This book contains the pearls of wisdom as laid down by Andronicus before his premature departure from the Ravenblack world. It is an excellent primer for the new player and may well hold some useful tips for the more experienced. They are reproduced here with the kind permission of the author.
All words except those marked Madeye Note are the words of Andronicus. I have left in his original thanks and credits. If anyone objects to their name being used, please register and post a comment on the relevant page and I shall remove it.
Most of this book was originally written for the Freedom Trade Alliance, where much of this information is still posted and to whom much credit for this work should go.
Introductory Thanks
Thanks go to Retro Johnny, Morgana/Donna, Sasquatch, Tich, Cunnilingus1, biberman, creperum, Sir Vampyre, purplelight99, SimSil, Nicolae, Furry One, Jezebel Moon's Ho and many more whom I can't recall off hand.
Special thanks to Parelle of the Sun Clan for her continued support and information assistance. And, of course, very special thanks to Lady Ravven of the FTA for hosting my resurrected pages. You're a blessing, dear. Without her, you wouldn't be viewing this now.
Thanks also to all of you that post at FTA and the Live Journal community Lost In Shadows for making these texts possible. Keep posting. I appreciate everyone who shares their information. It's what these groups are about.
And of course, thanks to the game's creator, Raven Black for being a constant source of entertainment and information. Without the help he gave me when he visited my IRC channel so long ago I may never have learned as much as I now know, and I'm not just talking about the game information. Well, and he did throw in that barman quote about PBIANPF for me as well.
What a swell guy.
Common Abbreviations
Throughout the texts, I use some common abbreviations. Not all of them do I use in the texts, but you may see them in a post on some boards, and I may have used one and forgotten that I did, so just in case...
AP = Action Points
BP = Blood Points
RL = Real Life
EG = Empaths Guild
IG = Immolators Guild
TG/ThG = Thieves Guild
TrG= Travellers Guild
HW = Holy Water
SoTelep = Scroll of Teleportation
SoTurn = Scroll of Turning
FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions
RTFM = Read The Fucking Manual
IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
IMUHO = In My Un-Humble Opinion
FWIS = From What I've Seen
IME = In My Experience
PBIANPF = Pat Buchanan Is A Nazi Pig-Fucker (I'm serious.)
General FAQ
Did the guild move already? Where is it?
It probably is still there. You just don't know how to see it, yet. Like all the addresses given in The City, the actual location is always one square South-East (SE) of the coordinates given, or if it's easier for you, Diagonally down and right of the cross-streets.
So an address of "Steel and 58th" is meaning not in the middle of the street itself [the gray squares], but just SE of it [in the black square]. Since the guilds are secretive and roving bands of power-givers, you will never see the 'sign' like for a transit station, pub or magic shop. You must put yourself EXACTLY in the black square SE of the cross- streets. Then new options will show up.
Of course, the guilds do move every few days. Usually about every 4 days or so, but they don't really follow a timing pattern that we have been able to fix. Most the time, the Thieves Guilds move first, then all the others.
If you're absolutely certain that a guild has moved and plan to tell the FTA about it, prove it and include a screen shot of your pire in the correct square showing that there is no guild info coming up below the map view. If you don't know how to do a screen shot, see here.
If I go to Guild #3, can I get them all at once?
Nope. Sorry, but you must chase down the exact one you want for the level of power you are after. For instance, to get the power Shadows 2, you can't go to TG1 or TG3. You can only get it from TG2. It is a bit of a work out, but it makes the goals of the game more interesting, I think.
How do I do this without getting screwed? (aka "I always get robbed before I can get the power!")
Well, you must plan. I used to post the locations to the FTA on a fairly regular basis and usually in a very usable format, and it seems that once my absence struck, others have carried on the custom. So you can plan out, with the use of maps and information, (like that available here), the route you plan to take, and how much AP you, personally will need to get from your current location to attaining the power.
Basically, you need to see how many moves it will take for you to get from where you are, to a bank to withdraw, (the one closest to the Guild, so you minimize the amount of time which you carry your money one you, decreasing thefts) to the Guild, and at least 5 squares away. 5 squares seems to be the minimum distance one can safely sit from a known Guild and not get over-run with thieves and biters.
NEVER sit anywhere near ANY building or Guild with the money to pay for a power ON you. You will certainly get it robbed.
The best thing is to plan out the # of AP, know where you are going exactly, go to sleep and stock up more than enough AP to do what you have to and get away, hopefully leaving you in a safe area later, never having been robbed or what have you because you never stopped moving long enough to get snagged!
Can I get two powers at the same time?
Yes and no. It depends what the powers entail. If you are trying to do two quests at once, no you can't. If, on the other hand, you are going to buy a non-quest power and a questing one, or two non-quest powers, then yes.
So, for instance, if I want to get Thievery 2 and Shadows 2 at the same time [both are at the Thieve's Guild, BTW], then I would surely be able to. However, trying to get Suction and Stamina at the same time will not work.
How do the banks work?
The banks are your best friends. They hold your money safely away from the prying hands of thieves, they work all over the place in cooperation, and they don't lose your money like RL banks. You save your money here to buy powers.
Yes, if you deposit money in one location, your money will be accessible from another location. It's just like a real bank in that aspect. The good thing is, it is in no other way like a real bank. It won't lose your deposits, charge you fees, or any number of bad things.
Sadly, you also get no debit card (so yes, you have to have the money on you to buy things), you can't bite the teller, you can't rob the bank and you can't throttle the manager into approving a loan. Otherwise, they're great.
Omnibank member since Feb 2003.
What is the Graveyard for?
Well it is a memorial for the controller of the vampire Pazuzu. You can see when you are in the graveyard that below the map view is the note regarding the inscription on Pazuzu's headstone. The Real Life controller of Pazuzu was Steve. A friend to many people in the RP of the game, Steve died from heart complications, which he had suffered his whole life, and those of us who knew him beseeched RavenBlack to commemorate his passing.
Actually, the vampire name of the person directly responsible for the graveyard's existence is Wander. So if you see him on the streets, maybe give him a little room and don't bite or rob him, out of respect for his kind deed.
Speaking of which, most clans and groups have a respect for this cemetery which they honor by declaring it a no-attack, no-thieving zone, or somehow describe it as an "off limits to negative acts" place. Those of us in FTA ask that you please show the respect that such a place deserves and also not bite, rob, scroll or holy water in this place. It has become a sign of respect to not do violence to each other in the Graveyard.
That being said, many many people don't know about the RP of this game, or care that we had a cemetery put in. So don't be at all surprised if someone does bite or rob you here. Simply let them know via an in game message using [Say It] from the "More Commands" options, that the Graveyard isn't just a place on the streets, but a real memorial to a well respected player who died in real life, and that we ask them to respect it's true meaning as a memorial. You could even add a link to the FAQ Raven Black provides on the matter, and maybe even the FTA itself, if you would be so kind.
The act of not retaliating, but explaining the situation, will usually be more impressive than a HW in the fangs. It will leave a more reverent mark upon the player than any item.
How does the street layout work?
First, you should get a map. The most recent one I have will HOPEFULLY always be available HERE for you to save.
Now, to really understand the street layout, you should know a few details. Obviously they run in numeric order from top to bottom, so it's 1st street and in order to 100th street. Then there is the tricky bit. The named ones.
The 100 named streets run in alphabetical order of sorts. First divide the city in half. Then figure two streets for each letter of the alphabet, except the letter "X". The first half of the city is animals and trees. The second half is stones and moods.
So in the first half, the west side, it starts "Aardvark" (a type of animal) "Alder" (a tree) "Buzzard" (animal) "Beech" (tree) and so on through "Zebra" and "Zelkova". So in order of animal, tree, animal, tree, all through the first alphabet side, skipping "X"
The second half of the city, the east side, is stones and a variety of negative emotional states. Like the west side, they always follow the pattern of stone, mood, stone, mood. So after "Zelkova" from the west side is "Amethyst" (stone), "Anguish" (mood), "Beryl" (stone), "Bleak" (mood) and so forth until "Zinc" and "Zestless", skipping "X".
What's a clan/What clans are there/Where can I join one?
Ugh... I hate these questions. There's always so much more to it than I, or I dare say anyone, can fully explain. Let's start easy, though: What is a clan?
A clan is a group of players who band together into groups where they share information, maybe Role Play (RP), help each other out with learning and getting powers, and more. You do
not need to be in a clan in order to Role Play, nor do you actually need a clan for any real reason.
Some clans are based on blood lines. IE: A master vampire and their childer, and their childer's childer, and so on. Others are based on simply desire to unlive by a certain standard or set of ideals.
Also, clan related, but not clans, are places like the FTA, or other info-based, open-to-all areas, where new and old vampires can learn about the game and make themselves strong with power and knowledge.
As for 'What clans are there?', that's a bit harder. See, there are new clans forming all the time, some clans have disbanded over time, some exist but never become known to those of us here in the Yahoo groups or related boards... There are all kinds of groups. In fact, many clans have become so game-dedicated that they set up massive sites and spend a great deal of time maintaining clan-related places that they can easily overwhelm a new person.
Your best bet is to look around for a non-clan based group where you can learn about the Role Play facet of the game a while before committing to a given clan. Aside from the FTA there is the Phoenix Clan news board, the New and Improved RBB (actually not the RBB, but much better, I hear), the Live Journal community "Lost In Shadows," and I'm sure a whole host of others I have no time or inclination to find a link for. The in-game FAQ pages have an entry about meeting other players and there are links to not only the FTA but many other groups. Check there for some good links.
From there you will figure out how to go about joining one, if that's the course you decide upon, but I can't offer much more specific info. Well... Except this: Don't join the Empire. It was once my own group, but after several poor sportsmen screwed the game up for me, I left it and all the RP stuff. Since I left, the Empire has become a sick husk of what it was meant to be and an insult to the character of Andronicus (that is, my vampire).
Most players were sired by someone, and you might be able to get your sire to help you get stronger, too. I have helped a few of my childer attain their initial Thievery levels because it can be extremely hard to get rolling and I wanted to see them get stronger and more powerful. Look at your options before you go and decide on a certain course of action.
How do I take a screen shot/screen capture?
This is only a brief explanation, and I hope it makes sense.
For a full screen capture:
Hit PRINT SCREEN, copying the whole screen area to your clipboard.
Paste (Ctrl + V) into an image editor (The Gimp, Photoshop, MS Paint, etc).
Edit if needed.
Save as .gif or .jpg (check quality first if GIF format).
For the usual game view capture:
Hit ALT + PRINT SCREEN, copying only the focussed application/window to your clipboard (ie: the browser window you are playing the game in).
Paste (Ctrl + V) into an image editor (The Gimp, Photoshop, MS Paint, etc).
Edit as needed (like cropping to the City view portion of the page only).
Save as .gif or .jpg (check quality first if GIF format).
Can I use the transits when I'm getting Powers?
So long as it isn't Celerity, yes. In other words, ONLY Celerity questing is effected by your use of a transit. You CAN use transits on ANY OTHER quest. Let me clarify still further. Getting Locate? You CAN use transits. Getting Stamina? You CAN use transits. Getting Suction? You CAN use transits. Getting Neutrality? You CAN use transits. Getting CELERITY? You CAN'T use transits. Is that clear enough?
WHY can you not use transits when Celerity? Because it cancels your quest and you lose the money you paid to attempt getting the power. What is the logic in this? The barman told you to 'run', for one. Also, the idea of the power, to increase the 'speed' of your pire, reduce the number of minutes it takes for you to gain an Action Point, logically should be considered when you have to do a quest for it.
You use far fewer APs when you use transits to cross a large portion of the city, so, as if you are training or paying a cost of sorts, you simply MUST use your own power to get you to the next place. One should note that Scrolls of Teleportation are thought of as your own power, in the game construct. That is, you ARE able to use teleport scrolls to go from one bar to the next if you wish. One player has done this on a Celerity 3 quest and used a SoTele for every trip to the needed pub. All 12. Bloody expensive.
Beginners Guide
My intent with these texts is to offer the brand-spanking-new player a bit of assistance in understanding the game and, hopefully, encourage their playing and interest in the game and its related communities.
If you find this page as a new player, a 'fledgling pire', I hope it serves its purpose as an easy and useful introduction to the game. Also, I hope you'll understand that the views and tips I express here are strictly based on my opinion and experience. The information itself I do my best to ensure as accurate and up to date, but take no offense to being corrected for issues of technical detail or being offered suggestions regarding game playing perspectives.
Also, I must give thanks and credit to the FTA for it's help in making this and many other texts possible. Special thanks go to FTA Owner Mod Lady Ravven, as well as my fellow Mods Retro Johnny, Boo Wolfe and Sasquatch. Each of them has been absolutely essential in making these files as inclusive and thorough as they are. A thanking nod to Ursula who emailed me with information regarding some technical issues and formatting problems these texts initially had, and for providing some feedback when I felt like none would come. Cheers to all of you.
Regardless of whether you find these documents useful or not, I hope you enjoy the game as much as I have and that I can do something to assist you in enjoying it further. Happy hunting and may your fangs sink deep.
Yours, ~ Brent "Andronicus" Elskän (jmoc714).
Proud FTA Member and Moderator.
Madeye Note:To the best of my knowledge Brent Elskan is no longer an FTA member or moderator
The Point?
Many players get to their first city view, click around a bit and say to themselves 'what the hell is the point of this?' Usually, they proceed then to check the How To Play, then the FAQ, maybe the News. Still, at first the game seems kind of pointless. So I click around, getting blood and... what? So I'm a vampire? So what does that do?
Really, the intended 'point' isn't much more than that. Drink blood, be a pseudo-vampire and there you go. Of course, more than your BP becomes the point, if you want, when you decide to get powers or contact other players or whatever. In fact, massive numbers of people belong to dozens of groups out there dedicated solely to this game and it's details. You'd be shocked if you knew the amount of time some of us devote to clans or message boards that do no more than focus on this game.
Lots of people enjoy it for the RP they create around it. Many just enjoy trying to attain a certain 'Rank' (There are many ranks associated to the number of BPs you have). Others like to work on building a vampire with a full set of powers. Probably, though, the RP aspect is where many players find the most enjoyment.
There are too many 'clans' and groups for me to recount them all here, and that would only be a list of the ones which I happen to know of. I'm sure there are many more groups I'm completely unaware of that exist all over the web and world.
You can either join up with some sort of group or play independently. You could get some friends to come to your biter link and join you in exploring the game, maybe start a little role play of your own, a little clan all to yourself. You could try to find your vampire's sire in the city and see if they have a clan or group of their own or that they recommend.
But I'll get to clans and groups in other places. Let's just move on.
Your Vampire
So you have this vampire. Let's log in and go check it out. Get to the game page and log in, then click the link in the upper right of your screen that says My Vampire and take a look.
In the little white-bordered box you'll see a fairly empty looking screen, most likely. Your number of BP, your list of Powers, your Money, your listing of Possessions: all of which probably have a small or null amount in them. That's ok, we'll be doing our best to change that soon enough.
Then there's your lineage info: your childer, your sire, your bloodline. While this stuff isn't really important, per se, and doesn't effect what you are able to do within the game, it's something of a pride point for some players to have a long and strong blood lineage.
Other than becoming a sire to more childer, you can do little to change this information. Many players seem to want to be a 'master vampire' for some reason. I can assure you that this does little to effect anything for your vampire and in no way makes anything easier or harder in relation to your game play. In fact, my main pire is a master vampire with about 12 continuing childer, and it's done nothing to help me in any way, although I have helped out childer with game coin gifts to help them gain powers or purchase items.
I must admit that I feel a certain sense of obligation to my childer, as many vampires do, and am willing to help them more easily and more extensively than just a random pire looking for a hand-out. Sort of how some people feel about family members versus strangers in relation to what you'll do to help a person. You may wish to seek out your sire and see if they like to keep track of their childer.
Now, aside from this screen and clicking around drinking blood, you can do a number of other things using the More Commands option at the bottom of the City view which you move around in. Depending on what sort of place you're in, what items you might have and if there are other vampires in a location with you, the More Commands screen has many different options which can show up. Here's a sort of tweaked example I made which illustrates the More Commands link well enough.
Ok, now you can look at the view above and see what I'm talking about. Note that I made the More Commands link bright yellow and huge. Find it. Never ask me where the More Commands link is.
... Ever.
Anyhow, if you're just in any old street with no other pires in the square with you and you click More Commands, if you have no items, the only thing that will show up is the option to say something. If you happen to be in the square with another vampire, they will read what you say the next time they log in, or if they are logged in and hit refresh.
If you're carrying coins and in a square with another vampire, you will see another option in the More Commands view: give of your ### coins to .
The options change also if you have items, but we can cover that in a later section. For now, just know that the More Commands view makes it possible to use items, speak and give coins. No, you can't give items away. They are yours for good once you buy them, unless you take the Pawn Shop pay outs. But we will be getting to all that later.
When you interact with another vampire, certain things are considered an 'attack' by the script. Speaking isn't, but just about anything else you can do to a vampire is. Biting, robbing and spraying them with Holy Water are all thought of as attacks by the script and you can only attack a given pire once while they remain still. Meaning they have to move again for you to be able to attack them again. Other vamps can still come along and attack them somehow, but they are under the same restriction you are.
You probably also noticed that you can ask humans directions. This is a complete waste of AP. Use the maps and bite that little bastard. It wastes five AP just to ask those dumb mortals anything and they don't always have a clue.If you do decide to waste your AP and time talking to a human, you can still drink them when you're done. I think... I can't be sure, since I've never wasted my time trying to talk to those sacks of flesh. Who cares, just don't bother asking them shit. Use a map and game related message boards to get the info you want.
Let's go on now.
Action Points
Many people seem to be a bit confused early on about how the Action Points function based on various criteria. Because of that, I think it needs enough clarification to warrant a page of its own.
Action Points, which I and other players/groups simply call AP, are pretty basic things. You move, it uses an AP. You bite, it uses an AP. As this is addressed pretty well in the How To Play that RavenBlack wrote for the game, I'll reprint that here:
You have a maximum of 50 Action Points (fewer if you have less than 100 blood, plus one at 200 blood and at every doubling thereafter). They recharge at the rate of one every half hour. Actions can currently be used to move to adjacent city squares (with the 'Move Here' links), to drink the blood of victims in the same square as you, to speak, use powers, use location-based features, or use objects. If you are out of action points, you cannot act until you have rested (wait half an hour).
To elaborate, there is also a bit in the News of the game which gives better detail about your restrictions as a low-BP vampire. Again, reprinting:
...Vampires with less than 10 blood have their maximum action points reduced by 15. Vampires with less than 50 have their maximum AP reduced by 10. Vampires with less than 100 have their maximum AP reduced by 5.
Now, for further details. You start off in the game with a base AP of 50. But, as explained in the News selection above, vampires with less than 100 are a bit crippled in that area. Hopefully, you are not too far off in your getting to 100 BP and this isn't as big an issue as it could be. Also, the rate of getting one AP every thirty minutes and total Maximum AP is alterable by getting certain powers, which we will get to later on.
AP can be used by the following methods: Moving in the City, biting a human or vampire, robbing a vampire, using an item, using any location based actions, speaking, using certain powers` abilities and refreshing too often. This last one is done to discourage a certain kind of behaviour which was eating up RavenBlack's bandwidth
allotment pretty bad and you can pretty much assume that refreshing more than once a minute or so is going to start docking you AP.
If you don't use your AP for four days, you become what is called 'Lost in Shadows'. This means that you cannot be seen on the City view and cannot be harmed by HW, biting or robbing. You are still vulnerable to SoTurns, as they effect an area, not a specific vampire. Once you use an AP, you come out of shadows and can be seen again. If you stay in shadows too long, you cannot come back. That is, if you do not log in and use an AP in three weeks, the code of the game script will delete your vampire from lack of activity.
Those items I mention we will get to later and the effects of being in Shadows as well as how to change the time it takes to drop into them will be elaborated further on. Let's keep going.
The City
Well, hopefully you've read the How To Play that is on the game server and you already have some idea of how the city is laid out. I'll reprint the text here for you so we have a base to start with and then elaborate on that to give you a more thorough understanding of the details.
The city has 100 streets crossed by 100 streets; the streets in one direction are numbered, those in the other are named in near-alphabetical order; the first fifty are alphabetical trees and animals, the second half are alphabetical minerals and malaise. Navigation is, therefore, mostly quite easy. NOTE! They are not in alphabetical order, they are in two sets from A-Z, one in the west half, one in the east. As a vampire, you stalk the humans on the streets. If there are many vampires gathered within a single square, no more can move there until it's cleared out. Streets are indicated by grey squares, with signs at the intersections. Black squares between streets indicate blocks of buildings, which you can pass through in the alleyways. Blue squares indicate impassable regions - either they are overcrowded, on the edge of the city, or some other reason.
I also address this in the FAQ, so I'll explain it using the same info I do in that document.
Ok, let's start with the first bit about the number of streets and their names. First, you should get a map. There ought to be one available right here.
Obviously they run in numeric order from top to bottom, so it's 1st street and in order to 100th street. Then there is the tricky bit. The named ones.
The 100 named streets run in alphabetical order of sorts. First divide the city in half. Then figure two streets for each letter of the alphabet, except the letter "X". The first half of the city is animals and trees. The second half is stones and moods.
So in the first half, the west side, it starts "Aardvark" (a type of animal) "Alder" (a tree) "Buzzard" (animal) "Beech" (tree) and so on through "Zebra" and "Zelkova". So in order of animal, tree, animal, tree, all through the first alphabet side, skipping "X".
The second half of the city, the east side, is stones and a variety of negative emotional states. Like the west side, they always follow the pattern of stone, mood, stone, mood. So after "Zelkova" from the west side is "Amethyst" (stone), "Anguish" (mood), "Beryl" (stone), "Bleak" (mood) and so forth until "Zinc" and "Zestless", skipping "X".
Now, if you look at your vampire on the map view when you log in you will note that each street is actually two squares. The 'street' square in gray and the 'alleyway' square in black. This applies to both the numbered streets running top to bottom (or North to South), and the named streets running left to right (or West to East). There's an important point on addressing here, so pay attention...
When you are given an address in the city, with only a couple exceptions for powers quests, it is always in the black square bottom right of the actual streets intersection, or the South East square of the streets.
You'll note how if someone tells you a bank address of Yew and 4th, when you get there, you go into the black square with the little blue sign declaring it a bank, putting the actual streets of Yew to your left and 4th up above. That black building/alleyway is where all buildings or shops or guilds will be located when you get an address, usually with a sign.
As for the part about 'blue' or 'overcrowded' squares, this is the result of many vampires, I believe seven, occupying that square and it becomes impassable to you without a special power. You can actually use a SoTurn to 'clear' the blocked square and then get into it, but those cost coins and the power 'Surprise' makes this much easier. We get to items and powers later.
Also, note that humans do not add to the square's possibility of 'bluing out'. There could be five humans in one square and four pires, but it would still be passable. Of course, if you luck upon five humans in one square I'll be impressed. That's pretty rare. At this point I ought to mention that vampires 'Lost in Shadows' do add to the possibility of a blue square.
Oh yes. A last remark. Many people call this fair city RavenBlack City, but it's worth noting that it has no official name. Raven Black has not and refuses to name the city, so you may call it whatever you wish. I usually just name it the City. But lets get on to the buildings I keep talking about.
The Banks
Banks are addressed briefly in the FAQ, which is recommended reading later, so you will see this info repeated, but it's here none the less.
The banks are your best friends. They hold your money safely away from the prying hands of thieves, they work all over the place in cooperation, and they don't lose your money like RL banks. You save your money here to buy powers. There are 200 banks sprinkled generously throughout the city.
Yes, if you deposit money in one location, your money will be accessible from another location. It's just like a real bank in that aspect. The good thing is, it is in no other way like a real bank. It won't lose your deposits, charge you fees, or any number of bad things.
Sadly, you also get no debit card (so yes, you have to have the money on you to buy things), you can't bite the teller, you can't rob the bank and you can't throttle the manager into approving a loan. Otherwise, they're great.
Omnibank member since Feb 2003.
The Transits
There are nine transit stations spaced equally throughout the city. On Mongoose where it crosses 25th, 50th and 75th, where Zelkova crosses 25th, 50th and 75th, and where Malachite crosses 25th, 50th and 75th. As a quick reference I have an ASCII (plain-text) map on the main A~C pages which makes the locations of the stations easier to recognize and correlate. Here's that text.
Note that each station is placed alphabetically from left to right, then top to bottom, so reading down the list will take you from the station in the upper left hand corner with "Ca", to the bottom right with "Ur". This can help a pire remember in a pinch where they need to go without a map to check.
Additionally, you'll want to know that it costs 5 coins and 3 AP to ride the transits. If you only have 1 AP when you click the button to ride the transit, you will show as having -2 AP when you arrive at your destination. Then you'll have to wait really long before you can move out. This sucks because the transits are busy with the passing to and fro of vampires and you'll get robbed and bitten a lot. A lot.
One thing you also may like to know is that each station should have a vampire in it going by (station name) Guard. So there should be one at Thalia station named Thalia Guard. These are vamps owned by players which are trying to do a service to the other players. They call themselves the Night Watch, and I like to contribute to their coin purses when I happen to go through a station.
The Watch members always try to carry coins on them so that players who don't have enough coins to ride can just thieve the guard and get the needed coins. If you don't have Thievery yet, then just say something in the square asking the Guard for the coins to ride and when the controller refreshes, they will hand you the needed coins. It can sometimes be a long wait, though. If you pass through a transit with plenty of coins, it would be appreciated if you would assist them and the other players by putting a few coins in their hands
as you go through. Good karma, you know.
The Pubs
Ah, the key to the guilds, the barmen. Pubs are where you can buy drinks and gather information about the moving buildings like Magic and Pawn shops, and more importantly, the Guilds, where you buy your powers. A fellow player, Sasquatch, penned a useful bit about the barmen/pubs which I will use to help describe what you find at the bars.
Bartenders are a chatty lot. But instead of offering to light your cigarette or standing around cleaning filthy beer mugs, the bartenders of RavenBlack city collect all sorts of information. Unfortunately, it costs to get this information.
Drinks available (and their costs) at the RavenBlack City bars are:
Beer: 1
House Ale: 2
House Wine: 5
Brandy: 10
Scotch: 15
Vintage Wine: 40
Blood Wine: 50
Blood: 100
The more you spend on an individual drink, the higher the chance of getting useful (i.e. non "null" information) out of the barkeep. However, there is nothing at all to stop him from giving you "null" info 15 times in a row even if you buy Blood for each drink. Such are the chances we take with our (necrotic) livers.
If you can afford it (e.g. if you have already achieved one or more levels of Thievery), always buy the Blood. It costs more than anything else but it has the added bonus of adding two BP to your score. So even if you get no new information, at least it wasn't money completely wasted.
Both Blood and Blood Wine are valid drinks for the Celerity quest (see the Powers_Texts section for more details on that).
This following is a collection of "What the bartender says" and what it really means to you, the drunkard vampire. Remember that most of what you'll ever get from the bars is gibberish no matter how much your bar tab ends up being.
Pssst. (Some Cool) Guild (#) is right next to (Alphabet Street) and (Number Street) today. I don't know how much longer it will be there, though.
This is the only way to find the guilds, short of stumbling (drunk?) across them in your random travels. The guilds move frequently but sporadically. Please note that the barkeeps will usually only tell you about guilds that are personally useful to you, so this data will change from vampire to vampire. It also means that if you have all of your powers, you'll rarely see this one again.
The closest shop to here is (Shop Name), right by (Alphabet Street) and (Number Street). I do wish those damn magic shops would stay still for a while.
Congrats! Just keep in mind that this information changes rapidly as the Discount shops move every 24 hours and the non-Discount shops move every 12.
I read this great book the other day. (complete with hyperlink)
Did anyone ever tell you that RavenBlack wasn't trying to make a buck off of this game? Well, he is. And he's also trying to make a buck off of the book that he wrote. Follow the (safe) link to find out more about the book and even buy a copy. But be aware that the shopping cart doesn't accept RB City coins.
These three "null" responses generate the most questions from newbie drunks (I mean vampires!). They have absolutely no (proven) in-game uses, but here they are.
Don't tell anyone you found a secret door - otherwise it isn't secret any more.
Rumor has it that there is a "secret" way into overcrowded squares that appears from time to time. It's purported to be a few squares away and only appears randomly (i.e. it's never been proven). If you actually find one, get a screen shot and show us. If not, accept this one as urban myth.
Hey, do you know what PBIANPF stands for? Someone spray-painted it on my door.
PBIANPF is worthless as far as in-game knowledge goes. It's there because one of our beloved players had a politically incorrect thought (out loud) in range of our demented creator, RavenBlack. It means "Pat Buchannan Is A Nazi Pig F***er" (yeah, it really does).
I've heard some guy named (Vampire Name) is one of the richest guys in town.
At that precise moment, this vampire has more money than anyone else. Be aware that this doesn't mean he'll still have his bucks when you try to rob from him. Oh yeah, and since it counts what's in his bank account, it might not be worth trying it anyhow.
<SNIP>
--
Sas the drunkard
with lots of help from the lushes of FTA
and especially to SV Countess "My liver's deader than your liver"
Boo
As a note on the side, the PBIANPF really does mean Pat Buchannan Is A Nazi Pig-Fucker. I'm absolutely certain because I'm the one who got RavenBlack to put it in the game for me. That's really a great description of what the Pubs do and are for and all that. Good places to rob, too. Let's get on with it then.
The Shops
Shops come in two types now: Magic shops, which sell the items you will learn about shortly, and Pawn shops, which will buy back items at a loss. First, I'll explain about something peculiar to both kinds. They move.
See, in the game concept, we run around a city which is something like the cities we all live in now in that no one believes vampires exist and no one thinks magic exists. For that reason, the shops and guilds must keep on the move to avoid the prying eyes and interference of the human population. It's like the whole Harry Potter witches idea, if that helps. There, but pretty secret to most the 'muggles', to borrow from the series terminology.
Here's an excerpt from a text in the FTA files section which tells you a little about the types of shops and what items they sell. I'll describe the items in more detail in the next section, but for now you just need to know there are just three items at the moment and their costs. The abbreviations meanings are:
SoTurn = Scroll Of Turning;
SoTele = Scroll of Teleportation;
HW = Holy Water.
Here is the info.
Shops move every 12 hours.
Standard prices:
SoTurn: 500 coins
SoTel: 5,000 coins
HW: 2,000 coins
Discount prices (-30%):
SoTurn: 350 coins
SoTel: 3,500 coins
HW: 1,400 coins
Pawn shops buy:
SoTurn: @ 250 coins
SoTele: @ 2500 coins
HW: @ 1000 coins
Scroll shops (both kinds)
Discount Scrolls
Herman's Scrolls
Paper and Scrolls
Scrollmania
Scrolls 'n' Stuff
Scrolls R Us
Scrollworks
Ye Olde Scrolles
Potion Shops (HW only)
Discount Potions
McPotions
Potable Potions
Potion Distillery
Potionworks
Silver Apothecary
The Potion Shoppe
Magic Shops (sell all 3 items)
Discount Magic
Dark Desires
Interesting Times
Sparks
The Magic Box
White Light
Pawn Shops:
Spinners Pawn
Ace Pawn
Checkers Pawn
Reversi Pawn
Now, to find those shops you go to a pub and buy the more expensive drinks, as described in the previous text on Pubs. As it mentioned wisely in that one, if you can afford it, buying Blood every time is the best purchase as it will have the highest ratio of shop or guild information to purchases, and has the added benefit of giving you two pints of blood each time.
Obviously the most sought after shops are Discount shops, and if you get that info, hurry and get there. They are worth the journey as they sell the items at a 30% discount.
As for Pawn Shops, there's a good explanation of them in the News on the game server, which I hope you've read by now, but here it is to be completely inclusive:
December 11 2003 - Pawn Shops
There are now four pawn shops in the city. They behave the same as other shops in that they move around the city at various intervals, but they don't sell things. Instead you can sell them your old objects that you no longer want - at a loss, of course.
Why would you want to sell items? Suppose you had just become Neutral and had 50 HWs you couldn't use. What else would you do with them? Remember, you can't give items away. Well, then the Pawn shops become useful. Anyhow, you won't recall most of this stuff, but all you really need to remember about the shops is how to find their locations, their moving habits and what kinds they are. This is more of a reference page for later if you need it, so let's get on to understanding the items.
The Items
WARNING: I'm going to be extremely careful in explaining the items as new players seem to have many many seemingly obvious and simple questions about them and how they work. If this page seems painfully simplified it is only because I have been painfully pestered with little, time-consuming questions about what seemed to be the most obvious of facts regarding items. The only thing which seems to garner more confusion and questions than the items are the guilds. That's understandable, but still: I get an alarming number of questions about items, so I'm going to elaborate on them in extremely simple terms and examples.
Since it's precisely relevant to this page I am reprinting the info from the Shops page which shows the item prices. There are just three items at the moment. The commonly used abbreviations are:
SoTurn = Scroll of Turning;
SoTele = Scroll of Teleportation;
HW = Holy Water.
Madeye Note There are more items available now.
And, here again are the cost and resell value of the items from and to the appropriate shops:
Now, as for using them and what they do, I'll tell you that all items are used from the More Commands option at the bottom right of your city view, and we can address what each one does in turn. Much of what follows is a rewite of the text info available in the FTA files section called 'ScrollsAndStuff'. It was written by 'Jezebel Moon`s Ho', 'Countess Boo Wolfe' and the geeky Holy Water formula was contributed by 'Sasquatch', though I must say that it's not absolutely correct. RavenBlack says it's a pretty close approximation to the actual wave and can be used as a good enough guide to estimate.
If you have an item, you can go to your My Vampire screen and you will see it listed in your Possessions with a little help icon next to it. You can hover over the icon to get an information tip in the form of a text box which appears at the top left corner of your screen. For each item I'll reprint that Tip Text as well.
Also, before I go on, I must mention that each item is a single-use item. If you use it, it's gone. Personally, I like to imagine the scrolls igniting into balls of purple flame as I read the incantation. Ok, so I'm weird. Anyhow, all items are unusable until you have at least 50 BP. Specifics follow.
Scrolls of Turning
Tip Text
"This scroll should be read in a specific direction. Any undead
within a short distance in that direction will become confused and distracted,
briefly wandering aimlessly. Affected vampires may also find themselves somewhat
drained of power."
Ok, what that means is, you use the item by clicking More Commands and you will see an option to read a Scroll of Turning to the [DROP-DOWN-LIST], where the list is a list of each direction of an eight point compass: North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West and Northwest. I would click More Commands, select a direction from the SoTurn drop-down menu and then click the button next to it which says Turn. When I did so, all vampires in the given square would be processed by the game script as being hit with the scroll's effect, and if they didn't resist the effect by having the Stamina power (which is never going to resist 100% of the time), they would be bounced out of the square to a random one next to it and lose 10 BP.
To illustrate, let me once again show you a standard map view, this time with the 'More Commands' options showing, and make some notation for you to have a better idea. Refer back to this example when I describe the options of each item and how you use the More Commands to activate them.
Ok, looking at that example, if I were to open the More Commands options, I would have the choice of directions which would let me read the scroll of turning towards the Northwest to 'Turn' the vamps with the names preceded by NW_ in the example. Not much point in that unless I feel like pissing off a couple vamps for no reason.
If I accidently chose to read it to the North, no vamps would be effected by the scroll, as there are none in that square. By this you can probably reason out that I'm also saying vampires in the same square as I'm in (names with the word 'Same' in their names in this example) will not be effected by the scroll.
Suppose, though, I wanted to clear out that bank which is all blued out and impassable, so I can get in there and deposit or withdraw some coins and drink up that tasty human. I'd go through the process I described above, selecting South for the direction, and watch as all or most of the 9 vampires in that square moved. The human isn't effected by items so it stays put.
SoTurns are considered area effects by the script, not an attack, so you can use them over and over on the same vampire, if you want to. There is the afore mentioned Stamina power which can resist these, however, and Neutral vampires, whose vampire names appear in pink text, are movable but cannot lose BP to the scrolls. We'll get to all that in the Powers section.
Lastly, this item requires that you have at least 50 BP to be used. Just an incentive to play. And that should pretty much cover the SoTurns.
Scrolls of Teleportation
Tip Text
"While reading this scroll, the reader should concentrate
on a location. They will be safely transported to that location."
This one's pretty straightforward. You click More Commands (you better remember where the link is) and an option appears which says 'Use Scroll of Teleportation to go to...' with two little drop down lists for all the streets in order and a button to activate it. Next thing you know, you're in the middle of the intersection for the streets you selected. Again, you must have at least 50 BP to use this item. The end.
Vials of Holy Water
Tip Text
"If the owner of this item should find themselves
in proximity to a vampire, it might well be a lifesaver - a vampire splashed
with Holy Water will bleed profusely, which should give the lucky owner time to
escape."
This is the one and only true 'weapon' in the game so far. It is also the one item which requires you to have a minimum of 200 BP to use. This is to prevent a pire who hovers at some tiny BP from hounding a stronger player by repeatedly finding and attacking them with no regard for their own BP. It's a long story.
To use HW you must be in the same square as the vampire you wish to 'spray' with it, click the (you guessed it) More Commands link, select the target pire's name from the appropriate drop-down list and click the Spray button. Some players, myself included, call it giving a pire a bath or bathing them.
When you spray a pire with HW, it severely reduces their BPs. How much it actually takes off is somewhat random, but basically the higher the vampire's BP, the more it takes off. Sort of. It's kind of a wave or curve which Raven Black generated that will give you greater resistance to HW if you get into really high BPs like the 5000 to 10000+ range, and reduces the damage to lower BP vamps as well. Anyhow, it's really shitty to get Holy Watered and you can take the act as an outright 'fuck you' from whoever sprays you with it.
Oh, and I should point out that spraying one vampire can sometimes effect other vamps in the same square, though not nearly as bad. Imagine it like spilling a couple drops of acid on someone while throwing a bucket of it on someone else. Ouch.
Now, Sasquatch, a fellow FTA moderator and geek, has presented the following formula to us which he believes to be an accurate calculator for the HW effect. As I stated above, this formula isn't really 100% correct, so take it as best guess from a really bright guy (meaning Sas). Raven vouches that it's close enough to the actual wave that it gives you a relatively good idea of what amounts of BP loss to expect on a given vampire. Here's his formula from the text.
=========== BEGIN MATH GEEK HW FORMULA INFO ============
+
When hit by a HW, the formula is:
NBP = OBP - (OBP^0.1 * OBP^0.5)
OBP = "original blood points"
NBP = "new blood points"
HWL = "holy water loss"
Examples:
> OBP - HWL = NBP
================
100 - 16 = 84
250 - 27 = 223
500 - 42 = 458
1000 - 63 = 937
2500 - 109 = 2391
5000 - 166 = 4834
[Note: actual amounts may vary slightly]
+
============ END MATH GEEK HW FORMULA INFO =============
[andronicus@jmocbox714 ~]$
And that ought to wrap up items. Now... The Guilds!
The Guilds
The guilds are where you get powers or are given instructions for a quest to attain them. The powers are discussed next in better detail, but for now, here is a list of which guilds carry what powers and for how much. We'll address the quirks of guild use after this. Note that little is known about Telepathy yet, but here we go.
Empaths Guild:
Thieves Guild:
Surprise costs 20,000 coins
Locate(1) 1500 coins +quest -40 BP
Locate(2) 4000 coins +quest -60 BP
Locate(3) 15000 coins +quest -100 BP
Suction 7500 coins +quest:
bite 20 pires w/ more BP than you
Stamina(1) 1000 coins +quest -500 BP
Stamina(2) 2500 coins +quest -1000 BP
Stamins(3) 5000 coins +quest -1500 BP
Celerity(1) 4000 coins +quest for 3 items
Celerity(2) 8000 coins +quest for 6 items
Celerity(3) 17500 coins +quest for 12 items
Telepathy(1) 2500 coins & 10 AP
Telepathy(2) 5000 coins & 10 AP
Telepathy(3) 10000 coins & 10 AP
While not technically a guild, the Peacekeeper Missions are the ones you must go to in order to attain the power of Neutrality. Just for the sake of being inclusive, here is their information as well.
Mission located at Emerald and 67th.
Mission located at Unicorn and 33rd.
Mission located at Emerald and 33rd.
Now, the guilds are secretive, roving groups who offer powers for vampires within our great city of... City. Yeah, anyway, they are sort of on the shadey side of law-enforcement, according to RB, so they have no signs which reveal their locations like Omnibanks, Pubs and Shops. To see the guild options you must be in the exact right square.
Now, if you remember from the City page, I mentioned that all the addresses given in the City are for the black square down and right of the intersection named. If you forgot this bit, go to the City page and re-read it. That link will open in a new window, BTW.
I wanted to make sure that addressing is made absolutely clear because I can't count the number of times a new player has posted to a message board crying wolf that "the guild moved!" when, in fact, they simply hadn't gone into the right square. I actually address this in the FAQ, it happens so bloody much.
Not only do you need to be in the right square, but the options show up below the map view, so you may need to scroll down to see them, like in the Pubs and Banks and Shops and Transits. So the guild locations, while on the move, bear no signs showing them to the 'on the street' viewer. You must go 'down the alleyway' (that black square Southeast of the intersection) to get to the guild master.
Oh yes, moving. I almost neglected the other important factor about the guilds. At about every 4 days, the guilds move locations to escape detection by the ubiquitous yet unseen authorities. No, there is no readily discernible pattern to where they move and it isn't always exactly four days.
The guilds do move in concert, for the most part. Meaning that if one Empaths guild moves, all three of them have moved. But that won't certainly mean that Thieves guilds have moved. It seems, lately, that Thieves guilds move every four or five days independently of the other guilds and that the other guilds all seem to move on the same day. Odd, but that's what seems to happen, usually.
This is why so much of the message board info you will see will relate to guild movements. The FTA mods and long-time contributers regularly post the most recent known locations of the guilds. The format for the GUILD INFO posts was mine and seems to have spread to many different boards as the typical way of noting guild locations. The posts besides that will often be in a sort of short hand in discussing guilds. The abbreviations for each guild are as follows:
Empaths Guild:
EG# (i.e. EG1, EG2, EG3)
Immolators Guild:
IG#
Thieves Guild:
TG# or ThG#
Travellers Guild:
TrG#
Another common uncertainty to the new player is as to which guild you go to. Many seem to think you can get Thievery level 3 right away by simply going to Thieves Guild 3 and paying for it. I'm sorry, no. You need to attain them as levels, the levels must be done in order and the guild number indicates the one and only level of the power available there. So Empaths Guild 1 carries only level one of Locate and is the guild you must go to if you wish to begin learning the power Locate. Same thing for EG2 carrying only level 2 and so on. This is true of every guild and power.
Of course, certain powers have no levels. Those powers are available at any of the three level guilds. So while you may not be able to learn Stamina 3, yet, if you go to Immolators Guild 3 you can still buy Suction, as it has no levels.
Another quirk about guilds is the addressing used by them. See, I told you in the City page that all the addresses you receive for a building in The City will be the intersection address and the actual building the Southeast black square to it. That's still true. But when you get an address for a quest from the guild master, it's a little different. There's a logic here, so please bear with me.
The Stamina quest is a good example. Suppose you went to The Gunny's Shack, at Obsidian and 54th (that's a pub), and bought a couple drinks of Blood. The barman tells you that "Immolators Guild 1 is on the corner of Diamond and 51st today." He doesn't know how much longer it'll be there, though, regardless of how lovely your cape is. You trek off to the guild and get into the correct square, pay the 1000 coins to begin your quest.
When you do this, the guild master says: "To gain a level of STAMINA, you must go to the corner of Lion and 60th and say 'Jay-Mock'. It will cost you 500 blood. You have ten days."
Now, this is a quest goal and not a building, so this address is meant to be the actual intersection of the streets Lion and 60th, where you see the little green address box. When you quest, you are enacting an area effect, of sorts, not going into a building. Like a ritual done outdoors as opposed to a service being rendered in an establishment. I know, it's odd to most people, but it does make sense if you think of it as I've described in terms of buildings and rituals.
Ok, it's time we get on to the best part... The powers.
The Powers
Well here's the coolest shit. Getting the powers. And here's the best way to get all the powers as fast as possible: Donate $200 to RavenBlack and you will have them the next day. In fact, you'll be eligible to get a building of your own in the city. Your own lair.
Oh, you expected a little more detail than that, right? And maybe a little bit about how they work, what they do, etc. Yeah, ok, I can do that I suppose. I presume you've read this in the HTP, but here's the official listing of the powers and their effects from that:
Celerity (3 Levels Available): the Vampire's action points normally recharge once every 30 minutes. Each level of Celerity reduces this by 5 minutes.
Suction: the Vampire extracts an extra pint of blood from each victim, at no extra cost.
Surprise: the Vampire can enter a square that would usually be considered overcrowded.
Stamina (3 Levels Available): the Vampire usually has a 50 Action Point maximum. Each level of Stamina increases this by 10. Stamina also affords extra resistance against some attacks.
Shadows (3 Levels Available): Vampires usually disappear from sight if they don't move for 4 days. For each level of Shadows, a Vampire disappears one day sooner.
Locate (3 Levels Available): Using Locate, you can find out where a Vampire is. At level one you can only tell distance; at level two you can tell distance and direction; at level three you can tell exact location. Uses one action point per target. Used from the "More Commands" screen.
Thievery (3 Levels Available): At level one, up to 25% of the target's money can be stolen; 50% at level two, 75% at level three. Higher levels also have their chance of failure decreased. A 'rob' option appears next to the usual 'drink' option if you have this power.
Neutrality (3 Levels Available): If you have the Neutrality power at all, you can't use Holy Water. Scrolls of Turning used by a Neutral vampire cause no damage. You are rendered immune to the damaging effects of Scrolls of Turning (though you can still be moved). You take reduced damage from Holy Water; the amount of reduction increases the more blood you have. At level 3, you take only one damage from holy water - less than being drunk from by a vampire with Suction. Unlike the other powers, Neutrality can be removed, for a price. Neutral vampires are highlighted in pink. Neutral vampires can't give money to non-Neutral vampires, since that would be a breach of Neutrality. Also, each time you steal as a Neutral vampire, half your take goes to the Peacekeepers; the same applies to normal vampires stealing from Neutral.
Telepathy (3 Levels Available): The vampire is able to send telepathic messages to other vampires, no matter where they are. At level one it costs ten action points to send a telepathic message. At level two it costs six. At level three it costs two. Sending a message to your sire or one of your childer costs half the action points of communicating with other vampires, ie. it costs only one action point to communicate with one of your childer using level three telepathy.
Second-sight (available only to donating Vampires (at least $5), as it increases server load): the Vampire can examine the statistics of other Vampires. Uses half an action point per target. Used by clicking on the name of the target vampire.
I really won't bother elaborating on the powers any further than that in this document, as you should now go read the Powers Texts in full, and the additional text, Powers Help. Each power besides second sight is fully detailed in the Powers Texts, complete with sample quest texts. The Powers Help document was one I wrote as an addendum to the 'P-Texts', due to a large number of pires contacting me and asking what was the best way to go about getting the powers and which ones were most important.
You can find the Powers Texts prominently linked on the main Sanctum Andronici page, along with the Powers Help file. To go directly to the P-Text's first page, you can click here. To go directly to the Powers Help addendum, click here.
Of course, if you've already read those or would just like to finish off the current series of documents, there is more information you haven't learned yet in the final section, The Other Stuff.
The Other Stuff
Holy shit, it's the final page of this series! Congratulations! I know it's been a long, sometimes overly simple, sometimes too complicated but certainly informative journey, and you've been a real trooper. Now comes the last bit of 'odds and ends' information covering some things I haven't yet put in other sections. Sometimes I've left things out on purpose, some of it just doesn't fit in anywhere else. Whatever the reason, lets get to some of this stuff now.
Necromancers
One thing I haven't figured out where to put is the Necromancers information. I thought it sort of belonged in the Shops page, as that's where you find them, but that page was pretty long as is, and 'Necros' are sort of a special feature of the Shops, not really an everyday part of them. Anyhow, the FTA files section had a good text on them and I essentially ripped it off to place it here, so here's that text:
1. What are necromancers?
Necromancers let you buy one pint of blood for 25 coins.
2. Where can I find a necromancer?
Shops in the city which sell potions (IE: Holy Water) will have a Necromancer. [note: some players have said that only potion/apothecary shops (i.e. those that sell HW only, not all-in-one shops) have resident necromancers. See #8.]
3. I found one, now what?
You can buy up to 100 BP less than your highest BP level. (e.g. if you had 2500 BP and were the target of several dozen HW attacks, you could go to a shop that sells HW and buy back up to 2400).
3a. I went there but I didn't see one... why not?
If you don't "qualify" for using a Necromancer, the option doesn't show up in the shop screen. [note: some players have said that only potion/apothecary shops (i.e. those that sell HW only, not all-in-one shops) have resident necromancers. See #8.]
4. What kind of damage can he repair?
This works on all BP lost, not just what the HW took off, too. If you had only lost 800 to HW, but another 150 in scrolls of turning and say 8 more from bites. You could still buy back up to 2400.
Luckily, this works if you have paid BP for Stamina as well. If you just got Stamina 1, 2, and 3 (which includes a cost of 500+1000+1500 BP). You could go to a necromancer and buy 2900 of that back from him.
5. I had more BP than that... what's the deal?
Once more, he will not ever heal you past 100 LESS than your maximum level.
6. Are there any other ways to get back my BP?
You can still get 2 BP for each pub Blood (100 coins) you buy at a pub, so that is twice the cost of Necros, but is not restricted in any way.
There is also the more traditional way... drinking from more targets!
7. What about Discount shops? Are they cheaper?
Alas, the Discount magic stores may be cheaper on the items, but are still the same cost for Necros. Too bad. Discount BP would kick ass.
8. How accurate is this information?
There is still a bit of information that we do NOT know for certain about the operation of these individuals known as necromancers. If you have been damaged beyond 100 pints and can let us know (via the group) where our information is mistaken, we'll be happy to correct it!
Sas- FTA Member & Mod
(note: most of this text was cribbed shamelessly from Brent's FTA message #2362)
Oh... Well it looks like Sasquatch 'stole' it from me and I just 'stole' it back. OK, well, yeah. That's the way we do things in the FTA. Free trade of information, and all that ^_^, heh heh. Thanks Sas. You kick ass. Anyhow, that covers the Necromancers really well, so I'll just move on.
Special Places
With regard to certain places of the city, there are a couple special locations I haven't really mentioned in this series. The most notable is the Graveyard. You probably got a good idea of what it is by reading the FTA FAQ that is part of the Powers Texts. At least, you better have. If not, go read it now by clicking here.
Like I say in that document, be a decent pire and don't mess with other vamps while you're in the visibility of the Graveyard square. It's just disrespectful.
Another building type I never mentioned is what's called a 'Lair'. Raven Black made a special square for one of the games most well known and respected players recently and named it after her. Her square reads 'Devil Miyu`s Lair' (hey honey ^.^). He did this not just because he and she are friends, but because Ms. Miyu has donated over $100 beyond the costs of her own powers towards RB's server costs.
Since so many players got in a big buzz about it, he decided to make the offer that anyone who donates towards the game at least $100 beyond the cost of a full set of powers can now have their own lair. The lair has no special area effects, so don't bother flocking to it to go see what happens. Nothing special will happen to you in someone else's lair.
Pire Etiquette
Since I've kind of brushed on the topic of pire etiquette, I also want to mention a few habits that many players and myself happen to play by which are sort of a way of being a 'good little biter' in the game.
One such habit is to encourage others to play by not biting other vampires. This may seem odd, but personally I think it's a waste of AP. If I see another vampire, I don't want to waste an AP on biting them when I could be robbing them. Heh heh. In an RP way, it's also a bit rude to bite anyone besides your close friends. Of course, RP-wise, it's also a bit rude to pick people's pockets, so whatever.
That's actually another point of etiquette. It's just a fact of the game that we are able to rob one another. If you are using the banks often enough and not being stupid with your AP, running out before you can deposit a large lump of coins, you really ought to not have the problem of people ripping you off of much. Even if you do, oh well. You rob others and get more. It's not the end of your game. Consider it tuition money. You just got a lesson on the importance of wise AP use and banks. Learn it this time.
Another thing I personally adhere to is not robbing from pires with less than 100 BP, usually. Sometimes I know a particular pire is just a banking drone with intentionally tiny BP to discourage thieves and might rob it. Other times I've just been in a square with 5 or 6 other vampires and accidentally robbed one that I hadn't meant to. But normally I don't rob from pires who are that low in BP as I know it can be tough getting the money together to gain powers and buy items when you're that new.
Now, I've seen people get very upset and talk a lot of shit about it when people rob them. I've seen several go so far as to lecture others on how lame they think it is to 'leech off others' or what have you. To these people I have but one thing to say: It's a game, that's part of it's design, get over it.
Groups
I already touched on the whole groups and clans thing several times, most elaborately in the FTA FAQ, so I won't bother going into that much of the topic here. Suffice it to say that I don't think clans are worth it, most of the time, but that the relationships you build with fellow players is a great way to increase your enjoyment of the game. I wouldn't have this page up if it weren't for the Yahoo groups related to this game, so I certainly appreciate all the friends I've made as a result of those hideous group message boards. I even appreciate some of the enemies I've made.
While I may discourage joining a clan, I know that some of them can be really good friends to have and I certainly recommend the first three groups I mention on the main page in the Obligatory Links area. Other than that, though, I suggest you wait a while before getting into other sorts of groups until you are well versed in the RP by having talked it over with some friends you're bound to make in those places.
This series of texts/pages is intended for the newbie player of "Vampires! A Dark Alleyway" so that they can learn about the powers available in game and go about getting them without a lot of time-wasting mistakes and failures.
Full details on getting every power available in the game should be here and now include the Neutrality power as well. Even though I hate that power and it's really well defined on the game server pages (half my thieving money gone for no good reason, what bullshit).
The power 'Second-sight' is also not included because you have to donate to gain it and it is not available at all in game.
Madeye Note: These texts were written some time ago and do not include descriptions of some of the newer powers such as Perception. If anyone is interested in contributing the missing texts, please register and post a comment below.
Power Attainment Overview
The purpose of this text is to give you a good idea of what ought to be the best order and manner in which to attain the given powers within the Vampires! A Dark Alleyway game. I hope new and old players alike may find it of some value and worth. If not, oh well. Enjoy the game regardless.
Yours,
~ Brent "Andronicus" Elskän (jmoc714).
Introduction
Firstly, let me state this: The following suggestions are just that. Suggestions. Take into consideration that my own point of view has been the main source of logic surrounding these tips, and this document should not be considered definitive for all players or styles of play. I recommend you familiarize yourself with the game as a whole and come up with a system you feel works best for your style of play.
Also, I have just learned of the new power Telepathy. I have yet to work this into the scheme, but I think it ought to fit well into the 'optional' category. I will revise this page to include the power when I find the time.
Of particular note I recommend you read all the Powers Texts, as this document assumes you understand at least the basics of what the powers are and how they function. Of course, I suggest you begin by reading my own, linked here, and any additional materials you may find in the FTA files section. Also invaluable to the new player are, of course, the in game FAQ, How To Play and News sections. Virtually everything I know about the game came from first reading all the How To, the News and FAQ, then playing.
There is really no reason one cannot become equally knowledgable to most of the 'ancient' players out there like myself, Sasquatch, creperum, Wander, Devil Miyu, Lady Ravven, Retro Johnny, Xeneri and many others, with the same information and the added help of the various texts I and others have put together.
Growing Your Main Vampire
Alright, now I'm sure many people will have objections to my ordering, but like I said: This is my personal view. I'm open to hear arguments for the reordering of this listing, just contact me using email me.
I'm sure some of you have taken note of the lack of a given power as well. Neutrality. This is because I find the attainment of the other powers more interesting and entertaining, and because Neutrality, in my view, does one thing more often than all the other things it does: Reduces my thieving by half! I love thieving, so fuck Neutrality. And yes, I've been 'zeroed', so I can see why others might want it. I just can't stand to see what could have been a 6,000+ coin score get halved for the off chance that I might one day get splashed with holy water. Now for the why and such.
Part I
Second-sight comes first because you only get the power by donating and I wholly advocate people support a game they play so much that they read any text of this nature. Besides, you kill the pop-up advertisements and shit, are not going to be setting off some script issues by accident and can get what is arguably the most difficult power to attain, and next on the list, as your one other power for donating.
Thievery. The power which pays for all other things. Thievery one is, by the design and nature of the game, the most difficult power to get. As a fledgling pire you have but two ways to receive the funds needed to buy this power: biting humans and in-game coin gifts. If you are not in a clan or in contact with a decent sire or a friend who also plays and has a bit in the bank, the second option is out. And it takes forever to get the coin needed to pay for Thievery 1 just by human corpse-molesting.
Therefore, the first real suggestion regarding powers attainment is that you donate at least $5 US and request your freebie power be Thievery 1. More on donations in a moment.
I know it takes a great deal of time to go from Thievery 1 to 2 and then 2 to 3, but it's well worth the preparation. Besides, once you have the first level, the second isn't too hard, really, from there 3 is pretty easy, and the whole time you're biting humans to stock up on BP for the future. So have patience and keep at it. Thievery 3 kicks ass.
Part II
Suction, while a seemingly hefty cost to the new pire, is a rather important power to get early in the game, as it can also be considered a power which pays you back in the long run. Adding an extra pint each time you bite only lessens the time it takes for you to gain the needed cost of other powers in the only other currency of the game: Blood Points (BP). Besides, after running about to TG2 and then 3 only to click and get a power with no fanfare, the Suction quest is really rather entertaining.
Celerity 1 continues the questing fun and is obviously useful. I know many new pires grow impatient waiting for AP to rebuild when they have some goal in mind, so the attainment of this power ought to at least temporarily relieve some of that 'must- -play- -MORE-!' thirst we are all guilty of at times. This also gives you something to work on while you build BP to learn the first level of Stamina.
Shadows 1 gives the player a little break from severe costs and sometimes tiresome questing. It's cheap, requires no BP or questing, and, like Celerity 1, helps build BP as you nibble humans to go get it.
Locate 1 is in here because... Er... I don't know. Why not? It's pretty cheap, entertaining as quests go, not too high on the BP cost scale and you gotta get it some time if you plan to help a group where people sometimes either look for each other or attack people. I don't much care about Locate, but the levels of various powers effect what powers you can get when you donate.
Surprise is pretty useful, as you don't need to scroll banks or guilds and therefore don't need to carry more than a couple SoTurns with you for a favour. This reduces your overhead costs. Yay! Of course, it costs a boat-load of coins, but I think this is good for two reasons. 1- It sets a goal which is challenging but not unattainable for a pire which has done the all the previous powers as suggested, and 2- it once again creates a BP building lapse of time between the BP costing powers.
Part III
Stamina 1 is probably the power I cringed at the hardest when I got it and is probably the power type with the largest overall sting. That massive drop in your hard-won BP count is a blow to the ego and really takes time to rebuild. This is where I mention donating again.
Because of the cost in BP for this power, and its progressive levels, I suggest you just make another donation and ask RB to make your next power this one. And if possible, go ahead and get Stamina 2 now as well. It only makes things easier. This lets you save those BP for some other power and gives you all those proud, warm fuzzies for being a decent vampire. Eh, decent human, that is.
Celerity 2 is another questing power, so you shouldn't be getting too bored with the non-quest powers being mixed in with the quest ones, and will once again satiate the '-play- -MORE-!' monster when it kicks in. And while you're at it, you can hopefully have pubs within reasonable distances of one another so you can be part-time-thieving your way from one quest point to the next and making a little bank. Not a terribly costly power, either, to be honest.
Shadows 2 and 3 are thrown in here only because you might as well take a little breather from high-ticket shopping and the somewhat long quest prior to this. I suppose the drop into shadows in 24 hours thing is kind of neat in coupling with level 2 Celerity, as by the time you get the last two levels of Shadows, you can log out, take a day or three to actually not use your computer for a change, maybe even read, and then come back to a fully charged max-AP level and a hardly nibbled pire. Besides, after the next power, you'll want all your other leveled powers already at level 2.
Locate 2 is really a lot like Shadows 2/3 above in that it's pretty cheap, only a little useful for now and also because it will play a roll in how you can get some powers when donating. Since you need to have all level-based powers at level 1 before you can donate to get a power up to level 2, or at level 2 before you can get a donation power up to level 3, you should have Locate 2 before you, hopefully, donate to get Stamina 3.
Part IV
Stamina 2 represents a huge chunk of BP to lose, so I hope you can see the importance of both Suction and donations. At this point I actually would say donate to get Stamina 2 and 3 at the same time (just to simplify). Since you've already gotten all the other level-based powers to level 2 (or better), you can now get not only level 2 Stamina, but also level 3 via donation. This is a nice avoidance of the loss of not just BP, but also all those little +1 Max-AP bonuses you've enjoyed by doubling your BP count thus far.
Celerity 3 becomes the last important power to get, if you went ahead and donated for Stamina 3 as mentioned above, and is definitely a long and usually difficult quest. With any luck, by the time you can get to this power, you can afford a few SoTel to help you if you really need them. And once complete, even if you didn't donate for Stamina 3, the speed increase to AP gain is really useful.
Locate 3 is actually supposed to be the end of the list, due to it's near uselessness, but if you didn't/couldn't donate for Stamina 2/3 it will be easier to go ahead and just get this over with before the whopping BP cost of Stamina 3. Locate 3 is more a matter of convenience and entertainment than a real power, IMO, but is still one step closer to having a 'fully-charged' vampire. And while you build up the 15,000 coins this dumb power costs, you can rebuild those BP... yet again.
Stamina 3 will be, if you didn't/couldn't donate like mentioned above, your final goal in powers. It represents the most tear-jerking in-game cost and is certainly something to be proud of getting if you have to, or choose to, do it through the Guild. I think this power was the most discouraging one to see happen, yet I find it extremely useful, so I suppose it must be done. Who doesn't want +10 to their base Max-AP?
Now, unless my sleep deprivation is deceiving me, you ought to have the full powers set except Neutrality, which is a shitty power. Ok, so it's actually a really good idea, the way Raven has tweaked it since it was first created, except for that whole cutting my thievery proceeds in half bullshit.
Pat yourself on the back and have a smoke if you read this segment from start to finish. You deserve it.
Conclusion
Like I said in the introduction, this is by no means an ideal way for every player. Some may decide only to get a few powers they think useful. Some may decide that, for whatever reason, they don't need certain powers, but still want the majority. The idea is that you see the logic to the ordering, the sequence being a relative one to the value you place upon a given power.
If you think getting Stamina 3 isn't as important as Celerity 3, fine. If you happen to pick up all three levels of Shadow while you get the three levels of Thievery out of convenience, great idea. Think through the path you want to take and don't be wary of changing your mind. I've had many pires in my time and not all of them progressed as I show above. Some were bred to gather specific Guild info, then passed along. Some were just made to be 'sold' and
followed a system far less inclusive to make them cheaper to create and build. Some were only meant to be theft drones.
What style of play you decide upon will surely differentiate how your main pire and your secondaries (if you have any) are constructed. Role Players may decide to have a segment of their clan which only thieve, never build BP and never buy items, in order to generate a money source. A secondary army of funds creation for the soldiers. Some may be into information gathering and therefore create pires with seemingly incomplete power sets so that they can get very specialized Guild info. Any of these and a hundred other ideas may
change the way you build your pire.
The point is to enjoy a game. I hope the recommendations I've made here help in doing that for you.
Adieu, ~ Brent "Andronicus" Elskän
Celerity
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Travellers Guilds
Cost:
Celerity 1: 4000 coins + 3 items.
Celerity 2: 8000 coins + 6 items.
Celerity 3: 17500 coins + 12 items.
Effect: Celerity reduces the time it takes to gain an action point by five minutes
for each level.
For example, Normal AP gain is 1 every 30 minutes. With ...
... Celerity level 1: AP +1 every 25 min.
... Celerity level 2: AP +1 every 20 min.
... Celerity level 3: AP +1 every 15 min.
DO NOT RIDE TRANSITS ON YOUR QUEST (it cancels the quest)
USING SoTelep OK.
::: Detailed Description :::
Each level requires a quest to "run" from the guild to a series of specific pubs and collect items by getting them from the bartender. The bartender will give the item and instructions when you purchase Blood for 100 coins, so use your maps to plan the route to an intervening bank to get money for the Blood (100 coins).
12-05-03: A fellow player, parelle, has just told me that buying Blood is not actually required: That any drink will do. I have not tested this theory, but have little reason to believe she would attempt to misdirect me. If you take the quest, make sure you have at least 101 coins on you and try buying just Beer and see if you still get the item. If parelle is correct, you should still get the item and be sent on your way to the next pub. If not, you still have the money you need to buy the Blood, so no harm done.
Since someone always asks, yes, you have three days to get to each new location you are told of... Meaning you pay the cost, have three days to get to the specific pub, buy the blood, get the item. Then the bartender says you need to go to the next pub, and your new three day
limit begins then. And so on.
Use the latest maps to figure out how far to your next location, available here.
You cannot use transit stations to get to the pubs. If you do, you see the following message...
The barman shakes his head. "Weren't you listening? You were told to run here, not ride the city's transit system. Try again when you're less lazy."
The kicker is that if you do use the transits, you lose the coin you paid to do start the quest, and must go repay it and begin again Drat...
However, for some reason, you can use teleport scrolls... Odd. Perhaps the reasoning on this is because you have to pay so much for the bloody things, that you spend a huge amount more, in effect, to get the power.
Luckily, if you happen to lose your way, forget where you're going or whatever while you are on your Celerity quest, and can't remember or don't know where the next pub is, you can just check the My Vampire screen and it tells you your next Quest goal.
But be careful. Some pubs can be huge distances away from each other, and there is only your My Vampire screen lacking the info as notification if you fail your quest. If you don't notice that, the next time you go to the bar to get an item, you just get the usual bartender blurbs. Such is the game.
::: Sample Quest Texts :::
The first sample is a general format of the initial guild reply, the rest are from a specific quest by a fellow player.
~Format of Initial Quest Text~
"To gain a level of CELERITY, you must collect a series of 12 objects
from different pubs. 'Run' to (Name of Bar), at (Location), and buy a drink of blood - the bartender will provide you with the first object and more directions. You have three days to get there."
~Actual Quest Text~
"To gain a level of CELERITY, you must collect a series of 12 objects from different pubs. Run to The Moon, at Dogwood and 78th, and buy a drink of blood - the bartender will provide you with the first object and more directions. You have three days to get there."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a granite box.
He tells you now must run to The McAllister Tavern, at Hessite and 97th to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a granite stone.
He tells you now must run to Pelter's Tavern, at Turquoise and 71st to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a granite bone.
He tells you now must run to Marbler's Tavern, at Ragweed and 78th to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a strange fossil.
He tells you now must run to Draper's Tavern, at Pilchard and 48th to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a fossil.
He tells you now must run to The Hanged Man, at Unicorn and 92nd to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a light fossil.
He tells you now must run to Butcher's Tavern, at Kyanite and 19th to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a petrified box.
He tells you now must run to The Gunny's Shack, at Obsidian and 54th to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a bracelet.
He tells you now must run to The Sunken Sofa, at Eagle and 34th to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a stone.
He tells you now must run to The Whirling Dervish, at Sycamore and 89th to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a multicoloured bone.
He tells you now must run to Ten Turtle Doves, at Anguish and 98th to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
The barman hands you a strange gem.
He tells you now must run to Carpenter's Tavern, at Diamond and 1st to buy blood from the barman there, for the next object."
"You drink the Blood.
You feel something brush past your pocket. When you look round, nobody is there, but the items you've collected are gone! You are momentarily angry, but then you realise that you've got what you wanted out of the deal - you feel faster."
Charisma
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Allurists Guilds
Cost:
Charisma 1: 1000 coins + have 3 vampires say " sent me".
Charisma 2: 3000 coins + have 6 vampires say " sent me".
Charisma 3: 5000 coins + have 9 vampires say " sent me".
::: Detailed Description :::
Charisma (3 Levels Available): A vampire with Charisma can get directions from humans more quickly, and discounts on purchases
(in pubs, 10%, 20% and 30%; in shops, 3%, 7% and 10% as level increases).
*QUESTING POWER*
The quest for this power requires you to get OTHER vampires to work with you in obtaining it. When you pay for the quest, you're told to convince a
certain number of "prestigious" vampires (any vamp with over 500BP) to go to a specific pub and say " sent me".
NOTE: DO NOT GO INTO THE PUB YOURSELF OR YOU WILL FAIL!!!!!!
::: Sample Quest Texts :::
"The Allurists Guild informs you that business near
has been slow lately. Persuade 3 prestigious vampires (with at least
500 blood) to visit {Pub Name) there and tell the bartender " sent me". You have ten days.
You must not set foot inside the pub yourself during the quest - drunks give us a bad name."
--------------
When someone in the pub says your vamp sent them, they get this message:
The barman says "Excellent."
A shadowy figure in the corner smiles, and makes a note.
--------------
When someone is the last one needed says you sent them, they see:
The barman says "Excellent."
A shadowy figure in the corner smiles, makes a note, and leaves.
--------------
When they see that, and the "shadowy figure" leaves, your quest is complete. The next time you log on (or move if you're already playing)
after your quest is finished, you will see this text:
You feel a rush of confidence course through your body. It's as though
you have become more comfortable with yourself and those around you.
You have gained a level of CHARISMA.
Locate
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Empaths Guild.
Cost:
Locate 1: 1500 coins + 40 BP [4 x 10].
Locate 2: 4000 coins + 60 BP [4 x 15].
Locate 3: 15000 coins + 100 BP [4 x 25].
Effect: Locate tells you the location of another vampire. The accuracy of the
location increases with each level.
Locate 1: Tells the number of squares away a vamp is.
Locate 2: Tells the direction, and number of squares away.
Locate 3: Tells the exact location of the vampire.
QUESTING POWER
Infuse your blood with four specific points of the city.
NOTE: If you have both Locate and Second-sight, use 2nd-site to get the location. Using Locate takes 1 AP, while 2nd-site takes only half an AP, but still gives Locate information equivalent to your Locate level as a part of the 2nd-site info.
::: Detailed Description :::
Locate is a fairly useful power, but a rather involved quest. The process is to go infuse your essence into various areas of the city. For level one it is the corners, level two middle streets and level three the center areas. Always four locations (different for each level) and always the same phrase must be said. Check-Point.
When you go to the Guild, you pay the guild master and you are told to go to a specific location and say Check-Point. When you do, you lose the required BP and are told another location. You repeat this at all four locations and then you get the power.
Note that the locations given are meant to be the exact intersection. Not the South-Eastern black square like the Guild locations are given, but the gray cross-street intersection. You should be in the same square with the green street sign showing the location you were told to say Check-Point in.
Level 1 locations are:
Aardvark and 1st
Aardvark and 100th
Zestless and 100th
Zestless and 1st
Level 2 locations are:
Aardvark and 50th
Zestless and 50th
Zelkova and 1st
Zelkova and 100th
Level 3 locations are:
Sycamore and 38th
Sycamore and 63rd
Gypsum and 63rd
Gypsum and 38th
::: Sample Quest Texts :::
When you pay for the Guild cost you see:
"To complete your LOCATE ability, you need the center of the city to know you. Spill twenty-five pints of your blood at each of four specific points in the city center. First, go to the corner of Sycamore and 38th and say 'Check-Point'. Make sure you say it exactly as I did. You will have five days to reach each checkpoint."
Andronicus says "Check-Point"
Andronicus kneels on the ground, and gently tears open a wrist with a daggerlike fingernail. Blood flows forth, and half-seeps, half-crawls into the paved ground. Next you must say 'Check-Point' at the corner of Sycamore and 63rd.
...
Um. For some reason I forgot to include the last part of my Locate quest text when I was making this original text. Heh. Sorry. Ur... Look, you'll see what it says when you're done. Happy hunting.
Neutrality
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Peacekeepers Missions
Mission 1: Emerald & 67th
Mission 2: Unicorn & 33rd
Mission 3: Emerald & 33rd
Cost:
Neutrality 1: 10000 coins
Neutrality 2: 10000 coins + 500 BP
Neutrality 3: 10000 coins + 1000 BP
Effect: Neutrality designates your vampire as "non-violent."
No Neutrality: SoTurn/HW against you have full effect and you may use both.
ANY Neutrality level: SoTurns cause you no BP damage but still move you.
ANY Neutrality level: You may use a SoTurn to move vamps but it takes no BP.
Neutrality 1: HW against you have less effect.
Neutrality 2: HW against you have little effect.
Neutrality 3: HW against you are nearly worthless.
::: Detailed Description :::
As stated in the News on the game server, when you get Neutrality (any level), you are rendered immune to the damaging effects of Scrolls of Turning, though you can still be moved. You can use SoTurns as well, but the mirror event happens when you do: the pires you Turn are movable, but take no BP damage.
You take reduced damage from Holy Water; the amount of reduction increases the more blood you have. At level 3, you take only one damage from holy water - less than being drunk from by a vampire with Suction.
Unlike the other powers, Neutrality can be removed, for a price.
::: Interacting With Neutral Vamps :::
Neutral vampires are highlighted in pink. Neutral vampires can't give money to non-Neutral vampires, since that would be a breach of Neutrality. Also, each time you steal as a Neutral vampire, half your take goes to the Peacekeepers; the same applies to normal vampires stealing from Neutral.
<< USELESS TRIVIA >>
Not that it matters, but if you look at the CSS which is used to format the appearance of the game pages, there is an entry at the very bottom which is used to designate the color of neutral vampires. The custom CSS entry to make a pire's name appear that ugly pink hue is ".pansy". Heh heh. I suppose that expresses a little of RavenBlack's opinion on the matter. ^_^
Perception
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Allurist's Guilds (All)
Cost: 7,500 coins + quest.
*No levels for this power. Once only cost.*
Perception lets a vampire see what vamps have money and gives warning of hunters.
::: Detailed Description :::
Perception is obtained at the Allurist's Guilds (any of them), and is a
one time quest.
Perception performs two separate functions:
1) It gives early warning of all Vampire Hunters (humans with attitude). If you have Perception, when you would normally see a "white" Human in a nearby square, you will see them as green with a black background. This does *NOT* mean that they are "run down and available for destruction." It just means that they are a hunter. If you choose to enter the square with them, prepare to deal with them just like anyone else (i.e. chase them down and lose potentially hundreds of BP).
2) It gives you a CHANCE of knowing if vamps who share your square have "a lot" of coins. There is a lot of speculation as to what the threshold for "a lot" is, but generally speaking, if a vamp is yellow, they'll have more coins than if they are white.
If you have both Perception and Thievery, this decreases your chances (but does NOT eliminate) seeing "You fail to steal from XXXXX"
::: Sample Quest Texts :::
Once you pay your 7500 coins to the Guildmaster, you see the following:
To gain PERCEPTION, you must find and kill a vampire hunter
within the next ten days.
You drink the human's blood. You extracted XX pints of blood.
You feel as if a veil has been lifted from your eyes. Your hearing is sensitized; you hear your own heartbeat, the clink of coins, and the distant sound of an Allurists Guild member speaking her congratulations, knowing you will hear it.
From now on you will be able to tell when a human is a vampire hunter from a distance, and if you hear a vampire's coins clinking that vampire will be highlighted in yellow.
You also found XXXX coins. Nice.
Simple enough, so long as you manage to come across a hunter in the allowed 10 days. Vamp_Sas came up with the following idea :
1) Put off paying the guildmaster until after you find a hunter (be sure to write down where the hunter was!);
2) Using a SoTel, transport yourself to the bank nearest the guild;
3) Withdrew 7500 coins;
4) Walk to the guild;
5) Pay the Guildmaster his fee;
6) Use a second SoTel, transport yourself BACK to the hunter;
7) Chase the hunter until you win.
This method requires that you have a decent amount of AP before you begin and that you have 2 SoTel's (and maybe a SoTurn or two for the bank/guild). Your only risk is if someone else finds the hunter while you're doing steps 2-6, so don't dawdle!
Shadows
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Thieves Guilds.
Cost:
Shadows 1: 1000 coins.
Shadows 2: 2000 coins.
Shadows 3: 4000 coins.
Effect: Shadows decreases the number of days it takes for a vampire to fall into
shadow by one for each level. Normal time to fall into Shadow is 4 days of inactivity.
::: Detailed Description :::
Shadows is the state of being "invisible" on the game board. A vampire in this state cannot be seen by the "naked eye," as it were, and yet still can add to the number of pires in a given square. So, feasibly, a square could be blue/impassable, yet not show any vampires in it, because they all dropped into shadows.
RavenBlack did us poor old bastards who have been attacked a small favour and made it impossible to harm a vampire who is lost in shadow. Previously, a pire could be in shadow and others could still throw HW on him/her or, if the attacker knew how to use the links in a none too honest fashion, still rob or bite the shadow-lost vampire.
Nowadays if you're lost in shadows, you are essentially impervious to harm, invincible. And believe me, many of us thank the RavenBlack for it, too. Many of us old pires were around getting sprayed and robbed while in shadows before anyone had ever even thought of the Neutrality power.
Coming out of shadows requires little or no effort. Simply log in and move. Do something. Anything. Anything that takes AP to do should bring you out of shadows. Including too many hits to the script, BTW.
If you go into shadows too long, you can get consumed by them and your vampire will disappear. Actually, it's the clean-up script segment deleting vampires who haven't donated and who've been inactive for three weeks. Only a vampire with second-sight can overcome being consumed by shadows. (Meaning that your pire can't be deleted because you gave a donation.)
Getting the power is simple. Go to the guild and pay for it. The end...
Stamina
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Immolators Guilds
Cost:
Stamina 1: 1000 coins + 500 BP.
Stamina 2: 2500 coins + 1000 BP.
Stamina 3: 5000 coins + 1500 BP.
Effect: Stamina increases your total maximum AP level by 10 points and increases your
ability to resist a Scroll of Turning (SoTurn) effect.
So, with...
... no Stamina levels: Standard AP, all SoTurns move you & -10 BP
... Stamina 1: Max AP +10 to standard, SoTurn sometimes resisted
... Stamina 2: Max AP +10 more, SoTurn often resisted
... Stamina 3: Max AP +10 more, SoTurn usually resisted
QUESTING POWER
Go to guild, pay coins to get a password + location. Go to the location,
say the password, loose the BP and gain the power.
::: Detailed Description :::
At the guild, click the button to pay the required coins for the location of a secret place and a special password, just for you. I recommend you copy and paste it into a text file so you can use it later EXACTLY how it was given to you.
You go to the new address [don't worry, you have 10 days]. You use the "More Commands" option below the map to input the EXACT password (hence the copy paste) and click [Say It]. This means if the password was shown to you as Kai-Kai, you cannot say it kai-kai, or Kai Kai. It pays attention to capitalization and the dash is supposed to be included.
Note that you will need to be in the INTERSECTION of the location given to you, not the usual South-East black square one goes to for the usual Guild ones given in the game. So when the IG tells you go to Pine & 45th or wherever, you need to be exactly on the spot where those two "streets" cross to say the password. That is, where you see the sign for the two streets.
This is when you pay your Blood Points cost. The lost BP are the damage it causes when they brand the power into you. Pretty kick ass, but damned frightful to loose so many BP at once. Congrats. You will now have the Stamina upgrade.
If by chance you accidentally lose track of where you need to go, which address you need to find when you pay for the power, you can always check the My Vampire screen and it should tell you everything you need to know to complete your quest.
Another point on the AP increase: When RavenBlack added a special feature to increase Maximum APs little by little (a single Max AP up for each time you double your AP after a certain base level is reached), it ended up sort of effecting how Stamina boosts to your Max AP works out.
You have a base AP of 50. Under 50 BP, however, it is reduced by grades. So a pire with only 5 BP has only 35 AP. And, when you get some of those extra one point of Max AP bonuses, it is based on your BP counts doubling.
So, as it used to work, Stamina 1 raised Max AP to 60, Stamina 2 up to 70, and 3 up to 80. Now, however, you will see your "little bonus one-off" Max AP points drop, due to the loss of blood.
For example, one player had a Max AP of 74, got Stamina 3, and their Max AP went to 82. So 8 points, she'd think. But, what had really happened was, the two little extra Max AP points she had gotten for her BP doubling was dropped when she paid the huge 1500 BP cost of Stamina 3. So, when she gets back up to her old level of BP, it will read a Max AP count of 84.
::: Sample Quest Texts :::
When you pay for the Guild cost you see:
"To gain a level of STAMINA, you must go to the corner of
[location] and say '[password]'. It will cost you 500 blood.
You have ten days."
When you get to the correct location and say the password you see:
<vampname> says "<password>"
Shadowy figures burst from the darkness all around. Before <vampname> can respond, the vampire is immobilised, held pinned to the ground. Another silhouette steps forth, holding out on the end of a stick a piece of platemail strangely visible in the dark. Then you realise - it's glowing with red heat. The platemail is pressed against the chest of <vampname>. With gritted teeth, <vampname> bears the pain without a sound, other than the sizzle of flesh and bursting blood-vessels. After what seems an eon but is probably more like twenty seconds, the figures depart as slickly as they arrived, taking their armour with them. <vampname> looks weakened, and yet, strangely, strengthened.
NOTE:Not that it effects getting the power at all, but anyone else in the square with you when you gain the power sees that same text as well. Not really crucial to getting the power, but a fun little curiosity, none the less.
I've thought about creating a vamp with the name of Yo' Mamma, just so I can hope to one day perform this little power gaining act in a square with a bunch of other pires. No, seriously... Imagine it:
Yo' Mamma says "Clean up that damn room!"
Shadowy figures burst from the darkness all around. Before Yo' Mamma can respond, the vampire is immobilised, held pinned to the ground. Another silhouette steps forth, holding out on the end of a stick a piece of platemail strangely visible in the dark. Then you realise - it's glowing with red heat. The platemail is pressed against the chest of Yo' Mamma. With gritted teeth, Yo' Mamma bears the pain without a sound, other than the sizzle of flesh and bursting blood-vessels. After what seems an eon but is probably more like twenty seconds, the figures depart as slickly as they arrived, taking their armour with them.
(Here's the best part...) Yo' Mamma looks weakened, and yet, strangely, strengthened.
Man... That kills me every time I read it. Heh heh heh. Ok, fine, don't laugh. I'm done. (*walks away muttering '...got no sense of humour, i tells ya...'*)
Suction
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Immolators Guild (ALL/ANY).
Cost: 7500 coins + quest.
No levels for this power. Once only cost.Effect: Suction drains an extra pint each time you bite.
::: Detailed Description :::
Suction is obtained at the Immolator's Guilds (any of them), and is a one time quest.
Suction effects how you bite. When biting vampires, you get two pints instead of one and when biting humans, instead of getting 1 to 3 pints, you get 2 to 4 each time.
It costs 7500 coins and then you set on a quest to put the blood of 20 other pires with higher BP than you into a wine flask like thing.
When you begin, you have a three day timer to bite someone with more blood than you. Once you do, the timer resets and you have another three days. Once you reach 20, you are done and you gain the Suction power.
During your quest, you gain no BP by drinking from those pires, and they lose about 5 (some say 6) BPs. They get little messages and so do you, each time you find the right level of pire and bite them.
This isn't hard to accomplish if you have a fairly low BP level. But higher level pires, say 2000 and more, have trouble finding pires who have more BPs than they do, so the three days is useful if you want to keep high BPs and still get Suction.
Some vamps are deciding to get Stamina levels first, which can severely lower your BPs in buying, so they are at low enough levels to easily find people with higher BPs to help them get Suction faster. This is the case for people with already high BPs.
However, if your pire is low in BPs, Suction is rather important to get, to help quickly get as many BPs as possible in order to pay for Stamina or other BP costing quests.
::: Sample Quest Texts :::
When you pay for the Guild cost you see:
"To gain a level of SUCTION, you need to fill this bag (the
guildmaster hands you something that looks like a wineskin) with the blood of
powerful vampires. You must bag blood from at least one powerful vampire every
three days, until the bag is full, or it will lose its power.
"(To bag a vampire's blood, simply drink from a vampire whose
blood count is higher than yours.)"
When you bite, you see:
"You drain much more blood than you usually could from (Name of Vamp), syphoning it into the bag as you go. Again, you have 3 days to find the next victim."
When you bite, they see:
"(Name of Vamp) sucked blood from you. You were temporarily paralysed, unable to do anything but watch as the blood was drained - more blood than you would usually expect. As if to add insult to injury, (Name of Vamp) isn't even drinking, instead spitting huge mouthfuls of your blood into some kind of wineskin."
When you have finally bitten the 20th pire, you see:
"You drain much more blood than you usually could from (Name
of Vamp), syphoning it into the bag as you go.
"The bag is finally full. You upend it into your mouth. The blood burns as it goes down, but in an almost pleasant, if slightly unnerving, way. As the last drop passes your lips, you feel a new strength in your lungs and in your fangs."
Surprise
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Empaths Guilds (ALL/ANY).
Cost: 20,000 coins.
No levels for this power. Once only cost.Effect: Surprise lets a vampire enter a "blued" (blocked or overcrowded) square.
::: Detailed Description :::
Surprise is a very simply defined power. You can get into squares with so many pires that they "blue" out, and are normally impassable. When you encounter such a "blocked" square without Surprise you must either go around or use a Scroll of Turning (SoTurn) to "clear" the square.
Since the power of Surprise eliminates the need to use SoTurns, it saves you a great deal of money in the long run. Also, because there is no quest to obtain the power, you save the common immediate costs that one encounters when questing, such as time, purchase of transit or pub drinks or whatever, and there is no blood cost at all.
One note though. It is rare to see it happen, but it is possible for a square to get so full, that even a vampire with Surprise cannot pass into the square. Just in case, carry a few SoTurns with you while you travel.
Obtaining the power at the guild is extremely straight forward. Get into the right square while holding the right amount of money, then click the button to learn the power. Tada. Done.
Telepathy
This text made possible because of the extra help offered by Parelle. Thanks, hon!
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Travelers Guild
Cost: Telepathy 1: 2,500 coins + 10 AP
Telepathy 2: 5,000 coins + 10 AP
Telepathy 3: 10,000 coins + 10 APEffect: Telepathy lets you send messages to other vampires regardless
of location. The power uses AP to send the message at the following rates
[half AP cost for communicating with sires or childer(family)]:
Telepathy 1: 10 AP (5 for family)
Telepathy 2: 6 AP (3 for family)
Telepathy 3: 3 AP (1 for family)
::: Detailed Description :::
Thus far, the News on the game server is the most accurate info and is as follows.
Telepathy (3 Levels Available): The vampire is able to send telepathic messages to other vampires, no matter where they are. At level one it costs ten action points to send a telepathic message. At level two it costs six. At level three it costs two. Sending a message to your sire or one of your childer costs half the action points of communicating with other vampires, ie. it costs only one action point to communicate with one of your childer using level three telepathy.
So, yes. The same thing as above. The lovely and ever-informative Parelle of the Sun Clan had this to say in the Lost In Shadows community:
Mon, Feb. 16th, 2004, 05:04 pm parelle
If you're curious, here are the messages that pop up:
Power: Intensive training, lasting several hours, leaves you feeling very tired. Your mind, on the other hand, is feeling especially alert. You have gained a level of TELEPATHY.
Message: You concentrate, and send a telepathic message to the vampire _____.
Indeed, I messaged one of my childer (i do have so few!) and it cost half of what it could have.
Additionally, be aware that the reduction of AP costs does not apply to your "extended pack." That is, using Telepathy to talk to your childer will be half normal AP cost, but your childer's childer still cost the normal AP to send a message to, and the other way, presumably as well (your sire =1/2 normal AP cost; your sire's sire =full normal AP cost).
Of note is the fact that there is no quest for this power. You simply go to the correct guild and buy the power. Additionally, the moment you click the button to buy the power at the guild you will be down ten AP, as the idea is that you spend a lot of time and energy "studying" to obtain the power.
A very big thanks to Parelle of the Sun Clan for her invaluable information sharing on this power. This info wouldn't be up if not for her help.
Thievery
::: Quick & Dirty :::
Available at: Thieves Guild .
Cost:
Thievery 1: 2000 coins.
Thievery 2: 5000 coins.
Thievery 3: 10000 coins.
Effect: Thievery robs a pire of...
... up to 25% of their coins at level 1,
... up to 50% at level 2, and
... up to 75% at level 3.
Chances of success increase with each level.
::: Detailed Description :::
Thievery is probably the most important power to get. But, unfortunately, it can also be the hardest to get the first level of. As a vampire without Thievery, you can only get your funding two ways... Either from Humans, or from other pires being nice enough to pay for it for you.
Of course, you can always just donate enough to get you a level or three of Thievery, but that isn't what this text is for. Actually, I recommend you do donate to the game, just because of the principle. Besides, getting level 1 Thievery by paying to get rid of those banners and supporting the game is in no way a bad thing. I encourage the idea wholeheartedly.
The reason Thievery is so important? Well, it pays for everything else like transits, pubs, items, powers... Come on, do I really need to tell you why?
A note: You don't "rob" humans. They fork over their cash as soon as you drink them up and kill them. Only other vampires can be robbed from. And no, you can't rob the bartenders. Or the banks... Or shops. Shit.
Like the quick and dirty says, the different levels of Thievery work like so:
Thievery 1: Robs a pire for up to 25% of the coin on them.
Thievery 2: Robs a pire for up to 50% of the coin on them.
Thievery 3: Robs a pire for up to 75% of the coin on them.
Am I getting through to you on the UP TO bit? So you won't be emailing me or posting to a message board with some complaint about T3 not working, right? Good. See, Thievery won't always rob a pire of exactly that amount. Also, you can fail. With each level of Thievery you gain, you increase your chances of a successful robbery, but it is never 100% going to work every time. Besides, some vampires don't have any money on them, the cheap bastards who know how to use banks. Ahem. Pardon me. Moving on...
Once you have the funds, actually *getting* the power is simple. Go to the guild and pay for it. The end...
Conclusion
This game can be a really enjoyable hobby or a sorry addiction. It can be boring or it can be a pleasant distraction. What it becomes to you is for you to decide. How you play, who you commune with when you play it, what you do with the whole thing is all in your hands and it can be a pretty great thing or a total fucking pain in the ass. The game is very flexible about what style of play you choose to apply to it, so find the way which brings you the most pleasure. I hope these texts have made it less of a mystery and more fun for you.
And with that, I shall bid you all happy hunting, a sweet adieu, and a fond good night. May the road rise to you...
~Brent "Andronicus" Elskän.
Proud FTA Member and Moderator.
JMOC Member #714.
Drat...