Just to start off with a reader comment I wanted to answer this one, “Pretty sure you can’t lose a level any more. I think that was changed several years ago.” – trust me, losing levels from dying in EQ is VERY much still in game, hehe. As I level now I want to make sure I have at least a 10% buffer before logging out so that I don’t revert back to my previous level, and having failed to do so I’ve lost levels 85-86 a few times now. Thankfully mercenaries can also rez you for 96% so it’s not too easy to re-ding as I call it, but the mechanic is still there in game. What was changed a few years ago was corpse runs, you no longer spawn naked without your items and inventory.
I know it’s hard to tell by the screen shot above, but that is inside of a creatures tummy. It was gross and disgusting, but Ninga wanted to finish his key to Saryrn’s chambers – and so we had to do an event in Plane of Torment. Baraguj Szuul swallows you and you have to fight an army of little critters in each level of his digestive track. Mean while there are flailing limbs and disgusting half swallowed skeletons scattered around the soft pink flesh that you’re standing on. I’ve killed Saryrn a few times, one of my favorite fights actually but getting into her tower without a key was always difficult, typically without access we would have to attack a mob through a doorway that would summon us inside. It seems this method doesn’t work (or at least we couldn’t get it to) lately, so a key was needed.
I also managed to level my tailoring (on the necromancer) to a skill of 295 – and was pretty disappointed to see that the station market has a considerable impact on crafters in EverQuest. See, there is a potion that is $10 and lasts for 2 hours and if you fail a combine after using this potion it will guarantee (100% chance) that you salvage your items upon failure. The aa skill doesn’t guarantee a 100% salvage rate, and the major problem I have with this is that House of Thule did not raise the cap on crafting skills – they still stop at 300. However. The House of Thule crafted items have a trivial rate of 400-500+ easily. Your best bet when making combines that you’ve farmed forever for is to save them up, spend $10 on the 100% salvage potion, and then keep preforming the combine over and over again until you succeed since you’ll have “nothing” to lose except the $10 you spent, of course. If you’re willing to spend the cash you won’t fail combines, and you’ll be able to make much more profit off of your crafted goods.
My necromancer is most of the way through 86, and I’m doing a LOT more damage then I was before. I gained a few very large dots this level, and I also finally have more then 200 aa which is really nothing these days. I picked up a few utility type things like cloak of shadows (instant clicky) and an alternate method to FD (to free up a spell slot) and have been working on my critical affliction. I also picked up death bloom for those LOM (low on mana) moments, and for the first time in a long time I’m feeling as though I’m actually partaking in the groups I’m in instead of just mooching experience. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’m excited to see what happens next.
Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself! I’ll see you in Norrath.