Curse

Dryndalyn · Jun 08, 2007, 03:03 PM // 15:03

I went to capture a skill off of Plog Hamfist who is supposed to reside in Kessex Peak in Kryta, but I haven’t been able to find him. I went there over and over again, killing every monster in the territory, both with and without “The Villiany of Galrath” quest.

There is no indication in GuildWiki or anywhere else online that this boss sometimes doesn’t spawn. All of the other bosses are there as they are claimed to be.

My Ranger is from Factions and is currently trying to get through the difficult Gates of Madness Mission. I have failed it more times than I can count and wanted to take some time out from it and get a new build for my Ranger.

I spent a lot of planning and gp buying all of the other skills I need to make the new build and now I just need this one last skill. But I am getting pretty fed up with the waste of time it has been looking for Plog Hamfist who is not supposed to be so difficult to find.

I was careful when I planned the build to only include skills that I could reach quickly and that were close to where I was in each continent. I will be extremely upset if this Ranger has to go all the way to the Amnoon Oasis to get the skill since I already have another ranger en-route there and have no desire to go that direction with this one as well – at least not in the near future.

I am hoping that the problem is something simple like, I just need to go with a character from Prophesies or something like that. I really have spent enough time hunting for this Boss and fear he has been deleted or something.

If anyone can shed some light on what might be going on with Plog Hamfist, I’d appreciate it very much.

Edgar The Crosseyed · Jun 08, 2007, 03:12 PM // 15:12

Ehm i dont think any bosses with elites spawn before the desert!

I checked wiki and Plog Hamfist doesnt have an elite!
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Plog_Hamfist

gl

Cacheelma · Jun 08, 2007, 03:18 PM // 15:18

He's trying to cap "Predatory Season" (don't ask me how I know), which are not an elite skill.

dargon · Jun 08, 2007, 03:19 PM // 15:19

He's there, but what skill of his are you wanting since he has no elites? It might be quicker for you to go kill a few npcs in the isle of the nameless, spend a bit of faction and then buy the skill from a trainer.

Dryndalyn · Jun 08, 2007, 04:19 PM // 16:19

Yes, Cacheelma is right. I want "Predatory Season."

I just looked up "Isle of the Nameless", but still dont have a full understanding of it.

First of all, I have never played PvP in my life on any game platform. Second of all, I thought (and could be wrong) that if I took a charcter anywhere from the Temple of Balthazar, that they would become PvP only and I would never get them back to PvE again.

In fact, the main reason I don't try PvP is the very possibility of loosing my character forever. I have heard that they can never come back from PvP.

Also, I have no empty slots and all my characters are PvE, so I can never try PvP with any experimental character.

But if dragon says that the boss is there, I guess I will keep trying. I have gone there several times even zoning in and out of the area to see if he will spawn the next time, but perhaps I have just been unlucky.

I am sure that I covered all the ground and killed everything there though. You'd think that you could see his spirit before finding him. It is strange that it has been so difficult.

Hunter Freeman · Jun 08, 2007, 04:32 PM // 16:32

Drydalyn, whoever told you about PvP is wrong. Going to the Isle of the Nameless and participating in PvP will not stop your character from participating in PvE. A PvE character may move freely between the PvP and PvE realms freely, while a PvP-Only character can not.

Depending on your situation, (i.e. how long it would take to get to a skill trainer who teaches Predatory Season) it might be beneficial for you to keep hunting your boss. Also know that any skill unlocked through Balthazar Faction and PvP can't be used by you're PvE characters, only by any future PvP characters you make.

One thing about PvP you could lose forever if you take your PvE characters there is the ability to earn the "Survivor" title, as any deaths you take in PvP count against that.

greendc27 · Jun 08, 2007, 04:42 PM // 16:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunter Freeman

Drydalyn, whoever told you about PvP is wrong. Going to the Isle of the Nameless and participating in PvP will not stop your character from participating in PvE. A PvE character may move freely between the PvP and PvE realms freely, while a PvP-Only character can not.

Depending on your situation, (i.e. how long it would take to get to a skill trainer who teaches Predatory Season) it might be beneficial for you to keep hunting your boss. Also know that any skill unlocked through Balthazar Faction and PvP can't be used by you're PvE characters, only by any future PvP characters you make.

One thing about PvP you could lose forever if you take your PvE characters there is the ability to earn the "Survivor" title, as any deaths you take in PvP count against that.

While its true that just unlocking the skill in PvP won't give it to his character it will unlock it at any skill trainer so he could simply go buy it from any skill trainer in Prophecies or use a ranger skill tome to learn it.

Stormcloud · Jun 08, 2007, 04:49 PM // 16:49

"Also know that any skill unlocked through Balthazar Faction and PvP can't be used by you're PvE characters, only by any future PvP characters you make."

And you registered here in May 2005?

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Skill_trainer

*Skills not known by a character but unlocked through some method are tagged with (unlocked).

*In addition to the trainer's normal inventory of skills, they also offer any skill (not elite) you have unlocked with your account.

*The Guild Hall skill trainer is a skill trainer for all non-elite Core skills you have currently unlocked on your account, allowing your PvE character to learn Core skills which you have unlocked with Balthazar Faction or other PvE characters. You may also buy a Signet of Capture, letting you capture skills before you have done Malaquire's Test or encountered skill trainers with it. The skill trainer does not allow you to unlock new skills, it only makes it possible to buy unlocked skills.

To the OP: You can play your PVE in PVP and then go back to PVE its not a one way trip. And yes you can unlock it in PVP and then buy it in PVE from a skill trainer.

countesscorpula · Jun 08, 2007, 05:10 PM // 17:10

Heck, he has factions... he can just go to Fort Aspenwood and earn some Balth faction there... if he hasn't already and just doesn't realize it. Go to your "hero" screen (type H) and look at the first bar. It should be your Balth faction. If you have 1000, you can unlock the normal skill from any Balth Priest (found in The Great Temple of Balthazar, Guild Halls, any Arena). Then just go see the trainer in LA and by the skill for gold.

assassin_of_ni · Jun 08, 2007, 05:19 PM // 17:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormcloud

"Also know that any skill unlocked through Balthazar Faction and PvP can't be used by you're PvE characters, only by any future PvP characters you make."

And you registered here in May 2005?

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Skill_trainer

*Skills not known by a character but unlocked through some method are tagged with (unlocked).

*In addition to the trainer's normal inventory of skills, they also offer any skill (not elite) you have unlocked with your account.

*The Guild Hall skill trainer is a skill trainer for all non-elite Core skills you have currently unlocked on your account, allowing your PvE character to learn Core skills which you have unlocked with Balthazar Faction or other PvE characters. You may also buy a Signet of Capture, letting you capture skills before you have done Malaquire's Test or encountered skill trainers with it. The skill trainer does not allow you to unlock new skills, it only makes it possible to buy unlocked skills.

To the OP: You can play your PVE in PVP and then go back to PVE its not a one way trip. And yes you can unlock it in PVP and then buy it in PVE from a skill trainer.

i believe he ment that you cant unlock a skill with a pve haracting using balth faction and that skill is given to the PvE char but only to the PvP chars. Just so the OP doesnt go and unlock the skill and the wonder where the hell it went me thinks.

dargon · Jun 08, 2007, 06:59 PM // 18:59

I didn't mean that the boss was on the isle of the nameless, what I mean't was to go kill the zaishen in a pseudo pvp (since you're really only killing computer controlled opponents) and earn 1K balthazar faction. Then find a priest of Balthazar, unlock predatory season with the faction and then find a skill trainer, any prophecies trainer will now have the skill for you to buy. The simplest method to earn 1K faction in a fairly short period of time is right inside the isle of the nameless, go the through the portal and then turn around, right to the left of the portal (if your facing it) is an npc named master of paths, talk to him and he'll send you to a small arena which gives you a sample of the 4 different types of maps in the random and team arenas. If you are alone, you'll be teamed up with 3 other NPC's, othereise, you can bring you own team with you (heroes and/or henchmen). Killing everything in the 4 arenas and winning the fights should give you around 1K Balthazar faction, if not, just go do it again. You can do this every day, up to a maximum of I think 2K faction per day (though I may be wrong on that number).

Dryndalyn · Jun 08, 2007, 07:00 PM // 19:00

Well, I went and tried to find that boss again. This time I took a different character. So did my hubby. After killing everything in the area, I was still looking in vain for Plog Hamfist. My partner finally said, “He’s simply not here.”

Aauurrghh!!! How can he not be here! How frustrating!

It’s a long way out to Kessex and honestly there’s nothing I can’t stand more than farming. It’s tedious and there is no story to it. It’s grueling, boring, annoying etc!

Anyway, I did what you all suggested and went to The Temple of Balthazar to unlock the skill. It worked! So thanks so much for your advice!

Fortunately, this account actually had 1066 faction points and this is only because I actually thought at the time that in order to proceed with the Factions storyline that I HAD to do Fort Aspenwood and Jade Quarry PvP battles.

However, as soon as I found out that they could be avoided, I didn’t do that anymore. Therefore, if any of my other accounts want to go to get this skill, they won’t have Balthazar Faction points, so I still want to find that boss.

I really want to know what happened to Plog Hamfist. If other people can’t find this boss, shouldn’t he be removed from GuildWiki?

I would definitely like to know if other people can or can’t find him withthin the last week or two to determine whether or not GuildWiki is giving out false information.

But again, thanks everyone, for that 2nd option that worked to acquire that skill.

Ritual del Fuego · Jun 08, 2007, 08:12 PM // 20:12

Quote:

However, as soon as I found out that they could be avoided, I didn’t do that anymore. Therefore, if any of my other accounts want to go to get this skill, they won’t have Balthazar Faction points, so I still want to find that boss.

Are you talking about other "accounts" or other "characters"? Once you unlock a skill it is unlocked for all toons on a particular account. So if you really meant other toons on your account, you are ok. If you meant other accounts then you will have to do it again.

My Green Storage · Jun 08, 2007, 09:04 PM // 21:04

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Predatory_Season

Why can't you just play until you reach the jungle?
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Dropping_Eaves
Reward:
500 XP
Skills
Warrior: Shield Stance
Ranger: Predatory Season
Monk: Rebirth
Necromancer: Death Nova
Mesmer: Spirit of Failure
Elementalist: Iron Mist

Miss Persephone · Jun 08, 2007, 09:53 PM // 21:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dryndalyn

I was careful when I planned the build to only include skills that I could reach quickly and that were close to where I was in each continent. I will be extremely upset if this Ranger has to go all the way to the Amnoon Oasis to get the skill since I already have another ranger en-route there and have no desire to go that direction with this one as well – at least not in the near future.

Don't know anything of this boss, but I have a couple of suggestions of much quicker ways to get the skill you want.

If you have another ranger en-route to Amnoon Oasis, which is on the same account, then you can buy the skill from Amnoon Oasis with any character, and once you have 'unlocked' it on your account, your factions ranger will be able to buy it in Lions Arch. Heck, if you have any character in Amnoon Oasis that can change secondary profession to ranger then you can buy it.

Other option is to run, or hire someone to run you, from Lions Arch to Sanctum Cay all the way down the Kryta Coast, and either do the mission or get a run through the mission. Then you are in Amnoon Oasis. Definitely quicker than killing all of Kessex peak again.

Skuld · Jun 08, 2007, 10:18 PM // 22:18

Don't forget that prophecies bosses often have random spawns. Try zoning in and out to see if he'll appear.

Dryndalyn · Jun 10, 2007, 11:15 PM // 23:15

II appreciate all the help that you are all giving, but thanks to Hunter Freeman, greendc27, Stormcloud, Countesscorpula, Assassin_of_ni and dargon, I have have a better understanding of Balthazar points and have solved the skill problem.

The mystery question is: Is Plog Hamfist still there? Has anyone seen him in the last several weeks? Is there a bug? Has he been deleted? Guildwiki says he is there, but is this info still correct?

Facts about myself, just to clear things up.

I have more than one account, so I meant "accounts" rather than "characters." Actually, I have a few accounts.

In the account I was concerned with here, I did not have a character that had been anywhere in Prophesies other than Lion's Arch, so I didn’t have a higher level character to unlock the skill for her.

I do know about zoning in and out to get the boss to spawn - tried that over and over again and still we saw no Plog.

I am very familiar with the PvE side of the game as I have played for a long time and with lots of different characters. I just know nothing about PvP or guild mates as I play only with my husband and on occasion, friends who are also my friends outside the game (except for Pugs - I have done those several times).

I did not know much about the Great Temple of Balthazar because I thought it was for PvP mostly, so I didn't understand about unlocking the skill using Faction points until now, and this info I am very grateful to get.

I do want to try PvP a little bit more. It is unfamiliar territory to me as I have never done it in any game, but Fort Aspenwood is growing on me, so perhaps some day…

Anyway, now that the above issues are no longer confusing, has anyone seen Plog Hamfist in the past while? Is there a bug? Has he been deleted? Is Guildwiki still handing out accurate information about him?

icymanipulator · Jun 12, 2007, 03:57 AM // 03:57

Until I actually read through this I thought this was a joke with a boss named "hamfist". I've been to Kessex numerous times for Cartographer and have never once seen this boss.

Wiki doesn't indicate that he shares a spawn location HOWEVER, since Murk Darkshriek is in the same opening swamp portion of Kessex try zoning until you can't see him and see if Plog Hamfist spawns.

I can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that Morg Pebblebound as well as the peak human bosses are there regularly, so trying the above point would be your best bet.