EQ:Hotzones  

Hotzones offer an experience bonus higher than that of regular zones. Some of the latest sets also have extra loot added; this loot is obtainable even after the zones are no longer "hot."

In addition to the experience bonus and special item drops listed below, you can also see Franklin Teek (map) in the Plane of Knowledge for a series of level-based "Simple Tasks" to be completed in current hot zones. These tasks result in some extra experience, armor and coin.

As of the July 9, 2024 patch there are 2 additional hot zone levels, 100 and 105.

So far the level 100 one shows up as Shard's Landing and the 105 was Tower of Rot.

The server updated on 8/21/2024 and changed the Hot Zones for level 100 to Tempest Temple and Neriak 4th Gate for 105.

New and Improved Hotzone System as of April 20, 2016

Patch message April 20, 2016: Hot Zones now randomly rotate between three possible zones for each level range and are currently set to rotate every 3 months first of January, April, July, and October. Talk to Franklin Teek in the Plane of Knowledge to find your Hot Zone and earn bonus loot and experience! Reference

In fact the hotzones rotate since this date with every patch regardless the time between the patches.

The three possible zone sets are listed below. Visit Franklin Teek in the Plane of Knowledge to see the current list of hotzones, grab a task, and get adventuring!

Hotzones on Progression Servers

Hotzones will become available on progression servers later in the history for those special servers. Different level ranges of hotzones will unlock on progression servers depending on what expansion is unlocked:

• The Serpent's Spine - Level 65 and lower level hotzones will unlock
• Secrets of Faydwer - Level 70 hotzones will unlock
• Seeds of Destruction - Level 75 hotzones will unlock
• House of Thule - Level 80 hotzones will unlock
• Veil of Alaris - Level 85 hotzones will unlock
• Rain of Fear - Level 90 hotzones will unlock
• The Darkened Sea - Level 95 hotzones will unlock
• Ring of Scale? - Level 100 hotzones will unlock
• Torment of Velious? - Level 105 hotzones will unlock

Possible Hotzones since April 20, 2016

Note: Here are the lists of the possible hotzones instead of adds after each change (patch). Players, please talk in game to Franklin Teek in PoK to see which ones are active. They randomize every day per server.

June 19, 2013 to April 20, 2016

Skal Nethus (map -- location -320, 1200, -111 in the Plane of Knowledge -- near Franklin Teek) offers a task called "Udumbara, the flower of legend" that involves every hotzone and results in the augmentation Udumbara.

• Level 20: Warslik's Wood
• Augment: Crystallized Dew HP: 10 Str: 1 Sta: 1 Int: 1 Wis: 1

• Level 25: Marus Seru
• Augment: Melted Stone Crystal HP: 10 Mana/End: 5 Sta: 1 Agi: 1 Dex: 1

• Level 30: Frontier Mountains
• Augment: Alpine Rune AC: 2 HP/Mana/End: 5

• Level 35: Dawnshroud Peaks
• Augment: Moonbeam Pearl AC: 2 HP: 10

• Level 40: Jaggedpine Forest
• Augment: Jaggedpine Resin HP: 15 Mana/End: 20 Int: 1 Wis: 1 Agi: 1 Cha: 1

• Level 45: Burning Woods
• Augment: Burning Wood Coal AC: 8 HP: 5

• Level 50: Corathus Creep
• Augment: Creepy Bone Chips HP: 40 Mana/End: 15 Cha: 2

• Level 55: The Bloodfields
• Augment: Hateful Eye AC: 8 HP/Mana/End: 5

• Level 60: Undershore and Blackfeather Roost
• Augment: Undershore Fungus HP: 20 Mana/End: 65 Int: 2 Wis: 2

• Level 65: Eryslai, the Kingdom of Wind (Plane of Air)
• Augment: Elemental Core AC: 20

• Level 70: Wall of Slaughter
• Augment: Desiccated Tongue HP: 25 Mana/End: 85

• Level 75: Oceangreen Hills
• Augment: Oceangreen Clover AC: 14 Mana/End: 25

• Level 80: Hills of Shade
• Augment: Dark Black Gem AC: 20 HP: 45

• Level 85: Old Bloodfields
• Augment: Dragorn Fang AC: 10 HP: 130 Mana/End: 90 Str: 0+2 Dex: 0+2

• Level 90: Valley of Lunanyn
• Augment: Imbued Feather AC: 25 HP: 150 Mana/End: 100 Str: 0+3 Dex: 0+3

• Level 90: The Grounds
• Augment: Sentinel's Claw AC: 20 HP: 100 Mana/End: 150 Wis: 0+3 Int: 0+3

December 14, 2011 to June 18, 2013

Skal Nethus (map -- location -320, 1200, -111 in the Plane of Knowledge -- near Franklin Teek) offers a task called Skal's Walking Nightmare that involves killing a mob from each one of these hot zones, resulting in The Sum of Skal`s Nightmares.

• Level 20: Crescent Reach
• Augment: Dragon Scale Sliver

• Level 25: Blightfire Moors
• Augment: Luminous Wisp Trinket

• Level 30: Great Divide
• Augment: Frozen Kodiak Claw

• Level 35: Stone Hive
• Augment: Clump of Bixie Pollen

• Level 40: Dranik's Scar
• Augment: Kyv Arrowhead

• Level 45: Goru'kar Mesa
• Augment: Mesa Fossil

• Level 50: Plane of Disease
• Augment: Lump of Pus

• Level 55: Blackfeather Roost
• Augment: Feather Bundle

• Level 60: Sunderock Springs
• Augment: Spring Minerals

• Level 65: The Steppes
• Augment: Portal Scraps

• Level 70: Vergalid Mines
• Augment: Deep Emerald Stone

• Level 75: Direwind Cliffs
• Augment: Carrion Offering

• Level 80: Ashengate, Reliquary of the Scale
• Augment: Slice of Veeshan's Scale

• Level 85: Korascian Warrens
• Augment: Tears of the Rathe

• Level 85: Feerrott, the Dream
• Augment: Effervescent Swamp Moss

December 8, 2010 to December 13, 2011

Skal Nethus (map -- location -320, 1200, -111 in the Plane of Knowledge -- near Franklin Teek) offers a task called "The Dungeon Rot Infected" that involves returning an item from each one of these hot zones, resulting in Purified Dungeon Rot.

• Level 20: City of Guk (Upper Guk)
• Augment: Compressed Froglok Bile

• Level 25: Solusek's Eye (Solusek A)
• Augment: Singed Goblin Eye

• Level 30: Crystal Caverns
• Augment: Regurgitated Crystals

• Level 35: Kaesora
• Augment: Decomposing Scroll of Lore

• Level 40: Ruins of Old Guk (Lower Guk)
• Augment: Froglok Egg Capsule

• Level 45: Howling Stones (Charasis)
• Augment: Enchanted Werebone

• Level 50: Crypt of Nadox
• Augment: Rune of Abominable Rituals

• Level 55: Ssraeshza Temple
• Augment: Snakeskin Gem

• Level 60: Torden, the Bastion of Thunder
• Augment: Frozen Ball Lightning

• Level 65: Drunder, Fortress of Zek (Plane of Tactics)
• Augment: Diaku Armor Fragment

• Level 70: Vergalid Mines
• Augment: Scale of Vergalid's Spawn

• Level 75: Zhisza, the Shissar Sanctuary
• Augment: Pyramid Capstone Shard

• Level 80: Toskirakk
• Augment: Rallosian Power Gem

• Level 80: Kaesora Library
• Augment: Tablet of Forgotten Lore

June 9, 2010 to December 7, 2010

Skal Nethus (map -- location -320, 1200, -111 in the Plane of Knowledge -- near Franklin Teek) offers a task called "The Escaped Voidsouls" that involves returning an item from each one of these hot zones, resulting in Gem of Bound Voidsouls.

• Level 20: Lavastorm Mountains
• Augment: Ball of Primeval Lava

• Level 25: Blightfire Moors
• Augment: Tear of Wandering Souls

• Level 30: Firiona Vie
• Augment: Pilgrim's Protector

• Level 35: Gulf of Gunthak
• Augment: Brigand's Sunken Treasure

• Level 40: Goru`kar Mesa
• Augment: Mesa Hardstone

• Level 45: Natimbi, The Broken Shores
• Augment: Flawless Natimbi Pearl

• Level 50: The Broodlands
• Augment: Chunk of Congealed Elements

• Level 55: The Bloodfields
• Augment: Drop of Dragorn's Blood

• Level 60: Barren Coast
• Augment: Energetic Barnacle

• Level 65: Arcstone, Isle of Spirits
• Augment: Stone of Departed Spirits

• Level 70: The Elddar Forest
• Augment: Heart of the Elddar Forest

• Level 75: Loping Plains
• Augment: Carnival Prize

• Level 75: Old Blackburrow
• Augment: Gnoll's Gnawbone

October 8, 2009 to June 8, 2010

• Level 20: South Karana
• Augment -- Centaur Eye

• Level 25: Lake of Ill Omen
• Augment -- Pebble of Ill Omen

• Level 30: The Twilight Sea
• Augment -- Morning Star

• Level 35: Kedge Keep
• Augment -- Pearlescent Fragment

• Level 40: City of Mist
• Augment -- Seal of Torsis

• Level 45: Howling Stones
• Augment -- Seal of Superiority

• Level 50: Veksar
• Augment -- Gorudon's Scale

• Level 55: Grieg's End
• Augment -- Sanity Shard

• Level 60: Plane of Nightmare
• Augment -- Nightmare Fragment

• Level 65: Kod'Taz, Broken Trial Grounds
• Augment -- Runic Scrap

• Level 70: The Buried Sea
• Augment -- Authentic Treasure Map

• Level 75: Thalassius, the Coral Keep
• Augment -- Experimental Device

• Level 75: Ashengate, Reliquary of the Scale
• Augment -- Experimental Device

July 14, 2009 to October 7, 2009

• Level 20: Everfrost Peaks
• Level 25: Permafrost Keep
• Level 30: Iceclad Ocean
• Level 35: Tower of Frozen Shadow
• Level 40: Great Divide
• Level 45: Eastern Wastes
• Level 50: Velketor's Labyrinth
• Level 55: Kael Drakkel
• Level 60: Western Wastes
• Level 65: The Ascent
• Level 70: Icefall Glacier
• Level 75: Valdeholm
• Level 75: Frostcrypt

December 9, 2008 to July 14, 2009

• Level 20: Stonebrunt Mountains
• Augment -- Shard of Imperceptible Power

• Level 25: Crystal Caverns
• Augment -- Shard of Faint Power

• Level 30: The Overthere
• Augment -- Shard of Slight Power

• Level 35: Mons Letalis
• Augment -- Shard of Minor Power

• Level 40: Great Divide
• Augment -- Shard of Power

• Level 45: Nagafens Lair
• Augment -- Shard of Incandescent Power

• Level 50: Plane of Innovation
• Augment -- Shard of Increasing Power

• Level 55: Ssraeshza Temple
• Augment -- Shard of Growing Power

• Level 60: Crypt of Decay
• Augment -- Shard of Expanding Power

• Level 65: Stoneroot Falls
• Augment -- Shard of Phosphorescent Power

• Level 70: Valdeholm
• Augment -- Shard of Phenomenal Power

• Level 75: Dreadspire Keep
• Augment -- Shard of True Power

August 20, 2008 to December 8, 2008

Franklin Teek has arrived in the Plane of Knowledge just East of the Guild Lobby and will be happy to point you to the current location of a Hot Zone appropriate for your level. Franklin also has a series of tasks that can be done in each of the current Hot Zones. You can only request a single task at a time. Once one task is completed, there is an 18 hr lockout from the time the task was requested until another task can be requested. Each level task objective changes each day, so if you request one today, the objective tomorrow will be different. As an example, A Simple Task - Level 20 was Kill 5 Goblins on Wed Aug 20, 2008, Kill 5 Sabertooths on Thu Aug 21, 2008, and Kill 5 Iksar on Fri Aug 22, 2008.

• Level 20 Lake of Ill Omen
• Augment -- Petrified Bloodgill Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 20

• Level 25 The Feerrott
• Augment -- Fossilized Tae Ew Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 25

• Level 30 Frontier Mountains
• Augment -- Petrified Goblin Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 30

• Level 35 Tower of Frozen Shadow
• Augment -- Frozen Crystalline Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 35

• Level 40 Lower Guk
• Augment -- Decayed Froglok Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 40

• Level 45 The Wakening Land
• Augment -- Petrified Holgresh Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 45

• Level 50 Old Sebilis
• Augment -- Pickled Froglok Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 50

• Level 55 Blackfeather Roost
• Augment -- Fossilized Griffon Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 55

• Level 60 Plane of Storms
• Augment -- Eye of the Storm
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 60

• Level 65 Sunderock Springs
• Augment -- Petrified Bladefin Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 65

• Level 70 Riftseeker's Sanctum
• Augment -- Frozen Pyrilen Eye
• Task -- A Simple Task - Level 70

Thanks to Elidroth on the SoE forums for the information

February 28, 2008 to August 19, 2008

• Level 20 North Ro / South Ro
• Augment -- Corrupted Agate Amulet
• Melee Item -- Shimmering Agate Signet
• Caster Item -- Glowing Agate Signet

• Level 25 Solusek's Eye
• Augment -- Corrupted Emerald Amulet
• Melee Item -- Warforged Emerald Hoop
• Caster Item -- Flamewrought Emerald Band

• Level 30 Blightfire Moors
• Augment -- Corrupted Opal Amulet
• Melee Item -- Havoc Loop
• Caster Item -- Loop of the Ravaged

• Level 35 Stone Hive
• Augment -- Corrupted Sapphire Amulet
• Melee Item -- Carnage Cloak
• Caster Item -- Drape of the Fray

• Level 40 Dulak's Harbor
• Augment -- Corrupted Citrine Amulet
• Melee Item -- Skirmisher's Shoulderguards
• Caster Item -- Epaulettes of the Onslaught

• Level 45 Skyshrine
• Augment -- Corrupted Ruby Amulet
• Melee Item -- Circlet of the Struggle

• Caster Item -- Manaforge Ringlet

• Level 50 Akheva Ruins
• Augment -- Corrupted Sunstone Amulet
• Melee Item -- Talisman of Living Rock
• Caster Item -- Signet of Fiel'Tian

• Level 55 Crypt of Nadox
• Augment -- Corrupted Peridot Amulet
• Melee Item -- Zraxthril's Studded Earring
• Caster Item -- Ringlet of the Fallen Spirit

• Level 60 Riwwi, Coliseum of Games
• Augment -- Corrupted Diamond Amulet
• Melee Item -- Blackened Ukun Hide Cloak
• Caster Item -- Ikaav Chaos Cloak

• Level 65 Torden, Bastion of Thunder
• Augment -- Corrupted Blue Diamond Amulet
• Melee Item -- Pauldrons of the Eternal Storm
• Caster Item -- Blessing of Agnarr

• Level 70 Ruins of Illsalin
• Augment -- Corrupted Netherstone Amulet
• Melee Item -- Armistice Girdle
• Caster Item -- Sash of Strife

Thanks to VWDiesel for the information in this thread here

October 30, 2007 to February 27, 2008

Here's a complete list of all the hotzone drops for the last set of hotzones. These are actually mini-quests that start whenever you loot an item. They revolve around Aiden Silverwing, who is in PoK near the Guild Hall zone-in.

The general idea is that he gives you a Silverwing Lockbox, in which you combine the Random Drop from one zone with the Shard Combine, which drops from the next higher hotzone. So, for each hotzone, VWDiesel has listed the random drop, the augmentation, the shard combine (which drops in the next higher hotzone), and the melee and caster items that result once you combine the shard and the random drop.

The last hotzone, Halls of Honor, randomly drops the melee or caster item, with no shard to combine. When you've completed all these quests for each hotzone, there is a final item you can make if you combine each of the hotzone melee or caster items in the Silverwing Lockbox. Those are listed at the bottom under "Final Combine".

• Level 20 Castle Mistmoore
• Augment -- Polished Crysolite
• Random Drop -- Silverwing Loop

• Level 25 Permafrost Keep
• Augment -- Chunk of Amorphous Granite
• Random -- Silverwing Circlet
• Shard -- Glinting Shard, When combined with the Silverwing Loop makes
• Melee Item -- Shiny Loop of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Glinting Loop of the Silverwing

• Level 30 Trakanon's Teeth
• Augment -- Dull Diamondine
• Random -- Silverwing Choker
• Shard -- Radiant Shard, when combined with the Silverwing Circlet makes
• Melee Item -- Shimmering Circlet of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Radiant Band of the Silverwing

• Level 35 Warsliks Wood
• Augment -- Polished Anthracite
• Random -- Silverwing Emblem
• Shard -- Fiery Shard, when combined with the Silverwing Choker makes
• Melee Item -- Blazing Choker of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Scintillating Lavaliere of the Silverwing

• Level 40 Dawnshroud Peaks
• Augment -- Glinting Sunstone
• Random -- Silverwing Shoulderpads
• Shard -- Gleaming Shard, when combined with the Silverwing Emblem makes
• Melee Item -- Gleaming Signet of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Lustrous Insignia of the Silverwing

• Level 45 Velketor's Labyrinth
• Augment -- Frozen Spider Eye
• Random -- Silverwing Cloak
• Shard -- Shimmering Shard, when combined with the Silverwing Shoulderpads makes
• Melee Item -- Shimmering Pauldrons of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Radiant Shouderpads of the Silverwing

• Level 50 The Deep
• Augment -- Coagulated Darkness
• Random -- Silverwing Faceguard
• Shard -- Pearlescent Shard, when combined with the Silverwing Cloak makes
• Melee Item -- Shimmerthread Cloak of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Pearlthread Drape of the Silverwing

• Level 55 Temple of Droga
• Augment -- Fossilized Bone Shard
• Random -- Silverwing Belt
• Shard -- Polished Shard, when combined with the Silverwing Faceguard makes
• Melee Item -- Polished Mask of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Lustrous Visage of the Silverwing

• Level 60 Nobles' Causeway
• Augment -- Cracked Gem of Lucidity
• Random -- Silverwing Band
• Shard -- Scintillating Shard, when combined with the Silverwing belt makes
• Melee Item -- Studded Girdle of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Scintillating Sash of the Silverwing

• Level 65 Halls of Honor
• Augment -- Crest of Valor
• Melee Item -- Gleaming Hoop of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Glowing Hoop of the Silverwing
• Shard Combine -- Glowing Shard, when combined with the Silverwing band makes
• Melee Item -- Polished Band of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Jewelled Band of the Silverwing

• Final Combine, Combine all 10 items to get
• Melee Item -- Auroral Crest of the Silverwing
• Caster Item -- Luminescent Crest of the Silverwing

Thanks again to VWDiesel for the information.

April 18, 2007 to October 30, 2007

The hotzones all have special augs from specific mobs (click through to see which can drop them):

• Level 20: Netherbian Lair
• Augment -- Blood Red Stone of Loss

• Level 25: Crypt of Dalnir
• Augment -- Polished Green Softstone

• Level 30: Crystal Caverns
• Augment -- Blue Flecked Rock

• Level 35: Iceclad Ocean
• Augment -- Brittle Yellow Stone

• Level 40: The Scarlet Desert
• Augment -- Bluegreen Rock

• Level 45: The Burning Woods
• Augment -- Spotted Lava Rock

• Level 50: Dranik's Scar
• Augment -- Golden Shardstone

• Level 55: Acrylia Caverns
• Augment -- Heart of the Sky

• Level 60: Dragon Necropolis
• Augment -- Dingy Grey Stone

• Level 65: Wall of Slaughter
• Augment -- Polished Blue Softstone

All items (except augments) come from quests given by James the Watchmaker. These quests involve getting three gears and a sprocket from each zone that was hot during this time frame, and returning them to him. You do not need to have the quest before you get the turn-in items. Rewards vary by level.

December 5, 2006 to April 18, 2007

These hotzones all have special augs from Unmasked Changelings:

Additionally, each zone has 4 new NPC nameds that drop more level appropriate gear than the rest of the zone. I do not have a complete list of nameds and items, however, there is a nearly complete list here, at EvilGamer in this post.

• Level 20: Kurn's Tower
• Augment -- Minor Stone of Power

• Level 25: Unrest
• Augment -- Lesser Stone of Power

• Level 30: Tower of Frozen Shadow
• Augment -- Stone of Power

• Level 35: Lower Guk
• Augment -- Greater Stone of Power

• Level 40: The Hole
• Augment -- Minor Stone of Might

• Level 45: Chardok
• Augment -- Lesser Stone of Might

• Level 50: Old Sebilis
• Augment -- Stone of Might

• Level 55: Grieg's End
• Augment -- Greater Stone of Might

• Level 60: Cazic Thule
• Augment -- Stone of Greatness

• Level 65: Splitpaw Lair
• Augment -- Stone of Light

June 13, 2006 to December 5, 2006

These hotzones have minor(by todays standards) loot upgrades added with new mobs, and new global rare drops, however, they do not have any Augments (except Skyfire) that drop in these zones.

• Level 20: Swamp of No Hope

• Level 25: The Overthere

• Level 30: Timorous Deep

• Level 35: Emerald Jungle

• Level 40: Dreadlands

• Level 45: City of Mist

• Level 50: Skyfire
• Augment -- Blackened Lava Rock
• Augment -- Suspended Wurm Blood
• Augment -- Suspended Wyvern Blood

• Level 55: Karnor's Castle

• Level 60: Veksar

April 28, 2004

• Level 20 - 30: Castle Mistmoore

• Level 35 - 40: Gulf of Gunthak

• Level 35 - 45: Lair of Splitpaw

• Level 40 - 45: Dulak's Harbor

• Level 45 - 50: Torgiran Mines

• Level 50 - 55: Crypt of Nadox

• Level 55 - 60: Hate's Fury

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