BONZZ'S Q&A
This page is all about general stuff that is likely not covered on my other pages! Stuff that can be useful to know! If you have any more tidbits -- please let me know!
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IF A PALADIN IS NEITHER A GOOD WARRIOR OR A GOOD CLERIC -- WHAT GOOD IS HE/SHE?
WHAT ITEMS SHOULD I FOCUS ON OBTAINING FOR ARMOR/WEAPONS AND SO FORTH?
WHAT STATISTICS SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN WEAPONS/ARMOR?
SHOULD A PALADIN SAVE LAY ON HANDS FOR THEMSELVES -- OR OTHERS?
HOW MUCH WILL LAY ON HANDS HEAL FOR AND HOW OFTEN CAN I USE IT?
IS THERE A PALADIN BUFF THAT IS IN DEMAND AND CAN BE SOLD FOR DONATIONS LIKE OTHER CLASSES DO?
HOW DOES HASTE WORK FOR A PALADIN?
WHY IS IT I CAN'T SEEM TO HIT AS HARD AS OTHER PLAYERS?
HOW IS BASH DAMAGE DETERMINED?
WHAT ARE THE BEST ZONES TO PROGRESS IN LEVELS?
WHAT ZONES MIGHT I GENERALLY AVOID ALONG THE WAY AND WHY?
WHAT ARE THE BEST BUFFS TO SEEK OUT FOR A PALADIN?
WHAT ALTERNATE ADVANCEMENT (AA) ABILITIES SHOULD I GET FIRST?
SHOULD I DEVELOP OTHER CHARACTERS ON THE SIDE?
IS THERE AN ADVANTAGE TO TWO-BOXING?
WHAT GOOD ARE STUNS AND WHY SO MANY?
WHAT GOOD IS BEG, TAUNT AND DISARM IF THEY NEVER SEEM TO WORK?
IS THERE A SECRET TO CONTROLLING THE PALADIN HORSE AND THE FOOD IT EATS?
WHEN IT COMES TO NEW ITEMS AND WEAPONS -- WHAT IS THE BEST GAUGE ON IF IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT OR NOT?
IS THERE A SECRET TO MANAGING BANK SPACE?
IS THERE A METHOD TO KEEPING TRACK OF SO MANY QUESTS AND SUCH?
HOW DID YOU FIGURE ALL THIS STUFF OUT?
WHAT ARE THE SKILL CAPS AT WHAT LEVEL AND HOW?WHEN DO THEY GO UP?
WHEN ARE SPECIAL EVENTS ADDED TO THE GAME?
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A Paladin is a hybrid between a Warrior and a Cleric and generally the "good" opposite of a Shadowknight... a holy warrior with an affinity for killing the undead, according to Sony.
The reality is a little different.
A Paladin while supposedly half Warrior and half-Cleric, isn't really either.
Nor are they truly the opposite of a Shadowknight.
All three of those classes get benefits and advantages (spells, pets, feign death, discs, AC/HP, AoE...) the Paladin is not allowed. The Paladin is not even a third of each.
You will find some of the Paladin spells in Cleric guilds, rather than in Paladin Guilds. In fact -- you often find that the Cleric and Paladin Guilds are often in the same place.
Further -- by being a hybrid -- a Paladin is neither a great warrior nor a great Cleric. In fact, a Paladin seems to be more of a Cleric than a Warrior -- as they get many of the Cleric spells (or a variant thereof), while they get none (zero) of the many Warrior disciplines.
My experience is that a Paladin can neither take or inflict as much damage as other tank types -- such as Warriors and Shadowknights. As healers/casters -- Paladins are a sad substitute for a Cleric, Druid or even a Shaman.
However, with perseverance, Paladin's can make reasonable and even desirable tanks.
This is because the primary job of a tank is to be able to take a sufficient level of damage and keep (hold) aggro so that the MOB's do not attack and kill other members of the group.
This allows the other group members to better accomplish their jobs of healing, slowing, nuking, dotting, DPS, mezzing and/or as additional melee.
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IF A PALADIN IS NEITHER A GOOD WARRIOR OR A GOOD CLERIC -- WHAT GOOD IS HE/SHE?
A Paladin may live a hard life -- but I have found it to be the most fun, challenging and adventurous character type to play. In the long run -- the rewards of endurance, questing, determination and adversity have been the very things that have maintained my interest in EQ for so long!
If it had been easy to level and so forth -- I probably would have lost interest in the game long ago. How many people do you know have a multitude of high level characters that are probably ill-trained or equipped? And/or soon quit EQ or whine about EQ a lot?
If you are impatient, have a short attention span, subconsciously believe in entitlement (re: this is too much of a challenge, I would rather it be given to me or made really easy...) and/or have a lack of true determination -- a Paladin is NOT for you!
The point is -- Paladin's are for those players who like the satisfaction of a challenge and the feeling of true accomplishment from a job well done when great obstacles are overcome!
In the long run -- Paladin's get better and better spells, can obtain some very good armor and weapons and Alternate Advancement allows them to become truly powerful and capable characters.
A Paladin becomes a more desirable Tank the higher he/she gets in levels and the better his/her skills and equipment.
You will find that in the absence of a good warrior -- a Paladin is often sought out as both a Tank and sometimes as a Puller (at lower levels), because they can use spells like Pacify to pull single MOB's or Root to freeze adds in place.
They can take and maintain "aggro" by use of stuns, bash, beg, root, disarm and attack. They have the added bonus of throwing in some lesser buffs and they can play back up healer -- as well as being able to save him/herself with Lay on Hands (if the tank falls, the rest of the group is threatened with wipe-out).
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WHAT ITEMS SHOULD I FOCUS ON OBTAINING FOR ARMOR/WEAPONS AND SO FORTH?
ARMOR & WEAPONS: This question cannot really be listed with a specific list of progressive items.
Instead, it has to be answered generically, as each players situation will differ because of personal reasons (what they like to do, available play time, the level of help they have access to, etc.).
So, in general, focus on items you can loot, afford to buy or quest (tasks, missions or quests) that also give you the full benefit of the stats.
What this means is that you need to slowly upgrade armor and weapons as you gain levels and progress to higher end zones.
This is because the "better" weapons do not always give you the full benefit of damage, stat buffs or procs... until you reach certain levels. Some item you will not even be able to equip until you reach a certain level.
Normally you can see this by the numbers displayed in parenthesis when you look at the weapon stats -- or by the recommended and required level notations.
In short -- the weapon that you think sucks -- can, will and DOES out perform that so-called "ubah" weapon at lower levels. This is because the "sucky" weapon gives you full benefits of it's damage/stats and sometimes the proc as well; while the "ubah" weapon will not.
By the same token, that Chest item may technically have 70 Armor Class, but at your current low level it will only give you, say, 5 Armor Class.
However, this does not mean that, if the opportunity arises, that you should not obtain a nice item to bank for later use.
I would also try to keep one weapon for each fighting skill and hold on to any items that have a useful "clicky" effect.
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BAGS: Bags are essential! The more you can carry, the more you can loot and sell for profit and the more you carry without being hindered by weight.
Carrying too much can (and will) weigh you down.
This will affect your speed of movement and fighting ability (it has to do with Strength).
You can literally become so overloaded that you can't take a step (encumbered)... and even if you can move, fall damage can increase significantly (you hit the ground harder).
To that end -- seek out weight reduction bags and try to never ever become "encumbered" again.
Weight reduction bags that are pretty easily obtained and can be found in Permafrost, Crystal Caverns, Lower Guk and other zones (for the relatively easy ones to obtain as drops).
You can also buy them, quest them and/or craft them.
The key things to look for are as many slots as possible (10 preferred), as big a slots as possible (Giant preferred) and the highest weight reduction possible (100% preferred).
I would also get tradable 10-Slot Giant bags for the "shared" bank slots and fill up all the other bank slots (tradable or not) with any 10-Slot giant containers you can come by.
The Trader bags in bazaar work well for this. In bank slots, there is no concern about weight reduction.
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OTHER: The only other items I recommend are beneficial items to carry around with you, such a stat-buffing food, stat-buffing drink and other useful items (i.e. "clickies" and potions).
The primary two items I recommend are Bristlebane Party Platter (if you can make them -- if not, Misty Thicket Picnic, Hero Sandwich or 10-lb. Halas Meat Pie) and Juice of Quellious (or Grobb Liquidized Meat or Qeynos Afternoon Tea or Kaladim Constitutional) -- stat buffing foods and drinks.
These item buffs will not "stack" with similar items (re: food buffs will not stack with other food buffs) -- so don't buy more than one version expecting the benefits of all of them.
Just keep them (food item and drink item) as the first two food/drink items in your first bag and the stats are added to your ratings.
You don't have to eat them for the benefit.
In fact, you might want to get in the habit of purposely eating and drinking cheap merchant food/drink to keep from consuming the buff foods automatically.
Many of these items are normally under 50 to 75 plat a stack -- so I don't bother with the concern of consuming them, as they are easily replaced.
The key stats for me, are the Hit Points and the Stamina.
Next up I recommend that you carry around items and potions to use for when they are truly needed.
There are a number of these that are player made, merchant sold or dropped -- that can allow you to cast spells or buffs you would not normally be able to cast as a Paladin (re: invisible, Spirit of the Wolf, a damage shield, a mind buff, gating, shrinking, levitation, heals and so forth).
You can also carry around items that have a click-able or wear-able affect. Example, a Silvery Mask for Identify, a Qeynos Badge of Honor for See Invisible and so forth.
Essentially click-able spells/buffs that a Paladin may need or will find useful at times.
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WHAT STATISTICS SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN WEAPONS/ARMOR?
Well, this will change as you level and begin to work on Alternate Advancement and are able to receive and cast better buffs.
Level 1 to 45: At these levels, many high end buff's cannot be cast on you. So the need to buff up as much as possible in certain area's will fall to the stats on your items, more so than buffs. It is my humble opinion that the most important things to look for at these levels (in order), are: armor class, hit points/stamina (stamina translates to hit points), strength, processes ("procs"), haste/speed (the faster you can swing, the more damage you can do), attack/damage (the better you are able to score hits and the amount of damage you can do) and wisdom/mana (wisdom translates to mana).
Level 46 to 59: At these levels, you will be able to have many of the higher end buffs cast on you, somewhat negating the need for a lot of item-stat enhancements in order to attain maximum stats. This is because the buffs are more able to "max" you out on stats, even without the item enhancements. Therefore, they become less important and their order of importance changes as follows (in my opinion): armor class, hit points/stamina, haste/speed, attack/damage, strength, processes and then wisdom/mana.
Level 60 to 65: At these levels, you will probably spend most of your time in higher-end zones with higher-end well-rounded groups (re: buffers, slowers, dps, etc...). The MOB's will be fast and hit very, very hard. Thus, the focus again changes as follows: hit points/stamina, armor class, haste/speed, processes, strength, wisdom/mana and then attack/damage.
Level 66 up: At these levels you will find that a lot of high end drops are easy to come by. This is because these items have high minimum, recommended and required level restrictions. These items can really go a long way to stat enhancement. As a result, there will be little change to your focus, as follows: hit points/stamina, armor class, wisdom/mana, haste/speed, attack/damage, strength and then processes.
Alternate Advancement: Leveling is more beneficial than gaining AA, so get to maximum Level, first! However, once you start spending AA -- generally spend your AA as follows: Run Speed, then hit point/stamina, then a Horse, then defensive mitigation (re: Combat Agility, Combat Stability, etc.), then Origin, then healing AA's, then offensive abilities (re: slay undead, critical hits), then mana abilities (re: Wisdom) and then whatever else you want.
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SHOULD A PALADIN SAVE LAY ON HANDS FOR THEMSELVES -- OR OTHERS?
If you are the tank (MA or main assist) or back-up tank (SA or special assist) -- which is the norm -- you should save Lay on Hands for yourself.
This allows you a better chance to maintain aggro and save the healers/casters from certain death and/or give them a chance to escape and come back to rescue the dead. If you fall -- very likely so does the whole group.
If you are not the MA or SA -- then it is in everyone's best interest to save Lay on Hands for the tanks (or the main healer), for the very reasons stated above. However, this will be hard to do in a raid, unless the MA/SA are in your group where you can see their health, or the Leadership abilities allow you to see this.
If not, it may be a good idea to save any healer that may be in your group.
The hard part is that they have to be in range to use it on them and you have to target them first.
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HOW MUCH WILL LAY ON HANDS HEAL FOR AND HOW OFTEN CAN I USE IT?
Lay on Hands (LoH) is NOT a Complete Heal.
Lay on Hands will heal for a certain amount of Hit Points based on levels, as I understand it.
What I found was as follows...
From level 1 to level 40 -- the heal is determined by your level times 32, plus 1.
So if you are level 40, multiply by 32 (32 x 40 = 1,280) and add 1 (1,280 + 1 = 1, 281). This seems to be accurate.
From Level 41 to Level 70 it is supposed to get a bit better.
It is 76 times your level, minus-40 -- plus the 1,281 you could do from the lower levels.
So -- if you are Level 65 -- you would subtract 40 (65 - 40 = 25) and then multiply by 76 (25 x 76 = 1,900) and then add the 1,281 (for a total of 3,181).
This seems to correct, as well.
On the other hand -- Alternate Advancement will allow you to make LoH a true complete heal, later on -- and none of this math will matter!
You can use Lay on Hands once every EQ day -- or about every 93 Minutes (or is it 72 minutes?).
This time can be reduced by 36 full minutes with Alternate Advancement.
It also resets upon death.
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IS THERE A PALADIN BUFF THAT IS IN DEMAND AND CAN BE SOLD FOR DONATIONS LIKE OTHER CLASSES DO?
Yea and no.
One spell that would be of interest to others is a Paladin's ability to "rez" (resurrect) players.
However -- people would rather seek out the best rez they can get -- meaning a Cleric rez (96%), or even a Necro rez (93%, but this requires an Essence Emerald). A Paladin can only rez for 90% -- maximum -- and that does not happen until level 59.
None-the-less, in the absence of a willing Cleric or Necro -- people will seek out a Paladin for this service.
At higher levels -- the only other buff that players desire, except maybe Rangers and Rogues, is Brell's -- a long lasting hit point buff.
In fact, the "Brell's" line is about the only Paladin buffs that are not over written by better buffs from other player types.
However, Brell's will not stack with, or overwrite (aka they are "blocked") Vigor/Vim or Hunter/Predator type spells.
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HOW DOES HASTE WORK FOR A PALADIN?
Haste buff's stack (add up) -- but not like you may think.
Certain things simply will not stack with certain other things -- not to mention certain other limitations (like level, etc.).
Generally speaking -- a Haste Item (worn or equipped -- to include augmentations) will stack with a Haste Song (Bard) and a Haste Spell (buff).
When you have haste from more than one item, or more than one buff or more than one song -- the buff/song/item with the highest percentage of haste will "overwrite" (take precedence) the other song/buff/item.
Thus if you have a helmet that is 24% Haste and a weapon with a 40% Haste augmentation on it -- the 24% item will be ignored and only the 40% item will have any affect.
If two Bards are playing haste songs of different percentages -- you will only get the benefit of the higher song.
If an Enchanter casts Salik's on you and you all ready have Valor of Marr up -- only the Chanter buff will benefit you.
In short -- item haste will not stack with haste from other items, song haste will not stack with haste from other songs and buffed haste does not stack with other buffed haste.
When you hear players say they have over 100% Haste -- they are not doing proper math, as haste is a modifier (measured by a percentage) -- and it cannot be simply "added together."
What it does is modify the "speed" of your attack/weapon -- meaning that you will be able to strike blows more often.
So -- if your weapon has a delay of 100 and your haste is 50% -- you will reduce the delay to 50, striking blows twice as often.
NOTE: There is also a spell haste, which works the same way except it allows you to cast spells faster. The haste for spells will modify the time it takes to cast certain spells (as opposed to the time it takes on recasting the spell).
The percentage in which you can be "hasted" is limited by your level.
I am unclear if the same limits apply to spell haste, but I suspect that they do.
Up to Level 30 you can only improve only up to 50%.
From Level 31 to Level 50, you can only improve up to 74%.
From Level 51 to Level 54, you can only improve up to 84%.
From Level 55 to 59, you can improve on up to 94%.
From Level 60 and above, as I understand it -- you can actually improve to 99%, supposedly!
Some say you can improve to 100%, but I simply fail to understand how you can have a zero delay (100% Haste)!
This is impossible.
Maybe your delay is defaulted to 1. You would still be a whirling dervish, after all! The same goes for spell haste.
Think about this.
It just seems that if your delay was reduced to zero -- you would instantly kill anything you attacked... before they even had a chance to retaliate (zero delay means an instant whirl-of-death for any MOB -- you could literally solo Quarm and take no damage).
Thus -- I am confident the best delay you could ever have is 1 -- as there must be SOME delay.
Even so, I still don't believe 99% is possible with the way haste stacks.
When Haste "stacks," it does not add -- it modifies -- which is a significant difference!
If you have a 25% haste weapon, a 20% haste song and a 10% haste buff -- you are NOT hasted by 55%.
Each haste modifies and thus, you will end up with a 46% haste, rather than a 55% haste.
Example, lets say your weapon has a 100 delay (for easier math).
The first haste (item haste from the weapon) modifies it by 25% (100 Delay x 25% = 25 Delay improvement). This leaves you at a delay of 75 (100 - 25 = 75).
The next haste (from the Bard song) modifies that 75 by 20% (75 x 20% = 15 Delay improvement). This reduces your delay to 60 (75 - 15 = 60).
The last haste (from the spell buff) modifies that 60 by 10% (60 x 10% = 6 Delay improvement). This reduces your delay to 54 (60 - 6 = 54).
No matter which order you calculate the above affects, you end up with the same result.
Thus, your overall "speed" (delay) was only improved by 46% -- not 55%.
Others say that the maximum haste is 80%. While I have not seen such information myself, it does seem more likely to me.
However, using the best "hastes" I am aware of (up to PoR) in the above formula (46% for an item, 45% for a Bard and 68% for a buff) -- the best overall haste I can see is 90% (reduces a 100 delay to about a 10 delay).
However, there are reportedly two more types of haste referred to as "over haste." This can be and is very confusing.
Another argument is that haste increases the number of swings in a span of time, rather than reducing delay.
To me -- the number of swings is based off the delay, so this argument, even if accurate, is still moot -- I see it as just two ways of describing the same thing.
To me it's like saying a batter can hit a 100 miles-per-hour fast ball or saying he has great bat speed.
Same difference, eh?
But anyway, in effect, what they are saying is that if a 100 delay is 1 swing every 10 seconds.
With this logic, 100% haste would mean 1 swing every second, making 100% haste (or a 10 delay) a possibility... at least from this point of view.
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WHY IS IT I CAN'T SEEM TO HIT AS HARD AS OTHER PLAYERS?
Each character type has certain innate abilities or lack thereof.
As a Paladin you are only "part" warrior and therefore simply can't hit like a fighter/warrior (pure melee).
As a Paladin, you have limitations on the maximum amount of damage that you can do, based on your strength -- no matter the weapon you use.
At Level 10 your damage cap (limit) is in the area of 33 points.
At Level 20 this goes up to about 65.
At Level 25 you move up to about 98.
At Level 30 you take a big jump to about 160.
At Level 45 you go up to about 210.
After Level 55 you have no limit and can hit for as much as your weapon/strength/etc. will allow (via game mechanics).
The most I have yet hit for (or noticed) with the weapons available to me -- not counting Slay Undead or Critical Blows -- is around 1.2K.
To complicate matters, levels also limit the damage bonus of weapons, as well!
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HOW IS BASH DAMAGE DETERMINED?
The damage that you inflict with your shield (when using it to bash) is based upon the Armor Class of the Shield, your Strength and Bash Damage AA.
I assume, once you get the 2-Handed Bash AA, that it will be based on the AC on your 2H Weapon and your Strength.
It has nothing to do with weight or size of the shield or weapon.
Oddly enough, once your skill is up and you have a good shield, you may often be surprised how much damage you can bash for.
I have actually seen my bash out-damage my melee weapon (especially at lower levels)!
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WHAT MOB'S AND/OR ZONES HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE MOST ANNOYING OR BORING?
Clearly the Arena is the most boring zone there is. There is nothing there and it is purely for PVP and GM Event purposes.
The zone that was once a sort of a bane for me was Kithicor Forest -- at night. The undead that appear there were simply killer at lower levels.
I find Velketor's Labyrinth annoying simply because it is so hard and dangerous to move about there. You slide on the ice, levitation is not allowed and it is a vertical zone (you can fall off the ramps and die).
The Estate of Unrest was annoying from the regular trains and the LONG tunnel you have to run through to the zone line.
Kedge Keep is annoying, not because it is fully underwater -- but because aggro is so easy and can come from up and down, as well as North, South, East and West.
The MOB's that I hate the most are mostly because of the aggravation they cause, not necessarily because they are hard to kill.
In the Eastern Wastes and Iceclad Ocean I really hate those Snow/Blizzard Dervishes that seem to aggro from everywhere.
In Nagafen's Lair I hate the Lava Duct Crawlers that dot you with Boil Blood.
A minor annoyance are most of the variants of Skeletons that continue to aggro me, even though I am a significantly higher level than they are (other MOB's don't seem to do this, but the Skeletons sure do).
In Skyfire Mountains I hate those Chromadracs -- who will debuff you in a heartbeat.
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WHAT OTHER PLAYER TYPES HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE BEST TO GROUP WITH?
Number one on my list is a Shaman, to slow the MOB's down so they are easier to kill (and less healing needed). They also have great buffs, nice DoT's, can suffice as a healer and they can haste you. They even have a pet they can throw into the melee, too.
After that I would want an Enchanter. They can Mezz (mesmerize) the adds and haste the group. They can also cast Mind Buff's so that everyone regenerates mana faster, not to mention being able to slow the MOB's as well. They can summon a lesser pet -- but even better -- they can also charm MOB's to fight with the group.
Next I would have to say a Cleric, to keep me alive. They also have one very Paladin-desirable buff (Temperance, Virtue, Conviction, Tenacity...).
Shadowknights are somewhat of a Paladin opposite. They have Harm Touch, but like LoH -- it's use is limited. They are, however, a better choice as a puller than a Paladin. They have the advantage of feign death, a snare, a pet and can tank.
My last group member would be difficult -- as their are advantages to having different ones.
I might have to go with a Necromancer, as they have pets that can hold aggro and tank too. Necromancers also have some nasty spells and are able to feed mana, raise the dead as pets, kite, feign death, pull, mezz and other things that may surprise you. They can summon corpses if the group wipes. They can rez if the need arises.
This is not to say that I wouldn't take other classes.
Monks can be great pullers, deal good damage and can mend their own wounds. They can mez now too.
Next up is a Warrior -- as they are the best tanks. They can deal good damage, can take a lot of damage and -- most importantly -- hold aggro well, leaving the rest of the group free to play their roles.
A Bard is also good as they can play songs that regen health, regen mana, mezz/charm MOB's, haste the party and much more. They can also tank reasonably well -- and are a reasonable substitute for an Enchanter or Shaman or Monk. They are great pullers and can pick locks too.
Beastlords have excellent pets, good DPS and can fight as well -- not to mention some decent Shaman-like buffs.
Wizards can nuke for big points and they can evac/translocate the entire party to safety.
Druids can play healer, DOT the MOB's, cast Damage Shields, track, snare and port the group to safety. They also have pets, but not as good as the other casters do.
Magicians can nuke and have those elemental pets that seem to tank well. They can also CoH to get everyone to a certain location and provide clicky items like mana rods and invis/float.
Rangers are good also -- as they can cast strength buff's, duel wield, have fear animal ability and can heal some. Their biggest advantage lies in their tracking skills (should you need to seek out certain MOB's) and DPS (damage-per-second -- especially if they have worked on their archery skills). The problem with the archery DPS is that they need room to back away to shoot (plus root spells somewhat negate the damage).
I will take Rogues (good at backstabbing), especially when I know locked doors and traps will be encountered. The big concern most have about them is pick-pocketing the coin before the MOB is dead, depriving the group of a true coin sharing. They do their best damage only if the MOB is facing away from them. They are very useful for scouting and dragging corpses, as well.
I have not really grouped with a Berserker, much. However, they are not tanks, they are not healers, they are not casters and they seem to be just secondary DPS (damage per second). So -- it is likely I would only seek out a Berserker as a last resort.
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WHAT ARE THE BEST ZONES TO PROGRESS IN LEVELS?
To answer this question, I must first say that the zones should be more of a benefit than just experience and level increases.
When you gain a new level, you will get an in-game message (e-mail) suggesting where to go. I have not seen that to be especially good advice! Example -- I have an alt (alternate character) that were told to go to Dalnir -- a place players rarely go (read that as you will be alone). My Warrior was told to go to Solusek's Eye where most of the MOB's were gray cons (meaning no XP).
The zones should also benefit you with useful and/or marketable items (loot).
After all, as you progress -- you need to also gain better and better equipment/weapons and make some money as well (so you can buy buffs, food, water, spells, armor/weapons, work on skills...).
Another consideration is faction.
As a Paladin you don't want to alienate yourself with Paladin-friendly or Paladin-beneficial factions. At least not until you complete certain quests and goals. It is easy to become KoS and hard to become Ally (just like it is easy to be an evil character as compared to being a good character).
Also -- I would like to mention that rather than focusing on fast levels -- slow down some and try to progress with all your skills (fighting/magic/defensive) -- by five points after each level. I am not talking trade skills here -- wait until after Level 21 for those.
Trust me -- failing to work on battle/defense skills will result in harder times as you progress in levels, because the MOB's get tougher and you end up leaving your fighting skills behind. Example -- you can end up having fighting, defensive and magic skills that are at a Level 10 ability (55 skill) -- when you are at Level 30 (where your ability should be 155 -- a full 100 higher).
This means you will not strike regular blows, you will not strike for maximum damage, you will fizzle spells and you will suffer more hits/damage. You may be Level 30 -- but you fight with Level 10 skills. Capish?
With that said -- here are my recommended Zones (based mostly on my old-school experience as a Paladin), in which to XP for Levels and Loot.
Keep in mind zones do change (they are not likely as they were when I was last there at lower levels), there are now "hot" zones (increased XP), there are many new zones and missions/tasks now and different character types would not likely see the same benefit in these zones as a Paladin (even then -- this guide is debatable).
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NOTE: From Level 1 to Level 9 -- Fight recklessly and fight solo. Dying does not loose you XP until level 10. Further, when you reappear -- your items will still be with you as well (this changes at Level 6).
So -- dying is no big issue, except perhaps for losing buffs.
After Level 9, fight with a lot more caution and fight with a group, as much as possible.
As you progress, keep in mind that you should also strive to increase the quality of your armor and weaponry via quests, trades, loots and/or purchases. There is nothing wrong with exploring any and every zone you want to. My recommendations are merely based on my experience and personal preferences. I have considered not only where I got the best XP -- but where I got the best loot and had the most fun.
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To start off with, Level 1 through Level 5 -- I would stick with the "newbie garden" of your hometown.
If you die, you reappear right there. There are guards nearby to run to for help (not that you need to). The merchants are close. The bank is close. Your character guild is close. (Note: Spend Training Points wisely -- see elsewhere on this site).
The loot blows -- but it's better than none.
UPDATE: The "Tutorial" in the Mines of Gloomingdeep is probably a better choice now.
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After Level 5 and up to Level 10, generally speaking -- the zone closest to your home zone -- is normally the next step up.
However, I found Qeynos Hills and especially Blackburrow (the upper part of the zone and down to the Bridge) to be most excellent.
The greatest XP Faction quest in the game is there. Collect the no-drop Gnoll Fangs and turn them in to the Captain at the Qeynos Arena (South Qeynos) for significant XP gains and Moonstones. Then step around the corner to Fish's Tavern to turn the Moonstones into McNeal and get more XP and some Blackburrow Stout to work on your Alcohol Tolerance with (or sell). In Blackburrow you will find the loot to be excellent for this level and may even find slightly better armor and weapons, for free.
Some folks Like Crushbone and the The Warrens as well -- for this Level span. Crushbone is neat, because it is a small zone and easy to find your way around. The Warrens is nice because of the variety, the many named MOB's and the interesting drops. None the less, I would stick with Blackburrow on up to Level 10 or so -- simply because of the Gnoll Fang quest.
UPDATE: The "Tutorial" in the Mines of Gloomingdeep is probably a better choice now.
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Level 10 to Level 15, I think I would move to Kurns Tower. XP is good here.
With a good buff like temperance and using your undead spells -- you may be shocked to find yourself able to solo and kill white, yellow and perhaps even red cons!
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After Level 15 to about Level 25, I recommend two places, that happen to be connected zones: High Pass Hold and High Keep.
Out in High Pass Hold you can fight the Orcs and the Kobolds. You can get a nice Shield off the named Kobold and a nice Halberd off the named Orc.
Inside HighKeep, the Goblins in the basement are excellent to kill. They drop good coin loot, a piece towards the Paladin epic and further, the Merchants, Guards and the Bank are just up the steps!
Some people like Najena. Najena is a fun zone for something different -- as you have to obtain a series of keys to open doors that allow you deeper access until you get to Najena herself. However -- it simply doesn't compare with loot and safety like High Keep does, even if a piece of the Paladin epic drops in Najena, as well.
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From about Level 25 to Level 30 I would first suggest the Estate of Unrest.
There are a lot of undead here plus another piece towards the Paladin epic. Once you got the epic piece, I would then recommend Solusek's Eye (aka Sol A). There is good loot here and some decent drops off many named MOB's.
Further -- there is a merchant in the Gnome area you can sell to, make lots of coin and never leave the zone! It is here that you may start to see your bank account grow!
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From about Level 30 to about Level 35 there are several places I liked, but I think I would have to recommend the Southern Plains of Karana (SK), at what is commonly called "KFC" (where the Aviak town is). Nearby is another good camp at the entrance to Infected Paw (aka Splitpaw) -- at the spires. Note, do not go in Infected Paw!
Both camps are essentially right there together.
There are merchants just inside the Northern Plains of Karana (NK), at the bridge. There is an Aviak merchant as well, but it is not likely he will deal with you.
Another place is the Liberated Citadel of Runnyeye. It's a fun zone -- but it is so far away to the nearest merchant and hard to find your way around inside.
A lot of people seem to love the Overthere -- I didn't. There were simply too many higher level MOB's running about constantly threatening the group -- especially so the Dragoons (Guards commonly called Goons or Goonies by the players).
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From Level 36 to about Level 40 -- I would recommend the Eastern Wastes (EW) and the Crystal Caverns (CC) in conjunction with Nagafen's Lair.
The only reason I give the first two zone preferences is that they are connected -- otherwise I would definitely go with Nagafen's Lair (aka Sol B).
In the middle of EW, there is the Ry'Gorr Fort. The Orcs drop some good loot to include the Ry'Gorr Armor. Just inside the fort, to the right, inside a small shack -- is the portal to CC.
Inside CC there are a lot of good drops to include a weight reduction bag and ores -- among other things. Both are decent XP -- but CC is better loot overall (the Ry'Gorr Armor only drops off the tougher Orcs).
There are merchants and a bank in CC, at the Dwarf town.
Sol B -- on the other hand -- is good XP, good loot and lots of named drop a number of special armor/items! The nearest merchants are just outside in Lavastorm Mountains. This zone can be train hell, so be on guard. It is a winding maze of underground corridors. There are a number of camps here -- Window, Champ, King, Noble, Bats, Efreeti and others. The deeper you go in, the harder the MOB's. I spent many levels in Sol B.
Before I came to Sol B -- I was a pauper. While I was here, I managed to build up my first "K" (1,000 Platinum), while -- at the same time -- buying/obtaining better and better armor and weapons.
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From about Level 36 to Level 40 I would stick with Sol B.
A lot of people like the City of Mist (CoM).
CoM is okay -- as it is small, easy to find your way about, lots of undead and some decent drops. However -- from a Paladin point of view -- I didn't much care for it.
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From about Level 41 to level 45, I would strongly recommend The Ruins of Old Guk (aka Old Guk or Lower Guk).
This is the world of mostly undead Frogluks and often called "Paladin Heaven." There are a lot of good drops here, good XP here and overall good loot. The biggest setback is that you have to learn your way about a difficult maze of Lower Guk after having to traverse the difficult maze of Guk (aka Upper Guk or the City of Guk) to get there.
The drops include a weight reduction bag, a haste item and much more.
Other decent places are Kaesora Castle (KC) (train hell), The Dreadlands (DL) and Dawnshroud Peaks (DSP).
KC has some good XP and decent drops/loots and is inside DL -- which has okay XP. The big set-back is that the nearest merchant/bank is in Firiona Vie (FV) -- which is now an evil city.
A lot of folks like DSP too, fighting the Goranga and the Greyhoppers -- but I personally found the place boring with unimpressive loot and a long way from the nearest merchant/bank (Shadowhaven or Sanctus Seru).
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From Level 45 to Level 50, I would recommend a few places. While you will gain the ability to access the original planes at Level 46 -- as well as the Plane of Innovation and Plane of Justice -- I would not recommend them for hunting, just yet.
My biggest suggestion would be to return to Sol B.
Lord Nagafen the Dragon is one of the dragon's you can kill and loot an important epic item. I would go there just to get in as many raids on this Dragon as I could. Even at this level, you will still find Sol B to have good loot, can be a challenge and still gives decent XP -- even if you have to move deeper in.
To the same end, I also recommend Permafrost Caverns to raid the dragon, Lady Vox, for the Paladin epic item she drops.
After that, I found the Tower of Frozen Shadow (TOFS) to be a lot of fun! Each floor gets harder, the loot gets better and the XP gets better. There are a lot of undead here too.
On each of the first 5 floors, you must kill until you get a certain MOB to spawn (it will spawn right on top of you, and is usually called an "Enraged" something-another). You must then kill this Mob to obtain a key to the next floor. The nearest merchants are outside in Iceclad Ocean (3rd island).
However, most people seem to prefer Karnor's Castle (KC) -- which sits in the middle of the Dreadlands.
KC is a tough zone, but the XP is good and the loot is okay, to include some special drops. Be on guard however, as this place can be train hell. Further, the closest merchant/bank is in Firiona Vie.
Lower Guk is also still a good place to fight.
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From about Level 51 to Level 55, your options increase even more -- however, it is now that you will see your XP seemingly slow down to a crawl.
This is not because you are getting less XP -- it is because it is now taking more and more XP to fill your XP bar. So -- any zone where one kill gives you a visible increase in your XP bar -- is a good XP zone!
First up, I will go back to Nagafen's Lair (Sol B) one more time. If you still don't have your epic piece off Lord Nagafen -- you only have until level 52 where you will be allowed to participate in a raid on him. For this same reason, I also recommend Permafrost Caverns to raid the dragon, Lady Vox, for the Paladin epic item she drops.
Outside that, I found Grimling Forest to be a pleasant surprise -- especially at the Grimling Caves that lead to Acrylia Caverns! I found that I could actually single pull and solo the Grimlings in the cave -- by staying close to the wall and watching out for the roamers. Even better, I could solo dark blue MOB's here! Lastly each Grimling seems to drop at least 1 and as many as 6 runes. These runes stack and many of them sell for several plat each!
Another place I found to my liking was the Plane of Justice. Other than those pesky rats and that Iksar Monk -- there is little or no aggro here on the first floor in the first section -- and most MOB's do not give you a faction hit. However, the loot sucks!
My favorite zone for XP was the Plane of Innovation. With a good group (Cleric and Shaman a must). XP and loot here are great!
At level 55, you gain additional access to the Plane of Storms, Plane of Valor, Plane of Disease and the Crypt of Decay -- but trust me, you aren't necessarily ready for them yet.
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From Level 56 to Level 60 area XP is slower and the MOB's are much tougher.
Forget any idea of soloing even light blue cons, for now!
I have found the "steps" camp in the Plain of Disease (PoD) to be good XP, but only with a good group. The MOB's there are undead.
I also liked the Plain of Valor (PoV) and the Lost Dungeons of Norrath zones (dungeons are based on your level).
The Ruins of Lxanvom (Crypt of Decay or CoD), with a good higher level group, is good XP. While the MOB's were high cons to me (red), they didn't seem to hit any harder than those in PoD and I was able to hit them for nearly full blows. They are relatively easy kills -- one at a time -- for a good group.
At these levels, I have found it essential for the group to have both a good slower and a good healer. The MOB's hit for several hundred points (we are talking 400, 800 and up). If they aren't slowed -- you will soon find yourself dead and the Cleric OOM (Out Of Mana).
The best place overall for me, however, was the Lost Dungeons of Norrath in Butcherblock or South Ro -- where your undead spells come into play.
The XP is good and you will find some good weapon and armor items, that may really surprise you with their stats! You may find yourself greatly benefitting by the armor, weapons and augmentations you can get as drops. Furthermore, you will find very nice armor available for the adventure points you earn, as well (I was still wearing at least 2 LDoN items when I made level 70)!
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From Level 61 to Level 65 XP remains tough, the MOB's get harder and soloing is suicide, even with certain green cons!
The Halls of Honor and the Bastion of Thunder seem to be the best XP and both can produce good loot. While HoH is home to Mithaniel Marr -- it seems everyone is KOS here, even those who follow him, like I do.
At these levels, loot concerns are now all most a thing of the past, as you have to be in a group or a raid -- and drops are rolled on or merited -- for the most part.
Further, the really good stuff is mostly no-drop and you can't buy it, anyway. In short, Platinum is becoming a concern of the past -- as weapons and armor that will benefit you at these levels are looted, LDoN purchased (Adventure Points), DoN purchased (Crystals) and/or quested.
You need to focus on going on raids (put raid XP into AA during raids, it's faster) to get flags and gain planar access and chances to win rolls on some truly high end items.
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From Level 66 to Level 70, Gates of Discord and Omens of War zones are advantageous.
Getting in decent, well rounded groups in Walls of Slaughter, Muramite Proving Grounds, Barindu and Riwwi were good to me -- with decent to great XP and decent, needed and/or highly desirable drops as well.
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As for Level 71 up and Alternate Advancement, I can only say, add to the mix the Dragons of Norrath and DoDH adventures! AA XP here is awesome, even if the adventures can be quite challenging. Direwind Cliffs at the undead camps is good too.
UPDATE: Take a good group into the Lost Notebook Task (69.1) in the instanced Hive (hard setting)!
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WHAT ZONES MIGHT I GENERALLY AVOID ALONG THE WAY AND WHY?
Well, right off I can give you an easy and quick general response: Avoid evil towns.
This is because you will be KOS there and the Guards will surely attack you.
Even more, you will not be able to do any buying or selling and there will be no Paladin Guild there.
As for non-evil-City zones... I would have to base my answer on the level of interest they are to a Paladin (what items, quests, merchants, loot, XP, etc....).
I suppose the most useless and uninteresting zones I have been to are:
The Arena (no MOB's), Icewall Keep (you don't want to be KOS here, anyway), Northern and Western Plains of Karana (huge and boring), Lake Rathe, Kithicor Forest (especially at night), Dagnor's Cauldron, Iceclad Ocean, Commonlands, Lesser Faydark, Mons Letalis, Scarlet Desert, Shadeweavers Thicket, Steamfont Mountains, Stonebrunt Mountains, Swamp of No Hope and Befallen.
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WHAT ARE THE BEST BUFFS TO SEEK OUT FOR A PALADIN?
This will be hard to answer with specifics. I didn't really experiment with buff combinations until after Level 60.
Further, they made changes to how certain spells work -- especially in the area of what level you have to be in order for them to "take hold."
The key to buffs, is finding the best combination that will not only stack with each other -- but gives the best results. The best results generally center on hit points, armor class, haste percentage and resists.
However, Here are my top 10 stackable (I think) choices (over Level 46) -- if you are high enough for them to take hold (if not, seek lesser versions):
1) ENCHANTER MIND BUFFS -- Seek the longest lasting or best "mind buff" (mana regen) you can get at your current level. Paladin's really don't have any useful damage spells and the primary use of your mana will center on heals, roots and stuns. Thus, having a faster mana regen is not really as great of a concern as having a long lasting mana regen buff. Further, if you use Yaulp/Ward of Tunare, it stacks and also helps your Mana Regeneration (as does the self-buff Armor/Aura).
2) ENCHANTER HASTE -- Seek the best haste buff you can for your level. Enchanters give the best haste. If not seek out a shaman.
3) SHAMAN STAMINA BUFF -- Seek the best stamina buff you can for your level. Stamina translates to hit points. If no Shaman buff can be found, seek out a Beastlord.
4) SHAMAN FOCUS BUFF -- Seek the best "focus" buff you can for your level. If no Shaman can be found, seek out a Beastlord.
5) SHAMAN AGILITY BUFF -- Seek the best agility buff you can for your level. If no Shaman can be found, seek out a Beastlord.
6) PALADIN BRELL'S BUFF -- Seek the best Brell's buff you can for your level, if you don't have the ability to cast it yet.
7) RANGER ATTACK BUFF -- Seek the best attack buff you can for your level.
8) PALADIN ARMOR/AURA BUFF -- This is a self buff only, so use it!
9) CLERIC AC/HP BUFF -- Seek the best Virtue-like buff you can for your level. If no Cleric can be found, use you own version.
10) BEASTLORD INFUSION BUFF (aka IoS) -- Seek the best "infusion" buff you can for your level.
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WHAT ALTERNATE ADVANCEMENT (AA) ABILITIES SHOULD I GET FIRST?
Well, that can be tricky -- but will ultimately be a matter of preference on your part.
First off, you may have to spend AA points in certain area's of certain tiers, before you can spend them in other area's in other tiers.
With that said -- I think you need to evaluate where you feel you need them most and spend them there.
My suggestion is to spend them, generally, on Run Speed 3, a Horse, Origin, hit point/stamina, and damage mitigation (re: Combat Agility, Combat Stability, etc.). After that, then healing abilities, then offensive abilities (re: slay undead, critical hits) and then mana abilities (re: Wisdom) -- before everything else.
Some AA's are just highly useful for the amount of time they save you -- like run speed, the horse and origin.
Stamina means Hit Points and the more Hit Points you have, the longer you survive.
Mitigation categories (re: Combat Agility, Combat Fury...) are categories that increase your damage avoidance and lower the amount of damage taken when hit. The more damage you avoid and the less damage that blows cause you, the longer you survive.
I choose those area's because I feel they are the most essential. This is because hit points keep you alive longer and damage avoidance/decreases (mitigation) enhances prolongs survival. The less you die, the less experience and time you loose. It also makes you more desirable to groups, as a tank.
The Healing AA's work to make LoH a complete heal, give you a chance at critical heals and also increase your healing ability overall. You will be able to land some very nice heals once done.
After that, I suggest work on the offensive categories, to increase your damage output -- which will only play into improving what I just talked about above. The faster MOB's die -- the less damage you take and the less you die.
After those critical area's -- I say it is then up to you where to decide where you think you will benefit the most (re: resists, extra spell gem, extra buff slots, special abilities, etc.).
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The combines I promote take into consideration that Paladin's can't forage, they generally can't solo in many locations (farm) and are normally one of the poorest money makers in the game.
Therefore, I have tried to focus on combines that use a minimal amounts of foraged, hard-to-get, farmed and/or high priced ingredients -- yet function to increase your skills.
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SHOULD I DEVELOP OTHER CHARACTERS ON THE SIDE?
This is a personal choice.
You probably need to decide if you want to focus on fully developing a character or if you like variety. After all, you can't progress one character while playing another one on the same account. It literally takes years and years to work up a truly top-of-the-class character.
Even then, you will find more armor, quests and other things that your character yet needs to obtain or accomplish. Playing another character will seriously slow down that process. However, there is an advantage to having certain other characters.
For instance, having a "mule" is a great idea.
A "mule" is a character created purely to sit in the Bazaar as a trader and sell stuff for your Paladin. The mule can take all the stuff your Paladin makes, outgrows or comes across and doesn't need -- and try to sell it. This helps keep the Paladin's bags (and bank) clear and can make you a little extra coin on the side, when you aren't actively playing.
In fact -- you should make as many characters as you can, just for the added bank space. I suggest, other than the Paladin, that you have a Gnome, a Caster, Druid, Shaman and a Rogue.
If you could care less about progressing a character to all they can be, there are advantages to having certain other characters that you actually play and build up on the side.
Having a Druid would be advantageous. The Druid can forage, can kite-farm and can track to see if certain targets are up. Further, they can get around a whole lot faster with SotW and porting. Having an Enchanter to sell mind/haste buffs is a good way to make coin. They are clearly the most in-demand buffs there are. Having a Gnome can also be advantageous, as they can tinker. You will find a need for tinkered items with higher tradeskills. Having a Shaman can be advantageous, for their alchemy skills. They can make Gate Potions, Quintessence and even an item for the Paladin Epic 1.5. A Rogue can be good to have. They can hide/sneak and scout about for you. They can pick locks. They can drag/rescue corpses. However, this will be of little benefit on the same account as your Paladin, except for the scouting part. They can also make poisons. Lastly, a caster of some type for the access to research.
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IS THERE AN ADVANTAGE TO TWO-BOXING?
If you can afford two accounts (or more) and your computer can handle running two versions of EQ (or you have two computers side-by-side) -- most definitely this is a great advantage.
Having characters strategically developed on opposite accounts so they benefit each other can be a tremendous advantage. You can have a Cleric that keeps your Paladin alive and therefore, progress both characters much, much faster -- at the same time.
The trick, however, is being able to play both characters at the same time and paying full attention. This is best accomplished by becoming adept at setting up and using hot keys.
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WHAT GOOD ARE STUNS AND WHY SO MANY?
Stuns are a Paladin's specialty. They serve several uses and purposes.
Having three stuns (on different timers) loaded at the same time should be standard fare for you.
Normally, I keep my fastest stun (for aggro), my best/fastest knock back stun (for positioning) and the stun that works on the highest level MOB's possible (for a possible actual stun effect) all loaded as a matter of practice.
Stuns can be used to pull or tag MOB's with. Stun a MOB from far away and pull them to the group. It can also allow you see if other MOB's come with it so you an root them -- or others can deal with them before they get to the group (mezz, etc.).
Stuns can be used to gain and hold aggro. In fact -- this is the number one and best way for a Paladin to gain and hold aggro. A Paladin has a very high taunt skill -- but face it -- Sony nerfed it for us. While beg, bash, anger augs, disarm and other things can also help gain or hold aggro -- NOTHING works like a stun. In fact -- the stun doesn't even have to "stun" in order to gain aggro. The low level Cease spell works great at Level 75!
Stuns can be used to reduce damage. Well, at least they can until a certain level. Face it -- after a certain point -- Paladin stun limitations simply don't allow us to actually stun the MOB's... much. Their use lies purely in the aggro department. However -- if they can stun the MOB -- they can serve as a momentary mezz (I like to call it "Pally Slow") -- as the MOB is stunned and can't attack until it is unstunned.
Stuns can interrupt spells being cast by the MOB's.
Stuns that have knockback (aka "push") can be used to help position MOB's. If the tank is having trouble cornering a MOB, you can help push it into that corner. If a MOB has disappeared into wall, you might be able to push it back out. Knock back will work on MOB's of all levels, even if the stun itself will not.
To push a MOB in a certain direction, simply face the direction you want to push it and stun away (you do not have to be facing the MOB to cast stun).
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WHAT GOOD IS BEG, TAUNT AND DISARM IF THEY NEVER SEEM TO WORK?
Well, actually -- they may not seem to work, but they do have a function and use.
Granted -- Paladin taunt reaches a very high level, but Sony nerfed that for us to make Warriors happy. However -- it can and still does "taunt" to a lesser level and help gain or maintain aggro. The best use is to taunt before waking mezzed MOB's.
Beg can also be used to gain and help hold aggro. It is also best used before waking mezzed MOB's. Using it during battle requires that your turn off attack, beg and then turn back on attack. Lag can cause issue with this. However -- if you have hot keys set up well -- you can click-click-click this into action.
Disarm, granted -- does in fact NEVER seem to work. In all my years of EQ I think I have managed to disarm no more than 10 MOB's and most of those were green (or lesser) MOB's. The best use is to annoy the MOB and thus help gain and keep aggro.
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IS THERE A SECRET TO CONTROLLING THE PALADIN HORSE AND THE FOOD IT EATS?
Well, yes and no.
The Paladin horse is the fastest horse in the game -- a "bard speed" horse.
Once you hop on get full speed -- stopping and turning takes both time and distance. You simply cannot turn sharp corners and you cannot stop on a dime. Thus -- in many areas you will find yourself slamming into terrain and risking running off cliffs and such.
You can, however, outrun most any MOB if you don't get rooted or stunned.
Then again, you can only summon your horse in "outside" zones and above-water areas. In fact -- some zones, while both outside and above water -- will not let you summon a horse, anyway.
However -- there is a secret to stopping faster.
A horse cannot swim -- and will disappear once you hit water that is deep enough to force swimming. So -- you can stop faster by hitting the water.
A better way is to simply click off the buff icon and poof -- horse gone, instant brakes!
As for feeding the horse -- it's got to eat! Having a "sack of hay" is a big myth. It will not reduce what the horse east or drinks... sorry.
Also -- the 9AA Unicorn has absolutely no special benefit or advantage over the 5AA white horse. Spend that 9 AA somewhere else!
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WHEN IT COMES TO NEW ITEMS AND WEAPONS -- WHAT IS THE BEST GAUGE ON IF IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT OR NOT?
Well, by the time this becomes an issue, you are very likely on the top end in levels and adventuring in the higher end zones. Often, the armor/weapons that drop may be a "close call" as to if they are actually an improvement or not.
With consideration to the fact that buffs can and do max out stats and resists, I would give certain stats little consideration, if any.
What I focus on mostly, for items, are AC, HP, Stamina, Damage and Delay.
This is because AC means less damage, HP/Stamina mean more HP (survival issue), Damage means more offensive output and smaller delay means even more offense.
I think it was Rangers who somehow came up with a rule that 1 AC is worth 6 HP (based on damage mitigation). This has become an accepted standard. If it is accurate or not, I can't say -- but it is the standard I use.
So -- if an item drops that is 10 AC better than what I have, but 25 less HP -- I consider it an upgrade.
This is because 10 AC = 60 HP and with that in mind, I benefit by 35 HP in the form of AC.
I also give some consideration to Stamina, but not much, as a Shaman buff will max it out anyway.
With weapons, I look at the AC/HP along with the damage/delay.
Even if a weapon has twice the damage of the one I have, I do not want twice the delay (there is no gain there).
If a weapon has slightly better damage/delay than the one I have, I will keep the one I have if it means I will lose some in the AC/HP area. After all, Paladins are simply not a DPS class and AC/HP are therefore, more important.
When it comes to bonuses (especially with augmentations), however, I may often give some heavy consideration to some of them.
I am a big fan of Stun Resists and Avoidance, especially.
These allow me to get stunned less and avoid damage more.
I also like Shielding bonuses and Strikethrough, but not as much as the first two.
I give little consideration to any DS bonuses or Regen bonuses, as the 1 or 2 points to a DS or the 1 or 2 HP/Mana per tick simply aren't a great benefit for a Paladin, in my opinion.
Don't get me wrong however, there are some items I will want just for the "clicky" effect. I may not wear or wield them, but I would use them and keep them in my bags for their usefulness.
Items with a clickable effect on them can be and are of great use and benefit and can allow you to do many things you could not otherwise do as a Paladin (see invis, levitate, summon arrows, buffs, etc.).
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Hmm... good one.
I think this deserves a page of it's own! Click here!
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IS THERE A SECRET TO MANAGING BANK SPACE?
Well, sort of.
With all the quest items, tradeskill ingredients, tradeskill tools, items you just can't bring yourself to destroy and what not -- your bank can and will fill up fast!
However, there are ways to manage that space, as follows:
1) Create a character in all eight available game slots (on the same server) to gain their bank space as added storage room.
2) Take each character to bazaar and fill up all of the bank slots (not character slots) with the 10-Slot giant Trader Bags, to maximize your overall bank space.
3) Obtain a 10-slot giant bag for each of the two "shared" bank slots 20 items of any size can be traded between characters (deluxe sewing kits work well).
4) Transfer tradable stuff you want to keep, but may not need soon, to your alternate characters (other than your Bazaar mule) for storage.
5) Transfer tradable stuff you want to sell to your Bazaar mule and leave your mule up in bazaar when you are not playing (selling it frees up the space, after all).
6) If certain items just aren't selling on your mule, lower the price as much as possible. After a certain point, just sell it to a merchant and open up the space.
7) When you obtain a "stack" of needed tradeskill items, go ahead an use them to open up the space.
8) If you have augmentations, go ahead an insert them into items you have in the bank if you can -- this will allow you to keep both items in one slot.
9) Each character should have a minimum of seven bags (not eight) in the character slots (not bank slots) -- preferably of the 10-slot, giant, 100% weight reduction variety (except the mule -- who can be 100% Trader bags). This is because a bag slot is often needed for kits, quest items and such -- and you don't want to have to destroy one of those to make room for it.
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IS THERE A METHOD TO KEEPING TRACK OF SO MANY QUESTS AND SUCH?
Well, sort of.
The one I use most is the in-game note pad. Just type /note to bring it up.
I make notes there to remind me of drops I need and where, what I need to do next on what task/quest, what drops/items I am looking for with each tradeskill that are still above trivial for me and so forth.
Just type these notes and keep them in order alphabetically or what ever way makes it easiest for you to reference. Example -- I simply use a BOLD AND CAPITALIZED reference followed by some comments. Example:
FLETCHING: Treant Branches (any), Spiderling Silk, Sundered Blade, Sundered Blade Shards, Broken Battle Blades
EPIC 2.0: LDoN event, PoN Event, Orb
ASHENGATE SEAL: Finish Gray Legion task
Also -- I would also suggest that you print out web pages for easier reference, rather than having to repeatedly go back and find them.
I print out pages all the time and then I fold them in half so that all the pages related to one topic are together. This prevents me from accidentally stacking them up as one big pile, jumbling and confusing the pages of one reference to another and such.
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HOW DID YOU FIGURE ALL THIS STUFF OUT?
Well, I didn't personally figure it all out.
It's more like I made sense of it.
You can't successfully play a game like EQ mindlessly. If you do you will either have to be given free rides by others, annoy others for guidance or be left behind and play lower end EQ.
To play EQ and be a top end player, you necessarily take the time to research, pay attention and READ. It is that simple.
All the stuff on this site is researched, compiled and organized by me -- but I had very little to do with figuring most of it out, per se. That credit must go to others.
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WHAT ARE THE SKILL CAPS AT WHAT LEVEL AND HOW?WHEN DO THEY GO UP?
First off, remember that not all skills go as high as other skills.
So, the caps can and do vary.
And there are different kinds of skills, or abilities as well (battle, trade, magic, stats, resists, etc.).
Generally speaking, however, they max out at Level 60. After level 60, they "may: After that. they "may" go up as much as five-per-level.
Outside of that, they can also be raised by AA's, to include some earned (quested or rewarded) AA, like DoN Progression.
For greater details, see elsewhere on this site.
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WHEN ARE SPECIAL EVENTS ADDED TO THE GAME?
Special events are added and/or temporarily activated several times a year.
They primarily involve tasks/quests for special items.
Further, they only remain active for a limited time.
There is the annual "Frostfell" events that are activated temporarily every November/December.
There is the one to two day April Fools event activated every April 1st, for just one day. This event simply involves some sort of humorous change to the game. In 2007 everyone appeared as a red stick figure. In 2008 everyone had their toon randomly change sex and/or race.
There is the annual Anniversary events in March/April.
There is the annual Halloween events every October/November.
Living Legacy events were added in June/July 2008, but it is not clear if this will be an annual event, or not.
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If you note any errors, misspellings, item name errors, misinformation or anything that needs addressing on this page -- PLEASE let me know! E-Mail me here (click here)!
This Page Last updated September 26, 2008