Today I learned the Knights do not have access to any kind of coded warrant system, and I'm a wee bit flabbergasted! I think this is a huge oversight that has to be fixed for them to do their jobs. It doesn't need to make guard mobs attack on sight like Reeve warrants or anything, but it would at least help people know who they should arrest and why.
Also: it should 100% automatically blacklist people who are warranted for heresy or magery, with the possible exception of some very few 'unlawful' shops. Blacklist costs IP because it's intended to represent a top-down campaign against someone driven by the Merchants as political pressure. That should not at all be required for your average Lord-fearing shopkeeper to not sell stuff to people who are known as mages!
(If desired this can be a toggle in the warrant system - like 'secret' vs 'open' - to avoid tipping off a criminal.)
Warrants should auto-blacklist
The warrant command does not have a big read-out of information; it only shows you a name, and a reason. I am also against the Knights having access to the warrant command - inter-guild roleplay should be encouraged, so the Knights should request the Reeves issue them. The purpose of the command is to make the guards attack someone - or yell at them. Warrants can be issued mechanically for a small variety of charges. They are:
assault, magic, murder, sumptuary, theft and treason
Each one changes how guards react to you. Warrants do not require IP, and I am against them auto-blacklisting, because that is the realm of the Merchant's guild. Antagonist characters already have it hard enough, I think.
assault, magic, murder, sumptuary, theft and treason
Each one changes how guards react to you. Warrants do not require IP, and I am against them auto-blacklisting, because that is the realm of the Merchant's guild. Antagonist characters already have it hard enough, I think.
The thing is, the IC purpose of the warrant command is to let members of a guild know somebody is wanted for a crime and to be on the lookout. This is something the Knights absolutely need to do as part of their roleplay - and they DO do it, routinely, just mysteriously without the benefit of a coded command.
Now I'm not saying it needs to be the same command - in fact, it likely shouldn't be, as Reeves should not know Knight warrants and vice versa. But the Knights need SOME tool to do their job. The Reeves absolutely should NOT be issuing warrants for magic- woof. That is a huge violation of theme and logic.
And blacklisting exists for POLITICAL situations, when people need to be compelled into not providing professional services to someone - not for law enforcement purposes. That's waaaay off the mark of the intended use and logic of the command. Otherwise, we're saying all shopkeepers are heretics, totally willing to serve known mages, unless they're paid not to. Yikes!
Now I'm not saying it needs to be the same command - in fact, it likely shouldn't be, as Reeves should not know Knight warrants and vice versa. But the Knights need SOME tool to do their job. The Reeves absolutely should NOT be issuing warrants for magic- woof. That is a huge violation of theme and logic.
And blacklisting exists for POLITICAL situations, when people need to be compelled into not providing professional services to someone - not for law enforcement purposes. That's waaaay off the mark of the intended use and logic of the command. Otherwise, we're saying all shopkeepers are heretics, totally willing to serve known mages, unless they're paid not to. Yikes!
Per the helpfile for warrants, that is not what the command is for. It is specifically a coded mirroring of the actual, in-character warrants that are written and distributed. I've read the Knight letters before - they already mass-mail their people with warrants for arrest.
To be very blunt, the Knights already have plenty of tools to do their job. They have Sword as a guildskill, mage ash, their shop sells the 120 silver value rations for 10 silver (at one point, unsure if that is still the case), and they are afforded plenty of other ways to effect their duties. At the end of the day, I do not believe the Order should have any more special privileges or guildskills than they already have; Knights are elite fighters, but are numerically inferior to the Reeves and the militia; they do not have the numbers to support the same level of vigilance and patrol. If I'm wrong here, correct me, but there's a reason why the Reeves have the command, and the Order does not any longer.
To be very blunt, the Knights already have plenty of tools to do their job. They have Sword as a guildskill, mage ash, their shop sells the 120 silver value rations for 10 silver (at one point, unsure if that is still the case), and they are afforded plenty of other ways to effect their duties. At the end of the day, I do not believe the Order should have any more special privileges or guildskills than they already have; Knights are elite fighters, but are numerically inferior to the Reeves and the militia; they do not have the numbers to support the same level of vigilance and patrol. If I'm wrong here, correct me, but there's a reason why the Reeves have the command, and the Order does not any longer.
I can't say I was around when the command was taken away from the Knights, so I'm not sure what justification there could have been for yanking it out - really weird change, tbh. It's not a special privilege - it's them getting the same coded support for their IC abilities that the Reeves get.
But I will say I'm totally fine with the Knights not getting the Reeves' "NPCs attack" aspect of warranting, because it really doesn't make sense to me they would have the same personnel, agreed. It's just absolutely odd the Order has no coded way to utilize this power they should have to say "Hey, helping <X> person makes you a heretic, don't do it" except bleeding the Merchants of a preposterous pile of IP, y'know?
But I will say I'm totally fine with the Knights not getting the Reeves' "NPCs attack" aspect of warranting, because it really doesn't make sense to me they would have the same personnel, agreed. It's just absolutely odd the Order has no coded way to utilize this power they should have to say "Hey, helping <X> person makes you a heretic, don't do it" except bleeding the Merchants of a preposterous pile of IP, y'know?
So, my problem with this idea is generally that it would make the life of characters who violate the law, moral or secar, a bit of a living hell. Warrants are completely free to place, so all it results in is a warrant being put up for... Anyone who does anything.
It's already very hard for lawless people to find much in the way of RP, and restricting their avenues by making it so they essentially have to go Southside or underground to get whatever pickings they can from what shops will serve them (assuming they even have coin at all, considering an auto-blacklist would prevent them from accessing their bank and the Reeves can levy quite intense fines to ensure they don't build up any income)... it just gives them even less reason to poke their heads out of their holes and engage with the rest of the game.
It's already very hard for lawless people to find much in the way of RP, and restricting their avenues by making it so they essentially have to go Southside or underground to get whatever pickings they can from what shops will serve them (assuming they even have coin at all, considering an auto-blacklist would prevent them from accessing their bank and the Reeves can levy quite intense fines to ensure they don't build up any income)... it just gives them even less reason to poke their heads out of their holes and engage with the rest of the game.
I am 100% not talking about people who violate ANY laws, but people who are wanted for heresy, magery, or murder specifically. We could even make it only magery and murder. No warrants short of a capital crime should deny you service. And, well - realistic pressure should be put on people who are wanted for capital crimes! It seems an odd assumption to me that you could expect to continue RP after being openly exposed.
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Starstarfish
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So is the idea that people should just instantly liquidate or suicide by pyre?
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