Getting Started in EfU:R

[Valo56]

http://www.efupw.com/getting-started/

Hello, I hope this simple guide to getting started in EfU:R will help some of the new players I've been seeing step through the portal. I'll try and include the things I see asked most. :)

I'll also include other tips and tricks I've found over the years. If anyone has anything in particular to add feel free to send a PM or reply here.

After having written it all up, it's a bit lengthy. Still, I hope it helps.

Lore
It's important to understand where you are in the world. Escape from Uncertainty is based in the Forgotten Realms, but it has taken a vast turn from what is canon. You can learn more about the state of Faerun here. That link contains a highly summarized version of the server history, most of it being common knowledge to PC's who have spent some time in Sanctuary.

Character Creation
When creating a character, it's important to keep the following in mind.
-Characters should be in line with the basic physical guidelines of their race. Seven foot tall elves, pink half-orcs and green humans are.. uh.. Moving on.
-If your concept calls for a particular style of magic or build that "seems" weaker compared to something else, don't worry. Read up on the Mechanical Changes for EfU. You may find that what was weak in NWN is terrifyingly strong on EfU. Examples: Feeblemind, Wall of Fire, Dominate Person. Additionally, branching off from what everyone else is doing can really take people by surprise. Don't be afraid to be unique in build or concept.
-Several classes have unique perks and paths you can select as them. Their stats are NOT listed in-game. You can find the listed stats here, and that link may even help you figure out what you'd like to play.
-There are some excellent portraits here. Simply make a folder labeled "portraits" (without quotations) in your NWN directory if there isn't already one there, and unpack the files into that folder.
-Feats for special EfU weapons, such as the Great Maul (Martial), Short Spear (Simple and Druid), Falchion (Martial) and War Mace (Exotic) cannot be selected at Level 1.
-Your headset can be changed once IG by typing /c setheadset # to select a specific one or /c setheadset 0 to cycle through all those available. Hair, skin, portraits, tattoos and voice sets cannot be changed after character creation.
-Type "/c setbackpack --help" for information on what backpack, quiver and scabbard appearances are available. Without special overrides, backpacks will not appear on any creature or yourself if a cloak is equipped.

Character Advancement
New characters start off at level 2. Shortly after entering the game world a PC can reach level 3. The average PC is level 5-7, and levels 10+ are almost unheard of. EfU has a narrow, low level range, and you should keep this in mind as you plan your build (if any) and progress in the world.

PC's are not only kept low level by a slow XP progression but by harsh death penalties. Still, don't be too dismayed by the loss of levels. Although dying at levels 8+ can REALLY hurt, lower levels can often be regained in a day or two, or even mere hours, by even a casual player.

PC's can also gain permanent DM XP. This experience is not always given when a DM chooses to hand out experience, either for good RP or participation in a quest. This experience can never be lost. Exploration experience can also never be lost. If you have a pool of 1000xp that is permanent, then you will lose roughly 333xp less per respawn.

Things to Do
From this post by Howland, there's a lot more than mindless questing to do. Exploration can be perhaps the most profitable and fulfilling things, compared to risk, on the server. There are several randomly appearing exploration areas scattered throughout the server. These mini-dungeons (sometimes they can actually be quite large, though) can only be entered by two or more people, unless it's already been unlocked by a previous group entering it.

Alchemy, herbalism and cooking are also a thing. Cooking tends not to have many, if any direct rewards, though now that food is required to rest (yes, food is required to rest, KEEP THAT IN MIND) it is somewhat more useful. Herbalism is particularly fun if you're a nature-oriented PC, and Alchemy is both terrifying and very rewarding. Alchemy and Herbalism workstations are scattered around the server, and will let you experiment in these dangerous professions. More information should be found out IG, though. Overall, I'd say alchemy and herbalism are the most addictingly fun things I've found on this server, short of the Lowerdark.

Impacting the Server
Compared to other servers, EfU is also very open to player changes to the module through IC interaction. Through RP, plotting, scheming, and probably a few DM events, you can make a tangible impact on the setting. If you were to ask in in our IRC Channel (server: mibbit.darkmyst.org channel: #EFU), you'd probably get about fifty different responses for how to accomplish this. I think it can be easily summarized to the following:
-Don't expect it to happen, and don't stress about it.
-Have fun doing whatever you do.
-Be consistent.
-Be interesting.
-Include other players as much as possible.
-Don't be reliant on DM's.

Ironically, not being reliant on DM's is more likely to get you DM help than being reliant on them. DM's like to see progress and ingenuity independent of their help before they move in and help, in most cases. Expect that most of the impact you have on the server will be small, but be okay with this. The interactions you have with other PC's, on quests, in PvP, or in idle RP, is still quite valuable, and no less fun.

Setting Up Your Character
This is a big one, perhaps the main reason I made this thread, and probably should have gone closer to the top, but oh well.

Setting up a PC is something many new players are lost about. There are several things to remember.

-You start off with under 500gp. You will enter the game with only 10gp, regardless of how much or little you have at the end of the Entry Area. Any gold left when you use the entry portals in the entry area will be lost. Spend it all if you can. Bedrolls, oil and even rations are invaluable, if you're out of gold for potions, weapons and armor.

-The tailor is free for your FIRST outfit. Any outfits beyond the first cost money.

-Type "/c efuss list" to see the list of Escape from Uncertainty Secondary Skills. These are alternate skill points that track your abilities in less adventuresome avenues of life, such as mining, smithing, herbalism, wilderness survival, and sailing. Cooking, herbalism, alchemy, sailing, wilderness survival, climbing, swimming and all Secondary Skills have a mechanical use. Others may be more flavorful, but you'd be surprised how valuable they can be when they do come up.

-Explore the Crafting Menu in the Radial Menu. There are many useful tools there, including emotes, various settings, and most importantly the Player Tools and Character Perks.

-Player Tools are your best friend. I'd suggest at least getting the following set up: Control Companion, Yank Pack, Search Pack, Knock, Potion Homogenizer, Climb.

-The Hardcore Prologue is Hard. It's fun but I recommend trying to get a group for it.

-Select a Deity, even if that is Faithless or Mourning. If you are a divine class, do this during character creation so you don't have to relog for changes to take effect. Double-check at the Deity Chooser to make sure your selected deity works for your PC. If there is an error it will show up there and be easier to fix. If there is an error that you need a DM to fix, such as an incorrect alignment, consider just making a new PC.

-Select your Summon Theme at the Theme Chooser.

Summon Control
This is kind of a big one, so I'll include it.

Summons on EfU are... very different from NWN. You can have multiple summons from the Summon Monster and Animate Dead spells out, though only if you are actually casting the spells, not if you're using an item. The duration on Summon Monster is reduced to only a few rounds per level, however. The maximum duration for Summon Monster, prior to Extend Spell, is 8 Rounds/Level, or 16 Rounds/Level if you extend it. This is with Greater Spell Focus (Conjuration) and Wizard School Specialization (Conjuration). I believe it is 3 rounds/level with no feats, 4 rounds/level with SF: Conjuration and 6 rounds/level with GSF: Conjuration.

Animate dead lasts forever, until the summoned undead is destroyed or you log off, or you dismiss the summon. They can be heavily augmented beyond their basic stats and there's a lot of intricacies to necromancy here, making it worthwhile compared to basic NWN. I encourage you to read up on diz-e's thread on necromancy, here.

By use of a Summoning Focus you can select different reagents and rare summon tomes for on future summon spells. Reagents last only to the next summon spell cast, while summon tomes last forever. Using a Summoning Focus on itself will clear the selected reagent/tome and revert you to whatever your default theme is.

Sorcerers get a wide selection of themes to start, though based on your deity, any applicable domains, or wizard school specialization, you may have other themes that even Sorcerers can not get. An application can be submitted to gain a special summon theme. All information on the mechanical abilities of summon themes is considered FOIG (Find Out In Game).

Summons are best controlled through chat commands, radial menu commands, and the Control Companion tool. Chat commands are accessed by pressing V (default) on your keyboard. Or you can give such a command to one summon at a time through the radial menu. Chat commands are the least precise but quickest manner of controlling summons.

My favorite mechanic on EfU would have to be the Control Companion tool, which is a Player Tool that allows you to give specific orders to your summons, henchmen, familiars, animal companions, and dominated creatures. Understanding this tool is useful even for non-mages, given how many summoning items are on the server. First, assign it to your hotbar. I usually set it to F4 for quick access to it. Use it on a summoned creature to select that as the summon you will be giving orders to. Afterward, use the Control Companion tool again on a target.

-Targeting the Ground will make the NPC move there. If you select a place far away from yourself, the NPC may refuse to travel very far, insisting on returning to you. Usually they can get 33% further than your visual radius at most before they by default will ALWAYS try to follow you, but short of that range you can have them Hold Position and manually move them about without fear of them running back to you.

-Target an NPC or placeable to have your summon attack it. Sometimes they don't like switching targets, this can be annoying but usually if you spam the control companion tool on them they'll get the hint. Having them Hold Position or Follow, or simply move to somewhere else before attacking the new target, also works.

-Target a door to have the NPC open it. You can also try to open a locked door yourself. If one of your summons or henchmen are capable of opening locks, then after you fail to open the door they will move up and pick the lock for you. Familiars of course can be possessed to accomplish this task, though the above is how you get an NPC to pick a lock. NPC's will not attempt to pick a lock that is beyond their abilities (dirty metagamers appear to know the DC's of every lock on the server, lol).

Other Tips
These are, to the best of my knowledge, considered common knowledge.

-Pay attention to the special messages you receive in the combat chat window, ambient and otherwise. It is all important! ESPECIALLY STUFF IN RED!

-Protection from Good potions will hide you from a Paladin's Detect Evil.

-Paladins are not allowed to willfully quest and group with evil people. This can lead to Chaotic points or worse, Falling, depending on the circumstances.

-You get a +1 to an associated Secondary Skill for every 5 ranks in it.

-Petrification is permanent. If you are turned to stone, unless someone is able to restore you, your character is perma'd.

-Your character can hold their breath for 2 rounds per point of constitution at the time of entering the water. There are various ways of holding your breath longer that should be found out IC'ly. There is a spell failure, vulnerability to electricity and resistance to fire while underwater, along with a significant move speed reduction based on the weight of equipped items.

-Climbing is not only based on tumble, but on strength and dexterity.

-Ladders can be retrieved from the bottom of a cliff. Make sure when using them that you leave the base of the ladder a few feet away from the wall. You don't want the placeable to get stuck inside the rock and wind up losing your ladder! (This is a minor bug.)

-Ropes, Rope and Grapple, and any similar things can only be collected from the top of the cliff. The exception is vertical and horizontal climbing zones where they can be collected from the opposite end of wherever they were shot from. Rope and Rapple requires a Grapple Gun or similar object to use.

-Most items found cannot be sold to merchants. They are intended either to be used, thrown away, or sold to other players. Those items that can be sold to merchants (usually gems) will rarely get you more than one or two dozen gold. Some merchants have a limit to the amount of gold they get each Reset.

-Each quest can only be done once per reset. Despite you being able to redo quests each reset, you should always treat each time you take it as your first from an In-Character perspective, and not metagame the placement of traps, or what NPC's and monsters are present.

-Another note about the rules. Using ranged weapons to lure one enemy away from their companions is considered an exploit of the AI. On top of that, it rarely works given how advanced EfU's AI system is. Additionally, don't stand high above or below an enemy and shoot them, without them being able to fight back due to their inability to find a path to you. At least throw down a summon for them to fight if you mean to do this.

-Corner-Sneaking is allowed in PvP, but only as a means to escape the confrontation entirely, not to give you an easier time of landing sneak attacks. Do not Transition-Sneak.

-Do not close doors to slow the advance of pursuing PC's in PvP. Nevermind.[/url]

-Read up on Detect, Spot and Listen to learn more about how detection and stealth works.

-Tumble bonus to AC is lost if your total modifier is less than the ranks required to attain that particular bonus to AC. For instance, if you have 5 ranks (normally +1 AC) in tumble but only a total of +3 to Tumble due to wearing armor or some other reason, your AC will be dropped as though you had no ranks in Tumble (no AC bonus). The same goes for if you have 11 ranks (normally +2 AC) but a total of +7. It will drop you down to as though you had only 5 Ranks (+1 AC). Having a higher tumble score will not grant you increased AC, however, it is still capped by what your current ranks in it are.

-PC's with special, uncommon skills may receive hidden but valuable checks to notice things in the world around them, such as a druid noticing differences in the natural order of the world in certain areas, or an alchemist being able to determine the usefulness of a certain workstation he happens across. This is something I'm beginning to see more of.

-Ask a DM if in doubt.

-Fear Bane.

[Valo56]

I'd like to throw something else out there.

NWN descriptions cannot be trusted. Never believe what examining a feat, spell, or skill says, unless you have seen that it is true.

The wiki has all the behind the scenes mechanics.

A few examples of things you wouldn't expect.

-Magic Fang grants Damage Reduction of X/+X, where X is the bonus imparted by the spell. If you have a +3 Greater Magic Fang, it's 3/+3. This is in part how creatures who are affected by it are able to pierce damage reduction. Greater Magic Fang also grants its bonuses one level higher than it should. It increases to +2 at 5, +3 at 8, and +4 at 11.

-The Knockdown effect of Grease bypasses Spell Resistance. The Move Speed Decrease does not.

-Infestation of Maggots is, in fact, the lowest level spell that can directly cause Death to a creature. If its Constitution is lowered enough, it is dealt magic damage equal to 1 + Total HP. However, the spell will not stack with itself.

-Regeneration of all types stacks with itself, the exception being the lower level Monstrous Regeneration.

So... Yeah. Look at the Wiki.