EQDiva

Hi, this is my first time ever playing a bard. I used to play a shaman back before LDoN was released. I know have time to play again, and the bard looked interesting. I'm currently level 17 in gear that drops from TSS. I'm starting to get beat on too badly trying to melee. How does a bard solo? Thanks

You might find old world zones easier going.

I started a bard myself last June and did levels 1  - 50 in original world zones myself.

You can find a bunch of old hunting guides here - http://eqdiva.com.easerve-halo.com/eq/hunting.aspx

They are somewhat dated, but they still contain usefull information and suggestions.

At level 17 hunting level appropriate mobs outdoors should be completely viable, you can lul to ensure you pull only one, and if you are getting pounded on too hard you can fire up selos and hym of restoration and kite the mob around a bit while you regen health. You should be twisting haste and slow songs while in combat as well as possibly hym for hp recovery while fighting.

At 18 you get an second AE damage song, and you might find it worth fighting light blue to green mobs more than one at a time if you can take the hits - the damage will only work if you are not running around though.

 If you can make it to level 27 charm kiting becomes available and is a very good way to earn experience once you get charm, it is a whole new world, and it will spoil you compared to other solo tactics. This charm song will work for you up to level 37 mobs, at 39 you get the charm upgrade which will work for you up to level 51 mobs - this ought to be able to take you easily up to level 57-58, then it becomes a bit of a grind again.

At 30 fulfil's curtailing chant is the first chant we get, not great DPS, but it is the start of chanting

38 Tuyen's chant of flame adds to the line up and you can now twist selo's Fulfil's and Tuyen's first chant and start "chant kiting" though not very effectively

42 Tuyen's chant of disease is the second "decent" chant

46 Tuyen's chant of frost third "decent chant - with the 3 Tuyen's line you can now do reasonable dps chant kiting and though boring, there isn't much risk.

50 Tuyen's chant of poison along with the level 49 Selo's upgrade allows you now to use all 4 chants while kiting.

The only problem with these methods is your melee skills won't get much of a workout, to work up your offensive skills "Fear kiting works, by fearing and snaring a mob you can chase it's fleeing behind and pound away in relative safety assuming you don't make yourself a large train, or are in too hostile an area - finding a suitable area to practice this method is part of making it viable, but it will allow you to develop offensive skills - as to defensive skills, you can always revert back to face to face combat with lower level mobs to work defensive skill ups once you have gained a few levels.

Hope this helps, you can find a fair bit of info on these tactics and suggested areas in the old hunting guides.

Good luck.

Ryson.

Here are the zones I soloed in.  I soloed from lvl 1 to 67 before I really started grouping much.  Still I solo quite a bit when not raiding or in a good group.  From 1-26 it was mainly melee, 27-45 mainly charm kite, 46-80 charm or chant kite depending on where you go.  If the mobs assist each other and you can charm them, then charm kite will always produce much better exp.  With the lvl 74 charm you can go many different places.. all for great exp.

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1-3 Noobie Zone

3-12 Soloing in Paludal Caverns - Shadeweaver's Thicket zone

12-17 Soloing in Unrest - Killing Yard Trash

17-24 Grouping in Paludal Caverns - Bandit Camps

24-28 Soloing in Netherbian Layer - Melee or BBB/Heal if low on health

28-34 Soloing in Eastern Wastes - North Shore, Charm Kite Walruses/Ulthacks

34-38 Soloing in Gunthak - Pull as many undeads as you can handle, Charm Kite

39 Soloing Spectres in Oasis - Too much downtime for my taste waiting for repops

40-41 Soloing Spirocs in Timorous Deep - Great Exp., terrible loot

41-50 Soloing in Dulak's Harbor - Hardly any mobs cast, easy to Chant or Charm, a must for lvl 45 & 52 songs

51-54 Soloing in Natimbi - Kill anything that moves between zone in camp and hills across the river (except named turtle and named ghost)

55-62 Soloing in Plane of Nightmare - Charm Kite Dogs, Chant Kite Hobgobs

63-67 Soloing in Halls of Honor - Chant Kiting Guardians in Basements (+33 AA)

67-70 Soloing in Noble's Causeway - All types of Murks

70 Soloing in MPG (North Area in First Big Hall)  

71-73 Mainly Soloing in Icefalls - Gnolls, Gobs, Mammoths, Bears, Wolfs

Hey, thanks for the responses. They help alot. Time to get work on those now. Thanks again!!!

Ryson mentioned melee/defensse skills, if you find yourself lagging behind and know any friendly pet classes - just duel with them and fight the pet (has to be at least light blue to you), make sure your dex is buffed up and the skills fly up.