won't leave until Anders is freed.
• Once you find and speak with Anders, you will need to clear the fort's bridge entrance of enemies.
• The map will actively mark with red dots the enemies that need to be killed for this optional to be completed. Not all the enemies in the area are part of the optional, though you are likely going to aggravate the rest while completing it. The Dungeon Master will alert you when the optional is completed.
  • It is possible, that this optional cannot be completed if too many guards have been killed before speaking to Anders.
• You must return to and speak with Anders a second time to complete the optional.
• Although her dialogue implies you need to go back to speak with her after Anders is freed, Sarah actually de-spawns along with Anders and the other slaves when you speak with him the second time.

Mirrors, Mirrors

• Across the hall from Sarah is an easily opened door. In the back of the room, Alystin Dyrr, a mysterious Drow woman, lies reposing on a divan. In front of her is a large wall mirror. If you can use Diplomacy on her (45 on Heroic Elite), she will tell you to look into the mirror and speak with her again. If you face the mirror, the DM basically tells you that you flatter yourself. Speak with her a second time and she disappears but not before telling you: "Look for secrets behind the barrels". If you don't use Diplomacy with her and just have a conversation the only resultant difference, is she doesn't mention the barrels. Either way, you are given a negative buff called "Overconfidence", which gives you: −10 Physical resist, −2 on Will saves, and −5 on Reflex saves. There is a third option, telling her to fight you, though if chosen she just disappears immediately instead.

Bonus XP

• Devious bonus: 4–24 or fewer monsters killed +7% Bonus.( ♣225 ♦391 ♥407 ♠423 )
• Aggression bonus: 34 or more monsters killed +10% Bonus.( ♣322 ♦559 ♥582 ♠605 )
• Onslaught bonus: 67 or more monsters killed +15% Bonus.( ♣483 ♦839 ♥873 ♠907 )
• Conquest bonus: 100 or more monsters killed +25% Bonus.( ♣804 ♦1,398 ♥1,455 ♠1,512 )
• Tamper bonus: 3 or more traps disarmed +10% Bonus.( ♣322 ♦559 ♥582 ♠605 )
• Ingenious Debilitation bonus: 4 or more traps disarmed +30% Bonus.( ♣965 ♦1,677 ♥1,746 ♠1,814 )
• Observance bonus: 1 or more secret door discovered +8% Bonus.( ♣257 ♦447 ♥466 ♠484 )
• Mischief bonus: 26 or more breakables smashed +8% Bonus.( ♣257 ♦447 ♥466 ♠484 )
• Vandal bonus: 34 or more breakables smashed +10% Bonus.( ♣322 ♦559 ♥582 ♠605 )
• Ransack bonus: 41 or more breakables smashed +15% Bonus.( ♣483 ♦839 ♥873 ♠907 )

Loot

• Chests: 4
  • 1 chest in barracks (also contains Silver Key)
  • 1 chest for defeating Bulbossmos
  • 1 chest for defeating Captain Zyn (also contains Gold Key)
  • 1 end chest, may contain named items
• Collectables: 4
  • Adventurer's Pack — in the north-east corner
  • Fungus — in the southern section of the sewer
  • Cabinet — in Ildan Ardith's chamber
  • Adventurer's Pack — in Captain Zyn's chamber

NPC end rewards

Randomly generated loot, ML correlates with effective quest level.

Named Chest Drop

Last Edited	Item	Type	Enhancements	ML	Bind	Quests
Update 73.1 11 months and 22 days Kobold sneak	Deep Arcanum  (edit)	Outfit	+5 Enhancement Bonus+5 Enhancement Bonus: +5 enhancement bonus to Armor Class. Resistance +6 Resistance +6: Passive: +6 Resistance bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will Saving Throws. Quality Magical Sheltering +4Quality Magical Sheltering +4: +4 Quality bonus to Magical Resistance Rating Insightful Physical Sheltering +9Insightful Physical Sheltering +9: +9 Insight bonus to Physical Resistance Rating Insightful Wizardry +77Insightful Wizardry +77: +77 Insight bonus to spell points. Green Augment SlotThis augment slot can be used to equip this item with the following types of augment: Blue Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to defensive stats, healing amplifications and Tactics DCs. Green Augments: All Green augments are named augments. Yellow Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to offensive stats, condition resistances and immunities, elemental resistances and DC spellcasting stats. Colorless Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to ability scores and skills. Set augments are also colorless.	15	Bound to Account on Acquire	Graveyard Shift, End chest; Strike Back, End chest
Update 73.1 11 months and 22 days Kobold sneak	Forge  (edit)	War Hammer	+5 Enhancement Bonus+5 Enhancement Bonus: +5 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. Fiery 4Fiery 4: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to burn with enchanted flames, dealing 4d6 Fire damage on each hit. Flaming 9Flaming 9: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to burn with enchanted flames, dealing 9d6 Fire damage on each critical hit. Jolting 9Jolting 9: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to arc with electricity, dealing 9d6 Lightning damage on each critical hit. Seeker +8 Seeker +8: Provides a +8 Enhancement bonus to confirm critical hits, and a +8 Enhancement bonus to critical hit damage (before multipliers are applied). Red Augment SlotThis augment slot can be used to equip this item with the following types of augment: Red Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to spell power, and grant elemental damage on hit and DR bypass to weapons. Colorless Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to ability scores and skills. Set augments are also colorless.	15	Bound to Account on Acquire	Strike Back, End chest
Update 73.1 11 months and 22 days Kobold sneak	Pendant of Hidden Tools  (edit)	Necklace	Search +16Search +16: Passive: +16 Competence bonus to the Search skill. Insightful Disable Device +8Insightful Disable Device +8: Passive: +8 Insight bonus to the Disable Device skill. Quality Open Lock +4Quality Open Lock +4: Passive: +4 Quality bonus to the Open Lock skill. Quality Move Silently +4Quality Move Silently +4: Passive: +4 Quality bonus to the Move Silently skill. Green Augment SlotThis augment slot can be used to equip this item with the following types of augment: Blue Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to defensive stats, healing amplifications and Tactics DCs. Green Augments: All Green augments are named augments. Yellow Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to offensive stats, condition resistances and immunities, elemental resistances and DC spellcasting stats. Colorless Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to ability scores and skills. Set augments are also colorless.	15	Bound to Account on Acquire	Strike Back, end chest
Update 76 4 months and 24 days PurpleSerpent	Light Boltslinger  (edit)	Repeating Light Crossbow	+5 Enhancement Bonus+5 Enhancement Bonus: +5 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. Improved Vorpal Improved Vorpal: Passive: +0.5[W] damage dice. On Vorpal Hit: If your target has fewer than 1500 Hit Points, they are instantly slain. If your target has above 1500 Hit Points, they take 150 damage. Jolting 9Jolting 9: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to arc with electricity, dealing 9d6 Lightning damage on each critical hit. Electrifying 4Electrifying 4: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to arc with electricity, dealing 4d6 Lightning damage on each hit. Insightful Distant Diversion +5%Insightful Distant Diversion +5%: +5% Insight bonus to decreased threat generated from ranged damage. Red Augment SlotThis augment slot can be used to equip this item with the following types of augment: Red Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to spell power, and grant elemental damage on hit and DR bypass to weapons. Colorless Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to ability scores and skills. Set augments are also colorless.	15	Bound to Account on Acquire	Strike Back, End Chest
Update 73.1 11 months and 22 days Kobold sneak	Legendary Deep Arcanum  (edit)	Clothing	+13 Enhancement Bonus+13 Enhancement Bonus: +13 enhancement bonus to Armor Class. Resistance +10 Resistance +10: Passive: +10 Resistance bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will Saving Throws. Quality Magical Sheltering +8Quality Magical Sheltering +8: +8 Quality bonus to Magical Resistance Rating Insightful Physical Sheltering +16Insightful Physical Sheltering +16: +16 Insight bonus to Physical Resistance Rating Insightful Wizardry +134Insightful Wizardry +134: +134 Insight bonus to spell points. Green Augment SlotThis augment slot can be used to equip this item with the following types of augment: Blue Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to defensive stats, healing amplifications and Tactics DCs. Green Augments: All Green augments are named augments. Yellow Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to offensive stats, condition resistances and immunities, elemental resistances and DC spellcasting stats. Colorless Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to ability scores and skills. Set augments are also colorless.	28	Bound to Account on Acquire	Graveyard Shift, End chest; Strike Back, End chest
Update 73.1 11 months and 22 days Kobold sneak	Legendary Forge  (edit)	War Hammer	+13 Enhancement Bonus+13 Enhancement Bonus: +13 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. Fiery 6Fiery 6: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to burn with enchanted flames, dealing 6d6 Fire damage on each hit. Flaming 14Flaming 14: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to burn with enchanted flames, dealing 14d6 Fire damage on each critical hit. Jolting 14Jolting 14: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to arc with electricity, dealing 14d6 Lightning damage on each critical hit. Seeker +13 Seeker +13: Provides a +13 Enhancement bonus to confirm critical hits, and a +13 Enhancement bonus to critical hit damage (before multipliers are applied). Red Augment SlotThis augment slot can be used to equip this item with the following types of augment: Red Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to spell power, and grant elemental damage on hit and DR bypass to weapons. Colorless Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to ability scores and skills. Set augments are also colorless.	28	Bound to Account on Acquire	Strike Back, End chest
Update 73.1 11 months and 22 days Kobold sneak	Legendary Pendant of Hidden Tools  (edit)	Necklace	Search +20Search +20: Passive: +20 Competence bonus to the Search skill. Insightful Disable Device +10Insightful Disable Device +10: Passive: +10 Insight bonus to the Disable Device skill. Quality Open Lock +5Quality Open Lock +5: Passive: +5 Quality bonus to the Open Lock skill. Quality Move Silently +5Quality Move Silently +5: Passive: +5 Quality bonus to the Move Silently skill. Green Augment SlotThis augment slot can be used to equip this item with the following types of augment: Blue Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to defensive stats, healing amplifications and Tactics DCs. Green Augments: All Green augments are named augments. Yellow Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to offensive stats, condition resistances and immunities, elemental resistances and DC spellcasting stats. Colorless Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to ability scores and skills. Set augments are also colorless.	28	Bound to Account on Acquire	Strike Back, end chest
Update 76 4 months and 24 days PurpleSerpent	Legendary Light Boltslinger  (edit)	Repeating Light Crossbow	+13 Enhancement Bonus+13 Enhancement Bonus: +13 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. Sovereign Vorpal Sovereign Vorpal: Passive: +0.5[W] damage dice. On Vorpal Hit: If your target has fewer than 3000 Hit Points, they are instantly slain. If your target has above 3000 Hit Points, they take 300 damage. Jolting 14Jolting 14: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to arc with electricity, dealing 14d6 Lightning damage on each critical hit. Electrifying 6Electrifying 6: This effect causes the edges of this weapon to arc with electricity, dealing 6d6 Lightning damage on each hit. Insightful Distant Diversion +9%Insightful Distant Diversion +9%: +9% Insight bonus to decreased threat generated from ranged damage. Red Augment SlotThis augment slot can be used to equip this item with the following types of augment: Red Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to spell power, and grant elemental damage on hit and DR bypass to weapons. Colorless Augments: Standard augments provide bonuses to ability scores and skills. Set augments are also colorless.	28	Bound to Account on Acquire	Strike Back, End Chest

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Based on Strike Back loot ^{( t • e • h )}

Monsters

Name ( picture )	CR	Type	Race
Battle Horror ( view  • edit )	●♦30Epic Normal ●♥34Epic Hard ●♠38Epic Elite	Construct	Helmed Horror
Bulbossmos ( view  • edit )	♦18Normal ♥20Hard ♠23Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Evil Outsider	Demon
Captain Zyn ( view  • edit )	♦18Normal ♥20Hard ♠23Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Deep Crawler ( view  • edit )	♦15Normal ♥17Hard ♠20Elite ●♦31Epic Normal ●♥35Epic Hard ●♠39Epic Elite	Vermin	Spider
Draegloth Guardian ( view  • edit )	♦15Normal ♥17Hard ♠20Elite ●♦31Epic Normal ●♥35Epic Hard ●♠39Epic Elite	Evil Outsider	Demon
Dretch ( view  • edit )	♦15Normal ♥17Hard ♠20Elite ●♦31Epic Normal ●♥35Epic Hard ●♠39Epic Elite	Evil Outsider	Demon
Drider Warrior ( view  • edit )	♦17Normal ♥20Hard ♠24Elite ●♦33Epic Normal ●♥37Epic Hard ●♠41Epic Elite	Aberration	Drider
Drow Ritualist ( view  • edit )	♦16Normal ♥19Hard ♠23Elite ●♦32Epic Normal ●♥36Epic Hard ●♠40Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Drow Warpriestess ( view  • edit )	♦17Normal ♥20Hard ♠24Elite ●♦33Epic Normal ●♥37Epic Hard ●♠41Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Dwarven Miner ( view  • edit )	♦15Normal ♥17Hard ♠20Elite ●♦31Epic Normal ●♥35Epic Hard ●♠55Epic Elite	Dwarf	Dwarf
Ildan Argith ( view  • edit )	♦18Normal ♥20Hard ♠23Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Lieutenant Rauva ( view  • edit )	♦16Normal ♥18Hard ♠21Elite ●♦32Epic Normal ●♥36Epic Hard ●♠40Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Ogre Battle Thrall ( view  • edit )	♦15Normal ♥17Hard ♠20Elite ●♦31Epic Normal ●♥35Epic Hard ●♠39Epic Elite	Giant	Ogre
Outpost Archer ( view  • edit )	♦16Normal ♥19Hard ♠23Elite ●♦32Epic Normal ●♥36Epic Hard ●♠40Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Outpost Guard ( view  • edit )	♦16Normal ♥19Hard ♠23Elite ●♦32Epic Normal ●♥36Epic Hard ●♠40Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Phase Spider ( view  • edit )	♦15Normal ♥17Hard ♠20Elite ●♦31Epic Normal ●♥35Epic Hard ●♠39Epic Elite	Magical Beast	Spider
Ravenous Umber Hulk ( view  • edit )	♦15Normal ♥17Hard ♠20Elite ●♦31Epic Normal ●♥35Epic Hard ●♠39Epic Elite	Aberration	Umber Hulk
Slave master Velkas ( view  • edit )	♦17Normal ♥19Hard ♠22Elite ●♦33Epic Normal ●♥37Epic Hard ●♠41Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf
Talice Argith ( view  • edit )	♦18Normal ♥20Hard ♠23Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Elf	Drow Elf