Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

This weekend marks an important turning point in the development of Cryptic Studios' upcoming Neverwinter as the game plays host to thousands of gamers in the first beta weekend event. To help you make the most of your time in the beta event this weekend, we've put together this beginner's guide for first-time Neverwinter players.

Important Levels

While Neverwinter does a good job of sending you to points of interest as new things become available, here’s a quick guide to what you can look forward to when (so you can stop wondering if you missed something!).

Every Level – Don’t forget to spend feat points, train your companions, and review and/or equip any new spells you might have received.

Level 10 – At level 10, you’ll get your first 2 attribute points to distribute. You’ll also be eligible to participate in PvP at the Trade of Blades, provided Cryptic opens up PvP during the weekend.

Level 16 – At level 16, a new dungeon will become available – the Cloak Tower. Queue it up through the events panel

Level 20 – Level 20 is a big level. Not only do you get 2 more attribute points, you’ll also be able to ride a mount. That is, if you can afford one. Saving up a gold piece (1 gold) to purchase the mount shouldn’t be too tough if you start penny pinching in your mid-teens, but you can also spend 168,000 astral diamonds to get a “special” mount (slightly less common appearance, but same 60% speed increase).

Around level 20 you’ll finally get some head protection - a helm! No more popping aspirin with your potions. I also found something for my arm slot at Edson the Hammer (no relation to Ten Ton Hammer) in the Coster Market.

Level 30 – At level 30 you’ll finally have enough feat points to choose one of three paths for your class and get a pretty powerful spell or two besides. Choose wisely!

A Quick Mission / Dungeon Checklist

It might seem like a chore at first, but going through a quick mental checklist can save you some minor headaches as you’re working Neverwinter’s bite sized chunks of content.

• Do you have a stack of potions? We all know the dangers of potion addiction, but it won’t cost much to keep at least 20 in your inventory, especially with how commonly these drop. Neverwinter can be unforgiving if you die, and no one wants to sit around the campfire while their group tries to finish off the boss. Pop a potion or 5 instead.


• Do you have skill scrolls? Skill nodes are found throughout dungeons, but chances are you only have one of the five required skills. Pick up a short stack of Mage Powder (Arcana), 10’ Pole (Dungeoneering), Milk of Chauntea (Nature), Incense of Enlightenment (Religion), and Thieves’ Picks (Thievery) – they’re only 14 copper a piece and can be very rewarding to use.


• Are your feats and companions fully trained? If not, maybe train the furthest advanced and take the lowbie companion along for the ride.


• Do you have the right dailies and encounters equipped for the job? Even in the early game, some abilities are better for soloing and others are better for grouping.

What’s with all of these crazy currencies?

Zen is the premium currency across all Cryptic games. While it’s unclear what you can spend Zen on directly in Neverwinter, you’ll eventually be able to buy Zen online and, at the very least, exchange it for Astral Diamonds, or vice versa.

Astral Diamonds are used to purchase special versions of things like mounts and also buy some of the better gear in the game from Traders. You can gather Astral Diamonds in a number of ways, e.g. use your invocation skill at a campfire every 30 minutes, then refine the rough Astral Diamonds that you get.

Gold, silver, and copper are the base medium of exchange in Neverwinter. Everything you sell to vendors will be paid for with this currency, no matter how you bought it.

Bounties, seals trade bars, etc. are a kind of currency you get as you complete missions and dungeons and can be exchanged for rare goods at special vendors.

Where to Find Level 1-30 Bounty Masters

Sludge Samples

These are found in the Blacklake District (click on any gate to travel there). In return for 10 Sludge Samples, you’ll get a Purified Sludge – an upgraded Potion to Minor Healing with a buff to Power too. This Bounty Master is just inside Blacklake District’s entrance on the left.

Plaguechanged Blood

This bounty master is the easiest to find, since he stands next to your favorite questgiver and mine, Sergeant Knox, in the Hall of Justice East Courtyard. You’ll need at least 10 Plaguechanged Bloods to pick up a ward that gives you a 5% buff to damage against plaguechanged creatures (useful for the Rhazzad quest chain).

Many Arrows Insignia

You’ll gather plenty of these in the second dungon, the Cloak Tower. Travel to the Tower District (click on any gate to travel), and you’ll find the Bounty Master just inside on the right. You’ll need at least 10 insignia to get a nice 25% damage buff (against orcs) consumable.

Seal of the Lion

While not a Bounty Master strictly speaking, the Lion Seal Trader is at the northwest corner of the Seven Suns Coster Market. You’ll need at least 5 Seals to purchase items from this vendor, who has a nice range of level 20 – 40 gear available.

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