I'm fully 2x trained in pimpin'.
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
For a more detailed description on how armor works, check out the Armor section of this page.
Comments: I'd recommend at least 1x to start, and probably move it up to 2x as soon as possible. If you thought you were going to wear leather armor, you'll soon have that idea beaten out of you.
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
Skill training in shield use allows the character to defend better when using a shield in the left hand. Some factors that also affect how well the shield protects the user are the stance you are in (type STANCE HELP in the game for a more in depth description of the various stances) and the quality of the shield you are using. Shields are one of the major factors in defending against any type of missile weapon, including thrown weapons, ranged weapons or magical bolt type attacks.
This is the shield formula.
Shield DS
= (Base bonus) + (Enchant Bonus) + (Base bonus + Enchant Bonus) * (Shield skill
/ 100) * (.25 + (stance * .75))
Offensive(0), Advancing(.2), Forward(.4), Neutral(.6), Guarded(.8), Defensive(1)
Base bonus is always 20 as far as I know. I've never heard of a shield with a different base bonus.
I think that this is correct. If it isn't, e-mail me and let me know if you've gotten different results.
Comments: Right now, shield use sucks. There is no real reason, aside from redux, to 2x this skill. Hell, there's barely any reason to 1x this skill. I would expect this one to get changed some time in the future. I hear repairing shields will take this in to account (and it should).
SECONDARY REDUX SKILL
For more detailed information, see the Weapons section of this page.
Edged training allowing you skill bonuses when wielding one-handed edged weapons such as swords, knives, daggers, and axes.
Comments: They're the most plentiful weapons in the game. If you're not training 2x in your chosen weapon form, you may very well be retarded.
SECONDARY REDUX SKILL
For more detailed information, see the Weapons section of this page.
Training in blunt provides skill in using blunt weapons that crush on impact, rather than slash or puncture. This includes among others, mace, war hammer, morning star, and whips.
Comments: Blunt is just as cheap to train in as edged, and is just as effective. The mace and morning star weapon types are very nice. Generally, this is just a case of personal preference as to which one you like. Though not as numerous as edged weapons, they tend to be cheaper. As a side note, babies make poor blunt weapons.
SECONDARY REDUX SKILL
For more detailed information, see the Weapons section of this page.
Skill training here enhances your ability to use those weapons that are so heavy or awkward, you are required to be grasped with both hands. Naturally, if you can use them skillfully, they inflict large amounts of damage. Included in two handed weapons are both crushing and slashing weapons such as battle axes, clubs, cudgels, picks, flails, war mattocks, staves, and two-handed swords.
Comments: Under current ambush mechanics, these are worthless. One handed weapons perform nearly as well in the hands of a 2x ambusher. Plus, you don't have to give up all that shield DS. Depending on how they change ambush mechanics, this could be given a boost.
For more detailed information, see the Weapons section of this page.
Ranged skill provides the ability to use ranged weapons. This group of
weapons includes crossbows, both light and heavy, composite bows and short and
long bows.
Comments: I have no idea why this is even an option
in Gemstone III. We have no range system. We have no engagement
system. Mechanically, there is no real reason to play an archer. It
doesn't even count as a secondary redux rank.
For more detailed information, see the Weapons section of this page.
Thrown ability gives one skill and precision when HURLing weapons. Any weapon
may be thrown.
Comments: Save me the trouble. Copy/paste the comments from ranged
weapons here.
SECONDARY REDUX SKILL
For more detailed information, see the Weapons section of this page.
Training in pole arms provides skill in the use of long-handled or thrusted arms. Pole arms include the javelin, spear, harpoon, trident, lance, and halberd.
Wielders of pole arms may TRIP their opponents in addition to using standard combat moves.
Comments: Trip is handy, I guess. Assuming you don't know sweep or e-wave. These are pretty much in the same boat as two-handers, only these are more expensive to train..
SECONDARY REDUX SKILL
For more detailed information, see the Weapons section of this page.
Brawling is skill in hand-to-hand fighting. It consists of bare-fisted combat, punching, hitting, and striking other targets. This skill is useful if you must defend yourself without a weapon, but there are also a wide variety of brawling weapons which can be used to enhance your brawling skill.
Comments: I used to rag on this skill a lot. However, the addition of the new brawling weapons has given this one much more flexibility and viability. Plus, Voln Fu can be pretty damn nice (so I hear). If you want to Fu, or if brawling is just your thing, this can be a good supplement, or substitute, for 2x edge or 2x blunt.
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
Helpful in ascending and descending cliffs, ladders, slopes, and rugged terrain. Reduces the likelihood of falling when crossing certain obstacles, scaling slopes or walls of varying heights.
Climb will allow you to use your Climb skill with your success or failure determined by a modified die roll.
Comments: This is a cheap redux skill. Aside from that, its not really all that useful. At this point, with about 50 skill in climbing, you're good to go almost anywhere in the game (with a few fairly unimportant exceptions).
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
Useful in preventing drowning when traversing bodies of water, intentionally or unintentionally.
Swim will allow you to use your Swimming skill with your success or failure determined by a modified die roll.
Comments: Pretty much the same deal as climbing. If you're a redux monger, this is a cheap way to pad your ranks.
For a more detailed description, see the Traps section of this site.
Determines your chances of success when neutralizing traps. Some creatures carry chests and other containers, and these are often trapped. In general, the greater your skill in this area, the less likely you are to damage yourself and those in your vicinity when disarming the many varieties of traps you will encounter.
DISARM will allow you to use your Disarm Traps skill with your success or failure determined by a modified die roll.
Comments: If you want to be a locksmith, you need to 2x (or more) this skill for life. That should allow you to open the lion's share of the boxes that you find, assuming you hunt fairly near your age. If you only 2x, you should probably pick up spell 404. If you plan on using 407 to open your boxes, you'd best have a pretty good amount of this skill, just so you don't end up killing yourself constantly.
As in disarming traps, this helps you to open locks, assuming you have the necessary equipment.
PICK will allow you to try the Pick Lock skill, with the right tools. Your success at opening the lock is determined by a die roll, your statistics (Wisdom and Dexterity), your skill, magical aids given by spells, and the difficulty of the lock you are attempting to open.
Comments: Again, if you want to open boxes from the stuff you're hunting, you'll need to at least 2x for life, if not more. And if you only 2x, you'd probably better get spell 403.
Allows you to hide and to follow another while remaining hidden. Your success is determined by your own skill at stalk and hide and the perception skill of your quarry. This skill is often combined with the ambush skill.
The HIDE command will allow you to remain concealed while motionless. To stalk someone, hide and then STALK them.
Comments: You're a rogue. This, along with ambushing, is your bread and butter. 2x or more for life, without fail. You can miss a rank here and there without killing yourself. If you plan on only 1x training this skill, you should also plan on being up shit creek.
This skill affects how much information and how many clues your character can gather from the environment and the other adventurers, creatures and NPCs. Watching or searching an area, room, object or being can reveal important features that you can use to your advantage.
The commands
SEARCH and
EXAMINE allow you to search a room
or examine objects. SEARCH in a room will also potentially reveal to
you hidden objects or characters depending upon your perception skill versus the
hiding skill of the concealed individuals. The perception skill is automatically
factored in if someone tries to hide in the room from you or stalk you. Note
that sometimes objects mentioned in the room description will not show up via a
SEARCH, but they will be mentioned in the text. You can still
EXAMINE them.
Comments: This helps you find traps, and it also helps you find secret
entrances and such. I can think of 3 creatures that are very perception
based when it comes to their treasure, and yes, I'm positive about it.
This will also likely play a big role in spotting thieves once the new stealing
mechanics are set in place. None of my characters ever train this more than 1x a level. Some people
swear by 3x a level. Its so cheap that its hard to justify not training it
at least 1x a level.
Without a healer nearby, first aid will help you give immediate treatment to light and moderate injuries. This skill also helps you skin certain beasts, whose pelts can then be sold.
Comments: First aid affects tending wounds. In the recent past, herbs were also changed to take your first aid training into account. Training in first aid will reduce the amount of RT incurred from eating herbs. I believe the minimum time is now 3 seconds. This isn't a necessary skill, but it can be nice to have.
Skill training in trading gives you an advantage when dealing with the merchants in the town of Wehnimer's Landing, who supply you with the necessities you require in order to embark on your adventure and maintain yourself while in the world of Elanthia.
Trading skills are brought to bear when you deal with the merchants in the shops of the Landing. By using the command ORDER you initiate bartering.
Comments: This skill is broken. This skill sucks. It doesn't work on every merchant. Hell, I don't even think it works on a majority of merchants. Training in it will allow you to get a little extra silver when you sell pelts, gems, and pawnable items (I think. Hell, I'm not sure if it even works at all those places). I can't actually recommend training in it at all. There are too many other skills that are far more worthwhile.
One way of supplementing your income, if you are prepared to face the consequences. Includes the ability to appropriate the wealth of other players and inhabitants of town.
Thieves and others who wish to delve into the purse or pocket of another character or frisk a creature, hopefully without its knowledge, can give it a whirl by using the command STEAL <target>.
Comments: This skill is about to get another long overdue revamp. Right now, its broken. If you don't know how to roleplay, don't train this skill. Gemstone doesn't need another idiot thief that gets caught and logs off. Also, I'd just like to add that if you're a member of the 'Coiner Clan', my characters have been known to enjoy killing you. Consider this your first warning.
Training in spell use grants you access to the Minor Elemental and Spiritual circle of spells.
For a more detailed descriptions of what spells can do for a rogue, visit the Spells section of this site.
Skill with scrolls will
allow you to decipher, examine and read runes and special spells inscribed on
paper, scrolls, parchment, and similar material.
Comments: As of this moment, scrolls can only
contain spells up to level 20, and those are very rare. Under current
mechanics, you can invoke any scroll with 24 ranks of scroll reading. It
may take a while, but you can do it. I expect this will change at some
point in the foreseeable future. In a level 160 game, 24 ranks is nothing.
I'll track down the formula again when I have the time.
Staves, rods and wands are powerful magical items, which take skill to use and practice to master and wave effectively. They are items that have inherent spells that can be used regardless of the caster's level, and the built-in ability to cast those spells when used properly and skillfully. More powerful wands require more skill to use effectively.
Comments: I used to know how this skill worked. Unfortunately, a year long GS absence and a short stint as a drunk has removed that information from my brain. I'll have to go dig up the formula again. I'll also post a list of all the wands and what they can do.
The skill of sharing mana involves the transfer of energy, or mana points, between individuals. Any race or profession may develop the capacity to transfer mana points to another character, in order to allow the recipient to use those points toward spellcasting.
The command to transfer mana points between two spell users is SEND, in the form SEND <amount> <name of recipient>. The one to receive the mana must be in the same room as you are. The amount of mana successfully transferred will depend on the sender's Mana Share skill, and the skill of the recipient.
Comments: As of right now, if you have 24 ranks of this, you have enough. That will let you share all of your mana with just about anyone, except for most other rogues and warriors. Again, much like scroll use, I expect this skill to get some sort of overhaul. Twenty Four ranks is chump change. For most rogues, 10 ranks in this skill is plenty (right now).
Aimed spells are the magical equivalent of weapons in the sense that they create and focus natural force, hurling it at one or more targets. Skill development in aimed spells applies only to elemental spells, such as major and minor fire, shocks and the like.
Comments: If you're a rogue and you train in this, you are a moron. I'll sit back and wait for the inevitable 'but I have a spell aim rogue and he kicks ass' e-mail to arrive.
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
This is the ability to make a very precise attack, employing the element of surprise. To use your ambush skill, you must approach your target undetected and be able to strike before the quarry can react to defend or strike back. You first hide, and then, while hidden, make your attack. Enhanced skill in Ambush then modifies your attack by increasing the amount of damage once you have succeeded in hitting the target.
Comments: This is the rogue's main method of hunting. This skill needs to be trained 2x for life. Missing a few ranks overall won't kill you, but you need to be very close to fully 2x. There's only one reason to 1x or 1.5x train this skill, but if you're developmentally disabled, you probably shouldn't be playing Gemstone anyway. Ambush is slated for a revamp very soon. Don't be caught with your pants down.
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
Combat maneuvers training is a rather broad skill that covers many of the subtle "tricks of the trade" for melee combat. The more obvious benefits of the skill are the bonuses to attack and defense it provides. The bonus is dependant upon the stance you are in. When in more offensive stances it will help you hit harder, while in more defensive stances it will help you defend better compared to someone without it. The subtle aspects of the skill are found when trying to dodge special "maneuver" type attacks that one might face. Combat maneuvers skill figures into some but not all of these situations.
Every 2 ranks of CM grants you 1 point of parryable AS.
CM also plays a very small role in the guild skill Sweep.
Comments: This skill seems to have its hands in everything. If you're an archer, you probably won't have the points to train in this, which is fine, as it plays little to no role in an archer's career. However, any other type of rogue needs to at least 1x train this skill for life. More is better. If you can afford to 2x or even 1.5x, you should do so. The extra AS might not seem like a big deal at level 20, but at level 160, its a HUGE deal.
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
Multi-opponent combat training is designed to give the character an advantage when fighting more than one enemy. Some aspects of it are the ability to strike rapidly more than once at one or more enemies, to defend oneself better than an untrained character against multiple attackers, and the ability spellcasters to use certain spells more effectively against more than one creature.
Comments: This skill governs the MStrike ability. There are very few instances where this skill is more useful than ambush, but it still comes in handy. Conventional wisdom says that you get the most bang for your buck at around 20 ranks. I'll dig up the formula for MStrike when I have more time.
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
Two weapon training gives the character the ability to use a weapon effectively with the left hand. If the character devotes the same amount of training to two-weapon combat as he or she does to a weapon skill, they will swing that weapon just as well with the left hand. This will effectively give the character two attacks at once instead of one when holding weapons they have trained with in both hands. This added offense comes not without price however. Without a shield their defenses will be lower, especially to any missile or bolt type weapon. In addition to the lower defenses, most characters will find that swinging two weapons will slow them down compared to swinging one weapon at a time. This slowness can be mitigated somewhat by experimenting with smaller, faster weapons for speed.
Mechanics information will be forthcoming.
Comments: Swinging two weapons is a harder path than the standard One Handed Weapon/Shield route. However, if its your thing, you can make it work.
PRIMARY REDUX SKILL
Skill in physical training is the primary factor that determines how many hits your character can withstand before succumbing to unconsciousness, shock or death. Every time you train in this, you achieve increases in the amount of health points you have. You can increase your health point total by an amount determined by your race (usually around 1 to 10 points) each time you train in this skill.
Comments: Generally, you'll max out your hitpoints at around 24 ranks in
this skill, depending on your Constitution stat. Overtraining will result
in increased health regeneration, though it really isn't that noticeable.
Most people train this 1x for life, simply for cheap redux ranks.