When you want to build up a skill that you start at 0.0 in, you might find it difficult to figure out how to raise it from nothing. Indeed, many of the skill guides recommend "Train at NPC" from 0.0 to around 30.0 to get yourself started. However, one of the oldest ongoing questions in the game of Ultima Online is "Where do I train [insert skill name here]?". Following is a list of all skills which can be trained by NPCs on Excelsior, along with either general or specific locations for those NPCs, and any other pertinent information. To train a skill from an NPC just single-left-click the character and select the skill you wish to train from the drop-down menu. The NPC will tell you the maximum amount of gold you can pay him to train the skill. The gold amount is precisely one decimal place higher than the skill amount you'll receive for training. In other words, 300 gold = 30.0 points of skill. You can choose to pay less and receive less training (i.e. 272 gold = 27.2 points of skill) but you cannot exceed the amount of skill training the NPC offers. Drop gold onto the NPC's head and voila - your skill level increases!
Special Note # 1: Guildmasters will train you to a higher level of skill than their regular counterparts. When possible, train with Blacksmith Guildmasters instead of plain Blacksmiths, et cetera.
Special Note # 2: Not all NPCs train to the exact same level of skill, nor the same set of skills, even when they have the same title. One mage might train you higher in Magery than another. One Furtrader trains Cooking while another does not. In some cases you may have to search around to find the right NPC. Understand that Excelsior is a custom UO server. Information here has been tested by me personally and is accurate to this server. In some cases it may be different from how things work on official UO servers.
Alchemy ---- Alchemist, Herbalist
Anatomy ---- Butcher (Haven and Minoc), Fortune Teller (Excelsior Halls or Ilshenar), Healer Guildmaster, Wandering Healer
Animal Lore ---- Animal Trainer, Furtrader, Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae)
Animal Taming ---- Animal Trainer
Archery ---- Bard (Makoto Zento), Bard Guildmaster, Bowyer, Ranger (Haven and Heartwood), Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae)
Arms Lore ---- Armorer, Blacksmith Guildmaster, Merchant Guildmaster (North Britain and Magincia), Warrior Guildmaster, Weaponsmith
Begging ---- Beggar
Blacksmithy ---- Armorer, Blacksmith, Blacksmith Guildmaster, Weaponsmith
Bowcraft/Fletching ---- Bowyer
Bushido ---- Samurai Dealer (Excelsior Halls, just off teleporter)
Camping ---- Furtrader, Provisioner, Ranger (Haven and Heartwood), Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae), Wandering Healer
Carpentry ---- Carpenter, Shipwright, Stone Crafter (Gargoyle City)
Cartography ---- Mapmaker
Chivalry ---- Keeper of Chivalry (Luna/Malas)
Cooking ---- Baker, Cook, Farmer (Skara Brae), Furtrader, Herbalist
Detecting Hidden ---- Ranger (Haven and Heartwood), Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven)
Discordance ---- Bard, Bard Guildmaster, Jester (Excelsior Halls), Waiter (roof of West Britain Bank, Mook Town, and Nujel'm)
Evaluating Intelligence ---- Mage, Mage Guildmaster, Necromancer (Umbra/Malas), Scribe
Fencing ---- Blacksmith, Keeper of Chivalry (Luna/Malas), Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven), Warrior Guildmaster, Weaponsmith
Fishing ---- Fisher, Fisher Guidmaster
Focus ---- Not NPC trainable - this would be normally be trained by the Keeper of Chivalry but they do not train it here.
Forensic Eval. ---- Fortune Teller (Excelsior Halls or Ilshenar), Healer, Healer Guildmaster, Wandering Healer
Healing ---- Fortune Teller (Excelsior Halls or Ilshenar), Healer, Healer Guildmaster, Wandering Healer
Herding ---- Not NPC trainable - this would normally be trained by Rancher, Ranger, Ranger Guildmistress, or Shepherd. Here the Ranger and Ranger Guildmistress do not train the skill; Ranchers and Shepherds do not exist.
Hiding ---- Ranger (Haven), Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae), Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven)
Imbuing ---- this skill does not exist on Excelsior
Inscription ---- Mage, Mage Guildmaster, Scribe
Item ID ---- Jeweler, Merchant Guildmaster (North Britain and Magincia), Miner Guildmistress
Lockpicking ---- Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven), Tinker, Tinker Guildmaster
Lumberjacking ---- Carpenter, Farmer (Town Center)
Mace Fighting ---- Blacksmith, Blacksmith Guildmaster (Delucia), Keeper of Chivalry (Luna/Malas), Warrior Guildmaster, Weaponsmith
Magery ---- Mage, Mage Guildmaster
Meditation ---- Mage, Mage Guildmaster,
Mining ---- Miner, Miner Guildmistress
Musicianship ---- Bard, Bard Guildmaster, Jester (Excelsior Halls)
Mysticism ---- this skill does not exist on Excelsior
Necromancy ---- Necromancer (Umbra/Malas)
Ninjitsu ---- Ninja Dealer (Excelsior Halls, just off teleporter)
Parrying ---- Blacksmith, Noble (Escort NPC), Warrior Guildmaster
Peacemaking ---- Bard, Bard Guildmaster, Jester (Excelsior Halls)
Poisoning ---- Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven)
Provocation ---- Bard, Bard Guildmaster, Jester (Excelsior Halls)
Remove Trap ---- (must have at least 50 in Detecting Hidden and Lockpicking to buy this) Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven)
Resisting Spells ---- Healer Guildmaster, Mage, Mage Guildmaster, Necromancer (Umbra/Malas), Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae), Warrior Guildmaster
Snooping ---- Beggar, Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven)
Spirit Speak ---- Fortune Teller (Excelsior Halls or Ilshenar), Healer, Healer Guildmaster, Wandering Healer
Stealing ---- Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven)
Stealth ---- (must have at least 80 Hiding Skill to buy this) Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae), Thief Guildmaster (Bucs Den and Haven)
Swordsmanship ---- Bard Guildmaster, Blacksmith, Healer, Jester (Excelsior Halls), Keeper of Chivalry (Luna/Malas), Noble (Escort NPC), Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae), Warrior Guildmaster, Weaponsmith
Tactics ---- Blacksmith, Noble (Escort NPC), Provisioner, Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae), Warrior Guildmaster, Weaponsmith
Tailoring ---- Cobbler, Tailor, Tailor Guildmaster, Tanner, Weaver
Taste ID ---- Alchemist, Baker, Cook, Farmer (Skara Brae), Herbalist
Throwing ---- this skill does not exist on Excelsior
Tinkering ---- Tinker, Tinker Guildmaster
Tracking ---- Furtrader, Ranger (Haven and Heartwood), Ranger Guildmistress (Skara Brae)
Veterinary ---- Animal Trainer, Ranger (Haven and Heartwood)
Wrestling ---- Mage, Mage Guildmaster
Interesting Facts:
Seekers of Adventure are quest NPCs seeking escorts, just like Nobles. But while Nobles seek transport to towns, the Seeker of Adventure is looking for a guide to a random dungeon. They can be found at the docks in almost every city, and around Yew Bank - but - you can only interact with the ones in Serpent's Hold and Vesper. It seems that most of the Seekers on Excelsior have either retired from the adventuring life or lost their sense of purpose!
The Adventurer's Friend used to be a Provisioner's Shop located just southwest of the Yew Mill. The building does not exist on Excelsior but the disenfranchised vendors are still wandering the woods where it should be, waiting and willing to serve customers. Anything for a sale!
There is an NPC named Marnie living in the Tanned Hide in Yew. She's not a shopkeeper though - she's been hanging around since the 2014 Valentine's Day quest and she's still gushing about how happy she is. Everybody who delivered the Flame of Passion to Psyche: you REALLY made Marnie's day!
There are several settlements next to the Compassion Shrine in Ilshenar called Gypsy Camps but all NPCs there are merely standard vendor types with the title "Gypsy" tacked on. The Gypsy camp outside Minoc is deserted and thus there are no true old-school Gypsy NPCs on the server.
The Ranger Guildmistress and Thief Guildmater/mistress train the most skills of any NPC - nine different skills each! There is only one Ranger Guildmistress in the game and two Rangers (excluding hirelings). It's quite a walk for the three of them to meet up. At least they CAN meet up though - while there are both a Thief Guildmaster and Guildmistress in the game, there is not a single normal NPC Thief for them to rule over!
The normal maximum skill level that any NPC in the game will train you up to in any skill is 33.3. However, a short run north from Lakeshire in Ilshenar there is a Healing Temple where lives a Paragon Wandering Healer who can train you as high as 39.9 in some skills!
Women definitely aren't afraid to get their hands dirty in Sosaria - there is one male NPC Miner and two female Miners, one Miner Guildmaster and three Guildmistresses!
There is an Alchemist in Delucia named Ringo Starr - and he doesn't train Musicianship.
