First things first: Get the best equipment available for the money you have (
Side note: There is some more (12G) in the little basket at the south-eastern corner of the house). I advise to buy the Iron Axe for 1G, as it provides some sweet damage at a rate of just above nothing. Furthermore, buy the cheapest shield, some garment and anything else that Audir has to offer and that you can afford.
Once done with that, solve the first two quest given by your father, the bread and the rats in the garden thingum.
Side note: Take a look into your inventory, there are already some nice items, especially the ring. The first quests combined with some first mob kills should already push you towards level 2. Well done, adventurer!
As soon as you're done with the bread quest, you can solve the missing husband quest (yet another amazing 50exp) and get the rat cave quest from the guy in the top north-east corner of the village. Solving it, means a first round of grinding. We love it, don't we?!! But well equipped as we are, it shouldn't be much trouble to run in the cave, kill as many mobs as you can before you die and get back into your bed asap. You're a little baby boy after all. At least for the moment. Do that until you can kill the big bad monster rat in the far, dark and fearsome corner to the top left.
Side note: Save as often as you can, and rather reload than start over from the bed, as it costs you too many exp - it might prove worth while to save before every single fight!!! While doing so, you should sell everything you find in that cave and buy better equipment at Audir's.
You should be able to kill the big bad rat around level fourish. At the time you reach level four, you'll be rewarded with your first skill point.
DON'T WASTE IT!!! but rather wait until you've reached level 5 and spend it on: Increasing Fortitude, as this skill will provide you with an extra HP-point on every level up - some heretic players even think it's over powered. My advise: Ignore them and take it anyway!
During the level ups until level five, you should never ever waste your given bonuses on HP. Increased Fortitude will eventually provide everything you'll ever need in this game. Instead, you should go for a healthy mix between the other three: Attack chance (AC) and Block Chance (BC) have priority over Attack Damage (AD) - at least at this point.
Once you've cleared Crossglen of all available quests, enter the great, wide world of AT and meet the puppies!!!
Puppies are going to be your best friends throughout the next levels, but especially in terms of money. Why? Because more than often they drop meat and meat sells for 25GP and thus is the single best source of money at this point in the game. Thus your mission is, I know it sounds cruel: Become a puppy slayer!!!
...yeah, I know, this is amazingly cruel, but it works
So but what do you do with all you newly gained riches?
Simple: Buy better equipment!!! "Yeah, but which, smarty", you might rightfully ask. Don't worry, young padawan, I'll tell you and here is where
the real trick starts:
Within the starting area, the mobs do not deal much more damage than between 1-2, criticals around 3. Now for somebody that has not much more than 25 HP, this is already quite a lot, which is also the reason why it is so hard to start and to survive the first levels. BUT there is one amazing piece of equipment available in the city of Fallhaven (right next to Crossglen to the east), right at the Tailor's shop, the:
Hardened leather shirt!
Yes, this piece of equipment is quite expensive, it will cost you the unimaginable amount of 1,878 GP, but it is well worth the investment. Why? Simply because it offers you one point of damage resistance (aside of 5% block chance)! Translated: It renders you nearly invulnerable towards many of the mobs around the area. Perfect for levelling and grinding purposes!!!
But that shirt ain't all you'll need. Another really important item is, of course, your weapon. And my prime advise here, is to get hold of a
Hardened Iron Longsword, at Audir's in Crossglen. The major advantage of this sword in comparison to your previous axe is that it only requires 5 attack points, opposite to 6 with the axe, while having only 10 AP available at this point in the game. This translates into the amazing advantage of having TWO attacks per fighting round, rather than only one. This means nothing less than DOUBLING your damage capacity.
And the best about it, it comes relatively cheap for only: 416GP, which shouldn't be a problem with regard to your newly gained "Puppy slaying capacities".
But obviously there is still more and it all builds on "Puppy Slaying", ergo money making... now where do we know that from?!? Oh yeah, real life. Me dummy.
Let's make it short. A list of items you should get while reaching level 10:
- Armor: 1.878 GP Hardened Leather Shirt (2BC, 1DR(!)) at Tailor's shop in Fallhaven
- Weapon: 416 GP Hardened Iron Longsword (5AP, 14AC, 2-6AD) at Audir's shop in Crossglen
- --> later switch to 1.642 Sharp Steel Dagger (4AP(!), 24AC(!), 2-4AD) at Ganos in Fallhaven Tavern
- Shield: 260 GP Reinforced Wooden Buckler (-5AC, 7BC) at Audir's shop in Crossglen
- Helmet 29 GP Fine Green Hat (2BC) with Arambold in Crossglen's Inn
- Jewlery: 469 GP Fine Challenger's Ring (12AC, 4BC) with Arambold in Crossglen's Inn
- 255 GP Bar Brawler's Ring (12AC, 0-1AD) with Gruil in Crossglen's Inn
- --> later switch to 361 GP Tavern Brawler's Ring (12AC, 0-3AD) with Ganos in Fallhaven Tavern
- --> alternatively even two Tavern Brawler's Rings, in case you like more damage over defense. I prefer balance.
- Gloves: 109 GP Bar Brawler's Gloves (5AC, 2BC) at Tailor's shop in Fallhaven
- --> later switch to 542 GP Gloves of Better Grip (9AC, 1BC) at Ganos in Fallhaven Tavern
- Boots: 168 GP Snake Skin Boots (6BC) at Tailor's shop in Fallhaven
- --> later switch to Vacor's Boots of Attack (9AC, 2BC)
ADVISE: Get hold of each item as soon as you can afford it, as it makes you stronger the moment you wear it!
In the end, it all breaks down on your puppy slaying capacities, meaning: Being the biggest baddie around. Deal with it... many people don't in daily real life, so you shouldn't virtually, even though it's cruel.
Now once you've gotten hold of all these items, the final grinding area for the next levels will feel easy: Irogotu's Cave, right in front of the western entrance to Fallhaven!
In the cave, you will find an extremely thankful exp-victim: Yellow Cave Ants (28exp). They only deal 1 point damage, which you will be immune to by wearing the hardened leather shirt. And more thankful victims: Young Teeth Critters (24exp) and Teeth Critters (38exp), which normally also only deal 1 point damage. Careful though, the latter can deal critical hits dealing up to 3 damage, which translates into 2 damage points when wearing the shirt.
The only bigger threat in this cave are the minotaurs, they can deliver critical blows of up to 12 points (11 with shirt). But nevertheless, they are great targets (SAVE BEFORE ATTACK!!!), as they grand 64exp (young) and 79exp (strong).
And at the very end of this cave, you can even finally beat Irogotu himself and get hold of your first necklace.
Skill point distribution:
- First (at level 4) - save up until level 5 and spent it on Increasing Fortitude
Second (at level 8) - spend it on what ever you feel like, I recommend Fast Learner, as it improves your level grinding efforts early on
Good start into the game!
