Berserkers and Barbarians

Guide to Training

While all fighters in the guild are allowed to join the barbarians' subguild, this training schedule will be directed toward the fighters class known at the Berserkers. The following passages will detail the preferred training schedule for barbarians. This training schedule reflects input from several of the most respected barbarians within the lands. Have fun and good luck!

Combat Modes
Berserk: This is the combat mode that will allow you to attack with greater power against creatures. While you are in berserk you will find that your offensive ability is greatly increased, while your defensive ability is reduced down to highly counterproductive. Even so, Berserk is still the preferred fighting mode for Berserkers and most fighters.

The following skills should be learned by all Berserkers planning on joining the barbarians subguild one-day. They have been listed in order of importance.

Offensive Skills
Two-handed Weapons:
Use of weapons which require two hands like two-handed swords, storm swords, war axes, etc. The higher the skill, the shorter your unbalanced time between striking blows and the higher the damage is inflicted with each blow. Physical Training: This skill represents your body conditioning. The higher this skill is, the more hit points you gain per level and the faster you recover lost hit points when resting. These two skills are of such importance, that they should be learned as soon as possible to the highest level possible.
Warcraft:
This skill represents your ability to find a weakness in the creature's defense or armor. The higher this skill, the more damage you will inflict when landing a blow. This ability is automatic whenever successfully striking a creature. Multiple Attacks: As this skill increases, you have a higher chance of a successful attack being instantly followed up by another successful attack. Thus, if you attack a creature and hit, and your multiple attack check is successful, you will instantly strike the creature again. The old saying "A good offense makes the best defense", is the best motto for a barbarian.

Defensive Skills
Toughness:
This skill allows you to absorb damage received from creatures. A high toughness skill acts as a modifier, increasing your armour class. Note: This skill does not reduce your chances to be hit, just the damage you take when hit.
Resilience:
This skill increases your resistance to all forms of physical attack (poisons, cold, heat, etc. ). This skill also reduces the length of time stunned, held, sleeping, etc. The higher this skill, the less damage you will take from elemental types.
Spell Resistance:
While resilience reduces the damage taken when hit by a spell, spell resistance helps prevent being hit at all, by the spell. Thus, a higher spell resistance skill gives you a higher chance of not being effected at all by the spell. The resilience and spell resistance skills work together to protect you from the effects of spells. Learn resilience first, so you can reduce the damage from the spells that your resistance does not stop. You want to learn the above skills to the maximum available, in the order listed each time you enter another guild portal. These skills make up the core of your training.

Additional
Riding:
This skill provides you with the ability to ride the various mounts that exist within Cosrin. Some mounts require a higher skill level than others. (ex: mammoth in subguild) The higher your skill level the more damage you will do when charging a creature. When charging a creature you do not have to advance a creature. A charge has a greater chance of hitting and will do more damage, but requires more time to recover before your next attack. NOTE: Learning more of this will not significantly cut down on your unbalance time.
Spiritual Karma:
This skill represents your mental and spiritual awareness. The higher this skill is, the more spell points you gain per level (which comes in handy once your spell points are channeled to hit points) and the faster you recover lost spell points when resting. The skill costs quite a few build points but is definitely worth it.

More Offensive Skills
Called Shot:
Available at guildlevel 13 portal, this skill is used in conjunction with the aim command. It allows you to take extra time and care with a blow, to attempt to land a very damaging strike. When you wish to use this skill, use the AIM command instead of the attack command. Due to the additional unbalance time, it is not worth your while to learn this skill prior to guildlevel 13. At this level you can afford the extra second that it takes to aim, and the additional damage done makes this skill worth learning. Be warned, aiming to land that perfect blow, will mean missing the occasional strike, but it is still worth learning for the extra damage done when you do strike the creature.
Stunning Blow:
Available at guildlevel 20 portal, this skill represents your ability to strike creatures in such a way as to cause them to be stunned or incapacitated. Whenever you strike a creature, your stunning blow chance is compared with the skill level of the creature. If you succeed, the creature will be stunned or incapacitated for a varying length of time.

More Defensive Skills
Dodging:
This skill increases your chances of evading an attack from a creature. Thus, a high dodging skill will mean creatures miss you more often.

A Few Final Skills
There are many other skills that you may want to learn. I want to stress, how scarce build points are and how important it is to spend them wisely. Think hard before spending them on skills other than your fighting skills. With that stated, here are some skills that you may be considering.
Awareness:
The awareness skill represents your perception of your surroundings. The higher this skill, the greater the probability that you will find secret doors and hidden people when using the SEARCH command and find traps when using the EXAMINE command. This skill is good to learn to novice.
Barter:
The barter skill determines how much you pay for items that you buy and what price you get for the items that you sell. A player with a high barter skill will pay less to purchase items and will make more money when selling items. This is a good skill to learn to novice.
Weaponsmithing and Armorer:
These skills let you better judge an items value when you examine it. Armorer helps you determine a piece of armorer's value, and Weaponsmithing helps determine a weapons value. These skills can also be used to manufacture weapons or armor. Try to avoid the temptation to learn this skill early, use your buildpoints on something more useful.

Conclusion
This is meant as a guide for those who want to become advanced fighters in the Barbarians subguild. You are of course, free to choose your own path in the lands of Cosrin. No matter where your chosen path leads you, we wish you the best of luck in all your adventures. If you have any additional questions or problems, feel free to contact one of the guild mentors, they are there to assist you.