Multiple Characters in one Event

[Nelkie]

I have been doing some thinking on this subject. The idea of having a backup character or another character to play during an event is a good idea, but requires some rules. I kind of see FH being a little like Dark Sun in which you make 3 characters from the beginning because the world is so dangerous.

Now I agree there are many problems and some cheese with multiple characters for one person. The biggest issue is playing a good guy during the day and a mad man at night. Than when the mad person kills, they just disappear into the night and their good character comes back.

Now here are some rules I have thought of to make if fun to have two characters but balanced and not cheesed.

First, one person can only have two characters active (or play during an event) at one time. If you play only one character during an event than you follow the standard rules, but if you play two characters during the event than you must follow the following rules.

Second, both characters can spend their allegiance as they wish. The reason is what is the difference in allegiance points between 2 20 level characters and 1 level 40 character. They both have the same experience. There isn’t one. Allegiance is based on total levels and it makes sense that both characters can spend their points.

Third, if two characters are played during an event, than the experience is split between them. Currently we receive 4 levels per event. A person who plays two characters in an event receives 2 levels per character

Forth, when one character leaves and the other character comes in, the old character will not be in town or can not be reached. The old character can not do anything while they are gone (makes potions, cast magic, fix armor, etc). The character might be asleep and can not be woken up, in meditation, left town on business, studying, etc.

Fifth, when changing characters the PC must check in with NPC’s and let them know you are changing and where the old character is. (Idea- have the PC write down what their old character is doing on a form so all the NPC’s knows what is going on.) If by chance the old character is staying somewhere that is destroyed or has problems, than that old character might have to do some role-playing or be dead.

Sixth, If a PC is trying to find an out of game character they must talk with the NPC’s and let them know how they are trying to find the character. If the NPC’s think it can be done and is critical for game play than it will role-played. For the most part the PC’s must wait until the old character comes back into town.

Seventh, to help stop the cheese factor a character must be played for a certain amount of time. One must play a character until they sleep in game. Than they have the option to continue to play the same character or switch. So if you come in game as C1 on Friday, you can not switch until Saturday Morning. Now you switch to C2, you can not switch back to C1 until Sunday morning. The reason for this is night time and the time one sleeps is the most dangerous. Also it forces a PC killer to stay in game for some time after they kill some one. This gives a chance for the other PC’s to try to track them down and kill them.
Note: A PC must sleep in game unless they have a skill that prevents it. (An idea, to make it fair to all, if a PC wants to go home to sleep, but their character is sleeping in town, they must put a sign on a bunk letting everyone know who sleeps there. If they come back and there is an X on the sign, they are dead. The sign needs to at least 8x11 sheet of paper.

Eight, using skills between events. The time must be split equally between characters. We have been receiving 900 hrs of work time between events. If you have two character than you would only have 450hrs. This will double the time it takes for any in-between research and crafting. So there is a benefit to only have one character. With this rule this will help prevent a person from having a super warrior character that they play and having a craftsman’s as a second character that supplies the super warrior with equipment. It still can happen, but takes twice as long and the player has to play that smith for a day per event. Don’t get killed!

To keep allegiance fair with two characters the beucrate skills (2-4) require a full in-between event as with spies 3-4 level skills. This will prevent the cheese of a guild with second characters as spies destroying all the other guilds. The same effect, but in reverse can be said for beucrate skills.

[Kathryn Skress]

Forth, when one character leaves and the other character comes in, the old character will not be in town or can not be reached.

I disagree with this slightly. If I play an evil character at night, but a good character during the day, then each character should be able to be found, especially for ingame consequences of my evil characters actions.

[Nelkie]

Please reference point 6 in the list. You still can find the missing character, but it will be a NPC call to see if the character is found and how the roleplaying scene should be set up.

[GM_Chris]

Nope if a character is not in game then they are not in-game thus they will not be able to be found.

I will never again have a situation where "I am out of game here but my PC is here invisable so I would have done xyz."


Nope not again

-Chris

[Kathryn Skress]

So, on that logic, I could create an evil character to play for one night, go on a mass killing spree, then (so long as I'm not tracked down immediately) bring in my good character the next morning and the killer will never be found?

[Azara Blackhawk]

Could we please stick to one main character and not set up this type of situation. I mean from what I am reading it is just creating mass confusion and all.

The multiple character thing to me is like having a Sybil complex. I am thinking if people want to play something evil then perhaps maybe they could help out NPC camp or something.

I don't know I just have a problem with someone writing a character specifically to mess with a bunch of other people and make things difficult for everyone.

That is just my two errrrr...ummm....small scraps of leather hide.

-Julie

[Dallid]

Yes, I think it'll be much simpler to just choose a character before the event starts, and stick with that character throughout the event.

[Nelkie]

I don't disagree with only playing 1 character for an event. But there is a disire by some PC to play multiple character in an event and I think it would interesting if it can be worked out. I think it would bring anthor element of danger and fun to the FH game

But I have to agree with Chris, if the character is not in game, than they can not affect the game or be affected by the game. Now there might be rare times where this might not be true, but for the most part it is the rule.

But, the point was brought up about a PC killer that appears in the night, kills and than can not be found. How is this any different if an NPC does it? If I hire out an assasin to kill a person than that assasin will come in, attempt to kill the target, and than leaves. If the assaasin escapes it is very rare that he will ever be seen again. So what is the difference if the assasin is a PC or an NPC?

Now if the PC's find a way to find the assaain (who is 3 towns over traveling away from FH) than let it be a NPC call. But I see this being rare and very diffucult to do.

[Peace420]

This is a sticky wicket fo' sho', on the 1 hand the desire to play multiple characters is very understandable, I do it at CARPS every time. On the other hand it does raise very serious questions about implementation of such. I don't think that anyone should be able to go around killing off people and then just switch characters. So I guess that the suggestion of having to play that character for the rest of the day is the best one. It is a comprimise of sorts, that way people can still play multiple char's but they can't just come in as one and then have that one disappear.

I definitely agree that if you are going to switch characters or even go OOG you need to talk to NPC camp and explain the entire situation to them and let them make the call on whether you can switch characters or go OOG. You never know if the PC's are trying to track you or not. At the last event I was planning on going and searching the woods with a couple of people but the people I would have been looking for were sitting in the parking lot OOG. I realize without any skill in the woods I would have been just walking around out there but if the people that I was looking for don't have any skill in the woods either then they would have been doing the same thing.

[GM_Chris]

I am saying that if everyone would like to play multiple characters then yes you could create a character to kill multiple people and switch.

Now I have VERY stong feelings in regard to evil players. franklly I like them, and I canno understand why players hate players who screw with other players vrs npc's screwing with other players. in my perfect game I would have monser rules and would have no issue with a herd of vamps playing feeding on the PC population as long as their is a combat balance.

Evil characters add tremendous amount drama and plot that npc's cannot even begin to touch. I believe that we need to elevate ourselves to the next level of play and that is what FH is for.

What I do not like is say a situation where kathryn wants to kill someone so creates another character just for that purpose. For this reason alone I think we should allow only 1 character per event, but I would not be against 1 switch per event under certain circumstances and the switch time takes an hour or 2.

I know people like getting goodies for leveling and I will be thinking on this for a bit to make sticking with a character desierable. Don't forget unlearning

-Chris

[Kathryn Skress]

Hey now... you should know by now that if Kathryn wants someone dead... she gets someone else to do it for her

Natalie

[GM_Chris]

LOL

-chris

[Peace420]

Yes, but he's locked up in your giuld...oh, wait a minute, (note to self make sure Dimack is still there in November.)

[Dallid]

The recommendation that you can't switch characters until after you have fallen asleep should rectify any switching problems.

A player can't just say "Okay, I can switch characters at 6 AM, so I'll kill someone at 5:50 AM then scoot!"

Requiring them to fall asleep first will leave that character in-game for a couple of hours even after the last action they pulled.

'Course, it could still be cheezed by the player asking a friend to wake him as soon as he's seen to be sleeping, but that would require two cheaters working in concert. I think we're all well above that.

[Eli]

Here is what I think.


As one of the two people who want more than one character.
Pking should under no circumstances ever in anygame be not allowed. That kills the game.

As far as switching I pointed out to Bill at the event that I had to cast an 8 hr spell as my primary, and that I did not wish to sit around rping playing with chalk for 8 hrs, I come to rp, but that is pushing it.

RP not = to 3rd grade, and as long as I still do not believe in real mojo, spell casting for 8 hrs is 3rd grade chalk drawing. Now 5 min can be fun..... that is a first lv spell, I do 4th.

I also strongly feel you need a place told to NPC as to where you are.
At all times with all characters they should have a copy of the current sheet (for them to quick ref for skills). If I go off 10 mile into the woods in game, and a pc picks the direction and is correct and stays oog for long enought to track me(btw recomend a 2nd character while you are hunting me) then by all means, I am found and we duke it out. If say Azura hunts them with her scout skills or someone with any type of woods tracking stuff and fleaing person has none... you get them and enjoy the smack down.

Here is another serious thing. They should be TWO totaly different races. I mean, soco is soco, but with elf ears and nice cloths, he is Eli, With No ears and a great big freaking X on his head and blue/black eyes.. well he is not.


All this other stuff about sleeping well lets just call it what it is REPOPing was left out of FH for a reason, and I like that reason. So lets not Carps up a good thing by adding the DUMBEST part of Carps to FH in any way shape or form.

BTW when I say dumbest I am refering to a whole lot of crap about repop that under no circumstances have ever made sence. But that is another issue. I mean why would ANYONE go to sleep after killing someone, it just makes NO sence. What makes sence is getting the Gateway out of FH picking up lv one assassin and buying a wig!