Barbarians: A Beginner=
's
Guide To The Guild And Life In Elanthia
Introduction
Joining
the guild
Getting
Equipped
Combat
&=
nbsp; Preparing
for combat
&=
nbsp; Engaging
in combat
&=
nbsp; Basic
combat
&=
nbsp; Advanced
combat: Weapons
&=
nbsp; Advanced
combat: Defenses
&=
nbsp; What
to do with the corpses: Skinning & Looting
Life
Outside of Combat
&=
nbsp; Survival
Skills
&=
nbsp; Lore
Skills
Gaining
Barbarian
Special Abilities
Barbarians: A Beginner=
's
Guide To The Guild and Life In Elanthia
Introduc=
tion:
This
guide is written to educate and guide barbarians through the first 10 circl=
es
of their career. While most information is presented in depth, some areas a=
re
touched on but lightly. The intent is not to confuse, but rather to direct
attention to other resources that contain the information in greater detail=
.
Although
I have tried to write this guide in character, there are some parts where I=
've
dropped the mentoring tone in favor of a more technical, out of character
presentation to save confusion. Words in capitals denote game command synta=
x.
Words in brackets, such as [foe], are part of a command=
syntax and may either represent command options or an additional word requi=
red
to complete the command.
If
you're entirely new to the game, be sure to ask the Mentors for advice! The=
se
are people trained to help new players learn about the game world. Mentors
cannot reveal the answer to game puzzles, but they can help you navigate ar=
ound
a bit. In Crossing, use DIR JADEWATER to find them. The verbs HELP and ADVI=
CE
can offer some information. Be sure to read the help online help files loca=
ted
here: http://www.play.net/dr/info/
Joining =
The Guild:
You come here with questions about what it means= to be a barbarian? Whether you're motivated by thou= ghts of glory, vengeance or sheer bloodlust, you've come to the right place. Or perhaps curiosity motivates you, especially if your appetite has been whett= ed by this tantalizing recruitment poster (http://www.play.net/dr/info/guilds/barb.asp). Regardless, you come seeking knowledge, and knowledge you shall find!<= o:p>
Since you're here, I assume you've measured up t=
o Agonar's standards. Like all guild leaders, he tests =
you
physically and mentally. The Barbarian's guild is no place for weaklings - =
only
the strong and hardy survive. Brains, eh, well... Clever, tactical-minded f=
olk
are welcome, but few are the number of folks that fail the written exam
required to get in, if you catch my drift.
At any rate, if you've not joined, you'll want to
take stock of your strengths and weaknesses before facing Agonar.
So be sure to check your INFO. Agonar will not =
let
you join until you meet the following requirements:
* Strength: 10
* Agility: 5
* Discipline: n/a
* Intelligence: 6
* Reflexes: 5
* Charisma: 4
* Wisdom: 6
* Stamina: 9
If you're lacking in any of these areas, be sure=
to
ask for DIRections (type DIR in town) on where =
to
train. If you're curious about what all these physical stats mean, you can =
find
out here http://www.play.net/dr/info/stats.asp or by typing out the stat in
question (e.g. STRENGTH or AGILITY).
You may be wondering, what's the best way to pre=
pare
yourself to be a true warrior. There is no one answer - this really depends=
on
what you're comfortable with. Being strong allows you to swing a massive ax=
e,
while being quick lets you use lighter weapons with deadly accurate grace. =
High
stamina makes you virtually tireless and able to withstand a number of blow=
s,
while a well-disciplined mind shrugs off the affects of certain spells. A
charismatic person dominates through sheer force of personality and presenc=
e,
while a more intelligent scheming sort will win through with guile. And tha=
t's
merely the tip of the iceberg!
Agonar
You
will be required to learn the following skills during your first ten circle=
s:
-=3DWEAPONS=3D-
Primary
weapon 4 ranks per circle
Secondary
weapon 4 ranks per circle
-=3DPARRY=3D-
4
ranks per circle
-=3DMultiple
Opponents=3D-
2
ranks per circle
-=3DARMOR=3D-
Primary
Armor 3 ranks per circle
Shield
2 ranks per circle
-=3DLORE=3D-
Scholarship
1/2 rank per circle
Appraisal
1/2 rank per circle
Mech Lore 1/2 rank per circle
-=3DSURVIVAL=3D-
2
ranks each in 10 Survival skills (your choice out of 13)
When you join the guild, you will be 1st circle.
Type in EXP ALL, and you will see you have some =
basic
training in various skills, giving you a head start on gaining 2nd circle.
However, you won't have any training in any of the survival skills, so you =
will
be starting from zero. So needing 2 ranks in each of 10 survival skills mea=
ns
you will need 4 ranks in 10 survival skills to gain 2nd circle.
Agonar's=
expectations shift
depending on which range of circles you fall into. Once you have advanced
beyond 10th circle, you may check in with Smegul
http://www.terkowitz.com/barbcalc.html or Bractos
http://www.geocities.com/gwynathremb/circle_reqs.htm to discover what you n=
eed
to train next. But for now, you need to get yourself some basic gear to sta=
rt
your fighting career and work on gaining those circles! Getting Equipped: "You shall become=
a
master of weaponry and combat technique...by Everild's teeth, if it can be =
used
to cripple, maim, or kill your enemy, then you shall know how to wield it! =
Your
armor shall seem as a second skin, be it leather, mail or plate." -- <=
span
class=3DSpellE>Agonar
Every warrior needs good armor and good weapons.
Given enough training, a barbarian can take down an army of dusk ogres
barehanded in just her nightgown, but for now you'll need some basic equipm=
ent
to keep you alive while you're killing your foes.
I must admit Agonar =
is a
bit confusing at times. When you joined, he'll have said something like thi=
s to
you: "I also recommend training in multiple types of armor, but you ne=
ed
only one to succeed in the Guild." Remember what I was saying about br=
ains
not being much of a requirement? Well... Agonar=
seems
to forget to mention that he wants young novices to learn the way of using a
shield in combat. So to get started, you'll need to find a shield, as well =
as
more armor than what you arrived in town with.
Let me go over some basic information regarding
armor first, so you can make an informed decision when you're in the shops
trying to figure out what to buy. And while I'm at it, you should go here
http://www.rangerrawb.com/ranik/ to get a better map of the Crossings than =
the
one you arrived with.
A word of caution: What sort of armor you decide=
to
use is a choice you should make relatively early on in your career so that =
you
will not be stuck having to play catch-up if you decide later on to change =
it.
As barbarians, we can learn any armor we wish. However, we get varying bene=
fits
(and penalties) when it comes to the different types of armor available. The
armor types are Leather, Chain which includes Light Chain (LC) and Heavy Ch=
ain
(HC), and Plate which includes Light Plate (LP) and Heavy Plate (HP). The main difference between heavie=
r and
lighter version of the metal armors are relatively minor. Light armors prot=
ect
a little less, but are easier to dodge in, while heavier armor will protect
better but hinder your ability to evade more.
Leather
- Leather armor is the mainstay of the barbarian's guild. Once a fighter ha=
s a
high degree of proficiency in using leather armor, he discovers he is able =
to
maximize his evasion because he has complete freedom of movement. Leather a=
rmor
is the only armor in which a barbarian can achieve the maximum effect of an=
y of
the Dances (more on Dances later, in the discussion of Abilities). When wea=
ring
any other armor type, a barbarian will notice a decrease in the duration of=
a
dance, and some armor is so hindering that a barbarian will not be able to
dance in them at all. The drawback to leather is that if you do get hit, it
will really hurt. All armor has an absorption rating, which reduces the amo=
unt
of damage you take from a blow. Leather, on average, has the lowest absorpt=
ion
of all the armor types.
Chain
- Medium weight, medium hindrance, medium protection; if you like a
well-rounded armor, this is for you. Chain armors leave you with the option=
of
using any of your defenses equally well, although it is more hindering for a
barbarian than leather. One advantage that chain has over leather is the
protection and absorption. If you know you will be hunting in a situation w=
here
you will be getting hit regularly instead of evading, parrying, or
shield-blocking the blows, then it is nice to have a good set of chain armo=
r to
reduce the damage you take. A barbarian can reach unhindered in some chain
armors, primarily forged ones. Once you are skilled in wearing chain and us=
ing
a good shield, you will be much better protected in combat than if you just
wear leather armor and rely on parrying. However, you will take a lot of
punishment in gaining this skill, so think carefully before choosing this
route.
Plate
- Plate armors are extremely hindering and nearly impossible to dance in, b=
ut
it protects much better than anything else. It lends itself to using shield and
parry, because it'll be much harder to dodge in. The hindrance can be train=
ed
off, but will require a lot of effort that may not really pan out in the en=
d.
If you choose to learn this sort of armor, you should invest in a large
quantity of healing herbs or marry an empath, because you will be hurt.
Shields
- Shields are a matter of taste, but Agonar wan=
ts you
to learn at least 20 ranks of shield. So, the drawbacks of shield are that =
they
are cumbersome and can hinder your dances and evasion. However, a shield
provides an excellent defense against multiple opponents, missile weapons, =
and
some spell types. Once you learn the 20 ranks Agonar
demands of you, you can decide to drop shield or not. I would recommend that
you keep training with a shield, but that is my personal opinion. It provid=
es
an extra defense to against arrows, sling bullets, and some targeted magic,
which is preferable to relying on your ability to dodge these sorts of atta=
cks.
Multiple
Armor Training - We are now able to train many armor types simultaneously.
Training multiple armors is easy. You merely select two or more types of ar=
mors
to wear into combat (e.g. a leather coat and scale greaves will teach you
leather and HC, while a leather coat and chain greaves will teach you leath=
er
and LC) and you will learn both simply in the course of hunting. This allows
you to be more flexible in your choice of armor later in your career. Note =
that
wearing mixed armor types does give you a penalty to your hindrance, and the
more armor types you are wearing, the higher the penalty. I would recommend
selecting leather with chain accessories (greaves, gloves and a balaclava).
Mixing two armor types is a good idea at any rate, because Agonar
will require that you show proficiency in a second armor type much later in
your career. Although rumor has it that he will count shield use as a second
armor.
So
now that you know a thing or two about armor, the cheap way to outfit yours=
elf
would be to keep using the armor you arrived in town with until you can aff=
ord
something better or someone offers you better armor. Appraise it to see what
areas it covers, and buy accessories to protect uncovered areas. You can
bargain prices down a little with Tembeg by OFF=
ER
[amount]. Don't be too cheap, or he'll not sell to you. Be sure to READ CAT=
ALOG
to see all the wares he sales.
I
would recommend either chain greaves (LC, 35 kronars) or scale greaves (HC,=
45
kronars), for leg armor. Hand armor can be either mail gloves (these are
'neutral' and will teach LC or HC, depending on which you have the most ran=
ks
in and cost 55 kronars) or reinforced gloves (leather, 120 kronars). For he=
ad
and neck armor, a reinforced leather helm (leather, 72 kronars) will suffice
until you can make a trip to Riverhaven for a <=
span
class=3DSpellE>ratskin hood (head, eyes, and neck leather armor) or =
a trip
to Shard for a leather mask (covers head, eyes and neck) or a chain balacla=
va (neutral
chain armor covering head, eyes and neck).
As
for shields, if you don't mind looking a bit silly, the lightest shield you=
can
buy (the one that will least hinder your movements and not turn you into a
sitting duck) would be the cooking pot lid sold in Art=
he
Dale (35 kronars). What? Stop staring at me like that; I'm serious! If usin=
g a
pot lid offends your sense of pride, the ordinary shield Tembeg
sells is another light one that won't affect your dodging much. (120 kronars, =
or free
in wood trolls out the NE gate. LOOK JUNK in room, and ask whoever is
there if they mind if you take one)
You'll
need a backpack to carry things in, too, so be sure to stop by the General
Store. Although you can buy a sheath and a quiver if you desire, your weapo=
ns can
be carried safely in your backpack, so save yourself the coin.
You
will also need weapons! You can pick up a short sword (light edge) in gobli=
ns
outside the western gate, normally on the ground in the junk pile. Be sure =
to
ask first before picking one up. Retreat if anything advances on you, you w=
on't
be ready to take on a goblin just yet! Head back to town to Milgrym's
weapons shop to pick up some more weapons to round out your arsenal. From t=
he
catalog, I'd recommend the choosing two or three from the following: scimit=
ar
(ME, 510 kronars), either a broadsword or longsword (HE, about 550 kronars), a cudgel (LB, 57
kronars), a mace (MB, 295 kronars), as well as a ranged weapon. A bow is go=
od
to learn, since a barbarian who is a skilled archer is able to load a bow
faster, and able to load two arrows at once for the deadly
"dual-shot".
I
do recommend that you learn at least one edged weapon, one blunt weapon, an=
d a
bow skill of some sort to start with. There are many creatures in the lands
that require one of those three to kill, and are immune or resistant to the
others. A bow is just good sense, as there are times when you'll be facing
something that's just too mean even for you to take on in close quarters.
Although Agonar only asks you to demonstrate pr=
oficiency
with two weapons early on, eventually he will ask you to learn a third weap=
on,
then a fourth, and so on. So you might as well start early and you'll be ah=
ead
of the game when that time comes.
Other
items you will find useful include a stout lockpick (240 kronars) sold by t=
he
locksmith which you use to pick locks on boxes with, and a hide scraper (400
kronars) which you can find in the far west room of the tanners. More about scrapers and lockpicks=
when I
discuss survival skills and how to train them.
If
you find yourself lacking the coin to make all the purchases necessary, you=
can
sell firewood to old Mags who sets
up shop by the Collegium and Monger's Bazaar. S=
ince
you've already found the Town Green, (where Milgrym
and Tembeg's shops are located) I'll let you in=
on a
secret. The trees around the Green litter the area with deadfall, so it is a
good area to FORAGE BRANCHes for Mags.
Do your civic duty - Keep Elanthia beautiful by collecting these branches a=
nd
giving them to Mags! You can do this by holding=
the
branch in your right hand and GIVE MAGS. Now, Mags is
a sweet old lady who believes in charity and will give coin for branches, b=
ut
only up to a point. After that, she'll not give you coin no matter what, but
hopefully what she gave you is more than enough to purchase the equipment
you'll need and get a start on paying off your debt. Just remember to FORAGE
during the day time so you can see what you're doing, and to go to the bank
window and DEPOSIT ALL your coin after you pay a visit to Mags.
Combat:
Preparin=
g for
combat:
Gaining
experience
When you check your EXP for the first time, you =
will
probably see this message "You currently have no field experience in a=
ny
of your skills!" PARRY or HIDE then check your EXP again. You should s=
ee
something like this: Hiding: =
0 00%
learning. This shows you what skill you are learning through field practice,
and how full the experience pool is.
The amount of learning in your field experience =
pool
is measured by the following labels: clear, learning, thoughtful, pondering,
concentrating, muddled, very muddled, perplexing, perplexed, bewildering,
bewildered, dazed, mind lock. Clear means your pool is empty and you will no
longer gain ranks in this skill until you begin practicing again. Mind lock=
means
the pool is completely full and continued practice of the skill may cause y=
our
character to become confused until your mindstate
shuts down. When you become locked in a skill, you should stop practicing it
while your character absorbs the information, converting it into ranks.
I
see your attention is starting to wander with all these dry facts. Now that
you're properly equipped and know to watch your EXP while training, it's ti=
me
to give you some meat to sink your teeth into - combat!
Preparing
for a hunt is an easy task, and taking a few moments to prepare yourself before diving into combat can be a life-saver=
.
1.
Check your armor! This should be self evident, but there's been many a death
that could have been prevented if the would-be warrior had made sure he was
wearing all of his armor before taking the field. You should always make su=
re
you are wearing a full set of armor that is in good condition. INVEN ARMOR =
will
show you at a glance what armor you are wearing in case you've forgotten. A=
PPRAISE
your armor pieces to see what they protect -- ideally your armor should cov=
er
the head, neck, eyes, chest, abdomen, back, arms, and legs, while being in
practically mint condition or better. You won't be able to tell much about =
your
items at first, but practice makes perfect!
2.
Check your weapons! You'll want to have all the weapons on hand that you wi=
sh
to learn, rather than sitting in the forge getting repaired. Make sure you =
are
holding your melee weapon in your right hand by GLANCE=
ing
down. You cannot parry with a weapon held in your left hand or with any ran=
ged
weapon.
3. ENCumberance issues. The more bur=
den
you carry, the more difficult it is for you to dodge blows. In fact, carryi=
ng
too much weight makes you clumsy and awkward in all things. You will find y=
ou
aren't able to swim, climb, or pick locks very well, either.
4.
Health / Fatigue / Vitality.
Having
wounds hampers your ability to perform certain actions, including attacks.
Fatigue expresses how tired you are, while vitality can be considered your
"hit points". If you're very wounded o=
r have
low vitality, you may want to postpone hunting until you get healed. More on these stats below.
5.
Check your basic field kit.
*
You will need bundling rope for skins. You can acquire free rope by going to
the tanner's shed and ASK FALKEN FOR ROPE.
*
You will need a gem pouch to stow dropped gems in, as well. Stop by the gem
shop and ask APPRAISER FOR GEM POUCH. Be sure to keep the pouch closed exce=
pt
when you're putting gems away - an open pouch attracts pickpockets.
*
Healing herbs are optional, but I'd recommend you carry a few internal heal=
ing
herbs simply because an external wound can be tended while an internal wound
cannot, and the blood loss from such can kill. A scroll about herbs can be =
found
here http://drkyth.freeservers.com/herblist.htm
I
can see you're groaning and rolling your eyes. "Are we there yet,
Mom?" Yes, you are now ready to venture forth into the field! (I'll let
that Mom comment slide, but don't you dare say it again.)
Engaging
in Combat:
Range
from yourself to your foe can be measured by ASSESSing=
the area. An ASSESS will show you what foes are advancing on whom, which foe
each person is facing, how far each foe is from you or whomever else is in =
the
area, and the balance of each person or creature. ASSESS recently was changed to sho=
w when
creatures are immobilized, stunned, under the influence of an Empath’s manipulation, or otherwise at a
disadvantage.
For
example:
You
assess your combat situation...
A
wild boar (1: solidly balanced) is moving behind you at missile range.
A
musk hog (1: badly balanced) is facing you at melee range.
A
cougar (1: solidly balanced) is flanking you at pole range.
You
(nimbly balanced) are facing a musk hog at melee range.
This
is the minimum range at which you must be to fire a missile weapon (i.e. bo=
ws,
crossbows, slings, staff slings, thrown weapons). When you FACE a creature
(FACE HELP in game will give instructions), AIM at it or ADVANCE upon it, y=
ou
normally are approaching from missile range. The exception is if you are
indoors or underground in cramped quarters, in which case you are within po=
le
range.
This
is the second closest range you can be to a creature. This is the minimum r=
ange
at which you must be to use any pole type weapons (i.e. pikes, halberds,
spears, some two-handed swords). If you try to attack with a melee weapon f=
rom
pole range, you will be initiating a charge which will bring you immediately
into melee range as you lunge forward with a powerful strike. However, this
move is tiring, takes a good bit of time in which you are defenseless, and
doesn't always land a blow.
This
is the closest you can be to a creature. At this range, you are close enoug=
h to
use all weapons against your foe ... and they can return the favor!
Facing
The
opponent you are facing is the one all of your attacks are directed at. Thi=
s is
also the opponent you will be most successful in blocking incoming attacks
from.
Flanking
When
you are flanking an opponent, they will have a harder time defending against
your attacks since their attention is focused mainly on the foe they are
facing. The reverse is true; you will have a more difficult time defending
against the foe flanking you. Your multi opponent skill determines how well=
you
are able to defend against foes flanking you.
Behind
This
is the most advantageous position to attack from, and the worst place for an
enemy to be facing you from. All creatures are most vulnerable to attacks f=
rom
behind, although this weakness can be offset by high multi opponent skill. =
Retreat
You
can try and maintain your distance from your foe by RE=
TREATing.
Remember that it is not easy to stay at pole range with a creature, since t=
hey
are often intent upon advancing on you or charging from pole.
The
Combat Prompt
This
is the line of information you will see after each combat turn, whether you=
are
attacking or being attacked. The information is comprised of your Vitality,
Fatigue, Balance and Position e.g.,
[You're
hurt, fatigued, nimbly balanced and in very strong position.]
You
should be constantly aware of these things while in combat, as they affect =
how
well (or how poorly) you perform.
Vitality
This
is your current state of health, or your "hit points". In DR,
vitality is expressed in descriptions, not in numbers unless you are using =
the StormFront engine, then you get health and stamina ba=
rs. Empaths also have the ability to see what percentage =
of
vitality loss you are suffering from relative to the size of your vitality =
pool.
Descriptions for vitality states in=
clude
invigorated (above normal), bruised, hurt, battered, beat up, very beat up,
badly hurt, very badly hurt, smashed up, and at death’s door. If =
your
vitality gets too low, you may wish to consider retreating because when your
vitality is gone, you die.
Fatigue
Fatigue
can be caused by a number of things -- swimming in a difficult area, draggi=
ng
something heavy, or swinging a weapon in combat. Again this is expressed in
descriptions which include winded, tired, fatigued, worn-out, beat, exhaust=
ed
and so forth. If you find your self tiring within a few attacks using your
weapon, you may be suffering from lack of strength and stamina. Find a ligh=
ter
weapon, work your strength and stamina, or give yourself short breaks betwe=
en
attacks. If you become completely exhausted, you will collapse where you st=
and
and may be unable to stand up again. Remember that while you are prone, you=
are
unable to properly defend yourself as you will not be able to dodge attacks=
nor
effectively parry them.
Balance
This
describes how well balanced you are in combat. The better your balance, the
more likely you are to strike well as well as dodge blows and spells while
remaining on your feet. The worse your balance is, as is the case after rep=
eated
hits from multiple opponents or as a result of certain spells, it is possib=
le
for you to fall down flat. As stated before, being prone is the worst posit=
ion
for combat as it leaves you almost defenseless. If you find yourself on the
ground, quickly kneel and stand (or dance to leap to your feet) and proceed=
to
get yourself balanced again. Balance descriptions include incredibly balanced, nimbly balanced, solidly balanced, slightly o=
ff
balance, somewhat off balance, off balance, badly balanced, very badly
balanced, and extremely unbalanced. Being stunned in combat usually giv=
es
you very bad balance and an additional defense penalty. If you're in combat=
and
are getting stunned a lot, you should retreat immediately.
Position
Your basic position in reference to your enemy. This is determined by
comparing your balance and your foe's balance. The descriptions for your position include overwhelming your oppone=
nt,
in dominating position, in superior position, in very strong position, in
strong position, in better position, you have a slight advantage, no advant=
age,
opponent has slight advantage, opponent in better position, opponent in str=
ong
position, opponent in very strong position, opponent in superior position,
opponent in dominating position, and opponent overwhelming you.
For
example:
>bash
You bash your cudgel at a ship's rat's body, hitting it with a grazing strike.<= o:p>
[You're incredibly balanced and
overwhelming opponent.]
[Roundtime 3 sec.]
>assess
You
assess your combat situation...
A
ship's rat (1: off balance) is facing you at melee range.
You
(incredibly balanced) are facing a ship's rat (1) at melee range.
Another
example:
As
if effort and skill were a bad thing, a ship's r=
at
bites at you. You evade.
[You're
off balance and opponent has slight advantage.]
>assess
You
assess your combat situation...
A
ship's rat (1: slightly off balance) is facing you at melee range.
You
(off balance) are facing a ship's rat (1) at melee range.
The
better your relative position, the better your chances to strike. In fact, =
the
best time to attack is when you are incredibly balanced and overwhelming yo=
ur
opponent. If you find yourself in bad position, expect the enemy to hit you
more often and with more severity. Being stunned in combat not only gives y=
ou very
bad balance, but it also puts your opponent in a position to overwhelm you.=
Basic
Combat:
Now
that you are facing your opponent, what should you do? There are several
commands in the combat system: ones for offense, and ones for defense. A qu=
ick
rundown on commands can be found here:&nbs=
p;
http://www.play.net/dr/info/combat.asp
After
you determine which attack move you wish to use, simply type it in (i.e. SL=
ICE
or JAB). You can also use "called shots", which allows you to att=
empt
to attack a specific body part of your foe i.e. SLICE ABDOMEN or BASH HEAD.=
There are several different body parts=
you
can try to attack: head, left eye, right eye, neck, back, abdomen, chest, l=
eft
arm, right arm, left hand, right hand, left leg and right leg. It is ha=
rder
to land a good hit when you are actually aiming for a specific body part as
opposed to a regular attack, however repeated blows to a vital body part can
kill an opponent much quicker. The syntax to perform a called shot is [atta=
ck
type] [body part]. This works with all melee, pole range and missile range
weapons.
Advanced combat: Weapo=
ns
Edged
Weapons
It's
best to appraise your weapon of choice to see what type of combat it is best
suited for. Scimitars are most suited for slicing, while Rapiers are more
suited for jabs and thrusts. Edged weapons include light edge (LE), medium =
edge
(ME), heavy edge (HE) and two-handed edge (2HE).
Slicing
weapons typically work best with the following combination of: parry –
feint – draw – sweep – slice – chop, and repeat.
Blunt
Weapons
Appraise
your weapon of choice (yes, again) to see what type of combat it is best su=
ited
for. Blunt weapons include light blunt (LB), medium blunt (MB), large blunt
(HB) and two-handed blunt (2HB).
Blunt
weapons are large, unwieldy, heavy, and not very aerodynamic. It takes a lo=
t of
strength and stamina to use these weapons to best effect, but it is well wo=
rth
the effort to do so as blunt weapons can not only knock a foe down, but also
break their shield and weapons. The best combination for these weapons is: =
dodge
– feint – bash – sweep and repeat.
Staves
An
oddity of a weapon type combing blunts and polearms,
staves include quarterstaff and short staff. The same attack combination us=
ed
for blunts will work well for staves. However, because staves are large and
invariably constructed from simple wood, they damage easily and may break
during the heat of battle.
Pole
Arms
Again,
appraise your weapon of choice to see what type of combat it is best suited
for. Pole arm weapons include pikes and halberds. Although some quarter sta=
ves
can be used from pole, this weapon type is discussed under blunt weapon com=
bat.
Despite the fact that halberds usually appraise as being suited for slicing
attacks, attempting to use edged melee slicing weapon tactics will leave you
unbalanced. Halberds do best with combinations of sweep – thrust R=
11;
chop, and Pikes with dodge – jab – thrust – lunge –
sweep – draw and repeat.
The
Ambush Attack
Ambushing
is a stealthy melee attack that utilizes your ability to hide and stalk your
prey. Get out your melee weapon, parry then hide. Advance on your foe and t=
ry
to stalk it. Once you reach melee you should AMBUSH which will cause you to
spring from hiding as you make a surprise attack on your foe. If your foe is
caught off guard, you have a chance of doing good damage. However, if your =
foe
spots your attack coming, you either won't hit it or just very lightly. Both
hiding and stalking will be difficult to accomplish when you are not very g=
ood
at being stealthy and are unfamiliar with your armor (or wearing metal armo=
rs),
but this is an excellent combat technique to master and gives you an
opportunity to train your hiding and stalking proficiency, as well as your
weapons. When ambushing you can either AMBUSH, AMBUSH [critter], or AMBUSH
[critter] [attack type], e.g. ambush goblin jab or ambush troll bash.
Brawling
This
the art of hand to hand combat, but it can be used in conjunction with a
weapon. Many non-weapon items can be used as brawling weapons, while others
can't. Most normal combat attacks can be used while brawling, but there are=
a
series of special brawling maneuvers which you can learn about by typing BR=
AWL
HELP.
Brawling
with an edged or blunt weapon can be dangerous because you simply do not pa=
rry
as well as if you were engaging in normal combat. Still, one can achieve
balance and position and learn great by simply using a combination of circle
– elbow – shove, and repeat.
Brawling
bare-handed lends itself to many attack combinations. Elbow, jab, repeat is=
a
favorite, but tires you out quickly. Circle, draw, gouge repeat gives you a=
bit
of a breather between attacks. Grapple, circle, knee, circle, knee brings y=
ou
into closer contact with your opponent. If you are a P=
rydaen
blessed with lethal claws, circle, claw, claw repeat will stand you in good
stead. A Rakash in moonski=
n
has a fearsome bite when brawling. You can shove a foe to its knees, and if
tackled or grappled while kneeling or prone your foe is unable to attack yo=
u in
return. Too, as a barbarian, we have the ability to grapple and choke our f=
oes,
either suffocating the life from them or snapping their necks. You can even
throw things at your opponent while brawling. Which method you prefer is si=
mply
a matter of taste, and I urge you to experiment.
Note
that you cannot ambush while brawling.
Thrown
This
includes light thrown (LT) and heavy thrown (HT). Most spears and lances ar=
e a
combination of HT and pike or halberd. Some light edged weapons are a
combination of LT and LE. You should always appraise a weapon to see what s=
kill
it will teach. The best way to train this skill is to wait until you have b=
alance
and position on an opponent and simply THROW [FOE]. Your weapon may become
lodged in your opponent, in which case you can either try to GET [ITEM] FROM
[FOE] or kill it to retrieve your weapon. Otherwise, you should pick it up =
from
the ground and throw it again. You can keep doing this until you lose posit=
ion
or become tired, in which case I recommend switching to a melee weapon to
regain balance and position, then swap out weapons and resume throwing.
Ranged
or Missile
This
covers slings, staff slings, light crossbow (LX), heavy crossbow (HX), short
bow, longbow, and composite bow.
All
ranged weapons benefit from aiming until you feel you have the best shot
possible, then firing. Having balance isn't as
important when using a ranged weapon as it is with a melee weapon. You just
need to be at least solidly balanced. Having position gives you an advantag=
e,
making it more likely that you will hit your foe.
To
use a ranged weapons you need to have the approp=
riate
ammunition in a container that you are wearing. Most ranged weapons can be =
worn
- bows and crossbows are slung over the shoulder, while slings are attached=
to
the belt. Hold the weapon in your right hand and LOAD it. You may load and
unload while hiding. At this point you may do one of three things - you may
attack using a regular shot, a snap shot, or by poaching.
Regular
shot - you aim at your foe and either wait until you receive the message th=
at
you feel you have your best shot possible, or fire immediately. You can use=
a
called shot, aiming for a specific body part by aiming at the creature and =
when
you want to fire FIRE [foe] [body part] or fire=
[body
part].
Snap
shot - you have not aimed at all. Instead you simply LOAD then FIRE. This is
the most ineffective shot.
Poaching
- The ambush attack of the archer, poaching only works on four footed creat=
ures
(not bipeds such as goblins, gargoyles, and trolls). Unlike ambushing, you =
must
be stalking your target in order to POACH it. Load your weapon, aim, hide, =
and
stalk your target. Once you are stalking you simply POACH [FOE], which caus=
es
you to sneak up behind your foe for a surprise attack. As with ambushing, t=
his
is a devastating attack method that utilizes your stealth related skills wh=
ile
enabling you to train hiding, stalking, and your missile weapon.
Barbarians
who are extremely proficient in the use of bows (short bow, longbow, and
composite bow only) have the ability to fire a dual shot. By typing in LOAD
ARROWS, a barbarian may load his bow with two arrows which makes him even m=
ore
deadly in combat as he is now able to deal twice the damage in short period=
of
time. There also comes a point in a barbarian's career where they may be ab=
le
to load arrows slightly faster from a quiver.
Advanced
combat: Defenses
Multi
Opponent
The
higher your Multi skill, the better you will be able to fight (and defend
against) more than one opponent at a time. This skill is one of the most
dangerous to learn, requiring you to engage multiple foes at one time which=
can
lead to a serious trouncing... YOURS!
To
practice with the least harm to yourself, you can engage in 'dancing' with =
two
creatures. This involves a convoluted series of steps where you attempt to
maintain balance while not inflicting any damage (Brawling is useful for
this). Unless more foes start=
to
come in, in which case you should dispatch the surplus as quickly as possib=
le
and resume dancing with two partners.
Evasion
Your
first instinct when being attacked is to get out of the way,
and evasion measures your ability to avoid attacks. With enough skill you c=
an
dodge spells, arrows, and blows while laughing at your foe's inability to
strike you as you slice them to bloody bits!
Parry
If
you don't manage to duck out of the way of an attack, you will want to block
the blow by parrying with your melee weapon. This skill measures how well y=
ou
are able to fend off attacks with your weapon. As a barbarian, if you truly
excel at this skill you will be able to deflect a ranged weapon attack if y=
our
attacker attempts to fire while within your weapon's range (pole range for =
pole
weapons, melee range for edges, blunts etc). This will only work if you are
facing the opponent firing upon you.
Shield
As
with parrying, this line of defense relies upon you attempting to block an
attack using your shield. Shields can block certain spells and missile atta=
cks,
as well. Unlike parrying, one does not have to be facing the attacker to
deflect a missile attack. One drawback to using a shield is that it does ma=
ke
it slightly more difficult to evade to start with. Also, if you use a shield
that is too large and too heavy for you, you may find yourself more beat up
than if you had gone without.
Armor
This
is your last ditch defense against an incoming attack, when your armor is a=
ll
that stands between your tender flesh and a blade thirsting for your blood.=
Stance
The
STANCE verb allows you to see how much of your skill you are putting into w=
hich
defense types, and how much offensive skill you are using.
Example:
stance
You
are currently using 80% of your evasion skill.
You
are currently using 100% of your weapon parry skill.
You
are currently using 0% of your shield block skill.
You
are attacking with 100% of your offensive skill.
Having
a skill set at 100% means you are putting as much of your knowledge about t=
hat
skill into use as you can, while being set at 0% has you putting nothing in=
to
it.
Your
combined Evasion, Parry, and Shield must be 180% or less to begin with,
although as a barbarian you will gain an extra stance point every 10 circle=
s.
When you are not using a shield, you should not have your shield percentage
higher than 0%. Each individual must decide what stance allotment is best f=
or them, however a lot of non-shield users stick with 100%
evasion, 80% weapon parry, 0% shield block, and 100% offensive. You may cha=
nge
your stance using the default settings of STANCE SHIELD (sets you to 100%
shield, 40% parry, 40% evasion), STANCE PARRY (sets you to 40% shield, 100%
parry, 40% evasion), or STANCE EVAS (sets you to 40% shield, 40% parry, 100=
% evasion).
You can customize your stance by typing in STANCE [parry/shield/evasion]
[number], e.g. stance shield 0, stance parry 90, stance evas 90, etc.&=
nbsp;
Whew.
Finally! You're ready to put all this information into use. I suggest you v=
isit
the Shipyard to battle your first foes: ship rats! Rats should see you thro=
ugh
your first four circles without much danger while you master hunting skills.
When rats no longer teach you well you have three choices: go to goblins out
the west gate, go to hogs and boars in the vineyards, or head to badgers an=
d pothanits in the brambles. After that the field is op=
en to
whatever you wish to hunt...as long as it is within your skill range.
What
to do with the corpses:
So
you've managed to kill something. Now what?
Skinning:
After
you kill something you will want to try to SKIN it. Skinning the creature (=
if
it is skinnable) will teach you skinning as wel=
l as
provide you with a skin, hide, pelt, tusk, hoof, tooth, claw, etc. (given t=
hat
you succeed) which you can sell for coin. You're best chances to skin will =
be
if you use a small blade (LE). You're trying to peel off a skin with the le=
ast
amount of damage to get the most coin for it and hacking at a creature with=
an
axe is most likely going to ruin the value of the skin, if you can even rem=
ove
it.
Before
you skin, assess the area to make sure the creature is dead and you don't h=
ave
any more foes attacking you. If you are still being attacked, retreat back =
to
missile range. Put your weapon away, make sure your left hand is empty,
If
you did, get your bundling rope (you did get some rope when I suggested it,=
right?)
and with the rope in one hand and skin in the other, you BUNDLE your skin. =
This
will tie your skin with the rope and you may now WEAR B=
UNDLE by slinging it over your
shoulder. If you have no shoulder room left because you "cannot wear a=
ny
more items like that" (too many bows and a shield can do that to a
fighter!), you can PULL BUNDLE to change the location where it is worn -
bundles may be draped around your shoulders, around your waist like a belt,=
on
your back like a backpack, attached to your belt, or slung over your should=
er.
Grab your weapon and start hunting again. The next time you kill a creature=
and
skin it, you can simply BUNDLE with the skin in hand to stuff the skin into=
the
bundle you're wearing.
After
a while, bundles get full. At this point you may either head to the tanner'=
s to
sell what you've skinned, or you may start a new bundle with another piece =
of
rope. Bundles are heavy and will give you burden. As mentioned previously,
hunting while burdened is bad. You may choose to drop your bundle on the gr=
ound
and snatch it up when you are ready to shove another pelt in it. However, if
the game crashes or someone waltzes in and picks the bundle up, there isn't=
too
much you can do about it.
Once
you have decided to stop hunting, you have two choices about what to do with
the skins you harvested. You may scrape your skins with a hide scraper befo=
re
selling them, (you can only scrape skins, hides and pelts). Or, if you deci=
de
not to scrape, head to the tanner's to sell your pelts! To sell your skins,
HOLD BUNDLE then ASK FALKEN TO APPRAISE BUNDLE then SELL BUNDLE. Falken will look it over and hand you some coins for =
it!
After selling your skins, run as fast as your feet can take you to the near=
est
bank and deposit your coin. Pickpockets often hang about the Tanner's and t=
he
Gem Shop waiting to lift some coin from hardworking hunters.
Scraping
a skin teaches you skinning and mech lore exper=
ience.
If you decide to scrape, find a nice quiet place with few people about. Hold
your bundle in your hand and UNBUNDLE. This will untie your bundle and drop=
all
the skins you shoved into it onto the floor, along with your rope. Now, usi=
ng a
hide scraper that you can purchase from the western room of the Crossing
Tanner, you can use the following syntax. SCRAPE [hide/skin/pelt] WITH SCRA=
PER
[quick/normal/careful]. The last option is the speed at which you can scrap=
e.
Quick will give you a round time (RT) of 10 seconds, but you are more likel=
y to
mess up and damage your skin this way.
Looting:
After
skinning the creature (and only after), you should SEARCH it. Searching is =
good
for two reasons. The first is by searching a creature you discover what, if
any, loot the critter was carrying. These things are now yours by right of
conquest. Not to mention if you have used any missile weapons on it, search=
ing
a critter will shift all the ammo from the body to the ground. Second,
searching a kill tells the game that you are done with that creature and the
dead corpse will soon thereafter disappear. This is the reason you skin bef=
ore
you search, or else the corpse will disappear before you get a chance to sk=
in.
There
are all sorts of items that creatures may be carrying. The weapon they use,
their armor, boxes, coins, gems, clothing and other more useless items.
Weapons and armor - If a creature drops weapons or armor, you may w=
ant
to see if the pawn shop will buy it from you. In some cases, especi=
ally
when you are young, the armor may be better than what you are wearing or the
weapon type dropped may be one you don't already have.
Boxes
- Boxes are where the creatures like to keep their items safe. Box types
include casket, caddy, skippet, box, strongbox,
chest, trunk and so on. A backpack will only hold
about a dozen or so boxes, and trying to open these will teach you disarm a=
nd lockpicks, which can be used for your survival. More on boxes later.
Coins - To collect coins, simply GET COIN. Make sure before you =
leave
a room that you have picked up all the coin that is rightfully yours. If you
see coin on the ground in another area, odds are it is from someone else's =
kill
and it is considered very rude to pick up the items and coin dropped by som=
eone
else's kill.
Gems
- Acquired by GET [gem type] and then PUT [gem type] IN MY GEM POUCH (the o=
ne I
suggested getting, remember?) Always try to close your gem pouch after you
place a gem in it. Pickpockets with nimble fingers can steal gems out of any
open container -- some of them can even filch your gold tooth out of your m=
outh
without you noticing. The easiest way to prevent this is to keep your gem
holding container closed. When you are done hunting or when your gem pouch =
is
full, return to the gem shop to sell them. You may remove each gem from your
pouch, one at a time, and sell them to the Appraiser by SELL [gem type].
Clothing
- Some creatures will, rarely, drop interesting bits of clothing or jewelry.
You MAY just find something you like! You can always try to pawn these item=
s,
too.
Magic
Scrolls - Every now and then a creature will drop a piece of parchment, vel=
lum,
scroll, or bark which usually has a spell on it. You might be able to earn a
bit of coin selling these scrolls to the highest bidder, but ... it's icky
magic stuff!
Useless items - Creatures also drop oddments like mentor newsletters, seaweed tarts, hams, jars of jelly and brushes. These items aren't pa= wnable, although they make good gifts for friends who may have a weakness for ham.<= o:p>
Life
Outside of Combat
Fighting
isn't all that a Barbarian does, no, not by a long shot. Granted, most of t=
he
time you could be fighting nasty creatures and isn't that why you chose to
become a Barbarian? But there's a lot of practical skills to be learned alo=
ng
the way that aid any person in the field survive. It would be wise to learn=
as
much as you can, because no knowledge is ever wasted. The learning isn't al=
ways
easy; you will work hard at learning skills that seem a useless annoyance w=
hen
you are eager to be out hunting, but you will come to love the freedom and
independence such knowledge can bring.
You
may be wondering why learn skills that aren't required to advance? There's =
no
harm in being skilled at doing things other than fighting, and it doesn't h=
urt
to be prepared for the future. What
if Barbarians someday receive an ability that uses the escape skill? There =
are
a lot of abilities now that make use of a skill that wasn't required a few
years ago - dual-loading for bows is a prime example. So train now and you won't have to=
spend
time catching up in the future.
Another
thing to keep in mind is that as you gain ranks in your various skills, you
will gain TDPs
(http://www.play.net/dr/info/stats.asp#tdp). You may earn them slowly, at first=
, but
the more ranks you learn, the more TDPs you'll =
have. TDPs are what allow you to train your stats up (e.g.
strength, charisma). So don't=
be
lazy, and remember that skills you train can help define your character - if
you don't want to train instruments, you can role-play that your barbarian =
is
tone-deaf.
Odds
are that when you ask Agonar about your progres=
s (ASK
AGONAR ABOUT EXP), he rattled off a list of non-combat related things he th=
inks
you should learn. Remember we discussed the skills Ago=
nar
requires his students to show proficiency in at the beginning? Now is the t=
ime
I'll explain the non-combat skill sets, survival and lore.
Survival
Skills
Evasion
- Determines how well you are able to evade attacks. You learn this skill in
combat. For optimal learning, you should not be using a shield. Also, wear
armor that is not very hindering (APPRAISE your armor to see how hindered y=
ou
are - the more armor skill you have, the less hindered you will be). Set yo=
ur
stances to Stance Evasion 100, Stance Shield 0, Stance<=
/span>
Parry 80.
Skinning
- This skill determines the quality of pelts you obtain from your kills, wh=
ich
in turn affects the value when selling. As I told you earlier, skinning a k=
ill
is best done while using a skinning knife or some other light edged weapon.
When you are hunting, you should be skinning all of your kills. Once you ha=
ve a
bundle of skins, you can scrape the skins with a hide scraper to learn skin=
ning
and mechanical lore when you are not hunting.
Climbing
& Swimming are considered the 'getting there' skills. Many hunting areas
require a certain degree of proficiency in these skills for you to be able =
to
pass obstacles and gain access. Work these skills as time permits, and you =
will
be fine.
Climbing
- Useful skill to know for getting around. The more climbing skill you have,
the more you are able to successfully scale steep inclines. Lots of fine
hunting can be found in mountainous areas that are going to take some skill=
to
get into. There's plenty of ways to master this skill. Anything you can CLI=
MB
will probably teach some - there are stairs in the cellar of the clerics gu=
ild,
there's a trellis on the grounds of Jadewater (and there's mead up at the t=
op
of that trellis, for incentive!), rope ladders on the ships in the shipyard
where you'll be hunting rats, trees... You can start by climbing the tree i=
n Arthe Dale that's next to the swimming hole. You prob=
ably
won't be able to climb back down, so just go ahead and DIVE HOLE, then clim=
b up the embankment to get back to base of the tree.
Swimming
- Determines how well you are able to swim. The swimming hole in Arthe Dale is good to start learning swimming, and fr=
om
there you can move to the brook that separates goblin and cougar territory
outside Crossing's west gate. Simply enter the swimming hole, or brook, and
move just as if you were moving normally (north, south, etc).
Hiding,
Stalking & Perception are the stealth system skills.
Perception
- Perception aids you in disarming traps, foraging, searching for hidden pe=
ople
or monsters, and with juggling. Performing those tasks will also teach you
perception. This skill helps you defend against pickpockets and ambushes.
Hiding
- Determines how easily you can escape notice and remain hidden.
Stalking
- Determines how well you can move from room to room while hidden, and how =
well
you can sneak up on a target.
Armor
hindrances and wounds will hamper your ability to hide and stalk. So will y=
our
target's level of perception. There are several ways to train the stealth
skills. An easy way to learn your first few ranks of hiding and stalking is=
to
find somewhere with a high concentration of people, hide, sneak about the a=
rea,
unhide and begin again for as long as you continue to learn. This can be ra=
ther
annoying for the other people in the area, however. If they have enough
perception to see you sneaking about, the messaging (or scroll) it causes c=
an
make it difficult to carry on conversations. Not to mention that it hardly
seems in character to just go to the Bank and hide. It's a good way to train
hiding and stalking, but hard to explain in a role-playing situation.
If
you try with creatures, don't stay on one monster for too long, because the=
re
are only a limited number of times you can hide from one creature before you
stop learning. At low ranks, the best way to learn the stealth skills is to
remove all your armor, load your bow and find a single four-legged foe. Hid=
e,
take aim, advance, stalk, and then poach. You will not be able to hide while
facing a creature at melee, however, so retreating or staying at pole range=
is
a good idea. Successful poaching will teach hiding skill. Loading and unloa=
ding
a bow while hidden will also teach a bit of hiding. Advancing after hiding
requires a stalking check to make sure you stay hidden, and will teach you
stalking if you are successful. Once you have trained your armor skill and
stealth skills sufficiently, you will be able to hide while wearing your ar=
mor
without fear of discovery - which is ideal because if a creature should
discover you trying to ambush or poach while your armor is in your backpack,
things could get ugly.
First
Aid - Determines your ability to TEND bleeding wounds and whether or not you
can successfully staunch the blood loss. Whenever you get a chance to liste=
n to
a class on first aid, or tend a bleeding wound, take it! This skill will sa=
ve
your life many times over if you don't neglect it. Bleeding wounds can beco=
me
infected, which will require a skilled empath to heal. If you have a bleedi=
ng
wound, try not to tend it more than two or three times before having it hea=
led
-- as of this writing, we Elanthians are a frai=
l lot
who cannot heal wounds over the course of time like occurs in the real worl=
d.
The only one to cure a bleeding wound is to eat herbs or have an empath heal
you.
Foraging
- The higher your foraging skill, the higher the quality items you will be =
able
to find - very useful for obtaining healing herbs and quality wood for
fletching bows and arrows. It is quite useful to be able to forage up your =
own
herbs rather than paying for them. Herbs can be a real life saver since they
can heal wounds which may be causing you vitality loss from bleeding, or
hampering your ability to perform actions. Foraging is best learned by remo=
ving
your hand and head armors, kneeling, and alternately foraging for an item t=
wo
or three times, and then trying to COLLECT [item]. e.g<=
/span>.
forage grass, forage stick, forage rock, collect branch. Stealing
– This skill is the main factor in determining if you are able to STE=
AL
money or items. There's a reason behind the old saying "It takes a thi=
ef
to catch a thief" -- knowing how to steal makes it harder for others to
steal from you. Just ask permission to practice on others first,
or you open yourself up to attack. Do not steal in town, or the guards will
arrest you if you get caught. Escaping
- Determines how well you are able to escape from webs, or sticky mud. This=
is
a skill you won't really learn until later in your career since the areas w=
here
you learn the best are the dwelling places of challenging opponents. The br=
eech
tunnels under Theren Keep are infested with wolf spiders and their webs, wh=
ile
the tunnels outside of Riverhaven where the dusk
ogres dwell are full of sticky roots that snare the unwary. This is a passi=
ve
skill that doesn't require any verb usage on your part. Disarm
Traps - Primary skill for determining success in disarming a trap. DISARM H=
ELP
will provide details. Lockpicking -=
Primary
skill for determining success in picking a lock. Detecting
a trap and disarming it If
you have any armor on, you should remove it before inspecting a box for tra=
ps.
Face covers will impair your ability to see what you're doing while hand ar=
mor
hampers your ability to work with small components. It is a good idea to re=
move
your body armor and put it in your backpack as well, since certain traps sp=
ew
acid which can damage or even destroy your armor. Botching an attempt to di=
sarm
a trap can cause the box to explode, spray you with acid, or poison you. He=
rbs
and empath tips can often be cheaper than repairing or replacing armor. Nev=
er
forget to tip an empath - coins, gems, and unopened boxes are acceptable. <=
o:p> 1.
Disarm [box type] identify - this will you give you some idea as to how
difficult the trap will be for you to disarm and hopefully reveal the sort =
of
trap on the box. You will get some round time, but there is no chance of
blowing up the box from identifying the trap. 2.
Disarm [box type] mark - You have to identify the trap before using this st=
ep.
However marking the box allows you to note down the information you know ab=
out
the trap, making it a bit easier to disarm. 3.
Disarm [box type] careful - This option has a longer round time but decreas=
es
the amount of risk and difficulty in disarming the trap. 4.
Disarm [box type] - This is the default command to use to disarm, and gives=
you
a medium amount of round time without increasing nor
decreasing the difficulty of the trap or the risk of disarming it. 5.
Disarm [box type] quick - This command gives you the option of taking a sho=
rter
round time in disarming, but increases both the risk and difficulty of the =
box. Some
boxes have multiple traps, so be sure to double check that all traps are
removed before proceeding to lockpicking. Now
that you have disarmed your box, you are ready to pick the lock. To pick the
lock, you must type PICK MY [box type] WITH MY LOCKPICK (you did buy a lock=
pick
as I suggested, right?). There are three possible outcomes when lockpicking: 1.
Oops! You broke your lockpick, and now you will have to buy a new one. 2.
Nothing happens 3.
Success! You may now open the box and plunder its contents. Once the box is
empty, you may DISMANTLE [box type] to destroy the box and learn a little b=
it
of mechanical lore. Lore
Skills Scholarship:
Scholarship increases the amount you learn from a person teaching you a
particular skill. This is inc=
reased
by being taught any skill (including scholarship itself), reading books in =
the
libraries, studying embroidery patterns (sold in Arthe=
Dale), or making the first fold of an origami paper. Mechanical
Lore: Mechanical Lore is slated to be broken up into several skill sets when
Dragon Realms 2 is released, but currently mech=
factors
into your ability to forge weapons as well as fletch bows and arrows. If you
ever intend to forge weapons, start learning this skill immediately. There =
are
many ways to learn mech. Forage grass or vines and BRAID these items - pull=
on
them when done and you'll have made rope! Scrape skins. Dismantle boxes. Ca=
rve
branches with a knife. Fletch bows. Clean instruments. Fold Origami…<=
o:p> Appraisal:
An easy skill to learn, simply APPRAISE items or climbing obstacles. You can
appraise armor and weapons in combat. Once you have ten ranks in appraisal,=
you
can appraise the creature you are fighting. You have the option to APPRAISE
[item/critter] QUICK/CAREFUL. Careful appraisal has increased roundtime, in exchange for certainty about the attrib=
utes
you are appraising. Quick appraisal lowers the roundti=
me
but can be wildly inaccurate at lower ranks. Overall the best methods for train=
ing
appraisal is to fill a pouch completely with gems (about 1-2 plat worth), a=
nd
appraise it every minute or so.
Each appraisal will bump you up 4-5 learning levels. Teaching:
You learn this by TEACHing a class or listening=
to
someone teach teaching. This skill dictates how well you are able to teach
others and how many students you can teach. Strings:
Determines how well you can play a stringed instrument. It is gained by pla=
ying
the instrument, by cleaning the instrument with a rag or cloth, or by liste=
ning
to a class. To begin learning this skill, purchase a lyre and PLAY LYRE in =
one
of the following performance styles: gentle, rapid, fierce, playful, flashy,
slow, or aimless. IE PLAY LYRE AIMLESS. Percussion:
Determines how well you can play a percussion instrument. It is gained by
playing the instrument, by cleaning the instrument with a rag or cloth, or =
by
listening to a class. To begin learning this skill, purchase a tambourine or
set of bones and PLAY TAMBOURINE in one of the following performance styles:
gentle, rapid, fierce, playful, flashy, slow, or aimless. IE PLAY TAMBOURINE
RAPID. Winds:
Determines how well you can play a wind instrument. It is gained by playing=
the
instrument, by cleaning the instrument with a rag or cloth, or by listening=
to
a class. To begin learning th=
is
skill, purchase a mirlton or txistu
and PLAY MIRLTON in one of the following performance styles: gentle, rapid,
fierce, playful, flashy, slow, or aimless. IE PLAY MIRLTON SLOW. Vocal:
This skill factors in to how well you are able sing and chant. It is gained by singing compositio=
ns in
front of an audience or by listening to a class. There are no plans to implement any
special 'Barbaric' ways to train any of the musical lo=
res.
Vocal skill will play a very minor part in reducing roar recovery time, but=
it
will not help you roar better. Always
clean your instrument before performing it. Always remove hand and head arm=
or
before performing. Never play an instrument outdoors if it is raining or
snowing, since this will damage your instrument. Never play an instrument w=
hile
swimming. If your instrument should get wet WIPE [instrument] WITH [rag/clo=
th]
to dry it, then WRING [rag/cloth] before putting it away. Magic Agonar will never ask a barbarian to learn magic. Indeed, Agonar
and the rest of the guild leaders consider such knowledge so anathema that =
they
might refuse to talk to you for a time - which means yo=
u
cannot gain circles! Gaining
Hopefully
you have gone out and dutifully trained all the skills Agonar
requires. He's so pleased with his progress that he promotes you to second
circle. Wonderful! Good job! Your
first order of business should be to run, not walk but RUN, and get favors.=
If
you are 2nd circle or above and you die without favors, you will lose your
character. Three favors is bare minimum, and five or more is preferable. You
may learn more about favors by reading these helpful scrolls
http://www.play.net/dr/info/templetours.asp and
http://dr.warcry.com/index.php/content/gods Now
that you've had your first taste of combat and are beginning to master the
other skills required of you, you may find yourself with more questions. Do=
n't
be afraid to ask others questions, and explore the libraries found througho=
ut
Elanthia. And it looks like my job is done here... What? You want to know a=
bout
Barbarian Abilities? Ah, and you thought I was going to leave without telli=
ng
you? Tsk. Barbarian
Special Abilities What
abilities can you expect to gain in your first 10 circles? What
do all these abilities mean? I'll explain shortly, but I want to clarify
something first. No ability will do everything when you first get it. Abili=
ties
grow with time and experience, so do not expect that a young barbarian's ro=
ar
will be as effective as a seasoned veteran's. Inner
Fire A
barbarian's Inner Fire is the source of his/her tremendous courage and
strength, as well as resistance to magic. Be wary - exposure to the taint of
magic may weaken the Inner Fire. Inner Fire is not just a philosophy but a =
very
tangible measure of a Barbarian's savage fury and iron control; providing t=
he
fuel for other abilities such as Dances, Roars and Magic Resistance. Keep y=
our
blood heated by battle and your Inner Fire will rarely dwindle to ash. Chakra amulets can sometimes be ob=
tained
to let a barbarian measure his IF. Magic
Resistance The
ability to resist the effects of magic spells or bardi=
c
enchantes (magic that is sung or played on
instruments) directed at you - all magic, beneficial as well as the
detrimental. As your resistance grows, you will be able to dodge Targeted M=
agic
spells better than a non-Barbarian with your same skills. BMR is directly tied to the average=
of
all your stats. A barbarian w=
ill
have the highest amount of BMR for their circle if they always increase the
cheapest stat. Though, this
isn’t necessarily the advised way to train – pick what you want=
and
go with it! Beserk A berserking Barbarian is able to push through physical=
pain,
focusing Inner Fire into an adrenaline rush that result=
s
in a battle frenzy. This ability should only be used as last ditch effort to
avoid death as the toll it takes on the body is rather high. A barbarian co=
uld
literally die on his/her feet when the battle rage wears off. Meditation When
a barbarian meditates while using an open flame as a focus, he can still his
mind and summon a vision representing the state of his Inner Fire. Lore has=
it
that meditation may help to rekindle the Barbarian's Inner Fire if it has b=
een
weakened by exposure to magic. You will need to acquire some flint to light
fires with if you wish to use this ability. To meditate you will need to ho=
ld a
burning object, such as a torch, then kneel or sit. Next you MEDITATE [torc=
h]. Barbaric
Roars A
barbarian is able to strike fear into her opponent and inspire her allies
through sheer projection of her roars and presence. At higher levels, a roa=
ring
barbarian is able to drive others into a natural state of berserk. The effe=
ct
of the roars can be anything from calming a creature, causing fear, or maki=
ng a
foe drop their weapons. Although powerful tools, their results are not
guaranteed - people and creatures both can resist the effects of a roar. As
barbarians further their training, they are able to seek out the legendary =
Pit
Masters who are located throughout Elanthia to learn various battle dances.=
The
ritual movements of the various Dances aid a barbarian in honing their
strengths to levels not normally achievable, creating an unstoppable force =
in
one person. The location of the Pit Masters and the effects that each Dance=
can
have are closely guarded secrets that cannot be revealed in such a public
document. Seek out fellow guild members if you are unable to solve the myst=
ery
yourself. Weapon
Forging A
barbarian's superior understanding of weaponry makes him a natural at the
forge. While anyone with the necessary skills can forge a serviceable weapo=
n,
only barbarians are able to manufacture weapons of legendary quality. It ta=
kes
years of training to prepare for the forge, and any would-be smith is advis=
ed
to study all weaponry if he wishes to craft truly superior weapons. On
a final note, Elanthia is constantly evolving as GameM=
asters
add new areas, upgrade current systems and add new ones. While I hope the
information I've included will stand the test of time, be sure to ask others
for help and guidance. Not only will it help you improve your character, but
it's a great way to make friends. And welcome to Drago=
nRealms!