Civilian Rules

## Reasons to be a Civilian

There are many reasons why someone would want to be a Civilian, in the server - some reasons include:

* Wanting to get a better understanding of the Ruleset before playing a Character.
* Wanting to create a Character that is considered more powerful.
* Wishing to avoid combat situations.
* Has severe anxiety about the pressures a player has.
* Simply wants to roleplay as something that doesn't fit within the rules.

## It's Okay to not be a Player

No matter your reason for wanting to be a Civilian there is always room for you in The Grove. Just as the real world has it’s share of pacifists and simple business folk, so too does The Grove, and all players are entitled to play something other than a bloodthirsty warmongering adventurer.

In fact, Civilian characters (due to their focus on RP) drastically improve both immersion and the overall gaming experience for all. Seek them out if you value social roleplay.

No matter a participant’s reasons, it is NEVER alright to mock or bully them for their choice to play a Civilian over an Adventurer.

## Becoming the Civilian

### Familiarize Yourself

As with combatants, it is important for handlers to acquaint themselves with Grove Lore via our Wiki – just because you won’t be leading a charge, doesn’t mean you can’t create a character as complex or memorable as any barbarian chief, and setting them within the game world will help give you motivation and boundaries.

### Create your Own Character

Most Common Civilians use the Commoner statblock for their stats, and simply act in a manner that suites their role within the world. However, as stated you can break this and create your own character. You are not bound by the rules of the server in terms of Races or Classes, but we would ask that instead of a Character Sheet you create a Monster Sheet instead.

This is for two reasons, it completely separates playable characters from civilians and it will grant you more freedom over what the character has access to. Even creating wholly new skills that do not exist within the 5e ruleset. All characters that are designed to be Civilians **must** however create a page on the wiki using the standard Character Template.

### Understanding the Drawbacks

While you are in possession of the Civilian role, you will not be allowed to create an adventurer. Members wishing to play NPCs and have an adventurer must apply for the NPC Handler Role instead.

### Obtaining the Role

If this sounds good for what you want within the server, simply use the !civilian command.

## Rules of a Civilian

### Combat and Encounters

Civilians must not enter combat encounters designed for Player Characters unless approved by a World Builder prior to the event. Even if you are allowed into the Combat Encounter, your role will not be to fight along side the players in the group, but to act more as an escort and defend yourself if absolutely necessary. Even as a Healer, you will only provide aid after combat has completed, for all intents and purposes your character is considered to be hiding or cowering in a corner when a combat scenario breaks out.

Exceptions to this rule are allowed if the narrative calls for it. But this must be passed by the GM running the prior to any actions taking place. NPCs do not gain experience or gold for joining encounters. Nor can they obtain any magical items picked up or found by the party.

### Forced Combat Situations

Civilians may opt to ignore the effects of any spell that strikes them, and **MUST** ignore any effect that forces them into combat. However, Civilians caught in an area effect that would force a combatant to fall (eg. Fireball) are forced to cower instead. As such, Civilians can never truly die unless a Worldbuilder calls for it, or the controlling player allows it.

### Weapons and Loot

Civilians may carry weapons, but only to represent tools of their trade – e.g. a blacksmith’s hammer – such weapons are to be used purely for thematics. If used to deal damage to ANY player character, admins will remove the offending player’s handler status. There are circumstances where this rule will be circumvented, but only on the approval of a World Builder.

Civilians cannot be looted under any circumstances, and can also not take items from any other Character.

## Earning a Living

Just like adventurer's civilian styled characters can undertake jobs and tasks on the Downtime Activities table.

The obvious exception here is that a Civilian or NPC does not have access to any Harvesting points, as this would likely put them into harms way. Instead said Civilian may ask for a Dungeon Master to run a quest on their behalf to obtain the required materials for whatever the Civilian is trying to achieve.

In these circumstances, the civilian is able to join on the encounter without World Builder approval, but all other rules still apply.

All Civilian points reset on a daily basis at midnight each day, California time.

### Item Crafting

Civilians or NPCs are able to use up to 8 Crafting Points per day instead of the typical adventurer's 1 point per encounter. This is to allow Civilians to effectively run shops and the like within the realm of The Grove. However, all other crafting rules still apply, and a Civilian cannot undertake the Master Crafting option.