Codex Sloth :: Useful Skills & Spells

As you go throughout the game, you'll be able to access nearly every spell and skill available (assuming that they aren't restricted to prime classes that you didn't choose as your prime class). But there are some truly essential skills and spells that every player should want to immediately acquire as soon as possible (depending on your class orders) These are for new players (level 10 and below) For further details, take a look at the helpfiles inside the MUD itself (help double attack), (help kick), etc...

Skill or Spell	Effects	Level to Acquire At	Where To Get / Read Spellbook At
Double Attack	Adds another melee attack	Wa 1, Ba 3, Mo 6, Th 10	rapidly read manual {warrior guild - VK}
Kick	Extra melee attack that deals damage if it hits (counts as your extra maneuver in combat - no cost)	Wa 1, Ba 1, Mo 1	abused book with footprints {warrior guild - VK}
Tactics	Learn how to fight with others in a group	Wa 1, Ba 4, Mo 1, Th 1	bold looking tome {warrior guild - VK}
Swordsmanship	Extra +hitroll	Wa 5	Ibrahim's guide to mastering the spatha {purchased at VK library}
Bash	Attempts to knock down monster / stun monster	Wa 8, Ba 7	demolished book missing its cover {purchased at VK library}
Improved Attack	Essential skill for monk primes - you must read this book before even trying to kill anything - allows your barehand attacks to resemble a weapon, otherwise you're just slapping monsters	Mo 1	notes on sparring {VK monk guild}
Strike	Extra melee attack that deals damage if it hits (barehand only, counts as your extra maneuver in combat - no cost)	Mo 8	a manual with a faint palm print {icy peasant boy - City of Ice - Aisholm}
Backstab	Special combat maneuver that initiates battle (cannot be used if mob is hurt) - costs mvs and uses thief level multiplers / dex / dam / hitroll to generate massive damage - also gets weaker the further down thief is in your class order	Th 1	traitorous tome {VK thief guild}
Pick Locks	Unlocks locked doors if they are pickable	Th 1, Ba 1	instructions for a thief's toolkit {VK thief guild}
Search	Searches the room for hidden treasure after a monster has died if there was nothing on the corpse	Th 1, Ba 7, Dr 22	a fortune hunter's guide to all things hidden {VK thief guild}
Trip	More effective than bash, attempts to trips the monster rather than just charging and bashing into it	Th 8, Mo 30	the story of Molly Droit {pops on BH but mobs are all too mean for typical newbie - Red Sash - BH Town, Temple Monks - Balrog's - BH}
Shapeshift	Essential base skill for druid primes - very useful skill for everybody else - special animal forms that you can shift into (requires mana to shift and requires mana to maintain form)	Dr 1	a script of druidic arts {VK druid guild}
Spellcraft	Imbues spells with extra potency at times (masterfully cast spells that for certain spells adds a special effect that the normal base spell doesn't normally have)	Ma 1, Cl 5, Dr 10, Ne 5, Ba 15	mysteries of magic {VK mage guild}
Detect Invisible	Allows you to see invisible objects and players when you have the spell cast on yourself	Ma 2, Cl 5, Ne 7, Ba 10	translucent blue {VK mage guild}
Chill Touch	Ice-based weak direct damage spell	Ma 3, Ba 11	worn ice blue {VK mage guild}
Invisibility	Allows you to turn invisible or turn objects invisible when cast on the target	Ma 4, Ba 12	transparent {sold at BH High Powered Magic Shop - Orkhis}
Web	Allows you to cast a binding spell that fixes the monster in the room and tries to prevent it from fleeing - also reduces monster's armor class by at least -0.3	Ma 4, Ba 12, Cl 18	sticky {sold at SS Magic Shop}
Armor	Reduces your armor class by -2.0 for duration of the spell	Cl 1, Ma 5, Ba 13	leather bound {VK cleric guild}
Burning Hands	Fire-based weak direct damage spell	Ma 5, Ba 13	pale red book {sold at BH High Powered Magic Shop - Orkhis}
Dispel Magic	Undoes spells cast on you (both good and bad) - but can only dispel spells cast by a magician of the same level as you or lower - cannot dispel spells cast by a higher level magician	Cl 6, Ma 6, Ne 6, Dr 12, Ba 14	bright white {sold at VK Library}
Blindness	Attempts to blind the target (gives about +4.0 to their armor class and reduces their +hit) - duration is usually around 2 minutes	Cl 6, Ma 8	opaque {sold at BH High Powered Magic Shop - Orkhis and sold at VK Library}
Fly	Allows target to fly for duration of the spell - access rooms in the air where you have to be flying.	Ma 9, Cl 17, Dr 19	floating {gold bird - Penguin Tower AH}
Lightning Bolt	Thunder-based direct damage spell	Ma 9, Ba 17	cobalt blue {sold at VK Library}
Cure Light	Weakest healing spell available	Cl 1, Dr 5	mint green {VK cleric guild}
Create Water	Allows you to fill your water container with water with magic	Cl 2, Ba 10	damp {VK cleric guild}
Create Food	Allows you to create food magically	Cl 3, Ba 11	moldy {VK cleric guild}
Spiritual Hammer	Creates a temporary hammer weapon for you (must be barehanded for hammer to form - hammer can hit ether mobs and if you have spellcraft learned, a masterful cast of the hammer spell gives you a bigger hammer that shocks monsters once in a while)	Cl 4	Thor's {old grymlyn - Grymlyns - SS}
Cure Minor	Weaker healing spell	Cl 4, Dr 8	moss green {sold at VK Library}
Bless	Gives target +1 hitroll	Cl 5	religious {sold at VK Library}
Shield of Faith	Reduces damage you receive as long as the shield lasts	Cl 6	book of faith {sold at VK Library}
Earthquake	Earth based mass damage spell - damages everything in the room at the same time - which causes all the monsters to fight you at the same time	Cl 7	cracked {weasel - Asylum area - BH}
Water Breathing	Allows you to breathe underwater	Cl 9, Dr 12, Ma 16	aqua {noble penguin - penguin tower AH}
Remove Poison	Cures you of poison's effects	Dr 5, Cl 9	tan {fat merchant - BH town BH}
Cure Normal	Cures about 25 HP on average	Cl 10, Dr 14	sea green {druid - Greek Forest BH}
Supplication	Summons either a good or an evil servant upon sacrificing a corpse to your god - you can order servant to assist you in battle	Cl 10	spellbook of divinity and holiness {Black or White Bishop - Chessboard - VK}
Freshwater	Creates a water spring in the room (can only be used outdoors)	Dr 4	freshly soaked pages {marble fish - Garden BH}
Goodberry	Creates a magical goodberry food item that cures you slightly when eaten - at druid 10 you get 2 berries, at druid 20 - you get 3 berries per casting - can only be used outdoors	Dr 6	elderberry stained scripts {cleric - Newbatia VK}
Animate Dead	Raises the dead (requires a corpse) to produce an undead servant that you can order to assist you in battle	Ne 6	maggot book, or undertake the quest at Iglavius in {Newbatia Attics - VK} - warning, must kill zombies to get to Iglavius
Summon Undead	Summons spiritual servant that you can order to assist you in battle	Ne 10	book of the dead {crimson adept - near VK necro guild}
Lion Chorus	Improved damage for duration of song (damage and duration along with lower mana cost comes with bard levels up to bard 12)	Ba 1	book embossed with a lion's head {bard guild - Newbatia VK}