Rules Updates effective 6/16/2008

All of these Rules have been integrated into the Online Rulebook. 6/20/08
Roy S.

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These changes will all be in effect beginning with the July 4th – 6th event. As usual, these changes have not yet been incorporated into the online rulebook; Roy will post advisories as this is completed.

Gypsy Death Curse – Revised as follows:

This skill allows a Gypsy to place a Greater Curse upon the person who caused her death. The Gypsy can curse the individual whose action directly caused her death, or can attempt to curse someone else who was responsible for it. To attempt to curse someone responsible for her death, the Gypsy must name the person to a Rules Marshal, who will then verify if the named person indeed had some active part in the Gypsy’s death. If the named person did not have an active role in the Gypsy’s death, according to the Rules Marshal’s judgment, then the curse is wasted and has no effect on anyone; if the named person was involved, then the curse is applied to her. The Gypsy must select a curse from the list of Lesser Curses, and the killer will be afflicted with it as a Greater Curse. The Greater Curse will remain in effect on the killer until the Gypsy releases it, or the Gypsy King releases it, or she dies and is resurrected. This skill bypasses all defenses except for the skill Resist Curse.

Impale – The skill Impale is removed from the game and replaced in all instances with the skill Cleave.

Dragoon profession list – The skills Intercept and Resilience are added to the Dragoon profession list at costs of 2 and 8 build, respectively; Resilience has a pre-requisite of 5th level. In addition, the skills Critical Attack and Armor Patch are reduced in cost to 2 build.

Armor Patch – The effect of this skill is increased to 20 AP.

Berserker profession list – The skill Resilience is reduced in cost to 8 build.

Cloak of the Green – Revised as follows:

With this skill, a character can become unseen in a woodland setting. The character must be inside a well wooded area and be crouching near a tree or other foliage to use this skill. As long as the character does not move or make noise other than breathing, she can only be seen by skills that can foil yellow headband concealments. You must wear a yellow headband to denote that your character is hidden.


Feint – Revised as follows:

With this skill, a character forces an opponent to expend a Parry, Deflect, or Dodge against a deceptive maneuver. This skill is comprised of two components, the Feint itself and an attack that is coupled with it. The coupled attack can be a non-surprise attack skill from a profession list, or can be a weapon attack for the character’s normal damage. To deliver a Feint, you must strike your opponent and call the skill, in addition to the attack that you are using with it. The opponent must use a Parry, Deflect, or Dodge, if she has one, in response to the Feint. If the opponent has a defense that can stop the coupled attack after the Feint has been resolved, then she can use it to block the attack; otherwise the attack succeeds. This skill is hand and weapon specific.


New policies – Three new policies have been enacted:

Rules Misuse, General – Any misuse of the rules that is judged by a Rules Marshal to be egregious or beyond repair - for example, using a spell to do something outside the rule given for it, and without express permission to do so - can be punished with a Rules Violation..

Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Excessively arguing with a Rules Marshal, failing to cooperate with Knight Realms staff, hurling epithets at other players (OOG), and other forms of personally abusive conduct that breach the spirit of sportsmanship at the game can be punished with a Rules Violation.

Falsely Representing Authority – Claiming to hold a position of authority at Knight Realms that you do not possess will be punished with a Rules Violation, which will begin at a 9 build deduction and follow the normal progression thereafter. In addition, if the claim is accompanied by an attempt to induce other players to follow your command or ruling, you will be suspended from the game for a minimum of three months.

To be clear about “Falsely Representing Authority”, we’re not going to slap that on someone who hazards a guess at how long Encase with Ice lasts. While you should defer to a Rules Marshal on such a matter, this new policy is only intended for people who try to assert that they have an authority to do or say things that they do not. This policy is intended to protect everyone from someone who would be willing to lie about his/her position with the game in order to coerce or browbeat other players with respect to the game’s rules and policies.


Spheres and Domains – The pre-requisites for buying additional magic spell spheres, druid spell domains, or prayer domains, are 3rd level for the first additional, 5th level for the second additional, and 7th level for the third additional and beyond (if applicable).


Climb – Revised as follows:

This skill allows a character to climb a tree, wall, or similar vertical surface to a maximum height of twenty feet, instantaneously, and return safely to the position that she began the climb. To use this skill, you must touch whatever it is your character is climbing and then stand at the base of it with one hand in contact with it; if you lose contact at any time, you immediately fall to the ground, suffering falling damage appropriate to the distance. You are free to use your available arm to perform whatever actions you are able, other than to deliver an attack of any kind. A character can remain in the climbed position indefinitely. It is possible to depart the vertical surface for a horizontal surface that is within five feet of the character’s position, but doing so ends the use of the skill and the character will have to find another means of safely returning to ground level. You cannot carry another person while using this skill. This skill can also be used to climb down a surface from a higher ground level, with all the conditions of this skill applying in a logical manner to the reversed circumstances.


Bard profession list – The skill Pick Pockets is reduced in cost to 2 build.


Wild Mage profession – A character with the Wild Mage profession cannot learn the Mage or Bard professions, nor the Arcane or Bardic Academic Traditions on the Scholar profession list. In addition, Wild Mages are unable to utilize arcane magic scrolls.

PC Retirement Build – The percentage of build that you receive to spend on a new character is now scaled based on the number of resurrections that the departing character has taken:

0-1 Resurrections – 30%
2-3 Resurrections – 25%
4 Resurrections – 20%

If a character dies her final death, the player will still receive 10% of the build to spend on a new character.

PC Retirement Wealth – You can now carry a portion of a retiring (or dead) character’s wealth over to a new character. The formula has two parts – establishing the eligible amount and determining the percentage accordingly. To establish the eligible amount, the PCs bank value will be multiplied by 1.1 (giving it a 10% bonus), and will be added to any coin that you turn in plus the coin value of any items that you turn in. That subtotal will then be multiplied by a percentage as follows:

<= 100gp – 5%
<= 500gp – 10%
<= 750gp – 15%
> 750gp – 20%

The total amount of retirement wealth you receive will then be available for you to spend on normal equipment and items at character creation. In addition, a character whose retirement wealth is greater than 100gp will be allowed to purchase one magic item, to be designed using the rituals and costs provided by the Sorcery higher list. The remainder of unspent retirement wealth will be placed into the new character’s bank or, at the ability of logistics to practically accommodate you, given as coin.

Acrobat profession list – The skill Staff is no longer a pre-requisite for the skill Trip.

Tumbling – Increased in cost to 4 build and revised as follows:

(Continuous)
With this skill, a character can immediately stand up after being struck by a knockdown effect that would normally require her to remain on the ground for five seconds, unless that effect leaves her otherwise incapacitated.

Flee – Revised as follows:

This skill allows a character to flee from a threatening situation. To use this skill, put your hands on top of your head and call a hold and “Flee”. You can take twenty strides in any single direction that takes you away from the threat.

Master Teach – If you have the skill Teach when you learn your character’s promotional skill, you receive the skill Master Teach automatically and at no build cost.

Create Scroll/Psalm/Canticle/Ballad – The pre-requisites for learning the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rank Create Scroll/Psalm/Canticle/Ballad skills are 3rd, 5th, and 7th level, respectively.

Ronin profession list – The skills Wakisashi, Katana, Nodachi, Naginata, and Yumi are renamed One Handed Edged/Blunt, Bastard Edged/Blunt, Two Handed Edged/Blunt, Polearm, and Bow, respectively. The skill Florentine is added to the list at a cost of 3 build.

Buccaneer profession list – The skills Parry, Climb, and Florentine are reduced in cost to 5, 3, and 3 build, respectively.

Nail – revised as follows:

This skill allows a character to pin an opponent’s arm to a wall or other substantial object, or her foot to the floor or ground for a duration of five minutes. You must strike the opponent with an edged thrown weapon, arrow, or bolt, and the opponent must be within five feet of a wall, tree trunk, or similar object if you want to pin an arm. The opponent’s arm or foot becomes fixed in place. The opponent can choose to free herself before the duration has expired with Strength +2 or greater, but suffers five points of Direct Body damage as a result.

Positive Energy Concentration and Negative Energy Fortitude – the durations of both of these skills are increased to ten minutes.

Priest profession list  - the skill Courage is removed from the list; it is no longer a pre-requisite for the skill Instill Confidence.

Druid and Healer profession lists – the skills Rank III Herbal Recipe and Rank IV Herbal Recipe are removed from the lists.

Psalm verbals – the verbals written and spoken for a psalm should always be the verbals appropriate to the god who is used as the source for it.

These changes will all be in effect beginning with the July 4th – 6th event. As usual, these changes have not yet been incorporated into the online rulebook; Roy will post advisories as this is completed.Ronin profession list – The skills Wakisashi, Katana, Nodachi, Naginata, and Yumi are renamed One Handed Edged/Blunt, Bastard Edged/Blunt, Two Handed Edged/Blunt, Polearm, and Bow, respectively. The skill Florentine is added to the list at a cost of 3 build.

Question...
The skill Florentine requires that 1 weapon be 1 HE/B size and the other weapon must be a Small Weapon.  Ronin does not have Small Weapon on their list.  Therefore, a Ronin must buy Small Weapon off Commoner list before they can use Florentine?  Or can Ronin use Florentine with Bastard E/B and 1 HE/B?

Buy Small Weapon off of Common or use Florentine as your gateway to Master Florentine on the Master Warrior list and use 2 1HEs. A bastard weapon can't be used to fight Florentine.

Falsely Representing Authority – Claiming to hold a position of authority at Knight Realms that you do not possess will be punished with a Rules Violation, which will begin at a 9 build deduction and follow the normal progression thereafter. In addition, if the claim is accompanied by an attempt to induce other players to follow your command or ruling, you will be suspended from the game for a minimum of three months.

To be clear about “Falsely Representing Authority”, we’re not going to slap that on someone who hazards a guess at how long Encase with Ice lasts. While you should defer to a Rules Marshal on such a matter, this new policy is only intended for people who try to assert that they have an authority to do or say things that they do not. This policy is intended to protect everyone from someone who would be willing to lie about his/her position with the game in order to coerce or browbeat other players with respect to the game’s rules and policies.

Priest profession list  - the skill Courage is removed from the list.

First, I would like to ask about instill Confidence, on the priest list... does it no longer have a pre-req, or is it also removed?

Secondly, in the hope for amnesty, under Falsely Representing Authority, I would like to come clean, that I am not a "Hug Marshal" as I may have previously stated, and so it is no longer a requirement for all the ladies in Knight Realms to give me a hug on command to check your character's Hug Rating.  I will rue the day this ruling came to be.

Buy Small Weapon off of Common or use Florentine as your gateway to Master Florentine on the Master Warrior list and use 2 1HEs. A bastard weapon can't be used to fight Florentine.

From what I've seen is that every profession that has Florentine has Small Weapon as a prerequisite and the Small Weapon skill is on their list.  Now, if Ronin does NOT have Small Weapon, the profession list can't support that skill.  If it was meant as a gateway, the Florentine skill on Ronin should NOT require the Small Weapon skill as a prerequisite.  Just my 2 cents.

Since I have the Bastard weapon skill, Florentine is a no-go for me anyway, as you stated that Bastard cannot be used with Florentine.  I'm going to go into my corner and cry now.  :'(

Will there be new skills added to replace Courage (and the previously removed Interrogate) on the Priest list?  I echo the question concerning Instill Confidence.

*Is doing the happy dance*

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Since there is no higher list at this time, will there be other skills or spells added to druid to make up for the herbals being removed? 

Higher lists are not guaranteed for any class, let alone for the player.  So the presence or absence of a higher list does not affect the lower list at all.

With that said, Druid will be getting some tune-ups. 

I can't speak on the other points raised.

Mike,
I admit it.  I pushed for that ruling out of jealousy of you being a hug marshal.

Secondly, in the hope for amnesty, under Falsely Representing Authority, I would like to come clean, that I am not a "Hug Marshal" as I may have previously stated, and so it is no longer a requirement for all the ladies in Knight Realms to give me a hug on command to check your character's Hug Rating.  I will rue the day this ruling came to be.

crap!  i knew you were making that up!  no more hugs for you mr. !

awesome changes in every regards gentleman and ladies

If it was meant as a gateway, the Florentine skill on Ronin should NOT require the Small Weapon skill as a prerequisite.

And it doesn't, if you go back to the original post. I get the sense you were unclear on that, but if we intended a pre-req it would have been listed there.

So you can get the skill and acquire Small Weapon off of Common if you want to use just Florentine, or you can, upon becoming a Master Warrior, get Master Florentine and fight with two 1HEs. The idea here is that, in our opinion, Master Florentine is truly a masterful style for the Ronin profession; therefore, we didn't want it available on the profession list, but we did need to provide the Ronin with access to Florentine if you do want to go that route, because it's the pre-req for Master Florentine on the Master Warrior list. Hence the way it is now.

True story:

Saturday night of the last event a bunch of us were heading out of Logistics and (if I'm recalling the participants correctly) Zach said to his friend Elias, "that's Matt White and he's the most awesome person at KR". To which I responded, as though it were instinct, "Ridiculous. Mike Smith is here." And all nodded and agreed.

Danny, thanks for your post. It means alot and inspires me to go mess up the rules some more...

If I got courage from the priest list, does that mean I don't have it anymore? 'Cause it's not there anymore?

Waah.

If I got courage from the priest list, does that mean I don't have it anymore? 'Cause it's not there anymore?

Yep, unless you have another list that has courage, then you just have it from that list for its build cost.

Oh, and you can generally assume that if a skill is pulled from a list that it is no longer a pre-req for anything on that list. But in the interest of thoroughness I went ahead and edited the original post for the Priest list entry.

Sorry, yes, that means the skill will be removed from your character. But, that means you have 3 build to spend on something new. Hooray! 

The Priest list will (eventually) receive some of the new land system related skills at a considerable discount over the Common list costs.

And on that note, I swear to God progress is being made, and I hope it will thrill everyone when it goes live. The enormous delay is due to my intention to create a system in which every PC has the opporunity to take actions; with that in mind I hope you can forgive the time that it's taking. We will, in all likelihood, have an "open enrollment" event the month that the system goes live, and PCs will have the opportunity to purchase - for immediate use - skills associated with the land system. We recognize that many people have role-played a level of involvement on that front, and we don't want to create a situation where, because we have finally put rules to it, your characters are all struck dumb until someone teaches you how to do it again. Look toward the September event, and if you'll want to do something high-minded like be an engineer or legal counsel, you'll want to have 5-8 build bankrolled; some professions will be able to take action without the need for skills beyond what is currently on their lists (healers and priests, for example)

And it doesn't, if you go back to the original post. I get the sense you were unclear on that, but if we intended a pre-req it would have been listed there.

Ah, that is where I was confused.  From what I saw, everyone who had Florentine shows it with a Small Weapon prerequisite, and it seemed like that was a necessity.  Thank you for that clarification.

So you can get the skill and acquire Small Weapon off of Common if you want to use just Florentine, or you can, upon becoming a Master Warrior, get Master Florentine and fight with two 1HEs. The idea here is that, in our opinion, Master Florentine is truly a masterful style for the Ronin profession; therefore, we didn't want it available on the profession list, but we did need to provide the Ronin with access to Florentine if you do want to go that route, because it's the pre-req for Master Florentine on the Master Warrior list. Hence the way it is now.

I can't find the Master Florentine skill description, but from what I read above, it allows for a person to fight with two 1HE/B of the same length.  Is Bastard not allowed to be used with Master Florentine?

Florentine Master allows you to fight wielding two weapons of 1HE / B size or smaller simultaneously.

I understand the confusion now. That abbreviation should be read "1 Handed Edged / Blunt". With the word 'size' immediately after it, I can see why you'd interpret it to be 1HE or Bastard, but that's not what is intended. Sorry for the confusion!

No the fault is mine as I read it incorrectly and became confused.  I'm sorry.  Thank you for the PM and clarifications.

Maybe its just me, but did Feint actually change, or is it just worded better in the description?

It was mostly wordsmithed with one substantial change. The original definition leaves it a little ambiguous whether a character that has a defense that won't stop the Feint could be used to stop the coupled attack. In other words, some folks interpreted (and quite reasonably, I'd say) the original definition to mean that if you couldn't stop the Feint then you had no opportunity to stop the coupled attack. Thus, a Feint-Break Limb used against a mage with a stoneskin would result in a broken limb, because the mage would be unable to use his stoneskin, having failed to stop the feint. That was not what was intended, and the revision corrects that.

The change is that the coupled attack is now restricted to profession list skills, whereas previously there was no restriction on coupling a higher list skill with it.

Wild Mage profession – A character with the Wild Mage profession cannot learn the Mage or Bard professions, nor the Arcane Academic Tradition on the Scholar profession list.

I'm glad that was cleared up.... though surprised the 'mage' part isn't considered a given by some of us.

A very good job on all the rule revisions in my opinion, all around nice work ^^

I don't want to rain on any Wild Mages parades here, but regarding the Academic Traditions for them being scholars: I understand that since they cannot become Mages that they cannot take the Arcane Academic Tradition, but since it is also prohibited for them to become Bards, shouldn't the Bardic Academic Tradition also be prohibited?

Doh, good catch!

Edited.

Tumbling; finally doing what I wanted it to do... brings a tear to my eye.  But, on a side note just to be completely thorough, since this seems to be strictly a defense against trip/throw/body block,  are we still displaced by the appropriate skill(s)?  IE Berserker Bob calls "body block" on me- am I just moved ten feet in any given direction but remain standing, or do I just call "tumbling" and resume fighting as normal?  How does it apply to the knock back effect of certain skills?

Another rules question, the skill "rock/feather body" when using feather body, can I just feather body around, ie call a feather body and have someone carry me somewhere if legs were broken, or call feather body and have someone throw/gust me up in a tree?  Can I talk while using feather body, if falling can I grab on to something using "climb" or something like that or just reach out and climb back up while using "feather body"?  Or does feather body just require complete concentration and zero movement like the "rock body" aspect?

Thanks

OK,

ignorance, or am I just missing something? Land Based? What is that?

Tumbling:  You are still pushed back. 

Rock/Feather Body:  No.  It works just like the spell featherfall.  It just allows you to not be damaged while falling upto 50 feet.  You could expend extra uses to increase that distance.

Land Based:  Once upon a time, the IG Lords had an OOG land system they could manipulate to some degree.  It was sort of a paper game for the nobles.  It fell to the wayside for too many reasons to list here.  For quite awhile now, Matt has been working on re-creating a new, improved land system.  As Matt allowed to, the intent is to make it so that everyone could possible effect it somehow.  Whether thats practical or not, well only time will tell.  At the very least, all nobility will be able to affect whereas before only the Lords directly affected anything.  At least, that was the back-up the last time Matt and I spoke about it.   

Re: Tumbling, you do fall down. You just don't have to stay down for five seconds. You can get right up.

Re: Tumbling, you do fall down. You just don't have to stay down for five seconds. You can get right up.

Cool, so now you can do that Chumbawamba song... you get knocked down, you get up again. 

Re: Tumbling, you do fall down. You just don't have to stay down for five seconds. You can get right up.

Cool, so now you can do that Chumbawamba song... you get knocked down, you get up again. 

Ha ha! 

Alright, this is probably a stupid question but I don't care, if I'm falling like a ridiculous amount of feet for some unexplained reason, couldn't I just meditate and call "rock body," and thus plummet like a rock bomb into the ground below, from what I remember about "feather body," it was just written that you were light as a feather... the end.  Or should I purchase more uses of "rock/feather body" ???