PaxLair Roleplaying Player-vs-Player Guidelines

These guidelines are for Roleplaying (RPing) Plaver-vs-Player (PvP) attacks and combat in and out of PaxLair with bonified RPing groups associated with PaxLair. While many people in Britannia have no intention of Roleplaying, certain groups affiliated with PaxLair do intend to Roleplay PvP. It is our intent in PaxLair to enhance the RPing environment through these guidelines.

The currently identified RPing PvP groups are:

• PaxLair Guards (PxG)
• Clan of Vampires (CoV)
• Orc Clan
• Tribe

In addition, PaxLair Citizens (Pax) are by definition Roleplayers and may be involved in PvP at their own discretion (and risk), but the PaxLair Citizen guildstone will not declare nor accept war against any other guildstone.

Each group should have a guildstone and their proper title and guild abbreviation displayed above their character.

The purpose of RPing PvP is to combat people and groups through a storyline and with mutual respect for both sides' abilities, equipment, and story plots. The main goal is to allow both sides to "recover" quickly from battle, without significant loss of materials, so we may quickly create another RPed combat situation.

The RPing PvP groups are under no obligation to follow these guidelines with non-RPing groups or persons. PaxLair will not honor complaints from anyone who fights as a non-Roleplayer in combat without a storyline to establish credibility and reason for their attacks. People coming to PaxLair to attack may not use these guidelines as a shield against looting or death without being established roleplayers. Establishing oneself or one's group as roleplayers is done over time through developing a history, background, and goal--not by simply declaring oneself as a roleplayer, using thee's and thou's, then immediately attacking. For example, "I've come to kill the Mayor because a guard killed me last night" is not a sufficient storyline. More imagination is needed to participate in this aspect of RPing.

Also, if one of the RPing PvP groups violates these guidelines while in PvP combat, the other side may seek immediate retribution. PaxLair officials will not generally get involved in disputes between RPing PvP groups, but can be called to mediate differences of opinions; both sides are expected to work out their problems.

For example, the RPing with CoV developed over many weeks of trial-and-error through a complex storyline. CoV and PaxLair officials are developing these guidelines together to enhance the RPing environment. The other RPing PvP groups are encouraged to follow these guidelines.

1. Some form of warning should precede the attack. This is not always necessary and depends on the storyline.
2. No looting of weapons, armor, or keys.
3. Lootable items include: reagents, arrows/bolts, gold/treasure (gems), and potions.
4. Recall runes may be looted to prevent escape, but should be returned after battle.
5. Never report a roleplayed attacker for murder.
6. Do not slay newly resurrected people, unless they are participating directly or indirectly in battle (for example, stealing, healing others, or blocking people).
7. Individuals or groups that choose to ignore these guidelines will not be afforded the respect of a "roleplaying status" nor be able to file a complaint.
8. Protect each side's belongings from non-RPing looters, thieves, and murderers.
    
9. Bugs, hacks, cheats, exploits, or OSI unapproved third-party programs have no place in a roleplayed conflict nor UO for that matter. Anyone that employs such methods will no longer be permitted to roleplay in future events/quests and should also be immediately reported to the GMs through the UO online HELP form. OSI is currently certifying which third-party programs are acceptable for use and recommend players NOT use any third-party programs until their certifications are completed (use before certification may cause you to be banned from your account--"Right now using any third party program is reason to be banned"--quoted from GM Grond).

Roleplaying a thief/brigand can have consequences. The concept of roleplaying a thief/brigand does not grant one immunity from retribution by the offended RPing group; the offended group may, through RPed attacks, attempt to retrieve stolen possessions (lootable items mentioned above, and any non-lootable items stolen, but not returned).

This list is by no means complete, but meant to serve as a basis for mature roleplaying. Mutual respect is the essence for mature roleplaying.

end of proposal - make comments to Winfield or on the PaxLair messageboard.