PvP (Overdrive)

Introduction

As mentioned in the Overdrive article, Overdrive is a "Sphere Style" PvP shard. This means you'll be able to move while casting which creates a fast, fun, and adrenaline fueled form of PvP.

This guide is to give you Overdrive style PvP tutorials, provide current item and spell charts, note skill differences, and other various unqiue things to Ovedrive.

Core Mechanics

In order to be the best Overdrive PvPer you must master spell timings, line of sight, and fizzling.

Spell Timings

Spells take a certain amount of time to channel for them to successfully cast. Understanding these timings is one of the keys to separate yourself from the competition.

The first circle takes a half second to cast and each additional circle takes another half second. So, the first circle takes .5 seconds, the second circle takes 1 second, the third circle takes 1.5 seconds, etc.

There are some exceptions to these rules - EX: fizzling spells (magic arrow, clumsy, feeblemind, and weaken) takes .7 seconds to cast and Greater Heal takes 3 seconds to cast. These are by design for balancing purposes. You can review a full list of spell timings, damage/heal, and mana usage on the Spell Chart below.

Fizzling

Fizzling means you or your opponent's spell does not successfully cast. Your goal while PvPing is for your spells to not fizzle while also making your opponent's spell fizzle. This is achieved through understanding spell timings and using line of sight (explained next) properly.

The primary way you will fizzle your opponent is through fast casting spells called Fizzling Spells. Fizzling Spells include magic arrow, clumsy, feeblemind, and weaken.

More advanced players can use higher level spells to successfully fizzle such as using a 3rd circle spell to fizzle a 7th circle spell.

There is also a small percent chance your spells will fizzle naturally but that depends on the circle of the spell. Higher circle spells have a higher chance of naturally fizzling. Natural fizzling can be mitigated through the use of scrolls.

LOS

You must have Line of Sight (LOS) of your target in order to successfully cast a spell. Having LOS means there are no objects blocking your view of your opponent. Things such as walls, doors, and trees obstruct your line of sight causing your spell to fizzle. If you're coming from non-Sphere style shards, you'll be surprised to see even objects you can see over (such as furniture or half walls) will block line as sight as well. This is by design. Almost anything you can't run through will obstruct line of sight.

Here is how you properly use LOS: Cast your spell then get out of LOS while its channel. Come into LOS right before it finishes channeling so your target is unable to fizzle you and your spell hits.

You can also create your own LOS by using doors and items such as invisibility potions

Items

Here are some of the most common items you’ll use while PvPing:

• Spellbook - Required to cast spells
• Reagents - Required to cast spells
• Runebook - Obviously for travel but required so you can escape ganks by recalling
• Greater Mana Potions - Recovers Mana
• Greater Heal Potions - Recovers Health
• Invisibility Potions - Instantly makes you invisible. Used for game changing plays.
• Explosion Potions - Utility item explained in the tips section
• Bandages - Provides better healing than Greater Heal but typically used in emergency scenarios when you’re out of mana
• Flamestrike Scrolls - Used so Flamestrike cost half mana and less of a chance to fizzle
• Magic Trap Pouch - Used to escape being paralyzed
• Melee Weapon

Spells, Potions, & Items Chart

Spells

Please note the spell damages below assumes you have GM Evaluating Intelligence and your target has GM Resisting Spells

Spell	Circle	Dmg/Heal	Buff/Debuff	Duration	Mana	Cast Time	Special Notes
Clumsy	1		-12 DEX	120	10	.7
Create Food	1			120	10	.5
Feeblemind	1		-12 INT	120	10	.7
Heal	1	8			4	1.25
Magic Arrow	1	3			10	.7
Night Sight	1			600	4	.5
Reactive Armor	1			240	4	1
Weaken	1		-12 STR		10	.7
Agility	2		+12 DEX	120	10	1
Cunning	2		+12 INT	120	10	1
Cure	2				6	1.3
Harm	2	5			6	1
Magic Trap	2				10	1
Magic Untrap	2				10	1
Protection	2			120	10	1.5	First tick of poison happens 1.6 seconds after initial hit
Strength	2		+12 STR	120	10	1
Bless	3		+5 ALL STATS	120	15	1.5
Fireball	3	10			8	1.5
Magic Lock	3				9	1.5
Poison	3	8			10	1.5
Telekinesis	3				9	1.5
Teleport	3				9	1.5
Unlock	3				9	1.5
Wall of Stone	4			20	15	2
Arch Cure	4				15	2
Arch Protection	4			120	15	2
Curse	4		-5 ALL STATS	120	15	2
Fire Field	4	3		30	11	2
Greater Heal	4	34			12	3
Lightning	4	15			12	2
Mana Drain	4		-50 MANA		15	2
Recall	4				12	4
Blade Spirit	5			60	14	4
Dispel Field	5				14	2.5
Incognito	5			120	14	2.5
Magic Reflection	5			120	14	2.5
Mind Blast	5	21			14	2.5
Paralyze	5			10	14	2.5
Poison Field	5			30	14	2.5
Summon Creature	5			400	14	4
Dispel	6				10	3
Energy Bolt	6	30			20	3
Explosion	6	30			20	3	Spell has a 2.5 second delay for damage
Invisibility	6			240	20	3
Mass Curse	6		-15 ALL STATS		30	3
Paralyze Field	6			30	20	3
Reveal	6				15	3
Chain Lightning	7	SEE NOTES			40	3.5	50 damage split between all within 3 tiles of target
Energy Field	7			45	40	3.5
Flamestrike	7	44			40	3.5
Gate Travel	7				40	3.5
Mana Vampire	7	25	-65 MANA		30	3.5
Mass Dispel	7				40	3.5
Meteor Swarm	7	SEE NOTES			40	3.5	50 damage split between all within 3 tiles of target
Polymorph	7			480	40	3.5
Earthquake	8				50	4	50% of hp taken from all targets within 10 tiles of caster
Energy Vortex	8			400	50	4
Resurrection	8				50	4
Air Elemental	8			400	50	4
Summon Daemon	8			400	50	4
Earth Elemental	8			400	50	4
Fire Elemental	8			400	50	4
Water Elemental	8			400	50	4

Items & Potions

Item	Heal/Dmg	Buff/Debuff	Cast Time	Notes
Bandages	51		5
Agility		+10 DEX
Greater Agility		+15 DEX
Strength		+10 STR
Greater Strength		+15 STR
Lesser Heal	10
Heal	20
Greater Heal	34
Mana	45
Greater Mana	75
Lesser Explosion	5
Explosion	10
Greater Explosion	15
Restore	25			Restores HP & DEX
Greater Restore	50			Restores HP & DEX
Refreshment	50
Greater Refreshment	100

Macros

If you are new to Overdrive's PvP style, we recommend you use the following Hot Key set up.

Melee

Instant Hit Mechanic

Overdrive's melee ruleset is set to "instant hit". This means your weapon strikes instantly shortly after it is equipped when you're within one tile of your target. Your weapon then goes on cooldown once it has struck. This cooldown ranges from 1 to 4 seconds depending on the weapon type swung.

Special Moves

Refer to the Special Moves article. Note that stun punch has been disabled for Overdrive.

Tips

• Practice spell timings over and over again until you gain an intuitive feel for when they will hit. This intuition will come with time but practicing initially will get you a headstart.

• You can cast magic arrow on an explosion potion for a variety of strategic reasons:
  • Escape being paralyzed
  • AOE damage cause your target to fizzle or finishing them off
  • Reveal hidden targets

• Get in the habit of curing instantly once poisoned. Ideally, you would be able to cure yourself and still fizzle your opponent if they have casted a 5th circle or above spell.

• Practice using doors as much as possible. They’re a great way to create LOS for yourself and can be used strategically in a number of ways.

• Forego using fizzling spells when you could fizzle your opponent using a higher level spell (EX: using poison to fizzle flamestrike).

• Combo Explosion + Energy Bolt or Flamestrike to do devastating chunk damage.

• Use magic arrow as your primary fizzle spell but use weaken, clumsy, or feeblemind to initially debuff your opponent.

Tutorial Videos

• Overdrive PvP 101
• UO Overdrive PvP Overview: Part 1 - Spells, Macros, & Fizzling
• UO Overdrive PvP Overview: Part 2 – Line of Sight & Items
• UO Overdrive PvP Overview: Part 3 – Melee, Mechanics, & Tips