Too rare or just bad luck?

[tuis]

Even though a lot of the ancients, well, suck?

[Sceptor_CT]

This thread got a lil off topic.

I’m still trying to understand 5 skill-ups taking 3 months of guild gathering. Lets say I did have real bad luck and double it to 10 skill-ups, with more combines needed as you advance it still looks to me like 2-3 years of GUILD gathering to go from 250 to 300. The parchments are just too rare!

Back to my original question: is this as intended?

[Oriaas]

Not sure of your gear/play level, but parchments are probably not as rare as you think they are. In a casual guild group I have pulled in as many as 22 in 2 or 3 hours. I tend to bounce groups around alot to tag as many PHs as possible, but there are several spots that are pretty much 4 parchments every 5 kills.

I would suggest taking a look at the DoD zones (not missions) and try somewhere you haven't been to yet. If you have explored the expansion, the zone should jump off the page at you.

I know that is somewhat vague, but I am not a huge fan of silver platters

[Dranul]

Oriass makes a good point, and it's something I've also noticed. Parchments tend to drop from non-instanced mobs more often than instanced. I can usually get half a stack or more of various levels a night in my soloing of Stoneroot, but I did three DS key missions last night and got five parchments. Maybe they simply don't drop as often from instances.

[Sceptor_CT]

My guild is Blood flagged and I’m the third highest mana on my server of any class so I guess my equipment is fine.

Good information on the non-instanced zone drop rate. Thanks guys, gives me a little hope. Unfortunately wizards are not the first choice for XP groups and I hate to solo. Guess I’ll have to change and solo some if I want research up. But solo is sooooo boring!

[Oriaas]

Sceptor -

Anyone who is telling you wizards suck in a group is either very misinformed or just plain wacky. Any wizard who can manange their mana correctly is worth their weight in gold in the spot I am hinting at. I have taken non-mana DPS heavy groups there and they fall short of the standard group I like to take there everytime...to the tune of killing 1/2 or less of what my preferred group kills in the same time.

Druid, Enchanter, Cleric, Wizard, Wizard, Warrior is what I prefer. Second choice would be a warrior (or solid knight) in place of 1 wizard...I don't have to be as careful with the harder spots in that case.

Dranul backs up my "theory" about parchments. I never thought they dropped in instances much at all. At most I have seen 1 or 2 (and very rarely 3) from start to finish. This is across instanced spell missions, key missions and raid missions for PoB. I have seen better drop rates in Undershore and Stoneroot everytime I have done something there. In fact most everything people say is "rare" is fairly common or semi-uncommon at worst in the zone I am speaking of. That includes Shadowmane Pelts, Gargoyle Dust, Steel and Silk.

Granted even the best "pick up" group is going to get slaughtered there but if you are Blood flagged you should do very well there once you get past the learning curve. There isn't much reward lootwise other than a few augs (my oppinion and milage will vary) but the real reward is the fact I have only once (near DoD's release) ever had more than my group in the zone. Not to mention that experience is very very good there in a full group once you get cranking on some cycles.

Most everything is "rare" somewhere in the game. 99% of the time theres a better spot...remember that

[Ngreth Thergn]

here is another hint...

Parchments will only drop off of a mob that might have some interest in the parchment...

[Oriaas]

Ngreth -

That hint was perfect! I didn't wanna say "go to this zone then go here because they always have em..." Even though I get the impression your hint was gamewide in nature, it's pretty darn near a perfect pointer to the secret spot.

Once you figure out the zone, if you explore a bit and take Ngreth's hint very literally you will stumble on one the best, if not the best parchment hunting spot in the game.

The key to the spot lies in the following saying: "the pen is mightier than the sword." I don't know who coined that phrase (I heard it in an Indiana Jones movie) but with the ability to bust down walls in Prophecy, it fits very nicely.

OK, with the 3 or 4 hints I dropped in this post (plus Ngreth's hint) the spot should be pretty easy to figure out. Guildmates always seem to get testy when I try dropping cryptic hints to them...so this is major fun