Guide · chapter 4 of 12
Heroic 1 → 15
In short
- From your 3rd life or with VIP, open every quest on Elite or Reaper, once, for +45% and +150% delving bonus.
- Stay at most 2 levels above the quest's base level to keep the full delving bonus.
- With VIP, Vooduspyce's route (from before U81) takes you to level 2 with Stealthy Repossession on R1, then Elite.
- Fill the Heroic sagas without turning them in if a reincarnation follows, since only the Lesser and Epic ones keep their progress.
- If you play Reaper, skip Korthos, Tangleroot Gorge and the solo quests, which have no Reaper.
To do (levels 1 to 15): pick your access column in §4.1 (VIP / Reaper or F2P), then follow the table in §4.2 row by row. Fill in the heroic sagas in §4.4, but do not turn them in if a reincarnation follows (golden rule 4) W-SG R01 SG.
Source reliability: medium for quest names and levels, low for order and speed. The levels come from DDO Compendium pages read on Nov 5, 2026. The pages cited as examples date from 2023 to 2025, so they predate U81 R07 R41 R69. A few pages were edited after U81 (Jul 22, 2026): Roll Call on Sep 12, 2026 R89, Times Long Past on Sep 21, 2026 R75, The Lords of Dust on Oct 6, 2026 R97. Their levels may have changed.
No 1-15 route dated after U81 was found in the Nov 5, 2026 search (Reddit was unreachable, and the forum threads searched turned up nothing). The U81, U81.4 and U82 notes contain no change to the first-time bonus (details in §4.5) R113 R155 R156. The 2025 routes are therefore still the best base available (inferred).
Two routes serve as the columns of the table in §4.2:
- VIP / Reaper: Vooduspyce's 1-20 guide, High Lords Forum, thread posted in 2017, header "Last update: August 2025" R01.
- F2P: Sepulchre Gaming's "1-20 Free to Play Leveling Guide" series, 2025 SG.
Older references: Ina's guide, 2019 R02; Sarman's video, Aug 2023 SAR; Hellsewn's record, 2023 HEL.
The wiki has no "Leveling guide" article (only a 2016 talk page with no content), so there is no official 1-20 route wiki, not cross-checked R221.
4.1 Approach by access
- Character with at least two reincarnations, or VIP (the case for this sheet from the 3rd life on): open each quest directly on Elite or Reaper, once. First run = +45% and +150% delving bonus W-XP. The wiki says it is more efficient to vary quests on Elite and Reaper than to redo Normal / Hard W-XP.
- Reaper access rule wiki, not cross-checked: a quest opens on Reaper for any character who can open Elite. A VIP can at any time. An F2P or Premium character in heroic must have finished the quest on Hard, or have 2 reincarnations, or play in a group with someone who can open it. You cannot enter more than 4 levels above the quest's Normal level in heroic R220 W-RD.
- For sagas, Reaper counts as Elite, with no extra value regardless of skull level wiki, not cross-checked R217.
- F2P or Premium during the first two lives only (outside the case for this sheet afterward): the SG series replays each free quest on Normal, Hard, then Elite (and on R1 for a few low quests) to stack first-time bonuses, with 18 h pauses for ransack SG.
- Player requests: Ooblagato's thread (opened Oct 14, 2026) asks to end the requirement to finish on Normal or Hard before Elite or Reaper. Shear-buckler and Angolin are in favor. Nebless, The_Apocalypse and Owlbear are against or lukewarm. These are player opinions. The developers have decided nothing. Only page 1 was read R208. The U82 notes contain no XP or quest reward change R156. Nothing shows this rule has changed (inferred).
- Leveling on R1: this is the most common use according to Axel, for the Reaper XP bonus and to make use of Reaper Points already earned AX. R1 also gives the full 150% delving bonus on the first run W-XP. Without Reaper Points, a beginner may prefer Elite or Hard (Trampturd's opinion, Oct 24, 2026, for 17-20 F15).
- Vooduspyce's guide assumptions: it is written for Reaper (R1 solo or duo, sometimes R4 in a group from level 12) and calls itself "not free-to-play friendly". Its XP totals assume a 20% XP potion, the ship buff, Master's Gift, a Greater Tome of Learning, VIP +10% and the Monster Manual. It predates U81. It cites expansions (Feywild, Ravenloft, Sharn) without labeling them as paid R01.
- XP to level 20 according to this guide: 1.9M (lives 1-4), 2.85M (lives 5-7), 3.8M (lives 8+) R01 N72.
- Quests without Reaper wiki, not cross-checked: all Korthos quests, the solo quests (Arachnophobia, The Miller's Debt, The Grotto, Hall of the Mark…), Tangleroot Gorge (levels 3-7), the Challenges, Protect Baudry's Interests and Stop Hazadill's Shipment (level 2). Further along the route: Mask of Deception (16/30) and Precious Cargo (25) R220. For Mask of Deception, though, the Compendium gives 280 RXP per skull. The two sources contradict each other, so test it in game (§6.1) R94.
4.2 Route by level range
How to use this table. Find the row that matches your character's level. In the column for your access (VIP / Reaper or F2P), play the quests listed, then move to the next row once you reach the level. If you run short on XP, replay quests on Elite R01 SG. Keep your character at most 2 levels above the quest's base level to keep the full delving bonus W-XP.
Key. F2P column: "Lv." = the quest's base level in the Compendium. VIP column: "Lv" = the character level given by Vooduspyce, which can differ from the base level. Examples: the Feywild quests are heroic level 5-6 in the Compendium R144 and placed at levels 7 and 8 by the guide R01. The 11 Isle of Dread quests are level 7 in the Compendium R141 and placed at level 9 by the guide R01. The "SG" bands are those of the SG series. [paid] = paid pack according to its Compendium page. The paid status of Feywild and Ravenloft is not established by an opened page UNVERIFIED. The other content in the VIP column was not checked as free or paid.
| Character level (range) | VIP / Reaper route: "Lv N" = character level (Vooduspyce, Aug 2025, before U81, written for Reaper) R01 | F2P route: "Lv. N" = quest base level in the Compendium, not the character level; "SG n-m" = video numbers in the series, not levels (Sepulchre Gaming 2025) SG |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 (SG 1-3) | Stealthy Repossession on R1 + Elite to reach level 2. Then level 2: Information is Key, Haverdasher, Durk's Got A Secret, Recovering the Lost Tome, Walk the Butcher's Path, The Kobolds' New Ringleader. The guide avoids Korthos and Tangleroot (no Reaper option). It advises keeping the daily dice XP stones to reach level 3 at the start of a new life R01 | Korthos. Shipwreck Shore is a free public starting zone; the only quest it lists is The Grotto R06. Lv. 1: The Grotto (solo) R07; Heyton's Rest R08; The Storehouse's Secret R09; The Cannith Crystal R10; The Collaborator (requires the previous three, opens Sacrifices, Redemption, Necromancer's Doom, Stopping the Sahuagin) R11; Stopping the Sahuagin R12; Redemption (Quest) R13; Necromancer's Doom R14; Sacrifices R15. Lv. 2: Misery's Peak (opened by Redemption) R16 |
| 3-6 | Lv 3: Waterworks, parts 1 to 4. Lv 4: Explosive Situation, Irestone Inlet. Lv 5: Lost Gatekeepers chain, Saltmarsh. Lv 6: Night Brigade, Three-Barrel Cove (started early for XP before Feywild), Stones Run Red, Brood of Flame. Mostly R1. Fallbacks if behind on XP: Catacombs, STK, Depths, Sharn Syndicate chain R01 | SG 3-5, Harbor and The Cerulean Hills. Lv. 3: The Captives R17; Where There's Smoke... R18. Lv. 2: Arachnophobia (solo) R19; Information is Key R20; The Miller's Debt (solo) R21; The Smuggler's Warehouse R22; The Kobolds' New Ringleader R23; Garrison's Missing Pack R24; Durk's Got A Secret R25; Walk the Butcher's Path R26; Recovering the Lost Tome R27; Bringing the Light R28. SG 5-6, Waterworks. Lv. 3: The Kobold's Den: Clan Gnashtooth R29; The Kobold's Den: Rescuing Arlos R30; The Sunken Sewer R33; Missing in Action R34; Redfang the Unruled R35. Lv. 4: Venn's Trail: Clan Tunnelworm R31; Venn's Trail: Venn's Fate R32. SG 6-7. Irestone Inlet (lv. 4) R36; The Depths of Despair and The Depths of Darkness (lv. 4), The Depths of Discord and The Depths of Doom (lv. 5), via House Deneith R37 R38; Freshen the Air (lv. 4) R39; Rest for the Restless (lv. 4) R40 |
| 7-9 | Lv 7: Legend of Two-Toed Tobias, Prove Your Worth, Ghost of a Chance (Three-Barrel Cove), and the level 7 Feywild quests. Lv 8: level 8 Feywild quests (Knight Who Cried Windmill, The Thornwright, Quid Pro Quo, The Icemount Curse, Needle in a Fey Stack, Immortality Lessons). Lv 9: Isle of Dread. The Delera quests are optional, for Voice of the Master or Master's Gift R01. Reference from SAR (2023): drink an XP potion around level 10, since he finds the 10-13 range slow | SG 7-9, House Kundarak, Jorasco, Phiarlan, Deneith quests (free patrons: complements/acces-vip-f2p.md §8). Lv. 6: The Promise of Fire R41; Redwillow's Ruins R42; Ruined Halls R43; Dead Predators R44; Mirra's Sleepless Nights R45; Caged Trolls R46; The Forgotten Caverns R47; Purge the Heretics R48; The Bounty Hunter R49. Lv. 7: The Graverobber R50; The Tear of Dhakaan R51; Gwylan's Stand R52. Lv. 8: Stromvauld's Mine R53 |
| 10-12 | Lv 10: Lamordia (can cap your XP), Tharashk Arena (VON 1), The Prisoner (VON 2). Lv 11: Jungle of Khyber (VON 3), Haywire Foundry (VON 4), Shadow Crypt (R1 + Elite), White Plume Mountain. Lv 12: Tempest's Spine, Vault of Night (VON 5-6), Ravenloft 1 chain. R4 possible in a group from 12. Fallbacks: Sykros' Jewel, Reclamation, Chamber of Rahmat R01 | SG 9-12. Lv. 8: Caverns of Korromar R54; Haunted Library R55; Stormcleave Outpost R56. Lv. 10: Hiding in Plain Sight R57; Sykros' Jewel and Reclamation, in the Ataraxia's Haven area (the area is not a quest) R58 R59. Lv. 11: The Enemy Within R60; Made to Order R61; The Spawn of Whisperdoom R62. Around 11-12: turn in banked XP to go through 12 in one step ("XP dump") SG |
| 13-15 (SG 12-15) | Lv 13: Ravenloft 2 chain and the base level 11 quests of Sands of Menechtarun (Chamber of Kourush, Maraud the Mines, Purge the Fallen Shrine, Offering of Blood, Raid the Vulkoorim). Lv 14: Ravenloft 3, Chamber of Raiyum, Relic of a Sovereign Past, Lordsmarch 1 chain (Diplomatic Impunity, Frame Work, Eyes of Stone). Lv 15: Lordsmarch 2 (Assault on Summerfield, Blockade Buster, Undermine, Siegebreaker) and Gianthold walk-ups [paid, see §4.4]. Fallback: replay on Elite R01 | SG 12-15, Lordsmarch. Lv. 12: Diplomatic Impunity R63; Frame Work R64; Eyes of Stone R65; A Relic of a Sovereign Past R66; Invaders! R67. Lv. 11: Dreams of Insanity R68. Lv. 13: Dinosaur Crisis R69; Mired in Kobolds R70. The three Lordsmarch quests are also marked Free To Play in legendary (lv. 34) R63 |
Notes on the table:
- The raid The Vault of Night is heroic level 10, patron House Kundarak, length Very Long. It gives 11,500 / 12,100 / 12,699 XP on Normal / Hard / Elite and 92 Reaper XP per skull (page edited Feb 13, 2026) R05.
- Reading limit: the Compendium's "Free To Play" field alone does not tell a free quest from patron access (inferred from pages R07 to R70). The quest names in the F2P column were taken from the titles of SG, then corrected against the exact Compendium titles.
- The pages for the Keep on the Borderlands and Fall of the Night Brigade packs, and the quest Grim and Barrett, could not be reread on Nov 5, 2026: levels and lengths not verified UNVERIFIED.
- TavernTails's opinion (Jun 14, 2026, before U81, pack buying guide) for the 10-14 range: The Vault of Night ("strong XP", House K favor for bank slots), Attack on Stormreach (heroic version level 12), Demon Sands (run for heroic and epic XP, groups easy to find) and Ruins of Gianthold (the Crucible is very good for XP per minute) R04.
- Disagreement on Night Brigade: TavernTails (same video) describes Fall of the Night Brigade (Wheloon, 4 quests, rat form) as content for level 4 heroic characters, with quick quests at "strong XP". Vooduspyce places it at level 6. These are two opinions, not settled R04 R01.
- Ina's variant (Nov 15, 2019, revised for Feywild, before U81 and before several XP changes): R1 solo, no potion or saga in heroic. Lv 3 Keep on the Borderlands and Misery's Peak (Elite); lv 5 Waterworks 1-2, STK part 1, Lost Gatekeepers; lv 7 Three-Barrel Cove (base lv 5) and Feywild lv 5; lv 9 Garl's Tomb, Scoundrel's Run, Tear of Dhakaan; lv 10-11 Cult of the Six, VoN 1-4, White Plume Mountain; lv 12-14 Ravenloft, Sands of Menechtarun, Chamber of Raiyum R02.
- A 1-20 record of under 9 h with three VIP players, without sagas, exists HEL: order of magnitude only.
4.3 The start: Korthos or Keep on the Borderlands
The guides disagree on level 1. These are the authors' opinions.
| Author, date | Position |
|---|---|
| Ina, 2019 | Saves the level 1 base quests of Korthos for Elite at levels 2-3. Does Keep on the Borderlands at level 3 R02 |
| Vooduspyce, Aug 2025 | Avoids Korthos and Tangleroot, for lack of a Reaper option R01. The wiki says the same of the Korthos quests wiki, not cross-checked R220 |
| TavernTails, Jun 14, 2026 | Considers Keep on the Borderlands a good starting point for a level 1 character: eight Caves of Chaos quests, near-guaranteed loot, mounts R04 |
| Sepulchre Gaming, 2025 | The F2P route goes through Korthos (§4.2) SG |
Suggested choice (inferred): a VIP aiming for Reaper follows Vooduspyce. An F2P follows SG and does Korthos. Whether Keep on the Borderlands is free or paid is not verified UNVERIFIED.
4.4 Heroic sagas on the route
Saga XP on Normal / Hard / Elite / True Elite, from the DDO Compendium pages C-SG.
| Saga (base level of the quests) | XP N / H / E / TE | Content and access |
|---|---|---|
| Heroic Saltmarsh (3) | 6,000 / 8,000 / 13,000 / 20,000 | The Haunting of Saltmarsh and What Sleeps Below are heroic level 3 R147 |
| Pirates of the Thunder Sea, Three-Barrel Cove (4-7) | 8,000 / 13,000 / 20,000 / 26,000 | Three-Barrel Cove pack, heroic quests 5-7 R108; saga sold with Sentinels of Stormreach according to TavernTails R04 |
| Heroic Fables of the Feywild (5-6) | 8,000 / 13,000 / 20,000 / 26,000 | Heroic quests 5-6 R144; paid status not verified UNVERIFIED |
| Heroic Isle of Dread (7-8) | 9,000 / 15,000 / 21,000 / 29,000 | 11 level 7 quests and Fall of the Forbidden Temple (level 8) R141 |
| Heroic Chill of Ravenloft (8) | 16,000 / 22,000 / 35,000 / 46,000 | 13 heroic level 8 quests R123 |
| Mists of Ravenloft Saga (10-12) | 16,000 / 22,000 / 35,000 / 46,000 | Ravenloft 1 to 3 chain: base level 10-12 according to the saga, played at character levels 12 to 14 in Vooduspyce's route R01 |
| Heroic Terror of Demogorgon (11) | 16,000 / 22,000 / 35,000 / 46,000 | 13 heroic level 11 quests R116; paid expansion C-SG |
| Heroic Myth Drannor (13) | 16,000 / 22,000 / 35,000 / 46,000 | Magic of Myth Drannor pack, 2,995 DDO Points, released in U69, paid R71; level 13 quests R72 |
| In the Wastes of Gianthold (13-14) | 16,000 / 22,000 / 35,000 / 46,000 | Ruins of Gianthold pack, 950 DDO Points, paid R78. Level 13 walk-ups: The Maze of Madness, A Cry for Help, Feast or Famine, Foundation of Discord, Trial by Fire R79 R80 |
Saga rules:
- Persistence: progress survives Lesser and Epic Reincarnation, not True or Racial W-SG R217.
- 100-hour cooldown since U50, on four heroic sagas only: Pirates of the Thunder Sea (Heroic), Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, Fables of the Feywild (Heroic) and Isle of Dread (Heroic). No other saga has a timer. Turning in resets the saga's counter, and the cooldown only blocks the next reward wiki, not cross-checked R217. Consequence (inferred): in a fast reincarnation loop, you can turn in each of these four sagas only once every 100 hours.
- Points wiki, not cross-checked: 1 per quest on Casual or Normal, 2 on Hard, 3 on Elite or Reaper. Each quest counts once, at its highest difficulty before the turn-in. Tiers: Hard = 1.75 × the number of quests (rounded down), Elite = 2.5 ×, True Elite = all quests on Elite. You can replay a quest done on Normal on Elite before turning in the saga R217.
- Skips wiki, not cross-checked: a VIP can skip one quest, counted as Elite. Anyone can skip one for 5 Astral Shards. A VIP can combine both skips. 15 Astral Shards move you up one reward tier, once per saga and per run R217.
- Elixirs wiki, not cross-checked: XP elixirs apply to saga rewards. The final reward contains an Experience Gem that is consumed automatically R217.
4.5 What the notes and players say about leveling speed
- Official notes: U81 (released Jul 22, 2026) mentions neither a first-time bonus nor past life XP. It says Rare quest XP is also increased on higher difficulties, that Explorer XP does not change on higher difficulties, and that you earn no Reaper XP in the wilderness R113. U81.4 (released Oct 7, 2026) mentions no change to XP, Reaper XP or quest rewards R155. U82 (Oct 14, 2026) contains none either R156. A slowdown felt by players is therefore not documented officially.
- Martial past lives: cxviihxxi's thread (Oct 8, 2026) is about the nerf to martial past lives, not about leveling speed. It proves no XP change R210.
- Past life requests (player opinions, page 1 only): Drachmor (message around Nov 1, 2026, inferred) says some builds are "gated behind an unreasonable time investment". Azasmokey proposes a reduced heroic XP curve, with a maximum of 2M. jrazumich proposes a static heroic XP cap of 3M. None of these opinions gives data in hours or in XP per life R199.
- Other threads (October-November 2026, except Ooblagato's, dated 2025; titles read in the lists, content not opened): "I just want a one-click reincarnation button" (Helke, Oct 23, 2026, 47 replies); a request to spread racial tree power more evenly (dozensnakes, Nov 2, 2026, 20 replies); a request to make past lives account-wide (Ooblagato, Nov 13, 2025, 148 replies) R209.