Module 13 Preview: Hunts of Omu

As part of our extensive preview series of Neverwinter’s next module “Lost City of Omu”, we are looking into the new Hunts of Omu and attached rewards today. Hunts were a major feature addition in Tomb of Annihilation and the system is getting an extension in Omu. Volo is eager to get his hands on brand-new creatures, and adventurer’s can take away trophies and unique items once again.

First and foremost, if this is the first time you hear about Hunts, please read through our preview and guides (1 2) of Module 12. I’ll try to make this as newbie-friendly as possible, but since you need to have played through Tomb of Annihilation to enter Omu, I’ll assume that you are at least somewhat familiar with the feature. Please also note that drop rates of Trophies have been tweaked significantly in Module 15.

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Same Structure, Different Mobs

The structure of the Hunts hasn’t changed in Module 13. Some mobs on the Lost City of Omu adventure zone have a chance to re-spawn as rare versions, which then have a chance to drop certain Trophy items when killed. Not all mob types feature rare version, but most do. In Omu that’s the Bears (Rotting Sun Bear), Thayan (Magebreaker), Yuan-Ti (Mind Whisperer), Undead (Ancient Will-o-Wisp), Greenscale Lizards (Beast Talker?) and Spiders (Red Recluse?). All rare mobs are marked with a  next to their name to make them distinguishable from regular ones.

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Hunts Pyramid (credits to Cayley)

One Trophy of rare mobs and a Fang from the Razortyrannus Rex, that can also be found roaming Omu, combine to a Lure for the first tier of so-called “Star Hunts”. Star Hunts do not randomly spawn, but have to be triggered at certain locations. Players have to unlock Lures in the campaign and exchange them at the Hunter’s Square in Port Nyanzaru. In Mod 13 Trophies and Lure items are not unique any longer. You can now hold more of the same in your inventory or bank, but can no longer use the mail system to store them. One-Star Hunts drop new Trophies that can be exchanged for Lures of Two-Star Hunts etc. This pyramid setup eventually leads to the capstone Hunt of Module 13, the Tyrant. Based on the experience in Soshenstar River, it’s going to take substantial grinding to even get one Lure item for the Tyrant. Don’t mix it up with the Heroic Encounter of the same name by the way.

Rewards from Star Hunts

Star Hunts are mini boss mobs that may require teaming up if you’re not endgame geared. They drop campaign currency (and up to 25 Lost Idols that don’t count towards the Weekly Haul) and have a chance to hand out unique item level 480 gear. As you can see browsing the pictures below, all items come from a specific set of Hunts. So in case you like a piece, you have to farm that Hunt over and over again until the RNG delivers it.

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There are a bunch of interesting items that add a percentage of damage to certain powers or in certain situations. Mane of the Manticore even has the potential to be insanely broken in PVP for any HP-heavy builds that drop frequent dailies. Also tanks get a full new line of gear with appropriate stats and procs. I’m pretty sure most classes will find something of use. Not too sure what to make out of some of the rings though. There are a few that have offensive stats, but two defensive slots starting at +4. It could be something for tanky builds that can add some offense in case they’re maxed out otherwise, but it still seems like an odd combination.

New Artifact Sets

Hunts in Module 13 also come with unique new Artifact sets. The Charm of the Serpent and Skull Lord Staff of Module 12 combine with new Waist and Neck pieces to two different sets. The Serpent one is offensive and grants up to 5% damage bonus while Skull Lord with its Temp HP bonus might be interesting for defensive toons. Also it’s worth noting that the Artifact Gear unlike all other rewards from Hunts is unbound.

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Conclusion

Overall not much has changed with Hunts in Omu. The feature is still a grind mechanic that requires players to pull through multiple layers of RNG. But just like in Mod 12, it’s an alternative source of getting viable gear especially for alternate characters and is a different kind of setup that can actually be fun. Players that chose to skip the feature in Soshenstar River however do not get additional incentives to look into Hunts in Mod 13. Maybe the smaller map and grouped mob placement will make it easier to go for rare spawns, but that remains to be seen. It can also work against the feature as more players compete on fewer space.

Maps and Locations

Last but not least, the community has already mapped all mob and spawn location of the Hunts of Omu. Thanks to Rainer, Cayley, Przemuś and silverrrrrrr for the resources!

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That’s our preview for the Hunts of Omu that await adventurers in Module 13. Do like that the devs continued the feature? Will you be going for some of the gear? Let us know on our social channels, in the comments below, or the corresponding thread on our message board!

Neverwinter UN:Blogged is always looking for writers to contribute to the blog. If you are an active player and search for a way to spread your opinions, analysis, diaries or reviews to more than 40,000 regular visitors, then don’t hesitate and get in touch with us on our contact page or message board! We are currently especially looking for console and PVP content, but that’s not exclusive. There is no frequency requirement, you post how often you want.

j0Shi

j0Shi plays the Neverwinter MMORPG since the open BETA in 2013 and is a regular contributor to the blog and the whole UN:Project. Originally a Guardian Fighter, he has built up ALTs of all classes and plays on BIS/near-BIS level.

15 thoughts on “Module 13 Preview: Hunts of Omu

  • January 30, 2018 at 11:01 am
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    Mane of the Manticore has the potential to be insanely broken in PvP for any HP-heavy builds that drop frequent Dailies.

    • January 30, 2018 at 1:56 pm
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      Indeed!

  • January 30, 2018 at 2:00 pm
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    What with Ring of the Shadowstalker ?

  • February 1, 2018 at 5:53 pm
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    Sorry this sentence doesn’t make any logical sense; “The feature is still a grind mechanic that requires players to pull through multiple layers of RNG.” Assume you mean Random Number Generator? That is not something that is layered, it is a math mechanic used in many games. Maybe it is just me, but I fail to understand the usage here. I am not trying to be ignorant, when I create technical data sheet, I don’t toss out acronyms until they are previously defined.
    For example;

    Please use the SQL interface compliant with the DB-API 2.0 or higher.

    Please use the Structured Query Language (SQL) interface compliant with the Database Application Programming Interface (DB-API) 2.0 or higher.

    Now that my acronyms are defined I can freely use them in my documentation, otherwise this will confuse the readers. However if you do mean to say random number generator, this could be read as; The feature is still a grind mechanic that requires players to pull through multiple layers of a mathematical procedure to create random numbers. Very confusing.

    • February 2, 2018 at 4:06 am
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      Sorry that you had trouble understanding that particular part of the article, that wasn’t our intention. We assume our audience is MMO (and Neverwinter) savvy and knows common abbreviations. RNG in the game world indeed stands for “Random Number Generator”, but is also commonly used for general randomness, or bad luck. “RNG trolled me”, “I’m having on of those RNG days”. We would assume that RNG in those sentences don’t make “technical” sense either, but they are still perfectly understandable in the MMO world. In fact, searching for “layers of RNG” on google returns many gaming entries that contain the phrase. This is not science, it’s a fansite.

      Maybe it’s easier to understand if you’re switching “layers” with “occurrences” and “RNG” with “randomness”? Just think of it as system that requires you to roll for a reward multiple times. And in case you fail one roll, you need to start all over again. Hope that helps!

      Cheers!

    • April 26, 2018 at 11:11 pm
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      God this is a dense response. Layered RNG = multiple nested instances of relying on positive RNG results to gain the necessary items. ie. You have a low probability of dropping a thing, which is required for another RNG “roll” that also has a low probability. Said differently, you have x% of getting item 1, which is required to roll for item 2, which has y% of success. To get item 2 you need to “pass” both layers of RNG, and failure resets you back to the beginning. Multiplicative probabilities are not a complex concept…

  • February 2, 2018 at 6:50 am
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    For the Hunts, the RNG is most definitely layered. (1) You clear a mob pack – RNG will determine if a rare spawn replaces the pack upon re-spawn; (2) if a rare spawn appears and you kill it, RNG will determine if a Hunt trophy drops; (3) add, rinse, repeat for each additional layer up to the 3-star hunt with RNG determining the quality of the loot after all the work and grind required to get to that level.

    The RNG is also what annoys most players to no end. For example, I have killed literally thousands of scorpions in Chult. I am approaching 100 kills of Hedetet (92 atm – I am a completionist as I would have otherwise given up ages ago). I have received over 34 copies of each Martyr’s Plackart, Spiteful Heels, and Rings of the Beast Slayer (including a +5 version). However, Hedetet has never dropped a trophy piece for me. It’s the only trophy piece I appear unable to obtain and I can’t understand how the RNG can be so skewed (yes, I’ve checked my inventory to see if one was hiding in there because they are unique, which just adds more frustration to the Hunt RNG system) as I have several friends who get one every 5 or 6 kills. This one anomaly is why I don’t hunt more and actually become anti-social when it comes to scorpions. I also appear not to be completely alone in this because I see more people camping scorpions than any other spawn and prices for the venomtail remain higher than other 1-star trophy drops. I know Cryptic says they conducted a review of drop rates to confirm they are working as intended, but I don’t believe that they actually did (the other alternative that the intended drop rate is to frustrate players would cause me, and likely others, to quit the game so not believing is actually a better alternative for Cryptic). I suspect that some people get flagged as having a trophy that they don’t actually have, but have no way of proving it other than my own anecdotal evidence. Removing the unique flag would be one way to remove the suspicion.

  • February 2, 2018 at 7:15 pm
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    Thanks for the explanation. I see that is a gamer’s term now and makes more sense to me. I am not a huge fan any MMO in particular, I was doing some research on Neverwinter Online for my wife (who plays it a lot) and her friends.

  • February 5, 2018 at 12:34 am
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    You stated a very important distinction. You’re writing a TECHNICAL data sheet. Hes writing an article to a niche audience with a certain set of assumed knowledge.

  • February 5, 2018 at 12:41 am
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    not meant as negatively as it may appear in ‘internet conversation’. ..just pointing out the difference in point of view.

  • February 5, 2018 at 12:57 am
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    Note that ” working as intended” does not necessarily mean fair or unweighted. The RNG side of Neverwinter essentially amounts to an unregulated Casino, where it is in their interest to reward some players over others. Theres a reason that real world casinos normally operate under strict regulations, and its not because big business tends to fairness.

    My own testing has proven to MY satisfaction that they heavily weight rewards towards those who have paid over a threshhold of zen. While that isn’t too surprising, and hasnt been a quittable offense for me, I can see how it might be for others. This feigned innocence in the face of mountains of data is what may eventually hasten my own departure.

  • March 18, 2018 at 4:55 pm
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    Is there an armor piece drop from Musshussu or Chitters? (Not including rings)

  • April 3, 2018 at 3:11 am
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    Am I misunderstanding something here, you state “Star Hunts no longer randomly spawn, but have to be triggered at certain locations”, one always had to attain lures and then place them at a specific spot to trigger a star hunt.

    • April 3, 2018 at 5:50 am
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      Yes, you still have to obtain lures and place them. The “no longer” in the sentence was meant to contrast with how rare spawns work, but it was unclear and we’ve removed it. Cheers!

  • May 8, 2018 at 11:45 am
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    Neverwinter RNG is stupid. That’s why i left the game and moved to Tera.

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