In an effort to stop certain practices the DMs feel take away from the quality of the server, our
policy on metagaming, powergaming, and other exploitation has changed. What will
occur in the event of a violation is at the discretion of the DM, and will vary
based on the offense, but often a death without the possibility of true
resurrection (or, possibly, any resurrection) is typically considered minimal
punishment. Obviously, our most severe course of action is banning.
Other actions which are absolutely prohibited include:
- Passing equipment from one of your characters to another, in any manner, including using an intermediary;
- Giving people equipment for any ooc reason, including ooc relationships or interactions with a player's "other characters"
- Logging after stealing or attacking/killing another character without giving sufficient time
for actions in response (if you don't have time to deal with the consequences, don't commit the actions)
- Logging in using someone else's character is an exploit and will be dealt with as such.
- Hacking or attempting to hack the server will result in immediate permanent banning as well
as potential legal repercussions. Don’t do it.
This list is not all
inclusive. Please use your best judgment. Remember that the spirit of the server
is such that things which are not conducive to a role-playing environment are
generally unwelcome.
Exploitation of bugs to gain
gold, experience, duplicate items, or such, will almost certainly result in a
suspension or a permanent ban.
What does it mean for Borgo Pass to be a Role-play server?
Players are expected to remain in character as much as possible, and denote out
of character comments with some notation, such as an OOC prefix. Powergaming and
metagaming are frowned upon. Gameplay is substantially different from Diablo or
Everquest.
The server is strictly for mature ROLEPLAYERS only. If you do not fit into this category or you class
yourself as a powergamer, twinker, PvPer, then please leave now. Mature means
acting mature, age is no boundary here if you can show us your RP skills. That
said, those new to RPing are also welcome, but please be open to friendly
“pointers” from DM staff and players alike.
Please be aware that Roleplaying will be rewarded with XP, as they add depth and reality to our game
world. The best items are EARNED through good and convincing roleplay and by
contributing to the Realm as a whole. The server will run 24/7 but
we all have jobs and RL commitments to attend to, so we cannot be here ALL the
time.
Rule Enforcement
For the purpose of rule enforcement, there is only one DM on this server. While there
are other DMs, they do not play any part in the administration of the server. These folks
are storytellers and are here for the sole purpose of your enjoyment.
What happens when I die?
If your character is 4rd level or below, you will “wake up” in a
temple after you die. From here, you will be able to return to the starting
area in which you began. This allows those of low levels to get started in the
world a little easier.
If your character is 5th level or above, you will be moved to the Fugue Plane and your body and
possessions will remain in the 'real' world. A companion can use a Raise Dead or
Resurrect spell on your corpse to revive you. Your corpse can also be taken to
an NPC cleric, who will charge a nominal fee for resurrection.
When you are resurrected, you will experience “Memory Loss” equal to 100xp per level. So, if you are 8th
level when you are resurrected, you will lose 800xp. This may cause you to lose a level if you are above 10rd level, so be careful.
Are PvP & “Pick Pockets” allowed?
Yes. Respect your fellow players. Remember that despite what characters say and do, there is
another person behind that mask whom you do not know. This person puts hours,
weeks, and months into his or her character just as you do. Each piece of
equipment they own and all the exp they earn is all paid for with that time.
If you steal or kill another player make sure that you are earning the right to do so.
Make sure that you are returning the time that player has lost to them in entertainment value. Do not
cheapen the loss of their exp or goods by doing it OOC. That only makes the
other player feel that they have wasted their time in acquiring what they have.
If for any moment people feel they are wasting their time then they will have bad feelings and leave.
Can I PK?
Everyone plays a character that has been admitted into the realm and for the
most part, follows its laws. Players are not given the option to control “insane
dwarves” or “mass murderers” who attack anything in sight. Paladins and
assassins may personally strive to slay evil or kill for money, but both live in
an ordered society which does not accept wanton murder.
PKing and PvP in general can be a very touchy subject. If you cannot be sure that both parties
understand that the conflict is fully within character and that deadly force
maybe used, then you should avoid the issue entirely. This 'understanding'
should be present before anyone is killed. Blatant PKing is not allowed under
any circumstances. Even if you have a reason for it, it will not be tolerated.
What if the other player refuses to RP
If another player refuses to RP with you, or continues to speak with you OOC: Let me know. I will talk to
the other player and explain to them that this is a roleplaying server and that they are expected to roleplay.
If they still do not roleplay, they'll be asked to find another server to play on.
Can I play an evil character?
Yes. Keep in mind that any character you play has been admitted into the realm,
and is allowed to remain there. This means that he or she must be generally
accepted by the society - no insane dwarves or mass murderers. Evil characters
can be selfish, greedy, lying, backstabbers, but there is no 'killing for fun'
or 'destroy the weak' personas, as rampant murder is not tolerated even in
'evil' societies. Alignment is just a guideline of how to play your character,
and in any society, they can and do change. A paladin slaying a thief just
because he knows him to be evil or dislikes his verbiage will be arrested and
charged with murder, along with all the other common criminals.
Being an evil character or PvP character carries with it the responsibility to ensure that you are
providing an entertaining time to the players whose characters you are working
against. You must be almost like a DM in that you must be fair in the degree you
play your character. Hunting newbies is not fair. It offers no challenge for a
new player to overcome because they haven't a chance. That is not fun for a
player and will not be tolerated
Is it against the rules to loot corpses?
In short, no. Adventuring is a dangerous profession. If a PC stumbles across a dead body with
gear, he is at liberty to take it, though some morally upright characters would
feel the need to return the items. However, if the owner of the items is nearby,
or a friend is standing over a bag of equipment, the items are considered 'in
possession'. Taking things is then considered stealing, just as if one person
put a bag down at his feet, and another took it. Though it is understandably
difficult, we ask that players do their best to stay in character and have their
characters value their lives more than their items.
Are there any rules concerning multiclassing and Prestige Classes?
There are no rules for multiclassing or prestige classes as long as you are
motivated by roleplay reasons. If it is obvious that you took a class purely
for its bonuses or feats, you will be asked to re-level your character.
There are certain classes that follow a certain alignment. If your Paladin is seen stealing, looting, or
generally breaking regional laws, you will take an alignment hit and potentially
lose your status as a Paladin. (Thus, becoming a fighter of the same level).
Be prepared to discuss your multi-classing choices if asked.
What is powergaming and powerleveling?
The exact definition of powergaming varies from person to person, but it is
generally agreed to describe actions that have no roleplay logic to them, but
are rather designed only to 'power up' a player. Exploiting quests to powergame
may be considered 'cheating'.
High level characters that take low levels out to hunt or train, and damage monsters to “near death” so the
low level character can finish them off for massive XP will have levels and
items stripped, and may be deleted and/or banned.
Low levels that fight with high levels should be involved in the combat to whatever degree they can, but if
they are seen to be holding back, sucking XP then they will also be dealt with
severely.
What is metagaming?
Metagaming involves using knowledge that your character could not possibly know.
This should be avoided entirely for any PvP situations. Here is an example: An
assassin tells a low level wizard that he killed his friend. The player who
controls the wizard logs off and logs back on with a high level paladin and
slays the assassin for his crime. The paladin could not possibly have known
this.
Is there a legal way I can transfer items between characters?
Yes. If you must transfer items to another character (even your own), you may
hire a player merchant to sell your goods. Have the other character buy the
items from that vendor. The character buying the equipment MUST be buying the
equipment from the Seller’s vendor, NOT the other way around.
Do not sell items to player vendors, unless you own that vendor. They will only pay you 1 gp for the item.
Alternatively, you may sell your gear to any vendor in the game, though a markup will be incurred.
Are guilds allowed to share items?
To an extent, yes. Common sense and responsibility must be used. Some guilds
may become very powerful and wealthy. The Guild leaders should exercise
restraint when equipping their members, especially new members. Make them work
for the privileges. Do not use OOC knowledge of who plays the character to
convince you to give the player gifts.
Characters are not to be used as storage. If you want a character to “hold onto” something for you, they
must keep that item on their person, not in a storage chest. This makes it
possible for the player to actually lose the item. This could be a great RP
oppurunity.
Flaming and griefing
Flaming players will not be tolerated, and personal attacks on players will result in
potential banning. In character actions which can lead to insults and PvP are
acceptable, but use of foul language will not be permitted and also may result
in a ban. This server is run by players for players, and as such is a place for
people to come, kick back, RP and have a good time. Likewise racial slurs,
politics or similar nonsense have no place here. If you want to cuss and hassle
each other do it outside of the server, as there is enough of that crap in the
real world, thank you.
Is Cybering allowed?
Cybering, or Cybersex, is not welcome on Borgo Pass. We are trying to promote a family
atmosphere where all are welcome to play freely. This means there are children
around, so use common sense. This is a bannable offense.
What if one of the players is harassing or annoying me?
If you are harassed in game, kindly ask the person to leave you alone. If they continue to
harass you, send an email to the DM explaining the situation. I will ask them
to leave you alone. If they continue, they will be banned. Note: Taking a
screenshot adds much weight to your complaint. You can take a screenshot by
pressing the “Print Screen” button on your keyboard.
I ran into a problem. Will DMs reimburse my lost XP/gold/items?
No. If you run into a problem, we'll do our best to help you at that time, but
messages like "I died and lost 2000gp due to a bug yesterday" are difficult to
deal with. We will always listen to the issues and try to get them solved, but
we will avoid giving experience, gold, or items in the process. We sympathize
with players that have lost time spent improving their characters, especially
when it occurs through no fault of their own, but the sheer amount of these
requests is overwhelming, to the point where DMs do not want to log on. The DM's
are here to play with everyone, not to be 'gods', and so the best we can do to
be fair is a blanket refusal of such requests.
If your character loses all of your inventory to a game glitch, your character can request to be restored to
a backup point. There is a seven day backup of the server-vault, so your
request must be made in that time frame or nothing can be done. This will only
happen in special instances, which will be verified in the logs prior to
restoration. Any XP, gold, or items that was gained after the backup is lost
and will not be replaced. Be thankful that there was a backup.
Are player guards DMs?
Player guards are not DMs. Like everyone else, they are role-players, acting out the part of an adventurer
who has the part-time job of a city guardsman. Like other PCs, they have their
own personalities. Bear in mind that the regional laws are 'in character' laws,
and PCs should treat it as such, even trips to jail. Breaking regional law is
completely different from breaking server rules. The latter incurs punishment,
but the former is almost expected from good role-players of certain characters.
Can I log off when my character is in trouble?
Borgo Pass is a role playing server, and the abrupt disappearance of a character, especially while in battle,
ruins that atmosphere. This is doubly true when it occurs in events involving
other players, and often upsets other players when used as an 'escape route'.
Robberies, muggings, and death are all a part of a character's life in Borgo
Pass. Logging to avoid death is a punishable offense. It is understandable that
connection problems occur, but if a pattern emerges, action will be taken.
Can I shout?
Indeed, though only those in your immediate area will hear you. The Shout channel has been disabled
Can I use TELLs to roleplay?
Depends, but no. All tells are to be taken as OOC, unless the player specifies that their speech
is to be taken IC. In general, it is bad form to RP through tell, so it is
encouraged that all players RP using the talk channel.
Can I use Party chat to roleplay?
It is considered bad form to use the party channel for roleplay, since it makes
it impossible for those near you to listen in on your conversation. Remember
that eavesdropping is one of the best RPG motivators. The party channel should
be used for OOC discussion. Please keep in mind that all DMs can read party
chat, so please be kind not to spam them with non game-related banter.
Suspension and Banning
Suspension is a temporary ban. Duration of the suspension is at the discretion of the DM
Banning is a punishment that we reserve for what the DM perceives as the most heinous
crimes committable on our server. Since it is our strictest punishment, it is
reserved for severe cases. This is to protect the well meaning player who makes
a regrettable mistake. Intent will be decided upon by the DM. (Only 4 players
were ever banned on Borgo Pass since NWN was released)
The Server is password protected?
The server was temporarily password protected so that all will read the server rules. The password is: thumb
