Rookgaard Beginner's Guide: From Level 1 to the Mainland
Every character on Morta begins on Rookgaard, a small island where you learn the game before choosing a vocation. Nobody here has a vocation yet, and that's the point: you level up, learn how fighting, loot and NPCs work, and leave for the mainland once you reach level 8.
This guide follows the island the way most players do, from your first rat to your talk with the Oracle. Every number comes straight from the game server's files.
Your first steps
A new character arrives in the Rookgaard temple at level 1 with 150 hit points, no mana and 400 capacity. Your first goals are a better weapon, some armor, and enough gold for a rope and a shovel.
Low on health? Say hi to Cipfried in the temple. If you're below 65 hit points or poisoned, he heals you back to 65 and cures the poison for free.
Hunting, in order
The table shows each Rookgaard monster's base experience per kill and its hit points. Work your way down the list as you level.
| Monster | Experience | Hit points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | 5 | 20 | Underground, in the sewers and caves. Your first kills. |
| Cave Rat | 10 | 30 | Deeper in the same caves. |
| Snake | 10 | 15 | Fragile, good early experience. |
| Spider | 12 | 20 | Weak, everywhere. |
| Wolf | 18 | 25 | Drops wolf paws you can sell. |
| Bug | 18 | 29 | |
| Troll | 20 | 50 | The classic Rookgaard hunt, and good loot for the level. |
| Poison Spider | 22 | 26 | Poisons you. Keep an eye on your health. |
| Bear | 23 | 80 | Hits hard for its level. Drops bear paws. |
| Orc | 25 | 70 | Drops studded armor and shields. |
| Goblin | 25 | 50 | Deep underground. |
| Skeleton | 35 | 50 | Underground. |
| Orc Spearman | 38 | 105 | Throws spears from a distance. |
| Rotworm | 40 | 65 | Underground. Drops maces, swords and the odd katana. |
| Minotaur | 50 | 100 | The best normal hunt on the island. Drops minotaur leather and chain armor. |
A rough plan:
- Levels 1–3: rats, cave rats, snakes and spiders.
- Levels 3–5: wolves, bugs and trolls. Sell everything they drop and buy a real weapon.
- Levels 5–8: orcs, rotworms and, once you have decent armor, minotaurs.
There is also a single Ghoul (85 experience) and a single Minotaur Mage (150 experience) on the island. Treat them as dangerous until you're close to level 8.
How much experience you need
| Level | Total experience |
|---|---|
| 2 | 100 |
| 3 | 200 |
| 4 | 400 |
| 5 | 800 |
| 6 | 1,500 |
| 7 | 2,600 |
| 8 | 4,200 |
At base experience, getting from level 1 to level 8 takes around 210 trolls or 170 orcs. A mix of everything above gets you there faster than farming one monster.
Where to buy
| What | Who | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Rope, shovel, backpack, torch, fishing rod | Al Dee | rope 50 gp, shovel 10, backpack 10, torch 2, fishing rod 150 |
| Weapons | Obi | dagger 5, hand axe 8, rapier 15, axe 20, sabre 25, short sword 30, machete 30 |
| Armor and shields | Dixi | jacket 10, leather helmet 12, leather legs 10, wooden shield 15, leather armor 25, studded shield 50, chain helmet 52 |
| Food | Billy and Willie | bread 3, cheese 5, meat 5, ham 8 |
| Spellbook | Lily | 150 |
Buy a rope and a shovel as soon as you can. You need the shovel to dig into holes that lead underground, and the rope to climb back out. Without them, half the island's hunting grounds are out of reach.
Where to sell your loot
Shops pay very different prices for the same thing, so sell to the right NPC.
| Loot | Sell to | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Copper shield | Dixi | 50 |
| Chain armor | Dixi | 40 |
| Plate shield | Dixi | 40 |
| Brass shield, brass helmet | Dixi | 25 / 22 |
| Katana | Obi | 35 |
| Mace | Obi | 30 |
| Hatchet | Obi | 25 |
| Sabre | Obi | 12 |
| Minotaur leather | Tom | 12 |
| Bear paw | Tom | 10 |
| Wolf paw | Tom | 7 |
Leather gear (leather armor 5, leather helmet 3, leather legs 2, leather boots 2) is barely worth carrying. Pick it up only if you have capacity to spare.
Minotaurs and orcs are the best money on the island: chain armor, plate shields, brass gear and minotaur leather add up quickly.
Leaving Rookgaard: the Oracle
Once you're level 8, find The Oracle on an upper floor of Rookgaard's town and say hi. The Oracle asks you three things:
- Are you prepared to face your destiny? Say yes.
- Which town do you want to live in? You can choose Carlin, Thais or Venore. That becomes your home temple.
- Which vocation? Choose knight, paladin, sorcerer or druid, then confirm with yes. This decision is permanent.
The Oracle then teleports you to the temple of your new home town.
Go as soon as you hit level 8. There's nothing left to gain on Rookgaard once you're level 8. The mainland has better hunting, better loot and your vocation's spells.
Choosing a vocation
A quick summary. The Vocations page has the full numbers.
- Knight: melee, the most hit points, the easiest to play solo early on.
- Paladin: distance fighter with bows and spears, strong and flexible.
- Sorcerer: attack magic and runes. Hits hard but dies easily.
- Druid: healing magic and runes. Every team wants one.
Checklist before you talk to the Oracle
- Level 8
- Rope and shovel in your backpack
- All loot sold
- Decided on a vocation and a town
See you on the mainland.
