(N)EverQuest Scrolls

Beastlords/Tailoring

• Khati Shah Handwraps (triv26)
  • Shadeling silks (12 per combine) – SWT
• Young rockhopper claws (2) – SV
• Young rockhopper hides (16) – SV
• rough belt strap (triv 36)
  • MQ rockhopper hides (2) – SWT/HM
• Claws (triv approx 40)
  • Scorpion legs (4) – SV
• leather straps (triv 41+)
  • HQ rockhopper hides (2) – SWT/HM
  • Hopper tails (6) – HM
  • Glowing heart stone, glowing muckdigger – PC
  • sonic wolf molars (2), cubs and wolflings – HM
• black chitin belt
  • shadeling silk (4) – SWT
  • scorpion shell (triv 56) – SV
• bone beaded belt
  • grimling fingerbone (triv 66) – HM
• owlbear feathered leggings
  • owlbear feather – HM
  • sonic wolf pelt – HM
  • shadeling silk (4 – triv 95)) – SWT
• owlbear tunic
  • owlbear pelts (12) – HM
  • shadeling silk (24 – triv 135) – SWT
• Toughened Sinew Lashings
  • owlbear claws (2), cubs and grapplers – HM
  • owlbear tendons, cubs and grapplers – HM
  • sonic wolf tendons – HM
  • kelp salts, moor tortoise – HM
  • fish oil soaked rags, fisherman, chieftain (triv 135) – HM

Bard/Pottery

• scorpion shells (3)
• Gray Jar/Gray Clay (4 required, triv 41)
  • gray mud (8)
  • xakra bile (4)
• Bowl of the Jharin (triv 85)
  • grimling femur (4)
  • xakra bile
• Buckler and Drum
  • young rockhopper hides (4)
• Reconstructed Vase (95)
• Lute
  • owlbear feathers (7)
  • owlbear guts (8)
• Hilt Piece
  • sonic wolf jawbones (2)
• Runed Grey Jar (not essential, triv 108)
  • gray mud (2)
  • xakra bile (2)
• Xakra Runed Jar (not essential, triv 188)
  • gray mud (2)
  • xakra bile
  • xakra blood
• Fine Xakra Runed Jar (not essential, triv 188)
  • gray mud (2)
  • xakra bile
  • sonic wolf blood
• Vah Shir Figurines (10 needed, trivs 100 – 148 for stages)
  • gray mud (20)
  • xakra bile (10)
  • rockhopper blood (10)
• Ceramic Sleeves (triv 135?)
  • ashes of dark ritual, spiritists – HM
  • owlbear bile, cubs and grapplers – HM
  • sonic wolf blood
  • black silt clay, ground spawn – HM

For slightly lower level Vah Shir, the zone provides drops for their trade skill quests, and for the sonic wolf bane weapons. These depend on mobs that generally speaking only exist when the zone is in the default state, and disappear during war times. The following drops will be looked for:

Beastlords:
rockhopper tails
sonic wolf pup/wolflings molars
owlbear claws (2) for stretching dowels
owlbear (cubs/grapplers) tendons
sonic wolf tendons
grimlings (chieftain/fisherman) fish oil soaked rags
moor tortoises kelp salts
Tailoring quest (mostly beastlords):
(young rockhopper hides x 16, MQ rockhopper hides (trivial 36), scorpion shells (56) – all in the Pit/SWT)
grimling fingerbones (68)
owlbear feathers (95)
sonic wolf pelt (95)
owlbear pelts (trivial 135)

This is a programmable button pad with a D cursor control button, like a cross between a numeric keypad and a console gaming pad. It attaches using USB, and has support for MacOS X (and 9) as well as Windows. It is intended for use by the left hand. There are ten buttons as well as the cursor button and a wheel shaped throttle control. The ten buttons can be modified with three shift states – which need to be controlled from the buttons somehow.

You assign to each button press on the device either a key, a macro, or a shift state. When I say key, that means a single key press, which the key functions can be set to press and release, hold down, or repeat at various rates. This means that a combination keystroke, like Ctrl-S, or even Shift-S, needs to be assigned via a macro. The Windows version seems to accept long macros, but the MacOS X version of the software appears to limit macros to a relatively short sequence.

Manufacturer link: Belkin Nostromo

So far I have set it up to use the D pad for movement control, with a couple of common functions on the buttons; all works smoothly. I want to use it as a limited form of two boxing, so that I can control one character with it, while I actively play the other. This will clearly only work for certain classes; I wouldn’t want to try it with a melee class, for example, but would be fine with a buff class, especially cleric, and I can see it working with a mage.

My initial question for myself is: what macros do I need to create for this scenario? I can see it working with the basic ten buttons mapped to the hot keys, although more advanced controls are possible, and the cursor control mapped to movement keys is pure bonus. It might almost be feasible for controlling a melee character, now that I think about it, given that we have reasonable movement control beyond simple auto follow.

Basic controls…
Target character, stand, and…
cast buff (x n – what about self buffing?)
heal
follow (no sit after this, click jboots first)
Target character, assist and…
pet backoff/pet attack
nuke (stand/sit)
dot (stand/sit)
Others…
Toggle sit on/off
Gate
Evac (druid)

This all depends on spell order being maintained, and is highly variable between chars. Should include some /gsay to confirm targeting, etc. In a minimalist configuration, control of the sit function isn’t required, as any spell cast will leave you sitting; a raid would be different, but then it would be different for many other cases as well.

A second usage pattern would be as a supplementary control for your main character. I can see the movement control being preferred, perhaps. This is especially appealing for when running with a laptop keyboard, and being unable to access numeric keypad keys or function keys as easily as on a normal keyboard. In which case the usual hot keys would be required, plus auto attack toggle, sit toggle, and replacement for the f keys; could possibly use the throttle as a shift control between these two banks, or sacrifice the hot key that occupies my forward macro. In this configuration, I’m going to assume that the normal keyboard is accessible; so that Ctrl-S for sit toggle, Alt-3 (etc) for spell casting, etc, are accessible. So hot keys will map to buttons directly, for faster access, movement to the pad, and the throttle wheel will shift state for function keys when pushed up. The problem with this is that there are 10 buttons, but I’d want to map 10 hotkeys plus a shift function, and the throttle isn’t too reliable for this; it would be better if releasing it also recentred it. Strafing is also lost this way, unless you can use the keyboard simultaneously.

The simplest configuration is as described: map movement keys to the D pad, hot keys to the buttons, F keys to one of the shift states, and the throttle to shift. For a laptop user, the numeric keypad also covers autoattack (I shift it to numeric 0) and look up/down/centre view. I think I’d use the other shift (throttle down) to manage the view – D pad up for up, down for down, and left/right to centre. That leaves autoattack; the way to handle that is to assign it to the key that would control the hot key I use for forward movement (9 or 10), that does sense heading, foraging, tracking, and any other function I put into that macro – this hot key will be autotriggered by my D pad forward movement anyway, so reassigning the button shouldn’t be too confusing for me.

Next problem: I can do this with the Mac profile editor, but the PC profile editor doesn’t allow me to assign shift states to the throttle. I’ll check into this.

Back to 2boxing, time to work out the macros. I’m going to think of them as general purpose, but I’ll probably assign them to hot keys, rather than the E50 macros. The most immediate priority to me is controlling the mage to back up my enchanter. From the list above, I’m going to need: follow macro, send in the pet, nuke, dot, pet heal, pet buff, pet DS, and emergency (gate). Items in brackets can’t be done inside hot key social commands.

In an ideal world, I’d use something like the following, with a few recasts added in there against fizzles. However, the social macros are restricted to 5 lines, so most of these would have to be trimmed. All of the spell casting macros will also need a pause inserted after the casts, to allow time for the spell cast to complete; and remember that socials are not interruptable, you have to allow them to complete. One way to allow for this would be to remove the final ‘/sit on’, and use a separate key for this – and manually allow for the casting time, which also means that fizzles can be handled by a simple extra tap of the cast button.

Follow
/sit off
(click jboots)
/target X (or F2)
/follow

Pet Attack this will double as a pet backoff if I have myself targeted first
/target X (or F2)
/assist
/gsay targeted %t
/pet back off
/pet attack

Cast Pet Buff (can be adjusted according to the spell to cast)
/sit off
/pet target
/cast n
/sit on

Cast Attack (can be adjusted according to the spell to cast)
/sit off
/pet target
/assist
/gsay targeted %t
/cast n
/sit on

The best way to set this up will be in combination with EQWatcher, so that I can hear when buffs are wearing off; I’ll leave self buffs to direct keyboard control. Extending this to a cleric required a couple more functions: cleric buffs, different heals, nuke/stun and possibly spell swapping, which is definitely more advanced, and I think I’ll skip for now. Thinking about it, the general assist and cast technique should work for the cleric, only instead of assist pet, it should be self target and assist. So the new pattern is:

Cast Spell (can be adjusted according to the spell to cast)
/sit off
/target X (always my character name)
/assist
/gsay targeted %t
/cast n
/sit on

This pattern will work for any spell, attack or buff. Other spells can fit into the general pattern, such as gate or evac. All that is required is to adjust the gsay command to inform the group of actions. They will even work outside of a duo, when both characters are grouped with other people. If that is going to be the case, then we can’t use F2 for targeting group members, as that could be any group member in that slot.

A few notes on this subject, regarding buffing.

Druid charms start at level 14, enchanter at level 12. Druids get pet buffs at 19 (Feral Spirit) and 44 (Savage Spirit). Enchanters get haste buffs from 16 upwards, which mutually overwrite, although both druid and enchanter strength and AC buffs seem to stack with the druid buff (check?).

At the level a druid gets Feral Spirit, the equivalent enchanter haste is faster (28% compared to 16%), although the druid strength and ac buffs available are still weaker. By level 24, the druid ac buff is better, and by level 34, both strength and ac are better buffed separately.

Savage Spirit is another story; it gives significantly greater haste than the same level enchanter (66% versus 47%), which enchanters can only match at level 58.

So until level 44, if the pet is going to be buffed, it is always better to get an enchanter haste. From 44 upwards, use the druid pet buff instead. Stacking an enchanter ac buff with a druid skin is always beneficial.

On the subject of other buffs, opinions vary, as always. It is pretty clear that haste, HP and AC buffs all help, to a degree. Some people say that strength buffs increase ATK, and improve the chance of maximum hits; but others say that parses show no improvement from ATK buffs. Stamina buffs don’t seem to increase HPs for pets; but dexterity buffs do increase the chance of a pet procing (this is significant for beastlords).

The buffs compared:

• Feral Spirit, level 19. 16 – 20% haste, 16 – 20 str, 7 – 14 ac.
• Savage Spirit, level 44. 64 – 70% haste, 42 – 45 str, 15 – 16 ac.

Druid strength buffs:

• Strength of Earth, level 9. str 9 – 15
• Strength of Stone, level 34. str 22 – 25
• Storm Strength, level 44. str 32 – 35
• Girdle of Karana, level 55. str 42

Druid AC buffs:

• Skin Like Wood, level 1. ac 3 – 4
• Skin Like Rock, level 14. ac 6 – 7
• Skin Like Steel, level 24. ac 9 – 10
• Skin Like Diamond, level 39. ac 13
• Skin Like Nature, level 49. ac 16
• Natureskin, level 57. ac 18 – 19
• Protection of the Cabbage, level 59. ac 24
• Protection of the Nine, level 63. ac 32

Enchanter AC buffs:

• Haze, level 4. 3 – 4
• Mist, level 12. 6 – 7
• Cloud, level 20. 9 – 10
• Obscure, level 29. 12 – 13
• Shade, level 39. 15 – 16
• Shadow, level 49. 19
• Umbra, level 57. 22

Enchanter haste buffs:

• Quickness, level 16. 28 – 30%
• Alacrity, level 24. 34 – 40%
• Augmentation, level 29. 22 – 28%
• Celerity, level 39. 47 – 50%
• Swift Like the Wind, level 49. 60%
• Aanya’s Quickening, level 53. 64%
• Augment, level 56. 43 – 47%
• Wonderous Rapidity, level 58. 70%
• etc

Anyone collecting acrylia ore knows that it sells well in the Bazaar, and has probably got some sort of system for pricing it to sell, based on keeping a close check on others prices. What you may also have noticed is that when someone is buying acrylia, they often buy almost all that is available on the market at one time. Unless you do tailoring or smithing yourself, you may not be aware of the conversion ratios between different ores. These conversions are in common with most other ores, or at least are very similar. All conversions require smithing, but at a low trivial (under 50, approximately).

Tailors will need studs and boning, depending on what they are making. Studs need small pieces; boning needs small bricks. Smiths will want either rings or folded sheets, which need large bricks and blocks. There is a recipe for a sheet of acrylia, but no obvious use for it.

Basic Recipes
acrylia studs – 3 bits – 6 small pieces (3x small/large/block)
acrylia boning – small brick (3x pieces or large/block)
acrylia rings – large brick (block, 3x small, 9x pieces)
folded acrylia sheets – block (3x large, 9x small, 27x pieces)
bits – 2 small pieces
sheet of acrylia – 2 small bricks

Conversions
2 small pieces – small brick
small brick – large brick
small brick – 3 small pieces
large brick – 3 small bricks
large brick – block
block – 3 large bricks

There are two cycles in Skyfire, each with its own spawn point. One spawns around loc -2245, +580 (about NE of Wiz portal); this is not an exact loc as they pop relatively close to there and a Druid tracker at least can pick up the PH’s. The Second spawn point is around -1073, +3249 approximately.

These nameds are mainly of value for spell drops, but there are also some epic drops:

Soul Devourer
Black Scar
Shadow Drake
Guardian of Felia
Felia Goldenwing
Spirit Wurm
Lava Walker
Faerie of Dismay
wandering wurm

If you are looking for spell drops, they also drop, possibly more frequently, from mature wurms, old wurms, and elder wyverns.

These are intended for Vah Shir, but Ghulam is all large races (including iksar), and all Vah Shir classes. Others are all races, all classes bar silk wearers. Each quest involves collecting 4 of something.

Ghulam Armor – Kaza Raj
Gloves (ac3 p3) – bloodling mandibles (cht’thk bloodlings)
Bracers (ac4 hp7) – broken brigand skulls (skeletal/live brigands)
Boots (ac5 hp10) – shadowed claws (lesser shades)
Sleeves (ac6 hp10) – earrings (live brigands)
Cap (ac hp10) – insignia (live thugs)
Pants (ac8 hp10) – saurek claw beast fangs
Tunic – cht’thk Bloodbulk carapaces

Rebirth Leather – Spiritist Karina
Gloves (ac5 dex1 mana5) – darkened jawbones; lesser shades
Leggings (ac6 sta2 hp5) – rotting jawbones; skeletal brigands
Sleeves (ac5 str2 fr5 mana5) – sharptoothed jawbones; skeletal hunters
Tunic (?) – thick jawbone; skeletal thugs

Hunting Leather – Captain Tarief
Boots (ac4 str1 mr1) – hopper scales
Bracer (ac4 str1 fr1) – darkclaw scales
Sleeves (ac5 str2 dr2) – shredder scales

Saurek Claws – Captain Alim
Claw Beast Talon Club (5/30 str3 sta3)
Deathmaw Claw Club (6/35 poison +2)
Firefall Claw Club (7/34 fire +2)
Shredder Claw Club (5/30 bane Tergi +2)
need to turn in three with a wooden practice flail bought from Krogar in Shar Vahl; just one talon for the claw beast (plus flail).

Blessed Champions Cape
AC 8, plus wis, cha, one other stat and a faction modifier. Gather 18 poached hides, from Loda Kai poachers and traders, combine in a box from Sentry Ferin six at a time for a Hero’s Shroud. Hand in one shroud to ?? to get a cape pattern (it is returned); combine two shrouds, the pattern, and a shadeling silk thread to get a Champions Cape. Hand in to Priestess Bast with three drops of Loda Kai blood to get the Blessed Cape. You probably need ally faction to do the turn ins.