Sacred:Frosty's General Sacred Character Guide for Noobs,

Published at DarkMatters for review and discussion

Foreward

This guide is made up of things I've read, things I've been told, and things I figured out for myself. Often, these are opinions. There are many ways to skin an onion, and Sacred UW is no exception. Any constructive comment or criticism is welcome. Save the other kind.

In the age of music videos, personal mp3 players, dvd rentals, file sharing, we want things quick... and we want them now! So, the summary comes first:

Survive

Damage comes in four types: physical, fire, magic and poison. Life leech runes (about 1/2 of vampiress runes are lifeleech) give you back 3% of damage dealt. Use 'em. (Note: for most characters you will find vampire life leech runes dropping around char level 9)

Limit on toons

Your means to thrive is using your combat arts and spells or special abilities. Hereafter these will be referred to as "things". At the beginning, these things are VERY slow to regenerate. You need one fast thing--to kill one opponent. (level 1) Avoid groups of enemies till you have one slow thing. You need one slow thing--to kill groups. (level 7) Each toon has buffs--things that aid in defense. (Duration > regen...even at start) Pick one buff to use...and have it on all the time. Learn how to play with it active. When it runs out...disengage and run away. Come back when buff is on again. Do what you can to speed up regen of the things you are using. Skills and attributes both help. Make sure you don't choose the wrong skills for your flavour of your character class.

Limits on toons

Regardless of character class, minimizing regeneration of combat arts (aka fighting by sword/axe/bow) and spells (vampiress abilities, dark elf traps, Wood Elf moon magic, all battlemage spells, dwarven technology...) is key.

Combat: attribute Physical Regeneration, skill Concentration, +x%

Combat & Combat-like: Regenerate Special Move, + X Lore

Spell: (BM Water) attribute Mental Regeneration, skill Meditation, skill Water Magic, +x% Spell Regeneration

Spell: (BM Fire) attribute Mental Regeneration, skill Meditation, skill Fire Magic, +x% Spell Regeneration

Spell: (BM Earth) attribute Mental Regeneration, skill Meditation, skill Earth Magic, +x% Spell Regeneration

Spell: (BM Air) attribute Mental Regeneration, skill Meditation, skill

Air Magic, +x% Spell Regeneration

Trap: (DE) attribute Physical Regeneration, skill Ballistics, skill Trap Lore, +x% Regenerate Special Move,

Vampiress abilities: (V) skill Vampirism, Spell (Sera) attribute Mental Regeneration, skill Meditation, skill

Magic Lore, +x% Spell Regeneration, skill Heavenly Magic Spell (WE) attribute Mental Regeneration, skill Meditation, skill Magic Lore, +x% Spell Regeneration, skill Moon Magic

Basically, the short form is: Your level will limit how many viable points you can put in a skill. Equipment can boost the skill above this limit. Best to increase each portion as much as you can. Smaller regen = more frequent use.

Most characters have a LORE skill, which boost damage and reduces regen time. In the case of combat there are many lores: Axe Lore, Sword Lore, Ranged Combat, Unarmed Combat, Blade Combat (DE only), Long Handled Weapons Lore.

Some of these skill conflict with Duel Wield. Whichever gives the best bonus is used by the game.

Note: many lores are very specific in what aspect they speed up. If using another aspect, the wrong lore speed/damage bonus will not be applied.

Also, many classes can use Dual Wielding Skill.

Three timers. Use 'em all. At least at the start!

At the start, most characters are given two rune-based abilities on different timers. Eg: WE: hard hit, and Recuperation. First is a combat art, second is Moon Magic. The WE has three timers: Combination, Combat arts and Moon Magic (spells). At the start, each of these will regenerate very slowly. Therefore, you should try to use each timer in turn--for maximized playability.

Vampiress special note: Her timers for Knight combo arts are seperate for her combo timers. So, even if you just used a combo in Vampiress form, when you TiK (Turn into Knight) when you go to use your TiV (Turn into Vampire) combo, it will be ready. Saves on concentration potions.

Strength vs weakness

Four kinds of damage in the game: physical, fire, magic and poison. Using your strength against an enemies weakness will kill the enemy quickly and efficiently. Eg: goblins and orcs are resistant to fire and physical. Use poison and magic to kill them. So when fighting goblins and orcs, use armor with physical and fire resistance. Your toon will complain if damaged excessively by one of these kinds of damage. Listen to it.

undead weakness: fire, magic. goblins weakness: magic, poison. frost giants weakness: poison (and possibly physical or fire?).

Monster strengths:

physical,fire,magic,posion resistance + damage flight. Ranged attacks (bows & crossbows, and magic spells) immbolization (nasty when combined with Giant Spider or Dragon) Dragon fire (and Meteor Storm in UW)

Melee attack

Speed dodge pattern of movement (sakarra priests and enemy battlemages)

Single vs Many opponents

If you are facing a single opponent, use a quick thing. If you are facing many opponents, use a slow thing. Slow things usually have large areas of effect. Position yourself so the monsters must cross your killing field. Keep moving. This avoid archers and you can make them cross the killing field again.

If you find yourself running away a lot, invest in a horse (and bridle) or equipment with the speed modifier...and avoid using equipment with higher level than your character. You lose speed when using equipment with too high a level.

Lethal surprises

Crossing Zones

=== in MP: ===

Monster level has a cap in each area, in each level of difficulty. If a high level player runs thorough, monsters will spawn at their level (capped by level cap). Also, in South Desert (south of Porto Vallum)...just south of Urkenburough the area changes from level 12 cap to level 24 cap in bronze. The minimum level for monsters jumps to level 18. And they appear in groups. So the difficulty level increases exponentially, with little warning. Holding down the alt key will reveal a circle under monsters. Red means above your level, orange at or near your level, yellow below that, green well below your level, and grey, sadly weak compared to you. Groups of reds appearing where you were dealing with singles of orange or green can be a lethal surprise.

Fireball

Fireball from a skeleton mage, mummy, battlemages, or sakkara priest. Fireball is the BM's version of hard hit. Avoid fireballs.

Immobilization

combined with boss

Petrification

Plant Cage by goblin shamans, dark elf priestesses, ice elves, mummies, and battlemages when combined with a Giant Spider or a Dragon.

Dark elf combat kick and hard hit in Valley of Zhurag Nar. By the time you get to Zhurag Nar, you probably have access to the split attribute. If an enemy is split when using hard hit aimed at you, you get an exact copy...so two hard hits. If your defensive buff runs out at that point...it's over.

Mobbed and buff runs out

Most common form of death. You can't see clearly what is going on... your buff runs out and you die. Can also occur if a large creature (like a Dragon or Giant Spider) is in front of your character--you can't see if you buff has run out.

Out of health potions

If you rely on potions to constantly get you out of trouble...your toon will die when you run out. If you need potions to survive, perhaps your playing at too hard a level in the game!!

Combos---a way to jump ahead

Concentration Potions [color=yellow](yellow)[/color] can be used to regenerate the combo timer instantly. If you have a set of armor in your chest bought to maximize one of your things...you can pay the combo master to put this super attack into a combo. Once the combo level is set (paid for), you can take that armor off (putting it in your chest). The combo level will remain very high.

For a BM the Ghost Meadow is a must.[--OR---Shop for "Regen Spells" attributes on all your armour.] My BM has level 43 in GM (runes read), and level 104 GM combo (1X). That gives a much better spell regen rate and duration than level 43! _________