Real World Rules
This section relates to out-of-game rules detailing how the game is organized. The pages include information on the structure of each event both in the week before and during. You'll also find information on the small army of volunteers who make the game possible. The information here is not critical for gameplay, but reading through it will help you understand what all the different moving parts of the game are doing to make everything happen.
Event Structure
Events
An event is the name for the full weekend of activities when game is happening. Events are broken down into four shifts (except during specific special events).
If it is your first event be sure to fill out this waiver and send a signed digital copy to: konwaivers@gmail.com
Preregistration
The old methods of preregistration are no longer applicable. New means of event preregistration will be announced in February 2023.
Feb Feast 2023 Registration
You can register for Feb Feast 2023 here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/T7FQX5P9ZFWC2
Please do so by Wednesday January 11th at the latest.
The Timeline of a Typical Event
- 4 pm Friday to 9 pm Friday: Set-up of logistics, the inn, and player encampments.
- Only staff should arrive before 4pm.
- Arrive at any time in this window.
- 7 pm Friday: Players may sign in when the logistics staff are ready for them.
- 8:50PM Friday (approximate): New player introduction is run. If you can't make it, talk to Marketing and Player Outreach staff (Brandon Febles or Michael Maneri) for additional times.
- 9 pm Friday to 2 am Saturday: 1st shift
- 9 am to 10 am Saturday: Some players make their own breakfast.
- The game itself will not have anything available until the start of 2nd shift.
- 10 am Saturday to 3 pm Saturday: 2nd shift
- 3 pm Saturday to 8 pm Saturday: 3rd shift
- 8 pm Saturday to 1 am Sunday: 4th shift
- 8 am Sunday to 11am Sunday: Clean-up
- Players should remove their personal belongings before helping with general clean up.
- Personal belongings should all be removed from site by 10am at the latest.
- After 10am if you are not helping with clean up you should leave so the people still cleaning can finish.
- It is common for people to go for lunch afterwards nearby.
Shifts
A shift is a 5 hour block of time during which the game is taking place. During each shift a player must choose to either be a player character (PC) or a non-player character (NPC). Players are expected to NPC for at least as many shifts as they PC.
If you are going to be late for a shift or need to leave early for some reason, that shift should be one of the shifts that you PC.
Shift Balance
Shift balance is how the game tries to keep the number of players on each shift roughly even.
If there are too many PC's on a shift this results in very few people who can play NPC's, these shifts are slow without a lot happening at once, and the NPC's burn out and run out of energy very quickly. When there are too few PC's on a shift there is a massive horde of NPC's. During these shifts the PC's tire out or can't handle the volume of plots that might come out. Meanwhile the NPC's get bored and don't get to have any fun either. Neither of these situations is great.
Our solution to this is a program we call shift balance. The first step is for players to organize themselves into adventuring groups. You don't have to join a group, but there is preferential treatment for groups because we want to encourage them to exist. Groups are easier for GM's to create plot for, generally a plot aimed at one member of the group provides entertainment for ALL members of that group. It also makes it easier for logistics staff members to organize shift balance.
Once players have had a chance to join an adventuring group they apply for the shifts they want. This will typically be a window of time that opens every 6 months or a year. Groups and those wishing to remain solo request what shifts they would like to play. The logistics marshal then does their best to fill those requests.
Obviously not everyone will get what they request. If they did, we wouldn't need shift balance. But we will do our best to get you some of what you are looking for.
Considerations that impact shift balance include (but are not limited to):
- The Daylight Shifts (2 and 3) are more popular than the Night shifts (1 and 4)
- Some players have complicated make up to put on and prefer 2 back to back shifts (2 and 3) or (3 and 4)
- Everyone experiences this to some degree, so only very heavy make up (races) will get preference for this.
- Groups will always be prioritized over solo players, solo players will fill in the holes.
- Requests for 1st and 4th are generally easiest to fill.
- Groups requesting 1st AND 4th as their two shifts are very likely to get what they want.
- If possible no one will be forced into all night shifts (1 and 4)
- In order to make sure everyone can have a day shift, getting assigned to 2 AND 3 is very unlikely unless this isn't possible for some reason.
- While all efforts will be made to treat staff members with the same priority as everyone else, if staff schedules make certain combinations impossible they may end up in unusual combinations.
Checking In to an Event
At the start of each event it is each player's responsibility to head to the Logistics desk and sign-in. Here you will pay the event entry-fee which is $30, and they will take your name to indicate you are present. The person taking your sign in will register what shifts you are going to PC. Players are expected to NPC at least half of the shifts they play during the weekend.
If you have a player character any experience you have earned since the last event you played will be applied to your character sheet. You may choose not to take that experience if you want to save it for a different character or for a point when you are going to immediately archive your sheet.
If you gain new experience points, calculate your new level and then record it on a new character sheet. Copy your existing skills over, and then, on the new sheet, spend any new skill points you wish to spend. Bring your new and old character sheet to the person running the archive on the logistics desk. They will double check your math and then file your old character sheet into the archive so that if you ever lose your current sheet there is a back up. If you lose your current sheet you will forced to make a copy from the archived sheet and any experience you have earned in the mean time may be gone. So seriously, back up your sheet regularly.
After you have done these things if you have any production skills and filled out a preproduction request before the event head down the table to the logistics person handling that. If a player is NPCing all 4 shifts, they may still select one character to use production points and crafting points.
Here you'll pay any in-game costs on what you are producing and pick up items slips, or item numbers of anything you had made. Remember that you are responsible for any props needed, you are only picking up the paperwork to make those props officially part of the game. At this point you are now successfully checked in.
During the shifts that you signed up to NPC be sure to once more check-in with the logistics personnel at the main desk to let them know you are there for the shift, and then one more time at the end of the shift to let them know you stayed the entire shift (and so they know they don't have to go searching the woods for you because no one saw you come back).
The first time a player signs-in with a new character they will receive a new character consumable package. When a character does preproduction for the first time they do not have to pay any coin costs to use production points or crafting points.
Archiving Characters
The archive is where logistics staff members keep copies of the character sheet of every character in the game. If you lose your character sheet this is where you will go to get a new copy. Keep in mind that if you lose your character sheet any experience earned between the last time you archived a copy of your sheet and the present could be lost. It is recommended that you archive your character sheet every event at check-in.
Places at the Game Site
The Logistics Building
The logistics building is where most out-of-game organization takes place. It is where players check-in before an event, where players go to pick up their pre-production requests, where players go to be NPCs and where a game master runs each shift from.
If you have an emergency of any kind logistics is always the best place to go.
The term "logistics" is also sometimes used to refer to the volunteers who work with the logistics marshal.
The Inn
In-game there is an inn where players can go in character to acquire real food and drink. Player characters must pay for any food they purchase themselves using in-game coin. The game by design is set up so that you should have no problem earning enough coin for food during play. Players are expected to bring their own setting appropriate bowl and mug, but sometimes bowls and mugs are available for rental for an additional in-game fee.
When a player is npcing they are able to get fed without need for any coin. This isn't a license to eat everything in sight, but rather to simplify things so that npcs don't have to get money from out-of-game and then spend it at the inn where it will return to the exact same pool it started from. Simply notify the innkeepers that you are npc by quietly mentioning it if they don't already know.
The food served by the inn is meant to allow players to eat while staying in-character and to keep the game rolling. While every effort is made to make sure everyone gets fed there is never a guarantee that anyone will get any food. Ultimately you are responsible for making sure you get sufficient food for the weekend and should plan accordingly.
Be sure to keep in mind that the inn is run by volunteers who often get there right at the start of a shift. Sometimes the food takes time to prepare, your patience is greatly appreciated.
Encampments
An encampment is a location that parties of player characters use to represent where they are staying as a group in-game. These players then typically set their encampments up as both a living quarters and a base of operations.
There are no game mechanics for encampments beyond the fact that some tinkering items referred to as encampment items that require they be used in an encampment.
Once an encampment item is set up in a location for an event it cannot be moved to a new encampment that same event. Encampment items may not be looted by anyone and are generally only usable by the owner and sometimes their party.
For the purposes of Camp Kingsley:
- A lean-to counts as an encampment
- A tent counts as an encampment
- The Slap and Tickle counts as an encampment
- The Spinning Jenny does NOT count as an encampment
Due to the limited number of available of lean-tos you must reserve a lean-to and there may be a waiting list.
Volunteer Staff
Marshals
The game runs because we all make it run for each other. To make that happen everyone who's been at game more than a year should join a working group (many of the groups are happy to take volunteers sooner). We're all in this game together, they all need help, they all need new blood, and you should have a good enough idea of how the game works after a year to make a good contribution!
Come get a look behind the curtain, because the curtain only needs to be there during your PC shift.
Working groups have someone leading them, called a Marshal. They're the final say in their little domain. Under them are people who are learning to be a marshal one day, we call them Seconds. Anybody can be in those positions, you've just gotta be competent, trustworthy, and around long enough to get the ambition (and pain) of wanting to manage your friends.
Once or twice a year the Marshals, Seconds, and one or two wildcards get together for something called a "Staff Retreat" where they talk about what worked, what didn't work, and where they're going to steer their working group in the year ahead.
Each marshal heads a different aspect of the Kingdoms of Novitas game. The marshals each oversee a variety of staff that work with them to help them make the game happen.
Marshal List
Links on players names will take you to their forum profiles on the Kingdoms of Novitas forums so you can contact them.
- The First Marshal: Oversees the operation of all of Novitas, has the final say in all matters. Is supported by the Ombudsman who can make high level decisions when he is not available. These are the people you should talk to about matters of extreme importance.
- First Marshal: Christina Mevec, James Vertucci, and Ryan Green
- Ombudsman:
- Logistics: Handles character sheets, running sign-in, managing magical loot, paperwork, assigning item numbers, assisting the GMs during shifts with loot, and more. Also handles all internal paperwork, manages waivers & releases.
- Marshal: Frank Tamburrino
- Second: Taylor Dean
- Marketing and Player Outreach: Covers recruiting new players, discreetly handling OOG conflict between players, managing player retention, and more. Manages advertising, KoN evangelism & recuriting on other forums & sites, sometimes t-shirts, conventions.
- Marshal: Brandon Febles
- Second: Michael Maneri
- Operations: Care and feeding of the ranger, care and upkeep of the site, taxes, corporate business, finances, and more. Handles all external paperwork, manages website back end stuff and forum administration. Oversees bookkeeping, maintains physical site repairs and improvements. Manages any corporate reporting.
- Marshal: Chris Soukup
- Second: John Spencer
- Plot and Continuity: Writing plots, approves backstories, runs the NPCs of each shift, responds to lore requests, manages PELs, and more. Handles metaplot, shift plots, continuity, post event letters, character backgrounds, world background, lore requests, and roleplaying skill adjucation. Selects and oversees the game masters who run stories during shifts.
- Marshal: Ryan Green
- Second: Gabby Bonilla
- Props and Atmosphere: Caring for our existing props, ensuring that every player/monster/prop fits with the aesthetic we want at KoN, acquiring new props, painting all you nerds, and more. Checks garb & encampments, handles prop maintenance, organized the prop shed, creates monster & npc costuming, builds npc weapons, and manages racial makeup
- Marshal: Christina Mevec
- Second: Liska Gutierrez
- Rules and Balancing: Making sure the rules are as simple as possible, making rules available to players & GMs who need them, carefully balancing rules while making changes as seldom as possible, and more.
Identifies rules & mechanics in need of fixing, handles playtesting, approves new creatures & epic items, manages the games economy, and issues errata or clarifications as necessary.
- Marshal: Pat Lane
- Second: James Vertucci
Other Staff
These individuals are NOT marshals or seconds, but still handle some of the labor that keeps the game functioning.
- Medical:Keeps the first aid kit stocked.
- Currently Vacant
- IT Services: Handles back end technical details for the Novitas Forums and this wiki.
- Frank Tamburrino
- Inn Director: Oversees the volunteers who run the inn during games. Manages the food: getting it to site, cooking it, and serving it. Takes care of the props and tools needed in the inn.
- Hannah Vary
- Set-Up/ Break Down Coordinator: Organizes volunteers to set up and break down the Logistics building before and after each event. Manages the storage shed.
- Make-Up Coordinator: Run's the make up table during shifts. In charge of keeping the table stocked between games. During games oversees scheduling of the table, training of people running the table, and consistency with creature make-up.
- Enya Patterson
- Wiki Administrator: Oversees the information in this wiki. Updates information as needed based on what other Marshals (particularly Rules) tell them.
- Ryan Green
Game Master
Game masters are responsible for running the game during each shift of a typical event. A pool of game masters under the supervision of the plot marshal collaborate each month to plan both ongoing plots? and random encounters? to take place during a game. These plots? are then carried out by lead npcs who in turn organize any other NPCs needed to bring a plot? to life.
In addition to the game masters the logs building is also generally staffed with one or two members of props and atmosphere who take care of npc make-up needs.
Game masters are the right people to talk to about something that happened on the shift that they ran, but are typically the wrong people to talk to about something that affects more than a single shift. If you need a prop approved you should talk to the props and atmosphere marshal (Christina Mevec) or second (Liska Gutierrez), questions about rules or combat safety should go to the rules marshal (Pat Lane) or second (James Vertucci), and questions about stories that aren't specific to a shift should go to the plot marshal (Ryan Green) or second (Gabby Bonilla).
Logistics Work Group
The logistics work group is responsible for checking players into the event, overseeing experience points and character advancement, processing production or crafting by characters, and creating loot that is used by the gamemasters during shifts.
The current logistics marshal is Frank Tamburrino. There is one logistics second, Taylor Dean who assists and works as backup when the marshal isn't available.
The members of the logistics team are responsible for the organizational activities that make the game function. They handle checking-in players, producing paperwork for in-game goods, and assist game masters in passing out NPC loot.
Props and Atmosphere Work Group
The players who help out with props and atmosphere are responsible for making sure that items brought into the game look appropriate to maintain the proper atmosphere for the game. They also work on creating costumes for NPCs representing the creatures that players might encounter.
The Props and Atmosphere marshal is Christina Mevec and the second is Liska Gutierrez.
During a shift one or two members of the make-up team will be on hand in logistics to apply make up as needed to creatures before they head out the door. They are always in need of volunteers to work the table. If you are interested you should contact Enya Patterson.
Keep in mind they can be very busy depending on the needs of the game master, and it is not their responsibility to make sure you are properly garbed. If you have any questions about a plot's? costuming needs, the make up staff will try to help, but you may need to check with a lead npc, a member of the logistics staff or a game master to make sure you have your costuming right.
Between games Christina Mevec or Liska Gutierrez will periodically have special work days where everyone gets together and builds, repairs or otherwise works on some aspect of our props. One work day might be to build a new costume for a new monster that will be entering the game. Or to repair or upgrade the existing costumes for a creature. Watch for announcements about these events they are fun ways to help the game grow.
Remember at the beginning and end of every event needs your assistance in getting logistics set up and broken down.
Innkeepers
Innkeepers are volunteer staff who work the inn instead of npcing in order to serve food. They are paid a small fee in coins for what they do and collect tips from the tip jar at the inn. Sometimes innkeepers bring additional food with them, paid for by their own real world money, to serve beyond what the game provides. When this happens they are allowed to set an appropriate price for these food stuffs, and they earn XP for the food being donated. If you wish to sell food for coin, you should do so as your player character, not as an innkeeper. Inn keepers are always NPC's.
Being an innkeeper can be stressful, you should be nice to them.
If you are interested in becoming an innkeeper speak to . You should also be sure to read the innkeeper guidelines here.
Things to do Between Events
Post Event Letters (PEL)
A Post-Event Letter (PEL for short) is an optional recap of what you did during an event. Turning in a PEL will earn two experience points. The goal of a PEL is to give the game masters a good understanding of what happened during an event and why. Useful details to include in a PEL include major events your player character participated in, and any story impact that non-player characters you played might have had. It is also very useful to mention if an NPC you played might have value in appearing again at a future event.
A PEL must be submitted no later than 1 weeks after an event takes place by using this form. The information should be concise and proof-read, as there are often many of these for plot staff to read through. There is no specific format that what your writing needs to have.
Player Initiated Plots (PIP)
One of the best parts of a roleplaying game is when you decide in character that you want to act out some self determined goal. Player initiated plots (PIPs for short) are there to help you accomplish these goals in Kingdoms of Novitas. With so many players and no direct interaction between game masters and players while an event is happening, there is no way for a game master to know what your characters want to do, unless you tell them.
This is where PIPs come in. This is your chance to initiate or advance a story for you/ your party and to request that the GM's take a look at the possibility of running that story.
To request a PIP fill out this form at least 2 weeks prior to an event. And remember that sometimes PIP's take more than one event to come about.
Here is some more information about the sections of the form:
- Who is planning on going.
- We are requesting that this be a party adventure, as going off and doing something solo will very likely eat up a bunch of NPCs, props, and time for only one person. Spread the love, invite some friends.
- What you're planning on doing, and what you hope to accomplish.
- Keep in mind that we need both parts. If you're going to Lootsville for trade, is one kind of adventure. If you're going to Lootsville to kill things and take their stuff, that's a very different kind of adventure. We need to know the full story.
- Any relevant history or NPCs that are important.
- If you're tracking down Farmer Joe, we need to be sure the Farmer Joe NPC is ready to go. If you heard about the place you want to go from some Adventuring Heroes, let us know that's where you heard about it so we can consult the GM who ran the plot you want to develop more and see if he had anything specifically in mind. Doing this homework makes sure that we can give you a better adventure.
- What shift are you planning to go do this.
- We'll need to handle logistics on our end, so knowing in advance what shift you're planing on doing this will make our lives easier. We'll send word into Maplewood to let you know when the scenario is ready to be run, and you and your assigned group can march out and take a whack at it.
We will not make any assurances or promises that the adventure you're going on is a good idea, won't kill your PCs, be easy, or won't change the world as a whole. It may not work out like you think it will, but we also won't immediately screw over anyone who submits these adventures. Anything can happen -- make your peace with it.
These requests must be in by the Friday before a game. Plot staff are going to need time to plan plots, prep props, debate amongst ourselves, and all that jazz. So we need time, and this due date gives you time to work out all the above and us time to prep the scenario. Fair, right?
Plot has the right to turn down your request and/or may not orchestrate it. There are a number of reasons for this. Please do not be offended.
Preproduction of Goods
Before each event you should let the logistics staff know what items you will be crafting and producing by filling out the preproduction form.
This form lists the different ways your character might typically create new items and asks you to list what items you want to make. Filling the form out makes it much easier for logistics members to create the fairly sizable list of different things the player base create each event.
When you check-in to the event, logistics will confirm that you have the necessary crafting or production points, you will pay any associated costs (and turn in any consumables used to create the items) and then you can pick up the paperwork for your items. If a new item is a magic item, the logistics personnel will give you the number to mark it with an item code so that other players can use identify magic on it later.
It is the players responsibility to bring (and pay for) any necessary props such as potion vials (which are available at the desk for cost - 3 for $1), weapons, or clothing. These created items are almost always lootable.
The very first event that a character either crafts and/or produces goods there is no coin cost for those goods, even if this is not the characters first event. This only occurs once (i.e. if a player crafts for the first time one event, then produces for the first time at a later event, they will have already gotten their first time free when they crafted). A character can craft or produce during the same event they pick up the skills to do so with new skill points.
Reserving Sleeping Sites
Current information on sleeping reservations can be found in this thread on the forums:
Kitchens in the A-frames are available for those staying in them.
Other Resources
Forums for the Kingdoms of Novitas
The forums for Kingdoms of Novitas can be found here:
In the forums you can find major announcements, rules updates, ideas up for community review, and in-character boards.
Special Events
Novitas Holiday Events
Each year Novitas has a special out-of-character event as a party/ fund-raising event for Novitas. Currently there are two such events, a feast in February and the Junebilee (in June or July). The February Feast or Feb Feast ran for so long that it is still the term used to describe the items that come from these events even when they are not from the event of the same name.
Any rule or item that has an effect that is once per year, or refers to doing something yearly, marks the start and end of that year as the Junebilee event.
During these event there will be an auction, done as a form of fundraiser for the game. Magic items obtained from an auction during one of these special events have special traits unique to these items.
Feb Feast Items:
- Last forever: if the prop breaks you can replace it, unlike other props.
- The prop can be changed for others at any time as long as the new prop has any drawbacks the original prop had (some feb feast items are designed around the prop being used, and new props need to consider this fact).
- Can be transferred among all of your characters, which cannot normally be done.
- Can be looted, but with special conditions
- If the item is permanently transferred for any reason to a different player it loses all of these special traits.