The Shrieker

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The Shrieker
The Shrieker.png
Enemy Type Eldritch/Beast
Size Large (2)
Actions per round Turnticker.pngTurnticker.pngTurnticker.png
Stats
Variation Callous
Shrieker
Cretinous
Shrieker
Horrid
Shrieker
HP 75 113 154
HP (Stygian/Bloodmoon) 90 136 185
Dodge 40% 48.75% 62.5%
Protection 0% 0% 0%
Speed 7 8 9
Stealth Stealth None None None
Resistances
Poptext stun.png Stun 55% 75% 100%
Blight Blight 200% 220% 245%
Bleed Bleed 55% 75% 95%
Poptext debuff.png Debuff 30% 50% 75%
Poptext move.png Move 55% 75% 100%


The Shrieker is an Eldritch/Beast Event Boss found in the Weald. The Shrieker typically appears when a certain number of Trinkets have been lost due to a party wipe; it may also steal trinkets from inventory in the Hamlet as well.

Description

The Shrieker is a giant bird-like monster resembling a crow or raven, but with various mutations, including a cluster of eyes atop its head and various growths protruding from its back.

Encountering the Shrieker

The Shrieker may be encountered in a few different ways. An expedition to hunt the Shrieker will appear on the quest map once one of the following conditions have been met:

  • After at least 8 trinkets have been lost (due to a party wipe, or lost in town activities), a new expedition will appear. Each time this expedition is completed, 8 lost trinkets will be recovered to the inventory; this expedition will remain on the quest map while there remain at least 8 lost, but not yet recovered, trinkets.
  • During the Town Event A Thief in the Night, the Shrieker will steal 8 random trinkets from the inventory. This event can only occur after week 42 and occurs at most once per campaign. The event unlocks a new expedition to kill the Shrieker; as above, completing this expedition will restore the 8 stolen trinkets, and the expedition will remain on the map until it is completed.
  • The Town Event Shrieker's Prize will unlock a new expedition; completing this expedition will reward a unique Shrieker Trinket. This event can only occur after week 15. The expedition will disappear if it is not completed on the same week it appears; however, it can re-occur multiple times during a campaign, including after all the Shrieker trinkets have been acquired, in which case the quest reward panel will be empty.

The Shrieker expedition will always appear in the Weald. The expedition consists of a single room with a single combat encounter—combat will begin as soon as the party embarks. There are no other rooms or hallways on the map.

The Shrieker's Prize will always be a Champion expedition. A Thief in the Night may be Apprentice, Veteran, or Champion level, depending on the highest rarity of trinket that was lost.

The Shrieker may also randomly appear as a boss in the Endless Harvest.

Notably, the Shrieker does not actually need to be killed in order to be defeated: it will always flee after four rounds of combat, at which point combat will automatically end and the expedition will be marked as having been successfully completed. The party can then return to the Hamlet, earning all quest rewards, including lost trinkets and rare Corvid Quirks. Killing the Shrieker's Nest, however, will reward a number of trapezohedrons.

Behaviour

The Shrieker spawns along with its nest, both of which take up two slots. Many of the Shrieker's attacks will move it, causing it to swap positions with the nest.

The Shrieker has extremely high DODGE, and its multiple actions per round enable it to deal a large amount of Stress and damage to the party.

The Shrieker is essentially immune to blight, and fairly resistant to bleed. Its nest is immune to both.

On the Shrieker's last turn during Round 4, it will use Shrieking Flight, dealing 40/45/50 Stress to all heroes before flying away, ending the battle.

A special version of the Shrieker appears in the Endless Harvest. This version has fairly similar stats to the Champion Shrieker, with the main difference being that Shrieking Flight only deals 15 Stress in Endless Mode.

Abilities

Apprentice Level
Skill Name Range Rank Target Accuracy Crit
Chance
Damage Effect
(Target)
Effect
(Self)
Notes
Peck Melee 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 87.5% 16% 6-10 Poptext bleed.png 100% Bleed 2 Poptext move.png Forward 4
Caw Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 87.5% 2% 1 Tray afflicted.png Stress +20 No Effect
Call the Murder Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1+2+3+4. 87.5% 2% 1 Tray afflicted.png 70% Stress +12 Poptext buff.png Buff: +6 SPD
Poptext move.png Back 4
Regurgitate Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 25% +1 Target. 87.5% 2% 1 Poptext debuff.png 100% Debuff: -15 ACC
Poptext disease.png 15% Disease (any)
No Effect
Shrieking Flight* Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1+2+3+4. 135.5% 2% 1 Tray afflicted.png Stress +40 Escapes from battle

Veteran Level
Skill Name Range Rank Target Accuracy Crit
Chance
Damage Effect
(Target)
Effect
(Self)
Notes
Peck Melee 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 93.75% 21% 8-13 Poptext bleed.png 120% Bleed 3 Poptext move.png Forward 4
Caw Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 93.75% 6% 2 Tray afflicted.png Stress +23 No Effect
Call the Murder Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1+2+3+4. 93.75% 6% 2 Tray afflicted.png 70% Stress +14 Poptext buff.png Buff: +7 SPD
Poptext move.png Back 4
Regurgitate Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 33% +1 Target. 93.75% 6% 2 Poptext debuff.png 120% Debuff: -15 ACC
Poptext disease.png 15% Disease (any)
No Effect
Shrieking Flight* Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1+2+3+4. 141.75% 6% 2 Tray afflicted.png Stress +45 Escapes from battle

Champion Level
Skill Name Range Rank Target Accuracy Crit
Chance
Damage Effect
(Target)
Effect
(Self)
Notes
Peck Melee 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 107.5% 22% 13-19 Poptext bleed.png 140% Bleed 4 Poptext move.png Forward 4
Caw Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 107.5% 7% 2 Tray afflicted.png Stress +25 No Effect
Call the Murder Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1+2+3+4. 107.5% 7% 2 Tray afflicted.png 70% Stress +16 Poptext buff.png Buff: +8 SPD
Poptext move.png Back 4
Regurgitate Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 40% +1 Target. 107.5% 7% 2 Poptext debuff.png 140% Debuff: -15 ACC
Poptext disease.png 15% Disease (any)
No Effect
Shrieking Flight* Ranged 1, 2, 3, 4. 1+2+3+4. 155.5% 7% 2 Tray afflicted.png Stress +50 Escapes from battle

* Only used as its last action during round 4. Also cannot be riposted, so isn't a last chance to get the kill.

Strategy

By far the easiest way to deal with the Shrieker is to simply survive for four rounds. Many parties can accomplish this. Perhaps the simplest example is a party consisting of a single Leper, who can survive four rounds by himself by stacking PROT trinkets. DODGE parties are also effective, though Shrieking Flight has very high accuracy and will still likely hit. Guard Guard is great for saving heroes that get hit repeatedly.

It is useful to bring Bandages, Holy Water and Medicinal Herbs (especially so if the Exclusive to The Color of Madness DLCMiasmal Orchard has been built) to counter the Shrieker's bleed/disease-causing attacks and undo his debuffs. Other provisions are not needed.

Optionally, one may kill the Shrieker's Nest in order to earn a good amount of gold. This is not terribly difficult since (aside from its immunity to bleed and blight) the nest has few defences. Note that this must be done while the Shrieker is still present, however, since the nest will automatically de-spawn when the Shrieker flees or dies.

Killing the Shrieker is more difficult and grants no additional rewards aside from negating the high Stress from Shrieking Flight. When attempting to kill it, the party must overcome a few challenges:

  • The Shrieker has extremely high DODGE.
  • It also has three actions per round, meaning that debuffs must be applied every round to have effect. It is generally easier to buff the party's own accuracy than try to debuff the Shrieker's DODGE.
  • The party must also have good reach, as the Shrieker's attacks often move it forwards and backwards.

Because of the Shrieker's party-wide attacks and multiple actions per round, Riposte Riposte is very effective against it.

It is possible, though difficult, to kill both the Shrieker and its nest. This requires certain trinket investments and is not generally recommended until the very late game.

Team Selection

Preferred Heroes

  • Abomination - High DMG in Beast form and high ACC with Exclusive to The Color of Madness DLCBroken Key. Stress may accumulate quickly, however, causing him to revert to Human form.
  • Antiquarian - Stacking DODGE is one of the easier ways to complete the quest.
  • Arbalest/Musketeer - Very high base ACC and can do tremendous damage with Mark Mark. Relatively tanky for a back-line hero.
  • Highwayman - The Shrieker's many attacks will frequently trigger Riposte Riposte.
  • Houndmaster - Strong DODGE tank and can Guard Guard his allies. If attempting to kill the Shrieker, also has great Mark Mark synergy, bonus DMG versus Beasts, and Dog Treats to boost his ACC and DMG.
  • Hellion - Great reach and damage, and great ACC-boosting trinkets.
  • Jester - Can heal Stress and buff the party's ACC. Finale has extremely high ACC and DMG, making it a great finisher on round 4. Somewhat squishy, however, requiring Guard Guard or DODGE to increase his survivability.
  • Leper - Extremely tanky. Can solo the battle by stacking PROT trinkets like Heavy Boots or Barristan's Head, then using Withstand and Solemnity.
  • Man-At-Arms - Excellent buffs to ACC, DODGE, and Stress reduction. Can Riposte Riposte the Shrieker and Guard Guard heroes at low health.
  • Occultist - With trinkets to boost his ACC and debuff skill chance, Vulnerability Hex becomes a strong Mark Mark that debuffs the Shrieker's DODGE. However, the Occultist is a bit squishy, so it is advised to bring a hero who can Guard Guard him.

Reasonable Choices

  • Bounty Hunter - Great Mark Mark synergy, though his range is limited.
  • Grave Robber - High DODGE boosts her survivability.
  • Shieldbreaker - Can tank attacks with block tokens. However, her low DMG values makes her less effective at killing the Shrieker.

Discouraged Heroes

Shrieker Trinkets

During the Shrieker's Prize event, completing the expedition will award a Shrieker Trinket.

Distended Crowseye Callous Talon Molted Wingfeather Molted Tailfeather
Crow trinket eye.png Crow trinket talon.png Crow trinket wingfeather.png Crow trinket tailfeather.png
  • +10 ACC
  • +33% Disease resist if torch below 75
  • +15% Scouting chance if torch below 50
  • +15% Stress
  • +7% CRIT
  • +33% Disease resist if torch below 75
  • +33% Bleed skill chance if torch below 50
  • +15% Stress
  • +10 DODGE
  • +33% Disease resist if torch below 75
  • +33% Move resist if torch below 50
  • +15% Stress
  • +4 SPD
  • +33% Disease resist if torch below 75
  • +33% Stun resist if torch below 50
  • +15% Stress

Corvid Quirks

Heroes who survive the battle with the Shrieker may receive one of several Corvid quirks. The chance to receive a positive quirk is twice the chance to receive a negative one[1]. The following table lists all Corvid quirks and their effects:

Panel monster indicator.pngPositive Quirks Negative QuirksPanel monster indicator.png
Corvid's Eye +8 ACC +8% Scouting Chance Corvid's Blindness -10 ACC when torch is above 50
Corvid's Grace +6 DODGE, +25% Move Resist Corvid's Appetite +100% Food Consumed
Corvid's Resilience +33% Disease Resist Corvid's Curiosity +27.5% Chance of interacting with all curios

Farming Corvid Quirks

It is possible to force the Shrieker to appear by sending four heroes equipped with throwaway trinkets to "die" in the Endless Harvest. Since heroes cannot truly die in endless mode but merely become "Lost in Time and Space", this is a way to safely farm for Corvid quirks without incrementing the death count in Stygian/Bloodmoon.

Gallery

Trivia

  • The Shrieker expedition is unique in several ways: it is only expedition that consists of a single room and the only expedition that begins immediately with combat without any prior rooms or hallways. And uniquely amongst bosses, the Shrieker does not need to be killed in order to be considered defeated.
  • In the game files, Shrieking Flight is coded to kill the Shrieker itself.
  • The background music changes depending on the current quest. If the quest is Shrieker's Prize, it is the Mournweald Encounter, the normal battle music for the Weald. If the quest is A Thief in the Night or recovering lost trinkets from fallen heroes, the music is Town in Chaos, the battle music from Wolves at the Door.
  • The game files list separate quirk rewards, party_quirks_to_apply_on_completion and party_quirks_to_apply_on_failure, for success and failure, respectively.[2] However, since merely surviving the quest marks it as completed, not to mention the only way to fail the quest is for all heroes to die, the second option never actually fires.
  • The term "Corvid" refers to the bird family of Corvidae, defined as "a large and widely distributed family of typical passerine ("perching") birds having a stout moderately long cultrate ("sharp and pointed") bill and including the ravens, crows, choughs, magpies, and jays" (ref)
  • The Shrieker's attacks are programmed to move it forward and back 4 positions. This is despite only requiring to move 3 positions to always end up in the first and fourth positions after executing each move respectively.
  • Previously a single Grave Robber could trivialise the entire fight by using Shadow Fade to remain in Stealth Stealth until the Shrieker flies off. However, this no longer works, as in December 2018 the Shrieker was given the ability to ignore Stealth with all its attacks.
  • The spawn condition for the Shrieker only counts trinkets that are equipped at the time of the party wipe. Unequipped trinkets—that is, trinkets in the inventory at the time of the party wipe—are lost forever.

References

  1. See the quests tagged with crow_map1 in campaign/quest/quest.plot_quests.json.
  2. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=819597757


view
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Spoilers
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