The question of new players to the server/Experienced Roleplayers and then Subraces.

[Sword_Saint_Legacy]

Essentially, I have a few friends I am trying to convince to start playing on EFU, who are experienced from other roleplay servers.

Three of us, myself included plan to be Stronghear and Lightfoot Sheriff's from Lurien who are fleeing from the Illithid since their home is more or less defunct.  However another one of them would prefer to play a Gnoll, likely a Druid of some kind, which he has a lot of experience in playing.

So the question is, if it is rational for a more open minded class to try to band together with others in favor of not succumbing to the Illithid, despite it being of a monsterous race?  I am sure that despite the potential for hostilities, after the implied time together on the surface that they can begin to work together in some manners.


On another note, I invite others to join us when we do begin, regardless if this is okay or not.  There might even be a potential for other monsterous races to join in.

[Spiffy Has]

Completely rational for people to go to two extremes- side with enemies in order to survive, or to adhere to what you believe even more strongly in the face of complete chaos and the destruction of your way of life.

They would need to apply for a gnoll and prove to the DM crew they won't overly mind being totally face wrecked by players, and anyone who sided with the monster would likely be as well.

Of course, it's always fun to have some ambiguous morality- is it alright to kill a gnoll who saved your life?

I hope you successfully bring them on board and have fun times, my friend.

[The Beggar]

Two thumbs up for the Halfling Sheriff BTW - that heralds all the way back to the old DnD boxed sets and before.

[granny]

I do not suggest that a person fresh to the server to start as a monster AND as a druid. Druids are not entirely the same here as in the rest of the servers. Also, the approach towards monsters here are preferably of distance and hunt. A monster growing friendship with other characters would be better developed ICly and not in the background. And last, but not least, you would need to apply to roll a monster, which is not likely to pass before the DMs get a better knowledge of you.

If you still want to go as druid, I guess I speak for everyone here, it'd be better to read our files on the class, which explains really well our particular view on them. If you really wanted to be a monster, but would be flexible, I guess it'd work on the concept of you try a really ferocious, savage and disturbing druid, whatever race you choose (that isn't an application race). Wild Elves are good for that.

Some reading:

http://www.efupw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32474

http://www.efupw.com/forums/showpost.php?p=347972&postcount=5

P.S: WELCOME TO THE SERVER <3

[Sword_Saint_Legacy]

The thing is, is that while the other two friends who are playing halflings are New (thus the recommendation of a common race), the one who plays the Gnoll has played here before at some points.  He also is quite farmiliar with people trying to kill his character and also with Druids in a lot of senses (From being radical ones who do not like -any- tresspassers, to ones who actively try to sow life, those that try to keep up a status quo, those who purposefully burn down old forests and villages so that new life can grow in it's place as per a more evil druid, or perhaps a more beign/watch and see role).  

He actually has a shocking knowledge about a lot of real world extremism and old religion, and a rather intimate knowledge of how Gnoll thought and history regarding it works.  For example, I learned from him that Gnolls actually have no -known- creator deities, despite being one of the races that was created when Toril was.  Also he told that because of this, they tended to gravitate towards certain kinds of deities, from Evil Demons who give only promises of rewards, to the gods of other older deities (Like for example, Hiatea from the Giant pantheon is a valid deity for a Gnoll Druid), and then finally interloper gods that have shown obvious signs of power in the world, which appeals to them due to their tendency to want to do less work to get more power/things (which is why you see a lot of Non-evil Gnoll Druids follow say, Lurue or Nobanion under the neutral half of the alignment.)

But I am sure he is up for the task, and that something awesome can be rationalized.

[Spiffy Has]

Sounds like he already has a fair idea what to expect. Tell him to throw in an application.

Keep in mind, that monsters are preferably evil in our setting (with neutral being far hard to pass, and good nigh impossible), so a neutral evil druid would likely pass with an easier time than say a true neutral one.

Druids, as well, do not require deities in our current setting. So he can embody whatever aspect of nature he desires without having to worry about appropriate deity. :)

[Pandip]

Generally, monsterous PC's are monsterous and altogether hated by the server IC. Subraces can be permanently killed on sight without any concern for the circumstances. The life of a monster is a harsh one. There will be very few people that don't consider you a trophy to be slain.

Despite whatever experience your friend might have with gnolls, harsh cicrumstances, and fringe concepts, I wouldn't recommend it as a first character. I especially wouldn't recommend a druid as a first character -- I feel like they're more lonely and secluded from the other parts of the server than they have been in most renditions of EFU. Playing both a gnoll and a druid could be a trying experience, because it means the vast majority of the server is against your very existence, or vice versa.

EFU is a wholly different experience compared to most NWN servers. I would experience the server for what it is, become accustomed to its content, and get comfortable before you leap into something as challenging as a gnoll druid. Your friend can always come back to the concept when he's more accustomed to EFU, and he'll probably be significantly more satisfied with it then than he would now.

[Sword_Saint_Legacy]

I understand. I was just wondering at first at some flexibility.

Although, it wouldn't be purely accurate to forgotten realms for all Gnolls, or even Monsterous races are not evil.  Technically Centaur and Wemic are monsters, but are quite capable of being neutral or good.  Gnolls are also strangely enough not innately Evil as well, just rather lazy.  A lot of their evil tendencies come from when they started to be dominated or essentially bribed with power by demons, which not all chose to do.

And while I am currently trying to talk him out of it, perhaps it is extremely relevant to RP and the story of the server, since despite all of that, the times are changing whether the common folk of Faerun like it or not.  They will have to swallow their pride and fear to change, before they fall to one another, then the Dread Empire swiftly after.  The various intelligent monsters of the world will also come to realize this, and will have to try to do the same thing.

Still, hopefully I can talk him into being a sheriff regardless.

[Ladocicea]

Tell your friend to submit an application. This is all academic unless he's approved.

[Fimbulvinter]

If your friends gnoll is a druid and is willing to play ball with other druids, he can find allies in the wilderness. Hell, even if he isn't, there's always Magnatz Mound. The ability of YOUR character to interact with him would be extremely limited though.

What you say about change is logical, but don't expect it to happen. A running EFU theme is the stupid actions of frightened people in the face of illogical situations. You can persue anything ICly of course, but I wouldn't expect a DRUID to ever be aligned with sanctuary. Now, with other Wild Folk, a Gnoll is less of an issue. Something to pursue IG.

And to App for.

PS: I should qualify that you shouldn't let the cynicism of vets stand in the way of you or your friends aspiration. A few months ago I would've told you a successful Paladin operating in Sanctuaries government as a Director was impossible. That was before Abala. The only hard and fast rule is: if you ball hard, you can get it done. The harder something to do is, the harder you gotta ball.

[d1n4l9q7]

Its not an Out of Character issue. Players can App to play monsters. But In Character a monster might be killed on sight by some, no different than an NPC monster. Its not just another player, its a monster so its a lot tougher. You can play a Gnoll but just need to realise its a completely different experience(living outside the main city centers, hunted by some, etc), so really tough for a first character!

[Sword_Saint_Legacy]

On another note, we can always use more Sheriffs.


Any alignment of 'good' will work, just keep in mind that even if you're lawful good, a Halfling of good upbringing is likely going to end up spotting that a lot of things in upper have the trappings of 'Tall Tyrants, not unlike the ones who kept trying to waltz into our homes'.  Likely a healthy respect for a common law and common decency, and being decent to their own and any who treat them in a good manner... but if you mess with one of them, you mess with all of them and'll get kneecapped by several angry hin, while getting crossbow bolts and thrown objects lobbed at their head.

All in a day's work as a Sheriff.

[WereScrib]

Yo. I'm the player in question. I dunno why Swordsaint thought druid, I've never actually played a gnoll druid. Though I play lots of druids. (Ran Arelith's grove for a while way back, even)

I've played gnoll shamans. Specifically a Spirit Shaman of Hiatea and a Deep Gnoll of Valyethrae, the latter is less appropriate as while an underdark race, its not a core FR race and most servers don't utilize the realmslore compendium stuff on Candlekeep. (Even still, hard to justify a lawful-evil planetouched flind, even if approved, Flinds have outrageous stats as is, let alone the planetouched variety)

 But yeah, I'll think up an app sometime in the near future for whatever I feel like playing, if I end up bothering to join.

Edit: Why were you saying druids are abnormal? At least according to the link, EFU druids seem even more generic then standard FR druids? (more proper adherence to circles/laws then is normal within the majority of FR druidic orders, which focus more on the wandering heirophant and territory control.) unique class abilities, sure but that is nothing new.

[Spiffy Has]

Edit: Why were you saying druids are abnormal? At least according to the link, EFU druids seem even more generic then standard FR druids? (more proper adherence to circles/laws then is normal within the majority of FR druidic orders, which focus more on the wandering heirophant and territory control.) unique class abilities, sure but that is nothing new.

EFU views druids differently than standard FR, and in effect, makes them wilderness based with strong celtic/native American traditions in regards to their shamanism. They are anti-civilization, anti-planar (bar inner planes), anti-undead, and anti-aberrant. They are scene as forces of nature rather than mere tenders of the wildlands, and are expected to eschew all trappings of civilization (No city druids- this is stringently enforced by both players and DMs). They derive their powers from nature itself, so there is no need to (but you can) worship a god.

That said, there is an immense amount of scripted support for druids, ranging from herbalism/groves/certain lairs/a dm faction, and Nature DMs so that they usually have something to do/pursue in the world outside the server hub. EFU druids aren't generic FR hippies, they are a primal force that embodies the power of a dying world, and can be terrible spectres of its vengeance.