New with several questions?

Hello everyone, I just started playing Guild wars about two days ago.

I have several questions.

I have Started out as a Assassin / Mesmer and am only level 5.

Grinding for EXP and money, I will handle on my own.

Here are some questions.

1. To gain more skills I really just have to follow the quests correct?

Have to explain a little for the next questions:
I have been reading a lot beforehand and found a build I want for my PvE mesmer. I really want this character to bring in the money and items from loot!
2. It says I will need a 20/20 casting staff. Also I will need Radiant Armor?
Are these things very hard to come by? Or can they be crafted?

3. Last, to get a Elite Skill is that through quests or killing bosses then using that Signet of Capture, which I don't even have yet.. but I read about it somewhere.

Sorry if they are noobish questions thanks!

1) Not exactly. Prophecies has quests which reward skills, but other campaigns don't (not counting PvE-only skills). You can either buy skills (Michiko in Kaineng Center will be your friend) or unlock them through PvP and learn them on your PvE char with a "<Desired profession> tome".

2) 20/20 staves can be crafted (like many other types of weapons). Some unique items also come with the desired stats, it's sometimes cheaper since unique items' price is usually around 5k.
"Radiant armor" refer to an armor with radiant insignias on it. Armor are crafted, and you can purchase runes/insignias from NPC (or recycle them from loot).

Just to be sure, when you refer to your mesmer, you mean a different character from your assassin, right ?

3) Yep, cap elite skills from dead bosses. You can buy Signets of Capture at Skills vendor (the one in Kaineng Center is the nearest for you, iirc).

first off thanks for answering me!

Well atm I only have one character, he is a Assassin/mesmer.

I am learning Skills from both. Though I can only put attribute points in Assassin at the moment...

So if I am only strictly playing PvE at the moment, I can learn them by getting tomes? Where are these tomes found btw?

Thanks so much, this means a lot.

Hi and Welcome!


Tomes drop from monsters in hard mode, elite tomes from bosses also in hard mode (HM). You can get them in other ways but thats the most common. Tomes are easily bought from other people too. Main towns like Lions Arch (Prophecies), Kaineng (Factions) and Kamadan (Nightfall). Are where most people sell things. Press P in those places to see everyones selling messages.

Ps. You can change where your attribute points go at any time when you're in a town. If you want to put them all into Mesmer to try it and doesn't work, just go back to a town and put them back into Assassin

Stupid me! That's why, I was like this is crazy that I can't change anything.

Ok, this is starting to make sense. I'm sure when I get more time under my belt everything will start making sense more and more.

Tomes are only useful if you have already unlocked skills either on another character or through the real-money purchase of skill unlock packs.

Acquiring skills is a two-step process, really... unlocking and learning. When a character purchases a skill from a trainer, the skill is unlocked for the account and learned by the character. If another character on the same account wants to use that skill, he must still pay to learn it or use a tome. A couple of benefits, though, is that once a skill is unlocked, it is available to any hero (profession allowing, of course) for any character on the account. The skill will also be available to learn by other characters at any of the skill trainers, even if the skill wasn't available to the first character until very late in the campaign.

That was probably more than you needed to know at this point, but it was a revelation to me when I first started playing and made my character's lives much easier.

Happy hunting!

Shana
Uber Rit (in my own mind)

Well, I was asking this question because I couldn't really see why you would need a staff on your assassin. Apart from gimmick builds (for solofarming or whatever), you will mostly want to use daggers, far more efficient for general play.
Would you mind sharing the build you were planning to use ?

A tome allow you to learn, on your PvE char, a skill which is already unlocked for your account. But since it's your first char and you don't PvP, forget about it for the moment (it might come handy later, if you make alts).
You can get tomes from mobs in Hard Mode.

Actually this is helping me understand my account more. So making an account, the characters on it really support each other really. LOL

So like for Assassins if I want Shadow Form, I need to go to a trainer right? But I know Shadow Form is a Elite skill this is where i am stumped now... sorry
..

To learn an elite skill, you first purchase a Signet of Capture from a skill trainer and equip it like a normal skill. Then you go kill a boss that has that elite skill (the wiki will list all the bosses; here's the one for Shadow Form: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Shadow_Form) and use Signet of Capture while you're near the boss. You'll be able to select and learn any of the boss's skills; be sure to choose the elite! This will permanently replace the Signet of Capture; to get another elite, you have to buy another Signet.

Ok that makes sense now!

Wow I actually like how this game is set up! It's like by level!
It's by doing something to get new skills!

Thanks for everyone's answers! I read the Common Guild Wars and internet terms thread and saw what I am looking forward in a staff.

HCT Halves casting time
HSR Halves skill recharge

So if I have a staff thats a 20/20 that means
its

20/20 Staff

Uhm just to get things clear: your secondary profession is usually just a "support", meaning you only use a few skills out of that and the rest from your primary. Apart from some particular builds ofc.
So, as someone else already mentioned, it's not like an assassin goes around with caster weapons usually...and shadow form is mainly used for farming only.
So, mind sharing the build you have in mind, to help you better?

You say you can't allocate points into mesmer stats...did you do the quest in which you chose a secondary? From what you say it looks as though you're still in the phase where you try out all of them, so you can only use skills but not put points...I mean, when you do all the quests that give you the skills and you go around shing jea to meet the different instructors.

Btw I wouldn't bother so much about elites, money and xp for now...maybe xp as in factions you need max lvl quickly, but really, just enjoy the game for now and get a bit into the mechanics.

Most builds that uses skills from secondary skills use only a few support skills indeed. some examples of secondary professions used as support for you primairy:

any/ele : you bring glyph of lesser energy. your next 2 spells (so not attacks!) cost 10 less energy
any/monk: you bring a res skill to ressurect teammembers when needed
any/rit: you use splinter weapon to deal AoE damage with your next attack

Those are just a few examples how you use the secondary profession to make your primairy better.

keep in mind, after 4 missions into faction you can unlock other secondairy professions whenever you want (unlocking them cost 500 gold for each profession, once paid you can switch between all those unlocked).


As far as I know only sins that use a caster weapon use it for running (quickly going from a to b without killing anything on the way but avoiding being killed by the mobs you encounter on the way). Running is very specialized and you shouldn't think bout that yet.

I know bout a few sin builds that uses a scythe and some dervish skills, but for the rest most sins stick to their daggers.

Bout getting an elite skill. you need to kill a boss to capture it's elite skill. To do this you bring a special skill called the signet of capture (the only skill you can buy and equip multiple copy's of). After killing the boss you click the skill and a dialogue window pops up asking wich skill you want to capture (always pick the gold rimmed one, cause that is the elite skill). After that your signet is replaced on your skillbar with that elite skill. To capture another eliteskill you need to rebuy the signet again (or like said, you can buy more then one of them in advance).

The elite skill you get depends on the boss you kill (you actually get the elite skill the boss had equiped). The earliest sin elite skill you can get is Palm Strike wich is in Budek byway (first area on the main land).

Ok, I read both your answers which really have helped me.

So I found a build online, and was trying to sort of model that.

here it is: A/Me Farming Build I want to build into a farming character. I saw this, and how often I wouldn't be hit by mobs and thought wow this is great. So when I scroll down I see it saying I need a Casting Staff, I'm guessing something with 20% HCT Domination and your regular 20% HRS.

So I think my ultimate question should have been this, what would you say is the most effective way of farming with a Assassin. What is the best Assassin build you all know of?

See I just was selecting one I found and was rolling with that thinking it would do, since I know I won't be Pvp'n anytime soon.

I have noticed the Dagger is def. the Assassins primary weapon. Perhaps I should look for builds pertaining to using Daggers?

Thanks again everyone, I don't think I ever found a forum this helpful and nice.

As usual, I'm late to the party, but...

There are some quests which have skills as a reward, but most of your skills will come through purchasing them from skill trainers (a type of NPC). When you are in a town or outpost check to see if there's a skill trainer there.
Here's a useful link:
http://www.guildwiki.org/Index_of_skill_lists

A 20/20 staff is a staff that has "Halves casting time - 20% chance" and "Halves skill recharge 20%" on it. Keep in mind that that is basically the "recommended" weapon for that build. The build will still "work" without it, just a bit less effectively. So don't obsess over it.

This refers to putting Radiant Insignias on every piece of your armor to get maximum energy (pool). You get the Insignias from a [rune trader] NPC.
It's not a particular type of armor - just put Radiants on whatever armor you like.

You will eventually be able to buy SoCs from Merchants.

Do note that the game is designed to be played with other players (or henchmen and/or heros) in your party. Do not start building yourself into a farming build to play the game. That build will be used in very specific scenarios and you will be solo. You should worry about getting to level 20 and completing the campaign before you really buckle down on farming.

hmm, first of all pvx.wikia.com is not active any more and many builds are not usable anymore due to updates of the skills. for a good farming build the best place to go is http://www.gwpvx.com/PvX_wiki

Most people who where on the wikia have gone to this site. Also keep in mind that most farming builds are designed for solo killing a lot of foes very quickly. This is done to get more drops and therefore more money. My advice is to wait with it till you have finished most of the game and use a general purpose build to play the game with henchman, heroes and/or teammembers.

a good sequence is:
a: finish the game in normal mode (all campaigns) with playing with friends or heroes/henchman
b: do a bit of a hardmode (mission and vanguish) with a team.
c: make a farming build and try farming in normal mode first (just to practise).
d: now you can try to farm like described on that site and still fail a lot in the beginning.


To farm you need to keep in mind that it is a very precise thing. You will need max lvl armor and the exact equipment described (wich is expensive in almost all the cases). Beside that one misclick and you will be defeated and have to start all over again.

now i'm scared.... LOL jk

Gotcha, so right now I should just focus on leveling my character.

Any Suggestions for what would be good for a Assassin then? I mean what I should choose as a Secondary?
EDIT:::
Ok, so I went to the new site, and found this:
It seems much more general.
General Build


Thanks again!

http://www.gwpvx.com/Build:A/any_PvE_Dagger_Spammer

You could use this one as a basis,

The first 4 skills are all obtainable on the starterisland in factions. The 5th is accesable right when you enter Nightfall campaign. some of the elite's mentioned can be obtained really soon.

Most important is that you have a good basis, you can use to build on. The equipment mentioned is good but optional and it's a very easy and solid sin build to get you through the game.

As an secondary profession. Like said earlier, it doesn't matter too much at the beginning, you can changes it pretty soon in factions. so if you already picked mesmer stick with that. otherwise, I always liked splinter weapon with my melee toons. so pick ritualist, get that skill, put if possible a few points in channeling attribute and cast it on yourself from time to time when you have a nice amount of enemy's around you.

Later on when you can bring heroes you prolly will give the skill to a hero to use it on you (and its good to have it unlocked already and know what it does)

Wow, that reminds me of a Warrior skill I was reading about where for several more hits you attack for much more.

Thanks I think i will try out a A/Rt

Thanks again!