So there's a quest, right, with bark zombies, and at the end, to beat the quest, you gotta kill this tree so the zombies don't come back. Problem is that by attacking the tree, you get shot 4 times by spines that can do up to 12 damage. Tried hitting it yesterday; dealt 1 damage and got 26 back in kind. At level 3. With AC 20. My suggestion is to tone down the difficulty of killing that tree, because we ended up having to leave when I hit the tree and all the spines shot in one round and killed my caster friend who was 20 feet away.

I've never had any problems killing it, even with a level 2/1 fighter/wizard without armor hacking at it. The tree does roll to attack.

My only complaint is that there isn't much of a clue that you need to chop the tree down. I've done the quest a few times and always forget how to end it.

Yeah maybe when you get closer a map note (like the hackles in your back rise in that spot in lower)

"You feel like the tree is looking at you malevolently" or some such

or when you walk closer to the tree.

"The tree looks unusual, like frozen figures in pain were carved into it's bark" as a yellow pop up note.

When I first played the bark zombie mission (lets be honest it's one of the least played missions in sanctuary). I had no trouble figuring out what to do with the tree.

I died twice the first time. Only played it once since then.

It's not about figuring out what to do with the tree: It's the fact that the tree kills you.

You can sometimes be really lucky, or sometimes really unlucky.. its luck of the draw. But I agree, the tree is pretty hardcore.