=begin comment *** *** WARNING: THIS IS A GENERATED FILE - CHANGES WILL BE LOST *** The source for this file is in CFPlus/pod/skill_help.pod *** Make any changes there and then run ./copy_doc *** =end comment =head1 Skills =head1 Description Instead of gaining experience for basically just killing monsters (and disarming traps) you can also gain experience in a variety of other skills, which can either be learned or used through a skill tool or talisman. =head1 XSkill Descriptions Below is a more detailed description of each skills and how they are used. =head2 alchemy You can identify potions, containers, and different kinds of ore and mineral, mix potions and create other stuff (such as gold, weapons, deadly monsters killing him/her etc.) from other ingredients using a cauldron L<$ARCH/cauldron.x11>. To identify alchemy stuff you have to stand over it or have it in your inventory and issue the command C. The alchemy items will be identified. Some might not get identified if your alchemy level is too low. A higher alchemy level will also help you to estimate the value of items better. To create something new, for example some dust or potion, you have to get a B. You find these in shops, guilds and some appartments. Some alchemy shops also let you use their cauldron for a fee. All you need now is to know what items creates which other item. You learn the ingredients this by finding recipes. It is B that you B all ingredients for a recipe before using them! For a start you could try to make B: Get 7 water bottles (filled), identify them, put them in a cauldron, do C. If everything worked there should be B in the cauldron now. Congratulations, your first alchemy was done! Be careful when doing alchemy and trying complicated receipes, they might fail and will backfire heavily at you. I You can easily create powerful monsters that will kill you, kill you again when you wake up in your savebed, kill you again... etc. =head2 bargaining This skill helps you to bargain in shops when buying and selling. The higher your bargaining level is the better prices you will get. Besides having a high bargaining skill it helps a lot to have a high L stat. When you are in a shop, you can C to see whether that shop will buy the items you want to sell at a higher price than others and whether the shopkeeper likes you. Elf shopkeepers will like elf players. =head2 bowyer You can identify missile weapons and missiles such as arrows, bolts and bows. One can also create special bows and arrows from other ingredients using the bowyer skill like the L skill and a B L<$ARCH/workbench.x11> (you just have to find out a recipe). =head2 clawing You can make a "bare-handed attack". Damage is based on the user's L and level. With time, one can have different claws such as fire claws or electric claws. An elemental residue from the dragon guild is required to change this. The dragon guild can be found in scorn. =head2 levitation You can levitate (fly low) at will. Using the skill first makes you levitate, and at the second time returns you to the earth. Levitation can be useful to fly over water streams that move you if you walk in them, or it prevents you from falling into a pit. =head2 summoning You can cast spells related to the B school of wizardry, which mostly summon monsters, bullet walls and similar things. This skill may be acquired either through the use of an appropriate B or learned via a L. The most basic spells you might want to get is 'summon pet monster' and 'charm monsters'. Look in the L if you got the spells and read their description. =head2 pyromancy You can cast spells related to the B (fire) school of wizardry. This skill may be acquired either through the use of an appropriate B or learned via a L. The first spell would be 'burning hands' which casts a cone of fire which burns your enemies. It becomes stronger with your pyromancy level. =head2 evocation You can cast spells related to the B (mostly cold magic) school of wizardry. This skill may be acquired either through the use of an appropriate B or learned via a L. The spell you should start with is 'icestorm' which casts a cone of ice which freezes your enemies. It becomes stronger with your evocation level. =head2 sorcery You can cast spells related to the B (identify, town portal and other meta-spells) school of wizardry. This skill may be acquired either through the use of an appropriate B or learned via a B. Sorcery has many utility spells, like 'identify', 'town portal' (making portals between two points in the world) and also attack spells like 'spark shower' and 'steambolt'. =head2 flame touch You can make a "bare-handed attack". Damage is based on the user's L and level. This is the default hand-to-hand fighting skill for the fireborn character class. =head2 hiding This skill lets you hide, that means that you will become invisible. To hide you need to find a place with other stuff on it where you can hide. You enjoy limited form of invisibility. If you attack or move too much you become visible. =head2 jeweler You can identify amulets, rings and talismans. One can also improve magic rings or enchant non-magic rings to give them stat bonuses, this works similar to the L, only that you need to put the ingredients in a B. For a more detailed documentation look in the L. =head2 jumping You can "skip" over one, two or three spaces in the selected direction. Distance depends on weight carried, L and L of the user. This skill may also be used as an attack. =head2 karate You can make a "bare-handed attack". Damage is based on the user's L and level. This attack is the fastest and (at higher levels) most deadly of the hand-to-hand attacks available. =head2 climbing Having this skill allows you to move faster through hilly areas than players without this skill. B You can't gain experience in this skill. Having this skill is enough to move faster. =head2 literacy You can identify books and scrolls that you hold. Since scrolls are currently always identified, this is not the greatest of skills. =head2 lockpicking You may "pick locks" (open doors). You need to have readied some B to use this skill. =head2 meditation Player can regain mana/hp at an accelerated rate by C, the L skill. Player must first strip off encumbering armour however. This skill is only available to the "monk" character class. =head2 one handed weapons You can use one-handed hand-held weapons (e.g. B, B, B, etc). Wield and ready the weapon by applying it and use the fire and direction keys. =head2 two handed weapons You can use two-handed hand-held weapons (e.g. B, B, etc). Wield and ready the weapon by applying it and use the fire and direction keys. =head2 missile weapons The user is capabale of making attacks with ranged weapons (eg bow, crossbow). Fire arrows by applying a bow and using the fire and direction keys. To fire specific arrows to kill a monster that is weak against a certain arrow, mark this arrow and fire. =head2 mountaineer While the skill is readied, the possessor will move faster through "hilly" terrain (hills, mountains, etc.) =head2 oratory You may "recruit" followers targeting them with your B skill. Recruitees must be unaggressive to start (a good way to pacify monsters is the L). Use of this skill may anger the audience. Also, some monsters are immune to recruitment. Success depends on user's level and her L vs. the recruitee's L and level. Kill experience from your followers goes directly to your oratory skill. Cleaning women and unagggressive low-level monsters (such as the dogs in the wizards house in scorn) are good initial targets for this skill. =head2 praying The praying skill allows you to cast "cleric" spells. In addition, this skill may be used to accelerate the accumulation of grace points by praying (see L. This skill may be either learned (e.g. using a L) or acquired through the use of a B. One of the best spells to start with is the 'holy word' spell and later, if you find it, the 'banishment' spell, which is much stronger. =head2 punching You can make a "bare-handed attack". Damage is based on the user's L and level. This is the most feeble of the hand-to-hand attacks. =head2 find traps You can search (more effectively) for traps. This is not a "passive" skill, it must be applied in order to gain the advantage in discovering traps, or actively used when in vicinity of a trap. To use it, fire into any direction. =head2 disarm traps You can disarm previously discovered traps (for example, with the B skill). =head2 sense curse You can detect whether items that you hold are B by firing in any direction while this skill is readied. =head2 sense magic You can detect whether items that you hold are B by firing in any direction while this skill is readied. =head2 singing You may pacify hostile monsters with this area attack skill. Certain kinds of monsters are immune. Success depends on user's level and her L vs. the monster's L and level. Singing is a good companion skill for the L: first you pacify creates using singing, then you can orate them, convincing them if your cause. It is a useful skill when monsters are overwhelming you, too. =head2 smithery You can identify arms and armour that you hold, and, with the help of a B, can even create weapons using the alchemy skill. =head2 stealing You can take items from the inventory of NPCs, monsters and maybe other players. =head2 thaumaturgy You can identify rods, wands and horns that you are holding, and, with the help of a B and the alchemy skill, create those things. =head2 throwing You can throw items at monsters. To do this, fire at a monster with this skill readied. You can chose what to throw by marking an item, if you do not chose an item, an item from your inventory is randomly picked and thrown unless the item is locked. ERROR: Randomly? =head2 use magic item You can use magic items like rods/wands/horns. The level of experience influences how powerful the spells are you can evoke from the rod/wand/horn. =head2 woodsman While the skill is readied, the possessor will move faster through "wooded" terrain (B, B, B, B, etc.). Woodsmen can also craft various items useful to their skill. =head2 inscription You can inscribe empty scrolls and books with a text. This is useful to create messages, especially via the Imperial Post Office (IPO). You can also write spell scrolls with a spell known to you. You need L, time and an old scroll for that. Backfire effects are possible. Only available as a 'writing pen'. How to write into a mail scroll/books etc.: mark # or use the menu use_skill inscription How to rewrite a spell scroll: mark # or use the menu cast # prepare the spell you want to write use_skill inscription # write the spell on the scroll If you succeed, the scroll will be a scroll of the spell you chose and your level of inscription as its level. Hence, you don't need to be that level in the spell skill to write higher level spellscrolls. Caution: Magic spell writing can be risky to one's health. There can be some negative effects if one fails to write a spell scroll. The most benign is that one becomes confused for a short time. Other effects are more severe and can even be dangerous. =head2 spark touch You can do a "bare-handed attack" and shock the opponent with this skill readied. Attacking is done by running into the opponent. This is a unique skill that can only be used by sparklings. =head2 shiver You can do a "bare-handed attack" and send waves of frost to the opponent with this skill readied. Attacking is done by running into the opponent. This is a unique skill that can only be used by iceborns. =head2 acid splash You can do a "bare-handed attack" and splash the opponent with acid using this skill. Attacking is done by running into the opponent. This is a unique skill that can only be used by acidborns. =head2 poison nail TODO: Add goblins and think about the name goblin. You can do a "bare-handed attack" and inject poison into the opponent with this skill readied. Attacking is done by running into the opponent. This is a unique skill that can only be used by goblins. =head1 About experience and skills =head2 Associated and miscellaneous skills In Deliantra, two types of skills exist; The first kind, "associated" skills, are those skills which are associated with a category of experience. The other kind of skill, "miscellaneous" skills, are not related to any experience category. The main difference between these two kinds of skills is in the result of their use. When associated skills are used successfully experience is accrued in the experience category associated with that skill. In contrast, the use of miscellaneous skills never gains the player any experience regardless of the success in using it. Both miscellaneous and associated skills can fail. This means that the attempt to use the skill was unsuccessful. Both miscellaneous and associated skills can have certain primary stats associated with them. These associated stats can help to determine if the use of a skill is successful and to what degree it is successful. All gained experience is modified by the associated stats for that skill (table skill statistics) and then the appropriate experience category automatically updated as needed. =head2 Restrictions on skills use and gaining experience Neither a character's stats nor the character class restricts the player from gaining experience in any of the experience categories. Also, there are no inherent restrictions on character skill use-any player may use any acquired skill. Average of Experienced Associated Gain Stats Multiplier 1 0.01 2 0.1 3 0.3 4 0.5 5 0.6 6 0.7 7 0.8 8 0.85 9 0.9 10 0.95 11 0.96 12 0.97 13 0.98 14 0.99 15 1.0 16 1.01 17 1.02 18 1.03 19 1.04 20 1.05 21 1.07 22 1.09 23 1.12 24 1.15 25 1.2 26 1.3 27 1.4 28 1.5 29 1.7 30 2.0 =head2 Algorithm for Experience Gain under the skills system Here we take the view that a player must "overcome an opponent" in order to gain experience. Examples include foes killed in combat, finding/disarming a trap, stealing from some being, identifying an object, etc. Gained experience is based primarily on the difference in levels between "opponents," experience point value of a "vanquished foe," the values of the associated stats of the skill being used and two factors that are set internally. (Note: If you want to know more about this, check out the skills_developers.doc.) Below the algorithm for experience gain is given where player "pl" has "vanquished" opponent "op" using skill "sk:" EXP GAIN = (EXP(op) + EXP(sk)) * lvl_mult * stat_mult where C is a constant award based on the skill used, C is the base experience award for "op" which depends on what op is (see below), stat_mult is taken from table experience modification, and lvl_mult is: For C<< level(pl)> < level(op) >>: lvl_mult = FACTOR(sk) * (level(op) - level(pl)) For C<< level(pl) = level(op) >>: lvl_mult = FACTOR(sk) For C<< level(pl) > level(op) >>: lvl_mult = (level(op)/level(pl)); where C is the level of "op," level (pl) is the level of the player, and C is an internal factor based on the skill used by "pl." There are three different cases for how EXP (op) can be computed: =over 4 =item op is a living creature: EXP(op) is just the base experience award given in the spoiler. =item op is a trap: EXP(op) = 1/(fraction of the time which the trap is visible). Thus, traps which are highly visible get lower values. =item op is not a trap but is non-living: EXP(op) = internal experience award of the item. Also, the lvl_mult is multiplied by any magic enchantment on the item. =back =head1 How skills are used =over 4 =item B<< skills >> This command lists all the player's current known skills, their level of use and the associated experience category of each skill. =item B<< ready_skill I >> This command changes the player's current readied skill to . =item B<< use_skill I I >> This command changes the player's current readied skill and then executes it in the facing direction of the player. Similar in action to the invoke command. =back Three player commands are related to skills use: L, L, and L. Generally, a player will use a skill by first readying the right one, with the ready_skill command and then making a ranged "attack" to activate the skill; using most skills is just like firing a wand or a bow. In a few cases however, a skill is be used just by having it readied. For example, the mountaineer skill allows favorable movement though hilly terrain while it is readied. To change to a new skill, a player can use either the B or B commands, but note that the use of several common items can automatically change the player's current skill too. Examples of this include readying a bow (which will cause the code to make the player's current skill missile_weapons) or readying a melee weapon (current skill auto-matically becomes melee weapons). Also, some player actions can cause a change in the current skill. Running into a monster while you have a readied weapon in your inventory causes the code to automatically make our current skill melee weapons. As another example of this-casting a spell will cause the code to switch the current skill to wizardry or praying (as appropriate to the spell type). It is not possible to use more than one skill at a time. =head2 Acquiring skills Skills may be gained in two ways. In the first, new skills may learned. This is done by reading a L and the process is very similar to learning a spell. Just as in attempts to learn incantations, success in learning skills is dependent on a random test based on the learner's INT. Using your INT stat, look in the learn% column in table primary stat effects to find your % chance of learning a skill. Once you hit 100%, you will always be successfull in learning new skills. The acquisition of a skill tool will also allow the player to use a new skill. An example of a skill tool is "lockpicks" lockpicks (which allow the player to pick door locks). The player merely applies the skill tool in order to gain use of the new skill. If the tool is unapplied, the player loses the use of the skill associated with the tool. After a new skill is gained (either learned or if player has an applied skill tool) it will appear on the player's skill roster (use the 'skills command to view its status). If the new skill is an associated skill, then it will automatically be gained at the player's current level in the appropriate experience category. For example, Stilco the Wraith, who is 5th level in agility, buys a set of lockpicks and applies them. He may now use the skill lockpicking at 5th level of ability since that is an agility associated skill. =head1 Authors Parts of this document were originally compiled, edited, and written by Brian Thomas, Klaus Elsbernd, and John W. Klar. Additional information compiled by Maciej Kalisiak, Gorlin, Anton Oussik and Gene Alexander. Adapted for use by I, enhanced and corrected by Pippijn van Steenhoven and Marc A. Lehmann.