Discussion / Draft - EFU Server Rules

Started by Howlando, March 14, 2021, 01:44:38 PM

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Howlando

Hello all -

LIalh4 and I took a try at cleaning up our somewhat out of date and poorly presented server rules. I'd like to post a draft of the document here, since it concerns everyone that is part of the EFU community. Note that I added some general principles to more clearly lay out our values as a community.

It is not necessary to pay attention to this if you're already familiar with our rules, I am posting here just for feedback in terms of making our rule presentation more clear to new players.

Thanks!

QuoteServer Rules

General Principles
The mission of EFU persistent world is to maintain a thriving, welcoming, and supportive online role-playing community. We believe in the importance of creative self-expression and think that our role-playing and story-based world can provide value for those who choose to play here. Demonstrating tolerance and out of character ("OOC") respect for all players is mandatory for all who join our community. Discriminatory or bigoted statements, personal attacks, or any manifestation of trolling will not be permitted. Basic standards of decency and civil conduct are expected from all community members.

Roleplaying
EFU maintains a very high standard and level of roleplaying for all players. While those players who are new to roleplaying can expect a patient and welcoming community, it is important to understand that our standard is set very high. All players are expected to fully engage with the roleplaying and story-telling expectations of our world. It is essential to be able to separate the OOC ("out of character") with the IC ("in character").

Conflict
We believe that meaningful conflict is a necessary condition for interesting stories. In EFU, characters are expected to sometimes engage in conflict with other characters. While this does not exclusively mean PvP combat, this does mean that sometimes characters will permanently kill other characters.
Players should be familiar with our rules & principles regarding character conflict and play with good sportsmanship, whether winning or losing. When death happens, as it will, it is important to draw a line between in-character ("IC") and OOC events. While the end of a character's story can be an emotional experience, it is important to remember that there are real, breathing people behind GSIDs and discord handles: OOC hostility relating to IC events should be avoided.

Honesty
Players are expected to be honest (OOC) with each other and with members of the DM team. Cheating and meta gaming is not permitted and will result in being banned from our community. Players should sincerely attempt to follow the spirit of our server and rely upon their best common use.


The Fine Print


Understanding and accepting the above general principles are all that is required of new players, but after 15+ years we have found it best to also maintain a complete set of rules that addresses various specific cases and situations. We ask that long-time members of our community be familiar with the following rules:

Overview

The following rules are intended to provide a non-exhaustive list of required or prohibited behaviors. It is possible to violate the general principles expressed above without violating a specific rule articulated below. The word of in-game DMs is binding on player behavior at all times.
DMs will punish rule breaking in the place, time, and manner of their choosing. It is important to note that punishment is always an OOC act and will be communicated in a clearly OOC manner. IC situations (such as a NPC yelling at your character, a monster trying to kill you, or even dangerous spice) are always simply to be considered as part of the game world. All punishments for rule breaking are at the discretion of the DM team. Punishments may include various consequences, such as the retirement of PCs, OOC removal of experience points, temporary bans, or permanent bans. Appeals may be made through contacting the DM team via Discord or our Application forum.

Game Exploits

1.    Item transferring between different PCs belonging to the same player, or helping another player do the same, is strictly forbidden. There are no exceptions to this rule, including remaking a character, unless a DM assists you in an approved character remake.
2.    Exploiting monster AI in unrealistic ways is forbidden. Avoid situations where monsters behave in a completely implausible manner. Specific prohibitions include:
i.        "Luring", the practice of drawing a single monster away from others with a ranged weapon or dragging groups of monsters from a fortified position to march at your party single file;
ii.        "Trapping" monsters on cliffs or other impassable areas and then killing them with ranged weapons; and,
iii.        Using the "Backwards-Walk" to prevent an NPC from attacking you.
3.    Logging off to avoid death is forbidden. This includes both PVP and non-PVP death. If you feel you are being griefed, please contact a DM.
4.    Players may not abuse OOC tools. This includes:
i.        The use of "/c recall" is intended to assist with controlling summons; it is not acceptable to use it as a free teleport or regroup spell; and,
ii.        The practice of sneaking ahead invisibly or in stealth and to then use "/c recall" to teleport your summons on top of monsters or enemy PCs.
iii.         Manipulating like/dislike setting to avoid attacks of opportunity, spell effects, and other consequences of hostility.
5.    If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you discover a method to earn GP or XP that seems out of line with other methods or can be used in some non-balanced way, please check with a DM to ensure it's legitimate or bug report the issue.



Out of Character Behavior

1.    All players must be respectful to one another in OOC communications. Insulting tells are forbidden. OOC and IC are two separate spheres of existence: OOC disrespect is completely unacceptable, IC disrespect and conflict is fully encouraged. Players should not confuse the two.
2.    "Power-gaming" is not allowed. For the purposes of our server, we define power-gaming as any activity that has no IC rationale and is done for OOC reasons. It is okay - and even encouraged - to have a character that wants to get rich or powerful, and accomplishes this through various IC means. In contrast, it is not acceptable to perform an act such as repeatedly "farming" a single spawn of monsters or other such activities.
3.    Meta-gaming is not allowed. This means that you can not take advantage of the knowledge that you as a player might have but your character does not. Always think about what sort of knowledge is IC (in character) as opposed to OOC (out of character).
4.    Players may never use tells or other methods of OOC communication to coordinate PvP or other tactics.
5.    Players may not attack blue NPCs unless they have received permission from a DM.
6.    Repeatable scripted quests should be considered a new experience when repeated. While every effort has been made to randomize and produce very large amounts of content, EFU still has many static quests that should be approached as a new experience. Your character does not remember the location of traps, spawns, dangerous rooms, etc.
7.    In-game, OOC communications should be avoided in favor of remaining in character, especially if OOC communications are visible to other characters. Note that:
i.        Tells from other players are always OOC;
ii.        Text marked with "//" is always OOC.
8.  Do not use voice chat programs to communicate with team-mates while roleplaying on EFU. Communication between characters/players must exclusively be through NWN while in-game.

Roleplay and In-Character Behavior Rules


1.    Always stay in-character. Do not break immersion for other players. Inserting real-life references into your RP, including abbreviations or smileys into IC talk, acting in a ridiculous or OOC manner is not acceptable.
2.   The like/dislike toggle is entirely OOC. Do not construe a character that appears red as hostile unless there are IC justifications to consider them a threat.
3.   Players must roleplay their character's stats and skills, especially if a stat is below 10. Having a character with low charisma "smell bad" or be "ugly" but otherwise be a well-liked leader is discouraged.
4.   Any depiction or insinuation of sexual violence is strictly prohibited.
5.   Graphic depictions of torture are prohibited. Where extreme violence does occur, players must avoid detailed descriptions of harms inflicted.
6.   There is a single universal language that everyone can speak. Using racial languages is optional, but overuse is discouraged as disruptive. Written languages are handled by scripted lore checks or through a DM.
7.   Players may not roleplay explicit sexual acts. Although characters may make references to the existence of sexuality, relationship roleplay is frowned upon unless handled with an extreme level of care.
8.    Players should be careful in their use of the sending system. This includes the following prohibitions:
i.        Sendings should not be vulgar, pseudo-OOC, or in a trolling style;
ii.        Sendings should not be made in a tone of anti-establishment unless done with DM supervision; and,
iii.        Messenger NPCs should not be given messages that "roleplay" the NPC or would be reasonably considered as implausible (they deliver messages, they are not parrots or looking to make particularly controversial messages).
9.   Players may not break into faction areas without the supervision of a DM. Taking items from faction storage when you are not a member of the faction should be done with the supervision of a DM.
10. If a player finds faction equipment, including keys, they should contact a DM if your character decides to keep it or use it.
11. Players must observe good IC and OOC conduct around quests. This includes the following rules:
i.        Roleplaying during quests and when organizing quests is required;
ii.        OOC methods should not be used to organize and strategize during quests;
iii.        Do not split up a large group into smaller groups in order for each to tackle a particular quest with the aim of getting more of a reward;
a.   It is acceptable to split a group where an OOC limit on the number of participating characters prevents the whole group from attempting it at once,
iv.        Do not use stealth or invisibility to obtain quest rewards without engaging the monsters unless doing so is clearly indicated as permissible by the quest itself;
v.        Do not steal loot from other members of the party without emoting or otherwise indicating by some IC means that you are doing so;
vi.        Do not enter into a Quest Area with a group unless all members of the group are aware and give consent that you are mechanically added to the quest with them.
a.   The only exception to this rule is if you have contacted a DM and the DM has allowed you to enter the Quest Area.
12. Using stealth or invisibility to gather the treasure of random explorable areas without defeating the monsters is in most cases highly discouraged. If your character(s) engage(s) the monsters, fail and are unable to defeat the foe, feel free to consult with a DM if it would be appropriate to attempt to use stealth and trickery to plunder the area.
13. Do not play "alternate" characters if you are roleplaying a high-conflict character that has regularly engaged in PvP.
14. Do not share IC secrets through OOC methods.
15. Do not share IC secrets lightly through IC methods. Although it is fine and encouraged to roleplay as a teacher instructor and share information, some secrets are best kept quiet in order to allow for other players the same enjoyment of solving mysteries.
16.  Players should respect the RP involved in hostage situations and not immediately default to attacking hostage-keepers without due consideration of other alternatives. Note that:
i.        A subdued hostage may be healed as part of a rescue operation;                 however,
ii.        The hostage must remain down and helpless and not activate any defensive damage modes (i.e. no switching on expertise or equipping shield).
17.  Blood Vial labels are OOC. Limited exceptions exist:
i.        If the PC who made the vial would have labelled them (check this first through tells if necessary);
ii.        Characters will recognize a sample of their own blood; and,
iii.        Characters with high-Heal or affinity with blood-magic also potentially recognize blood vials if they come from special kinds of creatures (consult a DM if in doubt).



Character Creation and Leveling Rules

1.    Characters must have appropriate names and appearance for their race and subrace. This includes, but is not limited to, the following restrictions:
  i.        Humans may not have the horned head appearance;
ii.        Standard elves may not have drow skin coloring;
iii.        Character names must make sense for the setting;
iv.        Character names must not be directly copied from a well known fictional or real-life person;
v.        Including titles or honorifics in the character name requires DM permission.

2.    Paladins, Druids, and Clerics must be created and roleplayed according to specific guidelines, including:
i.     All Paladins, Druids, and Clerics must adhere to their respective code or faith in order to preserve the ability to cast spells.
ii.    Clerics draw their power from a specific relic. They are not limited by the tenets of a particular faith but may serve individual philosophies, creeds, or ideals, but there must be a real, IC belief underpinning their spellcasting.
a.    Clerics should select domains from the primary / secondary pools that best reflect their faith, portfolio, or belief system.
b.    Awoken Clerics may choose to serve the deities of the Forgotten Realms.
c.     Clerics born in the City of Rings are more likely to serve one of the small gods.
d.    Clerics may receive spell failure if they act in a way contradictory to the teachings of their faith.
iii.        Paladins draw their power from a belief in a set of objective ideals. Consult the paladin class page for details.
a.    Paladins have diminished class abilities until they find and adopt a specific oath.
b.    Oaths that act as an additional layer on top of their character's baseline oaths.
c.     Paladins that adopt an oath must abide by both the baseline paladin ideals and the specific tenets of their oath.
d.    Paladins should remain in keeping with their ideals and oath at all times; failure to do so risks falling.
    iv.        Druids draw their power from the natural world.
3.    Optimizing characters to an extreme extent is highly discouraged; stats should generally be selected according to the concept. It is important for players to fairly and ably portray their character's strengths and weaknesses, whatever they may be.
4.    Skill point banking is forbidden. Skill point banking is the practice of saving skill points in order to put them into a class skill at a later level. There are limited exceptions:
i.      When multiclassing roughly evenly, players may save their skill points every-other level as needed in order to keep a primary skill maxed; and,
ii.     Other situations of modest skill banking may be permissible depending upon the build, but egregious examples of (for example) taking a single rogue level at a high level in order to maximize tumble/UMD are not permitted.
5.    Application-based, subrace, faction, prominent/semi-prominent or high-level PCs who are not played for over a month should not return to active play unless permission is given from a DM or through application. We are eager to welcome back players to EFU but it can be highly disruptive for characters that have long been missing to make a return.
6.    Creating "alts" (alternative characters) is discouraged but not strictly forbidden, as playing alts can lead to incidents of unintentional metagaming, unfairness, and perhaps most importantly degrades the playing experience. Alts may not:
i.     Be involved in one another's affairs;
ii.    Be involved in factions that are in conflict;
iii.   Be involved in separate ringrunning groups; and,
iv.   Communicate with one another in any way.



PVP Combat Rules

EFU is a full-player-versus-player ("PVP"), conflict-oriented setting. If you perform PVP, you must be prepared to face the IC consequences of the IC action. OOC issues or concerns are always handled by the DMs in an OOC manner. Players are advised to read the 'PVP Karma' thread when deliberating over whether or not to use Full Damage mode. Characters may not respawn from PVP.
PVP Karma is an important facet of EFU. When engaging in PVP, consider: whether your approach is reasonable; whether it is best to subdue, subdue and loot, or to kill; whether the PVP fun and stylish; and, whether your attitude as a player is respectful and sporting.
1.    Do not initiate PvP against characters you believe are level 2 or level 3 characters except in extreme circumstances.
2.    PvP must always be initiated for IC and justifiable reasons. Insanity or a desire for random death may be considered as an excuse for griefing by the DM team.
3.    You must always set your opponent to Dislike (hostile) before PvP. The dislike/like toggle is fully OOC. Seeing someone set you to Dislike should not be considered an IC act. Many players set the whole server to Dislike in preparation for PvP that may well have nothing to do with you, so you should not read too much into it if it happens. Be warned that if someone sets you to hostile, and you then relog, they will still see you as hostile/red whereas you will see them as non-hostile/blue. This is not their fault.
4.    When beginning PvP, send a message via /c pvp indicating that PvP may begin in your area.
5.    Do not initiate PVP in an area with NPCs present without a DM present. You must obtain direct confirmation from a DM that they are overseeing before initiating PVP in these circumstances. Specific, narrow exceptions to this rule are indicated on signs and NPC descriptions.
6.    If a DM is not present, PVP begins in an area without NPCs present, and PVP transitions into an area with NPCs present, the PVP must stop. Specific, narrow exceptions to this rule are indicated on signs and NPC descriptions.
7.    If your character is attacked, or if someone else is engaging in PvP, you may always respond IC with no confirmation from a DM.
8.    If you engage in PvP, remain in the server for a substantial period of time to give others an opportunity to respond to your actions.
9.    Traps must be used carefully in PVP. All players using them must review our trap policy on the forums. The following additional rules apply:
i.              Traps should be used in moderation;
ii.             Traps should not be used at transition points;
iii.            Traps should not close all conceivable avenues of escape with high powered traps;
iv.            Traps should never be stacked;
v.             Traps are limited to one stunning/disabling trap and one damage-dealing trap being out at a time.
a.    Exceptions may be made, consult with a DM about your specific plan. If you believe you are the victim of bad-trap policy, please do not attempt to OOC'ly pause the PvP but rather consult with a DM during or after as it is possible an exception was made.
10.  Characters recently engaged in PVP may not rest without the permission of a DM.
11.  Characters recently engaged in PVP may not break off the PVP and reengage without the permission of a DM.
12.  Players must observe nuances to damage modes in PVP:
i.              If a character is attacking in full damage mode, and a target is sent into negative HPs immediately, that target is not subdued - they can be healed, continue fighting, flee, etc.
ii.             If a character is attacking in subdual damage mode, a subdued opponent is completely helpless, must remain on the ground, must cooperate with dropping_pack/giving over items/removing armour if ordered to do so, and may not re-engage or flee unless the PvP is finished and the victory has departed, gives verbal permission, or a DM gives permission.
iii.            Using blackout mode on a subdued PC to steal or rescue a PC under the control of another character is forbidden unless you have specific DM permission to utilize this technique.
iv.            If a character is attacking in sparring damage mode, a winded opponent is not completely helpless, but should roleplay the effects of having lost the bout of combat.
13.  Goblin/Kobold/other subrace PCs can legitimately be killed by other characters just for being goblins/kobolds, however as always if the PvP occurs in an area with NPCs there should be a DM supervising.
14.  Playing a goblin/kobold is not in itself an excuse to grief other characters. Although of course you are free to engage in (non-FD) banditry.
15.  Characters may not utilize faction HQs or plot-locked (non-bashable/pickable) doors for the purposes of PvP unless they have permission from a DM. This includes law-enforcement PCs bringing a character into their faction for "questioning" with an intention to make a more significant arrest.
16.  Looting packs during an active PVP encounter is prohibited without permission from a DM. Discussing your intentions with an overseeing DM beforehand is encouraged.
17.  Looting the packs of characters that you did not have an active hand in defeating is prohibited without permission of a DM. Discussing your intentions with an overseeing DM beforehand is encouraged.
18.  Characters must be judicious in their use of stealth in PVP encounters. Note that:
i.              "Corner-sneaking," the exploitation of line of sight to reenter stealth is permitted only once as a method to escape from a PvP situation and may not be tactically reused during a combat encounter.
ii.             Players should avoid applying stealth after transitioning if being closely followed during a PvP situation.
iii. Due to a NWN bug, stealthed characters may briefly appear upon entering a new area. This is not IC knowledge.

Server Conduct and Discord Rules

1.    Banned players may not circumvent their bans; they may apply to return on the forums or contact a member of the staff to discuss their request to return.
2.    Players must inform the DM team of banned players that are playing under alternate identities.
3.    Do not attempt to identify the identity of a player that is playing under an unknown GSID or Discord handle.
4.    Do not publicly speculate as to who may be playing a specific character or reveal who is playing a specific character.



Dredi

Overall fairly solid, I'd change this however:

5.    Players may not attack blue NPCs unless they have received permission from a DM.

To read

5.    Players may not attack named blue NPCs unless they have received permission from a DM

The module is full of blue NPC's, (mostly animals and the like) which are completely okay to attack without DM permission.  As someone who has unintentionally fallen afoul of this rule before having a bit more context or clarification on what constitutes an "NPC" might be warranted.

Howlando

Removed -

"11.  Characters recently engaged in PVP may not break off the PVP and reengage without the permission of a DM."

Not sure where that comes from really, it doesn't seem right.

Changed it to -

"11.  Players should minimize the use of transitions during PvP. It is fine to run away, try to avoid repeatedly going back and forth (i.e. transition-hopping)."

Also changed as suggested:

"5.    Players may not attack blue NPCs unless they have received permission from a DM.

To read

5.    Players may not attack named blue NPCs unless they have received permission from a DM"


Damien

The Fine Print


Understanding and accepting the above general principles are all that is required of new players, but after 15+ years we have found it best to also maintain a complete set of rules that addresses various specific cases and situations. We ask that long-time members of our community be familiar with the following rules:

Overview

The following rules are intended to provide a non-exhaustive list of required or prohibited behaviors. It is possible to violate the general principles expressed above without violating a specific rule articulated below. The word of in-game DMs is binding on player behavior at all times.
DMs will punish rule breaking in the place, time, and manner of their choosing. It is important to note that punishment is always an OOC act and will be communicated in a clearly OOC manner. IC situations (such as a NPC yelling at your character, a monster trying to kill you, or even dangerous spice) are always simply to be considered as part of the game world. All punishments for rule breaking are at the discretion of the DM team. Punishments may include various consequences, such as the retirement of PCs, OOC removal of experience points, temporary bans, or permanent bans. Appeals may be made through contacting the DM team via Discord or our Application forum.

Game Exploits

1.    Item transferring between different PCs belonging to the same player, or helping another player do the same, is strictly forbidden. There are no exceptions to this rule, including remaking a character, unless a DM assists you in an approved character remake.
2.    Exploiting monster AI in unrealistic ways is forbidden. Avoid situations where monsters behave in a completely implausible manner. Specific prohibitions include:
i.        "Luring", the practice of drawing a single monster away from others with a ranged weapon or dragging groups of monsters from a fortified position to march at your party single file;
ii.        "Trapping" monsters on cliffs or other impassable areas and then killing them with ranged weapons; and,
iii.        Using the "Backwards-Walk" to prevent an NPC from attacking you.
3.    Logging off to avoid death is forbidden. This includes both PVP and non-PVP death. If you feel you are being griefed, please contact a DM.
4.    Players may not abuse OOC tools. This includes:
i.        The use of "/c recall" is intended to assist with controlling summons; it is not acceptable to use it as a free teleport or regroup spell; and,
ii.        The practice of sneaking ahead invisibly or in stealth and to then use "/c recall" to teleport your summons on top of monsters or enemy PCs.
iii.         Manipulating like/dislike setting to avoid attacks of opportunity, spell effects, and other consequences of hostility.
5.    If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you discover a method to earn GP or XP that seems out of line with other methods or can be used in some non-balanced way, please check with a DM to ensure it's legitimate or bug report the issue.



Out of Character Behavior

1.    All players must be respectful to one another in OOC communications. Insulting tells are forbidden. OOC and IC are two separate spheres of existence: OOC disrespect is completely unacceptable, IC disrespect and conflict is fully encouraged. Players should not confuse the two.
2.    "Power-gaming" is not allowed. For the purposes of our server, we define power-gaming as any activity that has no IC rationale and is done for OOC reasons. It is okay - and even encouraged - to have a character that wants to get rich or powerful, and accomplishes this through various IC means. In contrast, it is not acceptable to perform an act such as repeatedly "farming" a single spawn of monsters or other such activities.
3.    Meta-gaming is not allowed. This means that you can not take advantage of the knowledge that you as a player might have but your character does not. Always think about what sort of knowledge is IC (in character) as opposed to OOC (out of character).
4.    Players may never use tells or other methods of OOC communication to coordinate PvP or other tactics.
5.    Players may not attack blue NPCs unless they have received permission from a DM.
6.    Repeatable scripted quests should be considered a new experience when repeated. While every effort has been made to randomize and produce very large amounts of content, EFU still has many static quests that should be approached as a new experience. Your character does not remember the location of traps, spawns, dangerous rooms, etc.
7.    In-game, OOC communications should be avoided in favor of remaining in character, especially if OOC communications are visible to other characters. Note that:
i.        Tells from other players are always OOC;
ii.        Text marked with "//" is always OOC.
8.  Do not use voice chat programs to communicate with team-mates while roleplaying on EFU. Communication between characters/players must exclusively be through NWN while in-game.

Roleplay and In-Character Behavior Rules


1.    Always stay in-character. Do not break immersion for other players. Inserting real-life references into your RP, including abbreviations or smileys into IC talk, acting in a ridiculous or OOC manner is not acceptable.
2.   The like/dislike toggle is entirely OOC. Do not construe a character that appears red as hostile unless there are IC justifications to consider them a threat.
3.   Players must roleplay their character's stats and skills, especially if a stat is below 10. Having a character with low charisma "smell bad" or be "ugly" but otherwise be a well-liked leader is discouraged.
4.   Any depiction or insinuation of sexual violence is strictly prohibited.
5.   Graphic depictions of torture are prohibited. Where extreme violence does occur, players must avoid detailed descriptions of harms inflicted.
6.   There is a single universal language that everyone can speak. Using racial languages is optional, but overuse is discouraged as disruptive. Written languages are handled by scripted lore checks or through a DM.
7.   Players may not roleplay explicit sexual acts. Although characters may make references to the existence of sexuality, relationship roleplay is frowned upon unless handled with an extreme level of care.
8.    Players should be careful in their use of the sending system. This includes the following prohibitions:
i.        Sendings should not be vulgar, pseudo-OOC, or in a trolling style;
ii.        Sendings should not be made in a tone of anti-establishment unless done with DM supervision; and,
iii.        Messenger NPCs should not be given messages that "roleplay" the NPC or would be reasonably considered as implausible (they deliver messages, they are not parrots or looking to make particularly controversial messages).
9.   Players may not break into faction areas without the supervision of a DM. Taking items from faction storage when you are not a member of the faction should be done with the supervision of a DM.
10. If a player finds faction equipment, including keys, they should contact a DM if your character decides to keep it or use it.
11. Players must observe good IC and OOC conduct around quests. This includes the following rules:
i.        Roleplaying during quests and when organizing quests is required;
ii.        OOC methods should not be used to organize and strategize during quests;
iii.        Do not split up a large group into smaller groups in order for each to tackle a particular quest with the aim of getting more of a reward;
a.   It is acceptable to split a group where an OOC limit on the number of participating characters prevents the whole group from attempting it at once,
iv.        Do not use stealth or invisibility to obtain quest rewards without engaging the monsters unless doing so is clearly indicated as permissible by the quest itself;
v.        Do not steal loot from other members of the party without emoting or otherwise indicating by some IC means that you are doing so;
vi.        Do not enter into a Quest Area with a group unless all members of the group are aware and give consent that you are mechanically added to the quest with them.
a.   The only exception to this rule is if you have contacted a DM and the DM has allowed you to enter the Quest Area.
12. Using stealth or invisibility to gather the treasure of random explorable areas without defeating the monsters is in most cases highly discouraged. If your character(s) engage(s) the monsters, fail and are unable to defeat the foe, feel free to consult with a DM if it would be appropriate to attempt to use stealth and trickery to plunder the area.
13. Do not play "alternate" characters if you are roleplaying a high-conflict character that has regularly engaged in PvP. Not sure I agree here, though I get the point/problem. Sometimes people want/need a break, and what is even more annoying is sometimes you've people who play multiple characters who all hate your char so you're seemingly engaged with their vault, whichever they decide to log in to for the day..maybe just strongly discouraged/dont be a dumbass metagamer
14. Do not share IC secrets through OOC methods. Stranger.
15. Do not share IC secrets lightly through IC methods. Although it is fine and encouraged to roleplay as a teacher instructor and share information, some secrets are best kept quiet in order to allow for other players the same enjoyment of solving mysteries.
16.  Players should respect the RP involved in hostage situations and not immediately default to attacking hostage-keepers without due consideration of other alternatives. Note that:
i.        A subdued hostage may be healed as part of a rescue operation;                 however,
ii.        The hostage must remain down and helpless and not activate any defensive damage modes (i.e. no switching on expertise or equipping shield). Also, unless given dm approval, cannot re-engage in pvp if subdued but managed to escape/let go.
17.  Blood Vial labels are OOC. Limited exceptions exist:Impossible to manage, so not sure why bother?
i.        If the PC who made the vial would have labelled them (check this first through tells if necessary);
ii.        Characters will recognize a sample of their own blood; and,
iii.        Characters with high-Heal or affinity with blood-magic also potentially recognize blood vials if they come from special kinds of creatures (consult a DM if in doubt).



Character Creation and Leveling Rules

1.    Characters must have appropriate names and appearance for their race and subrace. This includes, but is not limited to, the following restrictions:
  i.        Humans may not have the horned head appearance;
ii.        Standard elves may not have drow skin coloring; Or beards
iii.        Character names must make sense for the setting;
iv.        Character names must not be directly copied from a well known fictional or real-life person;
v.        Including titles or honorifics in the character name requires DM permission.

2.    Paladins, Druids, and Clerics must be created and roleplayed according to specific guidelines, including:
i.     All Paladins, Druids, and Clerics must adhere to their respective code or faith in order to preserve the ability to cast spells.
ii.    Clerics draw their power from a specific relic. They are not limited by the tenets of a particular faith but may serve individual philosophies, creeds, or ideals, but there must be a real, IC belief underpinning their spellcasting.
a.    Clerics should select domains from the primary / secondary pools that best reflect their faith, portfolio, or belief system.
b.    Awoken Clerics may choose to serve the deities of the Forgotten Realms.
c.     Clerics born in the City of Rings are more likely to serve one of the small gods.More likely? Shouldn't they only? Maybe this is a wider question about faith in rings..
d.    Clerics may receive spell failure if they act in a way contradictory to the teachings of their faith.
iii.        Paladins draw their power from a belief in a set of objective ideals. Consult the paladin class page for details.
a.    Paladins have diminished class abilities until they find and adopt a specific oath.
b.    Oaths that act as an additional layer on top of their character's baseline oaths.
c.     Paladins that adopt an oath must abide by both the baseline paladin ideals and the specific tenets of their oath.
d.    Paladins should remain in keeping with their ideals and oath at all times; failure to do so risks falling.
    iv.        Druids draw their power from the natural world.
3.    Optimizing characters to an extreme extent is highly discouraged; stats should generally be selected according to the concept. It is important for players to fairly and ably portray their character's strengths and weaknesses, whatever they may be.
4.    Skill point banking is forbidden. Skill point banking is the practice of saving skill points in order to put them into a class skill at a later level. There are limited exceptions:
i.      When multiclassing roughly evenly, players may save their skill points every-other level as needed in order to keep a primary skill maxed; and,
ii.     Other situations of modest skill banking may be permissible depending upon the build, but egregious examples of (for example) taking a single rogue level at a high level in order to maximize tumble/UMD are not permitted.
5.    Application-based, subrace, faction, prominent/semi-prominent or high-level PCs who are not played for over a month should not return to active play unless permission is given from a DM or through application. We are eager to welcome back players to EFU but it can be highly disruptive for characters that have long been missing to make a return.
6.    Creating "alts" (alternative characters) is discouraged but not strictly forbidden, as playing alts can lead to incidents of unintentional metagaming, unfairness, and perhaps most importantly degrades the playing experience. Alts may not:
i.     Be involved in one another's affairs;
ii.    Be involved in factions that are in conflict;
iii.   Be involved in separate ringrunning groups; and,
iv.   Communicate with one another in any way.



PVP Combat Rules

EFU is a full-player-versus-player ("PVP"), conflict-oriented setting. If you perform PVP, you must be prepared to face the IC consequences of the IC action. OOC issues or concerns are always handled by the DMs in an OOC manner. Players are advised to read the 'PVP Karma' thread when deliberating over whether or not to use Full Damage mode. Characters may not respawn from PVP.
PVP Karma is an important facet of EFU. When engaging in PVP, consider: whether your approach is reasonable; whether it is best to subdue, subdue and loot, or to kill; whether the PVP fun and stylish; and, whether your attitude as a player is respectful and sporting.
1.    Do not initiate PvP against characters you believe are level 2 or level 3 characters except in extreme circumstances.
2.    PvP must always be initiated for IC and justifiable reasons. Insanity or a desire for random death may be considered as an excuse for griefing by the DM team.
3.    You must always set your opponent to Dislike (hostile) before PvP. The dislike/like toggle is fully OOC. Seeing someone set you to Dislike should not be considered an IC act. Many players set the whole server to Dislike in preparation for PvP that may well have nothing to do with you, so you should not read too much into it if it happens. Be warned that if someone sets you to hostile, and you then relog, they will still see you as hostile/red whereas you will see them as non-hostile/blue. This is not their fault.
4.    When beginning PvP, send a message via /c pvp indicating that PvP may begin in your area.
5.    Do not initiate PVP in an area with NPCs present without a DM present. You must obtain direct confirmation from a DM that they are overseeing before initiating PVP in these circumstances. Specific, narrow exceptions to this rule are indicated on signs and NPC descriptions.
6.    If a DM is not present, PVP begins in an area without NPCs present, and PVP transitions into an area with NPCs present, the PVP must stop. Specific, narrow exceptions to this rule are indicated on signs and NPC descriptions.
7.    If your character is attacked, or if someone else is engaging in PvP, you may always respond IC with no confirmation from a DM.
8.    If you engage in PvP, remain in the server for a substantial period of time to give others an opportunity to respond to your actions.
9.    Traps must be used carefully in PVP. All players using them must review our trap policy on the forums. The following additional rules apply:
i.              Traps should be used in moderation;
ii.             Traps should not be used at transition points;
iii.            Traps should not close all conceivable avenues of escape with high powered traps;
iv.            Traps should never be stacked;
v.             Traps are limited to one stunning/disabling trap and one damage-dealing trap being out at a time. Can we get rid of this? Trap rogues would be far more interesting, and I dont think its that powerful
a.    Exceptions may be made, consult with a DM about your specific plan. If you believe you are the victim of bad-trap policy, please do not attempt to OOC'ly pause the PvP but rather consult with a DM during or after as it is possible an exception was made.
10.  Characters recently engaged in PVP may not rest without the permission of a DM.
11.  Characters recently engaged in PVP may not break off the PVP and reengage without the permission of a DM. Had a conversation with Gip about this, what qualifies as break off? Fleeing an area? Two areas?
12.  Players must observe nuances to damage modes in PVP:
i.              If a character is attacking in full damage mode, and a target is sent into negative HPs immediately, that target is not subdued - they can be healed, continue fighting, flee, etc.
ii.             If a character is attacking in subdual damage mode, a subdued opponent is completely helpless, must remain on the ground, must cooperate with dropping_pack/giving over items/removing armour if ordered to do so, and may not re-engage or flee unless the PvP is finished and the victory has departed, gives verbal permission, or a DM gives permission.
iii.            Using blackout mode on a subdued PC to steal or rescue a PC under the control of another character is forbidden unless you have specific DM permission to utilize this technique.
iv.            If a character is attacking in sparring damage mode, a winded opponent is not completely helpless, but should roleplay the effects of having lost the bout of combat.
13.  Goblin/Kobold/other subrace PCs can legitimately be killed by other characters just for being goblins/kobolds, however as always if the PvP occurs in an area with NPCs there should be a DM supervising.
14.  Playing a goblin/kobold is not in itself an excuse to grief other characters. Although of course you are free to engage in (non-FD) banditry.
15.  Characters may not utilize faction HQs or plot-locked (non-bashable/pickable) doors for the purposes of PvP unless they have permission from a DM. This includes law-enforcement PCs bringing a character into their faction for "questioning" with an intention to make a more significant arrest.
16.  Looting packs during an active PVP encounter is prohibited without permission from a DM. Discussing your intentions with an overseeing DM beforehand is encouraged.
17.  Looting the packs of characters that you did not have an active hand in defeating is prohibited without permission of a DM. Discussing your intentions with an overseeing DM beforehand is encouraged.
18.  Characters must be judicious in their use of stealth in PVP encounters. Note that:
i.              "Corner-sneaking," the exploitation of line of sight to reenter stealth is permitted only once as a method to escape from a PvP situation and may not be tactically reused during a combat encounter.
ii.             Players should avoid applying stealth after transitioning if being closely followed during a PvP situation.
iii. Due to a NWN bug, stealthed characters may briefly appear upon entering a new area. This is not IC knowledge.

Server Conduct and Discord Rules

1.    Banned players may not circumvent their bans; they may apply to return on the forums or contact a member of the staff to discuss their request to return.
2.    Players must inform the DM team of banned players that are playing under alternate identities.
3.    Do not attempt to identify the identity of a player that is playing under an unknown GSID or Discord handle.
4.    Do not publicly speculate as to who may be playing a specific character or reveal who is playing a specific character.

Howlando

"Or beards"

If people want to play a bearded elf I have to admit I don't really care.

"Can we get rid of this? Trap rogues would be far more interesting, and I dont think its that powerful"

I'm happy to have a discussion about what the appropriate rules should be for traps. The main issue with traps is that some of the traps are REALLY powerful. I agree I have no problem with a trap rogue laying out a bunch of more moderate damage traps though.

There is also an issue with all traps being on full-damage, which of course can cause problems.


"Had a conversation with Gip about this, what qualifies as break off? Fleeing an area? Two areas?"

Already removed.





Damien

Gotcha. "I'm happy to have a discussion about what the appropriate rules should be for traps. The main issue with traps is that some of the traps are REALLY powerful. I agree I have no problem with a trap rogue laying out a bunch of more moderate damage traps though."

You're right, maybe tiering would work better...ie for damage traps 3 average, 2 strong, or a mix of 2 max of average/strong, and 1 deadly only ever?

LiAlH4

Implemented suggestion by Nazey:

This 13. Do not play "alternate" characters if you are roleplaying a high-conflict character that has regularly engaged in PvP.

can probably be merged with the excerpt on alt characters further down

6.    Creating "alts" (alternative characters) is discouraged but not strictly forbidden,.. + (unless you are playing a high-conflict character that has regularly engaged in pvp)

LiAlH4

Implemented suggestion by nelly:

I would change this from "Should be avoided" to "is not allowed".

"While the end of a character's story can be an emotional experience, it is important to remember that there are real, breathing people behind GSIDs and discord handles: OOC hostility relating to IC events should be avoided. is not allowed."

VanillaPudding

2.    Exploiting monster AI in unrealistic ways is forbidden. Avoid situations where monsters behave in a completely implausible manner. Specific prohibitions include:
i.        "Luring", the practice of drawing a single monster away from others with a ranged weapon or dragging groups of monsters from a fortified position to march at your party single fileor dragging groups of intelligent monsters an unreasonable distance;
ii.        "Trapping" monsters on cliffs or other impassable areas and then killing them with ranged weapons; and,
iii.        Using the "Backwards-Walk" to prevent an NPC from attacking you.

Just cleaning that up a little. Using "tactics" (doorways, corners, etc) will always be a thing, and we get some nice low WIS characters that make it known when they don't, but the original wording kind of hints that everyone should just be charging out in the open which is a kind of a stretch on reality.






LiAlH4

Rule F.11 is updated to read:

"11.  Characters should minimise the use of transitions during PVP unless they are running away. Running away is always permitted. While it may be necessary in some exceptional circumstances, excessive "transition hopping" (repeatedly going back and forth) is highly discouraged and may constitute abuse."

Loops

Quoteiii.        Paladins draw their power from a belief in a set of objective ideals. Consult the paladin class page for details.
a.    Paladins have diminished class abilities until they find and adopt a specific oath.
b.    Oaths that act as an additional layer on top of their character's baseline oaths.
c.     Paladins that adopt an oath must abide by both the baseline paladin ideals and the specific tenets of their oath.
d.    Paladins should remain in keeping with their ideals and oath at all times; failure to do so risks falling.

b. here seems a little strangely worded. Or my brain is turned off. Just a bit of circular logic, oaths are on top of oaths. Maybe the following is a bit more clear, for new players.

Quoteiii.        Paladins draw their power from a belief in a set of objective ideals. Consult the paladin class page for details.
a.    Paladins have diminished class abilities until they find and adopt a specific oath.
b.    Oaths are in addition to a paladin's expected code of conduct.
c.     Paladins that adopt an oath must abide by both the baseline paladin ideals and the specific tenets of their oath.
d.    Paladins should remain in keeping with their ideals and oath at all times; failure to do so risks falling.

But then that gets very repetitive. It can probably be trimmed down by at least 1 point.

Quoteiii.        Paladins draw their power from a belief in a set of objective ideals. Consult the paladin class page for details.
a.    Paladins have diminished class abilities until they find and adopt a specific oath.
b.    Paladins that adopt an oath must abide by both the baseline paladin ideals outlined on the class page and the specific tenets of their oath.
c.    Paladins should remain in keeping with both their ideals and oath at all times; failure to do so risks falling.

Vlaid

"Corner-sneaking," the exploitation of line of sight to reenter stealth is permitted only once as a method to escape from a PvP situation and may not be tactically reused during a combat encounter. Normal methods such is invisibility, darkness and similar effects can still be used to re-enter stealth mid-combat.

Quoteiv.        Do not use stealth or invisibility to obtain quest rewards without engaging the monsters unless doing so is clearly indicated as permissible by the quest itself;
12. Using stealth or invisibility to gather the treasure of random explorable areas without defeating the monsters is in most cases highly discouraged. If your character(s) engage(s) the monsters, fail and are unable to defeat the foe, feel free to consult with a DM if it would be appropriate to attempt to use stealth and trickery to plunder the area.

These two should be condensed down into a single rule and either allowed or not allowed, not discouraged. Discouraged is not good language for a rule and creates more confusion than clarity.

QuoteAlways stay in-character. Do not break immersion for other players. Inserting real-life references into your RP, including abbreviations or smileys into IC talk, excessive use of voice chat lines in lieu of typing out roleplay or acting in a ridiculous or OOC manner is not acceptable.

LiAlH4

While EFU does not have a formal Notice and Comment period, please submit other changes soon!

Adjustments to the paladin section are forthcoming; the team is discussing the language involved. The paladin wiki page is likely to be revised as well to provide clarity.

F.18 is amended to read:
"Characters must be judicious in their use of stealth in PVP encounters. Note that:
i.              "Corner-sneaking," the exploitation of line of sight to reenter stealth is permitted only once as a method to escape from a PvP situation and may not be tactically reused during a combat encounter.
ii.         Other methods can be used to re-enter stealth mid-combat. These include invisibility, darkness, dust of disappearance, and similar effects."

D.12 is amended to read:
"12. Using stealth or invisibility to gather the treasure of random explorable areas without defeating the monsters is prohibited. If your character(s) engage(s) the monsters, fail and are unable to defeat the foe, feel free to consult with a DM if it would be appropriate to attempt to use stealth and trickery to plunder the area."
This rule exists independent of the statement on quests mostly because quests/explorables are different systems.

Stranger

The new version of the "corner-sneaking" rule feels a little incomplete when compared to the iteration prompted by DM Hound earlier this year.

Quote from: Old Server Rules(61) Although we accept the use of "corner-sneaking," the exploitation of line of sight to reenter stealth, it is a restricted behavior on EFU. It must be done carefully and in a plausible manner, such as by jumping behind an alley wall. In PvP situations, it may only be used to escape; it can never be done with the intention of weaseling out a free sneak attack or otherwise reengaging an opponent. Should you pull off a "corner-sneak," the battle is over, and you must stay in hiding for a reasonable length of time.

Stranger

There should be some kind of explicit reminder in the rules that the death zone is in-character.

Perhaps as a subsection of this rule...

Quote from: New Server Rules1.    Always stay in-character. Do not break immersion for other players. Inserting real-life references into your RP, including abbreviations or smileys into IC talk, acting in a ridiculous or OOC manner is not acceptable.

...with additional subsections commenting on the specific OOC areas that do exist, such as the character creation zone or the DM Lounge.