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Leveling in Ashes of Creation during early access is deliberately demanding. While initial quest chains provide a foundation, they taper off quickly, forcing players to rely on more deliberate and efficient progression strategies. Reaching level 25-the current early access cap-not only represents mastery of these systems but also unlocks the exclusive Autumn Garden cosmetic mount, which will carry forward into the game's official launch. The following instructional guide outlines practical, proven methods to accelerate your leveling process, with a particular focus on optimizing mob grinding and passive experience gains.

Embrace the Mob Grind-But Do It Smartly

Once quest experience slows, mob grinding becomes unavoidable. However, grinding inefficiently can quickly lead to burnout. The key is to stack systems that amplify experience gains rather than relying on raw kill speed alone. This is where preparation and resource management make a measurable difference.

Use Adventuring Experience Scrolls

One of the most impactful yet underutilized tools in early access is adventuring experience scrolls. These consumables provide a flat percentage bonus to all adventuring experience for several hours. Even a basic scroll grants a 10% bonus, while higher-quality versions can reach 12% or more.

These scrolls are easily crafted via alchemy. Players can mine ore in the open world to obtain rubies, process them into ruby powder, convert that into red ink, and combine it with crude paper to create scrolls. Because the materials are common and the process straightforward, scroll crafting is both cost-effective and scalable. If you choose not to use them personally, demand on the marketplace is consistently high, making them a reliable source of early Ashes of Creation gold.

Leverage Processing for Passive Experience

Processing stations provide one of the most efficient "offline" experience systems in the game. Submitting processing orders-such as stonecutting, smelting, or woodworking-grants both profession experience and adventuring experience when completed. The longer the processing job, the more experience you earn.

A highly effective strategy is to queue multiple processing jobs before logging off or going to bed. When you return, you can claim a substantial amount of experience instantly. While processing does incur fees, selling excess processed materials on the marketplace often offsets or exceeds these costs. Over time, this method adds up to tens of thousands of experience points with minimal active play.

Stack Scrolls with Processing

For maximum efficiency, combine experience scrolls with processing jobs. Activating a scroll before claiming processed materials increases the adventuring experience gained from each job. While the percentage increase may seem small on individual claims, the cumulative effect across multiple stations is significant, especially at lower levels where experience thresholds are tighter.

Increase Damage Output with Consumables

Faster kills mean faster experience. Beyond gear upgrades, food consumables provide temporary attribute boosts that directly increase damage output. For physical damage classes, foods that raise physical power can noticeably shorten kill times. When grinding in groups, coordinating food buffs across all members compounds this effect, dramatically improving efficiency.

Always review food bonuses to ensure they align with your class's primary attributes. Small optimizations here can yield large returns over extended grind sessions.

Gain Experience While AFK with Fishing

Ashes of Creation allows for true passive progression through AFK fishing. Once set up near a body of water, fishing continues automatically without further input, granting both fish and adventuring experience. This is ideal when stepping away from the computer or taking short breaks. Ensure sufficient inventory space to avoid wasting potential gains. New players can access fishing by opening the skill book, assigning the fishing skill to their hotbar, and activating it near water.

Complete Commission Board Quests

Commission board quests are an often-overlooked source of efficient experience. Available in every settlement, these quests typically involve simple objectives such as killing specific mobs, gathering materials, or visiting locations. They are solo-friendly, quick to complete, and reward solid experience alongside glint. Completing multiple commissions simultaneously can yield nearly 20,000 experience in a short window, making them an excellent supplement to grinding.

Bringing It All Together

Leveling efficiently in Ashes of Creation is about layering systems: mob grinding enhanced by scrolls, passive gains through processing and fishing, damage optimization via consumables, and consistent completion of commission quests. Individually, each method is helpful. Combined, they significantly accelerate progression and make the climb to level 25 far more manageable. By applying these strategies consistently, players can unlock the Autumn Garden mount and enter launch-ready with a strong foundation.