DM quests and soulstones

[Wintersheart]

Soulstones
First of all let me explain this thread is NOT aimed at any one player or incident rather a more general trend among us players.

This topic has been raised before, but since most players I have raised on quests did not carry soulstones, I am raising it again.

What are soulstones?
For those who doesn’t know, a soulstone is a small gem you buy in a temple for about 200 gold pieces that saves the cleric raising you a lot of exp. It should be common courtesy that if you are with a cleric and expect to be raised you carry a soulstone.

How do you use them?
After you have purchased the soulstone it must be imprinted. Right click on the soulstone, choose “use” and aim at yourself. The soulstone will now change to imprinted. If you carry more than one, only imprint one since someone else in the group may die and need a replacement.

Quests
When we are doing quests, respawns are often not practical making friendly DM intervention or a raise by a cleric necessary if YOU as a player are to stay in the quest. Hence most clerics I have meet will raise a fallen comrade. If you don’t carry a soulstone, then the cleric raising you risk paying a dear price to keep you in the quest. In other words somebody else is taking a hit so you can continue to have fun. For most good clerics not raising a fallen friend will be out of character, for clerics as Rolf (the one I play) extremely out of character. I know excuses can be made up for many reasons, but lets face it they will be excuses and not much more (with a few exceptions). So as a cleric you face the dilemma of paying the price for somebody else’s lack of courtesy (and planning) or going out of character.

Rolf

For reference
This thread contains much anguish from clerics, but the details have changed since then. I would like to point to Steve Rimmers comment on Buppi.
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=6124&start=26&posts=34

The death system including soulstones
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=10816

[Destropterammer]

I agree Wintersheart. It isnt very polite to go on a quest without a soulstone, if you can afford one that is. Yet i also think there could be IC reasons for not having a soulstone. If people dont have a soulstone, dont raise them. If you have some IC reason for not wanting to leave peoeple behind etc. Well then thats a choice you make, and a price you pay as a cleric. But no one will hold it against you if you choose not to raise a person without a soulstone.

[Wintersheart]

I agree that it is my choice to raise and I stand by it.

I agree that there could be IC reasons for not carrying a soulstone, though I doubt it goes for three out of four players.

But 200 gold pieces - well even a low level character can make that in Hlint crypts in a very short time.


       

EDIT: all I am saying is that if you go on a quest, bring a soulstone or two. It should be common courtesy.

[steverimmer]

I have heard a lot of new players say that they don't know what a soulstone is, and to be honest if you were totally new to the game, you'd probably be overwhelmed by the wealth of information on the boards and in the handbook, so it is not suprising that some new players don't realise they even exist.

...So I was wondering if perhaps when a new character was created they could be spawned with a book.  Called something like 'Important things to know' or at least a title that would want to make the new player, of whatever age want to read it.  I don't see it as having much in it just some things like soulstones, references to pages in the handbook and suchlike.  Basically whatever we think its important for a brand new player to understand.

*grins* I mean when I first joined for instance, my character Buppi was level 9 before I realised you could rest in inn's and that they were 'safe areas'  

Its basic stuff like that really

[EdTheKet]

For all questions about death, soulstones, deathtokens etcetera, please refer to:
  "The Layonara Death System Explained" :
  http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=10816&posts=2

[aragwen]

I agree with Rolf.

Maybe a suggestion is that clerics should ask before going on a quest if everyone has a soulstone. It will give the opportunity to RP the fact that someone does not want to carry a soulstone and then the cleric knows where he stand right there and then.

Aragwen

[Wintersheart]

Good idea Steve and it could be expanded so current players could also buy the book in general stores.

Aragwen, if i remember correctly you and I are always asking before quests if people carry soulstones. The hunt for Lasher was a good example of how it could work. People that didnt know what a soulstone was got it explained and as far as I know everyone carried one or more with them on the quest.

       
Rolf

Edit: spelling

[Destropterammer]

//ok i'll crawl back into my litle hole then...is it really only 200 gold pieces now?
I had a small break from layo and since i've been back i have'nt been buying any soulstones. Used to be 2000. Thought it was an error from your side heh..my bad

[Sakura]

Destropterammer - 6/18/2005  3:57 AM

//ok i'll crawl back into my litle hole then...is it really only 200 gold pieces now?
I had a small break from layo and since i've been back i have'nt been buying any soulstones. Used to be 2000. Thought it was an error from your side heh..my bad

At one point it was as high as 2,500 coin, but the temples have been kind enough to lower their prices so that everyone can get a soulstone. I keep atleast two active stones on me at one point I had up to 5 because of where I was going at the time, risk was very high and I value my friends life as much as my own.

Willow Cloverleaf

//very nice explination of the Soulstone

[Ar7]

Maybe each character could be given 1 soulstone upon his creation. I mean it isn't a big deal to give this gem once to a new player. That will teach everybody from day one, what a soulstone is and why do you need it. I believe that everybody goes through the inventory as soon as he logs in for the first time and reads the descriptions of unknown items. So as soon as a person logs in the soulstone catches his eye and he knows for the rest of his Layonara life, that you need this gem on you all the time.

[FlameStrike]

That's a nice idea, Ar7, though the soulstone would have to be activated right away without XP loss, or either the player would have to wait until he had the available xp or granting him 100 XP for soul stone activation would work, i suppose.

[Dorganath]

Now that soul stones are so cheap, I generally carry 2 spares at all times. I do it as a courtesy to the clerics in the party, quest or not, because they're the ones who sacrifice part of themselves to bring us back.  I always felt bad when they were much more expensive and I didn't have one on me.  They're cheap now, so there's little excuse, except for not knowing they exist or what they're for.

I know everyone will RP the whole soul stone issue, but as a player, I've always thought that the best RP surrounding the lack of a soul stone comes from the clerics acting weakened after raising someone.   In my opinion alone, I think clerics of certain dieties wouldn't ever ask, they'd just RP it after the fact.  Clerics of other dieties might make an issues of it....like "If I'm going to sacrifice part of myself for your friend here, what are you going to do for me?"...which I saw one time, and it was totally in-character.

Just my two coppers worth....

[FraterAudcal]

Yeah, I really didn't know about the soulstones til about my 4th week of play, and I haven't even imprinted mine. So yeah, sorry Rolf :/ , you raised me, and mine wasn't imprinted.

[LoganGrimnar]

hee, i hade like four for a long time and i wasent awar that they needed to be imprented lol.

[cptoad]

heh  yeah soul stones are nice, i remember losing tons of xp one time a party died.. playing a cleric is fun and i have never refused anyone needing raise, soul stone or not. with the current death system the losses are a lot less than they were,  so as a cleric i am thankful

G

[dadunmir]

Something I've done recently as a result of being a higher lvl character and having some gold to toss around is to carry a bunch of unengraved stones with me.  If I don't know their deity chances are very good Yashilla would raise the individual.  If they dont have a stone when I raise them...I give them one (er...well I try and request that they pay for them).  This also provides a nice RP opportunity, particularly with all the new folks.  

Wintersheart - 6/18/2005  5:24 AM

I agree that it is my choice to raise and I stand by it.

I agree that there could be IC reasons for not carrying a soulstone, though I doubt it goes for three out of four players.

But 200 gold pieces - well even a low level character can make that in Hlint crypts in a very short time.




       

EDIT: all I am saying is that if you go on a quest, bring a soulstone or two. It should be common courtesy.

i agree about carrying a soulstone.  i didn't know much about it, and only one cleric has raised/ressed me.  that was where i learned about it.  at the time, my entire fortune consisted of about 600 gold (now it's more like 1000) so, 200 would have been quite a hit, however, on a quest (which i have never been on one in it's entirety) there are MANY XPs to be made and lots of gold to be had, and a common courtesy WOULD be to carry one, JUST in case.  my only hope (since i don't have one) is that they have 0-.1 weight.  my probllem is that, as a mage, even with a weight reduction glove and bags, that all the REQUIRED crap i have to carry around, i already start with more than 2/3 of my weight quota, before i even consider additions.... still.. it is NOT an unreasonable request on the part of the clerics.  the potential gain FAR outweighs (pardon the pun) the cost of a few stones.

[Locust]

My main character doesn't carry a soulstone because he usually has only 50 - 100 gp on him. He doesn't collect from the dead (or through NPC quests) when in a party and basically I go OOC when I'm alone and take some money to buy food, a light healing portion for when on quests or to save some money for the boat tickets because that is the only way we can earn some money.

I was forced a bid into this situation becuase of the little time I can play and when I play I like to have fun RP'ing instead of having to worry about earning money and items IG. It was my choice to play a poor man . Therefore I fully accept it when I'm not raised and I can understand that this may force others to take some tough decissions.

[Pankoki]

Heh.. soulstones.
  I think these can be a great RP tool honestly, Tribs has about 8 of them, the last time she died was.. well I don't remember but I mean, something to encourage the precious Priests around her... BRING IT ON I WANT MORE!!
  And yeah carry these please.. its annoying if you are a cleric and dont. And well... some just wont raise people without one. Most importantly though, understand it is the clerics CHOICE, not responsibility.

[RomonaBlack]

I think that everyone should have to get a soulstone or the cleric won't raise them.  It's not too expensive if you save for it and it's worth it.  I wouldn't want to give away a tone of XP when I can only give away a little.
-Romona