What is the new Tears of the Ice Dragon spellbook good for ? Any advice ?

I have been trying to wonder what type of use would be most appropriate for the new spellbook from Tears of the Ice Dragon but, so far, I could not come up with any practical and usefull use of it.

Anyone has any good advice to give ?

For PvM, not having a Slayer property and coming with only 15% Spell Damage Increase, it does not look like more usefull as compared to an Invasion Spellbook coming with 40%+ SDI....

The 1 FC and 3 FCR ? Well, most spellcasters use Protection anyways which CAPs FC to zero so, it basically is not of much use....

And also for PvP, who would want to put 20 Magery skill and 1 FC/3FCR on a spellbook that would mess them quite a lot as soon as they get disarmed ?

Much better to use Wrestling and be them the ones to disarm their attackers I would imagine...

Or, use a -0 Magery one handed Weapon....

Bottom line is, I am having a hard time finding a use that would justify the expense of 100 points...

Has anyone come up with some practical and viable idea to make this spellbook any usefull on a Template ?

Or is it a "move on there is nothing to see here" type of item ?

Thanks.

Great for Mules that want to recall.  Players are getting them and using with the +20 ring and a +15 bracelet so they would have 55 skill on those with 0 real skill.

If it was not shard bound it would have been great for putting on toon on other shards so they can also recall.  I would have been more interested in doing the content and getting them if it were not shard bound.

Alas Shard Bound items are only available to me on the 1 shard I have built toons.

For 100 points, I'd rather have 10 to 20 hedges since I cant use them on my toons on other shards.

Any character where you want +20 Magery, but don't have the skill points available?

🙂

use it on a sampire. Maybe use your brain and use it on whatever YOU want to use it on.
Another complete waste of time post.

 😂 

Pawain said:

Great for Mules that want to recall.  Players are getting them and using with the +20 ring and a +15 bracelet so they would have 55 skill on those with 0 real skill.

If it was not shard bound it would have been great for putting on toon on other shards so they can also recall.  I would have been more interested in doing the content and getting them if it were not shard bound.

Alas Shard Bound items are only available to me on the 1 shard I have built toons.

For 100 points, I'd rather have 10 to 20 hedges since I cant use them on my toons on other shards.

Considering that in New Haven 40 Magery can be bought at the NPC, and then, taking the Quest it is possible to boost it to 50 real quick, it looks to me quite expensive to "invest" a 100 points Ice Dungeon's +20 Magery spellbook and the +20 Magery Deceit's Ring which was another 100 points, if I remember it correctly, to get what can be done through New Haven real quick....

It took way longer to get those 200 points as it can take going to New Haven and get 50 Magery in little to no time.....

So, it is my understanding, this new +20 Magery spellbook is not even good for Mules....

I guess that, so far, unless someone can suggest a better use for this Spellbook, 10 to 20 Hedges might really be a better use for those 100 Ice Dungeon's points....

JackFlashUk said:

use it on a sampire. Maybe use your brain and use it on whatever YOU want to use it on.
Another complete waste of time post.

If I came to the Forum asking for advice, one would guess that it was because, even after giving it a good, lengthy thinking, I could not come up with a really usefull use that was worth the time invested to get those 100 points....

Perhaps, someone with more creativity or knowledge of the game can find a good use that would be worth the time invested to get the 100 points for this Spellbook that others cannot see ?

By the way, from this Post ( https://forum.uo.com/discussion/comment/51002/#Comment_51002 ), as well as from others, it looks like that I am not the only one questioning the usefullness of this Spellbook (at least for the time it takes to get the 100 points that it cost...)....

I am just wondering if anyone, so far, has come up with a usefull use that would justify the time it takes to get the 100 points that it cost.

Somewhere in this thread ( https://forum.uo.com/discussion/comment/51002/#Comment_51002 )I have set a posting with the following content - please read file attachment - I have really no mood on this funny quote function of the forum here There I say explicitly for what this book can be good, but my voice is probably just too quiet against your massive quoting-behaviour and against some loud controversial answer of Pawain and some others against it here in this forum which voices are so much louder than mine;)

Sorry, but I agree with JackFlashUk here, that you can really turn on your brain before, to think about what something could be good.

Some of the questions you ask are really too much and wouldn't come up if you tried to find the answer on your own - Google is your Friend.

You are really already the Quote-King in this forum what means for me you understand a bit how computing is working, which requires that you are familiar with the internet, etc. and know how to use a search machine like Google - otherwise you would not have found this forum here .

Some of the time around here you act like a little kid who needs to be held by the hand all the time.The Book is pushing the Magery Skill in generell. If a player found it worth to invest the time and points for that book it's his own decision. If you find by yourself that this time is not worth for you doing it - just decide it by yourself - it's ok and you need not to be tell others about it. That is what grown up people do! .

Mene_Drachenfels said:

Somewhere in this thread ( https://forum.uo.com/discussion/comment/51002/#Comment_51002 )I have set a posting with the following content - please read file attachment - I have really no mood on this funny quote function of the forum here There I say explicitly for what this book can be good, but my voice is probably just too quiet against your massive quoting-behaviour and against some loud controversial answer of Pawain and some others against it here in this forum which voices are so much louder than mine;) 

Sure, +20 Magery is better then the +15 Magery of the Tome of Knowledge as you mention in your Post here https://forum.uo.com/discussion/comment/50570/#Comment_50570 .... but the point is, does that "justify" the time it takes to gather the 100 points to get this spellbook and, this, just to put some more Magery on a Mule character ?

I am not sure what is the drops' rate for other players but, from what I heard talking to fellow players, it looks like that most players average like about 10 drops an hour, probably less.

So, 100 points would mean farming for 10 hours and for what ? To give some extra Magery to a secondary character when just going to New Haven would get them to 50 Magery rather quickly ?

I imagine that most people have better things to do with their time rather then spending 10 hours to get a book only good for a secondary character when they have faster and better alternatives to give him some starting Magery....

I really tried to think much about whether or not there could be some truly usefull and valuable use that would justify farming for 10+ hours to get this Spellbook but, I could not come up with any....

That is why I came to the Forums, perhaps, someone who has deeper knowledge of Ultima Online can see what others cannot see and has found a usefull use that would justify farming for 10+ hours to get this Spellbook ?

Mene_Drachenfels said:

Somewhere in this thread ( https://forum.uo.com/discussion/comment/51002/#Comment_51002 )I have set a posting with the following content - please read file attachment - I have really no mood on this funny quote function of the forum here There I say explicitly for what this book can be good, but my voice is probably just too quiet against your massive quoting-behaviour and against some loud controversial answer of Pawain and some others against it here in this forum which voices are so much louder than mine;)

Sorry, but I agree with JackFlashUk here, that you can really turn on your brain before, to think about what something could be good.

Some of the questions you ask are really too much and wouldn't come up if you tried to find the answer on your own - Google is your Friend.

You are really already the Quote-King in this forum what means for me you understand a bit how computing is working, which requires that you are familiar with the internet, etc. and know how to use a search machine like Google - otherwise you would not have found this forum here .

Some of the time around here you act like a little kid who needs to be held by the hand all the time.The Book is pushing the Magery Skill in generell. If a player found it worth to invest the time and points for that book it's his own decision. If you find by yourself that this time is not worth for you doing it - just decide it by yourself - it's ok and you need not to be tell others about it. That is what grown up people do! .

Mene_Drachenfels said:

Mene_Drachenfels said:

Somewhere in this thread ( https://forum.uo.com/discussion/comment/51002/#Comment_51002 )I have set a posting with the following content - please read file attachment - I have really no mood on this funny quote function of the forum here There I say explicitly for what this book can be good, but my voice is probably just too quiet against your massive quoting-behaviour and against some loud controversial answer of Pawain and some others against it here in this forum which voices are so much louder than mine;)

Sorry, but I agree with JackFlashUk here, that you can really turn on your brain before, to think about what something could be good.

Some of the questions you ask are really too much and wouldn't come up if you tried to find the answer on your own - Google is your Friend.

You are really already the Quote-King in this forum what means for me you understand a bit how computing is working, which requires that you are familiar with the internet, etc. and know how to use a search machine like Google - otherwise you would not have found this forum here .

Some of the time around here you act like a little kid who needs to be held by the hand all the time.The Book is pushing the Magery Skill in generell. If a player found it worth to invest the time and points for that book it's his own decision. If you find by yourself that this time is not worth for you doing it - just decide it by yourself - it's ok and you need not to be tell others about it. That is what grown up people do! .

@ Popps

Sorry i edited my post meanwhile you're answering. That's not your fault - it's mine.

But plz be kind and read the bold lined phrases.

Refrain explizit for you:

The Book is pushing the Magery Skill in generell. If a player found it worth to invest the time and points for that book it's his own decision. If you find by yourself that this time is not worth for you doing it - just decide it by yourself - it's ok and you need not to be tell others about it. That is what grown up people do! .

What I said above applies to all UO themes and areas and beyond;) Plz learn to make your own game experience and learn to be happy with the things to be given.

Well, I guess that it is a granted that  "If a player found it worth to invest the time and points for that book it's his own decision.".......... 

I mean, to some players it could even be worth spending the time to get that Spellbook and then throw it in the trash bin for Clean Up points, I am not even sure if it gives Clean Up points, but that's just for the sake of the discussion....

My point though, is quite another.... I am trying to figure out, and I was unable so far, whether this particular Spellbook can be implemented to enhance a Template in an "unique" way that has no other, more convenient alternatives as possible when one would take into account the 10+ hours that it takes to farm the 100 points to get it.......

Sure, to use it on a secondary character to boost Magery as it has been mentioned, "would be" a possible use (as throwing into the trash bin for Clean Up points could be, assuming that it gave Clean Up points which I have no clue...) .... only, I find it going to New Haven, buying 40 Magery and then doing the Quest to get quickly to 50 faster and much less time consuming as having to gather 100 points in the Ice Dungeon to get it.... 

I can no longer change the topic of the Thread as the allotted time expired but, I could have also phrased it this other way.... "What is the way that YOU are going to use the Tears of the Ice Dragon 100 points Spellbook for ? "

If it pleases more this other Threat title, just consider answering to this one rather then what the Thread says...

We can then see what people has come up with as in regards to what use to give to this particular spellbook....

To give you a logical, practical answer.
Crafter's templates are tight, especially for carpentry. A carpenter needs smithing to make forges etc, tailoring to make looms etc, magery and imbuing to make arcane circles, tinkering to make flour mills, display cabinets. When something like 'void orb' requires them to have 80 magery, there just isn't room. So yes, that spell book will make a big difference, allowing the crafter to make something that would be out of reach without it. 

@Mene_Drachenfels and @Petra_Fyde - You are both correct to be fair.

As always, when I made my comment, I was thinking purely of Mages, and I stand by the comment on behalf of mages.

But yes, for Crafters/Mules, yeah it works. I think for my Crafter, I'm so ingrained into carrying an Axe - because it makes me "look" like a crafter.... I wasn't really thinking about the book, but yes, he has magery squashed in.

Interestingly my Rogue lol - which is on 926 skillpoints, also has magery squashed in, he could get more skillpoints here, haha, nice, now I need 2 damn Books. 🙂

I've never seen someone question every single thing is this game more than this guy and then want to debate about it (and write novels about it). 

Spellbook has plenty of uses for non PvP/PvM chars. Essentially it saves you an entire jewelry spot so, as many others have said, templates can pack on the skills for that jewel. Honestly if you want, you could even use the museum shield and get 2/5 casting so you don't need any casting on your jewels (or use a halo & inquis resolution for 1/3). Then you could use +60 skill on both sets which is an entire legendary skill without even counting other gear that boosts skills.

If you don't like it @popps then don't get one, simple as that, but stop the trolling. Sounds like this game might not be for you.... 

popps said:

JackFlashUk said:

use it on a sampire. Maybe use your brain and use it on whatever YOU want to use it on.
Another complete waste of time post.

If I came to the Forum asking for advice, one would guess that it was because, even after giving it a good, lengthy thinking, I could not come up with a really usefull use that was worth the time invested to get those 100 points....

Perhaps, someone with more creativity or knowledge of the game can find a good use that would be worth the time invested to get the 100 points for this Spellbook that others cannot see ?

By the way, from this Post ( https://forum.uo.com/discussion/comment/51002/#Comment_51002 ), as well as from others, it looks like that I am not the only one questioning the usefullness of this Spellbook (at least for the time it takes to get the 100 points that it cost...)....

I am just wondering if anyone, so far, has come up with a usefull use that would justify the time it takes to get the 100 points that it cost.

Here is some fee advice.  Don’t get one if you don’t want one. No body is forcing you. And if collecting artis is not your thing, again don’t bother 

use this time to create a sampire once and for all 

keven2002 said:

I've never seen someone question every single thing is this game more than this guy and then want to debate about it (and write novels about it). 

Spellbook has plenty of uses for non PvP/PvM chars. Essentially it saves you an entire jewelry spot so, as many others have said, templates can pack on the skills for that jewel. Honestly if you want, you could even use the museum shield and get 2/5 casting so you don't need any casting on your jewels (or use a halo & inquis resolution for 1/3). Then you could use +60 skill on both sets which is an entire legendary skill without even counting other gear that boosts skills.

If you don't like it @ popps then don't get one, simple as that, but stop the trolling. Sounds like this game might not be for you.... 

@Mene_Drachenfels ; The Museum of vesper Chaos shield has 1/2 casting, add to that the Drogeni spell book = 2/5 casting.

Petra_Fyde said:

To give you a logical, practical answer.
Crafter's templates are tight, especially for carpentry. A carpenter needs smithing to make forges etc, tailoring to make looms etc, magery and imbuing to make arcane circles, tinkering to make flour mills, display cabinets. When something like 'void orb' requires them to have 80 magery, there just isn't room. So yes, that spell book will make a big difference, allowing the crafter to make something that would be out of reach without it. 

Well, that is a good suggestion... indeed, Crafters may benefit for 20 extra magery to avoid having to take skills off and on from Soulstones although, I  wonder if the avoidance to have to swap crafting skills from Soulstones might make it worth the time it takes to gather the 100 points that the spellbook cost...

@Cookie suggestion to use it towards helping the massive skill points that an all rounded Rogue needs, is surely interesting (I mean, 926 skill points to have to cover is a whole lot...), the only problem that, at least personally, I see, is that the stealing skill needs empty hands, some also suggest that removing trap works more succesfully if empty handed.... and, by relying on 20 Magery as well as other properties on a spellbook, would mean risking highly to lack those properties when performing a steal....

Personally, I think it more reliable to have the Rogue set up already counting on both hands empty and not count on any item properties that would be had by holding anything on either or both hands so as not to get short of those properties when needed because the item(s) was(were) not armed on either hand.

I wasn't going to say anything, but since @Mene_Drachenfels let it out of the bag! 

The book makes it quite easy to put together 7x120 Bard templates. (or, dare I say, 8x 120 for one particular template, if you get the complimentary gear!) I have three separate bard templates I run, and I need the books for all of them now.

Plus my mage t-hunter. 

Nargh! I'm never going to get those points in the time allotted. That book had better make a return at some point!

Arroth_Thaiel said:

I wasn't going to say anything, but since @ Mene_Drachenfels let it out of the bag! 

The book makes it quite easy to put together 7x120 Bard templates. (or, dare I say, 8x 120 for one particular template, if you get the complimentary gear!) I have three separate bard templates I run, and I need the books for all of them now.

Plus my mage t-hunter. 

Nargh! I'm never going to get those points in the time allotted. That book had better make a return at some point!

8 x 120 = 960 skill points....

That is quite a lot.... what complimentary gear that a Bard could use are you thinking about ?

Let's not forget that, in order to keep Mana up for the Bard Masteries (some Masteries take up  lot of Mana...), the more mana regen the better which it means, medable armor.......

Mene_Drachenfels said:

There I say explicitly for what this book can be good, but my voice is probably just too quiet against your massive quoting-behaviour and against some loud controversial answer of Pawain and some others against it here in this forum which voices are so much louder than mine;)

Sorry, but I agree with JackFlashUk here, that you can really turn on your brain before, to think about what something could be good.

  

 I told him they were good for mules.  But he does not understand that mules want real points in crafting skills and not magery.  So for some reason he wants to go get 40 magery in Haven.

Now you have found why I get blustery with him.  You answer his question then he tries to destroy the answer.  If he would spend the same time researching his own questions as he does  disputing answers given, he would probably discover the answer to his question. 

For me, the book would be good if I could take it to shards where I could get 50 points when making a character and add 20 from the book, I would get more books so those guys could travel around easier.    

My crafter / mule has a Tome of Knowledge. I also have soulstones to switch skills back and forth in a matter of seconds. I don't need DCI, FC, FCR just to recall here and there to turn in bods, mine, etc. Instead of wasting drops on an *improvement* that does not do much of anything for a mule that cannot already be done, I sold the drops & bought a cameo instead. Problem solved. That is, if you can sucker enough people into buying the drops.

Mene_Drachenfels said:

it will also works for pure Mage/Bard with bard mastery

I did something very similar with my two bards. Getting FC1/FCR3 on the book allowed me to move FC1 off my jewels (I switched to a shield with FC1 as well). This in turn allowed me to get the full +45 skill points on each jewel plus FCR2 (they were 13/12/12/FC1). The extra magery points on the book (10 more than I had with my scrappers) gave me an extra 26 skill points in total.   Bottom line, my modified magery went from 84 to 110 with these changes, and none of my other important stats (MR, FC, FCR, LMC, LRC) dropped.

There are characters - like my bards and bard/tamers - who use magery for utility, not damage. Skill points are always at a premium. Getting an extra 10 points beyond Scrappers plus FC1/FCR3 is a real help.

I know the books aren't for everyone - but I am very happy with how they fit in my bard suits.  

Pawain said:

Mene_Drachenfels said:

There I say explicitly for what this book can be good, but my voice is probably just too quiet against your massive quoting-behaviour and against some loud controversial answer of Pawain and some others against it here in this forum which voices are so much louder than mine;)

Sorry, but I agree with JackFlashUk here, that you can really turn on your brain before, to think about what something could be good.

  

 I told him they were good for mules.  But he does not understand that mules want real points in crafting skills and not magery.  So for some reason he wants to go get 40 magery in Haven.

Now you have found why I get blustery with him.  You answer his question then he tries to destroy the answer.  If he would spend the same time researching his own questions as he does  disputing answers given, he would probably discover the answer to his question. 

For me, the book would be good if I could take it to shards where I could get 50 points when making a character and add 20 from the book, I would get more books so those guys could travel around easier.    

The most crafting skills that I can see being needed at the same time to make an item, is at most 3 whereas Arms Lore would be necessary to craft a better quality item, otherwise, 2 crafting skills is enough.

And, most items do not even require a secondary crafting skill at full throttle but often only like 60 or 70 skill points.

For example, the one item that seems to be most demanding in crafting skill is the Pentagram which needs 100.0 Carpentry and 75.0 Magery.

Let's make it 4 if we want also Imbuing in the lot.

Sure, one might want to have all crafting skills, no doubt, but there is Soulstones out there....

So, if the most crafting skills needed at the same one time on a template to make something is 4, there is plenty room within the 720 skill CAP.

If other crafting skills are needed to make other stuff, one can make good use of Soulstones to swap any and all crafting skills that they want.

I do not see why it would be of any practical convenience taking the time it takes to farm for 100 points and get the Drogeni's spellbook just to avoid using soulstones....

I am more seeing, instead, the use of the Drogeni's spellbook handy for Bards already quite packed with 4 Bard skills all at 120....

But is it only Bards who can benefit, really, in tangible usefullness from this book or is there other Templates who could really be made to shine more, thanking to the use of this new spellbook ?

Some posts removed. Please exhibit a modicum of self discipline.

@popps - Funny which side of the coin you support just so you can make another post trolling. You say make use of soulstones but aren't you also the same person saying that champ spawn corpses should stay around longer so new players can go loot them for easy money and a dozen other posts saying how UO should be geared towards new players (who won't have soulstones)?

People have already given other examples of templates and they are all valid. Go back through the thread and read them. You even commented on one that's not a bard...

keven2002 said:

@ popps - Funny which side of the coin you support just so you can make another post trolling. You say make use of soulstones but aren't you also the same person saying that champ spawn corpses should stay around longer so new players can go loot them for easy money and a dozen other posts saying how UO should be geared towards new players (who won't have soulstones)?

People have already given other examples of templates and they are all valid. Go back through the thread and read them. You even commented on one that's not a bard...

I am not sure I understand why new players would be without Soulstones, considering that they can be purchased at the UOStore.... on day 1 of their UO life a player could purchase as many Soulstones as they may wish even if they had 0 gold in the game....

I can see the usefullness of the Drogeni's spellbook for Bards, that was a good point raised by some posters.... I am trying to see whether there may be other, truly usefull and unique uses, that would really enhance other Templates for lack of better alternatives.

popps said:

.... I am trying to see whether there may be other, truly usefull and unique uses, that would really enhance other Templates for lack of better alternatives.

Popps the book is going to be useful for any template where you want that extra 20 skill points. The 20 points is just a good rounded system, both because it takes you from 100 to 120 with no hassle, and because it gives you the option to bring Magery from 60 to 120 with only 3 items (book, ring, bracelet).

Try thinking not of just this book, but how this book synergizes with other gear.

***
Let's Say:
You had a character where you wanted Magery, Eval, and Med all at 120, but you only had 240 skill available. Pretty hard to put together a usable suit with 120 points in a single skill, so we would probably drop 2 skills and put the excess points into the third skill.

This book makes it much easier to drop Magery/Eval both to 60 and use those points to take Med to 120. Then you need to find 60 points in both Magery and Eval. Guess what? Book, ring, bracelet, and you're only looking for 20 points in Eval, or something along those lines.
***

That is just an example. There are many uses for the book in many templates. That +20 skill makes it really, really nice. Not just that it is +20 Magery, but that it is +20.

Arroth got it

If memory serves, another possible use for this book is events/bosses that use howl of cacophony (reduces  SSI and mage speeds).  If you overcap your casting speed, this can offset the impact.

There are definitely loot dropped jewels with +20 in 2 skills.

Arroth_Thaiel said:

popps said:

.... I am trying to see whether there may be other, truly usefull and unique uses, that would really enhance other Templates for lack of better alternatives.

Popps the book is going to be useful for any template where you want that extra 20 skill points. The 20 points is just a good rounded system, both because it takes you from 100 to 120 with no hassle, and because it gives you the option to bring Magery from 60 to 120 with only 3 items (book, ring, bracelet).

Try thinking not of just this book, but how this book synergizes with other gear.

***
Let's Say:
You had a character where you wanted Magery, Eval, and Med all at 120, but you only had 240 skill available. Pretty hard to put together a usable suit with 120 points in a single skill, so we would probably drop 2 skills and put the excess points into the third skill.

This book makes it much easier to drop Magery/Eval both to 60 and use those points to take Med to 120. Then you need to find 60 points in both Magery and Eval. Guess what? Book, ring, bracelet, and you're only looking for 20 points in Eval, or something along those lines.
***

That is just an example. There are many uses for the book in many templates. That +20 skill makes it really, really nice. Not just that it is +20 Magery, but that it is +20.

I can understand that, the only problem that I see with it, is that, to my viewing, it "fits" in a Template which uses Magery only as a "side" skill, for example Bards.... a Template who's use Magery as their primary gameplay skill, I assume, would be using Slayer Invasion spellbooks in PvM, which not only come with the Slayer, but also with a good SDI....

And in PvP, as it has been noted, the risk of getting disarmed of that spellbook is too high, they would just use Wresling or a -0 Magery one handed weapon...

By the time you get enough points for the book this event will be over so give it a rest.... 

In conclusion: This spell book is useful for some templates, but not for others, so only those who have a valid use for it will attempt to get enough points for it. Topic concluded.