========================================
C O M P L E M E N T A R Y F A Q S
Champions of Norrath: Realm of EverQuest
========================================
Version: 1.0
Main Author: maltzsan (
[email protected])
Co-authors: Many patrons of Gamefaqs.com
================================================
Table of Contents
================================================
0. Intro
1. CoN FAQs - Is this game for me?
1.1 General Aspects
1.2 Online Aspects
2. Character FAQs
2.1 Class
2.2 Attribute
2.3 Skill
3. Plot FAQs - What do I do next?
3.1 Act I
3.2 Act II
3.3 Act III
3.4 Act IV
3.5 Act V
4. Enemy FAQs - How do I beat X?
4.1 Act I
4.2 Act II
4.3 Act III
4.4 Act IV
4.5 Act V
5. Miscellaneous FAQs
5.1 Glitches
5.2 Battles
5.3 Equipments
5.4 Others
================================================
Intro
================================================
Hello, everyone.
This "Complementary FAQ" is not a thick manual of everything, but rather
a collective trouble-shooters of Champions of Norrath: Realm of
EverQuest (referred to as CoN later). If you have a question about CoN
that isn't explained by the manual or other sources, or you would like
to expand your knowledge of CoN to a higher level, you have come to
the right place.
I would like to thank many users on the official forum and especially
the gamefaqs, for their generous knowledge sharing. Sorry I couldn't
list every single, honorable ID - but you still have my heartily thanks.
Personally, I have used a warrior, ranger, cleric and wizard from lv
1-50 through all 3 difficulties, plus about 1/2 of that with a shadow
knight. I also have about 20+ hours multiplayer (both online and offline)
experiences. Indeed, I am not really a veteran player; therefore, this
FAQ was, and will be always open for contributions. Please correct me
if my information is incorrect or incomplete. You will be properly
credited on revisions of this FAQ. If you wish to use any information
in this FAQ elsewhere, please feel free, and kindly refer to this FAQ
as your source of information.
Just in case you don't know: in any browser, you can easily do a keyword
search by pressing ¡§Ctrl + F¡¨. Hope you find what you want here!
maltzsan
May 1, 2005
================================================
1. CoN FAQs
Is this game for me?
================================================
---------------------------------
1.1 General Aspects
---------------------------------
Q: Should I get CoN, or the sequel Champions: Return to Arms?
-------------------------------------------------------------
A: They are very similar games. CoN costs less and is easier. In RtA
there are 2 new classes and 30 extra levels to pursue.
Q: Is CoN as good as the PS2 Baldur's Gate series?
--------------------------------------------------
A: Definitely. The consensus says CoN is the best game in the genre
(action, hack and slash RPG) so far.
Q: Should I get CoN, if I already have RtA?
-------------------------------------------
A: They are very similar games. CoN costs less and is easier, so it
is up to you.
Q: I heard there are a lot of glitches in CoN. Big deal?
--------------------------------------------------------
A: Potentially, yes. However, most glitches can be prevented by proper
knowledge. Please refer to section 5.1.
In some cases, the ¡§glitches¡¨ are actually functional game aspects,
just the users do not understand the rules behind. Perhaps some don't
read the manual; perhaps the manual does not explain anything. Hopefully,
this FAQ clarify most of the troubles.
Q: Does the game freeze badly?
------------------------------
A: Many players have experienced freezing. Some remedy the problem by
ejecting the disc, put it back in the PS2, and wait for the reload.
In my case, through 100+ hours of gameplay, my CoN crashed twice while
loading, but I couldn¡¦t recover using the above method.
Q: I hate complicated RPG. Is CoN hard to learn?
------------------------------------------------
A: Not at all. CoN is more of an action game than an RPG. Enjoy the
hack and slash!
Q: How long does it take to finish the game?
--------------------------------------------
A: For the first run from Act 1-5, it approximately take 20+ hours.
10-15 hours if you are already experienced, and are willing to skip
optional areas/enemies.
Q: Does the game support multi-player?
--------------------------------------
A: Yes. Up to 4 players, both online and offline.
Q: I wish to know more about the game. Where should I go?
---------------------------------------------------------
A: The offical site.
http://championsofnorrath.station.sony.com
---------------------------------
1.2 Online Aspects
---------------------------------
Q: Is CoN free online?
----------------------
A: Yes.
Q: How many people are playing CoN online?
------------------------------------------
A: At the time of this FAQ, there are about 10 people in the lobby
everytime I log in. I have no trouble finding teammates if I host a
game, but I usually can't find a game suitable for my character to join.
Q: How does the online mode work?
---------------------------------
A: CoN is not the "EverQuest" type of online game, where many, many
people wander around and chat. The online mode of CoN is more like a
hosted single-player game, where a few guests join in to advance the
rather-linear plot together.
Q: Is the online mode fun?
--------------------------
A: Definitely, especially when you get good teammates. However, since
the game is not very new, quality online games are usually pre-arranged
through popular forums such as the Gamefaqs and SONY's official CoN
forum.
http://championsofnorrath.station.sony.com/
Q: Can I go online with 2 players sharing the same PS2?
-------------------------------------------------------
A: Nope. Only one player goes online.
Q: Is there a way to chat in the lobby?
---------------------------------------
A: Unfortunately, no.
Q: What do I need to play online?
---------------------------------
A: Just the PS2 network adaptor. You can buy the PS2 network adaptor
from any store that sells PS2 console. The new, slim PS2 console comes
with a built-in network adaptor.
A broad-band network speed is recommended. I don't know whether dial-up
will work.
Q: I cannot setup a PS2 network.
--------------------------------
A: You might want to contact Sony directly. Their customer support is
on even over the weekend.
1-800-345-SONY (7669)
Monday through Saturday, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM PST
Sunday 7:00 AM - 6:30 PM PST
Q: Is this game newbie friendly?
--------------------------------
A: It really depends on your teammate and your attitude. Since this
game is very easy to learn, probably nobody will notice you are a newbie.
Q: How do I communicate online?
-------------------------------
A: With a PS2 USB headset or USB keyboard. I heard that any USB keyboard
will work. It is also possible to communicate through other means, such
as MSN messenger.
Q: I see Lv 50+ characters in CoN online, not RtA. How?
-------------------------------------------------------
A: I have no idea. Perhaps by a gameshark code?
Q: Why are people saying "..." over their head?
-----------------------------------------------
A: They are just busy in the menu, or are saving their games. When you
press "select", the others will also see "..." on your head.
Q: What happens when I die online?
----------------------------------
A: Your partner can walk to a save point and you can be revived
automatically. If the entire party is killed, then similar to an offline
game, all players will start over from the latest save check point.
Q: Any special regulations (such as cheating) for online plays?
---------------------------------------------------------------
A: CoN is pretty loose on cheating control. While people generally
despise cheaters, it is upon negociation with your partner.
Q: Any other rules different from single player offline games?
--------------------------------------------------------------
A: Time is never paused in online sessions. You can be attacked when
you are accessing your menu, or saving your game.
================================================
2. Character FAQs
================================================
---------------------------------
2.1 Class
Warrior, Ranger, Cleric, Wizard & Shadow Knight
---------------------------------
Q: Hello, I am a newbie. Which class is the best for newbies?
-------------------------------------------------------------
A: Same as all other RPGS, the (barbarian) warrior is the simplest.
Yet since the game is rather simple, none of the classes are too hard
for a newbie.
Q: Which class is the most powerful?
------------------------------------
A: The consensus is the barbarian warrior. The ranger also delivers
great damages. The wizard is powerful in tight dungeons, facing swarms
of enemies, but a little inefficient on bosses.
Q: Which class is the weakest?
------------------------------
A: The consensus is the shadow knight, who is a jack of all trades.
All small wizards are very weak. Wizards during boss fights might also
feel powerless due to their low damage output rate. Nothing to worry,
with a little patience and knowledge (by reading the enemy FAQs, section
4), you can solo through the most difficult level with any class.
Q: Which class combination is good for multi-player game?
---------------------------------------------------------
A: A poor MP game happens when someone feels left-out, under-powered,
and therefore useless. It happens frequently with the wizard users.
Most MP games take place in low levels, where wizard struggles more
than other classes with its low damage output and HP. Also, a wizard
works rather independent of equipment. Wizard's feeling of uselessness
is especially strong when accompanied by warriors or rangers with nice
equipment. If the warrior and ranger owns crappy equipment, then the
game should be more balanced.
All other combinations should work well. Wizard-wizard might be very
interesting and skill-dependent.
Q: Is there any unlockable character?
-------------------------------------
A: I have never heard of any.
---------------------------------
2.2 Attribute
Strength, Intelligence, Dexerity, Stamina
---------------------------------
Q: Where should I put my attribute points? I am a (class name).
---------------------------------------------------------------
A: So far, the consensus is:
Barbarian, Cleric, Shadow Knight: All into STR
Ranger: All into DEX
Wizard: All into INT
Feel free to distribute your points otherwise. They only make a
difference at very low levels. Practically, your choice in attributes
only affects 10% of your total damage, HP, mana, and neglectable HP/mana
regeneration rate.
Even if you completely screw up and invest every single point in some
useless attributes (such as a wizard put all points in DEX), you will
still be fine.
Q: What does each attribute do exactly?
---------------------------------------
A:
[Strength]
Melee Damage: 0.25 point*/point STR
Carrying Capacity: 1 pound/point STR
Attack accuracy: 0.25 point/point STR
*before applying weapon proficiency (slash/blunt) bonus
[Dexerity]
Bow Damage: 0.25 point*/point DEX
Defense: 0.5 point/point DEX
*before applying weapon proficiency (archery) bonus
[Stamina]
HP: 0.5 point/point STA
HP regeneration: 0.01 point per second*/point STA
*estimated
[Intelligence]
Mana: 0.5 point/point INT
Mana regeneration: 0.01 point per second*/point INT
*estimated
Note 1: Decimals will be round off. 9.99 is still 9.
Note 2: Levels play a much higher factor in attack accuracy, HP, mana
amounts and regenerations.
Q: Why not putting points in Dexterity in non-ranger classes?
-------------------------------------------------------------
A: The manual says dexterity affects the character's chance to
physically hit the enemy.
Actually, in-game tests indicated that DEX has nothing to do with your
chance to hit the enemy, physical or magical, blade or bow.
On the other hand, level plays a huge factor. Weapons also matter. The
only attribute that is included in the formula is STR, which only makes
a small difference in physical attack accuracy (both melee and ranged).
Here is the equation for physical attack accuracy "attack":
ATTACK = STR/4 + 20*Lv + weapon attack bonus
You can find this ATTACK value in your character's stats page, just
above the damage range.
Q: Why not putting some points in Stamina / Intelligence?
---------------------------------------------------------
A: For every point in STA you get 1/2 point of HP (same for INT in mana,
omitted below). They really make little difference. Even if you put
every single possible point into STA (20+49*3=167), you only get 83
extra HP at lv 50, where your HP should be in the 500s-900s range,
depending on class.
The HP regeneration bonus offered by extra stamina is also insignificant.
Level plays a much larger effect in HP/mana regeneration rate. The
formulat isn't clear at this moment, but it is likely that the level
carries a "square" (^2 effect) while stamina does not. At level 50,
your level along might be equivalent to 2500 STA points in terms of
HP regeneration.
* Please note that there is a bug in the CoN sequel, Return to Arms.
HP and mana bonus stones won't work there at all. If you are planning
to transfer your character to the sequel, remember to prepare another
set of armor that does not contain the HP/mana bonus.
Q: There is a cheat that gives you 395 attribute points at lv 1. Can
you make it 400?
------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
A: Yes. If you spend 15 points in the second player, and then press
"circle" 3 times to go back to the first player, you will then only
have 5 points to spend.
Q: There is a cheat of instant lv 20. But will I miss the attribute
points?
------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
A: Yes. You miss all of the points offered between your level and lv
20. However, if you are already over level 20, the points you gained
past lv 20 stay yours, which is a good thing.
---------------------------------
2.3 Skill
---------------------------------
Q: Which skills are good for X class?
-------------------------------------
A: Different users have different preferences. My personal favorites
are: (listed by priority)
[Barbarian Warrior]
= 1. Blunt OR Slash Weapons =
The obvious first priority. Develop one of them thoroughly.
= 2. Critical Hit =
Most users put Critical Hit the all-time best skill in CoN. They are
serious. In champion mode, you can afford to leave the aura on forever.
= 3. Bind Wound =
As a warrior, you will be meleeing a whole lot. Faster HP recovery means
you can clean an area very fast, and constantly stay put at the front
line, cashing in experience points like mad. However, bind wound does
not making a large difference during boss fights, because the boss
usually dies way before your HP recovers.
= 4. Ancestral Call =
The only use of this spell is a boss fight, casted right before
confronting the boss. The stun time is quite long, so cast it when you
are in a safe area - don't be mauled while calling your grand daddy!
= 5. Slam =
Only useful during boss fights. Great when Critical Hit & Ancestral
Call is active. Insanely boost the damage of one single hit (2 hits
if duel wield). Most bosses won't survive a few ultra-Slams! (Remember
to quaff mana potion to slam again.)
= 6. Duel Wield =
You get another 3 free slots to socket great elements - slow your
opponents down by ice, poison, disease, you name it. Also, a Godly speed
weapon won't cause you any trouble in duel wield. Plus it looks really
cool to hold two different colors!
[Wood Elf Ranger]
= 1. Critical Hit =
Still, all-time best skill in CoN.
= 2. Cold Arrows =
The only big trouble a ranger has is a blocking enemy, and cold arrow
solves just that. Cold arrow is the all-purpose block breaker, plus
they slow them down, bosses included! Be generous with a generous string
of cold arrows, and happily drink your mana potion.
= 3. Regeneration =
Faster mana regeneration = more specialty arrows = less mana potion
needed to carry = less traveling back to the shop.
= 4. Poison Arrows =
Perfect crowd control spell. Superb against biological-type enemies.
The giant poison cloud stuns all of them for good. They can never reach
you.
= 5. Entangle =
A potential life saver - just in case too many enemies rush you at the
same time. However, you might want to run to the side first...
Note: I don't recommend slash/blunt weapons & duel wield for rangers,
because: 1) Have you seen Legolas using anything else than his bow in
LoTR trilogy? Nope. You are always able to kill all enemies before they
reach your blade, and even if they do, they will die at your next shot
2) even if you are wearing a bow, the gem sockets on your shield still
works.
[High Elf Cleric]
= 1. Blunt Weapon =
Believe or not, cleric melees even more than barbarians, because they
can't use bows. Definitely max blunt weapon as soon as possible.
= 2. Blinding Light =
The all-time best spell in CoN. The blinding effect confuses everything
except the final boss (yet still damages it while you are yards away.)
All you need to worry is to face the direction of your target when casting
it.
= 3. Blessed =
Quick mana regeneration, means more blinding lights! "Blessed" should
be turned on at all times.
= 4. Magical Hammer =
A loyal blue pet over your head, sometimes a useful life-saver. I love
to see them kill fake-dying ghouls.
= 5. Holy Armor =
Very useful for close-distance melee. The skill makes you die much slower,
because many of your damages are distributed to mana loss. However,
you can easily avoid getting hurt by repeated blinding light.
= 6. Repulse Undead =
Very powerful undead nuke, but blinding light is much more versatile
and not necessarily less powerful.
[Erudite Wizard]
= 1. Concentration =
Wizard is all about mana. Quick mana regeneration is the basis of easy
victories. Combined with as many as mana regenration stones you can
find, your wizard becomes a spell casting machine gun.
= 2. Frost storm =
The best spell for wizard. The storm are cheap and big, and needs little
effort targeting. It travels far, and can be stacked upon each other.
The spell rules except for a little portion of Act 3 (the Frozen Sea).
= 3. Fire Flares =
Fire balls circulate the caster. A useful life-saver.
= 4. Bind Wound =
You shouldn't get hurt as a wizard, but shit happens from time to time.
With some bind wound skills, you don't have to carry a lot of HP potions,
giving you extra capacity for loots.
= 5. Blunt Weapon =
Another common wizard nuisance is you run low on mana potions, and are
too lazy to restock. You want to carry more loots, so you won't go back
empty-handed, and get laughed by the shop boss. Time for some real action,
right? You will be surprised at how good you are at melee.
All other spells are optional.
[Dark Elf Shadow Knight]
= 1. Blunt OR Slash Weapons =
Just put points in one of them. Later on, you will have enough points
to invest in both, if you insist.
= 2. Engulfing Darkness =
Generally regarded as the best spell of SKs. It confuses enemies, so
you can run up and melee. Similar to clerics' blinding light, but
slightly inferior. Doh!
= 3. Summon Skeleton =
One pet at a time. The skeleton acts on itself and tries to destroy
any hostile targets. Distracts the enemies, thus a useful life-saver
in tough situations. Keep them up all the time. They won't diverge any
experience from you in a single-player mode.
= 4. Bind Wounds =
You will end up meleeing quite often, because your spells/arrows aren't
powerful enough.
The other skills are optional.
Also, put some, if not many, many points in "endurance" if you hate
to miss loots.
Note that Bind wounds / Blessed / Regeneration / Concentration ***
multiply *** with HP or mana regen stone sockets.
Another important thing is that CoN gives very few points at early levels,
so you really want to spend skill points wisely early on. Try to
concentrate on a few skills to develop them to maximum, then use them
frequently. If you stick with my top 3 skills listed above, you should
be in top condition during the adventuous mode. If you stick with my
top 5 skills listed above, you are fine all the way to lv 50.
Q: How about X skill? Is it good?
---------------------------------
A: CoN is not a very difficult game, so feel free to spend your skill
points otherwise. Most skills are not too shoddy at a high level. You
can also refer to various forums and class FAQs for more discussions
on different skills.
Q: How many skill points do I get at each level?
------------------------------------------------
A:
Lv 02-06 --- 1 point per level
Lv 07-16 --- 2
Lv 17-26 --- 3
Lv 27-36 --- 4
Lv 37-50 --- 5
Total --- 165 points.
Q: Some FAQs say I should get 6 skill points starting lv 47...
--------------------------------------------------------------
A: But you get only 5 skill points, right? Me too.
Q: Do I have to be at least lv 20 to start the courageous mode?
---------------------------------------------------------------
A: Nope, it just a recommendation. Actually, after beating the
courageous mode once, you can import lv 1 character to play champion
mode if you want.
Q: How many skills can I max afetr all?
---------------------------------------
A: 165 = 8*20 + 5. You can max 8 skills at lv 50. However, if you stick
through the acts, you can only be proficient at 2-3 skills by the end
of the adventurous mode, and 4-5 by the end of the courageous mode --
not that many, actually.
================================================
3. Plot FAQs
What do I do next?
================================================
---------------------------------
3.1 Plot FAQs - Act I
---------------------------------
Q: I am lost! I wish I had a map... Where is this "R3" button for automap?
------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
A: It is your right analog stick. Press it instead of rotating it. Press
it again to shrink it. Press it once more to hide it.
Q: I don't want to walk back everytime... What are gate scrolls?
----------------------------------------------------------------
A: When you recite a gate scroll, you are brought back to the shop.
After you've done shopping, you can actually use the gate scroll AGAIN
to be teleported back to the EXACT SPOT where you recite the gate scroll
earlier, and it does not cost you an extra scroll. Every gate scroll
is a "two-way ticket".
Note the game remembers only one gate-back spot. You will erase the
previous gate spot after you have a new spot.
Also, the gate scroll treats "the area where the shop is" as an entity.
If you gate anywhere within this area, it will take you back to your
previous gate location (such as a dungeon), while not returning you
to the shop, because you were already in the shop area.
It is also important to note that many of the game glitches are associated
with gate scrolls, because they allow you to leave places that have
no return, or to skip locations where key quest events take place. A
safe way to avoid all of these glitches is to "always gate back to the
exact place where you left off". This way, your quest will proceed
normally and you will never encounter any devastating glitch.
Q: I can't find all 10 catapaults!
----------------------------------
A: Here is a list of their locations:
No.01: Always on the left-hand side of the area entrance (while facing
away from it).
No.02: Usually around and before from the mid-point save sphere, never
behind it.
Then, after you meet the elf captain, there are always 4 catapaults
on each side.
---------------------------------
3.2 Plot FAQs - Act II
---------------------------------
Q: Where is the lava pump exchanger?
------------------------------------
A: It is one level below the large lava field. On the auto-map, look
for the entrance marked by a down arrow.
Q: Where is the lava runner (the vehicle)?
------------------------------------------
A: On the large lava field, follow the road and you will eventually
see it at the very far end, beside a save point and a gnome mechanics.
Q: Where should I ride the lava runner to?
------------------------------------------
A: The map is randomly generated, but your destination should be on
the far left or right of your original entrance. You will see a larger
island with a tower, with some pipings forming a central passage. Park
your vehicle and approach the tower to fix it.
Q: Can you fire the big cannon on the back of the lava runner?
--------------------------------------------------------------
A: Apparantly you can "control" the cannon by being the 2nd player
boarding the vehicle. However, so far nobody knows how to fire it.
Q: Can you ram the enemies with the lava runner?
------------------------------------------------
A: Yes. After a few hits, the fire bugs will end up on the windshield.
I haven't killed any lava giant with the runner, though.
Q: Where are the 5 kitties?
---------------------------
A: There is one kitty at the end of each of the 5 tunnels. I heard that
sometimes there are two kitties in one, but I have never seen it myself.
Q: There is a room in the kitty area that I cannot go in.
---------------------------------------------------------
A: It is likely a programming error. There was a user, however, got
in there by clever use of game glitches. He/She found nothing important
in there, though.
Q: I rescued the little gnome girl. What next?
----------------------------------------------
A: Go back to her father, who lives before the bridge leading to the
lava field. He will give you a ruby as a reward. The ruby can be used
to purchase your ship to Act 3.
However, you can't leave by the ship yet, because you will need to rescue
a navigator, who is currently imprisoned in the vampire's castle. You
will rescue the navigator after beating the castle. As for now, you
can enter the castle if you continue down the cave explore.
Q: Why are the skeletons fighting each other?
---------------------------------------------
A: In her latest revelation, Ms. EverQuest mentioned that hatred has
gone out of control, so these no-brainers turned against each other.
Q: Babik Nurn, the navigator faces the wall and doesn't give me a s*t!
------------------------------------------------------------------
----
A: This is a notorious game glitch. (see section 5.1.3) It happens if
you didn't talked to Babik Nurn right after you retrive the bloodvine,
and before you report back to the female vampire. I heard there is a
solution to it by re-entering the area many times, until Babik can follow
you.
---------------------------------
3.3 Plot FAQs - Act III
---------------------------------
Q: How do I get off the initial small island? I want to save my game!
------------------------------------------------------------------
---
A: On the opposite side of your shipwreck, you can see two rocks standing
in the shallow water. That's the direction to go. You can cross the
shallow water to reach the next island.
Q: Where is the Conch Shell that the mermaid want?
--------------------------------------------------
A: After killing all the slavers, release Babik Nurn at the beginning
of the western island. Babik will return to the water edge area and
the game hints you to see him again.
Babik Nurn is now on a little island that is accessible from the water
edge "shop island". If you are facing the shop, the little island is
on your far right, after a long bridge. Babik will give you the conch
shell.
Q: How does the quest go regarding the mummy King? I am stuck!
--------------------------------------------------------------
A: The quests go like this:
[Ashen Plain] Enter the temple at the other end.
[Mummy Temple] See the Mummy King at the end, and receve his heart.
[Damaged Portal - Ashen Plain] Walk out of the temple. The damaged portal
is now functional.
[Grass Land] Enter the only portal there. There is an upward slope to
climb up, in the stretched-out corner of the area.
[Sealed temple] Extinguish all blazers and get out from the exit that
becomes accessible.
[Mummy Temple] Go back to the first temple and fight the King.
Q: Why is there a drown guy underwater of the frozen sea?
---------------------------------------------------------
A: His name is Davel. You met him at the beginning of Act III. You will
soon know why here ends up here *evil grin*.
Q: Ok I finally got the Horn. Now what do I do?
-----------------------------------------------
A: Return the horn to the guy you met on the "first" island. (The shop
island is your 2nd island.) After a little humiliation, you are done
with the long Act III! Yeah!
---------------------------------
3.4 Plot FAQs - Act IV
---------------------------------
Q: I can't find 7 curiosities!
------------------------------
A: Let's summarize this city-dungeon complex a little bit.
[City A]
The shop area. It also connects to various dungeons. You cannot find
any curiosity here yet. Let's define the shop is in the "lower" part
of City A.
[Dungeon A]
Its entrance is on the the lower right corner of City A. You can find
1 curiosity in the middle of this dungeon. When you exit dungeon A,
you appear on the lower left corner of City A. You will find 1 curiosity
on the ground not far from the exit.
[Dungeon B]
Now just beside the place of the 2nd curiosity (lower left corner of
City A), there is the entrance for Dungeon B. There are 2 curiosities
in this dungeon. However, there is only one exit of this dungeon, which
is the entrance you came from.
[Dungeon C]
Its entrance is on the upper left corner of City A. Similar to Dungeon
A, there is 1 curiosity in the middle of this dungeon. The exit leads
to City B.
[City B]
From where you emerge (say your back is the dungeon exit), turn left,
proceed some steps, and then go up a little stairs. You will find 1
curiosity at the end of a narrow alley.
[Dungeon D]
Its entrance is at the upper left corner of City B. Similar to Dungeon
A and B, you will find 1 curiosity in the middle of this dungeon. Its
exit leads you to the upper right corner of City A.
You have collected all 7 now!
Q: In the last area of Act IV, can you access the other side of the
iron bars?
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
A: Proceed a little further, you will see the end of the barred passage.
There are two tiny openings, one on each side. Note that at the end
of each path there is a subboss that looks and acts like those in the
Act II vampire castle.
---------------------------------
3.5 Plot FAQs - Act V
---------------------------------
Q: How many souls do I need to rescue?
--------------------------------------
A: 6.
Q: My poor souls suddenly disappeared for no reason.
----------------------------------------------------
A: When a NPC follows you (such as a soul), if you shake it off too
much, they will get teleported to the room ahead of you. In this case
they will get killed.
Just walk slower and wait for the souls to catch up.
Q: Sometimes I rescued 3 souls, but only 2 showed up later.
-----------------------------------------------------------
A: That happens to me sometimes. However, later on I waited at the
"elevator" for all of them to get close enough. Also, I avoid travelling
down the same maze. Then I never get this problem.
Q: The portals aren't working.
------------------------------
A: Perhaps you did not visit the 1st portal in Plain of Air before you
see the 2nd portal in Cauldron of Hate. No big deal, you can recite
a gate scroll to return to the Shop.
After you rescue the souls, you can also gate back to Cauldron of Hate
if the portals aren't functioning still.
Q: How do I clean myself of hate?
---------------------------------
A: On either side of the save points there are 2 such cleansing devices.
Any of them works fine.
Q: That's it? I thought Act 4 and 5 should be longer...
-------------------------------------------------------
A: I think so, too.
Q: Is there any secret dungeon?
-------------------------------
A: I have never heard of any.
================================================
4. Enemy FAQs
How do I beat X?
================================================
---------------------------------
4.1 Enemy FAQs - Act I
---------------------------------
Q: I heard there is a secret strategy to beat the bears (Dire Badgers).
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
A: Yes. As soon as the dire badgers rush you, run to your left (assuming
you are facing the bears) and enter a rock-enclosed little area
previously camped with a few goblin archers. The bears are too fat to
follow you in.
However, the goblin subboss has no problem catching you hiding in there.
Har har har.
Q: The Orc leader boss (Pelys) owns me. Help!
---------------------------------------------
A: The orc leader is widely considered to be the toughest boss in the
game, if the room does not contain a 2-stair set. The battle is especially
tough for low level characters because melee is usually the only feasible
option.
If you are lucky to get the stairs, this boss is easy. Let's talk about
the unfortunate case.
An easy way to win this battle is to utilize the orc leader's post-charge
stun. Everytime the orc leader charges, he stuns for a few seconds
immediately after. During this stun he does not move, so you are free
to run up and give him a good blow, and run away to prepare for the
next charge. If you are not confident enough, just deliver one single
hit and run away. You will be 100% safe.
Besides charging you right at the beginning, the orc leader also charges
as long as he has a clear line-of-sight to you, and you are NOT within
his swing reach. Of course, when he charges you, you need to run. Running
to the side is safer than simply running away and still stay in his
course.
If you are cornered, you can block (R1) to avoid all of the boss's swings.
You can observe his swing rhythm and deliver a few blows in between.
If there is a multi-player party, then it is perfect to have one person
as the bait (keep blocking in a corner), and the others using ranged
attack.
***
For additional readings, here is "Pelys guide 1.0" by Stalking_Shadow
(slightly edited by myself):
Strategy 1: First up, if you can equip bow and arrows, buy some extra
arrows from the shop. Range combat with Pelys works well on some maps.
There are several variations of maps for the fight with Pelys. There's
one in particular with a set of stairs right next to each other connected
by a balcony - usually referred to as the "easy" map. Heres the tactic
for that map:
After the cutscene, once you enter the area, immediatly run to the right
(or left, doesn't make a difference). Run up the stairs and once Pelys
follows you up the stairs, wait a bit so he intiates his "charge". Quickly
run away to the other stair.
Pelys will be slightly stunned from attacking you. This is a great time
to use all those damage inducing skills. Once the boss recovers from
the stun (or you can keep him frozen or blinded and just attack him),
head down the other stairs. He'll charge after you and stun... Rinse
and repeat by running in circles.
Keep in mind that you can't hit Pelys very well if you're on different
elevations. Also, you can't shoot through to the other staircase very
well.
Strategy 2: Freeze and keep the boss frozen (or blind him with ED or
cleric's blinding light), then attack.
Strategy 3: This is for all those melee based who don't have the
convenience of bow capability or other ranged attack capabilities.
After the cutscene once you enter the area, immediatly run to the side...
The boss needs to recover from the moumentum of his charge attack had,
so attack him now with skills (i'd personally feel safer from a ranged
p erspective but hey, whatever right? keep in mind that hes gonna be
using these attacks throughout the battle).
Don't attack too long or he'll rush you and then, he may kill you or
seriously take your health down (since of course, he goes and knocks
you onto the floor and keeps on attacking even afterwards). It's time
to learn how to time your dodges.
What Pelys does is rush you once hes directly across from you (or if
you're right in front of him). Since he won't change direction in mid
air, dodging these attacks allows you to attack for a short while since
as i explained before, he needs to recover from his momentum of his
attacks. You need to time these dodges. You may be able to escape getting
mauled a few times but don't put your hopes on winning even after you
get hit continously by Pelys.
So, the moment he rushes you, move a little to the right or left of
your previous position, dodgin the attack, hitting him once or twice,
and running away. Rinse and repeat.
Also, if you stay extremely close to Pelys, he won't charge you and
oonly attack you normally. Therefore, all you need to do is block and
attack in a rythemic sequence, which is often harder than the above
strategies.
Q: I need help on the spider boss (Shelox)!
-------------------------------------------
A: First, you can buy at least 25% poison resistance accesories from
the Act 1 shop. Wear as many as you can, because they might save your
life when the spider spits green poison all over your new clothes.
Generally speaking, the only trick with this boss is to run around the
spider, and hit/shoot it from the side when you get a good lead. The
boss turns slowly, so he can't catch up with you. Gradually you will
wear him down.
No need to panic to get caught by the web. You will be inevitably dragged
to the mouth in this case, but you will be freed again after a few swings
/ blockings.
***
For additional readings, here is "Shelox guide 1.0" by Stalking_Shadow
(slightly edited by myself):
If you can have 100% or over poison resistence, do that. it is possible
to do so on adventurous since 25% rings, earrings, and amulets are
avalible.
If you are a ranged character, first off, run around firing arrows/spells
at Shelox in circles. Shelox will obviously shoot out webs that will
reel you in should you be caught in them.
The webs however will still remain so if you touch them, you'll be reeled
in. No need to prolong the inevitable right? If you don't have poison
resistence at 100% though, this is a chance to deal in extra damage.
After you're reeled in, make sure you're blocking agains Shelox. No
damage done by Shelox.
After Shelox has finished attacking you, go ahead and use your skills
on Shelox. if you're a melee character, you have to move a little forward
and then attack. after you've used a few skills or the same skill twice
or thrice, block. Shelox will attack you agin, and then you attack Shelox
again. Rinse and repeat.
Shelox may spit poison at you and poison u even if you're blocking.
You'll be done damage by the poison but if you have a few health potions,
you're fine. Keep in mind that Shelox will kill you if you don't block
since the bite does a great deal of damage and you'll be knocked down
and spit on yet again by poison.
---------------------------------
4.2 Enemy FAQs - Act II
---------------------------------
Q: Any tip for killing the Queen Ant?
-------------------------------------
A: Don't move to the left and right. The smaller ants are activated
when you get too close to their little caves. If you don't stray away
to your left and right, then they'll never come out. This means you
can either stay at the entrance (watch out for the guardian ants. Kill
them when the Queen flies away.) or the egg sack on the far end.
Also, all of the queen's attacks can be blocked. The queen usually
tail-sting you several times, and try to bite you with the jaw a few
times, then fly away -- now comes your chance to wear it down with ranged
attacks.
The queen sometimes pushes you back a bit. Stand against a wall or
something so you can't get pushed back. The danger comes when you are
pushed to the right or left, then you have trouble.
Q: Can I kill the big, stationary monster at the start of the lava field?
------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
A: Nobody has succeeded yet. It is said that it has a infinite HP. The
monster does take damage, unlike Innoruuk in the first encounter.
Q: The death knight and his pet are kicking my butt...
------------------------------------------------------
A: This boss isn't very easy. First, the boss is wearing black. If your
monitor's brightness is too low, you can't really see him at all. To
solve this problem, simply go to "Options" adjust your brightness to
maximum. Now you can see the real boss.
Don't confront the boss and his pet at the same time, because they can
slash you hard and stun you for good. His pet also respawns after defeat,
so just concentrate your attack on the real boss.
If you have ranged attack, use it as much as you can, while always try
to run around to avoid his pet. Don't go to the sides because there
are 3 skeleton archers on each side.
Like many bosses, running around helps a lot.
Q: How do you survive the small vampires when you fall down?
------------------------------------------------------------
A: Hit like mad, and get ready to quaff HP potions. Try to run to the
edge, so you face only one or two at a time.
Q: How do you beat the vampire boss?
------------------------------------
A: As soon as the fight starts, the vampire stand still for a few seconds.
If you are a barbarian/ranger who does critical hits, you should grab
this chance to hit/shoot him as much as possible. There is a good chance
he dies right here.
If he starts blocking, this means your golden seconds are over. Now
quickly run away because he will start to attack soon. When he slashes
you in a row and you didn't block the first one, it is usually game
over.
You can run into a corner so you only have 2 fronts to guard. The vampire's
attacks can be blocked.
After taking some more damage the vampire enters the "bat mode". During
this bat mode, the vampire is invisible, but he is usually still close
to you, just you can't see him. If you are a cleric / wizard you can
actually damage it with area-effect spells such as blinding light and
frost storm. The damage numbers will pop up in the air, showing you
where he is.
Generally speaking, if you can't kill him in the first few seconds,
you should go to a corner and block a lot, and then deliver a few
spells/attacks when the situation is relatively safe. Same as most other
bosses, be geneous on drinking your potions.
***
For additional readings, here is "Vanarhost guide 1.0" by
Stalking_Shadow (slightly edited by myself):
Strategy 1: If you have an ice flame and can wear it, wear it! it'll
be explained soon. Make sure to save your game before walking into the
room or at least after you beat Vanarhost up.
Walk in and down the stairs (with skill, you won't even be hurt even
a tiny bit). After the cutscene, walk up to Vanarhost and use your skills
on him. If you're not melee based, range him.
Do not range or melee on him for very long or else Vanarhost who hit
u very hard and knock u down. That said, hopefully, you'll have whittled
him down to half life. If not, attempt to freeze him/ blind him and
whittle him down to half life. You can keep on freezing him and whittling
his health down to 0 but it can be risky.
Phase 2 of Vanarhost: Vanarhost will start turning into a bat and coming
behind you, and transform back into human form to bite you. Since he
needs to transform, it'll take a precious half second. Make sure you're
blocking once he starts turning into a bat. When he turns into his human
form, block against where he is (most likely the back).
Since you're blocking, Vanarhost will do no damage. You have a few secs
to hit him with skills and then he is up into the air again. Keep in
mind that you can see him better when hes in bat form if he is on fire.
Rinse and repeat.
Strat 2: Freeze / blind him in the beginning and keep him frozen/blinded.
Attack.
Strat 3: *ranged characters only* As soon as you're done using those
few precious seconds of Vanarhost inactivity, run out of the room.
Vanarhost will not follow. you can range off him from saftey.
Extra idea:
*Not tested yet* Before you walk in to face the cutscene (don't cross
the stairs yet), create a barrel barricade from the barrels on the sides.
Cross the barricade and go through the cutscene. After you make mincemeat
of Vanarhost while he stands still, head to the barricade gap you made,
cross and return the barrel back. Then, snipe off him.
---------------------------------
4.3 Enemy FAQs - Act III
---------------------------------
Q: The temples are overwhelming! Help!
--------------------------------------
A: Try to kill all the casters first. Ranged attacks work great here.
---------------------------------
4.4 Enemy FAQs - Act IV
---------------------------------
Q: How do you survive the arena ambush?
---------------------------------------
A: Prepare some HP potions, and try to run to the edge, so you face
only one or two at a time. Also, these enemies get stunned by frost
storm, poison clouds and anything that deals consistant damages. You
will be surprised how helpless they can be.
Q: The arena dinosaur boss eats my butt!
----------------------------------------
A: Close distance is usually not good for you. Run to the edge of the
Arena, you will see pillars. Now circle the arena between the wall and
the pillars. The dinosaur will chase after you, and sometimes get stuck.
When you see a mob get stuck, it means as long as you don't move, they
will remain stuck. Now you know what to do -- ranged attacks! The dino's
neck can stretch quite far, but it won't cause major damage to you.
Just have HP potions ready.
---------------------------------
4.5 Enemy FAQs - Act V
---------------------------------
Q: How do I defeat the final boss, Innoruuk?
--------------------------------------------
A: For melee fighters, the key is to let Innoruuk drop his hammer. Without
the hammer Innoruuk is almost harmless. So far, I have seen his hammer
drop by poison (cloud), disease, fire, and the spells frost storm &
blinding light.
For fire disease/poison/fire arrows (warrior, ranger, shadow knight),
you can lure Innoruuk to a tight space where he does not turn properly,
buying you some extra time for arrows. The space between the large pillar
and the edge of the platform works fine. Even better is the little pair
of pillars where Ms. Everquest was tied up.
Sometimes, Inny gets stupid and gets too far away from you, and give
up chasing you. Then you can simply shoot him to death.
If you are a cleric, watch out that blinding light won't stun Inny,
but still deals damages on him. Therefore, you can pick a pillar and
play hide and chase with him, while keep the blinding light damage on.
When Inny drops his hammer, run up and swing your mace a few times,
then run away before he resummons the hammer. Repeat a few times and
you should emerge victorious.
If you are a wizard, Inny actually dies faster with his hammer swinging.
Pick a pillar to play run and chase, and cast your frost storms nonstop
across the pillar. When Innoruuk has his hammer, he "ouches" more often
and stuns longer - making him a perfect victim of your never-ending
frost storm.
================================================
5. Miscellaneous FAQs
================================================
---------------------------------
5.1 Glithces
And how to prevent them!
---------------------------------
5.1.1 The Spider Room
---------------------
After defeating the spider boss, if you want to gate back to sell stuff,
don't forget to "gate back". Don't walk back. Don't portal back. Use
your gate scroll.
If you walk/portal back, you will get stuck outside because the door
won't open. And if you gate back to the shop again "now", your previous
gate location (inside the sealed room) is permenantly erased, and your
game is screwed forever. You can still load your previous save, if you
haven't already overwritten it with the screwed version.
5.1.2 Spawn Straight into the Lava Field
----------------------------------------
This happens when you park the lava runner too close to the entrance,
blocking your spawn spot. Note: 220% fire resistance gives you immunity
to lava, so it is possible to survive the lava respawn.
5.1.3 The Ruby
--------------
After rescuing the gnome girl, you better immediately go back to receive
your prize - the ruby - from her father. If you continue through the
vampire castle, the father will disappear from his house. However, it
is said that you can still see the father at the spot where he first
appears (as you first enter the Underworld).
5.1.4 Babik Nurn
----------------
After retriving the bloodvine, better don't gate at all, and just WALK
back to the female vampire from the way you come from. If you gate back,
you will miss your first chance to talk to Babik Nurn (the navigator),
causing a very damaging glitch later on - Babik Nurn will not be able
to follow you! Babik Nurn is in the first jail on the right when you
just finished talking with the female vampire.
5.1.5 Cannot Pick up Items
--------------------------
There is a limit of different kinds of items you can pick up - 64. Sell
or drop some of the less useful ones.
5.1.6 Game Freeze
-----------------
You can try to open the DVD lid, re-insert your disc, and close the
lid. If the disc still does not load after a few seconds, then you will
have to reboot your PS2. Please save often to prevent catastrophe.
(Thanks crow1 for contributing this information.)
---------------------------------
5.2 Battles
---------------------------------
Q: My weapon swings at the enemy, but misses a lot. Help!
---------------------------------------------------------
A: Two possibilities.
First, your weapon might be swining "too fast" due to a bug. Usually
this is caused by a "Godly speed" (Calmed Misty Globe). Use the lower
speed instead. It is reported that even "lightning speed" can cause
a lot of missings. I have never experienced it myself, though. I also
heard that in "Champions:Return to Arms" this bug is fixed, and the
misses don't happen on CoN multiplayer mode.
The other possibility is your "attack" rating is too low. The "attack"
rating, which displays on your stats page just above the damage range,
determines your chance to hit the enemy. It follows a simple equation:
ATTACK = STR/4 + 20*Level + Weapon's attack bonus
Therefore, you might need a better weapon as an immediate solution.
Q: Are elemental damages accounted for in the slash/blunt/archery
bonus?
------------------------------------------------------------------
------
A: True for fire, ice and shock. However, poison and disease damages
are not.
Q: Does the weapon critical hit socket stack with the skill critical
hit?
------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
A: Legend goes that someone tested it by swinging 1000 times and record
every single outcome - and confirmed that they stack up by simple
addition. If you duel wield, each weapon is calculated separately. For
example, if you have two 16% critical hit weapons and 66% critical hit
by skill, each of the weapon gets 16%+66% = 82% of critical hit.
Q: How does the skill "slam" work on duel wield?
--------------------------------------------
A: Reliable sources stated that each weapon gets one slam attack.
Q: How to make a lv 1 character lv 50 in no time?
-------------------------------------------------
A: Pick a tough boss, use your tougher character to wear it down to
very low HP. Then, pause the game and import your lv 1 character. When
you kill the boss, you get a huge amount of experience, pumping your
lv 1 character all the way to lv 50.
A popular victim of this cheat is the champion mode Cloud Giant King.
One can repeatly save the game and hit him with a very weak attack,
until he is so dying that he will be killed by one slight scratch.
The popular choice of "lv 1 weapon" is the explosion potion. The potion
has an OK range and a nice damage radius.
Q: Does killing the same monster at a high level gives less experience?
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
A: Yes. The formula for experience calculation is:
(EXP gained) = (Base experience value) * (Lv)^(-1.4)
Base experience value is a fixed constant for each type of monster.
For the champion mode Cloud Giant King this value is about 1.3 million.
This means that if you defeat champion Cloud Giant King with a lv 1
character, you get 1.3 million EXP, pumping you all the way to lv 50.
Finally you know why that lv 50 cheat works, great!
Q: Does summoned skeleton, or any NPC shares away my experience points?
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
A: After hearing different hypotheses, I personally tested it and
confirmed the following:
In SP mode, you will always get 100% credited for any kind of death
of an experience-carrying mob. When your skeleton kills an enemy, you
get the full experience. When your skeleton gets killed by an enemy
or an explosion, you also get the full experience of the skeleton! The
Act 1 elf guards also give you experience when they kill, and get killed.
In multi-player games, you also get experiences from NPCs. It seems
that the slayer character always gets 60% of the experience, while all
other characters always get 40% of the experience. This means that when
your skeleton, or any other NPC/fireball/explosion chest/whatever
kills something, you get 40% of the experience you would normally get.
Q: How do you stop fire beetle's charge?
----------------------------------------
A: You can intercept fire beetle's charge by swinging your weapon about
0.5 second before the charge contact. It knocks the bug to the ground!
Q: How do you use bows effectively?
-----------------------------------
A: First, you can hold down the X button to fire like a stream, and
while holding down X, the left analog stick won't make you move your
feet. Aiming is more of trial and error. Sometimes, enemies are
positioned in between your angles, and you have to move a little bit
to hit them.
Q: When NPCs fight against each other, do they take damage?
-----------------------------------------------------------
A: They do. In case they die, you still get the experience. However,
I have never seen any Act 2 skeleton successfully killing one another.
Q: Sometimes I see monsters drop items, but I was unable to find it.
------------------------------------------------------------------
--
A: Once dropped, the items never disappear when you remain in the area.
It might have bounced a few feet away. Tuning the screen's brightness
up will help, too. However, when you leave the area with too many things
on the ground, some might disappear when you come back.
Q: Any tip for getting better drops from enemies?
--------------------------------------------------
A: All drops are random. However, you can expect better items dropped
by tougher enemies such as difficult bosses.
Q: Any tip for getting better loots from chests / barrels / boxes?
------------------------------------------------------------------
A: They are all random. However, in more difficult modes you will get
averagely better items.
---------------------------------
5.3 Equipments
---------------------------------
Q: I don't want to sell all those nice equipments that I can't use.
------------------------------------------------------------------
-
A: You can drop them on the ground, and pick up before you finish the
Act (or they will be gone!). Also, if there are too many things on the
ground in an area, there is a chance that a portion of them will disappear
when the area is reloaded.
If you have a lot of good stuff, you might consider a mule/equipment
character. Any existing character can be a good character, but
preferrably with a good weight-carrying capacity (high strength
attribute & endurance skill).
You can import this character into your current game, pick up the nice
but temporarily useless stuff, and save as a separate game. Or, you
can import your current character to the equipment character's own game.
This way, you don't lose the progress of the equipment character.
Q: How do you duplicate equipments?
-----------------------------------
A: Welcome to the path of evil, young skywalker.
1. Have a character carrying the desired equipment.
2. Save the game with this character. (Save A)
3. Make this character to drop the desired equipment on the ground.
4. Import the same character from the save file (Save A), and pick the
item up.
5. Save the game, overwritting the file (Save A) is OK.
Note that the import character still has a copy of the desired item,
so after picking up the item from the ground, now the character has
2 of this item. If you repeat this process, you can duplicate the desired
items exponentially. 2 becomes 4; 4 becomes 8... until "BEH! BEH! BEH!"
the ground is full, or "I can't carry anymore!"
Note that using duplicated items might be considered cheating in online
games.
Q: What is farming?
-------------------
A: Farming usually refers to repeatedly defeating the same boss enemy
to obtain his good loots and experience. This is done by:
1. Make room for 2 save files. Save your game before the boss fight
as Save A.
2. Kill the boss. Save the game in Save B. Don't overwrite Save A!
3. Load Save A, import (pause -> import) the character in Save B.
Repeated 2-3.
Q: Do I need to farm at any point of the game?
----------------------------------------------
A: Nope. However, if you do not farm at all, even if you kill every
single monster offered by the game throughout all three difficulties,
your character will only reach lv 46 or so, by the time you defeat the
final boss in champion mode.
Q: What is the best place for farming?
--------------------------------------
A: Experience and item wise, it is obviously champion mode Innoruuk.
Yet for some classes killing Innoruuk can be a little difficult if you
don't know the tricks. Even if you do succeed, you have to bear through
some extra game loading time.
The more commonly farmed boss is Act 3 Cloud Giant King. You can save
the game while he has a tiny bit of HP left, so you can kill him with
even a lv 1 character. The Cloud Giant King is weak, yet he offers more
than 80% of the experience that Innoruuk offers, and he sometimes drops
the great Myrmidon armor set (AC 245, 3 slots). He is most people's
favorite victim.
It is said that the darkscale armor suit (AC 300, the best in the game,
yet only 2 slots) is only dropped by champion mode Innoruuk.
By the way, when I farm champion Innoruuk with my wizard, each cycle
takes me 4 minutes. When I farm champion Cloud Giant King with my cleric,
each cycle takes me 2 minutes.
Q: What gems should I socket in weapons?
----------------------------------------
A: There are a few really useful ones:
- Misty Globes.
Can be dropped anywhere. Speed enhancement is great; it gives you more
attacks when you really need it. If you duel wield, consider a "godly
speed" (the $1,999 one) because it doesn't screw up as it always does
when you "mono-wield" (ONE single-handed weapon, or ONE double-handed
weapon).
If you "mono-wield", go for lightning speed ($1,199) or lower*. For
melee weapons, definitely save one slot for it if you can. For bows,
misty globes make almost relatively little difference, so I would
recommend other gems on bows.
* Daubechies4 kindly points out that bows are still a good place to
socket misty globes, as they still make a good difference. Also,
"lightning speed" might also cause unecessary misses on melee weapons.
- Ice & Fire (2 slots)
Dropped by skeletons, ice is great because it slows the enemy down.
If your melee power is weak and you usually cannot kill a weakened enemy
in 2 swings, go for ice. It might save your life against some really
fast monsters.
Otherwise, go for fire (dropped by fire beetles in Act 1, 2, 3) because
fire gives you a little more damage than ice.
Fire & ice are equally against undead, while poison and disease have
no effect on undead.
- Poison Cloud
Dropped by Act 3 scorpions, poison cloud is the most "expensive" socket.
When you socket the biggest poison cloud gem on a weapon, you see its
value sky-rocket into 6 digits. Don't underlook this 38% huge poison
cloud. They rule against biological type enemies, such as goblin, orcs,
frog-man, mummies (Act 3), dark elf(?) armies (Act 4) and demons (Act
5), and all the way on bosses from the Orc leader to Innoruuk. You will
see tons of enemies stun for centuries under the green cloud. Excellent
choice of socketing, epsecially when you cannot kill the enemy in 2
swings.
- Disease
Dropped by Act 3 mummies (Ashen plain & 2 temples). Disease works like
poison, but is contagious (even on dead body). If your attack power
is quite strong and everything die in 2 blows, you might want to go
for disease, for the additional benefits from dead bodies around you.
Note that the damage of disease and poison are not included when the
attack connects. They work after the hit.
- Lightning
Can be dropped anywhere. Good damage for just one slot, plus it slows
some enemies a bit.
***
If you have a lot of gems, it is beneficial to keep 2 weapons. For
biological enemies, I prefer to socket ligntning + poison cloud. For
undead (skeletons & vampires) I prefer fire or ice.
Q: Should I socket attribute bonus gems in weapons?
---------------------------------------------------
A: I recommend NOT to. They offer too little advantage compared to
elemental jewels. For example, extra +45 DEX/STR converts to only 11.25
extra damage, while the best lightning shard gives you 40-60 extra damage,
plus the stunning factor. That's 4 times as much!
Q: What gems should I socket in armors?
---------------------------------------
A: Depends on class. In case you have some extra stones either from
luck or duplication, I would recommend:
Warrior:
STR > HP regen > HP bonus (Stamina stones offer too little bonus. See
section 2.2)
Ranger:
DEX > Mana regen = HP regen
Cleric:
STR > Mana regen = HP regen = HP bonus
Wizard:
Mana regen > HP regen = HP bonus > Mana bonus = STR
Note: Mana bonus becomes progressively useless at high level because
of insane Mana regen speed.
Shadow Knight:
STR > MP regen = HP regen = HP bonus
I put a lot of emphasis in the regen stones, because they really work
GREAT. Each regenerate stone stack on top of each other. Their effects
multiply each other. They don't add, they multiply. For example, the
5th top HP regen stone offers you 48% on top of the previous 4 combined.
The 6th offers you 48% on top of the previous 5 combined.
Let's say your wizard wears 6 top mana regen stones -- 48% x 6, and
has lv 20 concentration -- 420% of mana regen. Your total mana
regeneration rate becomes (1.48)^6 x 4.20 = 44.1387046. That's a grand
4414% mana regeneration! If you don't wear any regeneration stone, you
recover rougly 36 mana per second. If you wear all 6 of the best stones,
you recover 375 mana per second! Same thing applies to HP regen. Now
if you happen to have some Regen accessories -- say hello to 10000%
regeneration! Wohoo!
Note: in the sequel Champion: Return of Arms, makes HP & mana bonus
gems are bugged and become totally useless. I have also heard that
imported (from CoN) characters are not affected. Anyways, if you have
a clean set of 3-slot armor stored somewhere, there is no need to worry.
Q: Is high Armor Class (AC) makes you receive less damage?
----------------------------------------------------------
A: The general consensus is high armor class lowers your chance of
getting hit. But once the hit connects, you receive the same amount
of damage. However, I have seen a study indicating otherwise.
Anyways, armor class is close to useless, because the enemy's hit usually
connects no matter how thick your breastplate is. If you get hit by
a boss, it always hurts. If you get hit once by Inny's hammer in champion
mode, you pretty certainly have to load the previous save.
Q: What is the best weapon/armor in CoN?
----------------------------------------
A: There is a CoN unique item database on the web. You can find the
best unique weapon/armor for different classes there.
http://www.gamebanshee.com/championsofnorrath/searchuniques.php
A even more complete collection is in the SONY offical CoN forum. A
nice thread of all rare items found so far by users:
http://conforums.station.sony.com/champions/board/message?board.id
=tactics&message.id=6957
Generally speaking, you want 3-free-slot weapons/armors so you can
socket useful gems that boost a lot of damage and cool effects. In terms
of free slots, the best armor set (for Barbarians, Rangers, Clerics
and Shadow Knights) is the Myrmidon armor (AC 245, 3 free slots). In
terms of armor class, the best is Darkscale armor (AC 300, 2 free slots).
"The best weapon" apparantly does not appear very frequently, so not
many users have seen them.
Q: Where can I get the Myrmidon & Darkscale armor?
--------------------------------------------------
A: People have found the Myrmidon armor all over the champion mode.
Bosses have a higher chance carrying it. All drops are random, though.
Champion mode Innurook carries the darkscale armor sometimes.
Trading with other players might work, but I doubt it will be as efficient
as trying to farm one yourself. Since AC does not really matter a lot
in CoN, you can easily find lower-AC equipvalents.
Q: How about the best armor for wizards?
----------------------------------------
A: Unfortuantely, the wizards don't have "the best" armor. Their high-ac
armors offer few free slots. The wizard's best 3-slot armor set I have
ever seen is the lovely magenta "SteelSilk" set that is merely lv 15,
AC in the 60s range. I haven't seen a complete set. The other 3-slot
parts are about lv 13.
You should be able to buy pieces of Steelsilk & alike armors from the
Adventurous Act 4-5 shop. Monsters also drop them but very rarely. Don't
forget to import your wizard for some shopping when you reach there
the next time.
Q: What is the best 3-slot armor below level 50?
------------------------------------------------
A: The best 3-slot armor I have seen is the Hathsteel set, Lv 17 (except
for the breastplate, lv 19). I often see it displayed in Courageous
Act 1-2 shop. Monsters also drop them, but very rarely. Also, I have
seen a rare, 3-slot breastplate for lv 39 and above.
Q: Is there a Myrmidon/Darkscale shield?
----------------------------------------
A: Nope. All shields are excluded from armor sets.
Q: What is the best 3-slot shield?
----------------------------------
A: The best 3-slot shield I have ever seen is a "stone shield" lv 19,
AC 68. In Lv 50 there are also a few lv 50, 2-slot, high AC shields
that offers bonuses (such as DEX +36, Mana + 40) bonus that you might
find useful for different classes.
Q: I can't pick up items anymore, and I am not overweight.
----------------------------------------------------------
A: For all of the three panels: weapon, armor and accessory, there is
a limit number of different "kinds" of items you can carry: 64.
The number of each kind of item does not matter, just the number of
kinds that matters. For example, 99 HP basic HP potion only counts as
ONE kind of item.
Q: I dropped a lot of items on the ground. But when I return, some are
missing!
------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------
A: Apparantly there is a limit of number of items you can drop on the
ground. If you keep dropping to other spots, things will start to
disappear later. When this happens to me, I only recover about half
of the items on the ground. If I dropped 10 fire-beetle eyes, I end
up picking up 5.
It might be a trick of the game, which tries to reduce its save file
size. The lesson is, never leave the area (including importing character)
with non-replacable items on the ground. If you are duplicating items,
then don't be too greedy.
Q: I am suddenly equipped with an Armor +10 Ring that I didn't own and
equip.
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
A: This happens in early Act 1. You automatically receive and equip
an Armor +10 ring after defeating the second subboss (in the goblin
cave). According to the game, the ring supposedly makes you "well
equipped". Well, cheap elves.
Q: I got no poison gland from the ants...
-----------------------------------------
A: Some fAQs claim you can find poison glands in Act 2 ant hill. Yet
from my experience, I always find poison glands from Act 1 spiders.
Q: How much fire resistance is needed to walk safely on the lava field?
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
A: 220% (4 x 55% accesories) works. I don't know where the threshold
is, though. 220% also works for the Hell lava in Act 5.
Q: Can you wear "the mask" as in the loading screen?
----------------------------------------------------
A: Yes. Some female wizard "helmets" are these masks.
Q: Can you wear the huge "dinosaur bone helm" as in the loading screen?
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
A: Yes. Some male shadow knight helmets are bone helms.
---------------------------------
5.4 Others
---------------------------------
Q: How do you delete saved game files?
--------------------------------------
A: Two ways. First, you can browse your memory card content upon start-up,
when there is no disc in your PS2. You can then delete / duplicate
anything you want. After you load CoN, you can approach any save point,
and press "Square", just like you want to save the game. There will
be an option to delete a CoN file, too.
Q: I love CoN music. Where can I... you know. *Cough and look away*
------------------------------------------------------------------
-
A: *Cough*
No need to hide. The composer's webpage offers free download for 3 of
the best pieces:
http://www.inonzur.com/music.html
The gamebanshee CoN page also has a few pieces plus some cool CoN movies:
http://www.gamebanshee.com/championsofnorrath/downloads.php
Q: What is a "MOB"?
-------------------
A: The term "MOB" comes from early-day online RPGs where people
abbreviate "mobiles" as Mobs. A mob can be a hostile monster, or a
friendly NPC character. It does not have to be truly "mobile" as well.
One common charactersitic of "mobs" is they are not controlled by human
players.
Language changes over time. Now some people give MOB other definitions.
For example, in another CoN FAQ I see the definition MOBS = monsters
and bosses. This also works well.
Q: The chest is gonna blow up and I didn't notice it earlier! I am doomed!
------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
A: Face it, and block (R1). You will come out unharmed even if you are
literally covering the bomb with your precious body. Also, fire
resistance does NOT matter. Facing the bomb only helps when you are
blocking. Physical distance, as you know, also matters.
Be careful when the enemies are close at you, though. Your block might
be briefly canceled by a well-timed strike... ops.
Q: Can you blow up a trasure chest with a dynamite barrel?
----------------------------------------------------------
A: No. I tested it myself. Too bad.
Q: Can you setup a chain reaction if you link multiple dynamite barrels
within explosion range?
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------
A: You certainly can!
Q: Do I get different chest contents if I load the game?
--------------------------------------------------------
A: Yes and No.
The trapped (dynamite) chests are fixed within the same game. You can
be killed by the same chest over and over.
The regular, safe chests generate random contents after every reload.
Q: Can you leave Queen Ant's room during the fight?
----------------------------------------------------
A: Normally you cannot. However, I have one personal experience where
I made it. I was casting frost storms towards the 2 gate guard larger
ants, while meleeing up close. As I push forward I just walked out the
room like normal. I couldn't get back in, though.
Q: Who is the hardest boss?
----------------------------
A: Most people would say adventurous orc leader. Undead knight can be
very troublesome for melee characters. Ant Queen is another popular
choice, but the frustration is largely due to the small ants, which
you can easily avoid by not straying to the sides. Arena boss gieves
a lot of headaches if it refuses to get stuck between the pillar and
the wall. Inny is incredibly hard if you don't make him drop his hammer
(except for wizards).
Q: The game is too easy!
------------------------
A: You can make it harder. Many people import lv 1 character to champion
mode. I have played online games where no shop visit is allowed. I also
heard that people once played an online game where only fire and
explosion potions are allowed. You can try various things as long as
you enjoy.
Q: Does a long sword hit farther than a dagger?
-----------------------------------------------
A: I don't know. Perhaps someone does?
Q: The bridge behind the great minion breaks when he appears. Why?
------------------------------------------------------------------
A: Anyone?
Q: What is the SK suit on the manual? It looks great!
-----------------------------------------------------
A: Sorry, I have no idea.
Q: Is the mermaid Karriel... Ariel's cousin?
--------------------------------------------
A: Neh. They are sisters.
Q: It is windy on the Plain of Air. But why isn't the shop boss's hair...
------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
A: Glued by lactose. (Hey!)
Q: Why nobody answers my question? I now ask it again!
------------------------------------------------------
A: When people don't answer you, it is probably because your question
is so hard that they can't answer, or your question is so easy that
they don't bother wasting time on it.
Try to narrow your scope, be polite and perhaps rephrase your question
a bit. A stupid question can still sound sincere and sophisticated.
Q: Similar questions are still being asked. Argh!
-------------------------------------------------
A: That's why I spend time typing this FAQ. Please refer them to this
FAQ. If there are anything missing, please feel free to contact me:
[email protected]
================================================
Thanks for reading!
================================================
Special Thanks: Fragmaster for his pearls of wisdom regarding CoN
gameplay has greatly inspired me to make this FAQ.
I hope you discovered a few novel things here and there. If you have
any information to submit or to request, please feel free to contact
me.
[email protected]
