Create The Ultimate Warrior
By Redzig Zigmorphus 
Introduction:
NOTE: This is not an official Simutronics document. This file contains my opinions on how to be a successful warrior. Listen to someone else if you want, but I think they're all wrong! :)

I am getting so sick of reading half baked warrior guides and minimal info-giving files that I have decided to write my own file. I'm not the best warrior....blah blah blah... many better than me.... blah blah blah..... I am not the absolute authority.... etc. OK, we're done with that part that seems to show up in all the other files. Before we start, forget most of what the other files have told you. If you want to be an effective warrior, the only source you need is right here.

If this file is to be of value to you, keep these 2 points in your head at all times:
1. The most effective warriors use two handed weapons;
2. A good warrior should not have to set foot in the catacombs. 
First lets start with the basics of warrior-ing -- the stats.

Stats for the ultimate Warrior:
Well, what race should you be? The only two 2 choices you have in reality are dwarves and giantmen. It really doesn't make much difference, as each has +'s and -'s. (That's pluses and minuses if you're wondering.) Dwarves are more resistant to magic, whic h comes in handy when you become a Lord fighting gogors and hooded figures in the broken lands. They have high discipline, which is good with exp. as well as raising all training points. Their +15 bonus is in Constitution, and +10 in strength. Giantmen ha ve them reversed. Giantmen are much sturdier -- they have more HP and a better time carrying lots of stuff, and they're superior in dragging dead back to town. So it's really up to you.

As far as stats, you should know low rolls when you see them. By and large, all you really need is two 75's (for strength and CO -- remember that they get at least +10's and they rise quickly...), a 90 or better (for Reflexes, because 2handed users need l ots of defense...), and then your next highest rolls in Discipline and Aura. Yes, I said aura! These two stats get counted twice in determining your training points, so they're important. Dexterity should be next, because you need to keep round times down . 
Now for your training...

Training for the ultimate Warrior:
Two handed weapons! They should be first and foremost on your list. You should have around 40 physical and 25 mental training points. Any less and you might need to reroll. After training in two handed weapons, armor use should be next. Then you should tr ain in physical training at least once, then perception, then alternate between training one of the following skills: climbing, swimming, brawling, and trading (at least I think they still call it trading...). 

Where Now?
OK, now you're on the streets. You best go to Moot Hall right now and pay off your debt, because you don't need to buy anything. Yes! You heard me right! If you want to get to troll fighting skills fast, don't even touch that sword, yet. 

I must thank Misterie the sorcerer for this training style; she's saved me time and money by enlightening me to this plan. I'm sure you're eager to fight things, but it's really just a waste when there's honest work to be done. 

First you want to get your Zepath points. Aptly named, because all you do is look at Zepath's map of town and go to all the places listed under DIR. Then you should be close or past the 10,000 exp. points you need to get to level 1. If you're close, just deliver messages until you get there.

Then train like you did before, and now you're back on the streets. So what do you do now? Go to the catacombs? NO! Here is the best kept secret of Gemstone (in my opinion, anyway), you can fight rats for weeks and still be far from level 1, or you could follow my plan and get there in 2 hours, maybe less. You wanna know how? Deliver messages. That's it. That simple. It may sound a bit boring, but it's more fun than spending God knows how much money fighting rats, which get pretty boring in themselves aft er a while. You make a pretty penny delivering messages, too. All you have to do is deliver a message, then spend your money buying things at the arms shop, until you are allowed to get another message. Why the arms shop? Well, if you want to be a great w arrior, you _NEED_ a claidhmore. A Claid is a massive 2handed sword that causes major damage! I'm talking limb-chopping, lung piercing, head severing damage. Usually just one hit can turn any enemy into a pile of goo. In my experience, the only thing to handle more than one hit would be a hill troll (note that I was fighting these trolls at level 3); I've taken off three limbs and they still come at me! 

Anyway, you really need a claidhmore. While it does kill in one shot, the drawback is that its massive size gives a -10 to your AS. This is why you need to be very strong to use one. The only place to buy a claidhmore is in the arms shop backroom, and the only way to get there is to buy lots and lots of stuff at the shop. So spend all the money you earn buying things at the shop, until he starts asking you about your family. Then you know you are close. Start saving, because a claid costs 4500 silvers.

So let's recap what I've said so far. To get to level 4 really fast, follow these steps:
1.	Download the GemStone III Wizard Front End from the file libraries. (Keyword: AOLWizard -- the front end is a must! It let's you put in macros, highlight text, have more readable fonts, add sounds, write scripts, log your playing time (great for those who are into stats, or have a run in with a thief), and a whole bunch of other stuff which really helps you out.) 
2.	Pay off your debt. 
3.	Get your Zepath points, go to level 1. (If you are really lazy, you can DLoad a Wizard script that will automatically take you to all the places you need to go to get Zepath points.) 

After you reach level 1, follow this plan to get to level 4:
1.	Deliver a message. (Once again for the lazy guys, DLoad those .Zip files chock full of message delivering scripts.) 
2.	While waiting for another message, go into the well and fight some gnomes or thyrils until you're full of exp. (If you get your hands on a gold ring, set it to the forest troll or hobgoblin areas. You'll get an easier fight and probably more loot.) 
3.	Let your mind absorb until you're numbed or almost numb. 
4.	Go back to step one. 

-- Before you get to level 3, try and get into GS3 in like the middle of the night, like 4:00 A.M. Get all your money out of the bank, and stock up on deeds! Deeds don't come cheap, except for when you're young. If you don't know already, the 

After level 4:
After you pass level 3, you won't be able to deliver any more messages. This will greatly hinder the speed at which you can gain levels. About the only way you can make the levels go by faster is to parry tag enemies much stronger than you. There is a for mula to determine how much exp. you get from an enemy, something like 100pts. + 10*(enemy level -your level). So let's say you are a level 10 fighting a level 0 rat; you'd get no experience. A level 0 killing a level 10 beast, and you'd get 200 exp. point s. 

If you don't know what parry tagging is, let me explain. You start off at stance defensive, then you wait for your enemy to attack, then you quickly go stance offensive (this is where macros come in handy) and attack, then jump back into a defensive stanc e, praying all the while that you survive the next hit. This is a technique that is really dangerous, but hey, doesn't everyone need a little excitement?

Parry tagging with a claidhmore is probably the most exciting and easiest. In order to do some serious damage, all you really need is to score a +115 on your adjusted roll. Higher than that and those hill trolls and greater orcs are putty in your hands. A ll you have to do is sever a hand (which is very easy with a claid), and your enemies are helpless. The same thing goes for sorcerers. I'll go into the Greater Orc cottage and see 3 or 4 Greater Orcs along with Misterie, the same sorceress who helped me b efore, lying on the floor. It looks like she's dead, right? Nope. Because she's managed to mana disrupt their arms off! That is usually a good rule of thumb: aim for the right arm. If the drop their weapon, they are helpless (the only exception might be f orest trolls, because when they drop their puny daggers, they start clawing and biting, which will quickly turn you into dinner, for them.)

As a little aside from all this warrior training, let me tell you that I think warriors are too soft lately. As a level 7 warrior, I have already started hunting in Danjirland (cave trolls, war trolls, mountain ogres), while my hunting partners are level 12 guys who are chickening out! I don't know why they are so afraid, as long as you don't hunt alone, or at least have that amulet on so you can call for a cleric, there's more fun to be found fighting stronger monsters.

I think I've said enough to get you young warriors on the right path to warrior-dom. I know my plans are unorthodox, but they are much better than what all these other guides have told you. Follow my plan and you will become a great warrior.

If you have any problems with what I have told you, or if you have any questions, or if you would like some more information about a certain subject (i.e. deeds, backrooms, experience), feel free to write me at BigBadZig@aol.com. If you're gonna criticize me, do it in the lands, and make sure you have some empaths nearby. }; ) 

-Redzig Zigmorphus- a frequent player of GemStone III as well as the new beta game DragonRealms, as well as an avid reporter and writer for the Elanthia Herald, and an aspiring Gemstone Host hopeful.