CONCEPT
     Guilds

DESCRIPTION
	There is no such thing as a 'guild' within a Heaven7 mudlib.
There are the following, intended as replacements to be integrated
into the mud at a global level.

1) A class - like fighter, thief, cleric, etc

2) A subclass - like ranger is to fighter, like bard is to thief.

3) Player ascociations - These are basically loosely affiliated
player groups, designed by creators, but implimented by players.


     A guild is NOT a player's race. There should be no elf
guilds, or vampire guilds, or shape changers guilds. Allowances
for such is explained later.



     So, what is left when a Creator wishes to make a guild?

     A guild within this mudlib is simply of the form of what
would be known in AD&D terms as a 'sub class'. For purposes of
example I will use the paladin.




GUILD DESIGN
     1) A guild, or sub class, offers a player a wider range of
skills and spells from multiple classes, with the advantage of
only being in one class. With paladin, the player has access to
several clerical spheres, and hence spells, as well as fighter
skills. 

     Normally, a player would have to spend about x2+ the normal
cost for advancing skills in either of the two classes
fighter/cleric. Being a paladin, he only has to spend x1, as he
only has one class. 

     Belonging to the paladin subclass also offers the ability
of specialisation with weapons. That is, that when the player
uses weapons that he is a) proficient with, and b) specialised
in, he gains extra damage. 

     When you make a player part of your new guild/sub class,
remove ALL of his other classes, and set all his skills to ZERO!
In essence, the player leaves behind all his old training, and
begins anew. Then, add a new class name, like 'paladin'. Make
sure the player knows he can not join new classes while he is a
paladin, and make sure that he knows that when he becomes a
paladin, all his old skills are lost. To make it easier, you may
say instead, that while he has other classes, he can not be a
paladin. This will force the player to go and leave his other
classes himself. This will also make him realise that he will
loose his skills in those classes before he is permitted to join
up as a paladin.

     player->add_class("paladin");

     2) A player in a guild or sub class of this design can only
have ONE class. That is, he can not go and join up with the mages
and be a paladin/mage. 

     As the mud is designed around multi classing, and since
monsters also have these abilities, a sub class offers the player
more than the standard class offers. This is already seen in the
fact that a paladin has both cleric and fighter skills. A paladin
also gains further abilities unique to that sub class.

     When creating such abilities these are really dependant upon
the Creators imagination, and material he can find to give him
ideas. The AD&D Players Handbook (tm) is an ideal source of
information and has been used for the design of the paladin
'guild'.

     A paladin gains additional abilities of detecting evil/good
without the cost of divination spell points, the ability to heal
disease every so often dependant upon level.

     When you create spells or skills, add a new directory under
/skills, just as the /skills/fighter and /skills/cleric
directories are assigned. Using our paladin example, you would
create a /skills/paladin directory. This cuts down the need for
(and/or size of) separate 'guild objects'.

     When a paladin wishes to cast a cure light wounds, a small
file or 'daemon' object within the /skills/paladin directory
makes a simple call to the /skills/cleric directory in order to
cast the spell. This cuts down the need for multiple files, and
means that a paladin with healing sphere of 10 heals the SAME as
a cleric with healing sphere 10. Each are then directly
comparable!

     3) All classes have their own weapon and armour
restrictions. Thieves don't use heavy armour or shields, and
mages wear almost no armour at all. When designing a guild or sub
class one must decide what armour/weapons are applicable to that
class. A paladin, as it is mainly a fighter-type may not have any
weapon or armour penalties. However, literature suggests that
certain weapons are preferred by paladin; lance, certain swords,
etc. Paladin, like knights, pride themselves upon the armour they
wear and would certainly not wear the garb of thieves and
peasants! Such would be against their station of honour! Hence,
paladins never wear leather armour, and prefer platemail, full
plate armours, etc.

     The /include/skills/armour.dat and weapon.dat files contain
a library of data for classes armour/weapon restrictions. When
you create a guild your restrictions are added here according to
the class name. In this case, paladin.

     4) When you add new skills, like weapon specialisation, a
file named /include/skills/paladin.h is used. In that dir you
will also notice all the .h files for the other classes. Inside
each are the individual abilities for fighter, cleric, thief,
etc. 

     Design your new stats, and then request it be placed here.
This does mean that when you design your new class/guild, it goes
into global use! Monsters will then be allowed to use these
abilities also. You can even make a paladin monster!

     The /include/skills/skills.h file has your paladin.h file
included into it. This file also contains the number of hit
points given to your class. For paladin they get the average of
cleric and fighter (simply because those are the types of
classes/skills they have). 

     Other special functions can be used through either (a)
/obj/shadows/ directory, or (b) through an object with the id
'guild_object'. Actions and abilities should not be coded through
these objects, but special combat, and other functions can call
upon shadow or guild_objects. This must also be extensively
tested and approved before players are allowed to use it.

     A guild room must also be used. An example of one can be
found in /room/city/cleric/paladin.c This inherits the GUILD
room file, and has a few alterations which you will simply need
to copy. Experience and levels and titles are put here.

     Also, don't forget the help files. The /functions/help.c 
object has all the information you require to add help files.
Please ask an ELDER before you add help files.



     5) Once you have decided upon all the skills, spells, and
abilities of the new class, just put the proposal forward to the
Creator in charge of class design. He/she should be able to make
all the arrangements to include it into the /skills directories
for you to further test and apply. DO NOT FORGET to make help and
manuals for the class which will be read, and then added.

     Once the new class goes into operation you should be given
access to make new additions, new spells, etc. Classes like
cleric and mage always have new spells added to their selections,
so there is no reason why a paladin, who has healing sphere,
should not also have access to these new spells!


OLD DESIGN GUILDS
     There are many other forms of 'guilds' that players will
recognise from older LPmuds. Undead guilds are popular. Players
seem to love to be evil and suck peoples blood and drain their
life essence. This is not, however, a guild design, but more of
a playing tool that can be designed.

     Within the mudlib there is a potion of 'Lichdom' that is
able to be created, making the player 'undead', with new powers
and abilities of a Lich, instead of his old race (or perhaps with
the bonuses of both!). 

     Lycanthropy is a DISEASE (or perhaps a curse) and not a
guild. It is expected that lycanthropy will be an addition to the
diseases that players are able to catch. It will have its
penalties (perhaps they rip out of their armour and destroy it
when they turn into a werewolf when the moon is full...using the
weather/day/night system), and its advantages. The AD&D rules
suggest that a person is freely able to control their lycanthropy
state and change into the form when they choose to after a period
of about 3 years. Players inflicted with lycanthropy may have to
wait 24 hours of playing before they can perform their shape
change. 

     New races can always be added. There is no need to make a
deep gnome guild, just make it into a new race. Adding a new race
is more difficult than a guild, because it has to be interwoven
into many different files; room.c, player.c, and others. But if
you have the desire to do so, then there should be no reason why
you shouldn't be permitted to. 

     Races do have their advantages and disadvantages. Their
maximum stats (strength, intelligence, etc) are typically 22-23,
lower than the human average of 25. Yet, they have their own
little bonuses here and there, poison saves, magic saves, weapon
bonuses and penalties, etc. Think hard about it before you decide
to add a new race.


HISTORY
     The Paladin 'guild' was originally designed for GUMBImud,
but was suggested that it was too powerful compared to other
classical guilds. This is the common problem with guilds; its
hard to compare them directly for their power. 

     This system allows direct comparison of skills/spells. A
paladin's healing sphere is the same as the clerics healing
sphere. 


AUTHOR
     Angel, Feb 1995.