Character creation consultation

[Eragon615]

I hope I posted this in the right place, to be fair I am a bit nooby and am just asking for advice. Anyway.

So I'm trying to make a bit of a novelty character reflecting myself and my likes, a spellsword of sorts. I don't expect this character to be the best pvp or even do high level spawn runs, but I would like to be usable. Here's my skills so far.

1.) Swordsmanship - obvious weapon skill

2.) Tactics - for swords

3.) Anatomy - further increases swords

4.) Focus - keeps mana and stamina up, mostly offsets mana costs

5.) Parry - keeps me alive longer

6.) Bushido - helps me parry with a big sword, good damage, source of healing, hiryu?

7.) Spellweaving - can't be a spellsword without spells, no reagents needed, healing, auto-life, summons, anti-mage spells, word of death

So again, this is a mostly novelty character, I understand it has many limits. I'm hoping with imbuing and such I can offset some of those limits. By the way, I've read and heard things I want confirmation or explanation about. Mostly about bushido. I heard the 80 skill allows you to control hiryus, if so they might help me stay alive longer. Also, no one has ever explained how the virtues work and I know I need honor for max effect. Also, I currently use a No-Dachi, but any 2-handed sword is fine by me. Feel free to suggest any. Also, I'm dead set on using some form of magic, would spellweaving be the best? And please suggest any skill staggering (e.g. 120 swords for 80 tactics etc.) and stats. Thanks

 

[wanderer1origin]

drop focus go necro and look into finding a swamp dragon

 

[Basara]

Honor involves clicking the codex at the top of the paperdoll, clicking honor symbol, and then targeting. Typically, it's easier to just go into the macros and set up an invoke virtue (honor) macro to a key, so you just have to hit a key, then target.

The most common, most broken, melee templates currently are necromancer/bushido based.

If you're serious about being a "Novelty" character, not a cookie cutter one, then by all means experiment with Spellweaving instead of Necro - or even in additon to it.

Focus is ok, but can be compensated for having enough chivalry to cast Divine Fury, and having some mana regeneration on your suit. a little bit of chivalry can be used to heal, and the various necro forms can leech mana or life.

And, it's only lesser hiryu a Samurai can have.

It's best to experiment and find what YOU like, not what others say you should do. The one sure way to burn out on a game is to make the uber-template that everyone else is using, that takes all the fun out of learning the ins and outs of the game.

 

[Eragon615]

This character is based off of one I use in all role playing games. A big sword, a gun, and magic. Obviously the gun is out in UO, but I am trying to keep it close. Necro was suggested by a friend of mine, but since I'm going positive karma it's outta the question. Paly sound interesting, but since I'm probably going to go high STR and DEX, and lower INT, I'm already strapped for mana. Hoping an imbued suit with lotsa mana regen helps, because I plan on spamming confidence and GoR for my heals... If I could get the armor right, would meditation help more than focus? Or is it too much hastle with geting the right armor? Because so far focus is doing pretty well. And UO needs to add ******* swords, claymores, and great swords already. Preferably with whirlwind or bladeweave or dismount. Useful stuff...

 

[Basara]

If you can find one, there's a type of two-handed sword called a Paladin sword, that was gotten from a long-gone exploit. There is a minor artifact version from the original "Book of Truth" event of several years ago, called The Redeemer, that can be repaired, but can't have Powder of Fortifying used on it (and it starts with about 100 durability). However, it IS a Undead/Demon double slayer, and high damage (as well as being VERY slow). Another option would be the No-Dachi, the two-handed Samurai sword. Look for an artifact from the Treasures of Tokuno events called the Sword of the Stampede, for the better of the two artifact No-Dachi from the events.

You can really go without med or focus, as long as you use a mana leech weapon, and a suit that is meditation-compatible. Even if you don't actually have the skill, the formula for mana recovery is (INT+(3*MED))/4, and your race can then be a factor (Elves get +20 mana; humans get the equivalent of 20 Med & 20 Focus for free, if they don't actually have the skills.

Your special moves will be at -10 mana cost, as long as Swords+Parry+Bushido add up to 300 or more. (-5 for 200-299.9). OF course, they require 70 or 90 real skill (depending if primary or secondary) in both swords and tactics.

Personally, for two-handed swords-skill weapons, I like the Blaze of Death halberd. It totally rocked low level champ spawns prior to the ML introduction of the Soul Seeker(As it has whirlwind special move, which is much cheaper than Frenzied Whirlwind when you have the -10 cost reduction, AND hit Fireball, AND hit Fire Area - it's probably the closest thing to a GunSword in the game). I still pull it out (or an undead slayer halberd) for the rare times I help do a Neira the Necromancer champ in Ilshenar. The crescent Blade is also a fun weapon for 2-handed use.

There's also a few 2-handed ML weapons, but most of those are fencing (though UBWS could come into play, there). A Knight's War Cleaver with UBWS might be something like you seek.

 

[Eragon615]

I have no problem dropping swords for fencing. As long as fencing weapons still work for bushi and parrying and all (they should since they're two-handed). By the way, on stratics they say arty war cleavers are 2 handed but the plain one is 1 handed. Is that a mistake?
Anyway, thanks a lot for all the info!

 

[Basara]

I think all the war cleavers are 2H.

Anyone else think that somewhere in pre-production they swapped the art for the spellblade and radiant scimitar? The RS looks like it ought to be t-handed, from the sheer size, while the spellblade is tiny, compared to all other 2H weapons that are a single weapon, as opposed to a set of paired weapons.