Low level people and the Amulet of Communication

[Kelsey]

Hello.

From what I can tell, when characters over level 4 but under level 10 die, they get teleported back to their recall spot but without their possessions.

This is a problem because if you die over level 10, you will stick around as a spirit, and you are able to send tells as a spirit.

However, if you die under level 10, chances are, you will be completely naked, with everything you wore on your corpse. You are not able to send IC tells, so are not able to ICly seek help so either:

1. End up at market square when there are people there (not always a possibility especially if you die off peak hours) if your hometown is Waterdeep
2. Or end up at some other hometown really far away and pray that people are near enough that yelling would work.

50 kismet for a different surface hometown location ultimately isn't that much--personally it took me 3 RL days to accumulate--so the default recall spot for the other hometown locations could definitely be less populated than market square in Waterdeep.

Could the amulet be special and "soul-bound" under level 10? When you get teleported, and auto ressed without your possessions, your amulet of communication will be your only item equipped when you wake up again.

[Areia]

I'd say first that PCs that require kismet to create are supposed to be more difficult in various ways. This may or may not be intended to be one of those. That's why they cost experience, so that in theory players kind of know what they're getting into. I tend to think most kismet costs are actually too low, as I've seen lots of players in the past (myself included) rush into characters with kismet requirements and end up stuck somehow because they might not quite know certain important things by then.

But that aside, I think the easiest fix here, if a fix is desired and necessary, might be just to put a communications amulet on at least one merchant in each of the hometowns. I kind of thought every hometown had a seller of amulets already, but I could be wrong.

[Vaemar]

Experience or not I have seen also experienced players having this problem. I think Kelsey has a point.

But that aside, I think the easiest fix here, if a fix is desired and necessary, might be just to put a communications amulet on at least one merchant in each of the hometowns. I kind of thought every hometown had a seller of amulets already, but I could be wrong.

I like this also, since amulets of communication are pretty essential items. I can think of only three hometowns who have amulets and in one of them the merchant is hidden.

[Jarngron]

It's a double-edged sword, on one hand the character won't require raising, on the other you are now naked and probably without a single coin in the bank, and if you were dead you could communicate.

I like the idea of more vendors for amulets of communication, but I have mixed feelings about this. The challenge of having to make-do with your death probably is too much for a genuinely new player. On the other hand, people choose alienated hometowns for whatever reason - the feats, the consistency with their character. The amulets seem like they are a wondrous object. I have enjoyed the challenge of not relying on one with some characters, even losing them and pretending I don't know where to buy another OOCly.

So instead of suggesting a merchant be added, I would recommend more magical posts where there are none. That still offers a new player a chance to reach out for aid, aside from prayer. It may seem old fashioned but it does offer a compromise, even if it's not as conveniently gratifying.

[Jarngron]

On second thought.

The merchants that sell general items in new player areas could probably use an amulet of communications added to their goods. That way only people who can enter these areas can buy them.

[Harroghty]

What about an NPC paid to shout or deliver the news somehow?

[Jarngron]

I like the utility of being able to send news to town criers. It had crossed my mind that a new player wouldn't be able to yell or shout themselves, and I am sure there would be checks and balances to keep it from becoming more obnoxious than necessary. (Imagining polymorphed individuals declaring "Lord Rasavir is spiteful and petty!" "Torm saves, and Tempus makes the rebound!")


One idea I had, was a piece of furniture - a crystal orb or larger fixture more unique to each temple - that would allow someone to communicate with either any individuals, an individual of a certain faith, or perhaps even faith members of that temple online.

[Yemin]

i like the idea of an NPC or an organization of NPCs that spreads news on a renamed channel called rumor / rumors. Player council PCs would be advised to keep this channel on all the time.

A few can be dotted around near to the respawn points of levels 5 to 9. Perhaps sponsored by the prime appropriate church of whatever home town they are in.

There are other uses for these NPCs and there's more to this idea overall but for the purpose of help filling this gap that's all that would be needed.

In practice you are respawned and walk one room and bid the npc to spread word of your plight.
Whoever shows up can rp appropriately how to help you get your stuff back.

[Bellayana]

I really like the ideas on the crystals being placed at certain city temples that characters can go to and communicate while in that room? Perhaps an recho with the player activating the orb. Also, the crier idea, I love how the player of Aziza has been doing news from events happening in the game.

You know come to think of it, I think there was a suggestion for the Player Council to have characters, perhaps these could be crier characters that stand around and can do echos letting the mud know someone is seeking help in so and so city. Kudos for the great ideas guys!

Edited to add: Perhaps the criers could have a White flag denoting to give IC reason to communicate with them, and it would be well known in the city who the crier was.

[Lyndin]

I'm just going to chime in with agreement that this is a real problem. Lyndin got torn to shreds by seemingly infinite waves of rabid wolves, and couldn't ask for help because he didn't have an amulet (or anything else).

Even worse, it was the middle of the night, and all the merchants were closed. By the time they open, everyone he knows has logged off. I'm not sure what the play is in that situation. Reroll? Go do something else for a while? It doesn't seem like there's much alternative.

[Talos]

Adding it onto the various training area merchants.