Dragon Raids for ... !
 Quick reference and what-to-know for people not leading raids,
but for people participating in old-world Dragon Raids.

version 2.0 - April 2003

0. Introduction

First, let me introduce myself : I play EverQuest on Solusek Ro server, known as Saania MorningDew, a human bard, as well as Majax Lotz (high elf mage) or Amam Yhcuo (high elf cleric).
I began to write this Guide a long time ago, well I was desesperated because too many people didn't know enough about old-world Dragon Raids, and I was losing hope eventually getting the dragon scales necessary for my epic.
Since then, my friends, my guild and I, grew stronger and we managed to even kill Gorenaire. I am the proud owner of the Singing Short Sword, the Bard Epic weapon. But I decided to update this Guide anyway, as I see that many people still raid old Dragons, and still make big mistakes ...

Well, I had participated to quite a few Dragon Raids, most of them ending up being total disasters because people didn't have the basics they should have had. Leveling too fast, many times playing outdoor, like frightened of dungeons :), there can be many reasons .... so what I am trying to do with this webpage, is to teach people about these essential basics.

This is not a webpage about strategy or tactics to defeat a Dragon, there are already many about that. It's just a quick reminder for Dragon n00bs :)

And also, forgive my bad English, mothertongue being French, but I wanted that to reach the widest audience possible.


Dragon raiders so far !
(This counter seems broken and reset frequently)

1. Before the raid

1.1 Resist Gear

You will need :
Nagafen : RESIST FIRE (+ RESIST MAGIC)
Vox : RESIST COLD (+ RESIST MAGIC)

Most guides advise to have 120+ in those resists, but I know that most people having their first character at level 47-49 don't necessarily have tons of money to invest into resist gear. So, I'd say people need 80 in those resists, UNBUFFED.
Buffs and Bard songs (don't tell me you haven't any bard! you're dead! /jk) should bring those resists up to 200, which should be enough.

One thing to know : AC, stats, etc. are WAY LESS important than resists, in such a raid. Of course, don't drop your INT or WIS from 200 to 120, also don't lose 100 AC, but think that an item that has ~10 in a specific SV, is worth wearing. Note that if you plan to be the Main Tank of the raid, you shoudl try to max your AC while still having good resists.. a hard task indeed...

Also, focus on Fire and Cold more than on Magic. As Zalbar says, "AE kills raids, not running away".

Now I'll give you some info about a few resist pieces.

a. Jewelry
- Platinum Peridot Ring (AC4 svcold10) : 115pp cost price. The Velium version adds 1 in AC and sv, but is twice as expensive.
- Platinum Emerald Ring (AC4 svfire10) : ~150pp cost price. The Velium version adds 1 in AC and sv, but is twice as expensive.
- Velium Diamond Wedding Ring (sv all 8) : the velium bar costs ~260pp in thurgadin. Have it enchanted, get a diamond (~200pp in Bazaar) and have a master jeweler do the ring. They often do it for free or a small fee.
- Gold Diamond Mask (svFire10 Dis5 Cold10 pois5 mag3) : same but with a Gold Bar. Not expensive and a must-have for old-dragons.
- Gold Blue Diamond Necklace (svFire11 Dis6 cold11 pois6 mag4 mana20) : very good also; Blue Diamonds are sold between 300 and 400pp in Bazaar. Add a cheap enchanted golden bar. Slightly harder to craft for a jeweler.
- Velium Blue Diamond Bracer (svFire9 Dis9 Cold11 Pois9 mag9 mana30) : the hardest to make and thus most expensive jewelry piece, for it requires blue diamond and a Velium bar. Can be found for up to 1000-1500pp in Bazaar. You can also ask your favorite jeweler to make it :)

Jewelry prices have dropped down these days, and everyone should have resist jewelry now.

b. Some not too-expensive items...
- Crown of Froglok Kings (ac12 svfire20 svcold20 all/all weight 0.5). Probably your MOST important old-Dragon resist piece. This is dropped by the Froglok King in Lower Guk. A good group of level 45-50 players can go there, and this is funny hunting. Be careful though if you plan to to the Crown of Deceit quest, because you will lose faction with Living Froglokgs, if you plan to go kill the king yourself. The crown can be found for 1000 up to 2000 pp in the Bazaar.
- Runed Bone Fork (range weapon, SVfire10 svcold10 svmagic10). Can be worn in range slot by all piercing-able classes. It is dropped by the Froglok Gaz Squire in Upper Guk. The Fork can be bought cheap in the Bazaar (~200pp max).
- Kunzar Cloak (ac7 wis2 int2 svfire10). Good Cloak for Nagafen Raids, only wearable by small races though ... It's dropped in Karnor's Castle but can be found for cheap (~100pp).
- Cloak of the Ice Bear (ac8 hp20 svcold20) : another MUST-HAVE for Vox raids. This cloak can be found for 100pp inthe Bazaar, or you might go camp the good old Karg who drops it.

c. More expensive ones and others...
Go check Allakhazam's Item Database search engine for more !

2. At the raid

Listen to the raid leader ! The Raid leader will use a specific channel (either a /channel, or /rsay). Do not interfere with jokes or anything, try to keep conversations in /guildsay, /g, /ooc etc.

Reduce your lag ! One thing everybody not having a super computer should do, is to ensure to have limited lag. Go in your Options Menu (alt-o) and turn off what you have to turn off to have acceptable lag, with 30 or 40 players around you. Turn most of the channels OFF (Other hits, Damage shield etc.). In the Display tab, turn particle low or OFF, and PC names off if lag is still unbearable.

2.0 The channel
The channel will probably be /rsay (= /rs), the one used with Raid Feature from the Planes of Power expansion (see below, "2.3 Group assignment"). However some people might not have that expansion, then a /channel will be used. Ask its name to the raid leader or your fellow raiders.
Type /join [channelname] to join it or /join [channelname]:[password] if there is a password.
To talk in it, use /x [your text] (where x is a number of your channel).

2.1 Clearing the path
Before reaching any Dragon's lair, you'll have to get rid of its little friends the Giants.
Fire Giants in SolusekB, Ice Giants in Permafrost. Follow what the leader says, he usually knows how to do it quickly, if it hasn't even been done already.

Quick reminder though :
- Giants cannot be mesmerized. Use charm to control them.
- Do NOT push Giants in the lava in solusek B, or they will heal and summon people in it.
- In order to hit some giants (not sure all of them) with spells, you must be in melee range. We'll see that later, since it applies to Dragons too.


2.2 Gathering
Take your EQAtlas maps. WHAT? Not printed yet? /glare.
  
  In Solusek B, people usually gather in the room at -1100,-700 (the room after the one marked 18).

From Lavastorm entrance, go straight, through crusher (9), then bat cave (12), then right to reach the stone spider room (13).

There, be sure the giants are dead (they have a 8 hours spawn cycle and are usually dead) then walk up the bridge and meet in the gathering room.
Every mob can see through invis, so go there in groups, to get rid of kobolds and bugs.
  In Permafrost, people gather in the King's Room (3) before getting rid of giants, and then run at the grate in 2 and start pulling the (remaining) IG's.

After this, there are two options. Either the buffing session takes place there, or they move to a specific spot on the path to the boulder/secret door.

As always, follow the leader's rules but be careful of the pit traps indicated on this map.



2.3 Group Assignment
Although some leaders do it before the "Giant cleaning", most of the raids I've been in, form groups just before the final assault.

There will be a person in charge of forming groups (sometimes it's the leader him/herself) and you will have to send a tell with class and level. Then, you'll have to be patient, because forming groups is very hard and requires time.

Nowadays, people who have the Planes of Power expansion have the benefit of a raid window (alt-r). When you are invite to the raid type /raidaccept. You will then be in the lower part of the raid window ("ungrouped players"). Just be patient and you will be assigned to a group quickly.

If you are designed as a group leader, just invite the perso you are supposed to invite. There will be lots of players next to each other, use /target nameplayer if you cannot click on them for group invite.

2.4 Buffing
"Buffs" are spells that increase your statistics and resists. They are *very* important in a Dragon Raid, even if you have a nice equipment already.
Nowadays, most of old-world Dragon raids are "covered" by high level people. They will be the ones who will buff, maybe "mass group buff", the quickest way ...
If there aren't any high level buffers, people of the raid themselves will have to do it.

Look in the raid window (alt-r) to check who are the group leaders, to cast the group spells on them. Don't forget to turn your Target Buff Group on typing : /tgb on

<<—This is how the basic Buff Window looks like. Most people use custom UIs or change the shape or the size, but the window works always the same way : the first buffs come in the upper right corner, then go down and left. If you are not sure how your buff window works, do some tests beforethe raid...

One thing is very important : Nagafen and Vox dispell. In other words, they use Area of Effect spells that Cancel your buffs. Buffs are not cancelled randomly, but chronologically. That means your oldest buffs will poof first.
We have noticed that those vile Dragons dispell 4 buffs max in a fight. THAT'S WHY you must be sure to have "crap" buffs, as they are called.

What are crap buffs ? Well, buffs you don't need for this fight and that can poof without changing your abilities at all. Usually, crap buffs are : See invisible, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, and Resist Fire (for a Vox fight) / Resist Cold (for a Nagafen fight).
I am sure you could find many more of those, like Illusions, Charisma buffs, etc. Keep in mind that those buffs can and WILL be dispelled.
You must have 4 crap buffs on you before you get the real buffs from the buffers, otherwise the "good" buffs will be dispelled!
Note that there are also "instant cast items" (such as Shrunken Goblin Skull Earring) that can provide you an immediate crap buff also. Be sure to have those buffs even before the other crap ones. Also, have those items hotkeyed (left click and hold on the item inventory box and put that shortcut in a hotbox) and activate them during the fight as soon as their effect gets dispelled.

What are good buffs ? As you see, you only have 15 slots in the buff window. Now that Bard Songs are in a separate window, just keep Essential buffs are : Resist magic (or Group Resist magic, even better), Resist Fire or Circle of Winter (for a Nagafen fight) / Resist Cold or Circle of Summer(for a Vox fight), HP/AC cleric buff (Resolution, Heroism, Heroic Bond or even Aegolism), a Cleric Symbol (Naltron, Marzin, etc.) and/or Shaman Talisman (Kragg, etc.). Important things are : HPs and resists (Fire and cold mainly, magic is less important).

Of course, those buffs are not eternal, especially the "crap" buffs that, being lesser ones, disappear rather quickly. So, get your 4 crap buffs right before getting the "good" ones, and try to follow the group leader / raid leader indications, as you will have to say when you are completely buffed and ready for battle.


3. The Battle

Each raid leader has their own strategy, and as always you should carefully listen to it. The main strategy being to engage the dragon in "waves". First, tanks, then, casters.
Avoid being too many around the Dragon, because it has Area of Effect Fire (Nag.) or Cold (Vox) based spells that can do up to 800 damage (that's why you need the resists).

3.1 Things to know according to your class

4. After the Battle

4.1 The Battle went awry
   

You didn't follow correctly the leader's orders, you werent prepared, or you didn't read this page (hehe)... and everyone is dead. Usually, there will be a "Corpse Recovery (CR) Team". Be sure to know who to /consent (in order to have your corpse dragged) and be sure to do it as soon as you have respawned at your bind point.

Now, time to ask the leader and your fellow adventurers if they're up for one more try....

4.2 The Battle went good ! Another Dead Dragon!
Though Nagafen and Vox are level 55, and thus their corpse staying for 30 minutes before decaying, be sure to resurrect people who might need a no drop item first (such as books for Paladins' Fiery Avenger)...

4.3 Loot
Each raid has its own loot rules, but they're usually class-based, so be sure to listen to the loot report and to lotto only when you can. Also, be sure not to lotto too far from the crowd and/or the raid leader, so that they can listen to it !


Congratulations !

Addendum

I. Caster nuking (by Cinari of the Blood Tide - end of 2001.)

I would like to add some more advice about caster nuking. They have to change their normal patterns of operation. I don't know how many times I've seen a wizard find a nice comfortable corner, sit down on a brick, and only stand up to cast a spell and never move unless they get hit, then they run around like a headless chicken because they don't know what to do. This will NOT DO for dragon raids.

You need to stand back at a distance, when you get ready to nuke, run in, nuke, and either stay still nuking constantly or GET THE HELL BACK OUT. Getting back out of the way keeps the weaker casters from getting nailed by AoE as often or as fast. Your cleric has enough healing to do already; don't add to the burden, or you may well die and do the raid no good at all. Now usually you won't do option two, this is only for those annoying few who don't like to listen to the raidleader and insist on nuking early. It's mainly the situation for a Fire/Ice Giant group.

Unless given special orders by the raidleader, don't nuke until the call goes out from the raidleader of EVEYBODY NUKE! and then quickly get in position and nuke constantly and as hard as possible. Don't sit or pause until you run out of mana or get summoned/agroed.

Now, what happens when you get agroed? Simple. YOU DIE! Stand still and try to enjoy sacrificing yourself for the good of the raid. Don't run around like a headless chicken you will keep any surviving tanks from doing their job of taunting and doing dammage.

And what about being OOM (out of mana)?
On NAGGY ONLY, go SIT (yes sit your butt DOWN so you grab agro) on the Dragon's feet repeating /g OOM LET ME DIE! (but NOT constantly, just two or three times) until you die from AoE or melee. Then when you respawn nearby (you did follow orders and bind nearby right?), mem your best nuke, charge and nuke until you are OOM or dead, dragon dies, or you are told to not charge again by raidleader because the raid is over.
For VOX, I guess you sit down at a distance and try to med some because you can't very well bind in the lair and the ice giants spawn too fast to bind nearby. If there is a spot you can bind and I just don't know about it, give some info on this please and correct me here.
Note by Saania : Actually you can bind just before the "boulder secret door" (see map). Since the fight takes place inside the lair, you should be out of Dragon's reach there and be able to mem your spells quietly.

back to 3.1


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