Archer template for a beginner

[Cerveza]

My son (9) wants to get in some UO with me. I've had him do some support stuff, but he wants to get into some real PvM stuff.

He likes archery, so I'm going to be making one of my char slots an Archer for him. They do still have blue archers in the game don't they?

So, list out some good PvM survivable templates, and I'll talk them over with him.

120 Archery
115 Tactics
100 Anatomy
100 Healing
105 Chivalry
100 Hiding
80 Stealth

Thats a decent damage archer, and with hiding/stealth he'd be pretty survivable.

I think we'll pass on bushido right away. Having him take care of a Lesser Hiryu as well as himself might be a little rough on a noob.

He does want to do some magery too.....

120 Archery
100 Tactics
100 Anatomy
100 Healing
110 Magery
100 Med
90 Chivalry

We're still talking about it. He needs to learn what the skills are so he can figure out what he wants to do. I told him he needs to start from scratch to learn the game up first, but he's not keen on that idea.

I told him he could start making fancy shirts for gold the way I did, then buying some GM armor and weapons to slay Bears and Wolves. Then move up to the dreaded Skeletons and Lizardmen.

[12TimesOver]

LOL NOOOOOO! You'll ruin the game for him!!!

I'll never forget the months I spent working on my first character. I was so ticked off at my buddy when he was able to leave the Haven newbie area and go to the Moonglow cemetary without me. It wasn't until I was in Shame hitting earthies six months in that I found EUO.

I say ditch the hiding and stealth and throw Resist on instead and go 6x120 but only to 110 or 115 with the rest in hiding to start maybe but turned down to raise other skills to 120 after.

Whatever you do I'm sure he'll have fun!!

XII

[Toptwo]

I say have him start with 50 archery, and 50 tactics..buy everything else up. That way he would have a chance right off the bat for killing lizardmen...then he could sell the hides for gold...more fun to be killing liz men, collecting gold, selling hides, raising skills...then to sit and make fancy shirts! Besides, he can be training at the same time, and the hides sell for good money! Plus, if he is doing his training, and hide collecting in Despise...he has a chance for a marty drop! Nothing like getting a free 70's suit (well all except the cloak) but by the time he collects the rest of the pcs, he will be ready to do the quest for the cloak!

Toptwo

[Cerveza]

Well, I better nip this one right now.

He won't start out as a noob.

You obviously don't have much experience with 9 yr olds. He knows I have millions, high end stuff, and good UO bling. There is absolutely no way he'll be out shooting at rabbits now that he's seen me face a Dark Father.

Yes it would be a good way for him to learn the game, but he's grown up in an age of accelerated game learning curve. He has no desire to work his way up, only to get into the game and start adventuring with me.

So... templates?

[12TimesOver]

I gave you my template idea and I have a 9 year old although the 3 year old is more interested in video games then she is.

Your first template is good, just replace Stealth with Resist.


XII

[TrailMyx]

He won't start out as a noob.

Awww, when my nephew started, I made him WORK for it.  WORK I SAY!

[Toptwo]

I used to walk 20 miles just to get to brit and back,..barefoot..in the snow...uphill both ways!!!

Kids now-a-days!!!

Toptwo

[Cerveza]

110 anat
110 bush
120 arch
85 chiv
100 necro
75 SS
120 tactics

120 Archer (only at 104)
100 Med (done)
100 Tactics (done)
100 Magery (close)
100 Eval int (close)
100 Anatomy (done)
80 Resist (done)

120 Archery
120 Tactics
120 Anatomy
120 Healing
120 Chiv
110 Resist.

120 Archery
120 Bushido
120 Tactics
100 Healing
95 Anatomy
90 Resist
75 Chiv

120 Archery
120 Bushido
120 Tactics
100 Anatomy
90 Healing
70 Chivalry
100 Resisting Spells

[Ultima]

110 anat
110 bush
120 arch
85 chiv
100 necro
75 SS
120 tactics

This template would get my vote from the ones you posted.  I'll never put healing on another character again unless some changes are made to it in the future. There is much more overall value being in Vampire Embrace. I've altered all my archers drop healing and take up 100 Necromancy. With the life leach it restores hp faster than the healing skills ever did,  leeches through poison & criticals and on top of that self cures the majority of poison out there. I hated being low on Hp and then bandaging only to get hit with poison whereby needing to self bandage again and slow down the entire healing process. I mainly use confidence to heal with spirit speak as the back up. I never use Chivalry to heal on any of my characters.

Also when things are crazy you have ace in the hole on the above template with Curse Weapon and then you'll really be leeching at 70%. It's quite the advantage for an Archer to be life leeching that volume of hit points when the archer doesn't have to stand within melee range absorbing damage like the majority of templates that use Vampire Embrace and Curse Weapon.

I know you mentioned Lesser Hiryu. I don't employ one on any of my characters.  I've much rather employ the services of a Swamp Dragon for the 20% damage Reduction. The impact is huge when you have multiple monsters attacking you.

The only real difference from the template above and what I run is I have Magic Resistance instead of Anatomy. I know you posted that you think MR doesn't have much value in PvM as you can run and regroup. I vehemently disagree. When you have multiple spellcasters blasting you with fireballs, bolts and lightning the difference from having MR and not having it quickly becomes transparent.

I'm not familiar with Doom so I can't comment on MR's value down there but give some of the Champion Spawns that have spellcasters a whirl with and without MR, especially Niera and the Undead spawn. It's a night and day difference.

[Xclio]

For a begining template I think a 6x 120 is a perfect setup.  Archery, Tactics, Chiv, Anat, Healing, Resist.  Is it the most fun template to play...not really but for starting out it is very solid, does alot of damage in PVM and is plenty survivable both solo and with a group.

Once he gets a bit more familiar with the game and the mechanics then move him onto a template like what Ultima is talking about.

[Cerveza]

So far, I'm kinda leaning towards...

100 Archery + Headdress
100 Anat ; damage
110 Tacs ; damage
120 Bushido ; damage
105 Necro
100 SS
85 Chiv ; damage, heal/cure

The trick will be building armor using Headdress. Vamp is tough to make armor for. I'd tried this before and had a decent suit, but eventually changed the build to 120 Archery and replaced the Headdress.

This would give him a great damage archer, allow him to have some "fun" magic (animate corpse, corpse skin, strangle, familiar) as well as the chiv stuff and bushido stuff.

[Cerveza]

Got the armor worked out....

Hunter's Headdress
Jackal's Collar
Keeonian's Armor
Leggings of Embers
Stormgrip
Nice Barbed Sleeves

Ring of the Vile
Bracelet of Health

It's looking like 70's or close to it across the board. And around 20 HPR.

Training is going well...

120 Bushido (complete)
110 Tactics (complete)
100 Anatomy (complete)
85 Chivalry (complete)

92 Spirit Speak (100)
86 Necro (105)

0 Archery (100)

I'll train archery in Haven to 50 (you can do that right?) then put on the Headdress and some jewelry to get around 90, then use my 100% poison repeater on an Old School Golem. I still have one thats 100% resistant to poison.

I think it'll be a good, survivable char for my son. He'll have to learn "stick and move". I'll set him up with a simple macro for Auto Lightning Strike and Trapped Box. I'll show him about evasion, counter attack and some other stuff.

He likes Summoning dead stuff LOL, and he knows what Enemy of One is. I showed him how Honor and Perfection work.

For a while he'll just tag behind my tamer. I'll tank stuff and he can shoot. Get used to the specials and bows, get ranges down... etc... I'll teach him how to pull spawn.

Later, I'll load up his bank with insurance money, and send him into the world. Let him explore and learn the game.

[Ultima]

Looks real good should have some great survivability and kids learn fast!

I used the faction magery bug via the crystalline ring last night for two of my characters. I wonder if the same trick would work for archery via the Hunter's Headdress. I still have one archer I need to finish off...

I might give it a whirl later on today and if it works I'll follow up.

[Cerveza]

OK, got a +15 necro bracelet and went into vamp embrace to check resists....

67/70/70/65/69 with 19 HPR. Also like 30 HCI, not too much DCI, some decent Damage Increase.

Training continues, I'll try for Necro/SS tonight (90.4 / 96.4) then we start the Archery training.

[Cerveza]

Necro and SS progress, will be done today. Necro at 104.2 (105) and SS is finished at 100.0

Note: When doing SS, have 0 Necro and just do curse weapon over and over. I started my Necro training at 30 with SS at 96 thinking that SS would get to 100 while Necro advanced. Mistake. Necro passed SS up and would have finished prior to me getting the last 4 points.

The way to do it is use C2's Casting Trainer and make sure you have 2/6 casting as it really makes a difference. When training SS go ahead and soul stone off Necro to 0. With 2/6 you'll cast Curse Weapon very quickly and SS gains are good.

Then use the same script to work Necro up. Make sure you have a Wisp summoned to help with mana replenishment. Another tip is have a second account with necro cast a wisp as well, then party them together. Your training guy will get the rewards of having two wisps working for him.

To keep the second account active, just use this little thing:

Code: [Select]

repeat
event macro 8 7 ; open backpack
wait 120s ; 2 minutes
until #false ; repeats forever
Make sure you have the right client when you run that little script.

Today I finish Necro, tonight I get 50 Archery from the noob quest, then 20 from Hunter's Headdress. I *might* put on some more for the golem, not sure. I'll have to try it to see if it's needed.