I went back and added most sensible classes to Beseech, so that you can ask for help from more people than healers, paladins, and bards. A modified helpfile is below, until I can get the online copy updated.

I also made some updates to its logic of determining how much help you 'need', building on things you may have figured out through use already. For example, the skill has always worked better if you're hurt, if evil is generally strong in the world, etc. Charisma is the attribute that helps the most, but the NPC may use other factors in exactly how much help they can spare-- for example, a dwarf is most likely to help another dwarf, there's an Order/Chaos dynamic, it gets less effective if you're asking every NPC you come across, etc. (Like most Charisma-based skills, there's assumed to be some IC dialogue that occurs 'off camera'.) The effects are strongest when both you and the NPC you're asking are high in level, and when the chance of a request was high in the first place.

I've left some logging enabled to make sure things run as they did during my internal testing, but please post to the Bug Forum if something is broken, and post to Gameplay if you have other comments/concerns.


valguarnera@carrionfields.com

BESEECH
Syntax: beseech <non-player character>
beseech

Virtuous characters may persuade others of high morals to provide some
assistance if they are in dire need. Healers and paladins are the most
capable and most renowned for having a generous spirit, but those of most
other professions can often find ways to lend a hand to a needy adventurer.

Persuasive characters will find obtaining this type of aid the easiest,
particularly when their need is greatest, and if they have developed a
reputation for not asking often.

If no (valid) non-player-character is specified, the request will default to
a healer or paladin, if one is present. This can be done even if the user is
blind and unable to specify a target.

See also: HEAL, MORALITY, REQUEST

Does that only refer to a hidden timer after use or does it actually degrade your potential benefits if you use the skill too much?

How do I practice the skill if the latter?

1) As a hard rule, you can't ask the same person for aid twice in a short period of time. You ask once, they do what they can (or don't), and that's their answer for a little while.

2) As a soft rule, there's a sliding scale where if you ask lots of different people for aid in a short period of time, it gets less effective. Waiting will reduce and eventually eliminate this. The total duration depends on whether or not help was granted, and how much.

3) Your starting efficacy is determined by perceived need, so if you're really in bad shape the boons will often be somewhat stronger, and you're more likely to get away with two or three boons in short order.

4) As for practicing, I'd recommend using the skill steadily over time, vs. dedicating time to spam. (This is very deliberate, and how I'd ideally like to engineer most skill improvement. Spamming is dull.)

5) Using Beseech does not require a guildmaster or town healer, although it's nearly always helpful if the NPC has a defined class/profession, and is high enough level to provide substantial help. (I may add some more class-agnostic options going forward.) You'd be surprised how many adventurers hang around within a short walk of common ranking or other conflict areas.

6) Things are still a little experimental and may be tweaked over time. It's by design that NPCs know some minor tricks that a PC doesn't necessarily know, just as there are many abilities that PCs get that NPCs never seem to master.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com