Battle Praxium

Purpose

The Battle Praxium (Praxium) is an independent, unaligned, training organization based in Zoluren. It was founded in Year 442 with the mission to impart combat (read: PvP) knowledge to its participants, as well as the necessary experience to correctly apply that knowledge. "Knowledge by itself is nothing," Rakkor Solari said upon founding the school. "Instead, we strive for combat knowledge correctly applied."

Meaning

prax•i•um (noun, form the Greek /praksəs/)
an institution where knowledge and/or skills are applied or used in practice, rather than in theory alone.

Discord

The Praxium maintains its own Discord server as a place for open, constructive brainstorming and questions on all aspects of DragonRealms PvP. New users can join with the following link: Praxium Discord Server.

Structure

There are only three designations within the Praxium. Instructors, those who teach. Students, those who learn. Alumni, those who have achieved the goal of combat knowledge correctly applied.

Instructors

• Rakkor Solari
• Leustyin
• Kalderen Lunari
• Madigan De'Mascus

Students

None yet enrolled

Alumni

None yet

Methodology

Each semester consisted of an 8 week course where Praxium students will learn the in's and out's of PvP combat. From the most basic of concepts to advanced strategies designed to maximize your guild's strengths and capitalize on your opponent's weaknesses, each lesson follows a four-part structure:

• Attitude - mental/emotional approach to PvP
• Instruction - accumulating knowledge of mechanics
• Implementation - practical in-game usage of the learned mechanics
• Application - you learn to fight by fighting

Enrolling

Each lesson is open to public audit, with the curriculum published in advance for those looking to read ahead. Auditors will be able to participate in every aspect of the training, save the Application component. Application of knowledge is reserved for those who have indicated a willingness to accept the sharpening and encouragement that comes from enrolling as a Student of the Praxium. Enrolling is as simple as signing up with one of the Instructors, and then participating during the weekly lessons.

Graduating

A Student graduates from the Praxium when all 8 lessons (which can take place over multiple semesters as necessary) are completed, and they have returned to Instruct one lesson of their choosing. Upon completion of the instructed lesson, the Student receives the honorary title of Alumni.

Location

The Praxium conducts the majority of its lessons from the (mostly) abandoned Promado Village square. This location ensures passersby aren't caught inadvertently by stray attacks, while still clinging to a modicum of civilization. Note, the location is non-justice.

Curriculum Preview

What are the fundamentals of PvP?

Attitude

• There will always be a bigger or more experienced fish in the sea
• You will not always win
• There will be times that you will lose...a lot
• Learn from your losses, laugh them off, and leap back in
• Attitude is everything

Knowledge on the mechanics

Core mechanics

• How you die
  • Vitality, critical wounds
• Engagement ranges
  • Time to pole? Time to melee?
• Stances
  • Shield, parry, evasion...when do I use these?
• Debilitations
  • Contested abilities
  • Hard-CC
  • Soft-CC
  • Non-CC

Guild mechanics

• Knowing your guild
  • Strengths, weaknesses, counters
• Knowing other guilds
  • Strengths, weaknesses, counters

Application of knowledge

• Anatomy of a fight
  • Verbal walkthrough of how the fight will likely progress
• Solo
  • Prepared vs. unprepared
  • "Punching up"
• Group
  • Prepared vs. unprepared

Every lesson at the Praxium will focus on attitude, knowledge of mechanics, and an application of that knowledge. The best lessons are learned by hearing, seeing, and doing.

Semester Schedule

Semester 1

All sessions occur at 8PM Central time.

• July 27, Praxium Introductions
  • Curriculum Link
  • Log Link
• August 3, Basics of Positional Combat
  • Curriculum Link
  • Log Link
• August 17, Offensive Tools
  • Curriculum Link
  • Log Link
• August 24, Debilitations
  • Curriculum Link
  • Log coming soon
• August 31, Know Your Guild
• September 7, Know Your Opponent Pt. 1
• September 14, Know Your Opponent Pt. 2
• September 21, Group Combat
• September 28, Graduation Day

Versus Series

Especially when you first begin to dip your toes into PvP, fighting against other guilds can be challenge. Below are short guides on how to best understand what another guild is trying to do in a fight, how they are likely spec'd stat wise, what spell scrolls they will probably on hand, and what levers you can pull to maximize your chances at winning.

• vs. Rangers
• vs. Traders
• vs. Warrior Mages

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to join <insert organization here> in order to train at the Praxium? No. The Praxium is intentionally independent of other established organizations. The Praxium is a neutral combat training school, not a "side" in an ongoing conflict. Students are accepted from all "sides", and from unaligned players wanting to achieve the aim of combat knowledge correctly applied.

Can I participate in the Praxium if I'm already an established PvPer and/or below to <insert organization here>? Of course! As stated above, the Praxium is intentionally independent of other established organizations, but veterans are just as welcome as people still considering hopping into PvP. We certainly hope to have Northern Watch, Ravens, Bardbarians, Team Good, Team Bad, etc... players attend the Praxium. A good PvPer is constantly learning, and "Always be learning" is another core part of our Attitude pillar.

Should I wait until I'm at least Circle <insert number here> before attending the Praxium? No. There is no "right" time to begin learning the foundations of PvP and applying those foundations in real scenarios/real fights. Regardless of how long to wait, there will always be someone bigger or more experienced in PvP, and you can be effective far before you realize it now. If you're on the fence and weighing your options, the Praxium will help inform those decisions for you.

Will there be PvP? Do I have to fight? The goal of the Praxium is to help each and every adventurer apply combat knowledge correctly. We absolutely believe that the best way to learn to fight is by fighting. Yes, we will equip you with the required head knowledge to PvP correctly, but then you will be asked to put that knowledge into practice...both through planned interactive instruction, but also through live combat. At least two people will fight every meeting. At least two people will then be encouraged and sharpened. We learn by doing, and this will be a safe place to succeed and to fail.

Do I have to attend all 8 sessions? No. Real life comes first, and we're kicking off over the summer. I expect people to miss several sessions. We will be running subsequent semesters where you can fill in the gaps live, but also publishing the curriculum online (in outline form) for others to make use of. You do have to attend all 8 sessions to be recorded on the rolls as "Praxium Alumni," but those 8 sessions can be spread out over multiple semesters.

Can I attend without becoming a Student? Absolutely. Anyone can audit the lessons. Auditors can be involved in all but the Application portion of the lessons. Feel free to attend and see what the Praxium is about before "committing" to being a Student.

Will there be logs posted from the lessons? The logs and curriculum outline of each session will be posted to the Praxium page of the elanthipedia (here). We want as many people to have access to these resources as possible. However, be reminded that there is a difference between head knowledge and application of that knowledge. You learn to fight by fighting. Consider the logs and curriculum as roughly 20-30% of the overall benefit that a Praxium Student receives.

Will there be a break between Semesters? Yes. We are looking at roughly a 4 week break between Semesters to give the current batch of Instructors a break, train up new Instructors, revise the existing curriculum, and make other necessary adjustments.