The Serpent Hills

The Serpent Hills are aimed at Newbies and Chumps, a surprise for a zone so far away from anywhere Newbies or Chumps start out. You can make it here by running from Port Miramor through the Anauroch Dersert to the Marshes, but if you make a wrong step a truly new player won't make it here alive. Why not have zones like this nearer Shadowdale? Who knows.

There are three real parts to this zone: the goblin caves, the Hill Giant Cave and the hills themselves. As you enter the zone you find yourself in the hills. There are lots of snakes around and you'll find many of them easy kills but be warned, the silver serpents wandering around are 27k xp each - not easy for a low level character to take out. As you head to the north of the zone the snakes get harder until the far north where a number of Boa Constrictors await you. They're 100k xp each, so DON'T try them unless you're well prepared.

In the chasm you'll find a selection of mobs including a Cobra Pit with 6, 12k xp cobras and deepest of all a shadow mage in the Lair of Darkness (Ld) he will cast but I killed him quickly and I think a well equipped chump should have no trouble as long as you don't miss a bash. One final note on the hills: beware the Overturned Cart (Oc) - it is an ambush spot You're transported to an Ambush where four bandits will attack you. Chumps shouldn't have a problem as the chief (the hardest of the four) is only 3k xp but Newbies should be wary.

The second part of the zone is the Goblin caves. There are a lot of goblins in the caves ranging from 5k xp goblins to 9k xp guards wandering around. The two hardest mobs in this part of the zone are the Shamen in the Shamen's Cave (Sh) and the Goblin Chief in The Chief's Private Room (Cp). The door to the Chief's room is locked and I couldn't find a key to get in there but it can be knocked or doorbashed. The Chief is the biggest XP mob in the zone worth 120k xp and has a foul, green key that opens the foul green chest in the Treasure Room (Tr). To get into the Treasure Room you need the bone key from the Shaman which unlocks the tapestry to the south of the Chief's Room.

The last part of the zone to discuss is the Hill Giant Cave. I was surprised and happy when I found it as I recognised it well. It used to be part of the mountain zone between Shadowdale and New Thalos back in the old (SD2) days. It is filled with a variety to Hill Giants around 10k and 13k xp each. There are two exceptions. The Hill Giant Queen in The Giant Throne Room (Gt) is around 17k and has guards with her. The hardest mob in this part of the zone however is a visiting Dark Elf Priestess staying in A Guest Room (Gr). She has a familiar but as long as you keep her bashed she'll die soon enough and is aroud 19k xp.

If you'd like to make a quick run to this zone, we recommend the following directions, starting at The Common in Shadowdale: 6s6wn2wn3wn6wn2wnw3sw7s2w2sws2w3s6wswn3ws4wnws4w5nw 5n2wn7w2nwsws3wnde.

Ba	- A Bend about a Hill	Bh	- Base of a Hill
Bp	- A Bend in the Passage	Bt	- Before the Throne Room
Cb	- Cave with a Bad Smell	Cd	- A Choice of Directions
Ce	- The Cavern Entrance	Cg	- A Cavern of Giant Proportions
Co	- Cobra Pit	Cp	- The Chief's Private Room
Cr	- The Chief's Room	Ct	- A Cavern Tunnel
Cv	- A Cavern with a Bad Smell	Db	- Deep Below the Serpent Hills
De	- Dead End	Dh	- A Dark Hole
Di	- Deeper Inside the Canyon	Dt	- A Dark Tunnel
Ec	- The Edge of a Canyon	Ee	- The Eastern Edge of the Canyon
Eh	- End of the Hallway	En	- The Enormous Pantry
Ep	- Eastern Path	Es	- Edge of the Serpent Hills
Et	- End of the Trail	Fd	- A Freshly Dug Tunnel
Fg	- At the Foot of a Great Hill	Gc	- A Giant Cave
Gi	- The Giant Cavern	Gr	- A Guest Room
Gt	- The Giant Throne Room	Gu	- A Guard Station
Hc	- A Huge Cavern	Hh	- High in the Hills
Ih	- In the Hills	Ld	- The Lair of Darkness
Ls	- A Large Stone Hallway	Lt	- A Large Tunnel
Ml	- Middle of the Ladder	Mp	- The Mountain Path
No	- The Northern part of the Canyon	Nt	- Norther Trail through the Hills
Oc	- An Overturned Cart	Ol	- An Old Ladder
Ow	- An Old Wooden Bridge	Pl	- A Python's Lair
Pt	- Path Through the Hills	Rc	- A Rauncy Cave
Sa	- A Sleeping Area	Sc	- Steady Climb
Se	- A Steep Trail	Sf	- A Stench Filled Cave
Sg	- South of the Giant Cavern	Sh	- The Shaman's Cave
Si	- Side of a Hill	Sl	- A Split in the Path
Sm	- A Small Tunnel	So	- The Southern part of the Canyon
Sp	- A Small Passage	Sr	- Surrounded by Tall Hills
St	- A Stench Filled Cavern	Su	- A Steep Upgrade
Ta	- A Trail around the Canyon	Td	- Trash Dump
Tl	- Trail Around a Hill	To	- Top of the Hill
Tr	- The Treasure Room	Ts	- Through the Serpent Hills
Tw	- Twisting Cavern	We	- The Western End of a Giant Cavern
Wl	- Well Lit Tunnel	Wp	- The Winding Path