Purpose

Thursday Night Questing (TNQ) is intended to be an introduction to and simulation of full Realms events. One might think of it as “questing practice” instead of a typical “fight practice”. TNQ will consist of a series of short events occuring every other Thursday at WPI. Official timing will be determined by the Staff ahead of time, but will occupy the same period of time as (and will occur in place of) the SMAS fight practice scheduled for that night. TNQ events will take place in a continuous story arc much like a tabletop RPG campaign, complete with character development, stories between new friends, and actions with lasting consequences.

Relationship to Realms Events

Thursday Night Questing events are not legal Realms events. Game mechanic benefits (such as learned spells) obtained at a TNQ event cannot be carried over into actual Realms events. Mechanical aliments (such as character blindness, aversion to pianos, or other such aspects) may be carried over into actual Realms events at the sole discretion of the player. Elements which have no bearing on game mechanics (such as stories and friendships) can also be carried over into the Realms. Any questions regarding these categorizations should be addressed to TNQ Staff.

Relationship to WPI - SMAS

WPI’s Society for Medieval Arts and Sciences (SMAS) supports Thursday Night Questing by providing a location. Thursday Night Questing is an official SMAS event.

Target Audience

Players

Members of WPI’s SMAS or similar organization within the Realms’ “farm system” who have been active in their organization for fewer than two years are encouraged to play their characters (this is colloquially referred to “PC’ing”) at these events, even if they have played at Realms events previously. Players who are relatively new to the Realms and are not associated with a “farm” organization will be allowed to play on a case-by-case basis and should contact the TNQ Staff before attending. TNQ Staff reserves the right to disallow a player to PC a Thursday Night Questing event on the basis of that player’s previous experience in the Realms, or for other reasons.

Non-Player Characters (NPCs)

Anyone who does not meet the guidelines for PCing TNQ is strongly encouraged to support the events by attending as an NPC. Realms events can’t happen without people to play all of the roles, from helpless villagers to goblins to the Big Bad Guy, and TNQ is no different. TNQ events are not just a learning experience for PCs; they are also a great place for players to learn how events work behind the scenes. Players of all experience levels are welcome.

Staff

Thursday Night Questing is run by a small team of seasoned Realms players, and their collective experience is the strong foundation upon which the rest of the Thursday Night Questing project is built. Players who aspire to be Event Holders (EHs) in the Realms can contact the TNQ staff to talk about mentorship opportunities.

Structure

Special Rules

TNQ events will obey the edition of the Omnibus that is current when the event starts. However, specific TNQ rules will override Omnibus rules (e.g. Spell Progression). In a situation where the rules are unclear or there is an apparent conflict, the Omnibus rules take precedence.

Pre-Reg’ing

Players and NPCs will be encouraged to pre-reg (pre-register) for each TNQ event via RealmsNet. Players who pre-reg for an event at least 24 hours in advance will receive a minor perk when they check in.

Checking In

All players will be required to check in as if they were at a real Realms event. This includes checking in spell builds and magic items. The reg desk will be open between 7:00 and 7:30. Players who arrive at an event after the reg desk closes must talk to a staff member before their character can join the quest.