2.1 The game management is an official body of D4O-AG

They carry a corresponding abbreviation in their name (GD, GM, EM, CO and DEV) and hold a corresponding title. Impersonating such an identity is STRICTLY prohibited.

Staff members receive certain privileges and rights for their work. This means that the support characters of staff members are not RP characters, but are considered OOC. The exception are events, where staff members appear as characters with appropriately changed names.

2.2 Contact with game management

Available staff members report in the chat channel Guard Room when they are available. Inquiries to the staff must first be registered exclusively in the Guard Room. The staff will call upon players individually when they have time. Only then may a private message be sent to them.

If no staff member is available, inquiries can also be made via ticket at ticket.d4o.de.

Staff members are the executive body of D4O-AG both in-game and on the forum, and are therefore authorized to investigate rule violations and take appropriate measures. They are not a walking quest guide, but help new players in-game, solve technical problems, change names, organize events and mediate problems between players.

2.3 Duty of confidentiality

The staff has absolute duty of confidentiality towards users. The only exception is the protection of staff integrity; in this regard, the staff reserves the right to make excerpts from server log files public on a case-by-case basis.

2.4 Procedure for rule violations

In case of rule violations of any kind, the staff has the authority to take appropriate measures for sanctioning. Nevertheless, an amicable problem resolution among the players takes priority!

In case of rule violations involving multiple players, the staff will initially act only as a moderator to work towards such an amicable solution. Only when such a solution cannot be found and/or only one player is affected by the rule violation will the staff intervene through measures and sanctions.

Please note that any measure taken, in the sense of a "prior offense", always affects the account and the player who owns this account, not just the individual character! The respective circumstances are reviewed before any measure is taken.

Any measure by the staff is therefore a case-by-case decision; therefore, no specific penalties can be demanded by the players. Among the many aspects considered is the question of whether a player has been noticed for the first time, or is already known for other rule violations.

2.5 Guidelines and accountability

The staff must report exclusively to D4O-AG and the Game Director (GD) about their activities. Staff instructions must be followed without question. The staff decides based on the situation and internal guidelines.

Problems with a staff member or a measure can be reported via ticket at ticket.d4o.de.

Allowed names

• ✅ Freely invented fantasy names
• ✅ Commonly used names
• ✅ Names of legendary figures

3.1 Duplicate first names

Duplicate first names are prohibited. In such cases, an amicable agreement between the players is desired. If this is not possible, the game management reserves the right to make a decision.

3.2 Changing the character name

Up to character level 20 (human), first names are changed upon player request. After that, this is only possible at the player's own request in extreme and justified exceptional cases as a paid service. However, names can always be changed by the staff if they are not conducive to role-playing or violate the server rules/Terms of Service.

3.3 Family and last names

Last names are largely subject to the same rules as first names, but can be changed at the Town Clerk at any time. However, existing family names must be confirmed by an authorized member. The staff reserves the right to decide in accordance with the server rules.

3.3.1 Family heads: The list of "family heads" can be found in the forum and must be kept up to date. For this purpose, families must register accordingly and, if necessary, name additional players with permissions.

3.3.2 Changing a last name: Last name changes are generally free of charge; they are handled in a role-play appropriate manner upon request.

3.4 Character titles

Every human from level 75 or Seraph can receive a title of their choosing.

3.4.1 Title length: The title must fit within the title window in terms of width; no special characters (e.g. apostrophe, slash) in the title; the title must be role-play appropriate and must not be racist, offensive or sexually oriented.

3.4.2 Titles in foreign languages: Non-German titles can also be requested, but will be thoroughly reviewed by the staff for their meaning before being granted. Titles can also be changed at any time upon request at the Town Clerk.

3.4.3 Expansion of prohibited titles: Titles like "God", "Goddess", "King", "Queen" and other nobility titles will no longer be granted. This also applies to the title "Lord" or "Lady". Old names and titles created before the established regulations are grandfathered and remain unchanged.

3.4.4 Ecclesiastical offices & titles: Priest of any faith is a role-play position that must be earned through gameplay. The player can be supported in their office by respective staff members through special decorations, events, etc. However, the title Priest/Priestess will no longer be granted.

3.4.5 Title changes: Titles are now only changed at the Town Clerk's office in Stormpoint. The staff takes on the role of the Town Clerk and issues a certificate. A change costs a quill, a simple blank scroll and 100,000 gold.

3.4.6 Grandfathering: Old names and titles created before the established regulations of the Schicksalswind server are grandfathered and remain unchanged. This does NOT apply to Finsterzahn, Purpurschuppe and Gamigo servers. These are not grandfathered.

4.1 Guild founding

• At least the guild leader and three additional members must be online simultaneously
• The guild leader must have already reached the third island
• Additional members must be at least level 10
• A founding story including alignment must be published in the corresponding forum section

4.2 Guild name

The guild name must be German, must not be sexist or glorify violence, and must fit the role-playing atmosphere of the game. Additionally, the guild name must not already be taken. The game management reserves a corresponding right of rejection.

4.3 Founding costs

4.4 Reactivation of an old guild

If you want to reactivate an old guild, the consent of the last guild leader/deputy or the council is still required, which should then also be announced (guild list in the forum). The costs correspond to those of a new guild founding.

4.5 Dissolution of a guild

Since the new guild system gives the guild leader control over guild admission and structure, the leader should notify a staff member after dissolution on the server, so that the guild can be treated as inactive in the forum.

5.1 Tone of conduct

In all statements, care must be taken to ensure that at no time other players are threatened, insulted, defamed or harassed in any other way. This particularly concerns, but is not limited to, sexual, racist, ethnic or other offensive statements.

5.2 Expression (role-play requirement)

Role-play appropriate expression when speaking normally ("overhead") and in public chat channels is generally mandatory.

Exceptions: The chat channels "OOC", "Quests" and "Guard Room". If a staff member is visibly present on the monitor, the role-play requirement for that area of the game world is also lifted "overhead".

7.1 Where is PvP allowed?

In principle, PvP is allowed in all areas where it is technically possible, except in monster-free buildings.

Exceptions to the PvP rule are areas that belong to expedition quests (e.g. Swampland, Dragon Fortress...). They are considered PvP-free zones.

During events, unless otherwise announced by the staff: No PvP!

7.2 Regular PvP procedure

1. The attacker must clearly communicate their combat intent to the opponent in a role-play appropriate manner.
2. The opponent must then be given a reasonable reaction time appropriate to the situation.
3. Running away by the opponent counts as PvP readiness if they do not stop despite the "Entangle" spell – in this case, the attack may begin immediately.
4. As a general rule: Give the opponent time to buff up if they choose to do so (fairness!).

If the opponent disappears (through spells/scrolls such as "Word of Return", through runestone tablet or on foot into a building), the fight is merely considered interrupted, not ended. The non-fleeing party has a one-time KoS right within the next 24 hours.

If uninvolved third parties actively (not just verbally) interfere in a fight, they may be immediately included in the combat.

7.3 Victory! Who gets the loot?

Drops from PvP go to the winner of the fight. The loser has no further claim to the lost items. However, the winner can also waive this claim, making the drop available to everyone.

7.4 Collateral damage

Anyone who stands as a bystander near combat in a potentially dangerous non-KoS area must expect to possibly take damage.

7.5 Attack and killsteal through area attacks

With area-based attacks (e.g. through spells, item usage, etc.), the attacker must ensure that they do not endanger nearby fellow players or kill monsters from their leveling areas (killsteal).

If this happens once and accidentally, it can be tolerated. However, if the area-based attack is repeatedly executed or the attacker has already been informed, malicious intent must be assumed. This is then equivalent to a KoS attack and will be punished accordingly.

This does not apply if another player subsequently enters the leveling area and is then injured by the area attacks. Here, a sensible distance must generally be maintained. Here too: be considerate of each other and communicate amicably (fairness!).

7.6 KoS attacks (Kill on Sight)

Kill-on-Sight means attacking on visual contact without prior warning. KoS is only allowed in the following areas (if available on the respective server):

• Silverstreak Cemetery
• Colosseum Amphitheater on Stoneheim
• Combat area accessed via stairs next to the temple in Reefstone

In KoS areas, the fairness rule does not apply! The rule is: "Enter at your own risk."

An exception is KoS war: If the opposing party has accepted KoS, PvP may be conducted between the warring parties anywhere it is technically possible!

7.7 Special case: Stealing

Stealing is generally allowed wherever it is technically possible, except in buildings/houses. The "Steal" skill may not be used if the potential target is in combat against monsters (PvM). In PvP, the "Steal" skill may be used, but only against persons involved in that PvP.

Stealing counts as a PvP attack, but as an exception may lead directly to PvP without prior RP. This means: the (attempted) victim is entitled to open combat against the thief directly and without announcement.

In expedition areas, a special rule applies: If a player was stolen from during an expedition and caught immediately, the victim may respond immediately IN the situation with a PvP action. A later discovery does not permit this action – in that case, the general PvP rules apply.

7.8 PvP and stealing during events

During staff-organized events, all forms of PvP – including stealing – are prohibited for the entire event duration and in the entire event area. Exception: The EM explicitly permits it!

7.9 Persistent PvP against "I don't want to"

The gameplay-diminishing frequent challenging of individual characters to PvP – even if it is fundamentally rule-compliant and regardless of whether as sieging or for other RP reasons – is considered offensive harassment of the affected player and must cease accordingly.

Conversely, PvP, even if it does not belong to one's own play style, must be accepted within the permitted framework.

Basic rule

Besieging and waylaying must fundamentally be conducted in role-play – action as well as reaction. Ignorantly walking through, running away or using escape spells will be considered as an escape attempt or breakthrough and may lead directly to PvP.

8.1 Where is sieging allowed?

In principle, sieging is allowed wherever PvP is technically possible. For sieges on Arakas (first island), note that PvP is not possible until level 20 (newbie protection).

8.2 Siege of a location

Besieging means blocking an entrance to a confined area (e.g. cities, caves). Cities, caves or other areas that only have a limited number of access points may not be completely sealed off during a siege. This means that at least one path/gate/cave entrance must always remain open to allow free passage and to evade a siege.

8.3 Waylaying

Waylaying means symbolically "blocking the way" in open terrain (e.g. meadows, forests).

8.4 Maximum toll

* Areas that require a certain level or completion of an access quest

9.5 Seraphim

Seraphim are prohibited from removing their wings.

9.6 Wording & case-by-case decisions

Where the above rules are formulated in an open-ended manner, this is intentional; case-by-case decisions are made by the staff taking into account all circumstances of the specific situation, so that a more specific formulation is not possible. A prior specification is not provided for this reason, as they would otherwise not be case-by-case decisions.