Monster Policy: Bluff and Community Acceptance?

[susitsu]

It is recognized that there are some exceptions due to extensive roleplay in some cases, correct? A smart drow could hide the fact they're not an elf just by wearing a helm and casually walking indoors at day time or even acting as if they're blind.

Svirfneblin can easily pass as gnomes.

And sometimes, the leaders of a settlement have decided for personal, honest, or even biased and corrupt reasoning to allow a certain member of an Underdark race both safety, passage, and welcoming in their town.

I'd like to hear the staff's stance on this with the rather strictly worded reminder being put up.

[DarkDreamer]

Given that there ARE infact goodly races of Underdarkers...I think there SHOULD be some leeway for this. Perhaps something that can be long earned over time....like just because an Eilistraeen drow is good and has proven so over a decade and you wanna give them some leeway....there should be some okayence to that....now if its the first time your meeting them and they wanna be your BFF....yeah...you SHOULD be rather paranoid instantly!

[One Two Three Five]

I remember way back when, before goblins and kobolds were put into the UD (and for a bit after..) humans (and sometimes elves!) would straight up kill each other how sweet and innocent the monsters were. Please lets maybe not go back to that.

[Queen Titania]

Hey Guys:

The Staff stance has never changed, these are the same guidelines that have been on the wiki for years.

Good aligned monsters/drow are allowed with the reward, but they are still monsters/drow, and they're expected to act as if society/NPCs would be very unwelcome to them, and in general they should avoid surface civilization.

[DM Always This Late]

Hey Guys:

The Staff stance has never changed, these are the same guidelines that have been on the wiki for years.

Good aligned monsters/drow are allowed with the reward, but they are still monsters/drow, and they're expected to act as if society/NPCs would be very unwelcome to them, and in general they should avoid surface civilization.

Titania always offers the best responses! I just wanted to add on as well!

You can always do things that are "Unique" I can think of a couple very unique characters that fall outside of the standard way of things. But you really need to have a strong RP reason /why/ you're stepping beyond the usual boundaries, like a good aligned drow. That takes some back story etc!

To answer your examples they are quite situational. I think you could expect a friendly poke from the DMs that would likely want to know more about what you're up to, your story, and why you're going against your races usual instinct/culture.

In General though, RP out your character and whatever path they choose. But understand there's consequences (Both good and bad) that can happen for the choices you make IG. So be prepared to roll with the punches. And have fun.

[Mithreas]

I'd add one more thought.

Why are you doing it?

If you're playing a monster whose RP has reason to be in settlements, why? What value are you adding to the server and its story?

A very occasional "neutral monster" can be a good thing. But as soon as any surface character encounters two or more neutral monsters in their lifetime, we start to eat away at the integrity of the game world.

When playing monster races, I find it helpful to remember that, just as a paladin can happily slaughter legions of goblins, so a goblin paladin can happily slaughter legions of humans. Humans and goblins are, essentially, at war, competing at a species level for resources and space. A good goblin is still likely to be more friendly to evil goblins than to good humans. The goblin paladin who seeks to shelter and protect their own race is a far more interesting character, who will have far more rewarding interactions with others, than the goblin paladin who seeks to join (say) the Cordor Guard.

[Rwby]

And sometimes, the leaders of a settlement have decided for personal, honest, or even biased and corrupt reasoning to allow a certain member of an Underdark race both safety, passage, and welcoming in their town.

I would humbly suggest that Wharftown's overtolerent attitude to underdarkers IC is what has lead to it's current predicament. Yes, you can throw your doors open to the monsters. There will be consequences!

Monsters are and should be Monsters. Even a good vampire is going to be constantly saught after and attacked by vampire hunters, in search of a bounty, on principle, because it's fun, or out of fear. Maybe you can convince a dozen, two dozen, heck, 100 people that you're a good Monster. That's not everyone everyone in old Wharftown, or a tiny fraction of those living in Cordor.

Stay away, hide, be afraid. Be disguised. Remember when they find out what you are, 95% of them will want to kill you on sight, even if you really _are_ nice.

[gilescorey]

Even a good vampire

I'm actually pretty sure Vampires are incapable of being anything but Evil aligned in FR lore.

[susitsu]

Even a good vampire

ples st0p triggering meeEEEEeeeeeEEEE

[flower]

Rwby:
unless your deity dictates otherwise (go and be open, and help out).

And people usually dont tend to run their sword in yor belly, when you just saved them, healed them or otherwise helped on road. Unless evil persons yes.

[Seven Sons of Sin]

Good vampires are 100% allowed, yeah?

Also. I imagine the announcement does not apply to Deep Imaskari? Because those are not consider monsters, right?

Also where was this announcement 6 months ago? I saw some crazy tea and crumpet nonsense. I'm glad there's firm lines being echoed here.

[susitsu]

Good vampires are 100% allowed, yeah?

*begins hyperventilating*

y-y-y-your r-r-ruining m-my th-th-threeeeaaaaaaad

[caldura firebourne]

Kinda on the same note, monsters, even good aligned ones should suspect a friendly non monster to turn on them the second they get comfortable

And vice versa of course, my gnoll may just be waiting for your flesh to get tender before eating you

[JediMindTrix]

good vampire

There can only be one.

[susitsu]

good vampire

There can only be one.

I 'was' going to scream.

But you got me in a weak spot. I loved Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel.

[Lorkas]

Svirfneblin can easily pass as gnomes.

I don't really think of svirfneblin as a monster race. Their typical alignment is LN (changed to NG in later editions), and nearly all of their deities are good-aligned.

Heck, their settlement is explicitly part of the undoubtedly LG-aligned Brogendenstein.

[pigman]

Svirfneblin can easily pass as gnomes.

I don't really think of svirfneblin as a monster race. Their typical alignment is LN (changed to NG in later editions), and nearly all of their deities are good-aligned.

Heck, their settlement is explicitly part of the undoubtedly LG-aligned Brogendenstein.

laurick refuses them passage however

[Nitro]

Because in Laurick's and the average human commoners eyes, they are one of the monsters from the underdark. Little is known in the surface word about what dwells below, asides from the fact that the dark-skinned creatures that come up from there usually do so to raid and enslave goodly surface folk.

So while it makes sense that PC's can figure out that Svirfs ain't so bad after interacting with them, it's fair to assume the general NPC populace would be very uncomfortable with them at best, and forming pitchfork mobs at worst.

[Rwby]

Good vampires are a thing in FR, there was a lovely short story about them in... I forget the name of the book, but it's a compendium of short stories about villians in the FR setting, and the twist was the vampire hunter was an evil self serving assassin and the vampire was noble.

On Arelith it'd be legal with a Major reward - Vampire, Normal Reward, Alignment change, and special Admin permission. Rather iffy on the last part, it'd be up to the powers that be!

Not that I'm encouraging that sort of thing, it was just a generic example that no matter how 'Good' your character is, that isn't going to stop the vast majority of people despising you for what you clearly are, even if you saved bobs life that one time.

[flower]

There was a fantasy serie where vampire was not evil one at all and fell in love with vampire hunter, till the moment she figured out whom he is, then pursuited him relentless forcing him commit evil acts to protect himself. But I do not think there would be good vampire on Arelith.

[The GrumpyCat]

Here's how I think of the Monster Races.

Imagine - if you will, a high security prison, full of convicted murderers, serial murderers, rapists, thieves, and even worse.

All these people wear an orange jump suit.

One day there is a mass breakout.

If you opened your door, and saw one of these Orange Suited people out there, would you go, 'Oh, just because he's a convicted felon, doesn't mean he's a bad person!'

Even if you did give them a chance, even if they somehow did prove themselves to you, would you expect them to be just welcomed in your town? Would you expect everyone else to just open their doors to these people?

No. Of course you would not.

[theCountofMonteCristo]

...with a Major reward - Vampire, Normal Reward, Alignment change...

Only one award may be redeemed per new character.

[milosr]

Just to clarify this:

Duergar are not classified as a monster race?...I remember there being a patch note that allowed the Duergar to enter Cordor and other Surface settlements. A patch which I remember fondly cause on that same day, my duergar came to Cordor as a tourist, to see all the local sights and partake in the exotic atmosphere of a wee trading post in the middle of nowhere.

So in conclusion, Surface mingling Duergar = Legit? (Even if Surfacer suspicion regarding the Duergars is somewhat warranted, due to a hostile Duergar hold on the isle)

[Queen Titania]

Just to clarify this:

Duergar are not classified as a monster race?...I remember there being a patch note that allowed the Duergar to enter Cordor and other Surface settlements. A patch which I remember fondly cause on that same day, my duergar came to Cordor as a tourist, to see all the local sights and partake in the exotic atmosphere of a wee trading post in the middle of nowhere.

So in conclusion, Surface mingling Duergar = Legit? (Even if Surfacer suspicion is warranted)

They are a monster race still. The last thing we want to see is Duergar and Dwarves at the same table, getting drunk like old friends in Cordor. Duergar are like the prisoners in Grumpy's Quote, and to be honest any surface should think of this quote for any UD race/outcast in their dealings as a good starting point for how they should approach their RP with them.

[milosr]

Wasn't there a post by someone in the dev/dm team which classified Duergar as traders that can often be seen on surface settlements?...cause, I'm getting mixed messages here from different staff members.