We will be using the last set of Serv UO scripts that we built. The user manual will contain only those aspects which are non-standard additions. To those who have never played UO before; this wiki does not teach you how to play UO, rather it assumes you know how, and only need to know what is new or different from standard game play. We will make an effort to provide a selection of other websites for players new to the game mechanics.

Custom and Not AOS

Our shards have always been custom shards. One of the things that my husband, Mithril, and I love to do is design new game systems. Consequently, you should be prepared for any and all of the functionality to be changed at any point. We change things for all the normal reasons; balanced, fairness, equitability, and gameplay. We also change things because we want to do something new or interesting. Here are some common guidelines we follow for design:

1. Combat skills should be for combat, craft skills should be for crafting. Any cross over of this, such as magery bonuses from inscription or ax damage bonuses from lumberjacking will be removed.
2. Equality in builds: We don't like "weird exceptions" that force a player to make a min/max build over a role-playing build simply to be equitable. That's not to say every weird build a role-player comes up with will be effective, but rather that the lumberjack/ax build is not equitable as it penalizes any character who chooses a sword over an ax and lumberjacking.
3. Quality of Life: Our shard community likes a difficult and rewarding game but there are a number of annoying designs in the UO code that need to be hunted down and murdered. We'll get to them, but other things are a priority.
4. Doesn't fit our fiction: Like most games, UO was written to fit it's fiction. We will change or remove things that don't apply to our fiction, like the UO virtue system and the elven and gargoyle races.
5. Anti Min/Max and Twitch Gaming: As a rule, we like games that provide fair choices, builds that are easy to setup, and combat that does not require extreme feats of dexterity. Too many options in combat is not necessarily a good thing and rewards the quick-fingered.
6. Streamlined functionality: UO is an old game, and it has a lot of systems and ability, many of which break all rules of good design and are effectively little more than skill, ability, and spell bloat. AOS itself was the beginning of this downward trend.

Consequently, we have AOS (Age of Shadow) changes DISABLED on Sanctuary. We are not using any of the elemental resists or elemental damage options now standard in Ultima Online. Instead, we are using a blend of new stuff with the elemental aspects turned off, as well as a return to the old magic item options for power, destruction, etc. We understand that some of the screens (gumps) still show elemental resists, but they SHOULD NOT affect game play. (If they do please report it.).

This means that many of the skills in-game are not exactly like standard UO; so when reading UO Stratics or UO Guide, please keep this in mind. We are working on rewriting many of the systems heavily influanced by AOS.

Known Issues & Pending Changes

Update 7/22/2020

• Forensic Evaluation is a combination of Item Idea, Forensics, and Taste ID.
• Devotion (was Chivalry) and Precision (was Bushido) have been completed. Deception (was Ninjitsu) is still broken but a design is pending.
• Camping, Focus and Meditation have been given an upgrade/review.
• There was a melee and mob combat upgrade/review on June 6th, 2020 that effected a lot of functionality: CC 6.20
• The first two of the new magic skills Evocation and Druidry have been released for player testing. The next three are begin designed and thus Necromancy which is broken will be replaced.
• Changes to an inscription, cartography, artistry, gate and recall are planned: Forum thread here
• Intonation replaces Peacemaking, Provocation, and Discordance.

Please Report

We are sure that there will be a number of things we find that will need to be fixed, as it stands, between now and Go Live (9/1). Staff reserve the right to fix/confiscate anything they think is either unbalanced or just plain ugly. Please help out and report any of the following things:

1. Glowing or spangled colored items.
2. New or unexpected drops on mobs -- especially if it's a new mob.

PvP Balance

Many of the new skills have not been balanced for PvP. There will be a massive PvP balance after all the other skill rewrites are complete.

General Information

How to Train Skills

Skills on Sanctuary use our Grimmwold methods for skill training, including passive gains, 2 min timer activation, no difficulty checks, more than 1300 skill points using a .spec setting, and so on. In addition, you can purchase limited training from NPCs as well as advanced " book skills" both of which are available on Master NPCs. Read More ..

Death

When you die in-game you can be resurrected by a player an NPC healer or an ankh. Healer and ankh locations are marked on the WORLD MAP (not map) of the client. Zoom in to see the map labels. If you can not get back to your body, your items, minus gold and your loot bag, will go back to your bank in 10-15 mins.

Stats

UO has three basic stats; Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence which determine a characters hit points, stamina and mana. Read More ..

Hunting

New player hunting is available on Summer Isle. Regular higher-end hunting is available in Summer Isle dungeons and the Underhill map. Moving armies comprised of champ and mini champ spawns are found on Cuiveinen. Read More ..

Armor

Armor on Sanctuary is pre-aos with heavy customization. Read More ..

Player vs Player

There are two ways in which player vs player conflict is initiated and resolved on Sanctuary; PvP and RPCSS. All PvP on Sanctuary is restricted to Cuiviénen (the mainland). Read More ..

Message of the Day

Sanctuary uses a message of the day command (.MOTD) which also functions as our event calendar. Players can create their own events and tag a location allowing guests to join them at the event location. All players are welcome to create and host events; this is not exclusive to seer-run events only.Read more...

Custom Player Commands

Sanctuary has a number of custom commands that players should familiarize themselves with. Read More ..

Housing and Decorating

We offer both player housing and player shops. You can have a total of 9 houses and 1 shop. Houses can not have vendors, and shops are required to have stocked vendors. Shops are restricted to specific shopping districts.Read More..

We have implemented the ability for players to decorate houses and then sell the house with the decorations inside. It is a feature of the housing sign and is open to any player with the funds to rent the house during the renovations. We have hundreds of houses, and there should be plenty of homes for players to decorate and flip. Further, it is our intention to run monthly decoration contests. Read More ..

Post System

We have a very useful custom postal service available via the Postmaster NPC. The basic postal system allows you to send a container or book to any other character (you can search by name), send items COD, and order custom items from crafters. Read Me..

Engraving Tool

We offer an engraving system to allow customization of most crafted items, either by creating a custom name or (at GM skill) a custom .look. Read More ..

Games

Playable games pending. Read Me..

Combat Skills

Most of the melee, barding, and spell casting skills have either been heavily modified or are in the process of being re-written. Please review the skills as documented.

Barding Skills

Melee Skills

See Also

Weapon Combat, Mob Combat

Warrior Specialities

Spellcasting Skills

New Magic Skills

July 12, 2020

These new skills are currently in development or testing. Players are advised to please read each wiki page on the skill to know the current status of the skill.

Thieving Skills

Wilderness Skills

Resource & Craft Skills

All crafting on this shard is restricted to one of the six town crafting halls, a handful of NPC shops nearby those craft halls, and player owned buildings set as shops. Some crafting stations have been used as static deco but do not function. The most commonly used location is near the Evervale bank on Summer Isle (starting location).

Most of these skills function like the craft skills from Grimmwold except where the Grimmwold craft skill was nearly identical to OSI/Base UO anyway; in which case, we have used the updated version of the crafting skill from ServUO circa 2016. If you discover NON-AOS updates available on OSI/Base UO, and you'd like us to investigate adding them, please put the request on the forums.

Resource Skills

Crafting Skills

Book Skills