Grymbok's Guide for Ogre Beastlords Part 1 - The Feerott First things first - track down the Beastlord trainers (behind the Shaman Guild in Oggok), and hand in your note for the beginner's tunic. Once this is done, head out to the Feerott. For your first two levels, you'll be running laps on the path in the Feerott. This is for two reasons - firstly, Sense Heading is unreliable at these levels, and secondly, the Feerott is very difficult to negotiate on sight alone once you're off the path. I would recommend either noting down some key locs or getting a map (I use this one link) to help you out in case you get lost. The route is simple - from the Oggok zone, follow the path going left at the first two forks. This will take you past a strange altar and two sets of vendors. When the path runs out, carry on in a straight line for a short distance, and you will meet another path. Turn right onto this, and it will bring you back to the junction by the altar you passed earlier. Turn right again here, and you start another lap. It sounds confusing written down, but should make sense when you're actually there. Once you've been around a few times, you should feel confident enough to stray off the path a bit as you lap. As you're running this route, fight the Lizardman Broodlings, Snakes, Bats, Froglok Tads, Decaying Skeletons and any Spiderlings that con even. When you reach level two, you can start attacking the Scarabs, and more of the Spiderlings. Avoid the Marsh Bear Cubs - they attack on sight and will likely kill you easily. Keep the Lizard Meat and Spiderling Silk, which you need for your guild quests, wear any cloth or netted armour you loot, and sell everything else to the vendors. Once you reach level three your main prey (assuming you've already collected the four Lizard Meats you need) will be Spiderings, Scarabs, and maybe the occasionally low con Jungle Spider or Marsh Bear Cub. To see more of these, you'll want to wander deeper into the Feerott. To do this, choose the right hand path at the second fork you pass coming from Oggok (or turn left after rejoining the path if you're coming around the "lap"). If you either see a full grown Marsh Bear, or find another fork in the path, then you've gone too far, and should turn and head back to Oggok. Disaster is bound to strike at least once, so you'll get a feeling for how far you can safely travel. You can work up and down this path, and around it, right up to level five. Be careful when attacking Spiderlings and Spiders - they will support each other very willingly, and it's not uncommon to find yourself running back to Oggok with five or six Spider(ling)s dogging your heels. If the opportunity presents itself, at level four you should try to get a group at one of the Lizardman camps. This will allow you to get a shot at a Mystic Doll. A safe group would be three level four characters, or a partnership with one of a higher level. Each camp has three Lizardmen within it, which can be anyone of several different types. Only the Lizardmen Mystics drop the dolls you need, and unfortunately, they're the toughest of the lot, being the only casters. Lizardmen Mystics are low level Shamans. They'll hit you with a small lick of flame, which you'll barely feel, and they'll also heal themselves a bit. What makes them really nasty, however, is their blinding spell. This is incredibly disorientating the first time it happens, so be prepared. Remember that even though you can't see, all your skills are still available to you. You'll stay on the target you're fighting until it's dead or out of range, and can also Slam. If you hear a lizard's death scream, then wait a second to see if another one hits you, and start auto-attacking again. If all goes well, you should reach level five with your Ruthless Bracer, Cap and possibly the Leggings, an assortment of Cloth and Netted armor on other slots, and possibly some rusty weapons to help in training skills other than piercing/hand-to-hand. Part 2 - Innothule Swamp On reaching level five, the first order of business is to get back to the guild and train Kick. Whilst in Oggok, if you've a few pp to spare, it would also be worth picking up some Leather Armor for any empty slots (cover the empty slots first, and upgrade your Netted/Cloth later). Next, if you haven't done it already, try to get a group at one of the Lizardman camps for your Mystic Doll, to complete the Ruthless Leggings quest. Once this is done, you have two choices. If possible, get in a group of three or more characters of at least level 5, head to the Rathe Mountains zone area in the Feerrott, and hunt Giant Bats for your Ruthless Claw quest. There are a lot of Marsh Bears in this area, so be careful. Although you could probably solo the bats at this level, the bears make it far too dangerous to work in this area alone. If there isn't a chance to group, then the best option is to turn your back on the Feerrott for a while, and head to Innothule Swamp. Although you won't be able to collect any items for the Ruthless quests in the swamp, you will find it much easier to level, and can then finish the quests more easily later. Heading to Innothule across the Feerott is simple, but dangerous due to the bears. From Oggok, follow the path. At the forks go left, then right, then (after a long run) straight ahead, and then finally right. Try not to stray off the path (unless it's to avoid a bear), and be warned that you may well get eaten by bears en route. Although this is frustrating, it's far less so than trying to continue to hunt in the zone would be! You can of course pause to kill any blue cons as you run across the zone, but once you've passed the third fork you should always make sure to check the area for Bears before fighting. Once you enter Innothule, turn right and hug the wall. Make a mental note of the entrance to Grobb (which is guarded by the Troll Bashers - don't worry, they're friendlier than they look), and then carry on until you reach the entrance to Upper Guk (a small cave roughly halfway up the opposite side of the zone to the Oggok entrance). Dive into this cave, but don't approach the Froglok Guards on the far side of it. You can sit in either of the two corners of the cave without them aggroing you. This cave is your safe zone - a pathing bug means that if you run into this cave from the main zone area, anything chasing you will run off in the opposite direction and leave you alone (I have seen this fail to work, but this is extremely rare). You can hunt here until level 7 or 8. Leave the cave, cross to one of the near islands, and fight all the Frogloks, Froglok Fishermen and Fungus Man Trackers that attack you. In the rare event that nothing does, you can also pick on the Giant Rats and Water Moccasins. Fight until you either need a rest or (more likely) have half the zone beating on you and are close to death, and then retire to the cave to recover. If you get attacked by a human, dwarf or similar, run for the cave immediately - there are a few "noble" NPCs who spawn randomly, and they're all over level 10. Grouping will greatly enhance your durability here, with no real impact on XP (there's more than enough Frogloks to go around), so I recommend it whenever possible. Once you reach level 6, you can start including the two Froglok Guards in your campaigns. If things go badly with them, dart down the corridor they guard and zone into Guk. Whenever you're laden down, dart into Grobb to sell up and buy bandages. From level 7, the Frogloks (but not the Fishermen or the Guards) will start to go green. If you either have a group going, or are getting lucky with higher level spawns, then you can stay in this area. Otherwise you may want to start moving up the zone, although it can be tough at this level. Certainly at level 8 you will want to move on. Your next hunting area is the north side of the Innothule Swamp zone, around the zone to the Southern Desert of Ro. From the Guk cave, turn right and hug the wall. It's best to carry on until you find the little valley that leads to the zone, so that you know where it is. This valley appears to be "safe" in the same way as the Guk cave, although it's not as reliable. Hunting here, just run up and down the north wall, fighting anything that cons appropriate, dashing over to nearby islands occassionally. Try to avoid getting into situations where you would have to swim long distances for safety, as everything in the zone can swim faster than you. The Fungus Man Trackers, Froglok Foragers and Kobold Hunters, along with the snakes, alligators and skeletons and zombies in the ruined tower (but avoid the mummies) should see you through to level 9. Part 3 - The Feerott (again) If you've been following my guide, you will have reached level 9 in Innothule Swamp. What you will of course be wanting to do now is summon your first warder. There's no harm in it, so go ahead. Cute, isn't he? Right - the first priority at this level is of course getting your spells, which means a trip back to Oggok. Since that bear's only level 5 or so, you should dispel him before you get moving. Getting back to Oggok should be fairly simple - follow the walls out of Innothule, and the follow that path through the Feerrott again. Hopefully you will have enough money to purchase the entire spell set (and maybe even some more leather armour). If not, then work through the list in the following order: - Spirit of Sharik - Inner Fire - Sharik's Replenishing - Cure Disease - Minor Healing - Endure Cold You can't buy Flash of Light here, but we'll pick that up soon. One thing you may think is odd is the placing I've given to Minor Healing. There's a simple reason for this - Inner Fire adds 20HPs to your total, and heals you for those 20HPs at the same time. This is twice as much healing as Minor Healing, for the same mana. The only circumstance in which you'll want to cast Minor Healing is if you're fortunate enough to have a high level character buff you, in which case Inner Fire will refuse to stick. This will be your main healing spell until level 22, when you may want to swap to Light Healing (although still less mana efficient than Inner Fire, it is a faster cast with more healing on each cast). With your spells scribed and memorised, the chances are that you still have two Ruthless item quests to complete - the Claw and the Leather tunic. Fortunately, these should now be relatively easy to finish off. If you've managed to get these items (or better ones) already, then skip ahead to part 4 of the guide, as the remainder of this part concerns claiming these two items. Run through the Feerrott to the Rathe Mountains zoneline area, and summon a warder. Now hit F9 a few times so that you can see you and the warder, and cast Spirit of Sharik. ... Yes, it really did shrink. If your warder didn't shrink, then this means that someone at Verant realised that having Ogres run around with a bear that doesn't reach their knees looked stupid. In which case, I'd like you to take a moment reflect on the indignities forced upon those Ogres who went before you. On the other hand, if it did shrink, then you now have the "warder in your pocket". This guy may be small, but he packs a mean punch. With him at your side, you should be able to easily collect the giant bat parts you need for the ruthless claw quest. Although you can probably take the Marsh Bears out now, my advice is to keep avoiding them where possible. They pack a mean punch, and are very social, so it's not uncommon to find yourself fighting three or four of them. If everything does start going wrong, make a break for the zone. If you get out at around 40% hit points, then they're likely to stick to your warder, allowing you a clear run. A few Giant Bats later, you should now have enough fur and wings for your claws. If you're not twinked, then these (at 5/24) are likely to be your primary weapons for the next few levels. There's now only one Ruthless quest left, for the tunic. The parts for this can once again be found in the Feerrott, this time on the Lizardmen guarding the entrance to the Lost Temple of Cazic-Thule. You should be able to solo this, but since I didn't, I can't guarantee success. A partner will make it all go faster, so if there's anyone around who's interested, then hook up with them. To get to the Cazic-Thule entrance, head out into the Feerrott from Oggok, and head for the bridge. When you reach the bridge, don't cross it, but instead turn left and run down the coast. After a while you'll see a slab of stone on your right which forms a makeshift brige across the river. Cross over here, and you'll see a small stone temple ahead and to the left of you. Pass down the left hand side of this temple (but not too close to it - there's a Lizardman up there), until you reach the base of a ramp. Turn right, and then go left down the side of the ramp until you hit a corner. Stop here and summon and buff a warder. Turn around and look back the way you came. You now have a small temple a short way off to the left, and another in front of you. On the opposite side of the ramp there is the same arrangement. All of these temples have Lizardmen on them, and there is also one wanderer. There is also the temple you passed on the way in, and two other Lizardmen Warriors at the top of the ramp (who are higher level than those down below). You main targets should be the four near temples and the wanderer. All of them will attack you on sight, so you can pull them just by approaching. The Lizards will all be either Warriors or Mystics. They can range up to level 12 or so, so be sure to con them. The safest method to pull is to set your warder to guard your corner spot, and make a hotkey for /pet back off. Go out and find a Lizardman, and then run back to your pet hitting the hotkey. Once you're near enough, let the pet join in. Once you have the four Lizard Tails, go and turn them in for the Tunic. Congratulations, you've now completed all the Ruthless quests. If you found the Lizardmen easy, then they will certainly support you level 12 or so, and so you can go back to the Cazic-Thule entrance for XP if you want. However, if, like me, you're now sick of oppressive zones with short view distances and almost no players in them, then you may want to stretch your legs a little. In which case, I suggest the Northern Desert of Ro, which is covered in Part 4 of the guide. Part 4 - The Northern Desert of Ro The run to North Ro from Oggok is quite long, so grab a SoW if you can at some point. The route through to South Ro you should know by now, so I won't cover it again. When you get to South Ro, you may of course wonder whether it's worth moving on, since there are a lot of mobs that you could hunt in this zone. Do a /who. If there are more than five characters under 20 in the zone, then have a party. On my server there never are, which is why I prefer the Northern Desert. To cross South Ro, head north, avoiding the Orc camps as you see them. When you get into the desert portion, steer clear of any undead, and also madmen. These are the only monsters likely to aggro you. If you get aggroed in the green area of the zone, turn back, if in the desert, keep running. You should make it through OK - I've been aggroed here many times while at low levels, but as long as you keep running and don't look back, you can usually make it out with only a few scratches. In Oasis, head north east, avoiding everything but the animals, until you come to the coast, and then run along that to the docks. If you have spare cash, then dart over to the Gypsy camp, and pick up a copy of Flash of Light. Otherwise, keep heading north up the coast to the Northern Desert of Ro. In North Ro, head up the coast and then turn in for the "platform" (if you don't know the North Ro zone well, then refer to this map link). The platform will be your home base for the next couple of levels - the Rattlesnakes, Spiders, Scarabs and Madmen should see you through to level 12. Run around with your warder in tow until you see something you want to fight, attack it on the spot, and return to the platform occasionally to rest. As long as you don't wander too far from the platform, the only things likely to attack you without being provoked are undead and Pumas. Your warder should be able top solo pumas, so don't worry about them. Whenever you get poisoned, cast a heal or two if you're low on hit points, and then sit down and sweat it out. When diseased, you can of course cure yourself. At level 10 you may want to return home to train Dodge, and at level 12 you'll definitely want to do so for Meditate. In levels 12 and 13, you can either try to get into a group at one of the Dervish camps, or otherwise move to Oasis. Personally, I swapped to Oasis for the simple reason that I was running back from Oggok after training Meditate and didn't see the point in keeping running. If you do go for the Derv camps, I would recommend moving through to Oasis at level 14 at the latest. Part 5 - Oasis When you first get to Oasis, hunt the coastal strip between the North Ro zone and the docks. As you continue to level, remember that your pet is not leveling with you, and so it will become harder to kill yellow and white cons as you approach level 15 (although you should still have no problem with blues). For this reason you may well want to seek out a group in the later levels, as it can sometimes be hard to find the monsters you want in Oasis. The Crocodiles, Caimans and other roaming wildlife should see you a safe passage to level 15 and the new spell circle. With the second spell circle achieved, you have reached maturity as a Beastlord, and venture where you wish. Of course, you can continue to hunt in Oasis right through to level 18 and beyond. The level progression on the crocs is Caiman-Crocodile-Deepwater Caiman-Deepwater Crocodile. If you tire of them, try out the Orc Highway (either solo or grouped). I would suggest spending at least part of level 15 here, while you get used to the new spells, and the power of the new warder. Part 6 - Grymbok's Travel Guide In the final part of this guide, we'll discuss how to get out of Eastern Antonica, and also why you may want to stay. Eastern Antonica Let's start by discussing where you can go without leaving the "safe" zones. You're free to travel west from the Feerrott through to the Mountains of Rathe, Lake Rathetear and onto South Karana - three outdoor zones that could take you to level 30, and also a nice dungeon to take you further (Splitpaw). Heading away from home in the opposite direction, through Innothule Swamp, you can pass through the Ro deserts to the Commonlands (east and west), Kithicor Forest and the eastern edge of High Hold Pass. Alternatively, going up through Nektulos Forest will get you to Lavastorm. Dungeons abound in these areas - Cazic-Thule, Guk, Najena, Solusek A/B and even the Plane of Fear can be accessed with barely a human guard in sight. It's certainly possible to hit 50, or even 60, with just these zones as your stomping grounds. However, travel broadens the mind, so let's look at where else we can get to, and how we can get there. Grymbok's Travel Guide - The Easy Way Stage 1: Walk to either North Ro or West Commonlands. Stage 2: /auc Paying for Wizard ports. Wizard ports are great. Druids, on the other hand, keep teleporting me to Druid circles. Half of which have nasty little Druids all around them. Only teleport with a Druid who's taken Ogres before, and understands the potential problems, and even then it's probably prudent to always ask for invisibility. Grymbok's Travel Guide - The Hard Way Because getting there is half the fun... Kunark This one's easy. The boat for the Overthere leaves from Oasis. Although I've yet to make the journey myself, Ogres of other classes have always been welcomed in the dark outpost on Kunark, and I see no reason why Beastlords should be any different. Velious You wont want to go until you're level 35 or so, but when you do, it's just a hop, a skip and a boat ride from North Ro. Hey, this hard way isn't so hard after all... Western Antonica This is where things get tricky. For my money, there are two places that define Western Antonica as a separate area. That's the zone in point in Northern Karana (from Southern), where the local guards always extend a friendly welcome to visiting Ogres with the pointy end of their swords, and also the twisty tunnels of High Hold Pass, which are hard enough to navigate without the locals hitting you in the back. Basically, there's no real way to walk into Western Antonica without invisibility or a lot of hit points and a SoW. If you really want to be here, get a port. Once you're in, you can get bound in one of the quieter areas of North Qeynos, and get to work on your faction in Blackburrow. A few hundred Gnolls later (be sure to save their teeth - once you can get into Qeynos without being attacked you'll find a guard captain with a dental fixation) and you should be able to bank safely. Odus Travelling to Odus would involve - Getting to Western Antonica (see above) - Getting through Qeynos to the docks (tricky without faction, but can be done through the Catacombs) - Sitting on the dock waiting for the boat without being killed by patrolling guards - Somehow getting through Erudin Basically it's not going to happen. Get a port. Faydwer ROFL. I don't even feel safe getting ported to this place. This entire continent will attack you on sight, and it would start as soon as you got off the boat. Is visiting a bunch of Elves and various assorted midgets really that important to you? This is a place to visit on business only. Port in. Kill things. Port out. Luclin As you can probably tell from the above, the only accessible portal spot to Luclin for an Ogre Beastlord is in the Dreadlands of Kunark. Unfortunately, the monsters in this zone render even this portal accessible to only higher level Beastlords. I would advise any Ogres wishing to travel to Luclin to get a Wizard port to either Dreadlands or Toxxulia Forest, and then go straight to the moon from there. I did this myself, and have found the humans on the moon far more welcoming than those on Norrath itself. This concludes my guide. If it is of use to even one young Ogre, or, even better, persuades one new person to join our great race, then it will have been worth the time it took me to write it. I'm always happy to hear from Ogres of Veeshan in their travels, and look forward to seeing fellow Beastlords on Norrath and Luclin. Good travels! - Grymbok Fizzog Ogre Beastlord of the League of Gentlemen, Veeshan (also Futhark Casanova, Ogre Shadow Knight, and Grymtooth, Ogre Shaman)