Serenity
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| Beginners Crafting for the Newcomer |
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Crafting for the Newcomer to Middle-Earth
Well, you have accomplished the first challenging part of the game, picking a character to play. You have taken them through the first instance from beginners land into the rest of the world. As you go around picking up quests and learning the lay of the land, you run into the second challenging part of the game. Picking a crafting vocation!
First, realize that any type of character can take any vocation. There is no perfect set. Some may seem to go together better, but ultimately it is what you want from and for your character that truly counts.
Here is a brief rundown on the various vocations you will have to choose from and some ideas for the type of character that might benefit from them.
Armsman: Prospecting, weaponsmithing and woodworker.
They make the metal based weapons of the game such as the swords, axes and halberds. They can prospect for the ore they need to make them also. They can also make the wood based weapons such as bows and spears, but will need to barter or buy the wood necessary to do so. This is a great vocation for those who rather make their own weapons for their melee character instead of waiting for quest rewards or drops.
Armorer: Prospecting, metalsmithing, tailor.
This one is great for those characters who wear heavy armor and use shields. Like the Armsman, they can also prospect for the ore they need to make their items. They can also make medium and light armor but have to barter/buy the boiled hides to do so.
Woodsman: Farmer, forester, woodworker
This is great for the character that uses the wood based weapons such as bows and spears. They can collect their own wood, but will need to barter/buy for the ore to make weapons other than bows. Being a farmer can be handy especially if you know a Tinker and want them to be beholden to you.
Explorer: Forester, prospector, tailor
This one is great for the character that wants the craft their own medium or light armor. They can gather any ore and wood and boil whatever hides needed to make a fine garment. I have also found that this is a decent “starter” vocation for those that can’t make up their minds if they want their character to make their own armor or their own weapons. (More on switching vocations at the end.)
Yeoman: Farmer, cook, tailor
They not only can cook a fine meal to bolster the spirits of any race in middle earth, they can farm for the items they need instead of bartering or buying. No owing a Woodsman for the yummies they can provide. Great for those that want to be able to create extra heals and buffs to help get themselves and any fellowship members out of a scrape.
Tinker: Prospector, jeweler, cook
This is a fun one for the character that want to produce fine jewelry to wear to help bolster any stats they feel are lacking. They can mine the ore needed to make their amazing trinkets and as often as not will find some gems to help decorate the item. They can also cook, but often find themselves beholden to a farmer for the groceries needed.
Historian: Farmer, scholar, weaponsmith
This one is for the character that likes learning from the past as well as the present. These fine fellows not only create buffs to help an individual, but also make the often coveted dye other want for their armor. Regardless of what it looks like, farmer goes well with this since a lot of dye components come from plants. Weaponsmithing is hinted at as being even more special with the scholar profession as they may be able to make the special historical type weapons people dream about. They will need to barter for the ore needed to make those weapons though.
If you ever find you do not like a vocation, you can change it. The drawback to this is that whatever professions that do not correspond, you will lose. You also lose whatever points you have in them. The professions that are the same to the new vocation will transfer smoothly with all the points you have gathered so far. Example: Explorer: Forester, prospector, tailor changed to: Armor: Prospector, metal smith, tailor. The professions in green are alike and will switch over with all points intact. Any points gathered in forester will be lost even if you switch back to Explorer or Woodsman. You will have NO points in metalsmithing and will have to start from apprentice level even if you are in Expert in the other two.
Now that you have chosen, you wonder where to find the places to make your items of beauty and where to find better tools than the trash given to you when you chose. Many people will tell you to delve into your pouch for the silver to buy Bronze tools right away. I say good idea unless your character is an armor, then buy the recipes for the bronze tools and make them yourself. Or if you have to save up, buy the regular tools until you can get the recipe. Whatever you decide to do, pick one of them to buy since the freebies given to you are trash and will need repaired frequently and that will cost you even more in the long run.
Every major town has a crafting area. On the mini or compass map they show up as gold anvils. Depending on what you choose, you will need a forge, workbench, study, farmland or oven.
There are 5 levels in each profession.
Apprentice
Journeyman
Expert
Artisan
Master
Each of those levels have 2 tiers. The first complete tier will open up the next level. The second completed tier is to gain mastery of that level. You have to gain mastery in the previous tier before it will allow you to start mastery in the tier of the new level opened. Once you have mastery of a level, you can try for a critical success. You will always have a small percentage chance of succeeding, but some professions let you put in an item to up the percentage by a huge amount. The critical successes either give you more of an item, such as boiled leather or copper, or it will make the item’s stats stronger and more sought after.
Any crafting area you find is ok to use until you get to the Artisan level. You will then only be able to use Superior areas to craft any items in Artisan or Mastery. Now the tricky part…where to find those Superior areas. Well, before you wander and spend a silver quick riding to every location searching, or even having to ask in Advice chat, let me tell you.
The Superior Forge is in Ered Luin in Thorin’s Hall
Superior Workbench is in North Downs in Esteldin
Superior Oven is in the Shire in Michel Delving
In conjunction with this there is a campfire down the road in Waymeet
Superior Farmland is in the Shire in Hobbiton
Superior Study is in Rivendell in the Last Homely House, top floor
I know this is the bare bones of crafting, but this will get you started on your way. If anyone has anything to add that you think someone needs to know right off, please say so and I will add it.
Thanks, and Happy Crafting to all the Newcomers in Middle-Earth!
Serenity
Edit:Fixed spacing issues
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
Be careful about reading Health Books. You might die of a misprint.
-Mark Twain
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| 07/23/08 23:09 |
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Nyoxis
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| RE: Beginners Crafting for the Newcomer |
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An excellent guide, Serenity. This deserves an admin award, and a pin- thanks!
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| 07/24/08 05:39 |
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Serenity
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| RE: Beginners Crafting for the Newcomer |
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Aww thx Nyoxis. I was just trying to answer some basic questions that I see asked frequently in game. So, nothing that needs added to this barebones guide?
Be careful about reading Health Books. You might die of a misprint.
-Mark Twain
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| 07/24/08 13:17 |
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Nyoxis
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| RE: Beginners Crafting for the Newcomer |
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| QUOTE | | Aww thx Nyoxis. I was just trying to answer some basic questions that I see asked frequently in game. So, nothing that needs added to this barebones guide? |
Looks pretty sound at this time. I've been convinced to make my next char a Historian. I wish there was a forester/prospector/armourer combo, but there isn't. So yeah, aside from Farming (can be completed in a few hours) a Historian looks like one of the most challenging to master.
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| 07/25/08 04:51 |
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Serenity
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| RE: Beginners Crafting for the Newcomer |
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| QUOTE | | Looks pretty sound at this time. I've been convinced to make my next char a Historian. I wish there was a forester/prospector/armourer combo, but there isn't. So yeah, aside from Farming (can be completed in a few hours) a Historian looks like one of the most challenging to master. |
Yeah, I feel the same, I know Tegar wishes he could boil his own hides! lol Historian is fun, my Burgler is one. She gets most of her points making dye, Fire/Light Oil and Althelas potions for my husbands hunter. lol The metalsmithing is fairly neat also, and at least she has Tegar to give her the ingots. Otherwise she would be poorer than she already is!
Be careful about reading Health Books. You might die of a misprint.
-Mark Twain
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| 07/25/08 13:21 |
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entershikari
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| RE: Beginners Crafting for the Newcomer |
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can somebody tell me how i start playing the game cuz im new ad i havent got a clue and i just wanna start gaming
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| 08/26/08 10:08 |
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