Intersting Iconic leveling trick...

[Sir_Noob]

There is a bit of funky business with Iconics, changing classes with Hearts of Wood and leveling.
I learned a little trick you can use if you want to play an Iconic from 1st with a different starting class and level up as you progress with friends from 1st on.

This can get a bit confusing but follow the thought line.

The normal mechanic for an Iconic at creation is that you can either train up to level 15 with your teacher (Elminster or Lord of the Blades) or even receive part training say up to level 5 (as an example) if you want and then leave. You can also leave at level 1 and start your career at 1st staying pure or choosing other classes and level up like a regular toon and play the content you at any given point between 1 to 15 at level.

However, if you want to play an Iconic with a different starting class and use a Heart of Wood to change the 1st level to what you would like to start with, there is a hitch on the regular servers. You are forced to take the other 14 levels up to 15 before you can reincarnate in order to play the toon after you have used your Heart. (using up available XP to spend)
There is no option to change the class and stay at level 1 and play on from that point.

However, there is a game changer. This mechanic is suppressed on toons created on the Hard Core server.

If you roll up that Iconic toon on the HC server, you can use a +1 heart and change the first level and still play the toon at 1st level and level up when you want with your friends. Staying on the HC this way, you stay at level 1 and have to earn your xp to level.
If you choose to create the toon, and then transfer to the server you want, and then go through the process, you will still have all the XP to go to 15 but the mechanic that forces you to take the toon up to 15 is suppressed. (The XP is available to level to 15 if you so desire so if your friends are say level 6 and you want to catch up it is possible)


I had a group of friends that were wanting to try out DDO and they had recieved plenty of notice as to when they would start. It happened to be when HC was running. So I decided to test out the theory. I had a +1 Heart drop on my regular server so I used it. The toon is like a regular Iconic now with the different starting class and I can play through leveling as I get to higher content with my friends using regular toons.

I changed a Deep Gnome from Wiz to Rogue for the first level.
I had deep thoughts about going Rouge but I settled on Rogue.

I know this is pretty niche usage but now you know, this is available if you so choose to do it.
This is food for thought as we are closing in on the opening of another HC season.

Also too, I posted earlier if anyone knew how this worked on the DDO forums earlier, someone asked if I could post my findings.
So here they are, Deep Gnome from Wiz to Rogue without a hitch and able to play at 1st level.
(Sorry, I could not find my original post no matter how I tried.)

[Uska]

Interesting might try it in the future

[Oxarhamar]

I enjoy leveling an Iconic from 1 along with group if running static to 30 with friends

Great suggestion

Thou I personally don't bother swapping the first level unless I plan on staying at cap for an extended period