Here I'll talk a little more about the specifics of the game.
How does the game differ to our usual games?As I've designed the game with solo characters or pairs in mind, most interaction will be with myself or your partner if you have one. That means that for the most part, roleplay will be done in a specific thread for each player/pair for the duration of their time in a specific region, so it will be like keeping your character's adventures in a journal. Each major settlement has its own thread, however. Others may be added over time.
How closely will we be following the books?The quests, locations and characters will be largely the same as those in the books, at least initially, but I've tweaked the system to better suit our purposes. While we are going to use the books for a lot of things, I'm hoping we'll also diverge in fun and interesting ways.
Will I have freedom to do what I want in the game?As much as I can give you. While I want to follow the books for the purpose of quests and world structure, you will have almost complete freedom in where you choose to travel across the Fabled Lands and will frequently generate random encounters, either mandated by the books or created by myself. If players choose to initiate new scenarios that aren't based on the books, I will incorporate those situations as much as possible. After all, there are a lot of places the books don't cover in much detail, and quest threads that could be expanded upon, so there's a lot of leeway for us to create our own stories. Interaction with NPCs is encouraged, as is RP with your partner if you have one. Likewise, if you and another player happen to end up in the same location, you are encouraged to interact with them if you so choose.
How active do I have to be?I'm hoping this will have a more casual pace than some of the games we've had in the past, but I'd ideally like players to post at least once every other day, when circumstances permit. Ultimately, you'll be able to get more done if you are more active, but that certainly doesn't mean that people who are less active will be left out, as you will be able to move at your own pace. If you want to play with a partner, I'd request that you choose someone with a similar activity level/time schedule to yourself, for convenience.
Do events from one book carry into another?Definitely! The way the books interconnect with one another is one of my favourite things about the series. You could anger an NPC in book 1 only to encounter the same person in book 3, and find items whose purpose you will not discover until much later.
Why can't I visit more places shown on the Fabled Lands maps?I'm purposely keeping everyone in the lower level regions until you gain some skills and experience. I'll be unlocking extra regions when I feel you guys are ready, such as when someone unlocks a relevant quest. So keep your eyes peeled for information relating to the Great Steppes, Uttaku, Akatsurai and the Weeping Jungle. However, some areas were intended to be covered by books 8-12, which have not yet been written, so we won't be venturing there. Basically, if I can't go there, you guys can't either! The
Map thread may be useful.
What species can I play?Everyone plays a human. Some of you may encounter other sentient species in time but humans are the dominant species in the Fabled Lands.
Is my character a native of the Fabled Lands?No, you're all playing exiles from an unspecified faraway land and will be arriving at a currently unspecified location in the Fabled Lands.
Can I buy equipment?Yes, any time there is a market available. All towns and cities have a substantial market and most villages have a small selection of goods available. Any time you would like to buy or sell equipment, you need only post your intentions whilst visiting a settlement and I'll let you know which items are available to purchase or sell in that particular area. In the larger towns, you'll find that you will be able to buy and sell most standard equipment. There are some circumstances in which more specialist markets are available. I'll provide details on those where appropriate.
How do I get a ship?You might be lucky enough to get one via RP or lucky dice rolls. Alternatively, you can buy one from most port cities. See the
Travel thread for more details on ports.
How do skill and rank upgrades work for people travelling in pairs?On many occasions, a travelling pair will benefit from the same upgrades to their skills and ranks, but there is an element of randomness to the game. For example, if you are asked to roll 2d6 in order to beat your Charisma score and get a bonus, one character might roll above their current score and gain a +1 while another player rolls a lower number and doesn't get the extra point added. Any time a bonus is given without conditions, you'll both benefit. However, when it comes to Class-specific quests, only the person who belongs to the designated Class will get the full bonus. Their partner will get a smaller bonus instead to reward them for any assistance they gave during the quest. For example, when a person gains a Rank, they roll 1d6 and add the results to their total Stamina. If, for example, a Priest was travelling with a Bard who had just gone up a Rank during a Class-specific quest, the Priest would get a bonus of 1d3 instead. The
Dice Rolls thread may be useful.
What happens to loot when I'm travelling with a partner? Do I have to share it?Yes. You'll split money in half and have to decide between yourselves how to divide inventory items, and whether to sell them. Items can be bought and sold at the markets.
Do both partners in a duo get to benefit from a title awarded during the game?Yes. Everyone gets to use a title they have gained. If you leave your travelling partner, you both get to keep the titles you've already earned, but a new partner who has not completed the relevant quest would not get to use that title.
What happens if someone other than my partner is on the same quest as me? Can we all complete the quest?Sometimes, yes, but on many occasions the quests may have only one victor, because you can't all kill the same NPCs. Choose your quests wisely.
Can I fight with another player in order to claim their loot?You could, but there could be serious consequences so I wouldn't recommend it.
Can I die in the game?Yes. If you have a Resurrection deal, you'll come back to life in a designated location but without any money or weapons. You'll be provided with basic clothing but will need to find new equipment or else retrieve items from an existing stash. Without a resurrection deal, you're dead for good and must start again.
How many times can I be resurrected?As many as you like, as long as you can pay for it. You can have only one deal at a time, however.
How many loot stashes can I have?One per region, not counting money in the bank. So, at this moment in time you would be permitted a total of stashes, one in Sokara, one in Golnir and a third in the Violet Ocean, as well as money in the bank. Banked money may be withdrawn at a cost of 10% interest to the bank, at any location that possesses a bank. You may deposit and withdraw money as often as you like. If you're travelling with a partner, you'll be sharing your stashes but can bank money individually if you'd like to.
How many blessings can I have at a time?You may have a total of 5 separate blessings at a time. Each blessing will be for a different type of skill reroll i.e. Charisma, Sanctity or Safety From Storms.
Can I play in a questing group larger than 2 players?No. I believe the game will run more smoothly with players working alone or in pairs.
Which is the best temple to belong to?Wait and see.
Can I belong to more than one temple?No. You can only serve one god at a time. If you wish to switch allegiance, you will need to renounce membership of your current temple in order to join a new one. Be warned, there will probably be a penalty for doing so. Here's some information about
Religion in the Fabled Lands.
Do any of the statistics have minimum levels?Yes. Your skills can never reach a level lower than 1. Likewise, your Rank can never be lower than level 1 (Outcast). However, if your current stamina reaches 0, you are dead.
Do any statistics have maximum levels?Yes. Your base skill levels can go as high as 12. Most bonus items will be capped at a maximum of +6, which is added to the base score. There is no cap for Rank, Stamina or Defence.
How does time work in the game?We'll be playing it by ear to some extent but I'll be setting boundaries regarding travel between different areas of the Fabled Lands, particularly regarding ship travel so everyone has a chance to do things.
Are there ways to play the system in order to gain extra loot and money?In the books, yes, but I want to keep system exploits to a minimum, so I'll be eliminating those situations where possible.
What are you as admin most looking forward to?
Fleshing out major areas like Dweomer, and seeing what happens when players are working on the same quest.