Everquest Ranger Leveling Guide
Getting to the End Game in EQ as the Outdoorsy Tank
Rangers are not the most versatile class in Everquest, although they have a taunt button, their limitation to chain armor makes them unsuitable to be tanks at higher levels. Ranger leveling is not difficult. The ranger is a ranged class capable of soloing using fear or aggro kiting. In a group the ranger can snare, but most groups and guild are interested in the ranger's tracking proficiency. Other classes can track, but the ranger's tracking is the most effective and the most reliable.
Beginner Everquest Ranger Leveling
Humans, half-elves, wood elves, and halflings can all be rangers. These races start out in their respecitve newbie areas with a sword, and a few skills that can be raised to level 10. A young ranger can get through the early levels faster by completing the racial neophyte armor quests. The most important acquisition a young ranger can make is to buy a bow and some arrows to practice his archery skill. Until a player purches the alternate advancement ability for unlimited arrows, he can save money by learning the fletching trade skill.
The rangers first bow introduces the ranger to what will become his role later in the game, ranged combat damage per second. This differs from casting classes because arrows are not subject to magic resistance, although most raiding guilds do not care where the damage to the monsters they fight comes from.
Intermediate Everquest Ranger Leveling
When the ranger reaches level 10, the monsters that threatened his life and granted him experience start to leave him alone out of respect to his new found might. He needs to engage in the wanderlust that should be part of his soul to find new hunting grounds. The list compiled below will help, although it is similar to the lists compiled in the other Everquest leveling guides.
- 10-20: Runnyeye, N. Ro, S. Ro, Oasis of Marr, West Karana, Blackbelly Burrows, the Warrens
- 20-30: Lake of Ill Omen, Paludal Caverns, Dawnshroud Peaks, Warsong Woods
- 30-40: Overthere, Dreadlands (near the pyramids), Eastern Wastes, Great Divide
- 40-50: Dreadlands (outside Karnors), Burning Woods, Wakening Lands, Cobalt Scar (wyverns)
- 50-60: Velketor's Labrynith, Sebilis, Selected mobs in Western Wastes, Cobalt Scar (otters)
- 61-65: Plane of Nightmare, Plane of Storms, Hall of Honor, Bastion of Thunder
- 65-70: Post Planes of Power Content
Ranger Leveling Through Soloing
Rangers are not as powerful a solo class as druids, one of their parent classes, but they can solo well. There earliest technique a ranger can use to solo is bow kiting. The ranger must root a mob and then shoot bows at it from a distance. A character should remember that shooting requires line of sight.
The next technique is similar and the ranger can use ranged spells or a bow. The ranger aggros a mob by snaring it, and then maintains enough distance from it to shoot or cast damaging spells at it without the ranger getting hit.
Fear kiting works in a similar fashion to snare kiting. The ranger's fear spell only works on monsters that are classified as animals. The ranger snares an opponent, casts a fear spell on it, and then can shoot at it, cast spells at it, or (the preferred method) hit it with its swords. Because rangers get dual wield and double attack they have the highest damage per second of any tank class in Everquest.
Ranger Raiding
Rangers contribute damage on raids, track mobs, and give melee characters a buff that increases the attack power. When the raid target is engaged, the ranger should stand back and activate the trueshot discipline. Leveling a ranger is not easy, but for the person who enjoys the stealthy outdoor warrior archetype, it is well worth it.
Resources:
Everquest Druid Leveling Guide
Everquest Rogue Leveling Guide
