Alternate Advancement

For direct links to each Alternate Advancement tree, see: AAs

Alternate Advancement, previously referred to as Achievement Experience, is an alternate and additional experience system in EverQuest II. Alternate Advancement is earned in addition to normal experience (with all experience being converted to Alternate Advancement at the level cap). That Alternate Advancement can be used to acquire special abilities and powers that allow you to customize your character.

Many players refer to Alternate Advancement points as "AAs" because of a very similar system that existed in EverQuest I. SOE has an Achievement FAQ, but please note that it is outdated and only applies to the Kingdom of Sky expansion.

Class and Subclass Advancements

Fighter AAs Brawlers (Bruisers and Monks) Crusaders (Paladins and Shadowknights) Warriors (Berserkers and Guardians)

Mage AAs Enchanters (Coercers and Illusionists) Sorcerers (Warlocks and Wizards) Summoners (Conjurors and Necromancers)

Priest AAs Clerics (Inquisitors and Templars) Druids (Furies and Wardens) Shamans (Defilers and Mystics)

Scout AAs Bards (Dirges and Troubadors) Predators (Assassins and Rangers) Rogues (Brigands and Swashbucklers)

Who can earn Alternate Advancement?

You must own the Kingdom of Sky expansion and be level 20 or above to take advantage of the Class Alternate Advancements system. If you own the Echoes of Faydwer expansion or later, you begin earning Alternate Advancement at level 10, and can apply your points to the Subclass Tree.

How do I earn Alternate Advancement?

You can earn your new powers by completing quests, defeating notorious enemies, acquiring rare treasure, exploring dangerous places, and by earning adventure experience once you have reached the maximum level for expansions that you have. These accomplishments earn points that allow you to choose new powers and specialties to set your character apart from the crowd.

You earn Alternate Advancement by:

• Completing quests (See Soloing Timeline) that are rated for level 10 or higher.
  • Repeatable quests generally give AA on the first completion only.
  • Some quests do not award Alternate Advancement.
  • To maximize Alternate Advancement gain, only complete quests that are the same level, or lower, as your character.
    • Completing a quest a lot higher in level than your character level (red con) will result in less Alternate Advancement gain.
    • Out-leveled (grey) quests give the same Alternate Advancement as even level quests.
• Defeating special enemies, such as named bosses, for the first time - if they con green or higher. See Monsters that award AA.
  • If the special monster is gray to you, then you can mentor a low level friend to make it green, so as to earn Alternate Advancement from it.
• Looting rare treasures (this includes status items and the various ancient treasure vendor items). See Items that award AA
• Exploring the world, finding landmarks and generally clearing the fog of war from the map. See Discovery Locations.
• Completing collection quests
  • Some collection quests do not award Alternate Advancement.
• Moving the AA slider to convert some combat XP into Alternate Achievement XP. This is done automatically when you reach the maximum level for expansions that you have. (Ex. An 80th level character with expansions only up through The Shadow Odyssey WILL convert XP, even though (s)he is not at the maximum game level.

As noted above, by using the AA conversion slider (after you have reached level 10), you can select a percentage of the experience (XP) you wish to divert to your AA. For example if the slider is moved to 0% then none of the common level experience you gain from killing monsters will be diverted to your AA. The 0% setting is the default setting. You still will gain AA though by turning in quests and killing specific mobs. If however you place the slider at 100%, you will no longer receive standard adventure XP. All your XP, including the amount gained by quests will be converted into AA. The slider in essence is a percentage of standard adventure level XP diversion. This can be incredibly usefull if you decide you wish to complete a series of quests without leveling or you wish to retain your current adventure level but want to advance without the standard XP going to waste.

How can I spend my Alternate Advancement points?

You can earn a maximum of 300 Alternate Advancements Points, if you have the Destiny of Velious expansion.

From levels 1 trough 70, you will be limited to spending 160 AA points total: 50 points each in the Class and Subclass trees and 60 points in the Shadows tree. Beginning with level 71, this limit is raised to 200 AA points total: 70 points for the Class and Subclass trees and still 60 points for the Shadows tree. Upon reaching level 81, the limits are removed and the cap is removed and you can spend up to a maximum of 100 points for the Class and Subclass tress and a maximum of 70 points spent for the Shadows Tree.

Please note, however, that if you spent the maximum of 100 AA points on the Class and Subclass trees for your class, you will only have 50 remaining points to spent on the Shadows tree as per the maximum achievable Advancement points. Likewise, if you spend the maximum 70 AA points on the Shadows tree, that will leave only 180 AA points to split between the Class and Subclass trees.

PvP servers have an additional cap placed on the number of Alternate Advancement points you can assign. Players under level 30 cannot assign more than 1.5 times their adventure level in Alternate Advancement points. For example, at level 22 you can assign no more than 33 (1.5 x 22) Alternate Advancement points. Any additional Alternate Advancement points you may have will be stored until you reach a higher level and are able to assign them.

You can spend (assign) points in any tree at any time, but you must follow the tree's progression and restrictions (the Shadows tree has restrictions based upon total number of points spent). For the Class tree, you must spend 4 points in each bubble (except the beginning ability) in order to progress to the next. You can spend a maximum of 10 points in each bubble. When you spend 22 points in any one line, you can apply 2 points to the "final" ability. These abilities are usually very useful, and you get a prefix title along with your ability. After you earn the "final" ability, you can spend up to 10 points on the endline ability which will boost the "final" ability.

As for the Subclass trees, each tree is different. As a general rule, you have to spend 3 points in an ability to be able to spend points in the next ability down the tree (connected by lines between the bubbles). Some abilities have only one or two ranks, but require more than one point to raise them. When you spend the required number of points in anyone section of AAs, you are able to spend one point to acquire the end ability. Each AA is part of one of the sections, and you can see which section an ability belongs to by reading the tooltip. You can only apply a point to the end ability if you spend the required number of points on AAs that are part of that section. After spending a minimum of 70 points on your Subclass tree, you can add points to the bottom-most line (added with Sentinel's Fate) for subclass-specific upgrades.

The Shadows tree is the most straightforward of all the trees. It will have total points spent requirements displayed in red text across each row letting you know how soon that row will become unlocked. You may spend up to five points for each ability in a given row except for the abilities on the far right side of each line. To access those endline abilities, you must spend a minimum of 10 points in the line beforehand.

The the first line of the Heroic tree is locked until you have spend 200 points accoss all other trees. The second line is locked till you spend 10 points in the first line of the heroic table, the third line is locked till you spend 240 AA accoss all trees and 20 onthe heroic table, the 4'th line is locked till you spend 275 AA all trees and 30 in the heroic table.

Where can I respec my AAs?

If you decide you do not like the way you have allocated your Alternate Advancements points, you may reallocate (aka. "respec") your points; this clears all of your points in one of your trees and allows you to spend them again. You must respec each each tree separately, but (as of GU 37) you can spend the reacquired points in either tree, up to the maximum for your character's level.

To respec your Alternate Advancements, visit one of the following Counsels:

• Gorowyn: Warzok Riz'sok at ( 2652, 66, 1179 ) Copy/waypoint 2652, 66, 1179 
• Kelethin: Aelia Naeni in the Order of Arcane acorn at ( 262, 105, 408 ) Copy/waypoint 262, 105, 408
• Kylong Plains: Dure T`Kul in Teren's Grasp at ( 2144, 480, -769 ) Copy/waypoint 2144, 480, -769 
• Neriak: Tria L'Belk next to the Stable Master in the New Foreign Quarter at ( 137, 20, 74 ) Copy/waypoint 137, 20, 74 
• North Freeport: Nexa L'Dur in The Academy of Arcane Science building's basement at ( 0, -42, -142 ) Copy/waypoint 0, -42, -142 
• South Qeynos: Wynia Vethe in the Concordium Tower, through the red portal at ( 706, 42, 91 ) Copy/waypoint 706, 42, 91 

The counselors will also give you one free Class Achievement Respec Card and one free Subclass Achievement Respec Card per character. (Start a new dialogue for each one.) There is no respec card for character development or for the Shadows tree.

Alternate Advancement respec cost starts out at 10g, followed by 1p and then a repeating cost of 10p. Thirty (30) days after your latest respec (at any cost), the charge will reset back to 10g. Character Development respec cost starts out at 1s. ^{[What are the increasing Character Development respec costs?]}

If you often switch between two Alternate Advancements setups, consider acquiring a Mirror of Reflected Achievements.

Helpful tips on earning Alternate Advancement

• AA XP is earned starting at level 10, thus you cannot get AA from any mobs, quests, or collections that are below level 10 even if you are above that level.
• Lore and Legend quests give a very good amount of Alternate Advancement and will give you a mastery strike against the mobs for which you complete the quests.
• Heritage Quests can earn you much more Alternate Advancement than normal quests.
• When entering a zone for the first time, try to pick up any Bootstrutter quests in the zone so that you can complete the quest while gaining the discovery Alternate Advancement.
• It is no longer necessary to mentor down for gray quests. Starting with LU45, you earn AA XP from all quests, even if they are gray. However, you must still mentor down if you want to earn AA XP from named monsters.
• Starting with Update 53, you can choose on a sliding percent how much of your normal XP is diverted into AAXP, letting you choose which you need more right now. That means it is no longer necessary to disable combat experience to keep up with quests. If you only want to gain AAXP and NOT combat AND Quest XP (such as turning in collections that will give adventure and AAXP), disable quest experience by right clicking your exp bar and selecting Disable Quest Experience. You will gain AAXP but not quest XP on collection turn-ins this way.