DDO Monster Manual farming and hunting locations
Character and Account deeds
This is an "achievement" system in the Dungeons and Dragons Online game. Completing these deeds allows you to see monster health points, and might also give you a pet or ingame currency.
I have achievements there in quotes, because it's not really one. It's just a brutal grind for most of the rewards. For example, "Kill 3,500 rust monsters". You'll probably run into less than 100 on a journey from levels 1 to 20. The only way to "earn" that achievement is by spending hours and hours entering specific dungeons, running to kill a half dozen, then leaving and resetting it.
Not all of them are that insanity-causing to complete though. Below I've written more about the system, what monsters are in each book volume, and the best farming locations (that I know of) for the creature types with rewards. Some have respawn locations that can easily be farmed. I'm not a fan of the achievement requirements at all, but I do like the extra lore it provides and knowing just how many kobolds I've killed on my journey from Korthos Island to the Plane of Shavarath.
The "real" monster manuals provide a lot more information about the creature types, and are pretty darn interesting to flip through for lore and pictures. I have a couple myself, but they won't help you much in the DDO game.
The next few are automated ebay auctions. Might be one available dirt cheap!
Monster Manual contents
- Korthos (Free)
Human, Rat, Sahuagin, Skeleton, Spider.
- Volume 1 (Free to Premium accounts)
Bat, Bugbear, Halfling, Hobgoblin, Kobold, Rust Monster, Scorpion, Troglodyte, Troll, Zombie.
- Volume 2
Earth Elemental, Elf, Gargoyle, Ghoul, Mephit, Minotaur, Ooze, Warforged, Wolf, Wraith.
- Volume 3
Beholder, Dwarf, Fiendish Lion, Flesh Golem, Fire Elemental, Ghast, Hezrou, Hill Giant, Orthon, Rakshasa.
A quick poll
Have you purchased any of these volumes?
Monster checklists
Several websites have databases with most monsters listed. Here's a few, but they aren't perfect. They'll help you fill out all of the hunter deeds for every monster type. Warning: Big Spoilers! I find the "hunting" aspect to be the best part of the Monster Manual.
- YourDDO
Requires javascript enabled. - Where can you find the Monster from the Monster Manual
Forum post, on the official DDO boards. - DDO MonMan
A website with lists for each individual monster.
Farming locations
Most of these creatures offer no reward for killing many of them, so there isn't really a point. The following reward a creature companion for finishing their final exterminator deed. I don't actually suggest farming monsters though! It will take far, far too long and bore you out of your mind.
But... if you're going to do it anyway... might as well be at the most time-efficient spots.
- Blue Fire Elemental creature companion
Check back in the future.
- Chaos Beholdering creature companion
Check back in the future.
- Fruit Bat creature companion
An endless stream of bats spawn in the Coalescence Chamber dungeon. Complete it until you reach the Gelatinous Cube, but don't kill it. Wear items equipped with damaging guard abilities and leave your computer for awhile. You can also stand near the cube. It will consume any of bats that fly near it. You can also farm it at the same time as Earth Elementals and Rust Monsters below.
- Forest Spiderling creature companion
Arachnophobia in the Harbor. You'll have to repeat it many, many times if you want to farm it. A big chunk of this one can be earned through regular gameplay. Lots of spiders spawn in the Caught in the Web raid, Ring of Fire challenge, Grove of the Great Tree challenge, Spinner of Shadows, and the Vale of Twilight - just to name a few.
- Gray-tipped Rust Monster creature companion
See Earth Elemental below. Rust monsters randomly spawn in the pit. You can also use the Gwylyn's Stand dungeon. There's around eight if you run straight into the cave and across the mushrooms. Unfortunately, you'll also have to wait through the quest giver's lengthy teleport animation twice every single time if you reset it.
- Obsidian Earth Elemental creature companion
Rainbow in the Dark. Kill the first few monsters and drop into the pit. Recall on the other side. Don't bother climbing up to farm the Elder Beholder as well. There's only one, he's not worth the run.
- Violet Wraith creature companion
Not worth it, at all. Don't even try. Pretend it doesn't exist.
One last time... I seriously do not recommend farming them. Only one person actually has completed all of these that I'm aware of. He never wanted to step into DDO's Rainbow in the Dark dungeon again.
Feel free to mention any better Monster Manual farming locations that you know of.
Do you think these rewards are too difficult to get?
