Gameplay Mechanics

Item System

Myths of Atalan is a low-medium magic world where new characters will often possess non-enchanted weapons and experienced, longterm players will be fortunate to have a few +2 items, with the possibility of a more powerful artifact of varying power.
Dungeon loot will consist of randomly generated items with hundreds of thousands of possible variations.
DMs will reward dedicated players with unique or powerful items after significant plots or roleplay performance.
Please note that skill bonuses no longer stack; the highest item property equipped will be used.

Experience System

Myths of Atalan uses a custom experience gain system, which offers xp both for actively RPing within cities and elsewhere, as well as for killing hostile creatures.

In order to promote RP we have what we call the 'XP Curve". The way the curve works is very simple, the more you kill the less xp you gain, however this can never drop you below 50% xp gain. The curve regenerates fully in 30 minutes, however it will regenerate faster while RPing. Further, by spending time with others you gain 'Bonus Curve'. This bonus can increase your xp gain just as the regular curve decreases it. The Bonus Curve has a maximum bonus of 50% (for a total xp gain of 150%)

Please note you must have a Full Curve before you can gain Bonus Curve.

An example: If kobolds give 30 xp per kill, and your curve is at 100% you will gain 30 xp. If your curve is 'bottomed out' (as low as it can go) you will receive only 15 xp. However if your Bonus Curve is maxed (full as it can get) you will recieve 45xp instead.

Death System

XP Loss
Characters who die at level 6 or higher will incur an experience penalty depending on the method of resurrection:
Respawn: 40 XP/Level
Raise Dead Spell: 30 XP/Level
Resurrection Spell: 20 XP/Level
True Resurrection (9th level spell): Not yet researched
Characters who die at level 4 or lower will incur no experience penalty.
Characters can't lose a level due to XP loss from death.

Items
At this time, characters will take their items with them into the after life and back. No gold, items, or equipment will be lost. However, this system is subject to revision in the future.

Reimbursements
Unfortunately, DMs are not permitted to refund xp due to lag, as lag is not something within our control, and most often impossible to prove.
If you have proof of death due to an actual bug, please send your screenshot to a DM.
In cases of CvC combat, DMs present during the interaction can sometimes choose a lesser xp penalty at their discretion.

Permanent Death

Permanent Death or "permadeath" is very rare on Atalan, but possible because we encourage players to accept the consequences of their actions. Permadeath will always involve a DM.

Players involved in a permadeath situation will be informed in advance by the DM to ensure they fully understand what is transpiring.

Players of characters who are killed permanently will receive half of their XP toward another new character up to level 10. The allowance of half the previous character's xp total carrying over to their new character is only allowed if the permadeath happened in the course of a DM's storyline, or series of events. It does not apply if you simply decide you are bored and want to perform a self-imposed permadeath of your character, and you wish a bonus for your new character. It is reserved as a thank you for players who are willing to go along with a storyline at the expense of their own player character.

If you choose to delete a character on your own, you are free to do so. However, if you have been playing said character actively for over a month, please mention such actions to a DM, so fame can be deleted and storylines rearranged.

Deleting Characters

To delete a character that you no longer wish to keep, simply speak to Faergol's Servant in Faergol's Realm of the dead, after death. Once you choose to do so, the character will be deleted instantly with no option of cancelling, so do not pick this option lightly. Please note that any similar character created later cannot have the exact same name, or that character will be bugged. Very the new name slightly to prevent this, or contact a member of the development team if for some reason you absolutely cannot.
Please also see the section above in regards to permadeath.

Character Remakes/Rebuilds/Delevels

The following is our policy on character remakes:

• Characters may not be deleveled by a DM to change feat choices or anything else. Take your time when leveling!

• Remakes or rebuilds will only be granted in the event that we are at fault or responsible (development bug, major lore changes).

• Players may remake their characters, and retain whatever gold, items, and social status they have, but if they choose to do so they must start over at level 3. XP is not refunded. Any DM is authorized to transfer their items and gold to the new character.

• The new rebuild/remake must be inherently the same character, not a new one. Thus your character's name, history, and interactions do not change because of a rebuild, they carry over. New hair and appearances may be chosen however if you have a valid reason for doing so.

• DMs will remove all PrC or class specific items on a remake.

Character vs Character Combat

Myths of Atalan encourages conflict between characters, though never between players. Characters who find themselves at odds with others in-game may plot against or attack, directly or indirectly, those other characters.

The following rules govern CvC:

• All characters must flag their opponents as hostile before they attack. This can happen immediately upon logging in, or just seconds before the attack, but it must happen.

• Hostility is an OOC status. Just because someone flags you as hostile doesn't mean you notice. It is up to that player to emote hostility in order to convey their feelings.

• Characters do not need to give warning that they are about to attack, though their actions must be in-character. That is, they must have a legitimate reason, be they brigands who want to rob people, assassins on a mission, or finally settling a grudge.

• Characters who die in CvC (or CvsE) experience memory loss, and will not remember the last hour in-game. They will remember everything previous in most cases, should circumstances allow them to.

• Characters are permitted to kill another one character one time per real life day. It's no fun being killed over and over again, so have some respect for your fellow players and walk away after one kill. For example, if Players A and B fight, and Player A wins, Player A cannot kill Player B again for one real life day. However, if Player B continues to attack then Player A has the right to defend themselves.

• The victor may ascertain the identity of a fallen, disguised opponent.

• Please send your targets an OOC tell after a death to ensure there are no hard feelings and that they realize it wasn't a personal attack against them.

• Using transitions or walkmesh glitches to influence any combat in your favor is not permitted, unless you are in agreement with the other character that you have enough distance to leave the area by transitioning (see metagaming, above). Do not use the same transitions multiple times during CvC.

• Contact a DM regarding any CvC disputes.

Resting

Characters may rest throughout the world in safe locations every 20 real world minutes.
Characters below an effective level of 5 are allowed to rest as often as they want and always have full HP after resting.
As of level 5, you will no longer recover fully by resting, unless in a safe location such as an inn or temple. The benefit resting confers is determined by one's skill in survival and/or heal.

Sleight of Hand System

If you pickpocket someone the server will either decide that it is gold or a random item from the player's inventory that is stolen. Note that you can only steal what fits in the palm of your hand.
Players are only allowed to pickpocket other individual players once per server reset. Any further attempts will automatically fail and DMs will be notified.

The Disguise System

Myths of Atalan offers a custom disguise system that allows anyone to enter a "disguised" appearance which will be shown to anyone examining the character. It is encouraged to wear matching clothing to the disguised appearance and emote any behavioral or vocal changes to the character.

Anyone suspecting a disguised character can roll a targeted Spot check to attempt to see through the disguise.
Please note, "suspecting" any character should mean that the disguised character betrays either telltale characteristics of his or her normal self (and thus the observer must know him or her originally well enough to notice), or the disguised character betrays (one way or another) that he or she is, indeed, disguised (slips of the tongue often do that). Under no circumstances (with the exception of DM interaction) is a simple cloak and hood basis to attempt to pierce a disguise without the aforementioned situations.

A character that is actually practiced in Disguise can even change one's visible name. Note, changing the name to another name is much less suspicious to other players than putting in a simple "cloaked man", or "random orc" or something similar. Also, use of OOC or otherwise inappropriate names is heavily discouraged and depending on severity may even provoke penalties (the DMs can and will reduce one's Disguised skill in extreme cases).

Targeted Skill Rolls

Some skills in the Dice Roller can be "targeted" via the relevant checkbox. Such skills will provide a somewhat different functionality depending on the target.

More specifically:
Targeting a Heal check will allow one to attempt an identification of all ailments on the target.
Targeting a Performance check on oneself will offer a general performance, while targeting it to another will dedicate it.
Targeting a Spot check will attempt to pierce through a disguise (refer to Disguise in the same post, you cannot attempt so randomly).
Targeting an item with Appraise will attempt to evaluate its worth.
Targeting a Bluff, Diplomacy, Forgery or Intimidate will offer the proper resistance roll automatically.
Targeting a Sleight of Hand will offer appropriate stealing (or legerdemain) checks without actually stealing anything via the engine (great at parties!).

More targeted skills may appear in the future, depending on feedback and demand.

Learning Arcane Spells

To learn new arcane spells, you need to see it demonstrated by a fellow mage, within certain areas in the game.

While within these areas wizards will generate SLC (Spell Learning Capacity).

Utilizing the Feats "Demonstrate Spell" and "Decipher Spell" respectively, wizards can attempt to Teach/Learn the spell, which will cost SLC.

Scribing Spells

Scribing spells is a detailed process, which is recorded within the Academy and other libraries in full. You will need to crush a gem into dust, and mix it into ink, casting your spell on the quill dipped in the ink. The more potent the gem, the more magic that can be channeled through it onto the paper.

Spellpoints

We have modified all spellcasters to use spellpoints for greater flexibility in casting, and aid in trying to RP why you can only ask your Overseer for one particular spell of a certain level, for instance. Please see The Spellpoint System for more information.

Crafting

Creating potions and wands have no major changes from the original NWN2 Crafting System.

Creating armour, weapons, and magical items is currently being created for our custom crafting system.
More information will be added once confirmed.

Epic Spells

Epic Spellcasting will have additional requirements. Please see our Custom Feats page.

Using Bandages

Bandages will only restore up to twice a subject's maximum HP before they stop working. After this point, the subjects either need magical healing, or to rest.

Resting will reset the count.

Magical healing will restore the count at a rate of twice the damage healed. For example:

Francis Fighter has 120 maximum HP. He is at 44 HP left, and has already received 240 HP worth of bandaging. Francis Fighter now looks like a profusely bleeding mummy, and bandages won't help him anymore.

Realizing that bandages won't work anymore, Cassandra Cleric opts to use a healing invocation on Francis Fighter instead. She hits him with Cure Critical Wounds, healing him for 32 HP.

Francis Fighter is now at 76 HP remaining, but additionally his bandage count has fallen by 64, down to 176 HP worth. Conversely, Francis Fighter now gets rid of the bandages obstructing his sword-arm, and can now receive 64 HP more in bandaging before reaching the cap again.

For the purposes of "healing invocation" above, this only includes healing spells or abilities with instantaneous durations. Examples include:

Cure Minor Wounds (Mass) Cure Light Wounds (Mass) Cure Moderate Wounds (Mass) Cure Serious Wounds (Mass) Cure Critical Wounds (Mass) Heal Healing Sting Hymn of Requiem (bardsong) Wholeness of Body (class feature) Lay on Hands (class feature)

Examples of spells or abilities NOT applicable include:

(Mass) Lesser Vigor Vigor Vigorous Cycle Inspire Regeneration (bardsong) + Regeneration (item property) Fiendish Resilience (class feature)

The only exceptions are the spells Regenerate and Greater Restoration, which will immediately reset the count to 0 if used, regardless of any metamagic used on them.

Learning from Books

You will encounter many books for sale within the realms of Eramere. These books have the ability to add to your pool of base knowledge on many different subjects. To read a book, use the use item ability that is available from each custom skill book. You will need to read the book in parts, a few times, in order to absorb the information within the book. There is also a limit to how much you can gain simply from books in any subject, but all books contain useful information.