The solo part of EXP

It is understood that the first ten to thirteen levels of the game is where the EXP is soloed. The mobs aren't generally high on hit points and attack at this point, and halved subjob skills do not show during this time. Whether you are starting a new character or a new job, the chances are that you got a limited inventory and very likely a limited amount of gil to start. You should know where the NPC vendors are in your town, especially for antidotes and equipment. You need to know how to use the auction house if you haven't done so already as money is made and lost through that system.

Leveling in San d'Oria

The biggest advantage of leveling in this town is the fire crystals from the nearby orcs and goblins. Fire crystals have high turnover rate at the auction house, and will sell for a very good price. While the mobs do not have profitable drops, you will be able to sell sheepskins and sleepshrooms for a good price at the auction house and trade the flint stones, bat wings, and rabbit hides to the NPC for fame. Antidotes are required for funguars and lizards as their poison is lethal at this point.

Zone	Level Range	Mob(s)	Notes
East Ronfaure West Ronfaure	1-5	Pugil Tunnel Worm Wild Rabbit Ding Bats	Nothing amazing. Get these 5 levels over with as quickly as you can.
East Ronfaure West Ronfaure	4-10	Forest Hare Orc Carrion Worm Mouse Bat Forest Funguar Scarab Beetle Wild Sheep	First thing to note, there is a level difference of the mobs in the zone. The further away from town you are, the stronger the mob.
Ghelsba Outpost	4-11	Orcish Fodder Orcish Grappler Watch Lizard Bats Toadstool Ghelsba Pugil	With the exception of the pugil, you will get some profitable crystal drops in this zone, and thus it is usually packed with low level farmers. Only the Spectaled Bats, Watch Lizards, and Toadstools are passive in this zone, so take care. Again, there is a level difference of mobs in this zone. You can score some level 1 armor drops from the orcs in the zone if you need it.
King Ranperre's Tomb	4-8	Mouse Bat Ding Bat Carrion Worm Stone Eater	The bats are good for the wings and wind crystals. Stone Eaters are aggressive in this zone (unlike their counterparts in the Gustaberg region), but one of their drops is approximately 10k gil a pop at the auction house.
Ranguemont Pass	6-10	Goblin Thug Goblin Weaver Wind Bats Blade Bat	The first thing of note is that this place on the northeast corner of East Ronfaure is in a different region that is very seldom controlled by a nation. Very often you will have to do without the crystal drops. However, you will very well have this place to yourself, and the Wild Onions and Bat Wings will more than make up the void. Be very careful in this zone, as you should not go past the door and you should not get near the slimes as much stronger mobs await.
King Ranperre's Tomb	8-12	Goblin Weaver Goblin Thug Enchanted Bones	These mobs are a bit deeper in. Like Ranguemont Pass, you must be careful about this zone as there are stronger mobs that lurk. Do not inspect the ??? or you will get a nasty surprise by level 60+ mobs.

Leveling in Bastok

While Bastok does not have the highest chances of fire crystals and getting fame is much harder than San d'Oria, you will find two more money-making mobs in the game: saplings and bees. The grain seeds and beehive chips will make up for the hordes of earth and water crystals you will find. You can also get some flowerpots cheap from the vendor in Bastok Mines and try to use Grain Seed + Earth Crystal for Tarutaru Rice to sell on the Auction House if you are willing to take that chance, but it will take 3 to 4 real life days for yields. Again, you will need to make an heavy investment in antidotes, as lizard poison is lethal.

Zone	Level Range	Mob(s)	Notes
North Gustaberg South Gustaberg	1-3	Huge Hornet Tunnel Worm Ding Bats	The bad news is that Huge Hornets do not drop beehive chips, so don't stay on these mobs for long if you can help it.
Zerhum Mines	2-6	Ding Bats Tunnel Worm Mouse Bat River Crab	Avoid the leeches and slimes, they are nasty and they got brutal moves that will defeat anyone. Instead, stick to the bats if at all possible. Mobs in this zone drop Zerhum Soot, which can be traded in a quest in Bastok Mines or sold on the Auction House for 15k/stack, depending on how bad you need fame in this town.
North Gustaberg South Gustaberg	5-10	Strolling Sapling Maneating Hornet Goblin Land Crab Sheep Vultures	There are other mobs in the zone, but you should be concentrating on these three if you can. Maneating Hornets drop beehive chips which can sell for 25k a stack and saplings drop Grain Seeds that sell for 20k a stack. Lizards drop earth crystals instead of fire crystals, so avoid them for the time being. While Quadlavs do drop backplates and low level magic scrolls, they can be some brutal fights as they got much higher defense and more hit points than goblins. Birds and goblins drop fire crystals.
Dangurf Wadi	5-10	Stone Eater Rock Lizard Goblin Thug Goblin Weaver Goblin Fisher	Stone Eaters drop a ring that sells over 10k on the Auction House, and drop sulfur that sells for 7k a stack. You will need antidotes for Rock Lizards due to their poison attack. Goblins drop fire or lightning crystals and low level armor.

Leveling in Windurst

Windurst has the best in both worlds: best potential profit from mobs and the best rewards from low level quests. You will still need antidotes for crawlers, but their poison is only 1 hp/tick instead of the 3 hp/tick from lizards. I have heard stories of new characters making well over 200k in gil trying to level up a new character in Windurst. Windurst has their fair share of bees and fire crystal dropping mobs as well.

Zone	Level Range	Mob(s)	Notes
West Sarutabaruta East Sarutabaruta	1-3	Bumblebee Tiny Mandragora	These mobs do not drop much in money. Get to level 3 as quickly as you can.
West Sarutabaruta East Sarutabaruta	3-7	Savannah Rarab Carrion Crow	Birds drop fire crystals and should be your main emphasis.
Inner Horutoto Ruins	3-7	Two of _____	This first set of cardians must be pulled with ranged attacks as they are sensitive to magic. Some of them do drop light crystals, which make up their overall lack of profit.
Inner Horutoto Ruins	5-9	Goblin Thug Goblin Weaver Blade Bat Battue Bats	The mobs drop fire and wind crystals, some low level armor, and bat wings. While their profit might be good in other regions, it pales in Windurst.
West Sarutabaruta East Sarutabaruta	6-12	Crawler Giant Bee	Crawlers can drop Silk Thread, which can sell up to 55k a stack at the Auction House. Beehive chips can fetch for 25k a stack. Have antidotes ready for the crawlers as they will use their poison attack a lot.
Giddeus	6-12	Giddeus Bee Yagudo Acolyte	The emphasis is the bee, which can drop beehive chips as well. Yagudo Acolyte also a drop that sells to the vendor for 500 gil.

Later on. . .

You will find the mobs outside the three starting cities give less and less experience over time. At this time, you need to move on to new areas and try out new mobs.

Zone	Level Range	Mob(s)	Notes
La Thiene Plateau	8-11	Rock Eater Strolling Sapling Acro Bat
Konschtat Highlands	8-11	Rock Eater Strolling Sapling	Beware of ghosts and elementals that spawn near the Rock Eaters.
Tahrongi Canyon	8-11	Strolling Sapling Mandragora Canyon Rarab
La Thiene Plateau Konschtat Highlands Tahrongi Canyon	11-15	Bee

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