Why nerf is a dumb expression for Avalon, or how I came to love the Nerf
Here is what you can do to help us in our war on inconstitent abilities and to experiment with your own abilities more pro-actively.
With so many novices out there, I want you all to be briefly aware of the measure of depth and sophistication you take for granted in Avalon.
When we say 3000 abilities, we do mean that. That's not 3000 repackaged with different text. That's 3000 subtle and unique abilities. Each one looks like this, to me:
#7 STEALTH skill @ 22000: stab ability (16/90)
AB STEALTH STAB lists the TEXT:
"Knife throwing, distribution of poisons"
stab >> absolute=70016:70016 --> 7+16:16 <ability#556>
VARS (variable number setting):
1 EQUILIBRIUM = NONE 2 STRIKE 2 ROUNDS
3 NONSTRIKE = NONE 4 ACTVERB 4:MANOEUVRE
5 MANACOST = NO MANA 6 MANANEEDED NO MINIMUM
7 MANADRAIN = NONE 8 LIGHTDARK NOT RELEVANT
9 PHYSICAL = ANY 10 MENTAL 0
11 FORESTEVENT = NOT 12 CNCLINK NO LINK
13 WARMDELAY = NONE 14 REPEATING NONE
15 ELEMENTALISM = NOT 16 INVOLVED NOT
FLAGS (yes/no setting):
1 need-equilibrium = NO 2 only-hardregain YES
3 need-strike = YES 4 need-balance YES
5 only-ready = NO 6 need-hands YES
7 need-legs = YES 8 need-poise YES
9 uses-hard = NO 10 uses-other NO
11 break-protection = YES 12 not-lurching NO
13 uses-voice = NO 14 not-forced NO
15 break-parry = YES 16 break-pentacle YES
17 break-alkar = YES 18 break-playing YES
19 not-paralysis = YES 20 not-pacifist YES
21 not-silence = NO 22 break-malloran YES
23 break-acrobatics = YES 24 not-pinioned YES
25 need-vocals = NO 26 need-sight NO
27 not-obese = NO 28 not-mounted YES
29 only-mounted = NO 30 not-levitated NO
31 not-flying = NO 32 not-peacepool YES
33 not-duellist = YES 34 only-forests NO
35 uses-aggressive = YES 36 not-giantanimal YES
37 not-animalform = YES 38 need-shadowspeed NO
39 need-animalspeed = NO 40 not-mistdome NO
41 roomworthy = NO 42 conscious YES
43 not-saferoom = YES 44 coffineffect NO
45 only-inside = NO 46 only-outside NO
47 not-rivers = NO 48 not-skies NO
49 not-fearful = NO 50 not-underwater YES
51 uses-elemental = NO 52 clearfollow NO
53 strikeback = YES 54 roomwarding NO
55 break-holding = YES 56 suspended NO
HELP for AB STEALTH STAB:
Syntax: STAB <enemy>.
As a brilliant stealthy combatant, you can STAB enemies. It is an attack usually launched while blended and in slightly or extremely dark surroundings further advantage is gained. It is more difficult to strike an invisible foe.
Stabbing is an excellent way of distributing poisons on even a well-defended foe and, when combined with a full mastery of stealth, can be used to distribute combination poisons - two at once.
NOTE: stab can unbalance your opponent; one in three chance by default. The chance of this is reduced if he/she has "luck" but increased if he/she is infected by the gilf poison.
NOTE: you cannot stab the poison kly - remember that - and there is a small chance on each STAB of regaining balance taking a little longer than the norm. STAB damage is affected by location illumination (increased by darkness, reduced by bright light) and if you have "alertness" and "rearsense" you will learn the specifics of this effect each time you STAB an opponent (unless it is under 5% final damage).
If you are well developed in Itemlore, you may have access to the "autopouch" ability. This is useful in conjunction with STAB to allow you to append a poison or two poison names after STAB <enemy> to automatically use those specified poisons on your right and (if you can double-stab) left strike respectively, e.g. STAB <enemy> NANN would use nann from your inventory or pouch on the stabbing blade for the STAB attack, while STAB <enemy> NANN MANDRAKE would strike nann and mandrake as the two poisons used on your double-stab attack.
The above is what I see, without individual messages above and beyond that.
- The top part is its listing and level (22000 = Master).
- The second paragraph is the cost of the ability in mana, equilibrium, strike and non-strike hand balance, the CNC (concept/state/affliction/defence) associated with it, and other factors for its execution, starting its effect, ending its effect, and when you may do it again.
- The third clump of text is the condition of use, all flags, for which there are specific necessary states you must be in to use that ability.
This administrative view is not to take away any of the beauty and charm of each ability you have. It also does not include the actual impact of the ability, which is special to each one.
Use the above as a quick checklist for ways you may experiment with each and every ability's conditions for use.
The astute senior will notice there are only 60 conditional flags there. We are open to informed suggestion if you think something is missing.
Every affliction, defence, state, ability, etc. is part of this new system and has an entry like above, in addition to its actual effects which are more complex, and of course the beautiful literary prose that accompanies it. The above system is how fireflies and triggers work too.
This is the New Skill System started back in 2015 by Genesis and is one of the biggest updates to Avalon ever, alongside the Chapters and Novicehood. It lets us be standard in our approach to balancing skills without losing any subtlety. It also means we can fix conditions and requirements without coding it.
I wrote in the previous major update about this subject. Everyone can help us track down, regardless of profession, abilities that are listed incorrectly.
Every use of BUG
needs to be specific and clear, with quoted input and output. For example:
Normal bugs do not need a special category tag.
BUG I typed "STAB NILOC" and I got back "Your left wrist is broken and thus unable to stab." I was wielding my knife in the right hand.
BC <bug number> STEALTH
BADLEVEL for when you can use something you should not have yet.
BUG I'm at Respected+30% and I can use "SHADOW STRANGLE MURDOG".
BC <bug number> BADLEVEL
BC <bug number> ASSASSINATION
INCOMPLETE for when your ability description says something is to be tested, activated, or "to do".
BUG My dragon cannot breathe nitroglycerin like it says in AB ELEMENTALISM DRAGON.
BC <bug number> INCOMPLETE
BC <bug number> ELEMENTALISM
CLARIFY for when your ability behaves differently to the documentation, but it is definitely working.
BUG I cannot flip after hyperactivity triple jabbing my target but AB STEALTH FLIPPING suggests I should be able to
BC <bug number> CLARIFY
BC <bug number> STEALTH
VAGUE for when you are none the wiser from the text.
BUG AB ORACLE SEEDS is not clear. How do I make my first seedpod?
BC <bug number> ORACLE
BC <bug number> VAGUE
Hopefully this helps and gives you all some food for thought.
Subscribe to The Rising Vale | Avalon Real-Time Publications
Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox