Building a Better Portal

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EverQuest 2 Quest Information

Journal Category

Tradeskill

Journal Level

Scales with player level

Journal Difficulty

Solo

Starting Zone

Palace of the Ancient One (tradeskill) ^more

How to Start

Speak with Tomkin Cogsbottom

part of: Tradeskill Timeline
Preceded by: none	Followed by: none

What does this information mean?

Notes Edit

This is an unlimited repeatable quest . Though Madria Varas offers 4 different quests and you can complete any or all of them only once a day. Even if she offers you this quest (or any of the other 3) a second time in the same day, the instance you travel to for the subquest will not be reset and, therefore, you will not be able to complete it until the timer for the quest is reset. The minimum level to get this quest is 50.

NOTE: The rules for this may be changing. I received an 18 hour lockout for Shipyard instance, but only a one hour lockout on the other three in Dec 2014. To attempt to reset your lockouts, type the slash command /df for the dungeon finder and look at the bottom for the Persistent Instances tab. (The Lockout tab is not the right one, that's for instances you can't re-enter.) You must select the instance and hover over the Reset Timer button to see how much time you really have left before you can reset (meaning, set the instance back to the beginning).

The heroic tag means this can be completed in a group, but because there is no combat you can solo it if you prefer.

Mass Production can be used to complete this quest quickly

Steps Edit

See the time saving tips in the notes below to significantly reduce the time this quest takes

Hail Tomkin Cogsbottom at ( -19, 13, 15 ) /waypoint -19, 13, 15 and take this subquest, Building a Better Portal.

Before you being crafting, hail Tomkin a second time. He has an all-in-one Makeshift tinkered workstation which any artisan class can use while on the quest.

Notes Edit

You have the option to complete this subquest a total of 4 times if you choose. Turning it in 4 times is only advantageous if you still need/want the tradeskill XP you get from turning in quests. To determine if you are better served by completing the subquest each time, read the time saving tips below. Your tradeskill level and whether you are working on this mission as a group or solo will effect your decision to hail Tomkin Cogsbottom only once for the subquest, make all of the items before you turn in the subquest one time (to complete the main quest automatically) or if you should take his subquest 4 times and turn in the items he asks for in rounds.

The recipe book is on the table beside him; click it and scribe it before you begin crafting.
Click on the paper next to him and keep Tomkin Cogsbottom's list of items that appears on your screen open, until everything is complete; doing so makes it easier to search for the recipes at each table. The list will show that you need to make 3 of each item, but more can be made to speed up the entire process. (See time saving tips below.)
All materials needed to complete this quest/subquest are located within the zone. Gather them by clicking objects (barrels, boxes, etc.) near crafting stations. Gather more than you need to complete one round of the subquest.
To complete the subquest you will be asked to make 3 items on Tomkin Cogsbottom's list. If you hail Tomkin Cogsbottom and take the subquest 4 times, you will end up making 12 of each item on his list. His list asks for 9 different items. While this task can be carried out in this manner, there are ways to speed up the process considerably.
To complete the main quest from the Isle of Mara, you actually only need to hail Tomkin Cogsbottom one time. Ignore the red book that appears over his head (to turn in the quest when you've made 3 items) and complete multiples (at least 12) of each item on the list. This will give you less tradeskill XP if you are not at max level, but it makes completing the quest much faster. If you choose to only hail Tomkin Cogsbottom once and make all of the items in multiples, the feather above his head for the subquest will still reappear again. Wait for a little while, because the main quest will take time to update and auto-complete.

Time saving tips for solo and group missions:

Complete all the items at once, unless you are under max tradeskill level (95) and want the XP for completing the quest in stages, by turning in the needed items in rounds of 3 as shown in the subquest and Tomkin Cogsbottom's list. Getting the subquest 4 times and making the items in rounds is only advantageous for tradeskill XP gain, but doing so makes the process extremely time consuming unless you are working on this with a group of crafters.

Because the difficulty of making the items is much greater at lower levels, the ideal group for this special zone is best suited to have at least one artisan from the following tradeskill subclasses: Outfitter , Craftsman , and Scholar .

Within these crafting instances Mass Production, a Tradeskill Prestige ability, or the item The Hand of the Maker can be used to make multiple items at one time. With mass production, these can be made in multiples of 5 or 15 at once. To complete the main quest and the subquest, 12 of each item on Tomkin Cogsbottom's list is required, but making more than needed is considerably fast compared to making each item one at a time and picking up and turning in the subquest in several rounds that asks for multiples of 3.

You'll notice that if you click the list of needed items next to him again, you will see negative numbers for each item, meaning that you have completed all of the items. Sit back and wait; when the portal is rebuilt, the entire quest (including the main quest from the Isle of Mara) will auto-complete. After the auto-completion, a chest will appear in the instance.

Materials Needed Edit

All materials (including fuel) is harvested in the zone and only used within it. If you plan to use Mass Production to complete multiple items at once, be sure to gather extra.

48 metal armor scraps from plate wearing raiders
60 damaged jewelry from plate wearing raiders
48 strips of previously worn cloth from robe/gi/chain wearing raiders
24 scavenged leather armor pieces from robe/gi/chain wearing raiders
12 horse meat from dead horse mounts
12 dire bear meat from dead dire bear mounts
60 void-touched lumber from clickable trees
60 void residue from the residue blobs, one harvest each
216 void-warped coal from harvestable coal deposits

Group Mission Notes Edit

If you have come to this mission as a group (now optional) the following artisan classes will want to complete the items as such:

Outfitter

Beacon Components - Metal Shaping (Armorer)
Construction Tools - Metalworking (Weaponsmith)
Sturdy Rope - Tailoring (Tailor)

Craftsman

Arcane Carvings - Sculpting (Carpenter)
Construction Scaffolding - Fletching (Woodworker)
Makeshift Cement - Artistry (Provisioner)

Scholar

Protective Void Potion - Chemistry (Alchemist)
Spell of Transportation - Scribing (Sage)
Enchanted Becaon Stone - Artificing (Jeweler)

Rewards Edit

After you have completed this subquest, the main quest from Mardria will update and you will receive:

1 Far Seas Trading Company Token
At least 1p 60g at level 95
12,763 status at level 95
Completing this quest gives +1,500 faction with Far Seas Supply Division

Exquisite Chest Edit

After you have completed the subquest within this zone as described above, an exquisite chest also drops near Tomkin Cogsbottom in the zone.

Up to 5 items from the following list:

Always 1 Far Seas Trading Company Token
Always 1 Artisan jewelry item from one of the following sets:
Possibly one of the following tradeskill items:
Possibly one of the following recipe books:
Possibly one or more of the following Tier 9 Rares:

Exit the portal that the raiders are fleeing out of to leave the zone. The quest "Emergency Portal Repair" auto-completes in the zone.

Wikia

Notes Edit

Steps Edit

Notes Edit

Materials Needed Edit

Group Mission Notes Edit

Rewards Edit

Exquisite Chest Edit