Game Tips!

Yesterday I finally completed the game =)

I want to share some tips (I can also answer questions if needed). By the end of the game, I explored almost the entire map, visited nearly all the caves and temples, and completed most of the available quests. I want to mention right away that I played as a warrior (joined Don's faction), so most of the tips will refer specifically to playing this class in conjunction with that faction. Most of the advice is my personal opinion and may differ from other players' views. The guide is focused on quickly leveling up a combat-ready fighter.

First of all, you need to decide which weapon to level up for your character.

Weapon Proficiencies.

Melee Weapons.

My choice is a sword since good axes won’t become available right away; therefore, spending points on leveling up an axe is undesirable. With high skill levels, you’ll be able to wield a one-and-a-half-handed sword and then a two-handed sword in one hand and a shield in the other.

I completed most of the game without a shield (with a two-handed sword) and can say that its absence is not critical with the proper combat strategy.

Information about one of the best swords for the beginning and middle of the game (Berserker's Sword) and how to obtain it is below in the spoiler.

In general, the best sword almost until the very end of the game is IMO the "Berserker's Sword" (the two-handed version requires 80 strength and deals 80 damage); no two-handed sword sold by NPCs can compare. I personally used it almost until the end of the game (especially good after it becomes possible to wield it in one hand, during that period it's quite manageable without a shield).

Better than it are only the titan weapons and crafted obsidian two-handers.

It can be found in the west of the map in a dungeon behind a waterfall (you can go there when you are strong enough to kill ghouls).

Tips for passing the dungeon.

Mglor (a very strong, gorilla-like creature) can be very easily killed; run past it down the corridor (you will encounter a ghoul on the way) and jump onto a small, isolated elevation, then jump down from there. Mglor will chase you and jump onto the same elevation, but it can't descend after you or retreat, making it completely defenseless, you can then shoot it with a bow or crossbow (it takes a while, so bring arrows). Along with him, one ghoul jumped up as well, which was also shot down.

The two ghouls upstairs (who roam by the sword) can also be shot down without punishment by standing slightly below them and not going all the way up; patience is key.

In total, to get the sword, you only need to kill a few ghouls at the very start of the cave, which, with the right strategy, is quite manageable.

Shields.

I found only one good shield (the others were bought from the blacksmith).

You can get it from the dead lord of skeletons (quest for collecting 5 dead rings); screenshots will come later.

Ranged Weapons.

Leveling up a bow doesn’t make sense as it requires agility (which you'll need to invest in). Regarding the crossbow, I can say that it really helps only in the first half of the game; later it is only used in rare cases because most battles take place at close range in enclosed spaces. Points invested in leveling up the crossbow only improve reload speed, and even with high stats, there's not much benefit; at most, you can shoot twice instead of once in rare situations in open spaces. In the end, you can level up the crossbow a bit, but investing more than 2-3 points into it is generally pointless (if you have extra points at the end of the game, you can level it further).

Professions.

Blacksmithing.

At the first opportunity, I recommend maxing out blacksmithing, not just for the ability to forge swords but because you can create a very useful amulet early in the game:

In blacksmithing, crafting jewelry is particularly useful! At the beginning of the game, there is a sense in collecting jewelry for strength; later, when your strength reaches or exceeds 100, it makes sense to equip the "jewelry" for damage protection, while increasing strength with potions.

Swords can also be forged, but after you acquire the sword I mentioned above, you won’t be able to forge anything better.

The best crafted sword is a one-and-a-half-handed obsidian sword (damage 90/ requires 90 strength).

You can have the blacksmith in Harbor Town make preparations for it after you find one of the lizard swords and show it to him. For crafting, it requires 8 (for one-handed) and 12 (for one-and-a-half-handed) units of obsidian ore.

I do not account for a couple of not really crafted swords whose fragments are scattered across the map and which can be reforged (I only managed to collect one completely - "Soul Drinker") because the sword I created turned out to be worse than the "Berserker's Sword".

"Soul Drinker" is a two-handed sword with a damage of 75. The hilt can be found in the north of the map (in a chest) above the druid's hut, and the blade in a chest on the western beach.

Alchemy.

This profession is primarily useful for the ability to create potions that significantly enhance characteristics (+5 strength is the most sought after potion for a warrior). It also allows for the creation of healing potions, although toward the end of the game, this won’t be particularly necessary since you’ll spend most of your time in dungeons where almost no plants are found, and it will be easier to buy potions as by that time it will be quite affordable.

Deciding whether to max out alchemy at the very beginning or wait and invest points into combat skills is up to you. For example, if you have enough ingredients in your inventory to make 4 Ogre potions (+5 strength), it is better to upgrade alchemy rather than strength by 20.

Thieving Skills.

From the thieving skills we have:

- Stealth: This is used quite often at the start and very rarely at the end of the game, mainly when completing certain quests and when looting other people's homes =)

It’s best to find a ring +1 to stealth (unfortunately, I don’t remember where I found it; I hope someone can remind me) to wear when necessary and not spend points on this skill at all, or only level it up when it’s necessary for a quest (which will happen in Harbor Town).

- Pickpocketing: An excellent skill, highly recommended to level up as soon as possible, especially relevant in the beginning and middle of the game. It allows you to obtain half of quest items just by stealing them, plus it brings in decent income.

- Lockpicking: It is wise to level it up to 1 right at the start, and later max it out as much as possible. Until leveled up, it is sensible to remember (write down) treasure chests that you could not open. By the end of the game, you can convert lockpicks into scrolls for opening chests (that open locks of any complexity), making tedious manual lockpicking, especially for long combinations, easier.

Mining.

A skill necessary for extracting ore and obtaining stones for jewel crafting.

You won't be able to obtain this skill right away. At first, you will have to use the ore and stones that appear in chests. The "Mining" skill can be taught by the treasure hunter Olf. You can find him in Harbor Town in Don's former residence (where he is held as a prisoner).

I learned the skill after I freed Olf, doing the quest for 3 golden goblets (for which he was imprisoned by the inquisitors).

Tip.

Many find it hard to locate the third goblet. It’s in the Lighthouse on the ceiling beams, where it can be easily reached with telekinesis.

After acquiring the skill, you can extract ore from deposits which are most often located in caves (though they can also be found in open spaces). From 1 deposit, you typically get 5 chunks of ore and sometimes a precious gem.

The most sought after is gold ore (for jewelry).

Trophy Extraction.

(if I’m not mistaken about the name)

This skill allows you to remove hides, claws, etc. from animals using special tools (pliers, knives, etc.).

The usefulness of this skill is debatable; on one hand, you can earn a bit from it at the start of the game; on the other hand, it doesn’t bring in much money, and it’s better to spend points on pickpocketing, which is more useful.

Writing Scrolls.

The only available "magical" skill for warriors that allows you to write scrolls of spells.

You can obtain this skill in a Monastery where you will find yourself in the 2nd chapter (if I’m not mistaken), completely free of charge (you only need to complete a simple quest).

Acrobatics.

This skill was quite useful to me; I would recommend taking it when you have the chance. It allows survival after jumps from great heights or accidental falls (it often helped me move faster through rough terrain).

General Tips and Hints.

- Carefully inspect the area for hidden chests and concealed caves; you can often find very interesting things there.

- Always carry with you (especially in the later stages) scrolls of Levitation, Nautilus, and Telekinesis, as you often cannot reach certain areas of the dungeons without them.

- The Skeleton scroll is a great help in battle! I highly recommend using it.

- Don’t sell all your wings, fangs, bones, nautilus shells, etc. (keep a small stock). Later they will be very useful to you as reagents for creating scrolls.

- In the swamps (and not only), you can lure "overwhelming" enemies to allies who can help deal with them; if done with skill, you will gain experience.

For example, luring a ghoul in the swamp caves to a bandit camp is easy.

- If you eat 10 apples in a row, your strength will increase by 1.

- Don’t spend all the "Wandering Thirst" plants at the beginning of the game

(it gives +10 experience), at later stages you can make a potion from 5 of these plants that gives +100 experience.

- You can gain quite a lot in the monastery.

In the small library, there is a hidden door. It will lead to the large library where solving magical "puzzles" can grant access to almost all rooms and you will enrich yourself with scrolls and gold.

- As soon as possible, upgrade your powerful attacks with weapons; with the tactic "strong attack - retreat - strong attack..." you can easily defeat tough enemies without taking a single hit; this tactic works wonderfully until the very end of the game.

So for now, that's it =)

If this post interests you, I can add more useful information and screenshots later.