Character creation

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Character creation is a multi-step process that allows you to customize a new adventurer in the Character Manager before starting off on your story. In general, the decisions made in the Character Manager are final, but it is possible to change certain traits at cost. You can change your culture, stats, and skills with Simucoin; the latter two are also available for sale (as well as the ability to change certain parts of your appearance) from other adventurers for silver coins.

Gender

Every race has the same options for gender in step one: male or female. Aside from physical appearance and some dialogue, there are no mechanical differences between them.

Profession

Step two allows you to choose one of ten "classes" or professions which define your role, unrestricted by race or gender. Mechanically, one's profession dictates the frequency and cost with which skills may be trained, and the type and circle of spells which may be learned. There are currently ten professions from which to choose. At Level 15, the young adventurer will be eligible for entry into their profession's Guild.

Pure

Pure professions refer to those professions that have access to three spell circles and who are expected to train in Spell Research at least twice per level. These professions are physically weak, generally unable to wear heavy armor, but have a vast arsenal of magic to aid them in their work. Each of the four pure professions also has access to Alchemy through its guild skills.

  • Cleric
    Clerics gain spiritual power through service to their deity. Resurrecting the dead, communing with deities and banishing the undead are among their duties. Simple priests or valiant crusaders, Clerics fight for the spiritual well being of all.
They receive a bonus to their Wisdom and Intuition stats, and have access to the Major Spiritual, Minor Spiritual, and Cleric Base spell spheres of magic.
  • Empath
    Empaths transfer wounds from others to their own body then use their spiritual magic to heal themselves. Though primarily healers, they do have access to spells useful in combat. Selfless and true, Empaths gain rewards from the gods and from those they help.
They receive a bonus to their Wisdom and Influence stats, and have access to the Major Spiritual, Minor Spiritual, and Empath Base spell spheres of magic.
  • Sorcerer
    Sorcerers rely on spells of both the Elemental and Spiritual Spheres. Difficult to learn early on, they have the potential to be extremely powerful and deadly. Ruthless and cruel, Sorcerers are masters of disruption and destruction.
They receive a bonus to their Aura and Wisdom stats, and have access to the Minor Elemental, Minor Spiritual, and Sorcerer Base spell spheres of magic.
  • Wizard
    Wizards use spells which harness the forces of nature for use in attack, defense and utility purposes. They are adept in the creation and use of magical devices. Dismissing arms and armor, Wizards are the masters of elemental magic.
They receive a bonus to their Aura and Logic stats, and have access to the Minor Elemental, Major Elemental, and Wizard Base spell spheres of magic.

Semi

The semi professions are those who are generally expected to hunt primarily with a weapon of some kind, but support their attacks with magic. They have access to a minor and a professional spell circle and are able to train in Spell Research twice per level, but are also able to train in weapon skills twice per level and routinely wear at least hard leather armor.

  • Bard
    Bards combine skill at arms with elemental magic. Their spellsongs enhance the abilities of the bard and their party. Masters of lore, Bards are adept at revealing the secrets of magic items.
They receive a bonus to their Influence and Aura stats, and have access to the Minor Elemental and Bard Base spell spheres of magic.
  • Paladin
    Imbued with spiritual energy, Paladins are champions skilled in the ways of combat. Their prowess is guided by the calling of a patron deity.
They receive a bonus to their Influence and Aura stats, and have access to the Minor Spiritual and Paladin Base spell spheres of magic.
  • Ranger
    Rangers combine skill at arms with spiritual magic. They are very adept at maneuvering and using magical and mundane devices. One with nature, Rangers are exceptionally powerful in the outdoors.
They receive a bonus to their Dexterity and Intuition stats, and have access to the Minor Spiritual and Ranger Base spell spheres of magic.

Square

The square professions are those which are based around physical traits, such as weaponry, armor, lockpicking, or climbing, without much aid from magic. They have access only to two minor spell circles (the official definition of a square) and high costs for magically-related skills, but have low training costs for physical skills.

  • Monk
    Dedicated disciples of the mystical interactions of mind and body, Monks are masters of the minimalistic approach to combat, specializing in unarmed combat.
They receive a bonus to their Strength and Agility stats, and have access to the Minor Mental and Minor Spiritual spheres of magic.
  • Rogue
    Rogues specialize in maneuvering and manipulation. Adept with weapons and armor, they learn skills such as picking locks, detecting and disarming traps, climbing, perception and ambushing. In most societies, the Rogue is as honorable a profession as any other.
They receive a bonus to their Agility and Dexterity stats, and have access to the Minor Elemental and Minor Spiritual spheres of magic.
  • Warrior
    Warriors focus on arms and combat. They rely on strength, steel and the persuasive power of the edge of a blade. Devoting their lives to combat, Warriors are the quintessential fighting machines.
They receive a bonus to their Constitution and Strength stats, and have access to the Minor Elemental and Minor Spiritual spheres of magic.

The Savant profession has been announced as an additional profession to be released in the future.

In addition to their main profession, many adventurers also focus on a secondary, non-combat profession to gain wealth and experience. Most commonly, empaths offer their healing services on demand in hubs for adventurers coming back from a hunt. Clerics can offer blessings and resurrections, and bards offer lore identification to reveal an item's special properties. Warriors can assess weaponry or create custom sheaths. Unlocking loot boxes, foraging for specific herbs, and skinning quality furs are all services offered by multiple professions. There is also a great deal of merchanting done, with either flat priced sales, or more commonly, quick-fire auctions.

Race

Primary Article: Race

The third step is to choose a race for your character from thirteen playable races. This choice affects your appearance, the demeanor of some NPCs, and the availability of some race-specific verbs. While there are subtle mechanical differences (a giantman can carry more than halfling, but a halfling is more agile), the races are designed to be balanced, such that no one race possesses an unfair advantage over other races.

Aelotoi are thin with large heads and big round eyes totally devoid of white. They have diaphanous wings of varying color but they are too weak to fly. It is often easy to tell how an Aelotoi is feeling based on the position of his or her wings.
Burghal gnomes live in, under, or near the cities of other civilizations. Excellent scavengers and thieves, their true delight lies in the art of tinkering. Burghal gnomes take great delight in puzzles and games, though some prefer pranks and dirty tricks.
Long ago exiled after the Undead War, Dark Elves skin grew dark from exposure to the mana foci of Rhoska-tor. Disinguished by sharp features, they possess a great love of knowledge and learning and have mastered spiritual and elemental magic as no other race ever could. Many are still bitter and resentful of their political status.
Hardiest of the races, dwarves are short (usually under 4'6"), and stocky. Their beards are a matter of great pride, often long and elaborately braided. Some dwarven females are bearded, some are not. Neither agile nor quick, they have a natural resistance to certain forms of elemental magic.
Tall, slender and agile with fine features, Elves are resistant to the ravages of time and disease. Their senses are extremely keen but their long lifespans bring a natural lack of discipline. Elves are talented in many things and consider themselves superior to other races, especially humans.
Erithians are tall, thin and have slightly pointed ears and almond-shaped eyes giving them a somewhat elf-like appearance. Hardy and deceptively tough, both genders are often balding with just a fringe of hair. Erithians mysteriously appeared in Elanthia only 1500 years ago. They are a graceful race, using finely crafted weapons such as the katana and sai.
Forest gnomes protect their dwellings with camouflage, deadly traps and poisonous foliage. They have become stronger and wiser in order to survive. Despite their cautious nature, Forest Gnomes can be friendly and are known to be great lovers of poetry and rumination.
Tall (sometimes over 7'), well built and physically strong. Great warriors and builders, their intuition matches their physical prowess. However, they are not especially quick or agile.
Appearing as humans with slightly pointed ears and sharp features, Half-elves are agile and dexterous like elves, yet full of strength and stamina like humans. Unfortunately, they are shunned in many lands due to the enmity between humans and elves.
Half-Krolvins have pale skin with a slight blue or blue-gray tinge. Particularly hairy, their long arms have delicate fingers with swollen-looking knuckles. Half-Krolvin benefit from strong able bodies, but often get into trouble due to poor judgment or short-sighted reasoning.
Smaller than most, Halfings are rotund and have large feet endowed with luxuriant hair. Preferring the simple pleasures of life, such as good food (mostly tarts), drink and companionship, their inquisitive manner frequently lands them in awkward situations.
With an average stature between 5'5" and 6', Humans are rather stocky and tend to be somewhat rustic in appearance. Men often sport a beard or mustache while the women tend to be sturdy and good-natured.
Long ago, when the elves moved from the forests to build their Seven Cities, some remained and became Sylvan. Extremely rare outside of the forest, few Sylvankind ever leave their wooded homes. Slight and lithe, they move about the woodlands and hills with ease, preferring garbs of forest green and brown.

Culture

Primary Article: Culture

Culture is the shared background of various population groups. Depending on which race you selected previously, each new character may choose one culture at step four of character creation, or if they prefer they may leave it unchosen. If no culture is chosen, then it may be selected at any time afterwards with TITLE SET CULTURE {culture}. Once selected, culture may only be changed afterwards with SimuCoins. Very rarely, there may be events (such as the release of a new culture option) where characters of a particular race receive a free culture reset.

There are no mechanical differences for the different cultures with one notable exception. Due to long-standing prejudices, only full-blooded fair elves are allowed in the inns and and cafés of Ta'Illistim.

Appearance

In step five of character creation, you can customize eleven different aspects of your character's physical characteristics and appearance.

  • Height
  • Hair Color
  • Hair Style
  • Hair Texture
  • Hair Quirks
  • Eye Color
  • Eye Characteristics
  • Skin Color
  • Nose Characteristics
  • Facial Features
  • Distinguishing Mark

Stats

Assign attributes in step six by distributing 440 attribute points between ten traits (or using a fixstats potion). Each profession has two primary stats which receive an additional +10 after you have allocated points. During statistic placement, a minimum of 20 points must be allocated to each statistic and only four statistics can have more than 70 points with only one allowed to be higher than 90 (not including the +10 modifier for prime statistics). As a character gains experience and increases in level, these values will increase, up to a maximum of 100.

A measure of a character's innate connection to the spiritual, mental, and elemental magic that is woven throughout the world of Elanthia. Elemental magic is strongly tied to Aura, and a character's spirit points (SP) are determined based on this stat.
A representation of a person's grace in motion and general nimbleness of body. Actions requiring balance, maneuverability, or quick reactions are based on this attribute. Agility directly affect a character's defensive strength (DS).
Constitution is a measure of the physical durability. It helps with disease, critical hits, and maximum Health Points. It also affects encumbrance and some maneuver checks. Constitution does not affect a character's stun and Health Point (HP) recovery rate.
A measurement of a person's hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. This aids in actions requiring precision and deft manipulation, such as picking locks, picking pockets, skinning, and aiming ranged or targeted attacks.
Discipline is a measure of a character's force of will, determination and ability to focus on the task at hand. Discipline is used in many systems, including the amount of experience gained before needing rest and attempts to resist mental or emotion-based attacks.
A person's ability to influence others. Some aspects of Influence include leadership, inspiration, persuasion, intimidation, fear, presence, and personal charm or magnetism. Magics and abilities that affect the mind are affected by Influence.
A person's innate or instinctive ability to sense things without conscious deduction or critical analysis. unlike Logic, Intuition is the ability to make decisions with little or no supporting evidence, relying upon subconscious "hunches". This includes prescience, perception, and luck.
A person's capacity for critical and rational thought, reflecting their ability to reach logical conclusions based on facts. Logic affects how much experience is gained before needing rest, experience absorbtion rate and the ability to activate magical items and scrolls.
Strength is a measure of physical prowess. It affects a character's Attack Strength (AS) with melee weapons and how much you can carry (encumbrance) before suffering penalties. The Strength Bonus is added directly to a character's AS.
A representation of a person's common sense, pragmatism, and ability to draw upon past experiences to evaluate new challenges. Wisdom also represents a person's conscious connection with spirituality. Spiritual magic is strongly tied to Wisdom.

Skills

Step seven of character creation is choosing which skills to specialize in using physical and mental training points. Skills can be trained by checking into an inn or by using the GOALS command. Some skills, like Climbing and Swimming, will provide only a negligible bonus if trained past a certain point. Others, like Spell Aiming for Wizards and Combat Maneuvers for Warriors, are lifetime investments.

  • Armor Skills
  • Weapon Skills
  • Combat Skills
  • Magic Skills
  • Spell Research
  • Lores
  • General Skills

Retraining

Normally, skills are difficult to untrain once you have selected them. Small changes in skills can be accomplished in a matter of hours, but forgetting an entire skill might take weeks or months to manage. GemStone IV is not without leeway for new players. Characters below level 20 can make instant changes to skills at any time via the GOALS (verb). This allows you to explore a wide variety of skillsets as a new player before finally settling on your chosen path.

Furthermore, during the Festival of Oleani each Spring, a FIXSKILLS is granted. Using the fixskills verb will allow you to instantly align your actual skills with your skill goals. This allows you to repair any major mistakes in your training, or to choose a new path entirely.

Name

The last step is to choose a name for your character, which can include from 3 to 15 characters. Names must be appropriate to a medieval fantasy world setting and composed entirely of letters only; names always use title case (i.e. the first letter of each word is capitalized) and must begin with a letter.

A GameMaster may make the decision that a character's name is inappropriate, or it may be reported as such by other players using BADNAME {player} {reason}. In such a case, a character will be pulled out of the main game environment until they have chosen a new name.

Starting

The three starter towns, where new adventurers first steps into the lands, are:

Premium adventurers have many more choices of where to start:

Regardless of choice, new characters enter the world with the following list of equipment:

  • a backpack
  • basic armor
  • hat, shoes, and pants clothing pieces
  • a main-hand or two-handed weapon, or a runestaff
  • a rations kit
  • a travel token
  • some silver, loaned from and repayable to the city which you started in
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