🚧 Scene Sanctity
Protects against people joining the scene after the first round.
After the PvP initiation emote has taken place, then everyone at the scene freezes in place. Even if you suspect you will not be involved, you must remain in place. No one can join the scene later. No one can rejoin the scene after leaving.
Combats take place in the blink of an eye, but when you're using dice, it can be quite a bit longer. We want to avoid people joining the scene later who wouldn't have had the time to get there. It also helps to keep the flow of the scene.
For story purposes, all parties can agree to lift the ban but it must be universal to all parties joining. This prevents someone only wanting their allies to show up but not the other person's.
Initiating PvP
Initiating PvP the proper way is essential to a good combat experience.
- The attacker needs a valid RP reason to start a PvP scene.
- Initiation requires a hostile demand that includes a threat of violence.
- The initiator types /meloud and describes how they intend to use violence. Then the initiator presses the 'Announce PvP' button.
- As soon as PvP has been announced, everyone at the scene must freeze in place.
- This includes players who are not planning to participate.
- Players who were not in shout-range (and therefore did not hear the announcement), may not join the PvP. See our ‘Scene sanctity’ rules on the discord.
Surrender or participate in combat
- If the initiator is attacking multiple people, he must select one player (ooc chat) to become the Primary Defender.
- The Primary Defender now has two options:
- Surrenders immediately by typing their surrender with a /meloud and complies with the hostile demands of the attacker (see surrendering rules).
- Participates in the PvP by describing their intent (!) to fight or escape with a /meloud.
- Example: "/meloud pulls out his own weapon and aims it at the attacker" or "Attempts to run towards the door"
PVP Involving vehicles
You cannot initiate PvP inside a vehicle. Getting out of a vehicle is not considered an action.
⚰️ Inviting Consequences
When your character is in great danger...
As a player, you decide how your character would react in a dangerous situation. Some characters have a flight-response to danger and others would instinctively fight the danger, even if it isn't the smartest thing to do. Like refusing to surrender even when you are outnumbered.
On Deadline, there will be situations in which your character is in great danger and where fighting or fleeing would realistically lead to getting injured or even your death.
You can court other Consequences that have their own rules like:
⌛ In short, Inviting Consequences is signing your own death warrant. If your character dies (as a result of PvP action), you will be required to Dice With Death (see below) because of their decisions. Survive three Dice With Death scenarios and you're on Borrowed Time. That means your next death in PvP is permanent.
As staff, we try to telegraph the seriousness of decisions that rise to Inviting Consequences when in Events, but the world can be cruel and ignoring warnings can bring disaster.
We include these scenarios as examples, but they are not meant to be all inclusive. If you're playing a repeated high stakes game of ignoring the consequences of your action, staff can impose Inviting Consequences regardless of whether you have been through all the other possible consequences. It's not a checklist.
Now, this doesn't mean "I get to shoot you if you don't give me all your things immediately" or "I don't like how you roleplayed not being scared when I pulled a gun." This means when your character pushes their luck, they're rolling the dice. Sooner or later, the house always wins.
Scenarios
We cover a few scenarios here so you can understand possible consequences.
Abduction Scenario
You’ve surrendered and your attackers are now dragging you toward their vehicle. You scream and struggle for help but they cut you off with a single chilling order: “Stop resisting or we will hurt you.” If you ignore that warning you invite serious harm. They might shoot you with a non‑lethal round or resort to brutal physical force. (In Roleplay)
Some Options:
- Unconscious collapse: Portray yourself as knocked out and allow them to haul you into the vehicle by force
- Reluctant compliance: After taking a beating you reluctantly cease resistance and go along
You must roleplay all wounds inflicted.
If you continue to defy them after the first shot they may fire again after a second warning, leading to a Dice with Death outcome. Example: "This is your final warning, stop resisting or we will end you".
Torture Scenario
Your character has now been hauled off to a makeshift prison and is being tortured for information. You are a hardened soul who does not crack easily but if you start taunting your captor after they have given a final warning you risk lethal retaliation.
You might:
- Endure in silence: Refuse to speak and accept that your stoicism may count against you later
- Feed false information: Lie convincingly but be aware that any deception could justify a future murder ticket
- Lose your cool: If you mock or insult your torturer **after **their last warning they may execute you on the spot
Example: This is your final warning! Insult me again and I will end you!
Choose wisely and remember that arrogance under threat carries deadly consequences.
Robbery scenario
You are being robbed by a group of bandits. They have their weapons aimed at you. You have chosen to surrender, but you still aren't cooperating. You refuse to hand over your items even under the threat of violence. The bandits may give you a clear warning “Stop resisting or we will hurt you.” If you ignore that warning you invite serious harm. They might shoot you with a non‑lethal round or resort to brutal physical force (roleplay).
You might:
- Unconscious collapse: Portray yourself as knocked out and allow them to take your items by force.
- Reluctant compliance: After taking a beating you reluctantly cease resistance and you let them take your items.
You must roleplay all wounds inflicted. If you continue to defy them after the first shot they may fire again after a second warning, leading to a Dice with Death outcome. Example of a clear warning: "This is your final warning, stop resisting or we will end you".
🚧 Roadblocks & Barricading
Blocking the roadway for nefarious purposes...
Players are allowed to build road blocks and blockades around their base and on the map. But it cannot obstruct player movement along the road/pathway unless it is manned.
- Tiles used must be those players can pick up and move themselves without too much effort. Use furniture, not containers that hold items.
- Items used to barricade/blockade cannot be inside safehouse boundaries.
- Any vehicles used as part of a blockade cannot be claimed and will not protected by any safehousing rules.
- Large numbers of vehicles being in one spot creates enormous lag and are subject to removal without warning. Making a ticket so staff know and can replace some of these cars with tiles instead of vehicles will help protect you from random loss of your roadblock.
- A blockade is only allowed to obstruct player movement (including vehicle movement) if the players responsible for it are actively manning and guarding the blockade. If they flee the blockade under fire or in danger, players have the right to move the obstructions to get by.
If players would like to build larger and more persistent blockades they should open a ticket and discuss with staff for approval.
- Avoid creating a situation that is extremely burdensome for your fellow players. Be prepared to discuss how your construction will create good roleplay for everyone, does not create an unreasonably long detour, and does not contain a large amount of loot. Consider concerns other players may have with your blockade and how you can help prevent issues.
Examples of Roadblocks
What's wrong with this one?
Tiles and Vehicles make it impossible to completely remove all the obstetrical. The road is fully blocked off. No way for the other player to drive through it without having to spend a lot of time clearing the road.
Good Occupied Checkpoint
If players are present at the blockade to man it, you are allowed to block the road using tiles and vehicles. The other player has to be able to interact with the roadblock if he wants to get through. There should also be the option to avoid the barricade through side roads or detours.
Good Unoccupied Checkpoint
If no one is at the blockade to guard it, the road should always be clear and passable without having to interact with it.
🚗 Roadblocks and PvP
When using a roadblock in PvP, it must effectively prevent vehicles from bypassing it.
- If a vehicle can still drive past or around the roadblock without stopping, it is considered ineffective.
- In that case, the driver is not required to stop and may continue in their original direction.
- The driver must stop the car and get out OOC so that their typing can be visible. (There's a bug in PZ that sometimes people's words inside a vehicle don't get transmitted outside the vehicle/words outside don't get inside). Stand by the vehicle, but your character remains in the vehicle IC.
After the vehicle stops
Once the vehicle has successfully stopped at a roadblock, roleplay begins.
The default combat and escape rules apply:
If the person managing the roadblock wishes to rob, attack, or otherwise engage the players, they must initiate PvP and clearly announce combat (see Initiating PvP).
If the driver of the car wishes to escape, default escape rules apply.
Vehicles can not be used in PvP, they do give a Cover bonus.
Avoid repeat attacks on the same players/roadblockers unless it’s part of a planned story. Use Open Communication to discuss concerns, share locations, offer alternatives, and make sure everyone enjoys the interaction.
💢 Hostile RP/PVP with Cars
It can be problematic due to some technical challenges with PZ.
There is a communication bug where those inside of the car can not be heard from outside of the vehicle, which would not allow participants in a hostile scene to realize that PVP has been initiated.
At the moment, vehicles can't be used in PvP.
- If someone hits your character with a car, then they must exit the vehicle and state their intent that it was a hostile act (OOC or IC). The hostile scene will start when the driver exits the vehicle. Any passengers must also exit the vehicle promptly to participate in the hostile scene. A player who has been hit can respond with their emote to initiate PVP, roleplay or try to de-escalate the hostility.
- Drive-by shootings require a concern ticket. They can be done with mech PvP, but purely for flavor and roleplay purposes. A moderator will be online to oversee the scene****
- Vehicles do give a cover bonus. See the Cover rules
Car chases
You cannot use a vehicle chase scene to run someone off the road without the consent of both parties involved. Work with each other to come up with a solution before you're arguing on the roadside. We have this rule because car chases rarely go well because of vehicle desync. What you see on your screen might not necessarily be happening on the screen of the other player.