by Evan Klein
Some think Providence is the intervention of the gods, others that it the arbitrariness of the universe or the nexus. Providence often comes into play when you try things that are thought impossible or haven’t been tried before in game. The A.I. mainframe that controls the game will run an algorithm and decide if you succeed. You never can be sure when the hand of fate (or the developers) will step in. When it doubt trepid adventurer – Go for it!
Allure is not just physical attractiveness but also how you carry yourself. A high Allure can make you more appealing to Realmborn and Starborn alike and make them more likely to follow your will or side with you. Great leaders often place points into Allure. Beware, too high of an Allure can have deadly consequences, such as stalkers and blind obeisance. Most heads of leagues often place points into Allure, as do kings, merchants, prostitutes, and harem leaders.
“These are the eight attributes that govern your character. Level one humans begin with forty points to allocate. At level one, no attribute can begin lower than three or greater than ten. At each subsequent level up to fifty you will receive five additional points. Between levels fifty-one and seventy-five you will receive four points per level. From levels seventy-six to eighty-five you will gain three points per level. From levels eighty-six to max one hundred you will receive one point per level. At level one hundred, the aggregate attribute points you can naturally earn is four hundred and thirty. These points can be enhanced over the natural allocation limits by donning exceptionally crafted armor and weapons. Magically infused rings, necklaces and earing are also greatly sort after as they too can enhance these attributes. Even with magical enhancements, no attribute can currently be raised above one hundred. How would you like to allocate your points? Here is a chart you can refer to at a later time if needed.”
Attribute Allocation Chart
Levels
Points Per Level
Aggregate
1
40
40
2 - 50
5 per level
245
51 - 75
4 per level
100
76 - 85
3 per level
30
86 - 100
1 per level
15
430
I had thought briefly about balancing the points to start off, but I remembered what Haggerty had said. That many of the starting quests were things like destroying the infestation of giant rats in the basement of the inn or killing the wolf that has been attacking sheep at night. Allure and Mental Acuity wouldn’t really help me much fighting wild beasts. I figured if I had to do a good deal of fighting early on, I might as well hit hard and be able to take a hit or two. I also knew how important it was to be fleet of foot. I didn’t just want to be brawny and slow. I wanted to be like the three hundred pound linebacker who could not only power his way through the line but was also nimble enough to cut quickly and avoid the block and blindside the quarterback. I looked at the blank chart that suddenly popped up in my field of vision and asked Angelica to allocate the points as follow
Attribute
Natural
Adjustments
Total
Physical Strength
10
10
Physical Fortitude
7
7
Hand-Eye Coordination
6
6
Nimbleness
5
5
Mental Acuity
3
3
Mental Fortitude
3
3
Providence
3
3
Allure
3
3
40
40
I played around with the numbers the night before for a good hour. I kept going back and forth between allocating nine and ten points into strength. I had already sacrificed all of the metaphysical and spiritual attributes to add to all of the physical ones. I ultimately decided to max out at least one, the idea being if I hit something hard enough maybe it wouldn’t get up so quickly. I also knew that utilizing this attribute along with some of the skills and the perks I would be starting with could definitely cause some damage, even against foes stronger than me. I planned down the road to place points into Allure and Providence both of which I would be needed once settling in Grandview.
Angelica continued, “Let me now talk about your perks which are benefits that are unique to certain races or classes. Some of the perks are passive and you use without thinking. Others require you to activate them or to focus on. Some can be used both passively and actively to different effects. These perks are inbred and cannot be learned by other races or classes. However, variations of them may exist as spells or potions. As a constable working for Immersion Online you are entitled to six class based perks. Most character have between one and three perks. So these six will give you an advantage over even more powerful players:
True Sight (Active): You are able to read the names of characters and named beasts regardless of level. Their damage points, traits, skills and perks are available to you as well. Nothing can be hidden from the eyes of a constable. Beware! Other characters might know you are looking at their stats without their consent. It is considered an invasion of privacy to glance beyond what is normally available. True Sight also gives you the ability to see a Realmborn’s proclivity towards the darkness or the light, between order and chaos. In the rare case when a player has assigned themselves a proclivity, you will be able to see this as well. For example, a paladin must choose order and light. Doing so grants them powerful perks, such as Mass Heal. The same goes for characters who want to embrace darkness and entropy. Doing so may grant them powerful perks, such as Finger of Death. As a constable working for Immersion Online, there is no limit to the number of times per day you can activate this perk.
Behind the Veil (Active) (Passive): You are able to see through most illusions, glamors, and darkness spells. However, you cannot see through natural darkness. The malicious gnome who casts an illusion of a bridge over an endless chasm will be mightily disappointed when you do not plunge to your demise. And while you cannot see through a cloak of invisibility, you can sense that someone or something is invisible within a twenty-foot radius. Caution: This ability does not work with shapeshifters, chameleons, and the very rare incorporeal beings. As a constable working for Immersion Online, there is no limit to the number of times per day you can activate this perk.
Liar! Liar! (Active): There are times in your profession when it is best to lie, to stretch the truth. This perk is scalable. As you gain in levels, Realmborn and even many player characters, will believe the lies you weave. Beware! Believable lies have a greater chance of being believed for the good or the bad. As a constable working for Immersion Online, there is no limit to the number of times per day you can activate this perk.
Glean Truth (Active) (Passive): You can determine if a Realmborn or even a player character is telling you the truth. The truth you glean from characters can only be in reference to in game actions and events. You will not be able to discern if a character is being truthful about something beyond the game. Even though you know that a character is lying, this does not mean that you can force the truth from them. However, the next perk might assist. As a constable working for Immersion Online, there is no limit to the number of times per day you can activate this perk.
Intimidation (Active) (Passive): This is one of the most powerful perks in the game. You exude authority. This perk acts as a type of charm and conversely as an anti-charm device. You can control your voice, imbuing it with power. Your physical presence and how you carry yourself is also part of this attribute. You can use your voice and presence to disperse the rabble-rousers who want to incite a riot. Your level, the level of the creature you are trying to intimidate, and how well your opponent understands your language can all effect the power of this perk. Conversely, th
e perk gives you a strong resistance to most charm spells, fear spells, and geas. As a constable working for Immersion Online, there is no limit to the number of times per day you can activate this perk.
Blunt Force Trauma (Active): When words and the power of your will fail, you may find it is necessary to use some good old fashion head bashing. The bashing can be used to subdue and unfortunately even to kill sometimes. You do additional damage when using your hands, head, knees and elbows, as well as weapons such as clubs, maces, cudgels, shillelaghs, staves, staffs, truncheons and even tree branches. The amount of additional damage you cause grows separately for each blunt weapon you use. You can use this ability to hit someone or something with just enough force to subdue or knock them unconscious. You can also activate the perk to cause mass damage. When you do so you will strike for double damage (Levels 1 – 20), triple damage (Levels 21- 50), quadruple damage (Levels 51- 90), and five times damage (Levels 91 – 100). As a constable working for Immersion Online, there is no limit to the number of times per day you can activate this perk.
“Do you have any questions about the perks? If you do not, but think of any questions, you can pose them to me up until you reach level fifteen when I must leave you for another game employee.” Most perks were limited to one or two uses a days – more powerful ones maybe one or two times a week. Mine, being unlimited, definitely would give me an advantage, even against more established and seasoned players.
“I think I am good for now. I think I am going to learn by doing.”
“Those are very sage words,” Angelica responded. “We are almost done with your character creation. We only have two more steps. Skills are abilities you are able to learn through formal training, through practice, or by simply attempting something. For example, you can spend time training with a blade master to raise your sword skills. She can teach you how to lunge, thrust, block and parry. Many players at beginning or lower levels who can afford to pay for master training, use this as a way to become an expert swordsman in a safe location. When they finally leave the safe zone to level up, doing so is much easier. So even though they are level one or two, their sword skill may be level three or four. Others, like yourself, would rather learn by doing. I still trust that grizzled, old soldier who fought in a hundred campaigns and learned the forms and fighting tricks through the sheer need to survive to fight another day. You may also be granted skill points by attempting and succeeding at a feat. For example, let us say you are fleeing from a horde of murderous hobgoblins and your choices are to face the horde and be cut down, or jump into the cold river below you. Your choice might be the river. Unfortunately, your avatar has no skills points in swimming. The hand of fate will decide if you somehow figure out how to move your arms and kick your legs to stay afloat, or even manage how to swim. If Providence decides you swim to shore, you will have reached skill Level 1 in swimming. However, to get any skill above Level 1, you will need to practice the skill quite extensively or seek formal training. You can have an unlimited number of skills.”
She continued, “As a constable, you will start with two melee weapon skills, such as a sword and a knife; one distance weapon, such as a spear; and one unarmed combat skill, such as brawler or martial artist. You also start with armor and several non-weapon skills. Let us start with the weapon skills first.”
“Angelica, I reviewed the choices already and know what I want to begin with. For my primary weapon I will choose a mace and for secondary a dagger.” I didn’t really see myself as a swordsman type. I had usually been more brute force than finesse since I had been a teenager. A mace seemed very simple. Hit whatever was in front of you as hard as possible, breaking bones and denting helms. I also figured I should have a knife of some sort for close quarter combat so I chose the dagger. “For my distance weapon I would like a crossbow.” I chose the crossbow for while I knew they didn’t have great range, the bolts impacted with great force. “For unarmed combat I want brawler; and for armor I would like a mail shirt, bracers and greaves. I would also like a small wooden shield.”
“Your choices are set. However, I will improve upon them if you will allow me. As an employee, you will commence play with an advanced game pack. Your mace and crossbows will both be scalable. That means that as you reach certain skill levels, the items will become more powerful and will gain certain powers. For example, at Level 5 you will gain Power Blow and at Level 12 Mace gain Kinetic Strike. The chart for your weapon level skills and their descriptions can be found in Great Realm Player’s Guide and Compendium. Your bracer is also scalable and can act as intended and protect your forearm. Additionally, you can turn it into a shield. This will relieve you of the burden of having to carry a bulky shield around. When you no longer need the shield, it will retract right back into a bracer. These items will all be included in your starting package. You will also be provided with some other gear, such as a rucksack, pouches, rations, five healing potions, one hundred gold coins and the adventurer’s best friend, a twenty foot piece of rope.” It was lost on me, but apparently there is a joke amongst gamers of always making sure you have a twenty-foot piece of rope and a ten foot pole.
“This all sounds great,” I said. Just trying to take it all in. By now, I was just ready to jump into the game and get started. However, I knew there was still a bit more to be done.
“One final scalable item, kinetic brass knuckles, will be made available to you once you are level fifty and arrive in your office in Grandview. More information will be given to you at that time about these legendary brass knuckles. So now for the last step, the sensory receptors. How real do you want the game to feel to you?”
Sensory receptors concerned how acutely you wanted to react to the virtual world. Two sets of receptors existed – combat and non-combat. Non-combat setting allowed you to savor food, feel drunk, and experience an orgasm. The settings went from “1” to “5”. At a setting of “1”, you could barely taste the virtual food and barely smell the faintest aroma. Most players kept their non-combat sensory receptors at “3”. At “3” you could dive into a hearty stew and taste the little pieces of beef, onions and peas – seasoned with salt and a hint of black pepper. At a “3”, you could drink all the mead you desired without getting drunk. You would feel very good I was told… as if you had a light buzz going on without ever crossing into the good old drunk stage. Nevertheless, you would never lose control on a “3”. Even those who frequented the virtual brothels kept their receptors at “3”. Simply put, it was impossible for a man I was informed (to be quite blunt) to keep himself under control for very long with a setting of a “4” or a “5”. A “5” might actually cause you to pass out. For that reason most kept these receptors at setting “3”.
“I would like to keep my non-combat receptors at a “4”,” I said. I had chosen the “4” for a simple reason. You could get drunk! Or at least, virtually drunk. I didn’t really intend to stay online after my shift was over, but if it ever came time that I wanted to drink some of Grandview’s famous ale, I wanted a good drunk to go along with it. Drinking alcohol at a lower setting seemed to me like drinking an alcohol free beer and decaffeinated coffee – pointless.
“And what setting would you like for your combat receptors?” she asked. I had spent a good amount of time think about this last night while lying in bed. Most players kept their combat receptors either turned off or at a setting of “1”. At a “1” a sword thrust into your virtual chest would feel no more painful than a mosquito bite. A “2” would feel like a bee string. At “3”, you would actually feel some pain. Even the most diehard players didn’t go above “3”.
“Please set these receptors at a “4”,” I said. At a “4” you would sense real pain. Your nerves would explode in agony as the tip of the sword entered your belly; the fireball cast by the evil warlock that enveloped you would make your flesh feel like it was burning away.
For the first time I heard concern in Angelica’s voice. “Are you certain? This is a very high sett
ing for a seasoned player forget about the pain for a noob. Might I suggest you keep the sensors off at first or if you want to have some sensation, at a one?”
I had chosen this setting because I figured it would keep my senses on edge… keep me from doing anything too stupid in the game. No pain or danger of harm would just make me feel like I was a superhero and that would take away my edge. I would never do a setting of “5” because that could cause you to pass out. And it my line of work that was plain dangerous.
“I will keep the setting,” I said knowing that I could lower it any time I needed to.
“Again I would advise against. But it is your avatar. And if the pain becomes too much with just a single thought you can lower the settings to tolerable levels.” She went on to provide a long list of reasons why I should lower this receptor along with requesting a verbal acknowledgement freeing Great Realm Unlimited of any liability. I agreed. I also wondered why they even allowed pain receptors above setting “3” if it were frowned upon.
Angelica said, “Please open your display. All you need to do is think “display” and it will open. Please review your character chart and let me know if you would like to make any final changes.
Mace
Level 1 Constable
Pools and Bars
Adjustments
Current Percentage
Physical Pool
100%
Magic Pool
100%
Stamina Bar