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Bloodthorn's Rogue Guide

 

 ‡ This guide’s purpose is to offer advice that will hopefully allow you to avoid the pitfalls that lead to being forced to reroll one’s character. It assumes you have a basic knowledge of the game and it’s terms. If you enjoy the guide feel free to say hi and tell me so!

- Bloodthorn

 

First things first -

There are a number of decisions you should make before you even enter the mangler and begin to roll your statistics. Rogues vary in training a lot more then most professions so you should decide what kind of rogue you wish to be before getting started. Will you be a redux rogue or a spell-slinger? Ambusher, locksmith, thief? Make up your mind on what kind of rogue you wish to play and choose a race that fits your career goals. Once you’ve made these decisions then map out the order you wish to place your stats. Thinking out where you want to go with your character and how you will get there is the best way to ensure that you aren’t forced to start over because of training mistakes.

 

The Mangler –

Beating the mangler requires either insane luck or an autoroller. Get an autoroller, if you have insane luck don’t waste it rolling up a Gemstone character... go to Vegas. Autorollers are available off several Gemstone player websites, ask around if you don’t know where to look. Autorollers generate numbers and stop once they hit a specific total you have preset. I recommend trying for a total of 650 or higher. This will most likely require a good number of hours before you meet that number. With the autoroller it won’t be fun but it’ll be worth the effort. If you are greedy you can set a goal of 660+ but be warned this will probably take days to achieve.

‘I just want to play! Why should I spend hours rolling numbers?’

Whether you are a role-player or a powerhunter whether you plan to reach 100 levels in one year or ten... training points matter. The more you have the more versatile and fun your character will be and the less likely you will be to make a training mistake that forces a reroll. The difference between a total roll of 600 and a total of 650 is at least 5 training points a level. By the 20th training that translates into a difference of over 100 training points.

 

Stat placement –

‘Ok it’s 10 hours later but I got my roll (658) now what?’

I believe the best way to place your numbers is to allow yourself the maximum growth potential. Some stats improve very fast while others grow like stones. For example a human rogue has a 60 roll to place. If he chooses it as his Aura number then he will need to reach his 300th training before his aura is 100. If he instead places that number in reflexes it will reach 100 at his 70th training. If you place your best numbers in the fastest growing stats you end up cheating yourself out of much stat improvement and a lot of training points. By placing your numbers based on growth rather then what helps you in the short-run you have it harder in the early years but you will be much better off in the long-run.

This is my recommended order of placement.¹

  1. Aura – Counts twice when figuring your training points and improves very slowly. Despite your probable lack of need for tons of mana this should receive your best number.
  2. Discipline – Can be a relatively fast improving stat for rogues but it also counts twice when determining training points so it requires a good starting number.
  3. Wisdom – Improves very slowly and is an important stat when warding magics and picking.
  4. Strength – Helps you hit and swing faster. Giantmen and dwarves might consider pushing this down to #5 as they improve faster in this area but only if they are following a spell-using path.
  5. Determined by race and training direction.
  6. Determined by race and training direction.
  7. Determined by race and training direction.
  8. Determined by race and training direction.
  9. Dexterity – This is important to rogues but it improves very quickly. This factor as well as the +10 starting bonus allows it to be pushed to the bottom.
  10. Reflexes – Also important but time and the starting bonus will give you the benefits eventually.

 

What you place in positions five through eight should be determined based on your character’s race and the style of rogue you wish to be. Make your choices based on the speed at which a particular statistic grows for your chosen race. Break any ties by placing physical stats higher for physical rogues and mental stats higher for spell-using rogues. At the end of this guide you will find charts which will help you decide racial stat placement.

¹ Dwarves are the exception to these recommendations. Dwarves improve fairly fast in discipline but slower in dexterity and reflexes. I believe dwarven rogues should place wisdom in the #2 slot and discipline in the #3. Furthermore dexterity and reflexes should move up to slots #5 and #6 respectively.

 

FYI your skill points are determined by these formulas:

Mental Training points: (Aura + Discipline + Intelligence + Logic + Wisdom + Charisma)/10

Physical Training points: (Aura + Discipline + Strength + Reflexes + Dexterity + Constitution)/10

 

 

Skill training -

 

Weapon training:

Always double train in the weapon of your choice.

Two Weapon Combat:

Too expensive for a rogue, leave this to warriors.

Armor Use:

Double train in this skill. The days where brig armor was enough for a rogue are long gone.

Shield Use:

Single train, I don’t believe double training is really worth the points.

Combat Maneuvers:

This is a great skill. Always single train and if there’s anyway possible double train. I helps your AS, DS, and avoiding some manuever attacks.

Climbing and Swimming:

Necessary to gain access to certain areas in the lands. Train as you can.

Multi-Opponent Combat:

Currently does nothing and is wasted training points. Will it one day be implemented? Your guess is as good as mine.

Disarming Traps and Picking Locks:

A useful skill to have. Saves you time, makes you money, and grants an alternative learning method. However it is very expensive. If you double train in each skill the bite to training points won’t seem too bad. But once you start training in this you are locked in forever or the skill becomes worthless. If you stop training you quickly become unable to pick your own boxes. Great pickers triple train and spell-slinging rogues probably have to forgo this skill entirely.

Stalking and Hiding:

Double training is sufficient for almost all hunting areas. Triple if you feel the need to stay hidden from everyone in town square.

Perception:

A useful skill and cheaply bought. Single at least.

Spell Research:

If you are a lock picking rogue learn the first four minor elemental spells, no more. This won’t hurt your redux too badly and will aid your locksmithing greatly. A spell-slinging rogue takes as many spells as they can get. It is my recommendation that you either completely dedicate yourself to the magical path or take no more then the four elemental spells. Rogues who go halfway end up with too few spells to make a difference and ruined redux.

Scroll Reading:

It’s fun to be able to use scrolls. Not a priority but train here if you can afford it.

Magic Item Use:

Don’t bother.

Mana Sharing:

A highly usefull skill. I recommend training in this for physical style rogues. If you start early try for a rank every three trainings or so by saving a few mentals points each training. Later when you have more training points available you can speed this up a little. A spell-slinging rogue won't be able to train in this without stopping his spell training.

Spell Aiming:

Don’t bother.

Ambush:

This is what separates rogues from other professions. Double train! A rogue who doesn’t ambush well is a character who should have chosen another profession.

Physical Training:

Single train in this, speed is not necessary making double training a waste of training points.

First Aid:

Useful for skinning well and little else. Train if you have extra points.

Trading:

Of some use with some merchants. Train only with throw away points.

Picking Pockets:

Wasted training points in my opinion. But if you wish to steal and annoy people this is the way to go.

Brawling:

Needed for Voln Fu and useful if you like picking in combat situations. Whether these are worth the effort?

 

 

These charts detail the speed at which statistics improve for a rogue of the various races. The listings begin with the slowest improving (#1) and end with the fastest (#’s 9 +10). Statistics that exist under the same number indicate improvement is the same for these stats.

 

Humans

1) Aura and Wisdom 6) Intelligence, Constitution and Strength
3) Discipline, Logic and Charisma 9) Dexterity and Reflexes

 

Giantmen

1) Aura and Wisdom 7) Constitution and Strength
3) Discipline, Logic, Charisma and Intelligence 9) Dexterity and Reflexes

 

Half-Elven

1) Aura and Wisdom 7) Strength and Charisma
3) Discipline 9) Dexterity and Reflexes
4) Constitution, Logic and Intelligence  

 

Elves

1) Wisdom 8) Logic
2) Discipline, Aura, Charisma and Constitution 9) Reflexes
6) Strength 10) Dexterity
7) Intelligence  

 

Dark Elves

1) Aura and Wisdom 5) Discipline, Logic, Strength and Charisma
3) Intelligence and Constitution 9) Dexterity and Reflexes

 

Sylvankind

1) Wisdom 5) Constitution 9) Dexterity and Reflexes
2) Aura 6) Logic and Intelligence  
3) Discipline and Strength 8) Charisma  

 

Dwarves

1) Aura 4) Logic and Intelligence
2) Wisdom 6) Discipline, Constitution, Dexterity, Reflexes and Strength
3) Charisma  

 

Halflings

1) Aura and Wisdom 6) Intelligence 9) Dexterity and Reflexes
3) Discipline and Strength 7) Charisma  
5) Logic 8) Constitution