Skill books ?

[malichai11]

Are there a finite number of skill books available for purchase in the world? I'm trying to gauge the relative value of finding a skill book in a chest as opposed to finding an item worth 4x as much gold. If there are a finite number of skill books for sale, then skill books in chests are worth far more than their actual gold value.

[Randomizer]

Skill books are distributed randomly just like other loot.

It more a matter of do I buy it now or hope I find one or can buy one later when I need it.

[Dragonlady]

Below is a list of most of the books to be found in Book II. There are a few I've missed but they are not skill books. Mention those and I'll edit my listing.

BOOKS IN ESCALON: COST TYPE
====================================================================
"A Soldier's Guide to Heavy Armour" 75gp skill: heavy armour
"Encyclopedia of Health & Practices" 50gp skill: medicine
"In Plain Sight" 50gp skill: hide in shadow
"An Axe to Grind" 75gp skill: cleaving weapon
"Scouts Guide to Defensive Attire" 50gp skill: Lt. armour
"Alchemy on the Go: a Field Guide" 75gp skill: alchemy
"The War of Merchantilism" 50gp skill: merchant
"A Master's Guide to the Bow" 100gp skill: archery
"The Fly's Defense" 50gp skill: dodge
"Ocular Codex" 50gp skill: Spot Hidden
"Elementary" 50gp skill: Lore
"Tales of Extreme Survival" 45gp skill: Foraging
"Shields Up!" 75gp skill: shields
"Complete Book of Metallurgy" 15gp list of metals weak to rare
"Keyholes & Tumblers" 75gp skill: pick lock
"Crush! Smash! Destroy!" 50gp skill: bludging
"A Bar Brawler's Guide" 80gp skill: unarmed combat
"The Adventures of Brambit the Thief" 75gp skill: move silent
"Antitoxin Craft & Creation" 50gp reciepe: Detox potions
"Through the Lost Realms" 50gp skill: Cartography
"Magicka Divine" 75gp skill: Arcane, Divine
"Wraith in the Night" 50gp skill: piercing weapon
"Stumpy's Guide to Combustables" 35gp recipe: Demon Oil
"The Oradur Are Watching!" 2gp scary tales 4 kids
"Zulben's Guide to Light Armour
Materials" 15gp list of types
"Elements of Magick" 75gp skill: Arcane, Elemental
"Traps and Tribulations" 50gp skill: skullduggery
"The Legendary Swordsman" 125gp skill: weapon-swords
"Poems for Children" 2gp cute poem on Rats
'Holy Book of Rai' 5gp Story of creation of Eschalon



edit: arrrgh! spacing gone. Oh well, the info's there.

[kelticpete]

are there certain shops that tend to carry more books than others? I am wanting to find magica divine somewhere.

EDIT: Not sure which shops carry what but I found divine magicka at the low class inn in port k. with the old lady.

[Randomizer]

High level books for magick tend to be in the last two towns.

[IJBall]

High level books for magick tend to be in the last two towns.

I think the "general store" guy (or, at least, I consider him to be running a "general store"! ) in Port K sells the two magic books pretty regularly - or, at least, he seemed to have them often in my first playthrough...

P.S. What's the deal with The Scholar's Inn (next door to the "general store") in Port K and the unfriendly guy there?! Does that come up again at some point in the game?...

[Randomizer]

P.S. What's the deal with The Scholar's Inn (next door to the "general store") in Port K and the unfriendly guy there?! Does that come up again at some point in the game?...

I always find looting the rooms a good source of income for my poor character. Otherwise he's there to remind you of your low level in the scheme of things. He's still a snob after I've gotten some academic cred by turning in Ruel's book.

[KillingMoon]

I found a 'Holy Book of Rai' a few times, didn't buy it, so I don't know what it contains - it was too cheap to hold anything important - but I see that's one still missing from the list.

I'll see if I can dig up an old save, to give a bit more info to Dragonlady.

[Dragonlady]

I found a 'Holy Book of Rai' a few times, didn't buy it, so I don't know what it contains - it was too cheap to hold anything important - but I see that's one still missing from the list.

I'll see if I can dig up an old save, to give a bit more info to Dragonlady.

Oh! Thanks. I've only seen it turn up 2 times even counting the games I played while Beta testing and forgot to make note of it. Thanks.

[IJBall]

I found a 'Holy Book of Rai' a few times, didn't buy it, so I don't know what it contains - it was too cheap to hold anything important - but I see that's one still missing from the list.

I'll see if I can dig up an old save, to give a bit more info to Dragonlady.

Oh! Thanks. I've only seen it turn up 2 times even counting the games I played while Beta testing and forgot to make note of it. Thanks.

My recollection is that this book is similar to a book in Book I - I think this one describes the creation of the world of Eschalon (or something).

Next time I see one of these books, I'll make sure I read it and report back here...

[KillingMoon]

I had a look, yes, it's 'The Holy Book of Rai', costing 5 gold.
It says it's a religious book, starting with a story about a fight between Onos and Rai - Darkness and Light - leading to the creation of the world of Eschalon.

So 'Story of creation of Eschalon' is a description that would be short enough to fit in with the descriptions of the other books.

[IJBall]

edit: arrrgh! spacing gone. Oh well, the info's there.

Hey, DL - if you try putting your list inside a 'Code' box, I think it might keep your spacing in tact!

[Dragonlady]

edit: arrrgh! spacing gone. Oh well, the info's there.

Hey, DL - if you try putting your list inside a 'Code' box, I think it might keep your spacing in tact!

Excuse my age..HUH? Whatsa 'code' box?

[Gorgon Rider]

One of these:

Code: Select all

BOOKS IN ESCALON:            COST              TYPE
====================================================================
"A Soldier's Guide to Heavy Armour"   75gp        skill: heavy armour
"Encyclopedia of Health & Practices"  50gp        skill: medicine
"In Plain Sight"                      50gp        skill: hide in shadow
"An Axe to Grind"                     75gp        skill: cleaving weapon
"Scouts Guide to Defensive Attire"    50gp        skill: Lt. armour
"Alchemy on the Go: a Field Guide"    75gp        skill: alchemy
"The War of Merchantilism"            50gp        skill: merchant
"A Master's Guide to the Bow"        100gp        skill: archery
"The Fly's Defense"                   50gp        skill: dodge
"Ocular Codex"                        50gp        skill: Spot Hidden
"Elementary"                          50gp        skill: Lore
"Tales of Extreme Survival"           45gp        skill: Foraging
"Shields Up!"                         75gp        skill: shields
"Complete Book of Metallurgy"         15gp        list of metals weak to rare
"Keyholes & Tumblers"                 75gp        skill: pick lock
"Crush! Smash! Destroy!"              50gp        skill: bludging
"A Bar Brawler's Guide"               80gp        skill: unarmed combat
"The Adventures of Brambit the Thief" 75gp        skill: move silent
"Antitoxin Craft & Creation"          50gp        reciepe: Detox potions
"Through the Lost Realms"             50gp        skill: Cartography
"Magicka Divine"                      75gp        skill: Arcane, Divine
"Wraith in the Night"                 50gp        skill: piercing weapon
"Stumpy's Guide to Combustables"      35gp        recipe: Demon Oil
"The Oradur Are Watching!"             2gp        scary tales 4 kids
"Zulben's Guide to Light Armour
       Materials"                     15gp        list of types
"Elements of Magick"                  75gp        skill: Arcane, Elemental
"Traps and Tribulations"              50gp        skill: skullduggery
"The Legendary Swordsman"            125gp        skill: weapon-swords
"Poems for Children"                   2gp        cute poem on Rats
'Holy Book of Rai'                        5gp         Story of creation of Eschalon

[Evnissyen]

Rider: How does setting a 'code' operation around the text keep the forum software from randomly and unpredictably condensing the spacing?

Dragonlady: Seems to me you might actually do something with that rather impressive collection.

Maybe this should be an option in Book III. Collect books and start up a shop in an empty space in your home town.

Of course, the shop space should actuallybe found free and unused... no funny business, eh?

And by the way, just so everything's clear: that includes dragons which just 'happen', all too inconveniently, to have a mild cold at just the time they're scouting for real-estate... .

Avid book collecting won't excuse anyone... .