Character building

Introduction

Love of Magic has RPG elements, and with that come character stats. While these will never impede the player from experiencing the main storyline, some side content will be locked behind attribute checks.

Attributes

Strength

Strength(STR) affects the following:

1. +10 hitpoints for each point
2. +1% bonus damage to base/primary damage as well as the bonus damage from Rage

Intelligence

Intelligence(INT) gives:

1. A multiplier to experience gained from combat in Elsewhere, through the formula (100*INT)/(INT+50)
2. 1% bonus per point to secondary gem effects, such as Lightning, Fire and Shield
3. 1% bonus per point to some companion abilities, such as Emily's Shield or the duration of Dylan's Regen.

Charisma

Charisma(CHR) affects the speed at which your Poker/Companions can recharge their abilities, by 1% per point

Swordsmanship

Unlocked once you acquire Excalibur, the Swordsmanship(SWORD) attribute is not used in combat until Book 2, however it does affect some side content in Book 1.

In book 2, reaching 30 Swordsmanship increases Excalibur's damage from 1000 to 1500. Higher sword skill also speeds up Excalibur's recharge rate.

Power

Although not shown in game, certain main story events will give the player character a sizable boost in their abilities, which is represented in the following way: Per power level:

1. +5 moves in Elsewhere
2. Gems can be slotted 1 level higher than normal(eg at power level 2 the player could use a level 4 gem in the slot for 2 pairs)

Level

Levels are gained while exploring the Paths in Elsewhere. Each time the player character levels up they can choose to add a point to either STR, INT or CHR. The player level affects what kind of monsters may be encountered, modified by the difficulty level.

Stat Checks

The following are various stat checks that you will experience in the game.

These are not required to progress the game, but are good things to shoot for along the way to open up different scenes and options you could otherwise miss.

If the day has a '+' after it, it becomes available on that day but can be done later.

Stat Checks and Goals

Day	Stat Check	Reason
3	6 Cha	Wheedle a free gem from Chloe in conversation
3+	10 CHA	Perfect Black Rose, Part 1
3+	10 CHA, 10 STR, 10 INT	Defeat Katie in Strip MMA
___	___	[Stat Checks Working in The Crowley]
Evening	INT <5	£25 looking over Chloe's books
Evening	INT 5	£50 looking over Chloe's books
Evening	INT 15	£100 looking over Chloe's books
Evening	STR <5	£25 working Chloe's inventory
Evening	STR 5	£50 working Chloe's inventory
Evening	STR 15	£100 working Chloe's inventory
Evening	CHA <5	£25 working the bar
Evening	CHA 5	£50 working the bar
Evening	CHA 15	£100 Working the bar
Night	CHA 20	Help Snowdrop in the bar
Night	STR 20	£100 Handling the Bog Hag that's drinking too much
Night	INT 20	£100 Handling the Bog Hag that's drinking too much
Night	CHA 20	£100 handling the puca (otherwise £50)
___	___	[/Stat Checks Working in The Crowley]
13+	CHA 12	Get Chloe to Join you in Elsewhere
14+	Purchased a Gem	Olivia's CM Lesson
20+	£500+Purchased a Gem	Purchase True Flawless Gem for Katie
63+	25 CHA, 25 STR, 25 INT, 15 Swordsmanship	Sparring with Emily
<90	10 Swordsmanship	Emily's Mentor
112	50 CHA	Get Kath to talk about her side gig
104	60 STR (confirm stat)	Beat Katie Running (Thou shalt not beat Bella, try not)
104	Swordsmanship <15, 15-24, 24+ (Confirm)	Different messages in Troll Lich fight.
116+	30 Swordsmanship	Swordsmanship 30+ increases damage of Excalibur
121	55 STR	To avoid having to lean on Emily after powering up
126+	£1000	Needed to progress A Home for the Chosen
133+	£4000	Needed to progress A Home for the Chosen
141+	STR 50	To get 70 RP from Arthur's Treasure Chest(otherwise only get 50 RP)
147+	£4000	Needed to progress A Home for the Chosen
152	MP 350	No fatalities during the assault to Pendragon Enterprises
160	STR 50/75/100	Continue the wedding night scene with Emily
~173+	MP 320+	Better outcome/less casualties for Daemon Supply Cache
~181+	MP 500	Better outcome/less casualties for Remote Daemon Supply Cache
~188+	MP 600	Better outcome/less casualties for Supply Cache of the Deeps

Self improvement

There are any number of ways for the player character to improve their stats. Some main story events give stat points, where on occasion the player gets to choose. There are a number of smaller side-events that also give a small boost. Besides all that whenever the player is free to choose on how to spend their time they can opt to do so in a way that improves the character, where the more effective methods are typically more expensive. These activites typically occupy 1 timeslot. The following options are available in Book 1:

Walking the Paths

Every free morning on day 13 or later the player can choose to take up to 3 companions, go to Elsewhere and fight or loot whatever they find. Any won fight results in XP and enough XP results in a level, whereupon the player can choose to put 1 point into either STR, CHR or INT.

Working out

Starting day 3 Katie invites you to use her gym to work out. This is free and available in the morning and evening, although there's a period in book 1 where Katie is away, making the gym unavailable. Gives +1 STR every 2 sessions.

Studying

Starting day 14 you gain access to the private library at the university in the morning and evening where you can study in quiet and for free. Gives +1 INT every 3 sessions.

Socializing

Drinking coffee and hanging out with random people at Starcucks. Requires you to purchase coffee for £ 5. Increases your Charisma by 2 points every second encounter(4 times), with a +4 to Charisma for the final encounter after which you can't earn any more points this way. Expect some cameos from famous Edinburgh denizens. Can be done in the morning and evening.

Night on the town

Starting day 4, you can have a drink at night in the Grassmarket. Costs £ 10 and has a roughly 50% chance to give 1 point in either STR, INT or CHR.

Fancy dinner

After the first date with Emily on day 6 you can return to the Khukuri at night to have dinner for £ 30, gaining you one statpoint depending on what meal you choose(Vindaloo -> STR, Aloo Gobi -> INT, Tikka Masala -> CHR).

Showering

Grabbing a shower in the Crowley at night(not Late Night). Costs nothing, but only has a 30% chance of giving +1 CHR.

Book 2 - Grabbing a shower in Camelot at night (not Late Night). Costs nothing, and can result in +1 INT or +1 CHR making it preferable to showering in the Crowley.

Practicing the Blade

After obtaining your new weapon you can choose to practice in Elsewhere in the mornings. Gives +1 SWORD each session. DroidProductions has indicated that use of Excaliber in combat in Book 2 is driven by this skill, making improving it advisable despite its limited value in Book 1.

Sparring with Emily

Starting day 63, you can invite Emily to spar with you as part of your weapons training, allowing you to increase SWORD by +1 each session until you beat her, at which point the event becomes unavailable.

Reading

There are a number of books available that allow the player to upgrade their stats in an easy (and relatively quick) way.

In order to read in Book 1 the player needs to own at least 1 unread book and go to Starcucks in the morning or evening and order coffee for £ 5. Completing the sidequest Perfect Black Rose, part I removes the cost of the coffee and makes Starcucks available for reading at night as well. Note that the book "The Exquisite Art of Domination" only serves for this quest and grants no stat improvements.

In Book 2 you can read books in the Camelot Library (free) or Starcucks, with the exception of "Book of the Winter Child" which must be read in Starcucks.

The following books can be obtained to improve the player's stats:

Book 1

Big Muscles, Gut

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 STR	£ 100	Self-improvement	Buy from Diana starting day 3
#2	+1 STR
#3	+1 STR
#4	+1 STR
#5	+3 STR

Tao of Jeet Kune Do

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 STR	£ 100	Self-improvement	Buy from Diana starting day 3
#2	+1 INT
#3	+1 STR
#4	+1 CHR
#5	+1 STR +1 INT +1 CHR

Confessions of a Speed Reader

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 INT	£ 100	Self-improvement	Buy from Diana starting day 3
#2	+1 INT
#3	+1 INT
#4	+1 INT
#5	+3 INT

99 Problems, but a lady ain't one

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 CHR	£ 100	Fiction	Buy from Diana starting day 3
#2	+1 CHR
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+1 CHR
#5	+1 CHR
#6	+1 CHR

From Dropout to Genius

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 INT	£ 100	Fiction	Buy from Diana starting day 3
#2	+1 CHR
#3	+1 INT
#4	+1 CHR
#5	+1 CHR
#6	+1 INT
#7	+1 INT +1 CHR

Huntress of the Highlands

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 CHR	£ 100	Fiction	Buy from Diana starting day 3
#2	+1 CHR
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+1 CHR
#5	+2 CHR

The Art of War

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 SWORD	free	N/A	Get from Diana on day 58+ with SWORD 11+
#2	+1 CHR
#3	+1 STR
#4	+1 INT
#5	+1 SWORD
#6	+1 INT
#7	+1 CHR
#8	+1 INT
#9	+1 STR +1 INT +1 CHR

Threads of Love

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 CHR	free	N/A	Find at a Shrine after completely reading The Art of War
#2	+1 CHR
#3	+2 CHR
#4	+2 CHR
#5	+2 CHR
#6	+3 CHR

Book 2

Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 STR	free	Fantasy	Borrow from Dylan after Day 117 in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 CHR
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+2 STR
#5	+1 INT
#6	+1 STR
#7	+1 CHR
#8	+1 STR
#9	+2 STR

Fortress in the Eye of Time by CJ Cherryh

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 INT	free	Fantasy	Borrow from Dylan after Day 117 in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 STR
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+1 INT
#5	+1 INT
#6	+2 CHR

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 CHR	free	Fantasy	Borrow from Dylan after Day 117 in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 INT
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+1 CHR
#5	+1 CHR
#6	+1 STR
#7	+1 INT
#8	+1 INT
#9	+1 INT
#10	+1 INT
#11	+2 INT

Grunts! by Mary Gentle

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 INT	free	Fantasy	Borrow from Dylan after Day 117+ in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 INT
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+1 CHR
#5	+1 STR
#6	+2 INT

Dune by Frank Herbert

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 STR	free	Science Fiction	Borrow from Dylan on Day 117 in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 STR or +1 INT
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+1 INT
#5	+1 CHR
#6	+1 CHR
#7	+1 CHR
#8	+2 INT

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 CHR	free	Science Fiction	Borrow from Dylan on Day 117+ in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 CHR
#3	+1 INT
#4	+1 INT
#5	+1 INT
#6	+2 INT

Cyteen by CJ Cherryh

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+2 INT or +2 CHR	free	Science Fiction	Borrow from Dylan on Day 117+ in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 CHR
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+1 INT
#5	+1 STR
#6	+2 CHR

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 STR	free	Science Fiction	Borrow from Dylan on Day 117+ in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 INT
#3	+1 CHR
#4	+1 STR
#5	+1 STR
#6	+1 CHR
#7	+1 INT
#8	+2 STR

The Martian by Andy Weir

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 STR	free	Science Fiction	Borrow from Dylan on Day 117+ in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 INT
#3	+1 INT
#4	+1 STR
#5	+1 CHR
#6	+1 CHR
#7	+2 INT

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 INT	free	Fantasy	Borrow from Dylan on Day 117+ in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 INT
#3	+1 STR
#4	+1 CHR
#5	+2 CHR
#6	+1 STR
#7	+1 CHR
#8	+2 INT

Book of the Jhereg by Steven Brust

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 CHR	free	Fantasy	Borrow from Dylan on Day 117+ in the Camelot Library
#2	+1 INT
#3	+1 INT
#4	+1 CHR
#5	+1 STR
#6	+1 INT
#7	STR +2

Book of the Winter Child by Aleister Crowley

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+2 CHR	£ 100	Philosophy	Buy from Diana day 120+ Readable only at Starcucks.
#2	+2 INT
#3	+1 INT
#4	+2 STR
#5	+1 STR
#6	+5 STR

Book 3

The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+2 INT	£100	Fantasy	Buy from Diana in the Rambling Rascal Day 198+
#2	+2 STR
#3	+5 STR
#4	No Effect
#5	No Effect
#6	No Effect
#7	No Effect
#8	No Effect
#9	No Effect

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+1 INT	£100	Alternate History	Buy from Diana in the Rambling Rascal
#2	+2 CHR
#3	+1 INT
#4	+1 INT
#5	+5 CHR

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein

Read	Improvement	Cost	Category	Access
#1	+2 INT	£0	Fantasy	Receive from Diana in the Rambling Rascal
#2	+2 STR
#3	+2 CHR
#4	+2 STR
#5	+1 INT
#6	+1 CHR
#7	+3 STR