To play Demise, you must first create a character (your Demise alter
ego). Each character requires several basic pieces of information
that the game uses in various ways.
The name that you wish to be known by is used whenever another character
wishes to refer to you specifically. For example, when giving gold
or items, a name is required. When healing with spells or items,
your character's name is needed if other characters are in the area.
Choose your name well since it cannot ever be
changed again. Only one character in Single or Multi-player
can have a given name at a time.
The race you choose to be will determine your maximum age, how quickly
you learn and how strong, intelligent, wise, healthy, charismatic and dexterous
you can be. There are several other important points concerning your
race; they will be discussed later. The race you choose will also
determine the number of ‘stat points’ you have when creating your character.
You can discover this by exploring different race selections when creating
your character.
Stats
There are six basic statistics (stats) that determine how your character
will perform when faced with certain tasks. Since some Items and
Spells require a minimum stat to use or cast, choosing a race that supports
these stats can be important. All guilds also require a set of minimum
stats in order to join. Certain items found in the dungeon may modify
a stat while equipped, but the unmodified (natural) stat is still used
in some circumstances (i.e. the guilds look only at your natural unmodified
stats when deciding if you may join. Also, the maximum spell points
a character has is based
on a character's natural stats). You may raise your natural stats
by using certain items you can find in the dungeon. There are monsters
in the deeper parts of the dungeon that can reduce your stats, so look
out! The six basic statistics (stats) are described as to what effect they
have on your character's abilities as follows:
Strength
(Str)
Your character's Physical Strength determines your chances of hitting
a monster in combat, and how much damage is done when you hit a monster.
Intelligence
(Int)
Your character's Intelligence determines your chances of hitting a
monster in combat, the maximum spell points that your character is
allowed, your ability to identify an item, and your ability to properly
identify a monster.
Wisdom
(Wis)
Your character's common sense and insight affects your chances
of hitting a monster in combat, the maximum spell points your character
is allowed, your ability to recognize a trap on a chest, your ability to
identify an item, your ability to recognize a monster, and your chances
of leaving combat without being hit.
Constitution
(Con)
Your character's 'healthiness' affects the number of hits you receive
when you make a level, the chance of being raised when dead, your ability
to resist special attacks from monsters (poison, disease, stoning, aging,
paralysis, 'breath' (being fire, cold or other breath types)) and spells
cast by monsters.
Charisma
(Cha)
Your character's beauty and leadership determines your chances of having
monsters join and become your companions, how long a companion will stay
with you, and the chance of monsters becoming hostile towards you.
Dexterity
(Dex)
Your character's speed and agility affect your chance of hitting a
monster in combat, your ability to disarm traps, how long it takes your
character to open a chest while in combat, the chances a monster has of
stealing from you, your chances of moving in combat without being blocked,
and your chances of surprising monsters
When a stat has reached its natural peak (i.e. it cannot naturally be
raised any higher), it will appear in bold type on the screen. For
example: 26.
Attack/Defense
(A/D)
The A/D of your character is a percentage representation of how
well you do in combat and is based on your stats modified by your
current guild/level plus any armor or weapons you are wearing. An
A/D of 9/12 means that you have an 9% additional chance of hitting
a monster while the monster has an additional 12% chance of missing you.
Keep in mind that as your character progresses and as you head deeper into
the dungeon, the monsters will be more experienced and have a higher A/D.
Hit Points
Hit points ('hits') determine how much damage your character can take during
combat and from other inflictions (i.e. poison, disease, drowning, etc.)
before dying. The number of hit points your character has will raise
as you gain levels in guilds. Your constitution is also important
in determining your maximum hit points since you can receive 'bonus' hits
when you make a level if your constitution is above 16. When your
character's hit points reach 0, you are dead. You can be raised by
another character or in the morgue when you do die (which will be discussed
later). Hit points are expressed in a fraction - for example, 15/15
means that you are at full strength, while 7/15 means you are at half strength.
The first number represents your current hit points while the second number
represents your maximum hit points. You can raise your hit points
by achieving higher levels in your guild or having ‘special’ events occur.
Some guilds have the ability to cast spells (e.g. Clerics) that will heal lost
hit points, which can be very useful when one is far from the city.
The usual non magical ways to restore a character's hits are to return to the
city and visit the Guilds, to level or drink from
the fountain, or you can just re-enter the dungeon and you will be healed
with a penalty of aging. Some items found in the dungeon can also
restore hit points.
Experience
Experience is used in relation to the guild(s) you are a member of
to determine how much your character has learned (from fighting, casting
spells, opening chests, etc.). When you have reached a certain amount
of experience, your guild will allow you to raise in level which will increase
your character's powers. Both your race and guild will affect how
much experience is required to make a level in your current guild. After
a certain point, if you do not make a level, you will see that you become
Pinned. NOTE: Once pinned any further
experience will not be credited to you until you advance to your next level
Gold
Since there is no weight limit for gold in Demise, there is no limit
as to how much your character can carry. Gold is what makes the entire
city function. When buying items, making levels in guilds, raising
dead characters or companions, you need gold. It's a good idea to
use the bank to store your gold, considering that some monsters have the
ability to steal it from you - and sometimes in great amounts.
Spell Points
& Spell Level
Every character has a certain number of Spell Points that they can
use for casting spells (even if they don't know any). As a character's
Intelligence and Wisdom go up, so do the maximum number of spell points
that they have. Like Hit Points, Spell Points are expressed in a
fraction that show the current number of points and maximum number of points.
Every character also has a "Spell Level”, which is related to a character's
current Guild & Guild Level. The power of a spell is based on
a character's spell level, which goes up as a character raises levels in
their guild(s). |