Is it luck or are there actual factors for better tribesmen when you decide to Deter [e] a barbarian? This guide will go over the basic game play and provide more in depth information about which barbarians are worth recruiting. If you find this information helpful be sure to pass it along to your fellow tribesmen or give the guide a thumbs up

Originally posted by permadecked:

Hey, I've created several other guides for Soulmask that you might find valuable. I tend to delve deep into play testing and providing detailed information. Check them out!

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3261956173
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3269788901

I'm assuming your very new to SoulMask in this section, if it's redundant please skip ahead.

Deterring is the primary method to recruit tribesmen for your tribe. Outcasts, Barbarians, and enemy tribesmen can be recruited through deterrence. When an Outcast, Barbarian, or enemy tribesman's health drops below 20% (by default), a mask wearer can interact with them (default "E" key) to deter them. The deterred NPC will become unconscious and gradually gain recognition. Once a minimum recognition level (default 500) is reached, they can be recruited.

While unconscious, deterred NPCs can be healed by placing a bandage or other healing item in their inventory and using it (typically double-clicking the item). They can also be fed liquid foods like broth in the same manner. Feeding them while unconscious may be necessary to keep them alive.

Unconscious deterred NPCs can be picked up and carried either over the shoulder or on a llama's extended seat. Beds can speed up the process but you do not need to bring them all the way back to base for it, barbarian fortresses have huts with beds nearby.

Deter [e] = Recruiting a barbarian

• This appears when you get your targeted barbarian to 10% - 20% health.
  
• During the animation you and the npc have iframes during the interaction

Q button = Inspect Rarity & Highlight Barbarians

• The Q button is a zoom feature that you unlock under "Quality Assessment" within the mask progression.
  
• Awareness 15 is needed to unlock Quality Assessment
  
• When holding Q you can right click to mark barbarians you want to recruit to identify them easier with a silver arrow.

• Any Plunders
  
• Any Tribe Chiefs
  
• Any Tribe Leaders
  
• Any Tribe Priests
  
• [Support] Tribesmen These get called in on signal flames
  
• Barbarian Scouts You can interrogate [e] for map information not recruit.

The type of tribesman your looking for is important to keep in mind please refer to this table to find the skills your looking for:

The rarity system associated with the quality of tribesmen is intriguing. Despite lower qualities below Orange, it's still possible to find tribesmen with proficiency levels exceeding 120. This indicates that while quality may influence traits and attribute points rolls, it doesn't necessarily cap the potential proficiency level.


EXAMPLE: 122 WEAPON CRAFTER AT 0 QUALITY
Rarity and Quality: Tribesmen are categorized into different qualities (like White, Green, Blue, Purple, Yellow, Orange/Red) based on their overall rarity and attributes.

Proficiency Levels: The proficiency levels of tribesmen can surpass 120, regardless of their quality. This means you can find highly skilled tribesmen even in lower-quality categories.

Traits and Attributes: Quality may affect the traits and attribute points rolls of tribesmen, influencing their overall effectiveness and specialization within specific roles.

For more detailed information on traits and their effects, you can refer to the traits list from the wiki, which provides comprehensive insights into how different traits impact tribesmen's abilities and performance.

https://soulmask.fandom.com/wiki/Tribesmen

ALSO SUPER IMPORTANT: Every 10 levels, Tribesmen have a 100% probability to gain a new Advantage Talent. Every 5 levels, they have a probability to remove a Defect.

So you may ask why 120+ proficiency matters on a barbarian. Well it's simply one more buff on that proficiency that can make a difference on crafting or on the damage of your favorite type of weapon. It it necessary? That's up to you to decide. However as you deter each tribesman this should always be one of your first considerations before deciding to dismiss them.

How The Game Determines Proficiency

Originally posted by Soul Mask Wiki:

The Tribesmen's profession directly affects the proficiency level cap, for example: the Warrior's profession only has a probability (this probability is randomized within the interval, not calculated by probability) of reaching the proficiency level cap of 120 for the five weapons: Sword, Dual-Blade, Hammer, Greatsword, and Gauntlets.

The initial proficiency level of a barbarian is affected by three factors: Tribesmen level, Tribesmen profession, and Tribesmen status. For example, a Tribesmen of level 40 or above, with a high status in the smith profession, will be able to reach an initial level of 55-65 in crafting proficiency, whereas the initial level of other proficiencies will be lower.

Okay weapon proficiency should be self explanatory and reflect your play style; on these I would say pick what is your favorite. Personally I'm always looking for spear, shield, bows, hammer, dual blades. In no particular order but here's my reasoning why; Finding 120+ seems to be harder to deter farm for over finding good traits. I'll always choose 4 skill upgrades for more damage overall. Here are my 4 mains I play daily:

• The Dungeon Dweller = Hammer 120 for damage against Dungeon Mobs.
  
• The Spartan = Spear 120 and a high shield combo is a strong all rounder in any situation.
  
• The Bleeder = Dual Blade 120 high DPS and bleed combo. You burn through dual blades fast...
  
• The Bow Boy = 120 Bow paired with certain masks makes for a fun build mid to late game.

There are 14 in total so which ones should you consider important? Thats also subjective to your needs and what you get lucky with. I will also say this just because your barbarian is 119 and not 120 doesn't mean you should trash them. Just hold them till you find a 120+ your looking for. So lets start from the worst to the best:

Originally posted by permadecked:

"Please note this is early access so my opinion may change as updates are made."

Originally posted by xactzerg SoulMask Discord:

Perception adds to the output of crafters and strength adds to collecting efficiency. So very important to remember to spend stat points for your crafters/gathers in these two areas

These proficiency choices have early tech fall off (pottery) or when it comes to harvesting the resource outputs are marginal on a server that runs 24/7 you will have plenty of resources regardless who you assign for basic harvesting of stone, logs or basic gathering.

• Pottery
  
• Logging
  
• Mining
  
• Harvest

These proficiency choices are more likely one tribesman for a single crafting bench. I advise picking resource outputs over crafting speeds. These are nice to have maxed but even a 90+ proficiency is fine. However I don't see a major need for these workbenches operating full time round the clock, other then keep the tribesman busy for busywork sake.

• Weaving
  
• Leather working
  
• Cooking
  
• Craftsman

These proficiency choices are in order from least to most important in my opinion I'll provide brief explanations:
This is your farmer, I wrote an entire guide about farming, the great part is they will tend your farms autonomously and will be constantly working on fertilizer and seed planting. Once you've gotten your recipes or food situation in order they will just be focused on certain crops you need.
Alchemy becomes important for late game buffs and healing, your alchemy tribesman may only be busy when you need certain things grinding in the grinder or need to restock on certain items but I would say its situational. I use mine a ton with automated crafts for certain items.
By far a solid choice through out the entire game from bronze to end game. The kiln skill operates every smelting task you need, go resource output over smelting speed, they'll work around the clock. The 90+ skill set is easy to obtain on most barbs so if your running 2+ furnaces always a great choice
The workhorse of two benches the carpenters table and building workshop. This tribesman will be working around the clock as you process wood and stone to build every item for your base. I find them being a must have on crafting speed or resource output that's up to you, but i personally chose speed.

As mentioned, these items could be considered essential or highly coveted while waiting for the unconscious barbarian to recover. Acquiring them might require some patience and searching, but once obtained, it's crucial to back them up on the mysterious stone tablet.
It's incredibly valuable to prioritize crafting more armor and weapons because repairing them can reduce their maximum durability. When you repair your favorite gear repeatedly, its maximum durability decreases. Therefore, it's often more efficient to craft high-quality items (like Red or Yellow tier) with tribesmen who have maximum proficiency.

While it might be tempting to go for quality upgrades across each tier of weapons (bronze, iron, steel), I recommend focusing on maximizing durability for all four upgrades instead. This approach ensures your equipment lasts longer and remains effective in battles and other challenges.

Backing up tribesmen at the Mysterious Stone Tablet is crucial for preserving their progress. Here's how it works:


Uploading Tribesmen: You can upload tribesmen to the Mysterious Stone Tablet to preserve their current state, including their skills and attributes. This is essential for safeguarding valuable tribesmen against potential losses.

Updating Uploads: As tribesmen gain skills and improve, you can update their uploads on the tablet. This ensures that their latest advancements are saved and accessible. >>look lower right potion of screen it's [E] under remodel when using the mysterious stone tablet interface. you must be on the tribesmen your updating

Limitations: Currently, you are limited to storing 3 uploads on the Mysterious Stone Tablet. This means you'll need to prioritize which tribesmen to back up based on their importance or potential.

Location and Transportation: The Mysterious Stone Tablet can be found in any dungeon. It's heavy and consists of two parts, so using a mount to carry it back to your base is recommended.

Respawn Time: If a tribesman dies, they respawn after 30 minutes of in-game time. This waiting period underscores the importance of preserving and protecting tribesmen through backups.

Okay so if you must know if your playing a single player or private server you can increase the barbarian quality coefficient in the game settings this will spawn more high quality [orange/red] barbarians more often but where is the fun in that. Happy Barb Hunting!!

A section to be added for min maxing crafters. @law from SoulMask Discord for pointing out some additional items to mention

This guide is a living document which will be regularly updated to reflect new information, patches, and player feedback. Here’s a record of the changes and improvements made:

Initial Guide Developed and Written.

Your feedback and contributions are invaluable for keeping this guide accurate and helpful. If you have suggestions, corrections, or new information, please reach out through our comment section. Let's continue to make this guide the best resource for all Soulmask players!

If you wish to translate this guide into other languages or use any part of the information provided, please ensure to credit me in the guide's introduction and include a link back to the original source.