Skip to content

What's Different from Classic UO?

New Dawn builds on the classic Ultima Online foundation while introducing meaningful changes and custom systems. This guide helps veteran UO players quickly understand what makes New Dawn unique.

Quick Summary

Classic Foundation:

  • Single Felucca facet (full PvP)
  • 700 skill points / 225 stat points
  • Classic skills with modifications
  • Open-world sandbox gameplay
  • Regular content updates

Major Differences:

  • Custom summoning via Spirit Speak
  • No dexterity penalty (stamina loss instead)
  • Unique endgame systems (Rifts, Pirates, CTF)
  • Enhanced murder consequences
  • Modified combat formulas

Combat & Balance Changes

Armor System

✗ No Dexterity Penalty ✓ Stamina loss on hit instead

  • Armor type affects stamina drain when damaged
  • Hit location matters (chest 40%, arms 20%, legs 15%, head/hands 10%, neck 5%)
  • Formula considers armor material and location
  • Keeps armor meaningful without movement penalty

Archery

  • 500ms standing still delay added
  • Snare ability at 80+ Anatomy & Archery
  • 25% chance at GM to immobilize for 3 seconds
  • Disrupts spells
  • 20-second cooldown, 15 stamina cost

Weapons & Armor Values

  • UOR era values (Patch 0.16)
  • Initially changed to T2A but reverted for balance
  • Damage formulas adjusted to match weapons

Explosion Potions

  • 1.5-second delay before explosion
  • Small random delay variation
  • Alchemy bonus to minimum damage (not total)
  • GM Alchemy: 15-20 damage vs players (min 5, max 15 base + bonuses)
  • 2-second cooldown on all potions except explosion (no cooldown) and heal (10s cooldown)

Poison System

  • GM Poisoning: 50% chance to poison normally immune mobs
  • GM Magery + GM Poison: Special chances for lethal/deadly
  • 1% lethal within 2 tiles
  • 10% deadly within 3 tiles
  • Changed from always failing vs immune

Parrying

  • Shield Bash ability added
  • Absorbs fire breath damage based on parrying skill and shield quality

PvP Spell Damage

  • Custom min/max ranges (adjustable in-game)
  • Magic Resist cuts damage by ⅓ (not ½)
  • Spell range: 10 tiles for most spells (Teleport still 12)

Stamina

  • No stamina loss from running (Patch 0.29)
  • No stam loss from low stamina
  • Stamina only affected by damage taken (armor system)

Magic & Summoning

Spirit Speak System (Major Custom Feature)

Completely changes summoning:

  • 5th circle: Custom spirit creatures (not regular summons)
  • 8th circle: Massively boosted stats and skills
  • Blade Spirits/Energy Vortex:
  • Won't attack you at 50+ Spirit Speak
  • Fully controllable at GM
  • 10-40% poison chance
  • Enhanced stats
  • Dispel resistance: 50-80% vs player/NPC dispel
  • Animal Lore synergy (Patch 1.0)

See Spirit Summoner for complete details.

Meditation

  • Active meditation faster than passive
  • Still works while moving (passive)

Casting

  • Server won't auto-unequip hands to cast (Patch 0.14)
  • Can cast with spellbook, runebook, lanterns, candles, torches
  • Message if hands need clearing

Skills & Progression

Modified Skills

Tracking:

  • Distance-based success
  • 100 tiles at GM (50 in dungeons)
  • Region and level restricted

Stealth:

  • Auto-stealth option at 80+ (toggle via single-click)
  • Step counter displayed
  • 80+ with 100 Hiding can auto-hide when moving

Lumberjacking:

  • Special wood types: Oak, Ash, Yew
  • Bark fragments and brilliant amber drops
  • Increased tree yield but fewer per chop
  • 3-tile range (was 1 tile)

Mining:

  • 3-tile range (Patch 0.49)

Taming:

  • Range increased to 6 tiles
  • No pathing requirement (just LOS)
  • Bonding quest system for extra slots
  • 80+ Taming/Lore to start quest (was 100)

Spirit Speak:

  • See ghosts at GM
  • Summon enhancements (see above)
  • Summon healing bonuses

Skill Gains:

  • Custom global modifiers
  • Slowed for 3x GM or less
  • Faster gains on some crafting skills
  • Some lore skills slower

World & Systems

Account & Housing

  • 3 accounts per Discord ID
  • 1 house per account (was 2 per account)
  • 5-tile spacing between houses (Patch 0.44)
  • 14-day decay timer
  • IDOC: 1-3 hour random placement window
  • All accounts considered co-owners (Patch 0.51)

Young Player System

  • Ocllo-based
  • Exits on: 120 hours OR 450 skills OR leaving Ocllo OR murder OR crafting 80+
  • Can rejoin 2x per account
  • Not automatic - must type [young to join

Boats

  • 2 boats per account
  • Smooth sailing enabled
  • Key-based control
  • 6400 weight cargo holds (Patch 0.49)

Paragons

  • Enabled with 100% loot drop
  • Double gold
  • Can't be hirelings or basic animals

Light Levels

  • Day/night cycle affects darkness
  • Moon phases (8 phases) affect nighttime brightness
  • Night Sight spell brightness scales with Magery skill
  • Greater Night Sight potions (8 spider silk, 15-25min, brighter)
  • Dungeons are darker

Murder & PvP

Murder System (Major Changes)

  • Short-term murders: Decay over 24-48 logged hours
  • Long-term murders: Permanent at 5+
  • Stat loss: 20-40% scaling with murder count
  • Dungeon bans: 15min for reds with 5+ murders
  • Forged pardons: Clear murders at Yew Courthouse

See Murder System for complete details.

PvP Changes

  • Multi-client PvP blocked
  • Criminals CAN cast Gate Travel
  • 1 account per dungeon rule

Custom Systems (New Content)

New Dawn features several completely custom systems:

Codex Rifts

Time-travel instances with unique champions and rewards

Pirate Adventures

Instanced pirate encounters with bosses and loot

Capture the Flag

10v10 structured team PvP

Archaeology

Excavate artifacts from ruins

Conquest of Virtues

Guild-based territory control

Gardening

Plant cultivation and sheep farming

Achievements

Point-based progression with rewards

Crafting Changes

BOD System

  • Points-based rewards (not item-based)
  • Books no longer blessed
  • Specific point values for rewards
  • Tailoring rewards documented
  • Timer resets on turn-in

Tailoring

  • Tailoring Guild at 85.1
  • Tailors Dye Kit: 10k gold at GM
  • Dungeon dyes: 250 materials per dye
  • Unique hue per dungeon
  • Hoods craftable at 115

Crafting Speed

  • Animations and slight delays added
  • More immersive crafting experience

Resources

  • Special wood types (Oak, Ash, Yew)
  • Dungeon-specific dye materials
  • Cotton/flax farming fields
  • Resource captchas for anti-macro

Quality of Life

Interface

  • Classic single-click ASCII labels
  • Blessed and newbie labels on items
  • Items show quality and crafter name
  • Damage displays above heads
  • Buff/debuff icons
  • Context menu toggle option

Runebooks

  • 10 max charges (not unlimited)
  • No 7-second delay (removed Patch 0.23)
  • Arrows to adjust rune positions
  • Default rune highlighted
  • Craftable (requires 64 recall/gate scrolls)

Spellbooks

  • Shows spell count correctly
  • Requires leather and reagents to craft

Containers

  • Locked down containers accessible by anyone
  • Locking container doesn't lock contents
  • Weight limits adjusted

Corpses

  • Turn grey when dead
  • Decay: 1 hour untouched, 15min after opened
  • Items retain position when you die (blessed/newbied)

Removed Content

  • Necromancy, Bushido, Ninjitsu
  • AOS (Age of Shadows) mechanics
  • Mahjong, Checkers, Chess
  • Broadcast/receiver crystals
  • Dragon scales (for now)
  • Some quest items (unicorn ribs, etc.)

Ongoing Development

New Dawn is actively developed:

  • 49+ patches with hundreds of changes
  • Regular balance updates
  • Community feedback incorporated
  • New systems added over time
  • Check patch notes for latest

Getting Started Tips

  1. Read combat changes - Different from classic
  2. Try Spirit Summoner - Unique to New Dawn
  3. Join Discord - Active community
  4. Explore custom systems - Fresh content
  5. Understand murder system - Real consequences
  6. Join a guild - Community is key
  7. Experiment - Many viable builds

Where to Learn More

Welcome to New Dawn!