Tue Apr 2 11:07:04 2002


9 o''clock AM, Day of the Sun, 20th of the Month of the Battle on the Theran calendar Loatea perished, never to return.

How the heck do you get to level 51 in only 83 hours? I'm level 29 and have logged maybe 5-10 hrs just trying (and still not succeeding) to get empowered. Please give us naive folks some tips on which areas you used at which levels and what your alignment is... thanks.

Alright I realize it's taboo to ask detailed questions about the game on here...but any general tips you can give on turning that 200+ hrs to hero into something under 100 hrs?

(1). You may spend a lot of time in your guild. You can't do much to convince your gods to empower you from there, and he/she will be watching you when you're not in his/her shrine or an appropriate place. You have to get out there and give them something to go on.

(2). You might need to burn some bridges with people you are on good terms with if that's what your role demands. For example, if you are a paladin sworn to destroy all evil (which actually depends on your role), you shouldn't be on good terms with evil people. Of course, your role may specifically target some evil over others, which might make it permissible to be on good terms with some if it aids your goal of killing the others.

(3) If you haven't already, use the role command to concisely explain your characters view on life.

(4) Many empowerments require some sort of preaching.


My quick and easy empowerment procedure (which has yet to achieve either a quick or easy empowerment but has never failed by the 100 hour mark) is:

(1) Find shrine. Not essential if you don't know Thera that well. In that case just find a place that seems appropriate and is out of the way a bit.

(2) Pray. Then emote while you wait. Maybe have yourself doing some sort of religious ritual. Personally I avoid having a ritual that is set up on a client and thus doesn't change at all. I try to change the words that go with actions or whatever.

(3) Roleplay at all times and preach sometimes. Making yourself do the preaching bit forces you to keep the role up at all times, and also brings you into contact with a lot of interesting people you would not otherwise meet. Your role-play doesn't have to be dynamic, but you should never step out of character -- eg to ask the stats of an item. Ok, sometimes you have to mention ooc things like having to log-off, but just use one of the CF euphemisms, like saying you are having to go on a pilgrimage or something. Everyone will get your point.

I was hero in about 50 hours, I think, with stuff like bash/trip defenses, some weapons, all whip skills and something else mastered, inducted into tribunal, and still I at some points felt like my ranking isn't leading anywhere. It's not about *where* you rank as much as about *how* you do it. Try to think, do not put up with groups without a tank. Also arial sword spec is atm probably the easiest class to hero fast, excluding perhaps healers. Anyways, some ranking pointers for you:
1) Try to rank on vulns, more damage easily.
2) Have a good tank, skill practice helps on tanking.
3) An area with 50 easy to kill mobs that give 200/pop is better than 5 hard ass mobs for 1k exp/pop.
4) If you want to rank fast, it's really all about efficiency in attacking, moving around so forth. Cut the crap and get to action. The best way to spoil ranking is to decide to go practice haggle and walk from Akan to Galadon. During your walk probably half of your group quits or dies or something.
5) Try new places for ranking, you might find good places.

I believe I had heroed in roughly 73 hours or so. Maybe near 100 tops. As a paladin, you really shouldn't have a problem. In around 100 hours I had all of my defenses, shield mastery, flank attack, angelswing, mace/sword (and I believe disarm, or close to it) perfected, and most of my relevant skills in the upper 90's. Its all pretty easy to do as a shield spec paladin (which I believe you are), so long as you tank and fight mobs that you can take. Get a bard and a voker and you can go from rank 30 to 51 in just a few hours, namely because you should be mowing through most good xp mobs.

A ranking group with a shield paladin and two mace or axe spec stormies would ravage 35-51 on caladryel, easily oblits all around with any avg 25 maces, 1000+ exp. Highly risky though, but very much worth it.

Others have done it faster, but my personal best was a neutral human air/offense shifter who hero'd in 75 hours with all controls in the 90s (i.e. I spammed a lot). Mostly it depends on finding good groups, which usually requires having a good tank. A "mediocre" tank can often be turned into a "good" tank by the addition of a support class (healer,arcane,bard) but then you're missing out on damage you could have had if the support class were replaced by a damage class.

Shield spec paladins are about the best people to rank with, since they avoid blows very well, have build in dam reduction, can heal themselves and can do damage during combat. Some people prefer LG conjurers but I dislike having to wait for conjuring.

Another big factor is finding a competant group leader. Someone who knows the layout of the area where you're ranking will generally be quicker about getting you from one mob to the next. To this end, if you group with someone who seems competant then by all means try to group with them again if possible. This also allows you to build IC alliances that can help out later down the road.

And finally - don't mob die. This is important. The fastest anyone is likely to gain xp over the entire life of a character is around 10k/hr. A more realistic figure would be 6k/hr. I'm including time spent finding a group, role-playing, etc. So if you die when you're in the 40s then you're looking at a 15-20k xp penalty, which translates to an extra 2-3 hours before you reach 51.

I heroed in around 45 hours as a human healer, but then I was lucky with groups.

To get empowered just go with a god that is active much and active in your times, then just pray.

Why did you have to delete? We were having fun running around and fighting you. Never did catch you though there were close calls, but you always had friends coming up and whacking me that I have to flee. Would have loved to interact with you but my life is always on the run.

Luck on your next.

Now that you made me wanted you just had to delete! And we were going to have such fun! Didnt know you very well but we had a bit of fun while I did know you. Sorry I had to go but i had 8 am class, i really would have liked to stick around a bit longer.

I have to admit, it did look pretty bad when I was in the conjie lecture hall and there was that sleeping conjie there...you thought i had jacked him..and then he woke up

Anyway, sorry your title went away...sucky.

Best of luck next time around.