The Vast

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The Mithril Star Token

Some History

The Mithril Star is a token which was designed to be awarded to the most community oriented role-players - specifically their character(s) - for their sincere contributions. To better understand the Star, I will first give you some history.

When this module was first launched, there were slightly better items in the shops, still nothing major, mostly skill enhancing items with bonuses better than +3 (largely +6). Weapons and armors with +1 enhancement were still not sold, and even only the rare weapon with a +1 damage bonus was available. It became rapidly apparent that even these small items attracted powergamers, and they would play just to acquire gold to purchase these items.

Obviously, this was not why we built this server, so I decided to do something about it. I created a system whereby I could limit these items for purchase only by characters who held a specific token. We would award this token only to those the DMs collectively saw as sincere, positively contributing role-players.

From the start, we deliberated on whether to make the Star public, or to keep it private. Each path had its plusses and minuses. If it were public, as it is with the many RP servers out there which limit power in some manner through tokens, we knew we would have those who solely played for the token. We felt it better to judge the sincerity of play without that knowledge affecting said play.

We also knew there would likely be plenty of requests made to the DMs by players to have a token; and some bickering between parties who felt they and their friends should have tokens, and that others should not have tokens or should be stripped of their tokens.

We designed the Mithril Star as a true reward for sincere role-play for role-play's sake, not as a goal to be attained. We also did not want it to become about the haves versus the have-nots. While not feeling right about asking recipients to keep it a secret, it was still a decision we made at the time with the best interests of the server, and our sanity, in mind.

In every RP server, there will be characters that have access to something that other characters cannot access (guilds are a good example). This is the nature of a PW, and the domain of the DMs. If you want to maintain a level of integrity in a vision, then those decisions have to be made. You just don't hand out everything but the kitchen sink to every new player that logs on. Perks are earned, and this token became that reward.

In the Present
(Which is now the past, as this was written when we first made the Star public.)

The Star program has almost entirely been on hold for months now, with only one Star having been awarded in recent memory. There is a current DM-only discussion, and a list of characters to whom we intend to give Stars, but as I said, it has been on hold.

We have decided who will get a Star in the past, and do so now, as a team. If one DM has reservations about a specific player, or a specific character, then we talk about it, and we wait. Due to past mistakes in giving out Stars to players who did not turn out to be what we thought they were, one could say we have become overly cautious, thus the stalling which I just mentioned.

Also as previously mentioned, we have discussed on and off, the merits and drawbacks of making the Mithril Star public. There are various reasons which span back in time that have lead us to make this announcement.

What Does the Mithril Star Do?

As it stands now, the Mithril Star gives access to some more items (though still nothing even near uber - it's well balanced for this server), awards slightly higher buy back prices at general stores and specialty merchants who purchase items for more than 1 gp, and it makes prices in some shops slightly lower. It also automatically allows a set of other perks, including the ability to simply buy full plate armor and some spell components, and automatic permission for a character to request housing. Overall, the Star helps to eliminate some of the deliberation we as DMs must make by instead setting a level, as it were, at which a given character just can have certain things.

This token by no means limits those things to just Star holders. It only makes our jobs easier, so we can focus on manually giving out things to the rest of the community. Housing is a good example; not everyone who has a residence, or will get a residence also has a Star. DMs are still free to give out any of these items, and even ones better than anyone will ever be able to purchase. We are still free to award housing or any multitude of perks to a character for that player's positive contribution to the community, regardless of the Star's presence.

We do not want players to be resentful of players who have characters in possession of a Mithril Star. Focus on your own characters, not what others may or may not have. If you ask another player if they have a Star, don't expect an answer, no one is required to tell others if they have one or not, that will be up to the individual player. And as I stated, perks awarded automatically through this token are not confined to holders of this token.

This token has nothing to do with xp awards or rates, or level advancement of any kind.

What this token brings is overall balance to the table for those who give more than they take, and who are unconcerned with material reward. Does it mean, that if your character does not have one, that we don't think you are a good role-player? No, of course not, and I will go into detail regarding this below.

How Do I Earn a Mithril Star for My Character, and What Does it Mean?

You earn it.

The DMs collectively decide who recieves this token, and we listen to each other's thoughts on the subject of every character who is proposed as a recipient. If one DM has reservations, then a Star is not awarded at that time.

Don't ask if you can have a Mithril Star, every time you ask this, you are less likely to earn one. Instead ask for honest input concerning your character, and be prepared for honest input.

How We Look at a Player

We begin with the player behind the character(s). We look for a sense of community spirit, and a genuine enthusiasm for sincere role-playing. We watch players not only when they are in contact with other players, but also when they are alone, and likely to revert to what we call video game mode.

We ask:

  • Does this player help others, both in character, and out of character?
  • Does this player stay in character all the time, or does he only role-play when he runs into other players?
  • Do this player quickly make an excuse to get away and return to solo sprinting again?
  • Does a player seem unconcerned with power, xp, items, and having constant DM attention?
  • How does a player talk about other players?
  • Does the player display an interest in learning about role-playing?
  • Is the player willing to portray simple, ordinary characters, or must they all be out-of-the-ordinary, or off-the-wall somehow?
  • Does this player respect the community (other players)?
  • Does this player respect the server rules? Does this player pester other players or the DMs? (We want you to ask when you have questions, that's fine. Most people know the difference between pestering and asking questions).
  • Is the player willing to see where he may be having trouble with his character's portrayal, and approach the community or a DM for advice?

These are just some examples. When looking at a player, it is all about the attitude we see from a DM's perspective. We want to see an attitude that fits with the server's stated purpose as a dedicated role-playing server. Remember, that because of the simple mechanics of the game, a DM can see what the other players cannot see.

How We Look at a Character

There is a separation of player and character in this process as well. A single player may do a fantastic job with one character conept, but may not be very convincing with another character concept. We do not automatically give a Star to every character a player runs.

Some of the things we look for in individual characters are:

  • An overall, convincing and believeable character concept.
  • Accurate portrayal of that character's race and class.
  • A growing, developing character concept which is open to change over time.
  • Overall quality of that character's role-played persona.
  • Accurate portrayal of that character's ability scores - if you nerf a score, play that score, don't just do it for the power.

Again, some examples. We tend to take our time with this process, and have rarely awarded a Star to a character below fifth level. It is during those lower levels that we have a chance to observe a character (and the player) and begin to learn about that character, and about where that character is heading.

Losing a Mithril Star

We do not want players to consider the Star a goal - to play solely for this token. If we come to see that a character in possession of a Star abandons the spirit of the server once they have this token, it will be removed, plain and simple.

We do not want there to be petty bickering and factioning over the Mithril Star. It is not the player's place to decide which characters are awarded Stars; it is solely the domain of the dungeon masters. If a player cannot play nice, then that player cannot have a Star. Never direct your hostilities toward the player base, and respect the dungeon masters' decisions.

Any abuse of the priviledges granted by a Star will result in the removal of Stars from any and all of that player's characters. This would include buying restricted items for a character who does not have a Star. If there is uncertainty regarding these items, ask a DM online, or send one a PM here on the forums. We have given permission on many occasions for a Starred character to give a special item to a non-Starred character, and good role-play has always come of it. If you want to give such a gift, ask, you may just get the ok. It is always more special to have a history behind some item, rather than just to purchase it, and we can enjoy the chance to involve players in this process in addition to dropping items as treasure or quest items.

Having a Mithril Star

If your character does not have a Star, it does not mean you are less of a player than others, or that your character is less either. It just means we are still watching your character. A player may have one character with a Star, and may have several without Stars.

Having a character with a Star does not mean you as a player are now set above the other players. On the contrary, it means we have recognized a commitment to community role-play, and we look forward to seeing that commitment continue. It is a mark of greater responsibility.

~Algernon's Ghost, originally written on the forums in December of 2004

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