It is said that the past repeats itself throughout the course of history. An ancient legend from a time too far for our own understanding speaks of such a repeated process. According to the texts of old, five wise kings once ruled the land in separate territories, and peace was installed in the plane we know as the world. Each designated ruler was a mighty warrior in their own right, and each represented a color of the spectrum to reflect their inner strength and will: Red, Blue, Green, White, and Black.
For a time, the constant era of war and strife was ended upon by a peace treaty which, although not fully uniting the different kingdoms as one, did maintain a common truce among the five rulers. Five kings to rule the land…until one day in time. One single moment in fate.
The wisest and most powerful of the rulers, the Black King, was struck down by a treacherous blade. His brother in arm, the White King, with all of his cunning and skill, persuaded the remaining three rulers to rebel against what they saw as prideful tyranny. In doing so, each of them betrayed their beloved comrade with a cruel execution. Soon after, the rulers and their legions of armies continued the cycle of violence and war anew, each seeking out greater power and glory than ever before.
The world grew divided once again.
Fast forward into the future, nearly several thousand years since that dark time. It is the year 2048. The world has become connected once more though a global phenomenon known as the World Interface. It is through this tool in which all conflicts are resolved without the usage of such barbaric means. All people can connect their minds to the World Interface at any given time, via a mass satellite orbiting around the planet that transmits and broadcasts brainwaves to chips implanted into all human beings and kept under regulation.
Enter Deep Ground Online.
The Deep Ground Program, or D.G.P. to most, is a universal method of education and teaching to all youth. To an external viewer, it is nothing more than a highly competitive action game, and some have even labeled the software affectionately as Deep Ground Online. That title is not too far from the truth, as players compete with one another on a global scale through various battles and missions with the world of Deep Ground Online deeply engrossed in the lore of the five colored kings of old.
The game itself is quite simple, and the goal is linear. Be the first to eliminate your opponent and win. However, like all things in this world, there are twists of fate. Deep Ground is only available to those ranging between ages 13 and 18. It is not uncommon then for many to grant their child the D.G.P. for their thirteenth birthday.
The software itself affects reality as well. Players begin their harsh journey at age 13. Once reaching age 19, the program automatically uninstalls itself from within the player’s memory bank stored within their brain. The overall objective is really quite simple.
The program determines one’s social status in the real world. The better the player, the better they shall succeed in real life. A player who has a significant winning streak may then be rewarded to live the rest of their lives in relative comfort with perhaps a high waging job. Likewise, a player who has failed to meet any substantial achievements is forever condemned to a life of meager living. Your status in-game affects your future. There is no fighting against it; that is how it has always been. That is how it will always be.
There are a total five domains located within the world of Deep Ground, each ruled by a colored king to fit the legend. All colored rulers are at least level 9 players, with the highest cap peaking at level 9 fittingly. Red, Green, Blue, White….each have created guilds in which to further expand their power and glory in the real world.
The Black King rules a guild that is notified for the fact that it contains no players, only the Black King itself. Long ago, the former Black King was caught publicly partaking in a widespread illegal internet activity. As a result, the Black King was forcibly removed from Deep Ground forever; the Guild was informally disbanded as a whole when scrutiny built up around the players within it. However, times are changing, for better or worse. One fateful day, much like the day of legend long past, the current Black King made a public announcement throughout the servers of the World Interface and all throughout Deep Ground.
“Attention all players. I, the Black King, ruler of the Ebony Strykers, am allowing any and all to join my guild. This will be the first time I have done so in the entirety of Deep Ground’s launch. Please, choose your allies wisely.”
Around the same time, a player known only as the Corpse Collector successfully stole several key items from each of the other colored Guilds. With the recent renewal of the infamous Black Guild along with a highly wanted thief, tensions began to rise among the world of Deep Ground Online. And where do you fit into this? You are a player yourself, trying to survive and succeed until your 18th birthday. Will you join a guild or will you dare to fight alone?
The choice lies entirely in your own actions. Happy gaming.
Information
Deep Ground Online is, in its most basic form and components, an indirect fighting game. The environment of Deep Ground Online is a massive city with spanning levels and wide open complexes for players to utilize. Labeled as “Faded City”, there are five main districts each respectively reserved for each faction. Guilds may conquer other districts to further grow in power and strength. Furthermore, one round (Post) of a combat is one minute total. This round doesn't end until all the combatants go, so the actions of two, three, or even ten fighters will all happen in one-minute, after each of them post. Collab battles if you can, but keep in mind the one-round/one-minute rule.
While Deep Ground plays a big part of one's education at Purple Crown, it is also one of the best schools for leaving with an actual overall education. Those who succeed in Deep Ground but do poorly in actual education tends to be delegated to middle-management positions, where they have the least responsibilities and thus can do as little damage as possible. Thus those who are both successful students as well as Deep Ground Players are highly sought after, though the latter more so then the former.
Club activities are one of the most major parts of Purple Crown life, for various reasons. For starters most clubs facilitate personal organization and camaraderie with your fellow Deep Ground players. Most are aligned with a guild, however this is not necessarily true for all clubs. These club activities also will help you earn a name outside of Deep Ground, and while it's a mere drop in the big ocean of life, it's a helpful contingency if you do not do well in Deep Ground, or need to strengthen your portfolio if you do. However Club activities are demanding: They require the student to be doing proficiently well in their actual classes, and some activities may detract from time spent in Deep Ground. One must be able to balance club and DG time if they wish to make full use of both.
There are also part time jobs students are eligible for. These jobs, in partnership with Purple Crown and the Deep Ground Program, can actually reward it's workers in either cash or EXP. These part time jobs take up no more then ten hours a week, with a flexible scheduled to account school activities, however it does not account for whatever plans you have in Deep Ground. Additional boons for taking a part time job is getting real-world discounts for various goods and services as the jobs you work at, as well as networking with other players and those who have already succeeded in Deep Ground.
Purple Crown itself is a somewhat "Small" facility, as it houses four primary buildings for it's own. One is a vast educational complex where most of the classes take place. Another is a smaller building for teachers and staff. Another is a place known as "The Arena" which despite it's name does not allow any actual combat to occur there. The Arena is merely a place for students to congregate and hang out, with food vendors and recreational games available to those who have student ID's. And lastly there's Records and Administration office, which holds nearly all of the student's data and information regarding both their Purple Crown Academy and their Deep Ground Records.
But despite the small size, Purple Crown is more then just those few buildings. Many businesses near Purple Crown are in a joint partnership with Purple Crown to allow students special service there, such as a few apartment complexes and even personal homes to house students who can afford to live there, restaurants that cater and serve as cafeterias, general stores that supply most needs, and even places like medical centers which will treat students thanks to their given insurance premium for applying to Deep Ground. These outlaying businesses near Purple Crown expands almost to the entire city, and are thus jokingly refereed to as "The Purple Crown Kingdom".
Guilds are player-ran organizations within Deep Ground that control various aspects and factors within the game. From Pure PvP Guild Wars to economical trading posts, none of these things would be possible without the Guilds. The guilds are divided into different “Elements”, though they’re largely just themes that symbolize different purposes within Deep Ground.
The Harleys are known for their PvP base. The fire Guild would likely participate and excel in the Guild Wars, and many of their members would be tailored into defeating one another. Said to be the base of many “Hardcore” Deep Ground players, but don’t fret; just as many of them participate in PvP simply because of the challenges it offers to square off against a player than AI.
The Water Guild are known for their player services. Where as the Harleys are mostly dedicated to becoming as strong as you can, the Bruisers offer other services such as event planning, guild organizing, and even more mercenary things such as protection from Outlaws. The Water Guild can be just as dangerous as other guild too however, as one cannot offer these services if they don’t have the skill the back it up.
The Wind Guild is known for its leveling help. They come and go like the breeze, but during your time with them they’ll be focused on accelerating your level gain as well as optimizing your build. Many starter players are recommended to join the Rangers so they could figure out the best way to develop their characters unless they already have a plan.
The Light Guild is PvE based. They tackle events and bosses for rewards and entertainment. They often collaborate with other Guilds for practicality purposes; furthermore, they're economical based. They’re the ones you’d join if you want to get a good deal on equipment, items, land claims, and so forth. The Ivory Masks can be cutthroat but honest, as cheating in a deal is a good way for the fury of the other Players to come crashing down onto you.
The Dark Guild, like many things associated with darkness, is often cast to the side and forgotten. At one time, the Styrkers were proud warriors that often clashed with the Ivory Masks regularly in bouts for supremacy. Since the scandal however, those that call themselves "Strykers" now are nothing more than frauds; they generally do anything that doesn’t fit into the above Guilds and/or things that do fit but aren’t recognized as such. Things from assassinations, hacking, and virtual prostitution: things that no self-respecting player would admit to doing, but the Dark Guild still holds a niche in. It is to be noted that the only true member left in the Ebony Stryker is the current Black King, a lone Player. Anyone else claiming to fight for the Black Kingdom should be approached with caution.
Sweepers: A technical Guild, but also an unofficial one and banned from Deep Ground. They originally started out as a solo group made to deal with Outlaws, but when it was found out that players in the higher hierarchy of the Sweepers were notorious Hackers the guild was shut down hard. There are those who still swear by the Sweepers’ original goal of protecting players from Outlaws and others who would ruin the experience for other players, regardless of their Guild affiliations. And while the Guild has officially be banned the force of the Sweepers are still strong if in name only, and they still carry a much, much darker agenda…
By purchasing an Outlaw Declaration you can attack players anywhere, even within cities (but not in Kingdom Capitals or Player Sanctuaries). However in doing so, you will drop 5x the amount of EXP you normally would and automatically lose a level upon dying. Additionally, there is no way to hide your Outlaw status and anyone is free to attack you. The only way to clear yourself of your Outlaw status without dying is getting a Pardon Letter from a Colored King, which you can only obtain after you become an Outlaw and must be given to your personally.
EXP – In game Currency used for just about everything, from buying starter equipment to leveling up to purchasing Land Claims. EXP can be earned from slaying Dissolutions or players, but it can also be obtained by breaking down items in your inventory or just found anywhere within Deep Ground. Exp takes the form of floating colored crystalloids. There’s no real meaning behind the colors.
Land Claim – Also known as Real Estate, Land Claim is basically a document that says that you have permission to build or rule over a given section of land. Land Claims are needed to Guilds to create a Guild Hall as well as survive the Guild Wars. Land Claims also allows players a location to build homes for themselves or farms.
Dissolutions – AI controlled enemies of Deep Ground. They can range from harmless (And potentially useful) slime like monsters to eldritch abominations that need an entire guild to defeat.
NPCs – Non player characters, duh. Thanks to Deep Ground’s extensive programming the NPC’s can be very life-like in personality and intelligence. Most are not aware of their existence as video game characters and even the ones who do won’t make a big deal out of it. NPC’s can range from anyone and anything, and they differ from Dissolutions for being not hostile and capable of deep interaction. That being said for those who want to try to do something stupid: NPC guards are immortal. You have been warned.
When you die you respawn, at least in Deep Ground. You will respawn in the last city you’ve visited in “Sanctuaries”, buildings which a player can go to for free healing and recovery. One can also spawn in Guild Sanctuaries outside of cities, though obviously that requires one to be a member of the guild.
There is an important caveat for dying however. Upon death a Player will lose a certain amount of their EXP. They will lose 25% of their EXP and it will remain at that fixed amount for a whole 24 hours. If you die with Zero EXP, you will be forced to wait 24 Real hours before you can respawn and continue playing Deep Ground. This only occurs in situations in which you can lose EXP upon death. Additionally, until you hit Level 3 this penalty does not apply to you.
There are Four Classes in Deep Ground, each with their own Archtypes.
Warriors - Unmatched juggernauts in physical combat, boasting the most endurance of all classes and a pretty nasty punch to boot. However, their up-close-and-personal superiority is matched by their total and utter disadvantages at a range. Lacking any means to fight from afar, the Warrior must use their endurance to close in on the enemy and his strength to tear them a new asshole once he's within melee range. They are capable of wielding a veritable arsenal of melee weapons and can use any type of armor and shields.
Berserker – The Berserker is a vicious fighter who has no concern for how much damage he takes, instead focusing solely on ripping their enemies to pieces. A Berserker's unique skills all focus on dealing as much damage as possible, as quickly as possible, to as many enemies as possible.
Duelist – In a one-on-one battle a Duelist tailors their entire offense against a single foe, to ensure they take as much damage as the Warrior can dish out and prevent them from being able to do the same. The Duelist unique skills focus on harassing and becoming more dangerous against a single foe before dispatching them and moving onto the next opponent.
Tank – Aptly-named, the Tank focuses on getting the attention of the enemy and keeping it on them, shrugging off hits so that the rest of the team can do the damage. The Tank's unique skills focus on keeping enemies on him as well as granting buffs to himself to boost his combat prowess.
Rogues - Cunning fighters striking from the dark or just playing dirty, they rely on speed and wits to defeat their enemies. Rogues can be very versatile in battle fighting in melee or at range, but their versatility gimps their ability to do particularly in either class. Rogues require a fairly complex set of tactics and gambits to do well in any situation, so a good rogue is ready for anything. Rogues can wield range weapons and light melee weapons but can only use light armor and shields.
Assassins – Striking from stealth with a poisoned blade or bullet, an Assassin hits his enemy hard and fast before they even knew what hit them. They’d have to as well, as an Assassin is a poor choice in a strait up fight due to their lack of armor and reliance on critical hits. An Assassin’s unique skills focuses on evasion and maximizing each strike for pull damage potential so that even if their first strike fails to kill, their second one is much easier.
Rangers – Rangers come into battle with a wide array of long-distance death. They use anything from pistols to automatic rifles to even bows and throwing axes. A Ranger’s unique skills focus on finding their enemy and take them out from afar.
Artificers – Where most fighters rely on their skills to win a fight an Artificer knows how to make the best use of anything they can make or get a hold of. Artificer’s unique skills focus on having a more supportive utility role, providing items or upgrading equipment to suit the need of the situation.
Healers - Tapping into metaphysical forces, the Healer's not the best fighter, but they’re survivability is second to none. Capable of healing both themselves and others, the Healer is more typically cast into a support role, where their entrusted with the lives of his comrades. However a healer isn’t good for dishing out damage, forcing his opponent into a battle of attrition by whittling away their health with whatever meager attacks the Healer can throw. Healers can use pistols and light melee weapons as well as light armor.
Guardians - The most powerful healing spec, the Guardian lives purely to make sure others keep alive using sacred rites and protection spells in exchange for a lack of damage output. A Guardian’s unique skill focuses healing their allies as well as making them more resilient to damage and pain.
Surgeons - The Surgeon casts away his mystical ways and turns to technology to heal and improve his allies. A Surgeon’s unique skill focuses on improving his and his allies’ survivability and damage output with high duration cybernetics.
Witch Doctor – The Witch Doctor uses all matter of rituals to not only to heal his allies, but to harm his enemies too. The Witch Doctor’s unique skill focuses on not just removing his and his allies’ woes, but placing curses and debuffs on his enemy.
Mages - Like the Healer, the Mage is unique in that they’re able to tap into more mysterious forces to do his job. Unlike the Healer, however, the mage’s powers are typically all offense-centric. From casting forth fireballs to raising the corpses of their enemies at higher levels, a mage who knows what they’re doing will be unmatched at a distance; lobbing forth projectiles and making his fallen enemies do his bidding. However, once "at a distance" ends, they won't be around for long. Even more fragile than the Healer, the mage is often considered dead the instant an enemy gets within melee range. Due to needing both their hands for magic a mage doesn't use any weapons or armor, but he can exclusively use magical staffs to bolster their spells.
Sorcerers – Magic runs wild in the veins of a Sorcerer and creates chaos for their enemies wherever they go. A Sorcerer’s unique skill focuses on causing a lot of Area of Effect spells to go off and nuke the area clean.
Warlock – The Warlock lives to crush the enemy with the combined might of their arcane magic and demonic powers. The Warlock’s unique skills focus summoning monstrous minions to overwhelm their enemies, or tapping into the strength of demons to unleash his fury onto his foes.
Necromancer - The darkest of magicians, the Necromancer uses black magic to spread plagues, drain the souls of his foes to restore health, and resurrect fallen corpses to do his bidding. A Necromancer’s unique skills focus on manipulating the life force of his enemies, to either create undead thralls or extend his own life.
Leveling up requires spending EXP to reach the next level. You do not have to spend your EXP the moment you have enough to gain your next level, though it may be a good idea to do so depending on your circumstances. There is a linear progression of how much EXP you need to level up in the following table.
As mentioned before, there are many ways to earn EXP, from battles or through trade. Trade is the safest way, though not neither the quickest nor the easiest, as you’d have to compete with other merchants in a downright cutthroat market. Low level Dissolutions would yield a meager amount of EXP per enemy defeated, and even high level Dissolutions would only yield 100 at most. Levels are only importance for the purpose of gathering new abilities as well: A level 1 player as a chance against a level 9 if they fight smart or have other advantages.
Additionally, "farming" Dissolutions or even players are difficult due to the "New Challenges" system. For each opponent you slay, it's death is counted on your character's profile. The more you fight the same type of enemy, the less EXP they drop until eventually they will give out nothing at all. The same will occur with players killed through Outlaw PvP. This advocates players to fight new enemies as they grow stronger, as the same enemies will will yield less and less EXP over time.
The New Challenges System also punishes fighting lower level enemies, while rewarding fighting high level ones with the following system.
4 or More Levels Lower = No EXP 3 Levels Lower = 1/10 Of the EXP 2 Levels Lower = 1/5 Of the EXP 1 Level Lower = 1/2 Of the EXP Equal Level = Regular EXP 1 Level Higher = Additional 50% more EXP 2 Levels Higher = Additional x2 more EXP 3 or More Levels Higher = Additional x3 more EXP
Abilities are Avatar unique skills you can perform that fit your Class. Warriors typically gain abilities that allow them to do more damage or survive attacks, while Rogues would gain something that allows them to sneak past their enemies or make use of something they cannot. Though they can be unique in other ways as well, such as the ability of flight or some such. Whatever your abilities are they are largely determined by who you are. Feats on the other hand are both more specialize, but flexible in the fact that you can chose which one you’d like to use. Feats are tailored to fulfil different Archtypes for each class, but by no means defines what your Archtype would be if you chose them. That all depends on how you use them really.
Avatar Abilities differ from Feats in that they will remain consistent through out your levels. While you can always lower your level to trade different feats, Avatar Abilities will always remain the same so long as you reach the level requirement. Avatar Abilities are also unique in that they are specialized for the character: They give your Avatar something unique about them that rarely any other character would have. These Avatar Abilities are linked towards your Class, however higher level Abilities can sometimes dip into other classes so long as they fight the flavor of your character. Every Avatar has 5 Abilities, but they will only obtain all of them at level 9.
These Avatar Abilities must also be reviewed and approved of by the GM before you actually use them.
Level 3 – Power Strike: Increase all damage done by 15% Furious Blows: Increase attack speed by 10% Pain Resistance: Reduce all damage taken by 10%
Level 4 – Bloodlust: As your health decreases your damage increases proportionally. Titan's Grip: Enables you to wield two-handed weapons with only one hand. Readied Mind: Increases your ability to react to your enemy.
Level 5 – Gyro Strike: An offensive attack where you swing your weapon(s) in an unstoppable whirlwind of pain, heavily damaging anyone hit. Atlas Fist: An unarmed attack in which the user unleashes a punch of incomparable power. Deals heavy damage and knocks the foe a far distance. Icarus Attack: An attack from above, using gravity as a means to enhance the damage even further. The user also takes no falling damage when using this skill. The higher the fall the more damage done.
Level 6 – Cadet: Enables you to use a two-handed gun. Boomerang: You can throw your weapon at your target and it will return to your hand shortly after. The attack will do as much damage as a regular strike would have. Catch-and-return: By allowing yourself to be hit by a projectile attack, you can catch said projectile and throw it at any target of your choosing, doing as much damage as the attack did.
Level 7 – Herculean: You now possess the physical strength to smash or move through most - if not all - obstacles in your way. This does not affect your damage output. Unstoppable: You now possess the physical endurance to remain constantly in motion regardless of any means to stop or slow you. You will still take whatever damage you normally would have. Unburden: Your equipment, regardless of what it is, no longer encumbers you or your agility.
Level 8 – Bloodied Blade: Each successive hit on the enemy increases the damage you do against that enemy by 20% Mirror Edge: Each of your basic attacks acts like two, with the second blow coming from a random but potential angle of your attack. Crushing Smash: Each successive hit on the enemy decreases their damage resistance against you by 10%.
Level 9 – Unrelenting Force: An activated ability where your next attack stuns your opponent for thirty seconds, even if no damage is done or the attack is blocked. True Strike: An activated ability where your next attack pierces through your enemy’s defenses, doing its full damage. Immortal: An activated ability where for the next thirty seconds your health cannot go lower than 1%.
Level 3 – Assassination: Sneak attacks do double damage. Not applicable if already in combat. Vicious Strikes: Melee damage increased by 20% Armor Piercing: Ranged attacks ignore 10% of defense.
Level 4 – Grim Stride: Your movements make no noise. Combat Armor: Reduce melee damage taken by 20%. Range Finder: You can discern the effective range of the weapons of others as well as your own.
Level 5 – Deadly Aim: Your critical hit chance is doubled. Sleight of Hand: Reload time for ranged weapons are halved. In addition, you may switch weapons instantaneously. Silenced: Your weapons make no noise.
Level 6 – Cripple: You attack your opponent in such a way that you broke something. Different targets will cause different effects: Legs will slow them down, arms will weaken their attacks, body will weaken their defense, and heads will lower their accuracy. You can only break a body part once until they are fully healed. Smoke Bomb: You release a blinding cloud of smoke, disabling anyone’s ability to see within except you. You are effectively in sneak mode, but still susceptible to getting hit if someone tries to attack. Trip Wires: You can set up a quick wire trap that knocks down and entangles the legs of whomever gets caught, or whatever other creative uses of wires you can make due with.
Level 7 – Moar Dakka: Allows you to use two-handed guns with one hand. Soaring Slayer: Jump height and acrobatic ability in general is doubled. Swift Slayer: Ground movement speed increased by 50%.
Level 8 – Grim Reaper’s Spirit: A sneak attack that does 90% of your opponent’s current health. You absorb the same amount back as health. Cannot be used on opponents who are already engaged in combat or aware of you. True Sight: Allows you to detect enemies and allies within a large area of yourself. The range is shorter when moving or fighting. Can detect invisible targets if actively searching for them. Adaptive Ability: Allows you to take any Feat level 7 or lower you do not have.
Level 9 – Bullet Hell: Your ranged weapons no longer require reloading. Death Walk: Each time you kill an opponent you can chose teleport a short distance away or to the next enemy nearest, both with a maximum range of 20 feet. Master of Arms: Allows you to use any equipment regardless of class restrictions.
Level 3 – Resurrection: Magic skill that lets you revive a dead ally after a five-second casting time. Has a ten-minute cooldown. Wisdom: Cooldown time for feats and abilities are reduced by 25% Sanctuary: Increase the Damage Resistance of any allies near you by 20%.
Level 4 – Spectral Body: Support skill that turns your body into an arcane mist, rendering you immune to physical damage for ten seconds. You cannot cast magic during this time, and the skill has a ten-minute cooldown. Heal Pulse: Area-of-effect skill that heals all allies within a twenty-foot radius. One-second cast time, thirty-second cooldown. Tainted Medicine: Healing effects on a target is reversed for the next five minutes.
Level 5 – Esuna: A magic skill that allows you to remove all negative status alignments on a given target. One minute cooldown. Empower: A support skill that allows you to target yourself or your ally. Their next skill will be twice as effective, cost half as much to use, and cools down twice as fast. Five minute cool down. Equalize: The health of two targets decrease/increase based on the average amount of health they have.
Level 6 – Regeneration: A passive skill that allows you to heal 5% of your health every minute during battle, and 20% of your health every minute outside of battle. Requires no mana. Extra Treat: A passive skill which every time you use a Healer Feat you heal 5% of your health. Rewarding Generosity: For every player you use an ability or feat on, you increase the amount they’re healed by 5%, maxing out at 25%.
Level 7 – Barrier: A magic skill that at the cost of half the healer's current health, they can create a protective aura around someone for five minutes that halves all types of damage. Cool down of ten minutes. Reflector: A magic skill that at the cost of half the healer's current health, they can create deflective aura around someone for five minutes that returns half the damage done to the target back to the attacker. Cool down of ten minutes. Absorber: A magic skill that at the cost of half the healer's current health, they can steal any healing done nearby directly to themselves. Cool down of ten minutes.
Level 8 – Guardian Angel: A magic skill that allows a Healer to bless themselves or another player with a Guardian Angel, who has twice the amount of health of the target person. The Guardian Angel will take all damage and negative effects targeting the player who is blessed by the Guardian Angel until its own health is depleted. One hour cool down. Savior: A magic skill that allows a healer to bless themselves or another player with a Savior, who will give the player 10% health regeneration per minute. Upon the player's death the Savior instantly resurrected the player blessed with the Savior to their maximum health, but the Savior is dismissed. One hour cool down. Voodoo Effigy: A magic skill that allows a Healer to bless themselves or another player with a Voodoo Effigy, who increases the player’s power and decreases their cooldown time by 10% the closer they are to death, rounded up. One hour cool down.
Level 9 – Armed with Wings: You sprout wings from your back which you can use for flight. You can also use these wings as shields, increasing your damage resistance by 25% Deus es Machina: You become a mechanical juggernaut, automatically increasing your power and damage resistance by 20%. All cooldowns are cut in half (Before cooldown reductions apply). Spirit Medium: You commune with the fallen to assist the living. For every player, NPC, or dissolution slain you increase your power by 5%. For every player you heal increase your power by 10%. These stacks do not disappear until you are slain.
Level 3 – Magic Blast: A skill which fires a magical projectile that deals resistance-ignoring damage. Monodextrous Casting: Enables you to wield a melee weapon in one hand. Twin Spells: Allows you to use two spells at the same time, including the same spell.
Level 4 – Blood Pact: Demons and undead now have double their usual HP, but your HP is decreased by 25% Staff Mastery: Increase the effective abilities of staff by 25% Attuned: Cooldown time for spells reduced by 25%
Level 5 – Enlightenment: Casting time for spells decreased and their power increased by 25% Force Cage: Magic skill that creates a cage made of solid magic energy in twenty feet square. The cage cannot be bypassed and will last for one minute. Five-minute cooldown. Doppelganger: Creates one illusionary clone of the caster. Last thirty seconds and can use the Wizard’s abilities, but will count as the Wizard casting. Can only take one hit before being destroyed. Five minute cooldown.
Level 6 – Magus Blast: Unleashes a burst of condensed mana, dealing a high amount of defense-ignoring magic damage to anything within a 10-foot radius. Instant cast; sixty-second cooldown. Vampiric Fang: Suck away a fragment of your enemy's life, and gain HP equal to the amount of damage you deal. Thirty-second cooldown. Curse of the Dark Sign: A damage-over-time (25% per minute for five minutes) spell that continues working until either you or the target dies. Thirty-second cooldown.
Level 7 – Crawling Chaos: You cause pain to all opponents who are merely in your presence. For ever thirty seconds they are within 50 feet of you, they take 5% damage. Their speed is also cut down to a 1/3 of their max, and prevents flight or teleportation. Minion Gate: You power of demons and the undead allows you to switch places between yourself and your demons at will. This kills the minion however. Field of Death: You are empowered by the fallen and feed on the living. For every player, NPC, or Dissolution killed around you heal 15%.
Level 8 – Vile Plague: You unleash a cloud of sickness and disease. Anyone caught within lost 30% of their damage reduction and power, and their abilities take twice as long to recover from cooldowns. Thirty minute cooldown. Cataclysm: You raze a structure to it’s very foundation, causing 80% damage to anything caught within the area of effect including yourself and your allies. Thirty minute Cooldown. Mirror Spell: You observe the magic powers of others and replicate it. You may use one ability from any other Wizard nearby. Thirty minute cooldown.
Level 9 – Magic Itself: Your body becomes an arcane mist. Physical damage taken is reduced by 25%, and magic damage dealt is increased by 50%. Demonic Possession: Your body takes on a new, demonic form. Total HP is tripled, and damage dealt by all summoned demons and yourself is increases by 50%. Unlife: You become a Lich, storing your soul away in a phylactery. Once per day, if you are killed, you resurrect on the spot with full HP. Additionally, damage dealt by summoned undead increases by 25%.
2. Although there is no posting order, I strongly recommend that you wait at least two turns before posting again.
3. All characters are aged between 13-18 years of age. Furthermore, every character starts at the maximum of Level 3 and no Player is allowed to be a Colored King at this time. No exceptions. That being said, the opportunity to become a Colored King may arise in the future.
4.Characters who die within Deep Ground may not be able to access the program until one full day has passed in real time. Have your OC pass the time or build some drama before then.
5. Relationships between characters are strongly encouraged. Makes it more amusing to both me and my Co-GM.
6. Discussion in the OOC is nice, but if there is prolonged heated argument, take it in the PMs. Otherwise, I will solve the problem....quickly.
7. All characters can be of either gender.
8. We only want those RPers who will post on a regular basis and will not suddenly lose interest or leave without saying anything. We strongly suggest you either inform the GM or the Co-GM of your leave of absence. If it’s an emergency, then please tell us it is. We are understandable.
9. All Deep Ground avatars are humanoid in appearance. Please use images or describe your character for all appearances in your CS.
10. If you have any problems, questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to either let me or Lucius Cypher know.
Right then. Apologies everyone for the long reading in the opening post. Hopefully me and Cypher will be able to answer any questions you throw our way.
A question: While I understand that higher levels = moar abilities/feats, does that increase your base stats at all? Or are your base stats solely dependent on your equipment?
Quick question: would it be okay to update my Noisy Assassin, or would you prefer something new?
I don't see why not. Do you mean update in terms of character and Avatar?
A question: While I understand that higher levels = moar abilities/feats, does that increase your base stats at all? Or are your base stats solely dependent on your equipment?
For concern of answering wrongly and confusing you even more, I'll let Cypher answer that.
EDIT: Also I noticed the Black King has the Hitman spec. Is that a result of copy/paste or is that unique to Black King?
That's a result of a W.I.P. disclaimer being next to it :p
Largely based on equipment, and unique equipment is mostly used for additional abilities rather then improved stats. For example heavy armor gives you a good 10% Damage Resistance, and a heavy shield adds another 5%. That being said, you can still circumvent those bonuses if you fight smart. For example, stab a dood in the eyes where he don't have armor and you can negate some of his DR from his armor. Also some general make-sense stuff; fighter types could get away with surviving getting impaled a few times, but a wizard better have a damn good reason if he can do the same.
There isn't any hard stats per say, but at the same time there's a general guideline for the power and strength of characters based on their class, feats, abilities, equipment, etc.
Oh, so is it possible to 'debuff' people without actually having a debuff ability? Such as stab them in the eyes and blind them, or strike them in the chin and disorientate them?
While I'm at it...Seeing how this is pretty much a game, would an Avatar with abilities centered around being an underdog (does more damage against opponents higher level than them) be allowed? Or would it sorta break the whole point of levelling up?
I wouldn't quite say debuff, it's not as though you're weakening them. Think of it more like a critical hit. Do it well and you can get some helpful bonuses (Such as bypassing some DR or causing a stun) but if it doesn't work you just strike them and hope for the best.
You'd have to go into more detail with those abilities. On one hand it could work, on the other hand it would also make you very weak at higher levels unless your purposely stay at a low level by repeating dying, which will do nothing to help your KDR or overall fighting ability.
I'm operating under the assumption that, technically, you don't need to put EXP into levels at all, and that Outlaws would probably be dying often anyways, due to their Outlaw-y nature. Still thinking about it though.
Can't you make up for your lack of abilities and feats with good equipment and skills? Sorta like Char with a Zaku? So all things considered, your overall fighting ability wouldn't be THAT hampered. You'd be super effective against high level players, while with low level players you would overpower simply with the quality of your equipment.
Some equipment will be level locked, and as you can imagine, level 1 equipment ain't exactly great. While skill and preparation can help you defeat far stronger opponents, there isn't any items that can make up for those levels.
And understand that most weapons aren't going to be magical or even uniquely masterwork. Think of it somewhat like Dark Souls weapons: The powerful ones you get from bosses and even those require some level investment. Beyond that everyone is using fairly mundane weapons such as Longswords, Falchions, Spears, etc. Some may be enchanted by Artificers (And those are temporary enchantments) or uniquely designed, but otherwise provide no statistical advantages.
