Paineel

[MikeXG]

So, I decided to make a new character and give him a budget twink job. So far so good, I am an 18 ranger, and I know they are not the best solo, but it is a fun class. I am trying to approach leveling by doing content I have not done before. Someone suggested Paineel guards and I am really excited to try them - However I can't get into Paineel without the key and I need to get my faction up to Amiable to be able to get said key. The question I have for you all is - is it worth the slow XP and long grind in the warrens to get the faction to get the key to kill the guards? Is the XP from the guards good? Do the guards drop decent coin beyond bronze weapons? Is there any reason beyond killing these guards that I may want to be in Paineel, even later in life? And lastly, how long are the guards sustainable as XP?

[fadetree]

You will not need to be in paineel for anything later in life.
(I hear that) the faction grind in warrens is LONG...as in thousands of kobolds.
I read that they drop around 11pp in weapons and change, I assume that's mainly for the weaps and shields.
I don't know the xp but its probably normal, neither bad nor good.
To get in without faction, all you need is a buddy who is willing operate the elevator for you.
Now I am out of info, but I would say that I would be leery of going in there solo as a 18 ranger with no key of your own. You have no CC yet besides root...you get harmony at 22, which would make it a lot safer, except it's probably inside so you can't use.

[Expediency]

Unless you have motivations beyond simply leveling up and seeing paineel, you will spend a huge amount of time grinding faction to buy a paineel key just so you can ruin that faction again in 5 minutes.

A better plan would be go into warrens and enjoy yourself, when you level out go to stonebrunt, kerra, or anywhere in the rest of the world and level, and when you're ready to kill guards in paineel just ask someone to open the door for you.

So many good places to explore level 18-25 that dont require faction grinding and keys.

[Vdub]

Unless you have motivations beyond simply leveling up and seeing paineel, you will spend a huge amount of time grinding faction to buy a paineel key just so you can ruin that faction again in 5 minutes.

A better plan would be go into warrens and enjoy yourself, when you level out go to stonebrunt, kerra, or anywhere in the rest of the world and level, and when you're ready to kill guards in paineel just ask someone to open the door for you.

So many good places to explore level 18-25 that dont require faction grinding and keys.

Not sure what you mean by ruin that faction in 5 minutes. Paineel guards do not decrease your faction so you can vendor weapons there all day.

[Expediency]

Not sure what you mean by ruin that faction in 5 minutes. Paineel guards do not decrease your faction so you can vendor weapons there all day.

News to me, I rarely kill guards. I stick with my assessment that this is a waste of time even if he keeps the faction he's earned. Its going to take a level 18 ranger forever to kill enough kobolds to buy that key.

[Vdub]

News to me, I rarely kill guards. I stick with my assessment that this is a waste of time even if he keeps the faction he's earned. Its going to take a level 18 ranger forever to kill enough kobolds to buy that key.

Sounds like you're part of the Paineel guard farming cartel, trying to keep new people away from your gravy train!

[Expediency]

Sounds like you're part of the Paineel guard farming cartel, trying to keep new people away from your gravy train!

Ive not farmed guards but I am guilty of trying to steer him to other locations on odus. That whole continent is way underrrated and has some of the best zones nobody ever uses. Also every zone is 5 min or less from the the druid rings.

[Shodo]

Definitely not worth getting your faction to amiable just for that - don't know the exact number required but my wiz has ae'd about 400 kobolds so far and is still threatening - would take a level 18 a looooooong time to to get there. I would recommend instead getting a bind at warrens ZL then going to stonebrunt for something new - excellent outdoor zone with lots of quests to do and the loot from kobolds is decent for the level. Tracking is also a big plus in that zone.

[RDawg816]

There are no faction hits for killing the guards in Paineel.
On average, they are worth 9-10pp each.
Some are 6 minute respawns, others 8, others 27....
It's outdoors, so you can harmony and sow.
Guards start at level 14 and top out at 40.
People exp here, but nobody goes there *for* exp. Exp there is about as bad as it gets.

Reasons to do this include but aren't limited to: money (primarily), access to a Hole key and a place to buy/sell while there (not worth it imo), and normal/bad exp in a place most people hate (and you'll hate yourself after a few levels, it's like punching in to work)....

[MikeXG]

Ive not farmed guards but I am guilty of trying to steer him to other locations on odus. That whole continent is way underrrated and has some of the best zones nobody ever uses. Also every zone is 5 min or less from the the druid rings.

Yea - Odus is an area I just have never used beyond going to Erudin for the occasional spell purchase or port to tox and boat to qeynos.

I am leveling in the warrens and the xp is decent. So I figure if I get the faction I need before I out level /get sick of the warrens Ill get the key. It is news to me that the faction does not take a hit, so that is a huge Plus. Is all of Paineel the same faction (heretic) or are their other factions (IE qeynos guards and qeynos merchants).

Hypothetically, could someone hunt here from 20-40? despite how much they grow to hate themselves?

[Siberious]

Paineel Guards are the only mobs I know of that don't give negative faction hits in the zone. Majority of mobs in Paineel are on heretic and some also are on other factions as well (see more then negative heretics when I accidentally killed a non-guard), was able to faction in Warren's on my monk and travel anywhere I tried (Minus maybe some class guilds that I have no reason to enter). The guards themselves can vastly differ in level from mob to mob, though generally when they spawn in pairs they are the same level.

[RDawg816]

Yea - Odus is an area I just have never used beyond going to Erudin for the occasional spell purchase or port to tox and boat to qeynos.

I am leveling in the warrens and the xp is decent. So I figure if I get the faction I need before I out level /get sick of the warrens Ill get the key. It is news to me that the faction does not take a hit, so that is a huge Plus. Is all of Paineel the same faction (heretic) or are their other factions (IE qeynos guards and qeynos merchants).

Hypothetically, could someone hunt here from 20-40? despite how much they grow to hate themselves?
Everything is the same faction, and you can exp there from 20 to 60 if you really want to hate yourself.

[Shodo]

Hypothetically, could someone hunt here from 20-40? despite how much they grow to hate themselves?

Hypothetically yes, but it would almost certainly become eye-bleedingly boring. You can XP in the warrens until low twenties ish, after that the only option for a while is Stonebrunt (probably a few guards in Paineel for the inbetween levels too but i'm not sure). There's a wide variety of mob levels there that can take you to 40 or so, maybe a little higher. After that you could XP in the Hole to 60 but for a ranger you'd at least want a duo partner unless you have some nice gear by then.

[MikeXG]

IM DUBIOUS!!!

well on my way haha.

I'll keep working at it because I am curious about trying it out and it is something new/to do. I am curious in going to stonebrunt also - any suggestions on how to tackle that zone (level 19 almost 20 now)

[Shodo]

IM DUBIOUS!!!

well on my way haha.

I'll keep working at it because I am curious about trying it out and it is something new/to do. I am curious in going to stonebrunt also - any suggestions on how to tackle that zone (level 19 almost 20 now)

The kobold camps right next to zoneline are around level 20ish but would be a pain to break for you without harmony. I would just track dark blues and pull to any zone wall until 22, then tackle the camps. Stick near zoneline area in case of trouble.

Around 25ish look up the heretic heads and wakizashi of the frozen skies quests for extra stuff to do.

[Lhancelot]

News to me, I rarely kill guards. I stick with my assessment that this is a waste of time even if he keeps the faction he's earned. Its going to take a level 18 ranger forever to kill enough kobolds to buy that key.

Not really accurate, a bit hyperbolic in fact.

I have gotten my faction for Paineel via Warrens and it only took a decent session in one day's time.

Also, often you can find some higher lvls grinding faction in Warrens, if that's happening you can really work faction fast there by simply hitting their mobs they kill, or buffing/healing the player killing the kobolds...

I kind of enjoy working factions for cities you are not native in, just for the sake of being able to walk around a place that once despised and would KOS you.

[tristantio]

Pros:

- The xp isn't noticeably slower than anywhere else you'd Xp.
- Leveling from ~18 to 40 there (solo), you'll end up with 10k+ easily (its pretty nice)
- Outdoors
- Can be bound there
- No random agros (mobs are easily timeable, great place to kill a guard, afk and repeat over and over)

Cons:

- Takes about a night or two to grind faction to get in
- Have to share spawns more often now that warrens exist (used to be a great spot for evil erudites to level in privacy, or skelly form necs)
- Very boring, but you're probably watching TV while you do this, so who cares

I've leveled a lot of guys up in there (3 of them 45+ pre-warrens where I almost always had exclusive zone to me, 2 post-warrens), its pretty great.