Click Here to Play "The Final Challenge"

(located at mud.finalchallenge.net port 4000)

The following is summary information on TFC version 3.x.  Please direct
any questions you have about this material to the tfc mailing list
(tfc@ariseth.phx.primenet.com).

The re-roll policy will no longer be in effect, since it is no longer
necessary.  All new characters will start out with mid-range base
stats, which will drift to pre-determined stats as the character matures
and levels.  This is one of the reasons new characters start out as mere
children, to allow for development. :-)

Some information which was previously available, particularly to
high-level characters, has been removed.  Though this might seem like a
bad thing, it is actually beneficial to everyone.  Not having every detail
handed to you should make the game more challenging.

The armor rating listed in 'score' just includes armor (and shield).  It
does not include any other incidentals that affect armor class.

'who killer' shows who has killed you.  If the person wasn't visible to you
when you were killed, they will show up as "someone."

Many items that were slated for implementation have been delayed.  It was
decided that we should get the major stuff done, and add the other items
later.  This includes skills, spells, classes, and anything else that
seemingly hasn't changed. :)

Languages act differently.  HELP LANGUAGE for details.

Cant has changed.  HELP CANT for details.  Cant is now a skill.

The various detection spells, such as detect invisibility, take caster
level into account.  Detection spells cast by higher level casters are
more effective.  By the same token, obscurement spells and skills, such
as invisibility and hide, are more effective at higher levels.

The nature of god-gifts has changed.  They can (only) be given to other
followers.  Non-followers obtaining a godgift from another faith will
result in bad things happening.

Cloak of protection no longer protects against disease.

If a good-evil (grouped) party kills a mob, a lot of experience is
lost.

The code now frowns upon those who cast defensive spells on mobs.  If that
mob kills the victim, the caster will also lose experience. 

Unimplemented spells should no longer appear in the practice lists, and
any practices invested in these spells should be reimbursed.

Training stats while your character is still young will result in the
characters _potential_ stats being affected, not the current stats.

The auction channel is now available at 3rd level, cant is available at
5th level (the in-room version), shout is level 5, and yell is level 3.

The neutral alignment now exists as a following alignment.  Those formerly
called 'neutral' should now be referred to as 'unaligned' to avoid
confusion.  The Neutral may interact with any other alignment (or the
unaligned).  On the downside, they may _not_ do unjustified attacks
against other PCs.  There are probably a great many issues to be
resolved with this, and this alignment is will evolving.  This is a
polite way of saying that only the infrastructure is in for it.  Since
there is no certainty that this will work, it might go away.  We shall
see.

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
The PK system
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The PK system has undergone many changes.  Fortunately, the complexity is
mostly for the PKers to deal with.  If someone can come up with a better
way to frame this PK system outline in an easier to understand manner,
have at it. 

PK Range
~~~~~~~~

You must be at least 5th level.
Your victim must be at least 5th level.
You may normally attack anyone who is at most 3 levels lower than you.
You may normally attack anyone higher level than you.
If you are at least effective level 20, then anyone may normally attack you.

Justified And Unjustified Attacks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Attacks and kills are classified in two ways: Justified and unjustified. 
If you have not attacked or killed someone, and that someone attacks (or
kills) you, it is an unjustified attack (or kill).  Unjustified actions
earn the attacker (killer) debt.  If you attack someone who has
unjustifiably attacked you during your current session, your attack is
justified, and you earn no debt.  You may justifiably attack anyone who
has killed you in the past, and you will earn no debt.  If you kill
someone that you are justified to attack, you are no longer justified at
that point.  This is a complicated way of saying if you haven't hurt
anyone and they attack you, you can attack and even kill them in response
without earning debt.  But attacks on you are only remembered until you
log out.  If someone kills you, that is remembered until you manage to
kill them.  If you kill someone that you were justified in killing, the
score is considered even, and you can no longer attack (or kill) that
person for free. 

Effects of Debt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The (KILLER) flag is a thing of the past.  As you accumulate more debt,
higher level people are allowed to PK you.  Life will become more and
more unfriendly for you as your debt increases.  Far be it for me to
spoil all the excitement by over-explaining this, though. :-)

Things You Should Not Do
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following things are allowed, but should not be done:

Killing the same victim more than once during their current level.
Killing those less than 10th level.
Killing a Neutral.
Killing someone that is more than 10 effective levels less than you.
A Good-aligned character killing another Good-aligned character.

And What If I Do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doing the above can result in earning extra debt, or may even limit
the lower end of your PK range.  The effects of the latter will slowly
dissipate as you level.  There is no other way to recover the lower
end of your PK range.

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Level 30 folks can still earn experience, though much more slowly.

If you are a 20+ and die to a mob, and your experience total is less than
what it is necessary to maintain your level, you will lose a level.

Added an option to 'who', called 'who justified'.  This will list who
you are allowed to kill without getting debt.

Added a command called 'range', which will tell you where your PK range
starts.  This will be 3 levels below your effective level if you are
below effective 20th level, and 20 if you are 23rd level and higher.
This changes if your PK range has been restricted by killing in ways
you should not be.

Added the 'assist' command.  The game no longer causes those in a group to
automatically attack the target when someone in your party attacks. 
Others must explicitly participate via 'assist,' or 'kill '.  If
you are the leader of a group, you must specify who you are assisting.  If
you are a follower in a group, no arguments assume "assist the group
leader."  Otherwise, another assist target can be listed.  You must be
grouped to assist someone. 

You may now set a command which executes if you are linkdead and someone
attacks you.  It is called 'linkdead'.  Note that this is not a sure
thing.  It might happen, it might not.  But, you can do things like
'linkdead quaff red', and that is what you have a chance of happening
if you lose link.  Please note that this command is a mixed blessing!

A new item type has been added.  It's called a relic, and it is a cleric-
only item.  They are activated via the 'empower' command.

Shamans have items called fetishes, which are used via the 'invoke'
command.

There is now a screen paging function.

The notes system has changed.  HELP NOTE for more details.

PCs are not allowed to charm PCs.

Slue doesn't remove debt from his victims.

The mobkilling policy has been revoked.  If I have done things right,
PC-assisted mobkills won't lose the victim any experience.

You will be allowed to quest for Immortality only if all of your classes
are at 30.  If you have not dual-classed, you may petition once you have
reached 30th level.  If you have dual-classed, you must be 30/30, and
triple-classers must be 30/30/30.  Only once the quest is successfully
completed can a mortal petition for Immortality.

If you successfully petition for an Ambassador position, the minimum hours
you must serve in that capacity is directly related to your status as a
mortal.  A 30/30/30 triple-class is likely to know much more about TFC
in general, and about how things are supposed to work.  Therefore, if you
immorted as a single-class, you must serve a minimum of 600 hours as an
Ambassador.  A dual-classer would serve 300, and a triple-classer would
serve 150.

Mortals that are at least effective level 30 may opt to retire.  Retiring
a mortal takes it out of play.  On the other hand, if it is a character
that you have grown bored with or don't play anymore, it might be
worthwhile.  Retiring a mortal has the following benefits:

1.  They are placed into the Timerian Museum, where active mortals may 
    "look" at them and see their description and equipment they had at 
    the time of retirement.
2.  They are listed on a retirement list, which lists the retirement date,
    the amount of experience earned, and other statistics.
3.  They are given Ambassador hours "credit," based the level of the mortal
    that is being retired (10 hours for every 5 effective levels 30 and
    above).  An Ambassador must serve at least 100 hours, regardless of
    credits.

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