Equipment | Hints on making a good start Sword Coast Legends Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Sword Coast Legends is based on an equipment system. However, it's not a system like in other RPG games, where you must met the requirements related to character level in order to be able to use an item. All items found in the game can be equipped by every available character. The only requirement is having completed training in using items. For example, at the start, rogue cannot use hammers or spikes. If you want to use that equipment, you must buy a special ability that trains the character in using a specific weapon type. However, it's not a good idea, as during the game you will have a limited number of skill points and it is better to assign them to abilities related to your character's class. Remember - in Sword Coast Legends, if something is used for everything, then it means it is actually useful for nothing. Part of the default equipment is better than the one found during game. The bow of cleric Illydia is a good example. Her default weapon has a bonus that regenerates the health points of wounded allies. As you should focus on building this bonus for the cleric character, you shouldn't change this weapon to any other that would deal more damage.
Obtaining better equipment can be done in three main steps. First one is buying items from merchants. The merchants in the cities sometimes have very interesting items that cannot be found in the game world. If you will find a new merchant, remember about checking his offer. Second step is killing monsters and completing quests. Don't pass on any side quests, sometimes by completing them you can gain very interesting items. One of such items is a legendary head gear for the cleric - the Mask of Relentless Compassion. The mask makes the cleric deal 99% less damage but he also receives a 100% boost to the number of health points he returns to his hurt companions. Since cleric is a class that should focus on healing, the mask is the best item available for this class. The mask can be obtained during the Speak No Evil side quest.
The last step is crafting. In Sword Coast Legends, crafting is different than in other RPG games. You don't gather materials and diagrams like in Witcher. You don't train your blacksmith and armorsmith skills like in Skyrim. In Sword Coast Legends, crafting is about finding damaged equipment scattered across the game world and ordering the blacksmith from Luskan to repair it. The price for reforging is usually at level of tens of thousands of gold. However, for doing it you will receive legendary equipment which cannot be obtained in any other way.
The equipment has a limited number of slots which you can use. Actually, it's not slots, but the total weight of the items (around 300). After exceeding the weight limit, you will receive a penalty to movement speed, which will make exploring impossible. Remember about clearing the equipment of items you don't need each time when you're near a merchant. Heavy plate armors have the greatest weight (60).