Where/how do I get charcoal?

[FullAutoAttack]

Want to work on my blacksmithing and smelt down some weapons, but I need charcoal to do that and the cities/villages I've visited don't have any.

any info would be appreciated, thanks.

[SievertChaser]

You refine it from hardwood in the other (third) tab.

[FullAutoAttack]

Where is the best places to get hardwood?

[Pistachio]

Look for villages that produce hardwood, they should have them.
Plus, any towns associated with those hardwood producing settlements should have lots of hardwood in their market as well.

[FullAutoAttack]

So how do I know what villages produce hardwood (srry I'm very new at this)?

[Gummiel]

when you hover over a village its main production will be shown in the tooltip (Off the top of my head I believe one of Sibir's(Sturgia area) villages have hardwood, I am sure there are others around if you don't really move around in that area)

[Dingleberry Dan]

northern cities and khuzaits usually have hardwood cheap

[SgtSorrow]

You can simply mousover (put your cursor over the village/city) and you will recieve some information about said settlement.

In general, Battanian settlements and the nearby Vlandian city Ocs hall tend to have a decent wood supply.

[FullAutoAttack]

ah great, thanks all

[Landnut]

Originally posted by FullAutoAttack:

ah great, thanks all

There are two villages just south of Car Banseth that produce hardwood. Go to those two villages and also go to Car Banseth to get cheap hardwood. Other than that, mouse over the other villages in Battania. I think there are one or two other villages in Battania that produce hardwood. Also, I believe Lageta has one bound village producing hardwood. Bottom line, visit the villages that produce hardwood and visit the cities they're bound to which will also have hardwood.

Secondly, when you find these villages, look for a party of villagers wandering around the map from those specific villages. Interact with them and they may sell you hardwood on the cheap. You'll almost certainly also get old work horses from them for an average of 26 denars. Butcher them and sell the meat to make money.

[SgtSorrow]

Excellent tip right there, especially earlygame. The workhorses are subsitutes for mules, and cost less than a fifth of the price.

And you can as mentioned butcher them for meat without really feeling bad about the price.

Those villagers can also be a good source of reputation if you save them from bandits!

[FullAutoAttack]

Yeah been doing extortion missions for rep and money.

The training missions I always fail because I can't get all 10 men trained up in time.

Hopefully there is a mod that removes resting for blacksmithing - hate that feature.

[Landnut]

Originally posted by FullAutoAttack:

Yeah been doing extortion missions for rep and money.

The training missions I always fail because I can't get all 10 men trained up in time.

Hopefully there is a mod that removes resting for blacksmithing - hate that feature.

Bro, you do not have to train all 10 Borrowed Troops. I have returned like 4 veteran troops to the quest giver and you still successfully complete the quest and get money. So don't sweat it if you don't get them all trained. I'm on 1.4.3. I believe it was the same deal in 1.4.2. Man, I take my borrowed troops into battle with all kinds of armies and lose 3 or 4 all the time. It's easy money as quests go. Your reward is reduced somewhat I think, but you still make a couple thousand.

[FullAutoAttack]

I'm on whatever the current version is on and if I take them back with some untrained men it doesn't give me an option to complete the mission.

[Landnut]

Originally posted by FullAutoAttack:

I'm on whatever the current version is on and if I take them back with some untrained men it doesn't give me an option to complete the mission.

You can't return untrained men. If you have any Borrowed Troops in your party the quest is still considered on going. You either have to train them up to Veteran Borrowed Troops or they have to die. So, if you have 5 Veteran Borrowed Troops, but still have 2 Borrowed Troops, you can't turn them in. you have to go into battle again and those two remaining Borrowed troops either have to die or get leveled up to veteran.

If you try to be slick and simply remove the remaining borrowed troops from your party, the quest fails. You have to level them up in battle or get them killed off in battle.

[FullAutoAttack]

ah, ok