Basic Concepts - Pernica

Basic Concepts
(How Pernica Works)

Levels

Levels are used to measure overall experience gained. For every 1000 experience points earned a character will gain a level. For each level a character will gain two health points.

Experience

Experience is gained by playing. Characters gain three experience points per two minutes (while online). Experience gain for playing time is limited to 180 points per day (two hours of playing time) and 500 points per week (three days of two hours each).

Experience is also gained from combat (one point per twenty points of damage done). There are no limits to experience gain from combat except that these amounts are small compared to earning experience from playing time.

Experience can also be gained by crafting superior quality items.

Experience is also awarded for participating in and completing quests.

Health

You have a normal state of health that can be reduced (watch the color-coded percentage of normal health remaining on your status screen) by certain events such as involvement in combat or magic. When your health falls to critical levels, movement and other abilities can be impaired. Your health will return slowly if you rest somewhere in safety, or can be restored more quickly by medical care, healing spells or potions. If you die, you reappear at the Abbey of Untharin Glade with heavy penalties to accumulated achievements.

Skills

Skills influence a character's performance within Pernica. Skills will impact combat as well as many activities in Pernica. Skills will also determine your earning potential when working at a job.

You may learn skills that will improve your prowess in battle, your earnings from your job, and other game activities. Think about a happy medium of specialization--you'll need more than one skill, but don't become a jack of all trades and master of none! Apply your experience points to begin and upgrade selected skills; experience counts for experience levels even after being invested in skills. Higher skill grades lead to more options for what to make, faster production and better results. A typical skill upgrade requires 212 + (38 times new skill grade) experience points to achieve, so grade 1 starts with 250 points. Grade 2 takes 288 points, grade 3 takes 326 points, and so on. Grade 10 (a critical point for many skills) requires 4210 total experience points from starting, or about eight weeks of normal play. However, you learn combat skills a little differently; see combat.

Stats

Stats define a character in terms of several, mostly physical, abilities. Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Agility, Endurance and Charisma are these primary stats. Charisma deserves special mention. In most games "charisma" is a "throw away stat". Fair warning: Charisma is a critical stat in Pernica. Charisma in part reflects the undefinable essence that makes a hero. Conan has charisma, Gandalf has charisma, Richard Rahl (of the Sword of Truth series) has charisma. Charisma is what keeps Bruce Willis alive when a terrorist throws him down an elevator shaft. Charisma can also be compared to luck or karma. Some people have more than others.

Charisma may very well keep you alive when that orc strikes that blow that you thought for sure would slay you.

When you first create your character each stat is set at 75 and you have 20 "extra" points to spend to increase these. You may also subtract from some stats (and use the points to raise other stats) but your stats must remain within the restrictions for your race (Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling).

Standard of Living and Employment

Aside from just adventuring your character may take on a job. Characters are considered to be working at their jobs when they are not online. This will generate a weekly revenue for a character.

Characters also have weekly expenses. Each character will select a "standard of living", this is the amount of money they spend each week on the basics of life (food, shelter, clothing) - all the details that aren't specifically dealt with otherwise in the game. A character's "fame" will be directly related to their standard of living (famous people rarely sleep in the streets and eat garbage).

Virtual Time

In Pernica you will experience night following day, you may get caught in the rain, and the seasons will change (for example, snow cover in winter). Even when you are not watching your character, healing and crafting and general experience are accumulating.

Your character also accumulates eight crafting hours per real-time day, or ten hours if you log on for more than six minutes. When you have enough crafting hours (plus money to buy any needed raw materials) you can craft things (potions, weapons, etc) to use or sell. Most crafting activities require related skills.