1) What is the purpose of bulk?
The bulk system was created to limit the creation of super combos.
Rather then making it so that one guild can't wear a certain bulk type
while others can, a system was created to hinder one's percentages in
skills and spells while wearing overly bulky equipment. The bulk of
equipment is determined simply by looking at it [help look].
The maximum level of bulk wearable on a given slot is determined by
race, as is how many of those slots are available. The brow, eye,
amulet, brooch, wrist, and finger slots (if present) can only wear
"not bulky" equipment, regardless of race.
There are five levels of bulk:
Bulk Scale in Increasing Order
------------------------------
not bulky (applies only to the slots mentioned above)
minimally bulky
somewhat bulky
quite bulky
very bulky
Equipment can also be targeted by the scale above.
(i.e. drop all bulk very bulky)
2) What are bulk limitations for spells?
Each guild is assigned a bulk limit for hermetic and spiritual spells.
Effective percentage with those spells decreases while equipment of
higher bulk is worn. Your primary guild determines this limit.
*SPECIAL NOTE FOR DUAL PRIMARY WISH*
The lowest bulk limit of both primary guilds applies to both hermetic
and spiritual spells.
-------------------------------------------------------
Guild | Hermetic Bulk Limit | Spiritual Bulk Limit
-------------------------------------------------------
Abjurer | Minimal | Minimal
Alchemist | Somewhat | Minimal
Assassin | Somewhat | Somewhat
Bard | Quite | Somewhat
Biomancer | Minimal | Minimal
Cultist | Minimal | Quite
Druid | Minimal | Somewhat
Fallen | Minimal | Very
Fighter | Minimal | Quite
Jomsviking | Minimal | Quite
Mage | Minimal | Minimal
Merchant | Quite | Minimal
Monk | Minimal | Minimal
Necromancer| Minimal | Minimal
Paladin | Minimal | Very
Psionicist | Minimal | Somewhat
Ranger | Somewhat | Very
Sentinel | Quite | Quite
Templar | Minimal | Quite
3) What are bulk limitations for skills?
Most skill categories are separate from the bulk limitations of your
primary guild. Effective percentage with skills decreases while
equipment of higher bulk is worn.
-----------------------------------------------
Skill Category | Skill Bulk Limit
-----------------------------------------------
Arcane | Same as Hermetic Bulk Limit
Armed Combat | Very
Bardic | Quite
Biomantic | Same as Hermetic Bulk Limit
General Combat | Very
Healing | Quite
Law | Very
Light Combat | Somewhat
Mercantile | Quite
Nature | Somewhat
Necromantic | Somewhat
Ranged Combat | Quite
Religious | Same as Spiritual Bulk Limit
Stealth | Somewhat
Unarmed Combat | Minimal
4) How much of an effect does bulk have?
The bulk penalty is 4% per slot per level of bulk beyond the limit.
Note that although there is a penalty for wearing more bulk than
allowed, there is no bonus for wearing less bulk than allowed.
Bulk Difference | Penalty
----------------|-------------
3 | 12% per slot
2 | 8% per slot
1 | 4% per slot
One can assign a number to each bulk value, considering minimal as 1,
somewhat as 2, quite as 3, and very as 4. The penalty to a given
skill or spell from wearing a too-bulky item is then:
((item bulk) - (allowed bulk)) * (slots covered by item) * 4%
Skill example:
"Dodge" is a "light combat" skill. While wearing a very bulky
breastplate covering your upper torso and lower torso, you would
suffer a 16% penalty to the "dodge" skill.
((bulk 4 item) - (bulk 2 allowed)) * (2 slots) * 4% = 16% penalty
Spell example:
Bulk allowed for spells is determined by your primary guild, so the
penalty depends on the primary guild(s) of the caster - even if two
guilds get the same spell they may not have the same bulk
restrictions.
Both mages and merchants get the "magic missile" hermetic spell, but
merchants have a hermetic bulk limit of "quite bulky" while mages have
a hermetic bulk limit of "minimally bulky".
If trying to cast the spell while wearing a "quite bulky" helmet
covering their head, the mage would suffer an 8% penalty while the
merchant would have no penalty at all. Note that since dual-primaries
take the lowest limit of their two primary guilds, a dual-primary
mage-merchant would suffer an 8% penalty.
Mage:
((Bulk 3 item) - (bulk 1 allowed)) * (1 slot) * 4% = 8% penalty
Merchant:
((Bulk 3 item) - (bulk 3 allowed)) * (1 slot) * 4% = 0% penalty
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