ŃРČ Sуѕтєм
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Gєnєrαl Infσrmαtíσn
There has always been and always will be a need for NPC like character in any role play. We usually see people under-utilizing this great storytelling device, or abusing it. That is why we decided to lay out some basic rules and guidelines on the matter. Remember, crew approval is needed for most NPCs and we can step in and change the rules if we feel something is being abused.
The first thing I wanted to note was that NPCs are different from RPCs and should not generally be converted to RPCs. We will allow this, but you will be forced to redo the full profile on a standard RPC profile skeleton, and you will lose any boosts afforded by the NPC system. So if you think there is a good chance you will switch this character over to an RPC, just create it as an RPC first! Its easier to convert from RPC to NPC than the other way around.
What is an NPC?
An NPC is any character or creature that isn't treated as your normal player characters are. They are usually short-lived, or shorter-lived, and serve a specific purpose. Your player characters have a lot more freedom and you personally maintain control over their actions. NPCs on the other hands often switch ownership/control. Now for the purpose of this Guild, we want members to control their own NPCs and generally, crew will not take control of them. We don't want to control your NPCs! We will only do this if we find that we have to in order to make sense of things. Do keep in mind that a crew or moderator can always take control of an NPC if they choose to. Other members cannot unless they are appointed as a moderator for a specific event though. These powers will be used very infrequently I hope. We know that most people creating NPCs have a specific purpose for that NPC and anyone who takes control of an NPC you have created ought to try their best to abide by the ultimate purpose you have laid down for said NPC.
NPC Tчpєs
In it important to note that some NPCs will need to have a profile and be approved, and others will not. I will quickly summarize the general guidelines for which kinds of NPCs you can freely create on the spot and which you need to get approval for first. There are a lot of little details and there is almost no way to memorize all of it. Most of these guidelines are just common sense! We will have a few important rules to go through so keep reading!
The first thing I would like to specify is that you have greater NPC powers when moderating a mission. Even as a member. Say you take your team out to do a mission/quest by yourself. Whether it is an officially created mission or a custom mission it doesn't matter. The team leader or someone on the team is usually designated to moderate that mission. They have control of Grimm and bandits and other creatures. They can add more to the mission and control their actions how they please. A lot of these rules and guidelines will not apply to a mission setting as that is a closed system of its own. These rules are for the general day to day role play and role play within events moderated by the crew. So just remember to interpret these guidelines through a lens of common sense. We aren't going to be harsh on you if you mess up. We are fair and lenient since this is a complex role-play device. We will let you know if you go too far and so you will live and learn!
I also wanted to address pets and companion NPCs. These kinds of characters, will essentially share a post count with your main character in combat. This means if you want to have a little cat that fights with you it is basically just an extension of you. You can have a whole other person or multiple people as NPC companions, but they share a post count with you in combat. Now, these characters ought to be the epitome of simplicity. We don't want you to create two friends with complex semblances to add utility to your kit. Keep these companions very simple. These characters should be a part of your posts in almost every post. You can't create them just to summon them when it's convenient. They are either there or not there, and if a fight happens when they are not there you should ask a crew or mod if they can hop on in. Also, if you get split from your companion and somehow have to do separated combat, we can then allocate some posts over temporarily to your companions, but this also means that temporarily your main characters will be weakened. We want things to be logical and consistent when it comes to companion NPCs.
Lastly, I wanted to address the fact that you can create NPCs as teachers, staff members, military, villains, etc. The one type of character you are not allowed to have an NPC be is a student! Well, a student on a team at least. We don't want to do all the work of getting you on a team just to die on us. Sorry. Not happening.
Needs Approval:
- Most NPCs that have an unknown lifespan should be approved. If you are just having them to role play as for fun, but don't have a plan to kill them off in a specific way so they could live for months or years in real life. These types should pretty much always be approved.
- If this NPC is going to engage in combat outside of the current mission or quest you or your team is moderating. Then you likely should have it approved. Especially if you want the NPC to have a set level and contribute to combat.
- If this character is going to be engaging with strangers or people outside of your team then it usually needs to be approved.
Does Not Need Approval:
- If you just have this NPC for a very short time to serve a purpose and then die.
- If the NPC is solely within a quest or event you are moderating then you can create as many NPCs as you like that make sense. They can all have specified levels to contribute to combat as well (When specifying levels, this applies to Non-companion/pet NPCs).
- A super short-lived NPC or group of NPCs like fleeing civilians, or wild Grimm that you are fighting off for show (non-combat system combatants). You can pretty much always spot a Grimm when in the wild and slay it. Just don't make it too ridiculous like a swarm of dragons.
Crєαtíng αn NPC
You must use this reduced NPC Profile for all NPCs requiring approval and post the profile here. If you are not sure whether your NPC needs to be approved run the idea by a crew member. We'll let you know what we think. Lastly, keep it simple. Don't make a super complex semblance or a multiple page bio for an NPC. Complex semblances will generally be denied for NPC's except in very specific story applications where the NPC fills a very specific role before dying. We still want a decent bio for any character going to be around for a while, but try to keep it simple!
NPCs that do not need approval can just be generated on the spot usually. Like when your characters are walking through the forest and you spot a Grimm off in the distance. This is technically an NPC creation event. These sorts of things are totally fine. Or when you are on a quest and the moderator says a bunch of bandits attack you. Sometimes people will on purpose, or accident generate an extra bandit to smash. That is usually totally fine (especially in swarm scenarios). Just use common sense. For all NPCs that do need approval, use the below profile.
Lastly, I wanted to discuss NPC levels. We prefer NPCs to start at 50 posts, but some do deserve a higher level. We can grant a higher level if it makes sense so feel free to request a higher level or explain plot and character development and how you want the character to level up based on plot and character development. The crew have the power to deny any level that you put there if it doesn't seem to fit, but there is no harm in requesting what you think makes sense. Some NPCs will even be allowed to reach level 3, though this will be uncommon. Just keep that in mind.
Gєnєrαl Rulєs
- NPCs cannot ever enter a crew or non-crew moderated event without permission of the moderator first. We often let and encourage NPCs to attend events and missions, but due to their unique nature, they should be approved first by the one in charge.
- You can have a random passerby NPC give you information that your character would otherwise not know, but only so long as it's not seen as negative meta-gaming. It needs to be reasonable. For example, if there is a massive attack in the city then it makes sense that non-combatant civilians would be fleeing the scene and one might stop and frantically tell you "THERE IS AN INVASION!!" and keep running. That sort of stuff is fine, but there won't be random civilians watching a fight who walk up to you and tell you the weakness of the person you are about to engage with. That just doesn't make sense and hurts the role-play. So use common sense on this one.
- NPCs have a base level and do not grow with post count, but you can still keep track of post count if you plan to switch your NPC over to an RPC. Just keep the post count hidden not to confuse others what your character is levelled at.
Lєvєls & Bσσsts
NPCs do not increase in power with post count. They have preset levels which can only be changed with crew approval. For now, you can only have 50 posts as your NPCs base level, but you may request a higher base level. We are more likely to give short-lived NPCs a higher level, and especially those who play a critical role in some cool plot. It doesn't need to be a big event plot, but the better your plan the more likely it is to be approved. Also, since villains and faculty have natural boosts we are less likely to approve them being set at a higher base.
Sυммαяу
0 ▬ Submit your NPC profile here.
1 ▬ Most NPCs start at 50 Posts and do not gain levels as they post. They do not get teacher or villain boosts but are still allowed to join those organizations. Sometimes your jobs warrant a good reason to petition the crew for an upgrade so feel free to request it.
2 ▬ You can't have teamed up student NPCs, but you can have NPCs for literally almost everything else (Including teachers).
3 ▬ If you are moderating a private mission or quest for your team you are basically able to do anything you want. Create NPCs with levels all you like!
4 ▬ NPCs cannot join any moderated quest or event without permission of the moderator.
5 ▬ NPC rules and guidelines may change at any time. We want this system to be flexible and fun, but to also give people a good idea of what is okay and not okay to do!
6 ▬ Use common sense. When in doubt ask a crew if you think your NPC should be used. If nobody is going to complain about it, it's probably safe to have.
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