Alright here is the prototype of the first post of the thread that will eventually be The Infamy Ledger. Thoughts?
You may notice a total absence of rules regarding break out threads. I'm still unsure of the best way to handle those. I'd really appreciate input from dark mage players on how those should be handled.
The Infamy Ledger
Welcome to the Infamy Ledger for all your NPC renting needs. This is a complete list of all official resuable NPC villains. Any villain here can be added to a job's enemy pool to enhance the job's difficulty and story. They can also be rented for non-job combat threads and events. It is up to the player to control the NPCs once they have been checked out so in that sense they behave like normal enemies; however these NPCs have distinctive personalities and histories and players who rent them have a responsibility to respect, preserve and extend that history.
Please make sure you have a decent understanding of a villain before checking them out if in one thread they have a "I don't kill children," rule and in the next another player has them slaughtering kids for fun it breaks continuity and reduces the validity of the world we RP in. Consider reading threads that people have used them for in the past if you're unsure how they normally behave. If you're the first person to check out a villain... CONGRATULATIONS you get to set the precedent, your thread will provide the basis for that character that future players will try to emulate and add onto. Make it something worth emulating.
Popular villains will have short, easy to read, sample threads created for convenience. "Popular," status will normally be given to any villain that develops a wait list.
Rules for Rent:
-1 villain per player in the job.
-Guild Masters and Event Bosses can rent entire groups.
-The first post of the job thread that the NPC will be used in must be created BEFORE checking out the villain. We can't have any "I'm checking this guy out for 'future use.'"
-One a villain is rented your thread will be checked weekly for posts. If no post has been made in a week your villain rental will be 'paused'.
-Paused status cannot be challenged, sorry, with only one person able to use a villain at a time to challenge the 'paused' status is to demand the entire site wait on one person. Inactive job partner? Get a replacement. Lack of muse? Not an excuse.
-A thread once completed or abandoned must be reported back here so that the NPC can be opened back up.
-Once your villain check out is approved, it is yours until you return it, you have "permeant alteration," rights. Feel free to add to the character's personality, they are meant to be dynamic don't be scared. Just don't flagrantly ignore previous player's additions.
-Upon completing a job in which you defeat the villain in combat you have every right to capture them and give them the 'imprisoned' status. Good job, that baddies is behind bars thanks to you.
-Killing NPCs is a bit more complicated. Sure I want to give the freedom to kill and maim, but you don't just kill that villain for you, you kill it for the site. Killing a villain requires that you at least be the same rank or higher as them, on a job the same rank or higher rank as them, and of course you must defeat them while completing the job's objectives. If all these conditions are met and you want to kill the villain mark your check-in post appropriately and I'll check it. If the death is satisfactory they will be marked as deceased and removed from the active ledger. Satisfactory deaths are subjective but good guide lines are: the NPC had reason to fight to the death, you had reason to kill them, and generally believable cause of death. If the death is deemed unsatisfactory your thread will be unaffected and your character can still think they killed the villain but they will somehow miraculously survive and be put back on the ledger.
-Maiming is easier though. If you want to take an arm or an ear off the baddie as long as you meet the same prerequisites for killing, the thread will still have to checked but with exception for extreme circumstances they will always be approved. Extreme cases include: taking off the arm of a guy who already lost one making him permanently unable to fight, a super goody-two shoes suddenly becoming the Punisher and decides to rip off the NPCs leg for no IC reason, or just malicious use of the maiming system. Most of you fighting these guys are legal mages, you shouldn't be using this all too often. Restrictions will be raised if this becomes abused. Just remember it is possible to have a meaningful battle with a villain WITHOUT leaving a permeant injury.
-There are no special jewel or EXP bonuses to using an NPC villain in a job. They're their own reward.
-You can be denied the privilege of checking out villains if you develop a history of neglecting guide lines. I.E. frequently having villains paused, ALWAYS taking off arms, having Mr-Only-Evil-Against-My-Will manically laugh a lot.
-You can check out enemies of any rank at any rank. But that is unadvised, you're just setting yourself up for continuity infraction if you put a boss 3 ranks higher then you in your job.
-Imprisoned villains cannot be check out unless they are sprung by a dark mage through a breakout thread.
Permeant Alteration Rights:
The big appeal of NPC villains is that they remember. They remember that time you foiled their robbery and got them all thrown in jail, they recognize the guild crest of the hero who took their left eye. As such when I approve your NPC check out, you are given the right to inflict changes upon them.
Note: The right to make changes is different from the right to freely alter them. To freely alter is to just write them behaving differently from any of their past threads or personality bio. To inflict a change is to put them into a situation that will shape their future behaviors.
Please briefly note any major character changes when you check the villain back in, so that other players can pick up the villain and use them in their newly updated form in a way that is consistent with the change you imposed on them.
Source creators maintain the right to deny any changes on grounds of it being player overreach. Generally the source creator is myself, if that is not the case the villain will be tagged as such. Hopefully this isn't something that will have to come up often if at all. Keep any eye out for the "good permanent alteration," guide coming soon!
Paused Guide Lines:
Paused villains are put back up for check out and players can apply for them again. Feel free to finish your thread with the villain as normal but make sure to post a "paused villain return," form instead of a normal return form. This is to allow people to finish their jobs once they come back from whatever stopped them from posting, however their rights to permanently alter the villain are forfeited. In these threads you cannot kill the villain, jail them or other wise alter them in a way that could jeopardize the story of anyone who has used the villain since you paused them. If your thread seems to do such a thing it will be counted as "non-cannon," in that villains time line. You can keep the EXP and job rewards however you will have to use some explanation like "Oh it was actually just a clone," to explain why your villain breaks continuity. Which makes your story cheaper sorry, maybe you shouldn't have left this villain hanging over a week and then proceed to try and permanently alter them after your "permeant altering rights," were suspended.
Having a villain paused does not count as checking them back in if you want to give up a thread once the villain has been paused you must post here with a check-out cancellation before renting out a new one.
Instructions:
-To check out a villain fill out the "check out," app below and post it here. If they're open your check out should be approved fairly quickly. Once checked out they're all yours until you return them.
-To check in a villain fill out the "check in," app below and again post it in this thread. I'll check anything that needs to be checked, and if all is good you'll be approved and the villain will be returned to the register with a link to your thread added to their time line.
-To create a group or a villain for a group fill out the appropriate form below and PM it to me. Please do not post in this thread with NPC ideas or questions, please PM me directly. All posts in this thread should be A. Updates from me or B. check in/out posts.
Check Out:
- Code:
[b]Player Name:[/b]
[b]Rank:[/b]
[b]NPC Desired:[/b] Name-Group
[b]Link to thread:[/b](As in the thread you are going to use them in).
Check In:
- Code:
[b]Player Name:[/b]
[b]Rank:[/b]
[b]NPC Returning:[/b]
[b]Link to thread:[/b]
[b]Status Updates:[/b] (Dead, Imprisoned)
[b]Notes:[/b] (Anything you have added to the character future players should know.)
Group Creation:
- Code:
[b]Group Name:[/b]
[b]Group Description:[/b] (General principles, important details, what defines the members within).
[b]Maximum Members:[/b]
[b]Motive:[/b] (Specifically describe what collectively motivates the group. This is where I'll be looking when checking for Satisfactory Deaths).
[b]Rank Range:[/b](Specify the lowest and highest rank a member of the group can have. Don't you dare say D-Rank to H-Rank.)
[b]Minions:[/b] (Minions must be at least one rank below the lowest stated rank for the group. These should be the mass produced generic mooks that are only dangerous in numbers. Not all groups have these. Give an approximate number, description and how reliant the group is on them. Some groups may treat them as cannon fodder while others may hinge their plans on calling in the cavalry).
NPC Creation:
- Code:
[b]NPC Name:[/b]
[b]NPC Description:[/b] (Everything relevant, physical description, personality, everything important.)
[b]Motive:[/b] (Anything that distinguishes them from their group. This is where I'll be looking when checking for Satisfactory Deaths).
[b]Rank:[/b]
[b]Magic Description:[/b] (Just a general description will suffice. Just enough so that others can tell what they can and cannot do).
[b]Spells:[/b] Name(Rank) - Quick description, (Players can invent their own for the magic as long as appropriate, include any added spells in "notes," and they'll be added to the character app.)
Edit 1:
Examples of a Group and NPC villain.
- Spoiler:
Group Name: The Spider
Group Description: The Spider is a group of 8 dark mages originating from Ca-Elum. They’ve moved to Fiore to separate themselves from their home. The original members all originated from poverty and new recruits are generally pulled from the same pool. They’re main goals are simply to survive through high-profile magic crime. They are close nit, each member is the other’s adopted sibling. They are always looking out for each other and make decisions in a council like fashion despite having a clear and obvious leader. Their leader’s only power is the respect they carry with the other members and that their vote carries with it tie-breaker power. Voted best-evil-organization-to-be-in-if-you-don’t-want-to-be-stabbed-in-the-back five years running.
Most members are now second generation members with just a couple of the founders remaining. Some died, others retired. Their original ideals stay true though.
Maximum Members: 8
Motive: Their primary goal is simply to survive and improve their own lot in life. They come from poverty and such are truly just in in it for the money. However they have occasionally been known to aggress political figures they believe to “perpetuate poverty.”
Rank Range: C-B
Minions: N/A
NPC Name: Arrow
NPC Description: Arrow was one of the founding members of The Spider. Now in his thirties, this sickly looking pale man looks borderline vampiric. He is always twitchy and he walks like a zombie. His head and skin are cleanly shaven to accommodate numerous arrow(arrows as in directional arrows <- not the archery projectile) tattoos on his body. He has little regard for human life and kills very casually, despite his notorious soft spot for poor children.
Despite leading a life of crime and depravity he is unhealthily selfless. He only continues to serve The Spider as a mentor and guide to newer members. He is considered one of its greatest pillars and is highly respected by the other members. However he is regarded as the creepiest member.
Motive: His work ethic is suicidal. He accompanies weaker members onto missions and always willingly takes the smallest cut of the reward. He seeks to serve The Spider, in return for it saving him, until the day he can die in its service.
Rank: B-Rank
Magic Description: The arrow can control his own shadow as if it were a solid object and use it as a weapon. His most prominent attack is the “Cruel Arrow,” or commonly shortened to the “Arrow,” in which he extends his shadow in arrow shaped projectiles to cut through his foes. This is an ability he has adapted into many forms and most of his spells are upgraded and modified versions of it. At its most basic form where it just shoots two to three arrows he can use it freely as if a passive ability.
His casting motions are normally wild and and dramatic. He can get a bit freaky.
Spells: Arrow Storm(B) - Arrow violently hugs his arms around himself as he gathers up his magic power this causes him to briefly glow purple. After half a second he throws his arms wide announcing the name of his spell causing his shadow to be torn into forty Cruel Arrows which shoot out in all directions before homing in on a single point for massive damage. This can hit as far as 30 meters away.
Mad Arrows(B) - Arrows gathers his magic and throws his arms wide flailing them about causing his shadow to muster underneath him before shooting off into thirty Cruel Arrows that seek random targets in all directions.
NPC Name: Hanged Man
NPC Description: Hanged Man is a second generation member of The Spider and their current leader. A young man in his twenties he carries a certain regality to him. He wears fine purple suits, has well kept slicked back black hair and is known to wear silver rings. However his outfit is a bit thrown off by the noose loosely hanging from his neck and the scars of a man killed by the gallows bored into his flesh.
Hanged Man was a criminal who by all rights should have died. It just happened he was a necromancer and had planned ahead. So when the gallows came around his neck instead of dieing, he just hung there with a sick grin on his face. The Spider had already been looking to recruit him, interrupted the execution and freed him. He was the first second generation member. Turns out he had a penchant for leadership and when the old leader died he took over. Despite technically being a zombie, he’s about as human as a zombie can possibly be and maintains his full intelligence and memories of his life before “dying.”
Event Exclusive NPC. Cannot be checked-out without 2 other members of The Spider also checked out for the same event.
Motive: Hanged Man is in death as he was in life. A criminal who uses his necromancy to take whatever he wants. He has a streak of self preservation and will constantly choose saving his own life over getting the job done. Very rarely will he continue to fight if he thinks he foe may kill him and he has the means to escape. Money is no good to a double-dead man.
Rank: C-Rank
Magic Description: Hanged Man’s magic isn’t particularly elegant. He can summon skeletons from the ground and they do his bidding. Conceptually it isn’t very impressive, but in practice it is a big deal. Despite only being C-Rank the number of skeletons he can summon is truly astonishing. They’re all terrible weak, below D-Rank easily, but he’s a one man horde. He is more likely to be limited by the space available to put skeletons then by actually running out of magic to make skeletons. His magic seems much closer to that of an A-Rank considering how many he can summon but the limited power of each individual skeleton hard caps him at C-Rank.
Spells:
As you may have noticed the NPC creation app does not have a section for groups. However the actual ledger itself once made will have characters listed under their groups in categories.