EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 1

EQ-IQ Everquest 2 Wiki (http://eq2.wikia.com) coined the phrase timelines. There vision of a timeline is a series of

quest that tie other quests together within a given tier of EQ2. Sometimes these are a series of quest within a

zone and sometimes it is just a series of quests such as the Claymore quest line that spans multiple tiers and

zones. This is a great way to determine what content you should be working on in a given adventuring level. I

highly recommend you check the site out for detailed timeline breakdown.

I highly recommend that you first explore the zone you plan on questing in for a given tier. While you explore

you will gain discovery XP and AA points (Tier 2 and above). You should make a mental note of the names of

the places that flash on your screen as you explore. Also it is a good idea to take notice on the mobs and their

location within the zone. This will be beneficial later when you go back to take up the quests for the zone.

Now it may not always be possible to explore the entire zone at times since most zones progressively get

more difficult as you make your way to the end or far side of the zone. Some mobs just roam a lot or can see

through stealth and invisibly spell’s.

From all of my prior experience and research involving leveling it seems it is best to do a combination of solo

XP grinding, collection/adventuring quests, discovery as well as some pick up group content such as a

dungeon or a raid. Not only does this help to minimize boredom it also helps you develop you character by

gaining the ever so important alternate achievement points (AA). These points are used to specialize your

character by spending the points earned from quests, named mobs and discovery experience.

If you want to maximize your leveling experience you should always follow these important notes:

Make sure you have level appropriate food and drink. Food and drink are used to regenerate your Health and Power pools. The faster these recharge the less downtime between encounters. Buying food and drink of higher tier will do little good since all of it scales down according to your adventuring level. See the chart below:

You Gear should be at minimum level appropriate. I mean that if you are level 15 you should be wearing level 10 – 19 equipment. The mobs will eat through your equipment if it is not at the very least within the same tier as the mobs are.

Food or Drink Level

Health per tick (Food)

Power per tick (Drink)

Adventuring level required to see full regen effect

10 10 15 All levels

20 28 30 11 or higher

30 53 45 21 or higher

40 78 60 31 or higher

50 103 75 41 or higher

60 128 90 51 or higher

70 159 105 71 or higher

80 (Scaled to Level) 190 120 80

From: http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Drink

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 2

Make sure all of your Combat arts and Spells are upgraded as high as you can afford. Its beyond the scope of this guide to discuss the combat system but the following chart can give you an idea of the types of upgrade you can expect to see:

From: http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Spells_and_Combat_Arts

If you are lucky to have veteran rewards you can use some of your XP potions for a boost during a

dedicated leveling session. The Level Bar as shown here is divided into ten sections. The light blue bar on the bottom indicates the small increments of xp. When the blue bar fills up you will have gained 10% XP towards the next level. This is indicated by the gold bar on the top half. It is divided into 10 increments that represent 10% each. When this bar fills up you gain a level. When leveling you should pick up as many quests as you can. Most zones have a central place for quests unofficially called hubs. These quest hubs generally have more than one quest giver. Once you complete the final quest task you will usually be sent off to the next quest hub or quest giver in the zone. In some cases they can send you out to the next zone all together. Gathering all of the shinny’s or (collections) from the ground in each zone will also give great XP and AA when you complete the collection and turn it in. It is also very profitable to collect these and sell them on the broker. You could then use the profit from the ones you don’t need to buy the ones you do need form the broker. The other great way to level fast is to group and venture into the Heroic content such as Blackburrow or a similar dungeon. This is just simply because you can kill bigger and better content that rewards you more XP than you can get while soloing. Also as a group you are able to kill the mobs faster meaning you get more XP faster. Pick up Groups form all the time on most servers. You will have to make sure you level appropriate chat channel is turned on or you will miss the pickup group request. The most efficient group configurations are groups of 3 or groups of 6. There is a bonus to XP when you are in a group with one of those setups. There is a bonus given to XP for those who do not play there character daily. It is called Vitality. You earn vitality each hour and you consume it only when you kill mobs. XP from quests don't consume vitality. This vitality gives you double experience until it runs out. Since I am a casual player and I do not play daily my Vitality is usually maxed out to 100%. You can tell how much vitality you have by hovering your mouse pointer

Spell Rank How To Obtain Apprentice I Granted automatically when you gain a level up to level 50

Apprentice II Purchased from merchants in your home city

Apprentice IV Created by players using Tradeskill

Adept I Dropped by monsters in wooden treasure chests

Adept III Created by players using Tradeskill with rare components

Master I Dropped by monsters in exquisite treasure chests

Master II Granted when you choose a specialization every 10 levels

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 3

over the round bubble at the far right of the Level bar. The idea behind Vitality was designed for those whom were casual to have a chance to catch up with fiends that might play daily and begin to our level you. Another way to squeeze out some more XP is to find someone to Mentor you. Mentoring is where a player of higher level, usually 10 or more levels, scales themselves down to your level. This allows you to play together at a cost of XP for the one whom mentors but gives the person that is being mentored a 5% bonus to adventuring XP. The more people mentoring the more bonuses you receive. Everquest uses a tier system that affects everything from Items, gear, Tradeskill, adventuring, zones, etc… The tiers are organized as such:

When it comes to efficiency in leveling how anyone can not talk about Potions, Poisons, Hex Dolls and Totems. Most of these items are player made however some of these are looted or given as quest rewards. Unfortunately the Poisons can only be used by the scouts. These really do help the scout when they apply the poisons top their weapons. With potions you have three main types. The first type is Remedy potions and is used to cure your ailments such as poison. Next we have Healing potions. These come in four varieties, Instant, regeneration, ward, and freedom. Instant is just what you would think. These potions install give you a set amount of Health or Power depending on the potion and the level of the potion. Regeneration potions also do what you might expect. They increase the rate in which you regenerate your Health or Power pools. Wards are like shields in that that have a set number of points they protect you from certain types of damage, There are potions that protect you against fire, cold or physical damage just to name a few. Last but not least we have Freedom potions. These potions give you immunity to stuns, roots or stifles. Finally the last type of potion is the Buffs. These do what you may expect. They increase you stats weather it’s Strength or intelligence or even your health pool. The down side to potions is the good ones will cost you and they are not reusable. Now we have Hex Dolls. These are charms that also can increase your stats and attributes. There are dolls that Increase your intelligence, Wisdom, Strength, Stamina and Agility. All vital stats that can really help your overall play and at the same time they debuff the mob by lowering their resistance or mitigation to attacks. The good thing about Hex Dolls is they are reusable. Sorry Tailors. Totems are a consumable charm made by woodworkers and these little babies give you many different effects. Some give you Heath and Power regeneration and others allow you to do things like breath under water or go invisible and even run faster. Most of these totems also allow you to shape shift. I know it’s just for fun but it looks cool when you are bored. All in all these items all make you’re leveling much more efficient. By no means was this a comprehensive guide on potions but that is a little out of scope for this guide.

01-09 (tier 1)

10-19 (tier 2) 21-29 (tier 3)

31-39 (tier 4)

41-49 (tier 5)

51-59 (tier 6) 61-69 (tier 7)

71-79 (tier 8)

80 (tier 9)

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 4

Tier 1 (Levels 1-9) The journey in this tier just does not last long so there is not much point in discussing these zones a whole lot other than their nostalgic or lore values. You should not have to spend more than 2-4 hours in these zones. Just getting to level 5 should be less than one hour of questing and mob killing alone. I have split each tier into zones that have quests that lead you to other zones in a form of a Progression Zones. The other zones that don’t really have a progression to get to them will be listed as Level Appropriate Zones. These zones do have quest in them but most of them are used by other quest lines such as armor or heritage quests.

Progression Zones Good Aligned Queens Colony (1-7) Qeynos Racal Cities (1-5) Oakmyst Forest (5-12) The Peat Bog (3-14) Forest Ruins (5-12)

Evil Aligned Outpost of the Overlord (1-7) Freeport Racal Cities (1-5) The Graveyard (5-13) The Sunken City (3-13) The Sprawl (5-12) Darklight Wood’s

Neutral Aligned Greater Faydark: Nursery (1-10) Timorous Deep: Chrykori Island (1-10)

Level Appropriate Zones: The Down Below (5-15) Thieves Way

If you want to level quickly I recommend you start in Timorous Deep. If you don’t start there make your way over there since it is possible to get there even at level 1. The old world of EQ2 you start either on the Queens Colony (Good) or the Outpost of the Overlord (Evil). Both of these isles are laid out the same but each has a different quest line and story. These isles are good for the first 7 levels and then you should head out to your home city. Qeynos for the Good aligned and Freeport for the Evil. If you have done the isles before and want a real old school experience you should head out to your home city the minute you zone in. You can do this by taking the boat on the docks. This will lead you to your racial home city on the outskirts of Qeynos or Freeport depending on your alignment. From here you could do the quest lines from your home city but they are very dry and uninspiring. However if you want a change of pace then I suggest you give it a try. These quest lines will lead you to one of the three primary tier 1 zones of each alignment Oakmyst Forest (5-12), The Peat Bog (3-14) and Forest Ruins (5-12) for the good and The Graveyard (5-13), The Sunken City (3-13) and The Sprawl (5-12) for the evil.

Qeynos

Freeport

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 5

For the rest of the starter areas you will start in Greater Faydark: Nursery (1-10), Timorous Deep: Chrykori Island (1-10) or the Darklight Woods (1-20) depending on your alignment and race. For a change in pace you can always try one of the city sewers of either Qeynos: The Down Below (5-15) or Freeport: Thieves Way (5-15). They do not have a very good quest line nor is the loot and items very rewarding. I will still give the sewers a look for a change in pace if you have leveled other characters before. You can easily find the sewers from just about any zone of the cities. There really is not much to tier one since your journey does not last very long.

Tier 2 (Levels 10-19)

Here is the tier in which things seem to slow down a bit and at the same time get more exciting. You will spend a bit more time here in this tier but not too long. It is possible to be done with this tier in just a day of game play especially if you started in Timorous Deep or Darklight Woods. This tier brings a lot more options to your leveling career. You will now start earning the AA points and discovery locations are much more abundant in these zones. You will spend more time in these zones do to the sheer size of them. This is also where the Heroic or Group content, also known as dungeons, becomes accessible. For those aligned with Freeport you have The Ruins (10 – 16) home to outcasts of the slums and to two tribes of Orcs. This is really a tier 1 zone when it comes to harvesting but the mobs are above level 10 which makes them tier 2. The major overland zone that it’s just outside of Freeport is The Commonlands (10 – 22) reminiscence of an African safari this barren land is full of Orcs among other creatures. Near the gates of Freeport most mobs are around 10 and as you progress out towards the west things get more challenging. This zone should take those aligned with evil up to level 20. Along the way you have 2 dungeons that you should check out with a pick up group or two. The Wailing Caves (14 – 19) and The Fallen Gate (18 -25) are excellent experience.

For the Qeynos citizens you have the Caves (10 – 16) which is a good place to level before you head out to the overland zone of Antonica. Just like its evil cousins you should be able to reach level 20 in this zone with little problems. You also have two dungeons that I recommend you find a pick up group or two while you are leveling. They are Blackburrow (13-18) and Stormhold (15-25). Both are excellent for experience. You should also check out the Shattered Vale (18 – 25) if you still have not out leveled the content. Few people play this zone

but it is worth a mention is Firemyst Gully. This zone is heroic and has a few variations of the zone. Those starting in Kelithin will have the large overland zone of Greater Faydark. This zone is connected to most of the other major zones that can take you all the way up to level 70. The quests here may not get you all the way to 20 as fast as other zones but if you throw in the occasional Crushbone Keep (20-35) which is located in this zone you should do well. Darklight Wood’s (1-24) is an excellent zone for evil aligned characters that start in Neriak. This zone is plenty diverse and should take you to level 20 is little time. Those starting in Gorowyn will truly enjoy the Timorous Deep (1-20) zone that is by far the fastest and best zone to level in from 1 – 20. Even if you do not start in Timorous Deep (1-20) once you know your way around the world of Norrath you can create alts that can make their way to the beginning of Timorous Deep (1-20) and start the quest lines there. You are not KOS to anyone here. You just can’t always start a character here.

Antonica

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 6

Tier 3 (Levels 20 -29)

Things slow down quite a bit from the first 20 levels when compared to the Timorous Deep and Kunark starting area. It’s not that leveling itself is slow but the solo content is sparse in this tier. The quests in general do not flow as well as the Kunark zones which there are none for level 20-68. Nor are there as many quest hubs in these zones. Hang in there because once you make tier 4 things start to open up once again and you will be flooded with plenty of content to level in.

The tier 3 zones are the most accessible zones in the game. They are basically the central hubs to access just about every other major zone in the Norrath. There are three major tier 3 zones, Thundering Steppes, Nektulos Forest and Butcher Block Mountains. Don’t think for a moment that because you are evil aligned and the Nektulos forest happens to be off the Commonlands that you have to progress your adventuring here. You can take the Mariner Bells from the Antontica and Commonlands Docks which can take you to either the Thundering Steppes or Nektulos Forest. You can also use the boats on the Butcherblock Docks to go to either of these zones as well and vice versa. Unlike the tier 2 zones traveling is not automatic. To travel using the griffons in each of the tier 3 zones you will have to do a simple quest given to you by the griffon master. No matter which of the zones you plan on adventuring in I highly suggest you complete the griffin tower quests in each of the tier 3 zones.

The Thundering Steppes

The Thundering Steppes found off of Antonica is a very popular zone and is well laid out for questing and adventuring. You can also get here by boat from the Butcher Block Mountains and from the mariner bell on the Nektulos forest docks. There are 3 major quest hubs here and 3 minor ones. The Docks provides a lot of options in the form of quests. There are a few quest givers that will send you to other zones and many of the quests have sub quests you must complete before you can complete the initial quest. Also very nice is the Far Seas Requisitions which can be found table on the dock next to Taskmaster Deldrin. There are six which you

can pick up all at once and when you finish them you can get four more Special Contracts. Other hubs which are recommended are the Antonica Gate, Griffin Fields, Bridge Keep and Coldwind Cove. There are a number of drop items that will start quests here as well as items within the zone which when clicked will also give quests.

This zone also contains the Split Paw Saga adventure pack zones. You will have to do a claim on an object called A Darken Shard. Once you do this you can start the Splitpaw content. Beware of getting too close to the camps of Knolls guarding the numerous bone tepees throughout the zone as they will capture you and you will have to go through an instance to get out. This instance scales to your level and will only pull you in alone even if you are in a group. I guess you could recall out if you did not want to fight your way out. The Splitpaw dungeon is most excellent for XP and adventuring and remains good up to level 45. This zone is also home to Lore and Legend books for the Centaur and the Giants. As for Heritage Quest three of them start here “An Axe from the Past”, “Hadden’s Earring” and “Stiletto’s Orders”. For more information I recommend the following link - Thundering Steppes Timeline

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 7

Nektulos Forest

Nektulos Forest found off of the Commonlands and can also be reached by the docks from the Thundering Steppes is quite different. It’s a dark and gloomy place that rings with and evil overtone. You can hear many ominous creatures howling thought the zone. There are some nice quest hubs here as well starting either on the Docks or from the Commonlands zone-in gate. Some people don’t care much for this zone. I for one like it but can understand why some don’t. The zone is very restrictive when it comes to traveling. You feel closed in. If you want to go from the east side of the zone to the west you will have to go all the way south before you can wind your way to the east. This gets old real quick.

This zone is also home to the Bloodline Chronicles Adventure pack that is rarely played by groups since there are 11 stages and most people are at different stages of the quest line. There is one quest line that is soloable and very highly recommend is the D’Morte Burial Chambers. You will need to claim your D’Morte insignia band and examine it to access the zone which is located near the docks side of the zone. This has 14 named mobs that are soloable and provide AA. It’s a must to do while around level 30 before you leave the zone. Don’t forget that the Lore and Legend Treant book is located in a tent on the beach near the docks. Nektulos Forest Timeline

Butcherblock Mountains

Last but not least is the infamous Butcherblock Mountains located on the continent of Faydwer. This is a well designed zone with plenty of quests and content to get you all the way to 30 and then some. If you start in Kelithin then this is really easy to get to since it is a zone just off of Greater Faydark. The main quest hubs like the other two zones can be started by either the Docks or the Greater Faydark Passage. There are other areas such the Gorowyn Research Camp located north of the docks along the beach is another great hub for quests. In the middle of the zone you will have the Irontoe Brigade series where the fort is split into an East

and a West side divided by mountains but accessible via a mining tunnel. Other important quests here are the deity quest starters for Solusek Ro and Quellious. Also the Lore and Legend Kobold book is located on the Docks. As far as the heritage quest go you can also start the War and Wardrobe quest around level 30. Check out Show #6 for a walkthrough of this quest. Butcherblock Mountains Timeline

Group Content

For the group content you should find that Stormhold (Antonica), Fallen Gate(Commonlands), Crushbone Keep(Greater Faydark) and Cove of Decay(Thundering Steppes) to be appropriate for some pickup groups. There is a very popular dungeon called The Ruins of Varsoon and also a place you should seek in the Thundering Steppes but you should wait till you are at least 25 before getting into a pick up group. This zone is killer for XP and is highly recommended. Oh and let’s not forget the Splitpaw Saga content in Thundering Steppes as well if you’re lucky enough to find a group.

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 8

The main Heritage quests that are appropriate for tier 3 are The Return of the Light, and These Boots Were Made For…

Tier 4 (Levels 30 -39)

Tier 4 is where things start to pick up again. There are some good choices from which to choose to level in. There are four overland zones to choose from each with a distinct look and feel. Also more Heroic content begins to become available for the grouping kind. The problem with a lot of these zones is they do not start at the beginning of the tier. Some of them start at 35 and overlap with tier 5 zones so you may need to finish up in Butcherblock Mountains which has mobs up to level 35 or head on out to the Enchanted Lands which is a very popular zone for this tier.

The Enchanted Lands

The Enchanted Lands were known as the Misty Thicket and Kithicor Forest back before the shattering. This was also the original home of the Halflings. You can get here by way of your local Guild Hall or Nektulos Docks mariner bells. This is a level 30-40 zone which is rich in quests. It is nicely laid out and has some good quest lines to boot. You can get here by the Mariners Bell on the Nektulos Docks. You arrive at the docks which is the main quest hub of this zone. You will also find Foomby’s Stolen Goods heritage quest here as well as Bristlebane’s Profit for those who

want to start on their deity quest. There are over 21 discovery locations, 21 Named mobs and you can also pick the Lore and Legend: Goblin and Siren books here. So AA is very plentiful here it’s just the quests tend to dwindle around level 37.

Zek, the Orcish Waste

Zek (30-40) which used to be the Jaggedpine Forest is another excellent zone for this tier and is quite often out leveled before you can get here to adventure. You can get to Zek via the Mariners Bell on the Thundering Steppes Docks or your Guild Hall. There are a ton of quests that exist here and there is no shortage of XP to be had here. If you follow the quest lines to the end you can make level 40. One good tip is to just run around and kill the catapult operators for great XP. They are located just inside the zone. The main quest hubs here are located as you would expect on the Warship Dock and Fort right when you zone in. The other good hub is located in the north west of the zone in the area called Three Toe’s Watering Hole. There are a lot of Object-Triggered such as the Tombstone Quests as well as plenty of Item-Triggered Quests dropped quests. There are 14 discovery locations, 20 named mobs and the Avatar of War spawns here near the Deathfist Citadel in the far north of the zone. The Rescue of the Green Hoods and Training is a Shield heritage quests also start here.

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 9

The Feerrott

Once you hit 35 you will be able to head over to The Feerrott (35-40) which is found from the mariner’s bell on the Thundering Steppes Docks and your Guild Hall. I like this zone but many people do not like this zone at all. You can easily get lost in this zone and if you thought you felt claustrophobic in the Nektulos Forest you’re going to fill like a sardine here. This is an interesting zone when it comes to quest for there are two different quest lines. One for the good aligned and one for the evil. Good and evil people can work together on them regardless of your alignment. I see why many people do not like the quest here. They are not as

many as the other zones in this tier. Most of them are acquired in the two main quest hubs after you come off the docks and venture through a small tunnel. This will offer you a quest that will take you through many important landmarks in the zone. You will also find the quest hubs in camps on the left and on the right. There are over 25 discovery locations, 27 Named mobs which include the infamous Acrimoniad Epic x2 that drops the runspeed enhancing Girdle of Escape. Also noteworthy is the Avatar of Fear whom spawns in the Cave of Fear near The Temple of Cazic-Thule. The Heritage Quest - The Screaming Mace starts here if you can get lucky to find the rare drop from Agony which is also a very rare spawn.

The Steamfont Mountains

Steamfont Mountains (35-50) which is found on the content of Faydwer is another zone that starts mid way into tier 4 at level 35. Some people claim this zone is just an extension or a copy of Butcherblock but the quest lines here are really well done and very interesting. This is also the place where Gnomeland Security Headquarters resides with some excellent quests. You can get here by many zones within Faydwer. The most common point of entry is from Greater Faydark. When you zone in you will find the fist quest giver at the crossroads due east of Greater Faydark. From here you will be sent to the main quest hub Gnomeland Security HQ. There are over 25 discovery locations and 28 Named mobs here. The Lore and Legend: Clockwork & Minotaur are also found here as well as the Heritage Quest ‘The Staff of the Observers’.

Group Content

The group content starts to get spread out and a little backwards if you ask me. Most of the dungeons that are level appropriate are in the tier 3 zones. The ever popular Nektropos Castle is located in the far northeast part of the Nektulos forest. I highly recommend this dungeon. For one it’s a lot of fun and there are a few of Heritage Quests that involve this zone as well as the only place currently to obtain the Fairy and Ghost lore and legends books and lots of named mobs here with 28 of them to kill. You can start the adventure pack The Bloodline Chronicles (30-40) here as well which has over 23 named mobs. You will have to claim Ring of T’Haen to start the quests. There are some zones that are soloable but the main content is purely group orientated. It is a must that you claim your ring and head over to the D’Morte Burial

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 10

Chambers. You can solo this and get 14 named mobs for some nice AA points. If you can get someone to mentor you could make a killing in AA’s. Check out the Dire Hollow (33-36) and Underrot Caverns (35-39). These instances are near the main river near the Timber Falls in the Nektulos forest.

Another fan favorite is the Runnyeye Citadel (30-40) located in the Enchanted Lands has over 26 named mobs. This is a good dungeon to quest in and there is generally always a pick up group available for this zone. The zone is also home to the Evil Eye Lore and legend book so make sure at least go there for this.

Once you are in your late 30’s you can start looking for groups in the Deathfist Citadel (40-50) located in the far northeast of Zek. This is most excellent experience and not to mention you will get a lot of AA points here due to the shear amount of discovery locations at 23 and 14 named mobs.

This is also where you can start you adventure by killing 28 named mobs in The Obelisk of Lost Souls (35-50). This dungeon is another realm and there are many ways to get here. The most direct way is from The Feerrott. There is a temple in the middle of the zone. The other ways are by killing groups of shadow men in numerous zones such as Antonica or Commonlands. This will open up a portal to the alternate entrance of this zone. Last but not least is the Overland zone called Rivervale (35-45) this is mostly heroic and is geared for groups but has 12 discovery locations and 2o named mobs. There are lots of Epic Mobs here as well. It’s too bad this zone is not quested in much and I very rarely see any pickup groups for this zone. One more thing here is that The Ruins of Varsoon (25-35) is still good till 35 as well as the Split Paw Saga.

Tier 5 (Levels 40 -49) Tier 5 is where things seem to slow down again but to be honest there is not a whole lot of solo content here in this tier. You are approaching the end game content of the original Everquest II release. In the beginning of this tier you will most likely still be adventuring in Steamfont Mountains. The Feerrott is also still relevant here until level 45. You will probably start to get tired of these zones and that’s ok since you will now be able to head out to Everfrost (40-50). This is a really nice looking zone and is the only zone overland zone that resides in an arctic or snow environment. This is a nice change of pace. Be careful because there is a mix of Heroic content here with the solo and you can get in trouble real quick if you’re not paying attention. This zone is going to be revamped here shortly to make it more accessible to solo content. While you r are hanging out in Everfrost you can check out a cool solo instance called The Forbidden Sepulcher (38-42). Once you hit about level 45 you can go out to The Sinking Sands (45-55) and the content of the 1st expansion pack. I love this zone and if you go and listen to Show#3 I walk you through this zone. I know some veteran players do not like this zone but to me this is a good change to the normal lush green zones in the game. Now I agree I would not want to see much more desert zones from this point forward. There is a lot of good content here and should easily get you to level 50. You can make you way to the City of Maj’Dul and do a series of quest here. Also if you want to live in the city you can work on you factions with one of the courts of Maj’Dul. This will allow you live in the city and be able to purchase the advanced combat recipes for your tier 6 Adept III’s.

For the group content you can still work your way through Rivervale (40-45) until your mid 40’s as well as The Obelisk of Lost Souls (35-50). Everfrost has some good heroic content but I very rally see and pick up groups for this but from time to time there are XP groups that look to do just that. Lavastorm (40-50) is available at 40 and the beginning of the zone is soloable but 90% of this zone is Heroic and it is highly recommended to find a group or get your guild to head out there. You may find more pick up groups here sine Lavastorm has some key heritage quest

Lavastorm (40-50)

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 11

and a very important language quest called To Speak As a Dragon where you will speak with the Dragon Lord Nagafen and learn the language of the dragons which will be key to many Deity and Epic Weapon quest lines later on. This also means you will venture into the Dungeon Solusek’s Eye (45-50). Once again this is located at the very far end of the zone and requires you to fight your way to the zone the first time. Once you get there is a teleporting pad you will bind to and you will not have to transverse the Lavastorm (40-50) zone again to get to Solusek. There are pick up groups that will help people get the teleporter access so be on the lookout for them and do them as you can this will be key to your Everquest career. Another good dungeon to venture into and plenty of pick up groups will form is Permafrost (40-50). This zone is located once again at the back end of Everfrost. This is bar none one of the more exciting Dungeon and yields very good XP for those in the mid 40’s. Another excellent Dungeon is found in the far deeps of The Feerrott called The Temple of Cazic-Thule (42-48) so as you can see there is no shortage of group content in this tier so try to find a group when you can. Let’s not forget Klak'Anon (45-55) former home city of the Gnomes and is now over ran with Clockworks. This dungeon is located in Steamfont Mountains. This is a really fun dungeon

and you will usually always see a pick up group in the chat Channels.

Tier 6 (Levels 50 -59) Tier 6 brings us plenty of solo and group content. Some claim this is the beginning of a so called dead spot. For those who choose to hang out in the sinking sands you can now move into The Pillars of Flame (50-60) This zone is huge and there is a lot of content for soloing and plenty of quests. While you are in the Desert of Flames content you should check out The living Tombs (50-56) found in the Sinking Sands near the Twin Tears or the oasis in the middle of the zone. This is one of the few dungeons that have both group and solo content. The dungeon is also connected to another zone called The Silent City (50-60). The zone is very similar in theme and architect but is a good place to adventure as well. Don’t forget that Maj’Dul is still relevant till 55 as well. It has been highly recommend in the forums that you should do the Peacock (45-55) quest line from the Desert of Flames. You won’t be able to finish the quest unless you can get a Raid party but it will give some good XP along the way. You can start this quest by talking with an NPC named Shan in the courtyard outside the Golden Scepter.

If you getting tired of the desert scene then you should head over to Faydark and start the quest lines in Lesser Faydark (50-60). You can easily get to this zone from Kelithin and Greater Faydark. As you progress towards you mid 50’s you will have some new options available. If you are a good aligned character you will have about 12-20 more quests available to you from the Fae Court. The Fallen Dynasty (55-70) has some good solo content in the first part of the quest lines before it turns to group content. Here you get some good house items as quest rewards.

The Kingdom of Sky Expansion opens up to you at 55 and you can get to the Tenebrous Tangle (56 - 62) zone by way of the spires located in Antonica and The Commonlands. There are not a lot of quest here but there are plenty of discovery experience and level appropriate mobs that are easily soloable. For group content you can still venture in Klak'Anon (45-55) or move on to some new dungeons like the Shimmering Citadel (50-57) which floats in the sky just above the Pillars of Flames. It's accessed by teleporting in from a mirror in one of the Naga caves. I don’t see a lot of groups

Permafrost (40-50)

The Clefts of Rujark

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 12

looking for group here but keep this in mind that it is there and sometimes there are pick up groups for the zone. Next we have a very popular dungeon where you will find plenty of pickup groups are The Clefts of Rujark (50-60). There are some solo content on the lower levels and as you move you the zone it progresses into more group content. Within this zone you have a couple of note worthy instances. Scornfeather Roost is found on the third level of The Clefts of Rujark. It is full of named harpies. The other instance is The Vault of Dust found just past the barracks, northwest on the second level of Clefts of Rujark. Another zone you will find many pick up groups for is The Hidden Cache (50-56) is found in the Sinking Sands via a manhole cover on a ledge near the beach. Back in Faydark you can head over with a group or a guild and start tackle New Tunaria (55-65) quests. This is the old city of Felwithe the former home of the High Elves. I rarely see anyone looking to group in here and it is not a strait forward zone to get to. It is off Greater Faydark in the far side of the zone near the spires. You can also hit up the popular The Mines of Meldrath (53-55). The zone is found in Steamfont Mountains.

Tier 7 (Levels 60 -69) In tier 7 we have two expansion packs full of content. Still some in the community feel there is a lack of content here. This should be rectified when the Shadow Odyssey comes out this year. You have content form Kingdom of Sky and Echoes of Faydwer. For the solo overland zones we have some left over’s from Tenebrous Tangle (56 - 62). But you will make you way over to Barren Sky (62-67) around 62. You can get to the zone via the spires in Tenebrous Tangle, Thundering Steppes or Nektulos Forest. It is highly recommended you pick up some city writs while in the Kingdom of Sky zones since a lot of the mobs required for the writs are close together and some of the writs require you to kill the same mobs. This is some of the easiest status in the game here. You can rack up over 40000 status in less than 15 minutes with the right writs. If you stay in the Kingdom of Sky you still have Bonemire (64-70). This zone has enough content to take you up to level 70. You get to this zone via Enchanted Lands or Feerrott spires as well as any of the Kill on Site Zones. If you want a little change of scenery form the floating islands you can head over to The Loping Plains (60-70) in Faydwer. This zone is off of Greater Faydark. This zone should also be able to get you close to or even all the way to 70. There is a nice village in the center of the zone where most of your quest will come from. Questing at night has some sort of curse and seems to have you debuffed so becarefull and watch your health bar as it may seem like the mobs are hitting harder when it’s just the fact that you are in a curse while its night time.

That’s about all for the overland zones so you may have to look for some pick up groups. You can still venture in New Tunaria (55-65) or try your luck with another very popular pick up group zone the Sanctum of the Scaleborn (60-68) there are a lot of quest that involve this dungeon as well as plenty of writs are done here as well. As you make your way through the mid 60’s you should try to find some groups for The Nest of the Great Egg (60-70) which is found by climbing walls near the teleporter on Whisperwind Isle in The Barren Sky. Another zone to check out is the Palace of the

Awakened located on the northern end of the Isle of Awakening; this is a mid to upper 60's level heroic zone. While in the Bonemire zone you can The Blackscale Sepulcher (68-70) Make you way back to Faydwer and check out the Everquest 1 popular Mistmoore Catacombs (61-68) or the former Dwarven city of Kaladim (60-70). Mistmoore is located in the beach in Loping Plains or inside the castle. Kaladim is located in Butcherblock Mountains. Lets us not forget if you are lucky enough to get a group together you should head out to finish the Fallen Dynasty Adventure pack as well.

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 13

EQ-IQ | Guide to Leveling Version 2 14

Tier 8 (Levels 70 -80) Well you are now in the home stretch now. There is plenty of content here to get you to 80 just by soloing alone. You will be spending much time here in Kunark. You will start you adventure to 80 in Kylong Plains (68-73). You can get there by the docks in Antonica or the Commonlands or beg a sorcerer for a port. By doing quest you will progress on to Fens of Nathsar (70 – 75), Kunzar Jungle (74 – 78) and Jarsath Wastes (76 – 80). These are some of the largest overland zone in the game so it will be wise to do you Succor quest to make travel somewhat easier, Let’s not forget the group content here. You should not miss hitting up The Estate of Unrest (70-75) back in Faydwer. This is a classic EQ1 zone and you should hit this in your early 70’s for max XP. You can get there from the Butcherblock Mountains. When you are ready there is still some more Faydwer goodness with Castle Mistmoore (72-75). This is a zone with a mix of Heroic and Epic Zone featuring many Vampires so be careful.

In Kunark you have Karnor's Castle (70-75) which is right of the docks in Kylong Plains. You also have Chardok (72-80) found in Kylong Plains as well. You should also find a pick up group for Sebilis (71-80) for some good times. With game update 48 they added Veksar (80) but not the entire zone. That will be available when the new expansion comes out. When The Shadow Odyssey comes out in November you will have more zones to level in from 50-80. I will create a new show to go over these new places to level as well as a new guide.

The Estate of Unrest

Karnor's Castle