Gorm's ranger home

A ranger home This room is simple, yet has everything its inhabitant needs. There is a big fireplace in the corner, small flames rising from the ashes. The sturdy bed at the wall, a large bookshelf, a simple armchair and a writing stand - everything is plain, the only exception being the collection of different weapons hanging on the wall. There is a large leather-bound book on the writing stand. The ink is fresh and looks like the book has not yet been completed.

You open the book and read....

RANGER NOTES

by Gorm Thunderhand,
a Dúnadan soldier of Fornost,
joined the Rangers 01.11.02

My name is Gorm and I am a Ranger in MUME. The Rangers are supposed to be protectors and guides for innocent folks. In MUME, the degree of following these ideals may vary, but at least some people are doing their best to stand up to the standard. I really hope I can be counted among them.

In this book I am starting to collect some tips and hints which I have found useful during my still short career in MUME. I am not pretending to be an authoritative source of information, but newcomers to MUME may find these pieces of knowledge good to have.

1. Before starting...

It is strongly recommended to study all possible materials. Asking questions that are written down to the FAQs and beginning materials of MUME in-game (especially by narrating) is considered a very poor behaviour. Some research may become very handy later on.

2. How to ask?

Sometimes people forget very basic things like politeness... Also, it is greatly appreciated by the people you ask from if you have already tried to check for solution by yourself. If you take the first step, others will often take the two following ones. :-)

3. What class is best to start with?

It varies, but most of my sources say that either a scout (Elves are a good choice) or a warrior (Dwarves and Men are recommended) - playing a casting character (mage or cleric) involves learning lots of information on specific spells. The advantage of picking a scout is sneaking ability that you may get working from the very beginning - it allows to use sneak/hit/flee (or sneak/shoot/flee) tactic. For warrior the advantage is larger number of hitpoints - you won't be killed so easily. So my advice would be - if you are totally new to MUME, pick a warrior, otherwise the choice is yours. If you want to try a casting character, I would recommend to start with a cleric - mages are quite specific to play and are also weak on low levels. With cleric, it is probably easier to shift on the cleric-warrior axis, stressing one or another component as needed.

4. How to choose a class?

For most beginners, it may be wise to use the pre-configured character setups (available if you answer "no" to the "Are you experienced"-question) - they are mostly guaranteed to work well. As for class choice, it may be a purely personal preference, but I can give you some opinions of mine.

WARRIOR is effective in its simplicity and thus a good class to begin - it is basically a man/woman who fights well and is also able to take heavy hits. There are two main categories (which can be blended of course) for warrior - defensive (buffer) and offensive (hitter). The former is usually employed as group leader, who initiates most fights and takes hits from the enemy - so high hitpoints and ability to parry/dodge is needed (in attributes, it translates to high STR, CON and DEX). His/her ability to hit is usually of secondary importance, as the killing is done by other group members. Hitter, on the contrary, is a warrior whose defense is somewhat sacrificed to ability to inflict heavy damage (in attributes, high STR, CON and WIL, medium DEX). These warriors are best employed as the second line of a group, hitting and bashing behind the buffer. Warriors suit both to team and solo play, most of them favour groups though. As for race, no other Western warrior cannot probably match a well-equipped Dwarf, although Men are good too. Elves can become rather good defensive warriors - while their innate fragility somewhat limits their use as buffers, they can compensate with better nimbleness, being harder to hit. But there are even crazy stories about little Hobbits wielding BIG swords...

SCOUT (some say thief, but I prefer the Light side) is a master of stealth and accuracy. His main ability is to attack unexpectedly and vanish again. Scouts are often used in pure form, using no practices from other classes (this maximises the class effects) but some crosses like warscout (warrior+scout) or sneaky mage (preferred by some Black Númenoréans) also exist. The downside of the class is quite low hitpoint reserve and low encumbrance limit (cannot carry much, so no heavy armour here!) - this makes the character quite fragile. Due to its features, a scout is more or less a solo playing character. In some cases, a grouped scout having expert missile skills can support the group well, there are even stories about buffing scouts (with high dodge, so the enemy cannot hit them). Of races, Hobbits have the best sneaking ability, but in the beginning it would be probably easier to go with an Elf. Men are adequate and Dwarves very poor scouts (although some of them exist).

See also the outdoor guide by Lathron of Lothlorien.

CLERIC is a supportive and defensive spellcaster suitable for a more peaceful-minded player. This does not mean that they cannot pack a punch - a typical MUME cleric is often an able fighter with offensive spells available on higher levels (so resembling the Paladin class in other games; however, pure clerics taking this part from the start need others' assistance). But for the beginning, it would be wise to accept a supporting role in a group - blessing, curing and creating food/water are invaluable help to any group. Later on, with offensive spells available, a cleric can be a successful solo character too. Of races, Elves and especially Half-Elves are natural clerics (also in the roleplay aspect), Men are average as elsewhere. Dwarven clerics are somewhat poorer, but exist in quite large scale, supporting the axe-wielding battalions (to compensate the smaller clerical abilities, a Dwarven battlecleric is usually a good match to most Orcs in fighting abilities).

MAGE (MAGIC USER) is, according to many opinions, the most complicated class in MUME (speaking of the good races suitable for beginners). Typically they are weak and fragile in body, while having formidable magic abilities which can be used both for attack and defense. I would not suggest a mage as one's first character, but if attempted, one should play in groups for quite a few levels, partially fulfilling also clerical roles (food, cure etc). It is possible to solo with even a low-strength mage from the very beginning, but it takes lots of time and effort (sometimes dull work is needed to keep killing one mob on and on). But sooner or later (depending on stats and playing style), mages gradually turn into arguably the most powerful characters in MUME, having a variety of offensive spells, ability to teleport around as well as to identify and enchant items. It probably deserves some special notions:

• First important aim - armour (L3) and shroud (L5) spells - boosts survival a lot
• Second important aim - earthquake, store and lightning bolt (at levels 8-13 depending on practicing order) - turns an useless magic juggler into a dangerous opponent. On the teen levels, stored quakes are a solo mage's best friend - as long as you don't quake sneaking elven hunters or hardened rangers. If you even manage to survive these unfortunate occasions, your alignment suffers a lot.
• Third important aim - teleport (about L15) and hard-hitting offensive spells (colour spray and/or fireball, L13/15). Teleport becomes practically usable at about L18 - earlier tries may land you to unexpected and mostly unwanted places (there was a mage whose first try ended up in an ancient tree...). NB! For teleporting, locate and/or locate life spells are needed - the first one identifies a room to teleport, the other one can be used to teleport to a certain creature or player (these spells do not have to be fully mastered to be effective). Another issue is that many teleporting attempts are followed by a short inactivity period after reaching the destination - so teleporting to a Troll may not be the best possible idea.

Of races, Elves, especially Noldor, are probably the best in playability, although from the roleplay point of view, a human is a better candidate (better match with Tolkien world, but should also be well playable).

An Elven friend, Mithmenel, has recently started his own notebook for mages.

5. Entering Middle-Earth

After creating your character you will arrive to the Halls of Mandos, where all starting members of the good races go (the same place is also visited when your character dies). Now you will have to choose the city you will start you adventures from - Dwarves will generally start at the Blue Mountains, Men at Fornost, Hobbits at Shire and Elves at Grey Havens (NB! Elves also have a chance to start from Rivendell - but this is definitely too dangerous for newcomers as Rivendell is surrounded by the forces of the Dark Lord). For example, if you are an Elf, you should use pray grey havens. Everybody (of the good races) can also start in the Hobbit/Human town of Bree which is a 'middle-of-the-road' choice and allows quicker access to the fronts of the real war - but again, this may be undesirable for newcomers, as the whereabouts of Bree can be dangerous at night.

If you feel adventurous (and are of Elven origin), you can also try to start from Lothlorien, the realm of Queen Galadriel. It is a marvellous place and also quite a safe one for new ones. The problem is that it is cut off from other lands ruled by the forces of good (even more so than Rivendell, although in Lorien the safe areas are larger) - the Misty Mountains and the dreaded Mines of Moria separate it from the Western lands. Although Lorien has good supplies and skilled people to teach new skills, some things will probably come short. Therefore, while it is not life-threatening right away, I would not advise to start from Lothlorien as a total newcomer. Also, if you plan to adventure in a group, it should be reminded that only Elves can freely enter Lothlorien, other races may face some limitations.

6. What to practice on the first level?

First of all, one should decide what to become. In case of an inexperienced player, focusing on a certain profession can help. You can practice what you wish, but there is a rule - the more you practice things alien to your main calling (warrior, scout, cleric or mage), the more it will hurt your primary abilities. Therefore practicing skills/spells from other classes (e.g. learning spells as a warrior, or to parry or dodge as a cleric) should be taken with care. The only exception to the rule are ranger skills (climb, swim, ride etc), which can be freely practiced by anyone without any negative influence.

For the initial practices I have developed a scheme roughly as follows. From ranger guild, you should get 2 sessions of bandage (formerly known as first aid, to bind wounds; later going up to about 50% for fighter classes, casters can leave it lower), 2 swim (depending on char may go up to 80% to allow underwater swimming), 1 wilderness (helps greatly with movement points), 1 climb (add 1-2 climb and some wilderness on the next level; 2 pracs in climb allows to climb most hills in the West), for non-scouts add 2 ride to allow riding mounts (remember to add a bit more later, also good swimming and wilderness skills can be quite universally handy). The rest of points should go to the class-specific things: missile and piercing for scouts, chosen weapon class + parry for warrior (it is also a good idea for a warrior to develop a steady training in endurance - 2 pracs per level), bless/create food/cure light for clerics, mages probably have to reserve lots of prac sessions until at least level 3 (allows to practice armour spell, the next important one at least for a solo mage being shroud spell at L5). 1 session of pick skill should also be a priority on first levels, although not vital (it is a scout skill, so taken right away may interfere with other things). Scouts should acquire working knowledge on sneak at least on level 2 (the 6 pracs offered in Grey Havens are quite sufficient for the beginning) - it makes life a lot easier.

7. What equipment is needed?

Praying for a newbie kit (see MUME help for more information on that) should bring you quite a good starting set. However, there are some simple things that may be looked for to complement the starter kit:

• A forest green cloak (generally known as an "fgc") - an almost universal piece of equipment. Helps with movement regeneration and gives a small fighting bonus. There are some places near cities where it can be found, however it may be easier to search shops and spend your first savings on it. Sometimes may be offered by experienced players, but it should not be counted on.
• A backpack - a container to replace the initial sack. Backpacks are bigger and can be worn on back.
• A water skin - to replace the initial cup. Can be worn on belt. Note: Extremely weak people (e.g. some mages) could use a bottle instead - drinkable water can be found in many places to fill the bottle.
• A pan - allows to cook meat. Can be worn on belt. Almost a must for fighters, optional for casting people.
• A ring (also called an Arda ring - there are many other rings in MUME too) - sold in groceries for pennies, can be found just lying around. Important for just one thing - it prevents evil mages from summoning the wearer into bad places.

Some more nice things, which are not so mandatory:

• A set of lockpicks - allows to open many doors with just 1 prac in pick skill. Can be bought in the Blue Mountains (but in the closed area only accessible for Dwarves!) and worn either on belt or on wrist (this one needs a keyring sold in Fornost).
• Snowshoes - non-elves have a hard time with moving in snow, snowshoes help a lot. Sold in the Blue Mountains open area.
• A stone - a small hard stone for sharpening your weapon if it wears out. Unlike clothing and armour which retain their protective qualities when worn out, edged weapons (axes and swords) lose a part of their efficiency when dulled. Therefore it is important to keep them top-notch. Wear the stone on belt, wield the weapon (careful when in city - if not citizen) and 'whet'. Whetting is tiresome (takes movement points). Whetstones are found in a number of places over Arda, however most people are willing to lend you one (although also the stones wear out).
• A wolfskin wristband - rumoured to bring luck in dangerous situations (some say it's a hoax though).

8. What weapon class to use?

Again it varies, but some general directions can be given.

DEFENSIVE WARRIORS typically use slashing weapons (one-handed swords like long- or broadsword). Some also use stabbing (spear-type) weapons.

OFFENSIVE WARRIORS are mostly using either concussion (maces, hammers, mattocks) or two-handed weapons (two-handed and warsword, heavy warhammers). Sometimes dual classes are practiced (like an offensive warrior, who uses broadsword while protecting his groupmates). Axe-like, or cleaving weapons have quite a balanced offense/defense rate, therefore they are usable for both kinds of warriors - axes are especially common among Dwarves. One more consideration in choosing a weapon class is the kind of prospective enemies - concussion weapons are good against heavily armoured foes, while axes and swords are effective against lightly armoured or unarmoured adversaries.

SCOUTS are mostly dual-weapon class, using piercing (dagger-like) and missile (mostly bows, as crossbows are quite cumbersome) weapons. The combination of piercing weapon and sneak results in one of the most deadly weapons in the game - backstab attack. A common practice for higher level scouts is to start with a backstab attempt with dagger, after which the weapon is switched to bow for greater damage.

CLERICS mostly use slashing weapons for effective parrying (being supportive characters with main emphasis on magic), but some warrior clerics also employ more offensive (concussion or two-handed) weapons. Physically weaker individuals may use piercing weapons, sometimes a bow is used by clerics too.

MAGES only need physical weapon for blocking or on the rare occasions they cannot use magic (out of mana). Therefore a majority of mages use piercing and/or bows (hardcore mental types with strength of 8-9 have to give up bows though). Physically stronger mages have been known to use slashing weapons for better parrying ability (so they can launch a devastating magical counterattack with lightning bolts or fireballs).

Some weapons suitable (and available) for beginners:

• SLASHING - longsword (good attack, low defense - good for offensive warrior), broadsword (average attack, good defense - good for defensive warrior or a stronger cleric/mage), bastard sword (wieldable both one- and two-handed, good damage, but slower and quite heavy);
• PIERCING - nasty orkish fang (good for backstab, good attack, low defense - suitable for scouts), shiny dagger (a little weaker than fang), double-edged eket (average attack, good defense - good for a weaker cleric or a mage);
• MISSILE - longbow (decent damage, slow, heavy), yew longbow (obtained from the Trapper's quest, good damage, faster and lighter), orkish shortbow (fast, but low damage). For arrows, war arrows from Fornost are perhaps the best bet for a beginner, as ash arrows sold in Rivendell are usually outside the new traveller's reach.
• CONCUSSION - mace (decent damage, average speed), warhammer (better damage, but slower), morningstar and large warhammer (slow but good damage), steel-shafted mattock (wieldable both one- and two-handed, slow, good damage);
• TWO-HANDED - halberd (decent damage, decent defense), two-handed and bastard sword (good damage, low defense), steel-shafted mattock (very good damage, low defense, slow), heavy morningstar and heavy warhammer (good damage, low defense, slow).

It is also advised that all weapons are subjected to a magical enchantment that can be done by higher-level mages - this will improve their quality. Enchantment is one time and permanent; some weapons cannot be enchanted.

9. When to whack and when to run - moods and fleeing

Young travellers have much to learn yet. There are potential foes even quite near the cities which can kill a young one with a single strong hit. Therefore it is indeed wise to learn when to fight and when not. Fleeing from an unequal fight is not wimpy, rather it is wise (so, remember your flee command!).

First of all - there is change wimpy command. It determines when you will try to leave the fight (technically, if you have 25 health points, setting wimpy to 15 will probably allow you to get away alive from many dangerous encounters).

Then there are fighting moods. Some people prefer to focus on defending themselves while others strive to destroy the foe quickly. This is regulated by change mood command (technically, on wimpy you mostly defend but hardly hit, while on aggressive it is the other way round). If you seek deeper knowledge, use 'help moods' while in MUME or consult the writings on MUME page.

If you see a message "You feel a strong ache there!" during a fight, you have received a wound. While light wounds can be just a nuisance, they can worsen if left untreated. Serious and critical wounds, if not bound as soon as possible, may well kill a young adventurer in a short time. If the wound received was deep or worse, it is advisable to leave the fight as soon as possible, retreat some and use your bandage skill (you did learn it right at the beginning, didn't you?) to bind the wound. Depending on your skill, you may have to rebind the wound later as the binding may come loose. Be also advised that having a wound (even if it is bound up) reduces your fighting abilities somewhat.

Finally, lurk before you leap. This means, scout before you enter - scout command lets you peek into the next room without running straight into the jaws of that huge black wolf. So use it.

10. What about these herblore quests?

It seems good to visit Nordri, the Dwarven jeweller in the Blue Mountains, as a young adventurer - it takes some area knowledge not to run into wolves though, so I would not advise it for a complete newcomer. Nordri will want you to do him some favour by retrieving some items (and he considers your age and experience - young people will get easier things to bring) and teach you something useful in return when you help him.

The old Elven sage, Aldereon, living in an Elven village halfway to Greenholm will need a courier. After working for him for some time (again, young people will have to toil less) he will reward you by something which may be very handy in long travels. As the courier work often includes traversing the Gulf of Lhún, it is better to travel before reaching Level 6 when Daegil (the ferryman) starts to demand money for his service. The only thing to be careful with: the wolves on the road, especially the rabid grey ones. For scouts, sneak helps, for others I would recommend to use a mount (horse or pony).

Stories tell about a sad giant wandering Shire sometimes. If you find him, comfort him and help him find the things he is looking for, he will teach you a very useful skill. As with the previous quests, the giant demands more from experienced people - so the younger the applicant is, the easier it will be to learn.

There are some other quests available too which give some other awards than herblore. Yet one more quest for lowlevels is finding the shopkeeper's daughter in Shire (lots of sources describe the quests, so I won't do it here). The Bree weaponsmith quest is a bit hard for a solo player, but can be done with the help of some friends. In the Blue Mountains, Vig's quest for young Dwarves (to chop some wood in the dense forest) can be dangerous due to some bloodthirsty creatures living there. However, it may be better to search on the northern side of Nan Duin - it may be safer there.

Finally, the Forlond trapper living in a hut near the gate is fond of hunting stories and trophies. If you aid him to get what he wants, he will also reward you. This quest is good mostly for young scouts, but mages and clerics may find it useful too.

11. Citizenship issues

In general, it pays to become a citizen in town - it results in enhanced rights (e.g. to wield a weapon or cast spells) and also lower prices in shops. Two Human towns (Bree and Fornost) take money for the citizenship (well, there is one more, but about that later). The sum is your level in gold, so - if possible, try to find some unbutchered corpses or leftover weapons and by selling hides/furs and weapons gather the 1 gold for each city before you start wandering farther (New Elves settling to Grey Havens should also consider a trip to Bree and Fornost, although for them it is quite dangerous).

Two Elven towns (Grey Havens and Rivendell) have a strict code of morality, accepting only good characters. Elves and Half-Elves should have no problem in each, while Dwarves must display some good works (e.g. slaying undead) before getting citizenship (technically speaking, they start with lower alignment). For beginners, Rivendell is too hazardous a place, so they could postpone going there till they get some more levels (and hopefully raise alignment by slaying evil creatures).

The inhabitants of Shire do not trust strangers very much, neither do the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains. Non-hobbits may become citizen of Shire only by helping the hobbits to fight their biggest threat in winter - the large pack of marauding wolves. For those strong heroes capable of defeating the beasts they may grant citizenship. In general hobbits do not mind strangers in arms, but they are extremely sensitive towards all kinds of magic - so don't use it there.

The Dwarven city in the Blue Mountains bars foreigners from the bigger underground part of their city and bans all weaponry from non-citizens. Dwarves are not afraid of magical arts, so friendly visitors are allowed to use their spells there. It is almost impossible for non-Dwarves to receive citizenship - only heroes helping in catching a dangerous outlaw may hope to get it.

The human city of Tharbad has been overwhelmed by evil and greedy men. For any good person lower than L15 they cash 100 gold for citizenship, even more from higher levels. There is no weapon ban for non-citizens in Tharbad, so there are not so many reasons to pay such a price. However it may help when confronting an evil Black Númenoréan who is NOT a citizen (but in Tharbad, they can become citizens in equal terms with good people!), guards may come to your help.

Another warning on Tharbad - if you commit a crime in any city, guards order you to follow them. While everywhere else it is recommended to obey (you'll be jailed for certain period), in Tharbad you should not - better risk possible death by guards than be murdered in jail (it is a death trap).

12. Places to avoid at low levels

I am not going to give exact locations, but rather point out some general directions about places which I deem unsuitable for young travellers.

I would not advise leaving the city through the western gate. The old ruined city is not friendly, especially at night when *Orcs* and *Trolls* are not so rare sight around Fornost. Evil Black Númenoréans may be encountered all the day round, though they are not so common in the area. But generally, if one of them is brave enough to reach there, it is most likely a hardened killer giving no chance to a newcomer. While these creatures can be met anywhere around the city at night, the old city is remarkably more dangerous.

When moving south along the Road, there are still dangers around, but they decrease towards Bree. Try to keep out of the dark forest north of Bree as well as the marshes which start a bit farther east.

It is possible for a new traveller to wander around Bree, but I would recommend to limit these trips with daytime - nights may bring danger around Bree. South of Bree is relatively peaceful, but do not wander very far away along the road - rumour speaks of a band of cut-throats demanding money from travellers on Greenway. East of Bree where the Great East Road leads towards the Misty Mountains, is a wilderness with many dangers for the inexperienced - if one decides to stay around Bree, I would suggest not to wander East.

On your way west from Bree, try not to stumble into the Old Forest south of the road. It is not so easy to get out of there - fortunately there are tales of a mysterious creature coming to help the lost ones.

Shire and the Hobbit-land is perhaps the safest place to start. The only real threat is the wolfpack which roams the lands during winter months. If you see lots of corpses (Bounders and Shirriffs included), turn around and run! Fortunately, more than often, the pack makes a lot of noise which can warn you from some distance.

Other than that, staying inside Shire should put you into no trouble. Keep away from the Old Forest in the east, also the Far Downs northwest of Michel Delving may be dangerous. When travelling west of Greenholm, better stay on the road - the wildlife in the groves may be aggressive. And there is a single very dangerous place in the southern Shire where you can get drowned in the mud - but it is possible to get out there if one is quick enough.

Grey Havens offers good places to explore with relatively little threats. When leaving Harlond gate, it is better to remain south of the road in the beginning. In the north, Tower Hills with lots of water may be too demanding on swimming and climbing skills of a newcomer. In addition the path leading north from the gate will have some dangerous wildlife plus a hidden place with a very dangerous enemy.

On Forlond side, it is generally safe to explore quite far from the gate. If one swims well, it is advisable to visit the pastures over the River Farnen too. Farther north may be dangerous, so new adventurers should keep south of the trapper's hut (actually, one can travel farther north, but keep away from forests and highland, staying on the grasslands). There is another hidden underground place which should not be opened without good protection available.

Blue Mountains, the Dwarven homes, have relatively safe areas south of them, while eastern forests should be avoided. It could be reasonable to move towards the Grey Havens at first if one travels alone (try to stay on the worn trail when moving to that direction - turn south at the rolling trail).

Young dwarves and other new adventurers visiting the Blue Mountains should keep away from Theddin's Mines in the very city. These tunnels are home for some very dangerous creatures.

...the writing ends here. However, the writer will be back and go on with his work...

Last Changes: Dec 24, 2011