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Leveling
This is a general levelling guide that can apply to both melee and caster alike. Although not exhaustive, by any means, it is a well constructed precis of the tactics and techniques of the levelling grind.
Level 1-4:
Any hunting ground will do, my personal favorite for speed leveling is the Newport (known as Qeynos on Live) newbie area.
At this point (lvl 4 or so) it is significantly better xp to group than to solo, for every class.
In North Newport, kill mostly the beetles and turn in the pincers to the guard on the right of the gate opening; you get 500 exp and some money for every 2, and you can turn in 20. Then you can go into the sewers, collect ratman hoods, ratmen tails, and rattails; you get exp and some money for every 2 you turn in.
Level 4 to 5/6:
Zone from Newport newbie area to Centaur Hills. Hunt creatures that con even, blue, and maybe even yellow if you think you are up to it. If you start to get too beat up, make a dash and zone back into Newport. Another good area is the outside of Blackburrow. Take out the gnolls, wolves, beetles, etc.
Level 5/6 to 10-12:
At lvl 5 or 6 you should be strong enough to venture into Blackburrow. Start killing gnolls that can be single pulled or double pulled. Like previously stated, group xp is where it's at. A good, non-twinked, group should be able to kill the top level efficiently, clearing the whole level. If you can do this you will level to lvl 10 in no time. This can continue to be done up until lvl 11 and even 12, but the rate at which you level will significantly decrease during these levels.
When you are around 7, go to Western Badlands for the best exp...kill the bandits but whatever you do DON'T kill Neverik. She will pawn you...but loot the bandit heads and turn into the guard on top of Newport gate; you get 1000 exp and 2 bounty tokens for each head, max turn in 10.
Level 10-12 to 12-14
At this point, depending on how strong your group is, take the first ramp down (still in Blackburrow), until you are at the first room with 2 gnolls on your left (which are higher level and may cast, and therefore harder to kill). There is 1 roamer, so it is best to wait for him to start his roam to the top level to take him down singly, unless he has already been taken down.
Now take down the previously mentioned 2 gnolls. The room now opens up to 2 bridges, one with water beneath, one with land (the right bridge). Jump down the right bridge on the right side of the bridge and there is a gnoll that spawns directly there. Down him; now there is another gnoll that spawns on the opposite side of the bridge, down him as well. Run back to the last gnoll you killed. There is 4 or 5 gnolls along this wall. 2 are a double pull, the others are singles. Down the singles. The water next to you now has fish in it, pull and down them as well (they can fly so don't worry about fighting them in the water). If you think you are strong enough of a group, pull the double pull and down them as well. There is an additional gnoll near the fish also, pull and down him. Keep killing here, it is great xp until lvl 12, and even then it can be continued until level 13/14 and still be good xp. This spawn has about 13 mobs, 9 that can be single pulled and 4 that come as pairs. These should be adequate but if your group is really kicking ass, there are a couple mobs in the area that can be killed as well.
This spawn can be soloed by a lvl 12 depending on the class and/or the skill of the player. Don't get frustrated if you can't take this spawn by yourself. Not all classes can and it is very difficult even if possible.
Another good place can be the skeletons in Centaur Hills. If you exit Surefall Glade, they'll be to the left at the stone, but they only come out at night, 8pm to 6am ... but beware, if you kill enough the spectre will spawn, and he is tough. The exp is really good after you hit lvl 10 or so, you start getting the new zone exp +25% and the skellies are fairly easy. You get about 700 exp before you hit lvl 10 and after that, you start getting about 1000 exp. Well, happy hunting.
Another good bet would be in GSM Goblin Skull Mountains or LFay Lesser Faydark. If in GSM you might want a group at least. In LFay, kill the pixies; you can even get good money from killing them, and you get pixie armor also.
Level 12-14 to 16/17:
Shrouded Island (known as Estate of Unrest on Live)
Kill the entrance beetles, skeletons, etc. There is only about 5 or 6 guys here.
Note: Don't attempt to pull the 2 skeleton that are guarding the very entrance to the estate; they can be killed but the real issue is they can aggro a much tougher roaming mob that you won't be able to kill without a quite strong group, but if you do get a stronger group, they can add to the xp.
If the entrance mobs aren't enough, which they probably won't be, you can run towards the estate, when you hit the stairs, make a right (90 degree turn) and follow the hedge that is the backside of one of the mazes. You will see 2 mobs, Yatek and Amtek. To the right of their gazebo against the wall is a safe spot. Med/regen (which you should be bandaging instead of waiting for hps to regen) here and pull only when you can pull a single, start clearing around the estate counter-clockwise. As you start to clear the yard, instead of making long runs, move up the yard, the mobs won't respawn for some time so you will be safe. You won't be able to clear very far if solo, but a group can easily clear the entire yard. More mobs can be spawned by running near trees, it spawns 2 beetles that are lvl 12-14. Also at the backmost entrance there is 1 tough mob that can be pulled single, and if you are able to clear the yard you are definitely strong enough to handle pulling the 2 entrance guards that I previously noted not to pull.
Note: Killing Amtek/Yatek is good money, they drop a nice BP, Legs, and an axe that sell for about 10pp each to merchant. Kill them as much as you can as this is a lot of money for your level. I would kill them every time they were up, and run to Erudin frequently to sell. Also, the Yardkeeper drops a knife and a shovel that can be sold for about 5 or 6pp each, do the same with these.
At level 14 you have an alternative ... to hit The Warrens, no explanation needed here, just start clearing as much as you can. Go right when you first enter.
Level 16/17-21/22 (maybe higher)
Go into the Warrens and make a left when you first enter zone. Clear all the way to what is called the throne room (the big room on your map). This is where you want to stay. Every mob except the 3 that are at the end of the room can be single pulled. Start clearing the room, you probably won't be able to clear it all until higher up, even then it will be hard. This can be done solo once you're level 18, 19, 20 or perhaps lower depending on your class.
An alternative is to go to Blackburrow and go deep ... you can get some good exp, but be careful, as you might need a group or if you have a group, you can go to Kaladim in Goblin Skull Mountains.
Level 22-32/33/34
I poked around different places. I never found an ideal place or places to level, although Halls of Mielech (formerly guk) and inside the mansion at Shrouded Island did get me a few levels each.
That leaves me with the following recomendations: Warpstone Caverns, Shrouded Island, Halls of Mielech (deeper in). Outside of Lair of Paw (SBL) can be good as well for a solo class, although inside Paw can be rough without a solid group that is near or above 30.
The griffins in Northern Badlands can give good XP at this level as well as some fair cash. Griffin claws and Griffin feathers will bring 5-6 PP. Also, the Scout Quest from North Newport is do-able at this level and gets you faction with the Newport folks. Firemane, a named lion in Northern Badlands drops Firemane's Courage as well as the Lionpelt Tunic, both good items at this level. Also, Shadewidow is a named spider that drops the Silkspun Collar. This zone is very well designed for fear kiting or snare kiting for those with those abilities.
Kaladim Is awesome exp for 26 all the way up till 35ish. Warrior guild and castle also have excellent named drops. Great exp mod here - Recomend it to anyone.
Level 32 to ??:
A good place is King's Pass, and recently a portal from the Mansion of Portals has been added. I wasn't friends with enough people my first time through to ever get a solid group out there, but it seemed like incredibly promising xp.
Lots of groups in Lair of Paw. Excellent xp modifier, can stay there till 40.
Level 34 to 40-45:
Heartland Plateau
Kill spiders, and other junk until level 36-39 or so, then travel to the Goblin Cave or kill the robots until 45. I only stayed here until level 40, although you can definitely stay longer. This can be done solo.
Level 40-45 to 55:
Keep of Mielech.
Go in former dead side, turn right at the split. Clear to the bridge. You can also clear more spiders as well instead of traveling to the bridge. Go across bridge, clear the mobs, and go up ladders and clear mobs up there as well.
If you think your group is strong enough at this point, jump down from the bridge and clear the area. Travel up through the dungeon (3 stories) until you are back up to the bridge; rinse and repeat. There are 2 tricky spots, the hardest is when you are trying to go from the bottom floor to the 2nd floor, the room you enter upon going up the stairs can pull 5 mobs at once, some casters. This can't be done without a stronger group, so either stay on the bottom or don't come down until you can clear this room. Once you are higher you shouldn't have too much trouble clearing through the floors. I found this to be phenomenal xp all the way to 55.
Level 51 to 58/59:
Freeport
Kill skellies.
Sorcerer's Labyrinth
Excellent xp, especially in groups. Lots of traffic. Kobolds up at tents and down in pits, lots of named and money to be made. Spiders and kobolds at enterence good to start.
Lasanth
Stay away from minotaurs. They HURT.
Edit- In Lasanth, the most popular camp are the Mutated mobs that populate the first third of the zone. A good group can keep pretty much the entire section cleared, but pulling from the basement or other spots deep inside the hallways/cells can be tricky (Run3 or beastlord pet pulling is a good idea, or else the puller may be chain stunned and killed on the way back). Some of the mutants start going lightblue at level 56, so try to avoid leveling past 55 or your group will start receiving less exp on some kills. Due to the ease and popularity of this camp, it can be a good idea to get 55 and then start working on AAs. Also, having a druid or mage in the group is ridiculous, as the mutants frenzy constantly but for relatively low amounts per swing. It's not uncommon for damage shields to contribute more overall damage than anything else.
Level 58/59-65:
DN (Dragon Necropolis) is good for all levels, rat city to be specific. Not the greatest xp/hour, but its steadiness more than makes up for it. The time you waste rezzing group members, running to other zones, coming back after a wipe is minimized in every way at DN, so overall xp/hour increases dramatically due to these. Strong groups can do Kedge Keep, Cyrtho Malath, Mielech's Lair, Eldenal's Mansion but, in general, these places are best done with a group of lvl 63+'s.
Furthermore, they are best for 65's with good gear (at least partial raid gear). Expect more wipes and less controlled fights at these places. Another positive about DN is even with a good group it is challenging to clear the entire city because there is never waiting on repops. In addition, rat city is good money, average of a couple pp per mouse as well as gems, quest gems, quest armor pieces, and greymoss which can be sold to tradeskillers, not to mention a few armor pieces that vendor well or can be sold to players cheaply before the split. My suggestion is this: stick to rat city until 63 or 64, but either way just try to get in some kind of group. If you can group with raid geared players, great ... you will get much better xp; if not, hit DN. Once 64/65 you can start doing the other places I mentioned. Either way it shouldn't be too terribly difficult to find a group once you're 63/64, as this opens you up to a greater number of players who will also be wanting to group. Another possiblity is Lasanth, although I haven't leveled there yet.
Enjoy. If you have any questions: Artropos/Alectro are my current mains.
And sorry for posting this on main hunting guide page, I dont know how to post as a seperate page.
Edit: Shandara (for construction and punctuation)
Edit2- Other possible areas to group in from mid 50s to 65 include deeper in Sorceror's Labyrinth, Red Sun Mines (Imps/Golems or Goblins), Crystal Caverns, the Plaguelands, or Simple(pre-60)/Very Easy/Easy treasure maps. There's really no shortage of options, and most places can be done either solo or duo with the right classes, although adding people will definitely increase the exp rate. Find an area that's not already occupied and /ooc for more people to join in.