Shattered Kingdoms

When you’re still an amateur, type outfit. You will get a new set of practice gear, should you lose your old set.

The help text regarding speed clarifies much of this. This affects your exhaustion rate but little else – you probably want it set to walk at all times. If you flee from a mob, you are automatically set to speed run. To reset it back to walking speed, just type speed walk

If you have two alligators in a room, you can look at the first one by typing look alligator or look 1.alligator. To look at the second one, type look 2.alligator. This works with objects as well – gem, 2.gem, 3.gem, and so forth. Or, if you have multiples of the same object, you can type something like take all.steak to grab them all.

The help text and website pages for death reveal some your basic options. Up until novice status, player-characters are automatically resurrected. After that, however, you’re on your own.

It is recommended to use who and scan the list for characters that sound like they are priests, then petitioning them politely for a resurrection or a raise dead rite to be cast upon your corpse. Be sure to give them your name, for often while you are dead they can not tell who it is trying to speak to them (refer to manifest help text for further information).

If you endeavor to undergo a death quest (see the help text on death-quest), remember to answer in a complete sentence: “My answer is a fish,” not “I think that is a fish.”

The help file for age will reveal most of this information. One common misconception is that age is related to the number of hours you play. This is not true; whether you play 20 hours a month or 200, you age at the same rate. Player-characters age roughly one year in-game for every week in real life.

A mob’s corpse disintegrates in five minutes. Having your corpse save is a separate matter entirely. Your corpse does disintegrate, although it takes several hours. As long as the corpse exists (i.e. has not yet disintegrated) it is saved just like a player and will be reloaded into the world with its contents if the game crashes. You have roughly those eight hours to recover a corpse and gear.

Items have a level number assigned to them. If the number of the level is higher than your level, when you log off/back on there is a chance it will be stolen. Why be able to use it in the first place? Because it doesn’t make much sense for certain items to have flags which cause you to see “You can’t use this item yet.” This tends to ruin the roleplay atmosphere. So, instead, these thieves come and steal it from you if you aren’t supposed to have it, but you get to play with it for a while first.

The higher the level of the item, compared to your own level, the higher the probability that the item will be stolen by thieves. The system is based on percentages. As for WHY it’s done, it’s as the other post said. At SK we don’t like the system used by some muds which prevents someone from even picking up an item of higher level than the player. But at the same time, because equipment is limited in number, we do need to protect against somebody being outfitted in Grandmaster level equipment when he’s an amateur, and then keeping those items horded. The current “thieves” system is SK’s effort at keeping the game fair, while maintaining as much of an IC atmosphere as possible while dealing with it.

Typing auto follow will prevent others from following you.

This command syntax is a bit tricky. If you wanted to give five gold to a fellow character called ‘Thrag’, you would type: give gold 5 Thrag. As a general guide for handling most other items (aside from money), the syntax is <verb> <item> <target>.

There are several ways, all imperfect. There is no guarantee of complete safety anywhere. Three tactics to make your life safer, however, are:
1) Type areas. This lists areas in your level range.
2) When encountering a mob you may want to kill, type consider <target>. This will give you a general idea of how tough your target is in comparison to you.
3) look <direction>. By looking in the directions around you, you can look ahead and see what persons or creatures lie in wait.

Make sure your terminal is at least 80 characters wide. You may need to check your word wrap settings as well. If your screen is still looking funky and strange – particularly if you have strange blue square and rectangle patterns, and some words get eaten up all the time – type vt. VT interface requires additional installation that many mudders don’t have. If you haven’t downloaded VT, it will be more of a hassle than an aid and best turned off.

Just type drink by itself.

Recall no longer costs experience to use.

The enlighten message means you were rewarded by a paragon or an administrator for excellent role-play. You are awarded additional experience. Should you obtain many such rewards, you may attain paragon status – recognised as the best roleplayer in your chosen profession!

The knowledge message is most commonly associated with experience quests. There are certain actions one can take in thematic areas that will allow one to gain experience points without simply hacking and slashing at monsters. Not all areas in Shattered Kingdoms have experience quests, but more are being added constantly. The help text covering quests has more information.

Refer to the help text regarding cast – you need quotation marks around two-word spells to make them work: cast ‘magic missile’

Humans, half-elves, elves and deep-elves tend to be popular. Gnomes, giants, and halflings are seen the least. Classes tend to fluctuate, with one class or another gaining popularity for a while. Sorcerers, scouts, and rogues are perennial favorites. There never seems to be enough priests, however, and there are typically few mercenaries, swashbucklers, or hellions.

There are many divergent opinions. Ultimately, it is up to you, and don’t let someone else bully you into playing something you don’t want to play!

I would recommend playing a grey-aura scout or a grey-aura priest if you’re new to SK. Playing a scout allows you some independence and the ability to explore the huge outdoor world, as well as pick up pets and herbs to help you along the way. Playing a priest is a great way to get quickly enmeshed in the politics and goings-on of SK. Resurrection is arguably the most powerful spell in the mud. However, that’s just advice. Play what would be the most fun for you!

Yes. Generally, longer-lived races and griffons have a steeper learning curve than other races. Magic-using classes, other than priests, tend to have steeper learning curves than non-magic users.

It is up to you. You can decide which fits your character best.

The general rule of thumb is not to blurt out that you want to join one of these groups. The first task is to attempt to find out who is already a member and then begin to hang out with those people. Once they know you and respect your RP, you should find a way to discreetly express an interest in the goals of their group. In the case of tribunals, it is best to take steps to attain citizenship of the tribunal’s kingdom in advance.

Once it becomes clear that the leadership of the group knows of your interest, you should not have to wait more than two weeks (in real life, aka two years of game time) to find out whether or not they are serious about having you inducted. If more than two weeks have passed without word, you are justified in approaching the leader of the group and asking them if there is something you need to do to prove yourself.

If after all that, it turns out they don’t want you, don’t throw a fit. Keep your reaction in character. If you remain dedicated to the concept, it may be that they’ll reconsider in the future – group leaders do tend to change every few months. It may be best to investigate other groups with which your character may be compatible.

All spells require the cast command. For skills, refer to the help file on each particular skill.

[None] means you are not yet in a cabal or tribunal. If/when you join a cabal, that will change. Refer to help cabal and help tribunal for more.

These adds points to your hit points and to your mana pool. Training certain other key attributes may also increase your hit points and mana pool, but these two directly affect only those two.

Assuming your character is not affected by berzerk or frenzy, you may have an armor problem. Read up on help armor and help armor2.

No, it costs more experience to train skills if you learn them before the appropriate status. However, if you really want to try to learn resurrection as an Apprentice, you do have that option. Some people find the advantages of having a certain skill or spell in advance to be worth the extra experience cost. The closer you are to the appropriate status for learning the skill, the cheaper it will be. The help entries for status and train are also good resources on this subject, as well as the general help file on training.

If you didn’t know, fleeing makes you lose experience. If you don’t have any XP saved up, you’ll drop down a level with enough XP to be “almost eligible” to the level you just lost.

Some items have a limited shelf life. Wear and tear on an item will cause its condition to deteriorate. If it is a metallic item, a smithy can repair it. If it is an article of clothing or leather, a tailor can fix it. Some materials have no way to be repaired. Refer to the help entry named armor2 (note: the help entry for armor relates to a spell).

Several years ago, SK used numbers for each level. However, it was changed to the current system, where rankings are granted in names, such as amateur, master, or journeyman. Long time players still recall the numbered system and make references to it. Read the help entry for status for more information.

You have to use another person to tell you if you’re successful or not. There is some degree of risk in using either skill in that you can not determine when alone if you are successful or not.

Help language will clarify. Essentially, you start out only knowing one of the many languages on SK.

A good adjective is, generally speaking, one that describes a physical quality that will not change as your character ages nor is dependent on a temporary condition.

That’s not to say that adjectives like “friendly”, “dirty” or “young” are illegal; they are all legitimate. See the help text regarding adjective for some examples. However, the best adjectives will be something neutral and physical others can sense from just being in the room with you.

Help group details the mechanics of forming and controlling a group. The advantages to groups are threefold:
1) When fighting mobs, you and your friend gain more in experience than both of you could have done separately.
2) You can reposition members of the group to protect some members of the party from physical damage.
3) You get the advantages of a group psychic link which allows you to send tells to everyone in your group simultaneously.
4) Certain spells and staves will affect your allies, but these effects are only conferred if those allies are in a group with you. Conversely, certain spells or effects target all those -not- grouped with you.

The best way to find a trainer for a skill or spell you need is to ask around. Many players are reluctant to give such information away, but persistence should allow you to uncover the trainer you need. Higher level skills and spells are more difficult to find than lower level skills and spells. When asking for a trainer, endeavor to ask in-character, of course.

Refer to help law and help outlaw. The kingdoms of Taslamar, Ayamao, Zhenshi, Northern Wastes, and The Empire of Bright Star have law systems. Uxmal does not, except in the embassies of Teron.

No object which is requested can be given to another character. If they’re good-aligned and properly experienced, they can request one of their own.

And if a sword (or other item) has been requested, it should be the one that you’re actively using. If you’re not using it, it should be destroyed or given back to the original mob (not just any old mob, but the one you got it from), so you shouldn’t just have extra requested equipment to give to anyone else anyway.

Use free. Also helpful when buying pets is the name part: buy <pet> <name> that lets you call your new pet by a name of your own choosing. Don’t worry if you pick a name and it says ‘this is not a suitable name for a pet’, just pick another name.

There are two kinds of answers to this question. In terms of population, the various cities tend to rank in following order: (most populous) Exile, Teron, Menegroth, Sith’a’niel, Zhenshi, Krychire (least populous).

More specifically, there are two kinds of places where you will run into the most player traffic. The first of these are the portal stones (also known as recall points) that are located in the wilderness of each kingdom. While you will often run into people at these locations, keep in mind that they are also dangerous places in which to hang out.

The other location to which you may go is to one of the six primary inns, one of which is located in each capitol city. These spots are popular with players because they provide a significant regeneration bonus to people who rest or sleep there. See the inn help file for details on the names of each specific inn.

Most often, it comes from ignoring the IC/OOC distinction. When asking questions about the game, you must use the OOC preface. As well, begging for money, equipment, or knowledge will often test the nerves of experienced players. Avoid being pushy or obnoxious in your requests, and keep your requests simple and modest.

All administrators on Shattered Kingdoms are or were once builders. Most administrators still have areas that they build. Builders are tapped from the player base. SK does not accept solicitations from players to become builders.
However, if you want to request that a specific item, creature, or area be built for you, you need to first find an appropriate Kingdom Director. Check the Annoucement Forums for a current list of Kingdom Directors. You may, as well, find a free-agent administrator who may be willing to assist. Once you’ve found a builder appropriate for what you wish to build, send them a PM or an e-mail with your request. Be aware, however, that builders are under NO obligation to fulfill player requests. Each takes on a project like this out of largess, not duress.

Also note the following things about such requests. First, the simpler the request and the less powerful the things you ask for, the more likely they are to be accepted and fulfilled. The larger and more complex the project, the less likely it will see fruition.
Secondly, requested items, mobs, or areas should in general a) not glorify a player-character or a group of player-characters, b) be accessible to a reasonably large number of other players, and c) end up costing your character something, like a set quest or some SK money. There are, of course, exceptions. Builders are usually happy to make books for players at little cost, even if they are just about one’s exploits. Or on occasion a gravestone may be built for departed character, upon a builder’s discretion. In general, however, builders watch for those three things.

Typically, administrators are former long-time players who were asked to join the ranks as an administrator. There is no guaranteed path – that is, unlike some MUDs where you can gain the status by simply climbing enough levels, you can only become an administrator when asked.

You can use it anytime as long as you aren’t the target of an attack. In short: if you want to get the most out of it, find someone to group with and have them take the hits while you circle stab away. The general information file on groups is also helpful.

The junk command is in-characater. For instance, if it were cloth, you would burn it; if it’s metal, your character is melting it; and so on. Some people take it personally (that is, they get offended out-of-character) if you junk their character’s equipment, but it is in fact an in-character action.

Well, you should decide early on what sort of immortal you wish to follow. Part of that is based purely on your alignment. Your best guide is to read the help files for each of the immortals you are interested in. That will get you pointed in the right direction. Contrary to some beliefs, it is fine to say something in your title that you are seeking a particular immortal’s church. The who list itself can often help you find other followers to point you the way. If you can’t find any followers of your chosen immortal, then best to write a quick OOC note to the immortal in question or, if an immortal isn’t listed in the ‘wizlist’ command under that faith, check the contacts list in the Announcements forum on the website to work out which immortal is acting as a caretaker in the interim.

Never, usually. Calrion, an immortal that existed prior to Alshain, said his old mortal name of ‘Kiev’ would remain a valid name for others to use. However if the name is used for a mob within the game, it is locked as already in use and cannot be the name of a character.

The game has no way of knowing that someone has lost the link on their end of the connection until they reconnect, at which point, the disconnect from the old connection is forced by the new one.

If you’re using zMUD and attempt to connect from the “character database” function of the client, it will take whatever is in the name and password boxes as literal values: even if they are empty. The result is that the client connects and then immediately sends what it thinks is the user name (which is just the enter key), and you are disconnected immediately, because you didn’t supply a name.

This can be solved by connecting with a plain old telnet client in order to make a character, then put the relevant details into zMUD by hand.

Not even Dulrik can send an existing password to the registered email address – he can only set a new password. And you will definitely need to have set (and be able to supply) the email address when you created the character, too.

Seven Days in a week –
1 Day of the Bull
2 Day of Deception
3 Day of Thunder
4 Day of Freedom
5 Day of the Great Gods
6 Day of the Sun
7 Day of the Moon
…four weeks in each month, of which there are three a season –
1 Winter Wolf (winter)
2 Frost Giant
3 Old Forces
4 Grand Struggle (spring)
5 Spring
6 Nature
7 Sun (summer)
8 Heat
9 Dark Shades
10 Long Shadows (fall/autumn)
11 Ancient Darkness
12 Great Evil
…and twelve months to a year. For additional information there is the help text on time as well as the web page that explains how time in the real world compares to that of time passing within Shattered Kingdoms.

Emergency quit? Turn off the computer or just shut off your mud client. Your character goes linkdead and eventually “disappears into the void” until you return. An emergency quit feature would also be very open to abuse – the most relevant fact is that if you’re in a real emergency, you have bigger things to worry about than whether your character in a mere game is going to be attacked or hassled in your absence.

This has long been debated, however the reason for it is because spoken languages can, in certain circumstances, prevent communication: for example, when a sprite and a human meet and try to talk, only to find they do not share a common tongue – much the same as meeting someone in real life who didn’t speak your language at all.

In the past, some players would abuse the ’emote’ command at an impasse, in order to communicate. And so, emotes as a gesture are sometimes mis-understood due to the language barrier (which itself is a common occurrence in the real world, due to different cultures interpreting gestures differently). Some examples of how not to use the emote command are shown below:

> emote bows deeply and says to the sprite “Hello. I’m from Krychire.”
A thin human bows deeply and says to the sprite “Hello. I’m from Krychire.”

> emote screams back “Really?! I’m from Ayamao! They says you Krychire-peoples is EEEVIL!” and then runs away
A male sprite screams back “Really?! I’m from Ayamao! They says you Krychire-peoples is EEEVIL!” and then runs away

The proper way to express the above words and gestures is shown below using an emote, speech and a social command:

> emote bows deeply.
A thin human bows deeply.
> sayto sprite Hello. I’m from Krychire.
A thin human says to a male sprite ‘Hello. I’m from Krychire.’

> scream
A male sprite screams loudly.
> say Really?! I’m from Ayamao! They says you Krychire-peoples is EEEVIL!
A male sprite exclaims ‘Really?! I’m from Ayamao! They says you Krychire-peoples is EEEVIL!’
> speed run; south
Speed set to run.
A male sprite sprints south.

Help reward will provide the basic information. Paragons can reward only small and medium rewards. Gods can reward large and level rewards. There is no difference in rewards from mortal or immortal as far as the amount of experience gained. However, gods can reward more often than paragons.

Unless they have detect hidden, it’s a pass-or-fail thing, the chances of success based on your skill level.

Magic resistance is a blanket effect against all but the most powerful magic. Successful magic resistance will result in the spell having no effect whatsoever. Since it gives absolute protection, it doesn’t discriminate between helpful and harmful spells.

Reflex, Willpower, and Fortitude refer to the three types of saving throws that are granted against most kinds of spells. Only one category is used for each specific spell. Example spells for each category:
Fortitude: Plague, Petrify, Finger of Death
Reflex: Color Spray, Flamestrike, Fireball
Willpower: Dominate, Summon, Dispel Magic
A successful save against a spell that does damage usually reduces the damage by half. A successful save against a spell that has a specific effect will negate it in the same way as magic resistance. Not all spells get a saving throw, but having a high resistance of this type will never hinder your beneficial spells.

Magic Protection has two affects. The first is that the magical value is added to the protective value of that particular piece of armor for purposes of physical attacks. So if your helmet has magical protection and a warrior strikes you in the head with a sword, your helmet will absorb more of the damage. The second is that all of the various magical protections from all of your equipment add together to protect you from magical damaging attacks. So the cumulative magical protection from your helmet and from your breastplate (if it also has magical protection) add together to protect against the damage from spells like fireball.

Ultimately, you’d have to petition Algorab and whoever the other god was. The chances of getting a religion change are slim to none. To explain: you are in the religion if the religion slot says ‘Algorab’. Obtaining high favor is an entirely different aspect of the religion. In this case, you can email Algorab (email addresses are shown using the ‘wizlist’ command, within the mud) asking about changing, but historically it is something that isn’t allowed. As also mentioned, you can also email the immortal that you would prefer to serve, to see if they would let their faith accept a cast off from another faith; historically, they don’t.

The disguise skill, even when mastered, doesn’t last forever. Eventually those around you will see through it.

It is possible to gradually improve in the use of skills and spells over time, resulting in the description of a character’s mastery of them to change. Bear in mind that these may be lowered temporarily by detrimental affects such as those associated with the berserk skill –
Awful
Bad
Poor
Average
Fair
Good
Very Good
Superb
Mastered