Apprenticeship Scheme

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

A plague has past through Novel Kingdom, on the edge of Lake Lexicon. The heroes who were previously keeping the kingdom safe from monsters have been particularly badly hit and Queen Skye has put out a call for new heroes to come and maintain the safety of the kingdom.

In recognition of the fact that the kingdom is in a perilous state with all the new monsters, she is planning to pair experienced adventurers with the newcomers to help them find their way around the kingdom while they settle in.

How to take part
Post below saying whether you are a newcomer to the kingdom or an experienced hero. We will pair you up to complete the tasks together. Both of you will receive the same rewards from completions.

Tasks
1. Say hello in the buddy thread set up for you
2. Introduce yourself in the Tavern (the experienced player does not need to do this again!)
3. Newcomer reaches level 2 experience
4. Newcomer levels up a weapon
5. Newcomer levels up both weapons
6. Newcomer defeats their first monster
7. Together spell out one of NOVEL, ROLE, PLAY, GAME using standard spell out rules
8. Visit the melting pot and suggest a quest idea that you have worked on together
9. The experienced player gives a gift to the newcomer to help with a quest (e.g. potion/egg/magic item)
10. Both partners read a book that involves a teacher or student, or that has a link to a video game (i.e. Ready Player One or The Last Wish). It does not have to be the same book. The mentor can also read a book with the letters AS in the title.

Rewards
These are additive (i.e when you complete hard, in total you will have 23 XP, 10 gold and a major heal potion).

Tutorial: Complete 2 tasks for 2XP
Easy: Complete 4 tasks for 4XP
Intermediate: Complete 7 tasks for 7XP and 10 gold
Hard: Complete 10 tasks for 10 XP and a major heal potion

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Newcomers

AlexW
Sally
Jackie
Louise
Sandy L
Aiswrya
Saar
Stephanie
Laurie
Abbie
Maddielucy
Lyssa
Christine
Redshirt
Cynthia
Laura
Lori

Waiting a guide
Amanda
Chandler
Cat

Guides
Cat
Natasha
Zuzana
Cathy M
Halli
Sarah
Mel
Megs
Sophie

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Pairs
Alex W and Cat
Sally and Natasha
Jackie and Zuzana
Louise and Cathy M/Zuzana
Sandy L and Halli
Aiswrya and Sarah
Saar and Zuzanna
Stephanie and Cat
Sophie and Natasha
Laurie and Sarah
Abbie and Natasha
Maddielucy and Mel
Lyssa and Megs
Christine and Zuzana
Redshirt and Mel
Cynthia and Sophie
Laura and Mel

[Alexw]

newcomer

[Sophie, The other one]

I'm going to get involved as a newcomer too

[Sally906]

Hope there will be enough experienced hero’s to go round 😀

I would like to sign up as a newcomer please


I did start to play many, many years ago but got very lost and was busy in real life to stop and think it out. Would like to start again with my very own hero guidance 😀

[Jackie]

I'd like to give it a try. Newcomer.

[Louise]

I’d like to sign up as a newcomer please. Like Sally I started many years ago but got very lost and struggled to work it out.

[Cat]

I'm happy to help out with an apprentice :)

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Thanks everyone for signing up. I'm going to wait for a few more sign ups (hopefully of experienced players), then start forming pairs/teams.

Sophie

[Natasha]

I've been playing for over 2 years though I haven't battled much (mostly just doing quests), but I think I may qualify as an experienced hero.

[SandyL]

I would like to sign up as an apprentice. I've come back to look at this challenge multiple times since we played it in one of the team challenges - that was a lot of fun! But I end up getting overwhelmed/confused/intimitated when I try to read the rules. I'd love to have help to learn out it works.

[Aiswrya]

I'm in as a newcomer :)

[Zuzana]

I'd like to sign up as well. I've been playing since the very beginning. I'd like to help a newcomer.

If there's not enough experienced heroes to go around we could make groups with one experienced hero and two or more apprentices.

[Cathy M.]

I haven’t played in a while but with new quests I need to get back to it. Especially since this was one of my fave challenges!

I will sign up as an experienced player but I’ll need to do some refreshing of my memory. And update my thread 😊

[Halli]

Hi! I will sign up as an experienced player too, but it has been a while.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Thanks everyone! We are pretty evenly balanced at the moment.

Do I have any experienced volunteers to manage 2 newcomers at once?

I've started setting up threads for each pair, but GR is being glitchy so will finish that as soon as I can. Please can all newcomers set up their own tracking thread as well?

[Zuzana]

Sophie, I think I can take on more if they come as a couple or a group. I mean I'd get to read the books needed once ( and it means I'd get the challenge reward only once as well of course).

[Sarah]

Late to the party but if you need one more experienced player I'd be happy to sign up.

I tend to let things tick over and only really go for monster-slaying in between team challenges, so after four years of questing I still have lots of quests and monsters left. :) But I love having this to pick up in the down-time between other challenges.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Thanks Sarah! All the pairs and threads are now up for everyone signed up so far (apart from me - I'm due to give birth any day so will watch from the sidelines for now).

Enjoy!

[Zuzana]

Sophie, good luck! I wish you quick and safe delivery.

[Sarah]

Good luck Sophie! Best wishes for you and baby.

[Cathy M.]

Congrats and best wishes Sophie!

[Sophie, The other one]

Thanks everyone! She arrived safely on 10th. Glad to see that this seems to be going well so far! Let me know if there are any problems or your partner hasn't arrived.

[SandyL]

Congratulations Sophie!!! What is her name?

[Sophie, The other one]

She's called Jenny and is very huggable at the moment.

[Saar The Book owl]

I'm going to give this a try and I'm a newcomer. Is it a challenge you can play alone or in duo?
Congrats, Sophie, with your baby :)

[Zuzana]

Congratulations, Sophie! :)

[Cat]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I'm going to give this a try and I'm a newcomer. Is it a challenge you can play alone or in duo?
Congrats, Sophie, with your baby :)"

You can totally play alone! The buddy system is to help out with what can be a daunting amount of information,but this is an individual challenge :)

[Zuzana]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I'm going to give this a try and I'm a newcomer. Is it a challenge you can play alone or in duo?
Congrats, Sophie, with your baby :)"

Hi Saar! The game as a whole is a "single player". You play alone.

Only this particular challenge is for a duo. You don't have to participate in the Apprenticeship Scheme if you don't want to. But I'd recommend that you do. It's easy way to obtain experience at the start of the game because this challenge brings you XP for essential actions you have to do anyway, e.g. leveling your weapon, killing your first monster, leveling your hero. Why not take advantage of that?

[Saar The Book owl]

Okay, I think I understand: so I can sign up for the whole challenge, but only for the Apprenticechip Scheme I need to pair up?

[Zuzana]

Exactly, Saar.
You don't have to sign up for the Game as a whole. Just read the rules and start playing.

BTW I'm working on a simplified beginner's guide to the game for my apprentice. You can check it out here. You may find it helpful.

[Saar The Book owl]

Thanks, Zuzana, It is very helpfull. I'm going to read it and see if I understand it.

[Saar The Book owl]

Hi, I would like to buddy up with someone. I also have my own thread for the challenge.

[Zuzana]

Sophie, for # 7 do partners spell out one of the words together or do they spell out the same word on their own?

[Sophie, The other one]

They spell it out together. I'm going to look at the exact wording to make it clearer for everyone. Thanks for the beginners guide, it looks fabulous and should help lots of people get going.

Saar - when we have an experienced player free and willing to have an apprentice, I'll get you started.

[Zuzana]

Sophie, if you don't find an experienced player for Saar, I can step in. I'll have only one book to go with Jackie. She's a fantastic apprentice. So I think I could manage a second one.

[Saar The Book owl]

Okay, no problem :) Everything will do for me.

[Stephanie]

I would like to join as a newcomer if possible.

[Aiswrya]

Sophie, For Task #10. Both partners read a book that involves a teacher or student, or that has a link to a video game, should we read the same book or just a book each?

[Sophie, The other one]

Just a book each.

New partnerships will be up soon. Life with a newborn and a toddler who is isolating has been interesting!

[Sally906]

Sophie wrote: "Just a book each.

New partnerships will be up soon. Life with a newborn and a toddler who is isolating has been interesting!"

Wow - don’t envy you at all. Take time to smell the roses - even if it is for one minute at 2 am 🌹

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Saar and Zuzanna, I've just made your thread so feel free to get started.

Stephanie (and anyone else who pops by and wants to get started), I'm hoping some of the experienced players will be willing to keep mentoring people as they finish with their current newcomer and we will be able to get you started soon.

Thanks Sally! Toddler is back at nursery now. Everything suddenly feels v calm.

[Saar The Book owl]

Thanks for making it :)

[Louise]

I seem to have lost my mentor :(

[Zuzana]

Louise, have you tried to send her a pm?

[Louise]

Yes, I pm'd her on Saturday but have not had any response and can't see any recent activity either.

[Natasha]

I'm almost done with my apprentice (one more book to read) and can help out another once I'm done.

[Sophie, The other one]

Sorry to hear they've gone awol Louise. Thanks for sending them a pm. Natasha, if you could step in that would be fab! You can count your current book for both.

I'm likely to make a couple of changes so the mentors don't end up doing the same tasks on repeat.

If any other mentors are nearly ready and willing to have a new apprentice, please let me know.

[Natasha]

Awesome! I'll go to Louise's thread now.