Verb:FORAGE
The FORAGE verb is used to find various plants in wilderness areas in Elanthia. Most commonly, it is used to find herbs such as acantha leaf, though sometimes it is used to find poisons, flowers, fruits, or vegetables.
Foraging is also a task assigned by the Adventurer's Guild.
Syntax
The syntax for the forage verb is as follows:
- FORAGE {adjective} {noun}
The system is quite particular about the entry of the plant's name, and failing to send the proper syntax will still deplete one usage from the room temporarily. The adjective can be abbreviated, however, the noun cannot. For example, if foraging for ephlox moss, the command can be typed FORAGE EPH MOSS, however, FORAGE EPHLOX MOS will not find the ephlox moss, even if successful. Prepositions such as 'of' must be omitted ('a handful of oats' is found via FORAGE HANDFUL OATS). Sometimes an herb may have multiple adjectives; the rule of thumb is if the first adjective is a color, distinguishing it from other differently colored plants, then both adjectives must be used, where as if the first adjective is not a color, it cannot be used to find the plant of interest.
Foraging
The availability of the various plants depends on an area's terrain and climate. As many areas do not possess certain climates or terrains, many foragable items cannot be found in a given area. A specific room can only be foraged for five items at a time. When one successfully forages in a room, the "inventory" of the room decreases by one, and the room begins to regenerate its "inventory" at a rate of one per six minutes. If a room is depleted significantly and no foraging occurs in the room in 20 minutes, all five items in the "inventory" are replaced.
Foraging successfully depends on a few factors. The following will affect the character's chance of success:
- Increase
- Agility bonus
- Intuition bonus
- Survival skill
- Perception skill
- Kneeling position
- Open hands
- Ranger Base spell, Foraging (603)
- Ranger Base spell, Assume Aspect (650), Aspect of the Yierka
- Decrease
- Injuries (hands, eyes)
- Only one hand open
Messaging
- Understanding the messaging order
The foraging resolution check cascades through a series of checks to determine success, so the order of the messages is consistent. The check will only progress until a step in the check fails, or the forage is successful, and then stop. Knowing this order can improve the understanding of climates and terrain that forage-able items can be found in, and extends to all forage-able items. The resulting message displays the line that is not successful, so knowing which order affirms that all preceding checks passed.
The order of the cascading check is as follows:
- Resolution roll to determine success / failure
- Plant noun which must be spelled correctly and be valid
- Region type (this needs a bit more research)
- Climate type
- Terrain type
- Time of day which can affect select forage items
- Type of Room such as indoors or outdoors
- Forage item availability which may be zero if someone else has been foraging the area
The resolution roll results can be:
Roll not high enough
Roll indicates failure (negative roll)
Roll indicates failure (negative roll)
Plant does not exist, or the plant noun is misspelled (but the resolution roll was successful)
The region is not the right one for the forage attempt (but the resolution roll was successful)
The climate is not the correct one for the forage attempt (but the resolution roll and region pass the check)
The terrain is not the correct one for the forage attempt (but the resolution roll, plant, region and climate are good)
The time of day isn't correct for the forage attempt (but the resolution roll, plant, region, climate and terrain are good)
The room / area is not correct for the forage attempt (but all preceding checks are passed)
This room has been foraged until completely depleted:
- If all checks pass, the forage attempt is successful and the forage item is found and may be taken.