Welcome newbies! The purpose of this guide is to give you some tips and a point in the right direction so that you don't feel completely lost in the world of Aarchon. Please keep in mind that the players on the MUD are generally quite accepting of questions, so don't ever hesitate to ask for help. Often times they will help you gather equipment, complete your quests, or give you a spell-up -- if you wish. This brief guide is not all inclusive but should be a good resource for anyone new to Aarchon.
Table of Contents
Help Files
Race and Class Selection
Stats
Class Guilds (Training/Practicing)
Leveling
Equipment
Gold Running
Questing
Remorting
Other (clans, warfare, pkill)
Tips
Help Files
Aarchon has an extensive help file directory for almost every command, skill,
spell, and mechanic. If there is something you want to read up on but you're not sure which help
file to look at, ask for help on the newbie or question channel. If we don't have a helpfile for
what you need to know more about, we'll create one. Help files are updated regularly and contain
detailed information. They're useful, so get to know them!
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Picking a race and class
While we offer 15 classes and 19 races at creation (many more race
choices become available each remort), some are more newbie friendly than others. During creation
(or while in game) you can type "help (class) skills" to see a full list of which spells a particular
class is capable of learning. You can also lookup help files for each skill to find out more about
them.
Some of the more newbie-friendly classes are:
Warrior - Similar to a Gladiator but they're small magical capabilities make them a bit more versatile.
Ninja - A class with many skills and stances, capable of reducing damage intake, and also dealing substantial damage.
Monk - A hand-to-hand class that can deal a fair amount of damage while possessing some healing and protective powers as well.
Ranger - A warrior-type in tune with the powers of nature. Very capable of surviving on their own. Quite versatile.
Necromancer - A dark-mage who uses maledictions and evil spells to deal damage. Able to raise a powerful army of zombies to tank and deal damage.
With that said, the only class not recommended for newbies is Assassin because they're permanent and automatic PKillers. Ninjas and Thieves
are comparable alternatives.
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Stats
Assigning and choosing your stats can be a very complex and daunting task. Hopefully this information gives you a better
understanding on how to assign stats. Please know that the "default" roll and assignment will be fine for most new players.
In Aarchon the following stats exist:
Strength - High strength means more physical damage and a higher weight carrying capacity
Constitution - Directly affects your hit points. Also helps prevent infection from disease and poison
Vitality - Characters with high vitality use less moves when traveling and are less susceptible to being bashed
Agility - Agility directly affects the amount of moves and dodging capability you have
Dexterity - Important for fighter types. Higher dexterity means more attacks and hits per round of combat
Intelligence - Allows you to learn your skills at a faster rate. Higher intelligence increases the chance of successful
spell casting
Wisdom - Incredibly important for magic users. Directly affects size of your mana pool. Also affects effectiveness of
almost all spells
Discipline - Discipline has a minor impact on your total hp/mana/move. Higher discipline also means you can retain
more field experience.
Charisma - Important for questing, and also affects skills like leadership, war cry, and charm
Luck - Affects almost everything to a minor degree. Exceptionally important for questing
When assigning stats in Aarchon, you roll a total of 15 dice. 10 of them for the stats mentioned above, and 5
for the attributes that help compose those stats. The attributes are:
| Body | 15% STR | 20% CON | 20% VIT | 15% AGI | 10% DEX |
| Mind | 25% INT | 20% WIS | 15% DIS | 10% CHA | 10% LUC |
| Toughness | 25% STR | 20% CON | 10% VIT | 25% DIS | |
| Speed | 10% VIT | 25% AGI | 30% DEX | 15% INT | |
| Wit | 20% WIS | 30% CHA | 30% LUC |
When rolling dice to assign to stats, typically anything over 1000 total is considered to be a good roll. Anything
over 1060 is great, and anything over 1100 is almost unheard of. You can visit the "Triggers" section for a useful
dice rolling trigger. Recent changes to the stat rolling system have changed the default dice roll to 1075. This
is still considered and exceptional roll, and it is now next to impossible to get anything above a 1090. In nearly all
situations, you should take the default roll. Most often times it is best to start by assigning to the 5 attributes as
they have influence over 3 - 5 stats.
Fighter type classes often assign their top dice to Body and Toughness. Depending on which race you're rolling, the next
dice might go to Con, Speed, Str, Dex, Wit, Mind, Agi, Luc, and Dis. These really can vary, however it is uncommon
for a fighter to assign their Wis, Cha, or Int with high dice.
Click here to see a sample dice assignment for a Human Warrior
Please keep in mind the sample dice assignment is rather quick and dirty, but should give you a foundation to work
with.
Caster type classes often assign their top dice to Mind and Wit. Depending on which race you're rolling, the next
dice might go to Wis, Int, Body, Con, Toughness, Speed, Luc, Agi and Vit. Again, these can vary, however it is uncommon for
a caster to have high Str, or Dex.
A Ninja or Thief type class often assigns their top dice to Speed and Body, with their next dice typically assigned
to Toughness, Dex, Agi, Con, Str, Mind, Wit, and Luc. It is uncommon for a Ninja or Thief to assign their Wis or Cha
with high dice.
Click here to see a sample dice assignment for a Human Thief
Please keep in mind the sample dice assignment is rather quick and dirty, but should give you a foundation to work
with.
Other things to keep in mind when assigning dice, is that a small tweak or change could result in a +1-3 on one stat,
with little or no change to another stat. How is this possible? Imagine having a 99 assigned to Mind and a 96 assigned
to Wit. Swapping them could potentially result in higher CHA/LUC (maybe +1 to each), without actually reducing any of
the stats that the MIND attribute affects. Part of rolling stats is trial and error. Take your time, be patient, and
don't try to be a perfectionist.
Also, the way you assign your stats is going to highly depend on what you're doing with your character. Typically players
assign their DIS to be very high for their first few remorts so they can get as many practices as possible. These practices
can convert into trains, which are then in turn used to buy more skills, or saved for a final remort when the player maxes
out their Hp/Mana/Move and other stats. Often times a Myrddraal, Golem, or Mantis race is picked for maximizing DIS. Usually
when a player goes this route, they don't train any of their stats except for DIS until their final remort.
Characters who are trying to quest typically roll very high CHA/LUC, and pick a race like Leprechaun or Sprite.
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Guilds, Experience, and other Bastion notes
There are currently six guilds, all of which are found in the city of Bastion. Each guild corresponds to one or more classes
and represents where you go to train your stats, practice your skills, and learn new ones. You can read up on each guild through
the "help guild" help file. Here is a list of directions to each.
Wizard's Guild - (Mages, Illusionists, Necromancers) - 2n,w,s,w,u,n
Cleric's Guild - (Clerics, Monks, Templars) - sw,w,u
Fighter's Guild - (Warriors, Gladiators, Samurais, Paladins) - 2s,2w
Rogue's Guild - (Ninjas, Thieves, Assassins) - 2s,e,n,e,open south,2s
Ranger's Guild - (Rangers) - 3n,w,s
Gunslinger Guild - (Gunslingers) - 2s,e,s,2e,s
Your mind is overwhelming You've probably seen this message before and wondered what it is. This is field experience. In
Aarchon, when you gain EXP, you gain two types. Applied, and Field. Field slowly converts into applied (real) over time. When your
character has too much field experience you will start to see the "Your mind is overwhelming" message. You can rest, sleep, or
"practice field" at your guild to increase the rate in which the exp converts.
I died, now what? Chances are you will die many times throughout your time on Aarchon. Fortunately you don't have a ton
to lose besides some EXP, perhaps a train invested into hp/mana/move, and maybe a bit of pride. When you die, you should go get your
corpse from The Morgue, which is sw,w,d from The Palace Square (recall).
Where can I buy stuff? There are many shops in Aarchon, and quite a few in Bastion itself that cater to the lower level
characters. Weapons can be found sw,s. Armor can be found se,s. General supplies can be found se,e
Need heals or a spellup? Go checkout Mercy. She's just above The Morgue, sw,w. Type "heal" or "spellup" for a list of
services she offers including the cost. Many players will heal you or spell you up for free however, as long as you ask politely.
I want a pet to help me in combat! Good! Great idea! You can get pets at 2n,w,n,w,s. They're pretty cheap and become available
as soon as you hit level 15. There are many other places in Aarchon to buy pets, including clan halls, but this should suit you well
for now. Use commands like "order all rescue self", "order all kill (mob)", "order (pet name) (action) (target)".
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Leveling
There are almost 100 zones in Aarchon, very few of which are "stock" zones. You can explore freely if you'd like, but this will give
you a general idea of which areas to check out for each level range. This is by no means all inclusive. All directions are available
on the "Maps and Dirs" section of the website.
1-5 - Initiation
3-8 - Disney
3-10 - Pirate's Lair
5-10 - Everlund Park
7-12 - Crystal Coast
9-14 - Vorgath's Dungeon
12-20 - JROTC
16-25 - NIMH
20-60 - Akyros Pharmaceuticals
20-60 - Princess Bride
35-65 - Haunted Lands
40-60 - Dreamscape
55-75 - Spacehulk
65-80 - Mortal Kombat
65-90 - Angel's Heaven
75-100 - Alcatraz
80-100 - Surreal Life
85-100 - Shrine of Mirrors
85-100 - Princess Bride (ROUS)
85-100 - Sanctuary
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Equipment
Equipment can be found throughout all of Aarchon, however these are recommended areas where you can typically find a full or near
full set of gear. Also be sure to check out the "equipment" link on the left to find out where you can get questing gear which is
usually different than fighting/leveling gear. You will find some gear requires assistance to get, sometimes from a higher level
player. Mrem Village, and Abyss in particular.
1-5 - Initiation
5 - Bastion (at the shops)
5 - Pirate's Lair
10 - Crystal Coast
13 - Vorgath's Dungeon
15 - JROTC
25 - NIHM
30 - Kyoto City
30 - Mrem Village
42 - Square World
50 - Logging Camp
50 - Dreamscape
60 - Battlelords (Naxtar)
63 - Princess Bride
70 - Abyss
75 - Spacehulk
81 - Battlelords (Naxtar)
85 - Angel's Heaven
90 - Mortal Kombat
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Gold Running
Gold can be found on just about every mob throughout Aarchon, however some mobs are more lucrative than others. Gold can be used
to heal yourself or buy spellups from Mercy (at the Temple, sw, w of Palace Square), purchase equipment or items from shops,
and most importantly it is required for remort. These are some recommended zones to run and mobs to kill to find gold. Remember
that selling equipment to shops can be another way of earning gold.
35+ - Siva's Lament - Board of Advisors (north/east side)
50+ - Princess Bride - Snooty Women and Distinguished Gentlemen
75+ - Slums - "Music Town"
75+ - Surreal Life - Tourists
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Questing
Questing is a great way to pass time between leveling and can benefit you greatly. Although it is by no means required, quest
equipment can typically give you quite a boost in stats/damage which makes leveling a bit easier. Quest equipment typically
starts getting phased out around level 70, but can be used remort-after-remort. In addition to purchasing quest equipment, you
can use quest points (qps) to buy tattoos which give bonuses to stats, hp, damage, and more -- depending on which ones you
purchase. You can buy more practices to convert to trains in order to max out your hp/mana/move at hero level.
You can request quests every 10 minutes (from the time of completion or failure) from either El Cid (2n,2e) or Bastion (ne,u,e).
Don't be afraid to ask for help on your quests using one of the public channels. As long as you're grouped, it doesn't matter
who lands the final blow on a mob (if your quest is to kill one). Make sure you use the maps located on the website as well.
In addition to automated quests, there are many quests throughout the realm that can be completed for rewards such as gold, EXP,
equipment, and quest points. Some of them are repeatable, some of them are not.
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Remort
Remort is widely considered to be one of the most challenging aspects of Aarchon. When you remort, you're allowed to
change your race (new races are "unlocked" with each remort), and also re-roll your stats. In addition to choosing
a new race, you'll be allowed to level 1 level past 90 for each remort. Currently the maximum remort is 7, meaning
the current maximum level is 97. The planned maximum level is 100. Remort 1 and 2 are the same, 3 and 4 are the same,
and 5, 6, 7, 8 are all unique.
Remort costs gold and quest points which increases with each remort. Although it is very much possible, it is rare
that a player completes remort on their first attempt. It is critical to enter prepared for anything, and take your
time. Read carefully, move cautiously. Remort is meant to be a secret, so you shouldn't ask for help as that would
be breaking one of the rules. Read help remort for more information.
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Other aspects (clans, warfare, pkill, etc.)
Clans - There are currently 5 clans in Aarchon. Each clan has its own membership restrictions, rules for conduct
(or lack thereof!), and policies. You may join a clan with the RECRUIT command (see HELP RECRUIT) once you reach level 10.
Be aware that some clans are invitation only. There are several benefits of joining a clan, including unique equipment,
portals to certain areas of the game, and more.
Warfare - Warfares can be started by players (for 50 quest points) or by immortals. Warfares allow you to fight other
players of a comparable level. There is nothing to lose in warfare other than your pride. They're a great place to practice
your combat skills. If you are the winner of a warfare, you are rewarded quest points.
PKill - There are two types of PKill. Normal, and hardcore. Normal PK allows you to fight other players typically
within 5 levels of yourself. You can only fight other players who have elected PK option. PK is non-reversible. If you die
in a PK fight, you have a small chance of losing 1 "train". In hardcore pkill, the level range is expanded, and if you fight
another hardcore pkiller, the winner will be able to loot a few items from your corpse. Normal PKill and Hardcore PKillers
gain permanent EXP bonuses.
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Tips
Here are some tips and hints that might make life a bit easier for you in the world of Aarchon
Soneji's Mansion - To get out of Soneji's Mansion, find the instructor and go west out of the window. You'll end up in a field
with Soneji Assassins. You're going to need gold, so kill them if you have none. Go to the west/south edge of the forest and find Marlene.
Buy a key from her to the Soneji Suite. Go up, unlock north, open north, north, southeast. You can recall from here.
Free Haste & Giant Strength - In Everlund Park you can get a free haste and giant strenght by buying a treasure map from the
vendor in the first room. Head to the north end of the park and give the map to the old man. He'll cast haste and giant strength on you.
Escape the Abyss - When you're in the Abyss, one of the only recallable rooms is the room with the Mother and Child. It's in the
maze of thorns on the west side, past a (west facing) door. Hunt "mother" to get out.
Escape Forest Dark & Dreadful (FDD) - Hunt a mob called the Demon Dreaming and the room west of him is recallable.
Free Frenzy (Good Align) - If you're a good aligned player you can go see Ambrose in the P.R.I.D.E building in Marienburg
for a free level 100 frenzy! 15w, n, u, open west, west. Ambrose will cast the spell free of charge as soon as you enter the room.
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