Where to get better weapons?

[ElmButterHam]

I just hit level 12 (the longest I've survived so far) and I done some Joppa quests and been to the stilt. I feel like my damage has kind of leveled off and am wondering how would I get a better long sword/ better rifle. Also where should I go next?

[_IB_]

I recommend you to not watch any guides or ask people. You should discover it by yourself. I read a wiki or watch a guide only when the game is unbeatable without guides (like terraria). I know nothing about caves of Qud, but i discover new things every time I play it.

[Vivisector 9999]

The various zones of the world map have tiers influencing what you can find there.

In general, the further east you go, the better loot you'll find, including weapons. This applies both to dungeons and town merchants.

[Pixel Peeper]

Usually, the more dangerous the area, the better the loot. If you go far or go deep, there will be plenty of great loot, but of course it's a risk.

If you haven't checked the first historic site (as indicated by the statue one screen north of Joppa), level 12 should be safe enough if you're prudent.

Your next official target location, as you know since you've done the Joppa quests, should probably be Grit Gate. You don't have to go right now. But when you do, maybe check out the stairs in the northeastern section. This path goes reasonably far underground and there can be some nice loot in there. If you're lucky, you'll also get an easy Baetyl request.

[glass zebra]

Originally posted by ElmButterHam:

Also where should I go next?

The main quest line should always be able to answer that question. Do some historic sites on the way and you should be fine with your level vs zone level. If you feel underleveled, you can of course also do other stuff. Just keep in mind that far outside those paths surprises may wait.

Basic equipment loot is usually gotten from humanoids (like Snapjaws) or chests in the zone your are currently progressing through or from traders (often the general goods/dromad ones unless you want something specific). There are some tiers that are rather sparse on loot (e.g. tier 5) due to lacking humanoids in that main quest part, but you are not there yet.

You probably got the quest to go to Grit Gate and you should be able to get gear there. If you are currently at iron to steel, you are not really lagging behind. Did you also boost strength a bit to be able to use your weapon PV mostly fully (or for longswords: boosted agility to still hit reliably with aggressive stance)? Combat numbers generally go less bursty over the levels and enemies (and you) mostly stop dying in 1 hit quickly, unless you lean super hard into that. Enemies taking 3-4 hits to die is "normal" after early game.

[ElmButterHam]

Originally posted by serikos:

Originally posted by ElmButterHam:

Also where should I go next?

The main quest line should always be able to answer that question. Do some historic sites on the way and you should be fine with your level vs zone level. If you feel underleveled, you can of course also do other stuff. Just keep in mind that far outside those paths surprises may wait.

Basic equipment loot is usually gotten from humanoids (like Snapjaws) or chests in the zone your are currently progressing through or from traders (often the general goods/dromad ones unless you want something specific). There are some tiers that are rather sparse on loot (e.g. tier 5) due to lacking humanoids in that main quest part, but you are not there yet.

You probably got the quest to go to Grit Gate and you should be able to get gear there. If you are currently at iron to steel, you are not really lagging behind. Did you also boost strength a bit to be able to use your weapon PV mostly fully (or for longswords: boosted agility to still hit reliably with aggressive stance)? Combat numbers generally go less bursty over the levels and enemies (and you) mostly stop dying in 1 hit quickly, unless you lean super hard into that. Enemies taking 3-4 hits to die is "normal" after early game.

I currently have a carbide long sword but I am unsure if that's better or worse than steel.
I am also at 24 strength and 20 agility.
I was having trouble facing I think turtles or eyeless crabs and sometimes it would take upwards of 10, and sometimes more, hits to defeat them. I'm not sure if it's because my weapon isn't penetrating or if they have a high (AV? DV?).

[glass zebra]

Originally posted by ElmButterHam:

Originally posted by serikos:

The main quest line should always be able to answer that question. Do some historic sites on the way and you should be fine with your level vs zone level. If you feel underleveled, you can of course also do other stuff. Just keep in mind that far outside those paths surprises may wait.

Basic equipment loot is usually gotten from humanoids (like Snapjaws) or chests in the zone your are currently progressing through or from traders (often the general goods/dromad ones unless you want something specific). There are some tiers that are rather sparse on loot (e.g. tier 5) due to lacking humanoids in that main quest part, but you are not there yet.

You probably got the quest to go to Grit Gate and you should be able to get gear there. If you are currently at iron to steel, you are not really lagging behind. Did you also boost strength a bit to be able to use your weapon PV mostly fully (or for longswords: boosted agility to still hit reliably with aggressive stance)? Combat numbers generally go less bursty over the levels and enemies (and you) mostly stop dying in 1 hit quickly, unless you lean super hard into that. Enemies taking 3-4 hits to die is "normal" after early game.

I currently have a carbide long sword but I am unsure if that's better or worse than steel.
I am also at 24 strength and 20 agility.
I was having trouble facing I think turtles or eyeless crabs and sometimes it would take upwards of 10, and sometimes more, hits to defeat them. I'm not sure if it's because my weapon isn't penetrating or if they have a high (AV? DV?).

You can check the weapon damage dice or PV cap to see if it is better or not. For most 1h weapons you can directly read the PV-4 as their tier. Steel is tier 2, carbide tier 3. You are already slightly better equipped than what Red Rock usually drops.

With 24 strength you can exactly use the full PV cap of the carbide long sword and 20 agility is also pretty good at that level. You can check the combat log if you miss or don't penetrate, but crabs definitely have high AV with their exoskeleton (and really low DV). Swap to aggressive stance to have an easier time with them. They are made to be tanky against default physical damage though and not designed to be taken as the average enemy to gear against.

Turtles are even worse, because they have both high AV and somewhat high DV. They hardly do damage themselves though and are pretty much only distracting you. It does not really matter if you many hits to kill them. They should not kill you in the meantime unless you are naked.

[ElmButterHam]

Originally posted by serikos:

Originally posted by ElmButterHam:

I currently have a carbide long sword but I am unsure if that's better or worse than steel.
I am also at 24 strength and 20 agility.
I was having trouble facing I think turtles or eyeless crabs and sometimes it would take upwards of 10, and sometimes more, hits to defeat them. I'm not sure if it's because my weapon isn't penetrating or if they have a high (AV? DV?).

You can check the weapon damage dice or PV cap to see if it is better or not. For most 1h weapons you can directly read the PV-4 as their tier. Steel is tier 2, carbide tier 3. You are already slightly better equipped than what Red Rock usually drops.

With 24 strength you can exactly use the PV cap of the carbide long sword and 20 agility is also pretty good at that level. You can check the combat log if you miss or don't penetrate, but crabs definitely have high AV with their exoskeleton (and really low DV). Swap to aggressive stance to have an easier time with them. They are made to be tanky against default physical damage though and not designed to be taken as the average enemy to gear against.

Turtles are even worse, because they have both high AV and somewhat high DV. They hardly do damage themselves though and are pretty much only distracting you. It does not really matter if you many hits to kill them. They should not kill you in the meantime unless you are naked.

Ah I see. Is the PV (penetration value?) and is that the number with the arrow next to the dice number? It's good to know that the turtles and crabs are supposed to be like this though I thought I was just way underleveled. Thank you.

[glass zebra]

Originally posted by ElmButterHam:

Ah I see. Is the PV (penetration value?) and is that the number with the arrow next to the dice number? It's good to know that the turtles and crabs are supposed to be like this though I thought I was just way underleveled. Thank you.

The value after the arrow on the melee weapon is its penetration cap. If you have UI->"Display detailed weapon penetration and damage in weapon names" enabled, you can also see your current reached penetration value in that display (e.g. for a carbide long sword something like 8/8). You are definitely a tiny bit more "over" than "under", but it should feel pretty average for a new player.

Unless you start with some elemental damage or uncapped PV weapon, the first tortoises you meet will basically always feel like hitting an an actual wall, but as said they don't do anything in return. They just taunt you and you could even walk away, because they are so slow and often hide in their carapace too. They are really pure tanks and only offer XP on kill. Crabs can hit somewhat hard with their strength though, but with their low agility they both have a hard time actually hitting you and have such a low dodge value that you basically always hit them. They can definitely be a bit dangerous if you meet them early while still half naked due to how long they tend to live in melee range.

Don't forget to up your own AV. Trying to reach at least your own PV cap is a good guideline if you are unsure. Damage escalates a bit if PV is far over a target's AV, though that is also not the only way to go. Enemies do not all have the same PV in the same area either, so don't try to see felt enemy stats as the norm either in survivability or damage.

Creatures with a carapace or an exoskeleton are probably not surprisingly tanky. The beetles you meet in Red Rock are even worse, having more HP and much more damage, though they are thankfully not hostile by default. There are more creatures like that, but they usually have some weakness. For crabs it is definitely their low agility and for tortoises their low strength and quickness. Enemies get "more interesting" as the game progresses and trying to see everything as PV vs AV will not always be the most efficient approach.

In theory there is also penetrating strikes in the single weapon fighting tree, which will always guarantee as least one penetration, but there are many other options for enemies that have super high AV, especially if you target a weakness. For now just accept that they take longer to kill and plan accordingly or use stuff like flaming ray.