More fun with AI

Great question — especially with Defiant gear, auto-granted AAs, and auto-granted spells, the early game (1–70) becomes a smooth on-ramp. Starting at 70+, expansions begin to matter again in terms of content, mechanics, progression systems, and long-term goals — even if gear upgrades aren’t immediately required.

Below is a solo + mercenary–focused walkthrough of expansion highlights beginning at level 70.

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Level 70 Era​

The Serpent's Spine (Level 1–75)​

Why it matters at 70+:

• Introduced the level 75 cap
• Linear, well-designed progression path
• Excellent solo/molo flow

Highlights:

• Direwind Cliffs and Ashengate are great stepping stones
• Heroic-styled quest arcs that still feel modern
• Very clean zone progression compared to older expansions

For a new player:
Probably the smoothest 70–75 experience if you want structure instead of wandering.

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Prophecy of Ro (65–70)​

Mostly group/raid oriented. Not especially important for a modern solo player beyond exploration.

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Level 75 Era​

The Buried Sea (70–75)​

Highlights:

• Introduced Fellowships (campfires for faster travel)
• Fun pirate theme
• Solid mid-70s content

Solo Value: Moderate. Nice variety, but not mandatory.

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Secrets of Faydwer (70–80)​

Major expansion for solo players.

Highlights:

• Level cap 80
• Huge number of zones
• Progressive quest arcs
• Heroic stats system introduced (modern stat design)
• Fantastic 75–80 experience path

Great Zones for Molo:

• Dragonscale Hills
• Loping Plains
• Hills of Shade

Why it’s important:
This is where the “modern” EQ feel really begins.

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Level 80 Era​

Seeds of Destruction (75–85)​

Very important expansion.

Highlights:

• Level cap 85
• Introduced Mercenary system
• Introduced structured Progression achievements
• Time-travel themed zones
• Tiered progression system

Solo Impact:
Mercenaries completely changed solo play. This expansion is foundational for modern EQ.

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Underfoot (75–85)​

Notorious difficulty spike.

Highlights:

• Extremely challenging content
• Tight indoor zones
• Strong story continuation from SoD

Solo Impact:
Harder than average — expect to struggle more than previous expansions.

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Level 85–90 Era​

House of Thule (85–90)​

One of the best expansions ever made.

Highlights:

• Level cap 90
• Introduced Player Housing
• Dream/nightmare theme
• Excellent zone design
• Very good solo progression path

Solo-Friendly Zones:

• Feerrott, the Dream
• House of Thule Lower Floors

Highly recommended experience.

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Veil of Alaris (90–95)​

Highlights:

• Level cap 95
• Language progression system
• Alaran continent

Solo Impact:
Decent but requires more structured progression than HoT.

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Level 95–100 Era​

Rain of Fear (95–100)​

Very strong expansion.

Highlights:

• Level cap 100
• Massive zone count
• Well-designed tier progression
• Good molo content in early tiers

Zones like:

• Shard’s Landing
• Valley of King Xorbb

Excellent 95–100 experience.

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Call of the Forsaken (100)​

Highlights:

• Introduced Heroic Adventures
• Scalable content
• Great repeatable missions

Solo Impact:
Heroic Adventures are perfect for molo play.

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Level 100–105 Era​

The Darkened Sea (100–105)​

Highlights:

• Level cap 105
• Island exploration theme
• Strong storyline

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The Broken Mirror (105)​

Very important mechanically.

Highlights:

• Introduced Type 5 augments
• Armor scaling through progression
• Solid group missions

Type 5 augs become long-term power progression.

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Level 105–110 Era​

Empires of Kunark (105–110)​

Highlights:

• Return to Kunark
• Excellent outdoor zones
• Good difficulty curve

Very good for solo + merc.

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Ring of Scale (105–110)​

Highlights:

• Dragon-heavy theme
• Vertical zone design
• Good endgame structure

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Level 110–115 Era​

The Burning Lands (110–115)​

Highlights:

• Level cap 115
• Challenging content
• Large stat inflation jump

Harder than previous expansions.

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Torment of Velious (110–115)​

More streamlined and accessible than Burning Lands.

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Level 115–120 Era​

Claws of Veeshan (115)​

Continuation of Velious story.

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Terror of Luclin (115–120)​

Highlights:

• Level cap 120
• Introduced new Alternate Currency systems
• Excellent zone aesthetics

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120+ Era​

Night of Shadows​

• Laurion’s Song storyline begins

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Laurion's Song​

• Current high-level direction
• Modern mission structure

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What Actually Matters for a Modern Solo Player​

Because you have:

• Defiant gear through 70
• Auto AAs
• Auto spells

The expansions matter less for power and more for:

1. Mercenaries (Seeds of Destruction)​

2. Heroic Adventures (Call of the Forsaken)​

3. Type 5 Augments (The Broken Mirror)​

4. Housing (House of Thule)​

5. Structured progression achievements (SoD onward)​

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If I Were Starting Fresh in 2026​

Best “Don’t Skip” Expansions:

• Secrets of Faydwer
• Seeds of Destruction
• House of Thule
• Rain of Fear
• Call of the Forsaken
• The Broken Mirror
• Empires of Kunark
• Terror of Luclin

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If you'd like, tell me:

• What class you're playing
• Whether you're on Live or TLP
• Whether you're aiming for max level or nostalgia

And I can map out a clean 70–120 solo path tailored to you.

**Omens of War (Level Cap: 70)**
Introduces the task system, perfect for solo players to pick up repeatable group content that's easily handled with a mercenary. New Epic 2.0 quests provide strong upgrades post-Defiant. Focus on Citadel of Anguish-era zones for initial 70 gear via tasks.

**Dragons of Norrath (Level Cap: 70)**
Instanced missions tailored for solo or small groups—ideal with a merc. Grind missions for crystals to buy excellent gear sets that bridge Defiant to higher levels. Lavastorm Mountains revamp adds accessible hunting grounds.

**Depths of Darkhollow (Level Cap: 70)**
Monster missions let you play as mobs for fun solo playstyles. Spirit shrouds and evolving items offer gear progression. Missions provide steady XP and loot in instanced zones.

**Prophecy of Ro (Level Cap: 70)**
Revamped Freeport and Desert of Ro zones for open-world solo farming. Player-set traps aid in controlling pulls with your merc. Solid mission content for XP and early augments.

**The Serpent's Spine (Level Cap: 75)**
First major level cap raise—grind to 75 via solo tasks from level 1 (retroactive). Drakkin race option and rest XP mechanic speed up solo leveling. Dragonscale Hills is a hotspot for 70-75 XP.

**The Buried Sea (Level Cap: 80)**
Gribble's missions in Mistmoore Catacombs (MMC) become available soon after—fastest solo XP path to 80 with a merc (use Lesson of the Devout for efficiency). Pirate ship raids are group-optional; focus on missions for gear.

**Secrets of Faydwer (Level Cap: 80)**
Cap raise to 80 aligns with Gribbles grind completion. Hills of Shade named drops provide next gear tier after Defiant (e.g., Glossy Silk for casters). Kerafyrm raid event is atmospheric but solo-irrelevant.

**Seeds of Destruction (Level Cap: 85)**
**Mercenaries introduced**—game-changer for pure solo play (hire healer/tank DPS). Signature series quests start here for best-in-slot armor. Oceangreen Hills and similar zones for hotzone XP.

**Underfoot (Level Cap: 85)**
Achievement system unlocks for tracking progress and rewards. Brell's Rest hub. Group missions and signatures continue gear chase; solid XP in Underfoot zones.

**House of Thule (Level Cap: 90)**
Housing system for trophies/loot display. 800+ new AAs (auto-granted). Signature quests yield strong 90 armor; dream-themed zones for immersive solo exploration.

**Veil of Alaris (Level Cap: 95)**
New continent with linear progression quests. Guild halls and hotbar improvements aid solo efficiency. Alaris zones great for 90-95 hotzones.

**Rain of Fear (Level Cap: 100)**
Fear planes are solo-friendly with slayer bonuses for XP/gear. Aggro meter helps merc management. Collections and linear item prog for augments.

**Call of the Forsaken (Level Cap: 105)**
**Heroic adventures**—quick, rewarding instanced content perfect for solo/merc. Merc AA/gear upgrades. West Karana revamp for open farming.

**The Darkened Sea (Level Cap: 105)**
Mount key ring frees bag space. Argin-Hiz and similar zones for XP. Heroic adventures continue; signatures for 105 gear.

**The Broken Mirror (Level Cap: 105)**
Scaling Plane of Hate/Fear instances (75-105) for catch-up XP. Illusion key ring. More heroics and missions.

**Empires of Kunark (Level Cap: 110)**
Familiar key ring. Kunark revamps (e.g., Chardok) for nostalgia solo farms. Signature line ramps up.

**Ring of Scale (Level Cap: 110)**
Cap raise; Sarnak Empire zones. Strong group missions for augs; hotzones efficient with merc.

**The Burning Lands (Level Cap: 115)**
Luck stat debuts (helps crits/cash). Planes of Air/Fire missions soloable. Luck-based procs shine with merc setups.

**Torment of Velious (Level Cap: 115)**
Velious return with ice shaders. Living ice threats add challenge; great XP in new zones.

**Claws of Veeshan (Level Cap: 120)**
Dragon's Hoard storage (huge inventory boost). Class-specific AAs (auto to 120). Velious dragon hunts.

**Terror of Luclin (Level Cap: 120)**
Teleport key ring (10 slots). Luclin return; Mayong storyline. AA/spells cap here (auto-granted).

**Night of Shadows (Level Cap: 125)**
Tradeskill depot (250 shared stacks). Must-earn AAs/spells start; signatures for 125 power.

**Laurion's Song (Level Cap: 125)**
**Alternate Personas**—swap classes mid-combat (retain stats/gear). Game-changer for solo flexibility with merc.

**The Outer Brood (Level Cap: 125)**
Continued 125 content; focus on missions/collections for augments. Build toward final cap.

**Shattering of Ro (Level Cap: 130)**
Final cap raise; Planes zones. **Magic Storms AA** for massive proc/destruction power (solo DPS boost). Faction choices (Good/Evil) affect rewards; Vah Shir Druid unlock. Linear no-bind prog keeps you focused.

**General Solo Tips Across Expansions:**
- **Leveling Path:** Hotzones + daily/weekly missions + Gribbles (75-80) + Heroic Adventures (100+) + Signatures for gear. Pet classes (Necro, Mage, Beastlord) excel with merc healer.
- **Gear:** Signatures → Group Mission augments/drops → Overseer quests (85+). All group content is merc-soloable.
- **Pacing:** 70-120 flies by with autos; 120-130 slower but rewarding. Buy expansion packs as needed for access.

**Gear and Augment Upgrade Priorities (Solo + Merc, Post-Defiant 70 Start):**

Gear progression in modern EQ (up to Shattering of Ro cap 130) is straightforward for solo players: **Signature quest series** provide BiS armor sets at each major cap (soloable storylines, start in Seeds of Destruction at 85). **Group missions** (all soloable) yield currency for vendor gear/augs. **Heroic adventures** (CotF+) are quick dailies for heroic materials → vendor upgrades. **Overseer quests** offer easy catch-up gear/XP. Farm recent expansions for top Type 8 augs/stats; older ones for filler.


**Farm Strategy:**
- **Daily Routine**: Heroics (105+) + 6-12 group missions (recent exps) + hotzone tasks. Use merc healer/tank.
- **Augments**: Prioritize Type 8 from ToV+ missions (potency, crit, haste). Vendor-sold via currency (e.g., SoR Riven Arcana). Easy remove/insert now.
- **Catch-Up**: Overseer (UF+) for quick Tier 1-4 gear. Signatures retroactive.
- **Pacing**: Level to 130 via autos/hotzones, interweave farms. Buy exps as needed (SoR current). All group content merc-soloable.

This keeps you geared for all content without groups.

Absolutely — here’s a clean, practical roadmap for a non-raid Shaman + Druid duo with tank/healer mercs in EverQuest.

This focuses on:

• What gear tier
• How you get it (activity type)
• What currency/token
• Where your aug upgrades come from

I’ll keep it streamlined and realistic for duo + merc play.

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80–84​

Gear Target​

Seeds of Destruction Tier 1 (Group)
Expansion: EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction

🛠 How You Get It​

• Kill named mobs in:
  • Oceangreen Hills
  • Bloody Kithicor
  • Field of Scale
• Buy tradable drops in Bazaar
• Do SoD group missions

Currency​

• Chronobines
  • Earned from SoD instanced missions
  • Spent at SoD vendors for visible armor

Augments (Goal: 150–250 HP)​

How to get:

• LDoN points → run LDoN adventures
• Dragonscale Hills quests
• SoD mission rewards
• Farm named for Type 7/8 augs

Focus on filling every slot first, not perfection.

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85–89​

Gear Target​

House of Thule Tier 1 (Abstruse Armor)
Expansion: EverQuest: House of Thule

This is what people call “Signature gear.”

🛠 How You Get It​

• Do progression tasks in:
  • Feerrott, The Dream
  • The Grounds
  • House of Thule Lower
• Kill named mobs
• Run HoT group missions

Currency​

• Dream Motes
  • Earned from HoT missions & progression
  • Used to buy Abstruse armor from vendors

This is very merc-friendly content.

Augments (Goal: 250–350 HP)​

How to get:

• HoT mission reward augs
• Dream Mote vendor augs
• Named drops in HoT zones
• Some purchasable in Bazaar

Replace all sub-200 HP augs now.

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90–94​

Gear Target​

Veil of Alaris Tier 1 Group Gear
Expansion: EverQuest: Veil of Alaris

🛠 How You Get It​

• Do zone progression in:
  • Argath
  • Valley of Lunanyn
• Kill named
• Complete VoA group missions

Currency​

• Alaran Cantrips
  • Earned from missions & named
  • Used to purchase group armor

VoA is harder than HoT — finish HoT gear first.

Augments (Goal: 350–450 HP)​

How to get:

• VoA mission vendors
• Named drops
• Currency augs
• Progression reward augs

Begin replacing all HoT augs.

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95–99​

Gear Target​

Rain of Fear Tier 1 Group Gear
Expansion: EverQuest: Rain of Fear

🛠 How You Get It​

• Do progression in:
  • Shard’s Landing
  • East Wastes (RoF version)
• Farm named
• Run Heroic Adventures

Currency​

• Pieces of Eight
  • Earned from RoF missions
  • Used for visible armor

Augments (Goal: 400–500 HP)​

How to get:

• RoF mission vendors
• Named in Shard’s Landing
• Currency purchases

Replace anything under 400 HP.

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100–104​

Gear Target​

The Darkened Sea Tier 1 Group Gear
Expansion: EverQuest: The Darkened Sea

🛠 How You Get It​

• Do progression in:
  • Tempest Temple
  • Katta Castrum: Deluge
• Complete group missions

Currency​

• Marks of Valor
  • Earned from Heroic Adventures
  • Spent on group gear

Heroic Adventures become your main grind loop here.

Augments (Goal: 500–600 HP)​

How to get:

• Marks of Valor vendor
• HA completion rewards
• Named drops

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105+​

At this point each expansion follows same model:

Each expansion:

• Do progression
• Farm named
• Run missions
• Spend currency
• Replace augs with expansion vendor Type 5 augs

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Simple Pattern You’ll Notice​

Every expansion from 85+ follows this formula:

1. Do progression quests (unlocks vendors)
2. Run group missions (earn currency)
3. Kill named (chance at visible drops + augs)
4. Spend expansion currency on guaranteed upgrades
5. Replace augs every expansion

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Duo + Merc Strategy Tip​

Since you're not raiding:

• Prioritize currency gear over random drops (guaranteed progress)
• Upgrade weapons early
• Always replace visible armor before non-visible
• Never leave aug slots empty
• HP > Mana > AC for your setup

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If you'd like, I can also create:

• A “minimum grind” version (fastest possible power path)
• Or a “best merc survival” version
• Or a Shaman-specific aug priority cheat sheet

Just tell me how hardcore you want the grind to be.