Rona
From HGWiki
Rona is a legendary area intended for pre-Hells parties of levels 52 to 58. It is the only pre-Hell area where BUR's can be found and the only one where Demi-Gods will not risk Limbo whilst looking for these items. There is also a chance of getting the spell penetration artifact the Sigil of Mystra at the end.
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Description
- Rona can be reached by following the path East Road > The Crossroads > Plains of War > Fox Trail > Fox Ridge, to gain entrance to the Rona run you will need to find a certain tree located near the entrance to the Hidden Cave. If you are an immortal Ranger or Druid then you can open the way to Rona automatically by approaching the tree, otherwise you will need to be able to make a DC 105 search check. Once this has been done, it is possible for other members to port over.
- Rona is a separate dimension once you pass through the Chapa'ai. You can port to your party within Rona (except for the final boss map) but not from Faerun. You can use a SoS to port in at any point during the run.
- On the Canopy maps the view is awkward due to the large number of trees in the area. This problem can be solved by using AOE Fire spells such as Fire Storm, Fireball and Flame Strike to 'burn' the trees and clear your view. Just be careful of loot if using loot breakers. Tip: If you use Fireball scrolls they don't do enough damage to break the loot. If you want to avoid the annoyance of the trees entirely go here https://highergroundpoa.proboards.com/thread/26235/visual-effects and install the graphics fix which turns them into flower pots.
- Sonic, Cold and Magical work best on Pharlans. Electrical damage is a big no as it heals Pharlans, however it is effective against Tigals.
- Resting is free but does come with a chance of rest spawning. Usually resting one at a time will reduce this risk. Rangers and Druids can use One With The Land spell through Rona for risk free rests.
- In Rona Immortal characters will Fugue, Demi-Gods will revive after a timer, the Abandoned Tree-House is still in Faerun so immortal characters will revive there.
Prerequisites
No tags are required to gain entry to Rona except immortality, although the area is recommended for characters above level 52.
The run is split into two parts, the first part requiring you to have Levitation, either via an item, feat or subrace ability. If you can't levitate you will fall directly to the first map of the second part of the run. While this may seem a quick an easy way to gain entrance to the second part of the map it isn't. You will not only die instantly on landing but without the key from the previous map you will be unable to continue.
Killing Pharlans is an act of evil and this is represented in a change towards evil in your alignment for every one of them you kill. Beware those of you with Paladin splashes for saves or who otherwise would need to remain good. Obviously if you are already evil this will matter little to you.
Immunities
The main elemental immunes to cover for Rona are Electrical, Acid and Positive. Negative (with a neg pot) and Divine are also common. Immunity to the Earthquake spell is highly advantageous as this will free up your Positive immune and allow you to equip Divine immune for Bombardments. Pharlan inflict Electrical vulnerability, so having over 100% Electrical is recommended. Later in the run there are also Halaves that inflict Acid vulnerability, so restore often.
Immunity to Mordenkainen's Disjunction is needed if you rely on buffs once you start facing male Pharlan Sephae.
Freedom of Movement (FoM) is highly recommended as there are serpents that will entangle you. Freedom from the spell will prevent this, freedom as a property on an item will not.
Undeath's Eternal Foe can also be very helpful as it protects against Negative damage and prevents being blinded.
Monsters
Electrical damage type heals Pharlans. Do not use weapons with Electrical type on them.
Many of the Pharlan melee types inflict Electrical vulnerability on hit. Restore when necessary or you will find yourself taking more and more damage each time.
The Halaves inflict Acid vulnerability on hit. Sayas do a freeze attack. Raptornis do a vulnerability infliction and also blind. Gry'Kiva can confuse. Tigals have a Vamp Touch and sometimes do a damage vulnerability infliction. Some mobs do a fear attack and some mobs can confuse.
Also there is the possibility of becoming diseased, this is represented by your character glowing yellow and all of your elemental immunities being reduced. Remove Disease and a Restoration/Greater Restoration cures this.
Other than the mini-bosses and final boss nothing here has immunity to critical hits meaning Rona is a playground for Assassins and Rangers as you can Mortal Strike and Called Shot (assuming you have the correct Favoured Enemies) almost everything on the run.
Spawn Structure
Spawns are not dynamic in that the numbers and types of creatures do not scale with player group size, paragon type creatures do not spawn in this area, however the mix of creatures present in spawns will vary on a per server reset basis.
It is not possible to mass maps in Rona as you will generally only trigger one to two spawns at a time and backspawns are extremely likely.
Transit
Transit with mobs alive No.
Areas
Abandoned Treehouse
The small house is full of Pharlan Otoe and Chiara (and no other bestiary). The guards at the beginning have a Keycrystal that disables the energy barrier at the start. At the end of the floor is a Strange Crystal that actually is a teleporter into a small room. Regni'Keliak, a young officer, and other Pharlans guard that room (In the case he is not there, try exit and enter the room again and again. Try to run back to the entrance and move there a bit and enter the room again). He drops a Keycrystal and and a Tsoia, a strange device that stores somehow information on the Pharlans. Last but not least there is a huge Portal in this room, that leads to the world of the Pharlans. The Keycrystal opens it (and is consumed). At this point a message advises to turn Shadows off in the graphic settings if you do not have a good graphics card.
- Pharlan Chiara, can be disarmed
- Pharlan Otoe, can be disarmed
- Pharlan Guards, can be disarmed
Rona - Forest Canopy
Monsters here:
- Halave
- Pharlan Chiara, can be disarmed
- Pharlan Otoe, can be disarmed
- Saya'cymediah
One Rona set item in a chest half the way.
Baragior'Bala, a Pharlan, is the boss here, that drops a Keycrystal for the Strange Crystal that leads to the next map.
Rona - Rising Branches
- Pharlan Chiara, can be disarmed
- Pharlan Otoe, can be disarmed
- Saya'cymediah
- Raptornis
- Pharlan Lashanka, can be disarmed
Another 2 chests with Rona loot here.
Gry'Kiva is the name of the boss here, drops key, step into light...
Rona - Treetop Mists
- Pharlan Otoe, can be disarmed
- Pharlan Klashda, can be disarmed
- Pharlan Lashanka, can be disarmed
- Tigal
- Raptornis
- Dumm'renatha
The miniboss Domi'Chufar (Key) is a Pharlan Sephae - they cast AoE Electrical spells and charges the Pharlans up with many, many temporary hitpoints.
Rona - Falling Leaves
More Pharlan, including Pharlan Sephae. Aria'Akin drops the key named Grodk. This is the end of part I, once you have picked up the key from the miniboss you can do part II whenever you want. At the west of the map is an area transition which leads back to the big teleporter at the beginning of Forest Canopy.
Rona - Forest Floor
With the Grodk in the inventory, the Portal from Treehouse gives the option to teleport to the Forest Floor and opens this for subsequent users .
- Pharlan Klashda, can be disarmed
- Dumm'renatha
- Pharlan Sephae, can be disarmed
- Saya'cymediah
- Gakra'rek (has physical kickback, a lot of it!)
- Tigal
There is a teleporter in a corner that teleports to the temple, the Grodk gets consumed.
Rona - Temple of Tsanje
Magic can't be used within this area. Spells from items work, Greater Sanctuary scrolls work but Black Blade of Disaster scrolls do not.
- Pharlan Klashda
- Gakra'rek (lots)
- Pharlan Lashanka
- Saya'cymediah
- Dumm'renatha
- Pharlan Sephae
A Gakra'rek miniboss "Nubiko'gyandar" drops some special meat "Werok", this is used to activate the portal (but not consumed at this point). He has a DC53 vs. reflex Knockdown attack.
Go through the shaft of light into the middle area. Lots of Pharlans and the Boss, High Priest Rashla'El, are here!
Make sure that you bring everybody through before you spawn anything as this will block further transitions until all the mobs are dead, if you accidentally spawn something you can use Apport Arcanes or use a Stone of Succor to teleport to lead.
After completing the meat is used on the altar (is consumed at this point) to have a chance of spawning the artifact (25% chance), beware of the explosions of 2000 Magical damage if that fails.
| Boss Strategy Spoiler Warning! |
|---|
| Use a ranged attack to pull one Sephae at a time. If you charge into the temple and have a large spawn, you will probably wipe. Even if you don't, it will be a very long and tedious battle. Any remaining casters will use AoE electrical damage spells which recharge the health of Pharlans in the vicinity, not a winner!
Arcane Archers's with sonic bows and/or a Shifter in Manticore form will vastly reduce the time taken for the last map. A Zen Ranger (with monstrous humanoids as favoured enemies) will reduce this even further since all the Pharlan except Rashla'El can be CS'ed. Rashla'El casts Implosion, a Fire damage/vulnerability inflicting disease and lots of other spells, he also has several heals which can be pick pocketed. The damage/vulnerability inflicting disease apply to everyone on the map, so leaving people unable to remove disease or not of Demigod status outside the boss area is inadvisable! |
Saves
Grapple DC 88 vs. Saya'Cymediah, Freedom of Movement protects
Will DC 53 vs. Fear from Durn'mrenatha, specific Fear immunity from any source protects
Reflex DC 56 vs. Pharlan Klashda (Electrical, Fire, Positive damage)
Fort DC 53 vs. Pharlan Klashda
Reflex DC 56 vs. Pharlan Klashda
Fort DC 56 vs. Earthquake from Sephae
Player Tips
In the last map most magic doesn't work. The only Epic spell that will work is 'Death of Magic' which will grant you the ability to use your spells for the duration of its effect. A strategy sometimes used for buffing is to use the rest ring, cast buffs, then rejoin the party. However remember that clicking on the altar in the PPD will dispel any buffs you have cast so make sure you initiate your autocaster before you are ported back.
Heal and other Potions, Rez Scrolls and one or two other scrolls will work as do Saintsblood Pearls and abilities such as Shadow Evade Bard song and curse song. Shifter abilities that are not spells work, e.g. a Banshee's wail works whereas a Baelnorn's Finger of Death does not.
