Random encounters
The rare ambushes and lucky gifts that can follow a crime, a shift, a gym session or a trip: when they happen, who is protected, what winning means.
Vesper City is never quite predictable. After certain things you do, the city may throw something at you: a rival who has been waiting in an alley, or a stroke of luck. Neither happens often.
When they can happen
After a crime, a job shift, a gym session, or when you arrive from a trip. At most one encounter per action, and only when you are free: never while you are in jail, in hospital, on the road or busy. You get a notice when one happens, and the full story is a click away.
Ambushes
An NPC rival from the Rivals list (Rivals and Locals) jumps you.
- How often: about 0.5% of the time after one of those actions, and at most once every 24 hours. Luck never changes it.
- Who is protected: nobody below level 10 is ever ambushed, and neither is a new player still under protection (see Fights).
- Who attacks: a rival within 3 levels of yours (one from your district first). If none is that close, the nearest in level; above level 70 that can be a top rival risen to your level.
- The fight: it plays out at once, like a Quick fight, with your gear. By default you fight at your normal strength. A gut feeling can occasionally steer you clear before it starts, and that counts as the day's ambush.
- If you win: a little XP (25% of that rival's) and pocket change (10% of the rival's cash).
- If you lose: a short stay in hospital, 10 to 30 minutes, and nothing else: never your money or your items. See Jail and hospital.
- A draw: if nobody is down after the exchanges, nothing is won or lost.
Lucky gifts
A stroke of luck that fits where you are.
- How often: about 0.2% of the time after the same actions, a little more with Luck, from level 1. At most 1 a day. For an active player that is about one every few days.
- Cash: worth about 5% of a day's income at your level, give or take 20%.
- Items: about 15% of gifts are an item instead: usually a common consumable worth at most $1,000, and now and then a collectible.
- Never: Gold, gear, or packs.
Your record
Your record counts the ambushes (by result) and the lucky finds (cash or item type) you have had.
Tips
- Heal up before the next crime run: an ambush can come at any time after level 10.
- Keep your gear in good shape: ambushes use it.