Advice on shawl 5 ?

[Malathos]

Ok, I thought I'd better get around to farming the crystalline silk threads needed for shawl # 5. I know it's going to be a long boring trudge, but it's got to be done at some point *sigh* (I can vary it with some bile farming )

So I'm looking for advice - bearing in mind a few things ...

1) I've never been into velks in my life before

2) I'm a 52 pally with some moderately decent gear (but this IS my main)

3) As I'm playing on Venril Sathir (UK server - quiet at the best of times) at definite non-peak times, the chances of finding a group is near nil - so solo most of the time.

I know some of the ratted beasties can turn invis, so I'm also looking for recommendations for a nice cheap bit of see invis gear for a pally !

[Rerashyaka]

You don't have to go far into Velks - Plenty of spiders on the first floor.

They'll be blue to you at 52, you'll probably do just fine if you single pull.

See invis gear - you can't really depend on buffs, as both DMF and SoE (long lasting buffs that contain a see invis component) have a levitate component as well. And levitate just doesn't work in Velks. However, it might be worth your while to head to Paludral Caverns/Shadowhaven and do a bit of vendor mining. Mushroom eyes have a charge each of see invis, which lasts about a half hour. Either that or shaman potions. The easiest piece of quested gear that has see invis is the Qeynos Badge of Nobility quest, look it over and decide if it's for you.

Rerashyaka Mousekiller

[Pootle]

From what i remember from researching for my rog....

See invis augment is cheap in Mir adventures....

<scampers off to check>

Ok i was wrong -

MistMoor - 150 adventure points - Aug3 - Worn Gravestone of Awareness
Effect:See Invisible (worn)

With the new patch coming where you can safely remove augs, this may be a good investment.

[malfaisant]

Use Tributes

If you have GoD, then use Tributes to get plainsight... I think it's the one called enchanters gift faerune.
Or there is the standard see invis tribute that you can get @lvl20

In Velks only a few types of spiders invis, you'll soon learn all the static spawns on the ground floor, and then it won't be so much of a problem.

Much cheaper than 150 points, type 3, which means you'll also probably have to buy at least Death Embracers Chestplate or the 510pt MM belt...

I'm sure everyone has figured out the cheapest pp to trib point ratio item now.

[Lokase]

Hi,

Here is how I collected my 75 silks at around level 54 (Ranger).

As soon as I entered Velks I put out an /ooc Camp Check. Usually there is always a peep soloing the Frenzied spawn on the safe ledge many stories up.

If there was a peep soloing Frenzied I would send them a /tell nicely asking if I could join them to loot the silks.... and the silks ONLY. Most of the time peeps are nice and will let you join them.

To get up to the frenzied camp you MUST have an invis spell or potion. You invis then go up the icey ramps. Eventually you will make it near the top of the zone and the Frenzied camp is on the EAST (i beleive) wall. There is a platform there that is safe to sit, camp etc as all mobs in Velks are PH's and do not roam - at least near the platform.

Most peeps let me join their group to allow me to loot the silks easier - and at your level you will get great XP from helping to kill the spiders. Just remember the peep is camping Frenzied so do not even get close to its corpse if you are lucky enough to help take him down - you are there for silks - nothing else.

If you have friends a well balanced 50's group can easily camp frenzied and all other spiders around the area - the hard part is getting everyone to the platform - not sure if COTH works in Velks - but that would be your best bet if it works.

One other thing - LEV does not work in Velks.

Good luck on your silks collecting and good luck on the Shawls !!!

Cheers,

Lokase

[Dunthor Warsmith]

I hunted in Velks a good bit at 52. Singles of any non-named spider should go okay, depending on gear.

As for the self-invising spiders, it helps to learn the (shared) spawn points. That way, if you see a spawn point that's empty, you can still treat it as though a spider is there, and either try to aggro the potentially invis spider (via proximity), or work around it.

I eventually bought a Bracer of the Hidden for my invis, and it made the Velks hunting much simplier.

Most of the rooms on the first floor make a decent camping spot. I tend to favor the little alley to the left of the entrance - generally it avoids aggro from passing trains, and only 1 or 2 local spawns to worry about (and even they can be avoided with careful positioning, making it a nice spot for medding and/or afk).

[Agosia]

If you have never been to Velks don't try to go upstairs to Frenzy until you have a group with you with someone that knows the way. Some of the ramps are really slippery. In some spots if you fall you go all the way to the basement which leads to a pretty nasty corpse run (unless you know a rogue or necro). I'm still scared of some of those ramps and put walk on when I'm moving around /giggle.

[Nolrog]

If you have never been to Velks don't try to go upstairs to Frenzy until you have a group with you with someone that knows the way. Some of the ramps are really slippery. In some spots if you fall you go all the way to the basement which leads to a pretty nasty corpse run (unless you know a rogue or necro). I'm still scared of some of those ramps and put walk on when I'm moving around /giggle.

And some of the spiders see thru invis, as I found out yesterday.

[Herril]

ah Velk's

clicking off sow helped me the most in moving around on those icy ramps

[qralt]

Ducking I believe is the quickest way to slow down on an icy ramp.

The upper spiders I thought dropped the threads much more often. (I did all of mine in one group I think). Velk's was quite popular back when I did it though...

[Verdandi]

Jumping helps with changing direction fast on a slippery surface. It takes some practice to do it on narrow walkways like in Velks, but if you turn in the direction you want to go, then hold down your forward key and jump once, you'll lose all of your previous sliding momentum and be sliding straight ahead instead. Once you practice a bit it gets easy enough to allow for faster travel and safer escape through Velks. (Icewell and Upper Guk both have safe, wide slippery spots, assuming you're not kos or can handle the mobs.) In particular try to learn to time your jump so that it comes right after you turn and hit that forward key, so you can immediately let up on the forward key and hardly move at all once you land. This is especially helpful at that part of Velks where a bunch of ramps intersect with a big hole in the middle of the intersection. Doesn't help much to jump to an adjacent ramp if you immediately slide off the far side of it. I use that trick sometimes to stop on a dime even when I don't want to turn.

It's also useful to practice walking backwards to slow momentum without overdoing it and sliding backwards. With practice you'll know automatically how much to tap that backwards key and can give more attention to whatever it is that's stopping you in your tracks.

[Dunthor Warsmith]

The upper spiders I thought dropped the threads much more often. (I did all of mine in one group I think). Velk's was quite popular back when I did it though...

The upper areas do seem to yield far more threads, but I believe that's due to a higher concentration of crystalline spiders, rather than a different drop rate.

[Herril]

got to go to velks to try the ducking, the jumping

& walking backwards

thank you both, got feeling this will really help me stop dieing in Velks

[Fystz O'Malley]

Just out of curiosity...I see no mention of Crystal Caverns as a place to collect the Crystalline Silk Threads...is the drop rate that much better in Velks? I say this because the author of the post said he was lvl 52 with mediocre gear..wouldn't Crystal Caverns be much safer for him?

[Dunthor Warsmith]

Just out of curiosity...I see no mention of Crystal Caverns as a place to collect the Crystalline Silk Threads...is the drop rate that much better in Velks? I say this because the author of the post said he was lvl 52 with mediocre gear..wouldn't Crystal Caverns be much safer for him?

As far as I know, the spiders in Crystal Caverns only drop "Crystalline Silk". The 5th shawl needs "Crystalline Silk Thread", which is only from the crystalline spiders in Velk's.