NPC stands for Non-player character and they’re what makes this game work. NPCs are all the miscellaneous towns people and monsters that players encounter during an event.
Staff and Volunteer Guidelines:
In support of our mission, the following policies define the manner in which those providing the entertainment at NERO events, the Staff an dVolunteers who play non-player characters (NPCs) are to conduct themselves.
If you have any problems with anyone, at any time, contact a Staff member of the local chapter immediately and they will address the issues. If Staff does not satisfy your dilemma, contact the General Manager of the Chapter. Finally, contact Joseph Valenti, the president of NERO, if your situation has not been addressed.
1. Report to the Monster Marshal There is usually at least one Staff member in Monster Camp to keep the Monster Camp and NPCs organized. He/she is called the Monster Marshal and usually runs Monster Desk. This is the person to whom you should report for duty and who must be informed when you retire for the night or leave site for any reason. NPCs who fail to do this may not receive their XP blankets for the event.
2. Know the NERO Rules As an NPC it is important that you understand the NERO rules. If you aren’t familiar with the NERO rules contact a staff member or the monster marshal and they’ll review the rules with you thoroughly.
3. Know the NERO Staff As an NPC it is important for you to know whom the Staff members are. It is equally important for our Staff to meet and know you. Some chapters list their staff on their web site while many place a list of their staff members on the wall at Logistics & Monster camp at each event or introduce their staff members at opening and closing ceremonies.
4. Have fun and ensure others do as well Staff and Volunteers (NPCs) are here to entertain the event players while enjoying themselves. We are all NERO members and we all deserve to enjoy ourselves. Staff and Volunteers (NPCs) are not to oppress, abuse or bully the event players, the staff or fellow volunteers (NPCs). The quickest way to loose your membership is to be rude, obnoxious, oppressive or disrespectful to another NERO member.
5. Be civil It is important that NERO NPCs act appropriately while NPC’ing. Always treat other members with respect and courtesy. If there is any dispute, remain calm, allowing the player leeway and bring the matter to the attention of a marshal as appropriate.
6. Help other players The quickest way to make friends in NERO is to help anther person excel in a skill that you are advanced in. Do not belittle or make fun of another player’s actions. As a NERO member, when you notice another player having difficulty in a role-playing or combat situation, take the time to introduce yourself and offer them help in mastering their skills.
7. Make encounters fun Try to consider it your goal as Staff or Volunteer to challenge any particular player at that player’s skill level and make the encounter fun for them. This may mean that there are times when you should play down your own better abilities. There are also times when plot will require you to make an encounter hard regardless of the consequences to the players. If you have any doubts of what should be done, ask the plot people running the event or one of the responsible encounter leaders.
8.Help keep players calm NERO is a very high adrenaline game. On occasion the game becomes very stressful and the players, both PC and NPC, become excited. This is our goal, to get the players to ‘be’ their character, to ‘live’ the moment in our world. If a player gets so excited that they begin to yell and scream out of game, it is up to the Staff, and the NPCs to calm that person down and keep the game going. If we work together we will have great game flow and excellent role-play.
9. Be trustworthy Two of the most important aspects of NPC’ing is Trust and Silence. The PC’s trust the NPCs to entertain them and to keep information attained about them a secret. It is very important that staff and NPCs do not discuss anything about other players with other NPCs or PCs and even more important to keep the information acquired through NPC’ing out of game when you play your personal character. Never speak out of game with other players concerning in-game topics.
10. Act fairly and honestly Never use out of game knowledge to target a player. This includes looting them to take special items that you know they possess through out of game knowledge, targeting them for death or attack because you do not personally like them, or bringing an encounter to them because there is good treasure on it and they are your friend. Such things are unfair, hurt the game and constitute cheating.
11. Avoid public arguments and control your temper Do not argue with anyone. NPCs should never raise their voice aove conversation level when discussing things with other players. Arguing with other players, NPCs or staff members will detract from the game, the morale f NERO members, and is detrimental to the reputation of NERO NPCs and staff. If you get into a confrontation with an individual for any reason, politely ask their name, introduce yourself and tell them you will go find a marshal and catch back up with them afterward.
12. Carry documentation. Volunteers (NPCs) should never enter game without proper documentation of their abilities and a Volunteer (NPC) can never modify their documentation regardless of whether they think it will be more challenging or fun for players. If a group of NPCs enter game with a lead Volunteer it is acceptable for the lead Volunteer to have all the documentation for the group. Some players may want to carry their own documentation for reference.
13. Be thorough in your documentation. Always document the specific spells and equipment (gases included) you are carrying on an appropriate skill sheet, with tags or on a piece of paper. Documenting spells and equipment will decrease or eliminate the perception that NPCs always conveniently have the counter spell or equipment for any PC action taken. If using the Cast on the fly (COTF) system, please be sure that you are permitted to cast all spells (ie - no death spells, awaken, dispel magic, etc) as many chapters using COTF limit the spells usable by NPCs.
14. Observe the cabin rules NPCs who are not designated search or steal active (written on NPC documentation) should never enter a PCs cabin to search. Furthermore, NPCs may not enter the cabin of any PC and search through their belongings without a marshal present to observe your actions. This is done to protect people’s personal belongings and their privacy, and protect you from possible legal implications. A marshal must be present should there be any concern that out-of-game items were taken and/or the proper rules were followed for taking in-game items.
15. Don’t make encounters more deadly than intended Death is part of the game but it is not the mission of each and every NPC to deliver. If you are not killing blow active, you must not take extraordinary measures to ensure a player dies. This includes sending them into the woods as a raised undead until their death count is over, placing virtually untouchable and deadly to guard over their body until they die an/or resurrect or putting them in a circle of power or warded building to ensure that they die. Deaths like this are simply not cool or fun. Most PCs want to be afraid but want the chance to be snatched from the jaws of death by heroic action or ingenuity or at worst, to die a glorious death worthy of telling. Giving people such chances makes the game more fun and makes it seem fairer.
16. Observe established controls on your power and motivations. You may not play a monster that has the ability to deliver killing blows or search and steal from PCs without permission of the staff members running plot for the event. In general, Killing Blow, Search and/or Steal active NPCs must be accompanied by a responsible encounter leader. If you have any doubts about the monster you have been handed to play, ask the proper staff member what you are and are not permitted to do.
17. Manage your treasure properly In general there is an established amount of treasure for particular monsters to carry. When you leave monster camp, be sure you have enough treasure for each of your lives/resets. In a hectic battle where you need to reset in a hurry, if no one loots you do not drop the money on the ground unless instructed to by the encounter leader (never at night).
18. Never steal treasure. Never take treasure from NPC camp to keep for you character. This is considered cheating and when caught you will be banned from NPC’ing as well as suffer losses to your character for doing this.
19. Help preserve the in-game atmosphere. We prefer that you travel in-game anywhere and everywhere. At least grab a tabard and go out as a farmer when going to the bathrooms, or walking to the tavern for some food. If we all stay in-game, all the time, the atmosphere of the game will always be in-game, and fewer people will interrupt with out of game statements. If you have to go out of game, you must have a white headband on. Failure to abide by this rule could result in your removal from the camp, perhaps an extreme action, but worth it to keep our in-game atmosphere from being destroyed.
20. Help clean and care for Monster Camp and props Replace the lids on make-up tubes and pancake containers. Every event there will be some lids missing, some caps that have rolled off the table, or pancake make-up that fell to the floor. These things contribute most to the use and loss of our make-up. If we are all careful with applying and removing make-up, we’ll keep it in good condition and waste very little. Throw garbage in the trashcans. People often leave their trash on the table or on the floor for other people to throw away. When you are finished with a particular item and it becomes trash, please place it in the garbage can. In Monster Camp - If you knock something over or drop something, pick it up. If you see someone else knock something over, politely inform him or her that they knocked it over and ask him or her to pick it up, and then go over and help them to pick it up. During an opportune time, be sure to introduce yourself to the other person with your name and asking him/hers. If we all work together, Monster Camp can stay clean. Return weapons, tabards, masks and other props to the appropriate person or place. Do NOT throw these things on the floor, on a table, lean them up against the wall or toss them ‘anywhere’ you want. The quickest way to be banned from NPC’ing is to treat the costumes, masks, weapons and other props with less than appropriate care.
Any player who NPCs for an event will receive an automatic max out for one character for that game. The automatic max out is a great way to gain build/levels for your character and not worry about the dangers of PC'ing like deaths, thefts, etc.
Those who NPC will now get 200 goblins per event, which can be spent on coin/production, blankets or to buy back character deaths. Check out: our goblin page for more information!
NPCs will get NPC rewards at the rate of 50/game day. These will be transferable between NERO Cincinnati and OGRE. The table for spending these points for 2010 is below.
NPCs get into events for only $5/game day. So, it is an easier on the budget way to still get to play.
The players will now also get one draw from a grab bag per game. The tags which may be found in the grab bag will include automatic max out tags , goblins, production, and components. All of these tags will be good for one year from the date of issue.
You get expanded roleplay experience from the variety of playing different types of characters. So, it's a great way to learn the game from fighting to accents!
It is also great way to get to know the other players and staff!
So, try NPCing to get to know the game and your chapter better!
| 2,000 |
Free magic item with your choice of castings on it. (As long as all castings are legal, up to 5 effects) This magic item will already have considered to be greater extended and rendered |
| 1,600 | A free 2 day event |
| 1,100 | 15 formal components of your choice. (only one of which can be a level 2 component) |
| 1,000 | Free magic item with your choice of castings on it. (As long as all castings are legal, up to 2 effects) This magic item will already have considered to be extended and rendering *this makes a new item* |
| 900 | 1/2 price game |
| 700 | 1x day magic effect. (Your choice on the effect it casts - this gets added to an existing item of your choice. You must have the tag for this item) |
| 600 |
Returning a huge favor*. (this is the same as the lower one tier reward but yields 100 production levels, 8 level 1 components, and 10 gold) |
| 500 | 1 unlimited/day formal scroll (last for a year) |
| 400 | 1x ever magic effect. (Your choice on the effect it casts - this gets added to an existing item of your choice. You must have the tag for this item) |
| 350 | Returning a big favor*. (this is the same as the lower one tier reward but yields 50 production levels, 4 level 1 components, and 5 gold) |
| 300 | Free max out for an event |
| 200 | 1x ever formal scroll |
| 100 | Returning a favor*. While NPCing your character saved the life/robbed/killed of a 1) smith, 2) alchemist, 3) potion master, 4) scroll merchant, or 5) trap maker. (You choose one) They will give you a 25 levels of production for free. |
| 1 | 1 goblin point (you can turn your NPC points into Goblins on a 1 to 1 ratio; however, you can NOT turn in Goblins to get NPC points) |
*This is meant to give roleplay aspect ingame so you can show what your character has done while you were NPCing. Along with that it can give you a some plot background. The plot team will work with you on this, it may be small, but it will be something. So, PLEASE send in a paragraph or more to the plot team.
TO CASH IN YOUR NPC POINTS YOU MUST INFORM LOGISTICS OF THIS BEFORE THE GAME BY WEDNESDAY NOON PRIOR TO THE EVENT. THERE WILL BE NO NPC REWARDS PRODUCTION DONE ON SITE. You must bring the tag for any reward that is added to an existing tag to present at logistics.
OGRE may restrict magic item reward to two per a game if needed, on a first come first served basis.
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