The fourth expansion, EverQuest: The Planes of Power, was released on October 29, 2002. The expansion comprises an assortment of otherworldly planes that do not exist in a planetary sense within the EverQuest universe. The expansion added content to the game aimed specifically toward the high-end player. In addition to adding new zones to the game, the expansion also introduced a network of portal points through the game realm. Players could use them to quickly travel to and from various regions through a central plane, known as Plane of Knowledge. The primary goal, or end-quest, of The Planes of Power is access to the Plane of Time. Access to this plane can only be obtained through vanquishing the four elemental deities or avatars of such: Fennin Ro, The Rathe Council, Coirnav and Xegony. To gain access to all of the zones of the expansion and successfully enter the Plane of Time, the players needed to complete 28 flag events of all sorts, involving the death of planar deities and deific creatures. These encounters can only be completed with the organized effort of up to 72 players working together simultaneously. In order to enter the expansion's basic zones, a player had to reach the former set planar level of 46. From there, one had to complete tasks to gain access to the more advanced zones. It was later changed so that once the character reached level 55 they gained access to two more zones which are the Plane of Valor and the Plane of Storms. At 62 the Bastion of Thunder then became available. Those level limits can be bypassed by completing the progression of the expansion, allowing for example to be level 46 while adventuring in the Bastion of Thunder. The maximum level was increased from 60 to 65 with this expansion and new Particle Weapons were added, when before only epic weapons had such visual effects.
