Melee Research

[Xerius]

It is possible that there is a guide to this somewhere on this forum, but a casual search did not come up with one.

Last night, I answered a question in General Chat regarding Melee Research. I aimed the player to the EQTraders site, and half an hour later, received a tell from the player saying that he could not find any collected body of information on Melee Research. Looking throught he forums later on, I found he seemed to be correct, since if there is anything here, it is not easy to find.

As such, I decided to try to put together a guide myself, based largely on the Learn Spell Research guide on the main EQTraders forum. As well, I put together an updated guide for Int casters based again on the existing work, which I will post seperately, once I have edited it to be a bit clearer without the tables I have in it.

I am uncertain whether these will post easily within the forums, so if something gets chopped off, I will try to correct it. As well, should the original author of the work object to my using his efforts, inform me and I will remove my post.

And I should have realized that my nicely made tables would not transfer over to this forum, so it does not look as clear as I would like. Items in red are ones I am uncertain of, since there is insufficient data to tell what those precisely do, as they are all found together in the recipes.

Any input anyone can add to this or corrections are most certainly welcome. I hope this is of use to those trying to learn Melee Research.

[Xerius]

Melee Research

With the Seeds of Destruction expansion, the ability to Research has been added to all classes, where it used to be restricted only to Int casters. As a result, pure melee classes can now Research Tomes for all melee and hybrid classes. The procedure for doing this is similar to what was introduced previously for Int casters with the Depths of Darkhollow expansion.

There are five categories of ingredients involved, each of which varies depending on what tome you are trying to make. In general, each recipe has one manual, one quill, one additive, one thickener, and between one and five inks.

We are loading the precise recipes for these tomes into our database as they are reported to us. You can use our Spell Research forum to discuss with other researchers. If you find something new, please report it to the Data Submissions forum. (Just remember that the Data Submissions forum is only for facts for the database; questions and discussion, including what doesn't work, belong in the other forums like Spell Research.) And of course, the in game books are the official sources of instructions and may have useful hints beyond what's here at the moment. Good luck!

While the properties of the various ingredients are below, I recommend checking the database for the recipe for any specific tome you wish to make before attempting. The ingredients involved have a very diverse range of attributes, so it may be difficult to predict which to use until you are very familiar with the system. As some of them have very similar recipes, using just one wrong ingredient could make a completely different tome.

Tome Binding Kit

All of the recipes here for researchers, for both the tomes and their subcombines, are made in a Tome Binding Kit. This is used by all four classes of melee researchers, and can be bought from the vendor Merchant Model CGXXII at -360, 186 in Corathus Creep, the vendor Nursa Rasumus at -290, 734 in the Plane of Knowledge, or the vendor Researcher Junna at -1439, -1441 in Crescent Reach.

Manuals

Of all of these ingredients, the manual will probably be the hardest and/or most expensive ingredient to acquire, particularly for the highest level tomes. The parchment you use is based on the level of the tome (that is, the lowest level at which any class can use it). The parchments drop off of creatures in a raw form and must be cleaned up using the appropriate recipes. Those cleaning recipes follow this pattern:

[finished type] Manual = [dropped type] Parchment + [finished type] Parchment Solution + Celestial Cleanser + Tome Cover Supplies

The levels for each type of parchment, plus their dropped names, finished names, and solutions are as follows:

Spell Level - Dropped Name - Finished Name - Solution
55 - Stained Fine Runic Spell Scroll - Fine Runic Manual - Fine Runic Spell Scroll Solution
61 - Used Parchment - Parchment Manual - Parchment Solution
62 - Grubby Fine Parchment - Fine Parchment Manual - Fine Parchment Solution
63 - Shabby Vellum Parchment - Vellum Parchment Manual - Vellum Parchment Solution
64 - Grimy Fine Vellum Parchment - Fine Vellum Parchment Manual - Fine Vellum Parchment Solution
65 - Smudged Runic Parchment - Runic Parchment Manual - Runic Parchment Solution
66 - Grimy Fine Runic Parchment - Fine RunicParchment Manual - Fine Runic Parchment Solution
67 - Dirty Vellum - Vellum Manual - Vellum Solution
68 - Grubby Fine Vellum - Fine Vellum Manual - Fine Vellum Solution
69 - Shabby Runic Vellum - Runic Vellum Manual - Runic Vellum Solution
70 - Sooty Fine Runic Vellum - Fine Runic Vellum Manual - Fine Runic Vellum Solution
71 - Smudged Rough Paper - Rough Grimoire - Rough Paper Solution
72 - Sooty Paper - Grimoire - Paper Solution
73 - Sooty Fine Paper - Fine Grimoire - Fine Paper Solution
74 - Smudged Runic Paper - Runic Grimoire - Runic Paper Solution
75 - Stained Fine Runic Paper - Fine Runic Grimoire - Fine Runic Paper Solution

There are Manuals that can be made for tomes below level 61, but as virtually all Tomes below this level can be bought, I have not included them in this list.

The recipes for the cleanser and solutions are complicated. Click on one to see its details and use the recipe trees at the bottom to see how the subcombines all work. Note that any of the subcombines for solutions that uses Oil of Vitrol will return a Dirty Empty Vial. These can be cleaned into regular Empty Vials again by combining them with Vials of Pure Water, if you wish.

Quills

The quills are very straightforward. Usually, you will need one of the quill that corresponds to the class that uses the spell. The quill names match the level 65 titles for the class. For example, the quill for a Warrior tome song is the Quill of the Overlord, while the quill for a Monk tome is the Quill of the Transcendent.

Quills are made by combining A Quill with two treatments. The treatments reflect the nature of the class that quill will work for, whether caster, healer, or melee (to some degree); and the general types of spells used by that class. The A Quill ingredient (same as used in other research) and treatments are all sold by vendors. Rarely, two classes will use the same skill at the same level, and in this case, either the Quill of the Knight (for hybrid) or the Quill of Martial (for pure melee) will be used for this tome.

Class - Components
Dread Lord - Knight's Treatment, Necrotic Treatment, Quill
Feral Lord - Arcane Treatment, Knight's Treatment, Quill
Forest Stalker - Elemental Treatment, Knight's Treatment, Quill
Fury - Frenzied Treatment, Martial Treatment, Quill
Knight - Knight's Treatment (2), Quill
Lord Protector - Holy Treatment, Knight's Treatment, Quill
Maestro - Enchanting Treatment, Knight's Treatment, Quill
Martial - Martial Treatment (2), Quill
Overlord - Defending Treatment, Martial Treatment, Quill
Transcendent - Holy Treatment, Martial Treatment, Quill
Deceiver - Martial Treatment, Toxic Treatment, Quill

Additives

The additive you use depends on the resistance the tome uses. They are bought directly from vendors. The additives and their properties are as follows:

Resistance - Additive
Poison - Saryrn's Ink Additive
Physical Damage - Ralos' Ink Additive
None - Ink Additive of the Nameless

Thickeners

Thickeners reflect the general type of spell you are making, such as single target buff, area effect buff, single target heal, area effect direct damage, etc. They are made by combining two gems with a herb. All of the gems and herbs required are sold by vendors. They also are made in batches of 40, so that if you use all of them these end up quite inexpensive. You can find the recipe for them by searching for the thickener you want in the database. The thickeners and their spell types are:

Spell Type - Thickener
Single Target Buff - Invigorating Thickener
Area Effect Buff - Talisman Thickener
Single Target Debuff - Debilitating Thickener
Summoning - Conjuring Thickener
Hate added over time - Impairing Thickener
Melee damage - Striking Thickener

Inks

There are a dizzying array of inks which, like the thickeners and additives, reflect the properties of the spell you are making. They are made by combining various powders and pigments with a Vial of Pure Water. Some inks take only either one powder or pigment, while others use up to two powders and one pigment. The powders and pigments are sold by vendors. You can find the recipes by searching for the ink you want in the database. The general properties of the inks are listed below, but bear in mind that tomes that don't clearly have these properties may require some creative thinking:

Ink - Spell Properties
Ink of Marr - Stun and Stun Resistance
Ink of Rainbows - Multiple Resistances
Ink of the Nameless - Multiple Stats
Ink of Alacrity - Haste
Ink of Zek - Attack
Ink of the Tribunal - Armour Class
Ink of the Listless - Slow (Attack and Movement)
Ink of Tranquility - Mesmerization, Lull
Ink of Pain - Damage
Ink of Innoruuk - Hate
Ink of Forgetfulness - Memory Blur
Ink of Barrage - Crippling Blow
Ink of Breaching - Attack plus
Ink of Bruising - Backstab
Ink of the Catastrophe - Crit damage plus
Ink of the Clout - Defensive Lower (Hate, Damage)
Ink of the Deftness - Double Attack
Ink of Expedition - Hundred Hands
Ink of Fending - Increase ability to Parry
Ink of Infliction - Melee damage increase
Ink of Myopsis - Frenzy Radius
Ink of Obstruction - Reaction Radius
Ink of Proficiency - Reduce Skill Timer
Ink of Reach - Ranged Accuracy
Ink of Retort - Increase ability to Riposte
Ink of Screening - Increase ability to Block
Ink of Smashing - Crit Probability
Ink of Striking - Chance to Hit
Ink of the Martyr - Defensive
Ink of Finesse - Dodge Probability
Ink of Affliction - Ranged Damage

[Shadrok]

Very Good

Thank you.

Note: You should have included "Fine Runic Manual" for the level 55 aura tomes.

[Xerius]

I will do so.

I am also considering deleting most of the Thickeners and all but two of the Ink Additives, as I cannot find a single Tome that uses anything but Ink Additive of the Nameless or Ralos' Ink Additive, but have will not do that until I have finished going through the list of Tomes, on the off chance one of them uses something else.

I had already cut the list of Inks down to only what is used in presently known melee tomes.

[Delph]

Thickeners

Thickeners reflect the general type of spell you are making, such as single target buff, area effect buff, single target heal, area effect direct damage, etc. They are made by combining two gems with a herb. All of the gems and herbs required are sold by vendors. They also are made in batches of 40, so that if you use all of them these end up quite inexpensive. You can find the recipe for them by searching for the thickener you want in the database. The thickeners and their spell types are:

Spell Type - Thickener
Single Target Direct Damage - Arcane Thickener
Area Effect Direct Damage - Al'Kabor Thickener
Single Target Damage over Time - Extending Thickener
Area Effect Damage over Time - Expatiating Thickener
Single Target Instant Heal - Ameliorating Thickener
Area Effect Instant Heal - Mitigating Thickener
Single Target Heal over Time - Soothing Thickener
Area Effect Heal over Time - Assuaging Thickener
Single Target Buff - Invigorating Thickener
Area Effect Buff - Talisman Thickener
Single Target Debuff - Debilitating Thickener
Area Effect Debuff - Enervating Thickener
Summoning - Conjuring Thickener
Lifetap or Stats Transfer - Consuming Thickener
Hate added over time - Impairing Thickener
Melee damage - Striking Thickener

If you're strictly speaking about researching melee and hybrid tomes that teach skills and disciplines, the only 6 thickeners you'll need are:

Summons something - Conjuring Thickener
Adversely affect another - Debilitating Thickener
Effects that draw out over time - Impairing Thickener
Affects self's skills and abilities - Invigorating Thickener
Discipline does direct damage - Striking Thickener
Discipline affects group - Talisman Thickener

Inks

Ink - Spell Properties
Ink of Fending - Either Block, Parry, or Riposte
Ink of Retort - Either Block, Parry, or Riposte
Ink of Screening - Either Block, Parry, or Riposte

Ink of Fending - Increases ability to parry
Ink of Retort - Increases ability to riposte
Ink of Screening - Increases ability to block

Hope this helps your great guide!
Delph

[Xerius]

Updated guide with changes from the input receive so far.

[Delph]

I will do so.

I am also considering deleting most of the Thickeners and all but two of the Ink Additives, as I cannot find a single Tome that uses anything but Ink Additive of the Nameless or Ralos' Ink Additive, but have will not do that until I have finished going through the list of Tomes, on the off chance one of them uses something else.

I had already cut the list of Inks down to only what is used in presently known melee tomes.

Saryrn's Ink Additive (poison resist) is used to make:

Tome of Assassin's Feint
Tome of Blinding Flash Rk. II
Tome of Poison Spurs

Otherwise I think you're correct in that the rest of melee research uses either Ink Additive of the Nameless or Ralos' Ink Additive.

[Xerius]

Updated again as per suggestions made in the serverwide channel tonight.

[Drazzminius]

Would you mind if I included this here?

[Xerius]

By all means include it wherever you feel it may be useful.

The work is mostly that of the original Guide designer, with my own research added and modifications made by request of the community, so the Melee Research Guide is made by and for the EQTraders community.

If you want the upgraded Spell Research Guide, ask and I will toss that at you too. It is even less original though, being the original Spell Guide extended to level 75 with a few Ink Additives added.