InNo Rest for the Wicked, diving into the game for the first time can be extremely tough—but the right build can make the difference between thriving and barely scraping by. In this guide for the brutal Action RPG, we’ll look at one of the early-game builds that can help when you’re just starting out and carry you through your journey.
No Rest for the Wicked Apprentice Build
Unlike most RPGs, No Rest for the Wickeddoes not use a class system to determine your initial attribute distribution. Instead, you start with 10 points in each attribute, and your build depends on how you allocate your points as you level up.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a build centered around the Intelligence attribute—the Apprentice build—for use in the early game (levels 1–10).
Gear and Spells
For this build, we’ll use theGnarled Staffas the main weapon. This two-handed staff is easy to find early in the game and is one of the heavy spellcasting weapons, giving access to powerful offensive magic while still providing a decent melee moveset for when you’re out of Focus.
The Gnarled Staffcomes with three rune spells by default:Fireball,Fire Nova, andChannel.
Lastly, get theHeal Auraspell from Eleanor in Sacrament. This will greatly improve survivability and conserve food by offering a reliable healing alternative, which is invaluable early on.
Armor Pieces
For thearmorpieces, we will be going forcloth armorto keep yourequip-load lightand maintain mobility. Early in the game, your equip load is limited, and even light armor keeps you in the “Normal” class. Avoid going into the “Heavy” class to prevent slow, fat rolling. As you gain levels and increase equip load, you may consider mixing in heavier armor.
Affixes and Enchantments
Forthe Aprenttice buildwe will be looking to utilize enchantments that are ideally focus affixes.
Affixes such as Increased Focus gain and decreased focus costs are the primary target when looking for modifiers as they will greatly help with this spell-casting build.
We will be avoiding affixes that make resource management harder, especially regarding focus, such as focus drain in combat or increased focus cost, as those will make casting spells a lot harder.
Also, negative Enhancements such as a decrease in item load or decrease in maximum health should also be avoided as they will reduce your survivability, making your mistake of mistiming dodges costlier.
Ring drops early on are random, but the ideal options include:
The Apprentice buildrelies on gaining as many Focus points as quickly as possible, so we will prioritize infusing gems that enhance Focus on our gear.
The Chipped Dianiteis a gem that can be infused into armor pieces and works very well with this build, as it reducesFocus cost by 2–5%, andup to 3–10%when infused into gloves.
Anothergemsto prioritize in this build isthe Chipped Moonstone.This gem can also be infused into armor pieces and will passively regenerateFocus pointswhile in combat, making it one of the most valuable gem types for spellcasting builds.
For enchanted gear—especially armor pieces with only one gem slot—we want to prioritize slotting inChipped Jewelsacross the entire loadout, as the increase in maximum Focus significantly improves spellcasting efficiency.
Consumables
While no consumables are essential, they offer key advantages:
Stat Allocation
This build primarily focuses on theIntelligenceattribute, but putting all your points into one stat early on can make you too fragile to survive.
No Rest For The Wicked Plagued Druid Build
In this guide, we will be taking a look at one of the early game builds that can help you when you’re starting out and will help you on your journey.
To balance performance and survivability, spread your stat points acrossHealth,Stamina, andFocusas you level up. A good method is to invest 1 point into Intelligence and the remaining 2 into any combination ofHealth, Stamina, or Focus.You should also consider adding 1–2 points intoEquip Loadto avoid entering theHeavyweight class and suffering from slow rolls.
By level 10, your stat spread should resemble:
Avoid investing inStrength or Dexterity—this build doesn’t rely on physical damage. Instead, aim for a balance that supports consistent spellcasting while keeping you mobile.
If you’re confident in your dodging skills, you’re able to slightly reduce Health in favor of moreFocus or Equip Load, depending on your gear and playstyle.
Final Thoughts
No Rest for the Wickedcan be punishing if you start with an unbalanced build. TheApprentice buildgives you a strong foundation, focusing on two-handed staves and magic while still retaining viable melee options.
Although staves lack the versatility of other weapons, regular attacks are still effective when you’re out of Focus. Just be aware: this build comes with lower health than others, so avoiding damage is critical.
Since you’re staying in the Normal weight class, this build isn’t the most agile or the tankiest—so timing your dodges is vital. Getting caught in a combo will often result in death.
That wraps up theApprentice build guideforNo Rest for the Wicked. I hope it helps you get started on the island of Sacra. If you have any tips, questions, or additions, feel free to share them in the comments below!
