Grey’s Ways
The Humble Wisdom of Lord Greysleeve Streambank, a Sword-Using Wizard Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
January 2000
To the Reader:
Since the life of a young Sword-Using Wizard has changed quite a bit since most of the established wizard-guide-writers were young, in late 1999 I decided that I should take it upon myself to author a new guide specifically for sword-using wizards. Nothing contained here is an ironclad rule unless I so declare; the majority of it is my observation and opinions and general knowledge. Feel free to listen or not listen to this advice as you see fit. If you note anything that’s wrong, out of date, or unclear, please contact me so I may correct or clarify it in the next edition.
Most of this document is presented as a series of short topical sections, in order to facilitate finding what you seek. Each is somewhat self-contained; they can be understood on their own, but are designed as a comprehensive set and therefore may carry more meaning when read together. I will not be held responsible for any information presented herein. The lands are in a continual state of flux and any information presented may well be outdated.
This Second Edition has been revised and expanded to include knowledge that has come my way since the initial writing. The text, in fact, has been lengthened by a total of about 80% over its First Edition size (16 pages rather than 9, on my editor). Don’t panic; the revisions are minor and if you’re training according to my plan, it hasn’t changed significantly. Mostly, the changes consist of new sections, as well as some cosmetic additions and a few expansions, elaborations and clarifications. I know there are still things I could cover and haven’t, and things I could be more clear about. On that, I appreciate any and all constructive input.
And, if you happen to cross paths with me in the lands (most likely in Icemule, where I am simply known as “the Grey Wizard” or just “Grey”), I’m often in a talking mood and will sit down and have a chat. Even if I’m not in the mood, or I’m rushing off somewhere, I’m always willing to try to answer a quick, critical question (though I’ll often just refer you to this guide in those cases).
(Legal Disclaimer)
No intent is herein made to violate any trademarks, copyrights, or other legal rights of Simutronics Inc. or any other person or legal entity. This document is provided free of charge to anyone, and is designed only as a reference material for customers of Simutronics Inc. However, all original material contained herein is the intellectual property of the author. It may be read, used, linked to, and distributed by any concerned individual, but the author requests that any direct quotations of this text or independent Internet postings of the document be previously approved of and attributed to him. The author assumes no responsibility, economic, legal, or otherwise, for any damages caused by the condition, use, or misuse of this material. The author may be contacted at the e-mail address provided below.
(End Legal Disclaimer)
-Lord Greysleeve Streambank, House Brigatta
Introduction to this Guide for Sword-Using Wizards:
In my opinion there are two distinct types of wizards – Sword- and Spell-Using. Don’t misread this statement: I don’t intend to say Sword-Using Wizards like myself don’t cast spells. It’s just that they are not our primary combat implement; we prefer a nice sharp (and if we’re well off, highly enchanted) blade. Because of this, we often come from among the larger, stronger races like giantmen or humans. Half-elves are perhaps the most popular choice (certainly, my choice), because of their balance of strength and dexterity. The ability to effectively use both swords and spells can be greatly beneficial later on in life, or so I have come to understand. Spell-Using Wizards often stick to the weaker, smaller, more dextrous races – including, classically, halflings, and also most types of elves.
Because of my vast experience in the field, this guide is designed for the use of Sword-Using Wizards and much of the information contained within may not pertain to Spell-Using Wizards. Some information, however, will by default pertain to all Wizards equally. This includes my section on Enchanting, which is new in the Second Edition. In writing a guide for Sword-Using Wizards and not for Spell-Using Wizards, I do not intend to imply, in any way, one type being superior to the other; only that my knowledge of one type is vastly superior to my knowledge of the other.
- Lord Greysleeve Streambank
Grey on Creation and Growth of a Sword-Using Wizard:
Wizards, like most other spell-using classes, are not born with all their abilities, and must grow over time. However, it’s important how they start out as well as how they proceed.
When creating your character, I would attempt to get a set of die rolls with one above 90, three in the 80’s, three in the 50’s and three in the 40’s, and which gives a total of about 620. Getting a roll like that will take a long time, and in one or two cases it’s okay if you don’t quite reach these guidelines. But keep in mind that the better roll you have, the better off you will be. Any amount of time you spend on this stage will be well rewarded later in life, I assure you... I usually spend 3-5 hours on this stage when I create a new character.
Placing these stats is also important. I would put your 90’s roll in Strength, with 80’s following in Reflex, Dexterity, and Aura. In Aura we get a +10, and you want this to be in the high 90’s after the bonus. Of these four,Reflex is the only one that does not absolutely need to be in the high group. It affects your DS, which is important, but the others affect your AS and mana supply, and with all the DS spells we have it’s not as high a priority as the others. The placement of the rest of the stats are pretty much up to you, but from experience, Charisma and Constitution you can afford to drop low, and Wisdom can also be lower than the others if needs be. You get another +10 in Intelligence; this and Discipline and Logic affect mental training and experience absorption, so having them high is good. In total you will need no less than 45 physical and 36 mental training points, (which itself is difficult to get) and the more the better.
When training your Sword-using Wizard, you will need to train in:
1 Shield training every level
1 Weapon training every level (choose Edged or Blunt and STICK TO IT)
2 Spell Research trainings every level
2 Spell Aiming trainings every level
1 Physical Training every level, until you max out your HP
1 Armor training, levels 0-3, which will allow you to wear Full Leather with no RT penalty (I strongly, strongly recommend that you do not wear any armor heavier than full leather, because you will suffer occasional spell failure because of your armor if you do. If you’re willing to tolerate a small amount, the spell failure for double leather is on the order of 3 to 5 percent. In that case you may need to train in armor up to 8 times total. Also, some statistics come into play here; you may be able to go without armor training entirely, due to the high reflex and dexterity I advocate. Due to that, this is something you could possibly leave out completely if you come up short on training points.)
1 Mana Sharing training, levels 4-27 (or continuing after that until you reach a skill of 140 if you are truly serious about enchanting. If you’re not doing the armor training, move this up to the beginning. It’s important.)
Supplement this plan with Climbing and Combat Maneuvers as points and your style allow or require.
This training regime, while not completely iron-clad, has served me well into my early 40’s, and I have not seen a need to seriously modify it yet.
Grey on Learning Spells as a Sword-Using Wizard:
Each wizard customizes their own spell training – the order in which they learn the provided spells. You should be learning two spells every level. As a Sword-Using Wizard you will mainly need the defensive and offensive enhancement spells and the two Haste spells. In which exact order you learn these spells is up to you, but here are the maximum spells I believe you should know at various benchmark points:
6th level: 402, 506, 906
10th level: 402, 510, 910
14th level: 406, 514, 910
19th level: 407, 514, 919
25th level: 419, 514, 919
28th level: 425, 514, 919
31st level: 430, 514, 920
33rd level: 430, 518, 920
38th level: 430, 518, 930
after 38th level: advance toward 475 and 525 (then you’ll have all the spells and maximum 425 and 430 bonuses)
Defensive Enhancement Spells: 401, 406, 414, 419, 430, 503, 507, 905, 911, 919
Offensive Enhancement Spells: (411), 425, 506, 509, 514
Keep in mind that on this issue, I may be offering better advice than the path I myself followed. You live and learn, I guess. The way I did things isn’t necessarily the best way. With this plan, for instance, you’ll learn enchant and gate about 5 trainings earlier than I did. At least in this case, you may be able to do better than I did.
Grey on Using Spells as a Sword-Using Wizard:
It is important to know, both in choosing which spells to use and when to learn them, what each spell does. Therefore, I present here a concise explanation of each spell available to wizards and their functions and, in many cases, their ‘popular’ names.
In spelling up yourself or others, note that the time-stackable spells may not be stacked for more than 4 hours (240 minutes).
Minor Elemental Spells (available to several classes, including sorcerers)
401. (Silveries) +5 DS, 1 minute per level per cast, time stackable
402. Allows you to detect hidden or invisible people in the room. May also increase perception temporarily.
403. (Locklore) Boost to lockpicking ability. +10 plus +1 per level, halved when it is not selfcast.
404. (Traplore) Similar effect to 403, but enhances trap disarming ability.
405. (Detection) Allows you to detect the spells resident on a person or in an item. Also allows you to identify imbeddable items and the controllers of familiars.
406. (Brights) Similar to 401, but gives +10 DS.
407. (Pop) Opens boxes. Try never to use this on trapped boxes. Fused,
mithril, and enruned boxes are immune to the spell.
408. Disarms traps on boxes, and can also be used to neutralize scarabs. When used on boxes, it is very unreliable.
409. (EBlast) A CS-based attack spell.
410. (EWave) A spell which can knock down, send into offensive stance, and put into a long roundtime anyone or thing in the room not in the caster’s group.
411. (EBlade) Temporarily enhances a normal weapon to +20 with elemental flares. The flares are determined when you first cast the spell and are always the same thereafter, but different casters get different flares. Lasts 3 x caster’s level in swings.
412. Supposedly drops the AS of the target; never used it, don’t know how it works.
413. Drops the TD of the target. However, it requires a TD check, so it’s not too useful. Only used this one once or twice.
414. (Brillies) Similar to 401 and 406, except it gives +25 DS.
415. (Estrike) Another CS-based attack spell.
416. Allows you to see the contents of a closed container.
417. (Dispel) Dispels spells, trashes prepped spells, or does in enchantments on the target, in that order. Can be very dangerous to use in quantity on a player, even yourself, because of the enchantment dispelling ability.
418. (Node) Can create a temporary, mana-only node in the room you’re in, but it can have catastrophic failures that can kill you, and it dissipates if you leave the room. Not used this one yet and I’m not planning to for a while yet. According to one character analysis spreadsheet I’ve seen I would have a 35% chance of failing and I’m in my early 40’s.
419. (Guards) A mass-cast version of 414. Thus, if you cast one cast of 414 and one of 419, it would be just like having two of 414. Affects anyone in the caster’s group when it is cast, whether they remain in the caster’s group or not.
420. (Imbed) Allows you to place spells in certain items for later use. These include amulets and rings and wands, among others. There are whole guides on the use of this spell. A section on its use will eventually be added to this guide.
425. (Targetting) +25 AS, plus +1 AS for each 2 spell trainings beyond 425 in this circle, maxing at +50 (475). ½ minute per level, non-stackable, renewable, selfcast only.
430. (Barrier) +30 DS, plus +1 DS for each 2 spell trainings beyond 430 in this circle, maxing at +50 (470). ½ minute per level, non-stackable, renewable, selfcast only.
Major Elemental Spells (Available to Wizards Only)
501. (Sleep) CS-based, puts your target to sleep and knocks them down with a +126 or better sum. Mana cost is variable, at ½ the level of the target, rounded up.
502. Allows you to store a spell to cast later. Stores the next spell you prepare, as long as you do it within the next 30 seconds.
503. (Blur) +10 DS, 1 minute per level per cast, time stackable
504. (Slow) Increases target’s RT by 3 seconds for 1 minute.
505. (Hand) Can be used to stun others with a CS-based roll, also can dispel clouds.
506. (Haste) Decreases target’s RT by 3 seconds for 1 minute. Great for use with wands. Not stackable.
507. (Deflects) +20 DS, 20 seconds per level per cast, time stackable
508. (Elemental Bias) +20 TD, duration unknown to me, time stackable. I have never used this one, but it would be useful going up against CS-type casters.
509. (Strength) A must for any sword-using wizard. +15 AS (physical only) for ½ minute per level per cast, time stackable.
510. (Unpain) restores up to 50 hp. Dangerous, as it lasts 10 minutes and
then you lose the same number of hp you gained. Seen folks die from relying on this one.
511. (Disk) One of the ones people pay for. A magical container that has your name on it and follows you around till you tell it to go away, die, change towns, or log off. Since the First Edition, have heard rumors this spell has been tinkered so that you can now change towns and keep the disk, but I haven’t tested that.
512. (Slow II) Double-effect version of Slow.
513. (Focus) A no-no for sword-using wizards. +20 to spell AS, -40 to physical AS, ½ minute per level per cast, time stackable.
514. (Haste II) The most awesome spell around. Drops target’s RT by 6 seconds, allowing you to swing your sword as fast as you can input the commands. Like Haste, it lasts 1 minute per cast and is not stackable.
515. (Rapid Fire) Automatically re-prepares any spell cast in the next minute. Good when you’re casting a lot of the same spell in a row.
516. (Mana Leech) Allows you to siphon off someone else’s mana. To be effective in gaining mana both parties need a lot of manashare and you need to get at least a +150 on a CS attack roll.
517. (Charge) A complicated spell to use. Like Imbed, there’s whole guides on this one. Suffice it to say it’s expensive, in both money and mana. I’ll eventually be adding a section on this one, after I learn how to do it myself.
518. (Cone) Just like casting 910 (Lightning Bolt) at every creature in the room simultaneously.
519. (Telekinetic Disarm) Allows you to take a creature’s weapon from its hand. Kinda silly, and doesn’t work on people.
520. (Major Sleep) A high-level version of sleep. Good idea, but given the utility of this spell it’s near worthless, because by this age you’re mainly using sleep on younger players anyway (or at least, I don’t try to use it hunting, my CS isn’t strong enough for that).
525. (Meteor Swarm) A spell that brings rocks from the sky down upon the room, killing ANYTHING and EVERYTHING in sight. You can’t even watch the results of this spell, or you’ll die too. In my opinion it’s too dangerous to use, and I only plan to learn it so I can say I have all the spells.
Wizard Spells (Available to Wizards Only):
901. (Minor Shock) A nice little AS attack spell, electrical discharge damages the opponent. Found also in silver and iron wands. Pretty weak, but sometimes useful.
902. (Edge) Can be cast on any normal weapon, giving it +15 AS for 1 swing / caster’s level. Can be cast at other people and will affect any normal weapon in their right hand. Cannot be cast at blessed, magical, weighted, or enchanted weapons successfully.
903. (Water) Fires an AS attack waterbolt. Found in aqua wands. Much better than Shock, but still weak as spells go. Fire based creatures sometimes have a weakness to water.
904. (Acid) Similar to Water, but shoots acid instead. Similar to, but weaker than, the version found in crystal wands. Unlike the elemental spells (fire, water, cold), creatures cannot be immune to this one.
905. (Refracts) +20 DS for 20 sec per level per cast, when selfcast. When cast on others, 10 sec per level per cast. Time stackable.
906. (Firebolt) Fires an AS attack firebolt. Found in golden wands. Strong, and extra-useful against cold-based, undead, and troll creatures. Extremely useful in Icemule and Pinefar, where nearly ¾ of the creatures have a weakness to it.
907. (Cold) Fires an AS attack ball of cold. Similar to, but weaker than, blue wands. Many fire-based creatures have a weakness to it.
908. (Fireball) Fires an AS attack fireball. Surprisingly it does about the same damage as 906, and therefore is almost never used due to the extra mana cost for same effect.
909. (Tremors) Causes 3-6 maneuver attack rolls, about 5 seconds apart, where anyone in the room not joined to the caster has a chance of falling down (which lowers their AS and DS by 50).
910. (Bolt) fires an AS attack lightning bolt. Does a ton of damage.
911. (Mass Blurs) +10 DS, ½ minute per level per cast, time stackable. Affects anyone in the caster’s group when it is cast, whether they remain in the caster’s group or not.
912. (Call Wind) Dispels airwalls, knocks people down, and dispels clouds. Not so often used to dispel clouds since Hand was implemented, which can dispel clouds without the other effects. Makes an interesting hunting tool, as it can force critters into offensive and knock them over with a one round stun. I often use this in combination with Haste II.
913. (Death Cloud) Creates a thundercloud that shocks any creatures in the room for a couple minutes. Does not target players. This one is slated for replacement, but no word when that will happen or what will replace it.
914. (Firestorm) Think rain of napalm. Hits anything in the room not joined to the caster. Lasts about a minute, and is a cloud that can be dispelled. Like 913, this one is scheduled for replacement.
915. This one was listed as “not implemented” in First Edition. Since then, I’ve become aware that it has been released, but only to high level premium members. While I disagree with that practice, it has also prevented me from describing it here, as I’m not premium. I will hopefully have word of it for all of us in Third Edition.
916. (Invisibility) Useful when you want to walk around invisible. Better than hiding, cause you can still cast without breaking it, and can’t be searched out unless the searcher is VERY good (and that only from rumors, I’ve never actually seen it). 1 minute per level, non-stackable, renewable.
917. (Boil Earth) Causes the ground to boil, creature targeted takes a maneuver roll or sustains leg damage and may fall. If down, they can be damaged in any part of the body. Because of the maneuver roll its reliability depends on relative ages of caster and target.
918. (Dupe) Allows you to copy an item from your right hand into your left hand. Only certain items (namely fresh wands and white, black, and blue crystals, and ruby amulets... and more, possibly) can be copied. Can’t be done on any such items if they have been used, duped before, or charged. Occasionally fails, and failures can (but don’t always) destroy the item.
919. (Sphere, Shield) +50 DS, ½ minute per level per cast, time stackable.
920. (Familiar) Another one people pay for imbedded. Selfcast only, and it can’t be stolen. Summons a critter that obeys your commands, talks and can carry small objects, and can find people. Also this creature’s location determines where your portal goes if you cast 930.
925. (Enchant) Another one of those spells there’s whole guides on. If you wondered where your mentor’s 8x armor came from, someone most likely made it using this spell. I have added a section on this spell’s use in Second Edition.
930. (Gate) Allows you to create a portal between you and your familiar. People can walk through in both directions, as long as you are the last one through as it will close as soon as you pass.
Grey on Sword-Using Wizards in Combat Situations:
Combat being the most common and rewarding pastime in the lands, and somewhat the specialty of Sword-Using Wizards, it makes sense to explain a few things about combat as a Sword-Using Wizard. First, try, if at all possible, to get ‘spelled up’ (or do it yourself) until your DS is about 30-40 points higher than your prey’s AS (if you’re using CoL signs, count in the effects of those too). This will prevent you from being hit except in unusual circumstances or by maneuver attacks. Second, seeing our usually low TD’s, try not to engage creatures with CS-based attacks (most of which are undead anyway). Third, as a general rule, avoid hunting the undead whenever possible; getting blesses or burning your mana on bolt spells are often more trouble than they’re worth.
Mainly your combat will proceed much like that of a warrior, except for two types of spells which, when used, can cause interesting combat situations:
1. Sleep spell (501) While not often usable due to its cost and the difficulty in hitting with it, this spell can produce a sharp DS drop in your target. It’s most useful when you’re below 5 or so and still hunting things younger than you are. Also valuable in this manner are 410 (Ewave), 505 (Hand of Tonis), 909 (Tremors), and 912 (Call Wind) which can either stun or knock down, or both, your opponent, producing a DS-dropping effect. I have found that (after learning 919, anyway) my limiting factor in hunting is usually my AS, not my DS. Dropping the opponent’s DS helps remedy the problem of a low AS.
2. Haste and Haste II spells (506, 514) These are in many cases the ‘Holy Grail’ to young Sword-Using Wizards, reducing your RT by 3 or 6 seconds. The duration is fixed at one minute, but it often allows you to defeat multiple opponents in that time, making it very mana-effective. In many cases I have been able to fill my mind from below half in two or three casts; when I cannot, it is often for lack of targets rather than time or ability. I sometimes use it in combination with 912. I strongly urge this spell to be used whenever appropriate. In addition to its combat utility it can be helpful to empaths who are healing down, rogues picking boxes, and the leaders of any groups on the Landing-Icemule trail (to reduce falling and standing RT). I also use it passing through the Nightmare Gorge between Icemule and Pinefar.
Due to the utility of the haste spell, I strongly urge any Sword-Using Wizard to do anything and everything possible to reduce his/her combat RT to 6 seconds or less, if at all possible. This, combined with the Haste II spell, will allow you to attack as quickly as the system can process the commands.
Basically, instead of smashing things with 120 point hits that sever the head and produce instant death like warriors can, we cut them to ribbons with dozens of 10 point hits.
Grey on Imbedding Items:
Imbedding is a somewhat complicated process, but one that can often be profitable. It’s one of those processes that can have disastrous side effects though, best to know how to do it.
Once you have an item you’d like to imbed, you need to cast 405 at it to see if it’s imbeddable. You’ll get one of these three messages. You sense that this is a magical item. There seem to be no spells or charges but the flows of essence are strangely attracted to it. This one means you’ve got a blank imbeddable on your hands, and may proceed. The essence swirls as it flows in a fog of chaotic patterns around the (item). You can't make any sense from the patterns. This one means that the item is not imbeddable. I’ve heard this can be changed, sometimes, with grot potion, but never seen it work.
The other message will tell you the item already has a specific spell in it with a vague quantity of charges left. If there are no charges, the item can often be cleared to blank by use of a grot t’kel potion.
Once you’ve got a clear imbeddable and know what you’re going to put in it, cast 420 at it. This establishes the necessary, temporary link with the item. Then you imbed (spell number) in (item name) using (rub or wave, depending on if it’s wearable or not) for (number) charges. Keep in mind that to be successful you need to have the mana to cast that spell that many times. Don’t try pushing much beyond 40-50 mana, as most items don’t hold that much anyway and you’ll just overload it and destroy it. Once you’ve successfully imbedded the item, you’re done.
Grey on Enchanting Items:
Enchanting is a long, difficult, and complicated thing, not to be undertaken lightly. For a Sword-Using Wizard (and perhaps the other types as well, I haven’t asked around), it’s often a spell that gets put off for later. I personally learned enchant at level 41, and that soon only because I was sitting around when I was 40 or so and decided I wanted Familiar Gate ASAP. The spell plan I advocate will get it to you around level 36.
The first thing you’ll need to do in order to enchant is to buy potions.
There’s 4 potions (one is only available in the backrooms as far as I know). They’re very expensive; even the cheapest comes out to about 3-4 k per dose. Rohnuru, the cheapest, costs about 20-30 k for 5 doses; this is the most commonly used. Duqnuru gives a +10 bonus in the enchanting process, and costs about double the price. Dirtokh gives a +20 and costs about quadruple the price. The most expensive, Mirtokh potion, costs about 175k for 5 doses, and I am told it gives a +30 bonus.
Second, you’ll need an item to enchant. Anything without special abilities (sancted, flaring, weighted, etc.) should be enchantable, though we usually stick to storebought weapons, shields, and armor (all of which are except stuff from the Cleric shop and claidhmores, I believe).
Once you have the item, you must temper it (make it ready to accept the enchant). You do this by pouring the potion on the item, such as in pour potion on shield. Be careful to specify which so it doesn’t target your combat gear, as tempered items aren’t combat-usable. This is best done at a node or a table, or a workshop if you can get one. Keep a log of what you temper and when, and what it tells you (hopefully, on paper or in a diary-style text file. I use index cards I keep on my computer desk.). Tempering time, I’m told, is realtime, not online time, though don’t push it, the results can be disastrous. (The time I pushed this too far, I destroyed the item and killed myself in the process.) I usually let a set of items temper for 3 times the highest temper time before I do my enchanting session. I call this my safety cushion time.
After the temper time and safety cushion time are up, you’re ready for your enchanting session. This is when you get together any friends or clients willing to help and start infusing mana. The verb for this is infuse (amount of mana). You can use the sense verb to see how much mana is in the pool, but only if you have 140 manashare training.
Once you have a sufficient amount of mana in the pool, you can proceed to cast the actual enchantment spell. To do this, hold the item and cast 925 at it. You’ll want to do the highest enchant item you’re doing in each session first... here’s why. Enchanting requires huge amounts of mana in the pool (though no harm in trying to cast with not enough in the pool, it just misfires your cast and no harm is done to the item). However, when you cast, the pool is only lowered to the level of the next lower enchantment. Thus, right after casting a 4x (for example), you can cast a 3x without further infusing, then a 2x and then a 1x. So, simply do your high cast, then step your way down.
As far as mana in the pool, I’m not aware of the exact figures, but here’s some rough estimates. A 1x requires about 5000 mana, a 2x, 15000, and a 3x 40000, and a 4x about 100000.
As far as hiring yourself out, the prices for this service are pretty fluid, but generally within a predictable range. However, keep in mind 5x stuff usually goes for between a half million and a million coins, and that single-step enchants on the customer’s already enchanted items are usually done for half the cost of the higher enchant. I’ve only done one hire-out, which was a 1x to 2x, which I charged 25 k for, and that for a rather close friend. Also, even where close friends come in, NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER do any enchanting for free (unless, of course, it’s for yourself). Charge them, at minimum, double the cost of the potions you used. Also, always make clear that enchanting has a chance to destroy the item and you will not be held responsible for its replacement should it be destroyed (though don’t take on contracts for higher than you’ve done).
I prefer to enchant “raw” items and work them up to 3x or 4x or so, and then just sell them. Armor is good for this, especially full leather, double leather, and brigandine, as they are in constant high demand. As I write this I’ve got a set of brigandine tempering for the 3x-4x cast. This has the added advantages of letting you work at your own pace; no customers waiting to get their items back; nor anyone complaining about you destroying their stuff or stealing it. All around, it’s less stressful.
As far as selling items, the prices vary based on type of item and level of enchant and demand. 4x armors often sell for 250 k or close to it, but 4x weapons often sell for around 100 k or a touch less. This also happens with shields, because weapons and shields are commercially available up to 4x, while armor generally isn’t. After 4x, the prices even out.
And, only do enchanting stuff when you’re in the mood for it. It’s time consuming, but can be quite profitable. Also, infusing time can, and often does, turn into a social event or a reunion. Don’t stop it from happening at your enchanting sessions! In fact, they’re often called enchanting parties. It’s a great opportunity to sit and have a nice talk with your friends. I even saw a hybrid enchanting party and auction once, where one of the main infusers was auctioning items and asking folks who came to infuse while they bid, and the high-enchant item from the session was auctioned off at the end.
Grey on Roleplaying:
Having just broached the subject in my section on enchanting, let me give some further mention to roleplaying. From the beginning you should have a general idea of what type of person your character is. In the lands, they are considered a real person of a vaguely medieval time; they should act like one. You can take a few simple steps in order to do so.
First, I would suggest patterning their general behavior on yourself. It makes your character much easier to relate to and to portray consistently. A theme can also be used beneficially. I would also suggest “dressing the part” as much as budget allows. It’s annoying to see a serious person walking around in an outfit that doesn’t match their personality – or itself (on that count, try stickling to at most three colors that really do look good together). I, for example, wear all grey and silver, or at least as much as I can within my economic resources. (If I can’t get either, I get something colorless.)
Second, remember that your character is not living in modern times, and doesn’t play video games like you do. He or she wouldn’t know what Final Fantasy or Everquest (or a level, for that matter) is and shouldn’t be discussing such things. The other characters should be regarded as real people, albeit people from that time frame as well. If someone is disrupting this motif intentionally, they are in violation of Simutronics policy (to the best of my knowledge) and should be discouraged.
Third, arguments and discussions are perfectly acceptable. After all, the government of the lands is damned close to anarchy, if you don’t count the guards and constables. However, it’s very discouraged (by both constables and game staff) to engage in player-on-player violence. I personally believe sleeping or stunning someone is acceptable if they’re not in dangerous surroundings, but damage should not be inflicted. If someone starts to take a discussion far too seriously, back off.
Grey on Organizations in the Lands:
There are three main types of organizations in the lands; you are permitted to join one and only one in each category. You may, however, claim membership in one in each category. These are:
Societies: there are two of these, Voln and the “secret” Council. Both provide the player with special powers that can be used in and out of combat. Both are located in the Landing and you must go there to advance in membership, until you earn the rank of Master. Nothing more will be said of these except that, in my opinion, the Council is easier and more useful than Voln to Sword-Using Wizards. In fact, I’ve yet to meet a Sword-Using Wizard in Voln, and I wouldn’t advise trying it, though I am sure some probably do exist. The Council is also more useful for enchanters and anyone planning on attending lots of enchanting parties.
Guilds: eventually, there will be a guild for each profession. To join one you must reach level 15 in that profession. Unfortunately there is no wizard guild yet, so you cannot join one as a wizard. As of this writing (both First and Second Editions) guilds only exist for warriors and rogues.
Houses: these are like real-world fraternities or sororities, except most do not discriminate based on gender. Houses do NOT grant any special abilities (as the guilds and societies do). Each has its own goals, requirements, and location. Several are open to all or almost all; as far as I am aware the only ones you should not or cannot join are Sovyn (for empaths and clerics) and Phoenix (for Voln members... Council members are expressly not allowed).
Most of the smaller houses (such as my Brigatta) are more like an extended family, and are a place where whenever you visit you’re almost sure to run into someone you know, though not everyone knows you. They also provide larger, free lockers, house-member-only nodes (usually located in some sort of “main room”), and private tables, as well as other features that vary from house to house. Many also have enchanting workshops that are rented out to enchanter-members (either by schedule or lottery), and enchanters who will hire themselves out at a cut rate (though I wouldn’t ask for or expect less than ¾ regular price unless you’re friends). I personally am a member of House Brigatta, but it is a matter of personal choice and has little impact on the player in normal playing.
As far as my experiences with the house, there’s a few folks everyone knows. For instance, in Brigatta, we used to have (not sure if he’s still around) a Lord named Bandanas, who collected all sorts of bandanas. There were rumors that he had them in hundreds, possibly thousands, of bandanas, each with a different description. The whole house would help him collect them, by leaving interesting-looking bandanas in a specific room of the house for him to pick up. He was once rumored to have left the lands, and we, his housemates assembled a memorial pile of bandanas in that room, in his honor (enough to fill about 20-25 lines of text).
One of our house officers, Allequerie, is often referred to as “alley cat”, which is the motif she uses for playing her character.
Another, Lord Cerulean, (who happens to be a high level halfling enchanter) is known simply as “the Hobbit” or “LC”. Another enchanter, Psionix, tends to give rather significant discounts on his hire-outs for house members, even ones he hasn’t met – in my experience, on the order of 10-20% off.
These are people that just about everyone in the house knows, and every once in a while, someone will see me wearing my house pin and ask how one of them is doing.
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