Getting Started in DDO, Post-Login & Character Creation

[Talolan]

Hail *NOR/

This is another post to help people get ready for the Guild Unity Event for Nov. 16-18. If you haven't, please read Getting Started in DDO, Pre-Login first.

Ok. Now that you've installed the game, created your account and signed in you are ready to go.

Video Settings
Quite honestly the first thing you'll want to do upon logging in is set your video settings. On the character selection screen, just hit the "Options" button to get started.

Video Options

From there, you'll have to create a character. Just click the "Create" button.

Character Style
On the first page of character creation, you select the style of character you want. They can be melee, spell or specialist.

• Melee Classes: Fighter, Paladin, Barbarian, Monk*
• Spell Classes: Sorcerer, Cleric, Wizard, Favored Soul*
• Specialist Classes: Ranger, Rogue, Bard, Artificer*

*These classes are premium and must be purchased or earned if you aren't a VIP.

Character Style

Character Class
After you pick your character style, you'll pick your character class from the list I have above.

Fighter
A warrior with extra feats, allowing him to specialize in combat. There are many ways to fight: Two-handed, Dual-wielding or even with a bow...You name it, a fighter can specialize for it. As such, players should examine thoroughly what feats you would like to pick before you create this versatile front-line class. For example, if you specialize in dual weapons, you'll need good reflexes (i.e., high Dexterity). If specialization in two-handed weapons is your goal, Strength is the most important stat. Some tactical feats also require an above average [Intelligence]. Fighters gain Strength enhancements as they level up.

Barbarian
A warrior that has special powers when enraged and specializes in dealing heavy damage. He wears less armor than a fighter, but has more HP and some innate damage reduction. Uncanny Dodge allows Barbarians to avoid sneak attacks and have excellent reflex saves in limited bursts. While many Barbarian abilities are geared towards melee combat, they can also make great ranged combatants. Barbarians gain Constitution enhancements as they level up.

Paladin
A warrior that trades some of his melee power for the ability to cast divine spells. He also has a higher ability to avoid getting hit and can self heal in limited bursts better then most. The Paladin often has the best saving throws of any character, gains immunity to fear and disease, and may also serve as backup healers for short encounters. They also have passive auras that aid their party members when facing evil creatures. Paladins gain Charisma enhancements as they level up.

Monk
The Monk class is free for VIP accounts but Free and premium accounts must purchase the class in the DDO store for 995 Turbine Points. A combatant usually fighting without weapons, shields or armor that performs amazing techniques in battle by using a power source called ki. Through intense physical training and mental discipline, Monks gain the ability to generate and control ki.

Sorcerer
A Sorcerer is a focused caster. Sorcerers know only a small subset of all available arcane spells, but they cast that subset faster and more often, and have more spell points compared to wizards. Sorcerers gain Charisma enhancements as they level up, allowing the casting of more and stronger spells.

Cleric
Clerics are strong divine spell casters for healing and defense as well as some offensive ability. They can use all armor without penalty. The Cleric was the only main healer in DDO, prior to Favored Souls, and as such, most groups will think of clerics before asking in the more broad sense, a healer for their group. Clerics gain Wisdom and Charisma enhancements as they level up.

Wizard
A Wizard is an adaptive caster. Wizards are able to switch spells after resting or while in taverns. Wizards have more spells on tap than a Sorcerer, but are limited in the speed and frequency of their casting. Wizards focus on their Intelligence ability for stronger or more numerous spells available.

Favored Soul
The Favored Soul class must either be purchased in the DDO store for 895 Turbine Points or unlocked on a per server basis by earning 2500 Total Favor on a single character. A divine caster that follows the path of the Cleric but is able to throw spells with surprising ease. Wielding divine magic to both heal and destroy, Favored Souls have fewer spells than Clerics, but can cast more often, as they get spell points like Sorcerers do. They also get many unique and powerful enhancements, such as 3 energy resistance feats that give them 10 free stacking energy resistance, free martial weapon proficiency in the chosen weapon of their god, and 10 DR at maximum level, making them more like enhanced clerics than just a "Fewer spells, more casting" type.

Ranger
Rangers are inherently both archers and a dual-wielding melee class (in exchange for removing animal companions, DDO gives all rangers both combat styles). One of the most skilled hunters, the Ranger is among the best in stealth and can cast divine spells. Rangers increase their damage with Favored Enemy feats, where they can pick up to five kinds of monsters to specialize in fighting. Rangers may detect secret doors and traps (but not disable them). Rangers gain Dexerity enhancements as they level up.

Rogue
Rogues get the most skills in the game. While finding and disarming traps is a key skill, the Rogue can also deal devastating sneak attack damage to serve as a great melee combatant. Rogues are adept at avoiding agro and being stealthy as they are not front-line fighters. Rogues can also open locks and find hidden doors, making them a welcome addition to any party. Rogues gain Dexterity enhancements as they level up.

Bard
Bards possess many skills with some special spell cast ability. Their spellcasting consists of a mix of both divine and arcane spells, but are considered arcane overall. Bards are specialists in songs that buff a party and can use arcane spells focused on crowd control, healing, and buffs. Bards are also very good at learning the Use Magic Device skill to operate any kind of magical item. Bards gain Charisma enhancements as they level up. Bards have been called the "best sixth man", because using a Bard to fill the final slot in a party means that his powerful musical buffs will be boosting five other players, and his respectable healing abilities will assist the main healer in keeping the party alive.

Artificer
The Artificer class must either be purchased in the DDO store for 995 Turbine Points or unlocked on a per server basis by earning 150 House Cannith Favor on a single character. The Artificer combines magic with weapon technology and skill. Traditionally, Artificers prefer to avoid getting their hands dirty in a fight, using personally-made constructs that perform a variety of tasks, but are especially capable in combat. Artificers are a jack of all trades class, they can serve as excellent healers, decent offensive spellcaster, ranged combatants, and many more roles. Artificers gain Intelligence enhancements as they level up.

Character Class

Character Path
After you've selected your character class, you can select a path. Paths are pre-defined stat/feat/skill choices for your class. Paths are good for new players who don't want to get into the nitty gritty of the DDO ruleset. If you are an experienced player, you can choose custom and pick your own abilities.

Character Path

Character Race
Once you've gotten your path out of the way, you can pick your character race. Free races are Human, Dwarf, Elf and Halfling. Pay to play races are Drow Elf, Half-Elf, Half-Orc and Warforged.

You can see a breakdown of racial bonuses and penalties at the DDO Wiki: http://ddowiki.com/page/Races

Character Race

Character Appearance
Obviously when you've got all that done, you can create your character's appearance.

Character Appearance

We'll, you've logged into DDO for the first time and created a character. Its time to venture to n00b island.

[Skorj]

Some thoughts on choosing a class.

While D&D is in many ways the ancestor for all fantasy MMOs, DDO has drifted a bit from it's 3.5 origins. On the whole it's a good thing, as class balance in D&D 3.5 is very lopsided indeed, but assumptions about the game won't necessarily carry over. Also possibly confusing, D&Ds (and DDO) ideas about classes are a bit different from what's become the MMO standard.

There are a bunch of canned builds available when you create a character. On the whole they're not very good: some are decent, some are just bad, and there's no way as a new player to know which is which, so I'll try to give a bit of adice on what works in the game. My first advice is: play your first character for fun and to learn the game, not for the strong build. You'll have better character options for a character once you're a veteran, and know a lot more about how to build it.

Overall, the most general advice: Constitution is a very important stat for all classes. No matter your class, have a CON of at least 14. For melee, 16 is a good idea. This makes elf and drow builds difficult to pull off, with their CON penalty, and Dwarf a generally useful race with the limited 28-point build you start with.

Melee: Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Monk.
There's almost no classic MMO "tanking" in DDO. Before the endgame it's all about piling on the DPS, and in the endgame it's usually about piling on the DPS, often with some trick like "you must kill all the bosses within a few seconds of each other". So, avoid a defensive build as a new player. Defensive tanks are very gear heavy, very difficult to build, and rarely used.

The basics for any melee are: have a STR and CON of at least 16. This makes two-weapon fighting builds (rogue and ranger) very difficult to do when starting out with a 28-point build. Rogue has a bit of latitude because you'll get most of your damage from sneak attack, and you might get away with a 14 STR, but rogues need STR, DEX, CON, and INT, so it's a bit rough. Monk is similarly difficult stat-wise (it's effectively a two-weapon class). Two handed offence melee builds work well. Great Axe or Falchion with the appropriate feats works quite well. Power Attack and Cleave both work better with two-handed weapons, and those are the core melee feats at low-mid level.

Arcane Casters: Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard, Artificer.
Not my personal strength but I can give some basic advice. Mana is quite limited at low level, and doesn't regen in DDO the way it does in most MMOs. You can't blast your way through you every quest, and must think more in terms of effectiveness per mana point, not DPS, early on. In a full group, you'll have great buffs (especially haste) that act as a powerful force multiplier for the melee - arcane casters, not divine, are the primary buffing classes. At mid-high level you'll have strong DPS and the mana to use it, but low level is more about wands, buffs, and the occasional charm or summon.

Endgame casters are expected to be "self-sufficient" - that is, to achieve particular objectives solo while self-healing and killing anything in their path. They're far more powerful than melee vs non-boss mobs at high level (while mana lasts), so the killing is easy, but self-healing is critical. You really want to be a Warforged race (self-heal through repair spells), or a Pale Master Wizard (self-heal through necromancy spells that heal undead).

Sorcerer is much easier to start with, because you have significantly more mana and because you have to buy all your spells as a wizard (and they aren't cheap). If you like arcane casters and just want to play around and learn the game, sorcerer isn't a bad choice, though since warforged isn't free it's a bit limited in the endgame.

Bard is an odd class in DDO. It's primarily a support class, with limited (but still useful) melee and spell power. Very welcome in groups for songs and buffs, though.

Artficer is also a support class, with great buffs, but is also very strong solo, perhaps a bit overpowered. However, they're somewhat rare these days - I think because people get tired of constantly passing out weapon buffs on demand.

Divine Casters: Cleric, Favored Soul, Druid.
Divine casters can be quite powerful in DDO, with Favored Soul arguable the most powerful endgame class, but it's quite hard to build and play one in a non-healing role. I wrote a detailed starter guide with tactics for a cleric, and FvS isn't all that different. Divine casters are always welcome in a healing role, especially in the endgame where groups usually wait to fill the healer slots, and past mid level thats much like healing in any MMO. At low level you have very limited mana and may need to rely on wands for healing in a difficult group quest. I strongly recommend healer hirelings in partial groups - they are by far the most cost effective healing in the game, and even if you play a healer it's nice to save your mana for the difficult spots.

Don't know much about druids yet, since I haven't played one, but they're more melee focused (though still with decent heals). This makes them weaker in the endgame than the spell damage / instant-kill focus of the favored suol and cleric, but I suspect they're more fun despite that!

Hope this helps folks out.

[Skorj]

Also worth a reminder: the DDO Wikiis by far the best place for DDO game info, and much faster that the official site. Great info on the technical details of classes and races, reasonably well presented.