The Rules

It's a complex game and world and to keep it running smoothly for everyone, we do need some rules and some guidelines.
==General Rules==
Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse.
1. Dalelands in an 18+ server.
Because Dalelands is an 18+ server, adult themes will sometimes emerge during roleplay. Because of this, we cannot allow players under the age of 18 to access the server. As our forums are subject to different rules and guidelines, we do not police forum user's ages. 
2. Bullying 
Players who login to intentionally cause trouble or grief toward other players or staff will be met with DM response. This applies to forum posts, and in-game chat (i.e. forum bullying, OOC insulting in-game). The OOC harassment of other players will likewise not be tolerated. Note that accusations should always be accompanied by a screen shot else it's your word versus theirs. DO NOT call someone out publicly. Many times there may simply be a misunderstanding. Even in the case of intentional bullying/harassment/griefing we do not hang out others dirty laundry and you should not either.
3. Complaints to Staff 
Complaints, questions, and suggestions are welcome but remember our staff work for free. Please treat them with respect. If you have a problem with a staff member that you cannot resolve by speaking to that person, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, please see this link on how to handle complaints: http://dalelandsbeyond.forumotion.com/t293-what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-problem-with-a-staff 
If your problem is with one of these three arbitrating DMs, take it up with one of the other two, or with DM Atropos. 
If you have a problem with another player, take it up privately with a DM. When filing a complaint, try to be precise regarding the issue. If you have screenshots, that is an ideal way for the staff to approach an offender. While we understand that you may be upset about your complaint, please refrain from applying your frustration/anger to the staff that is trying to assist you. 
4. Role-Play
*Dalelands is an RP server. You are expected to not only speak IC but in a way that befits a Forgotten Realms setting. OOC needs to be kept to tells as much as possible.
*You must role play what is on your character sheet. This includes stats, skills, and classes. You may not take a stat bonus or class simply for mechanical purposes and then ignore it in your role play. In addition, we do not allow people to role play physical features such as tails, gills, or wings that cannot be accounted for by looking at the character sheet.
*In general, relations should be kept appropriate with the culture and nature of Faerun. Orcs and humans do not work together; Yuan-ti are slavers and wanna-be world destroyers; Drow are the seen as the most evil known of the common mortal races. 
*It is not normal or acceptable to group up casually with monster races such as orcs and drow, nor to have relationships with them if you aren't another orc or drow. Exceptions to this should be very rare. I take everyone as I find them'" is not an attitude that makes sense within the FR setting.
*Please behave in a way that is appropriate to your character's alignment.
*If you are a cleric or divine class, you must RP your commitment to your god. 
*Clerics must choose appropriate domains for their god.
5. Metagaming & Godmodding 
The simple definition of Metagaming is the use of out-of-game information or resources to affect one's in-game decisions. Metagaming is strictly forbidden and is a punishable offense. Metagaming can include:
*Acting differently due to OOCly knowing that a person is higher level than you.
*Acting differently due to being set to Hostile. 
*Going through dungeons while stealthed / invisible and talking while HIPS'd. 
*Ignoring NPC guards. 
*Entering areas that your character is banished from ICly in order to do quests.
*Using knowledge that your character should not know ICly.
*Telling through a disguise of a person because of OOCly seeing the name above person's head.
*Acting differently ICly because you know you are being spied on OOCly.
*Asking another character OOCly (through a tell or on Skype) to come find your dead body or to come help you out in PvP when the character would have no IC knowledge of your character's whereabouts.
Godmodding is also forbidden. This can include:
*Deciding consequences without appropriate rp.
*Deciding the actions of an NPC or group of NPCs without a DM's approval.
*Emoting/Rping an action/actions that are impossible to defend against. 
*Emoting/RPing how the other character is affected by an action, thus leaving the player unable to rp his/her own character. (i.e. *Fred swings his axe at Jim's hand, cutting it off completely*)
*When a character simply cannot be harmed by any and all means other RP-ers try.
Further information on both is available under RP Guidelines and Rules. 
6. Judging Role-Play 
Roleplaying is subjective. Do not publicly criticize, lambast, or otherwise insult another player's RP. If you have a concern, first try speaking to the player privately (through tells or PMs) in order to adress the matter, and discern its source. If you continue to have a problem with any player's RP for lore reasons or immersion breaking material/actions, let a staff member know. Sometimes the player might not realize the issue, so asking them first, in a respectable manner, is the ideal way to resolve the matter.
7. Muling/Twinking 
No muling/twinking to other characters. Muling is having a character for the sole purpose of holding gear for other characters and transferring the items between them. Twinking is giving your character (or someone else's) gear that is inappropriate for their level. See Equipping your New Character under the Character Creation thread. If you have further questions about what these mean, ask a DM.
Muling is also moving items/gold from one of your characters to another with no DM assistance.
If you are unsure if an item you are given or have looted is level appropriate, feel free to ask a DM in a PM or in-game. we're here to help. 
8. PvP (Player vs Player) Rules
PvP is a whole subject in itself. Please check the rules. http://dalelandsbeyond.forumotion.com/t18506-pvp-rules#146979
9. Contacting Staff
If you need to contact staff for any reason, and are not sure which DM to speak to, please see this list:http://dalelandsbeyond.forumotion.com/t17907-staff-contact-list-who-to-ask-for-what
If your particular issue is not listed on this thread, the please feel free to PM whichever staff member is online at the time. We also have a staff email: staffdalelands@gmail.com if you prefer to contact us that way.
10. Explicit RP
Explicit RP includes, but is not limited to: erotic role play, slavery, torture, graphic violence, and graphically detailed executions.
Erotic Role Play
Dalelands is an 18+ server, which means that tough and/or adult themes sometimes emerge. However, it is not a social server. Any erotic RP must be done IC and in private between consenting adults (note that private means in tells). If your ERP causes OOC problems or complaints, we retain the right to revoke permission to ERP. It is a privilege, not a right.
Roleplaying torture, slavery, and sensitive topics.
Torture and slavery is allowed if it's IC for good reason but, you must have OOC consent to do so, OOC consent for any permanent scars or body part removal (like a finger) and the tortured/slave has the right to bow out if they become uncomfortable at any time. 
Please be aware that some subjects can be difficult for others oocly including (but not limited to) suicide, miscarriage and rape. Approach these with care and some sensitivity. If another player is uncomfortable with the situation it is your responsibility to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. If another player is making you uncomfortable, then you should screen shot the situation and contact a DM immediately.
**Note that role play involving child rape/pornography/or molestation is forbidden on our server. If you engage in this sort of RP, expect to find yourself with a warning in the least, or banned from the server in the worst case.**
Requests for Fade to Black must be respected. 
11. Under 18 Characters/child characters.
Child (under adult-age) characters are not allowed. You may see children walking around and talking as a player would, but that will most definitely be a DM controlled NPC.
12. Profanity.
Although we are an Age 18+ server, please censor all swearing if asked to do so by another player. Not everyone likes seeing curse words flying around in text during RP. This refers directly back to not ruining another persons good time. 
13. Naming
Names should not be famous or from pop culture. Names that are adjectives or nouns can sometimes ruin immersion as well. Please choose something that is fitting for a FR or medieval setting. The staff reserves the right to ask players to change the name of their character if we receive complaints from other players.
14. Overrides 
External overrides on the player side are not allowed to be used. This includes the use of an override to use custom colors on a character since it is considered making it a custom race.
15. Colored Fonts in Game
Please do not use font colors it disrupts staff and players!
16. Avoiding Lag. 
Please do not leave bags lying on the ground; it lags up the server. Please dump unwanted drops/loot in a trash barrel (located near most merchant NPCs) or sell it to a merchant NPC. Alternatively, you can build a fire through PC Tools (right click on your char to find them) then put the unwanted stuff in the fire. Lower down on the PC tools there is a Remove Items option. Click the remove item button, then click on the fire to get rid of it, and all items it contains.
In addition, to help cut down on lag, please do not spend more time in the OOC room than is necessary before your in-game business (shop, resting, etc.). Please do not spam spells in the OOC room.
17. The Surface and The Underdark
*The Drow Refugee camp and nearby area with the Drow guards is considered off-limits for surfacers unless you are heading there with a Drow escort, or for some other reasonable RP reason (i.e. a reason other than hunting drow or there to cause conflict).
*Ignoring the presence of the Drow Guards is considered metagaming (i.e. surfacer travelling to underdark simply for hunting Drow purposes).
*If any that make their home in the Underdark, regardless of their race takes the RP out and/or loses PvP on the surface, they have to head back to the underdark for a full 24 real life hours. Equally anyone if who lives on the surface is caught and defeated in the Underdark, they may not return below for 24 rl hours.
*Vhaerunite and other surface-based drow are considered surfacers. Please do not claim to be a surface drow if you are not
19. Abuse of Known Exploits
Abusing exploits in game to give yourself a mechanical or RP advantage will not be tolerated. 
20. RP Consequences.
When your character commits a crime (without proper disguise), you are automatically consenting to IC consequences of the action if you are caught by another player or NPC. If you are caught by other player(s) and arrested for your crimes, you must RP the consequences of your actions. A consequence such as jail, is not permanent by any means. 
**If an RP consequence such as jail or capture is not something you wish to play, then don’t commit crimes inside town where the law can find you, or wear a disguise.
NB: for vital info on certain classes etc please check this thread: 
http://dalelandsbeyond.forumotion.com/t2012-class-rules-and-application-classes-races
The following is a list of potential consequences for offenses:
*Verbal Warning
*Written Warning
*Temporary Forum Ban
*Temporary Client Ban
*Permanent Ban From Both Forum and Client
Which consequence will be up to the DMs and will factor in many things, such as the time between offenses, if it is a first offense, the seriousness of the offense, how many others have been affected, if there is proof, etc. Honesty will be appreciated and may affect the seriousness of the consequence. Dishonesty will definitely affect the seriousness of the consequence.
All issues regarding consequences will be discussed among all the DMs and decided upon. You will be contacted before consequences are made (with very few exceptions such as hacking) and will have a chance to speak on your behalf regarding the offense.
==Forum Rules==
==Most aspects are covered under General Rules. However, there are a couple more.==
==1. All the General rules about courtesy and sexual, swearing or other explicitness must be observed on the forums. Please do not post any explicit RP that involves torture, swearing, or related. This includes making posts with innappopriate words and/or references.==
2. No nude or pornographic pictures or links ever. First offense will get you banned.
3. We always welcome suggestions, comments, lively discussion and disagreements. But please, keep your posts polite and constructive. Flame posts will be deleted. If a DM or Admin asks you to moderate your tone, please listen.
4. No trolling or going too far off-topic. Please keep your posts informative and on the topic of the forum thread. Excessive non-informative posting is not acceptable. This can include posts that do not answer the topic creator's question or posts that have nothing to do with the topic in question.
5. When voting on an issue, votes are one per person not one per account. Admins can see the poster's IP address so unless you are legitimately two people playing from the same router don't switch accounts and re-vote please. This will result in a forums ban.
6. If you find an Exploit please PM it to the staff and do not post it publically.
7. Please leave political / religious discussions for other forums. While lively, they can cause offense quicker than anything except a half-brick to the solar plexus and we feel that there are plenty of other forums for these discussions. 
Note: Please don't Metagame from forum information. This is when your character knows information they shouldn't, for example using info gathered from a role play private journal posted on the forums.
Final Note 
Everyone here has the right to be treated without prejudice and with respect. OOC harassment or prejudice is not acceptable. This covers at least sexual, racial, cultural or religious harassment. Everyone here has the right to be treated without prejudice and with respect. IC prejudice is a different matter but please keep in mind that even this can need handling carefully sometimes.
==Event Etiquette==
Not so much rules as a head's up.
Events are run by the DMs for the players, or by players for players. They might be one off or part of a storyline the DM is running, or part of the world's evolution. Events are a great spice to playing and there are a few things you can do to make them easier to run for the DM.
- Listen to the DM.
- Stay with the group. Running on ahead persistently makes life very hard for everyone else
- Don't loot while others are fighting or interacting with NPCs
- If you make life difficult enough for the DM or ruin things for the other players, you might just find yourself on a quick trip to the afterlife or back in the Inn. Don't complain; it won't have been done for any reason other than you were spoiling other people's fun.
- If a DM shouts that people should avoid using party chat – please listen to them and avoid it. It is seen by the DMs and can really make it hard to run an event.
==Character Creation Rules==
The maximum level is 30 and you can have up to 4 classes, three of them prestige. You must have at least 3 levels of ALL your classes by 20th level. This means you may not take a new class after the 18th level or you will be in violation of this rule. There are seven Prestige classes that the DMs must approve first. If you wish to take them, please read here. Examples of good/bad applications can be found here
Your build should make sense in RP terms. No mixing of opposing classes such as Paladin / Dark Lanterns.
Re-builds: These will be given out very rarely as they take up a lot of time and no more than one rebuild per char. ( Very occasionally there there is a database corruption of your char and then you will be given a re-build if requested). It is your responsibility to plan out your character. If you do request a re-build with returned xp, then please pm your request to the DMs with log in name, character name and class and reason for rebuild.
Please do not request a re-build lightly.
You can ask to be de-levelled but you will need to earn the xp back over again
==Drow and The Underdark==
These rules are particularly in effect while the areas are being worked on and may be altered later.
Due to the current nature of the relatively small Underdark locations, travelling to the Underdark and ignoring the presence of the Drow Guards can be considered metagaming (i.e. surfacer travelling to underdark simply for hunting Drow purposes).
Additionally, the Drow Refugee camp and nearby area with the Drow guards is considered off-limits unless you are heading there with a Drow escort, or for some other reasonable RP reason (i.e. a reason other than hunting drow or there to cause conflict).
At the time of this rule, the Underdark as a whole is still in its infancy, so travelling there for PvP reasons is prohibited except for a few exceptions specified in the link.
==Roleplay==
Dalelands is an RP server. Please stay IC and keep OOC comments to an absolute minimum. Use /tells rather than open speech.
Please keep the tone appropriate for the atmosphere. The setting is somewhat medieval, please play accordingly and don't explore current social events.
Please stay within alignment. Don't be killing fuzzy bunnies when you're Good!
If you are a cleric or divine class, please RP your commitment to your God.
===Metagaming===
Metagaming is when you use information you gained through OOC means to gain an IC advantage. It happens when you find something out but your character does not, but you act as if they do when there is no possible way they could know ICly.
There are many ways it can happen. Some examples: you read the forums, discover through her journal Xentia is actually a Red Wizard spy and then accuse her of it IG. It can happen after you have been chatting in /tells with another player and you found something out about someone, which you then use ICly. It can happen when you start to act differently towards someone because they set you to Hostile, which is an OOC action or if you "see " through a disguise simply because you read the character's name over their head. There are many other examples.
Talking to merchants or quest givers when invisible is also considered metagaming.
Metagaming is a quick win solution and it ruins good rp and months of players' work faster than anything else. It is strictly forbidden and is a punishable offence. Do not do it. If you are uncertain if something is metagaming, ask a DM
See here for a much more detailed guide.
===Godmodding===
This is when you decide consequences without appropriate RP, either by forcing your actions on another character or by claiming extraordinary abilities/situations that other people have to take into account, without actually having them ( such as claiming to be a King or to be able to fly ).
Mostly it happens when your character emotes something that controls another player's character
For instance
Bad: *Sovren hits Bauglund in the face knocking him into the mud and then ties him up and drags him to a guard* This might be satisfying for Sovren but it gives Bauglund's player no chance at all to respond.
Better: *Sovren attempts to hit Bauglund in the face and knock him into the mud * 
Now Bauglund can respond in a few different ways. *Bauglund sees the blow coming and steps back in time, then draws his sword* or *The blow hits Bauglund as he's twisting out of the way. He staggers but stays on his feet and tries to punch Sovren in the ribs*. Or even * Bauglund is slow and the blow connects, knocking him over into the mud. He tries to roll over and get away* These ways of writing the action give both players much more opportunity to take equal part in the action.
Note: This includes attacks on guarded/Non-hostile NPC areas, by attacking w/o DM consent you have pre decided for the NPC's their reactions including but not limited to calling for back up.
==PvP Rules ==
As this is a section all on its own, please check here
==Notes on Loot==
+ 4 and Mithril items should not be dropping. If you find some, please tell a DM as soon as you can.
A certain amount of loot that is worth 0 gold drops at the moment. Leaving it on the ground seriously lags the server. Please dump it in a trash barrel in the Merchants. Alternatively, you can build a fire through PC Tools (right click on your char to find them) then put the unwanted stuff in the fire. Lower down on the PC tools there is a Remove Items option. Target the fire and click the Remove Item button.
Thank you.
==Crime and Punishment ==
===Player harassment OOC===
- the first step is ALWAYS to ask them POLITELY to stop- ONLY if they continue are you to contact staff, have a screen shot ready to prove you politely asked and they continued.
Once staff takes over on ANY issue:-The DM contacted will be the ONLY DM handling that issue the waters will not be muddied by too many cooks in the kitchen-Player or Player(s) will be asked to pm said DM on forums with their story in their own words. One PM only! Screen shots always help.-DM makes a final decision
Order of Punishment for Player Harassment:In order to keep things fair and so from here on in everyone gets the same treatment-1st offense -in game verbal warning-2nd offense within 6 weeks of the first -PM (written) warning-3rd Offense within 6 weeks of the 2nd-1 week ban from server forum access still available-4th Offense within 6 weeks if the 3rd PERMANENT Ban from server and forums
If you do not agree with the decision it is to be taken to Greenboy or Mustang. Expect to be asked how it is unfair and asked for proof.
In rare cases, the normal order of punishment may be advanced by a step at DM's discretion.
Under some circumstances, misbehaviour will result in a deleveling of up to 5 levels depending on the severity of your disruption eg for ignoring the rules on Surfacerer-UD interaction
===PvP Rule Breaking===
- a minor offense will earn you a warning- a serious offense is a level loss- repeated breaking of rules (minor/serious offense) will receive further punishment and potential banning