Risk vs Reward

[appleseedy]

i keep hearing about resources and why didn't you use them! and even threads called why players die :P. Doh of course you died noob.  Perhaps time for a guide explaining how to get these resources?

Idealy you "grind" some coin and wait for/make sendings for a pc brewer/crafter of some description and then buy everything they can make. (not always feasible) Questions like should i save for full plate before blowing everything on consumables so i don't need as many supplies on the scripted grind? For new players it is difficult to even acquire the supplies needed to survive scripted quests.

Any pro tips?

[Random_White_Guy]

Though it is sometimes frowned upon, don't be afraid to ask for supplies! Sometimes folks are charitable in a tense situation.

Equally you can always try to find yourself a "Patron". PC factions and DM factions alike are always looking for individuals to help push plots and matters. Offering your PC to be their henchman or a partner in crime or simply a contracted aide is a good way to get yourself some supplies.

And it gets you thrust into the action of EFU! :D

[WriterX]

Some Classes/Perks also have better "Sustain", which on other words means they do not rely on supplies just as much due to their benefits.

For example, a self-buffing Life Stealer might not need any enhancing potions or even healing potions because he can self-bull and Vampiric Regen on his weapon will allow him to heal himself in battle.

The Cursed Barb can also slowly heal himself, the Gore Reaver as well.

Bards and Clerics can also heal themselves and others, and they can sacrifice prepared spells for healing or wounding spells.

A good sustain means that you are slightly better off at saving a bit of money for yourself, since you do not have to use up your funds on them in the first place. If you are familiar with some quests you may even be able to "Maximize" your efficiency by using just the supplies you need.

Having a Wage or being part of a faction or group really does help.

[Pigadig]

Dying is painful, annoying and often frustrating.

It is also one of the better ways of getting supplies since the low level quests tend to be very rewarding of supplies and gold.

Possibly the biggest and best ways to get supplies however is to have a good questing group that covers all your bases. That way your supply useage while questing is minimal, while your gains are maximised. This is a fairly rare occurance if you're just a random group unfortunately.

[appleseedy]

yes i imagine a wage helps...

I could easily make a cleric with as much as 41ac by lvl 8, mechanics is not really the point.

Dying to redo low lvl quests is certainly an option to get rich, i mean yeah i could spam all the solo quests and then get crushed by a tram and respawn wait for reset and do them all again and again and again.

Asking supplies is a great option, thanks. If i'm expected to be the tank i'm going to be expecting to be supplied.

I could always mug people for their supplies too.

[Kinslayer988]

Woah you are going at this from a very mechanical stand point.

Do what your character would do to get supplies. If your character is a mercenary, get mercenary work. If you are a cleric, preach your head off and see how much people donate to you.

If you play your character to the fullest then supplies will come your way.

You can do many things without supplies, save for PVE/PVP or beat the red things as I call it.

[PanamaLane]

People have given some good advice in this thread. I would add that there is one quest in particular designed to give you basic healing. That healing can be turned into more supply a number of ways either by questing with it, or bartering it, or demanding payment for heals pretty much anything you can think of. Do what your character would do.

In terms of mechanics, sure some classes and builds are less supply reliant then others in terms of typical questing. However, if you want to engage in PvP and survive DM spice and the like, you need to figure out what supply to prioritize. Sure its better to have stacks of every potion out there, but sometimes you will only be able to afford a single potion. Choose the supply which helps your build the most.

[Kinslayer988]

owever, if you want to engage in PvP and survive DM spice and the like, you need to figure out what supply to prioritize. Sure its better to have stacks of every potion out there, but sometimes you will only be able to afford a single potion. Choose the supply which helps your build the most.

A wonderful nugget.

[Apocryphal Misconceptions]

Remember, most items are worth gold to someone. So if no one needs them and when it fits your character,  you could pick up those boots +2 MS.

An easy 50-200 gold in most cases.

You could always try begging if all else fails. *wink*

[CaptLars]

As I have grown through the EFU chapters I've noticed supplies differ chapter to chapter. For instance I remember being able to chain chug CLW in EFU A to heal up after a fight. Let's just say that would never happen now. I had problems early on with this same issue in early EFUR. The ways I have found to mitigate the supply issue are as follows.

1. Take heal skill! It doesn't matter if you have wisdom or not. Always take heal, herbs are by far the cheapest way to heal yourself. I haven't played anything with more than 12 wisdom in this chapter but through healing gear I always get at least 13-15 heal skill by level 6. On your secondary (shiftR) hot bar set up the items with heal skill and after each fight throw it on heal yourself and put your normal stuff back on after. Can't stress enough how important heal is.

2. Don't heal in a fight unless you have to. Always wait until after the fight is over and then use the lowest cost healing to heal up after. For instance, you finish killing a group of goblins and you have lost 17 hp. You don't have any herbs cause you ran out. However uou have that minor healing wand you stuffed in your bag so break it out. Don't use your pure crystal for something like that.

3. Unless you have a shield in your hand and full plate (or your one of those build wizards who can tank with their black magic builds) you shouldn't be getting hit to much. Examine why your taking damage. For instance maybe your running straight up to a troglodyte after our hero the paladin has got his attention and getting swatted with an AOO. Don't run up to a monster, don't shoot arrows in someone's face (if your trying to kill something that shoots arrows get in his face).

4. Don't be afraid to use those supplies. Better to waste a blur or haste potion than to get critted and die by bobo. Don't get so attached to having that stone skin or displacement that you will die to keep it.

5. It's the apocalypse. You need to scrimp and save to stay alive. You need to be smart. So does your character. Don't do stupid stuff, example. Yesterday I went out and did a quest with a group of adventurers, on the way back my barks skin had worn off, I had a wand of shield in my bag, and I saw a group of greater chosen. The group paused and guess what I did, ran up in there, didn't drink another barkskin, didn't use a charge of shield wand. Didn't wait for the other guy with the shield to get up there with me. Guess what it cost me? 7 CSW a haste and a blur potion.

Think like your character would, he/she/it just survived the end of the world. They would have had to been smart and scrappy. This server is mean, it's hard, there's some quests out there that scare the bejesus out of me. Be cautious, be prepared, be smart. Find people that seem to have everything together IG and ask them IC how they do what they do. Also never be afraid to run away like a chicken unless you send your prayers to Targus.

[Zango_Unchained]

[SIZE="4"]This post includes nothing that will help you mechanically be more efficient or streamline your play to reduce supply consumption. [/SIZE]

Risk and reward are important aspects to EFU, they have varied in each chapter and as players begin to understand the quests you notice supply levels beginning to return to old levels. Now this may inspire

"Ugh, the "quest crushers" are ruining my fun by being too crushy and bland for me to handle. Guess I need to quest crush to get on that level so I can keep having fun."

Or

"Ugh, I can't survive on dm quests because I don't spend hours of my life wasting away on quests to get the supplies I need"

Even

"Ugh, this is dumb, the grind is dumb, I just want to be a powerful pc without having to tear my hair out doing quests ten million times and wasting my time just to die from "unfair spice" and "quest crushers". I deserve this high level or loot."

Now, all there of these comments I have heard in various forms. A common line within these is that there are things that other people have that other players do not have and this upsets them.

Something I've noticed in the case of realism in a game,

[Hide=But this is dnd and that means its a fantasy so realism doesn't matter..]
Before you go "This is dnd and realism doesn't matter because magic, gods are among us, ect, ect." then I suggest you then consider this, that rp and server setting is based on the "rules" of commonly agreed on baselines that are prevalent within the story. Such as dangerous things can kill me, the world is over, my groups hub is maybe safe, I need to interact with others to survive in most cases, and that not all risks equate equal or greater reward.
[/Hide]

Risk does not always equal reward.

If you take the risk you gamble for a equal or greater reward. Sometimes this doesn't work out, you're also competing with dozens of other adventurers for limited resources and treasures to push your agenda. You take these risks for the chance at greater rewards. If you don't get them then you pick up the ashes and head home and plan your next move. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

Heroes and villains aren't made in hours they are made in weeks, they do not rise to power with a easy and clear cut path but they work their way there with great efforts in plotting, questing, and a bit of luck which makes them what they are.

This also goes to say that a pc doesn't deserve anything ICly, the concept of deserving something for your efforts is an OOC thought you hold. Because when you go on a quest you have no idea ICly of the rewards you may reap unless you were promised something ICly before hand. When you raid the base of a clutch of sharkmen or a beholder hive, you expect them to have potent relics and tools that augment their considerable abilities. Expect is not the same as the reality of the situation. Sometimes the dice don't roll in your favor and that doesn't only happen in combat.

If you feel that you may deserve something and you wish an ooc way to pursue it then I highly suggest you apply for it and if the dm team agree that you do then they will indulge your request. That is what apps are there for.

[Hide=The bolded words]
I bolded "Risk does not always equal reward." along with "Gamble" and "Chance". Dnd is in blandest terms story-gambling in which you roll for near everything to give it a real and living feeling to risk it all for something of importance and use to make your person rise above the common man. An adventurer's life is a massive gamble in nearly everything they do for a living.
[/Hide]

[PanamaLane]

Zango, I'm not sure what this has to do with the OP. Sounds like someone new to the setting who wants advice on obtaining supply. No need to derail the thread with that other stuff. For new players, tips are useful, so they don't die constantly and can enjoy the game more.

[Spiffy Has]

I would it taken into consideration, that for questing purposes, all you  really need is healing and blur potions. Most monsters won't penetrate  the 5/+1 DR, and healing lets you survive. However, to optimize  questing, you ought to have a wizard who will enchant you, and will stay  invisible and heal your person with crystals/devices/wands whathaveyou.

From there it's a matter of team work and communication.

[appleseedy]

i have never been online at a time when when someone is selling blur or barkskin potions.

My above "mechanical" post was tongue in cheek.

full plate...costs 3600 coins if its a custom thing, probably not worth the cost right? at least not until there are enough supplies to complement it

[Spiffy Has]

Depends on how much you value aesthetics.

And there are cheaper places to get it.