- Software Requirements
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Introduction
This guide is all about experiencing Everquest 'in-era' as much as possible without ever actually being in-era. The creation of this guide stemmed from my asking around about interesting quests and activities to do since my first characters hit 60. It was at this era (Kunark) that I originally stopped playing, got disgusted, deleted all my characters, and never looked back for a good 20 years (all because ROG's had a devil of a time getting groups back in the day...). It was up until 60 that really you just ran around, hunted things with your friends, and then eventually went on Dragon and Planes raids. There were even server calendars that where guilds marked what dragons they were fighting months in advance. While that isn't something that'll be happening anymore, I at least wanted to try and experience some of that older content 'in era' as possible. As such, this guide will list out activities to do up until EQ started adding 'progression' trackers or built-in 'progression' to the expansions and didn't remove gates at a later time, e.g., Planes of Power.
NOTE: I play on Test with Auto Grant AA on. You may also see discussions of Agents of Change below as those are regularly available on Test.
How to Use This Guide
The activities below will be listed in-era based on expansion. I'll split activities between quests, zones, and raids. These aren't any sort of objective list but a list of things I certainly found interesting. For the quests I assume you do the full quest and don't skip just to get the item (though that's your prerogative). Many times the items aren't as good as Defiant gear while leveling but are fun none-the-less.
Expansion dates have been provided based on available wiki information. I'll mark expansions where they didn't raise the level cap and you can choose to set AA at 100%, i.e., prevent normal leveling, or do this whenever you feel you're out-leveling content. While this is still 'progressing' you won't see power advancement. You should also have a hefty bit of AA (you can bank your level x2) for when auto-grant is no longer a go-to source of AA.
As I do not have all expansions on all my accounts, nor due I plan to, this guide will end with the latest available Free-to-Play Expansion.
(C) before a quest means it is one I have personally completed.
I put a note on 'best gear for the content' in each section. This is predominantly to point out that questing for gear before Secrets of Faydwer will be more for fun than usefulness in stats. There are still pieces of gear and 'clickies' that are useful but just assume weapons and armor are for fun.
Progression Visualization
Current hand-drawn progression figure. Will eventually be put into some vector graphics program and continued to be fleshed out. This visualization can be used to supplement the more detailed information in the following sections. Note this is now expanded to RoS for 105-110.
Classic Everquest
Level Cap: 50
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
Zones:
Raids:
Kunark
Level Cap: 60
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Time between level cap raises: 12 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Velious
Level Cap: 60
Time elapsed since previous release: +8 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
Zones:
Raids:
Luclin
Level Cap: 60
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Planes of Power
Level Cap: 65 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +10 Months
Time between level cap raises: +30 Months (2 Years 6 Months)
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Legacy of Ykesha
Level Cap: 65
Time elapsed since previous release: +4 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Lost Dungeons of Norrath
Level Cap: 65
Time elapsed since previous release: +7 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
LDON instance challenges will show blues and light blues for normal difficult.
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Gates of Discord
Level Cap: 65
Time elapsed since previous release: +5 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Omens of War
Level Cap: 70 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +5 Months
Time between level cap raises: 21 Months (1 Year 9 Months)
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Dragons of Norrath
Level Cap: 70
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Depths of Darkhallow
Level Cap: 70
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Prophecy of Ro
Level Cap: 70
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
The Serpent's Spine
Level Cap: 75 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Time between level cap raises: +24 Months (2 Years)
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
The Buried Sea
Level Cap: 75
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Secrets of Faydwer
Level Cap: 80 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +9 Months
Time between level cap raises: 15 Months (1 Year 3 Months)
Optimal Gear on Live: Secrets of Faydwer Group/Raid Gear
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Personally I found gear from SoF to be annoying to obtain.
Seeds of Destruction
Level Cap: 85 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +11 Months
Time between level cap raises: 11 Months
Optimal Gear on Live: Underfoot gear (though SoD is probably easier to obtain)
Quests:
* SoD Progression --> https://everquest.allakhazam.com/wiki/eq:progression_through_seeds_of_destruction --> Working through this around 85 is a great way to gather gear and enjoy a very fun story. It's not particularly difficult at 85 but a number of the single person quests can take some time to complete.
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Underfoot
Level Cap: 85
Time elapsed since previous release: +14 Months
Optimal Gear on Live:
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
House of Thule (PoK Spell Cap)
Level Cap: 90 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +10 Months
Time between level cap raises: 24 Months (2 Years)
Optimal Gear on Live:
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Veil of Alaris
Level Cap: 95 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +13 Months
Time between level cap raises: 13 Months (1 Year 1 Month)
Optimal Gear on Live: Rustic Armor
Get Spells From: Argath, Bastion of Illdaera [Fasted Trip: Guild Hall]
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Rain of Fear
Level Cap: 100 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Time between level cap raises: 12 Months (1 Year)
Optimal Gear on Live: Fear-touched Armor
Get Spells From: Shard's Landing [Fasted Trip: Guild Hall]
Quests:
* Welcome to Shard's Landing --> https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=5978 -- Great way to get 4AA
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Call of the Forsaken
Level Cap: 100
Time elapsed since previous release: +11 Months
Optimal Gear on Live: Latent Ether Armor
Get Spells From: Ethernere Tainted West Karana [Fasted Trip: Guild Hall]
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
The Darkened Sea
Level Cap: 105 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Time between level cap raises: 23 Months (1 Year 11 Months)
Optimal Gear on Live: Castaway Armor
Get Spells From: Katta Castrum: Deluge
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
The Broken Mirror (Auto-Grant AA Cap)
Level Cap: 105
Time elapsed since previous release: +13 Months
Optimal Gear on Live: TBM Remnant Armor -- easy to get and not prestige!
Get Spells From: Plane of Tranquility
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Empires of Kunark
Level Cap: 105
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Optimal Gear on Live:
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Ring of Scale (Latest F2P Expansion)
Level Cap: 110
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Optimal Gear on Live:
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Unobtainable Progress if F2P (without buying expansions)
References
https://www.redguides.com/community/threads/gear-path-for-heroic-characters.64973/#post-394467
https://www.engadget.com/2013/10/12/the-game-archaeologist-a-history-of-everquest-expansions/
www.paullynch.org
This guide is all about experiencing Everquest 'in-era' as much as possible without ever actually being in-era. The creation of this guide stemmed from my asking around about interesting quests and activities to do since my first characters hit 60. It was at this era (Kunark) that I originally stopped playing, got disgusted, deleted all my characters, and never looked back for a good 20 years (all because ROG's had a devil of a time getting groups back in the day...). It was up until 60 that really you just ran around, hunted things with your friends, and then eventually went on Dragon and Planes raids. There were even server calendars that where guilds marked what dragons they were fighting months in advance. While that isn't something that'll be happening anymore, I at least wanted to try and experience some of that older content 'in era' as possible. As such, this guide will list out activities to do up until EQ started adding 'progression' trackers or built-in 'progression' to the expansions and didn't remove gates at a later time, e.g., Planes of Power.
NOTE: I play on Test with Auto Grant AA on. You may also see discussions of Agents of Change below as those are regularly available on Test.
How to Use This Guide
The activities below will be listed in-era based on expansion. I'll split activities between quests, zones, and raids. These aren't any sort of objective list but a list of things I certainly found interesting. For the quests I assume you do the full quest and don't skip just to get the item (though that's your prerogative). Many times the items aren't as good as Defiant gear while leveling but are fun none-the-less.
Expansion dates have been provided based on available wiki information. I'll mark expansions where they didn't raise the level cap and you can choose to set AA at 100%, i.e., prevent normal leveling, or do this whenever you feel you're out-leveling content. While this is still 'progressing' you won't see power advancement. You should also have a hefty bit of AA (you can bank your level x2) for when auto-grant is no longer a go-to source of AA.
As I do not have all expansions on all my accounts, nor due I plan to, this guide will end with the latest available Free-to-Play Expansion.
(C) before a quest means it is one I have personally completed.
I put a note on 'best gear for the content' in each section. This is predominantly to point out that questing for gear before Secrets of Faydwer will be more for fun than usefulness in stats. There are still pieces of gear and 'clickies' that are useful but just assume weapons and armor are for fun.
Progression Visualization
Current hand-drawn progression figure. Will eventually be put into some vector graphics program and continued to be fleshed out. This visualization can be used to supplement the more detailed information in the following sections. Note this is now expanded to RoS for 105-110.
Classic Everquest
Level Cap: 50
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
- (C) Paladin Holy Sword: Ghoulbane (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=1260) -- Easily Doable by a group of 41's. Your RNG luck will vary with each of the camps. I will have a few tips in my other guide on how I dealt with this.
- Paladin Holy Sword: Soul Fire (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=362 -- https://wiki.project1999.com/Zimel's_Blades_(SoulFire) )
- Paladin Holy Sword: Fiery Avenger (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=10 -- https://wiki.project1999.com/The_Fiery_Avenger )
- Trueshot Longbow (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=178) -- The first in the line of Ranger bows.
- Rain Caller (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=92) -- The second Ranger bow.
- Blessed Faydark Swiftbolt (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=1878) -- A crafting oriented bow quest
- Ring of Fear (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=2181) -- The closest thing to a trial in old school EQ.
Zones:
- Crushbone -- Go kill the Ambassador. It's EQ tradition.
- Estate of Unrest -- If you don't level here, stop by for a look. It has a lot of great visuals and ambiance.
- Highpass Keep -- A fun zone I remember leveling in early on. Amusing as you have a perfectly functional town with a basement full of goblins!
Raids:
- Plane of Hate
- Plane of Fear
- Plane of Sky
Kunark
Level Cap: 60
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Time between level cap raises: 12 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
- Bard Epic 1.0
- Beastlord Epic 1.0
- Berserker Epic 1.0
- Cleric Epic 1.0
- Druid Epic 1.0
- Enchanter Epic 1.0
- Magician Epic 1.0
- Monk Epic 1.0
- Necromancer Epic 1.0
- Paladin Epic 1.0
- Ranger Epic 1.0
- Rogue Epic 1.0
- Shadowknight Epic 1.0
- Shaman Epic 1.0
- Warrior Epic 1.0
- Wizard Epic 1.0
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Velious
Level Cap: 60
Time elapsed since previous release: +8 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
- Velious Class Armor (https://wiki.project1999.com/Velious_Class_Armor)
Zones:
- Western Wastes (An outdoor zone filled with challenges back when folks were capped)
Raids:
- Western Wastes Dragon Hunting (https://wiki.project1999.com/Dragon_Heads)
Luclin
Level Cap: 60
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Planes of Power
Level Cap: 65 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +10 Months
Time between level cap raises: +30 Months (2 Years 6 Months)
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Legacy of Ykesha
Level Cap: 65
Time elapsed since previous release: +4 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Lost Dungeons of Norrath
Level Cap: 65
Time elapsed since previous release: +7 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
LDON instance challenges will show blues and light blues for normal difficult.
Quests:
- http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=2652
- http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=2663
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Gates of Discord
Level Cap: 65
Time elapsed since previous release: +5 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Omens of War
Level Cap: 70 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +5 Months
Time between level cap raises: 21 Months (1 Year 9 Months)
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Dragons of Norrath
Level Cap: 70
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Depths of Darkhallow
Level Cap: 70
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Prophecy of Ro
Level Cap: 70
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
The Serpent's Spine
Level Cap: 75 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Time between level cap raises: +24 Months (2 Years)
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
The Buried Sea
Level Cap: 75
Time elapsed since previous release: +6 Months
Optimal Gear On Live: Defiant
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Secrets of Faydwer
Level Cap: 80 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +9 Months
Time between level cap raises: 15 Months (1 Year 3 Months)
Optimal Gear on Live: Secrets of Faydwer Group/Raid Gear
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Personally I found gear from SoF to be annoying to obtain.
Seeds of Destruction
Level Cap: 85 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +11 Months
Time between level cap raises: 11 Months
Optimal Gear on Live: Underfoot gear (though SoD is probably easier to obtain)
Quests:
* SoD Progression --> https://everquest.allakhazam.com/wiki/eq:progression_through_seeds_of_destruction --> Working through this around 85 is a great way to gather gear and enjoy a very fun story. It's not particularly difficult at 85 but a number of the single person quests can take some time to complete.
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Underfoot
Level Cap: 85
Time elapsed since previous release: +14 Months
Optimal Gear on Live:
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
House of Thule (PoK Spell Cap)
Level Cap: 90 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +10 Months
Time between level cap raises: 24 Months (2 Years)
Optimal Gear on Live:
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Veil of Alaris
Level Cap: 95 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +13 Months
Time between level cap raises: 13 Months (1 Year 1 Month)
Optimal Gear on Live: Rustic Armor
Get Spells From: Argath, Bastion of Illdaera [Fasted Trip: Guild Hall]
Quests:
- Alaran Language Progression -- https://voa.eqresource.com/70skill.php
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Rain of Fear
Level Cap: 100 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Time between level cap raises: 12 Months (1 Year)
Optimal Gear on Live: Fear-touched Armor
Get Spells From: Shard's Landing [Fasted Trip: Guild Hall]
Quests:
* Welcome to Shard's Landing --> https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=5978 -- Great way to get 4AA
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Call of the Forsaken
Level Cap: 100
Time elapsed since previous release: +11 Months
Optimal Gear on Live: Latent Ether Armor
Get Spells From: Ethernere Tainted West Karana [Fasted Trip: Guild Hall]
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
The Darkened Sea
Level Cap: 105 +5 Increase
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Time between level cap raises: 23 Months (1 Year 11 Months)
Optimal Gear on Live: Castaway Armor
Get Spells From: Katta Castrum: Deluge
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
The Broken Mirror (Auto-Grant AA Cap)
Level Cap: 105
Time elapsed since previous release: +13 Months
Optimal Gear on Live: TBM Remnant Armor -- easy to get and not prestige!
Get Spells From: Plane of Tranquility
Quests:
- TBM First Three Mercenary Quests (Started around 93-94) https://tbm.eqresource.com/progression.php
- TBM Heroic Adventures (Started at 103) https://www.almarsguides.com/eq/leveling/TBM/Locations/HeroicAdventures/
- If you complete the Mercenary Quests in Life/Decay, Partisan Quests Life/Decay, and the two group missions from each mayor you'll max out your Dicho spells.
- Plane of Health
- Sul Vius: Demiplane of Life
- Sul Vius: Demiplane of Decay
- Crypt of Sul
[Placeholder]
Empires of Kunark
Level Cap: 105
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Optimal Gear on Live:
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Ring of Scale (Latest F2P Expansion)
Level Cap: 110
Time elapsed since previous release: +12 Months
Optimal Gear on Live:
Quests:
[Placeholder]
Zones:
[Placeholder]
Raids:
[Placeholder]
Unobtainable Progress if F2P (without buying expansions)
- The Burning Lands -- AAs and Spells
- Torment of Velious -- AAs and Spells
References
https://www.redguides.com/community/threads/gear-path-for-heroic-characters.64973/#post-394467
https://www.engadget.com/2013/10/12/the-game-archaeologist-a-history-of-everquest-expansions/
All the Good Quests! ←
- Minimum Required Level
- 1
