FAQ & How-To

Hi there! I shall be your guide into the world of Seredel. For those of you who don’t know what we’re doing here, I highly suggest reading over this entire thread, and you can post any questions you may have at the end. And awaaaay we go:

First off, the basic concept: Think Dungeons & Dragons. Everyone makes a character (though not NEARLY as indepth), and this character embarks on quests and stuff. It’s a pseudo-world. How do you go about doing this? It’s easy! Follow these steps:

1 ) Create your character using the sheet in the Character thread and post it in the OOC thread.
2 ) When you get a confirmation stating that you’ve been accepted, you can take your first steps.
3 ) All characters start in Luxor. Your first post should probably be to go to the store and buy a weapon and maybe an item. Think prudently here. Also, please summarize any transactions that occur at the bottom of your post; it makes it so much easier on my part.
4 ) Choose a quest from the list in the Quests thread, and ask for the quest in the OOC thread. You can request a quest when you create your character, too.
5 ) When you get a confirmation stating that your quest is accepted, you can start.
6 ) Go where the quest tells you to go; that will be clearly stated. There is a minimum waiting period before you can post again.
7 ) See your quest through to its logical conclusion and you will be awarded a Quest Complete and some prizes to boot.
8 ) Fail your quest, and you will get a Mission Failed, possibly lose Fame, and have to either restart or choose a new quest.
9 ) Rinse and repeat. Don’t be afraid to get creative or go off the beaten path; be adventurous!
10 ) Alternately, there is no need to even be on a quest at any time. You have free reign in an open world, go out there and explore.

The following is an example of how things will go down (obviously shortened and condensed, but an example nonetheless):

Quote :

(Anything in this font is a post from the DM)

B strode solemnly into the town of Luxor. He took a deep breath as he prepared to start what he hoped would be a grand adventure for him, here in this new land. His first order of business was to check the notice board, where he saw that a local farmer was having trouble with some vicious ferrets. Eager to help, he snatched the notice off the board and headed towards the armory; he would, after all, need to arm himself if he were to face ferrets.

In the armory, he purchased a toy lightsaber and a sturdy-looking tinfoil helmet and, thanking the armorer, headed off towards the farm. He got there and found Farmer Fred sitting on the bench outside his barn.

“I’m here to help against the vicious ferrets!” B declared. “How can I be of assistance?”

(-950G, +Imitation Lightsaber, Dented Tinfoil Helmet)

Farmer Fred looked up at B.

“Aye, finally some ‘elp! Them ferrets ‘ave been terrorizing me fig fields for too long! But I’m old an’ weak, an’ them ferrets be too vicious for meself. There’s five of ‘em, I do believe. ‘Elp an old man out, will ya? There may be a little somethin’ in it for you!”

“I shall, good man, I shall!” B said, and, unsheathing his new toy lightsaber, dashed into Farmer Fred’s fig fields to fend off the five ferocious ferrets.

B encountered the first two ferrets nibbling at one of the figs, and attacked!
(Insert battle here)

“Phew,” B said, panting. “These ferrets mean business! Now, where are the rest?”

B cautiously edged around the fig farm, only to come face to face with two more ferrets!
(Insert battle here)

“It’s a good thing I bought this tinfoil,” B muttered. “I wouldn’t have survived this far without it!” Though he was gravely injured from the first two fights, B pressed on, knowing there was only one more ferret left.

....However, it was a giant, five-foot tall ferret! With a cry, it leapt at B!
(Insert epic battle here)

B triumphantly strolled back up to Farmer Fred, bleeding from every orifice of his body.

“Your figs are safe one more, old man!” he proclaimed.

“Aye, thank you very much!” Farmer Fred exclaimed with glee. “’Ere’s a reward, as I promised ya!”
(Obtained 50G, Pink Vibrator)

Wondering exactly what he could use the vibrator for, B walked off, in search of his next mission.

Stat Growth
After defeating enemies or completing a Quest, you will gain EXP. Gain 100 EXP, and your stats will increase. The stats that are upgraded are based on your actions while gaining that 100 EXP. While it is mostly up to the DM's prerogative, it should be a fairly consistent system. Let's say you had to outrun some bandits. Come time for stat increase, your SPD will go up. Cast a lot of spells, and your MAG will increase. And so on and so forth. Note that the inverse also applies: should you consistently and repeatedly fail at doing something, your stats could actually DECREASE. Choose your battles wisely...

Organization
This is purely the host's problem. I will handle all battles when battles are called for. Note however, that players will have very little control over battles, barring any important decisions that may be thrown your way in the middle. For the most part, it will play out by itself.

Damage
The damage system is very simple. First of all, look at your STR stat and add it to the ATK of your current weapon. After the sum is found, subtract the enemy's DEF stat from the amount you’ve come up with. Then subtract that number from your enemy's HP. It’s done in the same way as in the Fire Emblem video games, if you've ever played those.

Dodging & First Strike
Dodging is the host’s problem. I will decide whether or not you dodge by using a separate RNG. You have anywhere from a 0/10 chance to a 9/10 chance of dodging an enemy’s attack. Your exact % is determined based on the enemy's SKL, and your SPD and LCK. First strike in a battle goes to the combatant with the highest SPD.

Critical Attacks
During the fight, if your SKL is higher than your opponent's, you have a chance for a Critical Hit, which will deal double the normal amount of damage. The exact chance for a Critical is dependent upon how much higher your SKL is, and how high your LCK stat is. With every attack, you also have a 1 in 20 chance to deliver either a Power Blow or a Glancing Blow (think crits and crit-fails). Power Blows increase damage 1.5x, and Glancing Blows halve the damage you deal. Yes, it is possible to get both a Power Blow and a Critical, which would triple the damage of your attack!

The Luck Stat
Battles in this game aren't a simple "Attack! Hit! Enemy Attack! Miss!" They play out much more similar to a real life battle. Your surroundings may even come into play, but the chance of this happening is determined by your LCK stat. The higher your luck, the higher the chance of, well, having something lucky happen.

Item Usage
As the host, I have to assume that your character will do anything in his or her power to keep himself or herself alive. Therefore, if you have a healing item in your inventory, and you reach critical health, your character will automatically use that item. The only way to prevent this is to post as you enter the battle, that you don't want to use any items (or that you'll only allow 1 use, etc.).

Weapon Advantage
If any of you have played the Fire Emblem games, you'll be familiar with the Weapon Triangle, which is what this next segment is based off of. Basically, if the weapon you are using in a fight has the advantage over your opponent's (see the table below), you'll get a bonus to hit, and if your weapon is at a disadvantage, your chance to hit will go down.

Bows > Axes > Lances > Swords > Knuckles > Bows

MAGIC:

You can learn new magic spells from the Magic Shop in any city. When you purchase a new spell, you will only be able to cast its most basic form. Take for example the Freeze spell (Water/Air). When you first learn Freeze, it will be listed under your spells as "Freeze I," and casting it will cause your target to freeze in place. However, the spell will not last for long, and some enemies (especially higher-level ones) will be able to outright resist it. However, after casting it enough times, you will eventually upgrade to Freeze II. It will have the same mana cost, but the freeze effect will last longer, and it will be harder to resist. You can repeat this until you reach the maximum level, Freeze V (that's 5, for those of you who don't know your Roman Numerals).

If you wish to expedite the process, you can also upgrade your spells at the Magic Shop. This will not be cheap, however. Note that ALL spells are subject to this leveling system.

As for actually casting the spells, you simply have to post that you cast a spell, declare a target (if the spell calls for one), and basically just give me as much information as you can so that I understand your intentions. I will then roll for the spell (success rate is determined by your MAG stat and the RES stat of the target) and post the effects of the spell, and your MP will be reduced by the mana cost of the spell. Note that if the spell does not designate a "target" in its description, such as the spell Flash (Metal/Light), it affects an area, and does not require the designation of a target.

Spells may be used in battle; however, as the players usually have little power over the actions their character takes in battle, the process is a bit complicated. If the situation is right (say, your ally is about to die, and you know the Ameliorate spell), you will cast said spell to save your ally, unless you make a note that you would rather not beforehand. I will attempt to be fair with the use of magic in battle, and only use it if the situation calls for it, but if you're saving your MP, you should make sure to mention before going into battle that you don't want to cast any spells.

Just like weapons, some elements have an advantage over others. If you imbibe your weapon with an element (via an Orb), you'll deal more damage if the opponent is of a certain element. If you cast an elemental spell at someone, its chance to hit, or damage it would deal, or its effectiveness would all be affected by the element that person is aligned with. Also, attacking someone aligned with an element that you have an advantage over increases damage; if they have the advantage over you, however, there is no penalty. The table is as follows (note that sub-elements are not listed; they have no effect on elemental advantage):

Water > Fire > Metal > Earth > Air > Water

PLACES

So you're in town. Where can you go?

The Armory - The Armory carries all the weapons and equipment you could ever need! Their stock is constantly updating.

The General Store - Need an herb or other item that's not weaponry? The General Store is the place for you!

The Magic Shop - At the Magic Shop, you'll be able to learn new spells and purchase Orbs. Orbs are one-time use items that can be attached to any weapon with "orb slots". Orbs do a variety of things, from giving your weapon extra power to adding a chance to poison an opponent.

The Blacksmith - Weapon need sharpening? Come on in! The Blacksmith can reforge your weapon like new! And, if you've got the cash, he can possibly make it better...

The Restaurant - If you're hurt or otherwise exhausted, you can stop in and have a meal for 25G. Your health will be completely restored.

The Inn - Had a rough day? For a small sum, you can sleep at any Inn in Seredel, and be refreshed and ready to go the next morning! It's cheaper than a meal at the restaurant, but you'll be sacrificing 12 hours.

The Arena - Care to test your mettle against some of the finest warriors in Seredel? Look no further than the Arena! For a small fee, you can train in a random battle. Or, you and a friend can battle it out, for no charge! Fight well, and you may become famous...

The Bank - Don't like to travel with cash? Stop by the Seredel National Bank, and leave some for later! A 10G fee applies per every transaction.

The Casino - Feeling lucky? You can strike it rich at the Casino.... or you can lose all your hard-earned cash. It's all the luck of the draw!

The Tavern - You drunk! The tavern's a great place to meet people, and relax with a pint or two. The Bartender is always a good person to see for gossip, as well.

The Barracks - Wanna enter the army? Head to the Barracks in any city and let the Captain there know. You'll have a little less freedom, but a steady source of missions, and who knows? You could be general someday...

The Stables - At the stables you can purchase or rent both horses and wyverns. Horses cut your travel time in half; wyverns negate all travel time. Rented mounts are good for one-time travel only; purchased mounts are yours to keep.

TRAVEL TIMES



So, you’re looking to travel to your next destination. How long will that take, you ask? Just take a look at this chart:

FROM CITY TO CITY WITHIN A COUNTRY:
(That is to say, Dellamar to Cyrus, or Styxia to Dridia)
30 MINUTES

FROM ANY CITY IN A COUNTRY TO ANOTHER COUNTRY BORDERING IT:
(Say, Cyrus to Graw, or Dridia to Trikanta)
1 HOUR

FROM ANY CITY IN A COUNTRY TO ANOTHER COUNTRY NOT BORDERING IT:
(Graw to Styxia, or Trikanta to Dellamar)
2 HOURS

NOTE THAT THESE TIMES ARE REAL TIME. That is, if you’re in Dellamar and want to go to Cyrus, you must make a post stating that you are heading for Cyrus, then wait 30 minutes before you can post again, arriving in Cyrus.

Anything you do in the city you’re in can take place instantly. You can, in one post, arrive in Cyrus, withdraw some money from the bank, head to the armory and buy a sword, then arrive at the Town Hall to speak to your contact. It is only traveling from city to city (or quest location) that incurs a waiting penalty.

EXCEPTIONS: If you own a horse, all travel times are cut in half. So, a 30 minute trip becomes 15 minutes. If you own a wyvern, you will experience no waiting penalties; you can simply post that you traveled.

And now, the list of Frequently Asked Questions. READ THESE. They contain very valuable information; if your question is not answered here, ask it in this thread and it shall be answered.


Question: Do the characters have names?
Answer: Your choice. You can use your own name, a nickname, or a made-up name.

Question: What can I do in Seredel?
Answer: Whatever the hell you want! Remember, your character is in a fully functional, living world. You can do as you like, within physical reason.

Question: How do I make money, anyways?
Answer: Gambling, quests, dungeons, finding and selling items… hell, you could even apply for a job in one of the bars if you wanted to.

Question: That’s, like, a wall of text! Do I really have to read the whole Information section?
Answer: No, but I would recommend it. It's helpful to know where you are and what to do before you start.

Question: Can I invade a castle and then kill their king?
Answer: LOL, you can sure as hell try. You have free reign, remember, so if you want to try... go ahead.

Question: What if I would like to drop out?
Answer: Then your character will be mauled by one of the vicious Killer Rabbits inhabiting Seredel.

Question: What if I don't do anything for 20 days?
Answer: Your character will be mauled by one of the vicious Killer Rabbits inhabiting Seredel.

Question: Where do we start?
Answer: In Luxor. Check the map for specifics.

Question: What items/how much gold does my character start off with?
Answer: All characters begin with their class's starter weapon (the 0ATK one) and 1250G. The 1250 is exactly enough to purchase an Iron Weapon and an Herb, but feel free to spend it as you see fit.

Question: Do I get full HP after a battle?
Answer: No, you are left with as much HP and MP as you ended the battle with. You can, however, buy a meal at any restaurant (for 25G) to replenish your health when not in battle. You can also rest at an Inn in any town for 5G or under, however this incurs a 12-hour penalty before you can post again.

Question: Can I use my items/spells out of battle?
Answer: Yes.

Question: What do I get for beating an enemy?
Answer: Experience points, occasionally gold, and maybe a weapon or item, if they have something to drop.

Question: Can I sharpen a weapon as much as I want?
Answer: Yeah, you can. But in my opinion, I'd rather buy a better weapon then constantly sharpen one.

Question: If I sharpen my weapon, do the orbs I have attached disappear?
Answer: This one’s up to you. But keeping the orbs takes extra effort on the store owner’s part, so expect higher prices.

Question: What happens when we run out of quests?
Answer: We won’t. The Quest thread will be constantly updated with new available quests.

Question: Say I fail a Quest. Can I take it again?
Answer: Depends. If it makes logical sense for the Quest to still be available (let's say you were hired to exterminate some rats. You fail, so the rats are still there), then the Quest will be posted again, and anyone can take it. If, however, it's a one-time Quest (You're trying to rescue a general. You get caught yourself, and the general dies), the Quest is gone for good.

Question: Why doesn't it say how much you can sell stuff for?
Answer: Because you can haggle prices while selling.

Question: Does every town have the same amenities?
Answer: Yes. However, some towns' stores are special. Talon's Orbs, for example, is only in Luxor. And General Jorges can only be found in the Delios Barracks.

Question: I'm a Pugilist. Can I fight without a weapon?
Answer: Any class can fight without a weapon. However, you will suffer -5 to your strength and get no ATK bonus. This rule is in effect regardless of whether or not your character fights with his/her fists.

Question: I've seen some people embark on Sidequests. How do I get one?
Answer: Sidequests are a direct result of other Quests. Occasionally, a player will, in the course of completing their Quest, stumble upon someone or something that gives them the opportunity to embark upon a Sidequest. Sidequests are always optional, but may be extremely lucrative... or extremely dangerous.

Question: There are these stars after the name of my Sidequest. What do they mean?
Answer: They indicate the difficulty level of the Sidequest, with one star being the easiest.

Question: WTF? Everyone’s LCK is at zero!
Answer: Yep! You have to EARN your luck stat! Muahahahaha!

Question: How do these “Supports” work?
Answer: I’ll handle that. Just know that if you work well with another player, your Support Level with them will go up, and you’ll get a LCK bonus next time you’re in battle with them.

Question: Do I HAVE to be on a Quest?
Answer: Nope. If you want to wander around and see what trouble you can get into, be my guest. Hell, if you want to, say, jump into another player’s Quest and help out (or even hinder them), go right ahead.

Question: Where is my character from?
Answer: Wherever you want! You’ll still start in Luxor, regardless.

Question: Can I buy a house?
Answer: If by some miraculous chance you happen to obtain enough money, go right ahead.

Question: What happens if I die?
Answer: It depends. If you die outside of a Quest, you lose half your gold and awaken in the Inn in the nearest town. During a Quest, one of two things happens: Either the same as above, and you fail your Quest, or you simply black out and reawaken, and the Quest continues. This will only happen if it makes logical sense (i.e. you were fighting bandits, you lost, and now they've kidnapped you). Either way, you lose half your gold.

Question: I lose half my money when I die?! Is there a way around that?
Answer: You can always store some away in the bank. You can access the Seredel National Bank from any city in Seredel. If you've got lots of cash, it might be wise to store some in the bank so it's not lost if you die. Just be warned, they charge 10G per transaction, so don't go crazy depositing and withdrawing.

Question: What do the numbers mean in parentheses after my weapon?
Answer: Say you've got an "Iron Sword (ATK2 26/30)." That means that your weapon has an ATK of 2 (used in calculating damage), and that it has 26 uses left out of its original 30. One use per successful hit. When a weapon gets down to 0 uses, it is worthless. You can sharpen it at the Blacksmith's the next time you're in town to bring it back to full usage.

Question: How can I increase my Proficiency ratings?
Answer: The same way as all your other stats. When you create a character, you will start with a 1-star (*) Weapon Proficiency, and anywhere from a 1- to 3-star Proficiency in each element you choose (see Elements in the Character Creation section). This limits the spells you can learn and the weapons you can buy. To increase it, just level up! Use your weapons or magic a lot and eventually your Proficiency will increase.

Question: Er... my Quest took a bit of a drastic turn, and now I'm not sure if I can complete the goal. What do I do?
Answer: Just play it out. Follow the Quest through to its logical conclusion, whatever that may be, and you'll get your Quest Complete. The Quests are more like guidelines, starting points to help you encounter the major and minor plot points of the story.

Question: Can we write dialogue for NPCs?
Answer: Plot-related NPCs are controlled by the GM. Therefore, you should treat them as you would another player's character. Minimal dialogue, such as a nod of assent or a quick response, is fine, as long as it is not a question that your character would not know the answer to (and thus requires the GM to answer).

Question: So, what's the deal with the other characters? Do we ever meet each other?
Answer: This one's really up to the players. Basically, if you meet up by chance or otherwise, and your characters hit it off (which is up to you, of course), you can join each other. ...And then go your separate ways, and then meet up again, it's all at your prerogative. You can develop a long-standing relationship with someone, or help on a single quest, or just randomly encounter them for one conversation. Everything in this game is open, and that includes mingling with other characters. You can be a loner, or you can know everyone, your choice. But hopefully, by the time we're really into the plot, you'll all know each other in some capacity - at the end of every chapter, there will be a massive quest that requires every single player to complete. Even though you'll be going about it separately, you'll all be in the same area and may have to work together. It's not a perfect system, because some people might post more often than others, but it usually works.