Life in a big or small city these days is not free
from crime. Wary citizens can use the techniques described here to safeguard
their lives, money, and property from criminals or simply bad luck.
There are are a number of quick ways to lose the coins
in your pocket. That money is money you are going to need, and is fairly
difficult to replace at first. So you want to safeguard it.
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CHAPTER 1: Deposit Any Extra Coins in the Bank
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CHAPTER 2: Be on the Watch Against Pickpocketing
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CHAPTER 3: Don't End Up With Missing Items
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CHAPTER 4: Don't Drop Anything
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CHAPTER 5: Avoid Fraudulent Exchanges
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CHAPTER 6: Don't Be Fooled by a Con Game
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CHAPTER 7: What To Do in Case of an Assault
Chapter 1
~~~~~~~~~
Deposit Any Extra Coins in the Bank
Death is one of the main causes of lost money.
Once you have joined a guild and purchased your initial
supplies or equipment, deposit any remaining coins in the bank. The bank
does not charge you for an account, and will keep it safe for you. When you
need it again, simply go back to the bank and withdraw the amount you need.
You will find the bank in the DIRections you use to get around town.
All the coins on you when you die are lost. Keep this
in mind when you are hunting and you begin to accumulate any amount of money
which you might miss.
Frankly, keeping all money that you want to actually
have in the bank is a good defense against any number of things
Chapter 2
~~~~~~~~~
Be on the Watch Against Pickpocketing
You will never know a good pickpocket has hit you
until you count your money the next time you need it. And the real truth
is that you could have had it stolen anytime, not just where you are then
and there.
As mentioned above, keep your extra money in the bank.
Bank often. And do not tarry outside the Bank, it is a known hangout for
pickpockets of varying skills.
Perception will help you notice pickpockets. WATCH
someone you think may be a pickpocket, it can also help. But if there is
no money in your pocket, there is really nothing to worry about when someone
reaches in and grabs only a handful of lint.
Be wary even while hunting, it is not just in town
that your pockets can be picked. When you do accumulate enough money that
you would hate to lose, walk on back to the bank and deposit it.
If you are guarding someone, you will not only guard
them against attacks, but also pickpockets -- if you are observant and skilled
enough to catch the thief. If you must transport large amounts of money from
time to time, you could consider hiring a well qualified guard.
If you catch someone pickpocketing you and you are
in town, you can go to the Guard house and accuse them. This puts them on
the wanted list, and the guards will then take care of the matter. But even
if the pickpocket is arrested by the guards, you will not get your coins
back.
As of this writing, pickpockets can grab your coins,
and very skilled ones can grab a gem from inside one of your containers.
Keep your gem-holding pouch or sack closed if you are worried about thieves.
But they cannot steal other things from your backpack. They can NOT take
your sword, armor, mortar, or anything else from your backpack/sack. If you
find that you are missing some item, chances are that you misplaced it by
putting it away in something on the ground. This is preventable, and just
a small bit of planning and getting into a good habit will keep your things
in your possession.
Which leads to the next chapter . .
Chapter 3
~~~~~~~~~
Don't End Up With Missing Items
Sometimes by chance, other times with someone's sly
premeditation (they return to in a bit to collect them), backpacks, sacks,
pouches and other containers will be discarded on the ground.
For instance, if you move to put something away into
the backpack on your back while one is on the ground, without specifying
your own, the item will be placed into the one on the ground.
There are several handy ways to ALWAYS get things
in the right place.
First, specify MY BACKPACK, MY SACK, MY POUCH, MY
SHEATH, or whatever container it is when you put something away. Just get
in the habit and do it with everything, always.
Second, you can STOW things. Simply designate the
container you want to be used for STOWing, and then all you need to do is
STOW MORTAR, instead of PUT MORTAR IN MY BACKPACK.
Weapons can also be SHEATHed in suitable sheaths and
scabbards to quickly put them in the container they belong in. And DRAWn
out when you want to weild them.
Prevention is worth a good deal of money in this case.
And remember, that member of the Guild of Thieves next to you when you discover
your blade is missing, or your mortar is gone, or that your instrument is
nowhere within your reach -- that person next to you did not, and could not,
take it. You very likely did not STOW it or remember to specify your own
backpack or container.
Chapter 4
~~~~~~~~~
Don't Drop Anything.
True, for a few seconds something you drop on the
ground cannot be picked up by anyone else. But you never know when some freak
storm might come and snatch you, or just delay your ability to pick it back
up.
If you MUST drop something, do so, and then GUARD
it quickly. This prevents someone from walking in and taking it.
Guard is NOT perfect, though. Once someone gets at
melee with you the item can be grabbed. Other tactics can also circumvent
your guard. And someone CAN get to melee at you from hiding, and you will
never know it until they take the item on the ground.
Handing it to a trusted friend is still the safest
thing to do.
Don't leave hunting treasure on the ground,
either.
Anything that you leave on the ground and walk away
from will very likely quickly disappear, either to a wind whisking it away,
or to someone who happens by and takes a fancy to it. This includes your
things which get left behind after you die and depart. For Novices who are
still first circle, the first few deaths will not part the Novice from her
equipment. But soon enough, it will, and you will die and depart,
Chapter 5
~~~~~~~~~
Avoid Fraudulent Exchanges
Remember the old Halfling saying, "If it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is"?
You might come across someone who wants to sell you
something with JUST the qualities you are looking for, at a good price. Stop
first, though, and go through these steps.
A. Always examine the item. LOOK at it first, then
APPRAISE it. You want to be able to eyeball your purchase, as well as look
at it closely enough to ascertain that it does what the seller claims it
does. The person may be hesitant to give you the item to appraise it, since
they do not know you. Ask them to show you the item while they hold it in
their right handt. You can then APPRAISE the ITEM in the PERSON's hand without
having to possess it.
First look at it to ascertain whether it is in good
condition or needs repairs. Then appraise it.
The appraisal will tell you more or less what the
item is worth, but more importantly, you will be able to see the qualities
of the item, like the sharpness of a blade, or the amount of protection for
a piece of armor.
B. Make your purchase in an area where you cannot
be pickpocketed. The bank window is a favorite place to suggest that you
move to once the terms of the bargain have been agreed on. After all, you
do not keep any extra money on you anyway, smart consumer that you are, and
you need to withdraw it.
C. Never give someone the coins or the item first.
Never. I do not care what their story is why they must have it first. Just
do not do it. If they tell you they have a debt and cannot barter the sale,
inform them that they should be able to.
D. Use BARTER to make the exchange. If you BARTER
for the purchase of an item, or the exchange of items, the transfer of the
money and item is made simultaneously. This prevents someone from taking
your money and not giving you the item, or taking your item and not giving
you the money.
Chapter 6
~~~~~~~~~
Don't Be Fooled by a Con Game
Not all fraud happens in the sale or exchange of goods,
however. There are just a few simple things to remember to prevent you from
losing something:
A. Never give an item to someone to appraise. If they
want to appraise something, drop it on the ground, guard it, and invite them
to appraise it from there. Remember, you do not have to hold something in
your hands to appraise it. HOWEVER, there is a large caveat that goes with
this, since a particular con game is being run specifically to get around
guarded items that are placed on the ground. Read on, my friend.
B. Do not count on GUARD to protect your investment
on the ground.
Let me describe the setup of a very effective scam
that has left more than one person without one of their posessions.
Someone approaches you and asks to see that weapon
or other valuable that you are using or wearing. You decline, and explain
you do not give your things away. They smile and offer up the solution that
will safeguard your item. You drop it and guard it. After all, they can still
appraise it on the ground, and it will be safe that way. If you do this,
they appraise it. You pick it back up, feeling pretty secure that there was
no harm involved after all.
BUT just as you pick it up, someone else walks in,
notices it and asks about it. They might casually say something to the first
person that seems they know one another, or are friends or something. And
so you drop it again, and guard it so they can look at it closely.
But now ... while you wait for the person to appraise
the item on the ground, suddenly the first person has sneaked up out of hiding
and grabs it and runs off with it.
It is not protected by the usual time allotted when
you drop something because of an anomaly of some sort that only comes into
play when it is dropped the second time, in a row.
It is not protected by the guarding, since the person
has hidden and crept up to melee to get around your guard.
My advise truly is to stop dropping things for anyone
who asks. Tell them where they can purchase it, or relate to them the description
of the item and how you feel it works.
Do not drop it if you hope to keep it.
C. Never give your possessions to someone you do not
know to "watch" for you.
D. Depart with friends, not strangers.
They call them graverobbers, the people who offer
to "watch" your things for you when you die and depart back to the temple,
but instead take them and run.
If there is a paladin in your party of sufficient
ranking, (it takes 5 promotions, I think) ask them for a glyph of warding
on you right before you depart. It will keep your things safe. But hurry
back from the temple, these wards do not last very long!
Depart in a quiet, out of the way place, with someone
you can trust.
E. The cities of the Realms have their own guards
for dealing with crime.
Fines for unlawful acts will be administered by the
guards, not by individuals.
F. REAL Mentors are easy to identify.
Mentors are citizens of the Realms, just like you,
who volunteer to help newcomers. Every Mentor can be identified by a special
armband, and they are able to put on their title, "Mentor" that is visible
when you look at them. Mentors do not go around yelling "If you are new,
I'll help you!" Mentors can send around special messengers, however, that
will notify people in town where one is to help answer questions. The Jadewater
Mansion is the headquarters for the Mentorship Society.
G. Remember: Never give an item to someone you do
not know and never drop something you want to keep.
Chapter 7
~~~~~~~~~
What To Do in Case of an Assault
While most people will not ever harm you, in case
you do come across a situation where someone assaults you, keep your head.
The best thing to do is walk away from it, and let the Guardian Mages know
about the despicable actions of the assailant(s). [Think of the REPORT command
as the 911 of the Realms -- it goes right to the GMs, and should only be
used for emergencies. Even then, you best explain in detail what the difficulty
is. "Help" is not details. "I cannot get away from this person (and you better
name the person) who is attacking/assaulting me without any reason, and I
told him I did not want to" is detail.]
If you are being dragged, stand up, and just walk
away in another
direction, and keep going, very quickly. Remember
also you can simply LEAVE a group that is taking you anywhere you do not
want to go.
If you are being attacked and cannot retreat, tell
them to stop. If they do not stop, and you have made it clear they act without
your consent, then it is time to call in a Guardian Mage.
If you exchange insults, blows, or taunts with the
other person, antangonizing the situation, do not expect the Guardian Mages
to look upon that as unprovoked circumstances.
Explicit and obscene speech and behaviors are just
as offensive as a physical attack, and should also be handled quickly.
Violence of any sort against other citizens of the
Realms does not belong here.
