Rules Update: Traits

A long-awaited major update to the rules has been posted: Traits for Skills & Effects:

www.knightrealms.com/component/content/article/391-traits.html

Please note that this is a MAJOR update in terms of the amount of work it will take to update the Online Rulebook!  I've posted the main page with the rules, and over the course of the next week, will be going through the Skills, Spells, Prayers, etc. and adding the proper / updated traits to them.  Also, I will be reorganizing other parts of the Rulebook that are now consolidated into the Traits rules.

Our hope with this new system is that the question of "What defense blocks that attack?" will now be much easier.  We may, over time, add new traits - as we do, they will be announced, and added as needed to new or existing skills.

The Higher Lists are not being assigned traits - this will happen as they are being rebuilt.

Please also note that it is not our intent to change a majority of what current skills do - rather, this system will help us better clarify what they already do, without adding a ton of text or explanation.  Clarified wording for existing skills will be the next step, but will not change what skills currently do, with a few minor exceptions.

I also want to be clear about something. If you are not a rules marshal, and never read/understand this you will be fine. Don't get me wrong, I encourage you all to learn as much about the rules as possible. However I don't want anyone scared into thinking we are complicating the rules. we have in fact changed none of the rules with this. This is simply a system that allows us to very easily and clearly make rules calls, due to a rules marshal being able to look at the traits of a skill, and use that to determine very clearly what does and does not work in any given situation regarding a skill.

The main Skills page has been updated with the traits for each skill.

Spells, Prayers, etc. will follow as I am able to post them.

Promotional Skill are done, Mage Spells are in progress as I type this.

An important note: several of the Wall spells (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Magical, but not Fog) have had the line "The caster cannot walk while maintaining the wall. A caster can only maintain one wall of any kind at a time" removed from them, since this text is now redundant under the Concentration trait.  (The rules have not changed, but there's no reason for the text to be there any more - it's just wasting space.)

Prayers are done.  As with walls above, the various Sphere / "Bubble" abilities have had the "Caster cannot move" text removed, since this is now covered by the Concentration trait.  (Again, the rules have not changed, but the wording is redundant.)

Druids are done - we're more than halfway through the process, closer to 3/4 or so.  There's about 140 effects left to tag, and over 550 have been done.

All skills and effects have been updated with Traits, with the exception of Higher Lists.  Those will be updated as they are revised.

Since it has not been said by anyone else, I would just like to thank the Rules Marshals for taking the time to concoct this, and especially you, Geoffrey, for dedicating the considerable time of updating the rule book.

As someone who likes to read a lot about the rules, this makes it so much easier. Thanks again.