The Freelancers Guidebook[Solo Play]

[Viglin]

As their have been many threads, posts over the last few days, plus pms for advice[and request or two for my tips to be posted], ld like to present my Guide to Soloplay. Some are my tactics, some are tactics lve seen posted by others, all l believe will help.
One thing l will not be posting as "what you can do with so and so items" or "perfect builds", this guide is for those starting out in the way of Solo play.

Level of Quest to Solo when not using Solo Difficulty:
As each class is different, and some are better then others at Solo, ld suggest first trying a quest thats two levels below you. After your more familar,you can try higher. Some quests are easier, some are harder, so this is just an average.

Take your Time:
Sneak is your friend, even if you are more an elephant then a Ghost. While moving slow in Sneak, you have less chance of being spotted by more then one foe and getting overwhelmed. And except for the few timed quests, theres no bonus in finishing in record time. Take your time, you will greatly increase your chance of survival.

Pull Back:
Once you have your foe engaged, either thru Range or Sight aggro, pull back to a place you've cleared to do battle. This cuts down the chance of other creatures spotting your battle and jumping in.

If Feared, RUN:
Soon as l get Feared, l turn and run back in the direction l just came, running the Fear count down, and zig zagging to avoid ray spells slamming in my back.

Use their Traps against them:
Many quests[Missing in Action comes to mind]where you can let the traps do the work for you.

Smash and Collect everything:
This will help cover your high repair costs and get you some free potions. Plus good way to get healing potions, both from breakables and turning in collectables

Healing:
I try to carry around 10-20 cure light potions[yes wands are better, but not everyone can use wands], and usually end up using 2-5 of them, but pays to be overprepared. Shrines l avoid until lm all but out of health or spell points. After a time you just know how much you can take before you need to use them. I always try to save least 1 shrine for the final battle

Take out the following in order:
Just like in party, Casters, then Trippers[dogs, etc],Melee, then Archers. Named mobs vary on high much higher their CR is to those nearby and their class.

Fight Dirty:
Tripe, Sunder, Shocking Blow, ambush with Sneak damage, etc. Every little trick you know, put to use.

Carry a variety of Weapons:
Slash for Zombies, Bludge for Skeletons and Slimes[bare hands work well to], and ranged for Casters and ranged targets[target them, pull back until out of sight and just shoot them down, while l think this is wrong, while its here may as well use it]. Later on l know you need special weapons for DR etc, but this is a starter guide.

You dont have to kill Everything:
Even thou it may mean less exp[which is rare, because when l solo l do all optionals and get more exp then if l group, since most groups skip them], many quests you can avoid unnessary battles. Your exp is waiting at the end, so if things are tough, just avoid[sit in Sneak and watch the monsters pathing, etc]

What class is best for Solo:
Paladin, followed by Cleric. l get asked this alot. But, this isnt written in stone. My Necromancer solos pretty well. After reading others suggestions, "best solo class" is vary debatable.

You have 5 Minutes to get back in[UPDATE]:
Death doesnt mean you have to start from scratch or try a new quest. Once back in the tavern, you have 5 minutes to get back into the quest before it resets. This will cost you some exp, but its better then restarting the whole thing. Grab a meal and or a drink, and get back quick.

Death does not always mean you have to recall!![UPDATE]:If you die close to the shrine...you can run to it and resurrect yourself. Try to make sure you have already found the shrine and opened its doors, so you can find your way back and enter...for some reason our ghosts cannot pass thru doors . Some quests..the doors close after you open them thou

Pull around Corners or long pulls[UPDATE]:
To avoid archers pull a mob around the corner. Casters may follow you but very rare a archer will. Also, if you make a long pull, some may break off the chase and you will end up only fighting one or two foes instead of a group.

Dont use the Gongs!!![NEW]:
Its just not worth summoning more foes to battle. And if you happen to see a "Sentry" lurking near a gong, take it out fast so it doesnt summon friends to cause you grief.

Shield Block does more then Reduce damage[UPDATE]:Shield blocking stops special attacks of mobs...such as Spiders Poison, Undead special touch attacks, etc. Very useful in saving you from dying or constantly healing stat damage etc.

Ive avoided tips per class, just wanted to give a general overview of aids to people soloing. I hope this helps and that others can add suggestions.
I might in the future add more and post links to solo threads that have good suggestions.

Good luck

[Tasellhoff]

As their have been many threads, posts over the last few days, plus pms for advice[and request or two for my tips to be posted], ld like to present my Guide to Soloplay. Some are my tactics, some are tactics lve seen posted by others, all l believe will help.
One thing l will not be posting as "what you can do with so and so items" or "perfect builds", this guide is for those starting out in the way of Solo play.

Level of Quest to Solo when not using Solo Difficulty: As each class is different, and some are better then others at Solo, ld suggest first trying a quest thats two levels below you. After your more familar,you can try higher. Some quests are easier, some are harder, so this is just an average.

Take your Time: Sneak is your friend, even if you are more an elephant then a Ghost. While moving slow in Sneak, you have less chance of being spotted by more then one foe and getting overwhelmed. And except for the few timed quests, theres no bonus in finishing in record time. Take your time, you will greatly increase your chance of survival.

Pull Back: Once you have your foe engaged, either thru Range or Sight aggro, pull back to a place your feared to do battle. This cuts down the chance of other creatures spotting your battle and jumping in.

If Feared, RUN: Soon as l get Feared, l turn and run back in the direction ljust came, running the Fear count down, and zig zagging to avoid ray spells slamming in my back.

Use their Traps against them: Many quests[Missing in Action comes to mind]where you can let the traps do the work for you.

Smash and Collect everything: This will help cover your high repair costs and get you some free potions. Plus good way to get healing potions, both from breakables and turning in collectables

Healing: I try to carry around 10-20 cure light potions[yes wands are better, but not everyone can use potions], and usually end up using 2-5 of them, but pays to be overprepared. Shrines l avoid until lm all but out of health or spell points. After a time you just know how much you can take before you need to use them. I always try to save least 1 shrine for the final battle

Take out the following in order: Just like in party, Casters, then Archers, then melee. Named mobs vary on high much higher their CR is to those nearby and their class.

Fight Dirty: Tripe, Sunder, Shocking Blow, ambush with Sneak damage, etc. Every little trick you know, put to use.

Carry a variety of Weapons: Slash for Zombies, Bludge for Skeletons and Slimes[bare hands work well to], and ranged for Casters and ranged targets[target them, pull back until out of sight and just shoot them down, while l think this is wrong, while its here may as well use it]. Later on l know you need special weapons for DR etc, but this is a starter guide.

You dont have to kill Everything: Even thou it may mean less exp[which is rare, because when l solo l do all optionals and get more exp then if l group, since most groups skip them], many quests you can avoid unnessary battles. Your exp is waiting at the end, so if things are tough, just avoid[sit in Sneak and watch the monsters pathing, etc]

What class is best for Solo: Paladin, followed by Cleric. l get asked this alot. But, this isnt written in stone. My Necromancer solos pretty well.

Ive avoided tips per class, just wanted to give a general overview of aids to people soloing. I hope this helps and that others can add suggestions.
I might in the future add more and post links to solo threads that have good suggestions.

Good luck

good stuff but no rng/wiz love huh? Just pally and cleric love for soloing I am hurt man.

[Viglin]

My necromancer{Sorceror} got mentioned mate, l was trying to avoid the "whats best solo class", but l get asked this alot, even earlier today.

Ive never tried to solo with a Ranger, that maybe on the cards

[Tasellhoff]

My necromancer{Sorceror} got mentioned mate, l was trying to avoid the "whats best solo class", but l get asked this alot, even earlier today.

Ive never tried to solo with a Ranger, that maybe on the cards

I was just messin with ya man i understand you were just doing a broad selection. no worries.

[Yuhjn]

If Feared, RUN: Soon as l get Feared, l turn and run back in the direction ljust came, running the Fear count down, and zig zagging to avoid ray spells slamming in my back.

Remove fear potions are available in the harbor and are extremely cheap (being a lvl 1 potion). They are several orders of magnitude better than the "run away" strategy.

Take out the following in order: Just like in party, Casters, then Archers, then melee. Named mobs vary on high much higher their CR is to those nearby and their class.

Not sure why you advise going for archers before melee.... I dont do that solo and I've never been in a group that does. You can break line of sight on archers easily and they do a lot less dmg than melee guys do.

Casters, then melee, then archers.

What class is best for Solo: Paladin, followed by Cleric. l get asked this alot. But, this isnt written in stone. My Necromancer solos pretty well.

Any wand whipping tank is as good as it gets. If you are mainly fighter you should consider splashing pali. If you are a barbarian you should get 1 level of ranger. Wand whipping will save you a great deal of cash in heal potions.



Further things I recommend to the solo artist include:

1. use protection from evil before you face any caster than can use hold, sleep, dance, or any of the other mind control spells. These potions are not too expensive and will save you many deaths.
2. AC is king. Make sure your build gets as much AC as possible.
3. Saves are important but not as much as AC
4. avoid dungeons with excessive enemy casters

Some of my solo accomplishments include, but are not limited to:

tempest spine with a lvl9barb/lvl1ranger (I did have to reenter several times after rolling 1's against slay living, finger of death, etc.. if i could wear bloodplate or had a deathward item i could probably do it without a release... also note I had to bring a wizard friend in to open the int rune for me)
tangleroot parts 1-5 at lvl 4
tangleroot parts 6-end at lvl 5
redwillow at lvl 5

[AngryBeaver]

I'd recommend changing it from "Best class" to "Easiest Class". Its simply alot easier to get good saves and ac from enhancements rather than feat/class selection and gear. The loh aka free life is also very handy. It also saves the epeen strength arguement for another thread.

I'd recommend telling people how to body pull. And how to drag pulls around corners to avoid ranged attacks. Perhaps even how to drag mobs over long distances so the path ai gets lazy and you end up with a single mobs to fight along a path.

Avoiding caster heavy dungeons isn't the answer. Being prepared for the casters is. You need your full line of potions, decent saves, deathblock later on and spell resistance gear helps.

[Subroc]

For characters with a higher strength then dex get a returning throwing weapon. It frees up space then carrying a bow and arrows.

[Viglin]

Some good points Angry, especially the "pull around corners to stay out of range", l do that myself and will update.

But the rest, remember, this is a starters guide, so lm avoiding posting what great items, potions etc will help.

Subroc, l use returning weapons, but again, Starters Guide. Its not to hard if you break everything to get ranged weapons[especially in the Explosive Situation Quest].

[Averla]

I'll chime in on the Best Class suggestions - Ranger and Ranger/Fighter are pretty amazing soloists:
* CLW CMW CSW wands
* great ranged DPS
* good melee DPS
* SOTR ftw
* great reflex saves
* solid AC
* minimal repair costs since you rarely get hit :P
* typically much better hide/move silently/ jump skill values - which really help solo
* some decent spells if you put the levels into ranger (protections, resists, barkskin, longstrider)
* Rangers Action Boost for get-away-quick speed

[AngryBeaver]

How "starter" are you talking about? If your talking about just off the boat so to speak you should flip the recommended build to (battle)cleric. Loads of low level dps and plat free buffs/resists/protection/healing. One of the strongest solo builds later one as well. As a side benefit your never going to be waiting long to get a group if you ever wanted one.

[Faenaro]

Bards are excellent solo artists as well. With Feanoro, my 10.4 level Drow bard, I've solo-ed Shan-to-kor, Tangleroot,a nd Brute's Barracks on Elite, plus a number of other quests.

With the right build you can have excellent healing, solid melee and ranged (high DEX and weapon finesse), good AC (I can currently get up to 37 while solo-ing), and good offensive punch (Hold Monster and a puncturing weapon are excellent). The downsides are relatively low damage and HP, although with Bardic song and Good Hope you can dish it out pretty well and you can always use UMD with a False Life wand. Also, Bards can use pretty much any wand at higher levels which means you can remove diseases, blindness, poisons, etc. on yourself and give yourself stoneskin and a number of other buffs.

Bards get my vote for solo artist extraordinaire.

[Viglin]

Nudging for the following;
-Number of new players requesting solo advice, one even a guide
-Ive tested some new classes to solo with[a Halfling Ranger is scary, forget drow],
-Helped a new player last night, and he did something ld forgotten..dont ring the gongs[which is added now to my guide]

Is their way to post this in Newbie forum area as well, or do l just cut/paste and start a new thread there?

[ddjunks]

Now, people will ask you for a dungeon guide for solo.

[MysticRhythms]

Some other solo advice:

Carry potions or wands or clickies of all the stat enhancers. Many runes require a decent intelligence to get past them 9sometimes a 16 suffices, sometimes an 18 or 20 is needed). Some levers require an 18 or 20 Strength.

For bashing doors down, keep a wand or clicky of Burning Hands at your disposal. Potions of Heroism and Greater Heroism combined with Fox's Cnning might get your search up high enough to detect important secret doors (especially wehn combined with a wand or clicky of Detect Secret Doors). The umpteen rings of Rage you can get in one of the Harbor quests stacks with Bull's Strength and can help you get from 14 to 20 strength to get past certain levers.

All the various random potions of jumping and tumbling can help you get to those hard-to-reach enemies or help you to perch and not be struck back.

Spells like Obscuring Mist, Glitterdust and Grease have greater value as you know when and where you will cast them.

Potions and wands of Invisbility are also useful for getting past certain mobs.

Soloing is all about the clickies ...

[GeneralDiomedes]

Healing: I try to carry around 10-20 cure light potions[yes wands are better, but not everyone can use potions], and usually end up using 2-5 of them, but pays to be overprepared. Shrines l avoid until lm all but out of health or spell points. After a time you just know how much you can take before you need to use them. I always try to save least 1 shrine for the final battle

What quest levels are we talking about here? I would say carry 10-20 cure mod and a few cure serious and have them hotkeyed for tight moments. If you are a Paladin make sure to take the extra lay on hands enhancement.

[Viglin]

What quest levels are we talking about here? I would say carry 10-20 cure mod and a few cure serious and have them hotkeyed for tight moments. If you are a Paladin make sure to take the extra lay on hands enhancement.

A starters guide, the first few levels to get you use to solo play.

And thanks for poitning out an error in my Healing Tip, l see l said "not everyone can use potions"..was suppossed to say wands, fixed now

[Aesop]

As a note you can farm collectibles in Tangleroot Gorge off the plants before the actual missions and turn them in for the following.

Cure Moderate Wounds Potions
Remove Blindness Potions
Remove Curse Potions

I have one character with about 80 Cure Mod potions 25 Remove Blindness and 20 Remove Curse from just doing that little area repeatedly. Just watch out for the Trog shamans and the Hob CLerics they can make you waste a few if you aren't careful. Otherwise this may help you save on money and there are a number of cabves in this area with chests and whatnot in them where I have pulled more than a few +3 drops.

Aesop

[Viglin]

As a note you can farm collectibles in Tangleroot Gorge off the plants before the actual missions and turn them in for the following.

Cure Moderate Wounds Potions
Remove Blindness Potions
Remove Curse Potions

I have one character with about 80 Cure Mod potions 25 Remove Blindness and 20 Remove Curse from just doing that little area repeatedly. Just watch out for the Trog shamans and the Hob CLerics they can make you waste a few if you aren't careful. Otherwise this may help you save on money and there are a number of cabves in this area with chests and whatnot in them where I have pulled more than a few +3 drops.

Aesop

Many an hour l have spent in Tangleroot having fun hunting;
http://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread...069#post507069

[randar]

I am a WF i solo alot like most of deleras on norm at lvl 6 just to see if i can do it!

WF have high fort and con ( more hp better saves )
natural resitances ( better saves)
high AC ( admantine body) and good DR
we can heal with repair or curepots (until fortification)

I tried a hume barb and a WF barb!
WF barb has 20 hp less than hume barb
hume barb took 5 toughness wf took 2!

solo play WF out does huem barb 50/1!
Hume barb can run much faster give him that ^^

a neat trick for soloign mobs that shoudl not be soloable!
Beholders in von2 elder beholder in southern!

find the mob sneak far far away from him so you can nto tab him or lock onto him anymore!

use manual aimer for shooting and throwing wepons!

Manual aim for where he shoudl be and toss/shoot into the darkness

a short while later your dice shoudl roll!
12+18 miss elder beholder ^^
repeat until dice stop rollign and he is dead!

I recieved no agro and nothign comes to kill me this way!
(didn't work in C06 loot run with boss due to angle of dang stairs)

just though a helpful solo tip ^^
(use on rust monsters often my WF brothers)

[TheSwamper]

I love soloing on my ranger/rogue (5/1). For me, it never gets old doing the following: I sneak up upon a group of six or seven mobs, target one, then back away until I can't even see it any more, but still have a straight LOS. Fire off a few bow shots, which usually just pulls the one. If more, fire shots until they get close to melee range (or casting range). I hit longstrider spell and run. With patience, I can usually take out the entire group without them even getting an attack. I just love that.