RAGNAROK ONLINE -=The Unofficial Merchant Guide=- written by fwuffy kitty ¸ 2002 -=Contents=- 1. Introduction 2. Stat Point Allocation 3. Plan of Action 4. Equipment 5. Skills 6. Credits + Thanks 7. Legal 8. Contact Info -=1. Introduction=- I've heard many people often state, quite bluntly, that using a Merchant as your initial class is a bad idea, as Merchants require a hefty load of money to begin with. This is nonsense. Merchants make ideal starting characters, they just need the right strategy, and a little bit of luck. This guide is aimed at teaching players how to not only start a Merchant character on the path to zenny quickly, but also to save you some much unnecessary legwork. -=2. Stat Point Allocation=- To begin with, you'll have to create your character. For your initial stats, I'd suggest the following: STR: 9 INT: 1 DEX: 9 LUK: 1 VIT: 5 AGI: 5 From here, you'll want to quickly boost both your VIT and AGI to around 10 or 11, sparing the occasional point for STR and DEX. Once both VIT and AGI are at 10 or 11, boost your STR to 14-15 and then start raising your STR, VIT, and AGI evenly. While you won't be dodging everything which comes your way, or absorbing every shot without wincing from the damage dealt, both your AGI and VIT will complement each other nicely, leaving the damaging enemy attacks toned down by your high defense, and the fast enemy attacks dodged somewhat. However, eventually you'll want to focus on either AGI or VIT. I'd choose which one by the time both stats get to around 16-20. -=3. Plan of Action=- Now, when you've created your character, enter the first portal. This will take you to Morroc. IMPORTANT: Do not talk to the Kapra's staff, (The blue haired maids.) and don't save your spawn point. It's worth the small hassle right now to go through an extra loading screen) Go out of town, and kill a few Porings, untill you have 5 items... It doesn't matter what items they are. From here, you'll want to head to the weapon's dealer (bottom right on the minimap) and sell both your weapon and the items you got from outside. Now, taking this little bit of money you've got, you'll want to buy the basic Sword, which retails for 20z (if you don't have enough, sell your shirt). This will raise your attack rating by 8, which will *really* help you to start. Now, go out of the town (the exit is north) and start killing Porings. Now, once you've gotten yourself around some items to sell, you'll want to head back into Morroc. Now, buy a Guard, a Cotton Shirt, and an Axe, which will cost you 410z, before discount. I suggest talking to a 20% Discounter so it'll only end up costing you 328z. It makes a big difference. Now, as soon as you find yourself able to without resorting to healing items, start killing Pickies. These little guys give out fantastic drops even normally, dropping around 20z worth of stuff per kill, if they drop anything. More importantly, you'll find they drop a Yellow Gemstone for every hundred or so you kill. They're not really common, but they're not so uncommon that finding one should be totally unexpected. The PecoPeco Eggs scattered around can drop these as well, so always kill them when they're not being attacked already. Always sell any Yellows you come across for at least 550z, by talking either to an overcharger or just by selling them on the streets to other players. The second option might take a bit of time, but every zenny you earn now is a zenny you don't have to earn later. Now, by around level 8 or 9, you should find (if you've been killing a lot of Pickies and have NOT purchased anything else) that you're getting close to the 3000z you need to become a Merchant. When you DO hit Job Level 10, and have the 9 Skill Levels in Basic Skills, go out and let yourself be killed. Now, instead of heading through the portal to Morroc, head to the portal to Payon (which is the one closest to the castle). Head on down to the Merchant's Guild in Alberta (which is due south of Payon) and pay the full 3000z (no point in waiting). Now, head outside of town, and then die again. Head back into the portal in Morroc, and head to the building in the bottom left. Talk to the man inside, and he'll give you his okay, and five red potions. Unfortunately, it seems that your position is automatically saved in Morroc at this point, leaving you to walk all the way to Alberta. However, you may wish to make a small detour up to the church (upper right corner of the map) in Prontera to pick up a Beretta, which is a cheap piece of headgear which grants an additional point of defence. Now, when you finally get to Alberta and the Merchant's Guild, you'll be given the final okay to become a Merchant, and your sprite will change to reflect your new class. Head outside and die, and you'll find yourself back in Morroc. At this point, I should point out that your character is severely underequipped. A good plan would be heading back out into the desert to start killing more Pickies... At least untill you have 2000z. When you do, go buy a Dirk. From here, you'll find your path a lot easier, as the Dirk will nearly double the Attack of your weapon, as well as increasing your attack speed. From here, your path is wide open. I'd suggest sticking around and killing Pickies, as the practice is QUITE profitable, even if you fail to factor in the occasional Yellow Gemstone drop. Eventually, you'll want to pick a town to start DCing/OCing in, once you get one or the other to a respectable level. (I'd go with DC first, it tends to bring in more money early on, and you can't really afford to OC large amounts of items anyways.) -=4. Equipment=- There are two mindsets when it comes to the choice of weapons. Speed, such as the speed one gets when using a weapon such as a Tsuguri, or Power, such as the power one gets when using a BAA (Big-Ass Axe). The argument for speed is that you can get a couple attacks in the time it takes to make one power strike. The argument for power is that you eliminate the need for multiple strikes with a big enough weapon. ^_^ Speed Weapon Path: Sword-Axe-Dirk-Tsuguri w/ : Guard-Shield Power Weapon Path: Sword-Axe-Dirk-Buster-2-Handed Axe Body Armor Path: Cotton Shirt-Wooden Mail-Chainmail Head Armor Path: Biretta-Cap-Helm Robe Armor Path: Hood-Mantaeu Foot Armor Path: Sandals-Boots Accessories : Brooch x2 (if a AGI Merchant) Necklace x2 (if a VIT Merchant) -=5. Skills=- Increase Weight Limit Requirements: NONE Skill Usage: Passive Level 1 +100 Weight Limit Level 2 +200 Weight Limit Level 3 +300 Weight Limit Level 4 +400 Weight Limit Level 5 +500 Weight Limit Level 6 +600 Weight Limit Level 7 +700 Weight Limit Level 8 +800 Weight Limit Level 9 +900 Weight Limit Level 10 +1000 Weight Limit Notes: Once you have this skill at Level 5, don't bother with it. Past that, you'll get more worth out of the skill point by investing it in anything but this. Discount Requirements: Increase Weight Limit Level 3 Skill Usage: Passive Level 1 Store Price -7% Level 2 Store Price -9% Level 3 Store Price -11% Level 4 Store Price -13% Level 5 Store Price -15% Level 6 Store Price -17% Level 7 Store Price -19% Level 8 Store Price -21% Level 9 Store Price -23% Level 10 Store Price -24% Notes: You'll want to increase this skill to Level 10 as soon as possible, as this can be a major source of income. Just go into a store and set up a chat stating the DC you'll give. People pay you to buy items for them, and all you have to do is sit in the shops and watch the money roll in. If you've got little money, you should ask for (at least) half the money up front. That way, if someone renegs on the deal by saying they don't want it or don't have the rest of the money, for example, you won't lose anything when you sell it back. Hell, with enough in DC *AND* OC, you'll make much more money off the deal than if they'd gone through with it! The standard DC in areas of high competition (such as Prontera or Izlude) is usually 20%, so I'd suggest making a trip to somewhere more exotic (such as Payon or Geffen) where you might not even run into other DC merchants, let alone any giving a higher DC than 10%. More of the pie for you, but a little less business. Quick Plug: Along with this Guide, I've submitted the DC/OC Merchant's Friend, a companion chart which features a complete and printable chart of the all the items in RO, along with the price for these objects at 10%, 15%, and 20% OC and DC. Pushcart Requirements: Increase Weight Limit Level 5 Skill Usage: Passive Level 1 Allows use of Cart Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Level 7 Level 8 Level 9 Level 10 Normal Walking Speed Cart Prices: Alberta 300z Payon 500z Izlude 600z Prontera 800z Moroc 900z Geffen 1100z Notes: As you level the pushcart skill up, your walking speed will slowly return to normal, since it is slowed somewhat by the use of the cart. I suggest putting more than 3 points in this only after you've maxed every other skill possible, with the exception of Increase Weight Limit. :P You need it to make a shop, however, so get it. Don't forget, you also have to buy a Pushcart from a cart dealer! Overcharge Requirements: Increase Weight Limit Level 3 Discount Level 3 Skill Usage: Passive Level 1 Item Sell Price + 7% Level 2 Item Sell Price + 9% Level 3 Item Sell Price + 11% Level 4 Item Sell Price + 13% Level 5 Item Sell Price + 15% Level 6 Item Sell Price + 17% Level 7 Item Sell Price + 19% Level 8 Item Sell Price + 21% Level 9 Item Sell Price + 23% Level 10 Item Sell Price + 24% Notes: This skill can be really useful, as you can sell your items at a higher price than normal. When combined with DC, you find yourself saving a LOT of money. Again, you'll want to max this skill out as soon as you can. It's quite easy to find work as an Overcharge Merchant, as the practice is currently quite rare. Even in a place as crowded as Prontera, it's not very common to see a merchant doing an overcharge for even 10%, let alone 15% or 20%. The best place to Overcharge, unless you have PILES of money, is next to an NPC to whom you can sell the items you get, so that each time you buy a load, you can get rid of it and get your money back, with interest. An Overcharger's business is a lot 'safer', in that you aren't as dependant on another person fulfilling their end of a bargain. It's just a single straight trade. Profit is generally quite good, as well. The only reason NOT to switch to OCing from DCing is lack of money. To be an Overcharger, you'll tend to want to have at least 10k worth of Zenny which you can afford to spend buying the items of other players. A quick note, for those aspiring Overchargers among you. Keep a pad of paper with you, and a pen or pencil, so you can quickly add up the amount of money you're paying for the load of items. Quick Plug (again): Along with this Guide, I've submitted the DC/OC Merchant's Friend, a companion chart to this Guide which features a complete and printable chart of the all the items in RO, along with the price for these objects at 10%, 15%, and 20% OC and DC. Vending Requirements: Increase Weight Limit Level 5 Pushcart Level 3 A Pushcart Skill Usage: Active (sorta) Level 1 3 Item Slots Level 2 4 Item Slots Level 3 5 Item Slots Level 4 6 Item Slots Level 5 7 Item Slots Level 6 8 Item Slots Level 7 9 Item Slots Level 8 10 Item Slots Level 9 11 Item Slots Level 10 12 Item Slots Notes: The type of items you're planning on selling using the Vending skill should determine the amount of Skill Levels you raise this skill. If you're planning on mainly using this to sell Reds at a discount and the occasional Rare you happen to come across, I'd suggest sticking to Level 3 or 4 tops. If you plan on Pre-Discounting a whole bunch of items and leaving them to sell, max this out. This is a really useful skill, since you can leave the game alone, and other players will eventually purchase the items in your store. For those of you who have a connection which allows you to still use your phone line (such as a second line dedicated to the internet, or cable/DSL) you can leave your computer on while you go to school or work, and even when you go to sleep! Mammonite Requirements: None Skill Usage: Active (5 SP) Level 1 150% Damage, costs 100z Level 2 200% Damage, costs 200z Level 3 250% Damage, costs 300z Level 4 300% Damage, costs 400z Level 5 350% Damage, costs 500z Level 6 400% Damage, costs 600z Level 7 450% Damage, costs 700z Level 8 500% Damage, costs 800z Level 9 550% Damage, costs 900z Level 10 600% Damage, costs 1000z Notes: This is a really handy skill to have, especially for those Merchants who have more money than they know what to do with. Even at low levels, this skill really puts Swordsman skills to shame, and combined with the fact that Merchants have access to the most damaging weapon currently available (Hello, Two Handed Axe!), makes this skill invaluable in a fight. While not recommended for everyday use, this can really speed up your fights with boss characters such as Baphomet... which means that sometimes it might actually be worth the cost! Heck, if you've got the skill at a decent level and plenty of Reds, you could take Baphy well before you could normally, with some liberal usage of this skill. -=6. Credits + Thanks=- First of all, I'd like to credit www.MerchantGuild.net for their fantastic resources. Those resources helped me in the writing of this Guide, and indeed, even inspired some parts of it. I'd like to thank my fingers for typing what my brain thought up. Thanks, guys. Thanks go to Gravity for making the game, Our English GM working it (bite me other players... she does a decent job), and the other players from whom I leech my character's funds. ^_^ Thanks go to CJayC for hosting this. Thanks go to my parents, for paying my internet connection (Cheapos got me 3web...) -=7. Legal=- Generally, I'll be okay with people hosting this Guide on their site without my permission. I only ask that the rules below are followed. -The Unofficial Merchant Guide will be unaltered in any way, except for formatting -The Unofficial Merchant Guide will be clearly credited to myself -The version of The Unofficial Merchant Guide hosted will be the latest version available -No profit is made directly or indirectly off of The Unofficial Merchant Guide (this means no hosting on pay-access sites, nor selling it directly) In addition, The Unofficial Merchant Guide cannot be reproduced in any hard copy format without my express written permission. No way around THAT. HA! -=8. Contact Information=- I can be contacted via email at: chibievil@hotmail.com, but that'll take you a few days. If you *really* need to find me, you can whisper Shinji-san on Loki and if I'm on, you'll get me. -=end=-