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Tutorial to new players of ULTIMA ONLINE (PC) v. 1.3.4
Written by: Jere Lindell
Last updated: 8.12.2002
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I suggest using Courier new font while viewing this document. I also think you should use full screen view.

Latest update:
14.12.02 - Long Christmas holiday. Lots of time to tweak the file. ^_^ OK, so some things have changed. Check the copyright stuff in the end if you are using this document for something else than personal use. Also, I have been adding some information.

A few words
Be sure to read the last section of this file first!!
Hail and welcome to Ultima Online. This is not a "normal" new player tutorial,
I go...deeper into the game, answer many questions that manual does not, and some that it does as well. Uo Stratics (uo.stratics.com) is main source for all information on UO, starting from role-playing to statistics on everything (even though it is not always up to date, but hey, this file isn't up to date either).

And the legendary question: What is Ultima Online? (I guess you know this because you are reading this file...) Well, UO is a massive multiplayer online roleplaying game(MMORPG). It is a place for thousands of people to meet in a medieval (Britannia) world. Like in the normal world (Rumors are true; it exists. Supposedly, it is just outside the door...), people live in this world and make the best out of it. The different personalities of the players make this world as unique as the real world.
Some are evil, some are nice. Of course, this new and very different world offers many possibilities that aren't available to us in the real world, magic being just one example...You have always wanted to know what it feels like to battle a dragon, right?
Well, now it is possible...

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Table of contents:

Introduction
I. Beginning stats - What should you choose in the beginning
II. Beginning skills - What am I going to be?
III. Basic Commands - If you know these, good, if you don't, read.
IV. Moneymaking - Beginning, being poor, getting money
V. Some Basic Ethics - Just that
VI. Your Path - What path should I choose? Mage? Warrior?
VII. Training - Getting ready for what you do
VIII. Woodlands - Monsters and animals
IX. Trammel & Felucca - The choice you have to make. Danger? Go to Felucca. No danger? Stay in Trammel.
X. Combat - When you have to survive
XI. Karma and Fame - Being successful
XII. Role and Playing - Who are you? What are you? Why are you?
XIII. Advanced Advice - When you have money and skills...
XIV. Questions and Answers - Here I will answer to some questions
XV. Final words - Now lets see...

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Some questions regarding these topics are answered in the Q&A section, because...err...well...they just are. It is hard to organize a document like this!

Before I start, you should get to know the very basics of UO: Walking, running, using things, casting spells, war-mode and paperdolls. Just basically, nothing fancy. This is a manual for those, who think they are not doing the best they can, and there should be more to playing.
This manual is also good for those, who want to know more before jumping deeper into their character building. Check for a good manual in www.uo.com. And if you don't want to read all that much, but want answers to certain questions, check the last parts...And about the updating of this file when UO endures...I don't know if I will do it, because I have noticed there is a lot of UO beginner help files there...

So, one thing you should have done is read the manual that comes with UO.
Nothing else. So, lets get started with:

Something to note: As they say, you are only young once, and you should go out and play. Go out there, and play your heart out, until you are not young anymore, and then come back. This is for those who want to enjoy truly. The real magic of this game is interaction, learning and seeing. Knowledge increases pain, but also power, so your call I could say, but trust me on this one...This is not just a rant of an old man, this is the wisdom of an old man
^_^

Notes about being young:
Monsters do not target you until you attack them. It is easy to explore areas that are filled with monsters when young because of this. This is the most important thing about being young. Well, that and the fact that you can visit the city of Haven. In fact, you start the game there. It has many possibilities.
Horses to tame, trees to cut, a cave where to mine...there are even some monsters (orcs and headlesses). And LOTS of npcs to escort. Sweet. ^_^ Oh, and if you leave
Haven before you lose your young status, you can always return (every time you log on the game asks you if you want to go to Haven).

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I. Beginning

The Stats:
When you start, you have 65 stat points to divide among Strength, Dexterity and
Intelligence.

Strength is very important factor in your hit points (50+strength/2), and hit points are very important. If hitpoints go to 0, you die. Strength is also used to determine how much stuff you can carry and how much damage bonuses you get in melee combat. Strength is very important for any character, and this should be set to at least 35 in the beginning, no matter whom, or what you are going to be.

Dexterity equals your stamina, which is also important, especially in combat.
If you run out of stamina, you are too tired to do anything. You can't run away, you can't fight. The higher your stamina, the faster you act in combat.

Intelligence equals your mana. Mana is needed to cast spells. Needless to say, if you run out of mana, you can't cast spells. This is not important, if you decide not to cast spells. And you really shouldn't do that.
So str 45, dex 10, int 10.... The stat cap is 225, and now you have 65...long way to go.

In this state, you should already think what you are going to be, archer, mage or something else. What kind of stats you need? If you are a mage, you need a high intelligence. You should try to be as good as you can, so don't try to be a fighter/mage with 100str/25dex/100int, because it won't work. If you ever get lost, and meet a Player Killer, you die. You get tired fast, and you die. Every stat is very important. Even though strength is the most important, the others are too. Think, before starting the training, what stats do you want? Note though: If you are going to play Trammel only, you don't have to worry about player killers, and your stats can be anything you want. Almost anyways...

Stats also modify skills, so if you have a high strength, it modifies your mining to go higher than your actual skill is. This is called "showed" skill.
It is what is left after stat modifiers. Then there is the "real" skill, what is the real skill value. When you are closing 100 in skill, the real skill and showed skill merge together. Stats only matters in low skill values.

Training your stats section is later in this manual, just after the skills

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II. The Skills:
You have 100 points to divide among three skills in the beginning. What these skills are is up to you. Now becomes the hard part (or then not, who knows):
What are you going to be? And then some more challenge: There is a skill cap of
700 skill points...no more you can have...you do the calculations. (Oh, and by now
I should apologize for my grammar; when writing late at night, you kinda ignore stupid little things like grammar. Somehow all the keys in the keyboard merge together. ^_^
Also, Yoda speech...well...)

Well, it does not matter what you are going to be, starting skills do not count. First, you need money in the beginning, and you don't gain much money fighting, unless you are really good at it. So, I suggest that you take that smirk off your face, and drop the knife, and pick up a sewing kit, and start making money.

Beginners should choose from the already made classes, and choose something like a tailor or a blacksmith. They make money, and they make it fast. This way you can get to be a fighter or an archer faster, and do what you really want.
Of course, some want to be tailors, and I think tailoring is great fun, sometimes, not always of course.

You might also want to create a "mule" character, a character with moneymaking skills only, tailoring, blacksmithy, alchemy and such. Most people I know have one mule for moneymaking purposes, and these mules support their mages and warriors.

So, beginners, pick your profession, we are making money:

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III. Basic Commands:
Buying - Say "Vendor Buy"
Selling - Say "Vendor Sell"
Training - Say "*name* teach skill" (to find out what a vendor can teach, say "*name* teach" (example: Phil teach, Phil teach mining)
Guards - If you are attacked in a town, yell out "GUARDS!" and watch the show
Bank - When near a bank, say "bank" and you see your bank box (bank box is limited, but it is very big, and you can store anything in there, and it can't be stolen)
Cross - if you are in Skara Brae, say "cross" when in the docks and you get in and out of town
Trading with other players - Just drag the thing you need on another player.
Simple as that.
These are very basic commands, there are more, but these will get you far. In the 6 first commands, you can put these words into a sentence, making it sound more nice, like this: "Hail Vendor, may I buy some of your fine goods"

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IV. Moneymaking:

Bowyer's bows/Carpenter's woodwork
You want to work with wood? Good, wood is very nice. One of my favourites...although, all professions are very nice, and I like them all. I like being a carpenter, and working in the woods. I like being a smith, and repairing stuff, watching warriors going to "work". One day, you will be one of those warriors, or maybe, you will be the one, that makes those GM plate mails they are wearing, and sometimes you hear the words: "You a GM tailor? Can you make me a full studded set, no, make that two sets. I am going to a dungeon."
Then you know you are doing well. Also, this is a relatively safe way to explore this new world, because you don't have to fight monsters. When you get more familiar with everything, then...it is up to you. Anyway, back to wood  ^_^

All of these skills give you great possibilities when around 90 to
GM....Combining these skills also is very profitable.

Starting skills
Bowyer: Bow crafting/Fletching 50, lumberjacking 50
Carpenter: Carpentry 50, lumberjacking 50

From the lumberjacking, you get a newbie hatchet.  If you die, it goes with you. It is very light, requires very little strength to use. Run into nearby woods, use your hatchet on a tree, and maybe you get some wood. When you get some wood, then starts the crafting!

Bowyer: Double-click your dagger, then the logs you have in your backpack. You get a menu, and there are some options. Choose a bow. You start making it. If you are successful, you see a bow appearing into your backpack. You are already making money. Chop trees, make bows, and when your skill rises, crossbows, and when you can't carry anymore, run into town, and sell them to bowyers and armourers. If they don't buy it immediately, wait for 30 minutes, come back, and you can sell them (hopefully) Arrows and bolts can be made too. First make some shafts from the wood. Then kill a bird and double-click a bladed weapon and aim the corpse to get its feathers. Examine the corpse and you find feathers and meat. Use the feathers on the shaft to get arrows or bolts. Meat can be cooked for some extra gold.

Carpenter: You should have a carpentry tool in your backpack when you start.
Just double-click it, and then double-click logs. You can make boards; they are lighter than logs, but the same thing anyway. First, you should build something like chests, and then move on to wooden shields when your skill reaches 55. Not as fast money as bows, but money anyway. You might also want to buy more tools from the carpenters while you sell your makings.
For more advanced help, Uo.stratics.com. everything you need is there.

Smith's blades
Starting skills: Blacksmithy 50, Mining 50 (you can buy tinkering later to make your own pickaxes and shovels)

First, buy a few pickaxes from the smith's. Then head to the mountains (these players should start from Britain, Trinsic or Minoc), and double-click your pickaxe or shovel and aim the mountain. You will get some iron ore. (Later you will also get other ore, like Dull Copper, but let's ignore that). Then, head on the forge and melt your ore (double-click the ore, then aim the forge). Then double-click your smithing tool, and you get a popup menu, and there you can choose what to make (armor is always good, good for skill and money). You can