Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

If a geologist is useful, then I'm set!!! Y'all can be my assistants. :)

Does that mean we mine for gold?

Mine for gold. Hike mountains. Sleep under the stars. Let's do it all.

I still somewhat suspect that a historian or botanist would do better than a doctor since I suspect that a doctor thrown into the world of medicine 200 years before wouldn't fair too well since so much knowledge wouldn't be applicable.

As a nurse I'd probably be accused of being a witch and burned at the stake.

I have a question about The Academy quest. There are three levels, are we too choose only one level and get rewards for that one level or do we build up to it?

Like for example, I completer 3 requirements and earn Associate Professor rewards then once I hit the professor level I can also earn those rewards as well, and so on.

I ask because I plan to do all of them but so far have just finished 3 of them.

@ Rachel:

Rules: "Complete requirements to rise the ranks and become a teaching prodigy." and Kelly's comment in this thread: "2. The ranks are not exclusive. You earn them as you complete enough to qualify for that rank."

As you should "RISE the ranks" I would say that you gain the accolades as you go. First you obtain the reward for the lowest level and when you reach the second and third rank you gain the goodies, too.

Wow, that challenge is worth a lot of XP!

Yes, but it's only logical that there have to be more quests worth a lot of points. Once you reach level 5 you need an incredible amount of XP to get to level 6. And it gets even more difficult after that.

I need to plow through more books!!

Alex wrote: "Wow, that challenge is worth a lot of XP!"

Yup :) I also wanted to give people who don't read quite as fast a way to earn some experience and participating in the group in different ways is a good way to do that.

And yes, you do get each of the levels.

posting into the void seems to be all I ever do in a buddy read! I answer the questions and no body responds.

Hi....
I'm confused by the potions. OK, I have neither, nor can I get my hands on either, but what's the difference between the Enhanced Weapon Potion (Increases the damage of a weapon by 3 for the remainder of the week) and the Damage Potion (For the remainder of the week attack and magic power are increased by 3 points each)
Are they supposed to overlap? Oooh! or: will there be pure magic (fire spell!?) later?

And whilst I'm on questions with no earthly immediate impact... that Great Blue Dragon. When you use the healing potion (which one?), do you get the benefits too? e.g. use a minor heal potion = +5HP for hero and -5HP for the pesky dragon?

Please don't kick me out of the tavern for asking again (remember it being asked but could not find the answer) but if I apply a book towards a quest yet do not finish the quest before it expires can I use the book for another quest?

Alex wrote: "Please don't kick me out of the tavern for asking again (remember it being asked but could not find the answer) but if I apply a book towards a quest yet do not finish the quest before it expires c..."

No, if you collect exp for it.
For example berries - you spell out a word and you get exp for each letter + bonus for finishing word. Now, you can spell the word out and wait to collect all exp in the end all at once (in that case I'd say, yes you can reuse your book) or you can collect exp as you go, one letter at the time (in this case you can't reuse your book)


But Kelly is the boss so she can overrule me :)

Catherine wrote: "And whilst I'm on questions with no earthly immediate impact... that Great Blue Dragon. When you use the healing potion (which one?), do you get the benefits too? e.g. use a minor heal potion = +5HP for hero and -5HP for the pesky dragon? "

I can answer only second part of your question. When great dragon came to our land we had only one healing potion at the time (one you get with healing quest). During battle you can use any healing potion you like/have, but it only influences your health. (isn't that benefit enough? You can't be killed!) Sadly dragon will keep his 5 until you heal and continue your battle.

Kari wrote: "posting into the void seems to be all I ever do in a buddy read! I answer the questions and no body responds."

You can mention that you're reading it here.

I'm looking at doing a service where people can sign up and get notified when a book on their to-read shelf is scheduled for a buddy read but I'm having some issues getting enough rights though the GoodReads interface. It might come someday :)

Catherine wrote: "Hi....
I'm confused by the potions. OK, I have neither, nor can I get my hands on either, but what's the difference between the Enhanced Weapon Potion (Increases the damage of a weapon by 3 for th..."

Hmmm. Yes, right now they overlap. I might go and up the damage on the weapon potion a bit since that one you have to choose one. Or it might just end up being a slightly worse potion.

I have debated adding actual spells though but haven't worked that out yet :)

❀Tea❀ wrote: "No, if you collect exp for it.
For example berries - you spell out a word and you get exp for each letter + bonus for finishing word. Now, you can spell the word out and wait to collect all exp in the end all at once (in that case I'd say, yes you can reuse your book) or you can collect exp as you go, one letter at the time (in this case you can't reuse your book)"

Yup. That's the jist. So there's some quests where you get xp as you go and those you can't reuse books for. If it's one where you have to complete the whole quest for then you could take the books and reuse them since they weren't "used up" by anything yet, you were just holding them there.

❀Tea❀ wrote: "Catherine wrote: "And whilst I'm on questions with no earthly immediate impact... that Great Blue Dragon. When you use the healing potion (which one?), do you get the benefits too? e.g. use a minor..."

The big benefit to the healing potions is you can use them during battle. You can't use the read/rest approach during battles.

Since some of the dragons have a lot of attack it's unlikely that you'd be able to kill them without healing during it. Healing does not use a turn in battle so you still can strike back and heal before the dragon gets another turn.

Kelly wrote: "❀Tea❀ wrote: "Catherine wrote: "And whilst I'm on questions with no earthly immediate impact... that Great Blue Dragon. When you use the healing potion (which one?), do you get the benefits too? e...."

Yeah: I have already used one potion, driving away that greedy Big Heart. My question was about the blue dragon in particular:

Great Blue Dragon - This dragon rules the seas, and lakes, and streams, and inlets, and fjords and probably lots of other water related terms. Both of your weapons have a tendency to hit a bit softer on this beast (half as hard if you want to know specifics). However, for each healing potion you use, the blue dragon loses 5 health points
15 Attack 60 Health - Reward: 30 Experience, Orb of Water (Automatically heal one health at the end of every fight)

So, if I understand it right, if I have a weapon at 10 (!) Attack, I'll cause 5 damage. I then drink a heal potion, and gain the health points associated with the particular variant, plus cause 5 damage to the blue dragon.
Other dragons are not affected by healing potions.

Either way, a beer is in order, to steady my nerves even thinking about it right now!

Yes you understand correctly. :) All the colored dragons have some sort of twist on their fight. Since dragon's aren't allowed to be boring.

So far I see the best benefit in using the Time Walking Potion is on the The Academy once it expires. Then I can earn another 13 XP, 1 Heal Potion, 1 Major Heal Potion, and 1 Health Gem. Saving up those Potions to defeat Rare monsters mainly the Great Novel Dragon.

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "So far I see the best benefit in using the Time Walking Potion is on the The Academy once it expires. Then I can earn another 13 XP, 1 Heal Potion, 1 Major Heal Potion, and 1 Health Gem. Saving u..."

I mainly put the expiration date on that one so people would be able to plan buddy reads and bom's a bit better.

They'll be some other quests with big rewards too. I'm going to try to add at least one larger quest each month.

I'll be leveling up this weekend and the gap between 90 and 135 will take mucho exp pts. Sigh.... I like when you give us options to gain higher pts with the same quest. I'll always opt for the higher yield.

Re posting to the void... It's 12:30 in the AM not too many people around to 'talk' to.

*enters the tavern shattered and disappointed*

*Slides an ice cold tankard Rachel's way*

Thanks Lord Alex the Flirt. It's much needed.

I just wanted to double check this. For the Date Night quest, finding the romance words, if we use a book that has one of those words in it, that book can't be used for anything else, yeah?

I'm pretty sure that's the case but it's killing me wasting whole books on ONE word lol So I thought I should make sure, just in case.

Sorry. 1 word, 1 book.

Cait wrote: "I just wanted to double check this. For the Date Night quest, finding the romance words, if we use a book that has one of those words in it, that book can't be used for anything else, yeah?

I'm pr..."

Yup sorry. The Queen has very exacting specifications for her date night :)

Cait wrote: "I just wanted to double check this. For the Date Night quest, finding the romance words, if we use a book that has one of those words in it, that book can't be used for anything else, yeah?

I'm pr..."

I know!!! Just one word for one book. :( Just make sure it's a 100 page book. :P It would be an awful shame if you used a 300+ page book for it.

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "I know!!! Just one word for one book. :( Just make sure it's a 100 page book. :P It would be an awful shame if you used a 300+ page book for it. "

What is the difference from using book for spell-out? :)

I see it as using a book to get 1 exp, rather than wasting a book on one word. It's the same reward per book as gathering berries or bones or timewalker.

Maybe my level 2 self is just naively cheerful :-)

Zee wrote: "Maybe my level 2 self is just naively cheerful :-) "

Nope. I see it same way.

I'm not really sure why it feels different. Like I've had no problem using one book for one spot for everything else but this is like... Well, found the word "love" now this book is completely useless. Even though it's generally the exact same principal.

I don't read 100 page books, really, which may be my other problem. Almost every I have is fairly long which is probably what leads me to feel like I'm wasting them. Ahh, the pitfalls of doing 20 challenges at once, I suppose.

Go to the library and check out like 10 sub-200 page books specifically for this challenge.

❀Tea❀ wrote: "RachelvlehcaR wrote: "I know!!! Just one word for one book. :( Just make sure it's a 100 page book. :P It would be an awful shame if you used a 300+ page book for it. "

What is the difference from..."

There isn't.

Cait wrote: "I'm not really sure why it feels different. Like I've had no problem using one book for one spot for everything else but this is like... Well, found the word "love" now this book is completely usel..."


Yup, it's all in the mind. :) Just make sure to have one of those books a romance to get the extra XP.

I don't do anything specifically for any one challenge. I do too many of them at once to use books that will only work in one spot. Meaning I have my reading schedule planned out...roughly three months in advance of any given time lol So usually that means it's taken me an hour+ to pick out a book that fits 10 challenges and it would be frustrating to try and find another.

It's really not the end of the world, like I'm going to do the quest either way. Just going to do it begrudgingly :P

LOL, I know Cait.

Don't worry :) They'll be some quests that favor long books too.

Kelly wrote: "Don't worry :) They'll be some quests that favor long books too."

I figured there would be! You've seemed to cover just about everything :D

Kelly wrote: "Don't worry :) They'll be some quests that favor long books too."

*Dusts off War and Peace*

LOL, Dang that war and peace. Urgh, it will be the death of me.

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "LOL, Dang that war and peace. Urgh, it will be the death of me."

You could alway read The Count of Monte Cristo :P

I'm holding on to all the Game of Thrones books for that purpose :D

Alex wrote: "*Dusts off War and Peace*"
I loved that book. Anna Karenina is great, too. There's something in Tolstoi's style that works for me. I just can't cope with the Frenchies. Anytime I try to read Victor Hugo or Gustave Flaubert I fall asleep. :p

I'm on the 4th book for Song of Fire and Ice. I have a lot of big books, so my selections are not limited to the dreaded War and Peace. I can't let that book beat me. I will read it. I will kick it's butt! I will not beat me!

Kelly wrote: "Don't worry :) They'll be some quests that favor long books too."

Hmm maybe I should put my current 1000 page doorstop into my tote when I finish it rather than using it to level up my staff :-P