Ravenloft PotM Server Rules

[Talek]

Section 1: Main

Even if we'd prefer to rely solely on common sense, the diverse expectations around online roleplay make it necessary to set some shared boundaries, procedures, and principles.

All of our rules are grounded in three core principles:

• Play how you like, as long as you don't impair others' roleplay experience.
• Be authentic to your character and the setting.
• Always treat fellow players, DMs, and developers with respect.

So what does this mean in practice?

It doesn't mean the DM's "hand of god" is lurking to punish those who occasionally prefer soloing and monster-hunting over social roleplay. First, because that's not a good use of our DMs' time - which is better spent creating roleplay opportunities for others - and second, because we don't want the server to feel like it's under constant surveillance. Playing here should feel enjoyable and rewarding. Ultimately, we prefer to place trust in your judgment. Roleplay comes in many forms, and we don't pretend to always know best.

That said, with regard to rule two - this is a roleplay server. Don't compromise the immersion, stories, or setting of others. Avoid OOC terms or references to game mechanics in character. Never break the atmosphere that others are building; instead, do your part to enhance it. If you're feeling burned out or don't feel up to interacting, find a secluded spot and step back rather than slipping out of character in shared spaces.

If you're unsure how to apply rule two, refer to the Roleplay Manifest - and consider rules one and three. You're welcome to play an evil character, but alignment isn't a free pass to ruin someone else's experience. In fact, it's partly your responsibility to help ensure your interactions are rewarding for others. Show OOC respect, even if your characters don't get along IC.

If you can follow these principles, and use your common sense, you'll be fine in most situations. But if you're doing something that feels controversial, potentially disruptive, or exploitative, check the rules below first. And if you're still unsure, reach out to a DM or a member of the Community Council.

[Soren / Zarathustra217]

2: Character Story and Creation

Character Naming:

- Capitalize first and last names. Apostrophes, hyphens, and accented characters should be used in moderation.
      e.g. "John Smith", not "john smith" or "joHn smITh"

- Character names must not include nicknames or titles. These must be given out in-game and are not to appear in the name.
      e.g. no "Pascal the Enchanter", "Sir Andras Fellspur" or "Landyr 'Landy' Krull"

- Character names must be appropriate and believable, given their background and setting.
      e.g. no "Shoe", "Nightmare" or "Thumper", or "Jimmy Coltrain" for a native Barovian.

- Character names must not be taken from fictional works or real-world people.
      e.g. no "Drizzt", "Count Von Zarovich", "Flash Gordon", etc.

- Character names should not include colors or symbols for decoration.

Character Appearance and Story:

- Hair, skin, and eye color must be natural for the character's race, origin, and template.

- Characters must not have (or have had) any traits, powers, or abilities upon creation that are not typical for a character of the same class, level, and race.

- Character backstories must reflect what a standard level 2 character could realistically accomplish, without the need for a loss of power to justify their current condition.
     
- Characters cannot be related, in any way, to canon NPCs from Ravenloft or any other settings.
      eg. no apprentices of Elminster or scions of the Von Zarovich.

- Characters must be 18 years of age or the equivalent of adulthood for their race. They should not be roleplayed as underaged based on their physical appearance.

- Characters must reflect their subrace and template's setting of origin and cannot have experiences beyond this setting, except for their arrival in Ravenloft.

- Characters not native to Ravenloft may not have arrived more than three months prior to character creation and cannot have fully integrated into native culture or gained experience or knowledge beyond what is reasonable for that timeframe.

Character Origin:

- The mists of Ravenloft can reach any world. Characters may originate from any supported D&D 3.5 (or prior) setting, other game settings, or homebrew worlds, provided they align with D&D 3.5's fantasy style and are set no later than 1650 C.E. in terms of culture and technology. Homebrew worlds cannot be alternate versions of established settings (e.g. Earth instead of Gothic Earth).

- Characters from established D&D settings cannot originate from a time beyond D&D 3.5.
      e.g. no Curse of Strahd or post-Spellplague Forgotten Realms characters.

- Characters from Gothic Earth, as presented in the setting Masque of the Red Death, must originate from a time no later than 1650 C.E.

- Characters from unsupported settings and homebrew worlds may only choose standard supported D&D races and must adhere to the standard D&D appearance and traits for that race. They cannot start with a template.
      e.g. no gelflings, Witcher characters, dark elves from WoW, or snow elves from The Elder Scrolls.

- Characters must remain true to their original setting in terms of names, appearance, and religious beliefs (e.g. domains and practices matching their deity).

Deities:

- Clerics must worship a deity (or equivalent) from their setting of origin and select cleric domains granted by that deity, as listed on the forums.

- Favored Souls must worship a deity from their setting of origin and select the favored weapon of that deity, as listed on the forums. If that deity has no favored weapon, they must select the Favored Weapon (None) feat.

- Shamans must select one domain from the following list: Air, Animal, Death, Earth, Fire, Healing, Plant, Repose, Sun, Undeath, or Water, and another from this list: Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Dream, Evil, Good, Knowledge, Law, Luck, Magic, Protection, Strength, Time, Travel, Trickery, or War. More information on patron spirits can be found on the forums.

- Voodan must worship a loa from their setting of origin and select domains and a school of magic granted by that loa. Supported loa are listed on the forums or in the OOC Lounge.

- If required by their setting of origin, paladins, healers, rangers, and druids must also possess a deity; otherwise, they will be unable to level up.

- Paladins and healers may not follow evil deities. However, if the setting of origin explicitly supports such concept, an application for an exception may be submitted to the DM Team.

- If your desired deity is not listed, please consult with a DM before proceeding.

[Soren / Zarathustra217]

Section 3: Character Progression

Multi-classing/Prestige-classes:

- Classes must not be more than 10 levels apart when multiclassing.

- Monks can only multiclass with the following classes: Assassin, Blackguard, Divine Champion, Dwarven Defender, Shadowdancer, Tattooed Monk, and Weapon Master.

- Paladins who multiclass lose all paladin abilities and can no longer progress as paladins, except when multiclassing with the following classes: Divine Champion, Dwarven Defender, and People's Champion.

- All prestige classes are available, except Dragon Disciple, Harper Scout and Purple Dragon Knight. Hallowed Witch is only available to native characters.

- The following prestige classes require an application: Assassin, Blackguard, Black Powder Avenger, Dragon Disciple, Hallowed Witch, Master of Many Forms, Pale Master, People’s Champion, and Shadowdancer. The application form can be found on the forums.

- Prestige classes must have a minimum of 5 levels by the character's maximum level.

Monstrous Characters:

- Applications are required to play monstrous player characters (MPCs). You must submit an application in writing to the DM team. The form and details can be found on the forums.

Character remakes:

- Applications are required to remake characters. You must submit an application in writing to the DM team. The form and details can be found on the forums. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. In the case of a denial, the DM team will explain the reasoning.

- Characters will not be deleted from the server vault. If your vault is too full, you can create a new account.

[Soren / Zarathustra217]

Section 4: Interacting and Roleplaying

- Generally disruptive, disrespectful, or deteriorating behavior - whether OOC or through IC elements - is not permitted. Consider the experience of those you roleplay with and avoid OOC aggravation or grief. If you encounter such behavior, inform the player. If they persist, report it to a DM for evaluation.

- Prioritize the OOC enjoyment of fellow players while maintaining IC integrity. Risk and consequences can enhance roleplay, but players and DMs ultimately shape the experience. Never use IC justification to diminish another’s OOC enjoyment. Avoid creating characters solely to annoy or antagonize. In conflict, ensure the player - despite their character’s struggles - still enjoys the interaction.

- Be open to different roleplay styles and remember that IC conflict doesn’t reflect OOC intent. Enjoying what your character dislikes can enhance the experience. Keep IC and OOC separate - don’t let character disputes turn into player conflicts. When engaging in aggressive or provocative IC interactions, respect OOC boundaries to maintain a positive environment for everyone.

- If in-character actions cause OOC frustration or negatively impact your experience, reach out to the player in a friendly manner to discuss a solution. Likewise, if someone approaches you with concerns, be receptive and work toward maintaining a positive and cooperative OOC environment.

NPCs:

- Attacking NPCs requires DM supervision and a valid in-character reason - being "evil" alone is not enough.
      - Indiscriminate killing will likely lead to your character’s execution.

- Engage with the world, including NPCs and the environment, to maintain realism. Ignoring NPCs when they would logically react - such as city guards while being a known fugitive - is akin to metagaming.

In-game chat:

- Stay in character around others and keep OOC comments to a minimum, preferably using tells.

- Use "//" before an OOC message if it's relevant to multiple people and you don't have time to send tells.

- No profanity, real world racial slurs, etc. is allowed.

- Anyone caught participating in "cybersex" on the server will be permanently banned. This rule is in place to protect minors from potential sexual harassment, whether intentional or not.

Cybersex refers to any roleplay containing erotic elements, such as explicit genitalia, exposed breasts, or activities aimed at sexual satisfaction. Innocent actions like mouth-to-mouth kissing are acceptable, but if the roleplay involves explicit content, simply move past it with a nondescript emote like [fades to black]. We take this rule very seriously.

- No "Cheesing": Do not roleplay abilities, feats, races, templates, or classes that your character does not have according to the NWN engine. This includes portraying an unsupported race or entity (e.g., a vampire) without proper in-game application or mechanics.

Disguise:

- Players are not allowed to use the Disguise skill to assume the identity of another player or an NPC without DM supervision.

- Disguises must adhere to the same rules as player names and descriptions.

- Piercing a disguise allows recognition only if your character is already familiar with the character. It does not reveal their actual name - only that they are attempting to disguise themselves.

Player privacy:

- Do not speculate on or repeatedly inquire about others' identities - respect their wish to remain anonymous. The only exception is if you suspect they are using an alternate account to bypass a ban. In that case, contact the DM team and allow them to investigate.

Interaction with DMs:

- Always follow DMs' directives and respect their judgments in-game.

- Don't play DMs against each other ("Mommy-Daddying"). If a DM denies your request, don’t ask another.

- If you disagree with a decision or feel you've been treated unfairly, first attempt to resolve it with the DM. If you're unable to reach a resolution, contact a member of the Head DM team or the Community Council. Don't let IC actions reflect OOC frustrations or compromise the roleplay.

- If something disrupts roleplay or immediate enjoyment (e.g., griefing, inaccessible tiles, or bugged characters), contact a DM in-game for immediate resolution.

- For non-urgent issues, send a forum PM or a Discord message. Do not argue or complain via in-game tells, as it disrupts roleplay and wastes time.
      - Repeated complaints after being directed to the forums or Discord may be treated as a rule violation.

Sharing of items and interaction between own characters:

- Leaving items or gold for another of your characters is not allowed, nor is using one to recover the corpse of another. This includes passing items or knowingly acquiring them later with another character. Each character must be treated as a separate individual, and what happens to one should not affect the other.

Tag-teaming with your own characters is not allowed. Do not use one character to clear a dungeon or area, then log in with another to explore the same place. Do not have one of your characters react to or use knowledge gained by another.

- Do not hand out items or gold based on OOC reasons, such as OOC friendships or the closure/abandonment of your character.

Multiple characters and faction memberships:

- To preserve suspense and aid in plot design, membership in certain factions prevents your other characters from joining factions with conflicting interests. However, a single character may belong to multiple factions.

- Factions currently covered by this rule include: Ba'al Verzi, Gundarakite Rebels, Red Vardo Traders, Dementlieuse Gendarmerie, and the Vallaki Guards. Other factions, including plot and unofficial player-run ones, may be added to this list.

- If you have characters in conflicting factions, you may choose to make one inactive, temporarily losing faction forum access. While inactive, you should refrain from playing that character.

[Soren / Zarathustra217]

Section 5: Player Versus Player

- Do not engage in conflict (including PVP) with players with whom you have unresolved OOC conflicts or issues. You must resolve these problems first; if you need help, contact the Community Council or a DM.

- Conflict should always be done to further the story, and be a positive experience for all involved.
   - Killing characters rarely leads to more roleplay. Consider using emotes and dice rolls rather than PVP. If you PVP, consider using subdual.

- Conflict should be a collaboration between players, even if their characters are in conflict. Consider communicating with the other party OOCly respectfully during conflict and maintaining good relations. Remember they are humans too.
   - If you feel the other player is not willing to handle the consequences of their character's actions, contact a DM, do not press on regardless.

- You must have a valid IC reason to engage in PVP, and the other party must have opted into that conflict through their character's actions.
   - Valid IC reasons to engage in PVP include acts of aggression (extensive provoking, aggressive/confrontational behaviour, intruding upon you) and refusing to deescalate, being a member of a faction in open conflict with your own, in retaliation upon friends and allies, or being a MPC.
   - OOC consent to "opt in" is encouraged but not required; choosing not to deescalate the conflict given the opportunity in-character is considered opting in.
   - If you are in doubt at any time, contact a DM first.

Example 1:

Spoiler: show

   Character A aggressively insults and goads Character B.
   Player A sends a Tell to Player B saying "Hey, my character's just a real jerk, feel free to tell him to shut up and go away."
   Character B tells Character A to shut up or they'll get a beating. Player B sets Character A to Hostile and activates subdual mode. Player B has given Player A an opportunity to deescalate, and fair OOC warning that an attack is imminent.
    Player B sends Player A a Tell saying "No worries, but my character isn't going to take this. If he keeps going, my character's going to swing for them."
   Character A continues to insult and goad Character B. At this point they have opted in, by declining to stop, apologize or withdraw.
   Character B engages in PVP with Character A, knocking them out with subdual. Character B then heals them up, and asks if they're ready to apologize.
   Character A does apologize, and the conflict is resolved.

Example 2:

Spoiler: show

   Character A is a thief, and would like to try and steal something from Character B.
   They send a Tell to Player B, saying "Hey, my character's a thief, can I try and pickpocket something from you?"
   Player B sends a Tell saying "Yeah, I'm good with that. Go ahead."
   Player A toggles Hostile, and approaches Character B, emoting bumping into them. They roll Sleight of Hand, and Player B rolls Spot to oppose. Character A's Sleight of Hand roll was higher, and Character B opens a barter and transfers an amount of gold to them.
   Character C, a nearby friend of Character B, sends a Tell to Player A saying "Hey, can I roll Spot to see if I noticed you pickpocketing them?"
   Player A agrees, and rolls a higher Spot, noticing the pickpocketing.
   The encounter plays out like Example 1; with Character C telling Character A to give it back. This time, Character A declines to deescalate and instead flees the scene.
   Next time they meet, both B and C have justification to engage A in PVP, because there is an established conflict.

- You must set the other character to Hostile before engaging in PVP. We suggest doing this 10-15 seconds beforehand, so that spells function properly and to give them fair warning that an escalation to PVP is imminent.
    - Do not use OOC knowledge that an attack is imminent to your advantage.

- Ordering or paying others to attack someone also counts as PVP from the one requesting the attack, and falls under the general PVP rules.

- Do not abuse the PVP rules to your advantage - do not back down or signal OOCly that you don't want to fight, only to go ahead and fight anyway.

- If you feel PVP rules have not been observed, merge your chat windows, take screenshots of the incident and send them to a DM.

Player Corpses

- Hiding, badly impairing, or mutilating (including from Voracious) corpses falls under the general PVP rules.

- Player Corpses/Remains should be treated as other in-game items - they cannot be hidden or disposed of 'off the map.'
   - They cannot be hidden behind doors requiring a specific key ("plot-locked").
   - They cannot be placed inside placables or terrain that is inaccessible or would prevent the corpse from being detected by tab highlighting. Doing so is considered an exploit.
   - Their location must respect the NPCs section of the rules.
   - They cannot be held indefinitely in player inventories. Corpses can only be carried to be brought to a specific destination.

Traps

- Only PCs marked as hostile are damaged by traps. This is considered PvP and subject to all relevant rules.

- Setting traps on transitions such that an incoming player cannot possibly avoid them is not allowed.

- Stacking multiple traps on top of each other is considered an exploit.

Stealing

- Stealing is subject to the general rules of PVP, except if no living owner of the stolen items is present.

Spying & Hidden Characters

- Hidden characters are those in stealth or under invisibility, sanctuary, or ethereal effects.

- Legitimate methods of detection are limited to:
 - Detection through the Spot and Listen skills.
 - Alarm, Detect Chaos, Detect Law, Invisibility Purge, and spells and abilities which grant see invisibility.

- Telltale signs of a hidden character's presence (eg. opening/closing doors, casting sounds) may alert your character.

- Other means of detection (eg. area of effect spells, dispel magic, caltrops) are not allowed.
 - Using the combat log is considered metagaming.

- Hidden characters detected in a private location are considered to have refused to opt out to determine if they can be PvPed. For the purpose of this rule, private locations are locked indoor locations. These include, but are not limited to, private inn rooms, faction headquarters, and rentals. Outdoor and travel areas, dungeons and openly accessed areas, are never considered private.

- In any other situation, hidden characters must be given a chance to deescalate before PvP can occur.

- Hidden characters cannot initiate PvP unless standard conflict rules apply.

- All standard conflict rules apply to situations involving hidden characters.

Examples of possible situations:

Spoiler: show

Situation #1: You're in a private area. No detection skills, spells or abilities have revealed hidden characters, and no suspicious signs are present.
Rule: You cannot use spells, abilities, or items to detect hidden characters.

Situation #2: You're in a private area. Suddenly, a door opens and closes on its own, raising suspicion.
Rule: Offer an opt-out to the hidden character. If they don't accept the terms, you may initiate PvP actions.

Situation #3: You're in a public area and legitimately detect a hidden character.
Rule: Offer the hidden character an opt-out before any PvP action occurs.

Situation #4: You're in a private area and legitimately detect a hidden character.
Rule: The hidden character is automatically opted in for PvP, but strive to roleplay the situation first.

[Soren / Zarathustra217]

Section 6: Adventuring, etc.

Death and dying:

- "Permadeath" is considered an OOC term and should be avoided as an IC consequence. Character stories can reach "closure" at the player's discretion. In some cases, a character's return to life may be highly unlikely, effectively resulting in permadeath, but this remains an IC matter.

- Any character who commits suicide will be considered "closured" with no possibility of revival, in accordance with 3.5 edition rules.

- Once dead, a character may return as a PC spirit, a static impression of their form, attire, and possessions at the moment of death. They are completely inaudible, unable to speak or understand speech. They cannot gain new knowledge, and all experiences as a spirit are forgotten upon returning to life.

- PC spirits can wander the world but cannot interact physically with it. They are fixated on their death, either mourning it or trying to return to life. They can relive their death through emotes and guide others to the location of their death or mortal remains. They should only move away from this spot to seek help or follow someone with their remains. For more details on spirit RP, see here.

Soloing:

- Soloing is allowed, but the module is balanced for group play. Soloing is done at your own risk, and teaming up with others is encouraged for a better experience.

Bugs and game limitations:

- Exploiting bugs or loopholes in the game engine will result in consequences, including banning.

- If you encounter a bug, please report it on the Bug Reports forum in the Feedback section or via Discord using the ticket system.

- If you encounter an exploit, please report it via forum PM or Discord using the ticket system to one of our developers.

- Logging out and back in to avoid death is prohibited.

[EO]

Section 7: Live Streaming

- Players should have informed consent about being livestreamed at all times. If that is in doubt or not practical, streamers must stop broadcasting.

- When broadcasting, streamers should activate streamer mode using @streaming. Using @streaming list will show all players currently streaming.

- Streaming of public roleplay taking place in open areas such as the Western Outskirts, Keep of the Dyad - Arrival, open taverns, etc., is always allowed - consent is assumed in these places. If in doubt, consult a DM.

- Streaming of semi-private roleplay such as whispered conversations, dungeon runs, encounters with monstrous player characters, etc., should only be done with the consent of those present.

- Streaming of scheduled DM and player-run events can be done only with the consent of the event organizer, consent which must be announced publicly ahead of time.

- Streaming of private or secretive roleplay and high-stakes conflict is not allowed.

- Failure to follow the live streaming rules constitutes a rulebreak under General Neglect of the Rules.