When to carry a rosto

EDITOR NOTE – rosto prices are a lot higher these days, and subject to fluctuations. This has to be taken into account when using the math, but all the facts and the formula still apply.

The best rosto is being on a map with a friend who can save your death bag. – meaning, try to avoid carrying a rosto when you can, by having a friend or guildie stand by when you take unusual risks (like trying out a new mob).

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A little math

A Rostogol Stone protects your belongings in case of death, but the rosto then disappears from your inventory.

Whether carrying a rosto pays off primarily depends on the worth of your belongings. Furthermore, it depends on the probability with which you might be able to regain your death bag if you do not have a rosto.

The cost of a rosto is about 33kgc. Let say you have a 33% chance to regain your death bag, then you should wear a rosto, if the stuff in your inventory (excluding the rosto) is worth more than 99 kgc:

33kgc
     / 0.5 (because chance for dropping an item is 50%)
     /(1-0.33) probability that you do regain your DB is assumed to be 33%
--------------
99kgc

If you have the Careful Guy Perk the second value is to be adjusted to 0.4, which yields a result that is 20% higher.

The chance for regaining your death bag has to be adjusted depending on the situation. For example in invasions, there is additional risk:

• being bag jumped, since it is likely that other players are around when you die
• you cannot get back to the place because the invasion creatures keep killing you
• the bag disappears early because there are many drop bags on the map

Thus for invasions, we could assume the worst case and calculate

33kgc
     / 0.5 (because chance for dropping an item is 50%)
     /(1-0) probability that you do regain your DB is assumed to be 0%
--------------
66kgc

as threshold limit when to carry a rosto.

In contrast, when you are with friends, it is very likely that they can save your DB, so we get

33kgc
     / 0.5 (because chance for dropping an item is 50%)
     /(1-1) probability that you do regain your DB is assumed to be 100%
--------------
infinity

In other words, don't carry a rosto when you are with trustworthy friends unless of course in instances where it will knock you out. And players have been known to be bag jumped in instances so even instances are not completely safe.

When not to carry a rosto

Even if you have determined that carrying a rosto is mathematically worth it, there are a few cases where it will not help you. Since you don't want to waste the rosto, it should be left in storage on those occasions.

• In Kilaran Field (KF), no items are dropped even without a rosto. Upon death, a rostogol stone will still disappear, so this is essentially a waste of a rosto – don't carry one.
• In Tahraji Desert, rostogol stone do not work. There, they don't disappear and drop like regular items, so they should not be carried.
• On the special day Day of No Rostogols, rostogol stones do not work anywhere. They do however still disappear as usual. On this day, one should simply not carry any.
• On the special day No Drops Day, no items are dropped. Rostogol stones however still disappear as usual. On this day, one should simply not carry any.