NPC Spawn Issue: Sontalak's Molten Breath wasn't a proc, it was every 12 sec (with in-era video proof)

[CrazyPro]

In this video from classic you can see by this cleric's top slot jboots junk buff being dispelled, the molten breath AE goes out exactly every 12 seconds. On p99 it goes out WAY more than this due to it seemingly being a proc?

The fear on P99 may also be going out way more than it should too.

On p99 100 people with full raid buffs would be running around feared and getting absolutely melted, yet in this classic footage people seem to be having little issue?

This video is most definitely in-era, but if there was any doubt, the guy who posted it says he thinks it was around 2001. 11 months of that year were in Velious.

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[loramin]

Wow, you don't often see classic video evidence!

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[Kirdan]

Molten Breath is a timed AoE on p99. You may be mixing it up with his single target DD proc on the tank, which is called Char.

[Baugi]

Regarding fear/resists, I found this -

Originally Posted by https://web.archive.org/web/20011230151704/http://www.users.qwest.net/~wd11/EQstuff/WW/dragons.js

function Sontalak()
{
document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('BeforeEnd', '<DIV id=div><TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" WIDTH="635" HEIGHT="247"><TD BGCOLOR="black"><img src="Sontalak.jpg"></TD><TD bgcolor=black><center><h1>Sontalak</h1></center><p id=tabletext>Approximate Level = 70<BR>AE - Unknown<BR>He has a 700 damage fire based proc and does AE fear. His dispel is proximity based, if you are very close to him you get 4 buffs at a time dispelled. If you are at max melee range you only get one buff dispelled at a time. His fear is fairly easy to resist, best to go all out on fire resist and get magic resist over 120 or so. His fire AE is no stronger than other WW dragons AE, about 400 damage, but can be partially resisted easily.</P></TD></TABLE></DIV>');
}

Captured 12/30/2001 (couple weeks after Luclin release), but written probably, ah, September 11, 2001 per the page notes

Originally Posted by https://web.archive.org/web/20011201224943/http://www.users.qwest.net/~wd11/EQstuff/WW/

Dragon Info Updated - September 11, 2001

Updated info and images on a lot of dragons including: Klandicar, Sontalak, Linbrak, Myga, Nyga, Zil Sapara, Del Sapara, Mav Sapara, Sivar and a few others. I'm only missing images of a few dragons now. I know Honvar and Quoza have the Severilous graphic, but I have no image of them. I don't have an image of Zil Sapara either, but I'm 99% sure it has a Vox graphic, or maybe it was adopted and doesn't look like the other Sapara's.

[CrazyPro]

Originally Posted by Kirdan [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Molten Breath is a timed AoE on p99. You may be mixing it up with his single target DD proc on the tank, which is called Char.

The only reason the wiki says it's a timed AE is because I altered it to say that awhile back, if that's what you're sourcing. But apparently the wiki wasn't wrong and it was a proc because holy smokes that thing rapid-fires on P99. Even if it isn't a proc on P99, Sontalak's AEs are way harder to resist than they should be. Also probably Zlandicar too, look at this other video where they kill Zlandi with little trouble at all:

[Kirdan]

Oh, I guess I should have checked the history because I made that page haha. Yeah my logs are confirming the original wiki entry: it is a proc on p99. However, I am not sure that video is evidence that it should be timed. It's not going out every 12s like you say. Meanwhile, on p99, you can also experience similar chunks of a fight like that video where it isn't going out a lot:

[Sat Jan 08 15:54:39 2022] Your body combusts as the lava hits you. You have taken 650 points of damage.
[Sat Jan 08 15:54:54 2022] Your body combusts as the lava hits you. You have taken 650 points of damage.
[Sat Jan 08 15:55:05 2022] Your body combusts as the lava hits you. You have taken 650 points of damage.
[Sat Jan 08 15:55:31 2022] Your body combusts as the lava hits you. You have taken 650 points of damage.
[Sat Jan 08 15:55:44 2022] Your body combusts as the lava hits you. You have taken 650 points of damage.

[CrazyPro]

Originally Posted by Kirdan [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Oh, I guess I should have checked the history because I made that page haha. Yeah my logs are confirming the original wiki entry: it is a proc on p99. However, I am not sure that video is evidence that it should be timed. It's not going out every 12s like you say. Meanwhile, on p99, you can also experience similar chunks of a fight like that video where it isn't going out a lot:

Maybe I was counting too slow. I'll count for like the third time lol.

The very start of the Sontalak fight portion of the video right after the intro, at 0:17, you can barely see the jboots buff icon in their top slot for a split second and then you can immediately hear the roar he makes when he does the AE. His next molten breath is at 0:31, so that's 14 seconds. The next one goes out at 0:50, so that's 19 seconds, then again at 1:03, so 13 seconds, then again at 1:16, so 13 seconds again, then at 1:29, so 13 seconds again, then he does DA after that so I have no idea if another AE went out then, but the next one I can see is at 2:00 which would be 31 seconds. He gets hit with the 4 slot dispel and is then hit with Molten Breath again at 2:14, so 14 seconds, and Sont dies before any more AoEs can go out.

14
19
13
13
13
31 (?)
14

So either it actually is supposed to be a proc, but it's just proccing WAY too much, or it is supposed to be on a 12 second timer but he doesn't instantly use it as soon as it pops off cooldown? I know there are some other dragons on p99 that have variable AE timers.

Either way, he's proccing it way too much on P99, his AEs are harder to resist than they should be, and his molten breath is apparently hitting for 650 when it's supposed to be 400?

[Baugi]

Originally Posted by CrazyPro [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Either way, he's proccing it way too much on P99, his AEs are harder to resist than they should be, and his molten breath is apparently hitting for 650 when it's supposed to be 400?

He was buffed during Luclin (because the Luclin-era change of slow from dispel counters to disease counters made him a bit easy). They made him unslowable and changed the raid aoe from 400 to 650. (I think? Having some trouble confirming that with spell data)

This page annoyingly has no dates (and wasn't captured till 2003), but talks about it -

Originally Posted by https://web.archive.org/web/20030512080037/http://forums.interealms.com/shaman/archive/index.php/t-25

Yeah, Sontalak is immune, and has been buffed. His AE does 650 now and may be harder to resist. Not sure of other changes to him, that's just what we noticed during the fight.

Here's another post that dates the slowability change -

Originally Posted by https://web.archive.org/web/20030512080037/http://forums.interealms.com/shaman/archive/index.php/t-25

Roccoss Registered User (3/26/02 3:29:17 am) Reply Re: Sontelak Strategy --- Yes he is immune to slow now, my guild killed him last night and lets just say it was a fun fight [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] he is a tad harder now than before we usually killed him with a number between 35-40 peeps we where 46 last night and 23 left when he died.

This post from 6/1/02 seems to suggest they may have also changed the aoe to be proc based? However, the poster doesn't strike me as a reliable source. -

Originally Posted by https://web.archive.org/web/20020601203554/http://pub35.ezboard.com/fthesafehousethebackroomsecretsspoilers.showAddRep lyScreenFromWeb?topicID=11187.topic&index=11

To kill Sonta use VS tactic, luclin-style:

Get 40+ people or so, of which minimum:
1 Ranger with weaponshield
4 Warriors with AE taunt+a 2hander
3 wizzies with MB

Cast spellshield+rune V on everyone before you start.

Ranger pull, pops weaponshield(18 sec dodge)
MT1 Hits AE taunt after ranger disc runs out, and pops riposte disc(9 sec)
MT2 Hits AE taunt after MT1 disc runs out, and pops riposte disc(9 sec)
MT3 Hits AE taunt after MT2 disc runs out, and pops riposte disc(9 sec)
Last MT Hits AE taunt and tanks Sontalak for the remainder of the fight using defensive.

If executed flawlessly this gives you 45 seconds where nobody needs heals, and where sontalak should not be AE'ing since his AE is a proc now.

All your casters can and should be kept out of AE range until the 30 second mark, at which point you call in the wizzies to MB sonta, and the clerics, who needs to target the last MT in line and keep him standing for the last part of the fight.

Its however not that easy to pull of flawless, and he usually gets in an AE during the tank transitions. But much better than him chain proccing them.

However, the only guilds I see capabable of pulling this off atm is guilds that already have alot of ST/NToV experience.

So if Verant tuned him with the intention he is supposed to be a dragon a guild gathering their first ST keys can kill, then they are way off base.

This old p99 thread covers the proc issue. It was a deliberate but debated change from nilbog - https://project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218872
There's more discussion from the Velious beta here - https://www.project1999.com/forums/s...d.php?t=171936

[Baugi]

I evidently have some logs from early-Luclin attempts (pre Sont buffs, pre disease-counter slows), though unfortunately not from within aoe range.

They were getting him sub 10% with 35 players (including 5+ sub 60s) and a four cleric ~4s CH chain with lots of gaps (bouncing/fear/ect.)

log snippet
source

partial who list -

[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] Players on EverQuest:
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] ---------------------------
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Arch Mage] Saphery (High Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Crusader] Landario (Half Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Assassin] Avonn (Half Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [55 Templar] Iblano (Erudite) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [57 Master] Jinroh (Iksar) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] AFK [60 Crusader] Aaniudari (Erudite) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [ANONYMOUS] Choco <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Warder] Llewella (Wood Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Assassin] Sorfai (Dark Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 High Priest] Ayron (Unknown) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Crusader] Musubi (Dwarf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [ANONYMOUS] Mimer <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Crusader] Elfheim (Human) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Warder] Silvarian (Half Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Grandmaster] Twoflower (Human) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [58 Outrider] Spritle (Wood Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Phantasmist] Elhorina (High Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Sorcerer] Melkizedek (High Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Phantasmist] Tiffa (High Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Grave Lord] Vandyke (Dark Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [ANONYMOUS] Alkan <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [59 Myrmidon] Bori (Barbarian) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Grave Lord] Darkatar (Dark Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Grandmaster] Damuo (Human) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 High Priest] Aneroj (High Elf) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [ANONYMOUS] Nolas <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [60 Grandmaster] Yantoa (Human) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] [56 Preserver] Etha (Halfling) <Divine Grace>
[Tue Jan 01 06:16:35 2002] There are 28 players in Western Wastes.

attempt 1 -

[Tue Jan 01 07:00:48 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 07:00:53 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 07:00:57 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:14 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:17 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:29 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:35 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:36 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:39 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:55 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:55 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 07:01:58 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:09 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:14 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:15 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:23 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:23 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:32 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:39 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:44 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:54 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 07:02:55 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'

attempt 2 -

[Tue Jan 01 08:04:20 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 08:04:24 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 08:04:28 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 08:04:46 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 08:04:50 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 08:04:55 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 08:04:59 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:07 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:12 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:23 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:27 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:31 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:32 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:42 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:47 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Liran!'
[Tue Jan 01 08:05:54 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Liran.'
[Tue Jan 01 08:06:03 2002] Aneroj tells the guild, 'CH3 CH3 CH3'
[Tue Jan 01 08:06:08 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Erblod.'

attempt 3 -

[Tue Jan 01 09:14:14 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:14:23 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Liran'
[Tue Jan 01 09:14:48 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Grimface.'
[Tue Jan 01 09:14:50 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:14:51 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:14:53 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Grimface!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:00 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:01 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:06 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Grimface!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:07 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:08 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Grimface.'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:18 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Grimface.'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:20 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:23 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Grimface!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:25 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:42 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:42 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:44 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Grimface!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:54 2002] Darar tells the guild, 'Cleric 2 Casting CH on Grimface.'
[Tue Jan 01 09:15:59 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:02 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Grimface!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:06 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:16 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:20 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Grimface!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:22 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:30 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:34 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Grimface!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:39 2002] Ayron tells the guild, 'CLERIC ONE CHEALING CLERIC TWO NEXT PLEASE!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:49 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Erblod'
[Tue Jan 01 09:16:54 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Erblod!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:17:03 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:17:04 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Sontalak!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:17:19 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Grimface'
[Tue Jan 01 09:17:26 2002] Redrydur tells the guild, 'CLERIC #4 CASTING CH ON Aaniudari!'
[Tue Jan 01 09:17:29 2002] Maximilan tells the guild, 'Cleric 3 casting CH Lynea'

The fear was very easy to resist with sub-200 mr -

[Tue Jan 01 09:25:09 2002] Alkan tells the guild, 'i never get a single fear landed at 215 MR all these 3 attempts'
[Tue Jan 01 09:25:30 2002] Melkizedek tells the guild, 'the fear is quite weak'
[Tue Jan 01 09:25:42 2002] Gemi tells the guild, 'but powerful when it fear the CH cleric in first wave'
[Tue Jan 01 09:26:08 2002] Llewella tells the guild, 'The fear is weak yeah, but you still get fear once in a while, it's just rare'
[Tue Jan 01 09:26:15 2002] Tiffa tells the guild, 'I was 185MR and doesnt fear much'
[Tue Jan 01 09:26:29 2002] Lookdog tells the guild, 'I have 214 never got feared'
[Tue Jan 01 09:26:31 2002] Gemi tells the guild, 'luck play alot in fear.'
[Tue Jan 01 09:26:43 2002] Mimer tells the guild, '189 and never feared'
[Tue Jan 01 09:27:12 2002] Musubi tells the group, 'lvl is very importent in resisting spells, sontas weak fear only works on lowlvls I think'