[jparm3rd]

Dread:

The way your change your rate of encounters in to go to the options page off the main menu. One of the options listed is encounters. You can change them from less to normal to more by clicking on the arrows. These can be changed on the fly, so you could for example, set them on high to say farm moonbeasts, then less if you want to go from one place to another without being ambushed constantly by hordes of bees, snakes and other annoying critters. Your saved game reacts to whatever you current setting is, so changing setting for encounters is no problem. I do it all the time.

Also, I am playing as a Adept/Mage/Paladin/BattleMage/? and the bonus I get from those classes (Paladin and Battlemage) really help lower costs for the melee skill advancement. Intelligence really helps too....when it gets high enough. I am Level 10 and have Heavy Weapons 5, Heavy Armor 5 and Heavy Shield 3 and I am kicking the crap out of moonbeasts. I only have a greatsword as a weapon which I got from killing the Unholy Knight during the Adept to Battlemage quest. I took on 10 moonbeasts without much trouble-had to slurp a few health potions, but no issues. I am also in full plate armor. It looked ugly, but was a pretty easy fight. The trick is to stay on the shrine near the center where the spire is. They knock you up the spire and you can hit them, etc. and they have trouble hitting back. Athletics 4 helps so you can backflip--it allows you to hit and not be hit. They also tend to get in each others way, too cause they are so large. Just keep swinging, toss off a couple spells and its all good. Racked up 300K EXP in about ~5 minutes of slashing. Be careful about picking up a moonstone or advancing too far in the Quest of Tiger (like grabbing a Fire Drake egg) because these look like triggers for closing down Fargrove. I'd say at this level, moonbeasts are the easiest large exp. And they are unlimited. Too weak as you say yet to take on Drakes, so there you have it. Its a pain swimming to the island, though, ain't it? I'm on v1.1, so I don't have a map....

James.