Leveling in The Elder Scrolls Online is a unique experience when compared to similar MMORPGs. Unlike most other games in the genre, The Elder Scrolls Online makes the world level with the player, offers a huge number of zones to subscribers and as DLC, and has a fully-voiced, intricate narrative that immerses the player in just about all of Tamriel.

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The number one thing to remember with leveling in The Elder Scrolls Online is to take your time. The quests are well-written, the zones are detailed and complex, and the game as a whole has a lot more going on than first meets the eye. When it comes to leveling quickly, though, there are a few ways to skip past some of the tedium of getting to max level.

Updated January 27, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The way players level up in Elder Scrolls Online feels different than other MMOs thanks to its open-ended character progression system, a completely open world, and an endgame leveling system that encourages play well beyond the maximum Level 50. When it comes to how to level up fast in ESO, one of the best ways is to get XP boosts through XP scrolls, which can be earned or bought in a variety of ways that don't necessarily involve real-life money. Paying attention to events throughout the year also helps with leveling because a lot of them give players a massive boost to XP gain over their entire duration.

12 Use XP-Boosting Scrolls As Often As Possible

Elder Scrolls Online Speed Quick Leveling Tips Crown Experience Scrolls

Ultimately, when it comes to how to level up fast in Elder Scrolls Online, the game is pretty generous in giving players a leg up. Several Level Up rewards give the player items that grant long-term buffs, including Crown Experience Scrolls that boost XP gain for a set amount of time. These scrolls vary in power from 50% boosts to 150% boosts, and can last from an hour to two hours.

Players get a few XP scrolls as they level up naturally, but if you really want to power through and reach max level faster, it's worth getting your hands on extras. In addition to being given as Level Up rewards, players can get XP scrolls from the Crown Store, as a reward for completing Endeavors, and once a week as a Daily Login Reward.

Crown Store

XP scrolls in the Crown Store are sold either individually or in packs of five. One costs 300 Crowns, while the pack of five costs 1000. Each of these XP Scrolls grants a 50% boost to experience gain for 2 hours.

Endeavors

Added with Update 30, the Endeavors system gives players Seals of Endeavor for completing a random assortment of activities in-game. The rewards are usually small, but they add up with consistent play. Several types of XP scrolls can be bought from the Crown Store with Seals of Endeavor (under the Crown Crate section) and the cost varies between rarities and Crown Crate contents. Click the Group finder, then look for the Endeavors list to see your current total and more easily access the Endeavors section of the store.

11 Daily Rewards

XP scrolls can also be earned as Daily Rewards, which players can get every 24 hours. These are typically 50% XP boosts that last for 2 hours, and the longer a player gets their Daily Login bonus, the more XP scrolls they receive. For instance, the first XP scroll daily reward will usually give only one, but the last one each month typically gives four.

10 Speed Through Quest Text, Refer To The Journal Later

In terms of saving real-life time, there's almost nothing faster than to skip all quest text in conversations, except for text where the player must make a decision. In most of these decision points, though, the choices and their outcomes are typically obvious.

While running from objective to objective, check back in the journal to fill in narrative gaps if the game's story is important to you – sometimes, info in the journal helps with puzzles, too. It's one of the best ESO fast leveling tips, especially when taking on high-XP-yield quests like zone stories, DLCs, and the main questline with the Planemeld.

9 Hit A Monster Already Engaged In Combat Once For Free XP

Player Slashes Enemy Action Combat Elder Scrolls Online

The cheapest way to boost the rate of leveling progression is to "tag" enemies while out in the world doing quests. Look for other players in combat and use a ranged attack (or, if you're close enough, a melee attack) to tell the game that you're in combat now too.

When the enemy is killed, whether the player is there to help or not, they will get a bit of XP. Simply hit an enemy once, continue questing, and watch the XP roll in without having to spend hardly any effort.

8 Kill Everything On The Way To Quest Objectives

Open World PvP Cyrodiil Elder Scrolls Online

On the way to quest objectives, provided one doesn't use a Wayshrine, there is a lot more to do than just run in a straight line. Crafting materials, NPCs, and enemies will no doubt show up at some point, after all.

Instead of avoiding enemies, though, take on every single one that you come across. Eventually, it'll become a habit, though your friends might think you to be a murderous psychopath.

7 Take On More Than One Quest At A Time...

ESO Scrying Antiquarian Eye

It might seem obvious to some players, but beelining through quests as they pop up is not an effective way to level quickly in any RPG. It's generally best to pick up a bunch all located in a similar area, go about completing them, then come back to turn them all in at once.

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"Quest hubs," where a number of quests are all located in one spot like those seen in World of Warcraft, are not as common in The Elder Scrolls Online. However, arriving in a new city and picking up every available quest at once is equally effective.

6 ...And Fight More Than One Enemy At A Time

Elder Scrolls Online Elswyr screenshot

The combat in The Elder Scrolls Online is generally regarded as easy until max level. Most players will have no trouble evading attacks, taking a moment to heal, and striking back against one or two opponents, but the boldest players go for more.

This is especially true when specced into an AoE-focused skill tree. It's a waste to use area attacks on a single opponent, but players who haven't slotted any AoE skills should still be able to take on more than one foe at once.

5 Join A Leveling Group

One of the core parts of any MMORPG is the social element. Playing in a group is always more rewarding in online games like this, and in The Elder Scrolls Online, it's the only way to complete some of the game's hardest content.

Leveling up with a group is usually more effective than going at it solo. Farming monsters is easier, completing hard quests is easier, and group members can share nearby quests that others might have missed.

4 Plan Skill Point Allocation Carefully

ESO Action Bar

The Elder Scrolls Online prides itself on the freedom given to players, and it's surprisingly easy to re-start a character's various skills from scratch. Every major city has a Shrine that will let players spend gold to re-allocate morphs or strict skill points.

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It's not terribly expensive, but it can be a burden to travel to the Covenant capital when the player accidentally clicks the wrong skill. Take a second to make sure you've allocated everything correctly before confirming, otherwise you'll make an inevitable trip to the nearest Shrine.

3 Get A Mount As Soon As Possible

ESO Wild Hunt Mount

Mounts in The Elder Scrolls Online are useful for getting around the world a little bit quicker, but they aren't as blindingly fast as those seen in some MMORPGs. There are no flying mounts, and they only travel marginally faster than a player sprinting.

However, mounts are still a great time saver, especially when exploring a completely new zone. Just remember to set a mount for new characters to get riding as soon as the introduction is over.

2 Keep Lots Of Gold On Hand For Wayshrine Fees

Wayrest Wayshrine Fast Travel Elder Scrolls Online Tips Guide

As long as a player has visited Wayshrines across a given area, traveling between objectives is a breeze. However, if the player isn't actively at a Wayshrine, the traveling can cost a decent amount of money.

Especially early in the game, keep a decent amount of money reserved strictly for Wayshrine costs. The time spent in a loading screen is a lot nicer than time spent wandering the for 10 minutes, after all. This doesn't necessarily speed up your XP gain, but it's one of the best things a player can do in ESO to level up fast.

1 Play During Certain Events For Free XP Boosts

Elder Scrolls Online Speed Quick Leveling Tips Events Explorer Celebration

Elder Scrolls Online has a huge number of events for players to take part in every year. Some, like the Daedric War celebration, don't give players any XP boosts. Others, like the Jester's Festival and the Witches Festival, give all players an XP boost after completing the initial event quest. Typically, the following events happen every year and give an event-based XP boost.

  • Jester's Festival
  • Anniversary Jubilee
  • Explorer's Celebration
  • New Life Festival
  • Whitestrake's Mayhem (previously called Midyear Mayhem)
  • Witches Festival

Pay attention to official Elder Scrolls Online event announcements throughout the year so you can get characters new and old leveled up as much as possible.

The Elder Scrolls Online is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.

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