Jhet Bhlak

I just had a question about a spell research tutorial so I thought I’d share what I do when I want to level up a new toons reasearch skill.

1. 0 to 20 - Use up your skill points that you get every level. It’s just easier to click the button 20 times. And let’s be honest…how much do you use those skill points anyway?
2. 21 to 54 – Make Vials of Pure Water. They are simple to make and all the components can be found at the small bank in PoK. Combine 4 Water Flasks, 5 Empty Vials and a Gnomish Heat Source in a Spell Research Kit.
3. 55 to 83 - This is where I always got stuck. Then I found out that the binding powder combines give frequent skillups per attempt. Up to skill 152 I’ve gotten 2 skillups per 3 combines (or better). First, make this spell:
   • Focus Makeshift Spellcaster’s Essence. Combine: Ink Additive of the Nameless, Quill of the Coercer, Conjuring Thickener, Ink of Druzzil Ro, Cleaned Hide (Combine Celestial Solvent, Raw Hide and Hide Solution) in a Spell Research Kit. The Raw Hide drops from mobs but the other components are store bought in PoK by the small bank.
   • Buy in the bazzar or loot a bunch of Makeshift Binding Powder off of caster mobs. These drop off of level specific caster mobs. For Makeshift Binding Powder the mobs are around level 13 to 50.
   • Combine Makeshift Binding Powder, Makeshift Binding Solution, Makeshift Spellcaster’s Empowering Essence, Piece of Parchment in a Spell Research Kit for the skillup points. The empowering essence is summoned when you cast the spell you made previously.
4. 84 to 152 - This skill range is similar to the last range. Except you move up to Modest Binding Powder etc.
   • Make the spell: Focus Modest Spellcaster’s Essence (Combine: Ink Additive of the Nameless, Quill of the Coercer, Conjuring Thickener, Ink of Druzzil Ro and Fine Runic HIde (Combine Raw Fine Runic Hide and Fine Runic Hide Solution) in a Spell Research Kit.
   • Buy in the bazzar or loot a bunch of Modest Binding Powder off of caster mobs. These drop off of caster mobs level 37 to 40.
   • Combine Modest Binding Powder, Modest Binding Solution, Modest Spellcaster’s Empowering Essence, Piece of Parchment in a Spell Research Kit for the skillup points. The empowering essence is summoned when you cast the spell you made previously.

The best resource for any tradeskill related information is EQ Traders Corner. You can do searches for any spells you want to combine by name and it will show you all of the ingrediants that you will need and what type of container. I’ll add skill suggestions from 153 to 300 to this list later.

It took an avid EQ fan to uncover the true origins of the swine flu…

http://www.guildseofon.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1241030205

I absolutely loved the first Crank movie and now I see that a 2nd on is on it’s way. April 17th looks like the date it will be out in theatres. I really should get a TV so I know about these things sooner…Naaaa!

I haven’t played much EQ lately but when I have been on I’ve been playing solo  on the Firiona Vie server in an…unusual way.

So let me explain. I’ve been trying to recapture that feeling of when I first started playing EQ. Part of that feeling was the feeling of having accomplished something in game. Even if it was something small like scraping together 400p to buy a set of +6 wisdom rings for my cleric. I still remember the feeling when I managed to get my first Bone Bladed Claymore down in the bowels of Befallen. It was difficult to get. I had to kill the shadowknight and manage all the adds in the area. I spent quite a bit of time killing placeholders and waiting around. And I think that part of that new EQ feeling was that things were harder back in the day. It was a struggle to accomplish things and that made the things you had all that more valuable to you. Things were not impossible…just more difficult. And that is what lead me to Firiona Vie and experimenting with my play styles.

So with the realization that struggle leading to a possitive end result leads to that new EQ elation, I created a set of 3 characters on Firiona Vie and decided to create my own rules on how to play. The rules are designed to make the game more challenging and to induce a sense of value in the items that I aquire.

Here are the Firiona Vie rules that my 3 characters play by:

1. I will only 3 box. I do not group with any other characters or accept their help.
2. I only use equipment that:
   1. I make with one of my 3 characters or;
   2. I loot from a mob that I manage to kill in my 3 box group or with one of those characters solo.
3. I do not use the new potions or potions that I have not made. Since I don’t have a shaman that means no potions.
4. The only thing I will buy from the bazaar are tradeskill components. I will only buy a component if I have already killed a mob that dropped that component and I have looted it.
5. The only thing I will buy from vendors are food, spell components such as tiny daggers, store bought tradeskill items such as molds for smithing etc., or dropped tradeskill items that I have already killed a mob that dropped that component and I have looted it.
6. No rez’s except the ones I can provide myself.
7. No veteran AA’s.
8. No buffs that I cannot cast with one of my 3 characters.
9. Tribute is allowed.
10. Guild creation and the functions of the guild hall are allowed.

I know, I know. Most people will probably think I’m nuts for playing this way. But I enjoy it. I also still play in a normal fashion on my main server, Innorruk.

Does anyone else do anything crazy like this in EQ?

So I managed to avoid the Twilight movie in the theater but the DVD finally got me. If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what movie I’m talking about, here is the trailer:

I went out and bought it today and I have to say it was really pretty good. The acting was good. The story was good. The movie flowed and the plot didn’t develop too quick or too slow. It was worth the money spent on the dvd.

If you are planning to buy it you might be able to get it cheaper on Amazon: Buy Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition) DVD or Buy Twilight on Blu-ray. 

If you’re like me and like to read you will probably like the books too (I have not read them yet): The Twilight Saga Collection

I have not been on EQ all that much lately. Hence the lack of blog posting. And the reason I haven’t been on all that much is because of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I bought seasons one through four and I’ve been watching them over the last few weeks. I always liked the TV show and when I seen the slim DVD sets I just couldn’t resist buying them. And, of course, with my addictive nature, I naturally watched them all as soon as I possible could.

Now I just need to buy seasons five through seven…

Kindle 2 Pre-Order Open Now!

 Now this looks interesting. I never tried the kindle but I read often enough that maybe I should. From what I’ve seen, books are cheaper on it and there is no connection cost associated with downloading new books. You still have to buy each book you want though.

The first kindle went fast on Amazon.com was very hard to get. Alot of people had them on backorder.

I checked to see if the books I like are on there and it looks like they are. George R. R. Martin, J. V. Jones, Terry Goodkind, Terry Brooks…all of those authors have books on the kindle.

Wow, I never would have thought. Shoemoney was addicted to MMORPGs.  Not only MMORPGs but…Everquest! Most EQ people probably don’t know who Shoe is ,but online marketers and SEO’s do. Quite honestly this guy inspires me. Seriously. I mean when I read his blog posts and he is talking about different marketing ideas and I see that check from AdWords he posted on his site…Wow! It makes me want to really get out there and follow the leader.  He has already motivated me to make some changes and pursue new ideas.

I don’t really know if you will read this (Shoemoney) but I’m glad you kicked the habit! It was definitely an addiction the way you described it. The games were destroying your life and I’m glad you realized it and moved on. Extra props for sharing with everyone on the net and helping people to understand what a real problem addiction of any kind can be.

Thank you Shoemoney!

The Plane of Innovation level 50 Hotzone aug drop is called a Shard of Increasing Power. The stats are 10 ac 30 hp/mana.

Shard of Increasing Power

The Overthere level 30 hotzone aug is called a Shard of Slight Power. 10 hp/mana and 1 to all resists.

Shard of Slight Power