Mining
Mining in Ultima Online
Seams of ore lie buried in the mines, mountains, and caves of Britannia. The skilled miner seeks out these veins to harvest ore, which can then be smelted into ingots for use in crafting items with the Blacksmithy or Tinkering skills.
To mine, you must use a Pickaxe or Shovel on a cave floor or mountainside tile. Ore can be smelted by using it on a Forge or Fire Beetle. Be warned: failing to smelt results in losing 50% of the ore's contents.
The mining skill is essential for crafting smeltable items that can be recycled into usable ingots, with the amount of ingots returned based on the miner's skill level. Miners cannot mine while mounted.
As your skill improves, you become capable of mining and smelting more obscure forms of ore:
- 0+ Iron Ore
- 65+ Dull Copper Ore
- 70+ Shadow Iron Ore
- 75+ Copper Ore
- 80+ Bronze Ore
- 85+ Golden Ore
- 90+ Agapite Ore
- 95+ Verite Ore
- 99+ Valorite Ore
A GM Miner, after proper research, may extract High-Quality Granite and Sand for experienced crafters. Reading the High-Quality Granite book allows mining stone and ore simultaneously, while the High-Quality Sand book enables mining on beaches and deserts.
Although mining skill cannot advance past 100 through training, Mining Gloves can boost skill to a maximum of 105. Humans have a chance to get extra ore with each dig, while Elves have an increased chance of harvesting special ore types from colored veins.
Training:
- 0 - 40: Train from Jacob Waltzt in the Haven Mountains (costs 400 gold).
- 40 - 50: Complete the accelerated skill gain quest "The Delucian’s Lost Mine" from Jacob Waltzt and receive Jacob's Pickaxe.
- 50 - 100: Mine ore and smelt it to gain skill.
Gains from actual digging depend on the ore type, with the chance of gaining skill being based on the chance of digging up ore, reaching 100% at 100.0 skill. Smelting ore into ingots is difficulty-based, with success based on the chance to successfully smelt that ore.
Special Resources:
Upon achieving Grand Master (100 skill) in Mining, miners gain access to special resources:
Gems:
At Grand Master skill, miners have the chance to randomly discover valuable gems used for crafting:
- Blue Diamond
- Fire Ruby
- Perfect Emerald
- Dark Sapphire
- Ecru Citrine
- Turquoise
Crystaline Blackrock may spawn randomly when mining in the Ter Mur Facet or obtained as loot from Ore Elementals using a Gargoyle Pickaxe on any facet.
Saltpeter:
Introduced with the High Seas booster pack, Saltpeter is mined from niter deposits found within dungeons or aboard ships. Sizes include:
- Niter Small: A Small Niter Deposit
- Niter Large: A Larger Niter Deposit
- Niter Huge: A Huge Niter Deposit
- Niter Massive: A Massive Niter Deposit
- Niter Gigantic: A Gigantic Niter Deposit
Miners with high luck can find these deposits, with those in Felucca benefiting from a 1000-point luck bonus. Saltpeter must be mined completely once found, as it decays if left unmined.
Special Books:
Specialized books enhance mining capabilities further:
- Mining for Quality Gems: Purchased from a blacksmith in Royal City, allows miners to find jewelry-grade gems randomly when mining with the context menu set to ‘ore and gems’.
- Mining for Quality Stone: Bought from a stonecrafter in Royal City, allows miners to discover high-quality granite randomly when mining with the context menu set to ‘stone’. Granite is stackable and used for stonecrafting.
- Find Glass-Quality Sand: Obtained from Gargoyle Alchemists in Royal City, allows miners to unearth glass-quality sand on beaches and coastlines. Sand's weight varies and is crucial for GM Alchemists specializing in glassblowing.
These resources and books add depth to the mining profession, offering opportunities to find rare gems, saltpeter, high-quality stone, and sand for specialized crafting purposes.