Guide to Casually Leveling!

[Blackmoors]

Greetings all!

I want to get a few lifes on one of my characters and Im looking for a quick way to do it. That said, I dont have the time to schedule zerg xp runs with friends and guildies and as such, im looking more for a way to gain good XP in a "casual" way (if that makes sense). So the point of this thread is to come up with a guide that tells you a good and quick way to gain XP on your own or pugging, without repeating content that much so that leveling is a enjoyable experience (I dont like the E Nx8 H formula, theres no fun for me playing the game that way).

Ive looked into three threads that the OPs detail the leveling of their characters:

:: Star's Path to 20 (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=305035) - @Lithic
:: DJ's Bravery Streak (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=349114) - @Kareena
:: 37 hour TR (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=353007) - @Carpone

My "problem" with this guides is that their considering many premises that many players dont have (XP pots, XP weekends, static TR groups, characters to open some quests, etc). Also the way they do the XP is not how I want to do it. I understand that when you want to have 20-40 lifes you want to fly through content as fast as possible but my objective is not to have that many lifes nor is it to level THAT fast. Im looking more for a way to take the maximum advantage of each quest without repeating it till insanity takes over, while on the same time playing solo, pugging or whatever I have the time for at given moment. I think that, while not as fast ofc, we can reach a compromise were you can get fast XP in a more causal way. Dont get me wrong, the guides I mentioned are great, very complete and explanatory and kudos for the OPs both for their achievement and for taking the time to wright it down for others - it just not my cup of tea.

So the "challenge" is to come up with a guide to level fast making use of BB and other bonus, without holding instances or repeating some quests till exhaustion, having in mind you will probably solo or pug much of the content. So heres what "you" have to count:

:: Legend XP status (4,378,500 xp);
:: Elite Bravery Bonus (if possible or Hard BB if justifiable);
:: Greater Tome of Experience (or lesser Tome of Learning);
:: Cannith Experience Elixir 5% (Cannith has thous for 150 ingredients);
:: Ship XP Shrine 3% (1-5% Ship Shrine is possible but not mandatory);
:: Voice of the Master or Mantle of the Worldshaper 5% (easy to acquire IMO).

Ill reserve next post to put the guide up when we have enough feedback. Feeback on doing Slayers from various areas (if justifiable); the Cannith challenges (which are very good XP and give resources to make XP pots); and which quest gives more XP per minute (without having in mind a group of uber characters) should be the "key". That said, Im looking forward to your opinions so we can comply a good guide!

Thanks in advance,

Black aka DB

[Blackmoors]

*** reserve for guide ***

[My2Cents]

I'm also interested in a guide that focuses on simplicity, can be done by solo's and pugs, and doesn't require events or buying pots...

Maybe the "guide" would be more a set of tips rather than a "path"?

[grayham]

I wrote this a while back (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=318759), entitled 'Casual levelling'. Some useful ideas.

[glouky]

I'm quite a casual leveler, and the most important reference is clearly Mr Cow's diaries for XP/min and some soloing tricks.
I usually plan to have half he's XP/min given I'm neither skilled nor geared as he is (+ I use hirelings), but it still gives a nice overview of what is acheivable.

I do not rely on PUGs for efficiency, but I when I have enough time, I enjoy PUGs and sometime find it usefull (good PUGs, or at least just window handlers)...

Anyway, I am not sure that more informatin than Mr cow's diary would help casual leveling...

[MrCow]

Feel free to consider the Diaries of a True Reincarnate (Wizard (http://tinyurl.com/3vmvf39), Sorcerer (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=364299), Melee (http://tinyurl.com/6cylml8), Divine (http://tinyurl.com/689lep8), Artificer (http://tinyurl.com/67k3daw)) as a possibility for quests to think of running, if EXP-per-minute is a piece of the information that is considered important. They were all done in an attempt to hit every non-raid in the game (at the time they were done) while alone (to give consistency as well as ideas on how to perform a quest if you have no group or a small group). Videos are also given so that there is proof to backup my concluded data, as well as give folks an idea of how I conducted specific quests if they are interested.

The one that currently best matches your criteria is the Diaries of a True Reincarnate (Sorcerer (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=364299)) as it incorporates both Hard and Elite Bravery Bonuses, Heroic Inspiration, Greater Tome of Experience, 2% EXP shrine, the Cannith EXP potions, Cannith Challenges, and whatnot.

[HAL]

I was definitely going to suggest looking at Mr. Cow's Diaries. I use them when deciding which quests give the best XP and look at Videos for tips on how to run a quest quickly if I want to repeat it. Some quests give such good XP it's worth repeating them a few times even if it isn't the most exciting thing.

[Carpone]

Feel free to consider the Diaries of a True Reincarnate (Wizard (http://tinyurl.com/3vmvf39), Sorcerer (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=364299), Melee (http://tinyurl.com/6cylml8), Divine (http://tinyurl.com/689lep8), Artificer (http://tinyurl.com/67k3daw)) as a possibility for quests to think of running, if EXP-per-minute is a piece of the information that is considered important. They were all done in an attempt to hit every non-raid in the game (at the time they were done) while alone (to give consistency as well as ideas on how to perform a quest if you have no group or a small group). Videos are also given so that there is proof to backup my concluded data, as well as give folks an idea of how I conducted specific quests if they are interested.

The one that currently best matches your criteria is the Diaries of a True Reincarnate (Sorcerer (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=364299)) as it incorporates both Hard and Elite Bravery Bonuses, Heroic Inspiration, Greater Tome of Experience, 2% EXP shrine, the Cannith EXP potions, Cannith Challenges, and whatnot.
MrCow's diaries are *excellent* and highly recommended. I learned a lot from them.

[Teharahma]

Kind of a paradox really, casually, and still having to follow a guide.

[jwdaniels]

If you really want to do it casual, just run whatever quest you feel like at the time on whatever difficulty you can manage. You'll get there eventually.

What I think you're asking is how do you level quickly if you're not going to balls to the wall zerg it, and basically my advice would be to just follow the guides skipping quests you hate, running ones that you like that may not be on the list and don't worry about exp pots. Keep a bravery streak going (and hard is good if you can't manage elite) and just don't sit around waiting for an elite group to start forming to run the quest that you can only open on hard. You'll get there eventually, and definitely faster than the above casual method.

[EllisDee37]

An easy way to go might be to run every quest you have acces to once on elite at level for bravery and then move on to the next quest. Zero repititions, and I think that gets you into the low teens all by itself depending on how much content you own. Then come look for a guide. heh.

[Blackmoors]

Kind of a paradox really, casually, and still having to follow a guide.

Well, if your going for semantics then your somewhat right since casual is contrary to the idea of premeditation. On the other hand, by reading the thread and not deconstructing some words or its meaning, you could clearly (or not I guess...) understood what I was trying to ask and what was the objective of this thread. Either way, apologies for my choice of wording (English is only my third language), ill try to be more careful in the future!



If you really want to do it casual, just run whatever quest you feel like at the time on whatever difficulty you can manage. You'll get there eventually. What I think you're asking is how do you level quickly if you're not going to balls to the wall zerg it, and basically my advice would be to just follow the guides skipping quests you hate, running ones that you like that may not be on the list and don't worry about exp pots. Keep a bravery streak going (and hard is good if you can't manage elite) and just don't sit around waiting for an elite group to start forming to run the quest that you can only open on hard. You'll get there eventually, and definitely faster than the above casual method.


An easy way to go might be to run every quest you have acces to once on elite at level for bravery and then move on to the next quest. Zero repititions, and I think that gets you into the low teens all by itself depending on how much content you own. Then come look for a guide. heh.

Ok, let me make it clear what my intentions with this thread are: to level as fast as possible without having to zerg and repeat some quests till exhaustion (like I dont mind doing E-H-N, just really hate the E Hx8 N formula), without the need to window farming or counting with a group of friends that are also TRing and know what they are doing (I have friends in channels and guildies with multiple TR groups and I join them when I can, I just dont want to schedule a TR group since right now my playing hours are more random).

Im a veteran player that started DDO in Beta (Boldrei -> Keeper -> Ghallanda) and as such I have all kinds of resources to tweak my toons and a guild ship full of sinny buffs! I usually play without hirelings (although this life Im a Barbarian and boy does this class suck playing, feels like im playing Diablo...) and I dont mind LFMing my runs just for the fun of it (Elite Streak - byoh [IP] type of lfm). The idea of this thread was come upon a simple guide of a number of quests per level that give good XP and can be done quickly without a static group. So ofc I know I can do all quests on streak on elite and get a good amount of XP, but since im going for 3 or 4 lifes in a row, I want to know if I can reach the 4.2k XP without having to do them all and just stick to the quests that give good XP per minute (which thanks to Mr. Cow Guide I now know ;) ). Nevertheless thanks for the feedback :)

[Blackmoors]

Feel free to consider the Diaries of a True Reincarnate (Wizard (http://tinyurl.com/3vmvf39), Sorcerer (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=364299), Melee (http://tinyurl.com/6cylml8), Divine (http://tinyurl.com/689lep8), Artificer (http://tinyurl.com/67k3daw)) as a possibility for quests to think of running, if EXP-per-minute is a piece of the information that is considered important. They were all done in an attempt to hit every non-raid in the game (at the time they were done) while alone (to give consistency as well as ideas on how to perform a quest if you have no group or a small group). Videos are also given so that there is proof to backup my concluded data, as well as give folks an idea of how I conducted specific quests if they are interested.

The one that currently best matches your criteria is the Diaries of a True Reincarnate (Sorcerer (http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=364299)) as it incorporates both Hard and Elite Bravery Bonuses, Heroic Inspiration, Greater Tome of Experience, 2% EXP shrine, the Cannith EXP potions, Cannith Challenges, and whatnot.

Thanks mate, really liked your guides and found them very useful. Your videos are cool and teach me a few tricks as well in quests I though I had everything figured out ;)

Right now my life is a Barb and as such my approach to quests is a bit different but thanks to you, I now know what quests give more XP so I can come up my "formula" of building a "guide" for my leveling "taste" :)