Pets

Pets are essential to nearly all characters in Ultima Online. Without a mount a warrior cannot hope to keep up with (or escape from!) his foes, and beasts of burden are essential for those who wish to collect resources. Most domesticated animals (such as Horses) require no skill to own, ride or command.

However, only those well versed in Animal Taming can hope to command the strongest of creatures. The dedicated tamer will also practise his Veterinary skill in order to keep his charges in top condition, and an additional dose of Animal Lore not only helps when applying bandages but also when giving commands.

Players may store pets they currently don't need at the stables located in most towns and cities, or shrink with a shrink potion obtained at the Alchemist shop. If a pet is worth keeping for any length of time, it should be bonded in order to preserve it should it die.

Control Slots

Each character has a total of five control slots, a number cannot be increased in any way. Whenever any creature comes under their control, some of these slots will be used up. If the character does not have enough control slots available then they will be unable to take control of the new pet.

Most animals (such as Horses and Pack Horses) require only a single control slot, meaning that the character may command up to five such creatures at a time. However, many monsters can also be tamed, and most require multiple slots.

For example, a Bake Kitsune requires two slots, while a Rune Beetle requires three. Hence a tamer may journey with one of each of these creatures at the same time, making for a powerful combination.

The Nightmare is a popular two slot, as it is not only powerful but ridable as a mount.

More powerful creatures require yet more slots. The Cu Sidhe (the only creature with the Healing skill) requires four, as does the Hiryu and Reptalon. Such pets are usually used as "tanks"; somewhat less damaging then a two-pet combo but typically much easier to keep alive in combat.

The only tamable creature to date that account for all five slots is the devastatingly powerful Greater Dragon.

Naming A Pet

To name a pet or change it's name dismount (if required), then click it and drag the mouse cursor away. Your pet's "bar" will follow the mouse, displaying (along with other things) it's name.

Click the text and you'll be presented with a cursor allowing you to change it. Note that you can't add any spaces to a pet's name, but you can delete around the ones already present to leave them intact. Press Enter to confirm your changes.

Commanding a Pet

The creatures you control are of limited use if they cannot be ordered. Blade Spirits, Energy Vortexes, Nature's Furys and those risen through the Animate Dead spell won't pay you any heed and simply attack anything that comes near them. Just about everything else however can be given orders, making them very much a part of your character in the game world.

Tamed pets each have a "control chance" attached to them that is dependant on your Animal Taming and Animal Lore skills. While the former accounts for the majority of your influence, a good dose or lore is still recommended for those serious in taking the path of the tamer. It is only with high levels of both that you'll be able to command the most powerful of monsters.

Usually control chance can be roughly guessed according to the initial difficulty involved in taming the creature. For example, anyone may tame a Cat, and hence anyone may also control one. On the other hand, if you barely have the ability to tame a Dragon don't expect to be able to control it reliably!

One exception of note regarding control chance and taming skill is the Lesser Hiryu. Although it'll happily obey a tamer like any other pet will, it'll also obey a character with no taming but a high level of Bushido instead.

List Of Commands

* Follow

The pet will follow the target until ordered to do otherwise.

* Stop

The pet will cease all actions until ordered otherwise. While stopped, it will wander around in a similar fashion to a wild creature, but will not attack targets even if it is assaulted.

* Come

The pet will attempt to go to your location using more advanced pathfinding methods then with the Follow command. Those with magical abilities may attempt to Teleport directly. As the pet will Stop upon reaching you this should only be used if it has gotten itself stuck somewhere.

* Stay

The pet will stand still until ordered to do otherwise.

* Guard

The pet will follow it's master and attack anything that assaults that person or itself. Only the active pet can actively guard, and any damage that pet deals is credited to the owner.

* Kill

The pet will attack the target until either the victim or itself is dead. Once it has felled the enemy, it may attack any other creatures that are hostile towards it. The owner receives credit for all damage dealt.

* Drop

Causes creatures to drop whatever they might be carrying. Allows you to for eg. salvage arrows that might have been shot into your pet.

* Release

The pet will be removed from your service.

Giving Orders
Verbally

All pets (and some summons) will respond to orders if you simply "say" them. To give orders in this way, just address your pet with the command you wish to issue. For example:

Rover Stay

Assuming you've got old faithful Rover will you, he'll stay still until given a new instruction.

Commands which result in a targeting cursor (Follow and Kill) can be followed with the term "me" for quick use. For example:

Rover Follow Me

This will cause your pet to follow you around.

Finally, you don't have to address your pets individually unless you really need to direct them that way. Announcing your commands to "all" will cause all creatures under your control to respond.

All Kill

Upon giving the kill command and selecting a target in this way, all your pets will plunge into the fight. Choose your active pet carefully - this will be the one your target focuses it's return attacks on.

Using The Context Menu

Using the 2D client, a single left click on your pet will reveal a context menu from which you can select most orders using the mouse.


Using Pets In Combat

In order to battle using a pet, a high level of Animal Taming skill is required. After all, if you can't reliably control the stronger monsters, why bother trying? Because of the large amount of skill points that must be expended to be a effective tamer, many characters of this type find themselves in support roles (casting healing spells for example).

Magery or the Musicianship skill sets are favoured for use in PvM combat, though in PvP many players like to use Stealthing or Archery along with their pets. Whatever your choices, one rule remains fairly consistent - Try to ensure that you're not the one on the receiving end of any damage dealt.

Healing

Even the most powerful pet will eventually be worn down with combat, so it is best to be prepared with some healing abilities. The Veterinary skill is the primary method of healing damage to your charges. To use it, you simply double click a bandage and target your pet. You'll heal damage according to your skill level (Animal Lore provides an additional bonus).

To use bandages you need to be within two tiles of your pet. While your character is applying them you may still cast spells, in fact it's quite possible to cast Greater Heal between the time you start and finish winding on each. Note that at higher levels of skill your bandages can purge poison.

Should your pet die, a high level of both Veterinary and Animal Lore is required to bring it back to life - And even then this is only possible if it was bonded before the event. You must stand directly next to your pet to bandage it's ghost, and when it is revived it will have lost 0.1 from all it's skill levels.

Pet Balls

The Ball of Pet Summoning can be used to bring a pet from any location in the game world (even the stables) to your location. If you lose a pet and have no other way of retrieving it, or if the pet becomes bugged and can't be targeted, having it linked to a pet ball may be your saving grace. Link each of your pets and place the balls in a safe location for emergency use.

For a list of tameable creatures check: UOGuide - Tameables
To check your chance to control a pet visit: Taming Calculator