UPDATE 7/12/08 My leveling build guide for HoX’s can be found here.
I’ve been having fun lately rolling baby characters and trying out different classes in Age of Conan. I’m on a roleplaying PvP server, so the added fun is coming up with a back story and reasons for why I occasionally go on murderous blood sprees. World PvP is definitely one of the best parts of the game and it’s even more fun when you feel like you have a reason to kill everyone in sight!
Herald of Xotli (HoX) is the perfect class for roleplaying and PvP. I’ve heard them referred to as ‘glass chainsaws’ and that is very apt analogy. Like the glass cannon ranged mages, HoX can dish out seriously impressive damage, but they are so fragile. Even normal mob encounters can turn into mini-adrenaline rushes because there is a constant threat of death. Sometimes I can kill a half dozen mobs at once. Sometimes just two mobs can turn me into a coward. The HoX also has some AoE abilities, especially at higher levels. This makes it a far more interesting leveling experience.
My HoX’s story is simple. She was forced into a blood pact by an evil necromancer when she was a teenager. Like so many teens, she rebelled against her parents and society. The lure of blood rituals seemed so exciting, but in the back of her mind, she didn’t believe it. It was all just an exciting game that gave her a reputation and upset her parents. One night, she participated in a ritual that she thought was a scam. The next day, she was horrified to discover she had participated in a human sacrifice. She fled town, all alone, penniless and not even sixteen. Since then, she’s been searching for a way to break Xotli’s hold over her and control her bloodlust.
As you can imagine, going on a PvP rampage is easy! I just conveniently lose control of my demonic powers. So I pretend to be an innocent young woman, working hard to earn a few tin coins to pay for her next meal. But I lose control (and my memory) and go on a murderous spree, attacking everyone, even people of a higher level. It’s great fun. 
She’s level 41 now (still a baby!). If I roll a big number, my HoX can instantly kill a lot of players. The biggest thrill is watching someone go from 100% health to dead as I fatality them and chop their head off. As always, I don’t gank or grief anyone. If I attack someone, I wait until they look ready, then charge, transform into demon form, and watch the blood fly.
Being in groups, especially elite instances, is a totally different experience. I’m so used to being a healer and keeping track of everyone. As a pure DPS, I almost feel selfish. I just combo, Hellfire, combo, Hellfire and it’s easy going. I have to admit that it can get a bit boring at times for elite instances. For world PvE groups, the HoX is great because they can kill normal mobs quickly and efficiently.
Leveling build and feat advice for baby HoX’s
As always, I do lots of research and experimenting to see which build order is the most effective and efficient way to level. The HoX has a few very important feats, mixed in with a lot of mediocre and broken feats. For any build, the first three recommended feats are the same.
- 5/5 Hellfire – Without this feat, Hellfire is almost useless because the casting time is so long. With this feat, it has a 0.5 casting time, which means you can even use it while queuing up a long combo. It does significant damage and this feat should be the first choice for every HoX.
- 5/5 Fiery Weapons – Adds a fire damage proc that triggers very often and hits hard. Makes a big difference to your overall DPS and is a no brainer.
- 5/5 Improved Fiery Weapons – Further increases the damage and gives team members their own Fiery Weapons buff. The first point has the biggest impact, so if you want to experiment with other feats, invest 1 point, then come back to it later.
For general leveling, go down the Avatar tree and aim for Avatar of Xotli. As you progress down the tree, you will eventually reach feats that have level requirements you have not met yet. Switch over to the Possession tree until you fulfill the level requirements. In the Possession tree, the goal is Horrible Visage of Xotli and Molten Flesh.
Most people don’t recommend any feats in the general mage tree. Unless you know exactly what you are doing, it’s a safer bet to stick with the primary HoX trees.
At a future time, I may put in the time to do a proper leveling guide, but for now, hopefully this section provides some general direction. If you want detailed feat information, do a search in the official forums.
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That is a pretty good build, might have to give this a go when I reroll
a level by level feat guide would be great for hox!