Building Necessities Before We Open
Following are descriptions of the things we absolutely
need done before we are able to re-open the game. As
many of you know, we are going to make it so each race
starts in a different place. It is of the utmost priority
that we get these places started ASAP. I am going to
provide general guidelines for the areas which need to
be stuck to. Other than that, it's all up to whomever
decides to build the area. Mudmail me with questions.
New Starting Area Basics
1) Training requirements for the areas MUST be stuck
to, and are described in the new area descriptions
below.
2) All need a bank, a post office, one or more pawns,
one or more repair shops, and alot space for 1-5 other
shops as well - remember: shops each require 2 rooms
per 10 items you want to sell. For now, have an idea
what you want to put in the shops, but don't worry about
putting items in to sell there until we have all these
starting areas done. We don't want to overlap things, so
we will coordinate that then.
3) All need a "regulatory" type mob like Highport guards.
These mobs will fast wander or just be mobile and wander
around the main parts of the area. They will all have
their own faction. Be thinking about other factions as
you create the area as well. Factions interact politically.
These mobs should not be easy to kill, and should be
flagged so others of their kind run to help them. Use HP
guards as a model if you have questions. For HP guards,
2011 is the one that yells, and 2010 is the one that
runs to help which *does not* yell. This is very important
or you can have hundreds of mobs if they yell and then
those that run to help yell too.
4) Newbie "hunting" areas need to be on the outskirts of
the main parts of the town. We no longer will be having
people level off of things like vagrants and farmers, or
if you do, give them positive faction in the regulatory
mobs you have's faction. For example, farmers and stuff
in HP market square will have slight positive faction in
The Highport Guard faction, so the HP guardsmen get pissed
if you kill too many of those mobs. Newbie hunting areas
need to contain "neutral" like things, or things no one
cares if you kill. Examples of the kinds of mobs that can
be used will be in each areas description below.
5) Perms in these areas ALL yell for help, all are hard
enough to not be worth trying to kill until like level
21, and are devalued in experience. We do not want people
running through cities on perm runs like we had before.
This game is completely shifting to a "zone-oriented" idea
for perms, and the main focus for gaining exp will be
to kill mobile creatures, NOT perms. By "zone-oriented",
I mean u have to do "this, this, and this" in order to
get through to the area where the main bad guy or perm
is. Examples would be like having to kill all the guards
outside of Baron Von Hanna's office to get to him, in
addition to having to get a key off some other perm (which
is also guarded) to get to his room (and he'll probably
still beat your ASS). There will be no more walking in
and killing perms with impunity. Not in cities. In fact,
all perms everywhere need to have this zone oriented
approach from now on - ESPECIALLY in starting areas.
Groups need to be required to kill perms. To do otherwise
is to be just another version of Isengard - which does
not work.
6) Level boundries need to be put into effect on the
outskirts of these areas so that no one level 1 can
walk out of the area until they reach level 2. In addition,
some of the area descriptions below place stricter
standards on this than others - particularly like the
troll town (which is in the middle of the Hellbog), and
the Katarans, which will be starting in an island jungle
near the isle of Tobago somewhere, and dark elves, which
begin in Oakspire, in the middle of the perilous Darkhold
Forest.
7) For coins (money dropped) keep in mind that copper
is very common, silver is common, gold is uncommon, platinum
is somewhat rare, and alanthium is VERY rare. So do not
do something like make winos drop gold coins. As a
general rule, nothing under level 8 should drop gold
coins, nothing under level 13 should drop platinum,
and nothing under level 17 should drop alanthium. If
you use *coins and it sets it for you, you can manually
adjust it to this effect if needed - at least until
I code it in so it's automatic.
8) The listed size requirements for the areas below CANNOT
be exceeded. No more rooms than this will be given out
for it. Please understand this if you choose to build
one of these areas.
9) Do ALL descriptions before doing any mobs and objects.
Be thinking about what mobs you want while you are doing
the descriptions, and also be thinking about what is
dropped as well, but we need to get the desc done FIRST.
If more requirements come to mind, i will post more
information. The above should be fine to get started. If
there are any further suggestions or questions you have
mudmail me.
NOTE: Do not worry about training for Vampires, Werewolves,
or Liches for now. We are going to open with those classes
unavailable, and make them available later. If you have
built training for those classes, seale it off until we
can decide what to do with it later, or go ahead and recycle
it if you need the rooms.
Area Specifications
Area: Free City of Highport
Races starting here: Human, Half-elf, Cambion,
Seraph, Half-Orc
Location: Durgas River Delta
Size: 400+ rooms
Builder: Grazzt
I am working on this now to get it modified to the correct
specifications for a new starting area.
Area: The Hold of Ironguard
Races starting here: Dwarf
Location: Bloodmound Hills/Firedrake Foothills
Builder: Open
Size: 150-200 rooms
Note: typing "help dwarves" will assist anyone
building this area.
GENERAL
Formerly Ironguard Keep, this area is just an
expansion of what is currently built, making it into
a dwarven city. Smelting of ore and mining are the
primary focuses of the dwarves here. This area
needs to be completely underground, with adaptions to the
current above ground area to make it so it flows well with
what is new. If this means wiping the current Ironguard
out, that is not a problem. The outer areas of the caverns
are where people will go to level and fight things.
All manner of things can be put in those caverns.
PRIMARY GOD(S)
Gradius is the primary god - diety of
metallurgy, mining, and elemental earth. His priests
are very influencial to the King on his decisions,
and they work closely with the military. They often
contribute troops in the form of conjured earth
elementals.
GOVERNMENT
The city is ruled by a dwarven King and there are
a number of dwarven clans in charge of various aspects
of the city's needs: defense, war, mining, merchants,
weaponsmithing, armoring, banking, etc.. There is even
a thieves guild hidden VERY WELL in Ironguard, as well
as an assassins' guild. Both are not very prominent,
as dwarven society frowns on and even tends to often
erradicate such things from existance.
TRAINING
Fighter- Training all the way to 30 in a huge military
complex. Any race can train there for now.
Berserker- Training all the way to 30 for DWARVES ONLY,
in the same complex as fighters. Dwarven berserkers are
called "battleragers".
Cleric- Clerics of Gradius, since that is the only god
a dwarven cleric can worship, do all their leveling in
a huge temple complex dedicated to Gradius. Dwarves only.
Thief- Training to level 7 in the well hidden thieves'
guild. Leveling requirements for a dwarven thief need to
be difficult.
Assassin- See Thief above.
Bard- Dwarven bards are notorious throughout Derlith.
The bards' college in Ironguard has a heavy emphasis on
history of the dwarven clans and dwarves in general more
than on performance in the theatre, singing, or storytelling.
Naturally, according to them, everything is how it is now
because of dwarves and dwarves alone. Elves, of course,
naturally dispute this...but of course they're wrong..since
"they're just a bunch of sissies dancing to music and drinking
WINE in the forest"..heh.. Only dwarven bards are able to
train here, and all the way to level 30.
SUGGESTED NEWBIE KILLING MOB IDEAS
All mobs for hunting (that can be killed without pissing off
the dwarven guards in Ironguard) would come in outskirts of the
city underground, or out in the hills above ground.
In hills: wargs(L2-3), dire wolves(L3-4), giant bats(L1-2),
orc raiders(L3-6), goblin raiders(L1-4), cougars(L4),
giant beetles(L1-2), black wolves(L1-2), etc..
Underground: kobold raiders(L1-3), cave spiders(L2-3),
cave bats(L1-3), rock iguanas(L3-4), stone spiders(L4-5),
fire beetles(L5-6), etc...
Area: Schnai Village
Races starting here: Barbarian
Location: Upper Baladus Plains
Size: 50-75 rooms
Builder: Pandora
GENERAL
This area is mostly an open place, with the idea of people
of a tribal nature in mind. The barbarians of Schnai are
organized much like germanic tribal barbarians were. Both
men and women fight, and they are extremely viscious. They
use psychological warfare to their advantage, and are quite
uncivilized, veiwing most anyone not of their race with
extreme suspicion. The village/town is organized so as to
be spread out into different areas dependant on function.
Thus, you'll have one section devoted entirely to the curing
of game, another solely used mostly for making weapons and
training to fight, another for where women and children
mostly stay, etc. The most powerful warriors often have more
than one woman. Schnai barbarians are by no means monogomous,
although they lean toward it, as is natural. An exception
to the normal basics for starting areas is that there is no
bank in Schnai Village.
PRIMARY GOD(S)
The barbarians of Schnai worship the god Ares, who is
representing of bloodlust, war, killing, and destruction.
The Priests of Ares are a very powerful sect, as they lead
the warriors into battle against the various gnoll, orc, and
goblin tribes which dot the plains.
GOVERNMENT
The barbarians of Schnai are ruled by a barbarian overlord
named Rellik, who has taken over an old Bordian castle in the
plains, and dubbed it Schnai Castle. He has a very powerful
army, and even threatens the giant tribes which moved into
the Baladus plains during the times of chaos which led to the
fall of the Kingdom of Bordia, and the destruction of its
capital Ft. Baladus. In fact, some say he has carved a new
kingdom out of the wild Baladus plains. With the help of
Lormar Emit, a wizard of very powerful ability, and his
companion of many years, he is powerful indeed. Another of
his companions, Kifc, is the chief Priest of Ares in Schnai
Village. Day to day things in Schnai Village are left to
the decision of a Tribal Council of the ten most renouned
warriors. Trial by combat determines who sits on the council.
Older warriors are permitted to have a stand-in to fight
for them if they are too old and frail to fight. There is
always one Priest of Ares on the council, as Kifc is a
permanent member by order of the Overlord Rellik. That priest
always leads the village in battle.
TRAINING
Assassin- Barbarian assassins are almost always outcasts
and bandits. Leveling for them will not go beyond 4, and will
have to be in specialized bandit camps, where the barbarian
just walks into a room and trains with some bandit perm.
After level 4, a barbarian will need to go to Highport to
level as an assassin.
Bard- Barbarian bards are supreme partygoers and barroom
brawlers. They are able to level to 4 in Schnai, in the back
of the Gladiator's bar. After that they must go to Sigil and
its bard college, where they often graduate after starting
many fights along the way.
Berserker- Barbarian warriors of the most chaotic nature
are almost always berserkers. They train in Schnai Village
in the Barbarian Sporting pits all the way to level 30.
Cleric- All barbarian clerics are Priests of Ares by
default. The temple to ares needs to be expanded, and leveling
to 30 added in.
Ranger- Barbarian trackers are very good, but they are
by far not the best rangers in Derlith. Rangers can train up
to level 10 in Schnai, at a spot out in the plains, perhaps
in a track maze like on isengard. After that they must go to
Eldinwood and learn from the elves, who are master rangers.
Thief- See Assassin above. They level in the same place,
but go to a different room. They may reach level 4, then
must go to Highport.
SUGGESTED NEWBIE KILLING MOB IDEAS
All nuetral faction mobs in this area will be out in the plains,
or in pits where things are controlled. Like you could have
a pit where men go fight wild dogs or something.
In plains: wild boars(1-3), goblin raiders(1-3), gnoll
raiders(2-4), orc raiders(3-4), plains rats(1-2), grass
snakes(1-2), coyotes(2-3), bandits(2-5), deer(1-2), prarie
dogs(1), etc..other plains animals.
Area: Goblin Caverns (no name yet)
Races starting here: Goblin
Location: Upper Bloodmound Hills
Builder: Draegoth
Size: 100 rooms
Note: typing "help goblins" will assist.
GENERAL
This area needs to be totally underground, with maybe a
tower or something, or old ruins above ground at the entrance,
either of which would be heavily guarded. The "evil dwarves"
are always up to something fishy, and it could be bad.
The interior is a conglomerate of different levels of caves
and caverns. The more powerful the goblin, the better the
area of the caverns he/she lives in. Even though the caves
seem somewhat chaotic inside (meaning use a lot of diagonal
directions and non-directional exits), they are actually quite
organized. Each area of the cavern will be under the control of
a single barracks, led by a goblin commander. This commander
can be either a warrior or a shaman that scares the crap out of
everyone in his section. All section commanders plot schemes
in a goblin-like manner to move up more in the King's favor.
Women and children stay in sectioned off areas (women
USUALLY dont fight as males do, but when defending their young,
they are worth 2-3 goblin warriors, so they should be tough).
Goblins have wargs which help them patrol the caves, and their
traps usually always involve ambush rather then clever
mechanical-like devices (as kobolds would have). There will
be a central underground water source somewhere also. There
is also a waste cave where all the goblins go to take a dump.
Of course, it has a problem with carrion crawlers and dung rats,
which always plagues the goblin section commanders...
PRIMARY GOD(S)
Goblins will worship whomever can kick their ass, but only
if that figure is evil in nature. For instance, there might
be a devine clergy built around the head Shaman or the king,
or the local contingent of the cult of Aramon has them
scared shitless, etc...
GOVERNMENT
The biggest goblin that can beat everyone else's ass is
always the king. This doesnt mean he's a warrior all the time,
either. He usually has several trusted bodyguards (which means
he has blackmail material on them, or is holding their
family hostage so they wont try to kill him) around him at
all times. If the king is a warrior, he will take much
council from the head goblin shaman, as goblins are very very
superstitous. The king needs to be difficult to kill.
TRAINING
Assassin- Goblin assassins are coniving sneaky little bastards.
They tend to be very good at the trade, as not many people take
them as seriously as they should. Assassinating your superior
(or framing him) is the way to advance in goblin society. Goblin
assassins will have a small complex to level in where they can
reach up to level 10. Only goblins can train there. No other races
can. There is no guild, only a hang-out place where the nastiest
goblin assassins go to hang out and train.
Berserker- Goblin berserkers are the centerpiece of the goblin
armies. They tend to be extremely rabid and large for goblins,
and they always smell of putrid old-smelling watered down wine.
They tend to puke in battle a lot - on their opponents. Goblin
berserkers can level up to level 10 in the goblin caverns. After
that they have to go somewhere else, like Garakk (see below).
Fighter- Goblins are primarily fighters more than anything
else. There is a rather large complex where goblins can train
up to level 10. After that they have to go to Garakk (see below).
Shaman- Goblin shaman are feared throughout Derlith. They
often command very strange superstitious powers and can place
curses on people at a whim. The goblin shaman system is very
rigid and heirarchial. There is no shaman school, but there is
an area of "servitude" where potential goblin shaman agree to
be tortured, be part of experiments, test new poison potions,
fight conjured spirits, etc..in order to prove their worthiness
to the shaman above them. Goblin shaman can level all the way
to 30 in the goblin caverns...ONLY goblins are allowed.
Thief- Goblin thieves are very good at what they do. As goblin
society is basically a bunch of coniving thieves, brutes, and
bandits, this is not suprising. There is a very powerful
thieves' guild (goblins admitted only) in the goblin caverns.
Goblin thieves can level up to level 12 in the goblin caverns.
After that they have to go someplace else to get higher.
SUGGESTED NEWBIE KILLING MOB IDEAS
The possibilities here are endless in the outer caverns.
cave spiders(1-2), dung rats(1), huge spiders(2-3), rock snakes(2),
etc....use of the monster manual can help here quite a bit, so
long as the levels of the mobs are translated into mordor right.
SPECIAL:
Goblins players starting out in the goblin caverns need to
stay in the goblin caves at least until they are level 5. So,
instead of a restriction of 2+ level to get out of there area,
it needs to be 5+ on all exits leading out of the area to the
rest of Derlith.
All banks and post-offices are goblin-only to enter.
Area: Troll Swamp Town (no name yet)
Races starting here: Troll
Location: Hellbog
Builder: Darklight
Size: 100 rooms
GENERAL
This areas is set in the depths of the Hellbog. The trolls which
live here are the marginally civilized type (compared to other trolls).
The area should be semi-organized, and should be a series of small
islands and caverns dug in and around areas of stagnant swamp water.
Bridges should connect some areas. The trolls either live in crude
huts, or in dugout mudholes where water cannot get in. They don't
care much for sanitation, so the whole place will reek. So shops and
such will be in a small island that is the "town center". Instead of
streets like in Highport, things will be connected via bridges or
muddy paths, or across shallow swamp water and reeds.
PRIMARY GOD(S)
The trolls do not worship any gods. They have shaman that are very
superstitious, and they are the closest things to gods that they
have. However, nontroll gods have had an influence. The Devil Knights
have set up shop in the troll town in order to actively recruit
trolls to become death knights. Trolls are the best leaders of
orcs and goblins that are the mainstay of Caladon's armies, simply
because they terrify the troops into obeying. Troll warriors are
bad enough, but to orcs and goblins, troll death knights are completely
horrifying. The Cult of Aramon also has an outpost, but it's presence
has nothing to do with the trolls, and is mainly there to keep an eye
on the Devil Knights (i.e. keep them in line), and to do dark experiments
in the depths of the swamp.
GOVERNMENT
The biggest, meanest, nastiest, and most ruthless troll rules
the town as chief. He can only be removed by being challenged and
killed. The shaman in the town are also a force to be reckoned
with, and the chief often relies on them for guidance. Overall,
however, the biggest troll warriors lead a faction that controls
the town - led by the biggest troll through fear and brutality.
Troll warriors walk around the village keeping order, randomly
beating the crap out of people.
TRAINING
Berserker - Trolls do not train as fighters. All are berserkers
because of their savage nature. One of the "islands" in the town
is a big training pit where trolls fight to the death to train.
Trolls, and trolls only, may level from 1 to 30 here.
Shaman - Troll shaman have a series of huts and underground
tunnels in which they all live. In that area is where the
shaman training is. Should involve mixture of items and combat.
Trolls only may level their shaman up to 30 here.
DeathKnight - The Devil Knights have a reasonably dry compound
set up on highground just outside the troll town. In there they
have death knight training. Trolls may train as death knights
in the troll town up to level 10. After that they must go to
Caladon to train.
SUGGESTED NEWBIE KILLING MOB IDEAS
Killing areas should be set outside the town in the swamp.
The possibility for mobs to kill in a swamp are endless:
snakes, swamp lizards, swamp bats, crocodiles, lizard man
raiders, etc...
SPECIAL
Nobody should be allowed out of the troll town until they are
at least level 5, so level boundries need to be set up to that
effect. Also, keep in mind that the deeper into the swamp a
player goes away from the town, the nastier things need to get.
To the north of the town a ways, is a lizard man lair which
extends like 2-3 levels underground, partially underwater. The
trolls and lizard men are always fighting one another. Another
thing is that the bank in the troll town MUST be in the Devil
Knight compound, as trolls dont deal with banks often.
Any post-offices are all troll-only to enter.