(N)EverQuest Scrolls

I started this project with a level 51 mage back in February (2007). The mage had been around for a couple of years, probably three or four, and in fact had been sitting in Lower Guk while I took a break. Not long after coming back, and starting to look for things to do, I lucked out on getting Quillmane (luck being relative, I had just bought a Crown of Elemental Mastery in the Bazaar, and camped for most of a day for Quillmane). I quickly completed the epic, and decided to start a project with the mage of getting AAs at as low a level as it was possible to get them. (continue reading…)

I hit 85 a few weeks ago. Apart from some minor testing of the RSS hot zone, it was all done by grinding Katta elementals, which I know that I swore I wouldn’t do, but the lure of new spells was too much for me. Also too much for a reality check, because the better new spells have all been locked behind faction in SoD. (continue reading…)

A quick review of (solo) lesson burn exp rates:

Dragonscale Hills animals: 1.8 AA
Ruins of Illsalin (hot zone) witherans: 2.2 (and that’s with Legacy event bonus)
Dragonscale Hills wind nymphs (duo with cleric): 2.2 (continue reading…)

At a later point I will probably split this entry into several – one for general quests and items to collect, one for spell factions, another for AAs, and one for accessible gear (group and CoA raid level). (continue reading…)

26 May, 2008: level 80 (for a couple of days), 1179 AAs.

BoT (hot zone): SE tower, 1.5 AA/lesson (very roughly). Regrua camp on Redfeather Isle, The Barren Sea – 2.5 AA/lesson!!! Plus 8% AA for one quest hand-in. 13-16% level in a lesson (possibly a little better, this was exp gained in 1 hr without lesson, on only half the camp). Later: one lesson there at 76 is 16% level. (continue reading…)

Why “The Last”? Because I have no intention of taking 76-80 as a grind.

I spent the last few days grinding my way from 71 to 76. I finished off the AAs that I felt I would have some reasonable use (and were available at 71), and moved on. That means full pet and spell damage AAs, plus some utility. All of this, with minor exceptions, was done at one of two camps in Nobles’ Causeway. (continue reading…)

A lot has changed since my last post in this series. The release of Secrets of Faydwer added some new recipes for cheaply skilling up spell research, which makes the Omens and earlier spells for 69/70 more accessible to me. Rashere changed the formula for experience gains according to “con” colour, which has had a massive impact. In fact, I have definitely decided to stay at level 71 to gain AAs, whereas before these changes I was seriously considering leveling straight to 75 or 80 with only the addition of the updates to Gift of Magic. These changes totally invalidate my previous measures on experience gain over time: all spots will offer better experience than recorded apart from the courtyard in Bastion of Thunder (as mobs there were all dark blue, this will be unchanged). (continue reading…)

As I write this, my mage is 70, with about 10% to go to 71. Since the last instalment, just over a month ago, almost all my experience has been in groups. Most of that outside of groups hasn’t been strictly aimed at experience/hour, and none of has been earning AAs. I have all summoned items drop spells for 71 banked – focus items, armor, and mask (all bar weapons, in fact), as well as a good number of the rank II spells. (continue reading…)

I am currently at around 550 AAs, at 66. My camp spot is BoT Courtyard, which, with mainly Time gear now, gives me 1.7 – 1.9 AAs/lesson, which is the best I have had since 51. There are two problems; the first is relatively simple, which is that at 67 ALL of the turkeybees turn light blue, which means that my exp rate will drop to 0.9, which isn’t great. The second problem is the abandoned expansion problem (AEP for short). (continue reading…)

I’ve been level 66 for a few weeks now, and getting on for 100 AAs. Most of that has been at the same camp, stormriders in Bastion of Thunder. This is the second time that I have spent a long period of time at the same level (the last was 55, I don’t really count 59), and this time, unlike the last, I have upgraded by gear. Prior to this point, I have been using Scout Madu quest gear, required level 45, from Goru’kar Mesa. This time, I have been going on public Time raids, with some success, as well as attempting to work through PoP flagging. (continue reading…)