Skills
Description
Instead of gaining experience for basically just killing monsters (and disarming traps) you can also gain experience in a variety of other skills, which can either be learned or used through a skill tool or talisman.
Skill Descriptions
Below is a more detailed description of each skills and how they are used.
alchemy
You can identify potions, containers, and different kinds of ore and mineral, mix potions and create other stuff (such as gold, weapons, deadly monsters killing him/her etc.) from other ingredients using a cauldron "cauldron.x11" in $ARCH.
To identify alchemy stuff you have to stand over it or have it in your inventory and issue the command use_skill alchemy. The alchemy items will be identified. Some might not get identified if your alchemy level is too low.
A higher alchemy level will also help you to estimate the value of items better.
To create something new, for example some dust or potion, you have to get a cauldron. You find these in shops, guilds and some appartments. Some alchemy shops also let you use their cauldron for a fee. All you need now is to know what items creates which other item. You learn the ingredients this by finding recipes. It is very important that you identify all ingredients for a recipe before using them!
For a start you could try to make water of the wise: Get 7 water bottles (filled), identify them, put them in a cauldron, do use_skill alchemy. If everything worked there should be water of the wise in the cauldron now. Congratulations, your first alchemy was done!
Be careful when doing alchemy and trying complicated receipes, they might fail and will backfire heavily at you.
Never, ever, do alchemy in your home or in public places! You can easily create powerful monsters that will kill you, kill you again when you wake up in your savebed, kill you again... etc.
bargaining
This skill helps you to bargain in shops when buying and selling. The higher your bargaining level is the better prices you will get. Besides having a high bargaining skill it helps a lot to have a high charisma stat.
When you are in a shop, you can use_skill bargaining to see whether that shop will buy the items you want to sell at a higher price than others and whether the shopkeeper likes you. Elf shopkeepers will like elf players.
bowyer
You can identify missile weapons and missiles such as arrows, bolts and bows. One can also create special bows and arrows from other ingredients using the bowyer skill like the alchemy skill skill and a workbench "workbench.x11" in $ARCH (you just have to find out a recipe).
clawing
You can make a "bare-handed attack". Damage is based on the user's strength and level. With time, one can have different claws such as fire claws or electric claws. An elemental residue from the dragon guild is required to change this. The dragon guild can be found in scorn.
levitation
You can levitate (fly low) at will. Using the skill first makes you levitate, and at the second time returns you to the earth. Levitation can be useful to fly over water streams that move you if you walk in them, or it prevents you from falling into a pit.
summoning
You can cast spells related to the summoning school of wizardry, which mostly summon monsters, bullet walls and similar things. This skill may be acquired either through the use of an appropriate talisman or learned via a "skill scroll".
The most basic spells you might want to get is 'summon pet monster' and 'charm monsters'. Look in the Spellbook if you got the spells and read their description.
pyromancy
You can cast spells related to the pyromancy (fire) school of wizardry. This skill may be acquired either through the use of an appropriate talisman or learned via a "skill scroll".
The first spell would be 'burning hands' which casts a cone of fire which burns your enemies. It becomes stronger with your pyromancy level.
evocation
You can cast spells related to the evocation (mostly cold magic) school of wizardry. This skill may be acquired either through the use of an appropriate talisman or learned via a "skill scroll".
The spell you should start with is 'icestorm' which casts a cone of ice which freezes your enemies. It becomes stronger with your evocation level.
sorcery
You can cast spells related to the sorcery (identify, town portal and other meta-spells) school of wizardry. This skill may be acquired either through the use of an appropriate talisman or learned via a skill scroll.
Sorcery has many utility spells, like 'identify', 'town portal' (making portals between two points in the world) and also attack spells like 'spark shower' and 'steambolt'.
flame touch
You can make a "bare-handed attack". Damage is based on the user's strength and level. This is the default hand-to-hand fighting skill for the fireborn character class.
hiding
This skill lets you hide, that means that you will become invisible. To hide you need to find a place with other stuff on it where you can hide.
You enjoy limited form of invisibility. If you attack or move too much you become visible.
jeweler
You can identify amulets, rings and talismans. One can also improve magic rings or enchant non-magic rings to give them stat bonuses, this works similar to the alchemy skill, only that you need to put the ingredients in a jeweler's workbench.
For a more detailed documentation look in the jeweler skill documentation.
jumping
You can "skip" over one, two or three spaces in the selected direction. Distance depends on weight carried, strength and dexterity of the user. This skill may also be used as an attack.
karate
You can make a "bare-handed attack". Damage is based on the user's strength and level. This attack is the fastest and (at higher levels) most deadly of the hand-to-hand attacks available.
climbing
Having this skill allows you to move faster through hilly areas than players without this skill. Note: You can't gain experience in this skill. Having this skill is enough to move faster.
literacy
You can identify books and scrolls that you hold. Since scrolls are currently always identified, this is not the greatest of skills.
lockpicking
You may "pick locks" (open doors). You need to have readied some lockpicks to use this skill.
meditation
Player can regain mana/hp at an accelerated rate by use_skill meditation, the "praying" in skill_description skill. Player must first strip off encumbering armour however. This skill is only available to the "monk" character class.
one handed weapons
You can use one-handed hand-held weapons (e.g. shortsword, dagger, mace, etc). Wield and ready the weapon by applying it and use the fire and direction keys.
two handed weapons
You can use two-handed hand-held weapons (e.g. longsword, club, etc). Wield and ready the weapon by applying it and use the fire and direction keys.
missile weapons
The user is capabale of making attacks with ranged weapons (eg bow, crossbow). Fire arrows by applying a bow and using the fire and direction keys. To fire specific arrows to kill a monster that is weak against a certain arrow, mark this arrow and fire.
mountaineer
While the skill is readied, the possessor will move faster through "hilly" terrain (hills, mountains, etc.)
oratory
You may "recruit" followers targeting them with your oratory skill. Recruitees must be unaggressive to start (a good way to pacify monsters is the singing skill). Use of this skill may anger the audience. Also, some monsters are immune to recruitment. Success depends on user's level and her charisma vs. the recruitee's intelligence and level.
Kill experience from your followers goes directly to your oratory skill.
Cleaning women and unagggressive low-level monsters (such as the dogs in the wizards house in scorn) are good initial targets for this skill.
praying
The praying skill allows you to cast "cleric" spells. In addition, this skill may be used to accelerate the accumulation of grace points by praying (see How do I pray?. This skill may be either learned (e.g. using a "skill scroll") or acquired through the use of a holy symbol.
One of the best spells to start with is the 'holy word' spell and later, if you find it, the 'banishment' spell, which is much stronger.
punching
You can make a "bare-handed attack". Damage is based on the user's strength and level. This is the most feeble of the hand-to-hand attacks.
find traps
You can search (more effectively) for traps. This is not a "passive" skill, it must be applied in order to gain the advantage in discovering traps, or actively used when in vicinity of a trap. To use it, fire into any direction.
disarm traps
You can disarm previously discovered traps (for example, with the find traps skill).
sense curse
You can detect whether items that you hold are cursed by firing in any direction while this skill is readied.
sense magic
You can detect whether items that you hold are magic by firing in any direction while this skill is readied.
singing
You may pacify hostile monsters with this area attack skill. Certain kinds of monsters are immune. Success depends on user's level and her charisma vs. the monster's intelligence and level.
Singing is a good companion skill for the oratory skill: first you pacify creates using singing, then you can orate them, convincing them if your cause. It is a useful skill when monsters are overwhelming you, too.
smithery
You can identify arms and armour that you hold, and, with the help of a forge, can even create weapons using the alchemy skill.
stealing
You can take items from the inventory of NPCs, monsters and maybe other players.
thaumaturgy
You can identify rods, wands and horns that you are holding, and, with the help of a thaumaturgists workbench and the alchemy skill, create those things.
throwing
You can throw items at monsters. To do this, fire at a monster with this skill readied. You can chose what to throw by marking an item, if you do not chose an item, an item from your inventory is randomly picked and thrown unless the item is locked.
ERROR: Randomly?
use magic item
You can use magic items like rods/wands/horns. The level of experience influences how powerful the spells are you can evoke from the rod/wand/horn.
woodsman
While the skill is readied, the possessor will move faster through "wooded" terrain (forest, grasslands, brush, jungle, etc.)
inscription
You can inscribe scrolls with a text. This is useful to create messages, especially via the Imperial Post Office (IPO).
You can also rewrite spell scrolls with a previously known spell. You need mana, time and an old scroll. Backfire effects are possible. Only available as a 'writing pen'.
How to rewrite a mail scroll/books etc.:
mark <name of scroll> # or use the menu
use_skill inscription <your message goes here>How to rewrite a spell scroll:
mark <name of scroll> # or use the menu
cast <spell> # prepare the spell you want to write
use_skill inscription # write the spell on the scrollThe scroll on which you want to write has to be much lower than your inscription level, otherwise you may accidentally read the scroll and cast the spell inside it. If you succeed, the scroll will be a scroll of the spell you chose and your level of inscription as its level. Hence, you don't need to be that level in the spell skill to write higher level spellscrolls.
Caution: Magic spell writing can be risky to one's health. There can be some negative effects if one fails to write a spell scroll. The most benign is that one becomes confused for a short time. Other effects are more severe and can even be dangerous.
spark touch
You can do a "bare-handed attack" and shock the opponent with this skill readied. Attacking is done by running into the opponent. This is a unique skill that can only be used by sparklings.
shiver
You can do a "bare-handed attack" and send waves of frost to the opponent with this skill readied. Attacking is done by running into the opponent. This is a unique skill that can only be used by iceborns.
acid splash
You can do a "bare-handed attack" and splash the opponent with acid using this skill. Attacking is done by running into the opponent. This is a unique skill that can only be used by acidborns.
poison nail
TODO: Add goblins and think about the name goblin.
You can do a "bare-handed attack" and inject poison into the opponent with this skill readied. Attacking is done by running into the opponent. This is a unique skill that can only be used by goblins.
About experience and skills
Associated and miscellaneous skills
In Deliantra, two types of skills exist; The first kind, "associated" skills, are those skills which are associated with a category of experience. The other kind of skill, "miscellaneous" skills, are not related to any experience category.
The main difference between these two kinds of skills is in the result of their use. When associated skills are used successfully experience is accrued in the experience category associated with that skill. In contrast, the use of miscellaneous skills never gains the player any experience regardless of the success in using it.
Both miscellaneous and associated skills can fail. This means that the attempt to use the skill was unsuccessful. Both miscellaneous and associated skills can have certain primary stats associated with them. These associated stats can help to determine if the use of a skill is successful and to what degree it is successful.
All gained experience is modified by the associated stats for that skill (table skill statistics) and then the appropriate experience category automatically updated as needed.
Restrictions on skills use and gaining experience
Neither a character's stats nor the character class restricts the player from gaining experience in any of the experience categories. Also, there are no inherent restrictions on character skill use-any player may use any acquired skill.
Average of Experienced
Associated Gain
Stats Multiplier
1 0.01
2 0.1
3 0.3
4 0.5
5 0.6
6 0.7
7 0.8
8 0.85
9 0.9
10 0.95
11 0.96
12 0.97
13 0.98
14 0.99
15 1.0
16 1.01
17 1.02
18 1.03
19 1.04
20 1.05
21 1.07
22 1.09
23 1.12
24 1.15
25 1.2
26 1.3
27 1.4
28 1.5
29 1.7
30 2.0Algorithm for Experience Gain under the skills system
Here we take the view that a player must "overcome an opponent" in order to gain experience. Examples include foes killed in combat, finding/disarming a trap, stealing from some being, identifying an object, etc.
Gained experience is based primarily on the difference in levels between "opponents," experience point value of a "vanquished foe," the values of the associated stats of the skill being used and two factors that are set internally. (Note: If you want to know more about this, check out the skills_developers.doc.)
Below the algorithm for experience gain is given where player "pl" has "vanquished" opponent "op" using skill "sk:"
EXP GAIN = (EXP(op) + EXP(sk)) * lvl_mult * stat_multwhere EXP(sk) is a constant award based on the skill used, EXP(op) is the base experience award for "op" which depends on what op is (see below), stat_mult is taken from table experience modification, and lvl_mult is:
For level(pl)> < level(op):
lvl_mult = FACTOR(sk) * (level(op) - level(pl))For level(pl) = level(op):
lvl_mult = FACTOR(sk)For level(pl) > level(op):
lvl_mult = (level(op)/level(pl));where level(op) is the level of "op," level (pl) is the level of the player, and FACTOR(sk) is an internal factor based on the skill used by "pl."
There are three different cases for how EXP (op) can be computed:
- op is a living creature: EXP(op) is just the base experience award given in the spoiler.
- op is a trap: EXP(op) = 1/(fraction of the time which the trap is visible). Thus, traps which are highly visible get lower values.
- op is not a trap but is non-living: EXP(op) = internal experience award of the item. Also, the lvl_mult is multiplied by any magic enchantment on the item.
How skills are used
- skills This command lists all the player's current known skills, their level of use and the associated experience category of each skill.
- ready_skill skill This command changes the player's current readied skill to <skill>.
- use_skill skill string This command changes the player's current readied skill and then executes it in the facing direction of the player. Similar in action to the invoke command.
Three player commands are related to skills use: ready_skill, use_skill, and skills. Generally, a player will use a skill by first readying the right one, with the ready_skill command and then making a ranged "attack" to activate the skill; using most skills is just like firing a wand or a bow. In a few cases however, a skill is be used just by having it readied. For example, the mountaineer skill allows favorable movement though hilly terrain while it is readied.
To change to a new skill, a player can use either the use_skill or ready_skill commands, but note that the use of several common items can automatically change the player's current skill too. Examples of this include readying a bow (which will cause the code to make the player's current skill missile_weapons) or readying a melee weapon (current skill auto-matically becomes melee weapons). Also, some player actions can cause a change in the current skill. Running into a monster while you have a readied weapon in your inventory causes the code to automatically make our current skill melee weapons. As another example of this-casting a spell will cause the code to switch the current skill to wizardry or praying (as appropriate to the spell type).
It is not possible to use more than one skill at a time.
Acquiring skills
Skills may be gained in two ways. In the first, new skills may learned. This is done by reading a "skill scroll" and the process is very similar to learning a spell. Just as in attempts to learn incantations, success in learning skills is dependent on a random test based on the learner's INT. Using your INT stat, look in the learn% column in table primary stat effects to find your % chance of learning a skill. Once you hit 100%, you will always be successfull in learning new skills.
The acquisition of a skill tool will also allow the player to use a new skill. An example of a skill tool is "lockpicks" lockpicks (which allow the player to pick door locks). The player merely applies the skill tool in order to gain use of the new skill. If the tool is unapplied, the player loses the use of the skill associated with the tool.
After a new skill is gained (either learned or if player has an applied skill tool) it will appear on the player's skill roster (use the 'skills command to view its status). If the new skill is an associated skill, then it will automatically be gained at the player's current level in the appropriate experience category.
For example, Stilco the Wraith, who is 5th level in agility, buys a set of lockpicks and applies them. He may now use the skill lockpicking at 5th level of ability since that is an agility associated skill.
Authors
Parts of this document were originally compiled, edited, and written by Brian Thomas, Klaus Elsbernd, and John W. Klar. Additional information compiled by Maciej Kalisiak, Gorlin, Anton Oussik and Gene Alexander.
Adapted for use by deliantra, enhanced and corrected by Pippijn van Steenhoven and Marc A. Lehmann.