Ideal Leveling Zones for Grouping and Camps

[Auuken]

Finally coming back to EQ to relive some of the 1999 nostalgia.

Planning on leveling an untwinked Human Monk. One of my favorite things about classic EQ was grouping up, working together, and chatting with people. Does anyone have any suggestions for camps/grouping spots while leveling? Or general advice for a casual blue P99 leveling experience?

Thanks :)

[Ivory]

Level 1-5 the newbie area you starts....

Then at 5, head to kael and get bound near WL.

Now for a while, you must live there...guarding against the giants armies....helping to fight them back, day after day...

Eventually you will gain the trust of the great dragons and be able to proceed into their city for safety.

Now you will need to convince an assassin to "find" you a key....

Then, you are free to pass into the cobalt scar and get the great tooth of teleportation!!

But you aren't free to leave yet....for now you must find passage through the sirens grotto into the western wastes....the most dangerous of wastes.

There you must travel and learn the ways of the dragons...helping them tend to their young....becoming like the dragons....

Until one day an old dragon will pass on.....they go to die along the cliffs, where they may gaze out over the water one last time.... and on his body you shall find a necklace....a necklace which houses his spirit and proves you are ready to return to your homelands and continue on.

Henceforth you shall carry the memory of the dragons whose spirit resides in your necklace on adventures across all of norrath! His powers protecting you from harm!

[Auuken]

Level 1-5 the newbie area you starts....

Then at 5, head to kael and get bound near WL.

Now for a while, you must live there...guarding against the giants armies....helping to fight them back, day after day...

Eventually you will gain the trust of the great dragons and be able to proceed into their city for safety.

Now you will need to convince an assassin to "find" you a key....

Then, you are free to pass into the cobalt scar and get the great tooth of teleportation!!

But you aren't free to leave yet....for now you must find passage through the sirens grotto into the western wastes....the most dangerous of wastes.

There you must travel and learn the ways of the dragons...helping them tend to their young....becoming like the dragons....

Until one day an old dragon will pass on.....they go to die along the cliffs, where they may gaze out over the water one last time.... and on his body you shall find a necklace....a necklace which houses his spirit and proves you are ready to return to your homelands and continue on.

Henceforth you shall carry the memory of the dragons whose spirit resides in your necklace on adventures across all of norrath! His powers protecting you from harm!

Sneaksy pls dont steal my shields

Edit: this sounds like the non-fiction path of your rogue, based on the tales that I have come across. However, I am neither so brave or so sneaksy.

[Sorn]

The most impressive thing about Ivory's post is that she advocates you wait until level 5 to do all of this.

[Auuken]

For brevity, how about level 5-30 zones. Doesn't have to be the fastest leveling, just enjoyable zones that have occupied camps in p99 blue peak hours.

[Auuken]

The most impressive thing about Ivory's post is that she advocates you wait until level 5 to do all of this.

Wow, Ivory and Sorn making an appearance, a great audience indeed. With such helpful advice and pertinent wisdom to share too.

<3

I know I can google or search the "best" spots to find groups. Actually I know because I have. But if anyone has suggestions for 5-30, fun, favorite, but still actively camped spots, let me know!

[Ivory]

The most impressive thing about Ivory's post is that she advocates you wait until level 5 to do all of this.

Cuz you can't get through kael under 5....I tried :<

You should really try it though! Is fun! A social journey of adventure!

For brevity, how about level 5-30 zones. Doesn't have to be the fastest leveling, just enjoyable zones that have occupied camps in p99 blue peak hours.

Ok ok, 5-10ish, orc camps in commons!

10-15ish befallen!

15-20ish orcs in highpass!

20-25 sol a?

20-30 - mistmoore! lotta peoples!

[Sorn]

Well, ideal for me is whatever is most interesting, but typically people will do this (grouping):

If you start in Freeport, by about 4 you will be hitting EC for better stuff. ~8 you go to orc 1. ~12 or 13 you might go to Oasis and kill crocs. ~16-17 you do orcs/orc highway in Oasis. ~20 you might group at Highpass Hold doing orcs, and later gnolls if you want. By 29-30, it's Highhold Keep basement (goblins) for quite a while.

If you start in Qeynos, you are in Qeynos Hills and then Blackburrow. It's a bit deserted around here so you will be solo a lot. Turn in gnoll fangs (in Halas is slightly better since you don't get in trouble with the corrupt Qeynos guards, but it's 3 fangs at a time). By about 12, you start on bandits and collect bandit sashes. Work your way east slowly. You can go to SK in teens to mid twenties, if you want, but that's sort of a bring your own group scenario. In your early twenties you can hunt crag spiders. Eventually you'll end up in Highpass Hold killing gnolls, and finally in the keep basement...

Or you can be the cool kid and get an invis and port to EJ, a bind at the Kaesora zone, and tear through all the levels til about 20 in FoB and Kurns with all the lizards, then go to WW or OT til 30. Gotta get ports back to old world for training.

OR...you can get to 17 (for FD) and then hit Unrest til 30, if you like slight overcrowding and lots of trains. You'll have to go to Freeport to train your various skills, though.

[Auuken]

Cuz you can't get through kael under 5....I tried :<

You should really try it though! Is fun! A social journey of adventure!



Ok ok, 5-10ish, orc camps in commons!

10-15ish befallen!

15-20ish orcs in highpass!

20-25 sol a?

20-30 - mistmoore! lotta peoples!

Interesting, haven't tried befallen or sol A. Thanks Sneakers

Well, ideal for me is whatever is most interesting, but typically people will do this (grouping):

If you start in Freeport, by about 4 you will be hitting EC for better stuff. ~8 you go to orc 1. ~12 or 13 you might go to Oasis and kill crocs. ~16-17 you do orcs/orc highway in Oasis. ~20 you might group at Highpass Hold doing orcs, and later gnolls if you want. By 29-30, it's Highhold Keep basement (goblins) for quite a while.

If you start in Qeynos, you are in Qeynos Hills and then Blackburrow. It's a bit deserted around here so you will be solo a lot. Turn in gnoll fangs (in Halas is slightly better since you don't get in trouble with the corrupt Qeynos guards, but it's 3 fangs at a time). By about 12, you start on bandits and collect bandit sashes. Work your way east slowly. You can go to SK in teens to mid twenties, if you want, but that's sort of a bring your own group scenario. In your early twenties you can hunt crag spiders. Eventually you'll end up in Highpass Hold killing gnolls, and finally in the keep basement...

Or you can be the cool kid and get an invis and port to EJ, a bind at the Kaesora zone, and tear through all the levels til about 20 in FoB and Kurns with all the lizards, then go to WW or OT til 30. Gotta get ports back to old world for training.

OR...you can get to 17 (for FD) and then hit Unrest til 30, if you like slight overcrowding and lots of trains. You'll have to go to Freeport to train your various skills, though.

I do love trains, overcrowding, and the occasional conversation in zone chat haha. Great post, will reference this. Can Iskar monks follow a similar path at 20 for highpass hold and later highpass keep?

[SoekiWiz]

Finally coming back to EQ to relive some of the 1999 nostalgia.

Planning on leveling an untwinked Human Monk. One of my favorite things about classic EQ was grouping up, working together, and chatting with people. Does anyone have any suggestions for camps/grouping spots while leveling? Or general advice for a casual blue P99 leveling experience?

Thanks :)

Lots of options.

General rule of thumb, exp per hour is king. By virtue of this, lower hp mobs should always yield the best exp, all other factors assumed equal. So by this logic, old world > Kunark > Velious for exp purposes. These factors are typically not "equal" - aka zone foot traffic and the ability to get a group. So for you, I'd look at where am I likely to catch groups and maximize my play time.

Someone else who's grouped their way through levels would add more beneficial information than I could here as I mostly lone wolf it. However, maybe these will help:

1-5 | Noob zone as previously mentioned
5-10 | EC/WC/NRo -- You can hunt spiders, bears, orcs, scarabs, kitties, dervs, etc.
10-15 | Befallen as mentioned, also consider Oasis
15-25 | Highpass to stay near the other zones previously mentioned, also consider Lake of Ill Omen. You can even camp the Goblin Gazhugi Ring there, maybe you get lucky and scratch off a lottery ticket, boom, you've got a set of gear.
25-40 | The Overthere. Although I solo'ed I do remember a bunch of folks here. Dial-A-Porters bop in regularly so you could catch some buffs, dmg shield, regen, etc.

--------------------

Also consider - if you're doing the independent, level old school, gear myself up thing, I would strongly recommend that you save your sheckles as you level, buy yourself some Black Panther Skins (~50p ea), Yew Leaves (~50p ea), and Velium and/or Velium Bonings (These will be a little pricier, I don't wanna do the math right now).

Find yourself a tailor who is willing to help a noob out. I can refer you some friends if you'd like. Get some Black Pantherskin Armor made. It's fantastic, especially if you're new.

http://wiki.project1999.com/Black_Pantherskin_Armor

Welcome back to EverCrack.

Regards,

Soeki

[turbosilk]

Keep in mind this is where you'll find groups available to join our enough people to start a group. There are multiple places to go but I place a premium on dungeon fighting, named camps, nostalgia and farming upgrades not buying them.

Gfay/crushbone 1-18
Lguk 18 to upper 20s.
Unrest 20 to upper 20s low 30s
MM 30 to 39.
Lguk solb upper 30s to 50

[Tuurin]

I'm surprised people keep suggesting Befallen. For PUGs? I've only really popped in a couple of times, but there's usually maybe 2-3 people in there at any point, and usually just people farming for paw quest or soloing. Pretty anecdotal, but I don't see Befallen as a hot PUG spot (unlike Crushbone or Unrest, for example which are always full of people /ooc'ing LFG etc.).

Best advice I'd give anyone who wants to level up via grouping, not big into twinking, seeking social banter etc. is go join a leveling guild. There's a few out there- perhaps check out the guild forum to see who sounds interesting or chat up a couple people in game to find out details. But you're more than likely going to find some like-minded people in a leveling guild.

[Auuken]

Lots of great advice in here, thanks all.

[guinness]

If you can handle the multi-mob pulls and the occasional train, Upper Guk is perhaps the best low 20s to low 30s zone in the game with its huge ZEM bonus. Old world mobs have low HP/AC and respawn time is only 16.5 minutes. Plus there are lots of named mobs that drop loot that you can actually sell to other players for a hundred or so plat here and there, as well as a couple great quest items for a few classes.

Lower Guk is similarly good for low-mid 30s and up, but the ZEM isn't quite as outrageously high and the casters are high enough level that spells go from "ooh that tickles" to "oh god that really hurt". But there's tons of named to camp that drop loot that is worth selling.

[Sorn]

I do love trains, overcrowding, and the occasional conversation in zone chat haha. Great post, will reference this. Can Iskar monks follow a similar path at 20 for highpass hold and later highpass keep?

The thing with iksar monks is that you will be trapped on one side of the zone or another unless your FD is good or you have invis, at least for faction. You need to kill approx. 600 orcs or gnolls for the guards to like you, but once you go in the keep, you will have the banker after you and you have to avoid Ran Flamespinner near the stairs to the basement (he's usually in his own room, but some people will train up there and open the door so he can lay waste to goblins) unless you fix Freeport caster faction. There are also a couple of NPCs in highpass hold who are not on any of these factions that you may have to contend with if you accidentally wander into the wrong part.

The banker requires several hundred scalps turned into highpass captains (either gnolls scalps or orc scalps) before she will stop attacking you. For Ran, you have to go to Qeynos Hills and give rat ears to Rephas (sneaking), which will lower Freeport Militia faction. The positive hits to freeport casters is greater than negative hits to militia, just FYI.

So! It IS possible, you just have the added layer of faction to deal with. :) Plenty of iksar do follow this path, you just have a few things to watch out for that others don't.

[Auuken]

The thing with iksar monks is that you will be trapped on one side of the zone or another unless your FD is good or you have invis, at least for faction. You need to kill approx. 600 orcs or gnolls for the guards to like you, but once you go in the keep, you will have the banker after you and you have to avoid Ran Flamespinner near the stairs to the basement (he's usually in his own room, but some people will train up there and open the door so he can lay waste to goblins) unless you fix Freeport caster faction. There are also a couple of NPCs in highpass hold who are not on any of these factions that you may have to contend with if you accidentally wander into the wrong part.

The banker requires several hundred scalps turned into highpass captains (either gnolls scalps or orc scalps) before she will stop attacking you. For Ran, you have to go to Qeynos Hills and give rat ears to Rephas (sneaking), which will lower Freeport Militia faction. The positive hits to freeport casters is greater than negative hits to militia, just FYI.

So! It IS possible, you just have the added layer of faction to deal with. :) Plenty of iksar do follow this path, you just have a few things to watch out for that others don't.

Great post. I'll have to see if the faction grind is groupable. Also, can't you bank from around the corner or something without aggroing in this zone?

Interesting. The camps are usually great there from what I remember. And I think it had a reasonable ZEM too.

[Sorn]

I've tried banking around the wall in the keep but I haven't managed it yet. Theoretically it's possible!

[fadetree]

24-30 ish the brutes in the WW caves near dalnir are good.

[loramin]

If all of the above suggestions aren't enough, there's always:

https://wiki.project1999.com/Per-Level_Hunting_Guide
https://wiki.project1999.com/Treasure_Hunting_Guide

[StinkyGreenBud]

Best experiences I have are asking people and forming a group. Then picking an off the path zone/dungeon to explore and xp in. Even better is some of those group mates become static partners every night as you lvl. Take your time too. Do some research on here https://wiki.project1999.com/Zones and find some zones you have never been too and ask some people to join you.