As requested, this post is the laws of the lands, to be made easily available. Current Compilation Includes the Friendly Arm Inn Area. Original posts these laws were taken from have been sited where available. This list is as up to date as I can get it as of 11-24-2011. If there are any other changes that need to be made, please send me a PM. Laws for areas must be submitted by the IC ruling parties, if it is a player, laws must be approved by staff/guild DMs (for areas, not factions). Thank you.
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BALDUR'S GATE CITY AND ENVIRONS
Subject: ~Official list of crimes~//OOC-Notes:
- Crimes will most likely result in punishment.
- Crimes marked with an asterisk (*) only apply to the city of Baldur's Gate and the surrounding farmlands - this doesn't mean that the authority of the Fist ends at the bridge.
- Everything else applies to the lands of the Dukes, which is officially controlled by the Flaming Fist. This includes all the areas to the north (lorewise up to Daggerford) and south towards the northern border of Amn (the jurisdiction of the Flaming Fist ends at Nashkel). Everything in between, including the wilderness, also is officially Fist-controlled territory. Beregost and Candlekeep are independent and have own "guards" but are considered "friendly" towards the Dukes. Gullikyn is also independent.
- By committing a crime and being seen by witnesses/authorities and running away you are auto consent to your crimes and are at the mercy of the player if they catch you.
- If by chance you are caught and brought into authority then RP the consequences of your actions.
- Jail is not permanent - only temporary, as well as whatever fate happens if it is not jail.
- If Jail or RP at the mercy of your captives for crime and punishment are not to your taste then do not commit crimes.
- While it is not against the law, per se, to wear a mask, keepers of the laws (Flaming Fist/ City Watch) do have the authority to ask a person to remove anything that covers the face within the city or surrounding farmlands.
- Proper authorities (DMs) may increase or decrease the level of the crime by one grade.
- Multiple crimes result in the more severe penalty being applied.//
Severe
Serious
Moderate
Lesser
Minor
- Impersonation:
- Of Dukes or Lords of Baldur's Gate
- By Forging Documents
- Of the Flaming Fist, City Watch, or other Official
- Of Ambassadors or Foreign Lords
- Of Dukes or Lords of Baldur's Gate
- Bribing an Officer of the Flaming Fist, City Watch or other Official
- Disorderly Conduct
- Disobedience
- Of an Edict by the Dukes
- Of a Directive of an Official
- Resisting Arrest
- Brandishing a Weapon* (and unwilling to put it away)
- With Intent to Harm*
- Disruption of Official Business
- Leading Animals/Summons*
- Within the City*
- Elementals*
- Animals (with the exception of cats)*
- Demons/Undead*
- in the Farmlands*
- Elementals*
- Non-Domestic Animals*
- Demons/Undead*
- Within the City*
- Spell casting* (with exception to a few like light and healing spells)
- Disobedience
- Vagrancy*
- Littering (includes relief of human wastes in public)*
- Sleeping in Streets*
- Begging (in the Palace District)*
- Treason
- Espionage
- Sabotage
- Selling of Information to another Organization/City/Nation
- Selling of Arms to a Hostile Organization/City/Nation
- Aiding Drow
Aiding Red Wizards of Thay
- Blasphemy
- Against the Dukes
- Against Royalty, Lord, or Official of Baldur's Gate
- Against Foreign Ambassadors or Lords
- Attacks
- Murder
- Involuntary Manslaughter
- Unlawful Dueling Resulting in Death
- Assault with a Weapon/Magical Assault
- Upon an Official or Officer in the Line of Duty
- Killing of Livestock
- Illegal Distribution
- Slave Trading
- Smuggling
- Selling of Contraband
- Drugs
- Arms
- Stealing of Property
- Fraud
- Forgery
- Blackmail
- Robbery
- Burglary
- Theft
- Fencing stolen goods
- Fraud
- Damages to Property:
- Vandalism
- Tomb Robbing (also falls under Theft)
- Arson
- Practicing Necromancy (Creation of undead and other evil acts. Healing spells exempt. Clarification added at DM request.)
- Worship/Preaching of The Following Deities:
- Bane
- Bhaal
- Loviatar
- Malar
- Myrkul
- Shar
- Talos
- //further dieties may be added in the future//
- Repetition of any Minor offense
- Repetition of any Lesser Offense
- Repetition of any Moderate Offense
FRIENDLY ARM INN AND ENVIRONS
Proclamation of the Friendly Arm Inn
By Bentley & Gellana Mirrorshade - consorted by the clergy of Garl Glittergold
Tramp, traveller and peddler. We welcome you within the walls of the Friendly Arm and its inn. The keep is regimented by a cadre of able guardsmen, tasked with upholding the soon-to-be mentioned laws of the keep. They are here both to assist and protect you while visiting, and to keep lawbreakers at bay.
The Friendly Arm Inn offers a safe haven along the dangerous Trade Way. The road itself enjoys the occassional Flaming Fist patrol from up Baldur's way. But that alone does little to make roadside campsites safe places of respite. Therefor we, as hosts, urge you to find shelter within our guarded walls. What occurs outside our walls does not concern us, lest they are the fruits of an open assault upon our keep.
The laws of the keep are simple, efficient and subject to common sense:
-One may not perform acts of skullduglery, theft or similar knavish deeds.
-One must tie one's thumb to her belt if one finds herself to be of the arcane profession, be she a hedgewizard, archmage or similar.
-One may not perform acts of brutish force. Drunken rowdies, unsanctioned acts of pugilism and ne'er-do-wells will be warded or evicted from the premises.
-All arms must be sheathed or put away in such a manner that they do not immediatly threathen others.
-Profane speech heralding the next coming of the Lord of Murder is also not-done.
-Facial features may not be hidden behind a scarf, mask or face-shield while within our walls.
-Never may one enforce the laws of the keep without the involvement of the Friendly Arm's guardsmen.
Those who dare break these well-established rules shall be subject to punishment in the following forms:
-A fine of five-hundred gold coins.
-Eviction from the premises, followed by a day-and-night ban from the keep.
-Permanent banishment from the Friendly Arm Inn.
If the keep's guards find themselves opposed or threatened by the law-breaker, they are free to use their pike-and-arms to bring down the culprit offender.
We wish you an enjoyable stay and hope that you will respect the house's laws.
Welcome to the Friendly Arm Inn!
///Credit to DM Xzar for the Proclamation.
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CANDLEKEEP LAWS
Subject: Candlekeep Notice Posted on the Gates[As any would approach Candlekeep they would notice the added guard, the increase in security and the Laws being held much closer to the letter. As you look upon the Gates, and up on the walls, you would notice the skilled archers and the veteran guards who now protect the walls. A sign is posted in plain view near the gates]
To enter these gates; you must follow these laws or be denied entry;
1. All Visitors will secure their weapons, no weapon may be brandished inside the gates.
2. All visitors must remove any coverings if they obscure the face in anyway.
3. All harmful magic will be met with force.
4. Any seeking to bring harm on the Keep will be met with force.
this includes Drow, Grey Orcs, Goblins, Yaun-Ti or any other Monster race.
5. Drow will not be tolerated.
You will declare the reasons you are asking for entry to the Gate Guard. Should you need to speak with higher authority, then you may request to speak to the Gate Warden.
We reserve the right to refuse entry to all who do not wish to comply, and or take action against offenders.
Enter Candlekeep in Peace, it is a peaceful place and will be kept that way.
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DORON AMAR
1) Slander of the Seldarine is prohibited, and will result in Banishment from our lands.2) All forms of Violence are Prohibited
3) The slandering of Doron Amar’s Allies will be considered an attack on our people.
4) Demons/Devils, Undead and Drow, Fullblood Orcs, Red Wizards and their companion Knights and servants, will be killed on sight unless expressly authorized by a member of the Council.
5) Theft or damaging of another’s property is Prohibited.
6) Spying on Doron Amar will be considered an act of war.
7) Aiding our Foes will be considered a form of attack on Doron Amar, and will be acted on accordingly.
8) No one in the service of an evil deity will be knowingly allowed within our borders.
9) Known criminals will be detained and handed over to the proper authorities.
10) Concealment of ones identity is Prohibited and may result in expulsion from our lands.
11) Poaching or Hunting without a permit is a criminal offense.
12) While within our borders, you have agreed to abide by the decisions of the Council, our guards and rangers, and presiding authority. If you do anything that can be construed as 'against our laws and/or harmful to our people' you will be detained and prosecuted to the full extent of the laws herein. Laws are subject to being dealt with in the manner decided on by the presiding authority.
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SSHAMATH AND ENVIRONS
Subject: Laws of SshamathGenerally speaking there are very few laws in Sshamath, it is after all a city run by Drow who are primarily Chaotic Evil. This means that any "laws" tend to take the form of vague edicts issued by the ruling council of Wizards, the Conclave.
By not enshrining a hard and fast set of laws the Council protects itself against any actions it may want to take in the future that could conceivably be seen to "break" a law.
Unlike guards and law officers you may be used to in surface settlements the ones in Sshamath aren't really concerned about your well-being nor protecting the public. Rather they are charged with protecting the interests of the Conclave and ensuring the smooth functioning of the city. Whereas in Baldur's Gate you may run up to a guard pleading for justice against that thief that just stole your coin-purse and expect to get some satisfaction it in Sshamath the guards are likely to just shrug and say "so?". Unless of course you are a citizen with high social standing in which case the guard may well string up whomsoever you accuse whether they stole your purse or not.
That being said like any other large conurbation there are some general edicts that pass for laws in the city and that are enforced by the city's law officers, the Sshamathian Guard and the Charnag Maelthra.
1). All weapons must be sheathed and all shields slung. The only exception to this are the official law officers of the city as mentioned above. As with any civilization the rulers must restrict the use of force to themselves and their minions.
2). All summons, animal companions, undead minions etc. must be dispelled prior to entering the city. The only exception to this is the summoning of an Imp to carry a message, your luggage or whatever (note you can summon an imp using the 5th level mage spell: Lesser Planar Binding).
3). It is unlawful to be polymorphed whilst in the city (no wandering around in balor, treant or other form).
4). All non-citizens (i.e. non-resident Drow) must display respect towards their hosts. This means that a svirfneblin mouthing off to a Drow citizen could draw a fine, imprisonment or worse. In practice this is rare as most non-citizens aren't quite as stupid to insult a Drow in their own city. See the thread in the lore section as to what constitutes a Citizen of Sshamath.
5). No fighting, dueling or similar within city limits. It's bad for business and the Conclave covets the unique items trade brings above all else. If the guard catches you it could mean a fine, being thrown out of the city or a trip to the jail depending upon the whims of the intervening officer and the seriousness of the crime. NOTE: this includes mage duels.
6). Slavery works differently in Sshamath relative to the rest of the Underdark. See: Subject: Sshamath and slavery RP Guidelines.
Generally speaking any altercation involving a citizen and non-citizen generally results in the citizen prevailing. The penalty, while usually fitting the crime, also depends upon the whim of the officer. This could take the form of a fine (payable to the offended party and not usually exceeding 500gp), banishment, jail or other unspecified punishment.
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