Hey everyone! ��
This is a challenge I've been
mulling over for a long time, and this week I finally decided to put it to the test:
How quickly can a max-level character go from literally zero equipment back to "acceptable" gear?
By "acceptable," I mean equipment good enough to confidently take on
group content without being a constant liability. For me, this was purely about having
fun, taking on a tough challenge, and seeing just how far I could push the limits. I also wanted to see how much the
value of class knowledge and deep understanding of the P99 world could outweigh the lack of starting equipment.
The Rules of the Challenge:
- Starting from Absolute Scratch: My character started with no gear at all. No starter cloth, no rusty weapon, zero copper.
- Starting Point: I began in a city corresponding to my race/class starting options. (For a second run I would also restrict it to the city the char originally started in, just for the added challenge)
- The Time Limit: I set a strict limit of 24 hours of pure playtime to re-equip myself. This time includes all travel and logistics.
- Movement Restriction: The journey had to be done on foot or via natural transportation: boats and teleports provided by yourself only (during the first session of my run I got ported twice. But starting with session 2 I added getting ported by others to the restrictions, because ports defeat the purpose of this challenge and make clever route planing obsolete.)
- Sourcing Gear: Equipment was strictly limited to:
- Looting/Farming drops.
- Quest Rewards.
- Buying basic items from NPCs that they stock by default (e.g., reagents, arrows, basic vendor armor).
- Tradeskills (Normal tradeskills are allowed, but Cultural Tradeskills are forbidden, as they defeat the spirit of the challenge)
.
- External Help: Buffs from other players were allowed if offered, but I could not actively ask for them.
The outcome was an intense dive into the part where classic EverQuest is at its best: The early levels where every upgrade mattered instead of the slow end game content and the toxic raiding scene!
I've got my screenshots and logs ready to share, and I'll be detailing the exact path I took, the first essential items I secured, and how I navigated the early, powerless hours.
Check out the next post for the story of
Session 1 and my first major gear acquisition!