Server Information and Rules
Higher Ground was designed with team play in mind. Soloers will find it rough going.
Article I - General InformationA. Read the Bulletin Board!
Higher Ground is updated frequently, the Bulletin Boards in town and at the docks are provided to inform players of these updates. Click on the bulletin board to view the most recent update, and examine it to view past updates.
B. Custom Class Abilities
It is highly recommended you read the compendiums available in the Wondrous Items shop. These books detail the many changes made to classes, spells, and equipment on Higher Ground. To emphasize the importance of this – if you fail to read the compendiums applicable to your character build, this lack of knowledge can cause serious problems with your builds performance!
C. Loot and Experience
1. To discourage XP Leeching, you gain no experience if anyone in your nearby party is 6 or more levels higher than you. Group with people near your level to gain a party bonus. You will gain maximum experience per kill in a party of 5, and maximum rare loot percentage drops in a party of 9. Summoned creatures do not reduce experience, but do not count towards party number.
2. Groups are limited to 10 players, in order to reduce lag.
3. Loot
i. When a container is opened, it disappears, and a remains bag is spawned, which you acquire loot from. Containers will typically respawn after a set amount of time.
ii. Some treasure chests spawn one item per party member in the area.
4. Deleveling/Releveling
i. You can raise your character’s level to level 2 or 3, based on class, at the Rowan Tree in town.
ii. You may delevel your character at the Priest in Town, so long as you have not become immortal. You need to gain experience conventionally to regain your levels. DMs cannot adjust your levels in any way, DO NOT ask DMs for assistance.
iii. Due to Bioware limitations, characters that have levels of Red Dragon Disciple cannot delevel their characters, nor have their characters deleveled for them.
iv. Characters with legendary levels are considered to be level 40 characters, and so any character with legendary levels can group with characters level 34 and up.
D. Fugue
1. Upon mortal death, you will be forced to fugue within 2 minutes. You can avoid fuguing by being resurrected or raised by another player. Fugue times are randomized, so you should resurrect or raise fallen party members quickly!
2. If you fugue, you will lose xp, gold, and possibly (25% chance) an equipped item.
E. Items
1. Characters are limited to 150 items in inventory, not including equipped items. Stacks of items, such as potions, are counted as 1 item per stack. When you exceed this limit, you will be sent to Encumbria, and you will not be able to leave until you are under the limit. This helps decrease server lag.
2. Items left on ground will be despawned after a short time.
F. Forums
There is a great deal of information and discussion about the server on the Higher Ground website and bulletin board:
WEBSITE:
www.dormantwarrior.comMESSAGE BOARD:
highergroundpoa.proboards3.comEMAIL: highergrounddmteam@yahoo.com
Article II - Server RulesFor the most part, these rules are designed to be intuitive. If you are polite and respectful of others you generally won't have any problems.
A. Character Names
1. While we do not want to dictate the terms of your playing style to you, this is a fantasy role playing game, and we encourage players to name their characters accordingly. Players who name their characters things too reminiscent of real life or too out of character for the player world will be asked to choose a new name and be renamed by a DM.
2. Obscene or Degrading names are prohibited, and are addressed by the DM team. If you see an obscene or degrading character name, let a DM member know, or post on the message board.
B. Exploits
1. We prefer to deal with exploits by scripting around them, in order to keep rules to a minimum. Generally speaking, if your character CAN do something, they are welcome to do so, so long as it doesn't violate any of the rules listed.
2. If you suspect an exploit, please report it to a DM in a private manner.
C. NPC manipulation
1. Anyone caught resting for the sole purpose of creating spawns may be subjected to whatever punishment the DM sees fit, with no warning.
2. Attacking non-hostile NPCs is prohibited, and will usually cause you to wind up in jail or worse.
D. Town
1. The town of Ascension consists of the following: the Town and all buildings within it, the Docks and all buildings within it, and signs used as warnings that lie outside the town boundaries.
2. Town Combat
i. The town of Ascenscion's goal is to be a safe haven to its inhabitants. You will be ported to jail automatically if you attack or damage town NPCs or town property. If hostile NPCs somehow invade the town, the town guard is equipped to handle them, and is recommended that you leave the area. You can choose to engage hostile NPCs in town, but at your own risk - consider the consequences above if bystanders or property are accidentally hit by your actions.
ii. All aggressive or detrimental actions directed at Player Characters (PCs) are prohibited in the town of Ascension. This includes all PvP actions, such as taunt, pick pocket, or disarm and detrimental actions, such as blocking doorways, or laying traps.
iii. Punishment for violating rules in sections i and ii is administered by the DMs as they see fit.
3. Please use the trash containers located in the Docks and Town, rather than dropping items on the ground. Because these areas are constantly populated by players, items dropped there rarely get a chance to despawn.
E. Shout Channel
1. Shout spam
Please restrict shouting for use when you need to speak to everyone on the server. You may ask a question in shout, but should respond to these questions in tells. If you abuse the shout channel you may be barred from using it either temporarily or permanently.
2. Offensive Language in shout
Under no circumstances is offensive language of any kind tolerated in shout. If you're not sure whether something might be offensive, don't say it in shout. This includes curse words, discriminatory slurs of any kind, and anything a reasonable person would find offensive. If you curse on the shout channel you may be barred from using it either temporarily or permanently.
F. Player interaction
1. Battle looting, xp leeching, or otherwise poor group member behavior is frowned upon on Higher Ground. These actions typically do not invoke DM involvement, but your party is free to remedy the situation by talking to you, asking you to leave the party, or kicking you from the party.
2. If you are asked to leave a party by the consensus of the party, or are kicked from the party, you should leave the area that party is in immediately. Staying in the area or harassing the party can result in DM involvement.
G. Player combat – the escalation method.
1. Player versus Player (PvP) is permitted on higher ground through the escalation method. PvP is not taken lightly on the server, and is only used in retaliation of a justifiable offense. PvP actions are regularly contested – and the burden of proof is on YOU to prove your actions were right.
i. Determine if you have been “wronged.” This includes actions such as loot-theft, un-escalated aggression towards you or your party, or camp stealing. Realize that you will need to explain your reasoning why you were wronged to a DM later, so it needs to be something the DM would consider an offense towards you. If you are arbitrarily escalating a confrontation, you can be punished by a DM.
ii. Contact the person or persons who wronged you and see if the actions were intentional, and seek a reasonable resolution. You need to attempt to resolve the situation if it’s a misunderstanding. Failing that, attempt to contact a DM on the server.
iii. If you cannot resolve the issue through discussion with the offending parties, you have the option to pick pocket the player until they comply with your stated resolution.
iv. Any player pick pocketed has the right to defend themselves through full PvP combat.
v. If you pick pocket the offending player and they or their party defend themselves as listed in step iv, you can now engage in full PvP combat.
2. Any persons involved in an escalated confrontation have the right to contest these actions by reporting the incident to a DM, either online or through the message board. If you escalated an issue, evidence is required on your part to substantiate your position; this includes an accurate retelling of the incident, screenshots, and witness corroboration. Any escalated conflict runs the risk of YOU being punished, don’t do it unless you have to.
3.[/i] Escalation method is prohibited in town. You are prohibited from Section (1) iii-v if the other party is in town. Punishment for PvP combat in town is severe.
H. Prohibited forms of PvP
1. Unprovoked pick pocketing or aggression.
2. Stealing of treasure and loot, or killing monsters in areas occupied by another party.
3. Hostile interference in battle, designed to sway the outcome of the battle in the monsters’ favor. This includes laying traps, casting area of effect spells, blocking escape routes, and training monsters.
I. First come-first served camps
If another party is clearing an area or group of areas, you should either ask to join their party, ask if they will let you have the area, or leave immediately. If they do not want you in their party, for whatever reason, and do not want to yield the area, you must leave immediately. Typically if you are within their level range, you will be welcomed into their party.
J. Guilds
See the guild rules located in a book in the item shop.
K. Consequences for Rule Violations
1. As long as you follow the rules of conduct, you will most likely have a pleasant experience here.
Do not give the DMs a hard time, they are here to help.
2. DM's are usually willing to discuss transgressions, providing they do not have to deal with an attitude problem while trying to reason with a player. You really have to go out of your way to get yourself banned, but frequent abuse of the rules of conduct can result in a permanent ban.
3. Server Rules are enforced when and how the DM's choose. Repeated violations can result in a wide range of actions, including: jail time, stat loss, level loss, gold loss, item loss, xp loss, banishment to hell, and permanent ban.