(N)EverQuest Scrolls

Since AA exp was revised, I’ve been considering a plan, which makes the most sense with a mage. And just yesterday, I made a start.

I have several higher level characters on two accounts (and my wife has a mage on her account), which made most of this possible. My mage has been 51 for a couple of years while I took a break; when I came back, after taking a look around TSS and getting updated on changes, I decided to give this a try.

Stage one: for the last two weeks, I have been working on my mage epic 1.0, and, thanks to a lot of luck, I got it last night! I was working through the Power of the Orb step, spending two days solid camping the Power of Fire, and decided to put my druid into South Karana to while away the time between spawns. I found a couple of 90 second spawns south of the spires, and after a couple of hours working on them, Quillmane popped – with the cloak. The next day I got the Power of Fire (from the lava elemental), and saw a Crown of Elemental mastery in the Bazaar. That was too much coincidence for me, so I started on the epic seriously.

Most of the remaining parts I handled with my druid and beastlord; Hate staff dropped on second kill in zone (a male forsaken revenant), Neh’Ashiir on sixth – Phinny was an odd one, because I had been camping Undertow for two days before he popped, and I was watching the Phinny spawn. OK, so why is the mob Phinegal Autropos, and the faction Phingel Atropos? Never mind. Every time before, Phinny died after a short up time, and I never saw the killer in zone (I wasn’t looking very hard). After Undertow, I was camped on the ledge, waiting for Phinny to show just so I could get a timer on his spawn. I logged on the druid, and he was being killed – a bard (level 50) in zone told me that a 73 ranger arrived a couple of minutes after the pop. Luckily, he let the bard loot the backbone, and me the staff.

At the moment my gear is basic – Goru’kar Mesa quest armor and Blightfire augs, Silver Serpent Shield, mage ring (Chipped Ring of Bloodcalling), solstice earring, Eye of the Owlbear Mother, etc – total FT is 13, I think. One important point is that I don’t have a pet focus, and I don’t think any are available that will work at 51 – maybe the Diamond Prism of Companionship from LDoN (760 points in Tak adventures), but that has it’s own problems to get, and is recommended level 65.

Update: Summoner’s Boon has reccomended level 65, and focuses all pets 59 up – which includes epic (thanks to the non-existent spell Manifest Elements having a level of 59). The Enchanted Harpy Blade from Blackfeather Roost was selling for 200k, but I haven’t seen one in the Bazaar since I started this project; it has recommended level 65 as well. I ended up with a different Minion of Darkeness focus, Drowned Man’s Hair, bought for 1.5k.

My plan is to accumulate AAs that will increase my power as early as possible, and preferably while the epic pet is still a killing machine; as I get more AAs and increase level, I should stay at maximum power for each level attained, and thus solo/duo AAs faster than would otherwise be possible under a conventional levelling scheme. So I’ll start with run speed 3, regen 3, metabolism 3, then save 30 while at 51 – I’ll probably use the Hole for this, but I’ll consider other places, like City of Mist and Nurga, both of which I am (very) familiar with. That’s 9 AA; I don’t know yet if I’ll spend any on resists at this stage; it depends on the boredom factor. I can see that Discordant Defiance (resist cap raise) and Mystical Attuning (buff slots) start to become available at 51; these aren’t relevant unless I decide to try for Vox and Nagafen at 52 (which I don’t intend to, but you never know). Discordant Defiance is level 66, that was an error in the page I was reading.

I am also skipping Quick Draw (extra potion belt slot) and Battle Ready (extra bandolier slot).

With 30 banked, I’ll run to 55 for Mnemonic Retention (extra spell slot), SCM 3, SCF 3. Then I’ll work through Archetypes – defensives, CA, CS, and ND with MC somewhere in all that, and probably SCS. I am not sure where to work on this – Nurga and the Hole are both options, as is GE; I am not sure if Sebilis with its indoor SoW’ed runners will be a good idea, and there may be new hot zones to choose from by then. Spend in Archtypes with this approach would be 12 * 7 + 3 = 87 AAs.

Skipping SCE and SCD (anti-fizzle and quick cast buffs). Also considering Secondary Forte (9 points), and Persisten Casting (cast when stunned, 3/6/9 – I may just get the first level).

With another 30 banked, a run to 59 is on the cards. Priority will be Pet Discipline, of course, and I’ll probably get Mend Companion. I can see little point in Elemental Pact, and even less in Improved Reclaim Energy (although it is used for pet chaining, which will become relevant at higher levels). Which leaves Quick Damage and Quick Summoning as averagely OK AAs – 14 essential AAs, 36 desirable, and 8 low value.

That leaves the elemental forms and Frenzied Burnout – the latter apparently isn’t as bad as it used to be. These are on the list to get, at least the first level of the elemental forms. Being ignored are MGB, Quick Summoning, Improved Reclaim Energy, and Turn Summoned. I may reconsider Turn Summoned.

By this point, any advantage from the epic pet will be almost used up, compared to a run to 61 for Ward of Xegony. The advantage here is an ability to take on higher mobs compared to epic, but I’ll probably need 2 box support or a group. If I keep it slow, the AAs that open up are:

61: Lightning Reflexes, Innate Defense (6); Planar Power and Innate Enlightenment (5); Fury of Magic and Servant of Ro (3 + 3). Then from GoD, Swift Journey (5 + 10). Total 32.
62: LR, ID (6); PP and IE (5); Suspend Minion (5), which doesn’t seem all that useful now that we can invis without losing a pet. Total 16.
63: LR, ID (6); PP and IE (5); FoM (6), Hastened Mending (2), Servant of Ro (3), Host of the Elements (5). Total 27.
64: LR, ID (6); PP and IE (5); Suspend Minion II (3), Hastened Mending (2), Host of the Elements (4). Total 20.
65: LR, ID (6); PP and IE (5); FoM (9), Hastened Mending (2), Servant of Ro (3), Host of the Elements (3). Total 28. Plus all the GoD abilities kick in at this point.

I haven’t considered a path past 65 at this point. These AAs came initially from EQSummoners, which I know is desperately out of date; it also only considers AAs it thinks are “good”, although it’s opinions are generally good – so it skips the elemental forms, for instance, which get added back into the schedule later for the Omens upgrades.

There is an updated chart just published here.