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Digital Encampments and Expectations; Information about class mechanics involved in the many games we practice heroism.
Topic Started: Jul 23 2016, 08:03 PM (29 Views)
Ivstin
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With many new games and faces of the digital experience, we as Knights Regnum have to remember the representation of heroism that we seek to emulate. It is not just a hero who destroys evil and uses "whatever means are necessary." We follow the Path of the Exalted. The Path of the Exalted is very clear about what is a good deed and what constitutes as not good enough.

Class Mechanics

Owing to our exalted lineage, the Knights Regnum prohibit the usage of evil methods. Taken from the Book of Exalted Deeds:
Quote:
 
"An evil act is an evil act no matter what good result it may achieve...Any exalted [hero] risks losing benefits of celestial favor if he [or she] commits an act of evil for any reason. Whether or not good ends can justify evil means, they certainly cannot make evil means any less evil."


And further
Quote:
 
"[the usage of violence] must be as good as the intentions behind it. The use of evil spells, obviously, is not good even when the target is evil. Likewise, the use of torture or other practices that inflict undue suffering upon the victims goes beyond the pale of what can be considered good."


In this list we see the following are considered evil methods.

  • Poison
  • Disease
  • Evil Spells
  • Harming the Soul
  • Cursing the Soul
  • Torture
  • Taking away the Freewill of a Sentient Being


In the many games we play, some class mechanics simply don't fit the bill for the needs of the Knights Regnum. Here are two example lists and from these lists we can apply a general descriptor to all digital environments.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

  • Poison Damage (but not poisons that do not cause damage-such as sleep poison)
  • Trap the Soul
  • Necrotic Damage
  • Psychic Damage that involves terror or horror
  • Removing the Freewill of a target and causing them to harm themselves
  • Using Disease
  • Cursing the soul


World of Warcraft

  • Nature damage caused by Poisons Directly
  • Any Disease Damage
  • Curses of any kind
  • Shadow Damage
  • Spells that draw their origin from Evil Entities (Fel, Void, etc.)


This definitely makes certain classes in World of Warcraft nearly impossible to play as an Exalted Knight, such as Death Knights, Warlocks, Priests (Shadow, Discipline), and Rogues (Assassination). This will also likely make Demon Hunters unable to become knights.

Just because a class uses evil methods doesn't mean they cannot attempt to atone or role play that their magic functions differently in a special way. For example, the Book of Exalted Deeds introduced ravages and afflictions. These are poisons and diseases that are not indiscriminate in what they harm. A poison harms the metabolic flesh of a creature indiscriminately. A ravage assaults the mind and conscience of a target that has performed an evil deed and is otherwise ineffective. The same for an affliction.

Shadow damage, for example, is rather ambiguous and could be construed as psychic energy rather than necrotic. In this case, a character could be using the conscience of a target against itself, rather than summoning negative void energy against them.

Class Fantasy in World of Warcraft

There is a gap between "how I want to play my character" and "how this character is designed." With the introduction of Class Fantasy in World of Warcraft, we have certain powers identified for us without question. The following are explicitly defined for us as players and going against this involves much more diligence in your role play as a Knight.

Warlocks derive power from demons and fel. Period. There really are no exceptions to this. This means almost all of their powers are inherently evil.

Shadow Priests are devoted to the Void, the essence of darkness and evil in the universe, even greater than demons and fel energy. To say that the Void is "not evil" simply because it does not care about good and evil is not accurate enough for the following of the Exalted Path.

Death Knights are created from undeath and therefore their diseases and abilities flow through undead energies. The only possible way to remedy this is by becoming a Revenant, which isn't very plausible in the Warcraft Universe without some very devoted role play.

Characters in these classes have exceptionally difficult challenges ahead of them if they are going to attempt the trials of purity and give up all evil methods to become Knights. Remember, when you become a Knight you are tested by the Book of Exalted Deeds itself, and if the "book of good" doesn't find you worthy, it burns you alive into nothingness. Don't get caught up!

Sin and Atonement

None of this is to say that a character cannot atone for a mistake. The discipline priest who uses shadow and it happens to be tainted with void or necrotic magic, or the death knight who slips and curses someone with a disease, the rogue who uses the wrong poison: all of these are acts that could be considered worthy of atonement. Breaking your vows as a Knight is very serious. In a D&D game, you lose all blessings and charms associated with the Knighthood until you atone. In World of Warcraft, your guild leader should demote you to Squire immediately until you atone, at which you can take your rank again.

That being said, certain characters have already done this hard work, such as Malthael Furiae, who gave up all his evil methods and became a holy priest, from warlock. To respect his player's hard work, and the character, BOTH versions of the character (warlock and holy priest) are kept at the highest rank that the player earned (Master Knight, in this case).

If you ever meet a Master Knight who is a strange class and you wonder "How did they get there?" maybe there is a secret you haven't learned yet. ;)
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Ivstin
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Death Knights [WoW]
Frost Spec is your best bet with using as few "disease" and prohibited damage types. Only one spell channels a disease to other creatures and it is a Frost based disease.
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Ivstin
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Demon Hunters [WoW]
Some of the abilities reference direct attacks upon the Soul.

Be mindful that part of the Knight's obligation is to never harm the soul. Ever.
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