Surfacefolk to Underdark Relations

[StormBear]

Assuming there are any, what are the norms when one meets a caracter from the opposite realm?

Is there a mutual understanding because we are all "adventurers" or should one automatically expect hostility?

Of course, roleplaying dictates after the initial greeting. Surely some pure good/evil types would act accordingly but I'd hope us more neutral folk could get along for adventurings sake.

Maybe I've already partied with a Drow and didn't even know it!

All thoughts and personal experiences are appreciated.

[Agog_Fr]

For me, the status of adventurers does not exist. And if it exist, it changes nothing. Drows and half drow are enemies.

When drow come to the Surface, it is to kill and make dirty moves.

The only logical reactions when you see one or more drow, would be aggression, hiding, or flight. No discussion possible.

The status of adventurer must not be a pretext for a freedom to baffle the background.

The only thing that could potentially bring RP reconciliation would be through the guilds.

For example drows could contact the Zhentarim (who has a fortress of their own and is a regional military force) to try to organize a secret alliance, circumstantially.

It is only after this kind of process that a non-violent RP report would be possible.

[Steve]

TOLERANCE IS TREASON!!

[Theodore01]

OOC: every UD'ler is so glad to find anyone to party with, so lore-wise accurate enemies will usually be invited.

[izzul]

perhaps someone should link the bounty. Universal bounty

Drow : 25,000 gold

Gray Orc : 20,000 gold

if caught in Duchall land. dead or alive DoA

[JIŘÍ]

I would prefer if people (players) sticked to role play regardless of who is the other side then pushing bullshit like kill kill kill.

If you go for a kill you shut down any role play and interaction and fun you could have even if the drow was llothite. Pvp is where role is to lead not vice versa. If you go into game with that bad mindset that you kill some pcs on sight just because you can you should really rethink what you offer to your colleagues (other players) on the server.

[Planehopper]

Please keep the forum rules in mind when responding. This has, historically, been a flash-point subject and using incendiary terms like bullshit and/or making this personal will get this locked and action taken.

This is a role play server. We are all here to play the roles we choose, and play out the consequences of those roles. If we all keep that in mind, in addition to the official and custom lore/history of the server, these things are much less controversial.

[JIŘÍ]

We obviously share different look what "consequences" are meant to be.

For me it is certainly not having anyone (be it surfacer in UD or vice versa) attacked and pvped without a single linie or any Interaction at all.

Such thing denies and defies main reason why people play on role play server.

[Rain]

I would prefer if people (players) sticked to role play regardless of who is the other side then pushing bullshit like kill kill kill.

If you go for a kill you shut down any role play and interaction and fun you could have even if the drow was llothite. Pvp is where role is to lead not vice versa. If you go into game with that bad mindset that you kill some pcs on sight just because you can you should really rethink what you offer to your colleagues (other players) on the server.

Simple answer: what if killing is the correct reaction by your character? What if you play a human bhaalist drow hunter or a lolthite fanatic in the UD? Wouldnt the obvious first reaction would be to kill the opposition? Taking KOS personally just by the stance your taking here on the fourms is the exact reason why there is no sense of dread or danger from player to player exspecially when those characters know IC that the person they are talking too is evil or good.

[Zanniej]

RP'd hostility is the expected reaction, I think.
No direct hostility (even though a character in the wrong side of the world is KoS, so it wouldn't be wrong, I guess... just not appreciated ), but no hand holding and grinding together either.

Fight, hide of flight is the expected outcome, however. Drow only come to the surface to eat your babies (or so the story goes)

[KOPOJIbPAKOB]

There is really no norms in meeting other realm characters, and that's great, because you have to treat other characters based on what you and what they play in each separate case, not on what realm they nominally belong to. It's not something like Alliance vs Horde (and really shouldn't be).

About "kill them on sight" attitude...

Simple answer: what if killing is the correct reaction by your character? What if you play a...

When drow come to the Surface, it is to kill and make dirty moves.

Forget it, guys. Straight away pvp by default doesn't work in a long run for a healthy rp environment. Even if in a given particular situation you feel like you should pvp a character from another realm — follow standart pvp rules, e.g. emote hostilities and give a rp out opportunity. And again, hostile attitude should be case-to-case basis, meaning that it's weird to treat a harmless svirf pilgrim who got lost on the surface and an edgy looking drow assasin who is goading you into fight the same way.

As someone who played a lot in both realms I can say that UD for surfacers is a much more friendly environment that the surface for underdarkers. There's almost no chances to get in trouble while traveling to Sshamath as a surfacer while as a drow you're not welcome anywhere south of Soubar and Roaringshore (and even there you can formally be attacked on sight). On the other hand, if it gets widely IC known your surface character consorts with drow, you'll have troubles, while in the UD nobody cares about it. This is actually annoying, to be honest, but nothing bothers you to spend some time making sure your meetings are discreet. What used to annoy me as an UD player in the past is grind-mongers from the surface at Kros who just grind xp and gold and ignore UD players' presence and their rp, but this doesn't seem to be a problem either lately.

Also, historically on BG UD players were responsible for crossrealm pvp mongering, never the opposite, and that's what DMs are afraid of when it comes to such interractions. Thus all these rules and restrictions.

[Rain]

I said nothing about not following PVP rules in my statement obviously you would show hostility before deciding to attack anyone and do not just flag up as you turn the corner.

But long post short - I still believe that if the RP follows suit players should not be afraid to showcase their characters stance towards other characters race, religions, spells, companions etc that are an obvious red flag in their characters eyes.

Or simply if they play a chaotic character with a reason to attack them given their RP to do so.

[Steve]

Reputation

As a general rule, the inhabitants of Toril's surface knew very little about the drow. To the average person, the drow were such a distant problem that they were considered more like myth than reality. As a rule of thumb, only 5% of surface inhabitants had the superficial knowledge that the drow were "inhabitants of the Underdark who conducted raids on the surface", not including elves and eladrin, who had close historical connections. This made it easier for individual drow to enter surface communities without meeting hostility, as long as they didn't do or say something that could catch attention and lead people who had real knowledge about the drow to cleanse their community of the threat the drow represented.[62] That said, surface cities didn't generally allow drow into their cities because of their reputation,[91] even though followers of Eilistraee sometimes managed to gain a place within surface communities.

[TheChase]

Hostility is the expected reaction. Drow are an evil race equivalent to any you encounter while adventuring. Because a player is behind it you have to respect the server rules for engagement and etiquette would indicate you don't be a (person) OOC. That said pvp is a suitable and acceptable response to seeing a drow. I can tell you right now if you appear before my Paladin, she won't stop and talk she will just try and kill you with most people (npcs) seeing her as a hero for doing so. Now i am not attacking because i like pvp, because my character hates drow or because i don't want to role play with you. I am attacking because you are playing an evil race that is known to deal and work with demons, you can be as good as you like Drizzt do urden him self. But at this stage in the Forgotten realm timeline you are seen as evil because almost all drow are evil and the same applies to full blooded orcs. Now i am not saying this to discourage you from going to the surface. Just that you need to be careful who you approach while on the surface because it is a hostile place for you.

[StormBear]

Wow, such a wide range of responses was unexpected. This is great input everyone.

One of the reasons I asked this is because the character I play now was not raised by his own race and thus had little prejudice to grow up on; besides what is most common in the realms.

TOLERANCE IS TREASON!!

Hahaha. I imagine there are many player characters that would share that feeling.

RP'd hostility is the expected reaction, I think.
...
Fight, hide of flight is the expected outcome, however. Drow only come to the surface to eat your babies (or so the story goes)

This is the mentality I would expect from most surface dwellers. You may not know much about Drow but you would know that they come to the surface to cause trouble. Then it comes to you as a player character to be friendly, frightened, or aggressive. Friendly might be too nice of a word to use here. Tolerant, perhaps?

There is really no norms in meeting other realm characters... ...It's not something like Alliance vs Horde...
...Even if in a given particular situation you feel like you should pvp a character from another realm — follow standart pvp rules, e.g. emote hostilities and give a rp out opportunity. And again, hostile attitude should be case-to-case basis, meaning that it's weird to treat a harmless svirf pilgrim who got lost on the surface and an edgy looking drow assasin who is goading you into fight the same way.

As someone who played a lot in both realms I can say that UD for surfacers is a much more friendly environment that the surface for underdarkers.

It is good to hear that some folks try to exercise discipline and understanding when meeting one of the other realm. As you said, and was secretly hoping, this isn't an Alliance versus Horde situation, for most characters. I also never thought it would be more difficult for an UD character to make it on the surface than it is the other way around. Sort of figured there was a evil Drow necromancer around every corner waiting to get ya!

Now, about those bounties.

perhaps someone should link the bounty. Universal bounty

Drow : 25,000 gold

Gray Orc : 20,000 gold

if caught in Duchall land. dead or alive DoA

Is this really a thing? I mean, who verifies and who pays it out? This sounds like it would be posted around Baldur's Gate so maybe I missed the signs. Either way it is intriguing and gives rise to some flavorful RP opportunities.

The idea of playing a bounty hunted Drow character sounds fun (even if I never PK'd) for a while anyway. I can't imagine doing so without the expectation and full intent to be perma-slain in glorious super villain fashion though.

Considering all of this and your excellent responses, my current player character is going to err on the side caution and stalk any Drow/Gray Orc/Svirfy he sees for a while before engaging in conversation. If they see him first, he's running faster than if he stumbled into bee-hive.