actually, you wouldn't have killed me. and it took you about 60 seconds to respond because you weren't playing your little trader, you were half eyed afk scripting it. like everybody else. Oh and what was the name you called us after you finally did wake up? Please enlighten us.

Kolaisa


Bar maids and beauties

Well you could always catch up to Kolaisa when hes afk hunting..say in Lachs.

lachs? tehe, just waiting for Ssladron. He won't engage me any other way unless there's no magic or I'm not aware he's around. It's a shame he doesn't have the skill to engage me like a man. Even better was the profanity this trader throw our way after he woke up and then had the prerogative to assist and start a lame thread as if his opinion truly mattered.

Kolaisa

Bar maids and beauties

Reminds me of Profesie and Ann.

Ah, the memories.

>Under current DR canon, all paladins do have to be good..

There is a difference between a door mat and an aircraft carrier on the scale of 'good'. And I'll respectively disagree that we 'have' to be good.

>Though that's planned to be changed.

Care to share any details? Last I heard, SGM Maelona was writing that [bad, evil, dark, poorly dressed, whatever] Paladin development would not happen, but RPing that way would not be discouraged.

I'd hardly call the Heretic title development.

>They are considering allowing us to cast certains spells with a tanked soul. I would bet all divine natured spells be out and the rest of em in. Just my .02 on that.

Good news. A tanked soul, especially ones far into the black make Paladins virtually unplayable. I know several people, including one of my own whose soul got so black they've had to go to extreme measures (probably bordering on mech abuse) in attempts to regain.

I only know of 1 paladin who managed to regain pristine soulstate, instead of retiring/rerolling. Thanks for the info.

Molenir, I don't know if you know this, but traders are usually the number one targets for thieves, crooks, and other shady characters. Also, did you know stealing and roleplaying against the norm isn't against policy? Because if you did, you may not have reported Kolaisa to the GMs for playing a dark paladin and conspiring with thieves.

And 'what the hell' wasn't the profanity Kolaisa was accusing you of. I believe it was a word that nicely described the certain anatomy of a male. It certainly made me blush.

If you can't handle being stolen from, then don't play a trader. Actually, if you can't handle people roleplaying a different way than you want them to, then don't play at all.

By the way, I'm not his girlfriend. I'm one of his business partners.

One would be hard pressed to chock up an Ambush of a trader by a High circle Paladin and a group of thieves as 'roleplaying.' Though if you made such attempts, I'd love to see the log (censored, of course..)

---

So I asked this God a question
and by way of firm reply,
He said: "I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays".

>>> One would be hard pressed to chock up an Ambush of a trader by a High circle Paladin and a group of thieves as 'roleplaying.'

Ehh, just because it's not considered noble doesn't mean it's not roleplay. Think of Robin Hood and his men, who would set up ambushes to steal from passing caravans. Except it's Kolaisa and his women. And we don't give anything to the poor. And we're cuter.

>>>Though if you made such attempts, I'd love to see the log (censored, of course..)

The log of the entire part of us stealing is too long to post, but here is the encounter with Tadaor the Potty Mouthed Trader.

[Dirge, Gateway Road]
You stand next to the ruins of the Town gate. Little traffic disturbs the thick coat of grey dust that seems to be everywhere. The town is tucked here between the cold peaks of the volcanoes and the outer wall of dull black stone. To one side, a building still shows evidence of habitation and a sign painted with a large keg indicates that perhaps a drink or two may be had even in this desolation. You also see a two mule caravan with some stuff on it, a sturdy caravan with some stuff on it, and the Inn's dingy stables with a dilapidated sign on it.
Also here: Expert Trader Chancellior.
Obvious paths: north.
Scholar Tadaor came through the ruined gate.
>steal tad
A two mule caravan came through a ruined gate, following Tadaor.
Moving carefully, you slip your hand into Tadaor's pockets and carefully grab some coins.
Roundtime: 2 second.
Scholar Tadaor went into the Inn's dingy stables.
Chancellior is able to move again.

Kolaisa comes out of hiding.
Kolaisa bows his head and chants a prayer.
Scholar Tadaor just arrived.
Moving carefully, you slip your hand into Tadaor's pockets and carefully grab some coins.
Roundtime: 2 second.
Kolaisa gestures at Tadaor.
Kolaisa stares intently at Tadaor, stopping him in his tracks with his gaze.
>steal tad
You notice Kolaisa slip into a hiding place.
Moving carefully, you slip your hand into Tadaor's pockets and carefully grab some coins.
Roundtime: 2 second.
>steal tad
You're taking a big risk.
Moving carefully, you slip your hand into Tadaor's pockets and carefully grab some coins.
Roundtime: 2 second.
Tadaor saw you make the grab!
You come out of hiding.
>weal
You owe 6 copper Kronars to the Principality of Zoluren.

You have:
12 gold, 44 silver, 431 bronze, and 108 copper Kronars.
4 silver, 9 bronze, and 45 copper Lirums.
3 bronze, and 13 copper Dokoras.
>hide
You melt into the background, convinced that your attempt to hide went unobserved.
Roundtime: 3 sec.
Tadaor asks, "What the hell?"
You cackle deep in your throat, your voice rising in chilling laughter.
You hear the sound of someone cackling!
Initiate Trader Shubert came through the ruined gate.
Tadaor is able to move again.
Initiate Trader Shubert went into the Inn's dingy stables.
You notice Tadaor slip into a hiding place.
Toastmaster Pollin came through the ruined gate.
The weathered caravan mills about.
>steal poll
Moving carefully, you slip your hand into Pollin's pockets and carefully grab a small aquamarine gem.
Roundtime: 2 second.
A weathered caravan came through a ruined gate, following Pollin.
Toastmaster Pollin went into the Inn's dingy stables.
The weathered caravan mills about.
You silently slip a small aquamarine gem into your hip pouch.
Roundtime: 3 seconds.
The weathered caravan mills about.

Tadaor comes out of hiding.
Scholar Tadaor went into the Inn's dingy stables.

Ruffian Englebert came through the ruined gate.
A two mule caravan came through a ruined gate, following Englebert.
You hear the voice of Kolaisa say, "no mana"
Ruffian Englebert went into the Inn's dingy stables.
You hear someone chanting.
The two mule caravan mills about.
The two mule caravan mills about.
Initiate Trader Shubert just arrived.
The weathered caravan mills about.
Shubert passes on an order to his driver and the weathered caravan gets behind Shubert to follow.
Initiate Trader Shubert went through the ruined gate.
The weathered caravan went through the ruined gate, following Shubert.

Scholar Tadaor just arrived.

The two mule caravan mills about.
>l tad
You see Scholar Tadaor Mjin of Elanthia, a Gor'Tog.
He has silver eyes. He has olive skin.
He is middle-aged for a Gor'Tog.

He has faint scuffing to the head, faint scuffing to the neck, tiny scratches to the right arm, faint scuffing to the left arm, some faint scars along the left arm, tiny scratches to the right leg, some faint scars along the right hand, faint scuffing to the left hand, faint scuffing to the chest, faint scuffing to the abdomen, faint scuffing to the back, tiny scratches to the right eye, faint scuffing to the left eye.
He is in good shape.

He is wearing a blue canvas feedbag, a light crossbow with a mahogany stock and brushed nickel hardware, some jet black wolfskin leathers, some leather gloves, a stiff leather cavalier hat with a deep burgundy braid, a gold link anklet strung with jade beads and tiny bells, a platinum ring bearing the crest of the Paladin Guild, a double-wrapped leather sword belt tooled with wandering rose vines, a blood-red thigh bag with a carved silver skull, some thick hiking boots with soft desumos fur lining, a thigh quiver dyed in a brown and green camouflage pattern, some jet black cougar-hide pants, a tiger-engraved scabbard, a dark gem pouch, a braided trophy belt strung with various fish skulls, a platinum ring bearing the crest of the Ranger Guild, a deep woven-reed apothecary's basket lined with grey twill, a gold elongated teardrop bracelet strung with jade beads and tiny gold bells, a coiled silver adder armlet, a mist grey arm pouch, a hand-stitched traveler's pack, a long white sheet with two lopsided eyeholes cut into it, an ebony pegleg carved with images of dancing skeletons, a small castle-shaped pin, a foraging apron, a bronze coyote's head clasp with a broken hinge, a small dragon charm, a smoke grey sluagh-hide bandana, a fuschia vest, a carved jade dragon pin with tiny faceted ruby eyes, a grey gossamer cloak that flows over the shoulders and trails down the back like twilight mist, a leather reinforced aventail, a web pendant, a gold necklace with a miniature Kronar charm, a handlebar fake mustache, a pair of emerald earrings, a carved obsidian earcuff, a polished silver jeweler's loupe with a clear crystal lens, a platinum kyanite gwethdesuan, a jadeite gwethdesuan and an origami-paper envelope.

You continue to instruct your students on hiding.
Harlet seems to have a natural aptitude for hiding.
Kolaisa is hanging on your every word, seeming to want more.
The two mule caravan mills about aimlessly.
Pollin passes on an order to his driver and the weathered caravan gets behind Pollin to follow.
Toastmaster Pollin went through the ruined gate.
The weathered caravan went through the ruined gate, following Pollin.
>l
[Dirge, Gateway Road]
You stand next to the ruins of the Town gate. Little traffic disturbs the thick coat of grey dust that seems to be everywhere. The town is tucked here between the cold peaks of the volcanoes and the outer wall of dull black stone. To one side, a building still shows evidence of habitation and a sign painted with a large keg indicates that perhaps a drink or two may be had even in this desolation. You also see a two mule caravan with some stuff on it, a two mule caravan with some stuff on it, a sturdy caravan with some stuff on it, and the Inn's dingy stables with a dilapidated sign on it.
Also here: Scholar Tadaor and Expert Trader Chancellior.
Obvious paths: north.
Tadaor searches around for a moment.
The two mule caravan mills about.
Tadaor points at Kolaisa, ruining his hiding place.
Tadaor says, "Hi (edited)sack"
>steal eng
Englebert removes a brown canvas feedbag from his belt.
Scholar Tadaor went through the ruined gate.

LOL, the best part of this is ....

Tadaor searches around for a moment.
The two mule caravan mills about.
Tadaor points at Kolaisa, ruining his hiding place.

AHAHAHHA.. Kola yew sucketh at hiding.

<<lachs? tehe, just waiting for Ssladron. He won't engage me any other way unless there's no magic or I'm not aware he's around. It's a shame he doesn't have the skill to engage me like a man. Even better was the profanity this trader throw our way after he woke up and then had the prerogative to assist and start a lame thread as if his opinion truly mattered.>>


Haha, that is so funny. You try to tell me I won't fight like a man when you won't fight me melee or in the pit and when you only fight with every spell up, glyph of light, CV rune and spells from your cleric wife. You will run away to the Paladin guild if shot and then come back hours later, just walking in, casting SF and then running away to a safe spot later, using BoT at every stop on the way. You is the wussiest person I have ever met in this game. Kolaisa, I challenge you to fight me in the pit or melee anywhere, use whatever buffs you want and I won't use anything. I know you won't though cause the only way you will fight is with SF and halt which even a developmentally challeneged monkey could land on me with the current mechanics.

Hah, fight like a man, too bad you have no clue what that is.


Sslad

<<Bad guys are simply bad guys. Their criminal activity does not have to be backed up by words. Their activity, unless they go OOC, is RP.

That's skirting the rules and breaking out of the spirit of Roleplaying.

Roleplaying is really only valid if both parties are enjoying the experience. In this case, they weren't, and the party who initiated the roleplay didn't try to help the other party enjoy it. In fact, they seemed to take pleasure in their discontent. That's not roleplaying, and if you feel it is roleplaying.. well, I'll be sure not to invite you to my DnD sessions ;)

---

So I asked this God a question
and by way of firm reply,
He said: "I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays".

>>That's skirting the rules and breaking out of the spirit of Roleplaying.

How is that skirting the rules? And as far as roleplaying the thief. By your definition, it's almost impossible to roleplay a thief. I'm supposed to try to make every person feel happy that I just stole from them?

>>Roleplaying is really only valid if both parties are enjoying the experience

That's not roleplaying. That's called making friends.

-Wighten

There are thieves in dragonrealms. And their are other people with a secret wish that thieves "leave them alone". Each victim is confronted with their own personal RP test. What to do when someone has stolen from you?!

I suggest remembering that this is DR - and there always were thieves in fantastic literature and our own history. Can the victim RP? Or are they going to take life a little too seriously?

Often they crack under this simple pressure and go OOC. Don't blame the thief at that point.

I'm sure Berrhin and Kolaisa enjoy their work all the more when they piss people off...I have if it motivates the person to engage me in either conversation or violence. The coin is negligable. RP the anger, and if they are gone before you can, remember that's what thieves do. And if you die trying to avenge yourself, consider your money well spent - since you were looking for adventure, weren't you?

Thieves, even persistent thieves are not snerts. People are snerts when they are disruptive with OOC behavior (policy talk, IRL talk). Best idea is to develop skills that will help you own thieves. In the meantime, developing RP skills is a good idea for any victim.

:oP Ragran

>>><<Bad guys are simply bad guys. Their criminal activity does not have to be backed up by words. Their activity, unless they go OOC, is RP.

>>>That's skirting the rules and breaking out of the spirit of Roleplaying.

Hahahaahahahahhaahahahsf, what?? Says the one who claims it's not roleplaying unless there is dialogue involved (I guess that mute over there is totally being OOC...damn his use of OOC sign language and slate-writing! REPORT HIM IMMEDIATELY!) Sylar, Great Master and Guru of Roleplaying, perhaps you can make available your Almighty Universal Rules of Roleplay that you made up so we can all follow your personal code of conduct. If you really think a band of thieves robbing a trader isn't roleplaying because it's not part of the imaginary happy fluffy plan you had for Dragonrealms, then maybe you should be playing Candyland instead of Dragonrealms. And although I hate agreeing with Ragran, his post his the nail right on the head.

>>>Roleplaying is really only valid if both parties are enjoying the experience. In this case, they weren't, and the party who initiated the roleplay didn't try to help the other party enjoy it. In fact, they seemed to take pleasure in their discontent. That's not roleplaying, and if you feel it is roleplaying.. well, I'll be sure not to invite you to my DnD sessions ;)

OF COURSE, a character isn't going enjoy being stolen from. After all, who does? However if stealing was meant to hurt the feelings or disrespect the PLAYER behind the character, then I'm sure the good folks at Simu wouldn't have invented STEAL or the Thieves' guild in the first place. But shame on me for expecting you to understand the difference between real life and Dragonrealms.

Tadaor is much younger than Kolaisa, yes. But that doesn't mean he's helpless. Just because you can't kill someone doesn't mean you can't take action against theft. When my empath is stolen from, instead of reporting them to the GMs and whining on the Simu message boards, I have fun with it. No, I don't have the ability to kill the person, but that doesn't prevent me from gwething about them, casting a Nissa's Binding spell or three, accusing them to the guards, thumping, or pretending I'm deeply hurt and cry, "This world is coming to an end with these heathen thieves!!". And if AT ANY TIME I am not having fun roleplaying with the character, or if my player feels threatened during the course of interaction, I use the WARN verb. That's what it's there for, after all.

No intelligent or convincing rebuttal as usual.

Another example of why there needs to be a balance to might of skill within the gaming structure. DR is a community based game and in that light there should be a reasonable balance of skill-might to community / social pressures. when the use of mobs left the game for whatever reason it left a void between those who could exact a measure of tetaliation in that way to those that combine their strengths to do harm. Such as Paladins halting for thieves.

Add to that the proliferation of multiple account playing and bought characters and there becomes a rather complete break down in a communities ability to police itself in a reasonable and effective manner. Where is the risk if a player can just activate their empath and cleric to fix the temporary problem of dying? Bring 'em in drag the body away to the safe room, then up and killing or doing whatever again with nor real repercussions.

What is a younger character in this to do? Go pay some older character to marry them for protection? Within the policy as I read it that is aobut the extent of it. I suppose the player could go find a larger character to buy, open another account and marry that character. Oh, yea, that's being done by the gamers already isn't it.... nods.

>>>I've started to make it a habit to not argue with people who can't understand a->b->c -> a->c. It makes laughing at you people a lot easier.
Uh right. Whatever.

This thread and the Simucon meeting I attended on "How to RP Evil" gave me an idea. Maybe some sort of event, meeting, or mentor night can be planned where we can discuss good ways on how to roleplay victims and criminals? It could help educate people on what to do and how to handle these types of situations when they arise. It would save a lot of time for both players and GMs, since obviously we all have better things to do than to be arguing on message boards and handling assists.

>>>BOPOFLIFE's post

I think what you're bringing up is a problem that's so huge that it probably can't be solved. People will always have pet characters, and unless Simu decides they don't want character transfers, then I doubt the buying of larger characters will cease.

If you really want to Slaris, I guess. You have no chance at all if you are lower than Kola though as he has no chance at all melee.


Sslad

Actually, one solution is rather simple in concept but Simu has either lost the inclination or skill or both to see it through. The bounty system was said to be soon at Simucon 1999 or maybe 2000. It is now 5 years later.

Simply, a bounty system places any who would steal at the mercy of any higher circled character that chose to seek the bounty. Therefore, no longer could a thief or group of thieves, or bully or what have you selectively choose a target that they absolutely KNOW they will defeat. Doing so would lead to a trigger of renown that would up the bounty on that character an allow more characters to form a posse.

It would bring an IC social pressure of sorts to deal with absolutely repetitive criminal behavior.

In that the multiple acount aspect is thwarted some by adding an appropriate amount of "TIME OUT" for being captured and turned in, as well as restitution fines that go straight to previous victims from the bounty.

The simple fact that when a thief is finally caught there is no restitution to the victim is just absurd. If accounts can be automatically debited on a continual basis they surely have the technology to automatically credit those said accounts when a thief is caught.

Without a bounty system... there could be many other social pressures applied. Such as banning from a province etc. Even in Shard we are seeing an example of how a strong deterrent to crime can be applied in an IC manner.

This isn't rocket science in the least, it is having the resolve to do it right.