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Welcome to the Player's Guide to ALFA! This guide is offered as an updated, revised version of the old ALFA Player Manual, dealing specifically with Neverwinter Nights 2 and ALFA. In the following pages, you will find a range of useful tips and hints for making the most of your gaming experience. You'll find out about different Forgotten Realms Paladin Orders; you'll find our policies about extraordinary PCs, like those Drow and Warlocks.

Below you'll find an outline of the different chapters of this guide, with information about what they contain. If there is something specific you are after, may I direct your attention to a wonderful search function, which should pinpoint the page you're looking for - the joys of technology.

Playing Your Race

In here you'll find a list of Races that ALFA allow, some general information about each one and how they opperate in Forgotten Realms, as well as (and perhaps most importantly) some information about how ALFA handles them.

Faerun is home to hundreds of intelligent peoples, divided into thousands of tribes, clans, nations, and ethnicities. Some of these races are monstrous predators armed with terrible powers and others are bloodthirsty marauders who terrorize their weaker neighbors, but most are good-hearted folk who wish to live in peace. This great diversity in physical nature, magical talent, belief, and values creates a vast patch work of cultures that spans the continent, a tapestry so complex and wondrous that no mortal can ever comprehend it in its entirety.

Inside A Land Far Away, the races available to the player are the same as those provided in Neverwinter Nights 2 and its expansions. However, there are a few cases where things may differ, whether it be how we handle them in ALFA, or the actual mechanics. Even if you are familiar with the different races, it can't hurt to have a quick skim over the following entries. If you are not familiar with the Forgotten Realms or Dungeon and Dragons races, you'll find links to the wiki pages for each subrace below.

Common Races

Dwarf

Sub Races: Duergar, Gold Dwarf, Shield Dwarf

Links:

Notes: Duergar are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one.

Elf

Sub Races: Drow, Moon Elf, Sun Elf, Wild Elf, Wood Elf

Links:

Notes: Drow are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one.

Gnome

Sub Races: Rock Gnome, Svirfneblin

Links:

Notes: Svirfneblin are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one.

Halfling

Sub Races: Lightfoot Halfling, Strongheart Halfling

Links:

Notes: Halfling are not different in any noteworthy way in ALFA.

Half-Elf

Sub Races: Half-Drow, Half-Elf

Links:

Notes: Half-Drow are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one.

Half-Orc

Sub Races: None

Links:

Notes: Half-Orc are not different in any noteworthy way in ALFA.

Human

Sub Races: None

Links:

Notes: Humans are not different in any noteworthy way in ALFA.

Extraordinary Races

Gray-Orc

Sub Races: None

Links:

Notes: Gray-Orc are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one. It is not currently recommended playing a Gray Orc in ALFA.

Plane-Touched

Sub Races: Assimar, Tiefling, Air Genasi, Earth Genasi, Fire Genasi, Water Genasi

Links:

Notes: All Plane Touched are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one.

Yuan-Ti Pureblood

Sub Races: None

Links:

Notes: Yuan-Ti Pureblood are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one. It is not currently recommended playing a Yuan-Ti Pureblood in ALFA.

Playing Your Class

Pretty much the same as above, but this time to do with the array of classes that NWN2 offers us!

Adventurers seek gold, glory, justice, fame, power or knowledge, or perhaps other goals, some noble and some base. Each chooses a different way to achieve those goals, from brutal combat power, to mighty magic, to subtle skills. Some adventurers prevail and grow in experience, wealth and power. Others die.

Inside A Land Far Away, the classes available to the player are the same as those found in Neverwinter Nights 2 and its expansions. However, there are a few cases where things may differ, whether it’s how we handle them in ALFA, or how the actual mechanics differ. Even if you are familiar with the different classes, it can’t hurt to have a quick skim over the following entries. If you are not familiar with the Forgotten Realms, and Dungeon and Dragons, classes - you'll find a handful of links below which should full you in on the basics.

Base Classes

Barbarian

Links:

Bard

Links:

Notes: In ALFA, we have introduced the TLK Performer content, which allows for playable instruments. A guide to these instruments can be found In Game.

Cleric

Links:

Notes: In Forgotten Realms, all Clerics must have a Patron Deity, through whom they are granted their powers. A Cleric, upon creation, must select this Deity, as well as appropriate Domains. The Cleric's alignment is also restricted by their Patron. See Playing Your Gods for more details.

Druid

Links:

Notes: In Forgotten Realms, all Druids must select a Nature Deity in order to channel their powers. See Playing Your Gods for more details on which choices are available.

Favored Soul

Links:

Notes: Favored Souls are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one.

Fighter

Links:

Monk

Links:

Notes: In Forgotten Realms, all Monks belong to a Monk Order. The Order in which they belong, restricts the classes they can multiclass into, among other things. For a list of Orders, consult the Dos and Don'ts pdf, from Wizards.com.

Paladin

Links:

Notes: In Forgotten Realms, most Paladin's belong to an Order, similar to Monks. Like the Monk Order, the Paladin Orders restrict which multiclasses can be taken. All Paladins must select a Patron Deity, through which they gain their powers. Their Deity must have an alignment no more than one step away from Lawful Good, unless otherwise noted. See Playing Your Gods for more details. For a list of Orders, consult the Dos and Don'ts pdf, from Wizards.com.

Ranger

Links:

Notes: Rangers must have a patron Deity in order to gain spells. Though they draw their spells from the same list that Druids use, Rangers in ALFA are not limited to Nature dieties.

Rogue

Links:

Sorcerer

Links:

Spirit Shaman

Links:

Swashbuckler

Links:

Warlock

Links:

Notes: Warlocks are no longer playable in ALFA.

Wizard

Links:

Notes: Wizards have the ability to create Trade Scrolls which represent a wizard copying spells from one spellbook to another. These non-castable scrolls are created by casting a spell and targeting one's spellbook. There is a cost of 25 gp per spell level.

Prestige Classes

Links:

Notes: Prestige Classes are classes which have requirements (ie. cannot be taken at first level). All Prestige Classes that ship with Neverwinter Nights 2 (and its expansions) can be taken in ALFA - for a complete list, see the first link, above. Prestige Classes are considered Extraordinary PCs. Please contact an HDM before playing one.

Playing Your Extraordinary PC

This is one of the more important Chapters, especially if you know a fair bit about Forgotten Realms and DnD. If you wish to play an out-of-the-ordinary PC - whether that be a Drow, or a Favored Soul, or a Noble's son - make sure you give this a read.

Ever wanted to play that Drow Priestess? Or maybe an Air Elemental servant of Talos? Perhaps that spell throwing Favored Soul has always appealed to you? Or did you always want to advance your Character to specialize in a certain Prestige Class? Or perhaps you just wanted to play a local noble's son? Well, whatever it is, this is the place for you. No matter if you are new to, or a veteran of, the world of ALFA and DnD, please take a moment to read over this section.

Extraordinary PCs fall under a special rule, when it comes to Character Creation. Extraordinary PCs can be roughly defined as any PC concept that gives special advantages over other players (that Noble's son), or creates more work for the DM (a Drow playing in Baldur's Gate). Often this extra work may just be because the concept does not easily fit in the environment, so requires extra effort for the DM to have NPCs react so differently to the PC in question.

Should you wish to play an Extraordinary PC, you must simply send a copy of your characters bio to your server HDM. They will quickly check with the other DMs, and let you know if they have any concerns.

Restricted traits

Below is a list of what traits are certainly counted as Extraordinary PCs. If you are unsure, it is best to check with your HDM:

  • Drow
  • Half-drow
  • Duergar
  • Svirfneblin
  • Tieflings
  • Aasimar
  • Genasi
  • Grey Orc
  • Yuan-Ti
  • Favored Soul
  • Any Prestige Class
  • Fey Heritage
  • Fiendish Heritage

One notable exception to the above list is the Frenzied Berserker PrC, which is currently prohibited.

Altered feats

The following feats have been altered:

  • Toughness: MaxLevel to 1 (1st level only feat in ALFA presently, although it is still granted as a class feat)
  • Mind Over Body: now adds +1 AC as well as 3.5E PnP
  • Able Learner: MaxLevel to 1 (1st level only feat in ALFA presently)

Removed feats

These feats have been removed, for various reasons:

  • Skill Focus: Lore
  • Skill Focus: Perform
  • Skill Focus: Set Trap
  • Skill Focus: Taunt
  • Skill Focus: Perform
  • Skill Focus: Set Trap
  • Skill Focus: Taunt
  • Resist Energy: Cold
  • Resist Energy: Acid
  • Resist Energy: Fire
  • Resist Energy: Electrical
  • Resist Energy: Sonic
  • Curse Song
  • Dash
  • Background: Tale Teller
  • Background: Farmer
  • Background: Tale Teller
  • Background: Troublemaker
  • Background: Wild Child
  • Background: Wizard's Apprentice
  • Dinosaur Companion
  • Fey Legacy
  • Fey Power
  • Fey Presence
  • Fey Skin
  • Fiendish Legacy
  • Fiendish Power
  • Fiendish Presence
  • Fiendish Resistance
  • Background: Appraiser
  • Background: Confidant
  • Background: Foreigner
  • Background: Talent

Playing Your Location

An interesting section that takes you into the World of Faerun and looks at some of the lore about the areas around our Live Servers!

Faerun contains a wide range of exciting locations. Ranging from the chilling mountains in the far north, to the blazing heat of the southern lands; from the bustling metropolis of Waterdeep, to the sheltered tribes in the great Shaar plains. The sheer diversity in Forgotten Realms is on such a vast scale that even attempting to tackle the entire thing in this section would be a sure one-way ticket down a path towards insanity. Instead, here you will find a short blurb about each of our Live servers, as well as a couple of handy links where you can find more information.

The Silver Marches

Welcome to the Silver Marches, where civilization and barbarity struggle for dominance. A dramatic land of icy passes and misty forests, of hidden valleys and rushing rivers, this savage frontier is home to elves, dwarves and men...and the creatures that prey on them. Within the walls of Silverymoon, the Gem of the North, the High Lady Alustriel leads the Confederation of the Silver Marches and every grace and pleasure may be found.

Capital of the Marches and protector of the land from Rivermoot in the west to Winter's Edge in the northwest and east through Silverymoon Pass in the Nether Mountains, Silverymoon boasts temples to most major good-aligned deities as well as housing the Conclave, a group of allied centers of learning that includes the Lady's College for arcane casters, the Fochlucan for bardic studies and the Vault of Sages for all who seek knowledge in the written word. The city is protected by high magic in the form of a mythal that bestows protections on all who enter it...and keeps out those who should not.

Outside the walls, be they around Silverymoon, High Hold, Rivermoot, or one of the famed dwarven citadels of Felbarr or Mithril Hall, it is a different tale. Wild animals and orcs, barbaric tribes and werebeasts have long ruled these northlands and do not welcome civilized interlopers. Death can be swift in the Marches, but heroes are made of those who surmount the challenges it offers.

Starting points in The Silver Marches

Silverymoon

Metropolis: Temples, stores, inns, schools. No drow or duergar. Guards are set to react violently to either race without special dispensation to be within the city.

Rivermoot

Frontier village: Roughly civilized, basic amenities, westernmost village and jumping off point for northwestern reaches of the server as well as for portalling to the Baldur's Gate server. Viable for any race or creed, though drow, tiefling and genasi will be reacted to with immediate suspicion.

Wilderness outside of Rivermoot

Starting point for those who would raise suspicions inside towns or cities.

Felbarr

Dwarven Citadel: Basic amenities, northeasternmost civilization on server, suitable for dwarves as a starting point. Drow and Duergar are Kill-on-Sight (KoS).

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Silver_Marches

Silver Marches Forum

Baldur's Gate

One of the two great cities along the Sword Coast, Baldur's Gate sits on the north bank of the River Chionthar, twenty miles from where the river flows into the Sea of Swords. Situated halfway between Amn and Waterdeep, the city thrives on trade.

Trade knows no alignment, so tolerance is a virtue in Baldur's Gate, but not to the extent that visitors are allowed to conduct themselves in ways injurious to other persons or property. Guards in distinctive black helms with red stripes on either side police the city. They pay more attention to the upper half of the city, the part within the original walls, than to the newer, lower half by the river, enclosed by lower walls.

Most major cities have a few major temples, but Baldur's Gate's three major halls of worship are noteworthy. Gond's High House of Wonders houses an astonishing collection of one-of-a-kind inventions. Gnomes, inventors, and craftsfokl make the pilgrimage to Baldur's Gate for both imspiration and devotion. Tymora's temple, the Lady's Hall, is remarkable for its size and wealth. The temple to Umberlee, euphemistically known as the "Water Queen's House," is one of the few actual temples to this deity in all of Faerun.

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Baldur's_Gate

Baldur's Gate Forum

Moonshae Isles

Welcome to the Moonshae Isles, or the Isles as they are commonly called by their inhabitants, where light and dark struggle for dominance in a never ending conflict. Here various human and demihuman cultures meet, sometimes warring, sometimes living in peace.

A cold cluster of rocky islands cloaked in mists and deep woods, sprinkled with abundant beasts, bogs and soaring mountains, the Moonshae Isles are shared by two dominant races of humans, recently and loosely united by oaths into a single kingdom ruled by High Queen Alicia from the seaside mountain citadel of Caer Callidyrr. The northern parts of this kingdom are dominated by seafaring Northmen descended from the raiders of Ruathym, while the Ffolk, the Isle’s original human inhabitants control the south. Both races are shaped by the rugged striking landscape and harsh weather. The Ffolk, who reside in dozens of small kingdoms, or cantrevs, revere the land, and the Goddess who is the land, long aware of the divine power present in every rushing stream, secret pool and mist wreathed forest on the Isles. The Northmen, organized into petty kingdoms, are less moved by the land, fearing the interior reaches. Instead, they turn their hearts to the sea and the bounty it provides, whether fish or the booty from a raid. Relations between these peoples are often strained, though the recent peace has led both to a more genteel lifestyle, at least on the more populous Isles. The outer cantrevs are still troubled by pirates, mainly from the infamous Nelanthar Isles.

Halfling settlements can be found anywhere where humans have settled in the Isles, for they build their burrows near enough to man to benefit from the protection of neighboring castles and far enough to be outside the reach of the law. The most populous, Lowhill, lies within a few miles of Corwell Town.

Bards and Druids find special welcome in the isles, being revered in all towns and villages as story tellers and protectors of the land, respectively. Magic users must remain on guard in the more rural regions, as many villagers still recall the near total destruction of Flamsterd Isle and its school magic many years ago, but they are grudgingly welcomed in the cities of Corwell and Callidyrr as well as the courts of some Northmen kings, so long as they keep to themselves. Clerics of the mainland deities are making inroads, having established temples in the major towns and cities, but may be met with distrust amongst the rual population who still fiercely cling to their worship of the Goddess. Demi-humans, with the exception of drow and dueregar (where dueregar would even be recognized), are welcome anywhere in the Isles. Though, mainland elves will elicit extreme curiosity outside of major trading towns, due to their rarity in the Isles, and are often mistaken for the native Llewyrr elves.

Outside the regions inhabited by man and halfling, the Isles land retain their original wild nature, disturbed only by the halls of the dwarves, ruined human settlements raised in wars long since past, and the few remaining native Llewyrr elven settlements deep in wooded valleys unknown to man. Tales of the fabled elven city of Chrysalis have long been dismissed as the stuff of bard storytelling. Likewise, few venture into Myrloch Vale, a wooded valley surround the Myrloch, a large cold body of water at the center of Gwynneth Isle.

Watching over this all the land, both settled and wild, the druids of the Goddess maintain their groves surrounding fabled magical pools known as Moonwells. Druid groves can be found throughout the Isles, even just outside of many towns, and serve as sites of religious worship for the Ffolk.

Starting point in Moonshaes

Corwell Town on Gwynneth Isle

Sitting proudly at the base of the coastal citadel of Caer Corwell, this town, oldest of the Ffolk settlements, boasts a full complement of shops, lying as it does on the important trade routes north from Calisham and Lantan, routes which avoid going through the pirate infested Nelathar Isles, or try to at least. Corwell lies on the Isle of Gwynneth, home to Myrloch Vale, Lyrrath Forest and its haunted surrounds, Winterglen Forest, the fabled elven city of Chrysalis and High Home, the dwarf hold.

From Corwell Town, travel to the other isles can easily be arranged, with ships coming and going at a steady clip and a well patrolled road linking the city to the eastern port of Kingsbay, with its sea-link to the capital at Caer Callidyrr, and from thence east to Baldur’s Gate. Those traveling north through Waterdeep may depart directly from Corwell on one of the many Calishite ships sailing north. Travel overland, especially to the wilder regions of the Isles, can be somewhat difficult, as roads are few, though there is usually a hamlet to provide shelter along the way.

Caer Callidyrr

The capital of the Ffolk people of the Moonshaes, Caer Callidyrr sits upon the island of Alaron, overlooking Whitefish Bay. Its castle was constructed from alabaster and it was the tallest man-made structure in the Moonshaes. It is inhabited by the monarchy of the Ffolk.

Nelanthar Isles

Those brave, greedy or downright evil souls wishing to seek their fortune among or against the pirates of the Nelanthar Isles also have options for reaching their final destination, to be found amongst seedier dockside elements.

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Moonshae_Isles

Moonshae Isles Forum

Handy Links

For more information about any Forgotten Realms location, a good place to start is here:

Realms Wikia: Geography Portal

Playing Your Gods

The Gods in Faerun live! And what's more, play an important part in the world. Every proper adventurer must know about the gods, and so should their players. What better place to start

Faerun - a land where the gods live. Deities walk amongst their flock; Clerics control powerful magics at the will of their masters; Warriors wage wars across the lands in the name of the gods; Evil creeps throughout Faerun in service to dark lords. It is not easy to avoid the machinations of the deities and their followers when you walk the surface of Faerun, let alone when you have departed. No matter who you are, what walk of life you are from, or what your beliefs are, the gods will affect your adventures in some way.

The deities of Toril take an active interest in their world, channeling power through their clerics, druids, rangers, paladins and other worshippers, and sometimes intervening directly in the affairs of mortals. At the same time they plot, war, intrigue and ally amongst themselves, with powerful mortals and extra planar beings such as elemental rulers and demons. In this they resemble their mortal worshippers, for to an extent, deities are defined and shaped by their worshippers, their areas of interest and their divine spark. Because they lose strength if their worship dwindles away and is forgotten, deities task their clerics, and others to whom they grant divine spells, with spreading their praise and doctrine, recruiting new worshippers and keeping the faith alive. Patron Deities:

The deities of Faerun are deeply entangled in the functioning lives of mortals. Characters of Toril nearly always have a patron deity. Everyone in Faerun knows, those who die without having a patron deity to send a servant to collect them at their death, spend eternity writhing in the Wall of the Faithless or disappearing into the hells of the devils or the infernos of the demons.

Having a patron deity implies some true personal attachment to that deity. Given this relationship, it is practically unheard of for a character to have a patron with a radically different alignment than her own. When choosing a Patron, if you are a divine spell caster, you must follow the 'one-step' rule (unless noted otherwise) - that is, your alignment must be within one step of your patron's.

Using the alignment chart below, find your deities alignment, then your options are one step up, down or to the side.

LG NG CG LN TN CN LE NE CE

If the alignment is true neutral, your options would form a cross. If your deities alignment is LN, the cross does not carry over to the other side, leaving LG, TN, and LE as your only options.

You can only have on patron deity at a time. It is possible to change patrons, but doing so is not a decision made lightly or quickly. If you are a cleric, druid, paladin, or spell casting ranger, this process is more difficult and requires the help of your new church. If you are any other character class, changing a patron is a simple matter of deciding to do so, that does not require intervention by the church of your new patron (although obtaining its blessing is customary, to show allegiance to the new deity). A character who frequently changes patron deities is likely to gain a reputation of being weak in her faith, and risks being branded as one of the false in the afterlife. Domains:

A complete list of NWN2 workable domains can be found [1].

Gods of Faerun

Instead of typing out an entry for each of the hundred and one gods, there are plenty of good sources on the web already, including the one below. Note: there are a few references to events that have not yet occoured, as the year in ALFA is still 1376. If you see mention of a Spell Plague or to the Upheavel era, these are not included in ALFA Lore. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in our Lore forum.

Realms Wiki: Deity Portal

Nature Deities

As mentioned in Chapter 2, on classes, divine spell casters receive their spells from the deities. While paladins follow a lawful good line and clerics follow the line of their chosen patron, druids must serve a nature deity in order to be granted spells. The following are a list of deities that can grant druids spells - if there is another deity you have in mind, contact your HDM about it. Some, of course, may not be able to be taken with the NWN2 engine (given its current limitations), but this will hopefully soon be corrected. Details on these gods can be found in the following section. Note that in ALFA, Rangers do not need to follow a Nature diety in order to gain spells. Aerdrie Faenya, Angharradh, Anhur, Auril, Baervan Wildwanderer, Chauntea, Deep Sashelas, Eldath, Gwaeron Windstrom, Isis, Lurue, Malar, Mielikki, Nobanion, Osiris, Rillifane Rallathil, Sebek, Segojan Earthcaller, Set, Sheela Peryroyl, Shiallia, Silvanus, Solonor Thelandira, Talona, Talos, Thard Harr, Ubtao, Ulutiu and Umberlee.

Death, Dying and Deities

When mortals die their souls are drawn to the Fugue Plane. Most of this place is flat, gray, bland, and no notable topographical features. The spirits of the dead gather here, usually unaware that they have died. From time to time (anywhere from once a day to over a tenday, depending on the deity involved), the powers send representatives - usually outsiders of the appropriate alignment - to the Fugue Plane to gather the souls of their own worshippers. While most souls wander the Fugue Plane until their deity calls them, the Faithless and the False are compelled to enter the city of Judgment and be judged by Kelemvor. The Faithless firmly denied any faith or only gave lip service to gods for most of their lives without truly believing. The False intentionally betrayed a faith they believed in and to which they had made a personal commitment.

All Faithless receive the same punishment: They form a living wall around the City of Judgment, held together by a super-natural greenish mould. This mould prevents them from escaping the wall and eventually breaks down their substance until the soul and its consciousness are dissolved.

The False are punished according to their crimes in life and serve their sentence in the City of Judgment for eternity.

Nearly all of the beings in the city are members of the False, the rest being deceased followers of Jergal and Kelemvor who enact the will of their deities upon the doomed souls. Depending upon the severity of their crimes, some of the False may receive relatively light punishment, such as escorting visiting baatezu or patrolling the city for unauthorized guests. Others are punished in ways that would surprise the cruelest of demons.

For an Adventurer (and anyone else) been labeled as a False or Faithless has further consequences - it becomes near impossible to be raised from the dead. Any attempts made through the Resurrection or Raise Dead spells fail. Short of a Miracle or Wish, attempting to raise a False or Faithless from the dead is futile.

Playing In Game

Subdual damage, basic communication, Character vs Character - you need go no further than this chapter!

Communication

Shouting is reserved for DM use and has been turned off on most ALFA servers. If loud conversation is called for in character, please use the talk option. Most chat should be in talk mode. Party is fine if a PC goes past an area transition where party members would still be able to see the PC in real life. If others are around, please be curtious and switch to talk mode. Character Names

PC names should fit within a fantasy environment without breaking the suspension of disbelief with modern puns, l33tspeak or vulgarity. Running

Do not run unless it’s IC to do so. Running (when not being chased) disturbs the immersion of other players and makes it hard for DMs to interact with you. Do not create PCs designed to be always running. Keyboard commands may be remapped here: options/controls/change key settings. Change drive mode forward to ‘W’ and another key to Run. To walk using a mouse, hold down shift and click.

Character Vs Character

CvC is allowed in ALFA. However, it should be noted that there are many nonlethal ways to be at odds with another PC, and killing ought to be the last resort. Where CvC is unavoidable, the attacking player should make every attempt to arrange for a DM to be present.

In premeditated CvC, the player intending CvC should notify at least the HDM of the likely site of the CvC as soon as the IC decision is made to CvC. If the HDM is known to be away, the notification should go to any server DM. The reason behind the CvC must be outlined in that notification of CvC. The HDM in receipt of the notification must post the notification to a new CvC Forum accessible only by Admin and HDMs, for commentary and cross-server information to be passed among HDMs regarding the possible CvC. If another DM is in receipt of the notification, that DM should pass the notification to his own HDM or if the HDM is away, to a member of Admin for posting in the CvC Forum. The player intending CvC does not need to wait for a response or even for pickup if an IC situation to perform the CvC presents itself immediately, but any CvC that takes place within 24 hours of notification AND for which no DM has picked up the notification of CvC PM will be subject to PA review upon petition to the PA by any participant in the CvC. Any CvCsuspected of being illegal will also be subject to PA review. Please note that PMing multiple DMs and waiting for a pickup of the CvC notification will decrease the chances of being involved in a PA review over legitimate IC premeditated CvC.

If the CvC is not premeditated, and postponement until a DM can be present would compromise RP, then a PM containing full information about the CvC must immediately be sent to the server HDM. It should be noted that such a PM will not protect a player from censure if the CvC is later found to have been illegal. If in-character events lead you to believe that your character may get involved in CvC, it’s a good idea to keep a log of what happens. The client log is overwritten with every game restart, so transfer out any text you wish to save before starting a new game.

To sum up:

  • If it is Premeditated CvC - Get a DM
  • If it is not Premeditated CvC - Get a DM, so long as it does not break immersion
  • If a DM isn't present, use your brain. Think about the NPCs around you, and how they would act.
  • If a DM isn't present, take screenshots.

Subdual Damage

Subdual deaths are considered IC and subject to permadeath policies. One may be killed by subdualing; the PCs and players should note the loss of blood/hit points and recognize that damage is ocurring. Elemental or divine damage will do actual damage to a PC. A critical hit or damage that takes a PC from above 0 hp to below -10 will kill the PC. Sparring with non-deadly intent should be arranged to stop at a low hp/near death level using non-lethal weapons. Ask a DM for a sparring arena or weapons if necessary. Any IC CvC intending to subdue the PC should recognize the chance of killing the PC instead.

In Character/Out of Character

All players are expected to remain in character and not to disturb others’ RP with out of character chatter or metagaming comments. If OOC commentary is needed, hold it in tell or DM channels, depending on who needs to be involved. As a last option, use the talk channel but bracket all of the out of character chat with (()) or preface them as "out of character--"

Do let your environment—time, weather, landscape—influence your RP. Do speak to NPCs as you would PCs. Do look upon all items and placeables as RP props and at monsters as targets for persuasion, intimidation or interaction with more than just your weapons. Do fill in your deity field and behave as a follower of that deity, or write in ‘faithless’ so the DM knows you didn’t forget. Do write a description—NOT a biography—in the PC creation screen. Do describe your PC, or at the very least, empty the default text. Do cover brief real world absences with IC explanations. Do show expressions and actions, but not what you may be thinking in emotes, ie *smiles as she pulls a coin from her bag*. Do roleplay to reflect your low charisma and high wisdom. Good roleplay may result in experience points from DMs while poor may result in loss of experience.

A Day in the Life

Before setting digital foot in-game, Nivonen the Ilmaterian cleric or Mirabilus the Evoker should begin life as properly set-up ALFA PCs. Stats should reflect real people, not a min/maxed divine spell-casting tank or a wizard with nothing going but intelligence. Incorporate stats into your perception of the PC and play them true. Clerics choose domain powers in keeping with the PC concept. Wizards choose a familiar and any specialty magic school for the definition they give a PC, not for powergaming purposes. Send your biography to a DM of your server; fill in deity and description fields, and slip Silk the rogue into game.

When Leafwalker Half-Elven first encounters a human of the city where his dead mother was born, he does not rush into greetings. Seeking trust, he offers to scout, to return the lost party to the forest outskirts. Orcs attack. Bull the Uthgardt flies into a rage to protect the fair druidess Garnet, but spends his reserve of strength in the frenzy. Pascal of Torm must sacrifice his life to cover the retreat of the party, falling mortally wounded with a prayer on his lips and his sword in the heart of the last orc. Nivonen offers to take the pain, for life is pain, and such is his purpose. He eases the passing of the paladin, who goes to the arms of his god glad for a valiant death. Grieving, the party burns the bodies of the orcs, never noting when Silk slips something small into her sleeve from within Pascal’s pocket. Leafwalker, shaken by the death of the human of his mother’s city, leads them all the way to the city walls, with Bull carrying the dead to the Temple of Torm for proper services.

Playing In The Community

A nice short chapter, just giving a bit of detail about how you can get the most out of the Community, whether that be participating in discussions, a nice social chat, or helping out keeping the place running.

Volunteering to DM in ALFA

In ALFA, we are always looking for more DMs. In a world like ALFA, DMs are not something that there can ever be enough of. If you've got a talent for telling a story, or if you've ever wanted to try out those hundred and one characters that you have brewing in your head, or maybe you've just always wanted to see a certain plot run - well then DMing is for you!

If you’ve never DMed before, do not fear! There are many people who are more than happy to help you find your feet in the DM Client and answer whatever questions you may have. Simply jump along to the DM Application form, quickly throw a few answers down, and you're done! If you've got any questions, contact the current DM Administrator.

The Forums

If you want to find some players in your time zone, to contact a DM, or just have something you wish to communicate to people, the Forums are always a good starting point. Logging in with your website account, you will see a range of different on-going discussions which anyone is always welcome to join in on.

Chat

ALFA has its very own discord server. The channels you will want to know about are:

  • #alfa2-general - used primarily to coordinate while playing on our servers and to offer help and support for new members
  • #alfa1-general - for discussion of our sister NWN1-server: Waterdeep

Playing By The Rules

Given the nature of ALFA, being a role play focused community, whether we like it or not, this topic does have to show it's ugly head. We all know what this is about, and it is necessary to take a quick glance through now and again.

In ALFA, rulemaking is divided between the 5 administrators that the community has elected. Lead Admin has oversight over the other Admin and may veto their decisions. The Player Admin handles in-game rules and applications, while the Infra Admin handles the website and our servers. The Tech Admin handles scripting and technical side of the game. Finally, the DM Admin handles DM Standards.

ALFA Rulebook

All censurable in-game and out-of-game rules can be found in the ALFA Rulebook. Any changes made to the rulebook will be made visible to you, so you are aware of them.

ALFA Charter

ALFA Charter defines the governing of ALFA. If you wish to see how things run under the hood, the Charter is the place to go.

ALFA Pillars

ALFA's rules are based on its Pillars, which act as a form of constitution.

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