I've decided to help out those of us starting over, those of us starting a new character, and those of us who are just forum trolls who think some things just need to be written. I thought this would be helpful to all of those who need help with the hotzones. More to come, of course, when I level my Shadowknight and get to further zones.

This is a guide for those starting over, completely fresh, compiled by multiple people, all very helpful, the guide

(Thanks Snailish)Lake of Ill Omen(1-25)

Why? Newb zone experience modifier already in effect.
Safest route there (in my view) for the lowly non-iksar is to invis and go through Fironia Vie to Lake of Ill Omen. In LoIO stay invis (pond sturgeons are very red to you at this particular zone in) and run a long ways north --just not into Cabilis or the guards. I recommend SoW or similar as well... it's a big zone.
Mobs in the level 1-15 area respawn insanely fast. No heals/pots/merc you can get overwhelmed by adds. Spikes = godliness though. Super lucky you might get a rare drop too.
Move south towards the windmill for higher cons. Note vendors are in windmill.
From windmill move west to get higher cons in the sarnak fort (southwest corner of zone) or goblin fort (northwest corner). Outside area of Sarnak fort was great xp in the low 20s. Inside is a bit tougher due to casters and runners but the experience should be good up into the 30's but I recommend checking out TSS zones.
Much harder mobs in the water surrounding entrance to Veksar.


Alternates Level 1-25 (Places you should definitely check out if LOIO isn't your cup or tea, I really recommend you check out the information provided on Paladual Caverns by Johnnypanic, very detailed with good advice):

(Thanks Snailish)
Shar Val
(1-5)
Stupidly fast, Many don't realize there is a newbie area in the pit that surrounds the city. With skinspikes you'd be level 5 very fast. The challenge is finding the level 1 spikes.

(Thanks Johnnypanic)
Paladual Caverns
(5-25)
For levels 5-9 or 10, enter Paludal Caverns from Shadeweaver's Thicket. Plane of Knowledge book to Shar Vahl puts you nearby.
Using Skinspikes II, Alacrity II, and Celestial Healing II potions, pull one or more bugs and/or shrooms to you and kill them. Be sure to hit every one with melee or spell damage at least once to get full xp. Focus on one at a time after damaging them all to bring down dps... your target will die first, but all mobs hitting you will repeatedly hurt themselves on your Skinspikes damage shield. As your current target dies, select a new one and start meleeing it.

If you pull one mob and it dies easily with no risk to you, next time, pull two. If they die easily, then pull three, and continue this until you're pulling as many as you can with little risk. Buy plenty of Celestial Healing II potions (they're cheap) and use them often.

Level 9ish, move up to fungal fiends. Grab some Distllate of Immunization I OR a healer mercenary. Treat the fiends as you did the bugs and shrooms, pulling more and more until you find out how many you can handle. If the fiends cast Spreading Crud on you... and they will... fight until you have to stop to rest, then use the Distillate of Immunization to cure it. One shot of rank I distillate is enough. If you have a healer mercenary, keep it suspended until you rest, then unsuspend it to heal you and cure your crud and suspend it again before you continue killing, so you won't have to share xp.
Keep in mind that plerg phlarg fiends are level 12-14 while patog phlarg fiends are level 17-22... /con what you pull.

At level 10, switch to rank III of the skinspikes, alacrity, and celestial healing potions to kill more mobs faster. You can use rank IV potions at level 20. You'll level fast in Paludal, so you may want to stock up on all kinds so you won't have to level when you hit 10 and 20 for new potions. They're cheap, so feel free.

At around level 17-20, move to the bandit camps. There is one just outside the zoneline to Shadowhaven (Plane of Knowledge book to Nexus, zone into Paludal), and another if you run straight out through bandit one, and follow the ridge up to the right when you hit the edge of the water.

Treat the bandits just like all the other mobs... pull one, if it's easy, pull two, etc. Regardless of their names, NONE are casters; however, some are rogues and backstab, so don't turn away from them. Be careful pulling at first; without pacify or some other crowd control, it's not easy to get many singles.

Remember, at level 20 you can use type IV potions.

You can milk the bandit camp to level 24, 25 if you're patient or bored, so feel free to dominate as much of the camp as possible.

IF YOU HAVE A PET
A pet is a POWERFUL tool here. Low level pets do not dual wield and will use 2-handed weapons. If they use a 2-handed weapon(Avoid the weighted axe), their max hit will be DOUBLE the Unmodified damage stat of the weapon (i.e. a pet wielding a Weighty Polearm will have a max hit of 58 (29x2) regardless of pet level).

It's important to give the pet a two-handed weapon with the highest damage stat you can easily afford to give a pet (maybe keep the price to 50p or 100p), and buy several. While you're buying pet gear (I assume in bazaar), search for "summoned" and buy the best summoned belt and mask you can afford. Again, buy several of each.

Dismiss your pet and summon a new one every time you get a better pet spell. Equip the pet with another of your stocked weapons, belts and masks.

Pull mobs as normal, then position yourself so all the mobs are grouped in front of you with your pet behind them, and sic your pet so he deals his massive damage from the back. As long as you are in melee range, mobs will always hit you instead of your pet, but the extra hp from the belt will help the pet survive a bit if he gets some aggro and take a few hits.

A NOTE ABOUT GEAR
In today's game, there's plenty of gear to make lower levels fly by. At this level, getting crafted Taaffeite jewelry (http://kyros.info/Tradeskills/JC-Calc/, Thanks Maoukiji) in Electrum settings for your ears, fingers, wrists, and face provide a major boost in stats, hp, mana, endurance, resists, and AC. Defiant armor is useful; ideally, Simple Defiant will do for levels 5 on up in Paludal, although you can switch to Rough Defiant at level 15 if you have the opportunity to obtain a set.

A fast weapon is best at this level, preferably a two-hander with no level recommendations or requirement (perhaps a Mithril Two Handed Sword(http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=428), Fungi Coated Greatstaff (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=537), Blackened Acrylia Greatsword (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=20444), and Tantor's Tusk (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=4105), 1h Alternates, Centi Longsword (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=7137), Lamentation (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=313), with Shields, Sarnak Battle Shield (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=1131), Acrylia Inlaid Shield (Pal Shd Only) (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=20510), Defiant Shields are also great) for more damage output. At low levels, a shield is less important, especially here when you WANT mobs to hit you for damage shield damage. More hp and more hp regen is a big help if you can find it (potions such as Distillate of Regeneration and Replenishment are handy for all classes).

Paludal Caverns is a nice low-level hunting ground with plenty of easy mobs; none of the trash summons, it's all pure melee with no casters (so very vulnerable to damage shields and likely to keep your Defense skills high), trash can be snared and will run if alone and below 20% hp. Enjoy a fast track from 5 to 24!

(Thanks Snalish)
Gorge of King Xorbb
(10-25)
You could go in way earlier if ready. No casters here except the evil eyes, but you are wearing defiant and will resist almost everything they cast. A level 65 ranger can barely keep the spawns down in this zone so leveling up is fast.

If you do it long enough (and don't touch the goblins) you will faction up and be safe to run into Runneye and sell and bank (you can bank even when KoS... but then you have to avoid or kill goblins). Sure the muddites and minotaurs run when you get down to the last one. Just pull multiples of the same race to lessen you mob chasing.

If you don't have spikes and the gear, this is still a great zone for young kiters. The zoneline into the karanas is a really long straight line that only one muddite seems to spawn/wander in.


(Thanks Snailish)
Kurn's Tower
(7-15)
Fantastic using the same tactics 7-15. No runners if you stick to the skellies. With temperance you could go in lower.


South Karana
(13-20)
(I stayed in the tutorial until 12-13ish)
I was hunting the usual, the damn elephants at Level 14, of course they were yellow, but hey, they were easy kills, until I came across a very interesting spot. Brother Hayle's location (-1602.27, 2153.38) he is surrounded by Gnolls, all yellow at level 14. They do rush you (about 5 in total) but with my Mercenary and pet I was able to fight them off. The mobs respawn VERY quickly and are great experience (Note, after the initial pull of the 4-5 mobs, more will spawn near you, roughly 3, they will spawn at Hayle and rush you. I used my merc to hold about half and I held the other half off, as my pet beat on the mobs).

End of Alternates Level 1-25


Kedge Keep
(26-35)
The entrance into Kedge Keep is fantastic for experience, I took my 26 Beastlord there with my Mercenary and Warder and rocked the zone, I hadn't got any potions at the time and was self-buffed, you will get a lot of adds, and, most if not all of the mobs you will fight will either be yellow or red, by 28 most of the mobs were yellow, with a couple whom were red, MAKE SURE you keep Enduring Breath or the Buff on you at all times.

(Thanks Snailish)
Gulf of Gunthak
(35-50)
Go in there at 25 if you have the gear, 30 if you think you are weak. One side of the beach is undead if you hate runners. I've levelled characters in the tunnel of plants and drogmors... used to confuse the people trying to train through to Dulak (added risk for me)when half the cave was empty.


Alternate(s) 35-45

(Geez Snailish)
Goru'kar Mesa
(35-40)
Did 35-40 last night rogue-rogue-cleric merc in Goru'kar Mesa. We killed only at the goo cave right off the vendor area. 5 levels and 1.5k in a couple of hours which is nice for the level.

Goos don't aggro unless attacked, but are social so being able to handle two (by tanking or crowd control of some sort) matters. They do run on low hp which can garner adds. By 38 we had the whole thing cleared with only 1-2 pops up at time, but a continuous cycle.

The vendor being within visual range of the cave entrance is a nice bonus for those that camp over multiple sessions. Saves a lot of travel.

City of Mist
(35-45)
Fantastic experience zone, the run is unfortunately through the Emerald Jungle, its a very lengthy run, but if you keep your bag spaces free for the most part you'll be fine, defiant gear drops there once in a while. The mobs will vary a lot, at 40 my Monk was running into mobs conning anywhere from Light Blue and the entrance, Dark Blue in the center, but also the Haze Golems conned yellow, the further you get into the zone, the spike you will definitely see in levels of the mobs is interesting, so I recommend you spend time at the entrance and the 2 areas branching off from the first section.


End of Alternate(s) 35-45

(Thanks Snalish)
The Hole
(40-65)
Highest XP mod in the game. Assuming they take the end-game cliknars back out of it after Underfoot's launch, it is a great place to level for the mighty and brave.

Please feel free to add, I'll include your information and of course put your name in the guide with a special thanks :)







Edited, Nov 8th 2009 12:14am by LuckyPoseidon

Edited, Nov 8th 2009 12:21am by LuckyPoseidon

Ah =/

I was really just hoping to obtain many personal experience, try to digest them down to close to a single applicable guide overall for everyone. I thought it would be awesome, since I know that the information posted on the zone pages were usually out dated in some way or another..but I guess if no one is interested its all good.


Thanks for the advice.

As Alwayslost said, post away! Just because there is this info or that info on an area or a strategy, does not mean it is the final word. Unless you are spreading false information, there is no reason not to share your experience. Someone else may come away from it going oh yeah... let me try that. Worst case scenario it becomes a written portrayal of your chronicles that you can later on read through and laugh at certain memories.

Share the wealth, information is power. Rated you up for the Effort and initiative.

Edited, Nov 2nd 2009 11:44am by Crowchaser

I seem to remember Lake of Ill Omen had a particularly low xp modifier. Was this changed at some point?

Thanks snailish, was this information recent? I'll bring my shaman there, just started him also..Also, how high did you stay there?

Ah interesting!
I'll have to edit that in, thanks again.

You should check out Kedge Keep, I brought my 28 Beasty there, and with a decked out pet I did well, unfortunately, forgot to recast EB and died while AFK, but the exp was at least half a yellow at the beginning mobs (who were red/yellow).
I recommend you check out City of Mist also, went there with my 38 monk and the experience was very interesting, its a fun zone definitely a place to check out at 38 probably 35 if you're with a friend.

Have to agree Samatman. Forgot about that. Was always low for that zone and had to beg a higher levels to change controlling faction. But was fun. Another fun quest was the honor badge one that started at the captian in Qeynos and figuring out the rat riddle and all the badges.

Edited, Nov 4th 2009 5:57pm by Vinney

What happened to Paludal Caverns?

I recently was there with my new wizzy on a new account. The exp is still the best in the game. Level 13 to level 24 in about 2 hours. Most classes can solo with a merc if you stick to the lizards until about level 18 or so.

Thanks bro. ;)

Took my 17 shadowknight there, the experience was very decent from 17-19, but I immediately noticed a huge drop off after hitting 19, so I decided to log off after that, but I will include that in the guide :D

The hollowshade moor information and the qeynos badge quest chain i'll find a way to include, perhaps I'll add an area to check out section with level guides..

Edited, Nov 5th 2009 10:18pm by LuckyPoseidon

It was more that the mobs turned blue which lowered the exp, the constant fighting of 4-5 mobs ((the bandit camps) I did enjoy the fiends again though!)) was also sort of annoying, I got used to it at South Karana, but it was intentional then, I'm sure a caster character who can paci the mobs so they get solo or double pulls would enjoy the zone more, I would like to try LOIO anyways, seems like it would be interesting to check out..so far the experience in LOIO has been fantastic, I've made roughly 3 1/2 yellows so far off even cons and dark blues.

Edited, Nov 6th 2009 12:04am by LuckyPoseidon

Ah, I'll try to then, it was just I didn't really enjoy the zone and tanking a lot of adds is something I'll just try to get used to, I'll make sure to start using potions, but overall, I try to avoid buying a lot of them, my money making skills aren't what they used to be, so, to be honest, I use a lot of hand-me downs and hold on to old twink gear..but I will make sure to start equipping my pets with 2her, I like to really twink out the pets, but it seems every time I do the strangest events occur leading to my death...its amusing really :S lol
and yeah, I do like to use a healer merc, they cut down on cost overall and the cash I loot equals out, she did heal the crud too..

I'm sort of on the cheap side unfortunately lol, only have like 5k on my account...ha

Thanks for the advice =)

The type I to type IV potions cost pocket change, so you need to get over the whole "oh noes I might buy two stacks, use one and sell the other back at a 10 plat loss!" mentality; we're talking about levels 5-24 in Paludal, not SoD end-game progression.

If you think losing a few plat here and there to PL a toon to 24 in PC is tough, wait till you get your SK to higher levels; HoT potions and Skinspikes potions are KEY while soloing, as are Alacrity if you cannot find a good haste click, and they cost quite a bit more.

As for the pet, if you're gonna give them a nice two-handed weapon, you should probably make sure to give them a prime belt and some summoned armor as well, so they don't die on the first overpull and waste the weapon.

All the plat you spend on a merc in Paludal would probably serve you better buying skinspikes, alacrity, and HoT potions; you'd kill faster, and get all the xp without having to share. Low-level potions are overpowered at this level; mercs the same level as you are not. You could also spend some of it on the Taaffeite/Electrum jewelry... Taaffeite is common enough nowadays that you could probably find someone who will sell it cheap if you ooc what you want, and while you may change the metal to gold at 31, those gems will stay with you and serve you well until you get at LEAST Secrets of Faydwer level jewelry.

If need be, once yer comfortable pulling a whole tent of bandits, just run up, round them up, and fight them AT the camp to minimize odd pathing.

Really... it's Paludal Caverns. Trivial mobs everywhere. Mad xp bonus. Nothing casts, which makes damage shields ideal. Everything runs if solo and below 20%. Nothing summons.

Two, three, four hours maybe to get from 5 to 24. You make it sound so hard. It's not.

Edited, Nov 6th 2009 8:29am by jonnypanic

http://kyros.info/Tradeskills/JC-Calc/ should help give you an idea of Taaffite. It's expensive but worth the money

Did 35-40 last night rogue-rogue-cleric merc in Goru'kar Mesa. We killed only at the goo cave right off the vendor area. 5 levels and 1.5k in a couple of hours which is nice for the level.

Goos don't aggro unless attacked, but are social so being able to handle two (by tanking or crowd control of some sort) matters. They do run on low hp which can garner adds. By 38 we had the whole thing cleared with only 1-2 pops up at time, but a continous cycle.

The vendor being within visual range of the cave entrance is a nice bonus for those that camp over multiple sessions. Saves a lot of travel.

Johnnypanic's write up is about as detailed as you can get (rate up!).

Many of the facts stated apply in general and not just to Paludal --something to keep in mind. Also, by character #4 I need a different levelling route to stay interested.

Kurn's Tower is fantastic using the same tactics 7-15. No runners if you stick to the skellies. With temperance you could go in lower.

Crescent Reach bats & skeletons on the top floor are great xp to about 14. That's pretty convienient if CR is your starting city. The undead in the rest of that same zone can take you to 18-20 pretty fast.

Shar Val 1-5 is stupidly fast too. Many don't realize there is a newbie area in the pit that surrounds the city. With skinspikes you'd be level 5 very fast. The challenge is finding the level 1 spikes.

As long as Lake of Ill Omen is a hotzone it is worth the run. When it isn't... probably not if you goal is fast levelling without high level support.

Echo Caverns (the low side with the mutants) was a challenge in its day, now 20-25+ here would be fine. High magic resists and some runners, lots of adds. But with temperance and spikes your aren't worried about that anyway.

Needlites and Boglings are always an option if mutants don't work for you or your chosen class (results will vary)

Najena is listed as a 20-35 zone. I've seen people using modern tactics in there around level 12. They run, they cast, its a linear dungeon with keys you have to pick up. If a player is new to the game its a good spot to learn how to play beyond being massively geared/buffed beyond the content and pretending to be a tank.

Gorge of King Xorbb is listed as level 10-25. Again, you could go in way earlier if ready. No casters here except the evil eyes, but you are wearing defiant and will resist almost everything they cast. A level 65 ranger can barely keep the spawns down in this zone so levelling up is fast.

If you do it long enough (and don't touch the goblins) you will faction up and be safe to run into Runneye and sell and bank (you can bank even when KoS... but then you have to avoid or kill goblins). Sure the muddites and minotaurs run when you get down to the last one. Just pull multiples of the same race to lessen you mob chasing.

If you don't have spikes and the gear, this is still a great zone for young kiters. The zoneline into the karanas is a really long straight line that only one muddite seems to spawn/wander in.

The Warrens is great. Listed as 5-30 it not efficient XP at the top end of that, but it's fun in the teens. They almost all hit gimp, they add like mad and you get funny faction ups (you do want to buy your own hole key and hang out with the intelligent folks in Erudin no?).

Gulf of Gunthak is listed 35-50. Go in there at 25 if you have the gear, 30 if you think you are weak. One side of the beach is undead if you hate runners. I've levelled characters in the tunnel of plants and drogmors... used to confuse the people trying to train through to Dulak (added risk for me)when half the cave was empty.

The Hole has the highest XP mod in the game. Assuming they take the end-game cliknars back out of it after Underfoot's launch, it is a great place to level for the mighty and brave.

Overall, my point is don't discount other zones. Easymode can apply to nearly every zone before Planes of Power on this list on Alla depending on your ability to handle casters and adds. Even Plane of Hate tier 1 is pretty tame and easy (wouldn't suggest Fear or Sky as fast levelling places though).

Edit: typos


Edited, Nov 7th 2009 11:07am by snailish

It's not Gnome jewelry, just the revamped Jewelcraft. All it requires is the Jewelcraft skill and the tools, metals and gems.

A simple strategy some people seem to still not get is "kill the highest con you can efficiently handle".

This might mean killing light blues in a hotzone vs. even cons elsewhere (even the next hotzone up). Kael was good for showing this as they have high HP for the era but hit gimp by today's standards, lots of people just moved deeper into Velk's instead of doing Kael at all.

On Mayong Kael was too busy once a few groups were there anyways, no spawns to kill. Velk's would have 25-40 in it vs. the 8 Kael supported.

This really comes out when people are being power-levelled at low levels. It's much faster to kill just-red cons than to find mobs 15 levels higher than the person being PLed.

I saw this the other Day in Stonehive... the PLee was so low they could only kill one at a time, which kind of defeats the purpose. If they had gone back into Blightfire and killed the rats, snakes then gnolls they would have gotten 3-5 levels in the time I saw them get none. My rogue was the right level to be in Stonehive and soloed (no merc) a level in the time the PLee didn't.

Unless things have changed in the last few years, there are a couple of (named?) Kurns skeletons that run at low health. Surprised the heck out of me the first time it happened :)

Re: Warrens, mobs respawn very quickly, even before all previous corpses decay, so be prepared to fight non-stop. Also, their level range varies, so you will be likely facing greens/greys as well as low reds. Lower level mobs will run at low health -- even when surrounded by other Kobolds -- and then come back with lots and lots of friends. The resulting trains can be truly spectacular for the level. If power-leveling, you may want to keep an AE spell handy in case you get too many. If fighting alone, either head for the zone line or be prepared to die, which is not a big deal at that level unless you can't easily re-acquire Temperance.

Edited, Nov 8th 2009 1:03pm by Muon

Some undead run all the time, ghouls, the knights in decay just to mention two prominent ones. Cant recall seeing a skeleton run but then I have not spent more than an hour in kurns.