Staff Meeting Notes March 2010:
Special Announcements
There will be a feast in the May event, costs covered, to celebrate all of the newcomers to town lately.

Logistics/Out-of-play
Very early-game mechanics have been changed to make the first few games more friendly while getting used to the LARP – until level 6 (i.e. it goes away once you hit level 7), your “blanket” (the amount of AP you get by default, without any signatures) is 8 instead of 4. This means that you only need 4 signatures to “cap” (maximize your AP), and any additional signatures are put on your character sheet for future use, if you have a game where you come up short.
Paying for half a game: It’s always been the case you only get half AP for paying for half the game. You now get half BGPs as well, as is appropriate.
Backpaying: You can now “backpay” for 1 event, for every game you’ve attended – even ones before you started playing. (Backpaying is paying the $30 for an event you missed so you can still get your AP and BGPs) This includes events before the October 2007 mark now (didn’t used to, since that is when original backpay was instituted.)
Note: As normal, you still need signatures on the books (or service eeps to buy them with) to get the most AP possible with backpay.
Bounty 4 tags are being phased out. If you find yourself receiving them, please ask the monster marshall to remove them and get Bounty 3 tags instead.
Bunk sign up: Since the game is growing (which is good!), we will have to start doing sign-up sheets for individual bunks. Note what group you are attempting to stay with, and we will do our best to arrange everyone so no one is excluded from their group/stuck with a group they don’t want to be with.
When a player brings a new person, the he gets 50 service eeps. Their second game coming back, the player that was brought then gets 50 service eeps.
Monster town is now going to be the front porch of the Plot area. The old Monster Town cabin is available for anyone who wants it – note though, it does not have air conditioning nor its own bathroom.
Cleaning Nazi: If you are worried that your cabin won’t be cleaned and you don’t want to be part of any potential lectures/punishments, inform one of the Cleaning Nazi’s. Cleaning Nazi’s will be pointed out at Opening Ceremonies like other Staff members.
The Cook (Wes) can sign roleplaying sigs in the Tavern – if he doesn’t offer and you think you deserve one, just ask.

Races
Orcs: Now also get +1 rank of Wear Armor and Armor Proficiency for free.
<<You still get the +toughness for wearing the armor for Armor Proficiency, even if you can’t use all of the armor points due to low rank of Wear Armor.>>
Stone Giant: The extra 2 purchased strength are racial abilities, not extra fighter skills.
There are many rumors going around that Thardania has been overrun. (Thardanian is no longer a player race option.)
New race: Gnome.
Description: 3 foot tall humanoids with blue hair.
Makeup: Blue Hair.
Creature type: Humanoid.
Advantages: Alchemist 1 for free, Expert Haggler (3rd chart rogue) for free, can buy a Resist Silence every 5 levels for 2 A.P., +1 to Persuasion.
Disadvantages: -1 HP per level (minimum of 1 per level), cannot wield anything larger than a small weapon.
Make sure to read the infopedia for more information!

Classless
Archery: Streamers for archery packets can be any color – the fact that it has a streamer should make it obvious what it is.

Fighter
Slayer Kits: The X-slayer “unique ability” is now the same for all slayer types – one Dodge per combat versus that creature type.
New skill: Smite, 2 A.P., Fighter General chart. Call +6 damage for the first swing of combat, whether or not it hits. Note: Yes, this is +9 damage for two-handers.

Rogue
For multi-person monsters, ask in advance which part to Execute/Splinter-strike.

Alchemist
Potion of Alchemical Fortitude: Now flashes 1 Gas effect.

Necromancer
Bone Armor (5th) changed name to Bone Guard, so it stacks with other Armors (like Spell Armor and Dark Armor.) No other change.
New skill: Soul Matrix, 5 A.P., Necro 3 chart. Allows you to be the target of an Undeath Matrix. You then need a Life (9th level druid) put in it. Once done, it acts like a Life Matrix (8th level druid) as normal.
Note for next meeting: We plan to streamline Sorcerer and Necromancer verbals to a degree. Just a heads up.

Druid
Druid’s 8th level damage spell “32 Ice” has been replaced with a healing spell instead – “40 Healing.” The original “40 Healing” at level 7 is now “35 healing”, so they are all in increments of 5.
Earth Touch (1st) has been replaced with a 1st level damage spell, 4 Ice.
To make all of the elements in the spells line up correctly, this now the order of the damage spells from 1st to 7th, then the death at 9th: 4 Ice, 8 Flaming, 12 Lightning, 16 Earth, 20 Ice, 24 Flaming, 28 Lightning, Earthen Death
New skill: Healing Clairvoyance: Druid 1 chart, 2 A.P. Cannot purchase if you have Elemental Mastery ranks. Allows you to cast the spell “5 healing” during a First Aid, Surgeon, or Remedy count without interrupting it (note that you can’t Healing Arts though.)
New skill: Elemental Clairvoyance: Druid 1 chart, 2 A.P. Cannot purchase if you have Healing Mastery ranks. Allows you to cast the spell “4 Ice” as a packet delivered spell. No verbal, just “4 Ice” and throw a spell crystal. You can apply any Elemental Mastery ranks you have to change the damage type as normal.
Totemic Alignment: Nature – Prerequisites changed, now just cannot be purchased if you have ranks in Elemental Mastery.
Totemic Alignment: Elemental – Prerequisites changed, now just cannot be purchased if you have ranks in Healing Mastery. You can pick any of the 4 elements, but the normal exceptions apply.
Circle of Elements: You no longer “pick” an element when casting this spell, you just say “Circle of Elements.” You can now see through a Circle of Elements (this is mostly for Out of Play reasons – it is difficult to pretend you can’t see inside of it.) With rare exception that a plot member will be present for, nothing goes through/breaks a Circle of Elements.
Stone Fortress: Clarification that you can see through a Stone Fortress just fine even when it is it up. With rare exception that a plot member will be present for, nothing goes through/breaks a Stone Fortress. Clarification: There is a 3 second cooldown time between lowering and raising a Stone Fortress.

Sorcerer
Magic Storm (6th) moved to 8th level – is now 3 “30 magic” packets.
Blade of Power (8th) removed.
New spell: Mirage (6th) – Verbal: “Using Arcane power I conceal myself.” Self only version of Mirage Arcane (turns you invisible, but you can’t move – hands over head, can be seen with Detect Ethereal or in Ectoplasmic Form.)
Mirage (6th) is broken by Resist Illusion rank 2, and Mirage Arcane (9th) is broken by Resist Illusion rank 3. Note that as always, Resist Illusion only breaks it for the person who used the skill.
New skill: Arcane Font – 3rd chart sorcerer, 5 A.P. Once per combat, if a sorcerer spell of yours is resisted, you don’t pull the spell. Note that this is the first spell of yours that is resisted.
Note for next meeting: We plan to streamline Sorcerer and Necromancer verbals to a degree. Just a heads up.

Psionicist
The 1st-7th Psi damage spells have had their verbals changed. Their verbal is now “X magic”, where X is the amount of damage that the spell does (increments of 6.)
i.e. “Mind Blast” is now “21 magic”.
This is both simpler, and allows options for neat skill additions at a later date with concentration count and/or damage number manipulation.

Profession
The cost of renting a unit of soldiers to watch over your lands (Noble system) has been increased.

ECLs
After the initial playtesting period, all ECLs have been reviewed and many of them were changed. Ask about your ECL in particular if you have one.
We are accepting ECLs again – the process requires unanimous Head of Staff approval, and will take time (as in, not that same event) to process, so inquire early if you are looking to play one.
The ECLs basic information – name, physical description, how to become one (i.e. roleplay, new character only, etc), and creature type – will be listed in the rulebook now. Note, however, that as always, ECLs are restricted, both by required level to play, costume/makeup requirements, etc.

Formal
Formal lists will be entered into the Theory packets, so you can tell exactly what you are getting into. Some rare or restricted formals will not be included – if it’s not included in the Theory packet, then it isn’t readily available from a guild.
More formal rituals were added as always! Consult the newly updated theory packets for more information.
Magic items: You can wear a total of two rings, two bracers/bracelets/gauntlets, one crown/circlet, one cloak (as in, the thing you wear on your back), and unlimited amulets.
One weapon per hand (you must have Two-weapon Style/Evenblade to wield multiple weapons at once) unless weapon is two-handed, then it requires both hands.
One wand per hand (although, imaginably so, it is difficult to wield two wands and still throw spells.)
Most, if not all, weapon type restrictions have been removed (for example, Staff of Power can be any type of weapon now.) Names will probably not change for simplicity’s sake. Note that weapon material type restrictions are still in place.

Spell Effects/Other
TLDR: All spell effects last their full duration, unless cured or if the victim is killed. Killing the caster no longer ends effects early.
An old carryover rule, is that certain spell effects ended when the target was killed – such as entangle. Many did not though, like berserk, and some were unclear, like Stasis. In the interest of simplicity (and killing players), NO spell effects end by killing the caster. All things last their full duration, unless cured, or if the target is killed.
You may drop your own spell effects at any time, by saying “<Spell Name> Down!” Note that the target has to be able to hear you say it (out of play) for this to work – no calling holds so they notice it, etc.
Psionicist Berserk is Mind-Affecting only, while Alchemist Berserk is Metabolic only – just like all of the other cross-class abilities the two share.
Unless a skill specifically notes otherwise, the skill only applies to abilities in the same class. For instance, you cannot Accuracy, Recall, or Arcane Font any spells except Sorcerer spells, and Healing Mastery does not apply to Necromancer or Alchemist Healing.
Blade Coatings: Effects are Metabolic. Clarification: Resist Gas/Ingested (Vangoreth) can NOT resist Blade Coatings.
Selling back crafted items no longer gives any extra money than the raw material – it’s impossible to allow it without it being exploitable by Industry.