Echoes of War
OOC Information => Rules, Information, Applications => Topic started by: Surreal on April 10, 2025, 07:13:39 PM
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Please note that these rules are still under review, particularly those regarding PvP. Some or all of these rules may change over time, especially as we progress from playtesting to a full release.
The Golden Rule
"I am an adult and this is a video game."
The Golden Rule should be in the forefront of your mind while playing on Echoes of War. When engaging in conflict RP that carries high stakes and may lead to PvP it is important that all parties keep the Golden Rule in mind, as any blatantly negative or toxic attitude from any party involved is going to be judged just as much as any potential rulebreak. This is a very old videogame at this point and we are not interested in any of the usual drama that tends to plague NWN communities. Should you feel yourself growing unreasonably frustrated with how certain events are playing out in-game, feel free to reach out to a member of the staff, but it may also be advisable to recite the Golden Rule to yourself beforehand. Oftentimes simply stepping away from the game for a few hours or a day allows for cooler heads to prevail.
Echoes of War Forum Rules
In-Character Information Sharing
Absolutely no IC information is to be shared between players through Forum PMs. This predominantly means the use of "sending letters" but applies to any form of IC communication. Sometimes a DM may allow in-character letters to be sent to them through forum PMs and this is the only exception to the rule. Attempting to circumvent this rule will result in a temporary ban.
Public Announcements
Any notice posted in the Public Announcements section by a Player must be signed by that character. The use of an alias is not permitted. We allow the use of an IC Announcement board on the forums solely to make the organization of public player events easier but if it is abused it will be removed. Public Announcements that directly begin or stoke conflict with other PCs are permitted but must be signed the same way as any other public advertisement. Any Public Announcement done for this purpose must also be posted on the in-game Notice Boards.
Anonymous Announcements
As above this section is made available for shadier characters to more easily organize their events by reaching a larger audience. However, we strongly recommend that if you would prefer to avoid the potential for your events to be seen or interrupted by your enemies or the "good guys" that you simply do your advertisements on the relevant in-game notice boards. Anonymous Announcements do not need to be signed but all other rules apply.
Echoes of War Server Rules
Echoes of War has both high integrity and high stakes. This means that, as a roleplay server, you are expected to be in-character at all times. Furthermore, Factions and their relationship with each other and the world at large are a heavy focus on Echoes of War. While not all players will participate heavily in Faction oriented gameplay (and this is fine!), everyone should be aware that it is unlikely to avoid some measure of interaction with this aspect of the setting completely.
Additionally, the overall atmosphere of the world from an in-character perspective and the mechanics of the server from an out of character perspective are meant to be somewhat more hardcore than some NWN players may be used to. This is not meant as a boast or implication that our server is somehow better than others, we use the term "hardcore" solely in it's most literal definitions. Echoes of War is a FULL PvP, FULL loot server, with systems in place to encourage players to be cautious of what they do and be mindful of what items and equipment they carry around with them on a day to day basis.
Lastly, baked into the lore of the world is the concept of the usual cycle of life and death and the "abandonment" of the gods due to a past catastrophe that makes both full, irreversible death and the departure of an entity's soul to the beyond - as well typical forms of resurrection as seen on other NWN servers - extremely convoluted. A character that is thwarted in a battle with the many monstrosities of the lands will find their soul unable to fully depart the mortal realm. However, the more this occurs, the more violent the death, the less a character's soul remains grounded.
Note: Particularly in the early phases of our open playtest it is entirely possible that some aspects of these mechanics (how much loot you drop, how many pvp lives you have, xp loss, etc) will undergo changes. We cannot fully guarantee that characters will be fully reimbursed in these instances but we will do our best to work with you to find a happy solution to any bumps in the road.
Player Versus Player Encounters
PVP involves two or more players battling with each other for any duration, whether the encounter is fatal or not. PvP on Echoes of War is considered "open". What this means is that PvP between Player Characters can occur at any time in any place - as long as those instigating the conflict are accepting of the consequences of their actions. In some cases these consequences are obvious. Attacking another PC in a "Guarded" settlement will result in immediate hostility by the commanding guard force as well as a lasting, open Bounty should the assailant manage to flee the scene. PCs who break the law in any fashion can receive a "Criminal" status that not only comes with a Bounty as listed above but they will then find themselves unable to continue the same level of access to vendors and other amenities within a Guarded Settlement.
Every PC starts with a set amount (currently 5) PvP lives. Their soul is able to remain anchored to the world this many times before it loses it's connection and is transported to wherever it is that souls go in the absence of a divine realm. Upon a PCs final death they will find themselves transported to an area they cannot leave where they can interact with an object to permanently "closure" their character. This act is final and results in varying rewards for the next PC they choose to make.
Conflict is integral to good stories and a core part of the theme and atmosphere of the world we are building. PvP is an integral form of conflict resolution, as is the possibility of true, lasting consequences. The ability to inflict these consequences is in the hands of all players equally, but it should be noted that the staff expect all those who engage in this gameplay to be mature about their actions. We simply will not tolerate bad faith actors that come to the server solely to take advantage of this style of gameplay. If we suspect that your actions are not in the pursuit of furthering the gritty atmosphere of the setting and evolving a good narrative for all players we will take action.
Before any PvP occurs the target must be set to Hostile beforehand.
We highly recommend taking screenshots of all conflict roleplay you engage in and any stated intent to engage in PvP whether it is done privately or directly toward your intended target. If you are able to record the encounter, even better.
The following behaviors are examples of allowed PvP:
- Engaging in Banditry
- Laying claim to resource nodes for any length of time
- Looting dropped gold and equipment from dead PC bodies
- Faction specific conflict
- Kidnapping and ransoming a PC
- Any form of hostile intent against a PC in an "Unlawful" settlement
The following behaviors are examples of disallowed PvP:
- Laying claim to a dungeon zone. While you may control the resources inside you may not inhibit other players' ability to partake in generic PvE content.
- "Camping" a PC's body. When PvP has ended you may not remain to repeatedly kill the same PC over and over again to deplete their lives.
This list is not exhaustive but should serve to give a general idea.
Profanity
We have no problem with cursing/profanity. Keep it consistent with your RP, however, as trolling will not be tolerated.
Sexual/Social Roleplay
We are not interested in judging the roleplay that occurs between two consenting adults. However, we advise you to take it out of the public areas.
Permanent Death
Outside of the PvP Life Limit, Permanent Death happens only at the discretion of a DM, usually due to actions taken during or at the end of an extensive DM plotline.
Attacking Non-Hostile NPCs
Attacking Non-Hostile NPCs falls into two categories, doing so in a Lawful or Unlawful settlement. The consequences of each should be fairly obvious, but do be aware that just because a settlement is flagged Unlawful does not mean that it does not have a governing body and "police" force that almost assuredly likes money more than it likes your freedom to wanton murder.
Character Modifications
Please note that full Re-levels require a DM to be available and willing. Full Remakes require both a DM and the server Host to ensure nothing goes wrong. These will occur when staff are available and willing, so please do not harass them.
Re-leveling: Generally speaking, the DMs of the Echoes of War server will allow you to re-take your last level without any hassle, assuming one is available. We will simply remove the necessary XP and then return it. However, the more you request this, the more we will naturally have to scrutinize the reasoning.
Full Re-leveling: Similar to above.
Full Remakes: Again, generally this will not be a hassle, but reasoning will be required. The more you are shifting away from how you have roleplayed your character up to that point, as well as their established backstory, the more scrutiny you'll receive.
Alignment Changes: Alignment is fairly irrelevant on Echoes of War and most mechanics requiring it's function will be modified at some point.
Head/Appearance Changes: Done through the Customization System.
(Please note that wings, tails, horns, or any fantastical appearance option are _not_ allowed unless approved and given by a DM)
Item Transfer/Muling
"Muling" items from one character to another is prohibited.
Metagaming
Metagaming is one of those age-old problems that is difficult to prove when it has transpired, so let's all be honest with each other and keep a firm separation between what is known in-character and out-of-character. If it seems like your character is always in the right place at the right time, we'll probably find a way to make your abuse of knowledge come around to haunt you. Echoes of War has a two (3) character limit that is enforced mechanically. If you play more than one character, you may not share information between them, call them acquaintances, or any such thing. Playing two characters from the same family or who have some relation between each other is prohibited. Players are able to delete any character they desire at any time in order to test new builds and concepts, but this does not confer with it the rewards from Character Closure.
Exploitation
Any activity that seriously compromises the game engine or the intent of the setting and server will result in a permanent ban. If you have any doubt whatsoever that something you are doing could be considered an exploit, we strongly suggest you reach out to a member of the Staff before continuing, as we will not be lenient with these cases.
General
We will tolerate no homophobia, transphobia, or sexism. We will tolerate no forms of general harassment or bullying of your fellow players.
We will tolerate no form of OOC racism or sexism. The nature of the setting does mean that certain prejudices may exist towards race or gender roles in certain parts of the in-game world. If you cannot be trusted to understand the difference between OOC and IC (and we will know) you will be asked not to engage in these themes. If you persist you will be removed from the community indiscriminately.
These as well as all rules outlined in our discord's rules channel should be followed at all times. Use common sense, follow the Golden Rule, and you will be fine.