The Velious Monk

[skarlorn]

I'm about to hit 35 on my twinked monk (it's only taken 3 years).

That said, I'm looking for a fresh pasture to roam. Old World and Kunark is great but I've done it many times since joining p99. While I don't love Velious, I figured why not check out some of the leveling content as a solo monk.

My first destination will be crystal caverns. Can someone suggest a good area to stay in the caverns? I've never even been inside the zone.

I'll keep exploring from there and hopefully can learn the best leveling spots in Velious. I know the xp modifiers are garbage and hp is high, but I don't really care about leveling up fast.

[Spyder73]

I have a 41 Druid that I would like to do strange and exciting content on. Message Wutaang if you ever seen him on and I can port us around + thorns/regen/SoW/heal. Been splitting my play time between Wutaang and Myrdrraal. I know Iceclad has some wolfs I could charm also...

With that said I have not ever actually done much XPing in Velious besides some time in Velks (pretty garbage XP honestly).

[skarlorn]

i'll add you to the (friends) LIST

I'd prefer shitty exp and some fresh looking pixels than another run through Sol A halls.

[mattitude]

The zone in should be pretty safe to kill the orcs at. The whole first maze section is all made up of orcs that you should be able to kill pretty easy. If you want to jump off the first ledge to the bottom there's an exit tunnel there. Can't remember which direction it is, but the only exit. If you go out that, there's a fork, take a right and that'll take you to the coldain town. One of my favorite zones. Shoot me a pm and I'd be happy to show you around the zone.

[mattitude]

On another note, trying to get my alt to about 30ish and one zone I've always wanted to explore and run through is tower of frozen shadow. Sounds dangerous and fun.

[skarlorn]

got him to crystal caverns, killing orcs is good.

so much different than the goblin warriors and shams i killed in the lavastorm mtn mines :rollesyes:

[skarlorn]

Are there any ways an ikky monk can get monk skills trained in Velious?

[skarlorn]

Level 34 - 37 done in Crystal Caverns. Hunted many Orcs. Spiders became better xp at 36. I think Orcs were slightly better plat, but i'm not sure how well the crystalline silk thread sells for compared to the Velium drops. Good exp and money and more mobs than I could ask for. I'm gonna poke my head into TOFS maybe for the last half of 37 before a trip to the commonlands.

[mattitude]

Yeah crystal caverns is definitely my favorite place for the 30s. Never have to fight for mobs. Trying to get my necro up higher so I can go to ToFS. Lemme know how it goes!

[teamBlanky]

Can an Iksar monk use vendors in the Coldain town? I’m thinking of popping up to finish 39 and farm some plat.

[Twochain]

Yeah crystal caverns is definitely my favorite place for the 30s. Never have to fight for mobs. Trying to get my necro up higher so I can go to ToFS. Lemme know how it goes!

ToFS level 1 is pretty good exp 30+, you'll have to deal with slight trains, as it's easy to agro 2-3 at a time, but it's manageable since the zoneout is RIGHT THERE.

Level 2 is, in my opinion, the hardest level adjusted "zone" in the game. The mobs are super, non classically OP, will charm your pet, then bend you over.

[skarlorn]

Can an Iksar monk use vendors in the Coldain town? I’m thinking of popping up to finish 39 and farm some plat.

Yes!! It really helps a lot. The velium you get off of orcs and crystalline spider silks have player value and I've banked a ton of them. Not really sure what it's worth yet :) So make sure to have plenty of bank room.

ToFS level 1 is pretty good exp 30+, you'll have to deal with slight trains, as it's easy to agro 2-3 at a time, but it's manageable since the zoneout is RIGHT THERE.

Level 2 is, in my opinion, the hardest level adjusted "zone" in the game. The mobs are super, non classically OP, will charm your pet, then bend you over.

I'm literally on a corpse run to TOFS right now. At 37 as a twink monk the lower level was super easy. Soloing 3 dogs at a time, no problem if you're too lazy to split.

The large undead gnoll key mob gave me a bit of a challenge since i was soloing 4 at once and he spawned after the 2nd shadow beast went down... he spawns after prior NPCs death like a jade reaver of VP worm... on top of that, he's a shaman and hits fairly hard, too.

I went up to the 2nd floor and got killed by Librarian almost immediately. I had probably 70% hp going in, no mend. Used my Staff of Battle to counter the Damage Shield, but she ended up finishing off my last 25% hp with a full-hitting nuke. Now I have to see if I can drag my corpse through the ceiling of level 1, because apparently your TOFS keys don't stay on the body.

I won't be fucking around on the second floor again for a good minute. Either I need higher level to resist more of the nukes, or I need a duo partner who has an interrupt/stun ability.

So I agree completely with what you said :-)

First floor is nice cause it's sectioned-off, so if your playstyle is short windows, I think ToFS is even better than Crystal Caverns in terms of "clear a room and go AFK til repops"

Pretty funny lunch break.

[Twochain]

Yes!! It really helps a lot. The velium you get off of orcs and crystalline spider silks have player value and I've banked a ton of them. Not really sure what it's worth yet :) So make sure to have plenty of bank room.



I'm literally on a corpse run to TOFS right now. At 37 as a twink monk the lower level was super easy. Soloing 3 dogs at a time, no problem if you're too lazy to split.

The large undead gnoll key mob gave me a bit of a challenge since i was soloing 4 at once and he spawned after the 2nd shadow beast went down... he spawns after prior NPCs death like a jade reaver of VP worm... on top of that, he's a shaman and hits fairly hard, too.

I went up to the 2nd floor and got killed by Librarian almost immediately. I had probably 70% hp going in, no mend. Used my Staff of Battle to counter the Damage Shield, but she ended up finishing off my last 25% hp with a full-hitting nuke. Now I have to see if I can drag my corpse through the ceiling of level 1, because apparently your TOFS keys don't stay on the body.

I won't be fucking around on the second floor again for a good minute. Either I need higher level to resist more of the nukes, or I need a duo partner who has an interrupt/stun ability.

So I agree completely with what you said :-)

First floor is nice cause it's sectioned-off, so if your playstyle is short windows, I think ToFS is even better than Crystal Caverns in terms of "clear a room and go AFK til repops"

Pretty funny lunch break.

Level 3,4+6 is really good exp too. Similar to floor 1, they are nice for some easy semi afk/semi i might slash exit at any moment XP. I leveled Twochain up a fair amount in ToFS. Floor 6 is actually a GREAT place to level once you're high enough. Pretty much unlimited single or double pull warrior mobs. Just don't get raped by the 750DD trap lol. Level 5 has some really nice drops, but a lot of the mobs are clumped up, so it kind of sucks to level there with the FD/Sneak nerf.

2nd floor is just fucking bonkers man. I saw a level 60 necro get RAAAPED there. Fuckers charmed his pet and nuked the ever living fuck out of him.... Said mob became the toughest level 33 to ever exist. An OP enchanter casting spells way out of it's level range... with a level 60 necro pet. I also wiped like 5 times in one night on that floor with a FULL GROUP of level 35+ish players, and 2-3 of us were fungi twinks.

Even still, it's entirely possible for me to die on that floor. At level 60. Their DS seems like it hits for fucking 75, and I swear to god they land spells on me more often than a level 60 dragon. I might have exaggerated that last sentence, but I feel like the OPness of Floor 2 ToFS needs to be exaggerated so everybody knows.

[skarlorn]

OK - update.

If you die above Floor 1 of TOFS, you have to get someone with a key to help you back up into the Tower.

I was lucky and ran into a couple fellows who were heading inside while I finished my CR.

https://i.imgur.com/03JCjGj.jpg
Killed this fucker near the zone out on Floor two. He was a warrior who had a DS and a Damage Absorb on - WTF? The only mob nearby was a necro.

I scoped outside of TOFS and came across a gnoll camp. I killed some perimeter guards and was thinking "wow Velious is cool cause you can get good xp while moving between zones", then I aggroed 3 gnolls near the center of camp and one of them hit me for 280 damage in 2 swings and I died again.

NOT LEAVING CRYSTAL CAVERNS AGAIN FOR A WHILE.

[Spyder73]

The mighty Druid Lord of Rivervale (Wutaang) is 46 now. Can click my lumi staff finally. If you would stay on for more than 5 minutes at a time I'll come hook you up on buffs and we can duo a bit. Monk/Druid is pretty good. I can chloro/str/skin/SoW/DS you and then grab a Charm pet while you tank. Did quite a bit of duoing with a monk in OT and it worked quite well. Harmony + Feign Death makes for pretty pain free single pulls as well.

[skarlorn]

excuse me Sir i have actually played multiple hours this week

sir, i have also sent tells to you TWICE during gaming sessions this week. to wit, i was insulting you because I doubt your Druid has a Manastone and Fungi, I was mocking you, sir, and sir, you hurt my feelings because i thought you did not want to play verbal abuse with me, sir, and so I wondered if perhaps you were just sulking there ignoring myself, my good sir

[skarlorn]

please do! It's a direct reference to the Dune character Paul Muad'Dib, and while, strictly speaking, Desertmouse could be considered legal by the p99 naming conventions it is CLEARLY RUINING IMMERSION BY REFERENCING OUT OF WORLD CHARACTERS, PLACES, OR EVENTS.

your petition could save another person's immersion.

thanks for helping out

[skarlorn]

Slow morning at work today.

I was the only person in Crystal Caverns and so I finally got to try Geonids. Pleasantly surprised! At level 38 I was able to kill all geos and by the time i finished there was only 1 or 2 repops. Made about 200pp off a couple of cycles and the exp was good.

One geo must have been only a level below me cause he almost took me to SHREK town. Had to flop him once. Second time I had to root him and pop a rejuv pot charge and even then i only beat him barely.

Loving the Crystal Caverns life. Spiders are good exp too but they annoy me. Geos obviously the most fun.

For anyone attempting Geos with a fungi monk at lower than normal level, I highly recommend you bust out your 1 handers. 2HB just is the Cuck when you're fighting things that are close level to you, in my experience.

I am nearly level 39. Will definitely remain in the Caverns well through 40. I'd like to earn enough plat via Spider Cum Silks and Chipped Gems to replace my Staff of Battle with an IFS. Is it worth holding on to any Chipped gems or are they just vendor trash?

[demonith]

Crystal Caverns I preach that zone to all that will hear. Been through on my monk and now just finishing up on my necro.

The chipped gems from the named, sell those. The chipped gems from the non named are trash.

I think the named gems vendor for about this much

Chipped black pear - 19is
Chipped fire opal - 35ish
Chipped flame emerald - 70ish
Chipped sapphire - 90is
Chipped black sapphire -135ish
Chipped ruby - 150ish

This was with ikky cha and crap faction with sneak/hide. your mileage will vary
Chipped diamond - 199ish

Yeah ToFS awesome and inspiring zone, but level 2 is.....bad

[skarlorn]

^Thanks. I got some chipped opals worth 14pp and a Chipped Sapph from a focus crystal named.

I really do want to return to TOFS, but I'm going to need to find a couple people to help me key up past level 2 and CC is just too sweet right now.

[demonith]

If you are like me with an almost OCD desire to both get lewt/plat and exp geos can take you all the way to 51 (although at 48 its about a 50/50 blue green).

Goos in WL was my next step after CC. Buggars are pretty good exp and can drop decent vendor trash (star ruby earrings / globs of tar that stack and vendor 3ishpp a piece).

I second you on ToFS. I got wrecked a few times on the second floor. Never been back or past. May have to bring a tougher toon with back up for some sweet sweet revenge.

[skarlorn]

I'm sick of spiders. Sick of orcs. I want GEOS but they're almost always camped. I'd have to log in during the day and play to get them. Sadly, unlike Spyder73 who just weighed in at 500 lbs on mom's bathroom scale, I am gainfully employed.

Need to figure out my next leveling spot. Money is good but not essential. I'm thinking of heading to Wakening lands, or trying to get to 3rd floor of TOFS...

Currently level 39.

[Spyder73]

News flash hot shot, working from home on a 100% commission job where you do not actually make any commission = unemployed. Glad they gave you an email address and a name tag but we are making real gains here in the Lone Star state.

[demonith]

Geos are camped quite a bit. I am sure my posting how great they are in every thread didn't help. My necro has bounced out of there so I wont be holding that down while I binge watch Netflix, so that is one less neckbeard to contend with.

I cant really think of another 39ish leveling spot unless you want to venture into kael/SS/thurg and off the weaker guards, and they may be terrible exp and a bit iffy.

Keep trying geos or form up a ToFS hit squad. I will probably join you just to get a key for the 3rd floor and skip the most hated library.

[skarlorn]

I stayed in CC til 43. Spiders and geos when I could get em. Spiders turned out to be my favorite. Plenty of mobs and the silks sell 200-300 pp a stack to tailors, making each spider worth about a peridot. Geos also pay off well, and i haven't even sold the majority of my velium ore. I may have made about 8k leveling there.

I could have stayed, but I ended up making a trip to the Commonlands. It was a natural stopping point, so I went into TOFS. Even at level 43, Level 2 was very risky. I ended up duoing with a high 30s necro and we got the key after maybe an hr together.

Floor 3 so far seems largely populated by shadow armor and sleeping skellingtons, neither of whom drop valuable loot.

[skarlorn]

TOFS as a twinked level 43 monk

no work yesterday (HEHE).

You can manage a bit of Floor 2 by yourself. I went in with some druid buffs and wearing all my resists and could clear like 6-8 ghosts on right side of library. This floor is so brutal, though; get a duo.

Floor 3 was pretty good exp off of armored shadows. The sleeping skeletons are cute but they hit hard and fast. I was unable to kill a few of the sleeping cuties. However I raped the angry chef without qualms. Literally.

I was killing the spooky doggo cheffies and then worked my way up to the stinky pool room and brutalizing butlers, beating them badly with my batons, and suddenly the secret special doggo popped and I duked him down.

Suddenly, there it was. The key to 4. I grasped it in my slimy claws, besmirched with filth and ichor and fecal essence. I wanted to cry but iksars shed no tears. I tore through the halls and came to the mirror of static and creepy whisperings and I shoved the grungy key into the mirror and BLIP

i landed on floor 4. Oozing slime balls and creepy cummy mummies harangued me at all sides and soon my proud Iksar body was slimed and clawed and bleeding. The shadow bois with their wizzy spells and singey shields did me pain. But my Lordly tunic of Fungal Stench kept me alive as did my quick wits and ability to flop onto the ground and perform a mortal defecation on demand.

I found floor 4 very challenging. It hurt my feelings and my flesh. But my luck turned. A retarded troll shaman joined forces with me and together we besieged floor 4. The burning flesh and gross ooze turned out to be the liquefied corpses of tigers. That's right. They all drop Excellent Tiger Hides which I stupidly let rot. The coin drops are pretty good here, but no real cash opportunities outside of Cara Ormica's Embalmbing Knife and Sorcerous Bong, which we got 1 of each.

In order to properly solo this floor, I'll probably need to be level 46 or so to resist more. Amonhtehpa and Cara Ormica are CHing clerics who also have a stunning DoT called MagiCurse.

I would like to go back to floor 4 some time soon when I have another retarded friend with spells.

[ZiggyTheMuss]

Nice, this has inspired me to take my 43 monk and my shaman bot to TOFS!

[sylfi]

ToFS was one of my favorite zones. I guess we got lucky on the second floor key, we got it early, and just skipped the floor every other time. The key to the 7th floor took us a while but 6th floor is good exp anyways : )

I've been in CC quite a bit too. I think you can level to high 40s on the geos. I was even soloing them on my rogue. The plat can be really good. CC seems a little boring compared to ToFS to be honest. Getting the TOFS keys is a mini quest all on it's own.