requently Asked Questions

Setting information

What is 'Tales Of The Moonsea'?

Tales of Moonsea is a a roleplaying server project for Neverwinter Nights 2. It utilizes the Forgotten Realms setting background, and is loosely based on the setting of the city of Phlan, and the Moonsea at large. The server focuses heavily on roleplay, character interaction and setting immersion, rather than hack and slash high magic action.

Where is the Moonsea?

The Moonsea is a region in the North of the continent of Faerun in the fictional fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms. The region is dominated by the large lake called the Moonsea, which gives its name to all the lands that surround it. The shoreline of the Moonsea is a wild frontier area that is home to several city states that are generally dominated by despots, and the region doesn't have a capital.

What are the Forgotten Realms?

The Forgotten Realms (or simply the Realms) is the name of a fictional world based on the planet of Abeir-Toril, an Earth-like planet with several continents, although the focus is set on the continent of Faerun.

Where is Phlan?

Phlan is a small city located in the northern section of the Moonsea region at the mouth of the Stojanow River. Founded more than 1,000 years ago, a series of destruction and rebuilding has led to the city being walled off into a destroyed, ruined Phlan and a rebuilt, shining and civilized Phlan., although the former is gradually disappearing due to PC actions as the server reaches its 10th year of existence

Server rules questions

What is a roleplaying server?

A Roleplaying (or RP for short) server is one dedicated to Role Playing over other sorts of gameplay, such as 'Hack and Slash'. In such a server, players are expected not to play themselves, but rather get into the role of their characters, and act and react to the environment and other characters as their characters would do.

What is a DM?

A DM is otherwise known as a 'Dungeon Master', He or she is a game director who is in control of the environment where characters interact, and is the ultimate interpreter of the rules. In  the case of Tales of Moonsea several DMs are  in charge of running the game from behind the scenes, create plots, events and adventures for the players on the server.

What is griefing?

Griefing is intentionally trying to cause out of character grief to another player. Merely insulting, attacking, killing or stealing from another character cannot be considered griefing, since those are perfectly valid IC actions. However, when those actions are done without any IC motivations, just for the sake of it, repeatedly on the same character or indiscriminately on just about any character, the DMs will look at it very closely. Banal IC excuses such as "My character is crazy" or "I am chaotic evil" will not do. Players found to be griefing other players will be punished and very likely banned from the server.

What is NPC griefing?

NPC griefing is a term we use to refer to unmotivated attacks on non-hostile NPCs. ToM is a roleplaying server, and most NPCs are not there as walking bags of XP for players to kill. They are supposed to give ambience and conversations, and when someone attacks or kill them for no particular reason they detract from the immersion in the world.

What is metagaming?

Metagaming is using knowledge that you know but your character doesn't to your advantage: such as knowing secrets about your arch enemy, knowing the location of an area your character has never seen, passing information or items between different characters in your account, and so on. Coordinating actions through private tells or party chat is also considered metagaming. Some degree of involuntary metagaming is tolerated, but the most blatant cases will be addressed by DMs. Acts of metagaming that affect other players' characters, or those that involve cheating or exploiting the technical limitations of the game engine or the module may lead to being banned from the server.

What is powergaming?

There isn't a single definition for powergaming, but it basically implies playing to gain levels, gold or loot for their own sake, without any regards to character development or interaction. For instance, doing nothing but questing over and over with little or no conversation, building characters whose mechanic advantages are maximized but whose IC flaws are downplayed or directly ignored etc. This does not mean that gaining levels, gold or loot is wrong, but rather that they should not be the ultimate goal, but rather a side effect of roleplaying one's character in the server. We'd like to stress that while powergaming is not necessarily a punishable offense (unless it involves cheating, exploiting or otherwise metagaming) it may result in powergaming players being left out of DM quests and plots.

Are PvP (Player vs Player) and PKing (Player Killing) allowed on ToM?

In short, yes. These actions, however, must be the result of IC interactions, and it is expected that when they do happen they provide some degree of enjoyment to everyone involved. Please read the rules on the subject here: http://talesofmoonsea.com/forums/index.php?topic=12056.0 

What does In Character or IC mean?

In character means things you do, say or experience while you roleplay your character. Being in character implies speaking, acting and reacting as your character would do. While you are in game you should strive to be in character at all times. Put yourself in your character's shoes and when presented with a choice or a challenge, ask yourself not what you would do in that situation, but what your character would do.

What does Out Of Character or OOC mean?

Out of character means things you experience as a player beyond what your character can experience. For instance, server messages, die rolls or private tells are out of character because your character is not listening to voices in his or her head or watching dice roll and waiting for the result to hit or not hit a monster. Out of character involves of course everything that happens outside the game. Generally try to limit acting out of character in game, e.g. speaking as the player, not the character, using 21st century terminology or leetspeak, or simply issuing out of character warnings or messages and disrupting the immersion in the game.

Can I transfer items between characters?

No. Any form of passing items between your own characters is considered the worst kind of metagaming and cheating and may result, after a warning, in being banned from the server. There are no exceptions to this rule, not even when third party characters are used as intermediaries, or when one of your characters dies and another "happens by" the corpse and its belongings. The value of the items passed is irrelevant, it is the act that matters.

I died or lost XP/gold/equipment due to bugs, crashes or some other uncontrolled mechanical event, can a DM give it back?

While we may take some action if we are in game at the time of the loss, in general we will not reimburse any lost XP, gold or equipment. Even if we could do it in all cases (which is not often the case) we would be forced to check and double check the merits of the request, and if we did it for one player we would have to do it for everyone, leading to a deterioration of DM time to do anything else.

What are the server rules about cyber-sex?

Romance between characters is allowed, but any kind of depictions of graphic or simulated sex are strictly forbidden. While there are servers out there where this is tolerated, Tales of Moonsea is not one of them.  While we do encourage players to build relationship with PCs and NPCs and that sometimes includes sexual relationships as well, we do not allow actual roleplay of the sex part. If you want your character to have sex with another, rent a room at an inn and both characters sleep there, that's it. Fade to Black is the acceptable codeword in these cases. In addition, players roleplaying rape or sexual violence will be banned immediately.

What are the rules about in character insults?

In character insults are allowed, but you should try to keep them within the spirit of the setting. Modern day expletives such as 'F' words are very much out of place in the Forgotten Realms. 'Tluin' is the Faerunian equivalent for those of you who have PCs inclined to swear, but be creative with your insults. Out of character insults are very much forbidden and may get you banned.

What are the rules about looting corpses?

Looting is allowed, including full looting. However the rules about PvP and PKing are extended to looting as well. Looting corpses, for instance, in front of the deceased's friends is allowed, but it may have IC consequences. Looting someone and logging out to avoid the IC consequences of such looting is considered cheating and griefing and will be treated accordingly.

What are the rules about stealing or picking pockets?

Similar to those applicable to looting. Spamming sleight of hand attempts on a single character or logging off to avoid IC consequences of theft are also considered griefing and treated accordingly. In character attempts of pickpocketing or looting PCs, is, of course, possible, but with IG and IC consequences from those on the receiving end.

Gameplay questions

Are there any rules about how to make a character?

Characters names and descriptions must fit the setting and not be disrupting. Offensive names, blatant jokes, names of famous real or fictional characters, description 'forcing' effects on the observers or not matching the character actual build or powers or, in general, any character whose name or description the DMs find inappropriate will be asked to remake with a proper name (there is a random name generator as a last resort). All characters start at level 1, and therefore their backgrounds should fit the level. No retired generals, famed dragon slayers or powerful archwizards. Any special background should be approved by the DMs through the usual application process. Choose body models and skin/hair combinations that fit the character as well, no blue skinned humans or black non-drow elves.

Am I allowed to remake my character?

It is not forbidden to remake a character, but we prefer you don't. Remaking to resolve some mechanical problem such as a corrupted character or a cleric with wrong domains is ok, and often a DM will help you remake in such cases. However,  try to avoid remaking just to change character names, descriptions or build. You have the possibility of experimenting with builds outside the server, so making a wrong choice when leveling is not an excuse to remake. Remaking to completely change a character keeping only his name and history (say, turning a cleric into a wizard or a weakling into a juggernaut, or completely changing appearance) is very much discouraged. In any case, remaking implies losing all your equipment and gold and starting again at level 1.

What deities are supported?

Most of the deities of the Forgotten Realms are supported. A full list of supported deities on ToM can be found here: http://www.talesofmoonsea.com/Deities.php 

Religion in the Forgotten Realms is polytheistic, which means everybody knows there are multiple deities whose power and influence you may not like, but cannot ignore either. All characters should have a patron deity but, in general, that doesn't mean they won't pray to other deities or that they are fanatics who would not stray a bit from their patron's dogma. Only clerics, paladins and to some extent monks would pray only to one deity, and even in those cases only the most strict zealots would never slip a prayer to another god every now and then when embarking in an activity where said god has an important influence (say, praying to Shaundakul before a long trip, or to Umberlee if the trip is by sea). Changing deities is possible, but it is often a long process especially for divine classes.

Be sure to select correct alignment and domains when creating a cleric. Otherwise you will not be able to cast spells. It is important that you read and understand your deity's dogma, because clerics are supposed to be living examples of that dogma. Take into account that even within one religion there are many interpretations of the dogma as some prefer to stress some aspect of it against another (that's how Helm, for instance, has both LG and LE clerics), but if your cleric is consistently seen violating his deity's dogma or simply not living by it, he or she may soon lose the favor of the deity and be unable to cast spells.

Are languages supported?

Yes. Languages are chosen at character creation and levelling up by placing points in Linguistics. Each point in Linguistics equals one language. Contact a DM at levelling up after placing your skillpoints so they can add the chosen language for you. Please also note that the use of a language to say things in front of other characters that couldn't otherwise be said without repercussions (say, insulting or making death threats and expecting no reaction on the basis of the other characters not understanding your language) can have IG consequences, and if a DM is around you can be sure NPCs will pick up what you say and take issue with it.

What happens when you die in ToM?

ToM is not a perma-death server. You keep your inventory when you die. This is considered to be a courtesy to make respawning less of a hassle, and to prevent items from getting lost due to server crashes and similar things. Don't consider that your character actually died when respawning - maybe they just got knocked out and managed to recover some time later, or your party members managed to apply healing after the battle. You can choose between respawning where you died (the thing that killed you can still be there), or in a safe place. 

Perma death is only enforced in certain situation in some events, and DMs will inform about the possibility at the start of the event.

What's the magic level like in ToM?

ToM is a low magic setting. Magical items will be rare and very few magical items will be insanely powerful. Some may find it a steep departure from the almost endless flow of free magical loot in the original campaign or on other servers. We prefer that most magical items are significant and appreciated, rather than simply a relatively powerful piece of junk which would be dumped as soon as something more powerful came by.

What is the level range in ToM?

Our hard cap is level 15. Experience shows that about 98% of characters remain on the level 10-11 range and a few powerful  PCs reach level 12. It is increasingly difficult to reach higher levels without being involved in some server-wide plotsand regular events, and it is intentionally kept that way. If this level range is not your cup of tea, we may not be the right server for you.

How does the economy work in ToM?

Gold is obtained through questing, participating in DM events and selling items you find. It is not possible to obtain unlimited gold by selling stuff at a higher price than it can be bought, and if you find cases where that is possible, it should be reported as an exploit.

As we're working on crafting to be implemented, it is expected that the economy may take a shift to be more player controlled. We're making adjustments as we go, and the DM staff reserves the right to adjust buying/ selling proces and loot items/values to balance player count and ingame events. Such balancing changes will be communicated and will have in-game-universe reasons at all times.

How does crafting work in ToM?

Crafting is partially enabled with custom rules and skills/feats. Please feel free to check out forums where we regularly post crafting news on developed blogs and other boards: http://talesofmoonsea.com/forums/index.php?topic=12409.0.

How fast does time pass in ToM?

For in game reasons we have recently implemented a real-time clock to enable realistic spell effects/durations. It is worth remembering, however, that it is impossible to have a fixed time passage ratio between in game events and real life, for several reasons. First, time passes at different rates in the game depending on what you do: travel takes mere seconds when it might take days, conversations take hours because you can't type at the speed you can talk, and even then since the in game time passage is faster than real life, simple exchange of words would take inordinate amounts of time. Second, time doesn't pass at the same speed for different characters. Some characters may be having a couple of drinks and a pleasant conversation while others have gone and returned from killing some horrible beast at the far end of the world. So some suspension of disbelief is asked from the players. We often use 'comic-book time' when RL reasons make events/ follow-ups/ roleplay sessions impossible to schedule at a reasonable timeframe. When in doubt, please check with one of the DMs.

What are factions and do I have to join one to play?

Factions are in game organizations built around some common goals or interests. There are a number of canon organizations in Faerun such as the Harpers, the Zhentarim and the various religious orders and churches, as well as a number of factions specific to Phlan that are described here: http://www.talesofmoonsea.com/Factions.php  These are controlled by the DMs and admission in them is through the application process. Additionally, any group of players is free to organize their own player controlled faction. All we ask from them is that they are built around sensible, in-character goals or concepts and that those goals remain coherent even if the current leaders or members are replaced by others. We don't like factions based simply on being of a particular race or class with no other qualifications. For instance, making an "all elves" faction is as silly as an "all humans faction" - even if they are more similar among themselves than humans, elves may have just as opposing views on life as humans do.

It is by no means mandatory to join a faction to play, in fact most character concepts would not fit the sometimes rather strict in character constraints and requirements in most factions. However, it is sometimes easier to get involved in larger plots when you are involved with factions (as a member, or simply working with or against them). In any event, you cannot ignore the existence of factions. It is almost guaranteed that your in game actions will make you a friend or a foe of some faction or another and you will have to deal with that fact.

Are the Watchmen DMs?

Watchmen you see on the streets are NPCs and from time to time we have players joining the faction. Their in game powers are just those of the faction they belong to, and they are simply playing the part of law enforcement agents in the city of Phlan. Whatever they do is in character, and that includes any abuse of power or blatant injustice. Some Watchmen are corrupt, and you should deal with them in character just as you would do with the many other characters that try to work against your interests. By no means try to get some out of character issue solved by a Watchman. Always direct those requests to a DM.

There are, also, player characters in the City Council, with powers far beyond those of a simple Watchman. Remember, player Councilors are just playing their characters; if you don't like them, you have in-character mechanisms to have them deposed or eliminated.

Applications and special characters

What subraces can I play?

All information on Subraces, PrCs and Factions can be found here: http://talesofmoonsea.com/forums/index.php?board=61.0 

What factions can I join in ToM?

A list of playable factions can be found here: http://talesofmoonsea.com/forums/index.php?topic=12226.0

In addition to that, all canon organizations of Faerun not explicitly listed there (Harpers, Zhentarim, other churches...) are still subject to application, and you may not claim to belong to one without having been approved by the DMs. Or rather, your character may falsely claim to belong to one, but he or she would be subject to IC consequences stemming from that claim. In these cases, the player should still make the DMs aware of the fact that they are falsely claiming to be part of an organization.

How do I join one of the city factions?

You can join one of the many city factions by sending in an application to the DM Team to talesofmoonsea@gmail.com  Find the application template and further detail here: http://www.talesofmoonsea.com/iHowApply.php

For existing characters applying to join a faction we will take into account any IC interactions with the faction and its members, as well as IC merits or demerits your character has accumulated during his or her life. In some cases, approval will be in fact dependent on the character's success of failure to impress the faction leaders. Befriending faction members may have a positive influence in your IC chances to join the faction, but by no means will it guarantee approval.

Can I play a Prestige Class in ToM?

Prestige classes (or PrCs) will not be granted to just anyone. They are called prestige for a reason, and that means you need to earn the right to take one through your in game actions, far beyond the mechanical requirements to take the first level in a PrC. For instance, a blackguard isn't just some evil guy with paladin powers. A blackguard should be the character who people talk about as the most evil creature in the world. A Divine Champion should have been behaving as a living example of his or her deity's dogma since the character's creation. Therefore, it is best to apply for PrC as soon as possible (preferably before creating the character) in order for the DMs to watch the character and assess the merits or demerits towards achieving the PrC.

Find the application template and further detail here: http://www.talesofmoonsea.com/iHowApply.php 

More information on Subraces, PrCs and Factions can be found here: http://talesofmoonsea.com/forums/index.php?board=61.0 

Technical information

How do I log in to ToM?

Direct connect to www.talesofmoonsea.com

What files do I need to download?

The last patch made it easier than ever: The game client now contains an auto-downloader that will automatically download the necessary files when you connect.

What's the server's IP address for a direct connection?

23.254.133.4:5121

What do I do when I start?

Your character will appear in a starting area with a limited amount of gold and the possibility of purchasing some basic gear. After that, you will jump directly into the city, and what you should do is to just go around and interact with other characters.

What are the system Requirements to Play?

The System Requirements are those needed to play NWN2, and of course an internet connection.

Contact information

How do I get hold of admin / a DM?

If it's a quick fix you need in-game, such as getting unstuck from an unreachable area, bringing a DM's attention to a developing situation or possessing an NPC, send a message to the DM channel detailing what problem you have and wait for an answer. If you don't get one in a reasonable time (say, five minutes), try once again. If that doesn't work, there may not be a DM free or logged to assist you. In that case, you may PM another player logged in and see if they can help, or  feel free to utilize the Discord chat to ask for assistance.

Discord Channel

If you need some help with an ongoing plot, or something more far reaching than a single session that requires deep DM involvement, or you want to ask for a special favor, send an email to talesofmoonsea@gmail.com  This is also the way to apply for faction slots, special races and prestige classes.

If you find a bug, use the "Bug Reports". If you have issues to get into the server or the forums, or want some other technical problem with them, use the "Server and Forum Issues" forum.

If you have a question about policy or want the DMs' opinion about an aspect of the game, use the "Ask a DM" forum.

Always bear in mind that we DMs get way more requests for help than we can possibly acknowledge (even less deal with), so if you don't get an answer, especially in response to an email, it's your responsibility to check with us to see if we're still looking into it. 

What's the ToM email address?

It is talesofmoonsea@gmail.com  Please avoid cluttering it with questions that could be answered through the forums or on Discord.

How can I make a donation to support ToM?

We set up a PayPal account to allow players to donate for the support of ToM. All donations are appreciated greatly, and we will try to thank every donor individually and publicly unless told otherwise. No in game perks can be obtained from donating to the server.

How do I report cheating / abuse?

First, try to get hold of a DM in game or on Discord. If you can't, take screenshots and logs and send them to talesofmoonsea@gmail.com  along with a detailed account of what happened. Try to calm down before sending a report and stick to the facts. Angry mails and otherwise unreadable rants rarely help.

Who do I speak to about being un-banned?

Write to talesofmoonsea@gmail.com  with a well reasoned appeal. The DM that banned you will have the ultimate call, though, and we do not ban people lightly. If you have been banned, most likely your past actions were so serious that it is very unlikely you will be allowed to play again.

Where do I report a bug I have found?

Make a post in the "Bug Reports" forum in http://www.talesofmoonsea.com/forum/index.php  Try to provide as much information as possible about the circumstances in which the bug was experienced, and choose a title that clearly describes the issue. We suggest you search the forum for previous reports of the same bug and if they exist, post only if you have additional information about the bug, such as it happening in different circumstances or expanding on the original report.

Where do I report an exploit I have found?

NEVER post an exploit on the forums! Always send an email to talesofmoonsea@gmail.com  so we can deal with it. Please do not "experiment" with the exploit..

I have an idea for a plot / event. Who do I speak to?

We suggest to first send a PM to some DM you trust, in order to get preliminary feedback on your idea. If you get positive feedback, write it up detailing the plot further, and send it to talesofmoonsea@gmail.com Bear in mind initial positive feedback is no guarantee of approval.

General D&D / FRCS questions

What is D&D?

Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy roleplaying game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Gygax's company Tactical Studies Rules (TSR). The game is currently published by Wizards of the Coast (www.wizards.com). NWN2 is based upon D&D 3.5 edition, the latest version of the ruleset, and its original campain takes place in the Forgotten Realms. It is important to note that NWN2 supports only a small set of the larger game rules.

What is PnP?

PnP (also P&P) refers to "Pen and Paper", to indicate classic tabletop roleplaying games such as Dungeons & Dragons, as opposed to computer roleplaying games (CRPGs) and massive multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMPORGSs).

What does "3.5 edition" mean?

Dungeon & Dragons has produced a number of editions in the past with several major changes to the core rules. The one NWN2 is based on is called 3.5 edition.

What is the FRCS?

The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (FRCS for short) is a game world for Dungeons & Dragons based on the fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms.

Where can I get more tips, setting information, etc?

We have a Geting Started Section at our Forums that will be updated as we are able to add new information to help facilitate each player's time in the server. Visit it at: http://talesofmoonsea.com/forums/index.php?board=61.0