My character was immediately attacked upon leaving the Rock Bottom by the nearest Watchman.

No warning, call to stop, surrender, under arrest....just a full-on buttwhipping ensued.

My Battlepriest of Clangeddin Silverbeard was unarmed, no shield drawn and had no buffs. he went from 60 hp to about 3 hp in two swings. He didn't swing back, and was forced to run back into the Rock Bottom like a little bitch.

He was en route to take some Watch gear to the Watch House. Another character had found it in the sewers, and being the good-law abiding cleric my character was, offered to take it to the Watch House.

Was this a RP thingie, or a bug? Are Watchmen scripted to launch a full attack if someone has watch gear? I asked a DM, no response. Tried to "call the watch" no response. Waited about a half an hour, then had to log.

Plopped the stuff in front of the Robot Watchman in the Rock Bottom, told him to take care of it, and went up to his room to rest and heal up from the Watch administered ass-whipping.

Any feedback greatly appreciated.

In a situation like that with a non-responsive and obviously AI controlled NPC Watchman, you can assume it's a bug. The best thing to do is go invisible and request DM assistance. Then try IRC. If you absolutely can't find anyone, you may log off.

Did you attack any blue citizens recently? Animal companions, summons, dominated undead?

I asked a DM, no response. Tried to "call the watch" no response. Waited about a half an hour, then had to log.

Please, please, please do not do this. We try to keep track of faction equipment, if you can't find a DM or faction PC to give equipment to please do not just drop it on the ground where the first newbie or metagamer who comes along will pick it up! This is the second time this happened, I suppose it's our fault for not providing clearer guidance about issues of this kind.

At any rate, do not just leave faction gear around or "give" it to non-possessed NPCs.

My character asked another character (and experienced vet) I knew well to watch the gear. Several newbs tried to take the gear, and I forced them to put it back.

Couple vet players (I assume) controlling Spellguard associates or somehow titled watched and said almost nothing.

After the Wulgar character was exterminated for breaking the law, my Dwarven character certainly wasn't going to take the gear and go to his room. I half expected Cail Durris and the Watch to come in and wipe me out the whole episode anyway.

Had no INVIS potions left. I'm thankful the Watchman didn't follow me into the Rock Bottom and finished the execution.

RPed it the best way I could....sorry

Clear OOC directions warning players what to do when this stuff happens would have helped....

No hard done, sorry for snapping a bit. Hopefully within the next few days we'll have a persistent journal entry set up with all these little rules and regulations for players to more easily refer to.

This was a definite faction bug, I'd love to figure out what caused it if you can think of anything unusual (attacking anything "blue" basically).

Don't think I attacked anything "blue"..

No familiar, no summoned monster, nothing to set it off other than carrying the gear of watchmen likely murdered...

Thanks Howland. I know we relative newbs are like kids and you feel like parents, but we're growing up fast....:-)