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Starter guide

A New Scientist's First Steps in a City of Crime

You wake up in a city that doesn’t care if you make it out alive. The air is thick with the scent of desperation and opportunity. A place where fortunes are built on broken bones, alliances are as fragile as glass, and the law is just another gang with better branding. The moment you set foot in Torn, you realize: you have no reputation, no resources, and no clue where to start.

But you’re not just another street rat fighting over scraps—you’ve been recruited into Legitimate Laboratory, an elite faction of researchers, chemists, and strategists who don’t just survive in this city, we experiment on it. It’s a place where battle-hardened veterans and sharp-minded newcomers come together turning data into dominance. But every scientist starts as an apprentice, and if you want to rise through the ranks, you’ll need to learn the fundamentals—fast.

Where do you get your first weapon? How do you build your stats? What jobs and education should you invest in? And, most importantly, how do you make sure you're the one running the experiments, not the one being dissected?

That's where the Starter Guide comes in. Think of it as your first formula for success—the controlled conditions before you start mixing volatile elements. Read it. Absorb it. And then, when you're ready, step into the lab and start crafting your future.

Because in Torn, there are only two kinds of people: those who experiment, and those who are test subjects.

🔬 Welcome to the Lab. Let’s get to work.

🧫WHat are my very first steps?

🔬 Step Into the Lab 🔬

The Legitimate Laboratory Discord is where all the real experiments happen—strategies are tested, supplies are distributed, and chaos is carefully controlled. If you're not in, you're missing half the formula.

☣ Join the server using the link you got when you joined the faction.

🧪 Type "/verify" in the #welcome channel to unlock access.

Once you're in, suit up. The lab is waiting. 🏴‍☠️

💎 Considering Donator Status? 💎

Donator Status isn’t essential, but if you can afford it, it’s a game-changer—especially early on. Later in the game, you’ll be able to buy donator packs with Torn cash instead of real money, but right now, having it will massively speed up your progress.

✔ Increases max energy from 100 to 150 – More energy means more attacks, more training, and faster leveling.
✔ Earns you monthly donator gifts – These can be sold for extra cash or used to boost your progress.

If you can pull off the cost, it’s worth it. If not, no worries—you’ll get there soon enough. 🚀

🧫what education should i enroll in first?

Torn is a brutal city, and if you want to thrive—especially in faction wars—you need to know how to keep yourself in the fight. Your first priority in education isn’t making money or boosting your stats; it’s survival.

Start by enrolling in Introduction to Biochemistry, followed by Intravenous Therapy. These two courses will unlock the ability to use blood bags—a crucial tool for both healing and self-hosping. In wars, staying in control of your hospital time can mean the difference between dominating the battlefield and watching from the sidelines.

There’s plenty more to learn, but for now, focus on getting those blood bags unlocked. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be ready for war.

🧫Your First Job: Don’t Chase the Paycheck—Chase the Perks

If you've been getting job offers from player-run companies promising decent salaries, take a step back. In Torn, jobs are not about making money—at least, not at first. Instead, jobs are about training your working stats and unlocking perks that will boost other areas of the game. A high salary won’t matter if the job isn't setting you up for long-term success.

💼 Best Ways to Find a Job:

1️⃣ Start with a City Job – If you have no working stats, city jobs are the best place to begin. Join the Army or become a Grocer—both will steadily build your working stats. Once you reach 500 intelligence, switch to the Education job and start working your way toward becoming a Principal, which will allow you to train your working stats yourself and prepare for the next job you want.

2️⃣ Consider a Player-Run Company—But Be Smart About It – Some companies are actually worth joining, but most that hire new players offer little to no useful training. Before accepting a job, take time to understand the company’s capacity and plan for offering training. Ask in Discord if anyone knows of a good company or share your offer to get input before committing.

💡 Bottom Line: Don’t let a paycheck distract you—choose a job that builds your future.

🧫Reaching Level 15: Your First Big Milestone

Now that you’ve joined Discord, found your first job, and started your education, it’s time to focus on hitting Level 15—your first real power spike in Torn. This is where the game truly opens up, giving you access to better ways to make money, train battle stats, and dominate in wars.

To get there fast, you’ll need to use your Nerve and Energy efficiently.

☠ Using Your Nerve: Crimes for XP

Committing crimes will help you gain experience and progress toward Level 15, and will start your life of crime in Torn. Right now, your crime skill is low, so you need to stick to easy crimes that you can successfully complete.

✔ Start with "Search for Cash."
✔ Always choose the greenest search area (this has the best chance of success).
✔ Use your Nerve before the bar is full so you don’t waste any.

🔬 Why does this matter?
Right now, failing crimes hurts your crime experience, slowing down future gains. Stick with Search for Cash for now—there will be time for bigger crimes once your crime skill improves. If you want to learn more about this crime, check out this guide.

⚡Using Your Energy: Attack for XP

Energy is the most valuable resource in the game, and right now, your only goal is to turn every drop into XP as efficiently as possible.

✔ The best way to do this? Attack targets from Baldr’s List:
➡ Baldr’s Targets

These are inactive players with high levels but low battle stats, meaning you can farm them for XP. Since XP is based on your opponent’s level, attacking high-level targets is the fastest way to level up.

🔎 How to Use Baldr’s List:

✔ Input a Public Only API key. (There's a link to generate one just below the box on Baldr's List.)

✔ Click "Fetch" and find targets with battle stats lower than yours. (You can see their stats on the list.)
✔ The higher their level, the better. More XP per fight!
✔ Baldr’s List is constantly updating, so be patient if you don’t find a good target right away. You can also select “Baldr’s List 2” or other options from the dropdown.

💪 What if I don’t have enough battle stats yet?

If you're just starting, that's almost certainly the case! If you have no battle stats, you’ll need to train in the gym first.

✔ Train all stats evenly at this stage.
✔ Once you have 1000 total battle stats (about 250 per stat), start attacking targets from Baldr’s List.
✔ If you’re impatient, ask in Discord for tips on speeding up early training.

🚫 No Drugs Yet—Seriously.

It’s tempting to take Xanax or other drugs to speed up your training, but DO NOT do this before Level 15.

✔ If you overdose, you’ll lose tons of progress and set yourself back significantly.
✔ Save drug use for after Level 15, when you can handle the risk.

🧫Making Money Before Level 15: Don’t Stress It 💰

Making money in Torn before Level 15 is tough, but here’s the good news: the amounts you need right now are pocket change to bigger players.

The best thing you can do? Hop on Discord and start talking to your factionmates. In Legitimate Laboratory, we invest in our recruits because we know that the stronger you get, the stronger our Lab becomes.

✔ Get to know people.
✔ Ask questions.
✔ Be active in the faction.

If you do that, you’ll find that you’ll always have the money and items you need to get through the early game. We’ve got your back. 🔬🚀

🎯 The Bottom Line:

Use all your Nerve on "Search for Cash."
Train in the gym until you have at least 600-700 battle stats.
Use all your Energy attacking high-level, low-stat targets from Baldr’s List.
No drugs until Level 15.
Get to know other players in the Lab.

🚀 Follow this plan, and you’ll hit Level 15 fast—unlocking the real game.

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