Training in Ultima VII
In Ultima VII: The Black Gate and Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle, the primary method of advancing a character's attributes is through training. There are many trainers scattered throughout Britannia and the Serpent Isle that can provide this training to the Avatar and companions.
Description[edit]
Each trainer charges a fee for a training session and requires the trainee to spend one, two or three training points. Characters obtain three training points each time they advance in level.
Each trainer trains a number of attributes equal to the number of training points they require. A trainer that requires a single training point will train a single attribute, while a trainer requiring three training points will train three attributes. Instead of training different attributes, some trainers train the same attribute multiple times.
The attributes that can be trained include the primary attributes of strength, dexterity and intelligence, alongside the secondary attributes of combat and magic. The maximum health and the maximum mana of a character is tied directly to their strength and magic attributes and are therefore increased through improvements to those attributes.
When an attribute is trained, in many cases it is increased by just a single point. This is true for strength, dexterity and intelligence. However, when combat is trained, it is increased by more points the further below dexterity it is. This rubber-band effect allows combat to catch up to dexterity with only a small amount of training. Similarly, magic works in the same way as combat, but with intelligence as its governing attribute instead of dexterity.
Training dexterity is special in that it also increases the combat attribute. The amount that combat is increased by depends on whether combat is higher than dexterity or not. Generally, if combat is higher than dexterity it is increased by two points, otherwise it is increased by just one.
All attributes have a limit of 30. If an attribute is at its maximum and a training session would normally train it, it is skipped and the training point cost is reduced. For example, if a character with 30 combat takes a session with a trainer who trains strength, dexterity and combat, only strength and dexterity will be increased at a cost of only two training points instead of the usual three. The combat increase through dexterity training will not take place if dexterity is at its maximum.
Items[edit]
Ultima VII Part Two contains several attribute-boosting items: the Gauntlets of Quickness, Erinon’s axe, and the Belt of Strength. Boosted attributes are treated as permanent for training purposes and can therefore be used to alter the results.
If an attribute is at its maximum due to holding one of these items, it is skipped over by the trainer in the same way as if it was naturally at its maximum.
Trainers[edit]
Due to the relationship between dexterity and combat, and between intelligence and magic, the order in which these attributes are trained can make a difference to the overall attribute gains. Unless otherwise stated, trainers who train both dexterity and combat train dexterity first, while trainers who train both intelligence and magic train intelligence first.
Black Gate[edit]
| Name | Location | Cost | Str. | Dex. | Int. | Com. | Mag. | Train. Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denby | Britain (above apothecaries) | 75 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Sentri | Britain (west side) | Free/30 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Zella | Britain (west side) | 45 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Lucky | Buccaneer's Den | 35 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Rayburt | Cove | 60 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| De Snel | Jhelom (east side) | 40 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Karenna | Minoc (NE house) | 20 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Jakher | Minoc (NE house) | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Chad* | Moonglow (far south) | 45 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Jillian** | Moonglow (Lycaeum) | 35 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Menion | Serpent's Hold | 45 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Inforlem | Terfin | 50 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Inforlem | Terfin | 50 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Markus | Trinsic | 20 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Zaksam | Vesper | 40 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Perrin | Yew (near Abbey) | 45 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Bradman | Yew (outer area) | 30 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Penni | Yew (outer area) | 35 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
* Unlike all other trainers that train both dexterity and combat, Chad trains combat before dexterity.
** Unlike all other trainers that train both intelligence and magic, Jillian trains magic before intelligence.
Serpent Isle[edit]
| Name | Location | Cost | Str. | Dex. | Int. | Com. | Mag. | Train. Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luther | Monitor (L.F. 9 A.M.–12 P.M.) | 50 monetari | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Caladin | Monitor (L.F. 9 A.M.–12 P.M.) | 50 monetari | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Brendann | Monitor (L.F. 3 P.M.–6 P.M.) | 50 monetari | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Shazzana | Monitor (L.F. 12 P.M.–3 P.M.) | 50 monetari | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Tsandar | Serpent's Fang (cells) | 200 gold | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Elissa* | Serpent's Fang (basement) | 150 gold | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Wilfred | Sleeping Bull | 30 monetari | 1 | 1 | 2 |
* Only the Avatar can train with Elissa.
Formulae[1][edit]
The exact formulae used for the training of each attribute are given below. Note that all results are rounded down to the nearest whole number.
Strength[edit]
| strength' = strength + 1 |
Dexterity[edit]
| dexterity' = dexterity + 1 |
| combat' = combat + 1 + (combat - 1) / dexterity |
Intelligence[edit]
| intelligence' = intelligence + 1 |
Combat[edit]
| if dexterity > combat |
|---|
| combat' = (combat + dexterity + 1) / 2 |
| if dexterity <= combat |
| combat' = combat + 1 |
Magic[edit]
| if intelligence > magic |
|---|
| magic' = (magic + intelligence + 1) / 2 |
| if intelligence <= magic |
| magic' = magic + 1 |
Examples[edit]
Iolo starts with the following dexterity and combat attributes:
| Dexterity | 19 |
| Combat | 19 |
A training session with Karenna involves two dexterity trainings followed by one combat training. After the session Iolo's attributes become:
| Dexterity | 21 |
| Combat | 22 |
If Iolo instead trains with Chad, who trains combat once before the two dexterity trainings, his attributes become:
| Dexterity | 21 |
| Combat | 24 |
Strategies[edit]
To get combat to 30 with the fewest training points, combat should be trained until it is a point above dexterity, then dexterity should be trained until combat hits the limit. If, however, the aim is to reach 30 in both combat and dexterity, the extra training point spent on boosting combat above dexterity is a wasted point, as increasing dexterity to the maximum when the two attributes are equal is enough to bring both to the limit.
As training intelligence does not increase magic like dexterity does to combat, increasing intelligence before magic causes a widening of the gap between the two attributes and therefore increases the efficiency of the magic gains due to the rubber-band effect.
In Ultima VII Part Two, as training sessions treat item-boosted attributes as if they were permanent, swapping between the Gauntlets of Quickness and Erinon’s axe can potentially maximize attribute gains.