Herding
Herding in Ultima Online
Using
The lone shepherd walked the road towards Moonglow, stopping occasionally to lean upon her crook and survey the herd of sheep traveling alongside her path. She reached out with her crook to gently nudge a wayward ewe back toward the pack, nodded quietly, and continued on her way.
Herding allows players to direct the movement of any tamable creature. They can be moved to a specific location or made to follow your character indefinitely. Unlike conventional pets, there is no known limit to the amount of herded creatures you may have following you at one time, though they won't travel with you through moongates.
Herded monsters may still decide to attack nearby characters; however, it is possible to herd while remaining hidden. A stealthing character can potentially escort a very large group of dangerous monsters (though their movements will likely give away his location to nearby players).
Your chance of success when giving an order is equal to that of your current skill level. The taming difficulty of your target creature has no effect, and there is no wait time between attempts.
Area effect peacemaking will stop creatures from following you.
Training
0 - 30: Train at NPC Rancher, Ranger Guildmaster, or Shepherd.
30 - 100: Herd animals according to the taming guide.
How it Works
Take up your crook (or leave it in your pack) and double-click it to start your journey as a shepherd. Target the creature you plan to herd. You will be asked where you want it to go; at this point, you have two choices:
- Target a location: If successful, the creature will walk slowly in that direction until it reaches the point you targeted. Once it reaches the target, it will resume its normal activities. Failure results in the message that you could not persuade the creature to move.
- Target yourself: The creature will follow you at an easy walking speed until you release it by sending it to a targeted point. There appears to be no limit to the size of the herd you may amass. They take no follower slots, but they can be distracted.
Limitations
- It is only possible to herd creatures that can be tamed, with the notable exception of champion spawn on the Felucca facet and Oaks in Ilshenar.
- Herded creatures cannot be commanded.
- You may not take a herd through any kind of access point, such as moongates (public or player-cast), dungeon entrances, or dungeon level entrances.
- Aggressive creatures remain hostile and will attack.
See Also
For more information on taming and managing creatures, refer to related guides and resources within the game.