Discord
Changelog
The Thay PW has been in existence since January of 2007 when we began open Beta testing. On January 1, 2008 the PW went 'live' with the in-game clock set at Hammer (January) 1, 1357 DR. Since that time the in-game hours have inexorably moved forward at a rate of 15 real-time minutes. Now, after almost 5 real-time years of the Thay PW's existence, the in-game year is 1373 DR.
The vision for this PW has always been to present the world of Thay as it was described in novels and source material written for 2nd and 3rd edition D&D rules. We are nearing a crossroads as the time period after 1375 DR is very tumultuous for Thay as source material moves to 4th edition rules and Haunted Land novels - and is one that will not be represented in this PW's vision of Thay. Therefore, I foresee two options:
1. We can move forward into the future and the Thay PW can grow an evolve as we make it.
2. We can 'reboot' the setting and start the clock over again in or around the year 1357 DR
Moving into the future is simple enough and nothing would change. However, many/most official 4th edition changes will not occur. There will be no mass killing-off of the gods, there will be no Spellplague that transforms the face of the world, and so on. This is primarily due to the fact that a massive amount of design time has been spent creating Thay as it existed in the 2nd and 3rd edition sourcebooks - and I will not spend time wiping out or redoing much of that to conform to an official timeline and source material I do not agree with anymore.
But if we reboot the setting and essentially start over back in the past, this presents a multitude of issues, and that is why this topic has been created for discussion. I have already presented the setting reboot idea to the staff members to get their opinions and ideas. But now I am seeking input from long-term and/or currently active members of our community to get your opinions on a setting reboot. But without the approval of the vast majority of players for this idea of a setting reboot, a setting reboot is not going to happen! So if you feel strongly about this one way or the other, please reply and discuss.
There is already a plan in place to explain how the rift in time will occur, and it will be the culmination of a large-scale campaign run by (hopefully) multiple DMs. While I don't want to give away too much for this campaign, the end result will be the clock set back to 1357 DR, or before, and a new initial opening sequence will occur at that point for returning PCs. That sequence will explain ICly and OOCly how the Thay PW setting was reset and how you can/should RP that change with already existing PCs. This sequence will also be necessary for returning players who maybe took some time off from Thay/NWN and were not aware of the clock being reset. This event will incorporate the mysterious allies becoming aware (again) of the returning PCs so the IC explanation of respawns and the other benefits they provide will remain valid.
Many things are already setup to occur in-game based on the year. For example, the gods that ascend or die during the Time of Troubles will automatically do so and become (un)available for PCs to select based on the in-game year. Certain temples (like Cyric's) will be unavailable until the gods for them actually ascend. And even Wild Magic, for instance, is already set to occur automatically during the period of 1358 that saw the Time of Troubles.
So what a setting reboot means is that the current time, persistent storage, PC merchants, building ownership, faction status, notoriety, and death/respawn status would all be wiped out. In addition, rumors PCs have heard, riddles they have guessed, quest givers they have already performed quests for, areas they have visited, etc would all be reset and you can redo/revisit/relearn them again for XP.
What your PCs would Keep:
1. Current level
2. All items in inventory
3. The combination of all gold in inventory and in their vault
4. Languages known
5. Deity selected. Deities that have not ascended yet (like Cyric, Velsharoon, etc) will be cleared though. It is understood that this may cause problems with certain clerics not having the appropriate domains to select a different deity for the new time setting and, in those cases, I will work with those people to edit the character files to appropriate domains. Or they may choose to retire the PC and get compensation for either a new or another existing PC (see Compensation Options below)
What your PCs would Lose:
1. Memory of the future and any exploits of your PC in Thay prior to being thrown back in time. ICly, you will be asked to RP that you are 'awaking' in Thay sometime after the typical opening sequence having been saved from slavers by the mysterious allies. Essentially - it will be as though your returning PC is new to Thay as it was after the original opening sequence for new PCs, but you can RP that for some reason he/she seems to know or remember things about Thay, places within it, friends, enemies, allies, etc as they are encountered.
2. Death, Dying, and Respawn Count. This is a GOOD thing since the mysterious allies will provide you free respawns again, and if you use them up the times you have been on the Fugue Plane also start again at 0!
3. Notoriety and Faction Standing. Resetting notoriety and faction standing is an IC necessity since notoriety is a measure of how well your character is known and feared/respected within Thay. Traveling back in time would mean that your character will again be an unknown and must work to gain notoriety and status again.
4. Player Merchants
5. Player Buildings and any furniture or door improvements within them.
6. Items stored in the vaults of Thay
Due to the fact that certain things will be lost, we will have a variety of compensation options available to or active or long-term players. Should the setting reboot occur, those of you reading this now will be able to request compensation a variety of items within reason before the setting reboot from the following list for one or more of your PCs.
Long-term and Active Player Compensation Options
-Bonus XP
-Bonus Gold
-Building Deed
-Merchant Deed
-Special item(s) with properties requested by the PC
-Special existing rare or unique item(s) such as a Hood of Disguise, Cloak of Invisibility, Ring of Spell Turning, Dynamic Magic item, etc
-Convert PC to a lycan
-Convert PC to a vampire
-Retire PC and play a new subrace PC at the same level of the retired PC
-Retire PC and create a new PC with a special background, title, or position (Thayan Noble, Autharch, etc) at the same level of the retired PC
-Retire PC and place in the world as a NPC (Questgiver, Faction Contact or Leader, Boss Enemy, etc)
-Create a special building or location (house, tower, faction headquarters, planar pocket, etc) in the world to which your PC will have access. It will be the player's responsibility to create the area and send to Thayan for inclusion in the world
-Player's Choice (within reason)
The following compensation would be given for all returning players who do not request specific compensation options prior to the setting reboot (such as those currently non-active players returning after the reboot).
Default Compensation
-The respawn and death and dying count for every PC will be reset to 0
-Bonus XP determined by notoriety level (the more notorious the PC, the more XP they receive)
-Gold previously stored in the PC's vault will be added to the PC's inventory
-If marked as a homeowner, will be given a deed and extra gold for furniture
-All existing PCs that are not retired begin with enough notoriety to complete the Beggar's quests right away
-Option to retire the current PC and create a new PC at the same level with the same amount of gold (inventory + vault). Inventory items be accessed at 20% of their value (around the best purchase rate given by any merchant of Thay) and that total will be added to the starting gold of the new PC as well.
In closing, a fair amount of consideration has gone into the idea of rebooting the setting. Obviously, it is something I support or I would not have spent so much time trying to work out the details. BUT, I need your opinions on it! Whether you are a lurking long-term player, a currently active brand new player, or someone in between, please post (or PM me if you prefer) with your thoughts, concerns, or ideas. Finally, after any discussion -or if you support or oppose the idea as it stands right now- let me know if you would like to see a setting reboot, do not want a setting reboot, or don't care one way or the other. Regardless of your feelings, please note that any potential setting reboot is many months away even if the majority of feedback from you (our players) supports it. This is not something that will occur overnight and will have considerable forum build-up and many special in-game events/campaigns before it would occur.
Thanks for reading, and let the discussion begin!
The vision for this PW has always been to present the world of Thay as it was described in novels and source material written for 2nd and 3rd edition D&D rules. We are nearing a crossroads as the time period after 1375 DR is very tumultuous for Thay as source material moves to 4th edition rules and Haunted Land novels - and is one that will not be represented in this PW's vision of Thay. Therefore, I foresee two options:
1. We can move forward into the future and the Thay PW can grow an evolve as we make it.
2. We can 'reboot' the setting and start the clock over again in or around the year 1357 DR
Moving into the future is simple enough and nothing would change. However, many/most official 4th edition changes will not occur. There will be no mass killing-off of the gods, there will be no Spellplague that transforms the face of the world, and so on. This is primarily due to the fact that a massive amount of design time has been spent creating Thay as it existed in the 2nd and 3rd edition sourcebooks - and I will not spend time wiping out or redoing much of that to conform to an official timeline and source material I do not agree with anymore.
But if we reboot the setting and essentially start over back in the past, this presents a multitude of issues, and that is why this topic has been created for discussion. I have already presented the setting reboot idea to the staff members to get their opinions and ideas. But now I am seeking input from long-term and/or currently active members of our community to get your opinions on a setting reboot. But without the approval of the vast majority of players for this idea of a setting reboot, a setting reboot is not going to happen! So if you feel strongly about this one way or the other, please reply and discuss.
There is already a plan in place to explain how the rift in time will occur, and it will be the culmination of a large-scale campaign run by (hopefully) multiple DMs. While I don't want to give away too much for this campaign, the end result will be the clock set back to 1357 DR, or before, and a new initial opening sequence will occur at that point for returning PCs. That sequence will explain ICly and OOCly how the Thay PW setting was reset and how you can/should RP that change with already existing PCs. This sequence will also be necessary for returning players who maybe took some time off from Thay/NWN and were not aware of the clock being reset. This event will incorporate the mysterious allies becoming aware (again) of the returning PCs so the IC explanation of respawns and the other benefits they provide will remain valid.
Many things are already setup to occur in-game based on the year. For example, the gods that ascend or die during the Time of Troubles will automatically do so and become (un)available for PCs to select based on the in-game year. Certain temples (like Cyric's) will be unavailable until the gods for them actually ascend. And even Wild Magic, for instance, is already set to occur automatically during the period of 1358 that saw the Time of Troubles.
So what a setting reboot means is that the current time, persistent storage, PC merchants, building ownership, faction status, notoriety, and death/respawn status would all be wiped out. In addition, rumors PCs have heard, riddles they have guessed, quest givers they have already performed quests for, areas they have visited, etc would all be reset and you can redo/revisit/relearn them again for XP.
What your PCs would Keep:
1. Current level
2. All items in inventory
3. The combination of all gold in inventory and in their vault
4. Languages known
5. Deity selected. Deities that have not ascended yet (like Cyric, Velsharoon, etc) will be cleared though. It is understood that this may cause problems with certain clerics not having the appropriate domains to select a different deity for the new time setting and, in those cases, I will work with those people to edit the character files to appropriate domains. Or they may choose to retire the PC and get compensation for either a new or another existing PC (see Compensation Options below)
What your PCs would Lose:
1. Memory of the future and any exploits of your PC in Thay prior to being thrown back in time. ICly, you will be asked to RP that you are 'awaking' in Thay sometime after the typical opening sequence having been saved from slavers by the mysterious allies. Essentially - it will be as though your returning PC is new to Thay as it was after the original opening sequence for new PCs, but you can RP that for some reason he/she seems to know or remember things about Thay, places within it, friends, enemies, allies, etc as they are encountered.
2. Death, Dying, and Respawn Count. This is a GOOD thing since the mysterious allies will provide you free respawns again, and if you use them up the times you have been on the Fugue Plane also start again at 0!
3. Notoriety and Faction Standing. Resetting notoriety and faction standing is an IC necessity since notoriety is a measure of how well your character is known and feared/respected within Thay. Traveling back in time would mean that your character will again be an unknown and must work to gain notoriety and status again.
4. Player Merchants
5. Player Buildings and any furniture or door improvements within them.
6. Items stored in the vaults of Thay
Due to the fact that certain things will be lost, we will have a variety of compensation options available to or active or long-term players. Should the setting reboot occur, those of you reading this now will be able to request compensation a variety of items within reason before the setting reboot from the following list for one or more of your PCs.
Long-term and Active Player Compensation Options
-Bonus XP
-Bonus Gold
-Building Deed
-Merchant Deed
-Special item(s) with properties requested by the PC
-Special existing rare or unique item(s) such as a Hood of Disguise, Cloak of Invisibility, Ring of Spell Turning, Dynamic Magic item, etc
-Convert PC to a lycan
-Convert PC to a vampire
-Retire PC and play a new subrace PC at the same level of the retired PC
-Retire PC and create a new PC with a special background, title, or position (Thayan Noble, Autharch, etc) at the same level of the retired PC
-Retire PC and place in the world as a NPC (Questgiver, Faction Contact or Leader, Boss Enemy, etc)
-Create a special building or location (house, tower, faction headquarters, planar pocket, etc) in the world to which your PC will have access. It will be the player's responsibility to create the area and send to Thayan for inclusion in the world
-Player's Choice (within reason)
The following compensation would be given for all returning players who do not request specific compensation options prior to the setting reboot (such as those currently non-active players returning after the reboot).
Default Compensation
-The respawn and death and dying count for every PC will be reset to 0
-Bonus XP determined by notoriety level (the more notorious the PC, the more XP they receive)
-Gold previously stored in the PC's vault will be added to the PC's inventory
-If marked as a homeowner, will be given a deed and extra gold for furniture
-All existing PCs that are not retired begin with enough notoriety to complete the Beggar's quests right away
-Option to retire the current PC and create a new PC at the same level with the same amount of gold (inventory + vault). Inventory items be accessed at 20% of their value (around the best purchase rate given by any merchant of Thay) and that total will be added to the starting gold of the new PC as well.
In closing, a fair amount of consideration has gone into the idea of rebooting the setting. Obviously, it is something I support or I would not have spent so much time trying to work out the details. BUT, I need your opinions on it! Whether you are a lurking long-term player, a currently active brand new player, or someone in between, please post (or PM me if you prefer) with your thoughts, concerns, or ideas. Finally, after any discussion -or if you support or oppose the idea as it stands right now- let me know if you would like to see a setting reboot, do not want a setting reboot, or don't care one way or the other. Regardless of your feelings, please note that any potential setting reboot is many months away even if the majority of feedback from you (our players) supports it. This is not something that will occur overnight and will have considerable forum build-up and many special in-game events/campaigns before it would occur.
Thanks for reading, and let the discussion begin!