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The Minute Races

Dwarves

Gnomes

Halflings

The first grouping of Arcanum's intelligent peoples are the three which I have come to call the Minute Races, these being the Dwarves and their cousins, the Halflings and Gnomes. The Minute Races are easily recognized by their stature, which never admits of a height greater than some 50 inches or 130 centimeters, even in the largest representatives of their race. They are also recognizable by the proportions of the body, which are somewhat different than those exhibited by humans and their kin. Minute peoples tend to have heads which are larger in proportion to the torso and limbs than one would see in a human subject. The limbs, especially the legs, are also shorter and thicker.

The Median Races

Orcs

Half-Orcs

Elves

Humans

Half-Elves

It is in the classification of the Median races - Orcs, Elves, Humans and hybrids thereof - that my theories on Natural and Supernatural Selection always meet with the most resistance. I have no illusions in this matter; the religious beliefs of many are at stake, as well as a host of assumptions which are regarded as unassailable truths by the vast majority of our civilization. Nonetheless, I am a man of Science, as are my fellows in the fields of Natural and Supernatural History, and I must make my judgments based on evidence, not wishful thinking.

It is therefore my painful duty to state that all the median races, including the orcs and elves, are descended directly from human beings, by a process of Supernatural Selection. The evidence which has accumulated in recent years, through the science of Paleontology and the art of Forensic Alchemy, leaves this matter in no longer in any doubt.

Such a statement, simple as it is, sets all former systems of classification on their collective ear, and also directly contradicts the teachings of countless religions. Those who have been pleased to associate various races with mystical "Elements" will not be glad to know that their theories are not supported by the fossil record we have available. And even those learned readers who are able to tolerate speculation on the origins of humankind will often balk when we turn the same scrutiny on Orcs and Elves. The premise most difficult to accept is this: two organisms cannot create offspring together unless they are closely related. Although every naturalist and farmer knows it, we are reluctant to accept the same premise when it is applied to ourselves! It is nearly impossible to make the average Elf, Orc or Human accept the truth: the very fact that Half-Elves and Half-Orcs exist at all must mean that we are cousins to one another. Further more, the fact that both half-elves and Half-Orcs are fertile, viable hybrids, rather than sterile sports, means that the relationship between the parent species is very close indeed!

The Gigantic Races

Ogres

Ogre Hybrids

Ogres are the last survivors of a very ancient and potent magickal working, which has only lately begun to wane, after having been initiated nearly one million years ago. Roughly 900,000 before the present day, the fossil record shows us a wild outburst of magickal activity, an unprecedented surge of sorcery which affected life on Arcanum for millennia after. What caused this sudden cataclysmic storm of Supernatural Selection, we may never know for certain; all that we can say now is that the magickal agencies at work at that time were enormously strong, far more powerful than the forces which any modern-day mage can command. A great many organisms were created then which survive to this day, albeit in small numbers.

In this distant Epoch of Enchantment we find the origins of many legendary species, including the kraken, hydra and sea serpent; Wyrms, dragons and drakes were brought forth at roughly the same time. Many pre-existing species were substantially altered, as in the case of the unicorn and the firebird; others were merged into chimeric organisms like the centaur and manticore, for reasons unknown. Humans, which pre-date this Epoch by some two hundred thousand years, were not left untouched by the general pandemonium; although the majority of our forebears went on unchanged, some of them were vastly transformed by magick. When the fantastic whirlwind of Supernatural Selection died down some four thousand years later, two new species had emerged, and thereafter co-existed with ordinary humanity: these being the elves and the giants.

True giants are no longer among us. We know that they existed; we can still see the cyclopean stones which they arranged in the Dark Fens, if we care to travel there, and visitors still come yearly to the Giant's Dance of Morbihan to see the pillars they erected to mark the dawning of the Midsummer sun. We have also found their fossilized remains, and one or two impressive skeletons have been assembled at Tarant's Museum of Natural History. But the giants of Arcanum left behind more than their bones; they still walk among us, in the form of their living descendents, the Ogres and Half-Ogres.

Character

Character development in Arcanum happens in many ways. There is, of course, the racial aspect of a character, which will affect him every time he speaks to anyone in the game. Different races react to other races with varying degrees of humor or disdain. Then there are the players choices in his statistics. If a player is charismatic, he gets more followers; if she is beautiful, people's reactions to her are always better. And then there are choices in skills - concentrate points in your thieving skills, and you'll be better in that area, while someone who wants to be a diplomat should spend more in the social set. Finally, a player must choose which side of the magic/technology line he is going to reside on. Any points spent in the technological disciplines not only makes you more knowledgeable in that area, but also raises your technological aptitude, which in turn makes it more difficult for you to cast spells. The same applies for studying the colleges of magick.

And, of course, the choices you make while playing our game will be the most tangible way to develop your character. Kill a few too many people in Tarant, and you gain a bad reputation in that city. Remove a band of bothersome thieves and become the town hero. Your followers will react to the kind of person you are, and the choices you make. There's not an aspect of this game that doesn't affect how a player views himself, or how the game environment views him.

Choosing A Race

A character can start as a human or as one of the non-human races. Selecting different races will have an effect on the character's stats and abilities.

	Dwarf -These are short, stocky, bearded people who tend to be miners and builders. Dwarves dislike elves but are respectful to humans and gnomes.
	Elf -Elves are slender and pale and prefer to live near forests and rivers, although dark elves live underground (but not by choice). Elves can be rather arrogant to all races, but they especially disdain dwarves.
	Half-Elf -In build and appearance, they resemble their human parents more, but some half-elves possess the pointed ears and pale, delicate features associated with their elvish parents. Half-elves are generally well-liked by everyone.
	Gnome -Short with very big noses, Gnomes tend to be a hard-working people. They are equally at home in cities, underground or in the forest. They make good merchants and traders and often act as go-betweens for the other races.
	Halfling -Halflings are short people, smaller even than gnomes and dwarves, although they tend to be overweight. They live in isolated communities in large underhill homes and try to stay out of the politics of the bigger folk. They are regarded as lazy by the other races, but despite this reputation, they are generally well liked.
	Half-Orc -Most half-orcs can pass as full humans (albeit ugly ones), but they usually have some trait that identifies their orcish blood (upturned nose, hairiness, foul temper) to the careful observer. People usually discriminate against them when they discover their race.
	Half-Ogre -Half-ogres are very tall and heavy and therefore cannot wear most armor, and their hands are too big to wield guns. While most other races feel a little uneasy around these huge creatures, there usually is not any open discrimination.

Character Creation System

You begin the game with either a pregenerated character (one of several different characters that come with the game), or you can create your own character. You can modify your character by selecting a different gender and race, if desired, and then can optionally select a variety of backgrounds based on the race of your choice.

Some sample backgrounds include being raised by snake handlers, which increases your starting poison resistance but decreases your beauty due to the large number of bite scars on your arms and legs. Another example would be an orphan halfling who was abandoned in the city as a child and never received an education, so your starting pick-pocket skills would be high but your intelligence would suffer accordingly.

Race and background both alter the starting levels of the character's stats and other abilities. You can adjust the starting values of your character's stats as long as the character point total remains unchanged. When finished with adjusting your character's stats, you can purchase starting equipment.

Basic Stats

A character has 4 physical and 4 mental stats, each covering the areas of power, skill, resistance and appearance. In terms of both physical and mental realms, Power represents raw strength, Skill represents default ability, Resistance represents the amount of invulnerability to damage, and Appearance represents how you appear both physically and mentally to others. The 8 stats are:

	Strength - The raw, physical muscle power of the character, Strength determines how much damage the character can inflict and how much he can take. Some weapons have a minimum strength requirement to operate them effectively.
	Dexterity - The overall body coordination of the character, Dexterity affects the character's default ability in more skills than any other stat.
	Constitution - The endurance limit of the character's body, this stat determines the character's fatigue and resistance to poison.
	Beauty - The physical appearance of the character, this stat affects the initial reaction of people to the character and also affects the character's ability to seduce them.
	Intelligence - The mental power of the character, Intelligence affects several skills as well as being the limiting factor in the character's learning of spells and technological skills.
	Perception - The ability for the character to notice his surroundings, Perception also affects the character's ability to use ranged weapons effectively.
	Willpower - The ability to resist mental influences, this stat affect the character's ability to haggle and his resistance to certain spells and skills. Willpower also contributes to the character's hit points and fatigue, by allowing him to ignore some of the damage taken.
	Charisma - The sum of the personality and charm of the character, Charisma affects the character's ability to persuade others and change their initial reaction to him.

	From Strength - The character derives the following stats: Hit Points, Carry Weight, Damage Bonus, and Throwing Range.
	From Dexterity - The character derives their Speed and their Armor Class Adjustment.
	Constitution - Is used to derive Fatigue, your Heal Rate, Poison Resistance and Poison Recovery Rate.
	From Beauty - Comes a Reaction Modifier, impacting how other people react upon your first meeting.
	Charisma - Tells you the Maximum Followers you can have in a game at any given time.

	Damage - This is a general resistance to damage caused by weapons and physical attacks.
	Fire - This is resistance to damage by fire and spells that produce fire.
	Electrical - This is resistance to damage by electricity and lightning from spells or technological devices.
	Poison - This is resistance to damage caused by any kind of poisoning, whether natural, man-made, or supernatural.
	Magic - This is resistance to magic, similar to that provided by Technological Aptitude. However, unlike Technological Aptitude, magic resistance does not affect the your use of items or spells - it only impacts on how these magickal items are used against you.

 

	Level - Level advances reward you with character points to spend on skills, stats, and spells. The maximum level in the game is 50.
	Experience Points - You begin the game with 0 experience points, and you gain experience as you defeat enemy monsters and solve quests.
	Alignment - You begin with a neutral alignment, and your actions will eventually lean towards a Good or Evil alignment. Alignment affects how some people react to your character and may also restrict you from using some spells or magical items.
	Reputations - Each character may acquire a reputation during the game based on his actions. Reputations and alignment are related, as both can affect a person's reaction to the character, but while alignment tends to shift continuously, reputations tend to stick, so think carefully before you decide to rescue a baby from a burning building or push an old man beneath a speeding carriage.
	Fate Points - Characters begin with zero fate points and may acquire them through the completion of heroic deeds.
	Character Points - These are acquired at each new level and can be spent to raise stats and skills and to acquire new spells.
	Poison Level - You start with a zero poison level, but this can change if you are bitten by poisonous creatures or struck by envenomed weapons.
	Age - Every character starts at age 20 and will gain a year after each game year.
	Gender - You can start as male or female, and this selection will most likely not change during the game. Gender choice affects some dialog options and quests solutions and very little else. Not every playable race within Arcanum has two playable genders, however (no female dwarves with the game this time.)

Basic Skills

	Combat Skills - Include Bow, Dodge, Melee, and Throwing. Firearms also affects combat, even though it is considered a technological skill. More information on combat skills can be found in the Combat section.
	Thieving Skills - Include Concealment, Pick Pocket, Silent Move, and Spot Trap.
	Social Skills - Involve Gambling, Haggling, Heal, and Persuasion.
	Technological Skills - Include Firearms, Pick Lock, Arm/Disarm Traps, Repair.

Skills And Training

Characters can seek training in any skill (basic or technological) to improve their performance. All skills begin as Untrained and remain Untrained no matter how high the skill rank becomes. Characters must seek and pay for training to acquire bonuses that are unique to each skill. Aside from achieving a specific rank, a trainer may also require characters to complete certain quests or be of a certain alignment before they consent to the training. As you rise in skill rank from Beginner to Expert to Master, you'll acquire certain skills along the way. For example, an expert in Bow skills can fire two arrows at once, while a gambling master can convince other characters to gamble away items they would not normally sell. Note that all training is required to be sequential, so a person Untrained in Bow cannot become an Expert until he is first trained as a Beginner.

Real-Time vs. Turn-Based

There seem to be two irreconcilable camps of RPG players. The real-time players like the fast-paced action, while the turn-based players like the strategy and the separation of the player's skill from the character's. Even on our own team, we have people who will probably only play in one mode. So we decided to make the game playable both ways.

Basically, your Dexterity stat determines your Speed derived stat. In real-time play, the Speed stat determines how fast your character can perform actions. The higher the stat, the faster you can do things (we literally adjust the frame rate on your animation). In turn-based play, the Speed stat determines how many action points you have to spend in one turn, and every action costs a predetermined number of points.

Other factors can affect character speed in both modes. For example, weapons have speed factors, making a sword faster than an axe, for instance. The nice thing about this system is it is consistent, so fast characters are faster in either mode than slow characters. And the player can switch modes during play, so you can experiment with which mode you like best.

The hardest part of having two combat modes is balancing two combat systems, both of which rely on the same underlying stats. By basing both systems on character Speed, I think we have avoided a lot of issues that might have arisen.

 

	Health - This is your character's life-force. When Health reaches zero, the player is dead.
	Fatigue - This is the stamina of you character which affects combat, running, and spellcasting. Spells are powered by the caster's own energy. Each spell drains the caster's fatigue, and when that fatigue reaches zero, the caster will fall unconscious. Fatigue is recovered fairly quickly, but it can be drained by other means as well, like running, fighting, or even walking while heavily encumbered. A caster will have to watch his fatigue at all times.
	Combat Skills - There are 5 combat specific skills: Bow, Dodge, Melee, Throwing, and Firearms.
	The Bow skill determines how well your character uses a Bow weapon and is further affected by the character's Dexterity. (An excellent archer would pump points into both Bow and Dex)
	Dodge determines your character's ability to dodge attacks or sprung trap effects and is also affected by Dexterity.
	Raising your points in the Throwing skill enhances your PC's ability to throw an object with accuracy and is affected by Strength as well.
	Melee enhances your character's skill with close combat weaponry (daggers, swords, staves, etc.) and is further affected by Dexterity.
	And lastly, Firearms, which controls how proficient your character is with a gun, is affected by the character's Perception.
	Magick/Tech Balance - The balance of magic and technology can also effect combat either positively or negatively, depending upon your alignment towards one path or the other, and the strength of your opponent's alignment. Several of the variables that are taken into account are:
	Your magic/tech level.
	Your weapon's magic/tech level.
	A location's inherent magic/tech level.
	Your opponents magic/tech level.
	Critical Hits - Critical hits and critical failures add to the complexity of combat. Critical hits can bypass a target's Dodge skill or armor resistances, do maximum damage or bonus damage, or stun or knock out an opponent. Critical failures can hurt the attacker or his weapon. Critical hits (or misses) occur with a chance proportional to the amount of success (or failure) of the roll.
	Fate Points - A player can use fate points to affect fate in the game, by either changing an existing condition or guaranteeing an event to occur. Examples of using fate points are:
	Next player attack will be a critical hit.
	Next opponent attack on player will be a critical miss.
	Player fully heals all damage.
	Player is no longer poisoned.
	Player is no longer fatigued.
	Player will make his next saving throw against magic.
	Player will make his next skill roll.
	Player's next spell is cast at full effect (full damage, no saving throw, etc.)

Fate points are awarded in the game for only the most dangerous of deeds, such as killing a huge monster or assassinating a town's mayor. Thus, a player may get the same experience for killing 50 orcs as for killing the monster, but he will not get any fate points for the former act. This encourages you to be a "hero" or "villain" in the game, since dramatic actions tend to get rewarded.