While a fantasy world is full of many exciting wonders, it also has its share of trials. You will see some of the struggles characters in the world of Terra face during these first few levels and why it's so important to have strong adventurers and defenders of the cities! Q1 What should I do first? Visit the bank. Any good adventurer knows you must be equipped first! Talk to the bankers to see your bank box with your starting equipment. Next would be getting some armor, weapons, and/or jewelry - which can vary depending on your class. See what goods the kind citizens have left in the donation chest at the bank. They may not be amazing items, but they're great for someone starting out (like you)! If you read the beginners guide, you know there is a hunger/thirst system (.hunger). You need to keep these filled to effectively gain skills, otherwise you may find things like your stamina regain very slowly! For drinks I recommend heading to the tavern to buy a glass pitcher from the bartender. You can fill it at horse troughs, barrels of water, fountains, etc. by double clicking the pitcher and selecting a water source. Player crafters can also make a waterskin. It doesn't hold as much water, but it is very stylish. Food can be purchased from NPCs at the tavern or from player shops selling food. You may also be able to find some food growing out on the farmlands (five finger discount!). Before you even think of heading out, get yourself some bandages. Most folks are capable of healing themselves. BUT remember that you're just starting out - you're lacking in first aid skills. Bandages will take a long time to apply and you will heal for very little. This will get better as your healing and anatomy skills get better. Buy them from the healer NPC in the city or from a player shop. You can usually find an amazing deal at player shops! Make them. Check the farmlands for cotton that you can then bring to the nearest NPC tailor's shop. You can spin the cotton into thread on a spinning wheel and then make cloth with it at a loom. Take a pair of scissors (which you can buy from Tailor NPCs or player shops selling them) to the bolt of cloth and again to the bundles of cloth to get yourself some bandages. Q2 What do I need to know about leveling and my class? Feats and perks! These are an important system here. Feats (.feats) are racial and class-specific. You start with two (2) and gain one (1) every five (5) levels for a total of seven (7). Be sure to read about the feats you have available, as some classes have ones that can only be taken at level 1. Others have skill or level requirements you must meet first. Be sure to plan it out! Perks (.perks) are more skills focused. You start with one (1) and get one (1) every level. Skill Training - increase skill points in one of the listed skills Skill Research - increase the skill cap of one of the listed skills Languages - learn a new language Teaching - Prone to breaking if not initiated or ended correctly. Not recommended. Professions - increase skill cap of crafting skills Riding - increase your skill in riding on a mount. Lets you ride and fight without falling off as much. Gathering - for every 2 perks it bumps up what you get when doing things such as mining, lumberjacking, or skinning Haggling - increases prices when selling to NPCs. Not recommended. Q3 How do I train skills? The simple answer is by using them. There are a lot of skills you will train in combat by just fighting things - like your weapon skills, anatomy, tactics, dodge, and block. There are a lot of skills you can train outside of fighting creatures though. There are training dummies located near the west gate in Estvale. It is strongly recommended you start off by practicing on these dummies (or with other willing players) to train up your weapon(s) skill before going hunting. You can take skills up to 80 on the dummies. This can be made less dull by using UO Steam or Razor to make a macro of hitting 4 dummies at a time (in a square). Some skills have an active component (a blue button next to them on the skill scroll) so you can train them by using them that way. Some of these skills, like anatomy, can also be trained in combat. But you can train them manually with the button as well! Q4 How do I get started leveling? Dungeons will be extremely difficult, especially to try on your own. Even the lowest level dungeons like the crypts. You will need to gain a few levels or find some friends to help you until you feel strong enough on your own. It is strongly recommended that you start with the local wildlife. The current starting city is Estvale, but there are woods outside the south gate perfect for this. You can find deer, cows, pigs, and more out there. Be mindful that the woods share its dangers - avoid dire wolves and bears! You have to hit things and do a decent amount of damage to get experience points from them, so no sitting back and watching while your more powerful friends take care of everything! You'll have to ask them to tank or otherwise hold the monsters from attacking you while you land a few hits. tl;dr: Kill some deer for the first few levels. Do not engage dire wolves or bears. As a monk I was able to start attempting the Estvale crypts/catacombs at around level 5, but there were some specific creatures that gave me trouble (looking at you, skeleton with an axe). It got a lot more comfortable at level 8 but some of the back rooms were still too much for me if I drew too many enemies on me at once. Your experience may vary depending on your class. When in doubt, call for some friends! People are pretty willing to give you a hand when needed, so do not hesitate to reach out and ask if you are struggling. Q5 I gained a few levels. How do I find out about dungeons? By asking! You can talk to the Rye Westman scholars to learn about some dungeons. In Estvale you'll find one upstairs in the tavern seated at a table. The scholar will tell you all about different dungeons located around Estvale and Blacksands Marketplace. You can also ask other players to show you different areas. For your first few levels, things will be close to Estvale but as you branch out the difficulty goes up. You'll notice some NPCs around dungeons. Be sure to speak with them. They will usually tell you something important about the area! Q6 How do I get money? As you level up I am sure you're itching to buy new equipment like ones players sell. But you need the gold! Money can be acquired in small amounts from monsters. The Priest in the Estvale crypts will pay you with a small amount of coins for collecting 100 bones. Consider what you might be able to sell to other players. Some merchants and crafters seek specific materials and could be willing to pay you for collecting them and saving them the time/trouble. Open up a shop. If you have spare points in your build, you can take up a craft to make things to sell at your own shop. Some of the classic craft skills can be unlocked via perks (under 'professions'). Or you can sell simple supplies and materials you come across - bandages, lumber, etc. Take a peek at what player shops exist and where you might find a niche needing to be filled.