Advancing

There are many ways to advance a Dark Knight.
I have included a breakdown of each skill set
as well as three methods of advancing.
I also included an old way done by Drull.



First I have listed a breakdown of each section of skills for advancing. Following this are a few proposed methods of advancing the DK's while working on it (not just in theory like the breakdown). Additionally, I have posted Drull's Advancing technique which differs from those listed below. If you would like to take a peek at the max skill levels of a DK then check out the Skills of a DK.

After this breakdown of each area of skills, I have a couple of proposed methods of advancing. Each is slightly different and is meant to be used as a way of advancing that is practical. My methods do not show when to do general. I would do it whenever I have spare xps that can't advance fighting or occult (our main categories) and do a bunch of them around level 200 or so when you can go to KD and basically get loads of Xps. Smithing is done early on to fix your equip so you can spend more time in field xping.

The advancing I do however is kind of hard because I am stubborn and refuse to ruin overmaxxes by kicking some extra points into fi.points which gives you more breathing room at lower levels because of higher hps. (I messed up my fav character and maxxed all fighting to 20 in DI's and my sharp and special suffered for it *pout*.) So remember that you do have that option of kicking some xps into fi.points or fi.com.parry. I am not sure if these ways will work for you at all! They might not..I firmly believe in advancing how I feel at that time.

No advancing is perfect or easy. Do whatever you want to do when you advance..make the character your own ;-)

To facilitate printing of this page for your own use: Print Version Advancement


FIGHTING

This method is meant to obtain a high sharp. Sharp will be higher than special (both are components of massacre although special is more of a part) because sharp is a weapons usage skill and more useful overall than special. However the power of a DK's melee with Damage Fielded weapons makes them fearful fighters against Paladins. An interesting thing to note is that Paladins' have a higher ability to max sharp which maxxes out at 350 to a DK's 300. However, all the rest of a Paladin's fighting maxxes at 275 to a DK's 300, an obvious show of how based solely on pure melee, DK's have an advantage.

Blunt can now be used for massacre to accomodate the Trolls and Orcs out there. Therefore the sharp in this advance can be exchanged for blunt.

fi.com.mel.sharp to 300
fi.com.mel to 300
fi.com.special to 300
fi.com 300
fi to 300
fi.po to 300

Maxxing fighting in this method will get you about an 809 or so in sharp and about a 620 in special. You will be around level 409 overall.
If you wish you could kick some points into other areas of fighting after doing fi.com or anytime before doing maxxing fighting. But always do fi.points last (it raises your level dramatically). I would recommend parrying. A very good parry can help more with avoid whirls and strikes and the like. Good dodging can even help avoid magic blows, but we really do not have the required dex to make it worthwhile. However, I would highly suggest this sharp/special combo. A lil defense is always helpful but a great offense is often better :)


OCCULT

This advancing method is for a very strong Fear & Dark Might, as well as a great ability at enchanting (Dark Shield/Steelskin/Damage Field). The overmax in chanting also helps because this is the 'method' of magic that the DKs use for our spells. I would advise maxxing occult fully first. Then working on fighting because you will still be fairly low level. This maxxing is rough if you want a perfect overmax because to do such you cannot raise healing until you are up to occ.spells. I have other ways of advancing occult listed. My very first advance was for enchanting and cursing; admittedly my advance was wrong then but I have found out some of the errors I made in the DI guild.

occ.sp.enchanting to 150
occ.sp.charming to 150 [Do in either order. They balance out about the same.]
occ.sp to 150
occ to 100
occ.meth.chanting to 100
occ.meth to 100
Finish up occult sub-categories.
occ.po to 100

Once again finish the rest as you would like, doing occ.points for last. This will raise your gps extremely high (pretty much to max). With a good Regen constantly running you will basically be able to do many things you want..as many spell casts or massacres, etc. within reason.


GENERAL

General is pretty much however you want to advance it. Note: Charge, with the new wyverns, has been taken out. Even when the DK's had charge, their charge was always weaker than a Paladins (who have a riding max of 300 without an overmax). However, riding is used to 'fly' the wyvern and to control it. Next, I would suggest smithing so you can fix your own equipment. I made an error and went for gen.smith.weapon which seemed like a good idea, but...weapons don't break often! And with Damage Field, a weapon breaking is very rare. Therefore, go for armour which breaks much faster and often and requires higher levels to fix. Perception and Searching are good to find Pirates/STs/Wanderers which may steal from you. One never knows when one may be fighting invisible or hiding players, such as the magic guilds, rangers, invised paladins, rogued STs, etc. Besides, it is always good to know what is going on in a room you are in :). I will admit though, our perception is so low (100 with KT) that it really has little effect on catching a maxxed thief.

gen.move.riding to 200 [not a real necessity to overmax now I believe]
[advance gen.move to 100 at KT Trainer]
[advance gen.move.sailing at Fishing Village Sailing Trainer (104+)]

gen.smith.armour to 150
gen.smith to 150
gen.app.weapon to 20
gen.app to 20
gen.eval to 150 [judge]

gen.perception to 20

[advance gen.perception to 100 at KT Trainer]

gen.searching to 20

[advance gen.search to 100 at KT Trainer]

Finish rest of gen skills however you like.

[Then when you are maxxed, go ahead and advance gen.lore, gen.pray, gen.charisma, gen.survival at the KT Trainer for fun]

If you are wondering what the general skills are:
Appraisal is how much you get at shops for selling and how low you can buy for. Lore is for how good consider is. Charisma helps regenerate sps. Survival is for tolerating hot/cold areas.


METHOD 1 -- High Charm/High Enchant (one I use most)

These methods do not show general advancing yet nor do they show faith, magic, and covert which is easier to do in Newbie Guild because they are useless to us. Additionally, I would also like to note that you could also advance sharp FULLY, and then start on occult so that you can hit even harder than the 200 I have written.

fi.com.mel.sharp to 200
occ.sp.enchant to 90 [will have Damage Field & Dark Shield]
fi.com.mel.sharp to 300 [hit much harder]
occ.sp.charm to 150 [Fear & Dark Might = Yummy!]
occ.sp.enchant to 150
occ.sp to 150 [overmaxxes charm/enchant]
occ to 100
occ.meth.chant to 100
occ.meth to 100
Max out any occult.spells categories unfinished.
occ.meth.dancing to 100
occ.meth.brewing to 100
occ.points [here you will have a BUNCH of gps]
fi.com.mel to 300 [overmax sharp]
fi.com.spec to 100-150
fi.com.spec to 300 [maxxes for good massacre]
fi.com to 300 [overmax sharp & special]
fi to 300
fi.points to 300 [lotsa levels here]


METHOD 2 -- VERY High Charm/High Enchant

fi.com.mel.sharp to 200
occ.sp.charm to 150
fi.com.mel.sharp to 300
occ.sp to 75-90 or so [not sure on this]
occ.sp.enchant to 150
occ.sp to 150 [raises them both, charm should be a lil higher]
occ to 100
fi.com.mel to 300
fi.com.spec to 100-150
Finish any occ.sp that aren't maxxed.
occ.meth.chant to 100
occ.meth to 100
occ.meth.dancing to 100
occ.meth.brewing to 100
occ.points to 100
fi.com.spec to 300
fi.com to 300
fi to 300
fi.points to 300


METHOD 3 -- EXTREMELY HIGH Enchant/Okay Curse (My first Dk Advance, Enchant ended at 290)

fi.com.mel.sharp to 200
occ.sp.enchant to 150 [if you want a killer charm you could do it here instead]
fi.com.mel.sharp to 300
occ.sp to 150
occ.sp.curse to 150 [you can replace with Charm if you like]
[Note: This skill will be high but not very. You will have one around 280-290, the other around 180-190.]
occ to 100
fi.com.mel to 300
fi.com.spec to 100-150
occ.meth.chant to 100
occ.meth to 100
occ.meth.dancing to 100
occ.meth.brewing to 100
fi.com.spec to 220
occ.points to 100
fi.com.spec to 300
fi.com to 300
fi to 300
fi.points to 300


~ The Castle ~


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Comments, questions?
This page recreated 24 December 1999.
This page modified 24 December 1999.
Created by Vireyda

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