Guide for Becoming a Quest Runner

## What is a Quest Runner?

Quest Runners (QRs), act as the Dungeon Masters for our server who run quests and play NPCs while making snap gameplay rulings in their quests. QRs are the backbone of much of the RP and gameplay on the server and therefore QR must operate with much autonomy, and as such we must be stringent in our process for selecting them. QRs also calculate experience and distribute loot from quests and (sometimes) RP interactions.

To test possible QRs, we appoint and evaluate them under a trial period as a Jr. QR.

### How Do you become a Jr. QR?

To become a QR a player must first first begin their 4th calendar month as an adventurer on the server. RP of different characters is important for a QR, so we ask that those interested in becoming a Jr. QR have two player characters so we can see how they RP different character personalities.

If you have done the above and wish to become a Jr. QR, then please PM Thu-Thu stating your interest and any your experience Dungeon Mastering if applicable.

From there, the QRs will decide whether to take a player on as Jr. QR. If QRs decide not to evaluate you to be a Jr. QR, you still may ask in the future about becoming a Jr. QR. If the QRs have any specific suggestions that would help you become a Jr. QR in the future, they will inform you.

Please note that the Jr. QR position is not a "promotion" from adventurer, but simply a position where we evaluate you for possibly becoming a QR in the future.

### What Does A Jr. Quest Runner Do?

Now a QR is evaluated on quests and RP that they complete during their trial period. A Jr. QR must post their plans for a quest which will be evaluated and critiqued by QRs. In order to allow QRs to evaluate the players, we ask that you save a spot for QRs on your quest as well as coordinating with the QRs so one of them is able to be on your quest so they may evaluate it. That QR is there to help with any questions the Jr. QR may have as the quest progresses as well as evaluate the the Jr. QR. They will give the Jr. QR suggestions for next time at the end of the quest. In rare cases the QR team will give dispensation for a player to run a quest without a QR on the quest, but instead with supervision from a QR that is watching the quest but not not participating.

After a month and at least 3 quests, the Jr. QR's work will be examined by QRs. The Jr. QR will either be converted to a QR, converted back to an adventurer, or kept as a Jr. QR for an additional month and two quests and reevaluated afterwards.

We ask that Jr. QRs do not attempt to introduce factions or major plot lines. But they have faction NPCs and help contribute to other's plot lines if both they and those in charge of faction/plotline wish.

### What Do We Look For In A Good QR/Jr. QR?

Here are a few notes for what we want to see in a good Quest Runner or Jr. Quest Runner.

1. Can take suggestions and criticism well.
2. Able to resolve conflicts that appear in quests and RP situations
3. Not show favoritism in their treatment of players in RP and Quest situations, including loot distribution.
4. Make rewards for quests in line with given guidelines and fit with other QRs on the server.
5. Sufficient competence in Avrae and other systems to keep combats running efficiently.
6. Decide temporary rulings if needed in a quest.
7. Respect player's time and schedules and keep quests from expanding too take up too much more of a player's time than listed for the quest.
8. Proficiency in running several different kinds of quests and RP interactions.

## Rules for Quest Runners

This section is a general overview of the rules and guidelines we try to follow as Quest Runners.

### RAW vs RAI vs Houserules

In most cases, Quest Runners will follow Rules as Written (RAW) interpretation of game mechanics. Meaning they will try to use the literal meaning of the text of various mechanics and player feats. This is to keep as cohesive of a questing experience across the server as possible. If there is confusion over a RAW mechanic, the QR may make a snap decision to keep gameplay flowing, or they may @Gameplay Rule Advisors in #teams-general in order to get some quick advice from our rulings experts.

In some occasions, a Quest Runner may prefer a different type of playstyle, perhaps they like a very dice-driven session, or pure rp in some cases. Sometimes they may prefer to use Rules as Intended (RAI) and reference Sage Advice for more ambiguous text in the PHB, or prefer to rule certain combinations of mechanics in a different way. Some may wish to introduce a new mechanic to one of their quests, such as the optional sanity or renown systems found in the DMG.

This is okay! The main thing to consider here is communication to make sure that everyone is on the same page. All Quest Runners should keep their Quest Runner Profiles up to date, and let the @Bot Wizards Team know of any changes so that they can update their !qr alias, which should be run before each quest to print out your Quest Runner Profile.

### Where to Offer Quests/Quest Styles

When making quests please be mindful we want to make as little traffic in the #group-preparation as possible. We also want to provide many avenues where it is possible to find quests on the server. Therefore please consider the below, as to where you can most appropriately advertise to make the most of what we have available. Keep in mind, Campaign and Ongoing Plots are only available to full QUest Runners to run.

* Provided: Guild/Faction pins.
* Posted: #quest-board-in-osteria / #quest-board-sundry-hills.
* Spur of the Moment: Random events, location based encounters.
* Ongoing Plot: NPCs and villains trying to achieve their own goals, which players may discover and attempt to help or thwart these plans.
* Character Specific: A quest specifically tailored for a particular character, often coming about as part of participating in an ongoing plot or as an attempt to give a player that doesn't get to quest much a chance to do so.
* Campaign: A long term ongoing quest, which may be found in any of the above avenues.

As an additional note f*or Character Specific quests, we do not want to show favoritism to a particular character or player! If you run a character specific quest, you should also be offering other quests that different players may have a chance to join, or allow for more players to be drawn in to that Character Specific quest.*

Additionally, for Campaign, Ongoing Plot, or any large or impactful quests, we have added a few extra requirements as a way to further our cooperation with Lore Writers and Con Res.
Basically, if you are going to be introducing a huge villain, world changing plot, or any very large scale event, please post in #quest-runner-chat that you are planning to do something big (don't need full details). Then we'll get you in touch with Lore Writers, who will help work with you via PMs to be sure that your idea fits in the world of Daleos and doesn't conflict with any other currently running plots, or if they do, work with you to see how they affect each other. It will also be a quick way to also identify and check anything controversial with Con Res at the same time, (maybe you want to flood town square with lava temporarily, but Con Res would like to know how much this will interfere with the rest of the server so that they can be prepared or say that it may be too much to handle).

### Quest Board Postings

The Quest Board is used for posting open quests that anyone meeting that quest's criteria (i.e. character level, membership in a certain faction, etc.) may join. It generally consists of the IC quest text in ```block quotes```, how it got there in normal text, the OOC info for the quest in ((parenthesis)), and the [tags] relating to the quest so that players know whether or not this style of quest fits their own playstyle.

If you know ahead of time that you will be using unique mechanics such as those mentioned in the above section, the OOC text is the place to do it!

As a Jr. QR, you'll be posting a sample Quest Board posting in your quest write up in #jrqr-quest-log along with your plan for the quest.

#### Sample Quest Board Tags

These are the common tags used for Quest Board Postings. You are not limited to these tags, feel free to add your own if none of these fit or you need more specific ones.

Difficulty:

* [Non-lethal] While the quest itself may be challenging, there is no way to get yourself killed as part of this quest.
* [Easy] You are almost guaranteed to survive. Death is unlikely, unless you play dumb.
* [Medium] You are likely to survive, but can die to bad luck or poor play
* [Hard] you are somewhat likely to die. If you get bad dice or don't play tactically, things may not go well
* [Deadly] you are likely to die. Play well and hope the dice are on your side.

Time Expectations:

* [Quick] Adventure will last 2-5 hours likely, with only 1-2 encounters.
* [Long] Adventure will last 7+ hours likely, with multiple encounters and possibly a break in the middle.
* [Relaxed/PbP] This quest will occur at a slower pace without as much pressure to be on constantly to move things along.
* [Campaign] A long term ongoing quest, run more like an in-person D&D campaign. These should have a solid plan of meeting regularly and lay out all expectations that players and QR will be considering in the OOC text! For example, meet every Saturday at 4pm, expected to take 3 hours per session, for 8 weeks. Otherwise they may fizzle out or stagnate.

Other Tags:

* [RP] The quest will have an RP focus, with creative skill use encouraged
* [Exploration] The quest will be focused on exploring an area and dealing with what you find
* [Puzzles] Lots of puzzles, riddles, and challenges
* [Combat] Lots of fighting, you will exercise your spellbook and sword arm
* [Comedic] The quest will be more lighthearted and have comedic elements.
* [Ongoing] The quest is based on an ongoing plot, but newcomers are encouraged to join in
* [Open-ended] Players encouraged to approach the adventure for multiple ways.

### Reward Rules

Once the players finish a quest, you will likely giving out rewards for its completion! These are our current guidelines on rewards:

#### Experience

All total combat experience (not adjusted xp) that is given to a player individually is doubled. This means that if you plugged an encounter in kobold fight club for 4 people and each get 500 experience, they instead get 1000 experience.

We normally use this site when calculating non combat encounters. Put 1 in the number of players and whatever level that particular player is to determine their XP. Decide whether the encounter was an easy, medium, hard, or deadly and go from there, but keep in mind, higher difficulties should have legitimately be dangerous if the players do poorly! Repeat this process for each character having participated in that encounter.

#### Items and Coins

Overall, be reasonable when figuring out rewards for the quest. Keep in mind a couple of scenarios:

**Who is the quest giver?** If they are a poor farmer, probably won't be giving much gold, but maybe would have other resources like crops or animals to reward, or contacts with other farmers in the area.

**Where are they going?** A dragon's hoard may have thousands of gold and plenty of magic items for instance, but players scavenging a wolf den without having a sponsor paying them to do it probably won't get you a single coin. Instead, they may get some nice wolf pelts, or bones that can be carved.

**How difficult and big is the quest?** Keep in mind that even in the case of a dragon's hoard, make the quest build up big enough to justify the high reward! The quest should be sufficiently dangerous and long enough to have those awesome rewards in this case.

#### Magical Items

We have the following level requirements for a player to be rewarded an item of certain rarities:

* Common ( 0+ )
* Uncommon ( 0+ )
* Rare ( 5+ )
* Very rare ( 11+ )
* Legendary ( 17+ )

We allow DMG, XGTE, Official Module, Homebrew Approved, and Matt Mercer magic items. If you have a custom item you wish to give out, you can bring it up as a homebrew magic item to the @Homebrew Dev Team.

When giving out magical items as rewards, keep in mind, where are these items coming from? If they are to be looted from the bandit camp, the bandits will likely be using them against the party, or have them hidden away. Make the players work for them! It is much more satisfying to loot "Cometfall", the Pirate Captain's +1 sword that glows with a galaxy energy that he nearly used to kill your party than it is to find a random +1 sword just laying in a pile of treasure in the back of the ship. Additionally along those lines, try not to give out a large amount of major magical items in a simple quest, as that takes away the coolness factor of finding that awesome Pirate Captain's sword when there are a ton of other major items given out for a quick 3 hour quest. Instead consider including opportunities for the players to find or loot scrolls, potions, or even magical item recipes or ingredients!

### Loot Distribution

To prevent squabbling over loot at the end of the quest, we use the following rules to handle distribution:

1. All items are basically identified. (secret abilities are hidden if DM wants)
2. People decide which items they want provided that:
	1. Characters cannot take an item just to sell it.
	2. Character who can directly use and plan to use an item get first dibs. (Examples of this can be given if needed, but the final decision on this is up to the QR running the quest)
	3. If multiple characters who want the items (all either can use the item/plan to use the item or none of them can use the item) they go to a roll off.
3. Items that are not wanted by anyone are sold as a group. This money is shared evenly among those who did not choose a magic / valuable item. This is called a meta-sale, can only be done during quest loot distribution, and these items are sold for their full price.
4. Spellcasting service costs used by the party are taken from the gold pot.
5. Gold is then divided by shares.
	1. If a member takes a 'nonvaluable' item or no item, they receive 2 shares
	2. If a member takes a 'valuable' item, they receive 1 share of the gold.
	3. An item is 'valuable' based off of the level of characters and CR of the encounter. This allows people to have reason to pick up low value cosmetic items mostly. Ultimately, if an item is considered valuable or not is up to the QR running the quest.

Example Loot Distribution for Lower Level Quest:

The party consists of a Cleric, a Fighter and a Warlock. They are given 100 gold each from the quest-NPC, and we consider this separate from any further rewards. They have also found three valuable/magic items and a total of 600 gold in the dungeon they raided.

The Cleric and Fighter take a valuable/magic item each, but the Warlock just wants gold. The third item is then meta-sold for 200gp (full price), and this goes straight to the Warlock since he only took gold. The remaining shares for the 600 gold are then: Cleric (1), Fighter (1), Warlock (2). The 600 gold divided by 4 shares = 150 gold per share.

The final distribution then is as follows:

Cleric 100 gold + 150 gold + valuable / magic item

Fighter 100 gold + 150 gold + valuable / magic item

Warlock 100 gold + 300 gold + 200 gold

### Rewards for Quest Running

For the quests you spend QRing on Daleos, we want you to be rewarded for your time too!

When a QR had their own character as a DMPC on a quest, that PC is entitled to an equal share of Gold and Experience for their contributions, as they are putting their life on the line and have an equal chance of death as the other PCs. However, any magic items for that DMPC should be taken last such that the players have first pick.

If a QR has no PC on the quest, they may instead receive half the experience of the player that gained the most XP. So say everyone in the quest got 500 xp, you gain 250 DMXP. This is also true for gold. If each member got 1000 gp, you gain 500 DMGP. This can be distributed among your characters as they like with no restriction.

Additionally, if the quest was a quest board quest, as an extra reward for providing a quest open to anyone in the server, you get a 1000 exp bonus. This bonus can only be claimed once per month.

If you decide to hoard the DMXP for later, it should be recorded in #loot-record-and-dmxp. If you are using this hoarded DMXP on a character you have not yet brought on to the server, you can only use this XP on that character to bring them to level 5 and no higher.

You can hand it to any oof your other PC's freely, but remember that you can only use hoarded DMXP to level each unique PC once every forthnight. (Does not apply if the PC was on the quest.)

### Rules on QR activity

The point of becoming a QR is, naturally, to run quests, provide RP opportunities, create fun or strange NPC's and/or create recurring happenings and events. As such, we expect a modicum of activity from every QR, to at least provide these things consistently.

That said, life has this nasty habit of getting in the way of our fantastic fun and adventures, meaning not everybody can be around the server all the time and be a QR all the time. This is where the rules on QR activity come in, so everybody knows what to expect and how we handle this.

QR's who have not run a quest or event for two months receive a message from the Team Lead (TL), giving them a heads up on this inactivity, and that they have another month to run something.

* If they do, then the timer is basically reset, and they remain a part of the QR team
* If they do not, the QR roles are removed and they are no longer part of the QR team.

QR's who have extenuating circumstances can, of course, discuss this with the TL. It is then up to the TL to decide whether to extend the time limit or not. Should a QR have been removed, they can always apply again to the team once they feel they can be active (enough) again. Depending on how long it has been, they might have to go through (part of) the Junior QR process again, this however is decided on a case-by-case basis.

### QR of the Month system

Every month there will be two QR's of the month, based on a criteria each:

1. QR of the Month by number of quests run in the previous month.
2. QR of the Month by popular server vote.

The QR Team lead will tally the quests run as well as start the vote, which will last 48 hours. It is entirely possible for a QR to carry both titles at the same time, should they be so lucky and awesome. Aside from the glory of carrying said title(s) for the month, there are rewards involved as well.

Rewards for QR of the Month by number of quests run: 10.000dmxp +2.000 dmgp

Rewards for QR of the Month by popular server vote: 10.000dmxp +2.000 dmgp +10% bonus DMXP over all quests run in the previous month.

Logically, these rewards should be recorded and/or added to the QR's current totals in #loot-record-and-dmxp