Features

  • Setting: Based roughly on the Ultima 4 and 5 era of the single player Ultima  games, with a focus on role-playing and immersion. Role-playing highly encouraged, but not mandatory. This is not a precise remake of either game, nor an exhaustive attempt at recreating every detail of Ultima lore, but rather an attempt to capture the general atmosphere of Ultima, particularly that era, and to incorporate, and at times embellish or reimagine, many elements of the lore, including some from later eras, while ignoring others or downplaying others .
  • Look: Old school UO look, with a few carefully selected graphics from later eras, as well as many new, carefully selected custom graphics added from the UO freeshard community. Careful use of hues. No AoS elements. Armor, damage, etc based on pre-AoS (no resistances).
  • Approach:  As with the original UO, Paths of Virtue is designed as an open world server, with a much more subdued atmosphere than I have found on many servers. There are no overt quests, nor is there really an overreaching goal. There are a few more subtle “quests,” though I have tried to make them as organic as possible. Again, the focus is on role-playing, immersion and player interaction.
  • Era: The era is set to LBR.
  • Map: Slightly modified version of original map of Britannia (one facet), using the Felucca rules set. New areas, including dungeons, based on Ultima lore.
  • Profession (Class) System: Based on the original professions of the single player Ultima games, with a few lore-inspired additions. Skill-based, no levels.
  • Player Races: Humans and Orcs.
  • Number of Characters Per Account: Five
  • Total Stat Cap: 225 (245 for some Professions)
  • Max Individual Stat Cap: 100 (110 for some Professions)
  • Total Skill Cap: 800
  • Max Individual Skill Cap: 100 (110 for some skills with Guiding Virtue)
  • Max Individual Skill Cap Exception: Skill cap is raised to 110 for a few skills determined by a character’s Guiding Virtue.
  • Town Membership: Players can become members of various Britannian towns. Thus far, this is a simple system, though it will be expanded in the future to a more robust player government system. 
  • Housing: Using Knives’ Town house script. Players and either purchase a House Deed from an Architect Vendor and place their house, or they can purchase static houses, and certain other structures, in and around towns and thus become citizens of that town. One house per account.  
  • Guilds: Players can belong to either a Player Guild or to a number of existing NPC guilds, depending on Profession and/or skill (and sometimes town membership). Players can purchse a Guild Deed from an Architect Vendor and create their own Guild. 
  • Magic: New magic systems, including Druidry, Sorcery and Bard Spellsongs.
  • PvP: Open PvP. Guarded towns.
  • Moongates: Based on original UO . Operates according to the (simulated) cycles of the two moons, and is not menu driven.
  • Other Instant Travel: No individual (recall-based) instant travel spells. Gate travel spells require the rare reagent Shadow Wyrm Blood, which drops rarely on Shadow Wyrms. This is a conscious decision, with the goal of encouraging travel and exploration. A few static ships connect certain islands to the mainland or to other islands. Certain rare items allow for limited gate travel.
  • Armor: New armors, with dexterity penalties for certain types. Most of the new UO armors (and ores and ingots) are not used.
  • No Young Player Status
  • No Starting Young Player Zones: Starting Cities are located on the main Britannia map and determined by Character profession.
  • Dice-Based Weapon Damage
  • Crafting: Expanded crafting systems with new items.
  • Imbuing System: Uses normal gems to imbue exceptionally crafted items with certain magic properties.
  • Mounts: Limited to Horses. Various lore-related horse breeds.
  • Calendar: With 12 custom months for roleplaying purposes. This is my creation and is not from the series. Randomly generated character birth date and town of birth.
  • Champion System: New Champion system based on a modified version of the Abyss Champion system. Includes custom Champions (originals do not appear). Includes normal champion spawns, triggered by using certain lore-based items dropped (rarely) on various mobs on altars found in each anti-virtue dungeon. Also lesser champion spawns that appear from time to time in certain areas.
  • Unique NPCs: Certain NPCs from the original series. Can be conversed with using simple word recognition, similar to the original Ultimas. Certain other NPCs in and around towns will likewise greet players and converse.
  • Guiding Virtue: Characters can access their Guiding Virtue, determined by a Virtue Tarot card reading as in the original Ultimas. Guiding Virtue allows a few skills, determined by the virtue and the character’s profession, to be trained higher than 100.
  • Poisonous Swamps: As in the original Ultimas. Require swamp boots to traverse safely.
  • Splitting Slimes:  As in the original Ultimas.
  • Freshwater Fishing: Fishing is now separated into Fresh and Salt Water.
  • Hunger and Thirst System: Characters must eat and drink from time to time or suffer slower health and stamina regeneration rates.

Planned Features:

  • New and Expanded Gathering and Crafting Skills
  • Reinstating Slayer Weapons: Will use PoV’s Custom Imbuing System.
  • Player Town System: Ability for players to manage currently existing towns. Plans to include a town invasion system based on two factions; “good” and “evil”.
  • Faction System: This will probably be tied to the town system and will likely consist of two factions.
  • Brewing: Characters can brew ale, mead, spirits and wine.
  • Farm/Garden System: Simple system involving plots that can be purchased in and around the various towns.

Possible Future Features:

  • Inscription and Scrolls for Druidry and Sorcery: Due to a quirk with the spellbooks and an issue with scrolls for these magic systems, Inscription is not possible at this time (though it works for Magery books and scrolls). Scrolls for both systems will likewise not be included. If this can be fixed in the future, inscription and scrolls for both will be included. As it is, full spellbooks are provided for Druids and Sorceresses upon character creation.