Melee – Arcanum

This guide will walk you through how to train the Melee skill in Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura.

Apprentice Training:

• Most town guards

Expert Training:

• Gorrin (Isle of Despair)
• Herkemer Oggdoddler (Black Root)

Master Training:

• Sir Garrick Stout (Dernholm)

The Melee mastery quest and the Dodge mastery quest are related. By talking to Sir Garrick Stout (the Melee Master) and Adkin Chambers (the Dodge Master) you’ll learn that the two dueled each other over a woman named Druella, and that Stout intentionally blinded Chambers in the process.

For the Melee mastery quest, Stout will ask you to rescue Druella from some Gyr Dolours, and he’ll mark A Lair of Gyr Dolours on your world map. Furthermore, he’ll ask you to coerce Druella into marrying him by promising to heal Adkin Chambers of his blindness.

Rescuing Druella should be straightforward. The Gyr Dolours can make enemies “forget” to attack for a short period of time, but they’re not powerful otherwise, and a group of mid-level characters should be able to dispatch them quickly. Just make sure that Druella (who is only level 17) doesn’t get killed in the fight.

When you talk to Druella, you’ll learn that she thinks Adkin Chambers is dead, and that she sought out the Gyr Dolours intentionally to forget everything. She’ll be happy to hear that Chambers is alive, but she’ll be less happy to hear the terms of his cure. At this point you can either take her directly back to Stout, or you can hatch a plan with her where you’ll kill Stout after he trains you.

Either way, you’ll receive 8500 experience when you bring Druella to Stout, and Stout will give you the mastery training. If you then decide to kill Stout, realize that he’s level 45 and will get help from at least one guard, so plan accordingly. If you can’t kill him yet, it’s okay to wait. Druella will complain, but she’ll follow Stout around until you kill him. When Stout dies, you’ll gain the Eyes of Sir Garrick Stout in your inventory (provided you talked to Chambers first). Then when you talk to Druella, she’ll give you the potion to cure Chambers.