The Old Tree Quest Guide (Stumpy) in MapleStory Classic World

The Old Tree is an 8-quest chain from Doctor Winston in East Rocky Mountain II, open at level 34. It's mostly a gossip run around Perion, then 100 Very Dry Branches, then a kill on Stumpy. Total: 25,586 EXP (about 16% of a level at 34), 7,031 mesos, 20 Orange Potions, 20 Blue Potions and a Gloves Crit. Rate Scroll: Chaos.

Quick answer: Start: Winston, East Rocky Mountain II, Lv 34. Six talk steps with nothing to collect (Winston → Blackbull → Ayan → Manji → Dances with Balrog → Betty in Ellinia → back to Winston), then bring 100 Very Dry Branches and defeat 1 Stumpy (Lv 35 field boss, 19,220 HP). Reward: 25,586 EXP (about 16% of a level at 34), 7,031 mesos, potions, and a Chaos glove scroll (10% success, 50% destroy chance on failure).

Step-by-step walkthrough

Quest	Given by	What to do	Rewards
Truth of the Rumor	Winston, East Rocky Mountain II	Go ask around Perion, starting with Blackbull.	2,755 EXP, 757 mesos
Truth of the Rumor-Blackbull	Blackbull, Perion	Blackbull sends you to Ayan.	2,755 EXP, 757 mesos
Truth of the Rumor-Manji	Ayan, Perion	Ayan sends you to Manji.	2,755 EXP, 757 mesos
Truth of the Rumor- Dances with Balrog	Manji, Perion	Manji sends you to Dances with Balrog.	2,755 EXP, 757 mesos
Truth of the Rumor-Betty	Dances with Balrog, Warriors' Sanctuary	Dances with Balrog sends you to Betty in Ellinia.	2,755 EXP, 757 mesos
A Report for the Doctor	Betty, Ellinia	Take what you learned back to Winston in East Rocky Mountain II.	3,937 EXP, 1,082 mesos, 20 Orange Potion
Stump Research	Winston, East Rocky Mountain II	Collect Very Dry Branches from the dried-out Stumps. Bring 100 Very Dry Branch.	3,937 EXP, 1,082 mesos, 20 Blue Potion
Monstrous Tree Stumpy	Winston, East Rocky Mountain II	Hunt down Stumpy. Defeat 1 Stumpy.	3,937 EXP, 1,082 mesos, Gloves Crit. Rate Scroll: Chaos

The first six steps are pure walking with no items or kills required: Winston asks you to dig up a rumor about an ancient tree, and each Perion local passes you to the next. The only detour is Betty in Ellinia, who sends you back to Winston. Steps one to five pay 2,755 EXP and 757 mesos each; the last three pay 3,937 EXP and 1,082 mesos. Those six talk steps alone are 17,712 EXP, about 11% of a level at 34.

Where to hunt

Very Dry Branch is a quest-only item, and the game data has no drop source for it. The quest text only says Winston blames Stumpy for "all the stumps in Perion" drying out and wants to study "the Stumps' Very Dry Branch". It names no map. Our suggestion (unverified) is the Stump maps around his camp in the East Rocky Mountains:

East Rocky Mountain II (Winston's own map): 16 Stump (Lv 5), 12 Axe Stump (Lv 17).
East Rocky Mountain V: 25 Dark Axe Stump (Lv 23), 17 Dark Stump (Lv 11).
East Rocky Mountain IV: 23 Dark Axe Stump, 17 Dark Stump, 6 Axe Stump.

If a few dozen kills on one Stump type give you nothing, switch types.

Stumpy (Lv 35, 19,220 HP, 276 EXP) has a single spawn on Parched Land and a one-hour respawn. At level 34 he's a level above you with a big HP pool, so most characters will want a party or a few extra levels. He's weak to Fire and strong against Lightning. Read the Stumpy boss guide for the route and what to bring.

Is it worth it?

Worth it if you're already in Perion. Our take assumes you value EXP-per-minute and don't count on scroll luck:

Six of the eight steps are just conversations, so 17,712 EXP comes almost free.
100 Very Dry Branches is the grind, and the drop source isn't confirmed. Do it while training on the Stump maps anyway.
Stumpy is the wall: one spawn, an hour between spawns, 19,220 HP.
The Gloves Crit. Rate Scroll: Chaos is a gamble: 10% to add +4 crit rate, and a 50% chance to destroy the gloves if it fails. Don't use it on gloves you care about.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Winston in MapleStory Classic?

At a camping site in East Rocky Mountain II, near Perion. He starts The Old Tree at level 34.

How many Very Dry Branches do I need?

100, for the Stump Research step. The game data has no drop source for them. The quest text only mentions "all the stumps in Perion"; the East Rocky Mountain Stump maps near Winston are our suggestion, not something the quest names.

Do I have to kill Stumpy for The Old Tree?

Yes. The last step, Monstrous Tree Stumpy, needs 1 Stumpy kill. He is Lv 35 with 19,220 HP and spawns once an hour on Parched Land.

What does The Old Tree quest give?

25,586 EXP (about 16% of a level at 34) and 7,031 mesos in total, 20 Orange Potions, 20 Blue Potions, and a Gloves Crit. Rate Scroll: Chaos.

Is the Gloves Crit. Rate Scroll: Chaos safe to use?

No. It works 10% of the time for +4 crit rate, and a failure has a 50% chance to destroy the gloves.

Sources: Game data v1.0.0. Names and game content © Nexon, used for informational purposes. The explanations on this page are our own.