This is still a work in progress so please come back  to read again, for more tips....

 

This is the first in a series of Festivals which I will give some tips on what to get or what to keep and what to avoid. 

 

In Suggler's Rest,  the Compasses  are hard to get at first, you'll need 500 copper doubloons to enter the quest area called Crystal Cove,  You'll need to slay the Pirates to collect treasure and coins.  In this pulic area Copper pices are nearly priceless, hence without a compass drop from the pirates or the doubloons of copper to trade in to collect the compass, you won't be able to enter the quest area of Crystal Cove.   You'll need 2 compasses  to enter the Crystal cove on the ship. it opens for 40 minutes. 2 sets of 20 minute quests, before it closes, till it gets enough map pieces.  

Once you gain a compass, when it opens up, there will be Gems that will drop, when you trade in the Gems for Doubloons,   I would keep all the gems you can , but trade in the Gems named with a Star in the name, those types does not exchange for other gems. but only other coins, and certain treasure like the Bottomless Flasks of Rum in the last two tiers. 

 

 Note: The Trading Box Gems that can traded for Summmoning Critters are great for your lower level toons, and especially  Monks, Paladins, Rogues, Fighters, etc for one they don't have summoning critter spells and can greatly even out the playing field, especailly while doing elite level quests,. Second the bard class of summoning critters is lower level, at 9th level they get Summon Monster level 4, most toons with that spell can cast SM V which is 1 level lower critter. So trade off your Star Gems found in your collectables, since you can only get Coins for them, and stock up on the Summoning Gems, (Although check to make sure you don't need them for the ligh level items first, but generally they are only used in certain upgradable tier 3 items)  ),  the best part of the summmoning Gems is that they are non bound items, you can trade or give them away to help your party out., or save a few in one of your Packmules,   Just imagine doing Searing Heights with  6 Greater Water Elementals, against those nasty Fire Elementals, don't get mad, get even, it's more fun, especailly if your party has pets, make sure you buff the critters and your pets. 

Try to gain all the BTA Items and upgrades, as you can. 

 

About Compasses and Copper, the gems and coins are BTA, freely tradable to other toons with a shared bank account, however the compasses are BTC, so do not buy any more then what you need or you will be waiting a long time till they open the cove again, and wasting valuable inventory space in your bank BTC, keep enought copper or Gems to trade off for at least 3-5K worth. 

 

 

Note: Items in the Euphonia Box Trading chests, DO NOT NEED to be level upgraded, When you trade in only do Tier upgrades to an item. Each Item that is upgradeable except for the Trinkets have different levels in which you can trade for, starting at 4th level, the same named item can be traded for, with level upgrades at 8, 12, 16 and 20th level,  Each item can  be Tier upgraded two times , Tier 1 is the stock level item in which usually does not require any Green Shards from Crystal Cove, the next two tier upgrades tier 2 and tier 3 levels require them.  

It is best to get at least 1 of each item at different levels  since the items in the box except for the Trinkets are all BTA and fully tradable with the Shared Bank Account to any of your toons on your premium account or higher.  

 

The Bottomless Flasks of Rum  are really not worth it, yes they are nice to have, but they are BTC (Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo)  The BFRs are upgradable much like the Hat box found on the ship of Crystal Cove Entrance.  It costs 5,500 Green Shards to get to the top level plus many stolen gems and coins.  I wouldn't make it priority, the low level bottles are not worth much till you get to say level 6, to be of much worth, however I would get your other items from the Cove first.  

 

A Note about the Named Treasure Maps.... Tips..  Bound your spirit to the bar in Smugler's Rest , when you die, you will return there, yes I know that, however this will save you  alot to trouble in tip 2.  If you happen to collect Named Treasure Maps, DO NOT Collect search for them, what are you crazy, not... The items you collect from there is good and usuable, however the items that you collect will take up space, between all the compasses, Collectable bag, rum, berries, requisition forms for torches, workers, etc, it can bury your backpack, opps next thing you know  your back to 0 inventory slots..  The Named Maps do not stack in inventory though. but most of the time the loot from the chests consume more then the one slot being taken from the named treasure Maps.

 

After the festival is over you can turn in your maps and the pirates will not be there, you can walk right up to the chests and loot, and if you have more then 1 of the same named treasure map (NTM), you simply can click on the NTM and the chest will appear in the same spot.  Don't worry about if the entrance is not there anymore to the Cove, a "/Death" or the next time you die, you will be teleported there, even if  you run out of space, just sell you items at the bar and come back to any bar to get them back within 24 hours, see Need more space I deliver in the Packmules info, yes a lot of the information is useable, and take adventage of it.  If you have NTM in your possession do not bind your toon to another location, you will not be able to return to Suggler's Rest till the next time they open it after they close it, so the slash Death command is the only way to return.  Just make sure you upgrade all your items before the festival is over, otherwise you'll have to wait till the next time it opens.  After the festival is over make sure you save your coins mainly the silver and copper, and the collectable bag and trade it off to your packmule in the playable account since the items most of the items are BTA except for the Summing Gems, and Dowsing Rods.

 

Dread Admiral Tricorne Pirate Hat from the DDO Store,  Now normally I wouldn't go out and buy this type of item, sure you can make one for each of your toons, and at each level, which are BTC :(  and they would use up valueable inventory slots, or you can purchase the hats in the DDO Store and these special hats are all BTA.  If you have simular hats of lor level, then this might be a good option for you to get 2 or 3 of them at different levels.  These are gooid for spell casters mainly, I usually try to get items on the Head slot for spell points, and either concentration or balance , for the skill boost side of the hat. 

Typically the hats, have 3 abilties, one is for the Smuggler's rest boost in healing, haste, or getting more coins out of the pirates, the second feature is a skills boost, which can be used to increase haggle, jump, etc, and the final feature is the Abilty, or adventure boost, spell points, extra  hit points, etc.  Warning  Keep your hat on !!!! Hats with spell points does not give you extra spell points, without resting at a shrine while within a quest.  If you switch over to another hat or item for the head, you will lose those points completely, unlike with items that grant you Dexterity or Natural armor, those effects are immediate. Those  items which grant hit points or constitution, a simple cure wounds spell will give your toon the benefit.