Do influence runes help a lot? Does their effectiveness scale depending on your CHA?

They basically make your influence attacks take one less hit to succeed.

Nope. Nor will Estarra even consider it being possible in the future.

Does it do that all the time?

For instance, let's say you're empowering a guard. Normally it takes seven hits. With a rune, it takes six.

And yes, any time you're wearing the jewelry with that rune attached.

@Trinit: Is that confirmed? From what I recall of the influence runes, the major gripe people had with them was that they didn't know how effective they were.

Not confirmed by the admin, but I've tested it myself and that's basically what it comes down to.

When upgrading a collared guild beast to a pet, does it have to retain the original noun still or can I outright convert the critter and still keep its guild inherents even if I change it from say, a dragonturtle to a sea serpent?

How high is your charisma? What influence buffs do you have?

Think you have to keep it as the original beast type.

I believe influence runes provide the same bonus as oils and dramatics. It's a lot more noticeable when you are influencing something that takes more hits.

How do critical hit runes work for crits above the first level? Like if you get 6/100 more criticals for the best rune, how many more crushing, world shattering, etc criticals would you get?

Is there any way to search your trade items by designer?

No, there's not much way to search by anything, just type and noun.

Do bubblixes only work from known planes and their bubble, or from any bubble? That is, can I get any bubblix and then just double tap it from any aetherbubble to return to Prime?

Also, which bubblix should I buy first, if I decide to get one? I'm leaning toward Frosticia because of ice fae, or Xion just because I've never been there and it's the hardest of them to fly to. I'd like to have Tree of Trees at some point, but it seems noticeably lacking in utility compared to the others.

Tree of Trees is, essentially, pointless. Don't bother with it unless it's your Very Last Spot.

The only thing to do there is defile / defend Hoaracle's shrine.

Answer the other questions, o ye of many bubblixes.

Tree of Trees is good for Garg hunts, but little more.

Cankermore is a good pick, since there's a flare up there and the Stone of Illearth, which can still be touched to get 35 DMP at the low low cost of infectious skinrot.

Isn't the 35 DMP only against the sand creatures?

I should be able to recall who submitted what in Crystalworks if that helps? Just poke me with who you're checking if you like, though I should also have marked the ownership for them all.