Mouths in "The Fungal Maze"

[zielakxar]

Despite a board note in Andunor saying not to pick Derro Wirts I've decided to investigate and learn what is going on with the access to Derro Temple from writ "Raid Noragh Norr". It would seem mouths in Fungal Maze are currently bugged - by bugged I mean spot check on them doesn't work as intended by standard DnD rules.

Further text contains spoilers but I'd hardly consider it FOIG (Find out in game information) since there is no actual hints leading you to solve this riddle, meaning only way to do it is with OOC knowledge or getting lucky in spot rolls.

In location "The Fungal Maze" there are 3 mouths. It seems like those have a spot check on them that you need to pass to get dialogue necesary to obtain gems required to open the Derro temple.

I've somehow managed to pass one spot check with just 4 points in spot - unfortunately no matter how many times I try I'm unable to get the gem from other mouths even with spot score of 14 achieved through Clairvoyance spell. It would seem there is a delay and if you'll fail some hidden spot roll once you cannot roll it again.

This is something against DnD specification of how spot/search is supposed to work: https://dndtools.net/skills/spot/
Manual clearly says: Yes. You can try to spot something that you failed to see previously at no penalty.

First of all I don't get why would I need to pass any spot checks at all if my character noticed a hidden gem when speaking with the first mouth - it should be obvious he can expect the same with 2 others.

To fix it I'd suggest setting spot check there to DC that ANY character can pass like 18 and allow for unlimited repeats of that roll each time character speaks with the mouth to emulate situation where IC character already knows where exactly he needs to search for the gem (So he searches repetitively).


Current execution of this writ/quest area is just:
1. Annoying - especially to new players.
2. Unimmersive - to those that IC know where to search and wouldn't need a spot check.
3. Breaking DnD rules for spot regarding repetitive search/spot rolls.

I understand it was designed with making spotters useful in mind but result is just a terrible cause of explained above arguments.
I'm aware topic could fit to suggestion forums but i see it as a bug cause it doesn't work according to manual specifications (regarding spot skill).

[zielakxar]

Small update - I kinda assumed those rolls would reset after server reset so I've tried it again and 14 ranks in spot (which is roughly what average character in that zone level would have if maxing the skill) turned out to not be enough to even pass a single spot check.

This would make lvl 10-ish area quest designed to be doable only with high level spotter which makes even less sense that I originally thought.

Not sure how it previously worked with just 4 spot but something clearly doesn't work as intended and causes frustration to people trying to do writs.

[zielakxar]

another update. I'm starting to doubt that the script uses spot roll at all. I've picked some items with +spot skill and turns out even with values that are very high for the level the zone is for (~8-12) even 20+ points in spot aren't enough.

I have no idea why and how I've managed to pass the check once with just 4 points in spot previously. I'm starting to suspect it's possible to roll this check only once per character or something else completely is going on there

[Aren]

I’m thinking those mouths cannot be triggered more than once per server reset. So if someone went there before you, they no longer spawn the gems?

[zielakxar]

I’m thinking those mouths cannot be triggered more than once per server reset. So if someone went there before you, they no longer spawn the gems?

It's possible but not likely - one of the tests I've made (with high spot) was like 1 minute after reset, and I've checked all the mouths. None showed the spot dialogue so it might be even as messed up as roll happening once per character interaction and persisting in between resets?

I saw the spot dialogue there only once with 4 points in spot (maybe I was lucky and rolled hidden 20) after that - no matter how many times I try with much higher spot (20+) it just doesn't show up. Maybe it doesn't even roll for spot at all?

[Aren]

Yeah, it is very very buggy.