Valor gain

[UO Relic]

Got asked this question last nite by a new player and I realized I had no idea.

Now we know that we need knight of valor to start a champ spawn and we gain valor by killing monsters from any champ spawn.
So if your a new char do you have to join a group doing a champ spawn to start getting valor since you cant start a spawn yourself or is there another way other than finding a started but unattended spawn.
Now he's got my curiousity up dangit how did anyone gain in the first place since no one would have started as a knight of valor

 

[Tazar]

The Ilshenar and Tokuno spawns start on their own after a small break between spawns. These will let you gain valor all the way to knight. Using Valor on these spawns will bump the spawn by a couple of candles so it is usually saved until near the end of the spawn to help jump past a harder part of the spawn.

 

[Basara]

BTW, all using valor does to a running spawn is change the candle numbers associated with the spawn levels.

Testing on the Ilshenar & Valor spawns shows the following:

(generic example) IF the new types show up on the 4th, 8th and 12th candles, and valor bumped it two red candles, then the spawn levels will change at 6th, 10th, & 14th.

In my experience, this hurts more than it helps, as there have been so many changes to the abilities of the creatures in the spawns, that most spawns' 2nd or 3rd levels are tougher than the 4th level (I'd rather face rat archers than mages, and demons and succubi than swarms of burning gargs with their area damage fields- or for that matter, I'd rather fight liches than 3x as many skeletal mages, as the skeles cast necro spells that liches don't, like blood oath).

 

[Gilmour]

the ilshenar champ at spirituality is exelent at building initial valor, just killing shadow wisps