Welcome to the Aardwolf Player FAQ! This guide has been compiled to provide a readily accessible resource for common questions encountered by players of all experience levels, from brand new adventurers to seasoned veterans.

Welcome to the Aardwolf Player FAQ! This guide has been created primarily by analyzing questions and answers frequently exchanged on Aardwolf’s public Question & Answer (Q&A) channel over several years. Its purpose is to provide a readily accessible resource consolidating solutions and advice for common issues encountered by players of all experience levels, from brand new adventurers to seasoned veterans.

How to Use This FAQ:

This guide is organized into logical sections, starting with fundamental concepts and progressing towards more advanced topics. Use the section headings to navigate to the topic you’re interested in. Within each section, questions are listed with concise summaries of answers derived from common player knowledge and experience.

Disclaimer:

Aardwolf is a living game, constantly evolving with updates, balance changes, and new content. While this FAQ aims to be comprehensive based on collective player experience, the information reflects the state of the game at the time the underlying information was gathered. Some details, particularly regarding specific item stats, exact costs, optimal strategies, or area mechanics, may become outdated over time.

Always double-check information using the in-game help files, the official Aardwolf Wiki (wiki.aardwolf.com), reputable player resources (like clan guides or map sites), and don’t hesitate to ask questions on the in-game Question channel if you need the most current information.

We hope this guide helps you on your adventures in Andolor!

Q: I’m new, where should I start? What are some basic things I should know?
A: Welcome to Aardwolf! A good starting point is the Academy area (go ‘up’ then ‘north’ from the main recall point in Aylor). Read the blackboards there for tutorials. Key concepts to learn early include: basic movement (n, s, e, w, u, d), interaction (look, get, wear, remove, use, give), communication (tell, say, channels like newbie and question), combat (kill, flee, spells, skills), managing your health/mana/moves, and understanding quests/campaigns. Don’t be afraid to ask questions on the ‘newbie’ or ‘question’ channels. Joining the Boot Camp clan is highly recommended for new players (‘help boot-application’).

Q: Where is the healer? How do I cure negative effects like curse or blindness?
A: The main public healer NPC (Mistress Marna) is located 1 room north of the Aylor recall point (‘rt healer’ might work). Use the ‘heal’ command in her room to see services. Common commands are ‘heal curse ‘ or ‘heal uncurse ‘ (for cursed items), ‘heal poison’, ‘heal disease’, and ‘heal blind’. Healing services cost gold. Some clans also have healers in their halls. Note that some effects (like ‘green death’ or ‘raw flesh’) might require specific skills (like Herbal Remedy or Disrupt) or waiting for them to expire, as healers cannot cure everything.

Q: How do I make gold, especially early on?
A: Gold generation is slower at low levels. Key methods include:

Q: Where should I sell items? Why do shops sometimes run out of gold?
A: You can sell items at any shopkeeper that buys them (‘list’ command). Shops near recall or popular clan halls often have more gold because players buy items (like potions) from them. Player Manor shops (like the one in Manorville, ‘rt manorv; e’) can also be good places to sell. Shops have limited gold that replenishes slowly or on reboot; if one is broke, try another. Sacrificing items (‘sac’) yields very little gold compared to selling.

Q: How do quests work? Where do I get them?
A: Quests are tasks assigned by Questmaster NPCs. Find them 8 rooms south of Aylor recall (‘rt questor’) or 2 rooms east, or in many clan halls. Use ‘quest request’ to get a task (usually killing a mob or finding an item). Use ‘quest info’ to see details (target, location). Use ‘runto [area]’ or maps to navigate. Kill the mob marked ‘[QUEST]’ or retrieve the item. Return to any Questmaster and use ‘quest complete’ for rewards (QP, gold, experience, sometimes items). There is a 30-minute cooldown between quests (‘quest time’). Campaigns (‘campaign request’) are similar but involve multiple mobs and offer better rewards overall.

Q: What is alignment? How do I check or change it? Does it matter?
A: Alignment reflects your character’s leaning towards Good, Neutral, or Evil. Use the ‘align’ command to check your current alignment value. You change alignment primarily by killing mobs of the opposite alignment (e.g., kill evil mobs to become more good). Use ‘mobdeaths  <good/evil>’ to find suitable mobs. Alignment is crucial for Paladins (must be Good for full damage) and can affect certain item usage (items might be anti-good, anti-evil, or anti-neutral). Killing mobs of the opposite alignment gives a small XP bonus. Staying neutral offers flexibility but misses the XP bonus.

Q: What do the basic stats (Strength, Intelligence, etc.) do?
A: Check ‘help stats’ and ‘help [stat name]’ for details. In brief:

Q: How do I manage hunger and thirst? Is it important?
A: Use the ‘score’ or ‘hunger’ command to check status. Hunger/thirst significantly reduce HP/Mana/Move regeneration if low, making gameplay harder. It does not cause death. Manage it by:

Q: What happens when I die? How do I get my stuff back?
A: When you die, you lose some experience points and have a small chance of losing a stat point. Your corpse, containing your equipped gear and inventory, appears in the room where you died. Use the ‘owned’ command to find your corpse location. Return to the location and use ‘get all corpse’ to retrieve your items. Note: Some items might be invisible, requiring ‘detect invisibility’ to see and retrieve. Corpses decay after about 3 real-life hours of online time. If you die in a dangerous area, ask for help (Corpse Retrieval/CR) on channels like ‘newbie’ or ‘question’. Joining a clan often provides access to a ‘morgue’ where your corpse is sent automatically upon death, preventing loss in dangerous areas. Some specific rooms/deaths are ‘morgue flagged’, meaning no corpse drops and you keep your gear.

Q: What are some essential starting commands?
A: Key commands include:

Q: How do I talk to other players? What are channels?
A: Use ‘say ‘ to talk to players in the same room. Use ‘tell  ‘ for private messages. Use ‘reply ‘ to respond to the last tell received. Channels are public chat rooms for specific topics:

Q: What gear should I use starting out?
A: Early gear isn’t critical. Use items dropped by mobs or bought cheaply from vendors near recall (e.g., ‘rt weapon’). Focus on gaining levels and Quest Points (QP). More detailed gear strategies are covered in Section 6: Equipment & Items.

Basic Movement

Q: How do I move around in Aardwolf?
A: Movement is primarily accomplished using the standard directional commands: n (north), s (south), e (east), w (west), u (up), and d (down).

Q: What is the ‘recall’ command and where does it take me?
A: The ‘recall’ command instantly transports your character to a designated safe point. If you are not a member of a clan, this location is typically the main recall room in the city of Aylor (The Crossroads, Room 3001). If you are in a clan, ‘recall’ usually takes you to your clan’s designated recall room. Using the ‘recall’ command consumes half of your current movement points (though this cost is capped for Superhero characters) and generally works during combat, unless the room you are in is flagged as ‘norecall’.

Q: What is the ‘home’ command?
A: The ‘home’ command instantly transports your character to your player-owned manor, assuming you own one. Similar to ‘recall’, it cannot be used while in combat and will fail if attempted in a room flagged as ‘norecall’.

Q: How does flying affect movement? How do I start or stop flying?
A: Flying reduces the number of movement points consumed when traveling between rooms. Additionally, certain exits or entire areas may require the character to be flying for access. You can gain the ability to fly through various means: innate racial abilities, casting spells such as Fly or Levitation, or using potions and equipment that grant the flying effect. To cease flying: If you are using a racial ability, use the ‘land’ command. If the effect comes from a spell or item, you must use a counter-spell like ‘disrupt fly’, ‘disrupt levitation’, ‘cancellation’, or remove the item granting the flight capability. The ‘land’ command is ineffective against spell or item-based flight. You can verify your flying status using the ‘aflags’ command or by attempting the ‘land’ or ‘fly’ commands, which will indicate your current state.

Automated Travel

Q: What are the ‘runto’ and ‘speedwalk’ commands used for?
A: ‘runto ‘ (often aliased as ‘rt’) utilizes your MUD client’s stored map data to automatically navigate your character from the Aylor recall point to a predefined destination, such as an area entrance, a specific NPC, or a shop. ‘speedwalk ‘ displays the sequence of movement commands required for a predefined path, typically originating from the Aylor recall point, but does not execute the movements automatically. Both commands depend on having an accurate and complete map path recorded in your client and can fail if interrupted by obstacles like locked doors, unmapped custom exits, or aggressive monsters.

Q: How can I view the step-by-step directions for a ‘runto’ path?
A: Use the ‘speedwalk ‘ command to display the sequence of moves associated with that predefined path.

Q: Can I configure the mapper to navigate without using portals?
A: Yes, use the command mapper walkto <room_number> instead of mapper goto <room_number>. The ‘goto’ command will utilize portals if they offer a shorter path, while ‘walkto’ forces navigation using only standard room exits.

Locating Mobs/Players/Items

Q: How can I find out what monsters or players are nearby?
A: Use the ‘scan’ command to see the names of monsters and players in rooms directly adjacent to your current location. Use ‘scan here’ to view only those in your current room. The ‘who’ command can list players in your current area or across the entire MUD (‘help who’ provides filtering options).

Q: How do I locate a specific monster within the area I am currently in?
A: Use the ‘where ‘ command. This command searches the current area for any monsters whose keywords match the one(s) you provide. Be aware that some monsters possess flags (like ‘nowhere’) that prevent the ‘where’ command from detecting them.

Q: How do I find a specific monster anywhere in the game world?
A: If you have learned the ‘hunt ‘ skill, you can use it to track the nearest instance of a monster matching the keyword within the current area, receiving directional guidance. Note that ‘hunt’ does not function globally or across major boundaries like continents or planes. The ‘scry ‘ spell, if learned, can locate players or specific monsters globally.

Q: How can I assess a monster’s level or difficulty before fighting it?
A: Use the ‘consider ‘ (or ‘con ‘) command. This provides a message describing the monster’s level relative to your own character’s level (e.g., “is about your level,” “looks like easy prey,” “would crush you like a bug!”). Refer to ‘help consider’ for a full list of messages. The ‘interrogate’ skill, exclusive to the Avenger subclass, provides more detailed information, including resistances and vulnerabilities.

Q: How can I find a specific item in the game?
A: If you have the ‘locate object ‘ spell, you can cast it to determine if the item is carried by a nearby monster, player, or is on the ground in the vicinity. The ‘eqsearch’ command helps find equipment sold in shops or carried by some monsters. The ‘potsearch’ command finds potions and scrolls sold in shops. To locate items that you personally own, use the ‘owned’ or ‘ownedwhere’ commands.

Handling Difficult Mobs

Q: What do flags like ‘nowhere’, ‘nohunt’, or ‘noscan’ mean on monsters?
A: These flags impose restrictions on how monsters can be located:

Q: How do I find monsters that are invisible or hidden?
A: You must have the appropriate detection effects active: ‘detect invisible’ for invisible monsters and ‘detect hidden’ for hidden or sneaking monsters. These effects can be gained from spells (like True Seeing or Heighten Senses), potions, or certain pieces of equipment (such as an Aard Helm). Once the necessary detection effect is active, standard location commands (‘where’, ‘scan’, ‘consider’) should function normally, unless prevented by other flags like ‘nowhere’.

Q: What is the ‘Hunt Trick’ and how does it work?
A: The ‘Hunt Trick’ is a specific technique used to locate Campaign Point (CP) target monsters, which are intentionally flagged as ‘nohunt’. Since the ‘hunt’ command fails on CP targets but succeeds on other monsters, this difference can be exploited:

Q: How do I find my campaign or quest target if the task only gives the room name?
A: You can use external websites such as rooms.gaardian.com or campaigns.gaardian.com to search for the room name and determine the area it belongs to. MUSHclient users who have the Search and Destroy (SnD) plugin installed can utilize commands like xma  to search their mapped areas for the room.

Q: My campaign mob kill isn’t registering, or ‘where’ points to the wrong mob. Why?
A: This common issue usually arises because multiple monsters in the game share the same name but have different internal IDs (vnums). Campaigns and quests target a specific instance. Use the ‘hunt trick’ to confirm you are targeting the correct mob. Also, verify you are in the correct area using cp check. Ensure you have necessary detection spells active (detect hidden/invis). If a kill doesn’t register, you definitely killed the wrong instance.

Locating Areas/Rooms

Q: How can I find the name or level range of the area I am currently in?
A: Use the ‘where’ command. It displays information about your current location, including the area name and its recommended level range.

Q: How do I list game areas suitable for my character’s level?
A: Use the ‘areas  ‘ command, specifying the desired level range.

Q: How do I find a specific room if I know its name or VNUM (Virtual Number / room ID)?
A: If you are using a MUD client with a mapper feature (like MUSHclient or Mudlet) and have previously visited the room: Use mapper find “” to search by name or mapper goto  to navigate directly by ID. If you have not visited the room or are not using a mapper: Consult online resources such as rooms.gaardian.com (which allows searching by room name or VNUM) or area maps available on sites like aardwolfboot.com/maps/.

Q: How can I see the VNUM (room ID) of the room I am currently in?
A: There is no standard in-game command that displays the VNUM of your current room. Client mapper programs typically show this information (e.g., in MUSHclient, use the mapper thisroom command, or hover the mouse cursor over the room on the graphical map display).

Maps & Mapping

Q: Are maps available for Aardwolf areas? Where can I find them?
A: Yes, maps are available from several online sources:

Q: How do client mapper programs (like in MUSHclient or Mudlet) function?
A: Client mappers work by automatically recording the rooms your character visits and the exits that connect them, building a local database of the explored areas. This database enables features like automated pathfinding (used by commands like ‘runto’ or ‘mapper goto’) and provides a visual representation of the area layout. The accuracy and completeness of the map depend on you having explored the areas first.

Q: How do I check my exploration progress?
A: Use the ‘explored’ command to see the percentage of rooms explored in your current area and overall in the game world.

Q: My mapper shows unexplored exits from rooms I know I have visited. How do I find these missing rooms?
A: In MUSHclient, use the command mapper unmapped here. This will list rooms you have visited that possess known exits leading to rooms currently absent from your local map database. Navigate to these listed rooms to allow the mapper to record the connecting rooms and continue mapping the area.

Exits & Obstacles

Q: How do I see the available exits from my current room?
A: Use the ‘exits’ command. It lists the standard directional exits (North, South, East, West, Up, Down) and often includes special Custom Exits (cexits) along with the specific command required to use them (e.g., ‘pull lever’, ‘enter portal’, ‘climb rope’).

Q: What are Custom Exits (cexits)? How do I use them with the mapper?
A: Custom Exits are non-standard room connections that require specific commands (often verbs like ‘enter’, ‘pull’, ‘say’, ‘climb’, ‘swim’) instead of simple directional movement. The ‘exits’ command usually reveals the necessary command syntax. To integrate these into your client mapper for automatic pathfinding, navigate to the room containing the cexit and use the command mapper cexit  (for example, mapper cexit enter portal). Consult mapper help exits for more details.

Q: How can I find hidden exits?
A: Examine room descriptions meticulously for clues or subtle hints. Attempt standard directions even if they are not explicitly listed in the ‘exits’ output. Try using the ‘open ‘ command, as some doors are hidden until opened. Certain exits might only become available after specific goal progression or performing particular actions within the area. Ensure your detection spells (detect hidden, detect invisible) are active, as some exits might be obscured by invisibility or hiding mechanics.

Q: How do I deal with locked doors?
A: You have several options for opening locked doors:

Q: How do I get past NPC guards or bouncers blocking paths?
A: Bypassing NPC obstacles often requires specific actions tied to the area’s goal or an associated quest. Common solutions include: paying a bribe (gold), giving a specific item, wearing required gear (like a disguise), saying a particular keyword or passphrase, or completing certain tasks to gain the NPC’s favor or permission to pass. Some guards might be circumvented using stealth skills (invisibility, sneak) or specific abilities like ‘mist form’. Check graffiti near the NPC or read task descriptions carefully for clues.

Portals

Q: What different types of portals exist in Aardwolf?
A: Aardwolf features several kinds of portals:

Q: How do I use a portal item?
A: To activate a portal, you must either hold the item in your hands (hold ) or wear it if it is a wearable portal (such as the Aardwolf Amulet or certain goal rewards, requiring the Portal Wear wish to utilize the dedicated slot). Once holding or wearing the portal, type the command enter (or sometimes enter ).

Q: How can I find out where a specific portal leads?
A: The ‘wayfind’ skill (learned by Rangers) can identify the destination of a portal item. Additionally, the portal item’s description (viewed with ‘look’ or ‘identify’) or associated goal/quest information often provides clues about its destination.

Q: How do I manage portals with my client mapper or plugins?
A: You can add known portal destinations to your client’s mapper database using commands like mapper portal add . Client plugins such as ‘dinv’ offer features to automate portal usage from your inventory (e.g., dinv portal use <#>). Creating client-side aliases that combine the necessary steps (get/hold/enter/remove/put/wear) can also streamline manual portal use.

Mazes

Q: How should I navigate maze areas?
A: Consult the ‘help maze solving’ file for general strategies. Common tips include:

Q: Are there tips for specific mazes?

Getting Unstuck

Q: I am stuck in a room with no apparent exits, and ‘recall’ and ‘portal’ commands fail. What should I do?
A: Being truly trapped is rare outside of intended mechanics or bugs. Follow these steps:

Stats

Q: How do I train my character’s stats (Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, Luck)?
A: Stats are increased by spending ‘trains’ (training sessions) at a trainer NPC. Trainers are found in the Academy, class-specific guilds (use ‘runto ‘), and most clan halls. Use the ‘train’ command at a trainer to see options and spend points (e.g., ‘train strength 10’).

Q: How much do stats cost to train? Are there limits?
A: The cost in trains per stat point increases as the stat gets higher. Refer to ‘help maxstats’ and ‘help train costs’ for the exact cost progression. There are maximum caps for how high you can train a base stat, which increase with your character level and Tier. Additionally, there’s a cap on the total bonus you can receive from equipment and spells (+200 effective points total across all gear/spells). Use the ‘stats’ command to see your current base stats, bonuses, and the maximum effective value for your level.

Q: What’s the best strategy for allocating stat trains while leveling (1-200)?
A: Prioritize training the primary stats relevant to your chosen class (check ‘help ‘). A common strategy is to raise all stats until they cost 2 trains per point, then focus heavily on your primary stats, potentially raising them until the cost becomes very high (e.g., 4+ trains per point). Keeping secondary stats reasonably high (e.g., trained until cost is 2 or 3) is also beneficial. Ensure your total Wisdom (including gear/spells) reaches at least 100 to maximize practice gains per level. Luck is generally useful for all classes. Constitution helps survivability. Don’t hoard trains; spend them as you level, as trains spent on base stats are refunded when you Superhero.

Q: What’s the best strategy for allocating stat trains at Superhero (Level 201)?
A: At Superhero (SH), prioritize maxing your primary stats first (aim for 395 base trained, as class bonuses often add the final 5 points to reach the 400 base cap). After primary stats are maxed, focus on Strength (STR) and Dexterity (DEX) to maximize carry capacity for future remorts (STR increases weight limit, DEX increases item count limit). Then, allocate remaining trains to other stats like Constitution (for HP), Wisdom (for healing/sanc/mana regen), or Luck (for bonus QP/trains from pups) based on your goals (pupping, epics, PvP). Trains can also be spent directly on increasing HP, Mana, or Moves at SH, or deposited into the Instinct system once stats are sufficiently high.

Q: How do I check my saved Superhero (SH) stats?
A: Use the command ‘stats saved’.

Q: What is the Potential system? Is it worth investing in?
A: Potential is an endgame system allowing you to raise your maximum trainable base stats beyond the normal caps. It costs Quest Points (QP) and gold, with costs increasing significantly per point (‘potential costs’). Each point of Potential also grants +1 bonus starting train upon remorting (up to a maximum of +200 bonus trains at 200 Potential). Getting the first few points is relatively cheap and provides immediate benefit via bonus trains. Heavy investment is usually considered after acquiring essential Aard gear and wishes. Potential points can sometimes be gained from Daily Blessings (up to a cap of 300 free points).

Skills & Spells

Q: How do I learn new skills and spells?
A: You automatically gain access to skills and spells appropriate for your primary class (and any classes you’ve remorted into) as you reach the required character level.

Q: How do I increase the effectiveness (percentage) of my skills and spells?
A: You must spend ‘practices’ at a trainer NPC using the ‘practice <skill/spell name>’ command (e.g., ‘practice fireball’). You can practice a skill up to 85% (or 95% if you have the Scholar wish). To reach 100% effectiveness, you must actively use the skill or spell in gameplay; each use has a chance to increase the percentage.

Q: How do I get more practices? Should I save them?
A: You gain practices automatically each time you level up. The number gained per level is influenced by your Wisdom stat (aim for 100 total WIS for maximum gain). Practices are generally abundant; you will likely gain more than you need. Convert excess practices into trains using ‘train convertall’ (or ‘gain convertall’) at a trainer (10 practices = 1 train). It’s generally not recommended to save large numbers of practices.

Q: What is the Scholar wish? Is it useful?
A: The Scholar wish increases the maximum percentage you can practice a skill/spell to at a trainer from 85% to 95%. It also slightly increases the chance of gaining proficiency through usage and might reduce spell failure chances. It’s considered a valuable wish, especially for casters or those wanting to max skills faster, though its priority relative to other wishes is debated.

Q: How can I find information about specific skills or spells?
A: Use ‘help <skill/spell name>’ for a detailed description. Use ‘showskill ‘ or ‘showspell ‘ (or ‘sh ‘) to see level requirements and class availability. Use ‘allspells  all’ to see all skills/spells for a specific class. Filter lists using commands like ‘spells combat’, ‘spells curative’, ‘spells area’, ‘skills passive’, ‘skills weapon’.

Q: How do I manage my known skills/spells, especially after remorting? Can I forget them?
A: Use the ‘forgetskill <skill/spell name>’ command to remove a specific skill or spell from your active list for the current remort (useful for removing redundant spellups). Use ‘forgetsk’ to list forgotten skills. Remember that skills/spells from your primary class are generally more effective than the same ones gained through remorting.

Leveling

Q: How is experience (XP) calculated? What affects XP gain?
A: Base XP per kill depends on the level difference between you and the mob (max 300 base XP). Factors increasing gain include: killing mobs of the opposite alignment, rare kill bonuses (mobs alive a long time grant bonus XP/gold), the ‘Exprate’ wish (+10%), grouping bonuses, class/race bonuses (e.g., Tigran solo bonus, Priest Humility skill), and temporary double XP events. Use ‘lastkill exp’ to see a breakdown. TNL (To Next Level) requirements increase significantly with levels and tiers (‘exptable’ command).

Q: Where are the best places to level up?
A: Use the ‘mobdeaths   [alignment]’ command to see popular spots where others are killing mobs near your level. Use ‘areas  ‘ to find suitable zones. The best strategy often involves killing mobs 5-20 levels higher than you that you can defeat efficiently (e.g., in 1-3 combat rounds). Find areas with good mob density or consistent rare kill bonuses. Experiment to find spots that suit your class and playstyle. Campaigns also guide you to level-appropriate areas.

Q: What are the different ways to level? Is grinding or questing/campaigning better?
A: Methods include:

Q: What is the ‘noexp’ command used for?
A: ‘noexp’ toggles experience gain off and on. It’s sometimes used by players doing campaigns at every level (“CP leveling”) to prevent leveling up before completing the campaign for that level, maximizing QP gain per level. Some client plugins might toggle this automatically.

Q: How do double XP events work? Do they stack?
A: Double XP events can come from:

Remorting

Q: What is Remorting? How do I do it?
A: Remorting is the process of resetting your character to level 1 after reaching Superhero (level 201) to choose an additional base class, adding its skills and spells to your character permanently. This allows you to combine abilities from multiple classes.

Q: What are the benefits of remorting?
A: The primary benefit is gaining access to the skills and spells of other classes, making your character more versatile and powerful. This includes spellups (buffs), utility spells (like passdoor, fly, hunt), defensive abilities, and sometimes additional attack options.

Q: Which classes should I choose for remorting? Is there a recommended order?
A: The goal is usually to complement your primary class.

Q: What persists through remorting? What resets?
A: Persists: Equipped/inventoried items (except temporary/nosave), Gold, Quest Points (QP), Trivia Points (TP), completed Goals, Area Quest progress, Exploration data, saved Superhero stats, Wish purchases, Potential/Mastery/Instinct points.

Q: How should I prepare for remorting?
A: Before reaching level 201: Convert practices to trains (‘train convertall’). At level 201: Train STR/DEX to max (395 base) to boost carry capacity for the next life. Ensure you have enough QP for the superhero cost (if not first time). Remove worn equipment before typing ‘remort’. Store excess gear in bags/vault.

Tiering

Q: What is Tiering? How do I tier up?
A: Tiering is advancing to the next major character progression level after completing all 7 remorts within the current tier (T0 to T9). Each tier provides significant bonuses.

Q: What are the benefits of tiering up?
A: Tiers provide substantial advantages:

Q: What are Tier Stats? How do I allocate them?
A: Tiering grants bonus stat points. Use the ‘tierstat’ command to view and allocate these points. You must assign at least one point to each of the six stats before assigning a second point to any stat (until T6+). Focus points on primary stats for your class.

Q: What are Tier 9 Redos?
A: After completing Tier 9 Remort 7, players can choose to ‘redo’ Tier 9. This resets them to T9R1L1 but with significantly lower XP requirements per level (‘exptable’), faster train gains (bonus instinct trains per level), and potentially different quest/campaign reward scaling (diminishing returns after 30 CPs/day apply). Redoing is an endgame activity for efficient QP/train farming.

Superhero (SH) Mechanics

Q: How do I become a Superhero (SH)? What are the costs?
A: Reach level 200. Have sufficient QP and gold. Go to the remort chamber (‘runto remort’). Type ‘superhero’.

Q: How do saved Superhero stats work? What is ‘stats saved’?
A: Each time you become Superhero (level 201), the game saves your trained base stats (STR, INT, WIS, DEX, CON, LUK), your trained HP/Mana/Moves, and any banked Instinct trains. Use the ‘stats saved’ command to view these stored values. These saved stats are automatically restored the next time you reach level 201, providing a persistent power baseline. Your saved SH STR and DEX also influence your item/weight carrying capacity when you are below level 201.

Q: Are trains refunded when I Superhero? What about practices?
A: Yes. When you reach level 201 via the ‘superhero’ command, the game performs an automatic rebuild. This refunds all trains you spent leveling from 1-200 on your base stats (STR, INT, etc.) back into your available train pool. Trains spent on HP/Mana/Moves are not refunded. Practices are not refunded; convert them to trains (‘train convertall’) before reaching level 201.

Q: What is Powering Up (Pupping)? How do I gain trains at SH?
A: At level 201 (Superhero), experience points gained from killing mobs contribute towards ‘powerups’ (‘help powerup’). Each powerup grants 1-7 trains (average ~5, influenced by Luck stat). This is the primary way to gain trains for increasing SH stats, HP/Mana/Moves, and funding Instincts. Killing mobs efficiently in high-level areas is key to fast pupping.

Q: What do players typically do at Superhero level?
A: Main activities include:

Classes, Races & Subclasses

Q: What are the base classes and their general focus?
A: There are seven base classes in Aardwolf, each with a different emphasis:
Mage: High-powered spellcasters focusing on offensive spells. Mages possess the strongest magic but are weak in physical combat. They are skilled with magical items. Primary stat: Intelligence (also uses Luck and Wisdom). Starts with dagger skill.
 Warrior: Pure fighters excelling in combat but lacking thief skills or magical talent. They favor a direct approach. Primary stat: Strength (also uses Constitution and Dexterity for effectiveness). Starts with sword skill.
Thief: Masters of stealth, poison, and treachery, capable of covert actions. They have access to darker magics and are better fighters than clerics but have fewer weapon options than warriors. Primary stats: Dexterity (also uses Strength and Luck). Starts with dagger skill.
 Ranger: Protectors of nature, excellent fighters who also draw magic from natural forces. They despise destruction of nature. Primary stat: Constitution (also uses Wisdom). Starts with axe skill.
Psionicist (Psi): Mystical spellcasters drawing power from within, unlike Mages (external energy) or Clerics (deity). Many psionic abilities are personal/self-only. Primary stats: Intelligence, Wisdom, and Luck (INT/WIS most important).
 Paladin: Noble warriors skilled in combat and holy magic, prizing honor, justice, and their alignment (Good or Evil) above all. They are nearly as skilled in combat as warriors but master neither combat nor magic fully. Primary stat: Intelligence (also get Constitution bonus). Must maintain extreme alignment for full effectiveness. Starts with flail skill.
* Cleric: Defensively oriented spellcasters focused on healing and protection, with fair combat skills but weaker offensive spells than mages. They are masters of healing magic. Primary stat: Wisdom (also uses Luck for combat). Starts with mace skill.
You can use ‘help [classname]’ (e.g., ‘help mage’) in-game for more detailed information on each class.

Q: What are the subclasses for each base class?
A: Each base class offers specialized subclasses that further define their abilities:
Mage Subclasses: Elementalist, Enchanter, Sorcerer
 Warrior Subclasses: Barbarian, Soldier, Blacksmith
Thief Subclasses: Bandit, Ninja, Venomist
 Ranger Subclasses: Hunter, Shaman, Crafter
Psionicist Subclasses: Navigator, Necromancer, Mentalist
 Paladin Subclasses: Guardian, Knight, Avenger
* Cleric Subclasses: Priest, Harmer, Oracle

Q: Are there skills or spells exclusive to a primary class?
A: Yes, certain powerful abilities are only available if that class is your character’s primary class for the current tier/remort cycle. These include:
Mage Primary: Immolate, Wraith Form, Acid Blast, Miasma
 Warrior Primary: Shield Block, Fortitude, Fifth Attack, Sixth Attack, Hammering Blow, Death Blow
Thief Primary: Knife Fighting, Kobold Stench, Enhanced Backstab, Spiral (Thieves also get unique critical hit bonuses, especially on backstab)
 Ranger Primary: Gaias Revenge, Wolf Spirits, Call Lightning, Tame, Eruption/Gaia’s Fury (Shaman only), Energy Ball
Psionicist Primary: Combat Mind, Mental Balance, Willpower, Desolation, Pyromania
 Paladin Primary: Test of Faith, Call Upon Faith, Divine Faith, Terminate, Apocalypse, Heavenly Balance
* Cleric Primary: Rally, Pure Faith, Party Sanctuary, Healing Touch, Regeneration, Voice of God

Q: How do I choose a Race/Class/Subclass? Does the choice matter significantly?
A: Yes, your choices significantly impact gameplay, especially during early character progression.
Classes: Determine your core skills, spells, and overall playstyle (Melee Fighter, Spell Caster, Hybrid). Use the ‘help ‘ command and ‘allspells  all’ to explore the abilities of different classes.
 Races: Provide passive bonuses and penalties to stats, experience gain, resistances, regeneration, and sometimes grant unique abilities (like flight or passdoor). Use the ‘raceinfo all’ command in-game to see a comparison, ‘help races’, and ‘help raceperks’. Choose a race that synergizes well with your intended primary class and playstyle. While race choice becomes less critical at very high tiers due to maximized stats, the unique abilities and resistances can remain relevant.
Subclasses: Specialize your primary class, granting powerful, unique skills and spells. Subclasses are chosen during character creation and can be changed once per week for free using the ‘subclass change’ command (‘help subclass’).
 Popularity: While the ‘gamestat 10’ command shows popular class/subclass combinations, the best choice is ultimately the one you find most enjoyable to play.

Q: How can I change my Class, Race, or Subclass after character creation?
A: You have several options for changing your character’s build after initial creation:
Subclass Change Only: Use the subclass change  command. This is free once every 7 days and only changes the subclass specialization within your current primary class (e.g., changing from Warrior/Soldier to Warrior/Blacksmith). It does not reset stats, instincts, or masteries.
 Primary Class Change (includes Subclass/Race/Rebuild): Use the classchange <new_subclass_for_new_pclass> [options] command. This is free once every 7 days (or costs 1000 QP to use before the cooldown expires). This command changes your primary class, requires you to select a subclass for the new primary class, and optionally allows changing your race.
Default Rebuild: By default, using classchange automatically performs a full rebuild: your stats are reset (trains refunded), and your Instinct points and Mastery points are refunded to their respective pools for reallocation.
 Skills: Skills usable by your new class combination retain their practiced percentage. Skills exclusive to your old primary class are lost, and some practice points are refunded.
Options: You can add options like noinstinct, nomastery, or norebuild to the command to prevent specific parts of the automatic rebuild (e.g., classchange elemental elf noinstinct nomastery would change primary class to Mage/Elementalist, keep race as Elf, reset stats, but keep previously allocated Instinct and Mastery points).
 Race Change Only: The preferred method is the racechange  command. This has a 3-day cooldown and costs 2 Trivia Points (TP). It only changes your race. Alternatively, you can use classchange <current_subclass> <new_race> sameclass norebuild noinstinct nomastery to change only race using the classchange command (if racechange is on cooldown), but the dedicated racechange command is simpler.
Instinct/Mastery Rebuild Only: Use classchange <current_subclass> <current_race> sameclass norebuild. Add noinstinct if you only want to rebuild Mastery, or nomastery if you only want to rebuild Instinct. Note: The old separate mastery rebuild and instinct rebuild commands still exist and cost 500 QP each.
 Stat Rebuild Only (includes Race Change option): Use the rebuild command. You get free rebuilds under certain conditions (e.g., starting Tier 1 Remort 1, potentially from Daily Blessings). Paid rebuilds cost QP/gold and incur a train tax. rebuild allows changing race but does not change your primary class or subclass. Use rebuild trains to keep practiced skills, or omit trains to reset skills and get practices refunded. See ‘help rebuild’ and ‘rebuild check’.
* Tiering Up: Advancing to a new Tier (e.g., T0 to T1) after completing Remort 7 allows you to choose a new primary class, subclass, and race for that tier as part of the tiering process.

Q: What are some notable benefits or drawbacks of specific races?
A: Races offer various bonuses and penalties. Some examples mentioned frequently or confirmed by game data include:
Vampire: Offers excellent utility with permanent Detect Invis, Night Vision, Flying, and Intimidate. Features the powerful ‘consume corpse’ ability for HP/Mana regeneration (more effective at night). Inflicts +10% damage at night but -5% during the day. Regenerates faster at night but slower during the day and takes more damage when outside during the day. Has favorable STR/INT training costs but a penalty to WIS/LCK. Has +5% Phys/Magic Resist.
 Wraith (formerly Shadow): Offers innate flight and passdoor abilities, providing excellent utility. Has bonuses to Magic Attack (+10%) and Magic Resist (+20%) but penalties to physical attacks.
Tigran: Provides a significant solo experience bonus (+12%) and bonuses to physical attacks (+5% Wpn Atk) and physical resistance (+10%), making it popular for solo leveling, but has a group XP penalty (-10%).
 Giant: Strong physical bonuses (+10% Wpn/Skill Atk, +15% Phys Resist, +15 HP Bonus) suited for melee classes, but significant penalties to Magic Attack (-20%) and Magic Resist (-15%), plus mana regeneration (-50%).
Troll: Offers balanced attack bonuses (+5% all) and exceptional HP/Mana/Move regeneration (+50% each), but significant penalties (-25%) to healing abilities (self and other).
 Centaur: Balanced bonuses across attacks (+3%) and resists (+3%), plus a solo XP bonus (+5%) and move bonus (+10%).
Dwarf: Strong physical bonuses (+10% Wpn Atk, +10% Phys Resist) but penalties to skill/magic attacks and magic resist, plus a move regeneration penalty (-20%).
 Eldar: Strong magic bonuses (+15% Magic Atk, +10% Magic Resist, +10% Mana Bonus, +25% Mana Regen) suited for casters, but penalties to physical attacks and resists, plus an HP penalty (-10%). Gains group XP bonus (+5%).
Elf: Good magic/skill attack bonuses (+10% each), Magic Resist (+10%), Heal Other (+10%), and Mana Self Heal (+20%), but penalties to physical attacks/resists, HP (-10%), Solo XP (-5%), and Move Regen (-25%). Gains group XP bonus (+8%).
 Halfling: Bonus to Skill Attack (+15%) and Move Regen (+20%), but penalties elsewhere.
Naga: Bonuses to healing self/others (+10%) and Move Regen (+20%), penalty to Magic Resist (-10%).
 Ogre: High physical attack bonuses (+15% Wpn/Skill Atk) and HP/Move bonuses, but significant penalties to resistances (-25% each).
Sprite: Bonuses to Mana/Move (+10% each). Penalty to Magic Resist (-10%). (Note: Also known for Second Attack passive).
 Triton: Bonuses to physical attacks (+7% Wpn/Skill Atk) and HP (+5%). Penalty to Magic Resist (-10%).
Wolfen: Bonuses to Move Regen (+20%) and Move Bonus (+10%). Penalty to Solo XP (-5%). (Note: Also known for Hunt skill).
 Diva: Bonuses to Magic Attack (+10%), Healing Self/Other (+25%/+20%), Mana Bonus (+10%), Mana Regen (+25%). Penalties to physical/skill attacks. Gains group XP bonus (+5%).
Gargoyle: High resistances (+20% Phys, +10% Magic). Penalties to healing (-10%) and regeneration (-10%). Gains group XP bonus (+5%).
 Human: No bonuses or penalties, offering balanced flexibility.

Combat Basics

Q: How do I start a fight with a monster (mob)?
A: Use the command kill  (or k ). Once combat is initiated, you can use skills and spells without specifying the target name again, as it defaults to your current opponent.

Q: How do I target a specific monster if there are multiple mobs with the same name or keyword in the room?
A: Use numerical targeting: kill 2., cast 3., backstab 4.. You can find keywords by looking at the mob (look ) or using consider all. Client plugins can also assist with targeting specific mobs.

Q: How can I switch targets mid-combat?
A: Use the aim  skill (requires the skill) or initiate an attack on the new target using kill .

Q: Can I use skills or cast spells between my automatic weapon attacks?
A: Yes, the game operates in rounds. You get automatic weapon attacks each round, and you can typically use one active skill or spell per round during the pauses between auto-attacks. Some abilities might allow multiple actions per round.

Q: Can mobs cast spells or use skills?
A: Yes, mobs can have skills and spells assigned to them by the area builders, including buffs, debuffs, attacks, and defensive abilities.

Q: Can mobs teleport players away, even during combat?
A: Yes, some mobs have the ability to teleport players to another location, sometimes even during combat. This can be random or part of a specific mob program (‘mprog’). The ‘noteleport’ wish can prevent standard mob teleports, but some scripted teleports might bypass it.

Q: Can mobs steal gold or items?
A: Some mobs (often thieves or specific goal mobs) can steal gold directly from your character’s pouch. It’s advisable to deposit large amounts of gold in the bank (‘help bank’). Mobs generally do not steal items from your inventory, though some might have scripted interactions involving items.

Q: How do I assess a mob’s difficulty?
A: Use the consider  command. It provides a message indicating the level difference and potential threat level (‘help consider’). The ‘interrogate’ skill (Avenger subclass) provides more detailed information, including resistances.

Damage

Q: What are the different damage types? How do I know what type my weapon/spell uses?
A: Aardwolf uses various damage types. Use help damtype and help damtype2 for complete lists and the keywords used for setting weapon damage types (wset command). Major categories include:
Physical: Bash (keywords: beating, blast, charge, crush, hit, pound, punch, slap, smash, suction, thwack), Pierce (keywords: bite, chomp, peck, pierce, scratch, stab, sting, thrust), Slash (keywords: chop, claw, cleave, grep, slash, slice, whip).
 Elemental/Magical: Acid (keywords: acidic bite, digestion, slime), Air, Cold (keywords: chill, freezing bite), Earth, Electric (keywords: shock, shocking bite), Energy (keywords: friction, wrath), Fire (keywords: flame, flaming bite), Holy (keyword: divine power), Light, Magic, Mental (keywords: mental energy, mind force), Negative (keywords: decaying touch, life drain), Shadow, Sonic (keyword: wail), Water (keyword: water blast).

Q: Does weapon damage type matter?
A: Yes, significantly. Mobs can have resistances or immunities to specific damage types. Using a damage type the mob is vulnerable to increases damage, while using one it resists decreases damage. Using an immune type deals no damage.

Q: How can I deal with mobs resistant or immune to my main damage type?
A: Carry weapons with different damage types (e.g., a slashing sword, a piercing dagger, a bashing mace) and switch between them (‘remove’, ‘wield’). Weapons with the ‘changing’ flag randomly cycle through damage types, which can help find a vulnerability. Learn attack spells/skills dealing different damage types through remorting. Unarmed combat (Hand-to-Hand skill) deals Bash damage. You can also change a weapon’s damage type permanently using Trivia Points (TP) at the apprentice blacksmith (‘runto damage’) via the ‘wset’ command (help wset).

Q: How can I find out a mob’s resistances or vulnerabilities?
A: There is no general command for players. Methods include:

Q: What does the asterisk (*) mean in combat damage messages?
A: It indicates a critical hit (‘help crithit’), dealing significantly more damage than a normal hit.

Q: Do weapons or stats affect spell damage?
A: No. Spell damage is primarily determined by your character level, relevant stats (Intelligence for Mages/Psi, Wisdom for Clerics/Paladins), Luck, skill/spell mastery, and potentially moon phases or specific buffs. Weapon stats (HR/DR, average damage) only affect physical attacks.

Q: What is Area of Effect (AoE) damage? Which classes have it?
A: AoE refers to skills or spells that hit multiple targets in the room simultaneously. Several classes gain AoE abilities:

Hitroll (HR) and Damroll (DR)

Q: What are Hitroll (HR) and Damroll (DR)? How important are they?
A: Hitroll increases your chance to hit an opponent with physical attacks. Damroll increases the amount of damage dealt by physical attacks. Both are important combat stats, primarily gained from equipment and buffs.

Q: Should I prioritize HR or DR? What is a good ratio?
A: There’s no single perfect ratio; the ideal balance depends on your class, level, gear, and goals (PvE vs. PvP). General guidelines observed:

Q: Are there caps or limits on HR and DR? Do they have diminishing returns?
A: There are no known hard caps on HR or DR; increasing them is generally always beneficial. However, like most stats, they are subject to diminishing returns, meaning each additional point provides progressively less benefit than the previous one. For Hitroll, there might be a ‘soft cap’ around 1500 where further increases provide less noticeable benefit, especially for PvE.

Q: Where do HR and DR come from? Should I prioritize them on weapons?
A: HR and DR primarily come from worn equipment (including enchantments like Solidify or TPEnchant) and temporary buffs (like Frenzy or Berserk). Stats like Strength also contribute to both HR and DR. While weapons can have HR/DR, it’s generally recommended to prioritize the weapon’s Average Damage stat, as HR/DR can be more easily obtained from other equipment slots (armor, jewelry, held items).

Defense

Q: How does defense work? What is Armor Class (AC)?
A: Defense involves multiple layers. Your Armor Class (AC), derived from Dexterity and equipment, reduces the chance of being hit by physical attacks. Resistances reduce damage taken from specific damage types (physical or magical). Skills like Dodge, Parry, and Shield Block provide chances to completely avoid attacks.

Q: How do skills like Dodge, Parry, and Shield Block work? Do they stack?
A: These are separate skills providing distinct chances to avoid melee attacks. The game checks each applicable defense you possess. They effectively stack probabilistically (having multiple skills increases your overall chance to avoid being hit). Non-primary class dodges are less effective but still contribute. Warrior primary dodges include Dodge, Parry, and Shield Block.

Q: Does using a shield help defensively?
A: Yes. Wielding any shield provides a passive 15% reduction to incoming physical damage, regardless of your class or skills. Warriors also gain the active ‘Shield Block’ skill for an additional chance to block attacks completely.

Q: What is Sanctuary? How do I get it?
A: Sanctuary is a powerful defensive effect that significantly reduces incoming damage (both physical and magical). It’s often indicated by a ‘(White Aura)’ on players. You can gain Sanctuary from:

Q: How do resistances work?
A: Resistances reduce the damage taken from specific damage types (e.g., fire resistance reduces fire damage). They are primarily gained from equipment, racial bonuses, and some spells/skills. Having broad resistances is crucial for survival, especially against high-level mobs or in epic content.

Status Effects

Q: How do I apply negative status effects (debuffs) like Blind, Curse, Poison, Weaken?
A: Use specific skills or spells associated with those effects (e.g., ‘cast curse’, ‘dirt kick’ skill for blind, ‘envenom’ skill for poison, ‘hex of entropy’ spell for weaken). Check your available abilities using ‘spells bad’ or ‘skills bad’.

Q: Are debuffs effective against regular monsters (mobs)?
A: For typical leveling mobs that die quickly (1-3 rounds), spending time casting debuffs is usually less efficient than focusing purely on dealing damage. Debuffs are more useful against tougher boss mobs, in Player vs Player (PK) combat, or for specific utility (e.g., ‘blind’ to stop aggression, ‘web’ to prevent fleeing).

Q: How do I cure negative status effects on myself?
A: Methods vary depending on the effect:

Q: A mob cursed me (“Ayla has forsaken you!”). How do I remove it?
A: This is the standard ‘curse’ spell effect. Use ‘remove curse’ (spell/potion/scroll) or visit a healer (‘heal curse’).

Healing

Q: How can I heal myself during or after combat?
A: Methods include:

Q: How do healing potions work? Does potion level matter more than Wisdom?
A: Potion level determines the base healing potential. Your Wisdom stat significantly modifies the actual amount healed. High Wisdom makes even lower-level potions (like level 60) very effective. Higher level potions provide marginally more healing but are often less cost-effective.

Player vs Player (PK)

Q: How does Player vs Player (PK) combat work?
A: PK requires players to be flagged appropriately (either both OPK – Optional PK, or members of opposing PK clans in designated PK rooms). PK is generally fast-paced and relies heavily on specific builds, gear, and tactics. Dying in PK usually has minimal penalty (no item loss, potentially small XP loss). Refer to ‘help pk’ and ‘help opk’.

Q: Are there specific PK channels or communities?
A: No dedicated global PK channel exists. PK discussion often happens within specific PK clans (‘gclan’ channel) or private groups.

Q: Can monsters interfere in PK fights?
A: Yes, if the PK fight occurs in a room with aggressive monsters, those monsters can attack either participant.

Q: Is alignment relevant in PK?
A: Alignment itself doesn’t directly affect PK damage, but spells like Protection from Good/Evil work based on the opponent’s alignment.

Pets in Combat

Q: Are pets useful for combat damage?
A: Generally, no. Pets in Aardwolf deal very little damage and are easily killed. Their primary uses are utility: marking locations for ‘hunt’ or ‘doorway’ spells, navigating the Planes, or fulfilling specific goal requirements.

Q: Do pets take a share of experience points?
A: Yes, having a pet active in your group slightly reduces the experience points you gain from kills.

Q: Can pets automatically assist me in combat?
A: Yes, unless ordered otherwise (‘order pet sleep’, ‘order pet sit’). This can be detrimental if the pet gets the killing blow on quest/campaign mobs.

Q: Can I heal or buff my pet?
A: Yes, you can cast beneficial spells (like heal or armor) on your pet. Use ‘order  report’ to check its status.

General Gear Information

Q: How do I find equipment suitable for my level and class?
A: Use the ‘eqsearch’ command (e.g., ‘eqsearch weapon’, ‘eqsearch armor’, ‘eqsearch all’). This command searches shops (especially open clan shops) and some mob inventories for gear appropriate for your current level and class, scoring items based on your ‘compare set’ weightings. Check the external website linked at the bottom of ‘help eqsearch’ (often the Aardwolf Wiki Item/Gameplay list) for information on items dropped by monsters. You can also browse player listings using the ‘market list’ and ‘auction list’ (lbid) commands, or visit open clan shops directly (‘runto ‘).

Q: How do I find potions, scrolls, wands, or staves?
A: Use the ‘potsearch ‘ command to find vendors selling specific consumables. Check ‘help potsearch’ for details. Wands and staves might also be found via ‘eqsearch hold’.

Q: How do I identify the stats and properties of an item?
A: Several commands provide item information:

Q: What do different item flags mean (Invis, Hum, Glow, Keep, Owned, NoDrop, NoSell, NoReown, NoSave, Rot-Death, Melt-Drop, Anti-Good/Evil/Neutral, V3)?
A: Item flags modify an item’s properties or behavior:

Q: How often should I upgrade my equipment while leveling?
A: There’s no strict rule, but upgrading roughly every 20-40 levels is common. Many players aim for specific level breakpoints associated with common enchanted gear sets (e.g., Level 1, 41, 71, 91, 131, 151, 171, 201). Prioritize weapon upgrades, especially after level 80. Use ‘compare’ and ‘eqsearch’ to evaluate potential upgrades, but don’t feel obligated to replace gear for very minor stat increases.

Aardwolf Gear (Quest Point Items)

Q: What is Aardwolf Gear (Aard Gear)? How do I get it?
A: Aardwolf Gear refers to powerful equipment purchased using Quest Points (QP) from Questmaster NPCs (‘runto questor’). Use ‘quest list’ to see available items and ‘quest buy  [level]’ to purchase. Refer to ‘help aarditems’ and ‘help newbie-aard’ for comprehensive guides.

Q: Which Aardwolf items should I buy first? What’s the priority?
A: Priorities vary, but common recommendations are:

Q: When should I buy Aardwolf gear? Does the level matter?
A: Yes, the level matters significantly. Buy non-scaling items (Aura, BP, Helm, Rings, Amulet, Boots, Gloves, Bracers) at LEVEL 1, usually right after your first remort. This locks them at level 1, making them usable immediately after every future remort/tier. Buy weapons and scaling armor pieces at the specific level you intend to use them (e.g., buy a level 80 weapon when you are level 80). Items purchased at Superhero (Level 201) scale based on your tier (e.g., T1 SH buys Level 211 gear). Aard Bags scale automatically.

Q: Can Aardwolf gear be sold back?
A: Yes, but ONLY during the remort auction process (‘help remort auction’). You typically get about half the original QP cost back. Many players keep lower-level Aard sets for reuse.

Q: Can Aardwolf gear be enchanted or improved?
A: Yes. Use the ‘toggle’ command (costs TP) to add flags like Solidifiable, Resonatable, Illuminable. Then, have an Enchanter player cast the corresponding spells (Solidify, Resonate, Illuminate) for stat boosts. You can also use ‘tpenchant’ (costs TP) directly on Aard weapons (adds HR/DR) or the Trivia Aura (adds stats). ‘Objstat’ (costs QP) can add base stats but is expensive.

Bonus Loot (Bloot)

Q: What is Bonus Loot (Bloot)?
A: Bonus Loot refers to items dropped by mobs that randomly receive enhanced stats and a descriptive prefix tag indicating their rarity tier. This happens only on mobs that grant experience.

Q: What are the Bonus Loot rarity tiers/prefixes, in order?
A: The prefixes, ordered from most common (lowest quality) to rarest (highest quality), are:
(Polished), (Enhanced), (Burnished), (Shiny), (Vibrant), (Sparkling), (Gleaming), (Shimmering), (Dazzling), (Brilliant), (Radiant), (Wondrous), (Majestic), (Exalted), (Eternal), (Legendary), (Epic), (Mythical), (Fabled), (Divine), (Godly).
(Note: The exact order, especially within the highest tiers like Mythical/Fabled, can sometimes be debated due to extreme rarity).

Q: How good is Bonus Loot compared to Aardwolf gear?
A: It varies greatly. Lower tiers (Polished, Enhanced) are often minor upgrades or even worse than standard gear. Mid-tiers (Shiny through Brilliant) can be comparable or slightly better than standard gear. Higher tiers (Radiant+) can potentially surpass Aardwolf gear, especially weapons at level 200+ where bloot average damage can exceed the Aard standard. Always compare stats (‘compare’, ‘dinv analyze’).

Q: How do I get Bonus Loot? Can I farm specific items?
A: Bloot drops are random chance (RNG). Kill mobs appropriate for your level that drop equipment you desire. Higher-level mobs might have a slightly better chance of dropping bloot. Mobs wearing more equipment pieces (like in Castle Vlad) offer more chances per kill. You cannot target specific bloot tiers; it’s pure luck. Ensure ‘bonusloot on’ is toggled to automatically loot qualifying items. Halfling race gets a slight bonus (rolls one tier higher, minimum Enhanced).

Q: Can Bonus Loot items be enchanted or modified?
A: Yes, bonus loot items can generally be enchanted (Solidify, Resonate, Illuminate) or modified (TPEnchant, Setweight, Wtype) like standard equipment, provided they don’t have conflicting flags (like Hum/Glow, which can be removed with TP).

Improving Gear

Q: How can I improve my equipment beyond its base stats?
A: Several methods exist:
Enchanting (Spells): Players with high stats (Int/Wis/Luck) and the Enchanter subclass can cast Solidify (+HR/DR), Resonate (+Luck/Stats), and Illuminate (+Wis/Stats) on gear. Requires toggling flags first (‘help toggle’, costs TP). Standard ‘enchant weapon’/’armor’ spells exist but risk item destruction and add levels, generally avoided.
 TPEnchant: Use Trivia Points (‘tpenchant’ command) to add HR/DR to weapons or stats to the Aura of Trivia, up to 10 times. Random results per enchant. Safer than spell enchanting.
Tempering: Blacksmith subclass skill (‘temper’) uses ore to temporarily improve weapon stats. Higher quality ore = better/longer effect. Requires another player if you aren’t a Blacksmith.
 Reforging/Wtype: Blacksmith skill (‘reforge’) or TP command (‘wtype’) changes a weapon’s type (e.g., Sword to Hammer). ‘wset’ (TP command) changes damage type (e.g., Slash to Pierce).
Objstat: Adds base stats (Str, Int, etc.) directly to an item using QP. Very expensive, generally endgame optimization.
 Setflag/Toggle: Add or remove specific item flags using TP (‘help setflag’, ‘help toggle’). Used to prepare items for enchanting or remove restrictions.
* Setweight/Halfweight: Reduce item weight using TP (‘help setweight’) or the Boot clan skill (‘mutare’). Useful for dual wielding or managing carry capacity.

Q: How does player enchanting work? Is it risky? What are max stats?
A: Player enchanting uses spells like Solidify, Resonate, Illuminate. Success requires high caster stats (Int, Wis, Luck, aim for 600+). Enchanter subclass helps significantly (free rerolls via Focus). These spells do NOT destroy items on failure. Maximum typical bonuses: Solidify (+10 HR or +8 DR), Resonate (+3 Luck, +4 Random Stat), Illuminate (+5 Wis, +5 Luck). Getting max rolls requires luck. Find enchanters via ‘who enchanter’ or Barter channel; tips (gold/TP) expected.

Q: Is TPEnchanting worth the cost? When should I do it?
A: TPEnchanting is expensive (1 TP per attempt). It’s generally recommended for:

Inventory & Storage

Q: How is carrying capacity determined (item count and weight)?
A:
Item Count Limit: Based primarily on Dexterity, modified by Strength (STR + DEX/2 + 87 base), and increased by the ‘Pockets’ wish (up to 6 tiers). Saved Superhero stats are used if higher than current stats.
 Weight Limit: Based primarily on Strength, modified by level and potentially race. Saved Superhero Strength is used if higher than current stats.

Q: How can I carry more items or manage weight effectively?
A:

Q: What is the Vault? Is it worth using?
A: The Vault provides secure, permanent storage that persists through reboots and crashes (‘help vault’). It costs TP to purchase slots (initial 20 TP for 20 slots). It’s useful for storing irreplaceable items (like unique goal rewards or sentimental gear) or managing extreme inventory clutter if Bags/Pockets aren’t sufficient. However, it’s generally considered a low priority TP purchase compared to Aura, Sleeping Bag, Portals, Manor, or even Aard Bags/Pockets, unless you have specific storage needs (e.g., rot-death items). Accessing items requires being in a BANK-flagged room. Keys decay quickly in vaults.

Q: How should I manage keys?
A: Use the built-in ‘keyring’ (‘help keyring’). Use ‘keyring put all’ to add keys from inventory. Keys on the keyring are used automatically. Keys persist through logout but have decay timers (most last ~1 week). Discard unneeded keys (‘keyring drop ‘). Store very important, non-saving keys in a container dropped in a safe place (manor floor) if needed across reboots (risky).

Specific Items Discussed

Q: Is the Ring of Regeneration worth using? Does it stack?
A: Yes, it’s a good ring, providing stats and HP/Mana/Move regeneration, especially useful while resting/sleeping. The stats stack if you wear two, but the regeneration effect does not stack with a second identical ring. It does stack with Troll racial regeneration and Trivia Sleeping Bag bonus.

Q: How do I get/use the Amulet of the Planes?
A: Drops from the Deep Dragon in The Gauntlet maze, or buy from players/auction. Hold or wear it, then ‘enter amulet’ to access the Planes hub. Needed for some quests/campaigns.

Q: Is the Trivia Sleeping Bag worth buying?
A: Yes, highly recommended by many. It provides excellent regeneration when using the ‘sleep’ command (better than beds/campfires) and uses its own unique equipment slot. Costs TP.

Q: Are Decanters useful?
A: The Aardwolf Decanter (QP item) provides unlimited water (or other liquids if refilled at special fountains) but is generally considered poor value for QP compared to free clan containers or cheap shop ones. Refilling at fountains is easy.

Q: What about specific weapons/portals mentioned frequently?
A: This information is integrated into the relevant Goal/Area sections where applicable. Generally, goal reward portals are highly valuable for navigation. Specific weapons are often discussed in terms of damage type needed for certain mobs or comparisons between Aard gear and Bonus Loot.

Quests (Standard Quests from Questmaster)

Q: How do standard quests work? Where do I get them and turn them in?
A: Standard quests are obtained from Questmaster NPCs. The main questors are located 8 rooms south or 3 rooms east of the Aylor recall point (‘runto questor’). Many clan halls also have questors. Use the ‘quest request’ command to receive a task, typically killing a specific monster or retrieving an item. Use ‘quest info’ to see details about your current quest, including the target, location hints (vicinity), and time remaining. Once you have killed the target mob (marked with a [QUEST] tag next to its name) or retrieved the required item, return to any Questmaster and use the ‘quest complete’ command to receive your rewards.

Q: What are the rewards for standard quests?
A: Quests reward Quest Points (QP), gold, and experience points. The base QP reward typically ranges from 8 to 24 QP. This base amount can be significantly increased by bonuses based on your Tier level (+1 QP per tier), Luck stat, using an MCCP-enabled client, having OPK or Hardcore flags enabled, and occasional daily blessing bonuses (Double QP).

Q: Is there a time limit or cooldown for quests?
A: Yes. You typically have a time limit to complete an active quest (shown in ‘quest info’). After completing or failing a quest, there is a 30-minute real-time cooldown (‘quest time’ shows remaining time) before you can request another quest. This timer only counts down while you are logged into the game. Server reboots reset the timer to 1 minute.

Q: How do I find my quest target mob?
A: Use ‘quest info’ for the mob’s name, area, and vicinity clue. Navigate to the area (‘runto ‘). Look for the mob matching the description in the vicinity mentioned. The correct mob will have a red ‘[QUEST]’ tag next to its name when you ‘look’ in the room or use ‘consider’. The ‘where ‘ command can sometimes help locate it within the area.

Q: What if I can’t find or kill my quest mob, or it’s in a locked area?
A: Ensure you are in the correct area and room. Use detection spells (‘detect hidden’, ‘detect invisible’). If the mob is simply difficult, try again with better gear or buffs. If it’s inaccessible (e.g., behind a goal-locked door you haven’t opened), you can go to a Questmaster and use the ‘quest fail’ command to abandon the current quest. There is a 15-minute cooldown after failing before you can request a new quest.

Q: Can I reset the quest timer?
A: Yes, using a Quest Reset Token (‘qreset token’), often obtained from Daily Blessings or player trading (though tokens are often valuable). Using the token resets the 30-minute cooldown instantly. Save these tokens, especially for double QP events.

Campaigns (CPs)

Q: How do Campaigns work? Where do I get them?
A: Campaigns are multi-stage quests involving killing a sequence of mobs (typically 10-18) in various areas across the game world. Request a campaign using ‘campaign request’ (or ‘cp req’) at a Questmaster or the Campaign Commander (‘runto campaign’). Use ‘cp check’ or ‘cp info’ to see your current target mob and location.

Q: How do I find my campaign target mob? It’s often hard to locate.
A: Finding campaign targets is a core part of the challenge. Strategies include:

Q: What are the rewards for campaigns?
A: Campaigns provide significant rewards: Quest Points (QP), Trivia Points (TP), gold, experience points, and sometimes random item drops upon completion. TP rewards are randomly assigned when the campaign is requested.

Q: Is there a limit or diminishing returns on campaigns?
A: Before Superhero level, you can complete one campaign per character level. At Superhero level, you can request one campaign approximately every 2 hours. For players “redoing” Tier 9, QP rewards diminish significantly after completing around 30 campaigns in a single Aardwolf day (resets at reboot).

Q: What if my campaign target is in a difficult or inaccessible area (maze, goal-locked, high-level mobs)?
A: This is common. Options include:

Q: Can I reset the campaign timer or do more than one per level?
A: Yes, using a Campaign Reset Token (‘cpreset token’), obtained from Daily Blessings or player trading. Using the token allows you to take another campaign immediately at your current level.

Q: What’s the best strategy for doing campaigns? Should I do one every level?
A: Doing a campaign at every level (“CP leveling”), especially during early tiers (e.g., levels 1-150), is a highly recommended strategy for maximizing QP gain. QP is crucial for buying Aard gear and wishes. It also helps explore the world and build your mapper database. However, campaigns can become tedious or difficult at higher levels. Find a balance between CP leveling and faster XP grinding that you enjoy. Using ‘noexp’ can prevent out-leveling campaigns but slows overall level progression.

Goals (Area Goals)

Q: What are Area Goals? How do I start them?
A: Area Goals are multi-step objectives tied to specific areas, often involving puzzles, exploration, specific mob interactions, or item collection. They usually offer unique rewards upon completion. To start a goal, explore the relevant area, look for NPCs marked with a green ‘!’ on client maps, use the ‘listen ‘ command, and respond to keywords or prompts. Check ‘help goal solving’ for general tips.

Q: How do I track my progress in a goal?
A: Use the ‘tasks here’ command while inside the goal’s area to see your current objective(s). Use ‘goal ‘ to see the full list of tasks for that goal, marked as complete or incomplete.

Q: What kinds of rewards do goals give? Are they worth doing?
A: Rewards vary greatly. Many goals offer extremely useful rewards like permanent area portals (e.g., Labyrinth, Xyl’s Mosaic, Prosper Island), area navigation shortcuts (e.g., Kingsholm ‘next’ command, Asherodan shortcuts), unique equipment (sometimes useful, often just flavorful), or permanent character perks (like removing aggro from area mobs in Kul Tiras or Reme). Completing goals is often highly worthwhile for the convenience and rewards, especially those aiding navigation. Check clan guides or external resources for lists of recommended goals.

Q: I lost an item needed for a goal. Can I get it back? Can I reset the goal?
A: You cannot manually reset or abandon a goal. If you lose a required item (e.g., dropped, sold, decayed), you can almost always re-obtain it by repeating the specific task step that originally awarded the item (e.g., killing the mob again, talking to the NPC). Use ‘tasks  all’ to review completed steps if needed.

Q: Are goals level-locked? Can I do low-level goals at high levels?
A: Most goals do not have strict maximum level caps, only recommended minimum levels (‘goal ‘ shows this). You can usually complete lower-level goals even as a Superhero, although QP/XP rewards might be negligible. A few specific goals might have hard level caps preventing completion if over-leveled.

Frequently Asked Goal Issues (Selected Examples from Digests)

Q: How do I get the keys/pass the doors in Halls of the Damned?
A: This involves an Area Quest sequence detailed in graffiti near the start. Kill specific mobs (Eight Arms, Wounded Warrior, Exorcist), give items between them, and finally give the cross to Darkon Stills for the key. Consider removing the ‘melt-drop’ flag from the cross using TP if you want to keep it.

Q: How do I kill Sycorax in Prosper’s Island / Storm Ships of Lem-Dagor?
A: You need either the four colored energy balls collected from engineer/prisoner mobs on the ship, or the ‘Sailor’s Knot’ item rewarded for completing the Lem-Dagor/Prosper goals. Wear/hold the knot or possess the balls during the fight to negate her powerful healing. The room is morgue-flagged (no corpse/item loss on death). Use ‘retreat’ skill to escape if needed.

Q: How do I get past the guards/bouncers in Fellchantry?
A: Purchase the ‘petitioner’s application’ and ‘silver palm pin’ from the shop near the area entrance. Completing the area goal bypasses this requirement.

Q: How do I handle the Fetch mob in Eternal Autumn?
A: You must kill Fetch twice. He teleports away after the first ‘kill’. Use ‘where fetch’ to find him again and finish him off to proceed. The area goal provides a portal reward (‘Map of the Woods’) that bypasses this fight.

Q: How do I get into Knossos Castle?
A: Requires a mini-quest each time: get steak, give hobo for pass; get silver, give Sayra for ID; give ID then pass to guards. Use ‘invis’/’hide’. Goal completion doesn’t remove this requirement, but mapper cexits help automate it.

Q: How do I navigate the maze in The Gauntlet?
A: The maze exits randomize on repop. Use ‘scan’ to find rooms with mobs and move towards them. Killing mobs can shift connections. Use ‘hunt deep dragon’ to move towards the end quickly (dangerous). Area is often bypassed using Navigator skills.

Q: How do I navigate Nenukon / exit the maze?
A: Find the ‘Hooded Exile’ mob near the entrance (‘hunt exile’). The exit is west from the room ‘Edge of the Nenukon’. The area has negative regen; bring potions. Goal completion provides shortcuts.

Q: How do I handle the time-dependent mobs in the Graveyard or Nulan’boar?
A: These mobs hide during the day (‘Hiding from the Sun’). Either wait until MUD nighttime (‘time’ command) or complete the respective area goal. The Graveyard goal grants the ‘rip’ command (used inside graves). The Nulan’boar goal allows summoning mobs via the Master Hunter using tokens.

Q: How do I navigate Partroxis / exit the maze?
A: Use the mob interaction: find the portal room (‘enter image’), ‘buy rock’, ‘drop rock’ to exit (via death/teleport). Hunting specific mobs (‘hunt elf’, ‘hunt Grax’) can help navigate to key points. A solver plugin exists.

Area Quests (AQs)

Q: What are Area Quests (AQs)? How are they different from Goals?
A: Area Quests are similar to Goals but typically lack a formal task list (‘tasks here’ doesn’t work). Progress is often tracked internally or through possessing specific items. They usually involve exploration, mob interactions, and solving puzzles within an area.

Q: How do I start or track Area Quests?
A: AQs often start implicitly through interacting with key NPCs or objects, or completing specific actions hinted at in room descriptions or graffiti. Tracking progress requires careful note-taking or using external guides, as there’s no in-game task list.

Q: Are Area Quests repeatable?
A: Many AQs, or at least the steps required to obtain their rewards (like keys or access items), are repeatable, often once per reboot or MUD day. This contrasts with Goals, which are typically completed only once per character.

Currencies

Q: What are the main currencies in Aardwolf, and what are they used for?
A: The primary currencies are:
Gold: Obtained from killing mobs, selling items, completing quests/campaigns, player trade, and events. Used for buying basic equipment from NPC shops, potions, healer services, some goal interactions, auction/market bids, and crucially, for upgrading Mastery and Instincts at higher levels.
 Quest Points (QP): Earned primarily from completing standard Quests and Campaigns. Also awarded through Global Quests, some Goals, Daily Blessings, and player donations. QP is arguably the most important currency for character progression, used to purchase powerful Aardwolf equipment (‘help aarditems’), permanent enhancements called Wishes (‘help wishes’), the Potential system (‘help potential’), and the Mastery system (‘help mastery’). QP is also required to advance to Superhero status after the first time.
* Trivia Points (TP): Earned randomly from killing mobs (especially during Campaigns), completing some Goals/Area Quests, Daily Blessings, trivia contests, and player donations. TP is used for various quality-of-life purchases, powerful unique items (Trivia Aura, Trivia Sleeping Bag), player housing (Manors), custom portals, item modification services (restringing, changing flags/weapon types), and endgame enchanting (‘tpenchant’).

Q: How can I earn Gold effectively?
A: Gold income increases significantly at higher levels. Methods include: killing high-level mobs (loot gold and sell gear), completing Campaigns, selling valuable items (TP tokens, Aarch items, good Bonus Loot) to players via Market/Auction/Barter channels, and using the Bandit subclass ‘Pilferage’ skill. Banking excess gold is recommended to prevent loss from theft or accidental large bids.

Q: How can I earn Quest Points (QP) effectively?
A: Focus on completing standard Quests (‘quest request’) whenever the 30-minute timer is up and Campaigns (‘campaign request’) at every level (or as frequently as enjoyable). Participate in Global Quests (GQs). Higher Tiers grant bonus QP per quest. Daily Blessings can offer QP or Double QP bonuses.

Q: How can I earn Trivia Points (TP) effectively?
A: Complete Campaigns regularly, as TP bonuses are often awarded upon completion. Participate in Global Quests and world boss events. Daily Blessings can also award TP or TP tokens. Killing trivia mobs that spawn randomly during campaigns is another source. TP can also be bought from other players using gold, or obtained via real-money donations.

Q: Can currencies be traded between players?
A: Gold can be traded directly (‘give gold’). QP and TP cannot be transferred directly but can be exchanged indirectly:

Wishes

Q: What are Wishes? How do I get them?
A: Wishes are permanent character enhancements purchased with Quest Points (QP) from the NPC Vira (‘runto wish’). They offer significant Quality of Life (QoL) improvements or passive bonuses. Use ‘wish list’ to see available wishes and ‘wish buy ‘ to purchase. See ‘help wishes’.

Q: What are the costs for Wishes? What is ‘Adjustment Cost’?
A: Each wish has a base QP cost. Additionally, buying a wish increases your ‘Wish Adjustment Cost’, which makes all subsequent wishes more expensive. Use ‘wish costs’ to see base costs and your current total adjustment. This system encourages prioritizing wishes carefully.

Q: Which wishes should I prioritize getting first?
A: Wish priority is highly debated and depends on playstyle. Common recommendations for early/high-priority wishes include:

Instincts

Q: What are Instincts? How do they work?
A: Instincts provide small, permanent percentage improvements to specific skills, spells, or character attributes (like Sanctuary, Haste, attack skills, HP/Mana regen). They cost both Trains and Gold to purchase, with costs increasing significantly for each additional point invested in the same instinct (diminishing returns on investment). Use the ‘instinct’ command (‘help instinct’) to view available instincts and costs.

Q: When should I start training Instincts? Which ones are best?
A: Instincts are generally considered an endgame train/gold sink. Prioritize maxing your stats and HP/Mana at Superhero level first.

Q: How do Instinct points get refunded or reset?
A: Instinct points are refunded (returned to your banked pool) when you tier up or use the ‘classchange’ command (including ‘classchange sameclass’). The ‘instinct rebuild all’ command (costs QP/gold) also refunds points. You can then reallocate the points.

Mastery

Q: What is Mastery? How does it work?
A: Mastery increases the damage dealt by specific damage types (e.g., Fire, Slash, Mental, Magic) or improves the effectiveness of healing/negative effects. It costs both Quest Points (QP) and Gold, with costs increasing per point (‘help mastery’, ‘mastery costs’). You choose damage types relevant to your primary class skills/spells and weapons.

Q: When should I invest in Mastery? Which types?
A: Mastery is a significant QP/gold investment, usually undertaken after acquiring essential Aard gear and wishes.

Potential

Q: What is the Potential system?
A: Potential increases your maximum trainable base stats (allowing you to train stats higher, primarily beneficial at Superhero) and grants bonus starting trains upon remorting. Each point of Potential grants +1 bonus train at level 1 (up to 200 max bonus trains). Potential above 200 primarily increases the SH stat cap (+1 to all max stats per 6 potential). It costs QP and gold (‘help potential’, ‘potential costs’).

Q: Is Potential worth investing in? When?
A: Yes, Potential is a valuable long-term investment.

Alignment

Q: What is Alignment? How do I check/change it?
A: Alignment reflects your character’s Good/Neutral/Evil standing. Use the ‘align’ command to check your numerical value. Ranges are roughly: Good (875 to 2500), Neutral (-874 to 874), Evil (-875 to -2500). Change alignment primarily by killing mobs of the opposite alignment (must grant XP). Specific class spells (Priest/Harmer Pray) or clan skills can rapidly change alignment.

Q: Does Alignment matter?
A: Yes, for several reasons:

Banking

Q: Why should I deposit gold in the bank?
A: Banking protects your gold from:

Player Housing (Manors)

Q: What are Manors? How do I get one?
A: Manors are player-owned houses providing customizable spaces with various utilities. Purchase requires Trivia Points (TP) – 60 TP base cost, reduced by tier discount (max 50% off at T5+). Use ‘help manor’, ‘help mu-purchase’.

Q: What are the benefits of owning a Manor?
A:

Q: Are Manors worth the cost?
A: Value is subjective. They offer significant convenience (especially ‘home’ recall and custom exits potentially replacing multiple TP portals). Vaults offer secure storage. However, they are a large TP investment. Many prioritize Aard gear, wishes, and TP aura/bag first. Buying at Tier 5 offers the best TP price.

Time & Events

Q: How does time work in Aardwolf? Day/Night/Seasons?
A: Use the ‘time’ command to see the current in-game date, time, day of the week, month, and season. One game hour is approximately 30 seconds of real time. Day/night cycles affect certain mob spawns (e.g., Graveyard, Nulan’boar). Seasons (‘help season’) might influence certain minor game mechanics or flavor text. The server operates on US Eastern Time (EST/EDT).

Q: What are Reboots (Ice Age)? How often do they happen?
A: Reboots (often called ‘Ice Age’) are server restarts, typically occurring automatically every ~48 hours (‘help reboot’, ‘help ice age’). Planned reboots for updates are announced. Reboots clear items left on the ground, reset mob spawns, and reset timers (like quest timers to 1 minute). Players remain connected through the Ice Age sequence.

Q: What special events happen? (Doubles, Fractals, Holidays)
A:

Q: How does the Lottery work?
A: Buy tickets (‘lottery buy’). Drawings Wednesdays/Saturdays. Winnings automatically credited (‘lottery collect’). ‘help lottery’.

Resource Management Strategy

Q: What should I prioritize spending QP, TP, Gold, and Trains on, especially early on?
A: Priorities evolve, but general guidelines based on player advice:
Early Game (T0-T1, Low Remorts):
 QP: Highest priority. Save during first life (SC) for Level 1 Aard gear after first remort. Top priorities: L1 Aura of Sanctuary, L1 Breastplate. Then consider L1 Helm/Boots/Amulet/Ring(s). Start buying Aard Weapons around Level 80. Save enough QP (500+) for Superhero cost each remort. Avoid buying trains/TP with QP.
TP: Lowest priority initially. Sell TP tokens for gold if needed. First purchases: Aura of Trivia, Sleeping Bag. Save towards Manor (best value at T5+). Avoid low-level TP enchanting/item modification.
 Gold: Use for basic needs (potions, vendor gear, healer). Not a major bottleneck early. Save large sums for later.
Trains: Spend as earned. Prioritize primary stats for your class. Train secondaries until cost increases. Convert excess practices to trains before SH.
 Mid-Game (T2-T5, Multiple Remorts):
QP: Continue upgrading Aard gear (weapons every 20-40 levels). Start buying essential Wishes (Exprate, Spellup, Portal, Fasthunt, Statcost, Scholar). Begin investing small amounts in Potential (up to 200 for bonus trains) and primary Mastery type (e.g., to 10%).
 TP: Fully TP-enchant Aura of Trivia. Consider key Trivia Portals (Sendhia, hubs). Save towards Manor. Start considering TP enchanting good Bonus Loot weapons if found.
Gold: Starts becoming more important for Mastery/Instinct costs. Continue funding potions/repairs.
 Trains: Max primary stats for level. Allocate remaining to secondaries or start banking small amounts in key Instincts (like Sanctuary) at SH. Max STR/DEX at SH for carry capacity.
Late Game (T6-T9, SH Gameplay Focus):
 QP: Major sink for Potential (towards 420+) and Mastery (towards 200+). Used for trading high-end Epic gear components/services.
TP: Major sink for TP enchanting endgame weapons (L291 Aard, top-tier Bloot, Epics), Manor upgrades (exits, utilities), Chaos Portal gambling, cosmetic restrings.
 Gold: Major sink for Mastery and Instinct ranks (costs become enormous). Needed for high-stakes gambling, market trades.
Trains: Primarily invested into Instincts after stats/HP/Mana are maxed.
 General Philosophy: Focus QP on permanent power (Aard gear, Wishes, Potential, Mastery). Focus TP on QoL/Convenience (Portals, Bag, Manor) or endgame optimization (TP enchanting). Spend Gold reactively (potions, repairs) until endgame sinks become relevant. Spend Trains efficiently on stats first, then HP/Instincts. Adapt priorities based on your playstyle (leveling vs. campaigning vs. SH focus) and what bottlenecks you encounter.

Client Choice & Setup

Q: Which MUD client is best for Aardwolf? (MUSHclient, Mudlet, Mobile, others?)
A:
MUSHclient: Widely considered the recommended client due to extensive community support and numerous Aardwolf-specific plugins (Mapper, SnD, Dinv, Spellup, and many more) that significantly enhance gameplay. The official Aardwolf MUSHclient package curated by Fiendish (‘finger fiendish’ for links) is highly recommended as it includes many useful pre-configured settings and plugins.
 Mudlet: A popular modern alternative, especially for Linux users. While functional, it generally has fewer readily available Aardwolf-specific plugins compared to MUSHclient, often requiring more manual setup or scripting (Lua) for advanced features. Community packages exist (e.g., from Jieiku, Chantrelle) to improve Aardwolf integration.
Mobile Clients (Android/iOS): Options like Blowtorch (Android, might require sideloading), Mudrammer (iOS, reported issues), or generic telnet apps exist but often lack the advanced features, scripting capabilities, and ease of use of desktop clients, making complex gameplay difficult. Using an external keyboard is highly recommended for mobile play. Some players use remote desktop apps to access MUSHclient/Mudlet running on a PC.
 Other Clients: TinTin++, ZMud, CMud were mentioned as clients used by some players, often requiring significant customization.
* Web Client: Available on the Aardwolf website, functional for basic play but lacks plugin support and customization.

Q: How can I run MUSHclient on macOS or Linux?
A: MUSHclient is Windows-native. To run it on macOS or Linux, use compatibility layers:
macOS: Wine is the underlying technology. Applications like Whisky (‘getwhisky.app’), Crossover, PlayOnMac, or Porting Kit simplify installing and running Wine and MUSHclient. Running MUSHclient inside a Windows Virtual Machine (VMware Fusion, Parallels, VirtualBox) is another option. Use the MUSHclient .exe installer, not the .zip archive.
 Linux: Install Wine (apt-get install wine) and potentially Winetricks. Run the MUSHclient .exe installer via Wine. Mudlet is a native Linux alternative.

Q: How do I install the recommended Aardwolf MUSHclient package?
A: Download the package installer (often linked via ‘finger fiendish’ or Aardwolf community resources). Run the installer, following the prompts. It typically includes MUSHclient itself along with essential Aardwolf plugins and configurations.

Q: How do I back up my MUSHclient settings (maps, aliases, triggers)?
A: The easiest way is to regularly make a backup copy of your entire MUSHclient installation folder, or at least the ‘Worlds’ subfolder (which contains your Aardwolf world file, typically Aardwolf.mcl) and the ‘mapper.db’ file (usually located in Worlds\Aardwolf). MUSHclient’s mapper also has automatic backup features. Using cloud sync services (Dropbox, Google Drive) on the MUSHclient folder provides automatic off-site backup.

Plugins

Q: Where can I find MUSHclient plugins for Aardwolf?
A:
AardCentral: aardcentral.github.io is a major repository linking to many popular plugins.
 Author Fingers: Use the ‘finger ‘ command in-game for known plugin authors (e.g., finger crowley, finger durel, finger hadar, finger bast, finger sath, finger naricain, finger fiendish). Their finger info often contains GitHub links or download instructions.
* Tech Channel/Forums: Ask on the ‘tech’ channel in-game or check Aardwolf community forums/Discord for recommendations and links.

Q: How do I install/load/reload a MUSHclient plugin (.xml file)?
A:
Install: Place the plugin’s .xml file into your MUSHclient\worlds\plugins directory.
 Load/Enable: In MUSHclient, go to File -> Plugins (or press Shift+Ctrl+P). Click ‘Add’, browse to the .xml file, select it, and click Open. Ensure the checkbox next to the plugin name is checked to enable it.
* Reload: To reload an existing plugin (e.g., after updating its file or fixing an issue), either restart MUSHclient entirely, or use the ReloadPlugin script function (find details on gammon.com.au scripting site) via an alias, or potentially use the ‘Reinstall’ button in the Plugins dialog. Some plugins might have their own internal reload commands (e.g., snd reload, hsp reload).

Q: What are some commonly recommended/used plugins?
A: Based on discussions in the digests:
Mapping/Navigation: Default MUSHclient Bigmap mapper, enhanced by Search & Destroy (SnD) by Crowley (for Campaigns/Quests, mob finding, advanced runto/pathing).
 Inventory/Gear Management: Dinv by Durel (essential for managing sets, comparing gear, automating storage).
Spellups/Buffs: Hadar’s SpellupRecast or Bast’s Spellup (auto-casting buffs, managing timers).
 Combat: Consider plugins (like Areia’s Consider or Conw) for easier targeting, DTrack for damage analysis.
* Other: Key managers (Crowley, Sath), Planes navigation (Naricain), Moon trackers (Galaban/Bast update), Note writers (Crowley), Fractal helpers (Alison), Epic timers (Tallimos), potentially others for specific tasks.

Q: My plugin isn’t working correctly (e.g., SnD pathing issues, Dinv errors, Spellup problems). What should I do?
A:
Check Basics: Ensure the plugin is installed correctly, enabled, and up-to-date. Restart MUSHclient.
 Check Data: Plugins like SnD and Dinv rely on databases built over time. Ensure your mapper data is reasonably complete (‘explored’). Use plugin-specific refresh commands (dinv refresh all, snd reload, hsp reload).
Check Conflicts: Disable other plugins temporarily to see if there’s a conflict. Check aliases/triggers for overrides.
 Ask for Help: Post specific error messages or descriptions of the problem on the ‘tech’ channel in-game or the official Aardwolf Discord. Provide details about your client version and the plugin version if possible.
* Check Documentation: Consult the plugin’s help files or online documentation (often on GitHub).

Mapper Configuration

Q: How do I use the MUSHclient mapper for navigation?
A:
Automatic: Use runto  or SnD’s xrt .
 Manual: Use mapper goto  to path to a specific room ID, mapper find “” to locate rooms by name, mapper where  to see the path without moving. Explore areas (walk, standard movement) to fill the map database.
* Visual: Use the graphical map window (often toggled with Alt+M or a toolbar button) to see the layout and click on rooms to pathfind.

Q: How do I teach the mapper Custom Exits (cexits)?
A: Go to the room containing the cexit. Type mapper cexit  (e.g., mapper cexit enter portal, mapper cexit open n;;n, mapper cexit say password). The mapper will then use this command automatically when pathing through that exit. Use wait(#) within the sequence to add delays if needed (e.g., mapper cexit open door;wait(1);n).

Q: How do I add/manage Portals in the mapper?
A: Go to the portal’s destination room. Use mapper portal add . Use mapper portals to list known portals and their index numbers. Use mapper delete portal  to remove one. Configure the mapper to use portals for pathing (help mapper, look for portal settings like mapper portalrecall, bouncerecall). Plugins like Dinv can integrate portal usage (mapper portal dinv portal use %1).

Q: How do I make the mapper avoid certain rooms or exits (e.g., dangerous areas, locked doors)?
A: Use the mapper lockexit command (without arguments) to open a dialog where you can set a minimum character level required to use specific exits from the current room for automatic pathfinding.
* Setting a level (e.g., 50) prevents the mapper from using that exit if your character’s level is below 50.
* Remember to lock exits from both directions if you want to completely prevent the mapper from using that connection between two rooms. Locking exits is generally preferred over deleting map data (mapper purgeroom).

Q: How do I add notes to rooms on the map?
A: While in the room, use mapper addnote . Useful for reminders about keys, mobs, puzzles, or safe spots.

Q: My mapper pathing seems wrong or inefficient. How can I troubleshoot?
A:

Aliases & Triggers

Q: How do I create aliases (command shortcuts)?
A:
MUD Alias: Use the alias  command in-game. Limited functionality (no parameters). help alias.
 Client Alias (MUSHclient): Use the Alias editor (Ctrl+Alt+A or Game -> Configure -> Aliases). Define a pattern (e.g., k  for kill) and the command to send (e.g., kill %1). Set ‘Send To’ to ‘World’ for simple commands or ‘Execute’ for calling scripts/other aliases. Supports parameters (%1, %).

Q: How do I make an alias run multiple commands?
A:
MUD Alias: Use double semicolons (;;) between commands. Cannot easily use parameters.
 Client Alias (MUSHclient): Use double semicolons (;;) between commands on one line, OR put each command on a separate line in the script box.

Q: How do triggers work? How can I make one (e.g., for low health, specific messages)?
A: Triggers automatically react to text received from the MUD.
MUSHclient: Use the Trigger editor (Ctrl+Alt+T or Game -> Configure -> Triggers). Define a ‘Trigger:’ pattern (text to match, can use wildcards  or regular expressions). Define a ‘Send:’ command or script to execute when the pattern matches. Ensure ‘Enabled’ is checked.
Pattern Matching: Must match the exact text from the MUD, excluding color codes. Use Copy output (Ctrl+D) to get exact text.
 Common Uses: Alerting on low health/mana, specific mob spawns, channel keywords, automating simple responses (use cautiously).
* Troubleshooting: Ensure pattern is exact, trigger is enabled, no conflicting triggers exist. Use echocommand on to see trigger actions. Ask Tech channel for help.

Q: Can aliases call other aliases or use variables?
A: Client-side aliases (MUSHclient) can call other aliases (set Send To: Execute) and use variables (set via SetVariable, accessed via @variablename or script functions). MUD-side aliases cannot.

UI & Display Customization

Q: How do I customize my prompt to show HP/Mana/Moves, timers, or other info?
A: Use the prompt command for your main prompt and bprompt for your combat prompt. Use placeholders like %h (HP), %H (Max HP), %m (Mana), %M (Max Mana), %v (Moves), %V (Max Moves), %X (Double XP timer), %T (Last Teller). Refer to help prompt and help promptflags for a full list of codes. Add color codes (@R, @g, @x123) for visual enhancement.

Q: How do I change text or channel colors?
A: Use the colorset command in-game to change colors for specific channels or message types (help colorset). For overall themes or changing default ANSI colors (like making default text green instead of white), use client settings (MUSHclient: Game -> Configure -> ANSI Colors, or aard theme change for pre-made themes).

Q: How can I reduce message spam (combat, spellups, room descriptions, tags)?
A:
Combat: Use the damage <0-6> command (help damage). Use spamreduce mobstatus, spamreduce groupcombat.
 Spellups: Use spamreduce spells. Client plugins might offer finer control.
Movement/Room Desc: Use brief command toggles (help brief). spamreduce silentrun.
 System Tags: Use the tags command to toggle specific message tags on/off (help tags, e.g., tags roomchars off, tags affon off).
* Client Gags: Use client trigger features to ‘gag’ (suppress) specific unwanted lines entirely.

Q: How do I change the font or window layout?
A:
Font: Client settings (MUSHclient: Game -> Configure -> Output -> Font, or Input -> Font).
 Layout: Manually drag/resize windows. Use aard layout save/load/reset/lock/unlock (AardMUSH package commands) to manage layouts. resetaard might reset UI elements.

Q: How do I turn off the help window popup in MUSHclient?
A: Disable the aardwolf_helpfile_window plugin (File -> Plugins). Use closehelp command if it appears.

Q: How do I turn off the graphical map, item level display, or other UI elements?
A: Toggle the ANSI map with automap. Toggle item level display with noob. Toggle specific tags with the tags command. Check client-specific options for other UI elements.

General Troubleshooting

Q: Why is the MUD lagging or disconnecting?
A: Check if others are lagging (ask on channels). If global, it’s a server/network issue. If local, check your internet connection, router, firewall, or client plugins. Use realtime or uptime to check server status.

Q: Why is my client acting strangely (e.g., commands failing, windows missing, weird text)?
A:
Restart Client: Often resolves temporary glitches.
 Check Aliases/Triggers: Ensure they aren’t conflicting or sending incorrect commands (alias list, Trigger Editor). Use echocommand on.
Check Plugins: Disable recently added/updated plugins. Reload suspect plugins (plugin reload or restart client). Ensure plugins are compatible/up-to-date.
 Check Settings: Verify client configuration (connection, display, input settings). Reset layout (aard layout reset).
Check World File: Ensure world settings were saved (Ctrl+S). File might be corrupted (try loading a backup).
 Ask for Help: Provide specific error messages and context on the Tech channel or Discord.

Q: How do I report a bug?
A: Use the in-game bug  command, or post a detailed report on the Bugs board (board 15). Discussing on Q&A first to confirm it’s not user error is often helpful.

Q: How can I get help with client setup or technical issues?
A: Ask on the in-game ‘tech’ channel or the official Aardwolf Discord server’s tech support channels. Provide details about your client, operating system, and the specific problem.

Corpse Retrieval (CR)

Q: I died and can’t get my corpse back safely. How do I get help?
A: If you die in a dangerous location and cannot safely retrieve your corpse yourself, you can ask for assistance, known as a Corpse Retrieval (CR).
Asking for Help: Announce your need for a CR on public channels like ‘question’, ‘newbie’, or your clan channel, clearly stating your location (area and room name if possible). You can also use the command who from cr to see players specifically listed as available CR helpers and send them a direct tell.
 Consent: The player helping you will need your permission. Use the command consent [playername] to allow them to retrieve your corpse. Remember to use remove consent [playername] afterward.
Methods: Helpers might clear the dangerous mobs, put them to sleep, use spells like ‘nexus’ to bring you closer, or retrieve the corpse themselves and bring it to a safer location like near the Aylor recall point.
 Alternatives: You have 3 free corpse summons per character lifetime using pray for corpse at a chapel (use these sparingly). You can also spend Trivia Points (TP) at Ravi for retrieval. Joining a clan with a ‘morgue’ room is highly recommended, as your corpse will automatically be sent there upon death in most areas, avoiding the need for CRs.
* Retrieving Items: Once your corpse is safe, use get all corpse to retrieve your items. Ensure you have detect invisible and detect hidden active, as some items might be hidden on the corpse. The corpse disappears once empty.

Q: I died but didn’t leave a corpse. Why?
A: Some specific rooms (often goal-related traps, epic areas, or notoriously dangerous spots like parts of Sanctity or the Wyrm Council entrance) are flagged as ‘morgue’ or ‘nocorpse’. Dying in these rooms means you do not drop a corpse or lose equipment; you respawn safely with all your gear.

Spellups & Buffs

Q: How can I get beneficial spell effects (spellups/buffs) cast on me?
A: You can ask politely on channels like ‘barter’ or ‘question’. Players, especially higher-level ones (Superheroes provide longer-lasting buffs), are often willing to cast spellups for others, typically near the Aylor recall point or in clan halls. Offering payment isn’t usually necessary.

Q: Can I stop other players from casting beneficial spells on me?
A: No, there is currently no way to prevent other players from casting helpful spells on you. Most players do this with good intentions. If you receive unwanted buffs, you can ask someone to cast ‘cancellation’ on you, wait for them to expire, or die (which removes all effects). You can use forgetskill  to prevent your own spellup routines from casting specific buffs you don’t want.

Q: What is a “Superhero Spellup”?
A: This refers to buffs cast by a level 201 (Superhero) character. These spells are cast at their maximum potential level, resulting in longer durations compared to buffs cast by lower-level characters.

Grouping, Drags & Powerleveling

Q: How do I find or form a group?
A: Use the wangrp channel (toggle with wang) to announce you are Looking For Group (LFG) or Looking For More (LFM). See help group for commands.

Q: What is a “drag”? How do I get powerleveled?
A: A “drag” refers to being powerleveled by grouping with a significantly higher-level player. The higher-level player kills mobs quickly, allowing the lower-level player(s) to gain experience rapidly. To receive experience from a Superhero (level 201+), you generally need to be at least level 186 (within 15 levels). Ask politely on the wangrp channel if anyone is offering drags. Often, drags are free, especially if the person being dragged agrees to use superhero loud at level 201 (granting the dragger double XP).

Q: Are there limits on group size or level difference for experience?
A: There is no hard limit on group size. For experience sharing, players generally need to be within 15 levels of each other.

Q: Does my pet take away experience when grouped?
A: Yes, having a pet active in your group slightly reduces the amount of experience you gain from kills.

Trading & Economy

Q: How can I buy or sell items with other players?
A: Several methods exist:
barter channel: For advertising items/services for sale or requesting items to buy (WTB). Arrange trades via tell.
 market command: Lists items for sale for extended periods (default 24 hours). Use market sell to list, market list or lbid to browse, market bid or lbid bid to purchase. Has a listing fee. help market.
auction command: For quick, timed auctions (usually a few minutes). Use auction . help auction.
 rauction command: Special auction system usable only during the remort process, allowing bids in Quest Points (QP) instead of gold. Used for trading Aard gear or transferring QP.

Q: How are Quest Points (QP) or Trivia Points (TP) traded?
A: They cannot be given directly.

Q: Is it okay to bid on auctions if someone else says they have a “deal” arranged?
A: Public auctions (auction, market, rauction) are generally considered open for anyone to bid on. If players have a private arrangement, they should use direct trade or other methods. High QP bids on cheap items via rauction/market are usually understood to be QP transfers and are typically left alone.

Communication

Q: What are the main communication channels and their uses?
A:
newbie: For new player questions (limited access).
 question / answer: For general game questions.
gossip: Off-topic chat.
 barter: Trading items and services.
wangrp: Looking for groups or drags.
 clan: Talk to your clanmates.
gclan: Talk to all clans.
 ftalk: Designated for non-English conversation.
* immtalk: Communication with online Immortals (staff).

Q: How do I send private messages?
A: Use tell . Use reply  to respond to the last tell received.

Q: How do I use Notes (in-game mail)?
A: Use the board command to switch boards (e.g., board personal, board general, board bugs). Use note write <recipient(s)>  to compose, . on a blank line to enter the body, /s to save/send. Use note list to see messages and note read  to read one. note remove  deletes notes you sent. note catchup marks all notes as read. help note. An external web tool (aardwolf.com/note.php) can help format notes.

Q: How do I use Socials (emotes)?
A: Use socials to list available socials, shelp  for syntax. To use on channels, prefix with  (e.g., gossip smile).

Q: How can I see channel history?
A: Use  -h  (e.g., question -h 10).

Q: How do I turn off player titles (pretitle)?
A: Use the nopretitle command.

Ignoring Players

Q: How can I ignore messages from another player?
A: Use the command ignore . This blocks tells, channel messages (if they use standard channels), trades, group invites, and most other interactions from that player. It does not prevent them from attacking you in PK situations. Use who ignored to see your ignore list and ignore remove  to remove someone. Use ignoreauction  to hide their auction messages specifically.

Q: Does ignoring someone persist if they rename their character?
A: It likely does not, as ignore probably targets the character name. Persistent harassment bypassing ignore should be reported to Immortals (note imm).

Helping Other Players

Q: Is it okay to answer questions on the Q&A channel?
A: Yes, helping other players is encouraged.

Q: Can I give detailed goal solutions or hints?
A: Providing direct step-by-step goal solutions publicly is generally discouraged, as goals are meant to be solved. Offering subtle hints privately via tell is common and usually acceptable.

Q: What are good ways to help new players?
A: Answer questions politely on the newbie/question channels, offer spellups, assist with corpse retrievals, provide basic gear or directions, and recommend joining the Boot Camp clan.

Q: What are clans in Aardwolf? What are the benefits of joining one?
A: Clans (sometimes referred to as guilds) are player-run organizations within the game. Joining a clan offers numerous benefits, including:
Community: A group of players to interact with, ask questions, and potentially group with.
 Help & Resources: Access to experienced players for advice, potential assistance with goals or corpse retrievals, and often clan-specific guides, maps, or resources.
Clan Hall: Access to a dedicated clan area which typically includes features like trainers, healers, high-regeneration resting rooms, shops selling clan-specific or general gear, and potentially custom exits leading to various parts of the game world.
 Morgue: Many clans have a morgue room. If you are a member, dying in most areas of the game will automatically transport your corpse safely to the clan morgue, avoiding the need for corpse retrievals. This is a major benefit, especially for newer players exploring dangerous areas.
* Clan Skills/Spells: Clans often possess unique skills or spells available only to their members, providing various buffs or utilities.

Q: How do I find and join a clan?
A: Use the clist command to see a list of active clans and their member counts. Use claninfo  to view specific details about a clan, including its alignment (PK or NoPK), requirements, and often directions to its hall or contact information. Joining requirements vary widely; some clans are open to new players, while others have level, tier, or playtime requirements. The application process usually involves contacting a clan leader or recruiter (check roster ) via tell or sending a note via the personal board (note write Application). An interview might be required.

Q: Which clan is recommended for new players?
A: The Boot Camp clan is consistently recommended for new players. They have minimal requirements (level 15+), focus on helping newbies learn the game, provide excellent resources (guides, maps, morgue), and have active helpers. Use help boot-application for instructions. Note that Boot Camp generally allows only one character per player to be a member.

Q: What are PK vs NoPK clans?
A: Player Killer (PK) clans are permitted to engage in combat against members of other PK clans in designated PK areas. NoPK clans cannot participate in or be targeted by clan-based PK combat. Use clist to see the PK status of different clans.

Q: What features are typically found in clan halls?
A: Clan halls vary but often include:
Recall Point: A specific room members recall to.
 Shops: Selling general supplies or clan-specific equipment (see Clan Gear below).
Trainers/Healers: NPCs providing standard training and healing services.
 Regen Rooms: Rooms offering maximum HP/Mana/Move regeneration while resting/sleeping.
Morgue: A room where members’ corpses are sent upon death (highly valuable).
 Custom Exits: Shortcuts leading to various areas (reliability can vary if areas change).
* Meeting Rooms/Social Areas.

Q: What is Clan Gear? Is it good?
A: Clan gear is equipment sold in clan shops. There are two main types:
Open Clan Gear: Can be purchased and used by any player, regardless of clan membership. Often found in shops accessible from public areas of the clan hall. eqsearch primarily lists open clan gear. It provides solid options, especially for leveling sets at common breakpoints (e.g., 41, 71, 91, 131, 151, 171, 201).
 Closed Clan Gear: Restricted to members of that specific clan. Often higher level or with better stats/unique effects compared to open gear. Usually sold in members-only sections of the clan hall.
* Quality: Clan gear can be very good, especially enchanted sets provided by clan enchanters. However, high-level Aardwolf gear or good Bonus Loot drops might surpass standard clan gear in some slots. Note that some clan shops might have invisible items requiring detect invis to see/buy.

Q: How do I leave a clan?
A: You cannot leave a clan directly. You must request to be removed by the clan’s leadership. Contact a leader (check roster ) via tell or note and ask to be ‘outcast’. See help outcast.

Q: What commands are used for clan interaction?
A: Key commands include:
clist: Lists active clans.
 claninfo : Shows details about a specific clan.
roster : Shows the clan’s member list and ranks.
 clantalk  (or ct): Sends a message to your clan channel.
gclan : Sends a message to the global inter-clan channel.
 clanmotd: Displays your clan’s Message of the Day.
clandonate : Donates gold to your clan’s treasury.
 clan skills: General help file (does not list specific skills).
* clanallies: Shows clans allied or at war with your clan.

Q: What are clan skills? Are they public?
A: Clans possess unique skills usable only by members (often requiring specific ranks). The exact effects of most clan skills are considered secrets and are not listed publicly in help files or claninfo.

Q: How do clan alliances work?
A: Clans can form alliances or declare war on each other, primarily affecting PK interactions. Use clanallies to see your clan’s current relationships.

Q: Is playing multiple characters at the same time allowed?
A: No. Playing more than one character simultaneously is strictly against the rules (‘help multiplaying’). This includes sharing items or resources between your own alternate characters in ways that provide an unfair advantage. If multiple people play from the same location (IP address), ensure you respond promptly to any bot checks.

Q: What are the rules regarding botting or scripting?
A: Unattended scripting (botting) is forbidden (‘help botting’). You must be present and actively playing while using scripts or triggers. While client-side automation for things like navigation (‘runto’, mapper pathing) or simple responses is generally acceptable, automating sequences that involve both movement and actions providing gain (killing mobs for XP/QP/gold) is illegal. Letting a script play the game for you while you are away from the keyboard is not allowed. Report suspected botting via ‘note imm’, do not try to investigate yourself.

Q: Are there rules about stacking multiple commands together?
A: Yes (‘help stacking’). While stacking movement-only commands is usually permitted, stacking movement commands immediately before or after commands that yield gain (like ‘kill’, or potentially quest turn-ins) is against the rules. Combining movement and attack commands in automated sequences (like client aliases or triggers) is generally considered illegal botting.

Q: What is Kill Stealing (KS) and is it against the rules?
A: Kill Stealing refers to attacking a monster that another player is already fighting or has wounded. You cannot attack a mob someone else is actively engaged with unless you are grouped with them. Attacking a wounded mob after the original attacker has died, fled, or recalled is considered kill stealing and is against the rules (‘help sharing’). Using Area of Effect (AoE) attacks that hit wounded mobs engaged by others is also considered KS.

Q: What about harassment or general conduct?
A: Persistent harassment, such as finding ways to bypass the ‘ignore’ command, should be reported to Immortals (‘note imm’). Inappropriate character names or use of socials may also violate conduct policies (‘help policies’).

Q: Is it okay to give out goal solutions?
A: Providing direct, step-by-step solutions to area goals on public channels is strongly discouraged. Goals are intended to be challenging puzzles. Offering subtle hints privately via ‘tell’ is generally considered acceptable.

Q: Are there rules about auctions or the market?
A: Using alternate characters (alts) to bid on items listed by your main character on the Market board is considered multiplay abuse and is against the rules. While “shilling” (having friends artificially inflate bids) on the public Auction channel is frowned upon, players are allowed to bid on their own auctions to set a minimum price.

Q: How do I report rule violations or game bugs?
A: Use the ‘note’ system. For rule violations (multiplaying, botting, harassment), send a note on the personal board addressed To: imm. For game bugs, post a note on the Bugs board (‘board bugs’, ‘note write all ‘). Discussing potential bugs on the Question channel first to verify is also common practice.

Common Acronyms & Slang

This list includes frequently used abbreviations and terms found in Aardwolf player communication.

Useful Links

(Note: Website availability and content may change over time. Always verify links and information.)