| Gaining Skills |
Skill Gain In Guild Wars
The four ways to improve your skill level in Guild Wars are as follows:
1. Leveling
2. Increasing your attributes
3. Acquire new skills
4. Acquire new equipment
Let's look at each of these in a little more detail.
1. Leveling.
This is the basic method of skill gain found in all role-playing games on the market today. From dice and paper, to live action, to the console/PC. It's also the easiest because you do it by simply playing the game.
Whenever you go exploring and encounter a monster combat will ensue. It is your goal to be victorious. Once you slay the monster you will gain experience. When you have enough experience points you will move up to the next level. Hence the term "leveling". At this point there are only 20 levels available. That may grow as the game grows and expands. Each level you gain will give you 20 life points, a skill point, and an undetermined number of attribute points. The number of attribute points is still being worked on by the developers. Once this is finalised this page will be updated. Once you reach level 20 you cannot get a new level, but you still gain skill points. This leads us to believe that the cap will be raised above 20 in the future.
2. Increasing Your Attributes.
When you gain a level you will be given 5 attribute points. Attributes enhance your skills. The higher a particular attribute is, the stronger the skill linked to it will be. If you have not begun playing Guild Wars yet, let me give you an example of an attribute and a skill from the real world that you may be able to relate to. Beauty would be an attribute. Catching A Man would be a skill. The stronger your Beauty attribute is, the stronger your Catching A Man skill would be. Unless you are a man. In that case, think of the lady you did something really stupid to impress. Her Beauty attribute was high enough to make her Catching A Man skill strong enough to catch you.
So how do we increase them? We fist you have to gain them by Leveling. See above. On your "Hero Tab" of your character information is where you will find your attributes. To gain in a particular attribute you simply click the upwards-pointing arrow next to that attribute. You can also "Refund" an attribute by clicking the down pointing arrow. This may help you better spend and spread out your attribute points. Once we know more on how many attribute points are gained per level we will expand on this topic.
3. Acquire New Skills.
You begin with eight skills. Five from your primary profession and three from your secondary profession. There are 4 methods for acquiring new skills.
A. Learn skills from a trainer in game.
These trainers are not other players, but are actually NPCs. In Ascalon City you can find Captain Arne. In Lion's Arch you can find Firstwatch Sergio. In Ascalon Settlement you can find Captain Greywind. In Denravi you can find Master Scout Kiera. Each of these NPCs can train you in various skills. Note that do not all train the same skills. To learn from these NPCs you need the proper amount of unspent skill points (see Leveling) and the right amount of gold to pay the NPC for training you. The gold cost is based on how many skill points you have already spent plus one piece of gold. For example: You have spent 10 skill points so far in your character's development. The gold cost will be 21 to learn from the NPC. 20 skill points plus one = 20 pieces of gold. Talk to the NPC to find out what skills they can train.
B. Use a Signet of Capture.
These items can be purchased from the skill trainers we discussed above. You can place one Signet of Capture on your skill bar at a time because it is considered elite. Place one on your skill bar and head out for adventure. Once you encounter a boss level mob from either of your professions that is using a skill you wish to acquire click your Signet of Capture to activate it while you have the boss mob targeted. You will see what appears to be a loading bar appear with the name of the last skill used by the boss mob and you will begin capturing it. You and the boss must stay alive until the capture is complete. Once completed the Signet is permanently replaced by that skill. If you realise you have started capturing the wrong skill you need to perform some other action as quickly as possible. The capture process does not take as long as you might imagine. Once you capture a skill it's yours. You cannot simply forget it.
C. Skill Charm Necklace.
Skill Charm Necklaces provide you a way of temporarily learning a skill. These are quite useful for test driving a skill before you make it a permanent part of your character or for balancing out your guild's skills for a mission. The skill charms can be purchased from: the Skill Charm Vendor, the Exotic Skill Charm Vendor, or by having a player make you one from a skill they already have. If you are learning a skill from your primary or secondary professions then you need a Basic Charm Necklace. If the skill is from outside your professions you will need a Superior Charm Necklace. Keep this in mind as you shop for them. Double click the necklace and then click on the charm to learn that skill. Once you learn the skill this way you only have 24 real world hours to use it. After that the skill will drop off of your skill list. Until you learn the skill or get another Skill Charm for that skill you cannot use it again. The Exotic Skill Charm Vendor is unique in that you don't know what skill you will get from her. You literally gamble and see what you get. You may acquire the most common skill in the game or you may acquire the rarest skill in the game.
D. Skill Charm Ring.
The Skill Ring works the same way as the Skill Necklace above. Double click the ring and then click on the charm to learn it. There are a couple of important differences though. By using the ring you learn the skill PERMENATLY. The skill rings come in the form of loot from boss mobs. While the necklaces come in the Basic and Superior varieties the rings are limited by professions. Such as Ranger, Warrior, Necromancer, etc.. The Skill Ring and Skill Charm must match to be used together and must match one of your professions. Keep in mind that these rings are rare. If there is an easier way to learn a skill take that route instead of wasting your Skill Ring on it.
4. Acquire New Equipment.
You can improve upon your equipment by finding equipment and/or creating better equipment. You won't find armour as loot on the various monsters in game. Instead it comes from the Crafter NPC. The Crafter NPC is where you will also "Upgrade" your items. By taking the various items you find as loot and the proper amount of gold to pay for the services to the crafter you can begin enhancing your items. An example: You have a sword. It's a nice sword, but it could be better. You find a new sword blade as loot that increases the amount of Energy Damage dealt by the sword it is attached to. Head off to the nearest Crafter NPC with your sword, the new blade, and some gold so that you can add that blade to your sword. Crafting armour or other items works the same way. Take the materials and gold to the Crafter NPC. Speak with the NPC and chose the Craft option. Place the material in the proper slots. Click Craft. The material is turned into the item you wanted.
You can also find Focus Items (similar to shields but used by those of the magical persuasion), Shields, and various Weapons as loot on the monsters in the game. These items may have modifiers attached to them. The full range of modifiers is unknown at this point. Modifiers can enhance damage, enhance protection, steal life, or any number of things. Once more is known we will expand upon it.
Now that you know what to do to improve your skills get out there and do it.
The Traveler
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