¶ Player Conflict
Not everything is always peaceful among the many denizens of Narumer. Sooner or later, your character might get caught up in a conflict with someone else. Sometimes, these disputes can escalate beyond words into more serious actions like violence, theft, sabotage, or even murder. Because player conflicts can be sensitive, it’s important to know the rules and guidelines. This way, no matter which side you’re on, you can remain respectful and understanding throughout the conflict.
It's important to remember that the experience is meant to be enjoyable for everyone, so avoid abusing your skills just to cause trouble. If you’re creating new characters with the sole intent to cause chaos—like pickpocketing or lockpicking everything without thinking about the consequences—it’s a good idea to step back and reconsider your actions. Conflict should evolve dynamically and organically.
¶ Rules of Conduct
- Using OOC to defame characters IC: Always avoid using someone’s OOC work schedule or availability as a way to label their character as IC as lazy, unavailable, or useless. This is still a game, and players have jobs, kids, family, and holidays. Criticizing a character based on the player’s real-life availability is poor etiquette and goes against the spirit of fair play.
- Evading consequences by being offline: Conversely, players whose characters are being pursued by others due to in-game actions or behaviors, and who try to avoid consequences by deliberately not logging in, taking extended breaks(as a result), or using similar tactics, may risk having their character forcibly retired.
- Meta-avoidance: Do not deliberately conduct raids, break-ins, vandalism, or other aggressive actions against a rival faction or player character's property during off-hours or times of low player activity.
- Roll consent: Between players, all dice rolls are consent-based, and only a DM can enforce the outcome of a skill check! You as a player are not allowed to force others into obeying your rolls if they do not want to.
- Pickpocketing, lockpicking, and theft: You can choose to invest in lockpicking, and we've decided to make almost all doors lockpickable for players who heavily invest in the skill. Thievery and lockpicking are governed by their own set of rules. See Theft & Recovery for more information.
- Right to a prompt resolution: When characters are arrested or detained in-game, any player-sanctioned arrest or detention must result in a proper trial, or resolution within 48 hours, unless the arrested party willingly waives their right to a prompt trial.
- Character vs Character: Before your conflict escalates beyond words into violence, or deadlier consequences, you have an obligation to familiarise yourself with the very important rules regarding CVC below.
¶ Addendum: Right to a Prompt Resolution
"Right to a prompt resolution" means that the jailed player has a right to see progression of the conflict within 48 hours. This does not mean they have to be automatically declared innocent, or have their actions hand-waved.Rather, they cannot stay locked up for more than 48 hours unless they specifically waive their right, in a clear, OOC manner.
Examples of a prompt resolution may include:
- A trial, tribunal or solitary judge, deciding the fate of the jailed.
- Letting the jailed free, under supervision.
- Punishments, fines, community service, etc.
- Declaring innocence, and freeing the jailed.
- Execution (when reasonable)
Read: The point of this rule is not to force you into one specific resolution, but rather to avoid drag out the jailing process. Consider that you—as a player—are robbing another player of their agency, essentially "banning" them from playing the game when there is no RP to be had.
Read: Do not use the 48-hour trial rule to criticize or disparage a player-government in-character! Do not use it as an argument that the government is denying you time to prepare a defense, or any other claim that paints the player-government as unfair. This is an OOC (Out-of-Character) rule to protect gameplay, not a choice made by the player-government. The only one with a choice in this situation is the detained party, who can choose to waive their right to a 48-hour trial.
While it's not an ideal solution, it's a necessary compromise. If the arrested player chooses to waive this right and remain detained for a longer period it's entirely their decision.
¶ Fighting
Any use of physical or magical attacks, hostile spells, even non-damaging ones, such as Daze, Balagorn's Iron Horn, or others, against another PC, should follow these rules. Just because something like "Daze" is non-damaging, does not mean that it is not a hostile action.
RULE: Before attacking, you must mark each other as hostile by using the player list or the following commands:
!hostile(then click the target) or!hostile all
When the situation is resolved, or deescalated, you can use !unhostile and click the target, or !unhostile all
By marking your target as hostile, it gives them a chance to respond, and make sure that all spells, abilities, items or otherwise function as intended in a combat scenario.
¶ Addendum: Subdual Modes
-
Default Subdual Mode,
!subdual subdual: This is the default server setting. You can subdue another character down to 1 Hit Point. The beaten character's Hit Points will never go below 0. Every successive hit after they are subdued will add to the length it takes for a character to recover. -
Sparring mode,
!subdual sparring,!subdual spar: In sparring mode, a character may scuffle with other player characters without penalty. Sparring mode is used to roleplay "training" or other times when a character does not need to be knocked out. -
Beatdown mode,
!subdual beatdown,!subdual bd: When you want to punish a character but not with the intent to kill. The combatant that loses the fight receives several penalties for a time. -
Full damage mode
!subdual full damage,!subdual full,!subdual fd: Full damage mode enables you to kill another player's character. You cannot use this mode unless your character has been given a Reaper Mark.
¶ Deadly Conflicts
If a conflict devolves into potential murder, you must familiarize yourself with this section. Read carefully and thoroughly; You are potentially robbing the life of someone else's character in a permadeath setting - It is your obligation to familarise yourself with these rules.
¶ 1. Reaper Marks
Haze uses a Reaper Mark system for enabling one character to kill another. A Reaper Mark is an on-character toggle applied by a Dungeon Master. Without a Reaper Mark, a character cannot mechanically kill another character.
A reaper mark signifies an express intent to kill another character! Do not apply for Reaper Marks for "just-in-case" scenarios, or in purposes of self-defense.
Characters less than 10 days old are not eligible to apply for Reaper Marks.
¶ 2. Rules
You are required to follow these rules, prior to, and when engaging your opponent. There are no exceptions to these rules.
- MARK YOUR TARGET AS HOSTILE. Marking your target as hostile will ensure that combat, spells, and items work as expected. It also lets your target know that they are in a dangerous situation.
- UNTIL A RESOLUTION IS MADE, YOU MUST REMAIN HOSTILE TO ONE ANOTHER. Do not toggle the hostility off in an attempt to de-escalate the situation forcefully. When an organic resolution is made, it is safe to toggle off.
- YOUR TARGET HAS A RIGHT TO FLEE. A character may not be blocked from leaving the area by non-combat means under any circumstance.
- DO NOT use furniture or other placeable objects to block off exits.
- DO NOT lure players to areas that have no means of escape. (e.g. One-way transitions, druid/ranger paths with no way back.)
- DO NOT attack players that get bugged, stuck, or clipped into terrain and cannot move.
- DO use combat abilities, consumables and spells to your advantage.
- DO NOT KILL ANYONE EXCEPT YOUR TARGET. A reaper mark enables you to deal full damage, and kill other players. Do not exploit this mark to kill someone who is not your target.
- It is highly recommended that you do not activate full damage mode until you're ready to deliver the final blow, to avoid mistakenly killing people who you are not targeting. If you by chance kill someone else by mistake, you will be held accountable.
¶ 3. Acquiring a Reaper Mark
Reaper Marks are manually given out by DMs. A character who has an active Reaper Mark has the ability to deal full damage, and kill another character.
A reaper mark lasts for 30 days after it has been granted.
To apply for a reaper mark, you can open a ticket via the Discord channel #contact-dm and submit the following form.
Who are YOU (Character Requesting RM):
[Give your character name.]
Hired Assassin (if any):
[If you are having someone else carry out your killing, state who.]
Who (Target):
[The name of the character you're targeting.]
Cause/Reason (Justification for the Killing):
[This should provide a solid, IC justification for why you have an express intent to kill another character.]
Witnesses:
[Describe what other characters have been witness to your motivations, and your cause for killing.]
Impacts to Community (OOC):
[Consider what impacts the killing may cause on the player that is targeted,
and the community as a whole, OOC. Give this section proper thought.
Imagine how you would feel if you were the one on the receiving end.]
In-character Impacts:
[Consider what impacts your action will have on the server,
IC:ly - what might other characters do, and how might they react?
Do you expect retribution, or other consequences?]
¶ 4. Using a Reaper Mark
A Reaper Mark enables your character to switch to the subdual damage mode full damage. This is enabled by the command !subdual full damage or !subdual full.
It is considered good form, and respectful, to not enable full damage until you want to deliver the final blow.
It is actually highly recommended that you do not activate full damage mode until you're ready to deliver the final blow, to avoid mistakenly killing people who you are not targeting. If you by chance kill someone else by mistake, you will be held accountable.
¶ 5. Heat of the Moment & NVFL
In the events where a character displays a blatant disregard for their life (often coined no-value or NVFL) in a confrontational or conflict-scene, a Dungeon Master may allow for a 'heat of the moment' Reaper Mark.
A Reaper Mark given through this NVFL rule requires the same rules and guidelines as usual. These 'Heat of the Moment' Reaper Marks granted through this exception will normally be removed by a DM before you log out.
¶ Addendum: Good Form
While deadly conflicts can quickly get heated, and intense, it is important to not lose sight of the most important element - role-playing. Two characters may hate each other in-game but have mutual player respect out-of-character.
You should consider the spirit of roleplay to be the forefront of your conflicts. Though you are not required to, following these guidelines is considered respectful, and will give everyone a better experience.
- Send a message into the in-game DM channel using
/dmto alert any online DM to imminent combat. - Avoid wordlessly hostiling and immediately attacking players out of nowhere.
- Consider not instantly executing your target if you are successful in your attack. Allow roleplay to commence, and last words to be exchanged. Activate full damage mode only when you are ready.