Help for a low level INT researcher.

[Flungmuk]

Hi all,

Well after a good deal of time away I desided to come back and start fresh.
Last time I played was well over a year ago.
Desided to start fresh, got a new level 19 mage.
Is there a decent way to level up research?
Most methods look to cost plat up the wazoo.
Now granted at 19 I have more plat than I ever did the 1st time I hit 19 as an ogre warrior running through Kunark. Better stats too.
I did the research quest, failed twice on my level 18 pet.
(I know I can buy it in OOT, but after 10 tries of getting stuck in the ladder, I gave up).
I'm not exactly excited to spend 25pp for 1 chance at making a needed spell. Most of the stuff I need to get past skill 55 come from Blightfire Moores (Drakkin). Not the healthist place to hunt solo with an underleveled pet.
Any suggestions for leveling up so as to be usefull for a non twink.
Thanks

[Paloverde]

Addressing what you can do to skill spell research as Magician who is level 19.

It appears to me that the path open to you is the binding powder route, although this itself is somewhat limited. It is also a bit complicated. But I will attempt to enumerate the steps through which the routine goes.

1. Craft Spell: Focus Crude Spellcaster's Essence (level 16, trivial 52)
2. Loot some Crude Binding Powder (from level 12 or so caster mobs) You may have seen this already. It looks like a pile of white dust.
3, Cast the spell to get Crude Spellcaster's Empowering Essence. Note: these are temporary so cast just as many as you can use immediately.
4. In Research Kit make Crude Enchanted Spell Parchment using one of the essence, Crude Binding Powder, Crude Binding Solution, Piece of Parchment. (These last two items are merchant purchase.) Trivial 58
5. In Research Kit make any of the following:
a. Crude Scroll of Fire Strike using Crude Enchanted Spell Parchment + Ink of Ro + Quill of the Arcane (trivial 75)
b. Crude Scroll of Frost Strike using Crude Enchanted Spell Parchment + Ink of E'Ci + Quill of the Arcane (trivial 75)
c. Crude Scroll of Pestilence using Crude Enchanted Spell Parchment = Ink of Bertoxxulous, Quill of the Arcane (trivial 80)
d. Crude Scroll of Poisoning using Crude Enchanted Spell Parchment + Ink of Saryrn + Quill of the Arcane (trivial 78)
e. Crude Scroll of Static Strike using Crude Enchanted Spell Parchment + Ink of Druzzil Ro + Quill of the Arcane (trivial 72)

These Crude Scrolls may be taken out into battle, equipped in potion window, used to do some direct damage on mobs (if not resisted). They may be sold to a merchant also.

To make the spells you expected to make in number economically, you need to be about level 40 plus to farm Saltpeter (Plane of Innovation or Corathus Creep) and Crystallized Sulfur (random drop in various zones, but not all, at level 35 and higher).

[Gorse]

For now, your best bet would be to gather up the parts to make the current pet spell(s) and then ooc/auction to pay someone to make your spell.

As you level up from here, continue to save all the parts (even with an underpowered pet you should do fine in BFM) and use them to continue to level up as you go.

As your friends and guildmates to save low level spell parts or put up a buyer to buy them cheap in the bazaar.

If you have a little plat to spend and you want to skill up now, you can do Vial of Muriatic Acid ( http://www.eqtraders.com/items/show_...r=080105900000 ) to 102 off vendors in PoK/Crescent Reach/Abysmal Sea.



Gorse

[Maegyssa]

Flung,
I will agree with Paloverde and Gorse. The line of binding powders is the way to go.

First, however, do the Research tradeskill quest in Cresecent Reach to get you to 54 for FREE. The NPC to "Hail" is above the library/librarians in CR. (You, I see, have already done this. Perhaps this bit will be of use to someone else. I am always surprised that so many of us are unaware of the tradeskill quests available to them in CR.)

For a cost of approx. 30 plat you can then get your Beginner Tradeskill Trophy in West Freeport (speak with Baublie Biggs outisde of town under an awning.)

Crude binding powders are not that hard to find. Check the vendors in CR for them and even the vendor in The Mines of Gloomingdeep (tutorial.) It will take a bit of plat using the binding powder method, so hold onto Words of..., Runes of..., and other old world components which will allow you to make cheap skill-up combines (check the Quick Trivial List under Learn a Skill - Spell Research on this site) in your Reserach Kit. Words of Obliteration/Obligation came in handy for me as did Runes of the Astral.
I am at 170 now (without geerlok/trophy) and I got there from 54 using binding powders most of the way.
The best advice I can give anyone attempting any tradeskill is take a few seconds to check vendors when you pass by them if you have the time. You never know what choice bits you might find...but don't do it on my server!!!! :P

[Flungmuk]

Thanks guys,
I've started to collect binding powders as I do up some quests in CR.
I did the research starter quest as soon as I hit 16.
I made it up that ladder in OOT finally and got my level 18 water pet.
Then I hit 22...Right back at the drawing board.
At least plat is a lot easier to come by that it was pre Kunark.
I'm on the Stromm server. I haven't found much from vendor farming for research skill ups, but I have most of the patterns for my level 20 armor.

Isn't it a bit odd that I can by an Ink for say 6pp, but the items to make the ink cost 10 times more. Or is that just that the price lists are out of date?

[Gorse]

Thanks guys,
I've started to collect binding powders as I do up some quests in CR.
I did the research starter quest as soon as I hit 16.
I made it up that ladder in OOT finally and got my level 18 water pet.
Then I hit 22...Right back at the drawing board. ?

That's pretty much the way it goes, especially for casters. At least as a mage and spread out spells you get a new one of one type every or every other level (and most can be bought from vendors).

I still stand by hiring someone, if your skill is not high enough and you don't have the plat to skill up.

At least plat is a lot easier to come by that it was pre Kunark.
I'm on the Stromm server. I haven't found much from vendor farming for research skill ups, but I have most of the patterns for my level 20 armor. ?

You should also consider going to Lavastorm. I know there are a couple tasks there that are repeatable, can be done in your teens and yield over 100pp as reward.

Isn't it a bit odd that I can by an Ink for say 6pp, but the items to make the ink cost 10 times more. Or is that just that the price lists are out of date?

It is because the inks yield either 30 or 40 per combine (depends on the type of ink). It is much cheaper to make it yourself, but then you have to figure out what to do with all the extra. Before the inks were sold on vendors, this meant you had to carry them if you wanted to maximize profets. I now gladly pay a few pp each for the inks and not have to carry almost two full bags of just inks (I did not make them all at once).



Gorse