Gemstone III Guide for the Beginner

Many youngsters have been asking me questions about how I can become this or that, why am I so weak defensively, what can I hunt, etc. Now, I’m a little conscientious, having asked many of these questions when I began as well. Lots of information exists, some good, some bad. A lot is class specific. Many seem contradictory. Well, that’s because all of us have tried different things and worked out different ways to optimize our strengths.

The best my friend and I here can do is explain a few of the basics to you, and ask you to find more specific information on your own. First, GET MAPS. Probably the best source I have found for current maps is Lord Tsoran’s page. Depending on which town you start in, you may want to get ones for Wehnimer’s Landing or Icemule Trace and the areas surrounding. Many people suggest not going too far afield when you start (not that I followed that advice mind, I visited Pinefar before titling and the entrance to the rift as well). My only suggestion in this regard is stay defensive in new areas and have at least three deeds at all times. Those five free deaths at levels 1 and 0 go very quickly if you start walking on the glacier (Tzusun snickers at Landrag).

Next, you need to get a few profession guides. My suggestion is get a few from several different sources. Many can be found at the bar called the World Wide Web near the waterfront in Wehnimer’s. Rooms like Zepath’s Den and The Cackling Cleric’s Mausoleum are good sources for both maps and guides. One thing; these guides, like this one, are not perfect. They rely on experience and trial and error by many people, and you will likely disagree with many of the things said when you gain experience. So be it. If you feel the errors are greivous enough, write your own and try and advise the next generation.

Back to my contributions, here are some considerations I feel are not profession specific. When starting, my suggestion is this: play a Quick generation character to age 5. The reason for this is to get a feel for the commands and practice at the basics of combat and spells if you pick such a profession. Try and use a profession you plan on being your long term character. After this, full generate a character and the minimum roll you want, no matter the profession, is a 630. The reason for this is training. All professions require a lot of training, but a few of my suggestions add a lot of training requirements. The biggest suggestion I have, no matter your profession, no matter your race, TRAIN IN MANA SHARE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.

Many would argue this is unnecessary for rogues or warriors, and more would lower its importance for even spell casters in favor of extra spells. Our reasoning is this, even a warrior should be able to give an empath mana to heal himself from transferring from you, send mana for people generous enough to cast massies(more on these later), and countless other reasons. It is a lot easier to get someone to cast you a disk, cast strength on you, or any of a variety of useful spells IF YOU CAN SEND THEM THE MANA. A big problem currently is a lot of youngsters are asking for spells and wanting to compensate people with money. For many of us older people, the tips are trivial, though appreciated. However, for spell casters, not having mana often means waiting to hunt or heal others, etc. If you send Landrag the mana, you can get as many silveries as you can carry. Of course, his share isn’t the best, I made the mistake of trying for a spell or two. Reason I'm stressing a mistake I made now. So ask first, I usually have the mana.

A few practical suggestions here at the end. One that really annoys me, if someone is willing to cast a mass defensive spell, just because you already got it a minute ago, DO NOT tell that person not to cast it. That was enough to make me grow as near as I ever have to killing someone in town. Someone is taking time to cast spells for others benefit, and some people have the AUDACITY to tell them not to because they were just cast. Be patient, other spells will be cast eventually, and often others came too late to get the set of spells you did.

Back to massies, there are three types that will be called by a variety of slang names. One is called Hues or Colors, I've even heard Warpaint. This is a defensive spell exclusive to Rangers. Another is Blurs or Fuzzies. It can be cast only by Wizards. The last is called Brillies or Guards most often, though I have heard several more. Both blurs and colors give +10 to your defense each, while guards are +25. Though unnecessary at a young age, about 1 thru 5, they become nearly essential as you get older. Most character’s defense with normal armor and vultite shield in offensive is under 100 without these spells. At age 20, most creatures that are worthwile to hunt are swinging nearly 175 or better fairly regularly. And it only gets worse as you age. Brillies also have the advantage of boosting your spirit warding.

Another important area is statistics. Many differing views are held about this area, and much of it is profession dependent. However, four stats are important to everyone even if they don’t know it; aura, discipline, strength and reflexes. Now this isn’t to say these need to be your highest stats all the time, but it’s important to know that these are the stats that determine you’re base Attack Strength and Defensive Strength or figure prominently in training points. I personally would make them the top 4 always, aura, then discipline, and strength or reflexes depending if you want the defense or the offense. The formula I’ve heard and has proven true with me is AS=strength bonus+half of your combat maneuver RANKS+weapon skill in full offensive. Defense is DS=reflex bonus+half of your combat maneuver RANKS+shield skill+20 for using a shield in full DEFENSIVE. Note that your offensive DS does NOT increase very well. Spells are necessary as you get older. A formula that seems to work when you start for offensive DS is DS=Reflex bonus+20 for using a shield. Discipline and aura act as both mental and physical training point contributors. Essentially, you get training points from these two stats twice, important for professions that require a lot of training (rangers and bards take note).

This is a list of racial bonuses:

As to choosing race, don’t look at optimization only. Getting the best statistics is not an overwhelming goal. Bonuses from race DO NOT effect training points. Two classes can be adversely affected by race, sorcerers and clerics. Sorcerer spells are effected by your Aura race bonus, so Giantmen will be weaker then Darkelves in casting strength, all other things being equal. The inverse is true with clerics. When a cleric raises someone, they expend spirit to bring them back from death’s door. If you are a Giantman, you can regain the spirit faster and thus raise more people. Darkelves, gaining spirit slower, won’t be as effective. This is not to say don’t make those choices, just be aware of what you are getting into. Halflings are likely one of the harder races from most opinions, having an incredible offensive disadvantage initially, but their defensive capabilities should not be underestimated. Any combination of race and class are possible, so if you have to be a claidmore-swinging halfling warrior, go for it. Having fun is the most important thing. One thing to consider if you plan on a long term character, you gain in your beginning statistics based on class and I think race. In order to get the maximum training points, give yourself room to grow in ALL your stats. Geshtai, a ranger friend of Tzusun’s, maxed out in wisdom at 3 and aura at 12. Considering both of these stats grow quickly for us rangers, he may have had two or three training points more by now. Over many years, that could add up to a significant amount.

Another consideration for spell tossers is mana. Mana is calculated by the following formula based on several of my friends pools and mine: (STAT-70)/10x3=mana. STAT is class dependent. According to my research, warriors, rogues, bards, and wizards use Aura. Clerics, empaths, and rangers use Wisdom. Sorcerors are odd, their stat is Aura+Discipline divided by 2. If you gain enough in your mana stat to get more points it is retroactive as well, i.e. if I start by getting two mana per year and my stat grows till I get three per year, it will apply to all my years. I have noticed some variations, and I believe that Aura may be what defines mana for everyone, but the last information I received said this, and I’m not a spell caster, so I don’t keep up with these things.

Being a bit new to casting(I call myself a one spell wonder), I’m not sure about the methods to calculate casting strength, and it probably varies based on class. Lord Morandas has a section in the Mausoleum that addresses this, but I won’t steal his material (probably because it would be nice if he rezzed me next time I died instead of cackling at my ghost :grin:) without having experience myself.

As to experience, experience comes in two types, field and earned. Unless your mind is clear as a bell, it still has field experience to learn and convert into earned experience. This is not to say to wait until you’re mind is empty to hunt, quite the contrary. Keep you’re mind learning as much as possible. However, if your mind goes to must rest, you are no longer gaining field experience so go and rest at a “node”. Several places are nodes, the most conspicuous being all of Town Square in Wehnimer’s Landing and Town Center in Icemule Trace. There are other nodes, but you can find them yourself. Nodes allow you to gain experience and mana at a faster rate, so resting here will let you hunt more and sooner. Hunting when your mind is fried does gain you fame I’ve been told, though the uses of fame are less understood. Two million will allow you in Hearthstone Manor north of Wehnimer’s Landing. Ten million will allow you to thump people, though making Lord with less lets you thump too. Other then these two things, I don’t know of any practical uses of fame.

I don't know if this little sermon helped you any, and I didn't go much into manners except for my pet peev. Best place for a manners lesson is talking to Thrak in Wehnimer's or Jabbings in Icemule. I won't tell you where they are, but listening to them and answering their questions correctly will gain you a solid amount of experience.

May your travels be guided by courtesy and decorum