Character Creation: Class
You enter your account username and password for the first time. You select your server and the immediate text is displayed above a selection menu...
"Choose a Trade for Your Character"
When you first create a character, the first thing you must do is choose the skills that will be your general profession or class your character will be involved in. Ultima Online is one of the most versatile games in terms of character skill customization. There are no set class or skill paths, skills can be mixed and matched at will to your liking. However, there are some preselected and very broad skill templates that are given as a set of of choices(shown below) to assist new players in getting started(Most all experienced players chose the Advanced option when creating a new character).
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Warrior - pure warrior that leaves little to chance and everything else to their weapons, can provide bandage healing.
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Paladin - heroic warrior that relies on Chivalry, positive Karma and weaponry, can provide some healing.
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Mage - arcane practitioner that focuses their power through Magery spells making them versatile for both fighting healing.
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Necromancer - practitioner of the dark magic arts that employs Necromancy.
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Blacksmith - crafter with knowledge of Blacksmithy skill to fashion raw metal into arms and armor
- Advanced - allows complete choice of starting skills, only recommended for at least somewhat experienced players
As you can see, there are 6 class choices and 1 profession choice. If you do not know how to create a suitable template, then select one of the 7 pre-made choices. If you have a good knowledge of how to use and create a suitable template or wish to be something other than the 7 shown above, then choose the last selection on the list, Advanced.
Many professions and classes can be found here and much of them are intertwined together to make a more genuine character that is different from most other characters in the Ultima universe. However, the following will give you an example of a basic template for "singularity" professions and classes (meaning none of the following will have "2-in-1" classes or professions and are meant for beginner or ideally experimental purposes).
Classes
Their are two main different Combat types to choose from. They aren't the only choices, but all combat and magical styled divination spawn from these two accordingly.
Warrior
The class of the warrior is the most basic (and sometimes underused) combatant in all of Ultima. However, they strike a very prominent amount of skill use and, with the right equipment and thought out strategy, can be seen as lethal opponents on the front lines of combat. Their are two types of warriors: Melee & Ranged. While the Melee attacks will seem more frequent and potent than the ranged combatant, they have an uneasy weakness to paralyzing blows/spells or major fatigue and must rely on close quarters for connecting strikes. The Ranged class can hit these opponents even while in a paralyzed position. However, they lack the ability to run and attack and must concentrate on little to no movement on releasing projectiles(arrows, crossbow bolts, thrown weapons, etc.). The basic and/or mandatory skills for becoming a Warrior are shown below:
- Tactics - basic warrior damage-inducing skill
- Healing - using Bandages for restoring health and curing poison
- Weapon Skill - expertise in a type of weapon(Swordsmanship, Mace Fighting, Fencing, Wrestling, Archery, Throwing)
Defensive skills, such as Parrying(shield use) or Resisting Spells(lessened magic effect on you), or complementary combat skills, such asLumberjacking(extra damage with axe weapons) or Anatomy(increased healing and weapon damage), are very prominent extras for any warrior to have but the only real things a warrior needs is a weapon skill and a healing method (However, you will not get far with these skills alone). Selecting some of these skills and forgoing others allows for a higher degree of customization for a warrior.
Mage
Sometimes called "Wizards", these magical beings use the aid of mysterious magic to aid them. The Mage is very intelligent and uses much of his mind to cast his most profound spells. They can use any element against their foes, making sure to harm them at their weakest resists. The mage is hard to beat but can be very expensive with the cost of reagents. However, the mage is one of the most dominant (and overused) player choice in the realm of UO. Do not underestimate these gifted beings. The basic and/or mandatory skills for becoming a mage is shown below:
- Magery (Other types of magic includes Mysticism, Spellweaving, Necromancy, etc.)
- Meditation
Defensive skills, such as Resisting Spells), or complementary magic skills, such as Evaluating Intelligence(increased spell effect potential) or Inscription(10% increased spell damage and a crafting trade ability), are very prominent extras for any mage to have but the only real things a mage needs is the magery skill (or any other magic) and a mana regeneration ability (However, you will not get far with these skills alone). Selecting some of these skills and forgoing others allows for a higher degree of customization for a mage.