SOJOURNEY ORIENTATION SEMINAR(S.O.S.) MANUAL

THE BL0ODSTONE LANDSMENZOBERRANZAN

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SOJOURNEY ORIENTATION SEMINAR

HOW TO LOG ONTO THE SOS

SECTION 1: IN-CHARACTER AND OUT-OF-CHARACTER ACTIONS

SECTION 2: CHAT CHANNELS

SECTION 3: PLAYER / DM INTERACTION

SECTION 4: EMOTES

SECTION 5: SOCIAL INTERACTION WITH PCS

SECTION 6: INTERACTION WITH NPCS AND PARTY LEADERSHIP

SECTION 7: LOOTING

SECTION 8: CHARACTER CREATION

CONCLUSION

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SOJOURNEY ACADEMY

The information contained in this Manual is offered to explain some of the moretechnical (including tips, hints and “tricks of the trade”) aspects of the NWN multi-player experience. We recommend that you keep a copy of this Manual for futurereference.

SOJOURNEY ORIENTATION SEMINAR (S.O.S.)

The SOS is offered on as-necessary basis for new applicants, and consists of two parts.The first part is an OOC section which, in conjunction with this Manual, explains therules of Sojourney - kind of "here's what we expect from you, and you can expect fromus." Rules of Engagement, so to speak. This lets everybody know very clearly what thepolicies and guidelines are - for all of the servers. This is not a session designed to teachyou how to roleplay, although there will certainly be pieces of advice in that respect.

The second part of the SOS is a short fun in-character adventure designed to utilize theprinciples discussed in the OOC section, as well as give new players to meet andinteract with their fellow players.

Many people who have been roleplaying for years are offended at the concept thatsome game world is going to tell them how to do what they've been doing for years.That is not our intent, although we will certainly be happy to discuss those conceptswith anyone who feels they need it.

The one thing that we want to emphasize here is that our past experiences with similar-type seminars indicate that everybody nearly always has fun and everybody nearlyALWAYS learns something, some tip or trick that they didn't know before. This is atwo-way street: the "class instructors" aren't going to just stand there and tell you thatthere is only ONE way to do things.

Please feel free to note any sections you have questions regarding and raise thosequestions during the session. There is no such thing as a stupid question.

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HOW TO LOG INTO THE SOS:

We no longer run a separate module for the SOS. The SOS is now conducted on theregular server, so the IP address and password are the same as the information givenwhen you were made a Provisional Player. Session times are noted on the appropriateforums.

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Section 1: In-Character and Out-Of-Character actions.

► Act like a DM is watching over your shoulder – even when they are not.

There is a temptation, when solo or when away from a group and without DM-attention, to begin to treat our game as a single-player experience. Please do not do this.Firstly, we like to pop in unannounced to see how well players are dealing with areas,or lurking to spring surprise elements on wandering PCs, or for whatever reason will bewatching you in private. This helps us in many ways, but also can alert us to a playerwho misuses opportunities in a single-player kill-em-all fashion. At all times, roleplayyour character's reactions to events as if you WERE in a DM event, and as if the NPCswere true PCs. Not only is this excellent practice, but it maintains the depth ofimmersion our builders and DMs try to deliver to you. And, it's a great example toother players, too!

► Definitions of “IC” and “OOC”:

IC: any action taken that is consistent with the character's background and personality.So, for example, a typical cleric of Ilmater heals a wounded character without asking forrecompense, whereas a typical Cleric of Waukeen asks for payment.

OOC: a simple and easy definition is: any action that's not IC! OOC talk is onlyproperly for technical/real-world issues. Use an IC justification for these if possible.Justified use of OOC conversation is for things like technical issues - advising aboutthem or offering help - flagging RL issues, and so on. Unjustified uses are just aboutanything else, really! We strongly urge players to limit OOC talk once you leave theWelcome Area. A lot of players find it breaks the immersion factor for them badlywhen there is a lot of OOC chatter.

You may flag OOC conversation many different ways, including using double bracketsor double parenthesis or double asterisks. Examples: ((message)), [[message]], or**message**.

► Reacting IC to all events, masking OOC actions with IC reasons:

PCs should attempt to react IC to all actions, including unintentional ones. A goodexample is when you “bump” aside another PC when moving. Mask OOC actions withIC reasons - for example, use phrases like "I must go find the inn's outhouse, I'll be rightback" or "I really need to take a quick nap, shouldn't last long" rather than "OOC: brb".The classic one here, though, is when you forget to remap your keys, and hit "rest" bymistake. IC, say you just dozed off, or dropped something - try and avoid "Gah! Stupidkey remaps!"

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Good masking of OOC activity:

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Emergency OOC speech:

► Definitions: Powergaming and Metagaming:

Powergaming is defined as: "OOC actions taken solely to maximize a PCs in-gamepower." For example, Lallan the Ranger's character background includes the fact thathis village was massacred by undead, making him burn for revenge and specialize inhunting undead while growing up. However, the player takes racial enemy: goblinsbecause goblins are much more common.

Metagaming is defined as: "Actions taken using OOC knowledge, for whatever goal."For example, camping spawns or AT (area transition) points; showing knowledge fromthe campaign setting or sourcebooks about areas or NPCs that your character couldn'tknow.

Just to reiterate: We take a very, very strict line on either of these. We make the spawnsintentionally deadly - if you solo them, you are likely to die, even at higher levels if youget unlucky. In addition, anyone who seems like they're just around to camp the

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spawns and then comes along and wipes out something we've designed for lower-levelPCs will attract the severe displeasure of the team and, most likely, the other players.

Remember, a character has no concept of levels, attribute bonuses, saving throws,equipment pluses, etc. Please do not ask for this type of information. It breaks thequality of immersion. Good roleplayers should be able to transfer that informationthrough description, instead of behind-the-scenes “what level are you?” or “what's yourcharisma?” or “So, where do we go get XP?” And certainly none of this should ever bedone on the talk channel unless you're in one of the starting point OOC areas.

► Examples of poor IC justifications for OOC actions:

Poor IC justifications for OOC actions are also frowned on. For example: runningeverywhere and saying it's okay because your character is a barbarian / sprinter / justlikes running; killing deer because your hate them, etc.

Some players are used to running everywhere on servers where they have played. Wetake the view that a fighter running more than about 20 feet in full plate really isn'trealistic. Running through a town usually is going to get the city guard asking what theproblem is ... or assuming that you've just done something wrong. (NOTE: runningaway from a monster about to eat your face is okay and is indeed a sound survivaltactic). Even moving through the countryside should be done at a walk - unless you canjustify it some other way.

Running can get you - or your party - dead. Running does not give you a chance toprepare. You may spring a trap, or an encounter, that you might otherwise havesurvived IF you had not tripped it prematurely.

Running is also a problem for the DM who leaped ahead to set up an encounter. Yourpremature appearance on the scene has now ruined the setup. This is likely to annoythe DM. How badly do you want to deal with an annoyed DM?

While running AWAY from an encounter is frequently a good strategy, please do notleave monsters clustered behind you at an AT. If you are unable to go back and takecare of the problem, please let a DM know. DO NOT leave a horde of monsters standingat an AT where an unsuspecting character may step across into almost certain death.True, server resets will take care of this problem, but, please, play fair.

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"How do I change the automatic NWN run mode?"

There are several ways to change from the default NWN run mode.

1. Click on "search" located on the Quick Tool bar. Or press the "F2" key. This works forevery race except elves. NWN considers an elf always in search mode. The downside ofusing the “search” button is that you have to disengage it if you need to run. This can bedeadly in combat.

2. You can remap the "walk" key in Options.3. Shift/Click method. Hold the SHIFT key down and mouse click the location to where

you want your character to walk. The advantage to this is that you can "run" at amoment’s notice.

4. Hold down the left mouse button, positioning the cursor close to your character’s body.

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ther areas that fall under the powergaming/metagaming heading are (1) logging offo avoid death, and (2) logging off to restore spells, skills, etc. without resting. Loggingo avoid the death penalty is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and includingaving your player rights revoked.

hile we're on the subject of resting, resting should only be done IC. Do not throwourself down to the ground after a combat to restore your spells.

here are always grey areas here, and the golden rule is: ask a DM if you're in doubt.lso, always think about what your character would do.

This moves your character at a slow walk.

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Section 2. Chat Channels

► Talk / Shout / Party

Talk: this is the default channel for all in-game communication. Use it whenever you'rein doubt. Please do not use lEEt or dude speak.

Shout: this channel should be used only used in very exceptional OOC circumstancesand then generally only by a DM. I can't think of any circumstances in which you'dhave to use it as a player. DMs may use it to ask people to log off and log back in 5minutes for a server reset, or something similar. Our DMs frequently use SHOUT toindicate that they are leaving for the night. Please do not use return SHOUTS to wishyour DM warm teddy bear hugs. Tells are perfectly acceptable for that purpose.

Party: this channel has two main uses, both IC. First, you can use it to simulate an ICconversation across an AT. For example, say you're playing Billy the Scout, and Bellathe Fighter and Bobby the Cleric are waiting for you to tell them whether the caveyou've just gone into is safe. In reality, you could just call back outside and they'd hearyou - but in NWN there's an (artificial) AT in the way.

In this situation, you're welcome to use party mode IC to tell them it's safe: "*calls backthrough the cave entrance* All clear!" Second, when you and your party are doing stuffwith a DM *and no PCs are present who are not in your party*, you may be asked to useparty mode to help DMs hear what you're saying while they're off doing other things. Ifmore than one DM is on, though, you may well get asked to shut up! Note that if youand your party are using "party channel" and you come upon another player who is notpart of your "party," that player will not be able to hear you talking to him/her.

► Whisper / Tell / DM.

Whisper: this channel is good IC for private discussion at very limited range. It should*always* be used in preference to tells, and bear in mind that sometimes using"*whispers to Bobby* Shhh!" in the talk channel will be preferable - DMs, in particular,can miss crucial info if you whisper it.

Tell: this is not to be used for IC private discussion - use whisper for that. It can be usedfor non-disruptive OOC chat if needed. There are also a number of special IC situationswhen it can and should be used. Foreign languages or hand signals can be done usingthe talk channel to indicate action (*makes hand gestures*, *speaks in Dwarven toElgyth*), and then use a Tell to convey your intended message.

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If you receive a Tell from someone else present saying they speak the language, youshould send them the info as well, keeping the knowledge that they speak it OOC, ofcourse! Tells can also be used for unusual things - ESP spells by agreement with DMs,telepathy between ghostwise halflings should you play one and find another, and so on.We do use the language "ears" that "translates" your words into gibberish unlessanother player has the same language "ear." You should keep in mind, however, thatthe "translation" is automatically thrown onto the DM channel and is truly not "private"conversation between you and another player.

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Private or "Tell" messages are sent by typing "/tell" (without the quotations) and the player's accountname. There are 2 other ways to Private a player if you don’t know their account name. If they havesaid something and you see their message, their mini portrait will be to the left of their text. Click theportrait and that will automatically enter the "/tell" command and add that player's account name tothe chat box. Or, you can go on the players list (represented by the two swords icon) and highlight theplayer's name, then click the "Tell" button.

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OC TELLS: Tells may or may not be monitored by the servers. OOC tells should beept to a minimum - regardless of the reason. Once again, they break the immersionactor for many people. Harassing another player through OOC tells because you didn'tike something they did is unreasonable and leads to grief between, not only characters,ut among players. OOC harassment is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and

ncluding having your player rights revoked.

M Channel: This channel is used for communication with all DMs. It is also thehannel the DMs use to talk among themselves.

To send a Tell to a specific DM, type: /tell DM LatinLefty [whatever you want to say].

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Section 3. Player / DM interaction

► Player to DM, IC & OOC issues

Player to DM communication: if you're trying to get some attention, use the DMchannel first, then Tell for the specific DM you are working with from there on. Bearwith us if there are loads of people on!

OOC issues: please send bug reports, technical queries or issues, and any violations ofroleplaying standards to DMs.

IC issues: you can check with a DM about planned or attempted actions' effects (Does itlook like I could jump the ravine?), and proposed creative actions not possible withoutDM intervention. For example, a rogue might attempt to climb and enter a second-storywindow, or a ranger check for tracks outside of a cave.

► DM to Player interaction.

DM to player: IC information. A DM will often use tells to provide IC informationwhich is specific to your PC. Continuing the example of the ranger a moment ago, a DMmight send a tell saying, "You see a set of bear tracks leading to the cave. The tracksappear fresh."

DM to player: gameplay or technical issues. First off, "The DM is always right." Thatsaid, we encourage full and honest dialogue with DM when issues arise. So, if a DM hasa problem with something you're doing, or if they've been asked to look into somethingyou've done, please take it in the spirit in which it's intended!

We encourage making contact with DMs when we're on - so sending "Hi!" to the DMchannel when you or they log on is fine! Beyond that, PM the Team with specific thingsyou'd like to do on a short or long-term basis, and you can also PM the Team about"admin" stuff - negotiating with shopkeepers, sending letters, and so forth.

If you're in-game and want to be sure a DM can hear what you're doing, use either theDM channel (e.g. "Excuse me, Carlotta, but I'd like to place a special order.") or, if you'retalking to other people, use /party to talk. You should only use /party if asked to by aDM, and we may ask you to switch back and forth - bear with us if so!

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Section 4. Emotes

► When and how to use them.

Emoting is used for any and all actions not possible, or unwieldy, in the NWN engine.That covers everything from "*wipes sword dry on orc's tunic*" right through to "*picksflower*".

A large number of emotes, skill checks, and dice functions from the DMFI Player Wandso anything that's not there, just flag as an action in the talk channel.

► Restrictions, importance of IC actions.

As ever, there are some standards we use for emotes. First, all emotes must be IC.Second, actions should be limited to affecting ONLY the emoting player unless thetarget player accepts the emote or the emote does no harm. So tying someone up oncethey're unconscious is fine; kissing another PC is ok, but be prepared for them to rejector accept the kiss. An example would be, "*rips off Bob's arm and beats him over thehead with it*". Bob might object to that.

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TIP: To create a Text Macro for a phrase that you want to use over and over again:

Right click on an empty quick slot. Choose the custom macro option from the buttons that appeararound your cursor.

The first thing you type will be the name of the macro. It's what the button says on it so you knowwhich macro goes with which button.

The second thing you type is the actual message your character says when you click on the button.

By default, this message is always a shout, no matter what channel you have your character talkingon.

To prevent it from issuing in "SHOUT", type /talk then your message. Or you can use /tk . Example:

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hat makes a bad emote? Generally anything that would require the other player to bemind-reader. This is true even in Menzoberranzan. If you run into someone who can

ead your mind, you will be told, I'm sure. For example, "*contemplates roasting thewarf slowly over a fire*" is a bad emote. If it is not a visually obvious emotion, youhould not emote it that way. A correct emote in this situation would be "*glares at thewarf with hatred in his eyes*".

/talk *raises clenched fist to urge caution* OR /tk Well, that do chap me butt!

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Section 5. Social interaction with PCs; how to introduce your character.

► RP the "first contact."

For example, if you've run from some goblins, get through the gate and slam into a newPC, say something like: "Hail! *puff puff* I was just chased here by a pack of goblins!Did you encounter them too?" Or, if you're listening to someone talking in the Inn of theClowns, introduce yourself with "I couldn't help but overhear you were planning to goto Hillsafar Hall; I'm headed that way myself." and so on.

► Party invitations, IC vs. OOC relations, PvP/CvC.

Partying up: note that PCs have no obligation to join a party. You have to persuadethem to team up with you and potentially you have to make it worth their while. Partyinvitations should follow IC interaction, not precede it.

PvP/CvC: Note that relations between characters have no IC connection to relationsbetween players; liking/disliking a player does not mean you automaticallylike/dislike their PC. But what about perfectly legitimate IC reasons where CvC is alogical progression?

We also stress, over and over, ROLEPLAY your character and always consider whatyour character would do in a particular circumstance. Dire circumstances make forstrange bedfellows. This is the bread and meat of roleplaying. A LG paladin is going toneed a really good reason to party up with a visibly evil character.

There are substantial guidelines in the Menzoberranzan Handbook setting outcircumstances and requirements for IC CvC. Read them, know them, and follow them.The Bloodstone Lands frown seriously on CvC, and blatant CvC without IC justificationcould potentially get you banned.

There is a big difference between how novels work, and how the game works. In thenovels, they have plenty of "extras" to kill off. We don't have that in game; we can't justkill off characters, because that character is someone else's. That's why there's such aheavy restriction on CvC. In the novels it might make sense for a priestess to kill arandom commoner to make an example of him/her, but in this game that'd meankilling off someone's character.

The issue of good vs. evil is a difficult one, and we understand that. We ask that youstay in character, but then we tell you that PvP or CvC should be the rarity, not thenorm. The LG paladin who walks away from perceived evil without attacking it is adifficult situation for the true roleplayer. So the LG player is making adjustments, just

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as an evil player is. That's part of how we survive together.

Bottom line: CvC MUST be conducted under the supervision of a DM. If that meansyou have to delay the combat until another day, so be it. If you should be forced intosuch combat, your logs and screenshots are wonderful backups.

Also, please note that as much as we have a strict policy on CvC, we also take a verydim view of anyone who uses those rules to harass or taunt another player into a rashaction and then saying "Tut, tut, the server rules say you can't touch me!" This kind ofplay disruption, which is frequently conducted OOC, falls under the category of OOCharassment discussed earlier and can get you banned as quickly as if you wereconducting actual blatant PvP homicide just because you can.

Sexual Harassment, Violence and Misconduct: Closely allied to CvC is an area that cancause enormous difficulties, both for the players involved and the servers as a whole.Therefore, absolutely no cybersex activities or blatant, graphic acts of sexual violenceare permitted on any of our servers. It is absolutely impossible to tell in some instanceswhether or not you are talking to a minor. There is no reason to cause trouble for theservers for the sake of activity that you can freely do on other cybersex sites.

DISCLAIMER:

The Hosts, Builders or DMs of these Servers can not and will not be held responsible forthe actions of the person(s) playing on the servers, or posting in the forums. Thisincludes harassment, improper conduct, abuse, (be it sexual, verbal, In character (IC), orOut of Character (OOC)), stalking, inappropriate tells and/or messages, use of offensivelanguage, etc. If you do not feel comfortable with the actions of a character/player,please inform a DM, or the Admins, and we will look into the matter and attempt toresolve it. Violators may face reprimanding and/or permanent removal from the server.Please play responsibly! Remember there are real life people behind the characters, andnot everyone will be comfortable in any given situation and may consider anotherplayers actions offensive and/or abusive!

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Section 6. Interaction with NPCs and party leadership

► Party leadership, spotting DM-controlled NPCs.

Your Party leader should be selected IC; no "who has the highest CHA?" conversations,please. Parties are not obligated to have a leader, but it usually helps to have aspokesperson when dealing with NPCs. Note also that you should choose carefully, asthere are occasions when your spokesperson's decisions can cause NPCs to attack andother bad - or good! - things to happen.

NPC interaction: you can tell when a DM is controlling an NPC - a "hand" is shownwhen you cursor over them rather than the 'talk' action displayed normally. You canuse the chat channels briefly to set up a conversation with a scripted NPC.

► Conversations with NPCs while in a party, treating NPCs as people.

Conversations with NPCs: if you're running a scripted conversation, allow other PCsthe chance to react. Don't "fast scroll" - those took us time to write! Also, remember thatchat channels are NOT disabled during scripted conversations, so the party may (andshould) confer IC in the talk channel about important conversation options.

Treat the NPCs as people, even when there are no DMs on and they won't even talk toyou. Don't ignore non-interactive NPCs, and don't use OOC exploits of the AI if we'vemissed any. For example: looting an NPC's possessions directly in front of them, even ifthey don't auto-attack you, is not permitted.

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Section 7. Looting

► Avoid "every man/woman for themselves", take IC decisions over allocation oftreasure.

Avoid "every man/woman for themselves" syndrome, i.e. don't scatter to the fourwinds and grab everything you can. Pay attention to other PCs' actions and to your owncharacter background. For example, you're playing someone with military training.Your PC might well insist on having an organized system for collecting possessionsfrom the fallen while two party members stand guard, for instance.

On this note, remember that taking and refusing items should be affected by ICconsiderations, too. A good-aligned monk might refuse a full share of the gold, andmight tithe some of what they do take; an evil or neutral rogue might try to pocketitems on the sly. A monk insisting on getting the plate armor instead of the fighter isacting OOC, just as an evil rogue who always plays fair with the loot is.

► Announce (via emotes or conversation) taking of large objects, use richdescriptions.

Announce, via emotes ("*picks up great sword*") or conversation ("Hey! This bugbear'sgreat sword looks in good condition."), when your PC takes large objects while looting.We define "large" objects as any armor or shield, medium-sized weapons and above,and anything of comparable size. If it can't go in a pocket or lie flat under clothing, youshould probably announce it - and as ever, check with a DM or even OOC with yourfellow players if in doubt.

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Describing items: *always* use a rich description rather than '"It's a long sword +2".Don't talk about pluses, talk about your impressions of its power or vitality.

► Race-Specific Items.

Yes, we know that a Rogue with the "Use Magic Item" skill allows the rogue to prettymuch use any item he/she wants. This is a function of game mechanics. We dohowever ask that if you come across an item such as Elven Chain Mail or any other itemthat the description clearly indicates is made for only one race, please do not use it ifyou are not of that race.

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SECTION 8: CHARACTER CREATION

"This covers the basics of character creation and progression in Sojourney - what youneed to do here that you might not need to do elsewhere, and what we've changed fromthe default.

► Character Description, Deities, Subraces

During character creation, we suggest that you change your character description fromthe Bioware default. Some types of information to be included are a brief physicaldescription of your PC, along with any obvious mannerisms. You should *not* put inyour PC's bio what they're thinking, anything about what kind of orcs killed theirparents, and you should avoid second-guessing your fellow players. So 'This is themost beautiful elf you've ever seen' and 'Just looking at this half-orc makes you uneasy'are both out. This is a good place to put distinctive coloring, etc. that perhaps the NWNengine doesn't translate very well, like pale blue skin for moon elves.

Second, please complete the deity field. In the Forgotten Realms setting, you are prettymuch required to have a patron (you can decide to NOT have one, but if so when you'redead, you stay dead). This should be one of the Forgotten Realms deities, not theGreyhawk / standard ones. In addition, if you're playing someone devout, particularlya divine spellcaster, you'll be expected to RP your deity.

DMs do pay attention to your chosen deity so if we find Lathanderites dealing with theundead, or Mystra followers stopping magical research, or Silvanus worshippers fellingtrees for profit, there'll be trouble! One thing to keep in mind is that the Faeruneandeities tend to take very active participation in their followers’ lives, so don’t besurprised at a little “direct supervision” if the situation calls for it.

On the same note, if you are playing a cleric, you should pick from the domainsavailable for your chosen deity. If you want to take nonstandard ones, or if your deitydoesn't have two domains available, please talk to one of the DMs - don't assume youcan take whatever you like! The NWN domains have been listed in the Player’s Guideto make things a little easier for you.

SUBRACE: There are detailed instructions on how to properly use the subrace systemwe have in effect. Please select races in keeping with the Forgotten Realms history andcultures. This is where getting approval on a character concept prior to playing it canhelp because you can get assistance from experienced FR DMs.

Also, races with an Effective Character Level (aasimar, tieflings, svirfneblin, drow,avariels, and several others) are reserved as a reward for players who havedemonstrated the ability to handle a more powerful character, as well as who are active

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participants in our community. ALL ECL characters, as well as those with an evilalignment, must be pre-approved prior to play.

► Attributes, skills, and feats.

This section covers what changes we've made to skills and feats in game, and whatstandards we have for RPing stats.

First, attributes (sometimes called “stats”). If you pick a low attribute, you'll be expectedto roleplay it. If you have less than 10 in anything, your PC is subnormal - less than 10in intelligence and they can't speak properly (never mind read or write), less than 10 inconstitution and they're sickly and so on.

The one that always gets attention and discussion here is charisma. We play it that alow charisma manifests itself not necessarily through outright ugliness, but justdisagreeability. A PC can be fairly standard-looking and still deeply objectionable -similarly, they can be deeply ugly and quite charismatic. However, if you have a lowcharisma and are suddenly polite to all the NPCs and everyone's friend in the tavern,you've probably overstepped the mark.

On the skills front, we don't have a crafting system, nor are we likely to beimplementing one. However, if you'd like to take ranks in these skills to represent PnPskills not in NWN, please let a DM know and go ahead and do so!

None of the feats have been modified, but please note that cleric domains are restrictedas we just said, and as ever make sure you can justify incongruous choices.

► Bios, Multiclassing, and Prestige Classes.

Biographies. The Bloodstone Lands no longer requires character biographies prior toplay, although we strongly encourage a player submit a background. Why? For tworeasons. First, it helps a player clarify in his/her own mind exactly WHY the characteris the way it is. Secondly, it helps the DM Team help the player make the character allthat it can be. Would you rather just float along with the crowd or would you like tohave tidbits thrown in relating to your background, or helping you grow? Your call.

NOTE: Menzoberranzan still requires pre-approval of the character concept. Followthe instructions in the Menzoberranzan Player Manual and their forums.

Multiclassing. We trust our players to multiclass sensibly, even when the multiclass isstrange. However, you are expected to RP out extra classes *before* taking them, andplease do let the DMs know once you've taken them. Also, having leanings towardsanother class on character creation is fine – but a PC who knows at creation that he

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wants to become a fighter / magic-user / thief is probably a little restricted in terms ofhow their interaction with the game world will affect their development.

Prestige Classes. Further details on this are found in the Player’s Guide. At this point,you just need to remember that Prestige Classes have to be (a) approved prior to takingthem and (b) a special DM quest has to be completed. A character with a prestige classwho does not have a prestige class token in its inventory has a LOT of explaining to do.

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CONCLUSION

Keep in mind a few things, and you will do well. Always, always act as if there is a DMstanding behind you watching. Always keep in mind what your character would do orshould be doing. Sometimes it is hard to remember that your character does notunderstand the concept of hit points, armor class, ability scores and modifiers, etc.However, the more you can immerse yourself in the character itself and away from thetechnical aspects of the game, both with respect to NWN and D&D, the easier on-lineroleplaying gets.

We hope that you enjoy your time with us. Please see the respective Player Handbooksfor further information on our worlds and what you will find there.