Settlements
Settlements are player-founded villages, towns and other population centres. These villages are an impressive task, both to found and continue running, and should not be undertaken lightly.
First, a group will need to be formed comprising at least five players, although we strongly recommend that more than five go along. All characters involved must be at least level 8.
Once formed, the group will need to decide on several facets of the Settlement - a general theme, such as a frontier town or fortress against evil. A general idea of the laws they would like to see, and policies on such major issues as the undead, slavery and the like.
A name might also be required.
Once these basics have been determined each character will need purchase a Settlement Quest from the server's store and use them. A member of staff will then be volunteered to run the quest. If the quest is run in multiple parts, multiple staff members may GM with one staff member remaining the lead for the settlement.
A new channel will be created to run the Settlment Quest in, which will, in turn, become the Settlement channel when/if the quest is completed. A thread will be made for the GM to plan in, along with the players.
Settlements are not easy to found, and as a result the quests to do so are long, difficult affairs. A typical Settlement Quest will last, at least, a month and may take significantly longer during busy periods.
However, if the lead Staff member running the quest so choose, they can instead run several shorter, but still challenging Quests, each taking place in the Settlement Quest thread. If the lead Staff member wishes this need not be the entire group, until the finale, and other players may be allowed to join - although no player may have more than one character involved in a Settlement's founding.
Even so, these quests are intended to be tough. Character deaths are entirely possible on such a quest.
The exact details of how the Quest will work, and what will count as a succesful founding, are up to the lead Staff member running it. For some, it might be finding an ancient ruin and taking it over. Others might see you finding the resources and signing treaties to take control of an area and build from scratch. You might need to stabalize an otherwise ideal location so it doesn't slip from the Void. Their is no way to tell what evils the Staff can dream up. Maybe it'll be all of the above...?
In addition to the settlment itself, the GM is free to award any experience and other rewards they see fit, within the usual limits.
Once you have succesfully founded a settlement a description will need to be written for both the channel description and the World Anvil.
In addition, 50 rooms worth of building - that is, one building made of 50 rooms, five buildings of 10 rooms, or any other combination - will be created, either a location that was found at the centre of your Settlement or something built there during it's founding. These rooms will be designed by the Staff member running the campaign, with input and choices from the players.
Running a Settlement is relatively simple. Each month at least five of the council running a Settlement must meet in a roleplay, discussing recent events and making any changes the Settlement will need - adding additions, for example. While we suggest that any members of the Settlement council that are GM run these as quests this is not required.
If the Settlement does not have five council members that can meet once a month the remaining councilors are expected to recruit new members who will fill the numbers.
If, at any point, this cannot happen one of two things will happen: the Settlemen will end, either being abandoned or destroyed. The other is that it will become an NPC run settlement. Once either of these happens another Settlement quest, either to re-found it or take control again, will need to be run to change this.
Getting Started
First, a group will need to be formed comprising at least five players, although we strongly recommend that more than five go along. All characters involved must be at least level 8.
Once formed, the group will need to decide on several facets of the Settlement - a general theme, such as a frontier town or fortress against evil. A general idea of the laws they would like to see, and policies on such major issues as the undead, slavery and the like.
A name might also be required.
Once these basics have been determined each character will need purchase a Settlement Quest from the server's store and use them. A member of staff will then be volunteered to run the quest. If the quest is run in multiple parts, multiple staff members may GM with one staff member remaining the lead for the settlement.
A new channel will be created to run the Settlment Quest in, which will, in turn, become the Settlement channel when/if the quest is completed. A thread will be made for the GM to plan in, along with the players.
Running and Playing in a Settlement Quest
Settlements are not easy to found, and as a result the quests to do so are long, difficult affairs. A typical Settlement Quest will last, at least, a month and may take significantly longer during busy periods.
However, if the lead Staff member running the quest so choose, they can instead run several shorter, but still challenging Quests, each taking place in the Settlement Quest thread. If the lead Staff member wishes this need not be the entire group, until the finale, and other players may be allowed to join - although no player may have more than one character involved in a Settlement's founding.
Even so, these quests are intended to be tough. Character deaths are entirely possible on such a quest.
The exact details of how the Quest will work, and what will count as a succesful founding, are up to the lead Staff member running it. For some, it might be finding an ancient ruin and taking it over. Others might see you finding the resources and signing treaties to take control of an area and build from scratch. You might need to stabalize an otherwise ideal location so it doesn't slip from the Void. Their is no way to tell what evils the Staff can dream up. Maybe it'll be all of the above...?
In addition to the settlment itself, the GM is free to award any experience and other rewards they see fit, within the usual limits.
The Settlement Proper
Once you have succesfully founded a settlement a description will need to be written for both the channel description and the World Anvil.
In addition, 50 rooms worth of building - that is, one building made of 50 rooms, five buildings of 10 rooms, or any other combination - will be created, either a location that was found at the centre of your Settlement or something built there during it's founding. These rooms will be designed by the Staff member running the campaign, with input and choices from the players.
Running a Settlement
Running a Settlement is relatively simple. Each month at least five of the council running a Settlement must meet in a roleplay, discussing recent events and making any changes the Settlement will need - adding additions, for example. While we suggest that any members of the Settlement council that are GM run these as quests this is not required.
If the Settlement does not have five council members that can meet once a month the remaining councilors are expected to recruit new members who will fill the numbers.
If, at any point, this cannot happen one of two things will happen: the Settlemen will end, either being abandoned or destroyed. The other is that it will become an NPC run settlement. Once either of these happens another Settlement quest, either to re-found it or take control again, will need to be run to change this.
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