ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

Having been online and seeing quite a bit of newblood, and an increasing demand for "Hey how do you buld x?" I thought it'd be useful for a quick reference into what defines a class, how you unlock it, and the "defining" features and playstyle.

Honestly, I'm not up to the full task, and with the constant updates it's entirely likely some things listed here will be outdated eventually, but with everyones help I'm sure we'll have a great resource for anyong looking for some quick pointers and tips on which classes and races to come in as, and to work towards unlocking. I'll list what I know first:

--Cornac--
An extra category point, "standard" hitpoints, and no experience penalties giving them a slight leveling edge throughout the game. Particularly handy for picking up traps and disengage on a rogue from level 1, with that extra category point. Consider them "Vanilla." Handy choice to pick when you don't know what to pick. Maybe even use that Category point for an extra infusion/rune. They run a few more points at the end of the game into generic talents simply because they don't have a racial tree.

--Higher--
Vanilla double. Slight experience penalty, slight boost to all the stats, and a 'generalised' racial tree that's overall useful for everyone and focuses on a heal, and a resource replenishment, just so when you're out of options, you're not actually out of options. A solid choice for about anything once again.

--Shalore-- (read: High Elves in more traditional RPG's)
A respectable high experience penalty, and stats tuned more towards anyone who isn't melee. Their racial tree makes them particularly suited towards 'critical' based classes like anorithil, whilst Timeless at the end of their racial tree can be amazing if you have any skills whose effect you just want to last longer. I.E. "Unstoppable," which actually boosts them back up to being capable in the frontlines. Speed and invisibility in their racials as a reactionary and instant use, can sometimes trun the tides of large battles. Note that they do have slightly less hit points than most everyone else. (Yeeks being the exception).

--Skeletons--
Unlock one undead race at random for defeating the Master. You get either Skeleton or Ghoul, do it again to get the other one you're missing. Oh skeletons... Such power. Such weaknesses. Their racial tree is pretty amazing, so it's good to use them with classes that have generic points to spare. One talent that boosts strength and dexterity, a talent that creates a pretty hefty shield, a talent that reduces durations of negative effects on you, and a talent that heals for a pretty decent amount, and at level 5 gives you an extra life (but, you can't drink the blood of life, so it's evened out...) Now, the weaknesses: HEFTY experience penalty, and no infusions. You may note that their racial tree is a decent substitute for infusions though. Their starting dungeon can be a bit rough on most people, but if they live to later in the game their life advantage is a good substitute. They're pretty good all the way around for most classes (though they can never be paladins or anorithil), and make fantastic archers. I bet you hate Skeleton Archers. They have natural boosts in strength and archery. They have some intrinsic immunities like poison, cut, fear, and no need to breathe. Nothing outstanding, though poison is quite handy.

--Ghouls--
And Ghouls, the flip side of the coin. Hp, upon Hp, upon Hp. Their racial boosts str and con, and they get more HP than every other race per level. Once again no infusions, and something very noticable, a global speed penalty. Monsters will occasionally get to act twice for your every one action. That's "Bad." Interestingly their Retch skill does both good damage, but you'll use it more often for it's self healing which it can be fantastic for. They make great frontline fighters since their racial tree offers a stun and a jump. Hard starting dungeon, the same one as Skeletons. They're pretty much tuned NOT to be great mages, however I hear their Retch skill will heal undead minions as well...

--Yeeks-- (Unlock by completing the halfling ruins dungeon and killing subject Z, while saving the Yeek Wayist he's targeting).
My personal favorite, and widely considered a "Challenge" race. Bad strength, bad dexterity, bad constitution, and a life penalty. You don't want to be in melee. However they have excellent will, a leveling advantage (!) via experience boost, and an instant usage thrall spell that will instantly kill any non elite it succeeds versus. If you thought the skeleton starter dungeon was hard, wait till you try out THESE starter dungeons. Of note: you can skip subject Z by using the rod of recall before he gains sight of you, and I don't know if this was intended. But it's handy. I find them entertaining for the challenge, and the QUICK leveling. You'll be level 10 before you get out of your starter dungeons, unless you try not to.

Ok. I'll probably spin around and add some information on a few of the classes (In particular Doomed, they're my specialty), but any feedback or additions are welcome. I do accept visa, tar and feathering, people helping to fill in any present blanks (halfling, thalore, any/all other classes out there...), criticism, and praise all at your own discretion.

On skeletons - their bone shield synergises especially well with the archmage and arcane blade Aegis tree. The stat boosts also suit arcane blade's particularly well.

Both skeletons and ghouls have little access to healing until they get high enough level to get their racial heal abilities. This makes archmages particularly attractive to both classes, since they can get a heal spell from aegis straight away. However undead teach a great lesson in how to make very effective use of shield runes to never take damage in the first place. For this reason alone they are very worth taking the time to master.

If you want an archmage that isn't a glass cannon then a ghoul is a surprisingly good choice. The Temporal tree can help offset the speed penalty, or you can just rely on AoE effects to lay waste to everything around you.

Though certain builds are recommended don't be afraid to experiment.

Minion-based necromancer tips:

- In the early game, put 4 points into Invoke Darkness to have a beam spell.
- Only use minions in tough battles, until you max out your aura.
- Unlock the Shades tree, so you can get Shadow Tunnel and Curse of the Meek.
- The Advanced Minions tree sucks.
- Max out Curse of the Meek. Bunnies are necro fuel. Kill them yourself.
- Get the hexes tree for Pacification Hex. It's great.
- Carry multiple sources of Metaflow.
- Abuse Probability Travel.

Just FYI, there is an unlockables thread stickied at the top of the forum you're reading right now, as well as an unlockables page on the wiki, linked right from the front page, top of the spoilers box.

You're absolutely right about class/race guides becoming outdated quickly due to game changes. Most of the class guides on the wiki right now are at least a few betas out of date, and some are dozens out of date. But they are there... most of them, anyway....

Ok that's something I'm actually wondering right now. How does one get the hexes tree as a necro?

Grey wrote:If you want an archmage that isn't a glass cannon then a ghoul is a surprisingly good choice. The Temporal tree can help offset the speed penalty, or you can just rely on AoE effects to lay waste to everything around you.

I would go for skeleton rather than ghoul.

1. Bone Shield synergizes with Shielding, while Retch (though awesome) is less useful to archmages, who are mostly going to be trying to avoid damage in the first place and who already have plenty of AOE damage options.

2. Sure, you can make up the speed penalty, but wouldn't you rather be even faster?

3. Resilient Bones also works very well with shields and Shielding, since it reduces the runic saturation effect.

4. Reconstruct works with Arcane Shield, while Retch doesn't.

5. Ghoulish leap certainly doesn't hurt, but it's somewhat redundant with all the other mobility options archmages have.

Ghouls can make decent archmages, sure, but just about anything can make a decent archmage. Skeletons, though, have a lot of stuff that

Definetely not an expert, but I felt like giving my two cents.

omni wrote: --Cornac--
They run a few more points at the end of the game into generic talents simply because they don't have a racial tree.

That's class dependant, really. Some classes such as Marauders and Slayers really need these extra generics. Also, if you hapen to unlock Elemental Harmony, that's a good tree to spend generics on too.

--Shalore-- (read: High Elves in more traditional RPG's)
Their racial tree makes them particularly suited towards 'critical' based classes like anorithil, whilst Timeless at the end of their racial tree can be amazing if you have any skills whose effect you just want to last longer. I.E. "Unstoppable," which actually boosts them back up to being capable in the frontlines. Speed and invisibility in their racials as a reactionary and instant use, can sometimes trun the tides of large battles.

Don't forget Corruptors, which have two talents which synergize with +crit - Anorithils have just one!
The Invisibility is also extra good because unlike other sources, it has no damage penalty on it.

--Skeletons--
They're pretty good all the way around for most classes (though they can never be paladins or anorithil), and make fantastic archers. I bet you hate Skeleton Archers. They have natural boosts in strength and archery. They have some intrinsic immunities like poison, cut, fear, and no need to breathe. Nothing outstanding, though poison is quite handy.

You bet I hate Skeleton Archers!
While Archers and Fighters are indeed natural fits(and perhaps Marauder) thanks to the +stat passive, I've also noticed a very specific synergy - not needing to breathe goes very well with Wraithform, a corruptor talent that lets you pass through walls - but not breathe in them...which is where being a skellie comes in. I don't think it's worth building a Skeleton Corruptor just for this, but it's something to keep in mind.

--Ghouls--
And Ghouls, the flip side of the coin. Hp, upon Hp, upon Hp. Their racial boosts str and con, and they get more HP than every other race per level. Once again no infusions, and something very noticable, a global speed penalty. Monsters will occasionally get to act twice for your every one action. That's "Bad."

Their movement speed really turns me off, but their stats and resistances are just wow. Although, with the recent Con changes, the +2 Con doesn't feel as awesome. Still, worth trying. Ghoul Zerker is pretty fun.

--Yeeks-- (Unlock by completing the halfling ruins dungeon and killing subject Z, while saving the Yeek Wayist he's targeting).
Of note: you can skip subject Z by using the rod of recall before he gains sight of you, and I don't know if this was intended.

Let's say it's ok since otherwise you'd lose out on two generics from the Derth Arena, and Yeeks for now have no town of their own

Also: don't forget the Yeek domination racial won't work on undead, and their stats are pretty good for Mindslayers - which have an ability to increase your Str based on your Will, making up for the yeek's physical puniness. However as a Slayer you REALLY want to get these two generics from Derth, so remember the RoR trick.




Generally, on experience penalties(and bonuses): While as a rule I don't like experience penalties as a balance factor, I have to say that once you are in the late game, it's not so significant, as you will end up at level 50 anyway if you do enough optional stuff(actually, you might end at 50 even NOT doing any optional stuff, perhaps, unless you're undead).

It can actually BENEFIT you sometimes, thanks to how scaling content works: being underlevelled compared to your real power level will make you fight weaker foes(though you'll also receive weaker loot, I think).


Also, something to consider if you really care about experience(and art drops!): since there is a limited number of zones - farportals notwithstanding, as they're very random and you don't really know which boss to expect - having special starting zones that you couldn't visit otherwise is a plus.

Undead get the Blighted Ruins
Dwarves get 2: Escape from Reknor and Deep Bellow
Yeeks of course get their own island with 2 zones, Murgol Lair and Ritch Hive
Archmages get the Abashed Expense
Human/Elf Anorithils & Sun Paladins get the Slazish Fens

(of course, they don't really stack usually - Undead Archmages can't get both the Ruins and Expense I think)

Zonk wrote:It can actually BENEFIT you sometimes, thanks to how scaling content works: being underlevelled compared to your real power level will make you fight weaker foes(though you'll also receive weaker loot, I think).

Pro:
- You get the same loot as anyone else for your level
- The monsters levels are based on your level, within certain ranges

Con:
It takes you a bit longer to level. If you want a short/fast game then do not take an exp penalty. If you want a normal/slow game, then this is not a problem.

There is no real penalty when you get less exp. It is more a game-play style choice than anything else.