Returning Player with some questions

YJ2k2

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jun 2005

The Calling of [Time]

A/Me

Hi everyone, I played Guild Wars a lot from release to just before Factions came out. Now that I'm returning there are some things that the wiki can't answer for me.

1) Inscribable weapons etc. If I understand these correctly, they offer no inherent advantage over the old weapons, but are customizable to your liking, correct?

2) Unlocking skills -- I'm stumped on this. If I use Balthazzar faction to unlock a skill, will it be available for my PvE heroes on any character? Can I use an elite tome and learn that spell right away on a level 1 character?

3) Zaishen key -- Do these have any value other than getting the emote?

Divine Ashes

Divine Ashes

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2006

Chicago

LFG

R/

1) You are correct, an insribable weapon offers no inherent benefit over a non-inscribable weapon of the same kind, but allows you to change the inscription whenever you like (say from Dam +15%>50 to Energy +5).

2). If you unlock a skill with balth faction, it will not only be able to be used by pve heroes right away, but yes, if you use an elite tome or tome on your pve char and you have the skill unlocked, you can use it even at level 1.

3). Z-keys have monetary worth in game (ranging from 4-5k each usually), and have value in not only getting the emote, but the random game of using the keys on the actual zaishen chest, which gives you a chance to get everlasting tonics/any rare weapon in the game (albeit a very low chance...I've used 500 keys and have gotten nothing of value).

Have fun

ogre_jd

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2008

Canadia

W/

1) Yep.

2) Skills unlocked with Balthazar faction are available to your Heroes and to any character of the appropriate profession that uses a Tome or Elite Tome.

3) Not a clue, since I've never dealt with 'em.

Saph

Saph

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2009

R/

1. Correct. Inscribable weapons are just easier to modify, but they have no advantage over uninscribable weapons.

2. When you unlock a skill using Balth faction, it becomes available for all heroes on all your character. To make the unlocked skill available to pve characters, you must use a tome. So yes, you can use an elite tome to learn an elite skill on a lvl 1 character.

3. Zaishen keys do give you an emote, but they also give you a small chance to obtain valuable items such as Everlasting tonics and other rare items like Crystalline Swords, Voltaic Spears, etc.

Xenex Xclame

Xenex Xclame

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2006

DPX

R/

2) In case you didnt know,unlocking the skills will also make it available for your own character at any of the trainers in the campaign that skill is from.

(even if normally you would have to wait all the way to Ember Camp for example to get a prophecies skill)

Quaker

Quaker

Hell's Protector

Join Date: Aug 2005

Canada

Brothers Disgruntled

Just to add to the confusion:

1. The inscription slot replaces the "inherent mod" on oldschool weapons. For example, the inherent dmg +15% while health is above 50% is now an inscription that can be fitted, replaced, and/or removed on any (appropriate) weapon with an inscription slot. Check the wiki(s) for details of what inscription there are and what weapon types thay can be used on.

2. Yes, the unlocked skills are available for all (appropriate) heroes on all your characters. It also means that you can use a Tome to acquire them on other characters, and that they will be available at any trainer (as Xenex says above)

3. As has been said, Z-keys can be sold or used to open the Zaishen chest.