Edit: Interface problems caused this to post before I was finished.
So I’m nearing the end of my second day of talking to the Chrono Master about obtaining the Rune I need to finally complete the unlocking of the Rune Caster class. Anyway, I’m not far from completing the current Rank, being almost done with 14, and this quest seems like it will hold me up for a while.
In fluff terms, the Chrono Master is either really lazy or really busy. Whatever the case, the random chance doesn’t appear to follow any kind of complicated system that might, for instance, improve your odds the more you visit, so we have to be really lucky on it and could potentially be stuck there for days.
This is obviously no longer really a hidden quest, since the method is available on the net and even then this part of the quest is more of an annoyance that doesn’t really provide any actual flavor or entertainment to the player involved in it. So why not have the Chrono Master just send the player to search for the misplaced Rune instead? Go dig through her home. Maybe it’s as simple as that or maybe it goes beyond that.
I can see options such as going to the home and discovering someone else has sent minions to recover the Rune. A fight ensues, and then maybe a chase happens. Or perhaps there’s a puzzle that needs to be solved. Something that involves time. Perhaps both.
Regarding making hidden class quests more hidden: How about coming up with some branching quests where the tasks needed can be mixed and matched with some where certain outcomes influence what quest comes next?