I think I've got a handle on this...

Ok, so I've been reading through the website obsessively for the last two weeks, and I think I've finally got a bead on how the build and body points work. So let's make sure I've got this right...


Let's say I'm starting as a human thief. So at level one I get:
4 body points for being human
2 body points for being a thief

For a total of 6 points to start, with which to buy my starting skills. Like say for example, edged weapon (2), backstab (2), pickpocket (1), open lock (1). These are the only skills available to me at level 1, including any racial benefits like Coast Haven's Sea Lore and Tolerance, but NOT including purchasable racial skills.

After the first event, I am awarded 4 build points. Since thieves have a 2:1 ratio of body points to build points (usually represented as 1/2 but thats incredibly confusing because it looks like HALF instead of two to one), at the end of my first event I receive 8 body points with which to purchase more skills. However, because I stun the marshals with my flawless roleplaying abilities ( ), I receive 10 RP point which I turn in for 1 point of build, earning me another 2 body points.


So? How did I do?

Not bad, but there some errors.

Body Points do not accrue automaticaly; rather you must spend build on them. Let’s look at the Thief list's body point entry:

Body Points: (2) 1/2

It can be confusing to read, I agree. The number in the () refers to the max amount of build you can spend on body per level. The ratio 1/2 shows how much Body you gain per build point. So in the case of the Thief list you can spend up to two Build per level on Body points with each 1 Build equaling 2 Body points gained.

So only if you spend Build on Body points will you accrue them. The same goes for casting points (and the like) as well. You have to spend build to get more. So to start you would get the 4 Body for being a Human, but that is it. Potentially you could spend 2 Build at level one and gain 4 additional Body points. At which point your Body point total would be up to 8.

Next I have good news, while it use to be true that you only had 6 build to make a starting character you now get 10. If you found a reference to the old number somewhere, it would be a huge help if you could point it out to us, so we can correct it and prevent future confusion for others. So there are a few more points to play with for your character.

In your list of prospective skills to buy you list one as "Backstab (2)."  There are two skills on the Thief list that have Backstab in the name: "Backstab Prof +1" and "Critical Backstab." The price you list makes me think you meant Critical Backstab which does cost 2 build, but it has a prerequisite skill that you would need to purchase for your character before you could buy it. You would first need to have purchased Backstab Prof +1 at a cost of 6 Build then you could purchase the Critical Backstab.

Hope that helps,

One thing i'm not sure if we've pointed out clearly is that Body basically equals your characters hit points, and is not what you purchase skills with. Build is the term used for the currency that is used to purchase abilities.

Below is an example of how I walk people through creating a character.

First off choose either a race or a profession, which ever is most important to you. If you are an elf at heart then chances are you'll find a class that elves can start as. If you are a Mage at heart chances are you'll pick an appropriate race to enhance your magical nature and of course some combination's naturally come together such as wanting to be an elf and a mage would put you at the obvious choice of High Elf Mage.

Now that we've chosen our class and race lets move on to developing our character.
Based off the starting racials we start off with the following stats.
2 Body
Lore: Magic
Negative Energy Resistance
10 MP

And now we throw in what if any free skills or points we get from our Mage Profession.
Based off the profession page www.knightrealms.com/index.php?option=co...iew&id=132&Itemid=99
First Sphere of magic (0) - We see that this skill is free thus we likely start off with it. This basically is saying that we can choose our first sphere of magic for free, so we'll go with wizardry.
Body Points: (2) 1/1 - What this text means is that a player can purchase 1 body point for each 1 build invested (hence the 1/1) 2 times per level (hence the (2)). The base body of a character is entirely based off their race and not at all their profession. No profession in the game gives a character free body point at this time.
Magic Points: 1/3 - Ironically while we do not give free body points we do give free "career" points. These are points that are specific to a profession that you can increase with build. As a mage since you have access to Magic Points you start off with +3 Magic points. So for our High Elf Mage we would in fact be starting with 13 Magic Points, while a Human would have only 3. The 1/3 stands for the fact that if you invest 1 build into magic you will increase your MP pool from 13 to 16 and so on. As a note the bonus career points are always 3, and not based off the ratio of the profession. For instance a bard would start with +3 Spell Song Points and +3 Magic points, though they have different ratio's for both.

To summarize our starting character before any build is to be spent on them has the following
2 Body
Lore: Magic
Negative Energy Resistance
1 free sphere of magic - Wizardry
13 MP (10 base from elf + 3 base mage)

At this point we can now begin spending our starting build (10 points) on skills trying to flesh out our characters abilities.
Most important to my mage is the ability to cast spells so we'll first focus on just that.
By looking at the skill list we see Rank I Spell has a cost of 1, but a pre-req of Lore:Magic and the appropriate sphere of magic for the spell.
Since our new character is a high elf and begins with  Lore:Magic we do not need to purchase it, otherwise we'd have sunk one of our build into gaining that skill.
Moving on and looking at the wizardry spell list I choose Magic Missle and Lock as two spells that I'd like to have. Since each spell costs 1 build we spend 2 build to learn both and now have 8 available build to spend.
Wishing to defend myself with more then just magic I choose staff for 2 build (bringing our available build down to 6 since we spent 4).
Finally because I want to be shooting magic missles all day long I spend the last 6 build I have into MP giving us a total of 31 MP (13 base + 6 build x 3 MP per build point)

Giving our starting character the below skills at creation
2 Body
Lore: Magic
Negative Energy Resistance
1 free sphere of magic - Wizardry
31 MP
Lock
Magic Missle
Staff

I know its semi long and complicated but when you understand the above you'll have most of the technical information about your character figured out.

So... actually I wasn't even close. Dammit. I guess I'll just wait until I get there on Friday to roll up my character.

In terms of that whole "starting with 10 points, where did I see the 6" thing, well... I missed that part in the character creation section.

It might be a bit redundant, but I think it would be nice to have a link to that page on each profession page.

Or maybe there was a link and i missed it


Oh, and yeah, I totally missed the whole thing about body = HP. So what the means is a thief with 10 build points would essentially have 20HP? Is that all body points are for?

Wait, scratch that last bit About body points. I get it now. I spend build on body points the same way I would on skills. It's just that as a thief I get 2 points of body for every 1 point of build spent ON body.

Yes?

You know what would be nice? A page with nothing but definitions.

Right, build is spent the same way on Body Points as it is on skills.

ok... yeah... i've got this now.

So my only other question is about my alt event character. I took the Bard A starting package. Since it says it contains 1 Handed Edged/Blunt but makes no mention of Staff, it means I can't use a staff right?

Which would have led into my next question, does anyone have a boffer staff I can borrow .

Oddly enough, I'm more excited about my alt character at this point than my main character. Must be the excitement of playing something different and new.

Definitons is not a bad idea - I'll look into adding something to the New Players section of the site.  Thank you for the idea!