Stealth and PvP initiation

[mireigi]

Example 1:
If my character and a friend happen upon one or more characters, whom either of us are considered at war with, and my character is in stealth, undetected, while my character's friend is in a heated talk* with the enemy, is it then considered consent to PvP if one or more of the enemies use any form of potion/skill/wand/spell to increase their detection in an effort to determine if my character's friend is alone or not?

Example 2:
What if my character is alone while stealthed, and encounter two enemy characters, one of which my character then proceed to whisper obscenities* to, and either of them use any form of potion/skill/wand/spell to increase their detection in an effort to spot my character?

*: Rude comments, taunting, degrading words, etc.

[DM Novus]

To answer Example #1:

Roleplaying hostile actions (drawing your weapon, grabbing the hilt of your sword, gripping your staff tightly, etc.) towards another player is consenting to PVP with that player. This means that the other player may toggle hostile and initiate PVP against you without giving an RP out.
Third parties (friends, bodyguards, etc.) must still give an RP out if they want to initiate PVP (in other words, if they want to start a fight).

To answer Example#2:

A character who continuously provokes, taunts, slanders, bullies, or offends another character is consenting to PvP with that other character. The provoked, taunted, slandered, bullied, or offended character is not required to give an RP out before engaging in PvP with his or her tormentor, as long as the attack occurs during the hostile taunting, offending, etc.
A single or occasional offhand remark is NOT auto-consent. In such a case, the offended character must still roleplay hostility in order to provide an RP out for the character who made the remark.

Going into stealth mode or Hiding in Plain Sight right in front of someone can be regarded as highly suspicious and hostile and is therefore consenting to PvP, UNLESS the stealthing player roleplays it as a non-hostile action. A way to RP non-hostility is with an explanation such as, "I now go into the shadows," which indicates that you are merely leaving.

Spell buffing, use of potions, wands, item powers, and scrolls during a confrontation consents you to PVP.

I will add that your second Example is a form of goading PvP, and if your PC's taunts are a form of confrontation, YOU are consenting to PvP from the outset. Your taunting and "confrontational" behavior better include an RP out in it, else this is a classic example of a Player trying to bend the PvP Rules to their advantage, while benefitting from HiPS mechanics. As a DM, were I to see this behavior, I would adjust the balance between the Parties involved.

You must also set the "others" to Hostile, which is an OOC action, lest you forget.

[mireigi]

A character who continuously provokes, taunts, slanders, bullies, or offends another character is consenting to PvP with that other character. The provoked, taunted, slandered, bullied, or offended character is not required to give an RP out before engaging in PvP with his or her tormentor, as long as the attack occurs during the hostile taunting, offending, etc.
A single or occasional offhand remark is NOT auto-consent. In such a case, the offended character must still roleplay hostility in order to provide an RP out for the character who made the remark.

Going into stealth mode or Hiding in Plain Sight right in front of someone can be regarded as highly suspicious and hostile and is therefore consenting to PvP, UNLESS the stealthing player roleplays it as a non-hostile action. A way to RP non-hostility is with an explanation such as, "I now go into the shadows," which indicates that you are merely leaving.

Spell buffing, use of potions, wands, item powers, and scrolls during a confrontation consents you to PVP.

I will add that your second Example is a form of goading PvP, and if your PC's taunts are a form of confrontation, YOU are consenting to PvP from the outset. Your taunting and "confrontational" behavior better include an RP out in it, else this is a classic example of a Player trying to bend the PvP Rules to their advantage, while benefitting from HiPS mechanics. As a DM, were I to see this behavior, I would adjust the balance between the Parties involved.

You must also set the "others" to Hostile, which is an OOC action, lest you forget.

Of course. They can either leave the area, ignore my character, or do something to scare him away. My character won't attack first, unless he feel his safety is becoming compromised.

I think that in this case it's a bit out of the ordinary, since my character's guild (Bregan D'aerthe) and the guild of any my character might wish to harm (House Dev'lin) are at war. Not war like the Zhentarim and Radiant Heart, which is a sort of cold war with a few escalations, but actual war. Anytime they see eachother outside the range of the Mythal protecting Sshamath, it ends in a bloodbath.

Some of us on both sides have voided PvP Consent to avoid silly cases of disbelieving RP that turn an obvious victory into a crushing defeat such as:
C1: You! I'm at war with you!
C2: Come get me!
C1: *Etherealness + buff up*
C2: . . .
C1: *Finishes buffing* You're mine!
C2: I won't back down from this!
C1: *Two rounds later* Lol, I win.

HIPS can be applied to this too if the enemy is given the chance to OOCly get prepared to ICly react to the situation.


So to rephrase the question to better suit the situation:

• If two sides are at open war and any confrontation will end with either party being at the mercy of the other, either through RP or PvP, does any attempts at gauging the situation at hand, by either party, constitute PvP consent, given that any aquired information by such an act may be detrimental to the other party?

[Flasmix]

You also don't need to give an RP out if the two parties discussed things in advance and have agreed to a kos agreement. Now, if you made the agreement with one person but not the other, attack the one you made the arrangement with and don't even give a warning and then if you can quickly dispatch your target, tell the other to flee or die.

That way, you've given the bystander their rp out and since you've made arrangements oocly with the other, bases be covered