Over time, there's been an increasing number of discussions about the PvP balance on the Outlands Shard, particularly focusing on Reds/PKs. While I thoroughly enjoy both PvP and PvM in Ultima Online, I believe there is a growing disparity between different character builds, particularly between mages and dexxers, which contributes to some of the animosity directed at PvPers, especially PKs.
In this post, I want to explore this imbalance in more depth, with a particular focus on the stark differences in skill point requirements, cost burdens, and overall effectiveness between dexxers and mages. I'm interested in hearing if others share this view, and ideally, we can work toward a more balanced PvP system.
Dexxer vs Mage Gear Costs:
One of the most glaring disparities between dexxers and mages is in their cost to maintain and remain competitive. Consider the following:
Mage Costs:
Dexxer Costs:
While both builds carry a cost burden, dexxers tend to incur much higher gear expenses, especially if they aim to be competitive with high-quality weapons or gear. This difference in cost creates an accessibility gap. A mage can become PvP-ready for a fraction of the cost, whereas a fully geared dexxer could potentially spend upwards of 10x more.
Skill Point Requirement Disparity:
Mages Core Skills:
Variable Skills:
Dexxer Core Skills:
Variable Skills:
Dexxers, unlike mages, have to invest heavily in skills that provide combat effectiveness, damage mitigation, and healing. This results in a more crowded skill template, leaving little room for flexibility. For instance, dexxers need to invest points in Healing, which is vital for sustaining themselves in combat, whereas mages rely on the simpler and faster Magery for healing and utility.
This difference in skill requirements further demonstrates the imbalance between the two. Mages have more flexibility to invest in utility skills (e.g., Tracking, Alchemy), while dexxers must focus most of their points on staying alive and dealing damage, leaving less room for specialized PvP adaptations.
Defense & Damage Mitigation:
When we compare the defense capabilities of mages versus dexxers, the disparity becomes even more pronounced.
Resisting Spells at 100:
Parry at 100:
From these stats alone, we see a clear imbalance. A dexxer with Parry has a 50% chance to outright block melee damage, and even when hit, their stamina loss is reduced, making them more durable in melee combat. In contrast, a player using Resisting Spells can reduce only up to 37.5% of spell damage, but they have no chance to outright avoid damage as dexxers do with parry.
Additionally, mages enjoy the advantage of range, making it harder for dexxers to maintain consistent damage output. Dexxers not only need to close the distance (often taking damage on the way), but they also have fewer ways to mitigate magical damage effectively, putting them at a disadvantage in almost every engagement.
Cure Potions & Poisoning Skills:
With recent changes to poisons, the gap between mages and dexxers has widened even more. Dexxers who specialize in poisoning are required to spend 240 skill points in Poisoning and Taste Identification to achieve lethal poisons, yet this is mitigated easily by the availability of cure potions. The ease with which players can spam cure potions trivializes the skill investment dexxers make into poisoning, which has resulted in many poison-based builds becoming far less viable in PvP.
Scripts and Automation:
Lastly, we need to address the growing use of automation in PvP. Mages, who already benefit from lower skill requirements and greater flexibility, can use scripts to further enhance their reaction times, healing efficiency, and combo execution. Auto-heal, auto-cure, and predefined casting orders allow mages to execute complex burst damage combos at speeds that are difficult to match manually. Dexxers also benefit from some automation, but the sheer burst potential mages can achieve with scripted explosion potions, precast spells, and spell combos is overwhelming.
Couple this with the off-screen targeting capabilities of many mage scripts, and dexxers—especially melee builds—are left scrambling to keep up in a meta that increasingly favors mages.
Closing Thoughts:
The goal of this post is not to complain or cry for nerfs but to highlight the existing imbalances between mages and dexxers in PvP, specifically around skill point investment, gear costs, and the effectiveness of both defense and offense. Mages have far more flexibility, lower costs, and easier access to automation, whereas dexxers are burdened with high costs, limited skill points, and inferior damage mitigation options.
I welcome feedback and constructive suggestions, as the ultimate goal is to work towards a more balanced PvP experience on this shard. Thank you, Owyn, for your continued dedication to making Outlands the best UO experience.
In this post, I want to explore this imbalance in more depth, with a particular focus on the stark differences in skill point requirements, cost burdens, and overall effectiveness between dexxers and mages. I'm interested in hearing if others share this view, and ideally, we can work toward a more balanced PvP system.
Dexxer vs Mage Gear Costs:
One of the most glaring disparities between dexxers and mages is in their cost to maintain and remain competitive. Consider the following:
Mage Costs:
- Mastercrafted Leather: 500 gold
- Mastercrafted Spellbook: 500 gold
- Wizard's Satchel: 500 gold
- Reagents (50 of each): 2500 gold
- Heal/Cure Potions: 500-1000 gold
Dexxer Costs:
- Mastercrafted Plate: 3000 gold
- 1H Weapon + Shield or 2H Weapon: 2000-2500 for basic iron, but higher-quality metals/woods can push this up to 35,000+ gold
- Mastercrafted Quiver (if archery): 1000-30,000 gold
- Potion Satchel: 1000-30,000 gold
- Potions (healing, cure, refresh): 1500-2000 gold (dexxers tend to carry more due to reliance)
- Bandages: 750 gold
While both builds carry a cost burden, dexxers tend to incur much higher gear expenses, especially if they aim to be competitive with high-quality weapons or gear. This difference in cost creates an accessibility gap. A mage can become PvP-ready for a fraction of the cost, whereas a fully geared dexxer could potentially spend upwards of 10x more.
Skill Point Requirement Disparity:
Mages Core Skills:
- 100 Magery
- 100 Meditation
- 100 Wrestling
- 100 Evaluating Intelligence
Variable Skills:
- Parry
- Resisting Spells
- Alchemy
- Tracking
- Archery or Melee (Swords, Maces, Fencing)
- Tactics
Dexxer Core Skills:
- 100 Weapon Skill (Archery/Swords/Maces/Fencing)
- 100 Anatomy
- 100 Healing
- 100 Tactics
- 100 Parry
- 100 Resisting Spells
Variable Skills:
- Lumberjacking (if using axes)
- Tracking
- Magery (for utility)
- Poisoning
- Taste Identification
Dexxers, unlike mages, have to invest heavily in skills that provide combat effectiveness, damage mitigation, and healing. This results in a more crowded skill template, leaving little room for flexibility. For instance, dexxers need to invest points in Healing, which is vital for sustaining themselves in combat, whereas mages rely on the simpler and faster Magery for healing and utility.
This difference in skill requirements further demonstrates the imbalance between the two. Mages have more flexibility to invest in utility skills (e.g., Tracking, Alchemy), while dexxers must focus most of their points on staying alive and dealing damage, leaving less room for specialized PvP adaptations.
Defense & Damage Mitigation:
When we compare the defense capabilities of mages versus dexxers, the disparity becomes even more pronounced.
Resisting Spells at 100:
- 12.5% spell damage reduction (minimum)
- Up to 37.5% spell damage reduction (maximum)
- 25% chance to absorb spell damage from creatures (but none in PvP)
- 100% chance to avoid spell interruption from creatures/environmental damage (but not PvP)
Parry at 100:
- 50% chance to parry melee attacks
- 25% chance to parry spells
- 50% reduced stamina loss from damage
- Armor rating (AR) is boosted by parrying skill when using shields
From these stats alone, we see a clear imbalance. A dexxer with Parry has a 50% chance to outright block melee damage, and even when hit, their stamina loss is reduced, making them more durable in melee combat. In contrast, a player using Resisting Spells can reduce only up to 37.5% of spell damage, but they have no chance to outright avoid damage as dexxers do with parry.
Additionally, mages enjoy the advantage of range, making it harder for dexxers to maintain consistent damage output. Dexxers not only need to close the distance (often taking damage on the way), but they also have fewer ways to mitigate magical damage effectively, putting them at a disadvantage in almost every engagement.
Cure Potions & Poisoning Skills:
With recent changes to poisons, the gap between mages and dexxers has widened even more. Dexxers who specialize in poisoning are required to spend 240 skill points in Poisoning and Taste Identification to achieve lethal poisons, yet this is mitigated easily by the availability of cure potions. The ease with which players can spam cure potions trivializes the skill investment dexxers make into poisoning, which has resulted in many poison-based builds becoming far less viable in PvP.
Scripts and Automation:
Lastly, we need to address the growing use of automation in PvP. Mages, who already benefit from lower skill requirements and greater flexibility, can use scripts to further enhance their reaction times, healing efficiency, and combo execution. Auto-heal, auto-cure, and predefined casting orders allow mages to execute complex burst damage combos at speeds that are difficult to match manually. Dexxers also benefit from some automation, but the sheer burst potential mages can achieve with scripted explosion potions, precast spells, and spell combos is overwhelming.
Couple this with the off-screen targeting capabilities of many mage scripts, and dexxers—especially melee builds—are left scrambling to keep up in a meta that increasingly favors mages.
Closing Thoughts:
The goal of this post is not to complain or cry for nerfs but to highlight the existing imbalances between mages and dexxers in PvP, specifically around skill point investment, gear costs, and the effectiveness of both defense and offense. Mages have far more flexibility, lower costs, and easier access to automation, whereas dexxers are burdened with high costs, limited skill points, and inferior damage mitigation options.
I welcome feedback and constructive suggestions, as the ultimate goal is to work towards a more balanced PvP experience on this shard. Thank you, Owyn, for your continued dedication to making Outlands the best UO experience.
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