Want to know what to do with all your planarite and source stones? Perhaps you want to get more of them, and just can’t quite figure out what the easiest way is? This Rift planarite guide will attempt to provide you with everything you need to know about Planarite and Sourcestones. Don’t forget to add your own insights and tips via the comments below!
Contents:
What is Planarite
Planarite is a special type of currency in Rift. It comes from sealing Rifts, defeating Invasions, and destroying footholds. While the primary source of Planarite is from planar invasions (hence the name) you can earn some for destroying enemy PvP footholds as well.
Uses for Planarite
Planarite can then be exchanged for goods at the planar vendor. Planar vendors can be found both in zones and in the main cities of Sanctum and Meridian.
Different planar vendors provide different rewards. For example, just south of Argent Glade in Silverwood, Guardians can exchange Planarite for low-level rare and epic pieces of equipment.
I do not have a complete list of Planarite vendors as I do not feel it is necessary. This is because the best use of Planarite is to exchange in Sanctum (Guardians) or Merdian (Defiant).
In town, you can exchange large quantities of Planarite (up to 7500!) for an upgraded planar focus (the best one currently in game). The planar focus lets you equip planar essences, which provide nice stat bonuses.
Note that Defiants have a different name for this item (they are called sourcestone engines instead of planar foci) so just keep that in mind as you read this article.
Your starter planar focus only lets you equip 2 lesser planar essences. The fully upgraded one will let you equip 4 lesser planar essences (which provide stat buffs) and 2 greater planar essences (which often have cool effects like +damage on melee hit).
As a result, you will want to save your Planarite for this upgraded planar focus. Do not waste it on lowbie gear which you will just replace shortly.
After getting the best planar focus, you can buy ascended powers and other items which will come in handy.
Earning Planarite
As I said above you can earn Planarite from sealing rifts and killing Invasions, but there is a little more to it then that. First of all, you wont get any Planarite for just being in the right spot at the right time, in other words, you’re going to have to participate in the rift or invasion. You can do this by attacking enemies and increasing your participation bar which will be located under your mini-map.
You will need to fill your participation bar to at least the first notch, there are four total notches. The bar goes up relatively fast as long as you’re attacking enemies whenever possible and the higher you raise your participation bar the more rewards you’ll receive.
Sourceshards and Sourcestones
In addition to Planarite, you can earn other currency types known as sourceshards and sourcestones. While planarite is awarded for any type of invasion, you can only earn these types from tougher enemies.
- Sourceshards are of rare quality and drop off of small bosses. In particular, these seem to be common from beating the final boss of a Rift in the second bonus round (stage #5) and end-bosses of smaller invasions.
- Sourcestones are of epic quality and only drop off of large bosses. The only time I have found these is when beating the final boss of an invasion event. By final boss, I am referring to the special enemy which spawns after completing all of the objectives of an invasion.
In particular, though, I have only gotten sourcestones when killing the final boss of “big” invasion events with at least 1/4 of a participation bar. As a result, when doing invasions it is important to find the final boss as soon as he spawns (check the map), and then race over to the right spot so you can get your participation up other players finish the boss.
Note that not all events are the same. For events where you just defeat some invasions and then a final boss spawns, you usually get a sourceshard. For events with several waves, you usually get the sourcestone.
Soureshards and sourcestones a tiered as well. You will get a different type of sourceshard off of level 15 enemies then you will off of level 25 enemies. There are multiple tiers of these items. These high-quality rewards can be used for various items. For example, you can exchange 15 higher-end sourceshards in town for powerful lesser planar essences which you can equip to your planar focus for massive stat boosts.
Additionally, in each zone, there is a rare planar goods vendor in each quest hub in the zone (Argent Glade, Gloamwood Pines, etc.). These sell rare and epic goods for players of that zone’s particular level and use the tier of stones that drop off of rift enemies in that zone.
Conclusion
I hope you benefited from this Rift Planarite guide. To summarize, do invasions to earn planarite, and then save it up. Once you get 7500 you can buy a really good item which you can use at any level and is the best-in-slot even at level 50!
Hello I’d like to start off with that there is some good info here. How ever you come right out and say, “I do not have a complete list of Planarite vendors as I do not feel it is necessary. This is because the best use of Planarite is to exchange in Sanctum (Guardians) or Merdian (Defiant).” This is partly true. And I say this as I put a link in to a website that not only plans out leveling via planarite farming but also PVP farming http://www.riftrvr.com/. This website shows both faction planarite venders and pvp venders. These venders hold some of the best gear easily gained whiled leveling up tremendously helping with what is to be one of the more important parts of the game.
Some might say “why spend it on gear you are just going to out level in 5 levels.” Truth is you don’t need to spend it. BUT you should know why to spend it. Or at least why I find it fun and important. I like leveling with a purpose if I just muck through 10-15 levels and have a few greens to show for it and know there are better gear to be had it upsets me. Besides some of the gear I’m going after could last you 10 levels in fact. It almost feels like Trion is rewarding you for putting your life on the line by saving the town, saving the country side, defeating the opposite faction and spilling their blood or saving your faction by healing their wounds.
Also the gear that last 10 levels is gear that saves you plat/gold/silver (money) that you can be using to increase your professions, or you can use to gain mounts. *Tip* under no circumstance should you buy gear. Whole because by level 10 you should be following the website 10-19 pvp/planarite gear guide and having fun. That’s what we pay for right? I guess I should say if you find an awesome buy/deal for gear/weapon don’t turn a nose to it but use the guide as reference as to what you might be saving yourself time getting.
– Source. I’ve used this guide for 3 characters Cleric/Mage/Rogue and at no time in warfronts or rifting did I feel underpowered or overwhelmed. I’ve had fun and I’ve played parts of the game that will be employed in the end game. IE Rifts and PVP these are what we look forward to at level cap people…and you are going to be ready if you follow riftrvr.com I promises.