Runescape 3: Daemonheim Task Aura 4 Complete

With all the updates that I haven't finished yet, it's nice to get one done.  Over last weekend, Monique and I pushed hard to work on the Daemonheim Tasks.  She finished everything except a couple that needed Divination.  I was a bit closer.  The one that required level 86 Div (Pass the Port) was over my head, but close enough that a Strong Gatherer's Potion let me do it.

Doing the Dungeoneering tasks was my favorite task set.  It actually made DG fun again.  Added some interest, and made me actually pay attention.  Some of the tasks were hard just because achieving them was a semi-random thing.  Like (finding and) killing a Frost Dragon.  Or finding a door that was above my skill level, so I could use a Portent of Passage on it.  (After I'd done it, suddenly those darn doors were all over the place... it's all random timing.)

Completing the Easy tasks gave the benefit of picking your boss monster once a day.  That truly helped when it came time to face Rammernaut, Bal'lak the Pummeller, or the Warped Gulega.

The biggest pain of them all was the final Hard Level task, Epic Epic.  Complete all the Sagas with 100%.  I finished the Elite tasks before finishing Epic Epic.  Never felt the need to do them before, and didn't remember finding the keys that triggered the sagas.  Luckily, Monique and I both already had the sagas unlocked, we just had to do them.  It took a couple of tries on one or two, but Sunday morning we finally finished the final one.

Aside from the pleasure of accomplishing all challenges, there are significant rewards.  You get experience lamps along the way, for earning all 4 Aura levels:
2,000
8,000
20,000
60,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
For a grand total of 240,000 exp.  So, that's only a day or two of Sinkholes, but still... it's a nice benefit.  Especially when you get some 40,000 Dungeoneering Tokens too.

As nice as all that is, it's just a side benefit.  You can earn all of that without doing the tasks.  Just play Dungeoneering.  What's the REAL reward?

The Daemonheim Aura 4.  At each level, it grants real benefits.  Some better than others, but still, nice things to help play.  Below I've listed the Bennies, with a rating of 1 - 4 stars for each:

Aura 1 grants
**One free death per day in Daemonheim.  (Nice, but I don't usually die.)
* A cosmetic override (Heim crab weapons, like Thok uses in Thok Your Block Off).
**** Once per day, Choose which Boss you encounter.  You have to be on the appropriate level for that boss to be available.  (Are you kidding me?  This is going to make 'hunting' for specialty items much much easier!  Possibly my favorite reward.)
* A 25% effective 'Secondary' role for your ring of Kinship.  Now you can have a second skill active along with the first.  (This gets more valuable with each higher Aura.)

Aura 2
*Acts like Ava's Accumulator and the Bonecrusher while inside Daemonheim.  (Nice, but ehhh.)
*Access to an extended portion of the Deamonheim peninsula resource dungeon.  (Yawn)
**Bind one potion, to be accessible once per floor.  (This is slightly cool.  Don't really need it, but having a pre-made potion can be useful at times.  Mines a Gatherer's potion.)
*** 40 free Law and Cosmic runes in each dungeon.  (Okay, this is very useful.  Though I'd have liked maybe double the number.)
** A 50% effective 'Secondary' role for the ring.  (Getting better...)

Aura 3
*Backhand.  (Boo!  This has no true practical value.)
* Access to an extended portion of the Dwarven Mine resource dungeon.  (8 mith, 2 addy... sort of handy, maybe.)
**** Two more bind slots.  (This is excellent... more storage space!)
*** 5% savings when recharging items with the Marmaros the Trader.  (This has a long-term benefit if you use Chaotics a lot.)
**** 10% increase in Sinkhole rewards.  (I do 2 Sinkholes every day, this is of major importance in long-term leveling up.)
*** A 75% effective 'Secondary' role for the ring of Kinship.  (Better every time.)

Aura 4
** Burying bones in Daemonheim will recover prayer points.  (Could be useful, but I don't really use that much prayer in DG.)
** Acces to another extended resource dungeon.  (This one I like, It's the Brimhaven dungeon, and has 4 Mithril Dragons.  Mildly fun.)
* 10% discount from the smuggler.  (Sorta useful.  I don't buy from him often.)
**** A second Gatestone and Teleport spell.  (This is awesome.  I like using the teleports, and having a spare is excellent!)
**** A 100% effective 'Secondary' role for the ring.  (Now you effectively have two fully functional active skills on the ring at all times.  Very convenient!)

Lastly, and this is amazing if you're a hard-core DG'er... Hard Mode.  Any random difficulty levels (and bosses) are boosted to the max for it's level.  The rewards are potentially greater.  And if you beat all 60 floors in Hard Mode, you get the title "Of Daemonheim".

I like titles that MEAN something.  So I want this one!

All in all, the Aura does some very cool things, and I like it.  A lot!

Runescape 3: I used to have a routine

What routine?  I used to play according to a very set pattern.  Ports, Sinkholes, 1 Dungeon run each day, and the daily money-run.  Not any more.

I enjoyed Battle of Lumbridge, and would still be playing it, but then Jagex released Divination.  Just as I got a normal schedule going, the Daemonheim Task Set came out.

At first, I was going to get 99 Div before working on the task set.  But since I currently spend some time each day working on Dungeoneering, it makes more sense to do the tasks.  The benefits and rewards will help me get that 120 DG level faster.

So, I have no set schedule any more.  POP maybe three times a day, sinkholes twice a day, and the rest is divided out between Divination and the DG tasks as time and goals allow.

Last night I was going to try and knock out the Warped Gulega task, but hit a glitch.  The Daemonheim Aura 2 lets you choose the boss in a floor once a day.  You pick the floor, then it gives you a list of bosses appropriate to that floor.  So I chose floor 30.  The Gulega was bottom right on the option list, but somehow I clicked something else.  Either it was my fault, or I can't pick him until his task has been completed.  (I found out later- 30 isn't deep enough.)

Either way, I found myself soloing a medium dungeon with no goal in mind.  Decided I'd just bang out a few random tasks while down there.  Wound up getting several.  Made a new altar, a catalytic wand, a spiritbloom orb, and a bouldabass/edicap potato (which was eaten in a boss fight).

As a side task, I made a strong gatherer's potion.  My Divination is currently 77, with the potion I can boost it high enough to make a Portent of Restoration IX.  I bound it in the new slot, so when I finally find some Billiant Wisps I'll be ready.

Could have done more, but that was plenty for the moment.

Runescape 3: The Daemonheim Task Set

Jagex is still on a roll with their rapid-fire updates.  Now they've given us the Daemonheim Task Set.  As usual, they come in Easy, Medium, Hard, and Elite levels.

Given how difficult the Desert task set was (I still haven't finished the Elite set...)  I was dreading the Daemonheim set.  Turns out, the new tasks are actually kind of fun.  Many of the tasks are solo, and must be done independently.  For the rest of the tasks, they can be done in a shared dungeon.  Monique and I enjoy doing them together, as much as we can.

The Easy tasks were very easy, with a couple of caveats.  You have to complete a Fremennik Saga, which means you must have access to the sagas.  Something not everybody will have.  "Sinking Fast" requires you to complete a Sinkhole.  Certainly an easy task... except that the Sinkhole world has been flooded ever since.  That means the wait to get in is long, and lag is likely.

On the other hand, it means there are lots of 'noobs', players who don't understand how to play the sinkholes.  As a result, I've been getting much better rewards.  Being just an average player, my position usually ends up anywhere on the board.  Last, first, but mostly in the middle.  Currently, I'm doing much better with all the new participants.  The crowding is annoying, but it's been pretty cool getting so many large and huge lamps, often with meercats.

The Medium tasks are still mostly easy.  If you have trouble with anything, Wiki has a good task list with basic guides to help.  There are two tasks that gave/are giving me trouble.  "Up to the Gods" requires you to sacrifice a Frost Dragon bone on a prayer altar from a dragon you killed yourself in a solo dungeon.

I worked on that one for 2 days.  Solo dungeons, Frost levels, medium size.  Finally found one, killed it, found an altar and sacrificed the Frost Dragon bones.  Not hard, but Frost Dragons in Daemonheim are kind of rare.  Except for Monique, who wandered in, did a couple of rooms, and laughed.
I said "You found one, didn't you?"
She did.  Fortunately, mine showed up just minutes later, so I didn't have to feel sorry for myself very long.

The only medium task I have yet to do is "Portent of Passage V".  I have to find a door that's above my skill levels, and use a Divination Portent to get through.  My skills are maxed (except Divination), so finding a door that locks me out doesn't happen often.
I'm still hoping to randomly find a suitable door, but if not, I'll find some Forgotten Mages to drain my combat stats, then look for Strength or Magic doors.

I'm still working on the Hard Tasks, but the only one that should give any trouble is "Epic Epic", which involves completing ALL Sagas with 100%.  This is problematic, since I only have access to "Three's Company".  It may take quite some time to gain access so I can finish this one.

Looking ahead to the Elite Tasks, most of it looks pretty doable.  I've already done some kind of by accident.  The hardest one is going to be creating a Portent of Restoration IX.  That takes 86 Divination, and my Div level is at 76 so far.  Going to take a lot of time to raise it to 86.

The reason for doing all of this is an Aura.  The Daemonheim Aura gives some pretty good benefits.  Starting with the easy skills, you get one 'free' death per day (if you're wearing it).  You can choose a secondary ring role in another class, which means you can effectively 2 active ring classes at once.  To begin, it's only 25%, but by the time you earn the Elite Aura, it's a full 100%. 

The best thing for me is the ability to choose which boss you encounter once per day.  That's awesome.  It means I can truly go 'hunting' for drops that particular bosses drop.  They have to be level-appropriate, both to you, and to the floor you're on.  But it's going to be nice to pick my targets, even if it's only once per day.

Level 2 aura acts like Ava's Accumulator and the Bonecrusher, if you wear it in the dungeon.  Also gives access to an extended resource dungeon.
Effective even when not worn:  Bind one potion in a new slot.  Get free Law and Cosmic runes in every dungeon.  Secondary ring role goes up to 50%.

Level 3 Daemonheim Aura... Backhand ability, which is pretty worthless.  But you get access to another extended resource dungeon in the Dwarven Mine (has 8 mith and 2 addy rocks).   The secondary ring role goes up to 75% effectiveness, there's a 5% reduced cost to recharge items, and two more things...
First, 2 more bind slots in Daemonheim.  That's big.  Picking and choosing what to bind has always been limiting, even after the EOC upgrade.  More is better.
Second, a 10% increase in Sinkhole rewards.  Another biggie.  Sinkholes are my main way of leveling up.  10% is huge!

The Elite level aura has some elite-level boosts.  Burying bones in Daemonheim will recover prayer points (20 for normal bones, 40 for dragon bones) while it's activated.  Big deal, right?  Kind of.
But when worn, you get a second gatestone and teleport spell.  No runes needed to use.  That's pretty awesome.  Especially if you do larger dungeons.

Of course, you gain access to another extended resource dungeon, in Brimhaven this time, with 4 Mithril Dragons.  The ring secondary effect goes up to 100%, you get 10% discount from the smuggler.

Oh, and access to Daemonheim's Hard Mode.  According to the recent behind-the-scenes Daemonheim Tasks video, Hard Mode is something like asking Jagex to cheat.  Instead of getting bosses randomly generated on a range of difficulties, you get the hardest possible version of the boss.  Same goes for all the monsters.

In and of itself, I'm not too excited about Hard Mode.  But the interesting part comes when you complete all 60 floors in hard mode, which can only be used on complexity 6 dungeons.  There are numerous changes, all of which make the job harder.
Your odds of getting tier 10 and 11 items as boss-drops is very high,  which is a nice benefit.  But the main reward is the title "of Daemonheim".  To wear the title, you must complete all 60 floors on Hard Mode.  It's going to be a pretty selective title, and if you can wear it, be sure it marks you as literally, one of the elite!

Runescape 3: Super September on a Roll

Last time, I mentioned how all the new updates turned my daily playing schedule topsy-turvy.  Jagex is still at it.  Now they've unleashed Super September.  I love comic books... love Runescape...  want the gold-tinted super-hero costume.  :^D

The deal is, every day there's a new Super September Challenge.  Each challenge must be done on the day it's assigned (within 24 hours).  If you complete 5 challenges during September, you get the basic superhero outfit.  Complete 10, and it's the titles "Super" and "Supervillain".

At 15 completed challenges you earn a superhero emote.  At 20, you can call down the lightning (I imagine it's just an emote, not an attack action.)  25 challenges done gets superhero claws, and 30 earns a superhero shield.

The basic Superhero Outfit

And, I'm not really that hyped about all of that.  Sure, some of the rewards are mildly cool.  But what drives me to complete all 30 assignments?  A GOLD version of the superhero outfit!  There are other, unnamed rewards for getting all 30, but that's my goal.

The outfit is an override, and not an actual costume.  The artists concept looks awesome.  With luck, the actual gold superhero outfit looks just as great.

Not sure how hard or easy any of the challenges will be.  So far Monique and I have done the first 7 days worth.  Starting on the 1st with Miracle Recovery.  Easy enough, though getting just enough damage to trigger a 'portent of restoration' 10 times in a row... without taking too much... was a pain.  I used one of the dragons in my player-owned house.  Should have followed Monique - she went to Lunar Isle and fought Suqahs.  Considering she finished much faster, they must have worked very well.  Better than my dragon, anyway.

The second challenge was much easier.  Blood Sweat and Tears required we collect 200 divine tears from the lumbridge battlefield.  Quick and easy.  The combat is fun, but for speed we just mined the crystals.

Everybody Dance Now could have been problematic.  Dancing near at least 10 other people who are dancing too?  Lucky for us, dancing while waiting for the Dungeoneering Sinkhole is a favorite way for people to pass time.  We had no trouble.

Go Bananas requires you eat 50 bananas, slow enough for the counter to register each one.  Too fast, and you don't get credit for some.  Monique did hers early, and told me the crowds and competition at the banana grove was fierce.  She got smart, killed a bunch of Goblins and cast bones to bananas on them.  I'm more the obsessive/compulsive type, and had over 300 in the bank.  Just in case of Ape Atoll teleports.  :^)



Mad Skills was super-easy.  Train 15 different skills in a day.  Monique and I do the Jack of Trades, which requires training 10, so it was just a matter of doing 5 extra skills.  For Bulldog, we just logged onto world 96, the Quick Chat world.  It's our home world anyway, and usually less populated since talk is restricted.  One straight run from Edgeville to the High-level wilderness fence.


Schmooze was a bit of a pain.  Talk to 10 different Signature Heroes/Kings/Queens.  I was one short until Monique reminded me of the Fisher King.  Take the Fairy Ring BJR, talk to the new Fisher King, and done.


So far, Soul Searching was the worst one.  For it, we had to complete a game of Soul Wars.  Sounds easy, until we tried to log into the official Soul Wars world.  Worst lag we've seen in ages.  Looks like everybody else had the same idea at the same time.  Wound up going to world 60 (the Penguin world) and having a game. 


Overall, it's been easy enough, and lots of variety.  Can't wait to see what's next!

Runescape 3: A Change of Habit

For a long, long time, I've been in maintenance mode.  Play Runescape every day, but it's very predictable.  Do the money run... Morchella mushrooms, cactus spines, harvest coconuts from the 6 palm trees.  Once a day, collect red sandstone, do the Wicked Hood free essence (I make Bloods with mine).  Do the Battlestaff pickup.  Get the free sand and cheap seaweed.

At 8:30 or 9:30, do two Sinkholes.  Immediately after, do a Dungeoneering floor for my daily challenge.  (It was the only skill left to train.)  Manage my POP.  Sounds like a lot, but it's really about an hour a day, spread out here and there.

When RS3 came out, it kind of re-invented Runscape for me.  The Battle of Lumbridge didn't catch my fancy immediately, but it has my attention now.  And then, Divination came out.

My routine has been blown sky-high.  In the interests of staying focused, and because I can't spend every waking moment playing, I've re-prioritized.  The day begins before work with POP and some Divination training.  I do Sinkholes at 8:30 in the evening, and POP as necessary.

Focusing on only doing the Dungeoneering daily challenges, which get done as assigned.  My 'money run' is gone.  Totally blew it off.  For a little longer, I'll be fighting for Saradomin.  Want the armour, and the weapon overrides.  (Already have sword and staff, halfway done getting the Hammer.)  Once I get the bonuses, I'll be leaving the Battle of Lumbridge behind.

Until I max Dungeoneering and/or Divination, that's going to be the routine.  Total change of pace.

How did it change your routine?