All of these Rules have been integrated into the Online Rulebook. 6/20/08
Roy S.
These changes will all be in effect beginning with the July 4th – 6th event. As usual, these changes have not yet been incorporated into the online rulebook; Roy will post advisories as this is completed.
Gypsy Death Curse – Revised as follows:
This skill allows a Gypsy to place a Greater Curse upon the person who caused her death. The Gypsy can curse the individual whose action directly caused her death, or can attempt to curse someone else who was responsible for it. To attempt to curse someone responsible for her death, the Gypsy must name the person to a Rules Marshal, who will then verify if the named person indeed had some active part in the Gypsy’s death. If the named person did not have an active role in the Gypsy’s death, according to the Rules Marshal’s judgment, then the curse is wasted and has no effect on anyone; if the named person was involved, then the curse is applied to her. The Gypsy must select a curse from the list of Lesser Curses, and the killer will be afflicted with it as a Greater Curse. The Greater Curse will remain in effect on the killer until the Gypsy releases it, or the Gypsy King releases it, or she dies and is resurrected. This skill bypasses all defenses except for the skill Resist Curse.
Impale – The skill Impale is removed from the game and replaced in all instances with the skill Cleave.
Dragoon profession list – The skills Intercept and Resilience are added to the Dragoon profession list at costs of 2 and 8 build, respectively; Resilience has a pre-requisite of 5th level. In addition, the skills Critical Attack and Armor Patch are reduced in cost to 2 build.
Armor Patch – The effect of this skill is increased to 20 AP.
Berserker profession list – The skill Resilience is reduced in cost to 8 build.
Cloak of the Green – Revised as follows:
With this skill, a character can become unseen in a woodland setting. The character must be inside a well wooded area and be crouching near a tree or other foliage to use this skill. As long as the character does not move or make noise other than breathing, she can only be seen by skills that can foil yellow headband concealments. You must wear a yellow headband to denote that your character is hidden.
Feint – Revised as follows:
With this skill, a character forces an opponent to expend a Parry, Deflect, or Dodge against a deceptive maneuver. This skill is comprised of two components, the Feint itself and an attack that is coupled with it. The coupled attack can be a non-surprise attack skill from a profession list, or can be a weapon attack for the character’s normal damage. To deliver a Feint, you must strike your opponent and call the skill, in addition to the attack that you are using with it. The opponent must use a Parry, Deflect, or Dodge, if she has one, in response to the Feint. If the opponent has a defense that can stop the coupled attack after the Feint has been resolved, then she can use it to block the attack; otherwise the attack succeeds. This skill is hand and weapon specific.
New policies – Three new policies have been enacted:
Rules Misuse, General – Any misuse of the rules that is judged by a Rules Marshal to be egregious or beyond repair - for example, using a spell to do something outside the rule given for it, and without express permission to do so - can be punished with a Rules Violation..
Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Excessively arguing with a Rules Marshal, failing to cooperate with Knight Realms staff, hurling epithets at other players (OOG), and other forms of personally abusive conduct that breach the spirit of sportsmanship at the game can be punished with a Rules Violation.
Falsely Representing Authority – Claiming to hold a position of authority at Knight Realms that you do not possess will be punished with a Rules Violation, which will begin at a 9 build deduction and follow the normal progression thereafter. In addition, if the claim is accompanied by an attempt to induce other players to follow your command or ruling, you will be suspended from the game for a minimum of three months.
To be clear about “Falsely Representing Authority”, we’re not going to slap that on someone who hazards a guess at how long Encase with Ice lasts. While you should defer to a Rules Marshal on such a matter, this new policy is only intended for people who try to assert that they have an authority to do or say things that they do not. This policy is intended to protect everyone from someone who would be willing to lie about his/her position with the game in order to coerce or browbeat other players with respect to the game’s rules and policies.
Spheres and Domains – The pre-requisites for buying additional magic spell spheres, druid spell domains, or prayer domains, are 3rd level for the first additional, 5th level for the second additional, and 7th level for the third additional and beyond (if applicable).
Climb – Revised as follows:
This skill allows a character to climb a tree, wall, or similar vertical surface to a maximum height of twenty feet, instantaneously, and return safely to the position that she began the climb. To use this skill, you must touch whatever it is your character is climbing and then stand at the base of it with one hand in contact with it; if you lose contact at any time, you immediately fall to the ground, suffering falling damage appropriate to the distance. You are free to use your available arm to perform whatever actions you are able, other than to deliver an attack of any kind. A character can remain in the climbed position indefinitely. It is possible to depart the vertical surface for a horizontal surface that is within five feet of the character’s position, but doing so ends the use of the skill and the character will have to find another means of safely returning to ground level. You cannot carry another person while using this skill. This skill can also be used to climb down a surface from a higher ground level, with all the conditions of this skill applying in a logical manner to the reversed circumstances.
Bard profession list – The skill Pick Pockets is reduced in cost to 2 build.
Wild Mage profession – A character with the Wild Mage profession cannot learn the Mage or Bard professions, nor the Arcane or Bardic Academic Traditions on the Scholar profession list. In addition, Wild Mages are unable to utilize arcane magic scrolls.
PC Retirement Build – The percentage of build that you receive to spend on a new character is now scaled based on the number of resurrections that the departing character has taken:
0-1 Resurrections – 30%
2-3 Resurrections – 25%
4 Resurrections – 20%
If a character dies her final death, the player will still receive 10% of the build to spend on a new character.
PC Retirement Wealth – You can now carry a portion of a retiring (or dead) character’s wealth over to a new character. The formula has two parts – establishing the eligible amount and determining the percentage accordingly. To establish the eligible amount, the PCs bank value will be multiplied by 1.1 (giving it a 10% bonus), and will be added to any coin that you turn in plus the coin value of any items that you turn in. That subtotal will then be multiplied by a percentage as follows:
<= 100gp – 5%
<= 500gp – 10%
<= 750gp – 15%
> 750gp – 20%
The total amount of retirement wealth you receive will then be available for you to spend on normal equipment and items at character creation. In addition, a character whose retirement wealth is greater than 100gp will be allowed to purchase one magic item, to be designed using the rituals and costs provided by the Sorcery higher list. The remainder of unspent retirement wealth will be placed into the new character’s bank or, at the ability of logistics to practically accommodate you, given as coin.
Acrobat profession list – The skill Staff is no longer a pre-requisite for the skill Trip.
Tumbling – Increased in cost to 4 build and revised as follows:
(Continuous)
With this skill, a character can immediately stand up after being struck by a knockdown effect that would normally require her to remain on the ground for five seconds, unless that effect leaves her otherwise incapacitated.
Flee – Revised as follows:
This skill allows a character to flee from a threatening situation. To use this skill, put your hands on top of your head and call a hold and “Flee”. You can take twenty strides in any single direction that takes you away from the threat.
Master Teach – If you have the skill Teach when you learn your character’s promotional skill, you receive the skill Master Teach automatically and at no build cost.
Create Scroll/Psalm/Canticle/Ballad – The pre-requisites for learning the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rank Create Scroll/Psalm/Canticle/Ballad skills are 3rd, 5th, and 7th level, respectively.
Ronin profession list – The skills Wakisashi, Katana, Nodachi, Naginata, and Yumi are renamed One Handed Edged/Blunt, Bastard Edged/Blunt, Two Handed Edged/Blunt, Polearm, and Bow, respectively. The skill Florentine is added to the list at a cost of 3 build.
Buccaneer profession list – The skills Parry, Climb, and Florentine are reduced in cost to 5, 3, and 3 build, respectively.
Nail – revised as follows:
This skill allows a character to pin an opponent’s arm to a wall or other substantial object, or her foot to the floor or ground for a duration of five minutes. You must strike the opponent with an edged thrown weapon, arrow, or bolt, and the opponent must be within five feet of a wall, tree trunk, or similar object if you want to pin an arm. The opponent’s arm or foot becomes fixed in place. The opponent can choose to free herself before the duration has expired with Strength +2 or greater, but suffers five points of Direct Body damage as a result.
Positive Energy Concentration and Negative Energy Fortitude – the durations of both of these skills are increased to ten minutes.
Priest profession list - the skill Courage is removed from the list; it is no longer a pre-requisite for the skill Instill Confidence.
Druid and Healer profession lists – the skills Rank III Herbal Recipe and Rank IV Herbal Recipe are removed from the lists.
Psalm verbals – the verbals written and spoken for a psalm should always be the verbals appropriate to the god who is used as the source for it.
Matt White
I will rue the day this ruling came to be. 
