Earning a honest living (newbie friendly)

[Zero7]

Good guys don't steal. Instead we make an honest living by being pragmatic, taking the scientist trait and picking up one or two (if you don't swap out gear) points in crafting. As soon as you reach Cyseal visit the library (above the mayors house) pick up these books: Cracking up the audience and Cyseal: a play, memorize them a bit. Go to the fair (eastwest of cyseal market) and do some acting for 3200 gold. Now it's time to invest. buy your + crafting and + blacksmithing gear asap, maintain cash to invest. First a short recap of the most profitable crafted items:

*Poisoncloud arrows or slowdown arrows. Buy every arrowhead and shaft.
*Perception potion. Buy every eye you see.
*Speed potion. Buy every fanny blossom.
*Constitution potion. Buy every farhangite.
*Buy every penny bum mushroom.
*Armor piercing grenade. Buy every bottle or broken bottle, buy some empty grenades.
*Razzle Dazzle grenade. Buy every jellyroom. Buy some empty canisters.
*Weapons and armor, Buy every log, cloth, leather, metal scrap and ore.
*Pixie dust. Buy all stardust flowers and enough skulls or bones to keep up with them.
*Master level spellbooks, don't buy ingredients for this, crafting 5 use master spells + book.

Optional buys: tooth, antler, intestines, tormented soul, scope, elemental essences.


That's the mayor profitable craftables.Now the tools every crafter / smith needs:

*pickaxe, there's none lying around in the early game you have to buy it.
*knife, find or buy. Use on tooth, antler and leather.
*identifying glass buy one.
*needle & thread. buy one or buy needle and thread and combine them.
*repair hammer, find or buy.
*normal hammer, find one at the blacksmith near west Cyseal exit above empty house.
*mortar & pestle, find one or buy one.
*shovel, find at the graveyard.
*inkpot and quill, find or make feather+knife+empty ink pot.
*a barrel of oil, find the cave under the graveyard (dig) there is also ore there.
*a barrel of ooze. Find one west of Cyseal (this is the starting area of the game).
*a barrel of water, find and pick barrels upey you need temporary 8 str, meat boosts str.

Make your needle and thread as well as your inkpot "magic" by combining them with pixie dust, this dust can be bought or crafted and serves as the base ingredient in trinket crafting. Stardust herb, mortar and pestle, skulls, mortar and pestle, combine, bingo: pixie dust.

On to arrowcrafting:

The base is arrowshaft+arrowhead, if your arrowhead is enhanced the arrow will be enhanced. Normal arrows are not useful to craft. Craft slowdown arrows at 3 by combining the arrowhead with oil barrel. The better arrow to make money with is Poisoncloud arrow because they take only one shaft, combine two poison tips for a poisoncloud tip. These can be mass produced because barrels are never empty, important: use the recipe section of crafting to mass produce.Sell these.

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Grenade crafting:

Broken bottles can be made with a hammer and a filled bottle, broken bottle combined with empty round grenade yields insane profit. Empty canister combined with jellyroom is a profitable canister grenade. Jellyrooms are also an ingredient in a resistance potion that can enhance an arrowtip. I never stock more than three of those enhanced arrows any spare resistance potion can be put into a canister. Fill your sovereign orbs with magical starfish (starfish + pixie dust) and fill your empty perfume bottles with pixie dust, don't buy these containers.


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Potion crafting:

Easy, empty potion bottles + stuff makes a potion. Look out for eyes, creepy or not, fanny blossom and farhangite. These potions will be small at crafting 1/2 medium at 3 and large at 5 crafting. Health and poison potions will be medium at 5 crafting. Health and poison potions can be upgrading by combining small + small, medium + medium, etc. Augmentor + any potion upgrades it into the next tier. I suggest upgrading magical armor potions. Basically, buy all herbs, don't buy tea herbs. Watch out with Farhangite, it is used in making the best arrow. Don't bottle it. Having a spare stat enhancer is always useful, keep a few in stock.
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Weapons crafting.

for money
Ores in da furrnace duh. Bars can only be used with anvil except tenebrium which can only be applied to weapons. There's 5 kinds of bars you can make: iron, steel, big iron, big steel, silver and tenebrium. Iron bar into da furnace make steel. Iron bar + iron bar makes big iron. Big iron into da furnace for big steel. Use bars with anvil to craft swords/greatswords, steel bars to craft axes/greataxes. At level 5 blacksmithing the crafted weapons get a magic effect boost, some make them more expensive than others. Weapons with undesired effect on it can be remade into bar with furnace. I turn all my iron ore into steel and craft axes with the specific modifier "+ maximum ap". Silver bars will make silver arrowheads.

Log + pickaxe makes 2 branches. Two branches make an elemental staff, dunno how. Two Sinew make bowstring, bowstrings are for bows or crossbows and a very obscure trinket. logs are more common than sinew so you can make a few staves to sell as well as bows.
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Armor: .

Needle and thread + cloth or leather makes normal armor, do this early if you're really short.
Magic needle and thread + cloth or leather makes magic armor. Requires level 5 crafting.
Metal scraps + hammer for metal armor. Have level 5 blacksmith.
pearls make your armor sell for more.

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Useful stuff: (not related to money making)

Pixie dust + item = magic item.
Magic item + rope = belt.
Magic item + thread = amulet.

Feather = dexterity.
Claw = strength.
Skull = intelligence.
Rabbit paw = speed. (amulet), magic find (belt). Use amulet + bowstring for 0.5 movement.
Eye = perception.
Tusk = constitution (?)

Pixie dust + paper = blank witchcraft scroll
Essence + paper = blank elemental scroll
Blank scroll + magic ink pot = random spellscroll.
Blank scroll + blank scroll = blank book.

Ringcrafting is not worth it.


Enhancing:

Essence + armor: elemental defense (can apply all essences to one piece of armor)
Ruby + armor: all elemental defence at once. doesn't stack with essence.
Tormented soul + weapon (except wand): +1/1 str/dex +2 at lvl 14.
Scope + (cross)bow: +2 perception.
Bladed weapon + whetstone: more damage.
Staff, mace or club + moonstone: more damage.
Weapon + poison potion or essence: added elemental damage.
Weapon + tenebrium ore: replaces elemental damage, does more damage.
Tenebrium enhanced weapon + essence or poison: more damage on elemental.

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Top profit crafts:

Poisoncloud arrows, Armor piercing grenade. Razzle dazzle grenade, Speed, Constitution and Perception potions. Armor and weapons later in the game.

Top utility crafts:

Love grenade, tremor grenade (empty nade + earth essence), frost grenade (empty grenade + water essence), stunning arrow (knife + tooth + arrow shaft) charming arrow (drudanae + arrowhead), thundercloud arrow (jellyroom + empty potion + arrowhead + shaft). Strength, dexterity or intelligence belts and amulets.


If anyone has more ways to make good money early without resorting to theft and murder please share :D

[Balkoth]

"Unrelated to money making but good to craft:"

Actually, stuff like Antlers/Teeth (cheap arrowhead mats) do indeed turn a small profit when crafted into arrows.

+1 to the general idea -- I've never robbed the innocent townspeople blind like I see all too many people "recommending." And I beat the game my first playthrough on Tactician Mode with two Lone Wolves.

One person even claimed to me "We're adventurers -- I think it's obvious stealing is okay." Like...really? If you want to play a scoundrelish and sociopathic thief who robs people, fine, but basically claiming you're a paladin and then stealing everyone's stuff?

[Zero7]

Originally posted by Balkoth:

"Unrelated to money making but good to craft:"

Actually, stuff like Antlers/Teeth (cheap arrowhead mats) do indeed turn a small profit when crafted into arrows.

+1 to the general idea -- I've never robbed the innocent townspeople blind like I see all too many people "recommending." And I beat the game my first playthrough on Tactician Mode with two Lone Wolves.

One person even claimed to me "We're adventurers -- I think it's obvious stealing is okay." Like...really? If you want to play a scoundrelish and sociopathic thief who robs people, fine, but basically claiming you're a paladin and then stealing everyone's stuff?

Thanks :D

I played my first time very two faced because my rogue was a thief/heartless killer, while also being very charismatic and my paladin was obedient. It kind of made sense because they were stuck together saving the all of existence what could the paladin do? I didn't realise how much more fun it is to make honest gold, optimizing that process and taking it slow. I'm yet to discover the fun of balance through not wearing self crafted weapons.

I think it's the game's own fault players derange from the good guy path. They put so much valuable stuff in Cyseal, skills are expensive and making money through crafting is a pretty overwhelming thing to learn initially. They even expect you to rob someone for being slightly suspicious to advance the plot!

I do not recommend crafting specific arrowheads without an archer because it makes the crafting more overwhelming and the profit margin isn't high enough. I chose to include it for the immense utility it brings to parties with an archer.

[Zero7]

Updated it to be more compact.

[Janis Paegle]

How much your have to nvest in crafting to do this? Nad how much money can you make?

[SecondLich]

can you upload this as a guilde? realy helpful

[jared.heath]

You can go around to all the vendors in Silverglen and Cyseal every game day/level up and buy up all the arrows, just make poison arrows and make many hundreds of thousands of gold over the course of the game SMFC.

it's at least 5k every game day. And that's just the poison arrows (300+)

You can game this by keeping your 2 source hunters a bit apart in XP and getting multiple level ups per actual level......

[Qiox]

Originally posted by Balkoth:

If you want to play a scoundrelish and sociopathic thief who robs people, fine, but basically claiming you're a paladin and then stealing everyone's stuff?

The justification for taking the stuff is actually quite easy to make based on the context of the story.

Your two characters are NOT adventurers visiting town. You are investigators assigned to find a murderer.

And in what context is this investigation taking place? What are the laws? What are the property rights of the town folk? What are the limits to your power to gather evidence? What are your powers to commandeer the resources necessary to perform your duties?

None of those answers are coded into the narrative of the game. It is entirely up to the player to choose in what context they are playing.

As such, there is no reason to act like any one set of choices is superior to any other.

[jared.heath]

The source hunters are certainly given free reign by the powers-that-be in town from an investigative standpoint. It's pretty clear you should be breaking into Esmerelda's home. You should assume they have a warrant to do just that....ESPECIALLY after visiting the crime scene. It's really fairly embarrassing that the townspeople themselves haven't found the evidence the source hunters found before they get there. It's so unbelievable to me they didn't find it to assume that ass of a legion leader is in on it or incompetent. It's certainly clear the mayor is incompetent. And we know about all the rest of those who might get involved.

As long as you assume you do what real police do when given full investigative rights, its really not too hard to steal from Esmerelda to advance the plot.

As far as robbing everyone...when you consider they all are going to die unless you save them and all that stuff they would freely give you if they knew you needed it to save them makes it pretty easy to justify robbing them blind to save the world also.

[JX83]

Holy crap. Theft is so common in these games I expected it to be a given. It actually never occured to me that someone would RP to the extent of refusing to steal.

[RRRaggy]

why not make this a guide instead

[Janis Paegle]

Yea but its kind a weird that you take a picture from the wall and sell beck to someone who live in that same house and he just pays for it

[MonkeyEmperor]

Excellent stuff :)

I like the idea of playing it straight. Personally I just steal everything that isn't nailed down. And the Nails.

:)

[Nequis]

Originally posted by jared.heath:

As far as robbing everyone...when you consider they all are going to die unless you save them and all that stuff they would freely give you if they knew you needed it to save them makes it pretty easy to justify robbing them blind to save the world also.

Coming from a guy who by level 10 has 47k gold from "borrowing" from most of the places and people,this is exactly my vision,but more in detail:

Everyone is a damn ass scumbag in town,you moved a chair by mistake or read a book laying on the table? EXECUTION ON SPOT

Send a companion to talk with someone? Get treated as if they are filthy pestilence rats.

Save a good bunch of people? It's already much if they give you a thank and other times not even that,from the game "thanks for saving my life but i won't do you this favour"...well,♥♥♥♥ you!

None is ever moving a finger to help you,they just send you in places to do stuff,save the world and if you die trying well np. Have to prevent ultimate evil from resurrecting? Well it'd be a pity if Arhu and the whole Legion wouldn't give a damn.

Save 2 guys and escort them to city through a whole bandit company? No discount,still charge 3k gold for a pair of boots.


What i take is just the rightful compensation from having to save a world of people who'd gladly sell my soul to a demon if they could. Also if the world is gonna end without a succesful saving from us,what would they do with all their shiny stuff?

[Janis Paegle]

Originally posted by Nequis:

Originally posted by jared.heath:

As far as robbing everyone...when you consider they all are going to die unless you save them and all that stuff they would freely give you if they knew you needed it to save them makes it pretty easy to justify robbing them blind to save the world also.

Coming from a guy who by level 10 has 47k gold from "borrowing" from most of the places and people,this is exactly my vision,but more in detail:

Everyone is a damn ass scumbag in town,you moved a chair by mistake or read a book laying on the table? EXECUTION ON SPOT

Send a companion to talk with someone? Get treated as if they are filthy pestilence rats.

Save a good bunch of people? It's already much if they give you a thank and other times not even that,from the game "thanks for saving my life but i won't do you this favour"...well,♥♥♥♥ you!

None is ever moving a finger to help you,they just send you in places to do stuff,save the world and if you die trying well np. Have to prevent ultimate evil from resurrecting? Well it'd be a pity if Arhu and the whole Legion wouldn't give a damn.

Save 2 guys and escort them to city through a whole bandit company? No discount,still charge 3k gold for a pair of boots.


What i take is just the rightful compensation from having to save a world of people who'd gladly sell my soul to a demon if they could. Also if the world is gonna end without a succesful saving from us,what would they do with all their shiny stuff?

good point, lets fking nuke that rat hole!!!

[Dixon Sider]

Originally posted by SMFCLV:

Originally posted by Nequis:

Coming from a guy who by level 10 has 47k gold from "borrowing" from most of the places and people,this is exactly my vision,but more in detail:

Everyone is a damn ass scumbag in town,you moved a chair by mistake or read a book laying on the table? EXECUTION ON SPOT

Send a companion to talk with someone? Get treated as if they are filthy pestilence rats.

Save a good bunch of people? It's already much if they give you a thank and other times not even that,from the game "thanks for saving my life but i won't do you this favour"...well,♥♥♥♥ you!

None is ever moving a finger to help you,they just send you in places to do stuff,save the world and if you die trying well np. Have to prevent ultimate evil from resurrecting? Well it'd be a pity if Arhu and the whole Legion wouldn't give a damn.

Save 2 guys and escort them to city through a whole bandit company? No discount,still charge 3k gold for a pair of boots.


What i take is just the rightful compensation from having to save a world of people who'd gladly sell my soul to a demon if they could. Also if the world is gonna end without a succesful saving from us,what would they do with all their shiny stuff?

good point, lets fking nuke that rat hole!!!

thats why i just kill everyone in the game on sight