Common questions for new DDO Unlimited players [Updated]
by Dan O'Halloran 
Sep 14th 2009 at 9:00AM
Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Guides, Tips and tricks, PvE, Free-to-play
Why can't I play a Drow/Warforged/Monk/Favored Soul?
- Monk class/Warforged race: These can be bought either individually through the DDO store or gained automatically with a monthly subscription.
- Favored Soul class/Drow race: These can be earned by free-to-play players through Favor Points earned by completing quests. They can also be purchased outright from the DDO store. Drows that are purchased through Favor Points are only unlocked on that server.
All players, paying and free to play, can level up to 20. To get past four, free-to-play players can loot certain Sigils from chests in dungeons and select them as rewards. These Sigils will get you past the current leveling checkpoint. The Sigils are also available in the DDO Store. Paying players don't need Sigils to advance at the level checkpoints so they don't have to pass up the other good loot in the chests for them.
How do I switch weapons on the fly?
Drag your weapon icon from your inventory to your hotkey bar. Then click on that hotkey when you want to swap weapons. If you have more than one item you want to swap out (for example: sword and shield for bow) you can use the Weapon Set slots in the Inventory panel. Drop the items into the slots that make a set, then drag the icon with the green border down to your hotkey bar. (Thanks commenter Baburnama!)
How do I change what town version I'm in?
If too many people are in the same area, the game creates a duplicate version of the space. So though you and your buddy are both in Korthos Village, you may not be able to find each other. Look above your minimap to see what version of the town (or area) you're in. If you and you're friend are in different versions, click on location box to zone into your friend's version.
There is also a "snowy" version for those who haven't finished the Misery Peak quest line and a "sunny" version for those that have (thanks commenter Keith!)
How do I inscribe scrolls?
You will need special tools only available at the apothecary store when you leave the island for Stormreach.
How do I turn off my helm graphic?
/showhelmet off
Where is my trainer?
When in the village, open up the Map (M key) and look for the green leaf icon. Mouse over it to find out which trainers are at which green leaf.
What are action points?
They are a way to customize your character. When you get some by leveling (one per rank), go to your class trainer and he will show you what kind of special abilities and enhancements you can purchase with them.
How do I block with my shield?
Shift key.
Where is Cannith Manufactory/Decrepit Catacombs/etc.?
While the first few instances are in town (open up your map and look for the door symbols), the others are at the end of one road or another outside the town gates. You must finish the tavern quest series to be allowed outside to access the rest. Once out there, follow the paths. There aren't many and they all lead to one of the destinations you are looking for. The exception would be the Cannery, which is at the top of the stone stairs on your right after you leave the village and the catacombs at the base of the river in the South (see Ice Mephit rare answer above for directions.) If this answer really frustrates you, you can always look at this player-made map that marks all the major points of interest on Korthos Isle.
Where are the three rare spawn elites?
First, the elites aren't always going to be be there (thus the "rare" reference.) They have a 33% chance of spawning every time you enter the outdoor area. So you may have to check their spawn points a few times.
- The Ice Mephit rare is to the south of the island outside the Decrepit Catacombs entrance (go to the Dwarf merchant camp, then head west up the hill and on to the aqueduct, turn left, head to the end of the aqueduct and jump off .)
- The Sahuagin rare is in the north east part of the island on an overlook in the bay.
- The Ice Spider rare is on the east coast of the island on the ice floes.
Where is the Skeleton Mage in the Catacombs?
After you pass the jail cells, but right before you go down the ladder into the Sahuagin area, you'll see some rafters. Jump across them to a small alcove. Beware: the alcove looks empty, but the Mage will spawn when you arrive and start throwing spells immediately.
How do I turn off the forcefield in the ceiling tube in the Lars Heyton instance?
You can't. It's a hold over from an earlier version of the dungeon.
Where is the key to the locked door keeping me from that shiny, shiny treasure chest?
You'll need a rogue to unlock those doors.
Do I always have to pick the Solo option for instances if I'm by myself?
No, you can solo the Normal and sometimes the Hard options depending on your class. Paladins and Clerics do well on the more difficult settings. Wizards and Rogues do not. You can also pay for NPC hirelings to join your group back in town.
How do I change my memorized spells?
Go to a tavern, then open up your Spell book. Click on the side tab with the dots on it. Then drag the spells you want to the bottom of the tab in the available slots. This option is also available at Moon shrines.
How do I get my health/spell points back in a dungeon?
You can use potions any time (only on yourself). You can also use shrines. There are usually shrines at the entrance (once inside) and deeper in at certain intervals. The Moon shrine allows you regain all your health and spell points back along with recharging your spells that are limited to the number of times they can be cast per day. Simply click on the shrine. The other shrine is for resurrecting fallen group members.
Why can't I leave the island?
You need to finish the Misery Peak instance/quest line.
If I leave for Stormreach, can I come back to finish quests?
Yes, but note that many quests stop giving experience if you are too high level for them.
If you have any further, basic questions, leave them as a comment and I'll see if I can find the answer. Also, don't forget to read our Guides to DDO Unlimited.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Tom said on 9:21AM 9-14-2009
These are good basic questions and answers.
For me, however, the main question I had in DDO:U was:
When does this game start being fun?
Answer: Not nearly soon enough, unfortunately.
(I'm glad some people are enjoying it, though.)
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Mewmew said on 10:13AM 9-14-2009
For me the game was fun the moment I dove into character creation, and it was great as soon as I entered the game. D&D is about playing through modules and quests and is very story driven, it's different than the average MMO because it's following the D&D rules system. When the game first came out, there weren't any Dragons tho (Actually there was a joke on Penny Arcade about it even) now the whole starter experience is based on one even. D&D is about experiencing story and having fun along the way with very slow character progression. It's not the type of game where you try to quickly level up, but some people are so used to other systems in games they try to play this one the same way, and it's just not made to be played like that.
PapaGouda said on 10:45AM 9-14-2009
I agree with this. Most MMOs seem to be about grinding your way up to the level cap so you can get into the fun stuff. DDO feels like its designed to be more about the journey as opposed to the destination.
The Claw said on 5:29PM 9-14-2009
Yeah I've had a brief look at DDO this last week, and while it's far, far too early to say anything about its long-term appeal, I definitely found that it made a better first impression than a lot of MMOs I've tried.
keith said on 9:31AM 9-14-2009
One other thing that should be mentioned Snow Side vs Sunny Side.
There are two distinct versions of Kythos Village, over and above instancing because of population.
Snow side is where anyone who hasn't finished the Misery Peak instance/quest line is, with sunny side being where those who have finished the quest line end up.
It's a difference that trips a lot of people up when they're trying to group, because technically they're not the same zone.
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tanek said on 10:58AM 9-14-2009
I think there is even a third "version" of Korthos Village that can keep players from grouping. 'Been to Stormreach' vs. 'Not Been to Stormreach'.
I know it was that way back in July, anyway. If it is no longer an issue, that is a very welcome change.
GaaaaaH said on 6:50PM 9-14-2009
@tanek
I ran into that last night - from the sunny version, you just need to go to the docks and back
Tim said on 8:38AM 9-15-2009
@ Keith, GaaaaaH and tanek,
Like you all mentioned, there are essentially 2 or 3 version of Korthos Village:
1) Snowy Korthos - Have not finished Misery's Peak Quest Line or have not Skipped the tutorial
2) Sunny Korthos (Have not Been to Stormreach) - finished Misery's Peak or Skipped the Tutorial. You can still group with those who are on snowy Korthos to do quests, but you will not be able to see them in the Village itself. But once you get into the quest or the explorer zones, they will be on the same map as you.
3) Sunny Korthos (Have BEEN to Stormreach) - finished Misery's Peak Quest Line and traveled to Stormreach (and then back to Korthos) you can only group with people who have been to Stormreach.
Hambone_Hamlet said on 9:50AM 9-14-2009
nice write up, alot of helpful hints and tip. Thanks
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PapaGouda said on 9:58AM 9-14-2009
There's been a lot to figure out and this certainly helps. Fortunately, this game's been around long enough for there to be a good bit of information out there on quests and such. Figuring out how to swap weapon sets did take a while, though. 8)
I'm actually enjoying the game quite a bit, which surprises me. The game is different enough from the standard WoW/WAR/AoC MMO grind to keep my interest. I've tried and tried to get back into one of these games for the last six months and I haven't made it past a week before getting really bored and having that burned out feeling come back over me. I've actually found myself having fun and enjoying myself for a change.
No, it's not the greatest thing since sliced bread but it has been fun and I think it's well worth a try.
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Mewmew said on 5:10PM 9-14-2009
How do I switch weapons on the fly?
"Drag your weapon icon from your inventory to your hotkey bar. Then click on that hotkey when you want to swap weapons."
Actually, you have a number of weapon set slots on your character page. What you do is drag your weapons, one or two, into the set slots, then drag the green weapon slot icon to your hotkey bar. That allows you to change whole sets at once.
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pogger said on 11:05AM 9-14-2009
Can you get the leveling sigils needed to level past 4 if you solo the dungeons or do the dungeons have to be a higher difficulty level? This is good info... I'm almost level 4. So far I'm enjoying it.
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Shenno said on 11:19AM 9-14-2009
Yes you can get it soloing (I was on with someone the other night who go it soloing). There might be a higher chance of getting it if you are on normal or hard versus solo (which is a little too easy anyway).
Kuroyume said on 11:22AM 9-14-2009
i got my Copper sigil as a quest reward from one of the Harbor quests in normal. so you don't need to do the higher difficulties.
I do believe hard and elite have a higher chance to drop the sigils, but i couldn't quete the source, so i can't be 100% sure
monkeystick said on 11:16AM 9-14-2009
Here is an excellent resource for new DDO players.. this thread has links to tons of info about the new F2P model:
"RoBi3.0's Free to Play Guide. Everything you need to know to get the most out of this game."
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=198865
F2p Quest list with favor
Turbine Point Favor Reward Chart
List of Adventure Packs
Other Account Options
Can this game actually be played with out spending a dime?
Know your Premium Content (Low levels)
Know Your Premium Content (Mid Levels)
Know Your Premium Content (High Levels)
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Baburnama said on 11:34AM 9-14-2009
Having just started playing DDO, I really enjoyed this guide!
One additional thing I found, that really helped me: the third tip, on switching weapons, is correct - but if you do it that way, you won't equip your shield/second weapon. On your inventory screen, create a "weapon set" of your two weapons/shields (it's like long line of boxes that runs in the middle of the screen). Then drag THAT to your hotkey bar.
As for the game itself: I'm having a blast, and enjoying the "hey, it's free (for the most part) so I needn't feel like I have to get $15 of fun out of it each month." I'm a busy guy; I like being able to pick games up and put them down, with no financial repercussions.
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Pingles said on 11:51AM 9-14-2009
I have just left Korthos and was disappointed to find that the world outside is instanced.
So will I ever run into other players outside of towns? Is the whole game-world instanced?
Why have separate servers if everything is instanced?
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scott said on 12:24PM 9-14-2009
thanks for the info! i just downloaded it and started playing this weekend, and having fun for sure. It's a great interpretation of the D&D rules... I'm a paladin, and yes, the solo option on the quests is almost always far too easy. took me a bit to figure that out. the normal mode is much more challenging and fun.
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UberDeft said on 12:58PM 9-14-2009
You do not need to buy the Drow race .. it will become available after 400 favor points are earned (unless they took that away in Unlimited) and only wizards can inscribe spells, cleric/bard-type spells cannot be inscribed.
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Evi said on 2:09PM 9-14-2009
It's important to note that earning the Drow race through favor will only unlock them for -that server-. If you buy from the store, you can create Drow on any server.