Draft:Rampart Public Library
The Rampart Public Library offers in-world reference documents and paid Intelligence research in Rampart. Its student-aid discount makes it particularly relevant to characters with low maximum Intelligence.
| Location | City travel name | Research fee | Opening hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Random shop site | library | 50-1,000 Au per selection | 07:00-20:59 |
Fees and reading
Read the building's sign to discover it for city travel. The regular fee is 1,000 Au. If maximum Intelligence is below 18, each missing point reduces it by 125 Au, to a minimum of 50 Au.
| Maximum Intelligence | Fee |
|---|---|
| 10 or less | 50 Au |
| 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 | 125 / 250 / 375 / 500 Au |
| 15 / 16 / 17 | 625 / 750 / 875 Au |
| 18 or more | 1,000 Au |
Each payment buys one document selection or advanced-research attempt. Afterward the library asks for another payment; it is not an admission fee for unlimited browsing. Decline that next payment to leave without paying again. If you pay and then press Escape at the document menu, that payment is already spent.
| Option | Document | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| a | Omegan Theology | Gods and religious allegiances |
| b | Guide to Rampart | The city's institutions, attractions and tourist propaganda |
| c | High Magick | Words used to request particular wishes |
| d | Odd Uncatalogued Document | The Adepts' Manifesto and the librarian's skeptical annotations |
| e | Attempt Advanced Research | A chance to increase Intelligence; otherwise a game hint |
Reading a document displays its text. It does not grant a portable scroll, teach the Wish spell or confer Adepthood.
Advanced research
Successful research increases both current and maximum Intelligence by one. The chance depends on current Intelligence, while the fee depends on its maximum. For current Intelligence between 0 and 29, the success chance is (29 - Intelligence) / 30. At current Intelligence 10 it is 19/30; at 18 it is 11/30; at 28 it is 1/30. At 29 or more there is no chance of an increase.
An unsuccessful attempt produces a hint instead, with no refund. After an increase, the discounted fee rises as appropriate before the next payment. Research is therefore not a guaranteed one-point purchase, and a low initial fee does not last all the way through training.
Strategy
The library complements the Gym by training Intelligence. It can improve a healthy attribute beyond 18, but the price and declining success chance make those later points much more expensive. Budget for failed attempts as well as the changing fee.
Current Intelligence 13 permits enrollment at the Collegium Magii, and 18 earns a scholarship instead of paying its 1,000 Au tuition. Research can help reach either threshold, but raising Intelligence solely to save the tuition may cost more than paying it. Library research raises Intelligence; the College's separate laboratory researches spells.
Temporary Intelligence loss does not produce a student-aid discount, because the fee uses maximum Intelligence. Research with a drained current value can nevertheless raise the maximum: the success check uses the current value, and a success increases both. That is different from a week's rest, which restores current attributes without raising their maxima.
For documents, choose the subject you actually need before paying. High Magick is especially useful when you have a wish available and need its vocabulary; Guide to Rampart provides atmosphere as well as directions and should not be read as a guarantee of city safety.
Trivia
The uncatalogued document is filed under acrylic fungus painting technique. Its librarian complains that it returns even after being lent out or burned, then repeatedly dismisses the Adepts' claims in marginal notes. This is a joke within the readable document, not a self-returning inventory item that the library gives the player.
The farewell advertises closing at 8 p.m., but the actual service remains open through 20:59 in this version.