Arcane Paladin Guide - Tips, Gear, and More!
Due to limitations on the forums, I've moved my guide to Google Docs and have it up on Discord!
Ashtalia's Arcane Paladin Guide
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Are you new to Project Gorgon and looking to do a Sword/Shield build from scratch? Or are you someone who has played for a while and wants to try out what a Sword/Shield build might be like? Well, if you answered YES to either of these questions, then look no further than this guide!
Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert on this game or these skills, but this is what I have found that worked for me
Before we start, if you haven't already, check out this page on the PGWiki to get a basic understanding of mechanics and other things about the game.
CHAPTER I. Let's Start At the Beginning
If you are a beginner to the game and this build, please check out the Beginner's Guide I have written below. It is not a thorough, in-depth guide of the Tutorial Island, but it will give you a little push on how Project Gorgon works and what you can expect throughout the game itself. It's a lot of info, so just click on the Show button to open up the window.
Beginner's Guide to Being an Arcane Paladin (Anagoge Island) - PART I
Welcome to Project Gorgon (PG)! I see you are here with me on Anagoge Island after someone dumped you here. Happened to me as well some time ago. But don't fret! I'm here to give you a hand ...
Hm? You heard I was an Arcane Paladin? Yes, well I am but ... You want me to teach you how to be one too? *rubs chin* Well, I guess I could. But just know what I teach you could be different than another person, and you are free to do and change what you wish ...
*snaps fingers* Alright! I will teach you. But first things first! Take the sword and hardtack from the bag there. Good. Now equip the sword. No, hold it like this. There, better! Now, you'll notice that you have both a Sword skill and an Unarmed skill on your main hotbars. It is your choice to keep and use both or to clear out the Unarmed skill. Either way, you want to start killing the nearby skeletons and use your Sword skill Sword Slash. This is because, in Project Gorgon, you gain XP in skills that you actively use!
+++ Your Goals on Anagoge Island +++
A. Gear. Put on what you can, but try to aim for a set of the ones that start with Comfortable Ancient. They have the highest Armor (+20). You may need to get a few points in Unarmed as well in order to wear some of the good armor that drops, and that's fine!
B. Sword skill up to level 5. You want to have Parry, Many Cuts, and Wind Strike to help you deal with the creatures easier.
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Remember, that purple line over an enemy's head is their Rage bar. You do not want it to fill up! When you see it almost full or full, use Parry to lower that Rage.
C. If a Shield drops, put it on. At this time you won't have any skills to use it, but it will give you some Armor.
D. You may also find some Jewelry. Check out the stats on them, and just like gear, put on what will best work for you.
You should still be near where you were dropped off at the dock. We are now going to head to a statue. *rummages in bag* Here, have this map. I've marked a few places so you know where to go.
https://imgur.com/Bbsv1ox.jpg
We are heading towards here, point A. Right-click on the statue and you will gain the Lore skill.
Now let's head to B on your map where we will meet a nice elf named Lawara. *pauses* What was that? Oh, you noticed you gained another skill called Endurance? Yes, you'll get that when you are hit by an enemy while wearing armor. *thumbs up* Great! You will need that. *points to the cauldron* Now I want you to have a taste of that porridge. What? No, it isn't poison. *scoffs* I'll have you know I tried it earlier today and I am perfectly *twitch* fine. See? Now you have the Gourmand skill!
Now, let's take that quest she has for spoons. You have been picking things up off the ground, right? *eyes you* Right? Good. What did she give you? An amethyst? Great! You'll need that later. Oh, and look, when you talk to her again, she gives you an Autopsy Kit. This interaction you had with Lawara is a key thing in Project Gorgon; talk to NPCs, do favors for them, give them things they like, raise their Favor level with you, and get rewarded!
You can also do the quest for bones as well. It's pretty simple.
*rustles through papers* What's next ... ah! I want you to hang out with her and check each other for Lice. *pauses* What was that look for? Trust me, friend, it will be worth it! Hanging Out starts a timer that countdowns only when you are offline. You get rewarded for doing these as well, so don't forget!
Before we head off, go take a Power Nap in the bed nearby. Yes, right-click on it. There! You now got a 30 min buff (Comfort) that regens your Armor (+3) when out of combat. Buffs are quite important in PG as well. Other buffs to get come from eating food, drinks, and even snacks! And sometimes we can get special event buffs on the server for a time.
I'm going to take a moment here to pause and talk more about Project Gorgon as a whole. It's about exploration, going into every nook and cranny, picking up things, touching things, taking chances, and getting messy. Death is not a penalty in this game (as long as you aren't in Hardcore mode) and there is so much to do! Even though you might be following this guide I am making, I strongly encourage you to do everything you can on the island, as well as open up your Quest Log and click on the Stuff To Do tab.
Anagoge Island has many other skills to learn and find as well. Below are just a few examples:
Check out this map from the wiki of Anagoge Island;
... and much more!
Keep an eye on the Buffs/Debuffs bar on your UI. See something new? Hover over it! You can get strange and wacky buffs/debuffs.
Feel free to explore and talk to everyone. Heck, you should do that anyway, no matter what I say! Pick up things on the ground. It can be food, empty bottles, clothes .. heck, friggin dirt! *rubs hands and cackles* ... Ahem, sorry. I'm a packrat and grab anything that isn't nailed down.
Now, let's continue!
You always want to have the best food when you are exploring out in the wild. Food gives you extra health, as well as health and power regen (out of combat) for as long as the buff is active. So make sure to eat! If you run out of the hardtack you started with, you can have more of the porridge next to Lawara, or you can find cheese and other foods around the island.
There are 2 ways to leave the island; 1. by going through the door at C on the map, or 2. learning Teleport from Elmetaph inside the lighthouse on the island (you should learn this anyway because it can help a lot later on)! Whichever way you choose, you'll want to end up in Serbule.
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If you went through the door at C, you'll need to find your way through the 'dungeon' and out to a cave area. You'll find a lever there that, when pulled, opens a secret door. Go straight towards the light in the tunnel (contrary to everyone shouting for you not to go to the light) and touch the portal to zone into Serbule Hills. From there, turn right and you'll want to run until you see a building on your left. That is The Tapestry Inn. Go just past that, then follow the road NW until you come to a portal. Take that to Serbule (Keep).
+++ TAKE NOTE +++
You can always come back to Anagoge Island to finish things you might have missed as well. Don't ever feel like you need to rush or that you will be left behind. Enjoy yourself!
+++ Anagoge Island & Anagoge Records Facility Gear +++
Below is a list of what I aimed to get for this build before I left the island. The one exception is Lawara's Bow, as I went to Serbule and killed the skeletons by a crypt for more bones.
() General Lawyr's Pants - Assist Lawara by finding out who she is. Break open the enchanted Practice/Training Dummy to find a key inside and give it to Lawara. You can then open the chest nearby.
() Lawara's Mangled Platemail - Become Close Friends (Favor level) with Lawara.
In regards to dropped armor, you have the base armor (names listed below) which then can have a prefix and/or suffix added to it, depending on the added stats. If you have the time and patience to do it, you can get an entire set of nice heavy armor before you leave Anagoge Island!
() Comfortable Ancient Helm - Chance to drop from Toughened Skeleton Guard, Skeleton Archer, Old Skeleton Guard, Weatherbeaten Skeleton Archer, and Gajus the Big-Headed
() Comfortable Ancient Shirt - Chance to drop from Toughened Skeleton Guard, Skeleton Archer, Old Skeleton Guard, Weatherbeaten Skeleton Archer, and Gajus the Big-Headed
() Comfortable Ancient Gloves - Chance to drop from Toughened Skeleton Guard, Skeleton Archer, Old Skeleton Guard, Weatherbeaten Skeleton Archer, and Gajus the Big-Headed
() Comfortable Ancient Pants - Chance to drop from Toughened Skeleton Guard, Skeleton Archer, Old Skeleton Guard, Weatherbeaten Skeleton Archer, and Gajus the Big-Headed
() Comfortable Ancient Shoes - Chance to drop from Toughened Skeleton Guard, Skeleton Archer, Old Skeleton Guard, Weatherbeaten Skeleton Archer, and Gajus the Big-Headed
() Battle-Hardened Shield - Chance to drop from Toughened Skeleton Guard, Skeleton Archer, Old Skeleton Guard, Weatherbeaten Skeleton Archer, and Gajus the Big-Headed
() Sturdy Shield - Chance to drop from Gajus the Big-Headed
() Sturdy Helm - Chance to drop from Gajus the Big-Headed
() Sturdy Shirt - Chance to drop from Gajus the Big-Headed
() Sturdy Gloves - Chance to drop from Gajus the Big-Headed
() Sturdy Pants - Chance to drop from Gajus the Big-Headed
() Sturdy Boots - Chance to drop from Gajus the Big-Headed
() Slightly Rusty Gauntlets - Chance to drop from Gajus the Big-Headed.
Beginner's Guide to Being an Arcane Paladin (Serbule) - Part II
If you came through the Spider Caves, please check out the map below. You exit at (A). You'll want to head south a bit until you are on a road. Turn to your right and you'll see a sign pointing to Tapestry Inn (B). You'll want to head that way until you pass the Inn (B) and come onto another road. Turn right again and head uphill towards the teleporting aura to Serbule Keep (C).
https://i.imgur.com/qBOrfqB.jpg
Teleport "auras" as I like to call them, are places where you can go from one area to the next. You can find these underwater, and in caves and other places ... so keep your eyes open!
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Now, if you decide to go to the working Teleportation Circle on Anagoge and Examine it, choose Recall. It will take you to a place in Serbule next to an NPC (Yurra) on a small platform (D). You'll then want to head a little South and then West until you come to a Shrine (E). From there head SouthWest until you come to a crossroads where you'll head North and into one of the four (4) entrances to Serbule (F).
When you load in from Serbule Hills (C), you'll want to just head North towards the crossroads and into Serbule (F).
https://i.imgur.com/XC5wx8W.jpg
Just like Anagoge Island, you want to poke around, talk to everyone, do Favors for them, give them Gifts, etc. Below is a basic list of who is in town and the surrounding area (Serbule has some buildings outside of the keep). Pick one or two NPCs to start with (I suggest Marna and Joeh as they are next to each other and give Storage) and work with them. You can see all the Quests and Hang Outs the NPCs have, along with Favored Levels and rewards by clicking on the link of their name. Use Serbule Keep and the land around to build up, learn the ropes, and get used to many of the intricacies of Project Gorgon.
Sound good? Okay!
+++ Serbule Keep NPCs +++
Larsan is the resident jeweler in Serbule Keep.
Fainor is a great NPC to go to if you are looking for new foods to eat and level up your Gourmand skill.
Rita - A sex-crazed Elf, you'll need to make sure you're clean of filth and blood before you can speak to her.
Blanche is a real gossiper outside The Chortling Beaver.
Velkort teaches Fire Magic.
Hulon is the resident banker in Serbule. He has a chest nearby where you can store some items that can be shared by other characters on your account.
Marna - Just talking with her will get you the First Aid and Patch Armor skills!
Joeh. A male elf who likes leather parties (don't ask).
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Now Marna, like Joeh, can give you more storage space the higher Favor you have with them. She also is one of the NPCs that will buy anything, though keep this in mind ... She buys almost any item at full value, however, is not willing to spend much money buying items from people she is not friendly with. She is said to "smooth the experience for new players", however, new players will quickly run her available Councils dry, and then will have to wait seven days before her money regenerates. It is recommended that you sell only things to her that you really couldn't sell elsewhere so that you make the most of her weekly gold amount.
Echur - A teacher for Unarmed and Meditation, he also likes that mind altering powders.
Therese - The resident gardener for Serbule Keep.
Harry the Wolf - Seek him if you are in animal form or wish to be a wolf.
Tadion - Make friends with him, as he not only teaching us Blacksmithing, but you can gain extra Storage as well.
Selphie - Speak with her to learn about renting a stall in the market of Serbule Keep.
Lugnir - This elf deals with Golem challenges.
Sir Coth. He thinks elves are immoral, so do be careful around him! He is a good source of Armor Patch kits and Ink. Do the first two (2) quests he has, and you'll open his Hang Outs and Shop.
Gisli - Serbule's stablemaster and Animal Handling trainer.
Nelson Ballard. You are going to become good buddies with him, less for quests, and more for what he can teach you.
Mushroom Jack - A lover and hater of mushrooms. Have fun trying to understand what he's afraid of!
Pennoc - A bored elf who gives out random mundane quests every 12 hours.
Elahil - An elf who is a bowyer and fletcher.
Find the Teaching Golem and solve the riddle it gives you for 50 Lore XP and to learn the Word of Power recipe!
+++ Serbule NPCs +++
Here you can find a marked map of Serbule. To start, I highly suggest heading to the Serbule Sewers for your first dungeon. It's a great place to level your skills, find items to sell or use for gifts, and more.
Roshun the Traitor - A distrustful orc who teaches Staff skills . . . if you are strong enough.
Zeratak - Azalak's mate who will Barter brains and brain bug lobes for level 10 items.
Azalak - A friendly mantis who can teach many things to you.
Fitz the Boatman - He is the NPC you hand all your Work Orders into.
Juri the Boatman - He can take you to Sun Vale for 200 Councils, or by asking "Where else can you take me?" and follow the dialogue, Juri will take you to Anagoge Island for 300 Councils.
Leonard Allenson - Posted outside the doors to Borghild, he speaks about golems and history.
Flia - She can be hard to find sometimes, but her Unarmed knowledge is helpful.
Bahdba - A visitor from the Fae Realm, she teaches you Knife Fighting in exchange for fealty to the Winter Queen.
Dye Monster - You need to become friends with Charles Thompson in order to use this golem.
Charles Thompson - Why does he have his tent outside of Serbule Keep? It might be what he is selling.
Jara - Help her with her bear problem, and she'll teach you Carpentry!
Ivyn - Become close friends with this elf, and he might just let you use his magical storage box!
+++ Myconian Cave NPCs +++
To find your way in here, you'll need to pick mushrooms and listen for that voice in your head. Then look for a Large Mushroom out in Serbule. Here's a map to help you find your way through the caves. You'll need to be fluent in Myconic to speak to these creatures.
Jaw
Voo - A Myconian that likes to experiment with Alchemy. (Need 11 Myconic to speak to them)
Mu - The first Myconian you will most likely speak to. Help them against Tidal! (Need 9 Myconic to speak to them)
Way
Yoy
Poe
WIP
+++ Serbule and Serbule Keep Gear +++
() Quality Sword - The reward from The Trespassing Charlatan given by Nelson Ballard. If the random stats on the sword don't match the build you are doing, gift it to Joeh.
And there you have it! I hope this helps you get on your feet with the sword/shield build. I will be going more in-depth with my choices in the posts below.
There are a lot more NPCs that can help, but I don't want to turn this into a walkthrough of the game. If you have read this and still have questions, please feel free to ask them below!
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